The Washington herald., 1914-12-20
GEN. T0RBERT STARTS
ON RAID.
December 19.

airy, without artillery. lett Winchester on
a raid to GordonsvilIIe. which was to
prove unsuccessful.
The raid was undertaken on orders to
Gen. Sheridan from Gen. Grant. who
wished him strike the Central Virginia
Railroad at or near GordonsvilIe. and
to destroy IL toward Lynchburg. in order
to cripple one OF Gen. Lees sources Of
supplies.
The First and Second cavalry divisions,
under Gen. Wesley Merritt and William
II. Powell, respectively. were assigned to
the work. while the third division, under
Gen. Custer. was TO move directly up
the Shenandoah Valley. to effect a d.
version.
Marching through Front Royal Ches-
ter Gap Little Washington and Madison
Courthouse, the command reached the
Rapidan River at Liberty Mills on De-
cember q All during that day there had
been skirmishing with the Confederates
under Gen. l.. l. I,omax. These now took
position on the south side of the Rapidan
behind earthworks and supported by two
guns. Planking OF the bridge across the
river had been removed and the ford
was not only bad one. but completely
commanded by the Confederate fire.
Gen. Torbert. therefore. sent part OF
his command to cross at Willis Ford.
about two miles above Liberty Mills, and
a second detachment TO cross at Caves
Ford. three miles below. These detach-
ments crossed as they were ordered, but.
being Obliged to make a considerable cir
cult in order to reach the ranks Of the
Confederatcs at Liberty Mills. it Was late
in the day before they attacked the
enemy
The fighting was brief. for II became
so dark that the men could not distin-
Cuish friend from foe and found that
they were frequently firing upon their
own comrades. They Camped in position
for the night and prepared to renew the
march toward GOrdonsviIle at dawn.
Clothing Frozen Stin.
When the march from Winchester be
gan tho weather was favorable. but the
command had progressed only few
miles when there came a sudden change
\ L
changed to rain and sIect. The clothing
Of the troopers soaked through. now
froze. forming a stirf coat like armor. The
men suffered intensely from a biting cold
wind that blew down upon them from
tho mountains.
The roads were in 4 terrible condition
and II was only by fOrcefUl urEings that
the horses could he made to keep the
pace For fear that they might freeze To
1nv.o in hsa d
die the men frequently dismOunted and
led their horses at a run.
The night OF December - was the cold
est they had thus far experienced. Little
rest was obtained. The next morning tn"
FedcraIS were again in motion toward
their objective. There was much sharp
lighting in which the two guns OF the
Confederates were captured by the men
Of the First New York Dragroons. and
the enemy was pushed back to within two
and a half miles Of Gordonsville
Al that point the COnfederates held
gap in Southwest Mountain. The pass
was very narrow and could have been
held by handful OF men. Torbert sent
4 party to pass over the mountain at
another point, but before a crossing was
effected Confederate re-enforCcmcnts
came up to the front from GOrdOnsvile
and 1t was determined to abandon further
dlltUplS 10 EedCn llle IdllIOdA
About thirty prisoners taken at Lin
erty Mills were paroIed and a number Of
seriously wounded were left behind in
charge OF a surgeon. The command th"U
turned north and. with tho two captured
guns marched to Madison Courthouse.
where II enCamped for the night.
Miss Capturing Mosby.
The stormy weather continued all
through the raid. and the men slept
many nights under a covering Of snow.
Rev. J. r. Bowen. Of the First New York
Dragons. wrote OF one such "nCamp-
rIicnt: The men made their beds in
an open field. without tents or shelter.
First. spreading a rubber blanket and
upon that a WOODEN one. two men would
lie down and pull other blankets over
them. a rubber one on top OF all
That night the snow fell to depth
Of eight inches or more. The first risPrs
in the morning witnessed a novel scene.
the rows OF men having the appearance
of snow-covered graves. Most OF them
slept so soundly that the snow was un-
disturbed and the only evidence of life
within the mounds were the breathing
holes. AS the bugle sounded the reveille
and the men sprang out, we could not but
think OF that scene when GabrielS
trump shall awaken the dead. Were the
men cold! On the contrary, Iney steamed
with perspiratiOn."
From Madison Courthouse. Gen. Tor
bert's command marched via James City.
Griffinsburg and Rixeyville to Fauquier
White Sulphur Springs, and thence TO
Warrenton. At that place the first and
second division separated. passing
through Northern FauQuier and Loudoun
Counties (Mosby's Confederacy so-cahed)
by different routes and on December s
reunited at Winchester.
The total Federal losses were seven
killed, forty-eight wounded and forty
seven missing. In the course of the raid
IS horses were lost.
On the return journey. when the reg
ular rations were exhausted and the
command was ordered to live or the
the men INDUCED rather freely
in applejack and blackberry wine. Scores
of men had to be strapped to their horses
for fear that they would be lost and
many of them rode along the roads
bowling like maniacs. A considerable
numb Of those counted among the
missing had wandered off from the main
command and been shot by guerrillas.
When in the vicinity Of Rectortown. in
Fau1uicr County. where the Confederate
partisan ranger Mosby had been seriously
wounded few DAYS before. vigorous
search was instituted for him. II was
known that he was sheltered at farm
house.
The Fedcrals visited all the farm
houses of the vicinity, including that Of
Mrs ouilly Glascock. where Mosby had
been sheltered. He had heen taken off
into the woods in an ambulance a short
time before their arrival