Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-09-09
THE DAHLGREN RAID.
Some Further Interesting Facts In Re-
gard to II.
AUDITOR RYLAED'S RECOLLECTION.
Those Infamous Orders-General Lees
Humane view-The Significant Tes-
timony Of tho Herald.


whltewash the record as to the purposes
Of the Dahlgren raid.
First and foremost, II IL competent 10
say that in some Of the more recent
| illusions to the raid, the full credit due
has not been given TO the troops who
checked and demoraized Dahlgren $
column at the critical moment. and pre-
| vented Richmond from being sacked.
| These were the local troops, and at the
time the raid occurred the Richmond
| papers were loud In their praises OF them.
Not only that. but General Elzey, in
general orders issued March s. 1864. COM
plimented them as follows:
"The Major-General commanding con-
graduates the troops upon their COM
pletely successful defence OF Richmond.
and its rescue from the ravages OF the
invader. The enemy was CALAMITY re-
pulsed on tho north side by Colonel
Stevons's command. and on the west by
Brigadier-General q. w. G. Lees troops.
Their conduct is entitled to the highest
praise and credit"
IT is no disparagement 10 the other
commands TO say that the brunt OF the
fight on the west was born by Henley 8
afterwards McAnerny's) Battalion. This
battalion was composed of department
clerks, many of whom had been retired
from active service on account OF wounds.
or other disability and one company Of
boys, which is especially mentioned by
General Custls Lee in his report.
THE LAST LINE.
Captain Cater Colonel McAnerny was
In command Of the battalion, which con-
stitutel the last line between Richmond
and the invaders. and upon that line
Dahlgron made his final and most despe-
rate charges. only 10 be driven back In
utter confusion by vOlleys delivered with
the steadinesS Of veterans. All the Rich
mond papers Of tho day following make
special mention of the cool and resolute
bearing of the command, and the delibe-
rate manner OF their fire, which, by orders,
was held until the enemy was almost
upon their bayonets. Accounts agree that
II was not the intention Of the authorities
that the approach Of the enemy on the
west should be met in the open. 1t was
designed that he should be fought from
the breast works, but, owing to conflict
ing orders the troops went beyond these.
WHO WAS IN COMMAND?
IoucllnE lnS question WHO WIS III Npiii-
mand Of the force that killed Dahlgren
and captured the remnant Of his column,
Lieutenant Josiah Ryland. Second Audi
tor contributes to the Dispatch the fol-
loving:
"The letter Of my friend, Mr. Marquis
Jones. Of Gloucester in the Dispatch OF
September "a Is n very correct and plain
statement OF the facts There are only
one or two points to which l wish 10
call attention
Lieutenant POlard's company was
quartered at King William Courthouse.
and he was on a visit 10 Richmond.
When he learned Of the advance Of Dahl
gren's force he Immediately returned 10
his command. and sent out pickets 10 the
upper crossings Of the Pamunkey river.
These pickets informed him when the
raiders crossed this river, and kept him
posted as 10 their movements through
King William county. Pollard lcrOs5ed
over into King and Queen. had all OF
the boats he could find, put out Of the
way and sent number of messages by
his couriers and othors through the
county Of King and Queen. by this
means the Home Guard, Captain Msgru-
der, and many soldiers from other COM
mands, who happened TO be at home on
furlough, were notified Of his advance.
During tho ride from Dunkrk to Man
taplke he was joined by many Of each Of
these classes. Amongst the furlOughed
men was Captain Fox. Of the Fifth Cav
airy. Lieutenant Pollard rendered the
command Of the expedition to both Cap
tain Magruder and Captain Fox as soon
as he was notified Of their presence. but
they declined 10 interfere with his ar
Tangcments.
HAD BUILT THEIR FIRES
"After placing the men in position, where
the two roads intersected, and waiting
Il reasonable time for the approach Of
the enemy, he PollardD requested me to
take two men and go up the road to see
what had become Of them. We found that
they had broken into barn. made fires,
md had apparently, gone into camp
for the night As soon as l ascertained
these facts l returned ard reported them
to him and knowing that he had been
up all Of the night before, had had a
chill that day, and had then a high fever.
with considerable difficulty. / persuaded
him TO let me take him to my grand
fathers. at Stevensville. where he could
get something to eat and then le down
and get a little sleep before morning.
Every ono agreed that Dahgren would
not 10 be so unwise as 10 attempt 10 ad-
vance during the night. when he must
have known that the whole country was
aroused and after him. a short time
after getting 10 my grandfathers, and
before he had laid down, Pollard was
notified by a courier that the enemy's
advance had been made and a man killed,
and he Immediately returned to the COM
mand.
a GALLANT SOLDIER.
sgTDy1far1 no m nj
unvarnished statement Of the whole affair.
which was published in the Philadelphia
Times of September IT, 1857. and repub-
lsled In the Dispatch recently. lie was
as gallant a soldier as ever drew a sabre,
and much loved and admired by his old
company"
Auditor Ryland's recollection agrees as
to the main question with the official re-
cord Some question seems 10 have
arisen at headquarters as 10
whom the credit was due for the
exploit. and considerable correspondence
ensued. IN one of his letters, Lieutenant
Pollard says Captain Fox took command.
and Captain Fox. in q report, says: II
Immediately took command Of the entire
force"
HOW THEY WERE ENDORSED.
The apparent discrepancies that have
cropped out in the discussion of the mat
ter are explained by the endorsements
Of Generals Fitzhugh Lee and Stuart,
upon the reports Of Captain Fox.
General Fitzhugh Lee writes on one
of them:
Lieutenant Pollard's report Of this ma
ter has already been sent you (StuarD.
but II appears that Captain Fox was in
command OF various detachments of oup
forces, resulting in the death of Dahl
General Stuarts endorsement reads:
'F'rom Lieutenant Polards report II IL
apparent that the place of ambush and
tie dispositions which resulted so sue
cessfully in the capture Of Dahlgren's
party, were made prior TO Captain Fox's
arrival
on another Of Captain Fox's reports
General Stuart endorsed: His Fox's)
concluding remarks. however. think
show that this credit was due. as WAS
first supposed 10 Lieutenant Pollard, who.
according 20 his report. chose the ground.
stationed the men. and then sent TO King
and Queen Courthouse for Captain Fox"
THE DAHLGREN ORDERS
Az 10 the effort to whtewash the record
OF the design of the raid nothing could be
more futile. The orders TO burn Rich
mond and kill Mr.. Davis and the Cabinet
were taken from the body Of Dahlgren
when he was killed. sent by Lieutenant
pollard 10 Colonel Beale. and forwarded
IN, him 10 General Fitzhugh Lee who, in
- a4otaI letter dated March 1854