Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-08
THE DAHLGREN RAID
How Capt. Pollsrd's Men Captured
and KILLED the Daring Colonel.
PAPERS TAKEN FROM his PERSON.
m. proposcd to Kill Mr.. Davis and His
Cabinet, Release Federal Prisoners'
aud Burn the City.

In the following letter. which was
printed in the Philadelphia Weekly Times
September II, 1857. Captain James Pollard,
who recently died at Lee Camp Soldiers
Home Of which ne was adjutant. gave
mn interesting account OF the killing or
Colonel Dahigren, and the breaking UP OK
his famous raid:
In February 1864. several OF the cavalry
regiments of the Army of Northern Vir-
ginia were temporarily disbanded ana
sen, 10 their homes to recruit their horses
The Ninth Virginia Cavalry. to when
my company belonged. was ordered 10
project the transportation OF supplies
from the Northern Neck of Virginia
which was very much interrupted at tina;
time by the enemy's gunboats on the Rap
pahannock, Mattaponi. and Pamunkey
rivers Besides they would frequently
land parties from the gunboats ana make
incursions into the country to plunder.
Colonel X. l.. r. Beale. commanding the
Ninth Virginia Cavalry. fixed his head
quarters in Essex county, near Boui-
wares wharf on the Rappahannock river.
and ordered me TO establish a picket
line across the county OF King Whilam
from the Mattaponi TO the Pamunkey
rivers
moved over into King William count"
and quartered my men In the courthouse,
being a convenient point 10 botn rivers,
and established a picket post at west
Point. the head Of the York ana juno
tIon of the two rivers. the distance by
fpltS
as great as by land. which would enable
my pickets 10 bring me word Of The
entrance OF boat into the mouth of
either river, and give me time 10 meet
her with my sharpshOoters on some OF
the bluffs.
Being on detached service did not re-
uuire any other leave OF absence or pass
port than my own. Having captured
some Spencer rifles. / made several trips
20 Richmond TO try and get ammunition
for them, which / failed to do, ana
finally exchanged them for Sharp's car
bines During a visit to Richmond l
wag staying at the house OF friend, and
n lady relative of General Lee came
ana told us that General Lee had tele-
eraphed that the enemys cavalry were
on n raid In his lines. | Immediately hur-
ricd back TO camp, called in my pickets.
and sent them in the opposite direction
ia watch the ferries on the Pamunkey,
and stationed n courier on the road about
half way 10 the upper ferries The next
morning, March %. j got Information
that they were crossing the Pamuhkey
river at Hanovertown ferry, about SIX
miles below Hanover Courthouse. ana
twelve miles from Ayletts, on the Malta
POM river sent my baggage wagon 10
n safe place and crossed the Mattapon!
nj Mantua ferry; had the boat concealed
I'm the marsh. and other boats higher up
the river put out of the way. i next
FASTENED to Dunkrk in the upper part OF
King and Queen county. where the only
boat was left on the river. and sent ahead
10 have that brought over TO the side 1
was on.
Tn 10 this time nobody in that section
had a suspicion that there was an enemy
nearer than the Rapidan river. | found
two of Captain Magruder's company
Fortv-socond Battalion Virginia Cavalry
at Mantua and sent word TO him TO JON
me at Dunkirk as soon as he could. Dr.
Fleets son and William Taliaferro, two
lads the latter nephew OF the hon.
VIM. Boulwarde, formerly United states
Minister 10 Naples, were riding along IN
King william. and came upon the enc
my's column Unexpectedly. When order
ed 10 surrender they attempted To escape
Young Taliaferros horse was Killed ana
he was captured. Fleet was mortaly
wounded. but managed TO keep his seat.
and was carried by his horse some dis
lance into the woods. He had his dog
with him, and after remaining with MN
nil night this dog met his friends. who
were in search Of him, and conducted
them 10 the body. While l was waiting
for the enemy at Dunkirk they found a
nat-boat at Ayletts large enough to carry
the men over and swan the horses, the
river being narrow at that place. had
only about twenty-five minutes, but
overlook them near Bruington Church
and attacked their rearguard, killing one
man. | am pretty certain that this man
was killed by DR.. Richard Crouch, a men,
her of my company. Crouch was dis
mounted and standing by my horse when
j called his attention to him. as his bull
let's were whistling disagreeably near 10
me- Although there was rapid firing l
think the man dropped at the crack OF
Crouch's gun. One of my company gos
fifty dollar greenback out of his pocket,
which afterwards proved TO be two
dollar bill with fifty" pasted on the
figure two.
lust at that time / got information
which turned out TO be false, that the
enemy had sent portion OF his command
by road through the woods which came
into the one l was on. two or three
hundred yards in my rear. This detaiDet
me short time, and when l overlook
him again / saw that he had turned or
the river road. where Buffers Tavern
used to stand. ] sent four men TO follow
him and annoy his rear. hoping by tina
means 20 prevent his finding out that
was getting in his front. After turning
A. tfxy rIe
was again deceived into thinking that
part of the enemy's force had taken thai
road. After going a short distance i wa.
hailed by q citizen about a hundred yard.
from the road who / understood to say
''They are just ahead OF you" j ordered
q trot. and directly we heard two report!
and a bullet struck just by my horse
splashing the mud on my foot. We
charged, and had very pretty chase fol
about half a mile. when we ran up t
Captain Magruder, who had put his mei
In ambush on the brow of a hill and SEN
out pckets, having heard that the enem,
had taken that road He informed m
that II was with difficulty that ne could
restrain his men from firing. Captain
.Magruder put his company. about thirty
men. at my command. and i got him t.
send courier to Major Waller, who wa,
In command of the baggage train ant
men with broken down horses of thu
Ninth Virginia Cavalry Colonel Beal,
had gone with the regiment towards Ash
land).
We moved on through Stevensvllle &c
the river road. intending to take position
at an old mill-dam. but as l had some
doubt about reaching that point before
the enemy i put the men in position a
Mantopike. the intersection Of the Ste.
vensville and River roads. In the mean.
time We had fallen In with some citizens
and home-guards. who followed on, and
continued with us until the enemy came
up Ii was now dark, and after waiting
some time for the enemy / sent two OF
my men to make reconnaissance. who
soon returned. and reported that the
enemy had gone into camp q mile or SC
from us. When put the men In line OF
battle I'm the edge OF the woods ordered
them to reserve their fire until the head
OF the column OF the enemy should reach
my left where l had placed my frs,
sergeant. Fleming Meredith, whose fire
was 10 he the signal for the whole line
Tne enemy advanced about u:sO O'Clock
+. Nj. AS The head OF his column an.
preached my line Colonel Dahlgren saw
some OF the men and demanded their sur.
render At the same time he attempted
TO fire his uistol which snannad rThis