The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-03
4 Grcnt Federal Raid in 1868, aud How
Defeated



ON the 9Th OF April. 1853. General
joseph Hooker, commanding the Army
OF the Potomac had as hla guest AZ
his headquarters, near Falmouth, Pres
idcnt Lincoln, who. on the day follow
ing. returned to Washington Hook or
wrote him on the next day: Il sim
ccrei" trust you reached home safely
and In good time yesterday. We all
look back TO your visit with great
satisfaction
Among tho grave matters discussed
BY the President and General Hooker
was one OF supreme interest and I'M
portancc. which contemplated pow
crful cavalry raid under General
George Stoneman, which. BY destroying
General Lees supplies a Gordonsville
and Charlottesville. tearing up the
Central and Acquia Creek Railroads.
and burning the bridges, and at the
same tlmo threatening Richmond.
would force Lee to retreat from Fred.
cricksburg and offer opportunity to the
Federal army to make q concerted at
tack on his retiring lines with good
prospects of complete success. These
high functionarlcs agreed upon the
plan. and on April 13 orders were Is
sued by Hooker directing the move
mcnt to begin, and providing that the
troops should be supplied with eight
days' rations and 40 rounds OF ammuni.
ton for each man, with the Injunction;
Corps commanders WIFI require every
serViceab!e man TO march with the
columns"
The force employed In the proposed
rnid was the cavalry corps of Hookcr's
army. numbering 10000 men, including
six light batteries. 1t was arranged
fauquier county and crosE thence over
the Rappahannock into Culpeper--
Davis's Brigade ct Frceman's Ford
.tvcrell's and GrcEE's divisions ut
Beverly's Ford, and Buford's reserve
brigade at Rappahannock Bridge. To
facilitate these crossings, an Infantry
brigade OF the Eleventh Corps. with
u section OF artillery. was sent TO the
lower Ford (kelly's) to make a feint
and as the order expressed IL, TO pre-
vent any communication across the
river on the part OF the citizens. or
tho enemy from crossing In case they
should attempt it."
In pursuance OF the plan Of getting
Stonemans force over the Rappahan
mock, II portion of Davis'S Brigade was
directed to proceed along the North
Fork of that river and cross IL at
Sulphur Springs, and then, descending
the stream join the remainder of the
brigade near Frceman's Ford. They
were TO cross at Welfords on the night
OF the 18th, and then, by sweeping
rapidly down the main river. uncover
Bevcrlcy's Ford for the safe crossing
of Avcrcll and Gregg. simultaneously
with the passage of these two divisions
at the upper ford. Buford was directed
10 press his way across at Rappahan-
mock Station, two or three miles be-
low These we'll planned strategic
movements were to signalizc the morn
ing of April Il.
While this finely equipped and pow
erful cavalry force was marching
hopeful and exultant up the Kappa
hammock, Lieutenant Alexander d.
Payne, of the Black Horse Troop, COM
manding a Confederate scouting party
in Fauquter, fastened to inform Cen
eral William II. F. Lee, at Brandy
station. OF the movement, and that
alert and watehful officer at once dis.
patched aptain stith Boiling with his
company OF sharpshooters to reinforce
the pickets of the Thirteenth virginia
Cavalry at Kelly's Ford, Captain
Boiling reached the ford before day.
light, and arranged his men In tho rife.
pits. About s a. NJ. a regiment opened
fire on him, and body OF Buford's
Cavalry made a dash at the fore, but
retreated at the first fire from Boil.
ing's men, and the attempt to cross at
this point was not renewed.
While this demonstration was engage
ing Captain Boiling at Kelly's Ford
Colonel Fitzpatrick made dash over
the ford at Rappatannock Station. the
pickets from tho Thirteenth Regiment
occupying n blockhouso. being forced
to retreat. This dash over the ford
was materially aided by Lieutenant
Woodroof, Of light Company NJ,
Twentieth United States Artillery who