S TONEWALL JACKSON.












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STONEWALL JACKSON:
WI T H A P O  RTAIT X AN D l  A P S,
BY
JOHN ESTEN COOKE,
FORMERLY OF GENERAL STUART' S STAFF.
NEW YORK:
D. A P P LETON AND COPANY,
443 & 445 BROADWAY.
1866.




ENTERED, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by
D. APPLETON & CO.,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the
Southern District of New York.




CONTENTS.
PART I.
FROM HIS CHILDHOOD TO THE BATTLE OF MANASSAS.
PAGE
CHAP. I.-Country Boy and Constable.....   9
II.-Cadet at West Point,.....      12
III.-Lieutenant of Artillery in Mexico,....  14
IV.-Professor at Lexington,.....      19
V. —Jackson is appointed Colonel of Volunteers,..  34
VI. —The Valley,.....             39
VII.-The First Brigade,......  41
VIII.-Johnston Retreats,.....      44
IX.-The "Affair at Falling Waters,"....  49
X.-Johnston leaves the Valley,....      53
XI.-Advance of the Grand Army,....  59
XII. —Manassas,....      63
PAR T II.
THE CAMPAIGN OF THE VALLEY.
CaAP. I.-The Autumn of 1861,...                 77
II.-Jackson's Farewell Address to his Brigade,..      82
III.-Jackson's Plan,....  86
IV.-The Winter March to Romney,...          88




6                              CONTENTS.
PAGE
CHAP. V. —Jackson falls back from Winchester,.                 98
VI.-Kernstown,......      107
VII.-Behind the Scenes,...... 119
VIII.-McDowell,......      124
IX.-Jackson flanks his Adversarv,....  137
X.-General Banks Retreats,.                                    144
XI.-Winchester,.......  149
XII.-The Lion in the Toils,.....      154
XIII.-Out of the Meshes,.....  162
XIV.-The Death of Ashby,.....           167
XV.-Jackson narrowly escapes Capture,...          176
XVI.-Cross Keys,......      181
XVII.-Port Republic,..... 186
XVITI.-Jackson in June, 1862,.                                      193
PART III.
FROM PORT REPUBLIC TO CHANCELLORSVILLE.
CHAP. I.-" General T. J. Jackson, Somewhere,"... 200
I. —On the Chickahominy,.....     206
IIL.-Cold Harbor,...... 214
IV.-General McClellan retreats to James River,..     227
V.- -Malvern Hill,...... 233
VI.-Federal Accounts of the Retreat,...     238
VII.-The end of the Drama,....     245
VIII.-General Pope in Culpepper,...             249
IX.-Cedar Run,....... 254
X.-Jackson Pursues,...                263
XI. —General Lee advances from the Rapidan,... 267
XII.-The March to Manassas,....      274
XIII.-Jackson at Bay,...... 284
XIV.-Manassas, August 29, 1862,....      288
XV.-The Second Battle of Manassas,.                 295
XVI.-Oxhill, or Germantown,.... 303




CONTENTS.                              7
PAGE
CHAP. XVII.-General Lee enters Maryland,.                307
XVIII.-Boonsboro' and Crampton's Gap,.                     317
XIX. —Capture of Harper's Ferry,.... 320
XX.-Sharpsburg, or Antietam,....     327
XXI.-Shepherdstown,.         343
XXII.-The Campaign,.                          345
XXIII.-General Lee's Address to his Army,.. 347
XXIV.-Jackson and his Veterans Resting,...      349
XXV.-General McClellan Advances,...         356
XXVI.-Jackson halts,....      362
XXVII.-Change of Commanders,.                                 365
XXVIIL-Fredericksburg,.....      368
XXIX. —General Burnside attempts a last Advance,.. 379
XXX.-Jackson at Fredericksburg,.                            384
XXXI.-Winter Quarters at Moss Neck,..         388
XXXII.-Federal preparations for the Campaign of 1863,.     394
XXXIII.-The Campaign Opens,.         397
XXXIV.-General Hooker Advances,....     401
XXXV.-In the Wilderness,..... 404
XXXVI.-Chancellorsville,.....      411
XXXVII.-The Result of Jackson's Movement,.               429
XXXVIII —" It is All Right,"...                   438
XXXIX.-Jackson's Remains taken to Lexington,... 445
XL.-Jackson the Soldier and the Man,..     450
APPENDIX.
I.-General Jackson to Colonel J. M. Bennett, describing the part
taken by his Brigade in the first battle of Manassas,.. 465
II.-Extract from a Letter written by Captain B. W. Leigh a few days
after the battle of Chancellorsville,...     467
III.-Note to page 128,...... 470








STONEWALL JACKSON.
PART I.
FROM HIS CHILDHOOD TO THE FIRST BATTLE OF MANASSAS.
CHAPTER I.
COUNTRY BOY AND CONSTABLE.
THE Jackson family came from England to Virginia in the
last century. John Jackson, the first of whom we have mention, settled near Weston, in Lewis County, beyond the Alleghanies, and his son Edward became county surveyor, and
served in the Legislature. Jonathan, the son of Edward Jackson, settled in the town of Clarksburg in Harrison County,
where he commenced the practise of the law, and married Miss
Neal of Wood County. Of his four children by this marriage,
two sons and two daughters, THOMAS JONATHAN, born at Clarksburg, January 21, 1824, was the youngest.
The events of Jackson's life up to the commencement of the
late war are not sufficiently interesting to justify very extended
notice, but some particulars deserve to be recorded. The Jacksons did not belong to the class of planters, living in luxury and
elegance on the seaboard, but to that energetic, intelligent, and
thrifty population which settled in Western Virginia. In the




10            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSCN.
first generation they cleared the land, established mills, and
tilled the soil. In succeeding generations they were lawyers,
judges, members of the Legislature, and soldiers, filling offices
of usefulness, and occasionally of distinction. Their manners
were plain, their houses and style of living unpretending, but the
class to which the family belonged was justly regarded as one
of the most intelligent and respectable in the Commonwealth.
Jonathan Jackson practised law for many years with success, and became a thriving citizen, but his latter years were
overshadowed by misfortune. His wife died, and the amiable
gentleman having become security fbr needy friends, found all the
hard-earned profits of his profession swept away. When he died
in 1827, he left his children penniless. Jackson was then three
years old. The child was thus left, upon the very threshold of
life, to learn the hard lesson of poverty. It is the old story which
meets us at the commencement of many a great career, and need
not be dwelt upon. The boy was taken to the house of a Dutch
farmer, his uncle-in-law, who probably did not make an agreeable impression upon him, as he soon ran away and took refuge
with a kind aunt, the wife of Judge Allen of the Court of Appeals. It is said that when the lady gently chid the forlorn
young runaway, and urged him to return to his uncle, he replied,
with great calmness and decision," Maybe I ought, ma'am,
but I am not going to."  Another uncle, Cummings E. Jackson,
now came to his succor, and took him to the old family homestead near Weston. Here he remained until he was sixteen,
acquiring the rudiments of a plain English education at an old
field school, and assisting his uncle in the labors of the farm.
His subsequent acquisitions were all due to the hours spent in
study at West Point and Lexington.
The character of the boy at this time seems to have been
earnest and energetic. At sixteen he had secured so high a reputation for intelligence and probity, that the Justices of the
County Court of Lewis elected him constable, the duties of
which office he performed with credit and efficiency.~ It is probable, however, that the position did not please him, and hearing




COUNTRY BOY AND CONSTABLE.               1that there was a vacancy at West Point, he at once determined
to apply for the appointment. This intention was expressed to
a friend, Colonel J. 1M. Bennett, who urged the high standard
of studies at the great public school, and asked the boy if he
had prepared himself. Jackson's' reply was,'" I am very ignorant, but I can make it up by study. I know I have the energy,
and I think I have the intellect."
This reply pleased Colonel Bennett so much that he at once
sat down- and wrote a letter of introduction to the representative
of the district in Congress, urging him to assist the youth, and
with this letter in his pocket Jackson resigned his office of constable and set out for Washington. An incident of this journey indicated how much importance he attached to the observance of his promises. He borrowed a friend's horse to ride to
Clarksburg, where he expected to' take the stage, promising to
leave the animal at a certain stable in the town, but upon reaching the place found that the stage was several miles upon its
way. This was a serious disappointment to the ardent youth,
and a friend, seeing his trouble, urged him to ride to the next
town, where he could come up with the vehicle, promising to
send after the borrowed horse and return him to his owner.
The temptation to accept this offer was great. The roads were
ancle deep in mud, and the stage rapidly rolling on its way; the
only obstacle was his promise to leave the horse at Clarksburg.
He declined the friendly offer, delivered the horse at the appointed place, and shouldering his baggage set off on foot through
the mud to catch the stage. He came up with it, and proceeded
to Washington. This occurred in June, 1842. Jackson's application was successful, and on the first of July in the same
year he was admitted a cadet at West Point.




12            LIFt OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER II.
CADET AT WEST POINT.
SuCH is a glimpse of Jackson, the orphan boy, at home in
Virginia. We have next to look upon the country-bred youth,
clad in the neat uniform of the West Point cadet, and making
indefatigable exertions to keep up with his class. His studies
were algebra, geometry, and French, and in the same class with
him were.Generals McClellan, Foster, Reno, Stoneman, Couch,
and Gibbon of.the United States army afterwards, and Generals A. P. Hill, Pickett, Maury, D. R. Jones, W. D. Smith, and
Wilcox of the.Confederate States army.
It may encourage others to know that his progress was slow.
At the end of the first year his standing in a class of seventy
was 45 in mathematics, 70 in French, and 51 in general- merit,
with 15 demerits. During the second year he made visible
progress, however. At the examination he stood 18 in mathematics, 52 in French, 68 in drawing, 55 in engineering, and 30
in general merit, with 26 demerits. At the end of his final year
he was 12 in engineering, 5 in ethics, 11 in artillery, 21 in
infantry tactics, 11 in mineralogy and geology; had 7 demerits, and his graduating standing, including all previous drawbacks, was 17. His " general standing" in his first year had
been 51; in his second. 30; in his third 20; in his fourth it was
17. One of his companions declared, with apparent justice, that
if he remained four years longer he would graduate at the head
of his class. This progress had been the result of hard study.,Of genius, in any form, we find no traces in him at this period.
All was resolute toil. He did not penetrate the subject before
him at a glance, but mastered it by laborious application, breaking the obdurate husk only by incessant blows. Every hour
brought progress. What he once acquired was drilled into his
mind, and every step which he ascended was solid under his feet.




