Report of Capt. Thaddeus Fitzhugh, Fifth Virginia Cavalry.

STEAMER TITAN,
Piankatank River, March 5, 1864.

SIR: I have the honor to report that I have just returned from an
expedition across the Chesapeake Bay to Cherrystone, Northampton
County, Va., where I captured the entire guard (cavalry), with their
horses, arms, &c., and a large supply of subsistence stores, consisting
of a large supply of army bread, 600 barrels of pork and bacon, also 9
army coats and several army cooking stoves, all of which I had to
destroy by burning, not having the force or time sufficient to put on
board the following vessels, which I afterward captured, viz: The
steamers Iolas the schooner, bonded the Iolas, and brought the Titan
safely across the bay into this river. I cut the submarine telegraph
cable and destroyed the machinery and captured the operator, whom,
together with crew of the Iolas, I paroled, not having the force sufficient
to guard the prisoners and work the boat across the bay. All this I
accomplished with 13 men of my company, assisted by Messrs.
Maxwell and Burley, acting masters, C. S. Navy, who acted gallantly
and were of great value to the success of the expedition. All of my men
acted nobly, particularly Sergeant Marchant.

T. FITZHUGH,
Capt. Co. F, Fifth Va. Cav., Lomax's Brig.

Maj.-Gen. LEE.

[First indorsement.]

HDQRS. LEE'S CAVALRY DIVISION,
March 27, 1864.
Respectfully forwarded.

Capt. Fitzhugh deserves credit for this affair, particularly as his men
were on furlough at the time of its inception.

FITZHUGH LEE,
Maj.-Gen.

[Second indorsement.]

HDQRS. CAVALRY CORPS,
March 30, 1864.
Respectfully forwarded.

Capt. Thad. Fitzhugh deserves great credit for his bold enterprise,
consummate skill, and extraordinary success, his bold followers
demonstrating that the efficiency of the cavalry of this army is not
limited to dry land. A portion of the same regiment aided in the capture
of the Satellite, &c., last year at Rappahannock.

J. E. B. STUART,
Maj.-Gen.

[Third indorsement.]

HDQRS., April 1, 1864.
Respectfully forwarded for information of War Department.

Capt. Fitzhugh, the naval officers, and the whole party deserve great
credit for the success of their bold expedition.

R. E. LEE,
Gen.

Source: Official Records
PAGE 232-60 OPERATIONS IN N. C., VA., W. VA., MD., AND PA. [CHAP. XLV.
[Series I. Vol. 33. Serial No. 60.]

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APRIL 4, 1865.--Capture of the steamer Harriet De ford, near Fair
Haven, Chesapeake Bay, Md.

Report of Capt. Thaddeus Fitzhugh, Fifth Virginia Cavalry.

FREDERICKSBURG, VA., April 16, 1865.

GEN.: In February, 1 865, in obedience to orders from you, I
reported to Gen. R. E. Lee, then before Petersburg, to submit to
him the expediency of an expedition to Cherrystone, on the eastern
shore of Chesapeake Bay, for the purpose of capturing the steamers
Eolus and Titan. In the interview the general inquired whether a
transport laden with supplies for Gen. Grant's army could not likewise
be seized and run into certain inlets, and by the aid of the land forces
the supplies secured and brought to the Confederate army. Thinking
such a thing possible I so informed him and offered to undertake it. He
then directed me to report to my commanding officer, who would give
me a detail of thirty or forty men, and to Capt. S. S. Lee, of the
Confederate Navy, who would give me whatever assistance I needed in
that department. I was directed by him to go into Chesapeake Bay at
or near the month od rah Rappahannock in such boats as I could
there secure and proceed up the bay to such point as in my judgment
might promise the capture of the steamers Highland Light or Harriet
De Ford at such point below Annapolis as a copy of the Baltimore
Gazette informed us they stopped. If successful in the capture of the
steamers I was to proceed down the bay, seize such transports loaded
with sores as I could, and push them into certain in lest above the
Rappahannock River, where two companies of Mosby's battalion and
a train of wagons under charge of Maj. Robinson, of the
quartermaster's department, would secure the goods from the transports,
take them across the Rappahannock at Boiulware's Ferry, and then to
the Confederate army at Richmond and Petersburg.

On the receipt of the above order I proceeded to execute it, and
procured three open boats in which, under cover of night, we started up
the bay from Wind-Mill Point, on the north side of the Rappahannock,
reaching to Potomac River the next morning before day, where we
remained for two days in consequence of head winds. On the third
night, finding wind and tide favorable, we started keeping so
close inshore as to hear them talking on the wharf at Point Lookout.

