Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-10-07
DEATH OF DAHLGREN
A CHARTER From a Private Diary Writ
ten at the Time.
MANY INTERESTING DETAILS.
Was the Raider Shot by Ills own VIC"
Talks with Ills Foliowers-An
Amusing Incident.


stevensvllIe. It embraces DIR. Walkers
personal recolections Of the pursuit ana
death OF DahlGrcn, written at the ,irnc'
and was never intended for publication.
1t IS printed as copied for the Dispatch'
verbatim, from the original, BY the dla-
rist:
went March the %, 1864 to Smyrna
church to prayer-meeting. The Society
for the Relief Of Manned Soldiers me'.
Just as Il was about to adjourn as
patch reached there stating that 'ne
Yankees were crossing Dabney's Ferry
into King william and moving In this
direction. Captain Bagby Or. II. Bagby,
u. d. issued orders that his company
OF Home Guards met at Bruingt0n at
; =. NJ. Hurried home and started Tor
the place. Of meeting along with Captains
McGruder and Blake's companies. whlch
were passing at the time. As they were
moving slowly. ] hurried on. When got
into the lane In front Of Elder r. y. Hen
ley's residence l saw Captain Charles
Gwathmey with a spy-gless looking very
earnestly up the road, and 10 my inquiry
were AZ Bruington | laughed at the re-
port. and we moved on; but in a few
minutes we heard firing and saw some
of the members OF the Home Guard DASH
Ing towards US and the Yankees pursuing.
The Yankees soon halted and commenced
firing into n squad Of our men standing
near Buffers old tavern. II was at
least half nile between the parties,
and vet they wounded a man. | learned
subsequently that Colonel i)ahlgren fired
the shot Most of the Home Guard took
the road to Stevensville and soon met
with Captain McGru9ers company. and
decmiug it prudent TO get all our forces
together, IL was determined 20 retire
towards the courthouse. As It was I'M
portant 10 ascertain the strength Of the
enemy, Captain Harrison of Goochlnnd
county then private in Captain Nc
Gruder's company. proposed 70 get IN
advance Of them ana ascertain their num-
bcrs. Rclng Intimately acquainted with
the country. offered to accompany him.
TOOK THE RIVER ROAD.
"The enemy had taken the River road.
We hurried through farms and soon
reached the road below Garnetts old
mill. and stationed ourselves near the
road along which they would pass. It
was then after night and dark. but the
! opening towards the south gave US light
enough to count them as they passed.
We had scarcely time to secure our horses
and get our position near the road when
! we heard them advancing. We counted
/ "a they moved by and ascertained their
/ number u be l10. As the rear qua rd
passed Captain Harrison and myself
gave them a parting shot, which they
returned. but without harm 10 either
payty II was then very dark, and we
had n difficult time finding our horses
[ As we rode out IN the open field we could
very distinctly hear them feeding on the
: Hockcy-Neck farm, then owned by Fen-
/ dal Gregory.
/ CAPTAIN II. and myself then hurried
| towards our forces. Going by Stevens
Vile we asccrtained that Captain MCGru-
( der. with his command had gone TO the
! Courthouse. We fastened in that direc-
ton and met his command augmented
/ by some members Of the King and Queen
| Cavalry. the Home Guard. under Captain
NJ. j. Todd. &c. We hurried up TO Man
! tapike. having ascsrtained that Capt "a
! Bagby. with hls command. was ,CcupyMS
/ the forks Of the road at MantapiHc
swamp. where the road branches. one
/ leading 20 Stevensville and the other to
/ the Courthouse. When We had gathered
| there upon consultation the command II
| all the forces Was given 10 Captain Camp
! bell Fox and arrangements were made %
/ give u N fight.
/ THE TNENIY'S ADVANCE.
J "About 1880 Z. u they advanced upon
l our position. l was standing at the forks
/ Of the road along with some others uuui
/ they approached very near us. and when /
/ c.imbc. up the bank 10 get a position o.
/ fire on the enemy / found every tree with
a man behind H. and had To- move down
/ the road leading t. the Courthouse and.
chosins a position near the road looking
3 west. awaited the approach. Very SOON
! Lieutenant Nuun Dr. ". G. Nunm came
near and we took shelter behind the same
/ tree and near enough % the road 10 see
! the Yankees as they passed. some Of oui
/ men were coming down tho Stcveusyille
/ road and were not aware OF the proximity
! Of the Yankees and met them At the fork
/ From tho best information that ! could
| obtain, Colonel Danleren rode up 10 III,
/ mon, and Cursing them, demanded thGI
surrender and then snapped his pistol
/ They C0mmC mCnce1 firing at once. and then
/ there was general firing along the line
but ia the darkness very few shot took
! effect. though the Yankees We're massed iu
/ the road. This was due u the fact that
| our men, being on an elevated position
/ oVer-shOt. and from the extreme dark
ness, no aim could be taken. Lieutenant
/ Nunn was anxious 10 fire. but | persuaded
! him 70 hold his fire until tho Yankees
passed the road near US, when We cOuI
see them and DO some execution. N'ry
soon after the firing commenced the enc
my retreated. and We could hear them
! breaking over the fence and ditch into
/ Mr.. -. Ro. Gresham's field. Very soon
the order came 70 cease firing. Then III.
/ mon gave a tremendous shout ana rushed
into the road % sec what execution had
been done. / noticed a horse struggling
in the agOnies Of death and a man under
him. lie was cXtricatcd ana was only
| bruised Then. turning my attention n
another direction. | saw a man lying OF
| his face in the ditch, with his feet NJ
! against a tree and the fence He PROVED
! to be Colonel Dahlgren.
DISTINCTLY HEAR THEM.
about this time we could very distinctly
! hear the Yankees scrambllng oyer thC
| fences and bitches into the field. Think.
/ ing that they might renew the attack
/ We waited some time, but as they wcr.
| very quiet the suggestion was made that
! probably they We're trying under thC
I guidance of nesro to get across IN,
| swamp below Us and escape. Lieutenants
| Num- and Acrse, Chris. i. Fleet, anl
! myself went as scouts to ascertain theil
| movements, and. approaching them. founl
| tidt llty were quiet IN the Urld, anO
| returned and reported 10 Captain Fox
| Captain Fox then concluded that it wouil
be best To move To the next forks. wherC
| the roads cross near Mantapike land
Ing, and there make a barrlcade anC
I await their attack In the morning. We
/ there spent the balance OF the night
I cold and uncomfortable. Soon after day
Captain Bagby got orders as he supposed
from Captain. Fox 10 take his command
to the courthouse mill and tear uI
the bridge. We learned afterwards thai
! Captain Fox had given no such orders
Captain Bagby accordingly collected h:
! men, and took them to the mill. the mel
| going very reluctantly. as they con
! ildently expected the Yankees 10 sur
I render After We had been at the mil
a half hour or so we received orders
To return to Matapike. as the Yankee.
had surrendered. The news produced &
thrill OF joy. and we very gladly r.
traced our steps when we reached th'
field 1t presented a most disorderly sight
Horses were running loose over the field
! arms, haversacks. canteens, silverware
J knives. forks, earthenware, blankets, ant
negroes were scattered in wild confusion
orders were given to collect the horses
mules, etc. and take them to Stevens