CADET AT WEST POINT.                -13
Of the youth's personal appearance and deportment at this
period of his life some traits are remembered. He was not
social in his habits, and made no figure in society. His natural
character and his position in life were both opposed to the fun,
frolic, and abandon of the volatile youths at great public schools.
He had come to West -Point to secure an education which would
enable him to rise from his " low estate" of dependence upon
his relations, or the distasteful drudgery of his office of constable, and from this great object he permitted no social enjoyvments to divert him. The self-denial was not difficult, however.
Jackson was not fond of society, and made no impression in it.
He was neither gay.nor witty, and had little or no humor. In
character and appearance he was sedate and earnest; in manner shy and ungraceful. The recollection is still preserved of
many of his personal peculiarities-his simplicity and absence
of suspicion when all around him were laughing at some of his
odd ways; his grave expression and air of innocent inquiry
when some jest excited general merriment, and he could not see
the point-; his solitary habits and self-contained deportment;
his absence of mind, awkwardness of gait, and evident indifference to every species of amusement. These eccentricities attracted attention, and were the subjects of jesting comment; but
this comment was not ill-natured. The kindness and simplicity
of the hard-working youth seem to have made him many friends,
and disarmed all hostility.
In relation to his intellectual faculties, his associates are
unanimous in declaring that.he exhibited no indications whatever of his future career. They gave him credit for an amount
of industry and energy which would enable him to accomplish
much, but there is nothing to show that his most intimate friends
at this time suspected him of possessing any thing resembling
military genius.




14            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER III.
LIEUTENANT OF ARTILLERY IN MEXICO.
JACKSON graduated and received the appointment of brevet
second lieutenant of artillery on July 1, 1846. He left West
Point at a fortunate moment. The United States were at war
with Mexico. All the roving and adventurous classes of society swarmed toward the Rio Grande, fired by the fancy of
picturesque warfare in a romantic country; and it is probable
that Jackson, then but twenty-two, shared this general excitement. He was assigned to the First Regiment of United States
Artillery, then serving under General Taylor in Mexico, and
proceeded immediately to join his command. It is known that
he had a strong desire for active service, but this craving was
not for some time gratified. The regiment remained inactive
until the spring of 1847; but active operations then commenced,
and the battery to which Jackson was attached was sent to take
part in the assault on Vera Cruz. About the same time he received his appointment as sicond lieutenant, and commanded a
battery of siege guns during the bombardment. His conduct
under fire for the first time must have been creditable. In
August, for "gallant and meritorious conduct at the siege
of Vera Cruz," he was promoted to the rank of first lieutenant.
After the fall of this fortress, the American army advanced
upon the city of Mexico. All Jackson's aspirations now pointed
to a position in the light artillery.  The command of heavy
guns did not suit his temperament, and his preference for service in the field was soon gratified. Captain John B. Iagruder
led the storming party at Cerro Gordo and captured a Mexican
battery, which General Scott thereupon presented to him as
a reward for his gallantry; and Jackson immediately applied
for a position under Magruder.




LIEUTENANT OF ARTILLERY IN MEXICO.          15
" I wanted to see active service," he said in after years, " to
be near the enemy and in the fight; and when I heard that
John Magruder had got his battery, I bent all my energies to
be with him, for I knew if any fighting was to be done, Magruder would be' on hand."'
He succeeded in securing his transfer, and took a prominent
part in the assault.on the enemy's intrenched camp at Contreras, and in the stubborn struggle which followed at Churubllsco.  "My fire was opened," wrote Captain Magruder,
",and continued with-great rapidity for about an hour. In a
few moments Lieutenant Jackson, commanding the second section of the battery, who had opened a fire upon the enemy's works
from a position-on the right, hearing our own fire still further
in front, advanced in handsome style, and kept up the fire with
great briskness and effect...   Lieutenant Jackson's conduct
was equally conspicuous throughout the whole day, and I cannot
too highly commend him to the major-general's favorable consideration."
This report was addressed to' Captain J. Hooker, A. A. G. "
afterwards General Hooker.
In the report of General Twiggs the young lieutenant was
mentioned for' gallant services; " and for " gallant and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras and Churubusco," he
was brevetted captain.  On the 8th of September came the victory of El1 Molino del Rey; and on the 13th the city of Mexico
was stormed and taken.
Jackson had borne his fair share of the toils and dangers of
the campaign, and had secured high commendation. The source
and character of this commendation place his merit beyond
question. General Scott twice mentioned him in his report, and
declared that he had'" gained merited praise." General Worth
-%wrote: " After advancing some four hundred yards we came to
a battery which had been assailed by a portion of Magruder's
field-guns-particularly the section under the gallant Lieutenant
Jackson, who, although he had lost most of his horses and many
of his men, continued chivalrously at his post, combating with




16            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
noble courage."  General Pillow wrote: " Captain Magruder's
field-battery, one section of which was served with great gallantry by himself, and the other by his brave lieutenant, Jackson,
in the face of a galling fire from the enemy's intrenched positions, did valuable service preparatory to the general assault.
The advanced section of the battery, under the command of the
brave Lieutenant Jackson, was dreadfully cut up and almost
disabled." Captain Magruder made mention of the young man's
services throughout his report, and wrote: " I beg leave to call
the attention of the major-general commanding the division to
the conduct of Lieutenant Jackson of the First Artillery. If
devotion, industry, talent, and gallantry are the highest qualities
of a soldier, then he is entitled to the distinction which their
profession confers."
This warm testimony to the young soldier's skill and courage
was not disregarded. For "' gallant and meritorious conduct in
the battle of Chepultepec, September 13, 1847," he was brevetted major. In less than a year he had risen from brevet second lieutenant to brevet major, distinguishing himself so greatly
in every action as to attract the attention, and secure the especial notice of his generals, including the commander-in-chief.
" The brave Lieutenant Jackson"-" The gallant Lieutenant
Jackson " —his " devotion, industry, talent, and gallantry"these tributes to his merits as a soldier had been showered upon
him by some of the bravest and most famous officers of the
army; and such praise must have thrilled to the very depths of
a heart, at that time, if not afterwards, passionately sensitive to
military glory.
An incident, which appears to rest upon good authority, will
serve to convey an idea of the young lieutenant's coolness and
nerve. His section had opened fire on the enemy's intrenchments, and drawn upon itself a whirlwind of iron which tore
man and horse to pieces. Men fell around the guns at every
moment,' and the fire of the enemy at last became so terrible
that the bravest of the cannoneers fled from the pieces. Only
Jackson and a sergeant were left, and dismounting, the youthful




LIEUTENANT OF ARTILLERY IN MEXICO.          17
lieutenant took the sponge staff, and, with the assistance of his
sergeant, began to load and fire with immovable phlegm and
coolness. He was thus engaged when Magruder rode up and
ordered him to withdraw his guns; but against this Jackson
strongly remonstrated. He could hold his ground, he declared,
and if General Worth would only send him fifty regulars., he
would silence the enemy's batteries and render their capture
easy. Magruder acquiesced, the men were sent, and Jackson
immediately advanced his section, opening with a more rapid
and destructive fire than before. The opposing batteries were
silenced, the works were charged, and the American troops were
soon occupying them.
On another occasion when his men ran from the pieces, and
crouched behind a bank for shelter from a heavy fire of artillery,
Jackson is said to have advanced into the open space, which was
every moment being ploughed up with shot and shell, calling out
with great coolness,'" Come on! This is nothing. You see they
can't hurt me! "
Long after the war, in 1858, a gay youth at Lexington
asked Jackson one day if one of these anecdotes was true, and
receiving a reply in the affirmative, added:
" That was a very hot place, wasn't it, Major?"
" Yes, very hot," was the reply.'" Why didn't you run, Major!" asked another as the laugh
ran round the circle. With a smile Jackson replied:
" I was not ordered to do so. If I had been ordered to run,
I would have done so; but I was directed to hold my position,
and I had no right to abandon it."
Such was the explanation of the ex-artillerist; but we sus.
pect that the character of his audience, or self-deception, led him
to dwell too exclusively on the motive of duty. That motive
may have been controlling with him, and the question of his
young pupil gave him an excellent opportunity to enlarge upon
it, and " point a moral."  But behind the composed mask of the
grave Lexington professor we think we can discern the grim
smile of the artillerist of Contreras, Churubusco, and Chepul2




1.8           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
tepee. Whatever may have been the sentiment of Major Jackson of the Virginia Military Institute, Lieutenant Jackson of the
United States Army in-Mexico loved fighting. He loved it to
the last with all his piety and kindliness; and for the simple reason that his organization was essentially dominant, combative,
delighting in antagonismn.  Until greatly changed by religious
feeling, he seems to have loved fighting for its own sake; and it
is certain that he performed his military duties in Mexico with
the greatest gusto. He does not seem at that time to have been
at all pious. He was a young soldier leading a soldier's life, in
the atmosphere of the camp; busy with many things; full of
ambition; in good health; and delighted with this " best of all
possible worlds" in which he had become a major of artillery
at the age of twenty-three. To have his battery in readiness
for action at a moment's notice-to get the best position, stand
to his guns, do the enemy the largest amount of damage, and
thereby secure "honorable mention" and a brevet-this was
probably regarded as the chief end of man by the young and
ardent artillerist.
It may be said that there was nothing very grand about all
this; but it is something to be a good soldier, and Jackson certainly was such. He worked hard in camp, and fought hard in
the field. Devotion, industry, talent, and gallantry are not possessed by every one; but Magruder, who knew Jackson intimately, declared that he possessed them.
He was more than a good soldier afterwards-he was a very
great man. But that was when a sublimer thirst than that for
human glory had made him a true i' Soldier of the Cross."




PROFESSOR AT LEXINGTON.              19
CH'APTER IV.
PROFESSOR AT LEXINGTON.
THE capture of the city of Mexico ended the war, and peace
was soon declared between the two countries.
The United States forces were withdrawn, and we next hear
of Major Jackson in Florida, where the remnant of the Indian
tribes formerly inhabiting that region still carried on hostilities
against the Government. Here his health gave way. He had
never been a person of very robust constitution, though capable
of enduring great fatigue, and the swampy airs of Florida soon
told upon a frame subjected to a heavy strain in the campaigns
of Mexico.
This feeble state of health was probably the main reason
which induced him to accept a proposition made to him early in
the year 1851, to become a candidate for the chair of Natural
and Experimental Philosophy at the Virginia Military Institute.
This step involved a relinquishment of all the dreams of military
glory which had so long filled his mind. He was called upon to
bid farewell to that "' pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious
war" which he loved; to hang up the sword battered in glorious
encounter; to close his eyes to all the bright hopes of the future;
and, his " occupation gone," settle down into a simple professor,
drilling knowledge into the minds of his pupils year after year,
with no wars, no battles, no thunder of the cannon any more.
It must have been a hard struggle with the young soldier. The
camp had now become his home: the service his chosen occupation, in which were centred all his joys and aspirations.
lIe must consent to sever at a single blow the tie so firmly knit:
to commence life afresh, and bending all his energies in a different direction, make usefulness his aim, no longer military glory.
Ihis health, or other circumstances, however decided him. He
wrote from Fort Meade, Florida, February 25, 1851, to Colonel




