Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 6.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[604] Mattapony, and a large. depot of corn and stores near and above the Rappahannock, and came in here in good condition. They deserve great credit for what they have done. It is one of the finest feats of the war.

General: I have the honor to report that, by direction of Major-General Stoneman, I left Louisa Court-House on the morning of the third inst., with one regiment (the Harris Light cavalry) of my brigade; reached Hungary, on the Fredericksburgh Railroad, at daylight on the morning of the fourth, destroyed the depot, telegraph wires, and railroad for several miles, passed over to the Brook turnpike; drove in the rebel pickets down the pike across the Brook; charged a battery and forced it to retire to within two miles of the city of Richmond; captured Lieutenant Brown, aid-de-camp to General Winder, and eleven men within the fortification; passed down to the left to the Meadow Bridge, on the Chickahominy, which I burned; ran a train of cars into the river; retired to Hanovertown, on the Peninsula; crossed and destroyed the ferry just in time to check the advance of a pursuing cavalry force; burned a train of thirty wagons, loaded with bacon; captured thirteen prisoners, and encamped for the night five miles from the river. I resumed my march at one A. M. of the fifth; surprised a force of three hundred cavalry at Aylett's, captured two officers and thirty-three men; burned fifty-six wagons and the depot, containing upward of twenty thousand barrels of corn and wheat, quantities of clothing and commissary stores, and safely crossed the Mattapony and destroyed the ferry again, just in time to escape the advance of the rebel cavalry pursuit. Late in the evening I destroyed a third wagon-train and depot, a few miles above and west of Tappahannock, on the Rappahannock, and from that point made a forced march of twenty miles, being closely followed by a superior force of cavalry, supposed to be a portion of Stuart's, from the fact that we captured prisoners from the First, Fifth, and Tenth Virginia cavalry. At sundown I discovered a force of cavalry drawn up in line of battle above King and Queen Court-House. The strength was unknown, but I at once advanced to the attack, only, however, to discover that they were friends, a portion of the Twelfth Illinois cavalry, who had become separated from the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Davis, of the same regiment. At ten A. M., on the seventh, I found safety and rest under our brave old flag, within our lines at Gloucester Point.

The raid and march about the entire rebel army, a march of nearly two hundred miles, has been made in less than five days, with a loss of one officer and thirty-seven men, having captured and paroled upward of eight hundred men.

I take great pleasure in bringing to your notice the officers of my staff, Captain P. Owen Jones, Captain Armstrong, and Captain McIrvin, Doctor Hackley and Lieutenant Estis, especially the latter, who volunteered to carry a despatch to Major-General Hooker. He failed in the attempt, but with his escort of ten men he captured and paroled one major, two captains, a lieutenant, and fifteen men. He was afterward himself captured, with his escort, and was afterward recaptured by our own forces. He arrived this morning. I cannot praise too highly the bravery, fortitude, and untiring energy displayed throughout the march by Lieutenant-Colonel Davis, and the officers and men of Ira Harris's Light cavalry, not one of whom but was willing to lose his liberty or his life, if he could but aid in the great battle now going on, and win for himself the approbation of his chiefs. Respectfully submitted,

General: In compliance with your request I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the Twelfth Illinois cavalry since leaving the main body of the cavalry corps, on the South-Anna, on the morning of Sunday last.

My orders were to penetrate to the Fredericks-burgh Railroad, and, if possible, to the Virginia Central, and destroy communications. Should we cross the Virginia Central, I was to make for Williamsburgh, said to be in possession of our forces.

We marched before daybreak, passing down the bank of the South-Anna, through a region never before occupied by our forces. We burned one bridge, and dispersed a party of mounted guerrillas, who made a poor attempt to oppose us. We struck the first railway line at Ashland. Lieutenant Mitchell, with about a dozen men, was sent ahead to occupy the place. We dashed into the village, and took it without loss. There were but few of the enemy there, and they escaped us. We captured their arms, however, and destroyed them. Words cannot describe the astonishment of the inhabitants at our appearance.

I assured them that no harm would be done their persons or property, and were soon better acquainted. We cut the telegraph wire and tore up a half-dozen rails, and piling a quantity of boards in some trestle-work south of the town, made an immense fire which soon consumed the entire structure. While at this work, a train of cars, approaching the town, was captured and brought in for inspection. It proved to be an ambulance train from Fredericksburgh of seven cars filled with two hundred and fifty sick and wounded, officers and soldiers, with a guard. Among them was an aid of General Letcher, and several officers of considerable rank. We received their version of the late fight, and paroled