The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-06-02

The raiding scheme resulted In nothing
Gen. Wistar found Bottoms Bridge block
AIDED, and after reconnOitering the posi-
have lost anything; but the troops Of the
Army of the Potomac, that had the luck
to be engaged in the diversion" suffered
a sacrifice of 25O men.
FITZPATRICK REACHED RICHMOND PINES.
A few weeks later bold expedition was
fitted out with the view Of releasing the
large body of Union prisoners held at
Richmond the accounts of whose ill-treat-
ment had excited profound sympathy
throughout the North. This enterprise
was under command of Gen. Fitzpatrick,
with some 1900 or 1900 cavalry. second
ed by Col. Dahlgren, young officer of
extra ordinary dash and daring. 1t set out
on the 2Sth Of February, after Sedgwick's
Corps and Clusters Cavalry had made n
demonstration on Lees left. Crossing the
Rapidan at Ely's Ford, beyond the Con,
federate right flank, the force marched
thence to Spotsylvania Court House. Here
Col. Dahlgren, with 500 picked men, assum-
ing the most daring part of the expedition.
diverged from the main body and pushed
forward by way of Frederickshall towards
the James River. The column under Gen.
Fitzpatrick at the same time moved rap
idly southwark, and on the following
night, the 29th struck the Virginia Central
Railroad at Beaver Dam Station, whence
parties were sent out to damage the road
While engaged in this work. train of
troops arrived from the direction of Rich
mond; but after some skirmishing these re-
tired. Another party was dspa tched to
destroy the bridge at the Fredericksburg
4 Richmond Railroad across the South
Anna-a purpose that was foied by the
presence of Il small observing force. The
main column then advanced with lnslgnih-
cant opposition. and on the forenoon of the
following day, March ], reined up before
the Notifications of Richmond. The swoop
had been so sudden that the troopers
passed unopposed within the outer line of
redoubts: but the Confederates having.
meanwhile, brought up some forces, Kill
patrick found himself arrested before the
second line by opposition he could not
break through.
| DAHLGREN's TREACHEROUs GUIDE.
In the meantime, Col. Dahlgren. with
his isolated party, had moved southwark
from Frederickshall after destroying the
depot, till he struck the James River,
where he did considerable damage to the
canal, etc. A native of the country had
undertaken to lead the party to ford not
far from Richmond, but through ignorance
or treachery he missed his way. and con-
Quoted the column to near Goochland
Court House, full days march from the
intended point. The guide was hanged on
the nearest tree, ana D1nl8FeH moved
down the course of the river towards
Richmond, in front of which he arrived
late on March /. But in this interim, Gen.
Fitzpatrick, having been estopped in front
of the fortiications, and hearing nothing
of Dahlgren's column, became fearful as
to his safety. and decided to fall back
down the Peninsula, which he did in face
fOf considerable opposition.
DAHLGREN KILLED.
Dahlgren was thus completely isolated
from the main body, while the country
around him, now thoroughly aroused, was
alive with parties of armed citizens and
militia. During the night of the Sd, while
on the retreat, Col. Dahlgren. with hun
dred horsemen, became separated from the
rest of his command, and falling into an
ambush, he was killed, with some of his
men. the rest surrendering. The other
portion succeeded in making junction
with Kilpatrick's column, which returned
to the Army Of the Potomac by way of
Fortress Monroe.
These outlying operations, which were
indeed of a rather Quixotic character.
very slightly affected the main current of
the war, whose issue. it was clearly seen,
must await new and weghtier trials of
strength by the two great armies. AS all
the grounds of inference led to the belief
that the Spring campaign must be decisive
of the war, both armies, as by consent,
recuperate from the wear and tear of the
trying season Of 1863. and renew their
strength for the impending shock of arms.
Lee held the south bank Of the Rapidan,
his forces being distributed from the river
along the railroad to Orange Court House
tomac established itself along the Orange
& Alexandria Railroad from the Rapidan
back to the Rappahannoek. The ranks of
both armies were replenished by con-
scripts, and drills, inspections, and re-
views were energetically pushed forward
months of Winter glided by, till >vernal
grasses and flowers came to festOon the
graves on battlefelds over which the con-
tending hosts had wrestled for three years.
Then, upstarting, the armies faced each
other along the lines of the Rapidan.
COMBINATIONS OF THE SPRING CAMPAIGN
If one should seek to discover the cause
Of the indecisive character Of the Virginia
campaigns, and why it was that for three
advance towards Richmond, was doomed
to see itself driven back in discontinue,
it might be thought that sufficient eXpla-
nation was furnished in the consideration
of the inherent difficulty of the task, arising
from the near equality of it's adversary in
material strength, and the advantage the
Confederates enjoyed of fighting defensive
ly on such a theater as Virginia. But to
these weighty reasons must be added an
other, of a large scope, and having rela-
tion to the general conduct of the war.
Justice to the Army of the Potomac de-
mands that this should here be stated, es-
pecially as the campaign on which l am
about to enter will, happily, show the
army under new auspices as regards this
particular.
In Virginia, the Army Of the Potomac
had not only to combat the main army of
the South, but an army that, by means of
the interior lines held by the Confederates,
might be continually strengthened from
the forces in the western zone, unless these
should be under such constant pressure
as to prevent their dminuti0a. TO the
COnfederates, Virginia bore the character
Of a fortress thrust forward on the flank
of the theater of war, and such was their
estimate of its Importance, that. they were
always ready to make almost any sacri-
flee elsewhere to insure its tenure.
INEFFEcTIvENEss OF DIVIDED GENERAL
Il SHIP.
In this way they were greatly favored
by the false and wasteful military policy
of the North, between whose two grea |