Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1864-03-10
PUBLISHED (DAILY) By
EDGAR SNOW DEN JR
na~ OFFICE-No. 104 King street. over
8 ones. formerly French'sl Book Store.
KTLPATRICK's CAMPAIGN.

The napers found on the person OF Colonel
Dahlgreu. copies Of which we publish to-day,
rpveai closely the character and objects OF the
1ate expedition against this city, and make
more evident the grossness OF its folly and the
completeness of its failure. The enemy moved
frous Culpeper, according to the programme.
;n two columns of picked men, three hours
araTt 10 time, and diverging in different direc-
tions. Col. Dahlgren led the advance column.
part Of his object was to destroy orr artillery
Al Frederickshall; but he found the artillery
10 hollow square, with muzzles outwards, and
be passed on Another purpose was to cross
James river with his main force, and move
down in great secresy and take Richmond by
surprise. The trusty guide-an intelligent con-
eraband, it seems-Wlth which he was pro
vided, promised him good ford near the Do.
yer Mills, where he could cross with ease. tie
did not succeed in finding the ford or crossing
the river; but in his wrath he hung the poor
negro Turning down the James river On the
north side with his undivided columns, he was
soundly chastised on Tuesday evening by our
city troops and driven back before our regulars
could get chance Fitzpatrick, for his part,
had no better success. lie did not destroy the
bridges over the North and South Anna. He
too, was whipped and driven tack. He had
travelled with more celebrity than Dahlgren,
and was in place on Tuesday morning. This
only enabled him to reach his conclusions
day earlier than his coadjutor; for on Tuesday
night be fed on his iron gray across the Chick
ahominy, where, on Wednesday, Dahlgren was
happy to follow them. Dahlgren, in his Or
dess to his troops, told them that possibly
& neral Custar might follow him. Gen. Gus
tAr is as yet unaccounted for, and this tact
gives some color to the reports that a body Of
the enemy is somewhere west OF the Freder-
icksburg Railroad. OF the purposes that
were to be accomplished if these officers had
led their columns to a meeting in Richmond,
Dahlgren takes pains to inform his men, and
we have fallen heirs to the information. The
Yankee prisoners on Belle island were to be
iberatde and turned loose upon the hateful
city to sack, kill and destroy.
Ihe soldiers we're to scatter hrebrands every
where, our bridges were to be burned, our
President the commander. in chief of our
army, was to be killed. His Cabinet were to
share lis fate. So far as they were concerned,
the black flag was to be raised and no quarter
given. Man proposes but God disposes.-
Lincoln, through his armed emissaries, has
told us what he would like to do, and he has
made the attempt to do it. Morally, there
fore, he and his officers are guilty OF the crime.
As for Dahlgren, he has paid the penalty
He has found the death he came to deal. In
stead of writing his name among the stars, as
he fondly hoped, he has been buried like Dog,
without priest or coffin, in the swamps Of Vir-
ginia. His name will stink and his memory
will rot. The odium due to him attaches in
greater force to his superiors, bo5h civil and
military. Let Lincoln and Fitzpatrick remem-
ber that they have bidden their subordlnates
give no quarter to the Confederate chiefs
Perhaps even a Scotch cap and military
cloak will not prevent just. and stern ven
geanee from overtaking them for this revolving
outrage on civilization and the rules OF war: