; save, perhaps, some southern claims
still further to reduce Lee's army.

While Grant was engaged in his pertinacious failures to flank Lee,
General Sheridan--whose fame as a cavalry leader was already in the
mouths of men in such pet names as "Little Phil" and "Cavalry
Sheridan"--made a raid of considerable proportions toward Richmond.
Flanking Lee upon the right, he proceeded over the North and South
Anna, damaging the railroads at Beaver Dam and Ashland stations. Thence
he moved toward Richmond, but was met at Yellow Tavern by General
Stuart with a small body of his cavalry and a hastily-collected force
of infantry. A sharp engagement resulted in forcing the enemy off; when
he passed down the James to Turkey Island, where he joined Butler's
forces.

But the fight had one result far more serious to the South--the death
of General J. E. B. Stuart--the gallant and popular leader of
Confederate cavalry; so ill to be spared in those days of watchful
suspense to come, when General Lee keenly felt the loss of "the eyes of
the army."

During the whole fight the sharp and continuous rattle of carbines,
broken by the clear boom of field artillery, was distinctly heard in
Richmond; and her defenseless women were long uncertain what the result
would be. They knew nothing of the force that was attacking, nor of
that which was defending their homes; every man was away save the aged
and maimed--and the tortures of doubt and suspense were added to the
accustomed strain of watching the end of the fight. When the news came
there was deep thankfulness; but it was solemn and shadowed from the
sorrow that craped the victory.

Meantime, General Sigel had threatened the Valley with a heavy force;
but, in mid-May he had been met by General Breckinridge and was
defeated with such loss of men and munitions, that he retreated
precipitately across the Shenandoah. The co-operation of Sigel was
virtually at an end.

But the more important co-operation had been equally unsuccessful.
Simultaneously with Grant's passage of the Rapidan, General Butler,
with an army of 35,000 men and a fleet of iron-clads, double-enders,
gunboats and transports sufficient for a war with England, sailed up
the James. This force was intended to proceed direct to Richmond, or to
march into undefended Petersburg, as the case might seem best to
warrant. The land forces disembarked at Bermuda Hundred and, after
fortifying heavily on the line of Howlett's House