Gregg's divisions, and were well mounted. When they marched up the steep banks of the Rivanna River their coming was unknown, and altogether unexpected. Before us, the correspondent says, was a large cavalry camp, the huts arranged with mathematical precision and soldierly regularity.

On one side the horses were quietly standing; on the other six pieces of artillery were parked, with all the appurtenances neatly arranged, and in close proximity to the caissons. The Fifth regular regiment of General Merritt's old brigade led the van. Captain Ash, with one squadron, dashed among the comfortable-looking huts with reckless precipitancy, and scattered the inmates in all directions.

He ordered the men to destroy all they could, and they obeyed the instructions to the very letter. As neither axes nor rat-tailed files could be found in his command, it was impossible to spike the guns or chop the gun-carriages to pieces, so they contented themselves with blowing up the caissons and destroying the camp. In the mean time the enemy were rallying with the rapidity and zeal of Gauls, at the call of their chief.

Several pieces of artillery were belching forth their destructive notes at the audacious invaders, and the main body of Custer's command coming up, the enemy were driven a short distance, to give us a foothold on the crest of the same hill with themselves. Between our troops and the town the enemy were gathering in great force. Every thing warned us to get away as speedily as possible, lest it might be our lot to get surrounded.

They had telegraphed from Charlottesville to Orange Court-House that uninvited visitors were there, and aid was needed to expel them from the neighborhood. The answer to these despatches came toward evening, in the shape of five car-loads of infantry. There was nothing left us now but speedy retreat. Our horses were wheeled about, and toward sunset the Rivanna was crossed, the bridge burned, and all the mills that could be found in the neighborhood des. troyed. In returning, the advance was given to Colonel Stedman, who commands a battalion of five hundred men chosen from General Gregg's division.

The night was dark and the rain, that continued to fall, was mingled with sleet.

Custer, who followed with a thousand men, composing the remnant of his command, got lost in thick gloom. For some time they endeavored to blunder through a deep and muddy ravine, into which they had strayed, but when they thought of two pieces of artillery, all hope of getting through with them was given up. Stedman with his five hundred men continued on their course, which, luckily for them, was correct, and about four o'clock on Tuesday morning they reached our infantry pickets, inside of Madison Court-House. Custer finding it impossible to proceed further, bivouacked that night in the woods, while he baited his horses and refreshed his men.

General Stuart, with two thousand cavalrymen of Wickham's and Fitz-Hugh Lee's brigades, was marching toward his rear. The next morning about nine o'clock General Custer marched toward the right road, and having found it and marched upon it a short distance, discovered that Stuart, with his ragged but indefatigable followers, had succeeded in getting into his rear. As they neared Stannardsville, about fifteen miles from the picturesque little village of Madison, the rebel cavalry were seen drawn in line across the road.

This meant hostility, and for some time the officers of our little command were at a loss what to do. The object of their wearisome and dangerous raid was to draw the rebel cavalry away from the Central road to Richmond, and they had no intention of drawing him so far to their rear. All that bothered our troops was the section of Ransom's battery, and that slightly impeded their progress. In general council it was proposed to throw these two Parrott guns into the nearest and deepest ditch; but Custer protesting, declared he would fight his way through. Indeed a charge was led by himself in person. The rebels stood their ground manfully, but our two guns now opened on them, and completed their discomfiture, that was fast causing their lines to waver. They fled hastily, and our men pursued them hotly till they reached another road, which afforded no means of egress.

Three rebels were killed in this charge, and a considerable number wounded. Many prisoners fell into our hands, some of whom succeeded in making their escape.

Colonel Stedman hearing the firing in the direction of Stannardsville, and knowing it must arise from an engagement between Custer and the enemy, started back with his wearied men to the relief of the beleaguered party. They proceeded till the enemy was met and Custer discovered to be safe, when they also returned without damage.

