KILPATRICK'S RAID ON RICHMOND.

, by bribery, of a en'prit from prison, who gave the Connation of the approaching danger. Wistar found Botton's elve of the Chickahominy too strongly guarded, and there many evidences of strength beyond it to warrant him in to cross the stream, so he returned to New Kent, without Iss having marched eighty miles within fifty-six hours, and s han in d and fifty miles in fifty hours.

Par was followed a little later by a more formidable one from the Pot, mar, led by General Kilpatrick. Its object was to effect e of the Union captives at Richmond, then suffering terdy by a:1 starvation in the filthy Libby Prison, and more horribly o belle Isle, in the James River, in front of Richmond-circumstances we shall cons der hereafter. Kilpatrick left camp at three o'clock Sunday morning, with five thousand cavalry, picked from his ow visions of Merritt and Greg, and crossing the Rap. Am at Elly's Ford, swept around the right flank of Lee's army, pania Court-House, and pushing rapidly toward Rem Virginia Central railway, at Beaver Dam Station, on

1864

T

BELLE ISLE,!

evening of the 2,
where he ha. 1 his firs
serious encounter w

the Confederates.
While small part
were out, tearing
the road and destro

ing public property, lo

was attacked by som troops that came p from Richmond, ander the Maryland t Bradley T. Jobrs ї

These he defeted.

ish, when he struck across the South Anna, and cut the Fre and Richmond railway at Kilby Station. This accomplished, pushed on by A-hland, and along the Brooks turnpike, ani, on the first day of March, halted within three miles and sha of Richmond, and within its outer line of fortifications, at which th felerates had thrown down their arms and then fled into the city.

T

urpose

1

At Spottsylvania Court-House, about five hundred of Kilpatrick's med, led by Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, a dashing young officer, and al Dahlgren, then before Charleston, diverged from the main of sweeping through the country more to the right, ty ckshall, and through Louisa and Goochland Counties, to ver, above Richmond, where they intended to destroy as Pa River canal as possible, cross the stream, and, attacking the Coa etal from the south simultaneously with Kilpatrick's t

T

sketch made by the anthor immediately after the evacuation of Richland. in A, ant of the James River, near the Tredegar Works looking across that streamuth wal

FORTIFICATIONS AROUND RICHMOND.

289

from the north, release the prisoners on Belle Isle. Kilpatrick listened eagerly for the sound of Dahlgren's guns, but hearing nothing from his force, and being stoutly opposed when attempting to push through the

second line of the Richmond fortifications, he thought it prudent to withdraw. He did so, after a severe fight, and moving along the road toward Mechanicsville, bivouacked within six miles of Richmond. Late in the even

VOL. III.-97

290

REPULSE OF THE NATIONALS AT RICHMOND.

ing, and just as the wearied troopers were falling into needed slumber, they were called to action by the summons of a two-gun battery that opened upon them, followed by a sharp charge. The assailants were quickly repulsed, but it being evident that little repose could be obtained there, Kilpatrick's column moved on, crossed the Chickahominy, and pushed for the Pamunkey. There were no means at hand for passing over that stream, so the raiders moved across the Richmond and York River railway, not far from White House, where they met a force coming up from New Kent Court-House, which General Butler had sent to the aid of Kilpatrick.' Thus far Kilpatrick had been pretty hotly pursued by the Confederates, with whom he skirmished frequently, but now the chase was at an end. He had lost about one hundred and fifty men during the raid, and gained five hundred prisoners and many horses. Although he failed to accomplish his main object, he had inflicted a serious blow upon the Confederates in the destruction of railway property and stores.

Let us note the fortunes of the less-favored Dahlgren and his men meanwhile. After destroying the railway station at Frederickshall, about an hour after General Lee had passed over the road, he moved southward, led by a negro guide, who, ignorantly or treacherously, took the column to the James River, near Goochland Court-House, instead of to a fording place nearer Richmond. The exasperated men, believing the negro to have betrayed them, hung him on a tree, and then passed on down the north side of the James, somewhat injuring the canal on the way, and destroying the outbuildings of the farm of James A. Seddon, then Confederate "Secretary of War." They reached the outer line of fortifications around Richmond, on the northwest side of the city, at dark on the 2d of March, while rain was falling copiously, and carried them, but were met by such an overwhelming force when they approached the second line, that they were speedily repulsed, with loss. With the remnant of his force Dahlgren retreated toward the Chickahominy, annoyed at every step, for Kilpatrick's swoop had aroused the Confederates into intense action, and they swarmed around the pathway of the weaker invader. Dahlgren and about a hundred of his horsemen became separated from the rest, and on the evening of the 3d," "March, 1864. just as they had crossed the Mattapony at Dabney's Ferry, into King-and-Queen County, they were attacked by a body of local Confede rate militia, when the gallant young leader of the troopers was shot dead, five bullets having entered his body. Several others were killed, and nearly all of the remainder of the one hundred were made prisoners. The rest of Dahlgren's command were scattered, and made their way to the Union lines. as best they might.

The slayers of Dahlgren acted like savages in the treatment of his dead body, and the alarmed, mortified, and exasperated Conspirators, whose haughty pride had been deeply wounded by this invasion of their Capital by a handful of "cowardly Yankees," were disposed to make the ninety unfortunate prisoners captured when Dahlgren was killed, to feel the weight of their hatred and vengeance, by executing the whole of them. It was con

1 These consisted of a brigade of colored infantry, 2,000 strong, under Colonel Dunkin, 800 cavalry, under Colonel Spear, and Belger's Rhode Island Battery.