20            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
(now General) Francis H. Smith, superintendent of the institute,
acquiescing in the proposition to bring his name before the Board
of Visitors, and said: I" Though strong ties bind me to the army,
yet I cannot consent to decline so flattering an offer."  Other
names had been submitted to the Board by the Faculty of West
Point, all distinguished for high scholarship and gallant services
-among them Generals McClellan, Reno, and Rosecrans, of
the Northern army, and General G. W. Smith of the Confederate army. McClellan, Reno, Rosecrans, Jackson! Suclh was
the occasion upon which these afterwards celebrated athletes
came in collision. The Virginian unhorsed all his opponents,
and, March 28, 1851, was elected.
We have stated that the condition of Jackson's health was
probably the controlling motive for his relinquishment of active
service in the field. It is proper to add, however,' that he stated
to his intimates that one of his objects was to keep his mind
fresh, especially in artillery tactics, in order to " embrace any
opportunity that might offer, for obtaining command in the
event of war."  Whether he then contemplated the great collision between the North and the South, is not stated. The -authority for the above statement adds: "He seemed to feel that
he was born for command;" but at a later period, these martial
longings are said to have greatly diminished. He had become
a professor of religion, and " wbuld have engaged in no military
service but one really defensive; and while desirous of honorable
regard, his great aim was duty —-good to be done —an approving
conscience, and the glory' of God."
On the 1st of September, 1851, Major Jackson entered upon
his duties as Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy
and Instructor of Artillery in the Virginia Military Institute
near Lexington. Whatever doubts he may have had about his
new duties, there could be. no doubt that the locality was a
change for the better. Lexington is a town situated in the
county of Rockbridge, in the Valley of Virginia, surrounded by
blue mountains, and in the midst of smiling fields. Nowhere
can be found a purer air, or a more, charming landscape. It




PROFESSOR AT LEXINGTON.                21
was a good exchange for the miasmatic atmosphere of the low
grounds of Florida, fruitful- in fevers, and stealing away the life
of the unacclimated stranger. Such was Jackson's new home,
and life must have had a gay and smiling appearance to him
there from the beginning. We know that the region soon
became dearer to him than all others.
Here were spent the most tranquil and serenely happy hours
of a manhood which commenced and ended amid the storms of
battle; and here were first revealed to him the full glory and
sublimity of that faith in God, which soon became the master
element of his being. At Lexington he was happy as husband,
father, friend, and citizen; and to this spot of earth the rigid
form of the dead soldier, was sent back, and, borne on a caisson
of the cadet. battery, committed to the earth. He had asked
them to bury him there, to let his bones repose in the dear
earth to which his thoughts recurred with so much tenderness.
On his death-bed, when his hours were numbered, and his spirit
drifted slowly toward eternity, the pale lips opened, and he murmured in a whisper:
" Bury me in Lexington, in the Valley of Virginia!"
Two important events mark this pleriod of Jackson's lifehis marriage and profession of religion. He married Miss
Junkin, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Junkin, President of Washington College. This lady did not long survive her marriage, and
her only child, a daughter, died in infancy. Several years
after the death of his first wife he was again married to Miss
Morrison of North Carolina. By this marriage he had one
child, Julia, born a few months before his death.
Jackson became a member of the Presbyterian church of
the town, then under the charge of an excellent old:man, the
Rev. Dr. White. The circumstances leading to this public profession of Christian faith are unknown to the present writer;
but it is certain that he speedily became an active and prominent
member of the church, and filled, during his residence at Lexington, important secular positions in it. Every Sunday, with
military regularity, the figure of the Professor was seen in his




22            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
pew at the Presbyterian church, hymn-book in hand, his earnest countenance turned up to the pulpit with close attention.
Religious duties soon became the controlling occupation of his
life; the society of good men and women his chief relaxation
and greatest source of pleasure. All who know any thing of
Jackson, and observed him  in private then and during his
period of command in the field thereafter, will remember the
marked preference which he displayed for the society of clergymen, and the childlike fondness, almost tenderness, which he
exhibited toward the pious ladies whom he encountered on his
marches. His reputation as an earnest and devoted Christian
had singularly endeared him to these gray-haired matrons, and
he repaid their attentions with a respect and deference which
was beautiful to behold. The present writer has seen him, after
a long and exhausting march, when he had scarcely tasted food
for twenty-four hours, forget the tempting supper before him,
and give his whole attention to the aged lady who sat beside
him. This spectacle was familiar to those who lived with him.
Strangers may have found in it a topic for amusement and jests;
but to the writer of these pages it seemed indicative of that simplicity and goodness which were the natural instincts of his
character.
Any discussion of the peculiar religious views of Jackson must
be left to abler hands than those of the present writer. He was
popularly spoken of as a " fatalist " —which means, if it means
any thing, one who believes that what will be, will be. It is
sufficient to say of Jackson that he was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and strongly embraced the doctrines of predestination and Providential supervision. It has been said that he
cherished an unfailing " confidence in his destiny," and believed
that he had: " a distinct mission of duty in which he should be
spared for the ends of Providence."  This may be true; but it
is certain that his motto was, " Do your duty, and leave the rest
to God."  His faith was not speculative, but practical and living. His earnestness of temperament was carried into religious
affairs, and he was averse to all sentiment which did not prove




PROFESSOR AT LEXINGTON..23
its genuineness by action. With him his Christian faith was a
practical influence, shaping his habits and life. The reality of
his feeling was shown every day, and no adverse influences
seemed to affect it. In camp and surrounded by the many distracting cares of command his habits of meditation and prayer
remained unaltered, and he was as devout an observer of religious exercises as in the days of peace. He was generally
regarded as sectarian in his views, and one of his nicknames
was "The Blue Light Elder."  But this popular belief seems to
have been entirely erroneous.  He was a devoted but not
bigoted member of the Presbyterian Church; and a most intelligent staff officer, long serving near his person, assured the
present writer that he had no such exclusive feeling whatever.
A letter to Dr. Hoge on the subject of army chaplains, in the
spring of 1863, is a strong proof of this; and those who were
thrown in personal contact with him during his military career,
will not easily be convinced that his just, liberal, and Catholic
intellect could have hampered itself within the narrow boundaries of sectarianism.
We pass now to his personal traits and habits. Well-meaning persons have drawn a wholly incorrect likeness of Jackson
at this period of his life. Misled by admiration, and yielding to
the temptation to eulogy, they have bestowed upon Professor
Jackson every moral and physical grace, and even his eccentricities have been toned down into winning ways, original and
characteristic, which only made their possessor more graceful
and charming than before. We are sorry to say that this is all
fancy. Jackson was the farthest possible removed from any
thing graceful; and as the first merit of any biography is accuracy, we shall endeavor to lay before the reader a truthful
sketch of the real form seen moving to and fro, on the streets of
Lexington, between the years 1851 and 1861.
It was the figure of a tall, gaunt, awkward individual, wearing a gray uniform, and apparently moving by separate and distinct acts of volition. This stiff and unbending figure passed
over the ground with a sort of stride, as though measuring the




24            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
distance from one given point to another; and those who followed
its curious movements, saw it pause at times, apparently from
having reached the point desired. The eyes of the individual at
such moments were fixed intently upon the ground; his lips
moved in soliloquy; the absent and preoccupied gaze and general expression of the features, plainly showed a profound unconsciousness of " place and time."  It was perfectly obvious
that the mind of the military-looking personage in the gray coat,
was busy upon some problem entirely disconnected from his
actual surroundings. The fact of his presence at Lexington, in
the commonwealth of Virginia, had evidently disappeared fromhis consciousness; the figures moving around him were mere
phantasmagoria: he had travelled in search of some principle
of philosophy, or some truth in theology, quite out of the real,
workaday world, and deep into the land of dreams. If you
spoke to him at such times, he awoke as it were from sleep,
and looked into your face with an air of simplicity and inquiry,
which sufficiently proved the sudden transition which he had
made from the world of thought to that of reality.
In lecturing to his class, his manner was grave, earnest, full
of military brevity, and destitute of all the graces of the speaker.
Business-like, systematic, somewhat stern, with an air of rigid
rule, as though the matter at issue was of the utmost importance,
and he was entrusted with the responsibility of seeing that due
attention was paid to it-he did not make a very favorable impression upon the volatile youths who sat at the feet of this
military Gamaliel. They listened decorously to the grave Professor, but, once dismissed from his presence, took their revenge
by a thousand jests upon his peculiarities of mind and demeanor.
His oddities were the subject of incessant jokes: his eccentric
ways were dwelt upon with all theeloquence and sarcastic gusto
which characterize the gay conversation of young men discussing
an unpopular teacher. No idiosyncrasy of the Professor was lost
sight of. His stiff, angular figure; the awkward movement of
his body; his absent and "' grum" demeanor; his exaggerated
and apparently absurd devotion to military regularity; his weari



PROFESSOR AT:LEXINGTON.              25
some exactions of a similar observance op their part:-that
general oddity, eccentricity, and singularity in moving, talking,
thinking, and -acting peculiar to himself-all these were described
on a thousand occasions, and furnished unfailing food for laughter.
They called him " Old Tom Jackson;" and pointing significantly
to their foreheads, said he was " not quite right there."  Some inclined to the belief that he was only a great eccentric; but others
declared him " crazy."  Those who had experienced the full
weight of his Professional baton-whd had been reprimanded before the class, or " reported" to the superintendent for punishment
or dismissal-called him " Fool Tom Jackson."
These details are not very heroic, and detract considerably
from that dignified outline which eulogistic writers upon Jackson have drawn. But they are true. Nothing is better established than the fact that the man to whom General Lee wrote,
" Could I have directed events, I should have chosen for the
good of the country to have been disabled in your stead," and
of whom the London Times said," That mixture of daring and
judgment, which is the mark of' Heaven born' Generals, distinguished him. beyond any man of his time"-nothing is more
certain, we say, than that this man was sneered at as a fool, and
on many occasions stigmatized as insane.
It is doubtless true, however, that some of the youths, of
more generous disposition or penetrating judgment, did not share
in this general opinion. They saw in the young Professor originality rather than eccentricity of mind. They could acknowledge the peculiarities of his views and opinions, and the singularity of some of his habits, without sharing the popular
impression that some wheel or crank of his mental machinery
was out of order. Upon one point, however, there seems to
have been a general concurrence: the young teacher's possession
of an indomitable fearlessness and integrity in the discharge of
every duty. His worst enemies never ventured to say that he
did not walk the straight path of right, and administer his official duties without fear, favor, or affection. They were forced'to recognize the fact that this stiff military machine measured




26            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
out justice to all alike, irrespective of persons, and could not be
turned aside from the direct course by any influences around
him. The cadets laughed at him, but they were afraid of him.
They agreed, by common consent, that it was time thrown away
to write excuses for a " report" made by Major Jackson. The
faculty, from long experience, had come to understand that
when Major Jackson reported a cadet he deserved punishment,
and the consequence was that although the young men derided
his peculiarities, and laughed in private at his odd ways, they
felt that he was their master, and yielded full obedience to his
orders.
Such was the ex-artillerist turned professor.  From  his
functions of professor in the school-room he would pass to those
of instructor of artillery on the parade ground. Here he was
more in his element. He was called upon to teach the mysteries of that arm of the service which; he loved above all others;
and the proficiency of the cadets in drill and all the evolutions
of the battery was soon a subject of remark. Jackson.took
great interest in these drills, especially when blank cartridges
were used. " An ex-Cadet," in his interesting account of this:
portion of Jackson's life, says: "As soon as the'sound of the
guns would fall upon his ears, a change would seem to come
over Major Jackson. He would grow more erect; the grasp
upon his sabre would tighten; the quiet eyes would flash; the
large nostrils would dilate, and the calm, grave face would glow
with the proud spirit of the warrior. I have been frequently
struck with this, and have often called the attention of others
to it."
We have thus presented the figure of Jackson under two
or three aspects-as the absent-looking thinker moving, lost in
meditation, through the streets of Lexington; the grave professor in the lecturer's desk, and the officer of artillery, with
sabre at his side, directing the drill and drawling out his commands in the long, singsong fashion peculiar to the graduates of
West Point. His appearance on Sunday will conclude our outline  He attended church with unfailing regularity. Punctual




