American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1865-02-01
VOLUME 2.
Interesting Narrative,

Some days ago we netlcco tue aitlNat
here of Lieutenant Barley. Of the U. 5.
Signal Co,ps, one of the men who accom-
panied the brave aud lamented Colonel
Dablgrcn in his famous raid around
Richmond, and who was near him When
he fell. Every man of this expedition
was either killed or captured, and Lieu
tenant BARLEY is the first officer who has
been returned from confinement. lie IS
now engaged IN writing narrative OF The
expedition, the d-st portion Of which we
give today;
pirrsBuaGu, Dec. 20, 1854.
1-rrroRs GAZETTE propose to give
Won few particulars Of the expedition OF
Colonel DahIsren to Richmond in Febru-
arv and March of this Year, 1t is well
known that all that party were either
killed or captured J. that Colonel Dahl
gren was killed at the head of his COM
mand, and that his body was mutilated BY
a commissioned officer in the rebel army
Lieutenant Hart Of the 7th Va. Cavalry
cut off his finger TO get a small gold ring,
. cift ofa sister at that time dead But
] will give the different items as they
happened as near as | can. On Sunday,
February 2Sth, 1864, a detachment made
up from the I'd New York, 9th New
York, lst Vermont, 1st Maine and 9th
Michigan regiments of cavalry, under
command of Uhic Dahlgren, left the head
quarters OF the Sd cavalry division of the
army of the Potomac, to proceed to Rich
mmd and act in conjunction with..a large
force under General Kilpatric against the
city; the object ofwhich was to liberate
the Union prisoners confined IN LIBBY
prison Castle Thunder and Belle Isle, and
in the many other prisons in and about
the city.
lhe route Of Colonel Dahlgren's force
consisted of about four hundred men, was
10 Get into General Lees lines at Elie's
Ford, on the Rapidan river, flank Lees
army, strike the Virginia Central Rail
road at Frederick Hall Station, and de-
stroy lot Of Artillery at that place; cut
The Railroad and telegraph wire, and
then take the road to Goochland Court
House. and strike the James river at Do
uers Mills. where we were informed by
the guide there was ford that We could
cross the James Here our force was to
be divided, one part to cross over and
strike across the country to the Appomat-
OK river, at that point where the Danville
Railroad crosses. destroy the bridges aud
then strike for Richmond by way of the
South-side. 1t was there we were to lib
crate our enlisted men confined on Belle
Isle, secure the bridges and cross iuto the
city. The other part Of our force was to
20 down the north side of the rive, des-
troyiug all the mills and public property,
also the Lynchburg and Richmond canal.
At the same time General Fitzpatrick,
with large force of cavalry and artillery
was to attack the city on the Brook pike.
Itwas thought by making three simultane-
Gus attacks on the city in different places
they could not prevent some one from
cutting through, and the success OF one
party would insure the success Of the
others and the accomplishment Of our OBJ
iect, viz: the liberation of the prison
ers.
Our party started from Gen. Kilpat-
rick's Headquarters, at 7 p. m, Februa-
ry 2Sth, and arrived at Ellie Ford, about
ten D. NIL ere Lieut.. II. A. d. Mer-
ritt, 9TH New York cavalry, was sent over
the Rapidan, with fifteen men to capture
the,picketpost and reserve, which he did in
very handsome manner, capturing the
entire post, thirteen men and one COM
missioned officer. The whole was done
SO quietly that there was no alarm raised
along the enemy's lines. This made an
opening sufficiently 10 let our column thro'
aud also General Fitzpatrick who was fol-
lowing after. We then crossed and took
the road to Charlottesville and Spott-
svlyauia Court House, and then turned 20
the right aud tsok Che road toward Fred
erie Hall Station. We Come in sight of
the station about P. W., Monday 29th,
but fnding there had been brigade of
infantry sent to the station, the Colonel
decided not to make an attack with what
force he had, but to turn off to the left
and Cross the railroad south of that point.
So after making dash TO house about
-four hundred yards of one of their camps.
we captured Court Marshal in session,
consisting of eight commissioned officers,
Col. jones, 1st Maryland Light Artillery,
and two Majors among the number.
This was also done by Lieut.. Merritt, aud
without raising any alarm in the camps Of
the enemy.