This expedition was highly successful. The diversion created in favor of Kilpatrick could not have been greater. The Third and Sixth corps remained on the open field, exposed to all the inclemency of the weather.

At one time General Sedgwick was at a loss how to proceed. No intelligence had been received from Custer.

His troops had consumed their scanty store of supplies, while the clouds assumed a more gloomy aspect. At last every thing was discovered to be progressing favorably, and the infantry are by this time on the homeward march.

Doc. 134.

GENERAL KILPATRICK'S EXPEDITION.
NEW-YORK "TIMES" NARRATIVE,

WILLIAMSBURGH, Friday, March 4.

THAT Brigadier-General Kilpatrick had started on an expedition to the vicinity of Richmond

with a considerable cavalry force and some artil- that time the men were supplied from rebel larlery, is generally known to the reading public. ders and their horses from rebel granaries. The special and most important object of that Nearly three hundred prisoners were captured, expedition is not so generally known, and I am several hundred horses were pressed into the not at liberty here to state it. It is sufficient to service, and hundreds of negroes availed themsay, however, that in every other respect it was selves of this opportunity to come within our a complete success, resulting in the destruction lines-thereby depleting the producing class of of millions of dollars' worth of public property the rebel Confederacy of just so many ablebelonging to or used by the confederate govern-bodied men. ment of the so-called seceded States-property,

As before stated, the command left Stevenssome of which cannot be replaced at all, and the burgh Sunday evening, and moved toward Ely's whole of it valuable to the rebel government as Ford. Forty men, under the immediate command a means of carrying on their infernal schemes of Mr. Hogan-a well-known scout--had the adagainst the United States. Miles of railroad-track | vance. The first of the enemy were met within on the two principal roads over which Lee trans- one mile of the ford-a picket, to give notice ports his supplies for the Northern army of Vir- should any thing like an enemy approach. This ginia, have been so thoroughly destroyed, that picket, composed of four men, by a little strategy, some time must elapse before the roads can be was gobbled, with their horses and accoutreput in running order again; dépôts of commis-ments, without firing a shot or doing any thing sary, ordnance, and quartermaster's stores were to alarm the reserve on the other side of the burnt or destroyed; no less than six grist-mills river-a force consisting of thirteen men, one and one saw-mill, principally at work for the captain, one lieutenant, and eleven privates. rebel army, were burnt; six canal-boats loaded Hogan and his party gained the opposite bank, with grain, several locks on the James River and the night being cloudy, succeeded in enCanal, and the almost invaluable coal-pits at veloping the reserve before they discovered his Manikin's Bend, were destroyed. It is proper to presence, and captured all but three. From say what every one with the expedition believes, these prisoners the important fact was ascertained that had it not been for the false information of that nothing whatever was known by the rebel a guide, the principal object in starting the expe- authorities of the movement then on foot for their dition would have been accomplished. The man discomfiture. Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, accompawho thus dared to trifle with the welfare of his nied by Major Cook, of the Second New-York country, when it became evident that one of the cavalry, and a small party of picked men, took most important objects would prove a failure the advance after crossing the Rapidan, and, as through his wilful connivance, was immediately they had a special mission to perform, some achanged upon the spot; thus meeting a fate he so count of it will be given elsewhere. The main richly deserved. command moved along with rapidity, taking the road to Spottsylvania Court-House. The night was cloudy, and betokened rain; but the roads were good, and every one was pleasant and hopeful. "Let the storm hold off twenty-four hours, and then I don't care," said a prominent officer of the command. Spottsylvania was reached late at night; no halt was made, however, and the corps moved rapidly forward to Beaver Dam, on the Virginia Central Railroad. Captain Estes and Lieutenant Wilson, with a party of men, dashed so suddenly upon this place that the telegraph operator was a prisoner before he had time to announce the arrival of the Yankees much to his chagrin, for all the other telegraph lines had been cut, and Jeff Davis, in his anxiety to know what was going on, had been telegraphing that station every hour in the day for information. This place was reached at about five o'clock P.M., Monday, and the work of destruction was at once commenced. Small parties were sent up and down the railroad to tear up the track, burn the culverts and bridges, and destroy the rails by heating and bending them; this was comparatively an easy task, for there were thousands of cords of pine wood-all of which was burnedpiled along the track, this being a wood station; a large new brick freight-house, one hundred by twenty-five feet, the telegraph-office, passengerdépôt, engine-house, water-tank, several cars, and a number of out-buildings, were all set on fire.

