The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-01

To-day is the ffticth anniversary OF
tho Dahlgrcn raid and tho engagement
at Hicks Farm tGlcnburnic). At II
private dinner given In this city some
years ago. at which were present Cen
eral Bradley 4. Johnson, General Wade
Hampton. General Dabney IL. Maury.
tho conversation turned on the Dahl
grcn raid and the Hicks Farm fight,
ana tho conccnSuS OF opinion was that
tho latter was one of tho most import
ant events of the War Between the
States.
1t was. Barring something now and
then unforeseen. it saved Richmond
from sack. from rapine. arson and muir
der by Ulrich Dahlgrens picked des-
porate men and the thousands of Fed
cral prisoners on Belle lslo the raiders
Durposed to release. Dahlgren's orders
to his men We're ito destroy and burn,
with the assistance of the released
prisoners, the hateful city. and not al
low the rebel leader Davis and his
traitorous crew to escape" Again:
Once in tho city. II must be destroyed,
and Jcff Davis and Cabinet killed"
pioneers must have plenty of oalSum
and turpentinc for burning. which VIII
be rolled in soaked balls and given to
the men to burn when we get IN the
city"
Mistakes Of History.
IL IS not necessary To the purport OF
the raid--to explain how Dahleren was
prevented by high water from crossing
James River to the southsidc. in order
TO reach Belle Isle. and turn the prs-
oners loose. before entering the city.
Nor Is IL necessary TO follow his loOting
ride on the northsidc, until he reached
the gates OF Richmond. Much has been
written regarding hiS movements and
acts up to that point. Much also
speeding his retreat and death. How
ever. in those several accounts the inn
portant event with which this writer
has to do has been largely lost sight OF.
or failed Of the attention and recog
milton it deserved. More than that.
such attention and recognition as ii
has received has led to great deal of
misunderstanding and involves not Il
few mistakes OF history" The I'm
portant event and is the last
stand" which was made by the Third
Hfenlcy's) battalion Troops. for local
defense. almost within the shadow Of
The spires of the city Agains; that
stand Dahlrren's araon squadrons
broke. hy the battalion they were
hurled back in utter confusion.
Tho night Of March /, 1864. was 4
moonlight night. though the moon Was
ohscured by IA heavy white cloud. from
which fine. mist: rain was falling.
The first resistance Dahlsrcn encount-
cred was at GREEN'S Farm dorks OF
tho roadt. on the River Road. There
lie engaged the Armory Battalion, II
much Inferior force TO his own. which
ic soon routed and pushed back de
noralized towards Richmond. not. how
ever. before he had lost several men
Meantime. Confederate roinforccments
had been coming uD IN the shap" OF the
Third Battalion some OF the companies
marching collectively, others detached.
This part Of the line Of defense WAS
under command of General Gusts Lee
IN order that the reader may better
understand the situation and get q
clear idea OF tn. status and personnel
of the battalion. two quotations, sub
ject, however. 10 som" explanation, one
Of them to correction, are here given.
They are from Mrs, DaVis's life of her
husband, and a report oil General Gus
It's Lee. respectively. Mrs. Davis writes:
THE Department battalion was com
posed Of the clerks from all the de-
partments Of the government, not from
the Treasury Department alone. and Of
a. company of Richmond boys under
eighteen years OF age. and il was this
latter company that went by mistake to
Green's Farm. which was not far be
yond tho line of fortihcations on the
northern plank road TO which the De
partment Battalion ana another CAT
lnory Battalion were ordered: and IL
was this company or boys which first
became engaged with Dahlgren's col
umn, and which had the most TO do
with checking II, and perhaps driving
it off,
Report of General Ice.
General Lee says:
"A short distance beyond tho forts-
ncations I met the boy company. and
some. or ALL Of the other companies Of
the Department battalion coming in:
and was told, In answer To my inlui-
rics. that the boy company had arrived
first at the intermediate line Of fortin-
cations, and. not finding any troops
there. had concluded that there was an
outer line"
The boy company" later re-
organized o." which marched out
from the city separately. did not
10 10 Green's Farm. II did 60
beyond the intermediate line oil:
Notifications, was ordered back ana as
II was the first company on the Held,
tho battalion IL may be said. AS
sembled" on II. IL took no part with
tho Armory Battalion In the affair at
Green's Farm. and claimed no more
credit for repulsing DahlGrcn titan is
due tho other companies, members of
the Third. Mrs. Davis's error was ow-
ing TO the fact, probably, that from
the boy company were detailed some of
the pickets of the Hicks Farm night.
hnsl one Of these was very severely
wounded General Lees report is u
detail of the assembly. after which
the battalion was marched into an
open field some distance in front of
the "breaStworlss"
Having dispersed the Armorv Bat
tallon. Dahigrcn pressed on. practically
sweeping away everything before him.
until he reached Hicks Farm. Here he
felt the situation with picket firing and
located the battalion. then he formed
for charge. confident of an casv
mark, since his men could be distinctly
heard jeering: ride down the ID
neHsh.' In the absence of Major Hen
ley, who was i'll in bed in Richmond,
>
on Captain John a. AIcAnerney, OF
Company A. President Davis, I'm his
Rise and Fall Of the Southern Confed-
eracy,' in reference 10 the engage
ment, In which he accords the bat :
talon credit for saving the city. SAYS:
captain Mclllhany "a misprint, Me
Anerney intended). as soon as lie saw
the enemy promptly arranged 10 at
tack This was done with such i'm
petuosity that Dahlgren and his men
were routed"
Newspaper Error.
President Davis based hia statameut