The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-03

AIRED revcnty-c!gh. rounds frcr two
cannon poste,. about 500 yardr rrut, In.
hlockhouse. The threatening con,!it.one
At this point caused General Lee to
hasten with tho Ninth virginia cav
airy Salloping 10 It's relief. Tals rcf:i-
mcnt was followed 10y two guns Of
Moorman's Battery. Which. under dlrcc-
ton Of General Stuart. uuicliiy engaged
the Federal pieces, which, had alrond;-
begun their fire. Thu Confederate
sharpshooters soon reoccup!rG the
Diocklnusc ava rificpitS. ;ind Klipat.
ricks men rcrrosscd the river no
further serious dcmVnstration was
made At this ford.
While tho Ninth Regiment was SUP
porting Moormnn's guns near The
bridge. IL became necessary to detach
Two sluadrOns with orders to proceed a
gnilop to Bcvcrlcys Ford. where the
divisions uf Stcn"man sent 10 that
point were threatening to cross Herr.
tit. shhrpShooiers of these squadrons
after crossing an open plain on foot.
FOUND It wsil sunkcn road OH the river
side 10 offer an excellent hrcastwork
No sooner were they posted behind the
bank " this road than Federal rdrti-
ncers began 10 try to dislodge them
firing from the trees and ravinc OH
the opposite side. This fire Kept up
TIL late In tile afternoon, with no at
tempt by the Federal cavalry to ride
through the hazardous stream.
As set there had been no crossing by
Dnvis's Brigade at WcIIurd's Ford.
above. and the 18th OF Aprll. which
had been planned To he so eyentful.
whs drawing 10 II close under thick
and ominous clouds which threatened
u downpour of rain.
The Federal General co,nrnarIin.
vas in proiounI ignorance OF these
facts, ana felt sanguiuc that al had
gone well with the expedition. Early
on the 18th he wrote to Mr.. Lincoln:
Il am rcjoiccd that Stoneman had two
/ good days 10 go up the river, and was
enabled To cross II before il became. too
much swollen" Tie President. in the
deep sollcitudc he felt for the move
rnent. had already written TO Hooker:
Would like to have letter from you
as soon az convenient" Again HOOKER
wrote TO Lincoln: Just heard from
Stoneman. Hi. artillery has been
brought to halt by the mud. one di-
vision only having crossed the river
No hint is given that any cause other
than the mud had delayed his move
ment. On April 10. two days after
, the Rappahannock should have been
crossed. the President informed Cen
erol Hooker: 1T Is now 1915 p. ".
An hour ago / received your letter OF
this morning, and Il few moments later
your dispatch Of this evening Tho lat
ter gives me considerable uncastiicgs
The rain and mud were. OF course. to
be calculated upon. General Stoneman
is not moving rapidly enough TO make
the expedition come TO anything. He
has now been out three days, two OF
which were unusually fair weather
And yet he Is not twenty Eve
miles from where he started.
I fear II is another failure already. Write
| me often: am very anxious
Tho Information sent 10 the general
commanding by Stonemen that his ar.
tillery had been Drought to n halt by
tho mud" did not discourage that high
onicer as to still pushing the enter
prise. and he directed him on the 18th
as follows: IF your artillery is your
only hindrancc TO your advance, the
major general commanding directs Tint
you order IT TO return, and to proceed
to the execution of your orders with
out II. II is but reasonable to sup
pose that If you cannot make use OF
that arm OF the service the enemy
cannot"
When this communication from
Hooker was received by Stoneman the
conditions which confronted hin. were
Interesting and perpieHins. The strong
, brigade commanded By Colonel +. F..
Davis. delayed In the execution OF its
orders By causes that were never re-
ported, had before daylight OF the
18th crossed Mt Weiford's Ford in ter
riffs rainstorm, dispensing tile plckets
OF the Second North Carolina Cavalry
on guard there in hot haste, and, with
every man wearing an oiiclcth cover.