PROFESSOR AT LEXINGTON,               27
to the moment, the form of the Professor was seen to enter church,
decorously approach the familiar pew, and enter with grave
respect in his whole demeanor. Book in hand, he followed the
words of the. hymn sung by the congregation, and at the signal
for prayer rose erect, his tall figure, remaining as motionless as
a statue until the prayer was finished. After the service he retraced his steps with decorous gravity and retired to his quarters, to return again with the same punctuality, and conduct
himself with the same solemn respect, at the evening service.
The hours of Sunday not spent in church were given up to
religious reading, meditation, and prayer in his study or in the
bosom of his family.
Thus passed, in a routine of duty, barren and dull to the
beholder, but doubtless interesting to him, a period of nearly
ten years. Jackson's health was still delicate, and he suffered
much from weakness of eyesight; but these, drawbacks did not
interfere with the rigid and complete discharge of his duties.
The feebleness of his sight induced him to turn his attention
especially to that subject, and when the revolution commenced,
he had made considerable progress in an elementary work on
Optics, which he proposed to publish for the benefit of his class.
His character seems to have been understood and appreciated
by the best classes of the little society of Lexington, and his
virtues were greatly respected. Men of grave character,and
experience discerned the solid merits of the man; and if they
did not suspect the presence of that military genius which he
afterwards exhibited on another arena, they valued him for his
conscientious devotion to duty, and loved him for his simplicity
and piety. One who was connected with him officially at this
time, Colonel Smith, the superintendent, writes:" His great
principle of government was.that a general rule should not be
violated for any particular good; and his animating rule of action
was, that a man could always accomplish what he willed to perform." This statement may be paraphrased in-the words system, regularity, justice, impartiality, and unconquerable perseverance and determination. These were valuable lessons to




28            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
teach youths. They laughed at him, but they imbibed the principles of action which he taught. They derided the rigid discipline which the young martinet enacted; denounced him for
administering things " on a war footing," and no doubt honestly
regarded him as a most unreasonable advocate of useless military etiquette; but they were slowly and certainly trained, like
growing twigs, in the direction which the teacher wished. Jackson proceeded upon the eminently just view that the Institute
was a military school, whose -chief value consisted in the habits
of military system and obedience which it impressed on the
ductile characters of the cadets, and regarded any relaxation of
the rules of the establishment as directly tending to strike at the
intention of its founders and destroy its usefulness. Many anecdotes touching this point are related of him. He once continued to wear a thick woollen uniform during the sultriest days
of summer, when everybody else had adopted the lightest attire
possible; and when asked by one of the professors why he did
so, replied that " he had seen an order prescribing the uniform
which he wore, but none had been exhibited to him directing it
to be changed." Another incident is equally characteristic.
Colonel Smith declares that he has known him to walk to and'fro, in front of the superintendent's quarters, with a heavy rain
beating upon his person,." because the hour had not quite arrived when it was his duty to present his weekly reports." Such
things appeared extremely absurd to the young gentlemen who
had no idea of the importance of military " orders," and the
implicit obedience which a good soldier considers it his duty to
pay to them. But which was right-the laughing young cadet,
or the grave major of artillery? Let the thousands who. in the
late bitter and arduous struggle have been taught by. stern expe.
rience the necessity of strict compliance with all orders, to the
very letter, answer the question.
As yet, however, the cadets laughed, and doubted the good
sense of all this rigid discipline. They not only made fun of
the grave Professor behind his back, but persecuted and " sorely
tried" him, says "An ex-Cadet," by practical jokes. One of




PROFESSOR AT LEXINGTON. - -           29
these was amusing, and will give the reader some idea of the
youths with whom he had to deal. The battery used in drilling
was managed by drag-ropes, which the junior: class manned.
These would play all sorts of pranks. Sometimes a lynch-pin
would be secretly abstracted, and the piece or caisson would
break down in the midst of the drill. A more mirth-provokilig
device even than this, however, was hit upon. A small bell
was adroitly suspended inside of the limber-box, and the conspirators demurely took their places at the drag-ropes. The
commander of the battery gave the order " Forward," and the.
pieces began to move. Suddenly a mysterious tinkling was
heard, and the:cadets, unable to withstand this tax upon their
risible faculties, burst into shouts of laughter. The Professor
looked astonished, halted the battery, and with great earnestness
instituted an inquiry into the phenomenon. It was in vain;
nothing was discovered, and the order was again given for the
pieces to move forward. They moved, and the hidden bell again
tinkled, amid renewed shouts of laughter. How this adventure
terminated we are not informed, but there is no doubt that the
trick was played and was not greatly enjoyed by Professor Jackson. Other devices of the frolicsome cadets to annoy him seem
to have affected him with a touch of humor. We have referred
to the long drawling manner in which, following the fashion of
West Point, he gave his commands. A favorite movement with
him was to bring the battery into echelon; and whenever the
command to "Form echelon" was given with its accompaniment, " Right oblique-trot-march!" the whole ground would
ring with the commands, repeated by the cadet officers, in the
most ridiculous drawl imaginable. One evening when this had
been carried to unwonted excess, the adjutant approached Jackson and asked him how he was pleased with the drill.
"Very much, sir," replied Jackson; then smiling slightly,
-he added, "the officers gave very fine commands this afternoon."
No opportunity of having a laugh at the Professor's expense
was lost sight of, and on another occasion the cadets had some
grounds for their amusement. One day Jackson informed his




3C            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
class that the clock in front of the Institute'was not correct, and
declared his intention to ascertain, by scientific means, the exact
time. Hie accordingly marched out to the parade-ground, withthe class at his heels, and proceeded, by means of his instru-'
ments, to take an observation. The result was amusing anddelightful to the cadet-heart. He finished his work about halfpast twelve in the day, and to his profound astonishment discovered that it was nearly seven in the evening! The cadets set up
a shout, and after looking around him with incredulous surprise
for some moments, Jackson joined in the general laughter. It
was soon discovered that the instruments were out of order, but
the cadets did not suffer this fact to lessen their appreciation of
the joke.
One of the few exhibitions of a tendency to humor which
we find in Jackson's whole career occurred at this period. The
reader will not be troubled with many similar incidents, and we
give the anecdote here. One morning in 1858 he called up a
member of the graduating class, and with profound gravity propounded the following scientific question:
"Why is it impossible to send a telegraphic despatch fromn
Lexington to Staunton?"
The cadet reflected for some moments, and then replied that.
the explanation of this phenomenon doubtless lay in the fact
that the amount of iron ore in the mountain drew the magnetic
current from the wires.
A covert smile touched upon Jackson's features; fled away,*
and he said:
"' No, sir; you can take your seat."
Another was called up, but he too failed to explain the
mystery. A second, then a third were equally unsuccessfulJackson listening to their theories with profound attention, but
ivith the same sly smile which had greeted the first solution.
This smile, probably, attracted the attention of the next cadet who
was called, and threw a sudden light upon the subject. His
countenance lit up; his lip broke into a smile in return, and he
said:




PROFESSOR AT LEXINGTON.               31
"Well, Major Jackson, I reckon it must be because there is
no telegraph between the two places."
"You are right, sir," replied Jackson, who had suddenly
renewed his composed expression. "You can take your seat."
An outburst of laughter from the class greeted this passage
of arms in which the Professor was overthrown, but:the unwonted display of humor had apparently exhausted Jackson's
appreciation of the quality for the time. He called the class to
order, and calmly continued the subject of the recitation as if
nothing had happened.
We give this incident upon good authority. It is the first
and last attempt at a practical joke which we find in Jackson's
life.
Another incident of his dealings with the cadets is an illustration of the quiet courage of the man, and disregard of personal consequences where duty was concerned. He had brought
charges against a cadet, who was tried and dismissed from the
Institute. Burning with resentment, the young man declared
his intention to take Jackson's life, and arming himself took his
position on the road from Lexington to the Institute, over which
he knew the Professor would pass on his way to meet his class.
A friend had overheard the youth express his bloody intention,
and hastening to warn Jackson, met him on the road, and informed him of his danger, strongly urging him to turn back.
To turn back, however, was to neglect his recitations on that
day, and to hold his recitations was a part of his duty. He peremptorily refused to retrace his steps, and with the cold and
stern reply, " Let the assassin murder me if he will!" continued
his way. As he approached the spot indicated, he saw the young
man standing and awaiting him. He turned and gazed fixedly
at him with that look which had fronted, unmoved, the most
terrible scenes of carnage upon many battle-fields. The youth
could not sustain it; he lowered his eyes, and, turning away in
silence, left the spot, while Jackson calmly pursued his way.
We have here placed upon record, with such illustrations as
we could collect, the traits of character which distinguished




32            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Jackson at this period of his life. One other which is mentioned by a recent biographer should be noticed-the strength
of his memory. " In the section room," says "An ex-Cadet,"
" he would sit perfectly erect and motionless, listening with grave
attention, and exhibiting the great powers of his wonderful
memory, which was, I:think, the most remarkable that ever
came under my observation. The course that he taught was
the most difficult- and complicated known to mathematics, running through at least half a dozen text-books. In listening to a
recitation he rarely used a book. He was ready at any moment
to refer to any page or line in any of the books, and then to
repeat with perfect accuracy the most difficult passages that
could be referred to."
Such was Jackson at Lexington; a stiff, earnest, military
figure-artillery officer turned professor: stern in his bearing,
eccentric in his habits, peculiar in many of his views, leading a
life: of alternate activity in the section room and abstraction in
the study, independent, devoted to duty, deeply religious in sentiment, and notable in person, deportment, and character for an
undoubted originality. The eccentric figure was as well known
in Lexington as that of the " Iron Duke," raising the finger to
his hat, and uttering his curt greeting in the streets of London.
As years wore on his character was better understood-his merit
more fully recognized. We may doubt Colonel Smith's assertion that at the breaking out of the present war, " the spontaneous sentiment of every cadet and graduate was to serve under
him as their leader," but there is good reason to believe that he
had strongly impressed great numbers of persons with a conviction of his soldierly qualities-his good judgment, impartiality,
perseverance, courage, and knowledge of the profession of arms.
Thus passed the years, almost without incident with Jackson-month following month, with little to distinguish one from
another. The death of his first wife; his second marriage; a
brief visit which he made to Europe in 1858, and his march to
Charlestown, Virginia, in command of the cadet battery, in




