Kilpattick marched, with one regiment, reached Hungary Station, on the Fredericks burg Railroad, at daylight of the 4th ; destroyed the depot and part of the road, crossed to the Brook road, and went within two miles of Richmond, driving back a battery and some cavalry, and capturing about a dozen men within the fortifications of the city. Then he struck the railroad at Meadow bridge, over the Chicka hominy, burned the bridge, ran a train of cars into the river, captured more prisoners and 60 wagons, crossed the Pamunkey and Mattapony next day, swept through the country without opposition, though closely pursued by cavalry, and reached Gloucester Point on York River on the morning of the 7th, with a loss of 38 men. He reported that he captured and paroled over 300 men.
Lieutenant-Colonel Davis, with one regiment, moved along the banks of the South Anna to the Fredericksburg Railroad at Ashland, scat tered a few cavalry bodies, captured an ambu lance train with about 250 wounded from the field of Chancellorsville, whom he paroled, destroyed the road and other property in the vicinity, and pushed on to Hanover Station on the Virginia Central Railroad, burned the depot and other property, marched to Hanover Court House, and then to within seven miles of Rich mond, when he changed direction to the left and started down the Peninsula for Williams burg. At Tunstall's Station, near White House, he met and had an engagement with Confeder ate cavalry, infantry and artillery and, being re pulsed in an attempt to break through, with drew, moved to the left, crossed the Pamun key and Mattapony, and reached Gloucester Point, after a march of over 200 miles, with a loss of 35 officers and men.
Gregg and Buford meanwhile had been raid ing in the neighborhood of the South Anna, closely watched by Wade Hampton and W. H. F. Lee. Buford's brigade was broken into de tachments, and on the 4th one of these, under command of Capt. James E. Harrison, Fifth United 'States cavalry, was attacked at Flem ming's Cross-Roads, by 800 men, under com mand of W. H. F. Lee. Harrison had less than 100 men, and after a hand-to-hand fight of about five minutes he retreated to Yancey ville with a loss of five killed and wounded, and two officers and 31 men captured. Lee fell back to Gordonsville, hearing by telegraph from Richmond that the enemy were everywhere. The whole of Stoneman's command, excepting the forces under Kilpatrick and Davis, was con centrated on the 5th at Yanceysville, on the South Anna. Stoneman says: ((The six days having now expired, during which we were assured by the commanding general he would certainly communicate with us, and no communi cation having been received, no retreating enemy having been seen nor heard of, and no information as to the condition of things in the vicinity of Fredericksburg, except vague rumors of our defeat and capture, having been attained; supplies for man and beast becoming scarce; having accomplished all that we were sent to perform, and having come to the con clusion that Colonels Kilpatrick and Davis, with their commands, had gone in the direction of Yorktown, I determined to make the best of our way back to the Army of the Potomac?' Knowing that the cavalry brigades of Lee and Wade Hampton were to the west of him, and that the withdrawal of Averell had exposed his flank and rear to an attack from them, he determined to send General Buford, with 650 men and picked horses, to threaten Gordons ville, and another force, under Captain Roden bough, in the direction of Bowling Green, to threaten the enemy's communications and, under cover of night, with the main body, take the middle road through Tolersville, and cross ing the North Anna near the Victoria Iron Works march to Orange Springs, where all were to rendezvous next day. Everything
worked favorably. Buford marched to within two miles of Gordonsville, where he found infantry and artillery in position, awaiting his arrival, upon which he turned north, marched until nearly daylight, and halted on the north side of the North Anna, near Orange Springs, where at noon of the 6th he was joined by Stoneman, who had made a night march in a heavy storm. From Orange Springs Stoneman continued his march to Raccoon Ford, on the Rapidan, thence to Kelly's Ford, on the Rappa hannock, which was crossed at daylight of the eighth by swimming the horses, and then to Bealeton.
The result of the raid was the capture of over 500 men and 460 horses and mules and the destruction of nearly 20 bridges and culverts, three trains of railroad cars, 122 wagons, sev eral canal-boats, and a large amount of army supplies. The railroads had been cut in seven places, but these breaks, which General Lee considered as of small consequence., were soon repaired. As the chief object of the raid was the effectual destruction of Lee's communica tions with Richmond, which was not accom plished, it was considered a failure. The Union loss was five killed, 21 wounded and 163 missing. About 1,000 horses were broken down and abandoned, some being killed. There are no trustworthy records of Confederate losses in killed and wounded. Consult (Official Records,) (Vol. XXV) ; the Century Company's (Battles and Leaders of the Civil War> (Vol. III, New York 1N7-88).