Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-05-13
2Ankmc!le |En1nIr!: :
FRIDAY MORNING.. NAY y. tsGi
THE NEWS.
! tt. I iIf.

oi'y, yesterday Uurnl!g, at a. early hour
anu lett ;he atnis : L r,Vs: aid ruirc-llins
Ihe pea!ing of &;ua:l's a1filDr" :ninsl, i
with that Of the elements. uuj l".y.e tn,
storm was over, the scuad of cannin in the
direction Of Drury's Buff. heightened The
dignity Of TIE rival rc7elb ratio, s.;:.ht
artillery CT :Ac Left heavy oa he frat, and
"heaVeL' Own" above, united il ere caring
discord Ct dccp-t9ncd souLds. wee wei, al.
culated 70 art ia4ni-iry pconle from TIER
stumbsrs MI! rca.ie: I'll Va. Oai.c popular
place q attraction. There wlc, however,
little or TO cHr'teincit; Tie curious took mat
ters quietly. ana eoarht rho De:"s via anu
sual r0mro-use; miiit.rr movements were
'n:d. IN slc&cc, and confidence and cvppla.
ooucy wcrc everywhere viient, to give roof
OF the unrcrsurhcd state o. The public mind
Between ten AMI eleven, musketry firing
commenced triskly, and together with artil-
lerS, continued until nearly twelve O'Clock,
when it ceased altogether. The. positions OF
the enemy wore hafween Brock Church and
Strawberry H; Is Of !!:s Cticl:
ahominy, the line extending about two IN lies
aud half. Thor Force was estimated 1t
l2,OOo, according to some, but this was doubt
less an evaporation, although prisoners .av
that it orsis!cl of Sheridan's Division. It
seems that they had made their way in heavy
detschments, down the Telegraph road from
Lees front. when G:ant's cray WI being
pressed back, their .jcc5 Icing to execute il
brilliant and stunning demonstration against
Richmond, or in the. more imrucdiate rear Of
General lie. They crossed The Central rail
road ut and about Beaver Dam Depot.
where the moyGnient OF ore detachment
hrst attracted our attentions ia tire nnrernrise.
Alter entering Hanover. they met, !, ,ppcars,
at some chosen poiat. and finding t:,:m selves
II tight place, determined - GOT nu, e it
the best way thcv could. Their rrnvi NJ
movements ga7- r." to m:.i.r cnr n citing re-
5orts, ~, TO the pAlE@ .nnera!!s, only ore ~
w parties were Gr."w:I - lac eI.x.,s,..i in the
raid. Upon arr;vias near Er:o!i Church. al,
Wcdne'dsy evening, Thay discovered ,nat
they were opposed il iro'i IS well us in IN.
rear, q fight cnsu.d. IN whic!. Gen. Stunrt,
among others, was wourdaG and Col. Pate
and a few others were k;lei. w reported Oh
yesterday. Night cl3scl the la.tlc and in
the darkness the enemy so."cteG POSITIONS be-
tween Brock Church anl Strawberry IIill.-
The former place il az the Book road
about i've miles from IOWA, md the lat.
!cr on the Central railroad :.,lut four and
halt, ard r"mraandinga E;ai view oi tie
city. Cur cavalry and hrrs" .r;islary We're
posted principally ~ tia ,.oyti. side Of the
Ch'ckahomiuv. and Glasis's ana Ka-ton's
brigadcs CT in!aatry., s,ii scye,a! pieces uf
artillery On the south ode hcmmng ia The
enemy, il was supposed, bur i VS. feared net
efectuallt, ~ we h5d not fuftc,"t rs..c to
cover all the a7onlos O: csca,o. /. The lat
lie, which was renewed ytstnri;:y morning
toward the upper ED Of 'hc lire, CUR cavalry,
artillery AMI infantry ware engaged. The
enemy ughsGespcrateiy to force rIsaij&e,
through, hug WAS rerel!ct. with heavy loss
not, however, until SITTER iafictirg severe osa
upon orr trlops. L:cu;enaat Gol5asl Robert
Randolph, Of the4h ". Cavalry was among
the killed; (ah0thcr repor: 10 that he was
severely wcund@d) MGicr Wooll ridge Of the
same tegimcrE, lost4 leg, ;.rG Lieu. .Wiakle.
also oi the sail.a, wag r';thsly .oundct
Brigadicr General Gordon, as notices. else
where, WAS el.o wounded, though not SC,
riously. Thirty-siz msmbos VI rho Powha-
tan Troop. wnos: names we 56fid not a.3cer-
tain, were killed ard wounded B-isk Skin
mishiug was keep! up along the entire liue at
intervals, and for ahou: N boar q spirited en-
gag"ment occurred ct Tie lower end OF The
line Strawberry Hill, be:wcea Gsacie'S bri-
gade ald The enemy. Our forces attacked
the enemy in l;.rda:me style, but, aftar an
obstinate fghr, !; was !CrnG TIA. they were
too many f:r then, ard they Ccil b2ci: in good
order TO thcr !igihal position, inside OF The
fortitcations. Our loes was between thirty
and forty. President p..Tis was On the field
during portion Of the Cay and witnessed the
operations in progress.
In thu aftcrnou;. i Was 80 quiet, that it be-
gun 10 be feared that the enemy had found Il
weak spot. and gone through. But, now and !
then, SOLITARY he?Scnan," or :; aismGuntcd
Iluc coat could b6 seen in the distance, riding
or strding across y field Or p hill. Some
firing was heard on the north .iar OF Z river,
and, an it did not appear to last long. and the
enemy mado no further demonstrations during
tho evening, the rumcr ATTAINED circulation
that at least PORTION y. lie cncmy's troops
had escaped by cutting through Fi!z. Zee"
Night cloged in with black and s!ormy skies,
and by halfpast seven n',i'ck, the battle
ground, pattcring wish rHih, was rayrlupod
in thick darkness AID deep silence.
Several huud:td prisoners have Lcen TAX II.
mostly picked up in spots. staGsling. They
report that their fore, left Grants army
twelve thousand strong bnt that nearly hall
are missing, having been kiilei or wounded
or broken down. The force suffered much
from want Of feed. Nine men wcrc taken to-
sufficient food fer IL single mel Tor enc man
The woods and roads in the county of lIanO.
yer are said to contain hundreds Of tho strag
glers many Of whom are anxious to get into
tho Confederate Ines and give themselves up,
aud who arc waiting Tor The disap pcarancc If
their command in order that they may DO -.
Others arc proving about, seeking plumber,
and utterly careless Us 20 whether thcy.arc
captured or ro;.
From pcrscns who have had he ior;uae to
como in the path Of the raiders, state that
they arc most admirably equipped. The
force consists almost entirely Of mounted in
iantry. While they wore fighting and lying
about in tac woods On yesterday, thnr horses