The command had moved forward to far within the enemy's lines long before any alarm was given to the authorities at Richmond or General Lee, and when it did become known in Richmond, that a force of Union cavalry had crossed the Rapidan, so secret and well-planned had been the expedition by General Pleasanton, and so well executed by General Kilpatrick, they had not the most distant idea of its whereabouts, when, in fact, the command was at that time almost within sight of Richmond, and a few hours later was hurling leaden messengers of death from a battery placed inside the defences of that city into its very suburbs.

The details of this movement, so far as it may be proper, I shall proceed to give nearly in the order in which they transpired. The command left Stevensburgh, Virginia, on Sunday night last, the twenty-eighth ultimo, and crossing Ely's Ford, on the Rapidan-thence by rapid marches to Spottsylvania, Beaver Dam Station, on the Virginia Central Railroad, to the fortifications of Richmond, crossing the Virginia Central Railroad and the Chickahominy River near the Meadows, the White-House Railroad a little east of Tunstall's Station, thence to New-Kent Court-House, and Williamsburgh Court-House, where the command arrived on Thursday last, having been in the saddle nearly all the time from Sunday night, a period of four days, and during the most of

While the command was engaged in this worked the Rapidan. What their astonishment must of destruction, a picket reported the approach of have been one hour later, to hear Kilpatrick's a train loaded with troops from the direction of guns may be imagined but not described. Moving Richmond, and here commenced the first fight-forward to within the second line of defences going. General Kilpatrick advanced a column to ing toward the city, the skirmishers encountered capture the train, if possible, but the enemy had the first shots from near the third line, or what seen the smoke of the burning station, and ap- is known as Battery Number Nine. Guns were proached cautiously. They came on, however, opened on both sides, and a strong line of skirto within two miles of the station, and a portion mishers were thrown out. Captain Bacon, with of the troops were disembarked. A small force others, charged the Johnnies, and drove them inwas advanced to meet them, and in a charge our side their works, and a desultory firing was kept troops captured two officers and thirty men. up until between four and five o'clock in the The enemy then fled. Several parties were sent evening, when, for some reason then unknown, out from this point to destroy the railroad at the command of Colonel Dahlgren not appearing, other points, and bridges on important roads. General Kilpatrick decided to fall back. The enMajor Hall, of the Sixth New-York cavalry, with emy had burned the bridge across Brook Creek a party, went to destroy the Fredericksburgh in rear of the command, and the column turned and Richmond Railroad bridge, over the South- off upon the Meadows Road, crossing the FredAnna, at Taylorville, but found the place guarded ericksburgh and Richmond Railroad, and deby the Maryland rebel battalion of rebel infantry, stroying every thing within reach. At night, the who had two pieces of artillery. This command command went into camp at a place six miles was absent some time on important service, and from Richmond, and two miles from the Chickadid not rejoin the main column until the follow- hominy; there was a slight fall of rain and sleet, ing day, in front of Richmond. Not returning at and the men built fires, cooked their chickens the time expected, a detachment under Captain and bacon, and had turned in for a few hours' Hull, of the Second New-York, was sent out on sleep; but as all persons are doomed to disapa mission, and to find out the whereabouts of pointment at some time or other, so it was their Major Hall's party. Hull ran across a superior lot on this occasion. At about half-past ten force and had a brisk skirmish, in which he lost o'clock, just as the command was fairly asleep, five men, and was forced to retire. Another party except those on duty, the rebels opened a twounder Captain Plum and Lieutenant Lord was gun battery upon the camp of General Davies's also sent off and returned in safety. The main brigade, and immediately after charged the camp command, just at nightfall, Monday, moved for- of the Seventh Michigan. The men, though ward and during the night crossed