468 



A HISTORY OP CAVALRY. 



[period V, 



eastward to Hungary Station on the Fredericksburg 

 railway, reaching there early on Monday the 4 th. 



Here he destroyed the depot and tore up the railway 

 on the direct line between Richmond and the Southern 

 army. From Hungary Station he moved to Meadow 

 Bridge on the Central Railroad, which he destroyed, 

 together with an engine. From there, crossing the 

 Pamunkey river at Hanover town and then the Mata- 

 pony, he swept through Essex and the adjoining counties 

 and reached Gloucester Point in safety on the 7th, 

 having on the way destroyed some waggon trains and 

 small depots of supplies. 



A third detachment, under Colonel Davis, marched 

 down the South Anna, struck the Fredericksburg Railway 

 at Ashlands Station, and destroyed it, and intercepted an 

 ambulance train from Chancellorsville, upon which they 

 captured a number of prisoners. Here they destroyed 

 some engines, and moving across to the Central Railroad, 

 bui*ned the depot and tore up the tra- Ic. Moving then 

 southwards towards Richmond, they turned eastwardly in 

 the direction of Williamsburg. Being intercepted by a 

 force sent out to cut him oflf, and being repulsed in an 

 attack upon them. Colonel Davis turned with his 

 command to the left, crossed the Pamunkey and Mata- 

 pony rivers, and finally reached Gloucester Poini in 

 safety. 



Other parties, destroying all the bridges, &c., in their 

 neighbourhood, rejoined Stoneman at Thompson's Cross 

 Roads, on Tuesday, the 5th, when the -vhole conunand 

 except those portions under Davis and Kilpatrick were 

 concentrated at Yancey ville, and commenced a retrograde 

 march by way of Racoon ford and Kelly's ford, to 

 rejoin Hooker, which was effected on the 8th May. 



This raid, though apparently successful, was in reality 

 a failure. The damage inflicted on the communications 

 of the Southerners was very slight, and readily repaired. 

 The expedition, although having a free rsinge through a 

 wide sweep of Southern territory, did bo g little damage, 

 took, comparatively speaking, no pri^oiiors, nr.d exercised 

 no moral effect. The great battle of ('ri;\ib:'ellorsville 



