Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-03-17
Official Rpp4Tt OF Gcu. Shrri.; IN.


ITs Op.y.'tons i" re ytciasy Of LgncA9"rg-De-
arucffr1s 81 the GreH Feeder II RictnOad,
! "IIFApouARrERs MIDDLE MII1TARY) Z
DIVISION, COLUMBIA, VA March 10, 81
ITO Lieut. Gen. Grant: a.
y" GENERAL. In my Last; dated at
! Waynesboro, | gave you d brief account
of the defeat of Early by Custar's divis-
ion. The same night this division was
! pushed across the Blue Ridge and en-
tered Charlottesville at 2 in the after
noon the next day. The Mayor and
! principal inhabitants came ont and de-
! liveIed up the keys of-the public build
in@s. ! had to remain ut Charlottesville
two days. The time was consumed in
/ bringing over from Waynesboro our
ammunition and pontcon trains. The
weather was huIrible-the rain incea-
SAINT.
! 1.-THE two divisions were during this
time, occupied in destroying the two
large iron bridges, one over the Raven
ma river, the other over Mor-e's creek
near Charlottesville. and the railroad,
for distance of eight miles, in the di
rection OF LynchhIr9.
"On the 9Th OF March sent the LIST
division. Gene raj Devins commanding
to ScOtt-viile, on the Jane. river, with
directions to send out light parties
through the country and destroy all the
merchandise, mills, factories and briIg-
es on Rarenna riyer-the parties to join
the division at Scott.yille. The divis-
ion then proceeded along the canal to
Duguidesvil'e, Is miles froT, Lynch
burg, destroying every lock and in
many places the bank of the canal At
DugUidcsviiie We hoped to secure the
bridge to cross the river, a. our pom
toons were useless on account of the
high water. In this We We're fUiled, rs
both this bridge and the bridge ut uord-
wicksviIle We're burned by the enemy
upon our apprnach. Merritt accompa-
MED this division.
"The Sd division started at the same
time from Charlottesville and proceeded
down the Lynchburg railroad to AM
herst Court House, destroying every
bridge Oh the road. and in many places
miles Of road. The bridges on this road
are numerous, and some of them 500
feet in length.
eve have found great abundance in
this country for our men and animals
In fact, the canal had been the great
feeder OF Richmond. At the RWkfish
river, the bank of the canal was cut,
and ut Canton, where the dam IL across
the james, the guard lock was destroy
ed, and the James river let into the ca
nal, carrying away the bank, and wash
ing ont the bottom Of the canal. The
dam across the james at this point was
also partially destroyed.
" have had no opposition. Every
body is bewildered by our movements.
81 have had no news of any kind
since left. The latest Richmond pa
pers were of the 4th, but contained
nothing.
. | omitted to mention that the bridg-
es on the railroad from Swoop'. depot.
on the other side OF Staunton, to Char
lotteville. were utterly destroyed; also
the bridges for distance of ten miles
Oh the Gordonsville Railroad. The
weather has been very had indeed -
raining hard every day with the excer-
ton Of four days, since Ne started. My
wagons have, from the state of the roads,
detained me.
Cup to the present time we have cap
tured fourteen pieces of artillery-elev-
Ell at WaynesbUro and three At Char
lottcville. The party that | sent back
from Wayneshoro started with six
pieces, but they were obliged to destroy
two Of the six for want o. animals.-
The remaining eight pieces were thor
oughly destroyed. We have also cap
tlired twelve canal hosts, laden with
supplies, ammunition, rations, medical
stores. etc.
4" cannot speak in too high terms of
Gems. Merritt, Gustav and Devins. and
the officers and men Of their commands.
They have waded through mud and Wa
ter during this continuous rain, and are
all in fine spirits and health.
Commodore HollinS, OF the rebel ma
Wy, was shot near Gordonsville while
attempting to make his escape from our
advance i'm that direction.
GoIsneV "P. II. SHERIDAN, Maj. Gen"