| From the Richmond Dispatch |
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| June 25, 1864 |
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| Raid on the Danville railroad |
| The Yankee cavalry force sent out from
Grant's army, under Spear, Kautz, and Wilson, after destroying the
Petersburg and Weldon railroad, near Reams's Station, assailed the
Southside railroad, at Ford's Despot, about twenty miles from
Petersburg which they burnt, together with two locomotives and sixteen
burthen cars, laden with stores, &c, belonging to the Norfolk
& Petersburg railroad. They then proceeded on and struck the
Richmond & Danville Railroad at Burkesville Junction, where the
road intersects with the Southside railroad, fifty-three miles from
Richmond. Here on Thursdaynight they burnt the freight house (an
unimportant structure), the water tanks, and tore up the track for
some distance. We are informed that the sills were burnt, but that the
rails were not much damaged. It was
reported yesterday that they were fortifying at the Junction, but we
have good reason for stating that this was an error. Their design
doubtless was to destroy the High Bridge, on the Southside railroad;
but learning that this experiment would be attended with some danger
to them, they changed their programme, and proceeded on up the
Danville road. At 11 o'clockyesterday they were reported all along the
road from Greenbay to Meherrin's. Greenbay is seven miles above the
Junction, and Meherrin's ten. They no doubt sent out foraging parties
to pillage the inhabitants, but at 6 o'clock last evening it was not
known what damage had been done to the road beyond the Junction. |
| The stores had all been removed from
Burkesville previous to the visit of the raiders, and the injury to
the road at that point can speedily be repaired. |
| The latest accounts we have from the
raiders represent that they were proceeding on from Meherrin's in the
direction of Staunton river. They burnt the depot at Meherrin's and
tore up the track in several places between that point and
Burkesville. It has also been ascertained that the track was torn up
in one or two places this side of the Junction. Their design is
evidently to damage the road as much as possible, but their career may
yet be cheeked. ***** |
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