The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-24
fIAMPTON'S CATTLE RAID.
An Unexpected Surprise for Meade in Sep
tember, 1864.
Ne,rs and Courier.

their new masters as we'll, and appar-
emily as readily, as if these had been
their original employers. When the
oxen would become troublesome, show
ing an inclination to stray into the
fields and make delay, the herders,
cracking their long lashes, sounding
IKE pistol shots, would quickly bring
them back, though it must be con-
fessed trooper always rode alongside
with handy weapon to insure loyalty.
But everything ran smoothly and the
=, sight would have gIaddened the heart
of q Highland chieftain Of the olden
time, but his best lift would have
been Insignificant compared to this.
Such mass Of cattle kept together
would have been unwieldly, perhaps
impracticable, to manage, bat by
breaking them up into detachments,
with intervals between each, this diff
ficulty was avoided.
Completely successful in executing
his plans, Hampton commenced to
withdraw by 8 o'clock q. m.
While all this was going on in most
cheerful manner for the raiders the
greatest CONSERVATION and bewilder-
ment were prevailing at Federal head
quarters. By presrrangement with
Lee at the hour at which Hampton at
tackled demonstration to distract at
tention was made along part of the
line Of the army, the infantry driving
the enemy's pickets into the fortifica-
tions west Of the Jerusalem plank
road, and bodies of troops were moved
about as if for general attack. At
the same time Butler, with his cavalry
division, began to make himself very
disagreeable to the troops ia his vicin-
ity. It seemed from all this as
Gen. Lee was goirg on the warpath in
earnest and that Hampton's cavalry
raid was only intended to distract at
tention from this, whilst, ia fact, just
the reverse was true.
So Federal headquarters made the
wires hot with kilograms AID ccuriers
were sent galloping for dear life with
dispatches. Meadc's .'household
troops" were kept very busy that day.
Gen. Grant was temporarily absent at
Harper's Ferry consulting with Sheri-
dan, then in the Shenandoah Valley,
but he had very Unpleasant quarter
Of an hour" and several of them, on
receipt Of excited kilograms from
Meade and from his chief Of staff,
Humphreys. And poor Kautz, such
OF his cavalry as had been met by
Hampton having been demolished and
sent scurrying in all directions, was
sadly shattered in nerves and worrying
unlucky Meade with messages and
queries, in the replies to which one
can almost fancy he hears the General
swearing. Many Of these kilograms
and dispatches are preserved in the
published records Ss she var Office.
Fhhey are entertaining reading even at
this late day, for, being sent on the
spur of the moment, amidst all the ex-
citement and evaporation, when there
was no time to weigh words, they ex-
hibit the true state of mind of the
senders. Like spoken words stored
hot in phonograph and now released,
they seem very different from official
dispatches prepared carefully after ell
the hurly-burly is past and blood is
cool. Meade evidently believed Lee
was advancing in force, and was much
worried at the absence Of Grant at
such. trying time, involving so great
responsibility. Kauz sends a mes
sage that he has information Hamp-
ton force is $4,000 q strong. Sharpe,
deputy provost marshal, says it is
Hampton entire cavalry corps.
Trusty citizens report an immense
force. Meade estimates 6, 600. Hum
lphreys, chief Of staff, informs Kautz
that he car reinforce him with q di-
vision Of infantry and a battery
Of artillery, but by that time the
bird is flown. Sharpe and the
rest fear the capture and destruction
Of all the immense stores at and around
City. Point ard put their heads te-
gether to arrange to have gunboats
rushed up to cover City Point with
artillery. The alarm really became
almost pathetic.
But Hampton pursued the even
tenor Of his way. Having procured
nice beefsteaks at convenient N arket
(! without the trouble Of payment, he in.
tended to take them safel- home tc