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499 Series I Volume XLVI-I Serial 95 - Appomattox Campaign Part I

Page 499 Chapter LVIII. EXPEDITION TO PETERSBURG, VA.

During the expedition the brigade has marched over 450 miles, and has destroyed the amount of property shown in the appended list; has captured 51 prisoners of war, 270 horses, and 175 mules. The command has never suffered from scarcity of forage or rations; good foraging parties under competent officers having been able to meet every want. The loss in the brigade has been slight; 1 man killed and 1 wounded by guerrillas, 42 reported missing, chiefly stragglers, who have been picket up by the enemy, and 1 died from disease. The health of the command is perfect; no sick are reported.

I cannot speak in too high terms of the zeal and intelligence of the members of the staff, whom I found at brigade headquarters on assuming command: Captain Mahnken, assistant adjutant-general; Captain Cating, provost-marshal; Captain Blunt, brigade inspector; Lieutenant Chamberlain, ordnance officer, and Doctor Clarke, brigade surgeon, have all performed their duties with energy and ability, and I commend them to my superiors for a proper recognition of their services.

Report of property destroyed by the Second Brigade, First Cavalry Division, during the late cavalry expedition: 6 1/4 miles railroad, 18 canal locks, 6 flat-boats (loaded with tobacco and flour), 12 canal boats, 5 canal-boat loads of tobacco, flour, and hospital supplies; 2 large buildings containing 300 hogsheads tobacco, 1 jail at Goochland Court-House, 500 cords railroad wood, 1 depot, 4 barns, 3,000 pairs boots, 2,000 pairs pants, jackets, blankets, and drawers; 50,000 pounds meat, a small quantity of ordnance (small-arms and ammunition), 4,000 pounds of tobacco, 15 wagons containing corn, wheat, flour, and tobacco; 1 tannery with 1,000 hides, 2 naval camps with workmen's implements, 1 steam-engine, and a quantity of dressed timber, 4 hogsheads leaf tobacco, quantity of blacksmith's tools, 1 boat-load corn, the machinery of a saw-mill, 1 large warehouse, 1 mill, 3 wagons loaded with quartermaster's and commissary and subsistence stores, 4 bales cotton, 8 boxes tobacco, 42 hogsheads tobacco, 12 barrels potash, 8 bales hay, 1 dredge, 1,000 grain sacks, 1,000 shelter-tents, and 336 sacks of salt.

Very respectfully, your obedient servant,

CHAS. L. FITZHUGH,

Colonel, Commanding Brigade.

Major A. E. DANA,

Assistant Adjutant-General, First Cavalry Division.


Numbers 7. Report of Brigadier General Alfred Gibbs, U. S. Army, commanding Reserve Brigade.


HEADQUARTERS CAVALRY RESERVE BRIGADE,
Camp near White House, Va., March 21, 1865.

MAJOR: In compliance with instructions from headquarters First Cavalry Division of this date, I have the honor to make the following report of the operations of this brigade since leaving Winchester, Va., on the 27th ultimo:

The brigade, consisting of the Sixth U. S. Cavalry, Lieutenant McLellan commanding; Sixth Pennsylvania Cavalry, Major Morrow commanding; First Rhode Island Cavalry, Captain Capron commanding; Second Massachusetts Cavalry, Colonel Crowninshield command


Page 499 Chapter LVIII. EXPEDITION TO PETERSBURG, VA.