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382 29 Dahlgren’s Raid H. A. D. Merritt, Lieutenant, Fifth New York Cavalry [major general judson] kilpatrick’s second raid upon Richmond was made with the purpose of releasing our officers and men confined in Libby Prison,Castle Thunder,and Belle Island,and to destroy the mills,workshops , materials, stores,and government property of the Rebels in that city and vicinity, and the railroad communications. The plan also comprehended the capture of [General Robert E.] Lee’s reserve artillery at Frederick Hall Station, on the Virginia Central Railroad. In the execution of this general plan,Colonel [Ulric] Dahlgren’s command, diverging from the main column to the right at Spotsylvania Courthouse, was to march by Frederick Hall, capture and destroy the artillery, cross the James River at Columbia Mills, send a party to destroy the railroad bridges where the Danville road crosses the Appomattox River, and move upon Richmond from the south, in the hope of gaining possession of the bridges spanning the river between Manchester and the city by surprise, dash over and release the prisoners , while the main force under Kilpatrick occupied the enemy’s attention on the north side of the town. The expedition of Colonel Dahlgren marched from General Kilpatrick’s headquarters at Stevensburg, Virginia, on the evening of Sunday, February 28, 1864.It comprised detachments from the Second NewYork,Fifth NewYork,First Vermont,FirstWestVirginia,and Fifth Michigan Cavalry,of the Third Division, Cavalry Corps, Army of the Potomac—in all, four hundred men. The detachment of the Fifth New York left camp about 3:00 p.m., being sent in advance with orders to capture the enemy’s videttes at Ely’s Ford on the Rapidan River and, if practicable, their picket reserve also, the object being to secure the passage of the river and open a way for the march without the alarm being communicated to the enemy. We proceeded to within two miles of the ford and halted until dark, when, with fifteen dismounted men and two scouts 06.381-464_Cozz 12/2/03, 8:56 AM 382 sent from headquarters, I waded the river about one mile above the ford, and, aided by the darkness, the night being stormy, succeeded in approaching and securing the two videttes guarding the ford,and after much difficulty ascertained the position of the reserve. A large fire built in a ravine on the banks of the river some distance below the ford, evidently intended to deceive us, caused some delay; but we finally discovered that their picket reserve was in a house some distance back from the river. We proceeded silently to this house, surrounded it,and rushing in,after a brief struggle captured the whole party—sixteen men, a lieutenant, and the officer of the day, who had halted for the night on his tour of inspection. His report of the vigilance and efficiency of his picket was probably never made. Only two shots were fired, and no alarm was raised, as we afterwards ascertained that the enemy was not aware that we had crossed the river until the column had passed Spotsylvania. Lieutenant Black, with the remainder of the men, was left on the opposite bank of the river, with directions to throw out a few skirmishers on the edge of the stream and move down as close as possible without discovery, and to be prepared either to cross or cover our party as circumstances rendered necessary. Securing our prisoners,we returned to the river and found the advance of Dahlgren ’s column across. We having immediately communicated our success, twenty-three of our men were sent to the rear in charge of the prisoners. Colonel Dahlgren, in recognition of our success, assigned to us the advance of the expedition, which duty was performed throughout. Taking the Chancellorsville road we passed through Spotsylvania Court House and,bearing to the right,marched without incident until we came to the vicinity of Frederick Hall Station about 3:00 p.m. Monday. Here we found the reserve artillery, numbering eighty-three pieces of every caliber, parked, with a small brigade of infantry guarding it.Approaching through the woods with the utmost circumspection,we came within three hundred yards of the camp without discovery. A rapid but thorough reconnaissance demonstrated the impossibility of capturing the guns with our small force, and we saw the necessity of withdrawing from the dangerous vicinity without attracting the notice of the enemy. To accomplish this we...

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