Taken from the National Tribune Jan. 21, 1897 edition

Captured Fitz-Hugh Lee.

The General Made Hostage for Three Union Prisoners Condemned to Death.

Editor National Tribune: We broke up May 1, 1863, at Camp Getty, near Portsmouth, Va, and went on board transports with the 11th Pa. Cav. and two regiment of infantry, and steamed out through Hampton roads and up the Pamunkey River as far as White House Landing. We disembarked on the Hanover County side of the River, and marched across country to Hanover Junction. The weather was extremely hot, and many of the men of the infantry died from sunstroke.

When we arrived at the junction we found a place guarded by a stockade fort and 100 men and four pieces of artillery. After receiving their first fire we were ordered to fall back out of range. Then our Colonel (Spear, 11th Cav.) called for volunteers, to see if there was anyway to approach the fort without being seen by enemy.

Serg't Star stepped to the front and said if he could have the pick of men he would undertake the hazardous work. The Colonel told him he could. The Sergeant picked 11 men from the regiment and started on, with only revolvers and belts. They took a roundabout way, striking a ravine thick with undergrowth, following it up to the stockade.

At the same time the troops in front for making small charges to the attract rebels' attention the Sergeant and party for devising ways of getting inside the fort. They soon discovered that the spring of water inside was the cause of the ravine, and that there must be an outlet for the water.

The men soon found the place, and by digging with an old saber bayonet, they had picked up on the way, and their hands, they soon made a hole big enough to admit a man.

After they had all gotten on the inside they made a grand rush, firing their revolvers as signal for the troops to come. The entire rebel force threw down their arms and surrendered, with the loss of two men killed. After the surrender a rebel saw the small force, grabbed a gun and shot one of our men. On the instant he was shot many times. The prisoners were paroled on the same day, and after destroying all Confederate property and tearing up the railroads at the Junction, we went into camp for the night.

On May 3 we started on our return trip to White House Landing, with quite a heavy rear-guard to protect our main force. We met no enemy to break the monotony until the rear guard came across an old colored man. He said that if we would go along a certain road we might capture Fitz-Hugh Lee.

The Colonel on Net the rear guard to go with the old darky as guide, and without any mishap we found the General at his country-seat. He had been wounded a few days before in the Shenandoah Valley, and was on sick leave for a short time. As his wound was slight, we soon made arrangements for taking the General with us by ordering out his family carriage team and driver. After putting a mattress in the carriage and the General on that, we started for White House Landing, arriving there the same day and went into camp. The General was put on board a transport. The next day, May 4, 1863, we started for Fort Monroe, arriving there on the same date, and reporting to the commandant, Gen. Wool, that we had a prisoner of war.

The old General said we had done the best thing since the war had begun. He said that our cavalry in scouting in the Shenandoah Valley had captured some three guerrillas who had committed a crime on some of their own people that was punishable by death, and they were hung for that offense, and the rebel authorities at Richmond, to retaliate had ordered out 100 men from Libby Prison, all officers of high rank, with Chaplain McCabe with them, to draw lots for three men to be executed in retaliation for the three guerrillas deaths. The drawing was made, and the Chaplain's dear friend, a Colonel was one drawn out. They were taken to the city jail and confined the condemned cells, to be shot or hung the next day.

To save these men Gen. Wool ordered out a flag-of-truce boat to the enemy. After conference with the authorities at Richmond exchange was made, we receiving the three Union officers for the rebel Gen. Lee. I think that expedition resulted in great good for the Union cause, with a small loss of life and no loss of property for the Government.

Taken from the Grand Army Scout & Soldiers Mail January 19, 1884 edition

A Raid of the 11th Pa. Cav.

Capture of General Fitz-Hugh Lee.

Burning Confederate wagon-trains.

Fight at South Anna Bridge.

By William J. Shirley,

Co. G, 11th Pa. Cavalry.

On June 22, 1863, the 11th Pa. Cavalry left Suffolk, Va., for where, we then could not tell; it might be to our native State, as the enemy were then already advancing on it with all the best troops of the Confederacy see under Lee. We left our quarters in good condition at 5 o'clock a.m. for Portsmouth, encamping on the wharf awaiting transportation.