PROFESSOR AT LEXINGTON.                33
1859, during the John Brown agitation, are the only events
which seem to have interrupted' the monotony of his daily duties.
The loss of his wife must have been a heavy blow to a man of
so much depth and earnestness of feeling, but we have no private records connected with that event. His tour in Europe is
equally a blank. We only know that in' 1858 he obtained a
furlough of three months from the Board of Visitors, which he
spent in European travel. The tour was brief and rapid, and
we can trace from it no influences upon his life or character.
At the expiration of' his leave of absence he was back in his
accustomed place, dressed in his accustomed uniform, and calmly
pursuing his recitations, his artillery drills, and his scientific
studies.
His life had thus flowed on, almost without a ripple on the
serene surface. He was a sentinel -on duty, whose "beat" was
between his study and his recitation-room. The ardent young
soldier had settled down into the serious professor, drilling military and scientific knowledge into the minds of youth, and content in this sphere of usefulness to forget all the dreams of ambition. Had not the recent struggle called him to the field once
more, it is almost certain that he would have grown gray in his
professor's chair, and died unknown.
But such a tranquil life and death was not to be the fate of
Jackson. His early manhood had been passed in the hot atmnosphere of battle, and amid the roar of artillery and small
arms: that stormy music had saluted his youthful ears, and was
to thunder round him on many a hard-fought field in a fiercer
contest than any of the past; and with the solemn diapason rolling in the distance still, his spirit was to pass away.
3




341           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER V.
JACKSON IS APPOINTED COLONEL OF VOLUNTEERS.
THE causes which led to the late war are too well known to
require any notice here. Other considerations operate to deter
the writer from entering upon the subject. A brief summary
would be too little, and a full discussion too much.
South Carolina seceded on the 20th December, 1860, and by
the Ist of February, 1861, she had been joined in the order
named by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana,
and Texas. tMilitary movements had begun at many.points,
and the formal collision was rapidly approaching. Early in
February, Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, was elected President
of the Confederate States, and on the 13th of April Fort Sumter surrendered to General Beauregard.
On the next day, April 14, 1861, President Lincoln issued his.
proclamation calling upon the States for 75,000 men, to enforce
obedience to the United States authority in the seceded States.
This proclamation decided the course of Virginia. She had
long delayed her decision, from an almost unconquerable repugnance to a dissolution of the Union, and the inauguration of a
bloody civil war, which must desolate her own territory more
than that of any other State; and, in the Convention, then sitting
at Richmond, the advocates of secession had hitherto found themselves opposed by a majority which nothing seemed able to overcome. This large party. were in favor of mediating between
the extremes, and believed themselves competent to arrange the
differences by Peace Commissioners, and an appeal to the old
kindly.feeling of both sections. In April, however, it began to
be plainly seen that these hopes were illusory.: The Commissioners returned from Washington without attaining any results,
and the proclamation of the President of the United States calling for troops to act against the South, speedily followed.




JACKSON IS APPOINTED COLONEL OF VOLUNTEERS.  35
Virginia, as one of the States still in the Union, was expected to furnish her quota of this force of 75,000 men; and
the Commonwealth was called upon immediately to decide
whether she would fight against or with the South. Her decision was shown by the passage, on the 17th of April, of an ordinance of secession, and Virginia took her place, for weal or
woe, by the side of her Southern sisters.
Having thus cast their lot with the seceding States, the authorities of Virginia proceeded to prepare for war. Th4 Convention entered with vigor upon the work of putting the Commonwealth in a state of defence; volunteers were directed to be
enrolled and held in readiness in every part of the State; and
Colonel R. E. Lee, who had resigned his commission in the
United States cavalry, and repaired to his native State, was appointed Major-General of the Provisional army of Virginia, and
placed in command of all her forces.
These steps were not taken too soon. The action of Virginia had been anticipated by the Federal authorities, and they
now acted with decision. The passage of the ordinance of secession became known on the 18th, and on the 19th of April Lieutenant Jones, of the United States army, evacuated Harper's
Ferry, having first attempted to blow up the public buildings
there. On the next day reSnforcements were promptly thrown
into Fortress Monroe; and the navy yard at Norfolk, together
with the war shipping there,- was set on fire and abandoned.
War had thus commenced, and with it; Jackson appeared
upon the scene. He left Lexington on the 21st of April, in
command of the corps of cadets, and, proceeding to Camp Lee
at Richmond, entered energetically upon the task of drilling the
new levies flocking in from every portion of the State. While
he was thus engaged, Governor Letcher nominated him for colonel of volunteers, and his name came up before the Convention.
Here some objection was shown to the appointment. A strong
prejudice had taken hold upon the public mind against the managers of the Military Institute, who were supposed to have betrayed an intention of monopolizing, if possible, for.the officers




36.  LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON,
and graduates of that school, all military appointments in the
Virginia forces, and the career of Jackson in Mexico, never
very widely known, appeared to have passed from the memories
of everybody.
"Who is this Thomas J. Jackson?" was a question asked
by many, and one of his friends replied:
" I can tell you who he is. If you put him in command at
Norfolk, he will never leave it alive, unless you order him to
do so.".
His services in Mexico and at the Institute were dwelt upon
by his friends, and his appointment was unanimously confirmed.
But he was not sent to Norfolk. He was directed to proceed to
Harper's Ferry and take command of the forces assembling
there, which he did on the 3d of May, 1861.
We have a personal sketch of Jackson as he appeared at this
time, which, if not very complimentary, is at least characteristic,
and shows what effect he produced upon strangers.
An army correspondent of one of the Southern papers drew
an outline of the newly appointed colonel. - The queer apparition of the ex-Professor on the field excited great merriment in
this writer. The Old Dominion must be wofully deficient in
military men, he feared, if this was the best she could do. The
new colonel was not at all like a commanding officer. There
was a painful want in him of all the" pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war."  His dress was no better than a private soldier's, and there was not a particle of gold lace about
his uniform. His air was abstracted; his bearing stiff and awkward; he kept his own counsels; never consulted with his officers, and had very little to say to -anybody. On horseback his
appearance was even less impressive. Other officers, at that
early stage of the war, when the fondness for military insignia
and display was greater than afterwards, when the blockade had
cut off the supply of gewgaws and- decorations, made their appearance before their troops on prancing horses, with splendid
trappings, and seemed desirous of showing the admiring spectators how gracefully they could sit in the saddle. The new colo



JACKSON IS APPOINTED COLONEL OF VOLUNTEERS.  37
nel was a strong contrast to all this. He rode an old horse who
seemed to have little of the romance of war about him, and
nothing at all fine in his equipment. Hisseat in the saddle was
far from graceful; he leaned forward awkwardly; settled his
chin from time to time in his lofty military stock, and looked
from side to side, from beneath the low rim of his cadet cap, in
a manner which the risible faculties of the correspondent could
not resist. A queerer figure, and one which answered less to
the idea of military grace, had never before dawned on the attention of the literary gentleman who sketched it for the amusement of the Southern reader.
The sketch was not inaccurate in the main particulars.
Such was not a bad description of the figure which the troops
scanned curiously as he passed to and fro on duty; and those who
distrusted the ability of this silent and phlegmatic personage to
command the forces, had their views apparently confirmed
soon afterwards. On the 23d of May, General Joseph E. Johnston, formerly of the United States Army, and an officer of tried
ability and courage, arrived, and took command of all the troops
at Harper's Ferry. Jackson was assigned to the command of a
brigade of infantry, composed of four regiments of Virginians.
The Federal authorities had meanwhile called for additional
troops, and did not seem to share the opinion of the leading
Northern journals, which predicted an early and almost bloodless termination of the war. " The nations of Europe," said one
of these journals," may rest assured that Jeff. Davis and Co.
will be swinging from the battlements of Washington, at least by
the Fourth of July. We spit upon a later and longer-deferred
justice."  Another said: " Let us make quick work. The' rebellion,' as some people designate it, is an unborn tadpole.
Let us not fall into the delusion noticed by Hallam, of mistaking
a' local commotion' for a revolution. A strong, active' pull together will do our work effectually in thirty days. We have
only tb send a column of 25,000 men across the Potomac, to
Richmond, and burn out the rats there; another column of
25,000 to Cairo, seizing the cotton ports of the Mississippi, and




38            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
retaining the remaining 25,000 included in Mr. Lincoln's call for
75,000 men, at Washington, not because there is any need for
them there, but becapse we do not require their services elsewhere."  A third said: " No man of sense can for a moment
doubt that this much-ado-about-nothing will end in a month.
The rebels, a mere band of ragamuffins, will fly like chaff before
the wind on our approach.'" " Let the East get out of the
way," said a fourth, "this is a war of the West. We can fight
the battle and successfully, within two or three months at the
furthest. Illinois can whip the South by herself. We insist on
the matter being turned over to us."  A fifth said: " The rebellion- will be crushed out before the assemblage of Congress-not
a doubt of it."
The impression of the journals from which we have taken
the above extracts differed widely from the apparent conviction
of the Federal Executive. As early as the 3d of May, President
Lincoln called for 40,000 additional infantry volunteers, 18,000
seamen, and ten more regiments for the regular army, then
being concentrated around Washington. This would place at
his-disposal about 160,000 troops, and this force was evidently
the very least number possible, to carry out the plan of the Government. This plan-devised, it is said, by Lieutenant-General
Winfield Scott, commanding the Armies of the United States
— was, -to send one column to seize upon the Valley of the
Mississippi, another to enter Kentucky and crush the rising
spirit of rebellion there, and a third to-capture Richmond, and
paralyze the Confederate power in Virginia. With a strict
blockade  of the Southern ports, these steps, it was- supposed,
would terminate the Southern movement.
Virginia was to be invaded in four directions —from Fortress Monroe up the Peninsula, between the James and York
Rivers; from Alexandria by way of Manassas and the Orange
and Alexandria Railroad to Gordonsville; from Williamsport up
the Valley of the Shenandoah; and from the northwest toward
Staunton. These four columns were to move at the same time,
and,'converging upon Richmond, take - that city, reduce Virginia




THE VALLEY.                     39
under the Federal sway again, and then, uniting with the columns
in Kentuicky and the AMississippi Valley, penetrate to the heart
of the Confederacy, and dictate terms at Montgomery where it
had originated.
It remained to be seen whether the able soldiers in command
of the Confederate forces would permit this plan of operations to
be carried out. The question of the time necessary to subdue
the Southern movement-upon which Lieutenant-General Scott
and the editors differed so widely-was, after all, to be decided
by Johnston and Beauregard.
CHAPTER VI.
THE VALLEY.
THE Valley of the Shenandoah, where Jackson's most celebrated military movements took place, is that portion of Virginia lying between the Blue Ridge and North Mountains, and
extending from the headwaters of the Shenandoah near Staunton to the Potomac.
The region has been called with propriety the' Garden of
Virginia;" and a Southern writer, in a rapture of admiration at
its beauties of field and forest, mountain and,river, describes it
as a veritable Arcadia, realizing the most fanciful dreams of the
elder poets. In the last century we find an English traveller,
Burnaby, revelling in animated pictures of the splendid landscape which he looked upon from a spur of the- Blue Ridge:the pellucid waters of the Shenandoah, skirted by tall trees, with
drooping foliage, the chameodaphnes in full bloom, and burdening
the air with fragrance; the mighty forests and smiling fields;
the delicious climate; and the Eden-like happiness of those who,
far from the bustle, the cares, and the anxieties of the worn-out
-world of Europe, here lived, in the midst of a lovely land, a life.of freedom and tranquillity unknown to princes.




