Thoughtfully curated historical journalism
Culpeper, Monday, August 11.—The brigade of cavalry, under command of Gen. Buford, made a descent on Madison Court House on Tuesday, the 5th inst. He found the Confederates had been there, but had left. He made a reconnoissance In every direction, and met Confederate pickets on every road. On the 7th inst., the pickets on the road to Stannardsville had a skirmish, losing one killed and three wounded. On the 8th, the 1st Maryland had another skirmish on the Orange Court House road, in which they lost, and about a dozen taken prisoners. Being reinforced by the 1st Michigan, the Confederates were driven to the Rapidan. A strong reconnoissance was made the same evening to the Rapidan, on the Orange road, and a skirmish was going on without loss, when orders came from General Buford to return to Madison Court House.—The party got back at 9 a. m. on the 9th, and found everything ready for a retreat towards Sperryville. as the Confederates were approaching from every direction. The party reached Woodville in safety, and there encamped.—They reached Culpeper Monday next.
From the Richmond Enquirer, July 20.
An officer of Bragg’s army stated to us when he heard of Pope’s transfer to Virginia to command the Yankee forces in the Piedmont and Potomac regions, that he was a very bold and audacious commander, and would surprise us by unexpected enterprises, unless we were very vigilant. But he also said that his plans were not well conceived or judicious, and that he would expose himself to heavy chastisement and disaster if our opposing General should be on the alert.
New York, August 2—The French bark, Harriet Rolli, which was taken by our forces while running the blockade at New Orleans with a cargo of wines and brandies and arrived to-day under command of Capt. Conant, of the Mass. 4th regiment. She has 33 sick soldiers.
The following is the dispatch in the Richmond Whig from the commander of the rebel gunboat Arkansas:
Vicksburg, July 15, 1862.
We engaged today, from six to eight a. m., with the enemy’s fleet above Vicksburg, consisting of four or more iron clad vessels and two heavy sloops-of-war, and four gunboats and seven or eight rams. We drove an iron-clad ashore, with colors down and disabled, blew up a ram, burned one vessel and damaged several others. Our smokestack was so shot to pieces that we lost steam, and could not use our vessel as a ram. We were otherwise cut up as we engaged at close quarters. Lost ten killed and fifteen wounded others with slight wounds.