The next morning at about sunrise we reached Cedar Pont, near the
mouth of the Patuxent River, where we hid our boats in the cedar
brakes and my wearied men rested during the day. I with one man went
up int the country to small village and reported ourselves as deserters
from Grant's army, whose desired to go to Baltimore. From the citizens
I learned that the De Ford wound drop down the river the next day en
route for Baltimore, touching at the two of Marlborough. There being
telegraphic communication from that place to Point Lookout and
Washington City I desired it unsafe to attempt a capture from that
point, but learning she would also make a landing at Fair Haven, about
fourteen miles below Annapolis, I desired on that place. As soon as
it was dark we launched our boasts and with fair wind and tide started
up the bay as fast as our oared and sails would take us. Reaching
Herring Bay the next morning about 4 o'clock we found it all dotted
over with the lights from the mast-heads of the numerous vessels at
anchor, and selecting one of the largest as well as the most isolated we
proceeded to captured her as a prize to operate from as well as
secrete my men until time for action. Arousing our officers and men
from their quiet slumbers we took possession of the boat, securing the
prisoners below under guard, where my men feasted on the fine oysters
with which she was about one-third loaded. That morning equipping
nineteen of my best men in the clothes of the boats crew we went on
shore leaving the prisoners and balance of the men in charge of
Lieut. Dutton. On shore I learned that the Highland Light (one of
the fastest boats on the bay) would make a landing at wharf on West
River a few miles across by land from Fair Haven. I secured a wagon
and team and we started over, staging that we were wood choppers, who
wished to go to the astern shore of Maryland to procure
work, but we reached the wharf just in time to see the beautiful
steamer majestically morning down the river, and out into the bay.
Returning to Fair Haven we awaited the arrival of the De Ford, a fine
steamer plying between the Government farms up the Patuxent and Baltimore.

As soon as the De Ford landed we went on board and procured
passage for Baltimore under guise of wood-choppers., I immediately
proceeded to place my men in positions to command all points of the
boat, from the engine-room to the pilot-house, and when about five
miles from shore, finding all was in readiness, I went to the
pilot-house, where the captain was, exposing my uniform and arms,
and demanded the surrender of the boat In the name of the
Confederate States. Seeing resistance useless, he ordered the surrender
of the boat, and at a signal of the whistle my men quickly drew their
pistols, to which was yielded the most perfect obedience.

We then turned the boat about the signaled for Lieut. Dutton and
rest of men to come on board the other vessels with prisoners. At the
what we landed all non-combatants and apart of the boat-crew,
commanding of them their parole of honor to give us such time as to
get down the bay in safety. During the day before we could hear the
heavy guns at both Annapolis and Washington City, and from the
captain of the De Ford learned it was in ho or to the capture of
Petersburg and the fall of Richmond, and knowing Gen. Lee had
changed his base, rendering the object of the expedition futile, I
hastened down the bay as fast as steam could take us, hoping to get
back to Lee's army as best we could.

We reached Dividing River a few miles north of the Rappahannock the
next morning about daylight, when were pushed up the river as far
as we could go, after which we removal from the boat all valuables and
a part of the machinery and a gun (a brass pivot gun) and then setting
fire to her burnt the steamer to the waters' edge.

That afternoon about 4 o'clock, when removing some of the stores
from the shore, we saw a squadron of seven gun-boats coming up the
river at a slow and cautious gait, shelling the shores on both sides.

I had with me on this expedition Lieut. Dutton and twenty-eight
men, most of my Company F, Fifth Regt. Virginia Cavalry.
Payne's brigade. We started in three open boats, going nearly 100
miles by water in three nights. Our captures, 2 vessels, 1 steamer, 1
cannon, 62 stand of small-arms, and many other valuable stores, and
205 prisoners, including about 60 negroes. Our loss none.

Respectfully submitted.

T. FITZHUGH,
Capt., Cmdg. Company F, Fifth Va., Cav., Payne's Brigade.

Brig. Gen. W. H. PAYNE,
C. S. A., Cmdg. Brigade.

Source: Official Records
PAGE 1305-95 N. AND SE. VA., N. C., W. VA., MD., AND PA., [CHAP. LVIII.
[Series I. Vol. 46. Part I, Reports. Serial No. 95.]