Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-07-18
Col. Dahlgren's Death.

1t was now beginning to get dark, and
we wanted some rest and something to
eat, and crossing a creek we halted In
an old field, where Col. DahlgTen took a
short nap. We were soon moving again,
and had not marched above half mile,
when the advance was stopped by
an obstruction in the road Lieut..
Merritt rode back and met the Colonel
and asked for more men. The Colonel,
Maj. Cook, myself and ten or twenty
men rode rapidly to the front, and upon
arriving at the trees that were across the
road we were met by an order to surren-
der, both parties demanding surrender
at the same time. Col. Dahlgren then
leveled his revolver at the person who
seemed to be the officer in command of
the Confederates, but his pistol missed
fire. In an instant a volley was poured
into our left flank the whole length of
our line, and SO close that the flashes
almost reached our horses. This caused
a stampede, as every horse in our COM
mand turned and broke down the
road. After gong a few yards we
checked up and crossed fence on
our right, and formed on the top Of
ridge few rods from the road. We
now began to look who was missing, and
found the Colonel was not on hand.
This number of us were aware of be-
fore, having seen him fall off his horse
by the light of the fash of the guns.
Maj. Cooke was not on horseback, for
when we reached the ridge his horse fell
at the same fire that killed the Colonel.
In fact, there was only one volley; not
shot fired afterward nor man to be
seen. We were allowed to form In the
field in peace, andhad we guide we
might still have reached Gloucester
Point, on Gen. Buffers lines but we
were now entirely without any howI-
edge of the surroundings; the men al
most dead for sleep and out Of ammuni-
ton; the horses about played out and
every one more Or less demoralized.
And was it strange? We had been In
the saddle for seyenty-six hours with
out halt long enough to get any sleep.
A council was now held to determine
what should be done, for we did not in
tend to give up. It was finally agreed
upon to fasten the horses in hollow
square by fastening the sabers into the
ground, and then every one try to make
his escape, The commissioned officers
Maj. Cooke, Lieut.. Merritt and my
seH-together with four scouts and
guides, were to go in party. We In
tended to cross the country, going north,
and strike the Rappahannock river be-
low Fredericksburg and get one Of our
picket boats.
We left the men and horses and crept
like cats to the woods (the same we had
ambushed from) and through the bushet
about mile, when it began to break
day, March 8. We hid in pine thicket
all day, and at dark set out. [ had with
me compass and good Typographical
map of that part of Virginia, which en-
abled us to select our route. We tray
eled this night about two miles, when
wewere getting weak for lack ofsomething
to eat, and, coming to a log cabin near
the woods, we made reconnaissance OF
the premises, and found the occupants
to be white man and woman. We went
in and asked for something to eat, and,
while we were sitting in the house wait
ing for it to be got ready, the door was
opened, and we were politely told to
surrender, which Maj. Cooke, being the
ranking officer, very politely did. And
thus ended one Of the most extraordi-
nary expeditions Of the war, when we
consider the number of men and the
distance travelled, the number captured
and the amount Of damage done the
enemy, and the fact that we were closer
to the city of Richmond than any other
Union troops had been or were until the
city fell into our hands in 1866. We
were taken the next day, March 4, to
Stevensville, and from there started to
Libby in charge Of Capt. Magruder's
company of cavalry. These troops were
gentlemen, and treated us as well as
circumstances would permit. Philadel-
p7tin Times.