The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1864-04-26

M. ..n. s"x c'osety in HsokeT's wake, observing
9ts movements That night Gen pushed on. aud
49, ~ 6rookerviile, a. alsn on the next day at
ooonscsvH!e, ne pa oiled . number Of ps,soasrs ex
Sodx f "f vea. ;cs, HUNDRED At CookcsvIlle small
speedily pus s, cavalry was but was
a Al "a daylight on the 29th Pits Lee buss, the rail-
.oad b1dse az Sykcsviie aud tore up the rat,road
e "a ~ .ar as Hoods Mill. at which point the
aus" cut the telegraph wire, thus severine the en
y sMy = muitafy communications In this direction.
mi ... cavalry remataed all day In possession Of the
m"vsa aa, - u ,nrwssenlng wg baltimore, aud at night
u,ossa on 70 Westminster. At this point our sd-
vance was obstinsteiy contested tor short while,
ou. ."e enemy soon retired. During this engage
"sn ."nns ."9 most excellent young men and faithful
SMcess' Its Murray and Gibson, 4h Va Cav, were
killed. The kind women Of this town asked 10 be
pefmtted TO pay their remains the last tokens Of
IesPeet, which was grantet At this p0iat we
caps1sSd one piece Of artillery, which we spiked
und len, and several battle 6ass For the first
.me IN some four or five days our horses received
idii allowances OF forage. That night our troops
encampcd between Westminster and LtttietOwn.
over, Pa; Chanlb'iss taking the lead. Hampton
bringing up the rear, aud Fdz Lee moving on the
ten Hank About ~ O'Clock NJ the head Of ti,.
column reached Hanover, and found the enemy's
cavalry passing through the town. The enemy,
discovering our presence. made demonstration Of
nitack, which was quickly repul sed by Chamhiiss's
leading resimsai, driving the cnemy through the
town, capturing his ambuiances and large uum
beT Of prisoners. Owing 10 the fact that 0nr cav
airy was nut we'll closed up failed to strike the
enemy decided blow Our column was greatly
elongated by the $40 wagons and the captured
mules Hampton was still some distance behind,
and Fitz Lee had not yet g0lte. up The delay In
our troops getting up enabled the enemy to regain
possession Of the town. This, however. was no
serious affair, as we held the heights, which com
p'etely commanded II These were quickly
cr0wned with our artillery aud heavy FIRE opened
upon them. We soon cut their column In twain
and Fitz Lee, calling upon their rear, captured
aid OF Gen fitzpatrick and a large number Of pris-
Oners And upon iiamptOn's arrival We dislOdged
the enemy from the town
Shorty thereafter, Fit3 Lee taking the lead, with
Hampton bringing up tho rear, and the wagon train
In The middle, our forces pushed on Tor York, Pa,
marching all night. SO exhausted were the men
that whole regiments slept In the saddle. Reach
ing Dover Ofhis march, Gen was unable to get
up with the infantry, but heard this point that
Gen Early had gone to Shippensburs, and 90 our
forces (Of cavalry pushed on to Carlisle. Auiv-
Ing there In the afternoon, Gen Stuart intended to
take possession Of it and levy contributions
iOf his hungry troops, but found the town held by
militia, Infantry, and artillery. Gen s demanded 4
surrender, which was refused. He therefore placed
his artillery IN position, and having ordered an in
vestment OF the place, again sent in flag of truce
demanding surrender, which WAS again refu ed.
Our artillery then opened upon the town, and set
f'e by shell to the cavalry barracks, which
were quickly consumed. Owing to a want Of am
munttion, Gen 3 was compelled to desist, and so
was unable TO enforce his demand for a surrender.
The town, II will be recOliected, surrendered
peaceahly to Gen Swell . few days bet0re. During
this evening Gen Stuart received a message from
Gen Lee that the army was al Gettysburg, and had
been engaged In battle all day Our cavalry at once
took up the line OF march, reaching Gettysburg
the second day, just in time TO thwart move OF
the enemys cavalry upon the rear of our infantry
by way OF Hunters Town, after very fierce
easemeht, In which Hampton's brigade performed
most gallant service, compelling the enemy TO
leave the field and abandon his purpose.
On the 81 Of Jay tine cavalry, by order of Gen
fhEir
the line Of battle, and on the left OF Lieut. General
Ewell's command, upon commanding ridge,
which completely controlled wide plain of cult
waited fields stretchiH. towards Hanover on the
left, and reaching to the base of the mountain
spurs among WHICH the enemy held position The
cOmniand Vas how reinforced ty the addition of
Jenkins's brigade. The brigades of jenkins and
W II Lee had scarcely gotten into position when
the enemy depIOyed n line of skfrmishers and al
vanced upon our position, which was very strong.
