Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 8.
Frank Moore, Ed.

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[588]

The men must be kept together and well in hand, and, once in the city, it must be destroyed and Jeff Davis and his cabinet killed. Pioneers will go along with combustible material. The officer must use his discretion about the time of assisting us. Horses and cattle which we do not need immediately, must be shot rather than left.

Every thing on the canal and elsewhere, of service to the rebels, must be destroyed.

As General Custer may follow me, be careful not to give a false alarm. The signal-officer must be prepared to communicate at night by rockets, and in other things pertaining to his department. The quartermasters and commissaries must be on the lookout for their departments, and see that there are no delays on their account. The engineer officer will follow and survey the road as we pass over it, etc. The pioneers must be prepared to construct a bridge or destroy one. They must have plenty of oakum and turpentine for burning, which will be soaked and rolled into balls and be given to the men to burn when we get into the city. Torpedoes will only be used by the pioneers for burning the main bridges, etc. They must be prepared to destroy the railroads.

Men will branch off to the right with a few pioneers and destroy the bridges and railroads south of Richmond, and then join us at the city. They must be well prepared with torpedoes, etc.

The line of Falling Creek is probably the best to march along, or, as they approach the city, Good's Creek, so that no reinforcements can come up on any cars.

No one must be allowed to pass ahead, for fear of communicating news.

Rejoin the command with all haste, and if cut off, cross the river above Richmond and rejoin us. Men will stop at Bellona Arsenal and totally destroy it, and every thing else but hospitals; then follow on and rejoin the command at Richmond with all haste, and, if cut off, cross the river and rejoin us. As General Custer may follow me, be careful and not give a false alarm.

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Programme of the route and work.

The following is the exact copy of a paper, written in lead-pencil, which appears to have been a private memorandum of the programme that Dahlgren had made to enable him to keep his work clearly in mind:

Saturday, leave camp at dark--six P. M.; cross Ely's Ford at ten P. M.; twenty miles, cross North-Anna at four A. M. Sunday, feed and water one hour; three miles, Frederickshall Station, six A. M.; destroy artillery eight A. M., twenty miles; near James River, two P. M. Sunday, feed and water one hour and a half.

Thirty miles to Richmond. March toward Kilpatrick for one hour, and then, as soon as dark, cross the river, reaching Richmond early in the morning of Monday. One squadron remains on north side, one squadron to cut the railroad bridge at Falling Creek, and join at Richmond--eighty-three miles--General Kilpatrick cross at one A. M., Sunday--ten miles--pass river five A. M.--resistance; Childsburgh, fourteen miles, eight A. M. Resistance at North-Anna, three miles--railroad-bridge at South-Anna, twenty-six miles, two P. M.; destroy bridges, pass South-Anna, and feed until after dark, then signal each other. After dark move down to Richmond and be in front of the city at daybreak. Return.

In Richmond during the day, feed and water — men outside.

Be over the Pamunkey at daybreak, feed and water, and then cross the Rappahannock at night--Tuesday night--when they must be on the lookout. Spies should be sent on Friday morning early, and be ready to cut — a guide furnished.

The following paper was inclosed in an envelope directed to Colonel U. Dahlgren, etc., at General Kilpatrick's headquarters, and marked “confidential.” The letter is not dated:

Colonel Dahlgren, etc.

dear Colonel: At the last moment I have found the man you want, who is well acquainted with the James River from Richmond. I send him to you mounted on my own private horse. You will have to furnish him a horse. Question him five minutes and you will find him the man you want. Respectfully and truly yours,

John C. Babcock.

On the margin of the letter is written:

He crossed the Rapidan last night and has late information.

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Another account.

The column of Yankees under Dahlgren took on their route two prisoners, Captain Demont and Mr. Mountcastle, who accompanied the force from Goochland to the debut at Walkerton. From these gentlemen and other sources of information we gather some interesting accounts of Dahlgren's excursion.

Dahlgren came down the Westham plank-road, with eight hundred or a thousand men. The Armory battalion was on the enemy's flank, and appears to have been completely surprised. But when the enemy came in contact with Henley's battalion the cavalry broke at the first fire. The first volley of musketry seems to have done all the disaster that occurred. There were eleven Yankees killed and some thirty or forty wounded.

After the affair Dahlgren seemed to be anxious for his retreat, and divided his forces so as to increase the chances of escape. The force under his immediate command moved down the south bank of the Pamunkey, and crossed the river at Dabney's Ferry.

Their exact number was not at first easily ascertained, and, as usual, the most exaggerated accounts were soon circulated throughout the country, increasing as they spread, until the miserable fugitives from the Richmond defences were magnified into a full brigade. From the ferry they proceeded by the most direct route to Aylett's, on the Mattapony, watched closely at every step by scouts detached from Lieutenant James Pollard's company of Lee's Rangers, now on picket-duty and recruiting services in King