at Elys Ford, passed in the rear of Lees army, captured a Confederate court martial in session,

but missed a park of sixtyeight pieces of artillery which had been left unguarded. When they
again reached the James at Davis Mill, where a ford was supposed to be, none could be
found. Stanton had sent from Washington a Negro guide. They accused the Negro of
treachery and hung him from the nearest limb without the formality of a drumhead court
martial. At dawn on March first, Bradley Johnsons cavalry, guarding Lees flank, struck one
of Kilpatricks parties and drove them in on the main body. They
pursued Kilpatricks men through Ashland and down to the outer defenses of Richmond.
Hero the raiders dismounted their twentyfive hundred men and prepared to attack the
entrenchments. Wade Hampton immediately moved out to meet him. Bradley Johnsons
Marylanders drew up in Kilpatricks rear at the same moment, and captured five men bearing
dispatches from Dahlgren. He would attack on the rear at sunset. He asked Kilpatrick to
strike at the same moment. Johnson boldly charged Kilpatricks rear with his handful of men
and drove him headlong down the Peninsula to the York River. The Confederate leader had
but seventyfive men and two pieces of artillery but he hung on Kilpatricks division of
twentyfive hundred and captured a hundred and forty prisoners.
Dehlgren at night with but four hundred men boldly attacked the defenses on the north side of
the city. He was met by a company of Richmond boys under eighteen years of age. The
youngsters gave such good account of themselves that he withdraw from the field, leaving
forty of his man dead and wounded. In his retreat down the Peninsula, he failed to find
Kilpatricks division. His command was cut to pieces and captured and Dahlgren him killed.
The part which Socola had played in his raid was successfully accomplished without a hitch.
He was compelled to answer the drum which called every clerk of his Department to arms for
the defense of the city. In the darkness he succeeded in pressing into Dehlgrens lines and on
his retreat made his way back to his place in the ranks of the Confederates.
It was a little thing which betrayed him after the real danger was past and brough him face to
face with Jennie Barton. CHAPTER XXXVIII THE DISCOVERY From the moment Captain
Welford had discovered the plot of the prisoners to cooperate with Kilpatrick and Dehlgren
he was morally sure that Miss Van Lew had been their messenger. He was equally sure that
Socola had been one of her accomplices. On the day of the announcement of his powder plant
to the prisoners he set a guard to watch the house on Church Hill, and report to him the
moment Crazy Bet should emerge.
Within two hours he received the message that she was on her way down town with her
market basket swinging on her arm. Dick knew that this woman could not recognize him
personally. He was only distantly related to the Welfords of Richmond. Miss Van Lew was in
a nervous agony to deliver her dispatch to Kilpatrick, warning him that the purpose of the
raid had been discovered and that he must act with the utmost caution. She had no scout at
hand and Kilpatricks was expected every moment at her rendezvous near the market. Dick
turned the corner, circled a block, and met her. She was childishly swinging the basket on her
arm and humming a song. She smiled vacantly into his face. He caught the look of shrewd
intelligence and saw through her masquerade. A single word from her lips now would send
her to the gallows and certainly lead to Socolas arrest.