The Kilpat rick- Dahlgren Raid Against Richmond. 555
inated in General Kilpatrick's brain. It furnishes the best specimen of cavalry marching, upon the Federal side, I know of during the war, for great celerity with proper relief to men and horses ; but it showed upon the part of somebody a most culpable want of knowl- edge of data upon which to base such a movement. I know no time during the war, when Richmond, with its admirable circumvallating defences, forewarned or not, could have been taken by a division of cavalry.
Accompanying this you will find a correct copy of the memo- randa found upon Colonel Dahlgren's body, and a copy of my letter to General Cooper, transmitting his note-book. A true copy of the original of his address to his troop can be found upon page 502 of the Lost Cause.
I have only to add, in conclusion, that what appeared in the Rich- mond papers of that period, as the " Dahlgren Papers," was cor- rectly taken from the papers I carried in person to Mr. Davis; and that those papers were not added to or changed in the minutest par- ticular, before they came into my possession, as far as I know and believe, and that, from all the facts in my possession, I have every reason to believe they were taken from the body of Colonel Ulric Dahlgren, and came to me without any alteration of any kind. I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
FITZHUGH LEE.
MEMORANDA OF DAHLGREN, AS PUBLISHED IN THE Richmond Ex- aminer, April I, 1864, AND REFERRED TO IN PRECEDING NOTE OF GENERAL LEE.
Pleasonton will govern details.
Will have details from other commands, (four thousand).
Michigan men have started.
Colonel I. H. Devereux has torpedoes.
Hanover Junction (B. T. Johnson).
Maryland Line.
(Here follows a statement of the composition and numbers of Johnson' s
Command. '
Chapin's Farm seven miles below Richmond.
One brigade (Hunton's relieved Wise sent to Charleston).
