of us
were, no bivouac fires were kindled until we reached our lines of
pickets from Gloucester Point, where we were received by our Union
comrades in the midst of demonstrations of admiration and joy. Here we
had a splendid rest.

_May 7._--This morning, after a more sumptuous breakfast than we had had
for many days, we crossed the York River to Yorktown, where we encamped.
We are now, as it may well be supposed, the "lions of the day." Nothing
is too good for us. We have the freedom of the town, and the subject of
our raid is the theme of private and public speculation.

In our travels we have captured and paroled over three hundred
prisoners, burned five or six railroad bridges, destroyed all the
ferries on our route, captured and demolished two wagon-trains, burned
five or six depots of stores, destroyed one railroad train, besides
stations and telegraph offices, and have torn several miles of track. We
have taken over one hundred and fifty horses, some of them the finest in
the country.

The following extract from the _Yorktown Gazette_ will more fully
explain the importance of our expedition:

"We have heard startling accounts of the prodigies of valor performed by
Stuart's Cavalry in Virginia, and the bands of Morgan in the West. That
they showed true valor, nice discretion, and great powers of endurance,
we will not for a moment question. But the exploits of our cavalry, in
the late expedition in the rear of Lee's army, surpasses any thing ever
achieved on this continent. Especially are the adventures of the Second
New York (Harris Light Cavalry) and the Twelfth Illinois almost
incredible. But they bear with them trophies that fully confirm the
record of their daring.

"They penetrated within the outer lines of fortification at Richmond, to
within less than two miles of the city, and captured prisoners and
trophies there. They cut all the communications between that city and
Lee's army, travelled two hundred miles, and lost only thirty men. Many
of them have changed horses a number of times on the route. Whenever
theirs got tired, they laid hold of any thing that came in their way
that suited them better. The contrabands flocked to them from every
quarter. They would take their masters' teams from the plough and their
best horses from the stables. Some of them were almost frantic with
delight on the appearance of the Yankees. Over three hundred found their
way to this place. Their services are all needed a