Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1875-05-27
Dahlgren's Raid.
The Story of a Soldier who was
Engaged in the Plot to Fire Rich
mond and Capture jeff. Davis
and His Cabinet.

u
since the last guns echo died a
way and the drifting smoke float
ed down the valleys of Virginia
have, 10 a measure, served to OBJ
literate many of the questions
which, at that time, were upper
most in the public mind. But the
recent letter published to show
that General Beauregard was such
an earnest advocate of black flags
and no quarter to prisoners natu-
rally has served to recall many of
the charges made and subsequent
ly we'll substnntiated against that
Federal raider, Colehel Dahlgren,
of Richmond memory.
1t has not forgotten how this
leader pierced the Confederate
lines through an unprotected route
and made for the city Of Rich
mond, followed by his troupe of
cavalry. After his death and the
rout of some and the capture cf
the rest of his command, it was
publicly charged that this bold
expedition had for its object two
things-frst, the capture of Pres
ident Davis; and second, the burn
ing and sacking of Richmond,
without regard to whatever might
be the loss of life to women and
children. Dispatches found and
combustible material captured cor
roborated this allegation, and when
the direct statement was made,
the Northern press indignantly
denied its correctness.
As Daniel Webster in his cele.
brated speech to jury said, "Mur-
der will OUT" and now, after ten
years have stolen away, s.eps
forth a witness who, at the risk
of much personal discontinue, full,
ly and with every internal evi-
dence of the truth of his ta'e. re-
lates a story which, for its terrible
inhumanity, is fit nut for those
to crack who So thirstily seek out
subjects from the events of the
late war.
A private of the Thirteenth In
fantry, United States Army, reg
iment now quartered in this city,
yesterday made the following vol
untary statement relative to the
Dahlgren raid:
| am now a private of the army.
l belonged at the time the DrhI-
gren raid upol Richmond, Vi
ginia, took place to Company
E. Fifth MichigarS Cavalry, and l
took part in the advance with
Dahlgren on Richmond. | was
under his command from the com
mencement of the raid, and | don't
think there are more than seven
of the party now left living In
regard to the purposes Of our ad-
vance | can only say that almost
every man in the command knew
them. They were these: To cap
ture Davis and his Cabinet and
then to fire the town at once.
We had along with US the things
to do it, and if we had got in
would have done it.
Colonel Dablgfen said inmy hear
ing that the Cabinet must be cap
tured at all hazsrds, and then the
fire must be touched at once. No
one was to be assassinated, but
the fire-balls we had were TO be
used right off by the men all over
the city. | heard some officers
speak about hanging Davis if he
was caught. There is Lieuten-
ant now living who can verify all
that | say.
Perhaps they may put me in
the guard house, or make me work
outside for telling this, but it is
true. Fitzpatrick was to look af-
ter the Libby prisoners and re-
lease them, and they were to arm
themselves in some armory in
the city and come over and join
US.
The above needs 10 commenta.
ry. The publications made iii
the Conservative press are now
proved to be true, and Colonel
Dahlgren will receive the deserved
obloquy of his attempted deed.
A woman died in Philadelphia
recently who weighed more than
six hundred pounds. For thir-
teen years she has been bed ridden,
being unable to carry her weight
around. Dying in a room in an
upper foer, it was with great diff
Guilty that the body was removed.
The proprietor of a hotel at Cor
ming, N. Y, has had to pay $500
and costs to married woman of