Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-05-28
The Crossing of the Rapidan !
Ths 9th Ohio Cavalry in Advanced
Gallant Charge on the 9TH of MayI
Courage Of Captain NOrthWAy-ihe
TIE Burning Of stores st Beaver
Dam-IasIds the Rebel Eu-
trenC ChmeRis-RsaFlng
the Drums and Bells
OF Richmond. .C-
Rebel Prisoners Gig up TOrpedOes :
Movements to turkey Bend
Losses in ths 6lh Ohio.
Tu.Krr Bnnp. JAWS RIvEn, VI, |

iournev is ended 1 fear it will have lost
much Of its freshness. sa,
The cavalry Of the Potomac army have |
been on a raid, 3 raid beside which all |
former raids sink into trivial adventures
both IS regards the difficult les overcome
and the results accomplished.
On the 4th Of May We c7oised the hsPl-
dan, the 9Th Ohio leading the advance out
IittJe opposition was made to our crossing,
the rebel pickets taking to flight st the
first IRE. -,
stained field Of Charlottesville and es-
isbIishel our line on the extreme lett Oh
the army.
On the 9th our brigade first met the enc
nv in force, and after dsshlng hght OF
two hours duration drove him back so@e
tive miles. At night we we're ordered
back. as we had pushed our lines too fsr
in advance Of the main army. On the
9Th. though q terrible battle was raging on
our right we had but slight skirmishing
along cur lines On the 7th We made an
otber advance and found the rebel osvalTy
stropRIy posted in a dense pleos Oh "Oous
ready TO receive as. After some severe
skirmishiDg along GU front the 9th Ohio
we're dismounted and sent into the woods
to turn the enemy's left flank. The move
ment was entirely successful Tho boys
dashed in with ringing cheers and the
rebels fed in confusion, abandoning three
stronR lines Of breast y orks formed Of
fallen timber, oehind which few resolute
men night have defed rem times their
number. Night put sn end to the contest,
and our sorely punished enc ny withdrew,
leaving his dead and wounded in our
hands, with quite number Of prisoners
Among The rebel slain we're found the
bodies Of the Colonels of the 18th and 9Th
Virginia rebel cavalry, who had fallen
vsinly striving to rally their broken col
umns.
On the evening Of the 8th we received
rations and forage and on the morning Of
the 9th the Whole cavalry corps pushed
boldly out on the read from Fredericks
burg to Richmond. Steadily we pushed
on all day, passed the right flank Of Lees
army. Rebel pickets, Videttes and s,out-
ing parties he1 before us and not TIL near
lily night did thy succeed in gathering
force sufficient 10 make any impression
upon us. Then thoroughly aroused, two
| hrlRsdes Of rehel eazslEz- came thnnde.e
t-ing down upon cur rear. The 9th Ohio
held the rear and took the brunt Of the
onset. Our rear squad -on under com
mand of Captain NorthWsy, coolly re-
served their fire till the first squadron of
rebel cavalry was almost upon them, and
then with one Withering volley wiped j..
almost out Of existence. OF the thirty
men who led the rebel advance but eight
survived that murderous fire. The second
rebel squadron met nearly the same fate,
but g third and fourth charged in quick
succession till outnumbered I've to one our
regiment Was broken and driven back in
confusion. But by this time tee 1st Penn
sylVsnia cavalry had come to our assist
ance, and 8 squadron Of rebels charging
down on our broken ranks we're captured
to man Our artillery, too, had got into
position and storm Of FIRE sent the rebels
bowling 10 the rear. In this short, ehsrp
contest we lost our senior Captain, James
3. Abel, who fell while striving 10 rally
our broken lines. Orderly Sergeant Geo
Prior Of company D, was killed while
6ghting gsllsntly, and Sergeant Francis
Baker, of company A, was left mortslly
wounded at house near the field. Many
others we're wounded, some severely, but
refrain from sending list ss your read
ers will get it from other sources long be-
fore this caches you.
Southwsrd we pushed on and at mid
night we were on the banks Of the North
Ann . Here we found the sky lighted up
for miles with the glare of burning prop
erty. General Custer leading the advance
had dashed into Beaver Dam Station, had
burned two trains loaded with stores for
Lees army and had torn up the track and
burned the ties for eight miles in extent,
besides releasing 8I8 Of our prisoners
who the rebels were taking to Richmond.
At dawn the next morning We we're sWak-
eued by the bowling of rebel shells, but
our batteries soon drove the enemy to q
respectful distance. Still constantly
fighting the rebels from our rear
and Flsnks we pushed on and at might
bivobaeked within twelve miles of Rich.
mond. Early the next morning we made
another dash on the Rail Road, ct Ashland
burning the depot, destroying the llverts
and tearing up the track Here we had
sharp fight with the rebel cavalry, in which
the lst Massachusetts Cavalry suffered
severely.
Turning sharply to the right we pushed
on within Eve miles of Richmond and
here we were attacked on our right and
rear by Stuart, with the whole Cavalry
force OF Lees army, stopping on the rail
road we fought and destroyed tho track ct
the same time.
Gen. Custer charged at the hssd Of his
men, capturing two pieces Of artillery and
one hundred and ff y men. In this battle
the Rebel Gen Stuart got his death wound.
At night we moved on slowly and cautious
ly, and ct dawn we were inside the first
line OF Rebel Entrenchments within two
and half miles Of the City of Richmond
1 heard the drum beat to arms on the pub
lie square, and our skirmishers heard the
town clock strike seven. Just at daylight
thnee ,orpedos exploded in the road over
which We we're passing, doing no further
damage than the killing Of one horse
On examination Of the ground showed
some ten or dozen more very nicely ar.
ranged for US. These last, Gen, Gregg
compelled our rebel prisoners to remove
which they did with fear snd trembling,
but without an xPlosion.
A bridge which the rebels had burned
preventing cur further progress N the di-
rection we we're going
Our General Cody set to work to rebuild
it at ne same time fighting the Rebels
who were gathering about us from ell di-
rections.
On right and left in front and in rear,
they sssailed US but st every point they
met a hail storm OF shot and shell and an
unwavering line About three o'clock in
the afternoon finding that they could not
-disloige as, they gradually withdrew and
our arrangements being complete we cross
ed the GhichshomsDy destroying another
section Of the Railroad, IS we went and
moved with butlittle trouble 10 our trans
ports at Turkey bend where we now re-
main resting and recruiting for another
raid.