Hero the raiders dismounted their twenty-five hundred men and prepared
to attack the entrenchments. Wade Hampton immediately moved out to meet
him. Bradley Johnson's Marylanders drew up in Kilpatrick's rear at the
same moment, and captured five men bearing dispatches from Dahlgren. He
would attack on the rear at sunset. He asked Kilpatrick to strike at the
same moment.
Johnson boldly charged Kilpatrick's rear with his handful of men and
drove him headlong down the Peninsula to the York River. The Confederate
leader had but seventy-five men and two pieces of artillery but he hung
on Kilpatrick's division of twenty-five hundred and captured a hundred
and forty prisoners.
Dahlgren at night with but four hundred men boldly attacked the defenses
on the north side of the city. He was met by a company of Richmond boys
under eighteen years of age. The youngsters gave such good account of
themselves that he withdrew from the field, leaving forty of his men
dead and wounded.
In his retreat down the Peninsula, he failed to find Kilpatrick's
division. His command was cut to pieces and captured and Dahlgren
himself killed.
The part which Socola had played in this raid was successfully
accomplished without a hitch. He was compelled to answer the drum which
called every clerk of his Department to arms for the defense of the
city.
Pages:
484
485
486
487
488
489
490
491
492
493
494
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508