40            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
This beautiful and fruitful region was worthy of protection
for its own sake, for its patriotic inhabitants, its large slave
population, and for the rich supplies which its fertile fields contained. But it was also exceedingly important, in a military
point of view, that it should be held by a Confederate force, and
no part of it surrendered to the occupation of the enemy. A
glance at the map of the State will show the justice of this statement. It will be seen that no portion of the region could be
given up, without serious detriment to military operations
north of Richmond; and that possession of the upper valley
would enable an enemy to cut off the Confederate communication
with the Southwest, and strike a dangerous blow at the capital.
It was especially important at this time-May, 1861-that not
a foot of ground in. the lower valley should be surrendered.
Winchester, the key of the region, was essential to the Confederates, and this central point was entirely undefended by fortifications of any description. The town was less than thirty
miles from the Potomac; and excellent turnpike roads converged
toward it from Romney, Martinsburg, Sheppardstown, Charlestown, and Berryville, like the fingers of an open hand. Over
these roads, the Federal force, reported to be near Romney and
Williamsport, could easily advance with their trains, and artillery; and Winchester once in their possession, the effect would
have been disastrous in the extreme. A short march through
the Blue Ridge, at Snicker's, Ashby's, or Manassas Gaps, would
enable them to take Manassas Junction in flank and reverse, assail the Confederate force there at an enormous advantage, and
either force it to fight upon terms which they dictated, or fall
back to the line of the Rappahannock.
Thus, to give up Winchester was to abandon not only that
portion- of the valley with its rich resources and loyal inhabitants, but to yield possession of- the whole extent of country
east of the Blue Ridge, and north of Fredericksburg. The Federal forces would have poured into this smiling region, established themselves firmly throughout the entire," northern neck,"
and almost without fighting, achieved a position for future opera



THE FIRST BRIGADE.                 41
tions, to attain which afterwards cost them an untold expendi.
ture of money and blood. It was to prevent them from securing
so dangerous a foothold thus early in the struggle, that an army
had been sent to the lower valley, and placed under the direction
of an officer of tried capacity and courage.
CHAPTER VII.
THE FIRST BRIGADE.
JACKSON was superseded in command, as we have said, by
General Johnston, on the 23d of May. He had been active and
energetic in organizing, equipping, and drilling the troops; and
every thing was to be done. Organization, instruction, and drill
were only a portion of the labor. Transportation was to be secured, artillery horses collected, and ammunition to be obtained.
The very harness to draw the guns was difficult to be secured.
The volunteers were generally well armed, but the Ordnance
Department of the Confederacy was wholly unorganized, and the
few munitions then manufactured in the South were too defective to be relied on. General Lee showed Colonel Stuart, about
this time, a miserable-looking percussion-cap, apparently exploded, and said sadly, " This is the best we can make."
Jackson's energy soon achieved -good results. The little
army of volunteers was gradually moulded into something like
an effective force; and although its equipments were not such as
enabled it to take the field with advantage, General Johnston
found himself in command of a very respectable body of troops.
It consisted of nine regiments and two battalions of infantry;
four companies of artillery, with sixteen pieces, but no caissons,
horses, or harness, and about three hundred cavalry.
The troops were only partially drilled, several regiments almost without accoutrements, and the supply of ammunition was
entirely inadequate for active operations; but the character of




42               LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the men who commanded this volunteer force was a sure guaranty
that all defects would be speedily remedied.
General Johnston was a thorough soldier, and had his whole
heart in the cause.*  Colonel J. E. B. Stuart, who commanded
the cavalry, was characterized by untiring energy, clear judgment, and extraordinary powers of communicating his own brave
spirit to his men. And Captain Pendleton, in charge of the artillery, was an excellent officer, a graduate of West Point, and
devoted heart and soul to the South. The deficiency in harness
for the artillery was readily supplied by the use of ropes and
farm gearing: the cavalry were taught that more depended upon
stout hearts, strong arms, and the elan of the true. cavalier, than
on the number or excellence of weapons; and into the ardent
youths of the infantry were infused the stern courage, the unyielding fortitude, the daring, the obstinacy, the unshrinking
nerve of Jackson. With Stuart in command of his cavalry,
* The correspondent of a Southern journal thus described Johnston:
"General Johnston, as you are aware, is a native of the proud old Commonwealth of Virginia, and a little turned fifty years of age. He weighs about one
hundred and sixty pounds, is five feet ten inches in height-tltough he looks
taller on account of his erect carriage-has a florid complexion, short gray hair
and closely cut side-whiskers, mustache and goatee.  His manners are rather
quiet and dignified, and his general appearance and deportment highly military.
Indeed, every thing about him-his bearing, style of dress, and even his most
careless attitudes-betoken the high-toned and spirited soldier,. who loves his
profession, and whose soul revels in the din and uproar of the battle-field. His
short hair and beard, high color, close-fitting uniform, striking air and self-possession, remind one of the game cock, the most courageous of all' the fowls of
the air,' when clipped and trimmed and prepared for the ring.
"As a strategist he enjoys a very high reputation among military men. In
his operations he regards masses and general results, rather than isolated
bodies and mere temporary effects. And hence the opinion prevails, with
some, that he lacks energy and enterprise. This, however, is a great mistake.
No man is more watchful of his adversary, or more ready to strike when the
right time comes; and when he does strike he delivers the blow of a giant.
He sees but little advantage in picking off a man here and there, or in precipitating small bodies of men against each other. Instead of frittering away his
strength, he seeks rather to husband it until the auspicious moment arrives,
and then he goes to work with an energy and resolution that is wonderful."




THE FIRST BRIGADE.                 43
Pendleton in charge of the'artillery, and Jackson to lead his infantry, General Johnston had an auspicious augury of the splendid results which, in spite of its small numbers, the army would
surely achieve. Jackson had been assigned to the command of
the First Brigade of the " Army of the Shenandoah," as it was
now called-consisting of the 2d Virginia, Colonel Allen; the
4th Virginia, Colonel Preston; the 5th Virginia, Colonel Harper,
and the 27th (Lieutenant-Colonel Echols commanding), to
which was soon afterwards added the 33d Virginia, Colonel
Cumming. These regiments were composed of the very flower
and pride not only of the valley, but the whole commonwealth;
and this fine fighting material was rapidly' taking shape from
the iron hand of its leader. Jackson had already begun to
mould his command into that phalanx which stood unbroken
afterwards amid scenes of the most frightful carnage. It was
to take his own impress, rejoice in being led by him, and, as the
"Stonewall Brigade," attain -a renown which will live in the
pages of history.
The origin, embodiment, and organization of this famous
brigade would afford material for an interesting sketch. For
this we have no space, but a brief reference to the material
and character of one of the regiments-the 2d Virginia-will
convey an idea of the rest. This regiment was composed of
young men from the counties of Jefferson, Berkeley, Frederick,
and Clarke, where there had been scarcely a youth over fifteen
who had not shouldered his musket and marched to defend the
border. The ardor of the times burned in every breast, even in
boys far below the military age, and it became wholly impossible to keep them at school. In vain did the mothers of these
gay youths, trembling at the thought of exposing their weak
frames to the hardships of the service, use every means of retaining them at home. The high spirit derived from courageous
ancestors broke through all obstacles, and carried its point.
The schools were deserted; the scholars laid down their textbooks to take up the musket; the towns, villages, and cross-roads
were alive with young warriors, ardently learning the drill and




44            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the management of their arms; and from their own beardless
ranks were elected those officers who afterwards faced the storms
of battle at Manassas, Kernstown, Port Republic, and in all the
great campaigns of the low country-of Maryland and Pennsylvania-with a nerve so splendid and heroic. They had, many
of them, lived in luxury, but they strapped on the knapsack,
shouldered the musket, and marched and fought and lived hard,
with the contentment and resolution of veterans. There was
little repining at hard fare or exhausting marches-and marched
they were very nearly to death. They proved themselves thorough soldiers; accepted good fortune and bad with equanimity;
and, advancing into action with a gay and chivalric courage,
fought and died with a smile upon the lips. In the ranks of the
regiment were persons of all ages and conditions-old men and
boys, the humblest of the sons of toil and the heirs of the most
ancient families-but there was no distinction which separated
them. They were all united, trained, and working for a common object; and thus united they continued to the end.
All that this excellent fighting material required in May,
1861, was a leader who could compel the respect, arouse the enthusiasm, and control and direct the chivalric impulses of the
men. This leader was found in the person of Jackson.
CHAPTER VIII.
JOHNSTON RETREATS.
AN opportunity to test the efficiency of the troops was now
near at hand. The Federal authorities had entered upon the
campaign in Virginia with great vigor, and the surprise and
capture of about 600 Confederates at Philippi, in Northwestern
Virginia, seemed a happy omen of the future. The affair at
Bethel, in Lower Virginia, on the 10th of June, was not so encouraging. At that place an attacking force of Federal infantry,




JOHNSTON RETREATS.                 45
about 4,000 in number, was repulsed by about 1,800 Confederates posted behind earthworks, and forced to retreat, with some
loss, to Fortress Monroe.
The most important field of operations was, however, on the
Potomac, and toward the middle of June the great campaign in
that region commenced.  General McClellan was advancing
from the northwest with an army of about 20,000 men; Patterson was moving from Pennsylvania on Williamsport with a force
estimated at 18,000; and the " Grand Army," assembling at
Alexandria, was nearly ready to advance along that great war
artery, the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, upon Richmond.
To oppose the march of these heavy columns, the Confederates
had about 23,000 men-of whom 15,000 were at Manassas, and
about 8,000 at Harper's Ferry. Much reliance was, however,
placed upon the officers in command at the points in question.
General Beauregard, commanding at Manassas,'was a soldier
of recognized ability, and General Johnston was supposed to
possess high qualifications for his position. Although the two
armies were separate and distinct, they were within supporting
distance, and could easily be consolidated. In case a movement
of the large Federal force at Washington threatened to overpower the troops at Manassas, and thus open the way to Richmond, General Johnston could promptly evacuate the valley,
unite with Beauregard, and oppose the Federal advance with
the entire available force of the Confederacy in that region.
Such was the general situation. We proceed now to the
field with which we are more particularly concerned.
Upon assuming command at Harper's Ferry, General Johnston made a complete reconnoissance of the place and its environs. The authorities seem to have regarded it at the time as a
point of strategic importance, but Johnston's examination of the
ground confirmed, he declares, his preconceived opinion that the
position was untenable by any force not strong enough to take
the field against an invading army, and hold both sides of the
Potomac. In fact, this romantic spot is a species of triangle, of
which the Potomac and Shenandoah, here mingling their waters,




46            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
form two sides, and an elevated plateau in rear of the town the
third. The position is exposed to enfilade and reverse fires
from the lofty ridge across the Potomac, known as Maryland
Heights, and could easily be turned by the enemy crossing above
or below. In addition to all this, Harper's Ferry was twenty
miles from the great route into the valley, by which Patterson
would advance,; and if he continued to hold it, General Johnston saw that he would be out of position to defend the valley;
unable, in case of emergency, to join General Beauregard, and
would, himself, be exposed to serious danger by a movement of
the enemy on his rear.
-These considerations determined him to evacuate a position
which it " perfectly suited the enemy's views" to have him occupy, and -retired to Winchester, his true base of operations,
where all the great highways converged. Thence he could oppose the columns advancing from the northwest and by way of
Williamsport; had the valley to fall back along, if necessary,
and, better than all, the way was open to Beauregard, who might
need-his assistance at Manassas. From a veritable trap General Johnston would emerge into an open field, where he could
advance or retire at will, free as a ranger of the prairie to strike,
stand on the defensive, or retreat; and this new position, offering so many advantages, he determined at once to occupy.
The movement, however, was not then made. The military
authorities Iat Richmond regarded the continued occupation of
Harper's Ferry as indispensable, and Johnston "' determined to
hold it, until the great objects of the Government required its
abandonment." * To guard against surprise, in the' meanwhile,
and deceive the enemy as to his intention, he directed Major
Whiting, his chief engineer, to mount a few heavy guns on Furnace Ridge, above the town, and otherwise strengthen the position. The important duty of picketing the river, above and below, was entrusted to the cavalry under Colonel Stuart.
This officer, styled by Johnston "' the indefatigable Stuart,"
* This ambiguous sentence is taken from General Johnston's official report.




