The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-31
THE DAHLGREM RAID
Confederate Surgeon Crouch Gives Detailed Ac-
count Of Attempt to Burn
ichnlon


point Fitzpatrick divided his forces,
sending Dahlsren. with 800 men. to
hasten BY one route toward Richmond
while he took another. The plan was
: TO scnd Dahigren by w4y of spotsyI-
Nania Courthouse 10 rredcrick's Hall.
on the Virginia Central. now the
Cheaurcakc ana Ohio Railroad. and
thence Immediately soath to point
above Hopchiand Courthouse, on the
jalica iayer. Here he wah to cross the
y river move down III. opposite bank.
about t"enty miles, and, II possible,
I seize TIE niain bridge that led to tho
CITY ~ 10 O'clock on Tuesday morning.
-Harch |. kilpatrici. himself was TO
proceed with about 5000 men by wey
ief SDotsylyunia Courthouso. thence
soutncastward to Richmond tho de-
isnses OF which he was TO attack west
ana northwest OF the Brook Turnpike
on lheeday morning, while Dah!gren
/ attacked IL from the south
i This undertaking on the part of XII.
patrick and Dahlgren ~ one OF tho
most Interesting events OF The Civil
v, W Or n,id ~ mas never been adequate
]? treated by either Southern or North
efn historians. II Is the purpose OF
,Ae writer TO record not n full history
IN connection with the Dahlgren raid.
put only a few facts which came undor
ms Immediate observation, and with
"hicu no was Turc or less intimately
associated.
~ the u,:,e OF the Dahlgren raid the
I writer OF this article was uemher
I OF company II. Ninth Virginia Cavalry.
Il company OF seasoned veterans-ncn
I"Ho HAD passed through battles until
they Eior!cd in the smell OF smoke,
NeaFiF every man IN the company wns
crack shot and some were export
meFksmtn. Lieutenant Pollard, VITO A,
ms uhie had charge OF the company,
was one OF the hravcst and truost OF
men. as soldier. think no wan ur.
tNee!ied' He was q man VINO could
ne relied upon TO do the right thing
at the right time-a virginia Centle
j, man OF gravity and OF character.
Early in December, 1853. our div,-
SION under Fi;z Lee. IA order 20 be
more accessible to suppilee. oamped
reached General stuar, tha, c;snerr,
| AVeriil. with large force, had start
! Cd on ra!d In northwestern Virginia.
/ stuart ordered Fila Leo 20 break
| camp al once and p!oceed against him.
/ accordingly. on December 10, 1851. w,
4 !ett charlottesville and etaTted IN pur.
suit OF ATer!il. Lees command, OF
{! which my regiment constituted a mart
4
ieast month. and when wc returned
10 charlottesville, on or about January
| H. 1854. the men were co used IN and
i mo horses SO entirely broken dow,
tnat 1t was thought bes. b. our zen
eEal that furloughs DO issued aud IN.
men with their horses be Temporarily.
dispersed to various localities TO ro.
number OF men beionging
20 my company We're from king WI.
nam county. end hither Lieutenant
foiiafa' accompanied by some t,,erStv
| men, the writer being among the ,un
I Der proceeded. Thus II happcnad ,hn.
this little band OF sharpahooters VIA
! IN position TO take part in the subse.
quent attack on the Dahlgren raiders.
Lo4ohei Beale. OF the Ninth Virginia.
! hhn hXed his headquarters In E.sev
county. about sixty miles northeas, re
hichmond, and Company H had been
! ordered to establish a lire OF nirknt,
across King William county. from tho
| Mattapony to the Pamunkey Rtver
ihia mad been carefully yet exnedIt.
lousy done. and OUR company late IN
| renruary was quartered in King wa.
i n,. ,unh'S courthouse. about nfty-
jhNr mics northeast OF Richmond
The life Of a soldier is a jIfa ~ CIV,
c'y and of uncertainty. One muat he
! prepared Tor any surprise at any tI-,e
, nut there are some surprises whinh
astonish even n soldier. Such enr.
!; Prise was in store for our comnanv
Wheh on the second day of March Il
! was announced TO US that the enemy
' W. attacking the city OF Richmond.
" course. we did not know u.hnt n,
an meant then. but we afterwards
Il learned al the many events Of the dar
ing Dablgren raid. come OF those In
f! INC ihcipiency of which have rivcr
/ above. eH'H
~ seemed that the original plans az
hnrh'ri"E and DahlEcn mad mlscnrried
,'"hiernh mad proceeded from Ely,s
| FORD. as II" had been ordered. 10 Snot
sylvania Courthouse. which he rs
! reached az carly dawn Of February ~ .
| ne had marched thence to FrederIcL
| iihli' III Louisa county, where ha aur
nfised and captured some artiIlcryncn
! mad crossed III" South Anna River ana
nadc hurried mnrch directly toward
lanes Rivcr. which he hoped TO cross
hpo"t twenty miles west OF Richmond.
pciore reaching tho riycr he had en-
/ gagged n negro guide - direct hin, 4,
| q place where the river could be ford
ed or swum by horses The negro
! guide conducted Dahlare1 10 the river
| hnt II was found that there was no
possibility of crossing IL. as 1t was
| muddy and swollen beyond Its inner
/ oanks
- ~ sal" that colonel DahlgrSn he :
came so innamed at what he believed
To no the neero's trcachery. that he
took q rein from his own Bride and
mad his men hang The negro TO tree
on the river bank few hours later
captain Mitchell, OF the Second New
York, who with his company had been
separated from Dahlgren In order that
he might destroy tho mills and ferry
boats on the north bank of the river.
"a
and Incorporated tho incident in the
report Of his movements, which he af-
forwards submitted to his superior Of
! ficerH.
This unfortunate negro was named
| Martin Robinson. Tor n nsidera BILE
! time prior to his murder by Dahlgren
no had been a freedman. He was a
bricklayer by trade. and was en-
ployod by citizens in doing work OF
| that character, Robinspn forrnerly ba-