Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 13.djvu/530

 The Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid Against Richmond. 529

upon him, fired so rapidly and accurately, that he was obliged to retire to the shelter of the fortification, with the loss of two men wounded and eight horses wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Lightfoot had also, with commendable promptitude, ordered Hankins's battery to the intersection of the Intermediate Line and the Mordecai Mill road. At the same time sending him an infantry support from Lieu- tenant-Colonel Howard's command.

Soon after my arrival the enemy opened upon my position a rapid and tolerably accurate fire from five pieces of artillery, and his skir- mishers advanced under cover of ditches and the neighboring houses to within two hundred (200) yards of our works, and annoyed our artillerists so much that, at the suggestion of Lieutenant-Colonel Howard, I ordered him and Lieutenant-Colonel Atkinson to detach a portion of their commands and drive them from their shelter.

This was handsomely performed on the right by a volunteer force from Lieutenant-Colonel Howard's command, under First Lieuten- ant William M. Chaplain, Company B, Twentieth Virginia battalion, heavy artillery, who charged the enemy who were in the house of Mr. J. A. Parker, from which they were immediately driven; and on the left by Company D, Tenth Virginia battalion, heavy artillery, Captain C. S. Harrison, commanding. Lieutenant Chaplain's party lost five men in the charge, as per list of casualties enclosed.

A demonstration was made by the enemy against Captain Hankins's position on the Mill road, but it was repulsed, and in the artillery duel that ensued, Captain Hankins several times drove the gunners of the enemy from their guns.

Captain Rives's fire caused a large body of the enemy, massed between the Brooke turnpike and the Mill road, to seek shelter in the thick wood to the right of Brooke turnpike. The firing lasted about two hours, after which the enemy retreated towards the Meadow Bridge road. Later in the day, a small body of the enemy's cavalry made its appearance near the residence of Mr. J. P. Ballard, about three-fourths of a mile in front of one of my siege batteries on the Intermediate Line and Deep Run road, served by a detachment of twenty men of the Twentieth Virginia battalion, commanded by Sec- ond Lieutenant B. F. Holstead, of Company B, Twentieth Virginia "battalion. After exchanging ten rounds, the enemy withdrew with no casualties on our side.

In closing this report, I have the honor to express my gratifica- tion at the behavior both of the officers and men of this com- mand ; the artillery was handled exceedingly well, and the infantry

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