JOHNSTON RETREATS.                 47.
here inaugurated that energetic system of cavalry tactics which
afterwards on a wider field accomplished so much, and secured
for its originator his great and justly-earnod reputation. Bold,
ardent, and " indefatigable" by mental and physical organization, the youngVirginian-for he was not yet twenty-eight years
of age-concentrated all his faculties upon the task before him;
of. watching for the enemy's approach and penetrating his designs. Educated at West Point, and trained in Indian fighting
on the prairie, he brought to the great struggle, upon which he
had now entered, a thorough knowledge of arms, a bold and fertile conception, and a constitution of body which enabled him to
bear up against fatigues which would have prostrated the strength
of other men. Those who saw him at this time are eloquent-in
their description of his energy and the habits of the man. They
tell how he remained almost constantly in the saddle; how he
never failed to take to one side and specially instruct every
squad which went out on picket; how he was everywhere present,
at all hours of the day and night, along the line which he guarded;
and how, by thus infusing into the raw cavalry his own untiring
activity and watchfulness, he was enabled, in spite of the small
force which he commanded-about three hundred men-to observe the whole front of the Potomac from the Point of Rocks east
of the Blue Ridge to the western part of Berkeley. His personal
traits made him a great favorite with all who knew him, and
contributed to his success with volunteers. His animal spirits
were unconquerable, his gayety and humor unfailing; he had a
ready jest for all, and made the forest ring with his songs as he
marched at the head of his column. So great was his activity,
that General Johnston compared him to that species of hornet
called a "yellow jacket," and said that " he was no sooner
brushed off than he lit back again." When the General was
subsequently transferred to the West, he wrote to Stuart: "' How
can I eat, sleep, or rest in peace without you upon the outpost? "
The anticipated advance of the Federal forces soon began.
On the 13th of June, information reached General Johnston that
the town of Romney, about thirty-seven miles west of Winches



48            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
ter, was occupied by 2,000 Federal troops, supposed to be the
advance force of General McClellan, and that General Patterson
was moving from Chambersburg on Williamsport. On receiving this intelligence, Johnston sent Colonel A. P. Hill with three
regiments to check the advance of the force at Romney, and
made immediate preparations to evacuate Harper's Ferry, and
fall back upon Winchester.. Active steps had already beqp
taken in anticipation of the necessity of this movement. The
valuable machinery for manufacturing muskets and rifles had
been removed to Richmond, and Fayetteville, North Carolina,
and every arm serviceable and unserviceable secured. All that
now remained to be done was to send the heavy baggage and
public property still there to Winchester.
This was done, and on the morning of June 14th, the long
railroad bridge over the Potomac and the public buildings were
set on fire. The spectacle was magnificent. The buildings and
bridge were soon wrapped in flame, clouds of lurid smoke darkened the landscape, and the troops gazing upon the scene felt
that the war had commenced in earnest.
On the morning of the 15th, Johnston fell back from the
place, and, passing through Charlestown, where the troops were
warmly received, bivouacked in the woods beyond. On the 16th
he moved by his right flank across the country to Bunker Hill,
on the Winchester and Martinsburg turnpike, and was thus in
front of General Patterson, who had thrown a force across at
Williamsburg, but now withdrew it, finding that Johnston's main
body was ready to meet any advance. As soon as the enemy
were known to have disappeared from his front, General Johnston retired from BuiAker Hill, and concentrated his whole force,
including Hill's command, which had returned at Winchester.




THE "~ AFFAIR AT FALLING WATERS.'          49
CHAPTER IX.
THE " AFF2AIR AT FALLING WATERS."
EVERY thing remained quiet, after these movements, during
the month of June. Stuart was, as usual, in command of the
front, and " his increasing activity and vigilance," says General
Johnston, " were relied on to repress small incursions of the enemy, to give intelligence of invasions by them, and to watch,
harass, and circumscribe their every movement." Johnston,
then occupied in throwing up earthworks at Winchester, depended upon this officer for prompt warning of any movement
on the part of General Patterson; and this warning soon came.
Stuart sent word that the enemy were moving, and, on the 20th
of June, Jackson was despatched with his brigade to the neighborhood of Martinsburg, with orders to send such of the rolling
stock of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad us could be removed
to Winchester, destroy the rest, and when the enemy appeared,
act as a support to the cavalry. He was not, however, to make a
decided stand, but feel his adversary, and, if hard pressed, retire
toward Winchester.
The high-spirited young men of the First Brigade received
the order to march against the enemy with enthusiasm; and this
sentiment was not unshared by their commander. Jackson's
love of movement, action, and conflict has not been sufficiently
dwelt upon by the writers who have described the man and his
career. To the last he was impatient of the inactive life of the
camp, and, in the fall of 1862, expressed a strong desire to accompany General Stuart in his expedition around McClellan, in
Maryland, as a volunteer cavalry man. In June, 1861, the order to advance and " feel the enemy," was received by him with
unalloyed satisfaction. This was more than shared, as we have
intimated, by his troops. They were proud to have been selected
4




0             LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
for this first collision, upon the result of which so much was apt.to depend, and prepared with ardor for the march.
Jackson was soon at Martinsburg, from which place he sent
a number of locomotives back to Winchester, drawn by teams
of horses over the turnpike. About forty engines and three hundred cars were burned, and the brigade then advanced to support the cavalry between Martinsburg and Williamsport. This
was the first occasion upon which Jackson and Stuart, afterwards so closely associated, acted together in face of the enemy.
Common recollections of " old times in the Valley," became a
bond of union between them subsequently, and their friendship
remained warm and constant to the last. When Jackson fell at
Chancellorsville, his thoughts at once turned to Stuart as his
successor, and he murmured, "Tell him to act upon his own
judgment, and do what he thinks best; I have implicit confidence in him;" and when the news came of his death, tears
gushed into Stuart's eyes, and he said, in a broken voice, "It
is a national calamity; Jackson's loss is irreparable."
These officers were now to act together in front of the in-.vading force under. Patterson, and their skill, enterprise, and
courage gave promise of favorable results. Stuart with his
cavalry, and Jackson with -his infantry, formed a dangerous
combination. The one, living in the saddle and watching with
lynx-eyed vigilance, was sure to discover every movement' of his
adversary, and promptly meet it; the other, lying in wait, was
ready to advance and try of what mettle the invading column
was composed.
Jackson encamped in the neighborhood of the little village
of. Hainesville, on the road to Falling Waters and Williamsport,
the'camp of Colonel Stuart being a little in advance of that
point in the same direction. Such was the position of the Confederates. when, on the 2d of July, the Federal army crossed
the Potomac at Williamsport. They were commanded by General Patterson in person,- and Jackson immediately advanced to
receive their attack-Colonel Stuart having'moved with about
one hundred cavalry by a circuitous road to attack their flank




TIlE "I AFFAIR AT FALLING WATERS.~         51
and rear. It was on this occasion that Stuart captured, in person, forty-four men. He was detached from his command, and
seeing a company of Federal infantry resting in a field, separated from him by a fence and bars, determined to attempt their
capture. He accordingly rode up to the fence, ordered one of
the Federal soldiers to take down the bars, which was done with
respectful alacrity, under the impression, doubtless, from his blue
uniform coat, that he was an officer of the United States army,
and then thundered, " Throw down your arms, or you are all
dead men! " This stentorian order was obeyed at once by the
raw troops, who not only dropped their arms, but fell upon their
faces, and were all captured.*
Jackson had meanwhile advanced to meet the enemy, taking
with him the. 5th Virginia infantry, numbering three hundred
and eighty men, and Pendleton's battery of four six-pounder's
His object, he informed Captain Pendleton, was " not to fight a
battle, but to feel the enemy, strike a good blow, and satisfy himself what it was best to do." The remainder of his brigade had
accordingly been left in camp, and three of the guns were soon
halted, Jackson proceeding with the regiment of infantry and
one gun toward Falling Waters. Near that place he came upon
the enemy advancing from Williamsport, their advance force
consisting, it is said by Federal authorities, of the brigades of
Abercrombie, Thomas, and Negley, with artillery, and about
five hundred cavalry. When first seen the Federal column was
emerging from a skirt of woods through which the turnpike ran,
and Jackson's regiment had halted behind a hill which concealed
them.His orders, as we have seen, were to feel the enemy as they
advanced, and he now promptly made his dispositions to do so.
The 5th Virginia was deployed to the right and left of the road,
the piece of artillery held ready for action; and these arrangements were scarcely made when the rapid formation of line of
battle by the Federal troops indicated that they had discovered
* This incident was related to the writer by General Stuart.




52            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the presence of the Confederates. Their infantry line occupied
the edge of the skirt of woods, with a battery posted on their
right, and a column of cavalry was visible in rear.
Jackson proceeded here as elsewhere upon the rule that it is
better to attack if possible, and promptly ordered his line to
advance. Harper's men did so with alacrity-were met by the
Philadelphia Rangers-and the action began with animation on
both sides, the Federal battery on the right of their line opening
a vigorous fire upon the Confederates. In spite of this fire, however, and that of the Federal sharp-shooters, they continued to
advance, and drove the enemy from a farmhouse and yard which
he had occupied, which so elated the young volunteers that they
prepared to attack the main Federal line of battle. Jackson,
however, ordered them to fall back from this dangerous position;
and the movement having been construed as a defeat, the Federal cavalry pushed forward in pursuit, advancing rapidly in
close column down the turnpike. They were met by- the artillery. Jackson galloped back to Pendleton's gun, which was
under the crest of the hill, and, pointing out the cavalry, directed
him to fire a shot at the column. This was promptly done;
Captain Pendleton, who had been an Episcopal clergyman, giving the characteristic order, "'Aim low, men! and may the
Lord have mercy on their souls!"  The shot struck the head
of the cavalry column, overthrowing men and horses; they
wheeled about in confusion, and, says an eye-witness, "vanished
like phantoms." The fire of the six-pounder was then turned
upon the Federal artillery, and one who took part in this
skirmish, whose statements are always fair and reliable, declares that their cannoneers ran from the pieces at the first shot.
They had better gunners afterwards.
The action continued until about noon, the Federal forces
apparently fearing to advance incautiously. The Confederate
line was no doubt regarded as the advance-guard of a much
heavier force near at hand, and General Patterson extended his
flanks to envelope Jackson and force him to fall back upon his
supposed reserves. This resulted as he wished, the Southern




JOHNSTON LEAVES THE VALLEY.              53
troops slowly retiring to prevent being outflanked; the loss upon
each side having been, it is said, exactly the same-two men
killed and a few wounded.
The " affair at Falling Waters," as Johnston styles it in his
official report, was inconsiderable for the force engaged, and decided nothing; but its effect upon the morale of the Southern
troops was important. It gave them confidence in themselves,
since a force of three hundred and eighty men had been able to
hold in check for several hours an invading column of many
thousands; and, what was perhaps equally important, convinced
them of the coolness and soldiership of their commander. Jackson had met the enemy with the skill and nerve of the trained
soldier; and the men afterwards told with admiration how,
while writing a despatch in the midst of the action, a cannon ball
which tore the tree above his head to splinters had not made
him move a muscle or discontinue his occupation. These may
seem trifles, and some readers may regard it as unnecessary
trouble to state that Jackson had military courage. But such
incidents are not trifles in war. They conciliate the confidence
and good feeling of troops; and happy is the general who impresses upon his men the conviction that his nerves are beyond
the influence of danger, though death stare him in the face.
The troops believed this much of Jackson after the Falling:
Waters affair.*
CHAPTER X.
JOHNSTON LEAVES THE VALLEY.
JACKSON fell back slowly, continuing to show a bold front to
the enemy, and, reaching his camp, struck tents and moved every
thing to the rear. He then continued to retire, but about a mile
further put his artillery in position, drew up his brigade, and, in
* The writer is indebted to General Pendleton for a detailed account of
this engagement.




