Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-03-12
Interesting account. OF the Great
Raid.
COL. DAHLuRxN's oPEsArIoNs-m,w mE WAS
KILLED


SOL' DAhLuAES OPEkATIOS5-HJW uE WAS
KILLED.
PtOm tho Kchnro. d DisIatcl,, March5.
Tue most Important blow which has vet
been struck The dariuE raiders who at
tempted To enter this city on Tuesday last
was welded by Lieutenant Pollard, Of tue
Ninth Virginia Cavalry, on Wednesday
night. about II O'Clock, ia the ueighbor
hood OF walkerIou, iu King aud Queen
county.
Lieut.. p, with the greater portion of his
own company. had been watching the
movements OF tue enemy all day on Wed
nesday, in King William, and ascertaiued
that night that Dahlgreu, with about two
hundred of his drluded followers, bad
crossed the Mattaponi at AyletTs. With
his oSn men he crossed over and followed
the retreating raiders. Ou reaching the
forks OF the road, few miles above Wal
kerton, Lieut.. P. learned that the enemy
had taken the river road, leading to that
place Leaving u few men to follow on
after them, be quilted the main road with
The larger portion OF th4;IOtce at his dis.
posal, and by circuitous route aud forced
march he succeeded in IhrOWIn. himself
IN hOnt Of the enemy aud awaited his an.
Prosch. ln the meantime he bad been
Joined by the home guards of King aud
queen and few men Of Robins BaIIAIioa.
little before II o'clock at night the cue.
my approached on the road in which they
we're posted. a Gre WAS at once opene
upon them; but Ihtir leader, Col. Dahl
gren, relying perhaps upon his numbers.
or sluug by chagrin At his failure to cap.
tnre Richmond, determined to force his
way through, and at once forming his
men, ordered u charge, which he led him.
self. u proved, hoWeVeE,7a fatal charge
him fNP in he
. ball aLd fell dead. After ms fatt tbs
command could not be rallied, but we're
soon thrown into confusion inextricabte:-l
Our boys, noticing this, HVailed themselves
OF the opportunity it afforded, aud used il |
TO the best advantage. Dasbing in among
the discOnitIed foe, they succeeded in
capturing ninety prisoners, thirty five ne
groes, and Que huudred and fifty horses
The body Of DahIgren also fell into their
hands, aud on his person Was found the
papers which we publish below, disclosing
the diAbOhcal schemes which the party
bad 10 view, in making the late, aud, to
them, disastrous raid.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS OF. THE CAPTURE
OF DAHLGRES's PARTY.
FrOm the Richmond Wing, March s.
From Information derived from a reliable
source, it appears that the credit of the |
capture OF tue "DAhlgreu party" is mainly
due TO Captain WIN. NJ. Mngruder, and a |
squadron of RObin's battalion under bis |
command, who have tor some time past |
been posted 10 King and Queen county, as
4 corps OF observation. Learning that
the enemy was moving down the North |
bank OF the MAtIpponi, by the river road,
with the evident intention y. reaching
Gloucester Point, Captain Magruder deter
mined to anticipate him, aud RitL this /
view left his camp with about Que hundred |
of his command, Lieut.. Pollard aud seven
teen men OF the Ninth Virginia CAvnlIy-I
making for u point on the river between |
Mantua Terry aud King aud Queen Court |
House. which he succeeded in reaching in |
advance OF the enemy.
Posting his command At Hn eligible point |
along he road 10 ambush, be had not long |
TO wait before the enemy mdde his sppeAr-
auce, headed by DAhIgreu himself, slowly
and cautiously approaching as If Appre.
heusiTe of their impending fats. AS the
head Of the column uenred the point of
cOnceRlment, Dahlgren's attention was at
tracted by slight rnstiiug in the bushes,
occGsioned doubtless by the movement OF
some Of our party. Drawing his pistol he
called out, 'SuFrender, you ID rebel,
or I'll shoot you" In an instant private
AcCloy sprang iutO the road, aud, leveIIiug
bis piece, shot the miscreant dead. A
general yO!ley WAs then poured into the
enemy's rauks, which had the effect OF
emptying their sA idIes aud killing as many
horses aud throwing the rest into inextri-
cable confusion. Then ensued II scene of
the widest panic which was heightened
by the darkness of the night. Each man
looking TO bis own personal saiety all
sought refuge iu flight, aud squirting their
jaded horses over the bodies of their
wounded aud over each other, the whole
body broke pell- Iuell over u ditch and wat.
tIiug fence, which tue most adventurous
to1-bunIer would hardly have essayed in
the heat of the chase, into a small field.
C1ptAiu Magruder Immediately disposed
his force around the Geld so as to prevent
all egress,a quietly awaited the approach
Of daylight, when the whole party surrrn-
dered without resistance:
Much praise is due to Captain MaRruder
for his cooluess and Judgement iu Ihe'af.
fair. II he had ordered u charge upon the
dIscomtitted enemy 10 the road, the proba
bility is that some of our men would have
fallen by the hands of their own couurudes
in an Indiscriminats eight in the dark,
while the opportunities Of escape by the
enemy would have been increased. AS il
Was, the prudent course adopted secured
most efscInally the result desired without
. single casualty on our side. THIS
account strips the vnlOrOus DAhIgreu's
name of the little eei1t which might have
attached TO il il be had fallen, as was at
tirs stated, while boldly leading charge
in an effort to cut his way through our
lines. He was shot down, as he deserved
to be, like ''Ihief in the night" with his
| aYoIan nIDpdar aronnd him UhiIa aaak;nr,