The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-04-07
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SHERIDAN'S GREAT RAID.
Railway Trains Captured, Rail-
roads Demolished, Bridges
Burned, Il e.4a@
MILLIONS WORTH OF PROPER
TY DESTROYED.
From Special Correspondence N. z. Times.

WHITE HOUSE, Va, March II, 1865
Preached this point at an early hour thi.
morning, after having travelled over thirteen
counties of the State, with the cavalry
expedition commanded by Maj. Gen. Philip
d. Sheridan. Some of the substantial
results of this expedition have doubtless
ere this been made known through oficial
sources; but, Notwithstanding this, the
details which / furnish exclusively, will be
read with interest by every person loyal to
the Union cause. .. ..
For nineteen days Gen. Sheridan has
roamed almost at will with bis well-disci-
plined troopers throughout that portion Of
Virginia north of the James river, and, by
the exercise of little strategy, thwarting
all attempts of the enemy to impede his
progress or interrupt his plans, 80 that the
expedition has been fruitful of more sub
stantial results than any that has preceded
it. During this period of time the whole
command has been continuously and we'll
supplied with rations obtained from the
enemy's storehouses, excepting only the
two articles of coffee and sugar. It is
true certain number of ratiOns were
issued to the men at the start, but after
the first days march the soldiers found
what they preferred to their ordinary ra-
tons. Well cured bacon and hams, sweet,
fresh flour, honey, butter, vegetables, meal,
mutton, beef and mOlasses were some of
the supplies to be obtained almost every
day.
As part of the substantial results may
be classed the thorough disabling of about
200 miles of railway-principally used for
supplying the troops defending Richmond
with materials of war and professionally
the destruction of bridges, culverts and
the railway track itself This work never
has been done more thoroughly before.
Next, and perhaps the first in Importance,
is the complete destruction of the James
River and Canawha canal, passing through
one OF the most extensive grain growing
districts in the world, and also used almost
exclusively to feed Lees army. So COM
pletely is this destroyed that years must
elapse before it can be repaired again, if at
all. Some people, residents near the ca
nal, say that no attempt will be made to
repair this great highway during the exist
ing war. The same may be said of the
AoAiOouoS lOI Cuo cucuy have uOt Luo In0u
or material under their command.
The destruction of these sources of sup
ply has created a greater panic in Rich
mond than has existed there before during
the war. 1t has done more to dishearteu
the people and demoralize the rebel
soldiers than all the disasters of the last
campaign and the evacuation of seaport
towns combined. I know this to be the
case, having been in daily communication
with Richmond through citizens, prisoners
and deserters, for the last two weeks.
The expedition has been a success, also,
in the destruction and use of other public
property. In this is included all kinds,
because everything practically throughout
rebellion belongs to the government. The
quantity of provisions, grain and forage
actually consumed by the troops, and the
negroes who fell in with them along the
route, was alone immense, but the guam
tity destroyed was much greater. In ma
terials of war destroyed at one place
Greenwood Station the loss was estima-
ted by a Confederate officer at 81, ZOO, 900.
Hundreds OF hogsheads of leaf tobacco,
buildings filled with manufactured tobac-
co, machinery, cars, cannon, shells, ap-
ple,jack, cotton and bridges 90 to make
up proportion OF the property destroyed
to the value of many millions of dollars,
and is just so much Of the enemy's capital
expended.