Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-03-03
CUsTAR,S CAVALRY RAID.

| CUsTAR'S CAVALRY BAID.
Surprise OF r ebel Camp-Caissons Blown
| up-NlilIs and Bridges EuEned-Oyer 500
| Horses and 90 Prisoners aptured With.
| out the Loss of a Man. -
The Chronicle of this morning has the follow
ing further particulars of Gen. Custar's late
raid, the first news of which we gave in ad
vance of any other paper yesterday:
| CULPEPER COURT HOUSE, March 2-Ien
Custar with fifteen hundred picked men, in
| light marching order, lett Culpeper Court
| House abouttwo O'clock on Sunday afternoon.
| The 9th and Sd corps marched from their VIM
| ter quarters earlier in the day. The former
halted at Madison Court House and threw out
!. strohg Gordon of pickets, white the latter
| City, and held the line of the Robertson river
| About a. m. NJ Monday, the raiders left their
| resting place near James City and took the
| road Tor Charlottesville. The men had been
| picked from Merritt's and Gregg's divisions,
| and We're all well mounted. The object of the
expedition was known to very few. Soma
anticipated a general advance of the armv
others pTophesied the capture OF Richmond,
! brt the events OF the next forty .eighss hours
| proved that Custar was only diysrtiag thu
enemy's atten ton trcla soT-e loca!lty in which
| We new had some Interest. II Richmond was
| TO be ehtered, our column WINS not the oae
| ordered to make the attempt. Some were
shrewG enough 10 ste what was going On.
We started under clear, bright Sky, and next
morning found the horizon overcast with
| threatening clouds. There Is no doubt III IS had
the eHeCt 10 C0ange OUr course and the length
! OF our trip considerably. II we had been IA
! vcred with coed clear weather our travels
| would have been more circumI utory Chlr-
lottesVille Wopld, il possible, have beea avoid
sd, by cHr making long detour As 1t was.
| General Custar saw the clouds were full of
water. and he thouP hit it best to stand directly
for the enemy's stronghold. Beyond Madison
Court House is long stretch of high land
country, where objects may be seen at dis
tance of many miles. Hadthe day been clear,
our progress would have been impeded if NOT
StODDod, we hai
our horses in the Rayenna river. Fortunately
the sun was obsCured by the misty clouds, and
y hen about2 o'clock Monday afternoon, we
marched up the steep banks of the Rayenna
river, our coming was unknown and aItogeth-
CT unexpected
Before us was a large cavalry camn-tba
huts arranged with mathematical precision and
sOloierly regularity. On one side, the horses
We're quietly standing on the other, six pieces
of arullery were parked, with all the appur-
teraDces neatly arrayed, and in close proximi-
" 10 the caissons The 5th regular regimentof
General Meritts old brigade led the van
Captain Ash, with one squadron, dashed
tmOng the comfortable looking huts with reck.
less fecipitancy, and scattered the occupants
In all directions. He orc cred the men to de-
stToy all they could, and they ooeyed his in
structions TO the very letter. Neither axes nor
rat tail flies could be found in his command
1t was impossible to spike the guns or chop the
gun carriages to pieces so they eontented them
selves with blowing up the caissons and de-
stroyips the camp.
In the meantime, the enemy were raIIyiue
Win Inc faplClty and zeal OF the Gael the
call of their chief Several pieces of artillery
were belching forth their destructive notes at
the audacious invaders, and the main body OF
Custar's command coming up, the enemy were
driven short distance, to give foothold
on the crest of the same hill with themselves.
Between our troops and the town the enemy
were gathering In great force. Everything
warned us to get away as speedily as possible,
lest it might be our lot to get surrounded They
had telegraphed from Charlottes Vile to Orange
Court House that uninvited visitors were there,
II ffnn sha
neighborhood. The answer to these dispatches
came towards evening in the shape of five car
loads or Infantry. There was nothing lett us
now but speedy retreat Horses were wheeled
about, and towards sunset the Rayenna was
recrossed and the bridge burned. All the mills
that could be found in the neighborhood were
destroyed.
In returning, the advance was given to Col
Stedman, who commanded the brigade of 500
men chosen from Gregg's division The night
was yerv dark, and the rain that continued to
fall was mingled with sleet Custar, who fol.
LEVIED with the thousand men who composed
the remnant of his command, got lost in the
thick gloom For some time they endeayorad
to blunder through a deep and muddy rayine
into which they had strayed; but when they
thought Of The two pieces of artillery, all hope
of getting through with them was given up
Stedman, with his 500 men, continued ON
their course, which, luckily for them, was
correct and about o'clock Tuesday morning
they reached our infantry pickets, outside of
Madison Court House. Custar, finding It i'm
possible to proceed farther, bivouacked that
night in the woods. While he baited his horses
and refreshed his men, General Stuart, with
2,GG0 cayalrymen, OF Wickham's and FitZhueh
Lees brigaGes, was marching towards his rear
Next morning, about o. clock, Custar marched
on toward the right road. Having reached it,
and marched upon 1t a short distance, he dis
covered that Stuart, with his ragged but indie.
fatigable followers, had succeeded in getting in
DIS rear, AS they neared Stannardville, which |
is about fifteen miles from the picturesque lit. |
tie village OF Madison. the rebel cavalry wer5 |
seen drawn In line across the road. This meant |
hostility. For some time the officers OF our |
little command were at a loss what TO do The |
object of their wearisome and dangerous raid |
central road 10 Richmond, but they mad no
intention OF drawing them so far to their rear.
All that bothered our troops was the section
of Ranson's battery, and that slightly impeded
their progress. In general counei1f 1t was pro-
posed to throw these two Parrott guns into the
ing, declared he would fight his way through. |
He ordered a charge, which was led by him in |
perkon. The rebels stood their ground man. |
fully, but our two guns now opened on them |
and completed the discomhture that was fast |
Iy. ar,d our men pursued them hotly tiiI thew
reached smother road which afforded them |
chance for egress. Three rebels were killed il,
this charge, and considerable number wourid |
eds Many prisoners fell Into our hands who |
ceeded IN bringing on about fifty, These wers,s
mounted by twos upon stout horses, and nur,.s i
ried or with the colnmn. sCoL Stedman hearinf |
the 6rtpg In the direction OF Stannard vile and Il
moving u must be Custar. started hack with /
his tired horses and wea1ied men to the relief |
n Of TIE ps,esgueTed @ party They proceed tiil tns
faie, when they also returned in safety.
This expedition was highly successful The /
diversion created In favor Of fitzpatrick could /