From the Richmond Enquirer, 5/28/1862, p. 2, c. 1
Skirmishing
near Richmond - Capture of 56 Yankee Prisoners.
For the last two days there has been spirited skirmishing
going on near Hanover Court House, some eighteen miles from Richmond. We have
learned from a soldier, who was in the two engagements, some particulars which
we subjoin.
On Monday, the enemy came out in force near Taliaferro’s
Mill, burnt the bridge across the Pamunkey, near Capt. Newton’s, shot a young
man named Hundley, on his mother’s farm, and carried him off. - At the same time
they destroyed Mrs. Hundley’s furniture, ripped open her feather beds, and
indulged in other savage-like propensities. This party was principally composed
of New York Zouaves. They had one regiment and a squadron of cavalry, with eight
pieces of artillery, stationed in Mrs. Hundley’s road, along which the Yankees
supposed the Confederates would advance On our side we had the Madison Cavalry,
the Hanover Sharpshooters, under Lieutenant Sydnor, and one or two other
companies. Only one man on our side (Mr. Wm. Collins, of the Madison Cavalry,)
was killed in the skirmish. The loss of the enemy is believed to have been much
larger Mrs. Hundley’s farm lies between Carter’s Creek and the Pamunkey river.
On Tuesday, skirmishing again commenced about 11 o’clock,
A. M., two miles from Hanover Court House. The Federals had about three
regiments in a field. On our side we had the Fourth Virginia Cavalry, under
command of Capt. B. H. Robertson, and the Twenty-Eighth North Carolina Regiment,
commanded by Captain Branch. The fight lasted about three hours. Our loss was
very small. We took fifty-six prisoners, mostly German, from New York - among
them, one Captain (Harris) and one Lieutenant.
The prisoners were brought to Richmond last evening. They
represent their loss as being very great - one Federal regiment is supposed to
have lost 300 in killed and wounded. The Yankees were guided to their position
by a citizen of Hanover; whose name our informant could not recollect, but we
are pleased to state that shortly after the skirmish terminated, the traitor was
captured at Ashland, and brought down to Richmond along with his Yankee
comrades. Late yesterday afternoon, the enemy were believed to be advancing with
their cavalry, towards Col. Wickham’s, this side of Hanover Court House.
The prisoners taken in the fight yesterday say that they
have never been in battle before, and that they are raw troops, just from
Fortress Monroe. They also state that McClellan has a force of about 56,000.
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