Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 5.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[201] just in time to put out the flames and save the bridge--one half-hour, or even less, of a delay would have enabled the rebels to accomplish their purpose on the bridge and track.

From the bridge the rebels proceeded through the woods to the road which leads to Richmond, and which lies to the left of the railroad. Here they continued their infernal business, killing, plundering, and destroying every person and thing that came in their way. Two trains of some thirty wagons each, on their way from White House to the army, laden with grain, were overtaken, captured, and destroyed by fire. The teamsters, escaping safely, came running into camp greatly frightened, having lost every thing in their flight. As the rebels crossed the Pamunkey, at Garlick's Landing, a train of wagons, in addition to other Government property, was captured and immediately destroyed. Several sutlers, on the same road as the Government teams, lost their wagons and stores. I neglected to mention, in its proper place, that the rebels also fired a railroad-car, containing grain, at Tunstall's station, which was completely destroyed.

Your correspondent was coming down the railroad in the train immediately following the one on which the attack was made, and had a very narrow escape, our train being saved by the appearance of some of the fugitives, who had escaped the rebel bullets and the mishaps in jumping from the running cars. Breathless from running and fright, they called to the engineer, who stopped the train, and remained on the road the remainder of the night. It was now about twelve o'clock midnight, and we were in a very uncertain, and, for aught we knew, a critical position. The rebels were known to be scattered over the country in different directions, but in what numbers, we nor any other person seemed to know any thing about. It was uncertain what minute they might appear on the brow of the hill near which we stopped, and fire upon our train as they did on the one preceding us. Accordingly, a few persons started to bring down the Fifty-second Pennsylvania, Col. Dodge, which was known to be in the vicinity, to serve as a guard of protection to the train. The men had generally retired to rest for the night, but were soon aroused, put under arms, and marched down the road to where the train had stopped. I have often heard orators eulogize and applaud the brave men who guard our persons, our liberties, and our homes — I have read, and heard others read, the glowing apostrophe of the poet to “Our defenders” --but on neither occasion did I half realize their importance as I did on this clear moonlight night, in a hostile country, with the enemy hovering around me, when the Fifty-second Pennsylvania stood there to defend me and others, unarmed and helpless like myself, from danger and death.

The following are the casualties, so far as I have been able to learn, resulting from this wonderful raid of guerrillas:

killed.--Three laborers, whose names I could not learn, supposed to be from Philadelphia, killed on the railroad train; D. Potter, a Quartermaster Sergeant, shot through the head at Garlick's Landing.

wounded.--A private of the Nineteenth Massachusetts, name unknown; Anton Haneman, laborer; Lieut. John Brelsford, company I, Eighty-first Pennsylvania; William Bradley, company E, One Hundredth New-York; Robert Gilmore, drummer, Eighty-seventh New-York; a lieutenant, whose name I could not learn; Albert Barker, Twelfth New-York; Jesse P. Woodbury, belonging to one of the gunboats. Several others are reported, but these are all I have been able to ascertain from reliable sources. There were several prisoners taken, some of whom escaped, and others who will no doubt turn up, as the rebels were not in condition to carry them very far.

Early next morning after the occurrence, regiments of infantry were thrown along both sides of the railroad to act as a guard, while several companies of cavalry were despatched on scouting expeditions through the woods and surrounding country. Every effort was made by our men, who were enraged beyond measure, to capture the daring and desperate rebels. They have succeeded in capturing six of the rebels, among whom are Capt. Garlick, whose father lives at the landing where the rebels crossed the river; Dr. Harrison, a rampant secesh, who lives near this place, and whose property has been constantly guarded by Union soldiers since this place fell into our hands. It is said that he has been in constant communication with the rebels since their departure from Yorktown, and it is positively asserted that Gen. Stuart, who is supposed to have led this marauding band, and the rebel Lee, who formerly lived here, have, on more than one occasion, been guests at his house. There is no disguising the fact that this whole section of country is more or less infested with men, and women too, who under the garb of Union men, for the purpose of having a guard of our soldiers detached to watch their property, are doing our cause an immense injury and the rebels a great service. It is certain that the rebels are generally well acquainted with all the movements of our army — their strong and their weak points; and while loyal newspaper correspondents have been made the scapegoats on which the wrath of our generals has been poured, for supposed intelligence conveyed to the enemy, so that even petty lieutenants have learned to snub them — these hypocritical Union men have been secured in their persons and property, while they corresponded with the rebels in Richmond and else-where.

I have thus given you as correct an account of this unexpected occurrence as I have been able to collect from what I saw, and from the thousands of rumors in circulation, as well as from information obtained from reliable sources. It came very near being a serious disaster to our army here. The thousands of dollars' worth of property belonging to the Government at this place; the lives of many who are here as laborers and in other capacities, who are, of course, unarmed, and perhaps the greatest of all, the communication