The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-14
SHERIDAN STARTED FINAL
RAID In VIRGINIA.
March 8, 1865.

I"Ih OF inc war IN Virginia. was de-
stroyinE railroad property. canal locks.
mills and military stores north OF
Richmond.
Sheridan. relinqUIshiuG command OF
the Middle Military department. and
OF 10000 troops therein. for til" pur-
pose of taking the road with his cav
airy in person. had left Winchester.
in the Shenandoah Valley, on February
". On March ., at Waynesboro.
seventy miles south of Winchester. he
had captured the remnant of the Con-
fedcrate army with which Gen. Jubal
4. Early had conducted spirited
campaign in the valley since the pre-
ceding July. Early had only loo men
left when Sheridan fell upon him with
his 10000 troopers
With this action war-like opera tions
in the valley ended, Gen. Sheridan had
found in the Rranary of the Confed-
eracy. held by forces that defied the
,Federals. He left it 4 barren waste
without crops. mills barns. and
swept hare of Confederate troops.
Sheridan's summary of the destruction
he had wrought in the valley between
August ). 1864, and January l, 1865,
was as follows:
One hundred and twcnty-four mills.
wooden mill, eight sawmills. one
powder mill, three saltpeter works.
$500 barns. seven furnaces. one rail-
road depot. one locomotive, six dis
flleries, three box cars, four tannerIes.
tS0.012 bushels of wheat. 1000
bushels of oats. 151.O76 bushels Of
corn. S74 barrels of -four. $3.50 tons
of hay, 500 tons of fodder. $50 tons OF
straw. 16.+3S beef cattle, 11.S37 sheep.
1914 swine. 80 calves. 10000 pounds
of bacon and ham. 10000 pounds of to-
ha eco. 947 miles of rails 800 bushels
of potatoes, 1865 pounds of cotton
yarn, three factories.
His military captures he grouped
follows:
One hundred and one pieces of ar
ulery, eiChty-Ihree artillery carriages
and llmbers. twenty-five CaissonS. IFS
double sets of artillery harness. two
anviis, 5o61 small arms: in addition.
$4,000 rounds of artillery ammunition.
l@l wagons. 1871 ambulaUces seven
medical wagons, I.OOs sets of harness
1910 sets of horse equipments forty
nine battle flags. I+.lG$ small arms.
L,"61.0o0 rounds OF small-arm ammuni-
ion, 4.24O horses. 353 mules
In Charlottesville.
With E:arIy's comma nd broken up.
its last organized remnant captured.
ind Early a fugitive. Sheridan had
been free to leave the valley and put
into execution = long cherished plan
Of destroying the Virginia Central
Railroad.
stand on the morning OF March ,.
Sherrdan's leading division. that COM
I mandcd by Gen George A. Custer.
pushed through Eockhsh Gap in the
Blue Ridge. headed for Charlotte svil!.
Fl. AlbermarIc County. the seat of
the University of Virginia. As the
Federal troopers. riding through the
winding roads OF the gap, came out
on the high shoulder of the noun
tains above the beautiful valley of
The Eivanna River. they looked down
. upon as fair landscape as may he
seen in the South. II was region of
~ich farms and spacious homes. and
lue tina had escaped in a remarkab BILE
1cgree the ravages Of the war.
Although the Federals had essayed
several times to reach the place by
cavalry marches. the quiet of the viii
lage, and of the halls of the univer-
sity, had been unbroken by more than
the occasional distant rumble of guns
Now that the dreaded Yankees were
at hand the civil authorities of Char
lottesville came out to meet them
rendered the town with medieval Cere-
mony. formally handing over the keys
: of tho public buildings and of the
University of Virginia."
Gen. Custer received the submission
Of the people OF charlottesville and
moving his troops into the town. re
manned TWO days while the rest of
Sherman's column. and the train.
which had been mlred in the mountain
roads. came up.
The townspeopl" wer" not harmed.
nor was their property. but all Confed-
crate soldiers in tn" vicinity. whether
from Early's command, or those \
homo on leave. were obliged to fec for
sa fety.
Blocked by Flooded Jamcs.
Sherdans orders from Gen. Grant
had given him the alternative OF NOV
nG on l.NnChburE or crossing Virginia
On id. with the choice of Joining
l9e forces at Petersburg. or marching |
south to JON sherman
Learning that I.ynchburs would |
make a stout defense, Sheridan dc !
7lded to go on the raid. Moving out of |
charlottesville. March 6. ten. sheridan |
accompanied ono of his divisions under /
;"u- custer. along tho railroad toward |
- nChhurg. This column destroyed the |
road and all bridges and culverts to
amherst ouFl liouSe, sixteen miles |
rom Lynchburg
Thence il marched to the James
river at Duguidsville. The enemy had
been warned. and fired the wooden
bridge there. over the James before
he Federals could reach il. Clusters
'olumn followed the river eastward
destroying canal locks and yiaducts
and mills and storehouses. as il went.
Meanwhile the division of Gen
thomas {. Devin. accompanied by
Cen Wesley Merritt. chief of cav
airy. had marched due south from
charlottesville to Scottsville, on the
liver. Thence II turned upstream.
meeting Sheridan and Custer at New
MARKET on March 5. The united COM
nand then turned down the James
destroying the canal and other prom
.rty as II progressed, until Columbia
gas reached. Here a day was taken
'or rest
Sheridan wished to cross the lanes
ana destroy the Southside Railroad
about Appomattox Station. but this
purpose was frustrated by the burning
II the bridges across the river by the
rnemy. AS the stream was in flood
ana the eight pontoon boats he had
brought along would not span il. he
'ould not cross. He determined there
ore. TO march 10 join Grant. passing
last of Richmond. and making for
~ hlte House on the Pamunkey River
He therefore sent out scouts on a
Nerilous journey around Richmond. to
n f,fa 1