STONEMAN'S VIRGINIA RAID. When General Hooker initiated the campaign finally resulting in the battle of Chancellorsville (q.v.), he ordered General Stoneman, commanding the cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac, about 10,000 men and four batteries, to move quietly and rapidly up the left bank of the Rap pahannock, on 13 April 1863, cross the river above the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, disperse Gen. Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry brigade at Culpeper Court House, push on to Gordons ville, and from there strike the Fredericksburg and Richmond Railroad at Saxton's Junction, destroying it with all its bridges and telegraph lines, thus severing General Lee's communica tions with Richmond. He was also directed to harass Lee's retreating troops that Hooker ex pected to defeat near Fredericksburg. Heavy rains delayed both Hooker's plans and Stone man's movement, and after Stoneman had crossed one brigade at Freeman's Ford the Rappahannock rose so rapidly and high that the brigade was recalled and crossed to the left bank of the river by swimming the horses. Stoneman now waited two weeks for Hooker's initiative and better weather. On 29 April, under modified orders to cross the river between Kelly's and Rappahannock Fords, and to send one column in the direction of Raccoon Ford and Louisa Court House, Stoneman again crossed the river, with the main body, at Kelly's Ford. General Averell, with three brigades and a battery, was to cross at Rappahannock Station, under instructions to push on through Culpeper Court House to Gordonsville and keep the enemy employed in that direction, while de tachments from the main body were destroying the railroads north from Richmond. Stoneman had in all six brigades of cavalry, numbering about 8,000 men, with two batteries. Averell was dilatory in his movement, but soon ran against a regiment of Gen. W. H. F. Lee's bri gade, driving it through Culpeper Court House and beyond the Rapidan, where on the morning of 2 May he received a message from Hooker that he did not understand what he was doing at Rapidan Station, and ordering him to rejoin the army at United States Ford. Averell imme diately returned, and was relieved from com mand because he had failed to regard the in structions given him, and had contented him self with marching but 28 miles in three days with but an insignificant force opposing him.
With picked men and horses, in light march ing order, not a wagon accompanying him, Stoneman pushed forward, with three brigades of 4,300 men and a battery of six guns; Gen eral Buford's regular brigade was sent to the left in detachments and, after skirmishing with small bodies of Confederate cavalry, reached the Rapidan at Raccoon Ford on the night of the 30th; Stoneman followed, the ford was crossed on the morning of 1 May, and at 2 o'clock on the morning of the 2d, after some opposition, and after marching through Orange Court House, Gregg's division of two brigades struck the Virginia Central Railroad about a mile from Louisa Court House and destroyed much of the railroad, and at day break Colonel Kilpatrick, with his regiment, dashed into Louisa Court House, captured some supplies, and toward evening being attacked by some of W. H. F. Lee's cavalry, withdrew to Thompson's Cross-Roads, and joined his di vision, which during the day had marched by way of Yanceyville, and concentrated at the Cross-roads after night. Here during the night Stoneman gave orders for operations upon Lee's communications by separate parties led respec tively by General D. McM. Gregg, Col. P. Wyndham, Colonel Kilpatrick, and Lieut.-Col. Hasbrouck Davis. At midnight, with a bright moon, the various detachments started, and all were on the road before 3 A.M. of the 3d.
Wyndham, with two regiments of about 400 men, pushed southward to Columbia on James River, at its junction with the Rivanna, driving before him a squadron of cavalry, and on the morning of the 3d he destroyed some canal boats, bridges, and a large quantity of supplies and medical stores, and attempted to destroy the stone aqueduct, by which the water of the canal was carried over the Rivanna; but hearing of the approach of W. H. F. Lee, he withdrew and rejoined Stoneman the same day, having marched 50 miles in 16 hours. He brought in 140 horses and mules, and was followed by Lee nearly to camp.