On the morning of the 23rd, we embarked on the steamer Hero, at 8 o'clock, and moved up York River to Yorktown, disembarked and encamped close to the Fort. That day and night the remainder of our regiment, two companies of Illinois cavalry and one company of Independent California cavalry, came up. The next day we embarked on board the armed transport Western World. Three gunboats from our river squadron started in advance, the next being our armed transport. It made our company like Captain Jinks and "The Horse Marines," cavalry horses and all, in a gunboat in advance. It being after the fight between the Merrimac and our fleet, we thought in case of a fight, that if we were in the right church we were in the wrong pew. Behind us came eight transports with the rest of our cavalry and baggage.

The night of the 24th we lay at anchor off West Point, at the head of York River, or where the Pamunkey empties into it. The morning of the 25th was damp and foggy, and we started up the Pamunkey.

About noon a report of heavy cannon in front was heard, and soon a report of a shell bursting ahead of us. Our gunboats returned the fire, and on our transport the gunners flew around buckled on their short swords and stood manfully to the guns. But imagine how the cavalry looked on. I had measured the river thinking in case a shell struck our boat it would be rough for us to charge; but a few shells started the rebels. They had a heavy gun on a truck, with an engine to take it away in case of retreat.

As soon as possible we landed, and having drawn rations and forage, started towards Richmond. We took three or four prisoners that night. On the morning of June 26, we were some fifteen miles from Richmond on the main pike, and four or five miles west of Hanover Court House. The advance guard met a contraband and asked him if there was any "Rebs" ahead. "God bless you all; General Lee is jist ahead." Lieut. Goutze said: "Why, General Lee is marching North." "But," says the contraband, "I knows him. I was his slave. It's de young man; de cavalry General, William Fitz Hugh Lee, and his colored man is driving his coach with two bob-tailed horses. A fast team." It was then the best horse foremost for a good distance, when we then seen the coach in view. They did not see us until we were quite near and yelled out surrender. The General said, "Well I can do nothing else, but if I had my brigade here, there would be more fun in taking me. Please use me easy, as I am not yet over my wound." We left him in his carriage, which was put under guard.

We soon came in sight of Hanover Court House and also a wagon train. We stopped until the regiment came up to us, and then started as hard as our horses could run. Unfortunately for me, my horse caught his front feet between two logs, and a comrade's horse behind running into and throwing my horse down with me under him. There I lay until the whole regiment passed over me, and I thought that I could see the fire fly out of the horse's shoes as they went over my face. But it is almost impossible to make a cavalry horse tramp a man if not jerked on him. When I got up I found the wagon-train captured, there being some 40 or more wagons, each with six-mule teams. Most of the wagons we burned; and about 20 men and the jail containing negroes were also captured. We only lost the few men wounded and one killed. Our regiment soon came in contact with a picket-reserve, and after a volley from them, took them prisoners. They were quite saucy, and told us that we would not go far before we would meet our match.

When we got out of the woods there was a field to the south-east, and on a bluff we had a view of two redoubts, or earthworks, and a blockhouse with a large flag flying over it, the stars and bars. The Colonel took up his field-glass and then said, "They certainly have no artillery, or they would fire on us." We then moved out close as possible, and received the command "by fours right wheel." Then Colonel Spear addressed us as follows; "Soldiers of my command, I look for no more from you now than I have often seen you do before, that is, obey your officers and fight your enemy. You see that railroad bridge, it is in General Lee is rear, and he is now marching for your native State. My orders are to burn the bridge, and we must do it if it costs the life of one man or it costs the lives of me and half the command. Soldiers! You know my orders and your duty as soldiers."

We had one small brass howitzer with us, but it did not appear to take much effect on the block-house. There Colonel ordered Cos. G and A, from the right of the regiment, to go down the river and swim across and charge the earthworks, while he would draw their attention in front, and send dismounted men over the bridge. The field was level with river on the side that we entered. It being about 300 yards wide. On the other side there was a bluff covered with bushes and trees. We were undiscovered by the enemy, they little thinking we could get our horses over such a place. We formed and charged, but they gave us such a volley that we broke and scattered some, but soon formed only to find infantry in the front and cavalry coming in our rear. Captain Straton Co. A, ordered 20 men and an officer to charge the cavalry. They were routed, but with the loss of several of the Iowa boys, who were wounded. Capt. Shelby, of Company G, ordered us to charge again, and we had a hand to hand fight. The Confederates fought well, but our dismounted men had crawled close to the bridge and in a few minutes were with us, their carbines making things rattle. The fight lasted but short time, but it was hard while it lasted. We lost four killed and twelve wounded, and eight horses killed. The enemy lost eight killed and 20 wounded, besides we captured one hundred and one prisoners, burned the bridge and fell back across the Pamunkey.