May 8, 1863, The New York Herald
OUR RICHMOND, VA., DESPATCH.
I am able to give you a few items of intelligence which may be of interest, in advance of a detailed history of my experiences in the confederacy.
THE ADVANCE OF GENERAL STONEMAN HEARD OF.
We received an alarm here on Sunday about Stoneman’s cavalry raid, and there is no doubt that had three hundred of his cavalry made the attempt when so near Richmond on Sunday night they could easily have entered the town, capturing Jeff. Davis and his Cabinet, a majority of the members of the rebel Congress, with other officials, burning the bridges across the James and cutting off communications southward, destroying all the army supplies in town and doing other mischief of incalculable importance.
THE REBELS WERE BADLY SCARED,
and the inmates of Libby prison delightfully hopeful when the intelligence of Stoneman’s advance was received.
I do not believe that any regular force was left to defend the town. The city battalion, which was employed to guard the prisons, and the City Guards had all been withdrawn and sent as reinforcements to Lee. The prisons were guarded by discharged and disabled soldiers and citizens, some of whom appeared never to have attempted to handle a musket before.
THE PRISONERS IN LIBBY
had been paroled on Sunday, otherwise it was believed that we could have overpowered the guards and taken the town and Jeff. Davis ourselves.
THE STORE CLOSED AND THE CITIZENS PLACED UNDER ARMS.
On Monday places of business were closed and the citizens formed themselves into companies and battalions to resist the expected advance of the “Yankee cavalry,” Several of our cavalry were captured in the outskirts of the town. Two were brought in on their own horses, and dismounted at the door of Libby prison. They had become separated from their command and had lost their way.
Through Lieutenant Marsh, of the Twelfth Illinois cavalry, wounded and captured by the rebels at Tunstall’s Station on Monday last, and since exchanged, I learn the following facts relating to the cavalry expedition: –
THE BRIGADE OF COLONEL SIR PERCY WYNDHAM,
consisting of the first New Jersey, Twelfth Illinois, Fourth New York and Fifth Pennsylvania regiments, separated from the division to which it was attached – that of General Gregg – on Saturday, and advanced to Orange Court House, tearing up the track of the Orange and Alexandria Railroad in the vicinity, burning the rails so as to render them useless, and doing other damage. A few prisoners, with some mules and negroes, were taken at this point. Here Colonel Davis, with his regiment – the Eighth Illinois – separated from the brigade, and proceeded to Spottsylvania Court House, tearing up the railroad track, burning bridges and making a few captures.
FIVE HUNDRED AND FORTY REBEL PRISONERS CAPTURED.
In the evening of the same day Colonel Davis reached, Ashland station, on the Virginia Central Railroad, where he captured a train of five hundred and forty rebel prisoners. This force is believed to have been the city battalion which left Richmond on Sunday morning, where it had been employed in guarding prisons and doing provost duty. Officers in Libby prison learned from the citizen guard which were put on after the city battalion was withdrawn, that the battalion had been captured by our cavalry. The enlisted men were paroled, and the officers, including a colonel, major, the quartermaster of the post, and several other subordinates, carried off by Colonel Davis. At Ashland Station were also captured one hundred and fifty mules, about seventy-five wagons and several cars containing a considerable amount of quartermaster and commissary stores. The cars and wagons were burned.
Colonel Davis then proceeded to Tunstall’s Station where he fell in with a body of two thousand rebels, with whom he had a skirmish. Here Lieutenant Marsh was wounded and taken prisoner with six privates. Colonel Davis’ force numbered about four hundred men. It was his design to reach Yorktown. The whole number of prisoners captured by this force and by Col. Wyndham previous to the operation was about one thousand.
FORT SUMTER NEARLY TAKEN.
From an officer imprisoned in Charleston at the time of the bombardment of Fort Sumter by our gunboat fleet, and from naval officers who passed through the town soon after, I learn the following facts – Had the attack been continued a short time longer – Lieutenant Cate says thirty minutes, the fort would probably have capitulated. It was much damaged by our shot, some of them passing through the walls at the first fire. A portion of the garrison mutinied while the attack was progressing, and a company of sharpshooters from the city was ordered out to quell the disturbance.
UNION PRISONERS.
All the Union prisoners, except three officers held as hostages and some citizens, left the Richmond prisons on Tuesday morning. They numbered five hundred and sixty, two hundred and fifty of whom were officers. In exchange were sent to City Point six hundred rebel officers. Many of our officers had been imprisoned for five months. The list of those released includes General Willich, captured at Murfreesboro; General Stoughton, Colonel Coburn, of Indiana, who commanded the brigade captured at Thompson’s Station, Tenn., March 5; Colonels Utley, Gilbert, Buell, Fletcher and Wood; the officers of the gunboats Columbia and Isaac Smith, and one of the Flambeau. The hostages held as hard labor for the release of Lady Colonel Thomas have also been released.