The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-10-04
DAHLGREN'S RAID.
ANOTHER CHAPTER IS ADDED.
Col. w. II. Cheek Writes in Behalf of
His Old COmmand-The Troops THAI
Really Prevented the Sacking of
Observation-Disclosures Surprised and
StamDeded

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Surprised and
Stampeded.
Correspondence Richmond Dispatch.I
By accident recently a copy of the
Dispatch, of date September the 9th,
fell into my hands. From it | see
that you have had several communica
tions on the subject of the Dahlgrcn
raid, and in this issue you say that
" first and foremost it is competent to
say that i'll some of the more recent
illusions to the raid the full credit due
has not been given to the troops who
checked and demoralized Dahlgren's
column at the critical moment and
prevented Richmond from being
sacked"
Now, | do. not propose to discuss
the claims or the conduct of any of the
troops who acted SO CALAMITY in the
defence of the city from the assault of
of Dahlgren on the evening of the Ist
of March, 1864. My only motive for
writing this article is to do justice to
my old regiment and to give the credit
of saving the Capital of the Confederacy
from capture on this occasion to those
to whom it rightly belongs.
1t will be remembered that on the
night of March I, 1864, General
Fitzpatrick, in command of 5000
picked men of the Federal cavalry,
was encamped about five miles North
east of Richmond, with the intent to
assault the city from that side at light
on the morning Of the I'd. He had
sent Colonel Dahlgren, with 100 men,
around to the West of the city to make
this feint on the evening of the Ist, and
to be ready to cooperate with him in
his attack, the next morning.
IN PURSUIT..
In the winter of 1S03-'O4 General
Hampton, with his command, was
encamped around Bowling Green, in
Caroline county. As soon as it was
ascertained that the Federal cavalry
had broken through our lines near
Spotsylvania court house, Gen. Hamp
ton began the pursuit of it with about
$50 men from the First North Caro-
lima Cavalry, and about forty men
from the Second North Carolina
Cavalry and a section of McGregory's
Battery. We lett camp about mid
night on the last day OF February, and
marched continuously through a ter
rible storm of rain, hail, sleet, and
snow, until about midnight of the Ist
of March, we came in sight of camp
fires between Allee's Station and
Richmond At the station General
Hampton and his staff went into the
ticke. office, and he sent me down the
road To ascertain whether the fires
were from our troops or from the
Yankees. His only instructions to me
were, if found them to be the enemy,
s'to harass him all | could" We
moved down the road and soon enCoun-
tered a picket After an exchange of
shots he retired, and, strange to say, if
he went into camp, he failed to alarm
it, | Immediately sent forward some
scouts, who soon reported the troops
to be Yankees, and that they were all
asleep around their mp-fres in a
body of woods. | went forward,
| carefully examined the situation, and
prepared at once for night attack. |
dismounted about 100 men from the
First North Carolina Regiment and
deployed them as sharp shooters, under
the command of Captain Blair, who
cautiously moved them up to the edge
of the woods, and within fifty yards of
the fires. He was instructed to lie
down and to keep quiet until the
artillery opened. Owing to the con
dition of the ground could put only
one gun in action. Every preparation
was made to fire this as rapidly as
possible.
STANlPEDED.
When the first shell flew oter him
Captain Blair was ordered to rise,
raise the yell, and charge the camp.
The scheme proved perfect success.
The enemy was surprised, ,demoralzed,
and stampeded. We captured $50
prisoners, $50 horses, carblnes, sabres,
saddles, brides, blankets, and other
outfits too numerous to mention. |
did not lose a man. Among the
prisoners was brigadier general and
men from five regiments. This
brigade was the rear guard OF
kilpatricks column, and it was So
badly stampeded that we pursued
them that night and drove them in
upon the camp of their main body,
which also became demoralized and
the whole command broke camp
about O clock in the morning and
made tor the lower Pamunky in a
panic.
1t was this attack of ours which was
in the hearing of Dahlgren that caused
him to Withdraw from his position, or
! ba ,,o, hove beep SiuDalled nv Genera |