Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-06-25
RAID ON RICHMOND
MET WITH DISASTER
Force Under Colonel Dahlgrcn Is
Checked and Commander Killed
at MechanicSvillc.
PLANNED TO SACK THE CITY
Christmas, 1868. Cold Day in Camp
at Mt. Jackson-Company Cook
Had His Troubles Making Old
Fashioned Backbone Pie.

~ Both armies remained in I state OF
s Soonparative inacticn during the months
KSof January and February. lS6i. until
af the 2Sth Of the latter month. when
4 powerful cavalry expedition. embrace
4 Ing three columns, under General Kill
< patrick and Colonies pahlErcn and
i Custer. started from the enemies lines
with the avowcd purpose of capturing
and sacking the city OF Richmond. The
of the advance OF Colonel
Is Clusters column on our left received
@tat our army headquarters on the even
Y Ing OF the 2Sth OF February, were con-
4 firmed on February 90, when tho
sS9whole movement was developed.
The route OF this column was 10 have
been via Charlottesville, 1T which
point there was no Confederate force
S. and the country intervening was filled
81 with our reserve artillery and wagon
camps. Upon the receipt of the first
intelligence OF this movement on tho
evening of the 2Sth all trains NOV
ing in the direction of tho threatened
& route were diverted. on tho oath a
4 force of infantry was dispatched by
rail to Charlottesville, but the advance
< OF the enemy operating on this flank
& was effectually checked before reach
s ing that place by our horse artillery
and dismounted cavalry.
The column which moved upon our
right, under Fitzpatrick. was more sue
& ccssful. The entire Confederate cav
S airy picket stationed at Ely's Ford was
captured and this column OF the enc
p my reached tho Virginia Central Kali
road. now the Chesapeake and ONO
n before any intelligence was received
3 OF its advance. After cutting the rail-
a road 1t proceeded towards Richmond
The fate Of this column. and especial
Niy OF that portion of II commanded by
Colonel Dahlgren is we'll known. Tho
results were most disastrous TO the
enemy, including the death OF that ofti-
cor and the capture OF his orders eS-
posing the damaging fact Of the in
tcntion of the enemy to pllage and
burn the city and kill tho most prom
tnent Confederate officials.
| Early in April General Lee was d.
rectcd to inquire OF General Meade,
|; by flag of truce. If he or his govern
/ ment sanctioned what Colonel DAHL
Eren had proposed and ordered in his
& address to his troops. on the 18TH or
April q reply TO his communicable was
i received to the effect that neither Cen
Il eral Meade General Fitzpatrick. nor
4 the authorities at Washington ordered
& or approved tho burning OF Richmond.
i the killing of Mr.. Davis and his Cab
g mot or anything else not rendered
! necessary by military causes or not
s legitimate in civilized warfare. Cen
< oral Fitzpatrick stated that the photo
4 graphic copy Oh lue "iitt
/ had been received through General Lee
was fac-simile Of address which
t&Colonel Dahlgren had submitted to him
i$for his approval, and which he had
approved in red Ink, except that IL
& lacked that approval and contained the
Objectionable cxhortationa. or orders,
b which were not in that submitted to
4 him. The disclosure of General Meade
was. most candid and emphatic. This
! bold and daring raid OF the enemy took
: place the latter part OF February, 1864.
5 after the battle OF Mine Run.
SAYS DAHLGREN WAS TOLD
4 TO PILI.AGE; AND HIRN CITY
Pin the newspapers, written by u WON
{ AN from Culpeper Courthouse, In whose
home General Robertson. a cavalry lead
er. had his headquarters. She said she
overheard General Robertson in his in
structionS to Colonel Dahlsrcn, tell him
to proceed to Richmond. to pillage and
burn the city ana kill the most promi-
nent Confederate officials. and she add
z ed, that Mrs. Robertson, the wife Of Cen
& eral Robertson, accompanied Colonel
Dahlsren to the front porch, bidding linn
good-by. and was heard to say, It
wish you all the success in your cXpe-
q dition." i Will state that Colonel Dahl
gren was also clothed with authority
s to release all the encmys prisoners on
Belle Isle, and to arm. them. Colonel
ii
the city at that ,i,i1e. but for some un-
accountable reason, too much fright
& ened suppose, he turned his course
In the direction Of Mechanicsville,
where. under cover of night. he was
fired upon by "A small force of Con-
= federatos said to he lot of school
boys, armed and commanded by their
teacher. 1t Is claimed that Colonel
& fDahlgren was killed at this point ny
s these schoolboys, and his body was Sc.
nv rf6f ,Hv I'D
"A Wakerton, in King and Queen County.
g and buried. Later the authorities az
\ Richrnond granted permission to his
&tColonel DahlGren) friends 10 remove
: his body North.
am giving an account of this bold
and daring raid. from the fact, that IL
& was made right through the lines of
1.-the Army OF Northern Virginia, and
& while our army was in winter quar-
ters on the Rapida, River would
NJ like 10 know what company or reGi-
g. ment OF cavalry that was doing picket
& duty at Elys Ford when General XII
81 paTicke cavalry captured the entire
& Confederate picket 1t seems to me
b that at least one could have escaped
s to have given notice of the approa en-
Il OF the enemy. Az that season Of The
year the river was generally fpu. Il
not overflow!ng. from tho winter
rain, and tho enemy could easily have
been seen or heard fording the stream
II there is member % this cavalry
81 picket living. ! would litc 10 nave =.
b. letter from him stating how the cap
4 ture was effected win mention here
q that few persons now living know of
skhis bold and daring raid. and that
ssdeperal Lee barely ESCAPED capture,
Sc having passed over the virginia Cen
sftral Railroad from Richmond jus, = few
Irhours before THO raiders out the Vir-
fSgginia Central railroad near Gordons-
sSSfille. Had General Meade Nho was in
Z command AZ the time o. the ARMY Of
1.-The Potomac. been appyiscd o! the cap
al ture, of the entire Confederate nickel
f8 force at Ely's Ford, he could cng,lv.
@ In my opinion, have captured a part Of
our forces stationed on our right and
IN winter quarters at tho time General
Grant would have seized the golden
& opportunity. Tho whole Army or tho
s. Potomac at the time was on tho orlo-
site side nf the Iapihan River
\. RESPONSIBILITY Alta CITED
So 10 PIriIETS WAS GREAT
Now, dear reader, you viii observe
ID from the statement have give. vo,
z of the Kilpa trick, Dahig!cn and C,is-c,