The Washington herald., 1914-03-01

considerable force Of infantry with ar
uiIery eifectuaiiy checked my advance. .
II was now noon. The opportunity for
a dash into Richmond was fast disap-
pearing. sdn Gen. Fitzpatrick did not
think Il wise to attempt charge. 4
ordered up my entire force" he stated
In his report. "and after thoroughly ex-
amining the enemy's position, determined
10 attack The advance was given to
the Fifth New York Regiment. who were
dismounted and sent forward as skir-
mishers. These were followed by 500 mon
under MAJ. William Patton. OF the Third
Indiana. These operations had taken
about three hours.
| Positions had been gained for the guns.
and the artillery had opened ut ! p. m.
Gen. Fitzpatrick strengthened and extond-
! ed his line. "and was about 20 order an
advance of the whole line he states In
his report. when / discovered that the
enemy was rapidly receiving reinforce
ments, not only OF Infantry. but artil-
! lery.
Feeling confident that Dahlgren had
| failed to cross the river, and that an
attempt to enter the city would but end
in bloody failure. reluctantly withdrew
my command at dark"
The Federal losses for the afternoon
had been about sixty men killed and
wounded.
Gen. Kilpatrick's Judgment that attack
would end in failure was sound. for the
time for attack had passed. Richmond
was In arms and as evening fell certain
sinister preparations had been made TO
prevent delivery of the Federal prison.
ers. At Libby prison. which held l,l0o
officers. men working under the direction
of Gen. ]. H., winder rolled kegs Ct
| fnfn hn nd
attached to them. The word was then
passed In the prison that any attempt
| at escape would result in the destruction
OF the prison and all who were In It
Dahlgrcn seeking Fitzpatrick.
The Federal plan had failed completely
by nightfall in detail as well as through
Gen. Kilpatrick's decision not to make
the final dash when Richmond lay before
him.
Dahlgren. not knowing that Fitzpatrick
had failed, lept on toward Richmond.
and after nightfali attacked the militia
gathered across the plank road TO meet
him.
There was desultory fighting for about
an hour. in which the Richmond defend
ers fell slowly back until Dahlgren's
men. following them. found themselves
near the street lights OF the clty's SUBJ
urbs.
Dahlsren saw that the opposition was
too strong TO overcome with his small
| command and that IL he entered Rich
mond he could accomplish nothing, and
giving up the fight. started OF across
country in search of Fitzpatrick. In the
darkness Col Dahlgren, with 100 men.
became separated from the rest of his
column, which spent the night near the
plank road.
Might Attack On FedcrnIs.
On falling back from before Richmond
Gen. Fitzpatrick withdrew after dark
across the Chickahominy River, by the
Meadow Bridge, and went into bivouac
near Mechanicsville. The night was
dark, and a storm of alternate rain. sleet
and snow swept dismally through the
woods in which the troops lay down for
rest
As the evening advanced Gen. Kill
patrick thought better Of his decision
not to attempt the dash into Richmond.
and ordered two detachments of 800 men
each, under Lieut.. Col Addison Preston
of the First Vermont and Mai. John p.
Taylor. Of the -'!=st Maine Regiment.
two OF the most dashing officers In the
command. to prepare for fast ride into
the city by the Meadow Bridge road.
These troops had just begun to move
when the pickets on the north side Of the
camp reported an attack by the enemy. |
was now abandoned. and recalling the de- |
tachments. Gen. Fitzpatrick addressed
himself to defending his command and
effectinG a retreat
The attack vas made by Gen. Wade |
Hampton. of Starts cavalry. who on
learning of Kilpatrick's march had has |
tily gathered up JO5 North Carolina cav |
airy at Milford. on the Fredericksburg
Railroad. and riding fast through Han !
over Junction. rad come upon the rear !
of KiIpatricks camp thus opportunely.
The attack fell chiefly on the Seventh |
Michigan Regiment. The weary troop !
ers. who were sleeping with their reins |
over their arms. were stampeded by the |
unexpected assault In the darkness and |
the storm there was much confusion. in !
the course Of which eighty-seven Fed
erals and l2S horses fell into the hands |
Of Hampton's men.
The Federals now moved OF rapidly 1
toward Old Church and the peninsular. |
Gen. Hampton, who was Joined at this
junction by col. Bradley Johnson who
had ridden out from Richmond with /
about 100 Maryland cavalry, followed
them: but the Federals were too numer-
Gus to be attacked by Hampton's small
force, and reached TunstaIls station. on
the York River Railroad, near White
House, on March ., where they were met
by a strong detachment of troops from
Yorktown. sent out to cover their re-
treat. Their loss had been $40 men and
$50 horses.
While the main>Federal column that
had failed before Richmond were thus
riding to safety. Col Dahlgren's rear
guard Joined them: but Dahlgren, not
finding Fitzpatrick. was pressing on with
the 100 men left to him, across the blind
and wooded country east OF the Chicka-
hominy, hoping 10 reach Gloucester Point
in safety. He was destined TO meet his
death on the night of March 3. when less
than twenty-five miles from the Federal
lines.