the South- taken entirely by surprise, seized their carbines, Anna River. Here the advance had a skirmish and under Colonel Litchfield, supported by the with an infantry picket near Taylorsville, and First Vermont, Colonel Preston, handsomely redispersed them. The men crossed, a brief halt pulsed the enemy, who, owing to the camp-fires, was made to feed, when the column at daylight had decidedly the advantage over our troops, moved on to Richmond," before which, and owing to their occupying a position between the within the second line of defences, a position enemy and the camp-fires. After forcing the enwas taken at half-past ten o'clock the same emy back, the Commanding General decided to morning. On the way, Kilby Station, on the move his command again, so as to be ready for Fredericksburgh road, was destroyed, and Lieu- any emergency at daylight. In this affair a numtenant Whitaker, of General Kilpatrick's staff, ber of horses were killed, and a few were stampedblew up a stone bridge near Kilby Station, and ed by the shrieking shell rushing through the the track and culverts were destroyed all along midnight air. The scene, all things considered, in that vicinity. Lieutenant Boyce, of the Fifth was not a very fascinating one to a man of tenNew-York cavalry, with twelve men, cut the track der nerves. Several men were wounded, and and destroyed the telegraph at Guinea Station. Colonel Litchfield, who is missing, it is feared is Tuesday, at half-past ten o'clock A.M., found also wounded. The enemy had the exact range the command passing the outer earthworks on of General Davies's headquarters, but he remained the Brook turnpike, within three and a half miles at his post during the whole attack, which lasted of Richmond. The arrival of Yankee troops three quarters of an hour, and was loudly cheerwas entirely unexpected, and the indignation of ed by his command for the noble conduct he dissome very good-looking women, standing in front played on this occasion. The enemy did not of houses at the roadside, excited much amuse- seem disposed to follow the rear-guard, and the ment. The advance captured several men on command moved forward, without interruption, picket-duty belonging to the citizen soldiery of toward the Pamunkey River. The enemy had Richmond, without firing a shot; and while burned all the boats in this river, so that if it waiting for the main column to come up, citi- had been desirable to cross, such a movement zens were stopped and questioned with the ut- was entirely impracticable. General Kilpatrick, most freedom; they, of course, did not know therefore, decided to move across the White who their questioners were. Here was obtained House Railroad, and down the Peninsula. Dura copy of the Examiner and Dispatch fresh from ing the day, Captain Mitchell, of the Second the press that morning, announcing some rumors New-York, with the bulk of Colonel Dahlgren's about a brigade of Yankee cavalry having cross-command, rejoined the main column, and great

66

between there and Wertham Creek an immense amount of property was destroyed. Six gristmills in full operation, a saw-mill, six canal-boats loaded with grain, several locks of the canal, works at the coal-pits at Manikin's Bend, and the barn of Secretary Seddon, were all destroyed. It was at this point that Colonel Dahlgren discovered that his guide had deceived him, so as to thwart the principal object of the expedition, and he was immediately hanged to the nearest tree. The command then struck the plank-road and moved on to Richmond from a westerly direction, and when within three miles of that city, had a lively skirmish with some rebel infantry. This was late Tuesday afternoon, and about the time General Kilpatrick retired from the Brook turnpike. Could the command have been there three hours earlier, the results of the expedition might have been still more satisfactory than now. Finding the force too large to operate against with any prospect of success, and not knowing the whereabouts or fate of the main column, Colonel Dahlgren decided to fall back, and, if possible, reach that column, destroying property on the way. Colonel Dahlgren and Major Cook, with about one hundred men, went a different route from the main portion of the column, commanded by Captain Mitchell. The latter came in on Wednesday, as stated above; but of the other command nothing is certainly known. A prisoner, however, states that a Colonel with one foot had been captured.

