The National tribune., 1890-01-23

ured the Confederate pickets and crossed into
Spottsylvania County. One of the men who was
with Col. Ulrick Dahlgren told me that officer
had but one arm, having lost the left one at
the Antietam fight. lie said Dahlgron took q
| detail of $50 men and left Fitzpatrick in Gooch-
land County, going down by Clouds Mills, on
the James River, and by the place of John A..
| Scddon, who was Confederate Secretary of War.
They took lot of his horses and pushed on to
Richmond, which they attempted to enter in
! the night but were repulsed by the City and
| ArmOry battalion. In the fighting some Fed
eral shots struck the small nox hospital. lie
said they returned and crossed the Pamunkey
at Ellets, in King and Queen County, followed
| up closely by the Confederate cavalry. They
stopped on the second or third night and fed
| their horses near StevGnsville, then moved on
at about p. m., and shortly afterward were
| fired on by an ambuscade at q crossroads by
| Confederate troops and citizens, and
DAHLGREN WAS KILLED
and Lieut. Col. Cook, I'd N. Y. Cav, captured,
| his horse being shot. The command was thrown
| into confusion, but soon rallied again, and pro-
ceedcd on, getting out Mt Yorktown aud joining
| Fitzpatrick. The latter was said to have had
| fight with Hampton, who attacked him in the
| night and was repulsed. IIo went on to Rich
| mOnd and attacked the city on another side
and was said TO have dismounted guu in Bat
| terry o.
Going from Shepherds Grove to Richards
| vile by Ely's Ford road, tho first house on tho
! right, one mile down, was occupied by George
Stone and family lie had n saw-mill near by.
| The house formerly belonged 60 a mixed white
! family named Hazel, the head of which was
! woman called Cordela Hazel. They were run off
| for dealing with the slaves. Further on half a
mile, on same side of tho road Marshal Wren's
| family lived, be being in the army. Then, half
! a mile further, we come to that horrid colec
| ton OF soapstone aud clay gullies where Lick
! Branch crosses the road, Wild weird,
| horrible looking place. where Longstrcet's
! courier was killed. Then four miles further
on we como to Southard's, where tho old
| man lived with his family and his nicCes. the
! Misses Rosa and Annie Burton. The latter
married n soldier named NJ. M. Smith, of Co.
! c, I'd ~ y. Cav After passing Walter Custis's
we reach Rchardsvllc, five miles from Shcp-
ards Grove. The Humphreys house, which
was also the postolfcc, stood here in the early
part of the war, but being destroyed by FIRE tho
chimney only stood as a landmark to show
where the town had been. Going toward Rich
ards's Ferry few hundred yards is White
Chapel, now replaced by the new church build
Ing. Then three. quarters of milo further.
Darby Downcy's, n mile and half from Rich
ardsvillc, Johnson Smiths, aud 300 yards
further the Widow jennings, on hill. Then
Frank Richards's house. within half n mile of
the ferry, and the Misses Rjchards's at the ferry
six miles from Richardsville. 4 trail led down
south from Riehartlss Ferry To n blind ford on
the Rapidan. aud the whole country being a
mass of woods, Confederate scouts could get
into Pne-iy fork, as they call the territory
between the Rappahaunock aud Rapidan
in the point OF the fork, at any time. They
were constantly firing on and annoying piekets
and strapglers in this section. The road TO
Elliss Mills and Ferry and Bnrnett's Ford turns
off the road from Rchardsvile about "a mile and
a half from tho latter place. aud goes on two
miles 10 Eilis's. Old man Ellis is dead and
his family scattered. The widow Royal, who
lived beyond Elliss, is also dead, aud buried at
the Grove Church. The pickets often stood
at her house, and her son, who WIS in the Con
fcderatn army. is now "a lawyer. aud counsel for
the British holders OF Virginia bonds. She is
reported 10 have said that she did not want To
20 TO Heaven II poor white trash went there
but she supposed that rich people went IN tho
parlor, while the poor whites and niggors went
in the kitchen.
The road 10 Elys Ford, mile after leaving
Richardsville sends off branch on the right
10 Cupepcr miuo and ford, aud goes on 10 the
hill where old Wm. Johnson lived with his
family, over tho ford, four miles.
Germana again. This place 40 years ago
was lively business point, and its prospects
We're fine after the days Of railroads on account
OF tho fine water power. The largo woolen-
mill was owned aud operated by Fillisou Bowen,
and after his death by Bowen aud TimbeTlake
who operated flour aud corn mills also. while
a. q. Hudson ran store The families of
these people lived in houses the bluff on the
south side, while the hands lived in house on
the north side built upagainst the blu1. where
stone for the dam had been quarried out. The
bridge was a fine structure, erected for tho
Counties of Orange and Culpepcr by Mr.. Rich
ards, plainly but substantially built. The piers
were pens Of logs filed in with stones.
THIS BRIDGE WAS DESTROYED ny EwELL
in 1862. and the buildings shortly after. and so
everything followed until not n house stands in
the immediate vicinity, aud even the dam has
washed away. 1t Is n most romantic vet DESC
late spot. The honeyshucks aud cedars grow
around the old ruins, aud the elemats aud
boneysuckle have crept all over the old stones
and trailed down the steep bank.
From The bridge to this southeast we can sec
the house where Addison Gordon lived with
his wife and four daughters aud OH line with
IL, hut 0n the opposite side of the river Is Io-
Gust Hill, already mentioned. these two points
being about the same hight. The Confederate
works ran back OF Gordon's crossing blind
ford and having two.eun battery OH the line
which, at Carter's shop. on the road from Ger
mania tothe Wilderness, was again strengthened
by two-.un battery covering tho road, aud
an additional line in front Of this. The Cor
don place formerly belonged to Lucy. Betty
aud Olmsted Gordon two sisters aud brother.
They were very religious aud determined 10
set ail their slaves free when they died. IL
having been currently reported that their Wills
were made 10 that effect. the Slaves on the
place got mulatto girl who waited on the
table TO poison them. so that they could be free
coon. The will was not found, so the slaves
were all sold South.
The road from Germana runs east Of south,
passing the Confederate line of works which
extends across the bend at Cartera shop, one
mile from the ford The old fields on the way
are grown up with young pines; the well Mt
Carter's has caved in. and nothing remains but
the bare hOusc.chimney. On the Confederate
battery aud works are tall young pines aud
oaks growing. mile aud Il half through the
scrub pines and we are at BealPs which looks
just As IL did during the war-the old two.
story house with porches tho east aud
south. The road is uneven here and "A spring
branch affords good water until you reach Flat
Kun, bali u mile further on, lined with birches
and aidera. The narrow. sluggish stream is
crossed by ford and bridge, rs 10 was then.
aud here Gen. Grant had To do his frat cordu-
rOying after leaving Germania. Then we keen
on pine ridge, with scattering oaks, until We
reach Spottswood's, mile and half from
Beafs, aud on the same fright hand) side of
tho road. All tho buildings are the same as
they were when the entire road had To be cor
dur0yed To keep out of tho yielding clay
Then, at three-quartcrs Of mile, we enter The
Wilderness valley or clearing crossing one of
the spring branches which empties into vii.
dcrness Run.
The Wilderness crossrOad is five miles from
Germhna aud 10 miles from Fredericksburg
aud the valley is beautiful at this point. the