| From the Richmond Sentinel |
| |
| March 10, 1865 |
| |
| From Fredericksburg |
| A gentleman from Fredericksburg, informs
us that the enemy arrived there Monday and left Tuesday evening. There
were eight steamers, three gunboats and five transports. The forces
consisted of about three thousand infantry, and three or four hundred
cavalry. The commander of the expedition insisted, that he was ordered
by Gen. Grant to proceed to Fredericksburg, and bring off, or destroy,
a quantity of tobacco which was about to be illegally traded for. The
officer in command said the troops were from the North side of the
James, and seemed to be surprised when the permit to trade for the
tobacco was shown him, signed by Lincoln. They removed and destroyed a
large amount of tobacco, burnt twenty-eight cars; the other loss to
the railroad {Richmond, Fredericksburg &
Potomac RR} was trifling. They captured three hundred
prisoners, destroyed the contents of one store, carried away a few
negroes, and took off, with their own consent, & two or three
citizens. |
| They also captured a number of wagons and
about fifty mules. |
| The citizens were not badly treated, nor
were any of them arrested. |
|