Jenkinss brigade chiefly engaged them, and fought
dismounted with considerable success until their
amnuntiOn gave out, and then retreated under
of difficulty and exposure. On the
left HaIlp on's men Lsoause engaged as disnOunt-
ed skFmishcTs, and here the enemy came very
near capturing portion OF our dismounted sharp
shooters. TO prevent this Gen Stuart ordered for
ward one of Chambliss's regiments, which quickly
charged the enemy, who began to give back rapid
ly. AT the same time portion Of Fitz Lec's com
mand charged on the left. In this charge the LIST
Virginia acted with conspicuous gaIlantry, and
won the praise OF Gen Stuart on the field This
charge was too rapid 10 be checked by any order
that could be transmitted through cOuriers. The
enemy having procured fresh nurses, turned upon
our hien and were beating them back; seeing
which, Gen Stuart sent the lst North Carolina cav
airy and The Jeff Davis legion to their support. A
hand 10 hand fght ensued, which gradually
Increased and involved the greater portion Of both
commands, until the enemy was forced to retire on
account of raking fire from their own artillery,
about three quarters Of mile distant, to which
they were expOscd. Our own artillery also con-
m The pfOuNi. In fbia mi
both officers and men behaved throughout with
signal gaantry. No more hand to hand fighting
occurred during this day, and the prisoners, Of
which we captured a number, were sent 10 the
rear. The enemy's loss In this engagement was
quite heavy. A number Of their killed and wound
ed fen into our own hands Major Conyers, gal
liant and efdcieat officer OF the JEFF Davis legion,
was killed. Brig Gen Hampton was wounded
twice during this fght
On the sth Fitz Lee was sen, to CashtoWn TO pro
tect the trains. On the same day our army began
to fall hack towards the Potomac. Bakers brigade
moved to Cashtowl, guarding the flanks and bring
ing up the rear on the road via Greenwood to vii
Transport, whicn was the route designated by
which the main portion Of the wagon trains aud
Gen fmboden, were to move, he having for this
purpose a special command, made up Of artillery,
infantry, and his own cavalry. Robertson and
Jones were sent 10 hold Jack Mountain Passes.-
II may not be improper here to mention that In
falling back Till moved in 'front.' the baggage,
guarded by LOngstreet, came next, and Ewel
brought up the rear The cavalry, In their retreat
fell In with some hospital stores en- route for the
Yankee army, which were Captured, together with
ne seventy prisoners. At the Catuctin Noun
tain another engagement occurred with the enemy
holding the west pass Of the mountain. Gen
Stuart dismounted the largest portion of Cham
biss's brigade and fought the enemy from crag to
crag, aud finally disiodsed them. Just as oar
troops debouched from the mountain pass, the ar
tiiiery posted on the left, on the road to Boons-
boro', opened upon them Our artillery. however.
soon got Into position and drove the eneay's aull.
lery of
Our cavalry saw no more Of the enemy until
they approached HagerstOwn. On nearing this
place Gen jenkins found the enemy In possession,
ID attempted 10 flank him by the BOonesboro' road
Jones ut this moment came In upon the left and
opened with a few shots of artillery. Brig Gen
fversOn nj the same time held the north edge
Of the town, aided by Robertson aud Chambliss.
Iverson's men, by some mistake, fired into Robert
sons and Chainbiiss's, thereby much embarrassing
operations for a while The mistake was soon
corrected. The encmy's dismOunted shnrpshOOt
ers fought well, but were rapidly driven from street
To street. and finally left Via the WlliamspOrt road
One column Of the cavay under Chambliss pushed
rapidly down the road after them, whilst Robertson
and Jenkins kept the lef. Of the road on which
Chambliss was passing, and moved parallel 10 him
Just before reaching WiiliamSp0rt Chamblisss bri
gAde. now numbering only few hundred men,
charged the enemy In gallant style The bearing
Of the 9TH and 18Th regimen Va cavalry on this
OCCASION called forth especial praise The column
on the flank Of the enemy was rapidly hurried up
In order N attack the enemy on flank, but the oh
stacics 10 rapid movement, such az post and rail
fences, delayed our cavalry sO Oag that the encmy
had time 10 rally along a crest OF rocks and fences
when they Opened with artillery, raking the road
Jenkins's brigade having been ordered, dism0unt
cd aud deplOyed as skirmisilers over the difficult
ground with marked bOldness and effect aud nj
iength charged The enemy most successfully. The
enesay made An effort at a cOunter charge, but
were met aud most gsllaNily sepuisud BY col
Gordon, Ot the 5ih n cavalry. This repuse was