was the rejoicing thereat, for nothing had been heard from it since the previous Sunday night. The enemy, Tuesday night and all day Wednesday and Wednesday night, hovered all about the command, and picket-skirmishing was almost constantly going on in different directions. Wednesday morning, at about nine o'clock, a large force of cavalry came upon the rear of the column. General Kilpatrick was not unprepared for this, and decided to give them battle. The First Vermont, under Lieutenant-Colonel Preston, ably assisted by Captains Grant and Cummings, and the First Maine, bore the brunt of this fight, which lasted something over an hour; while the Sixth Michigan and other regiments of General Davies's brigade were in position to render whatever assistance might be necessary. Only one charge was made, and that was by company A, First Maine, led on by Captain Estes, A. A. G., and Captain Cole, when five of the enemy were captured. The enemy, satisfied no doubt, that they could not scare the command away, silently retired, but when the command moved forward, harassed the rear and flanks. Several times an offer was made, but they refused to accept the offer of battle. On this day (Wednesday) several refugees from Richmond came into camp, and reported the presence of Captain Wilson, of the Second Ohio, who had escaped from the Richmond bastile, near at hand. For some reason, however, best known to himself, he did not join the command. Wednesday, also, Lieutenant Whitaker was sent to destroy Tunstall's Station, on the WhiteHouse Railroad, but upon arriving there, much to his astonishment, he found the place in flames. From negroes in the vicinity, he ascertained that a column of Union cavalry from General Butler's department had just left there. This was the FORTRESS MONROE, VA., Saturday, March 5, 1864. first intimation of assistance being so near at By referring to the foregoing account, and takhand. Thursday morning, General Kilpatrick ing a look at the map, it will be seen that our moved toward New-Kent Court-House, and on forces traversed nine different counties now octhe way met Colonel Spear, in command of a cav-cupied by the enemy, namely, Spottsylvania, Caralry force, looking after General Kilpatrick's com- oline, Hanover, Goochland, Henrico, Louisa, Newmand. The meeting was a gratifying one on Kent, James City, and York. These counties emboth sides. Near New-Kent Court-House, the brace nearly all of the most aristocratic in the command came across the first negro troops they State; peopled before the war mainly by families had ever seen. Here was a full brigade which had who boasted of their long line of ancestors, the been marched up; and, as the cavalry passed by, number of their negroes, their broad acres-in cheer after cheer was given by both commands. fact, where the feudal lords reigned supreme No brigade ever made a better appearance or a both over the white trash and the negro in bondbetter impression upon those who, for the first age. The condition of this section of the countime, saw colored troops. A mountain of preju- try, which has been under almost uninterrupted dice was removed in an instant. Between New-rebel sway for three years cannot be otherwise Kent to Williamsburgh, the column was more or less annoyed by bushwhackers; ten of these rascals were captured. Of our men, one was killed, several were wounded, and one or two horses were killed.

The loss of the whole command, by straggling and in every other way, will not probably exceed one hundred and fifty men, and after three days' rest, the horses and men will be ready for duty again wherever their services may be needed.

than interesting. In riding through these counties, the stranger is painfully impressed with the Sundaylike stillness that everywhere prevails; at the large number of dilapidated and deserted dwellings, the ruined churches with windows out and doors ajar, the abandoned fields and

Colonel Dahlgren, with a picked command, after leaving the main column, went to Frederick workshops, the neglected plantations, and the Hall, on the Virginia Central Railroad, destroyed that road and the telegraph line, and captured twelve officers who were there on court-martial duty. The James River Canal was then struck eight miles east of Goochland Court-House, and

ragged, dejected, and uncouth appearance of the few people who are to be seen at home; the almost entire absence of men and boys, every thing indicating a condition of affairs which nothing but civil war could produce. Our troops