54.LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the words of an officer who was intimately associated with him
in these movements, "determined to meet the whole invading
force if it should come up, satisfied that he could, by the blessing
of God, cripple if not crush it."
The Federal column did not advance, however, upon him in
front. The flanking movement continued; and to avoid this,
Jackson again retreated. Passing through Martinsburg late in
the afternoon, he reached Big Spring, about two miles from the
town, on the road to Winchester, where he bivouacked for the
night. He was still " full of fight," and anxious to bring on a
general engagement. before General Patterson's full force came
up. During the action in the forenoon he had sent repeated
despatches to General Johnston, announcing the state of affairs,
and urging.him to advance with his main body and attack the
Federal commander before he reached Martinsburg. Failing in
this.hope, he still expected reenforcements, and during the entire
night of the 2d of July listened anxiously for the approach of
the troops which would enable him to attack Patterson on the
next day. The commands of Bee and Elzey were promised,
but they did not come, and Jackson's impatience amounted
finally to something nearly resembling wrath.
The night passed, morning came, and the day passed onstill no reenforcements came.: General Patterson had meanwhile advanced unopposed and occupied Martinsburg, whereupon Jackson fell back again, halting this time at the village of
Darksville, seven miles from the town. Here he was met by
General Johnston with his whole command, and the troops were
speedily disposed in line of battle upon the hills and in the fields
surrounding the village.  Filled with ardor at the expected
battle, Jackson was indefatigable in marshalling his force for
the conflict; and, remaining hour after hour in the saddle, chose
carefully the position to be occupied by each regiment of his
brigade. It was on this occasion, while riding over the ground
with Captain Pendleton, that he said: "Captain, I want my
brigade to feel that it can itself whip Patterson's whole army,
and 1 believe it can do it!"




JOHNSTON LEAVES TIHE VALLEY.             55
Johnston remained at Darksville, drawn up in line of battle,
for four days. He was unwilling to attack General Patterson
in the town of Martinsburg, whose solid stone buildings and enclosures of masonry gave him every advantage against an assailing force, and hoped, by occupying a position so threatening in
the Federal commander's front, to bring him out of his defences
to battle in the open fields. His own force was less than half
that of his opponent, and his supplies of ammunition were terribly meagre; but trusting to the valor of the troops, he determined to bring on a general engagement and risk all results.
This challenge continued, as we have said, for four days;
the troops in order of battle, and every hour expecting an advance of the enemy. None, however, took place, and on the
fourth day General Johnston, leaving Stuart with his cavalry in
front of the enemy, moved with his command back to Winchester, "much to the disappointment of our troops, who were eager
for battle with the invaders." *
The men on this occasion almost broke out into open murmurs. They had been subjected persistently day after day to
the excitement of an expected action, and now that they were
ordered to fall into column and march back, their dissatisfaction
was bitter, and they construed the movement into a want of
courage and enterprise on the part of their commander. They
did not know the scarred veteran commanding them. That
officer looked beyond the moment, and his course was soon vindicated by'the progress of events. ~Woven into the warp and
woof of his thoughts aAid meditations was "'JManassas."
A few days after the arrival of the army at Winchester,
Jackson received his commission of brigadier-general, remaining in command of the First Brigade, to which was added about
this time the 33d Virginia- regiment, Colonel A. C. Cumming.
This appointment was probably made at the instance of General
Johnston, who thoroughly understood the capacity of Jackson,
and no doubt urged his promotion. It made little difference in
* Johnston's Official Report.




56            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
his position, and none at all in his personal demeanor or appearance. Hle appeared before his brigade in the same old gray
coat which he had always worn; and the only observable circumstance was that the little known individual, " Colonel Jackson," had assumed that name of " General Jackson," by which
he is now known.
No further movements of interest marked the campaign in
this region-beginning and ending with the skirmish at Falling
Waters; and we linger too long, perhaps, amid these early
scenes of the career which we have undertaken to depict.
Mightier events were on the march; the Federal authorities
were now ready to strike their great blow at the main body of
the Confederates at Manassas. Here Jackson was to display,
in their fullest extent, those qualities of stubborn courage and
resolution which characterized him, to win his name of " Stonewall," and to arouse.that enthusiasm which in the latter months
of his life became so universal. To this great drama we shall
now proceed.
General Patterson soon left Martinsburg, and advanced upon
Winchester. His force, according to the best information, now
numbered about' 32,000 men, while Johnston's had been also
swollen by the arrival of eight additional regiments from the
South.  The design of the Federal commander was to hold,
General Johnston in check, while General McDowell, with the,
"Grand Army" of 55,000 men, advanced to crush Beauregard
at Manassas. It was now the 15th of July; the Federal columns were in motion from Washington, and in three days would
be in front of Bull Run. General Patterson accordingly moved
from Martinsburg —Stuart retiring with his cavalry before him
-and on the 16th was in position at Bunker Hill. The critical
moment had now arrived; every hour counted. On the 17th
General Patterson knew, by telegraph, that the " Grand Army" 
was at Fairfax Court-House, within a few hours' march of
Beauregard's position; and a further movement was promptly
made to hold Johnston in the valley. General Patterson swung
his left wing round to the little village of Smithfield, in the direc



JOHNSTON LEAVES THE VALLEY.             5?
tion of Berryville, and in this position -awaited any movement
of Johnston, with the evident design of holding him in check; or
attacking him in flank if he endeavored to march to the assistance of Beauregard by the route of Ashby's Gap.
It was only at one o'clock in the morning, on the 18th of
July, and when the " Grand Army" had driven iri the Confederate advance force at Manassas, that a telegraphic despatch
from the Government at Richmond announced the critical state
of affairs to Johnston. He was directed, if practicable, to send
his sick back to Culpepper Court-House, to evacuate Winchester,
and hasten to the assistance of Beauregard.
The good judgment showed by General Johnston in the
evacuation of Harper's Ferry now became apparent. The road
to XManassas was unobstructed, and the way open for his march.
ro'go to the assistance of the Army of the Potomac, it was
necessary either to defeat General Patterson or to elude him.
The latter course was chosen as the most speedy and certain,
and preparations were immediately made to commence the
movement. The number of the sick-some 1,700-rendering
it impossible to remove them at so short a notice, they were left
at Winchester; and the defence of that point, where some earthworks had been thrown up and a few heavy guns mounted, was
entrusted to the militia of the region under Generals Carson and
Meem. Stuart posted a cordon of cavalry pickets from the
neighborhood of Smithfield along by Summit Point and Rippon
to the Shenandoah, completely cutting off all communication and
concealing every movement; and having thus guarded against
every contingency in the best manner possible, Johnston left
Winchester behind him, and commenced his march by way of
Ashby's Gap, toward the east.
The valley region will long be alive with traditions of this
great flank movement, and the spirit exhibited by the men.
They had so often formed line of battle in front of the enemy,
only to retire afterwards without fighting, that, as we have said,
the troops at one time nearly broke out into open murmurs
against their commander. They did not know that frequently,




58            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
when his bristling guns threatened the fbe with their grim muzzles from every hillock, those guns were scarcely supplied with
a round of ammunition, and that no one could be more disappointed at the necessity for retiring than the general himself.
Now, however, when the order for the march to Manassas came,
all murmurs disappeared. They responded eagerly to the inspiring summons, and filled the air with cheers.  Through
Frederick and Clarke, across the Opequon and through the
little village of Millwood, wading the clear waters of the Shenandcah with its margins of drooping foliage, and toiling up
the rough pathway through Ashby's Gap, the troops went upon
their way, without rations, ignorant of their destination, caring
for nothing, and knowing one thing only, that the moment for
action had arrived. On the way a message from Beauregard
reached Johnston by an officer who killed his horse to carry it.
This message was: " If you wish to help me, now is the time."
Johnston hastened on, his troops half famished, but with spirits
that rose above hunger and fatigue. Stuart drew in his pickets,
slowly put his little column in motion to cover the rear, and,
striking across by Berryville, passed last through the Gap, and
then pushed on to the front. At Piedmont the exhausted infantry were embarked on a train of the Manassas Gap Railroad;
the cavalry and artillery continued their march, and the Army
of the Shenandoah hastened toward Manassas.
The larger portion of the troops arrived about noon on the
20th of July. Among the first was Jackson's brigade, which
was directed to take up a position in the pine thickets opposite
MIitchell's ford, the centre of the Confederate line.
The morning of the memorable 21st found Jackson here,
with 2,611 muskets, awaiting orders.




ADVANCE OF THE GRAND ARMY.               59
CHAPTER XI.
ADVANCE OF THE GRAND ARMY.
THE battle of Manassas possesses an interest peculiar to
itself. It was not remarkable for the loss on either side; indeed, the casualties were comparatively trifling. Beyond exhibiting the prowess of the Southern troops, it accomplished no
tangible results. And yet this battle will continue to hold its
place among the most celebrated conflicts in the annals of the
world.
The explanation of this singular attraction will be found in the
terribly dramatic character of the conflict. It took place under
circumstances which drew to the arena the eyes of all the
world. Here two great races-members of a Republic which
had held together for three generations-first tried their strength
upon the battle field, and fought breast to breast for victory.
It was the first great battle of the war; was fought with
stubborn persistence and enormous bitterness. Hour after hour
the Northern and Southern lines reeled to and fro on the bloody
plateau, in desperate attempts to remain the masters of it; and
the world still listens to the story of the shifting fortunes of the
hard-fought day with indescribable interest. Much more absorbing is the subject to those who took part in the engagement.
Its bloody scenes rise up once more before the eyes, and its thunders again ring in the memory.
The fortunes of this memorable day were decided, as we
shall show, by the " First Brigade " of the Army of the Shenandoah, under Jackson. The battle is thus intimately connected
with the subject of this volume, and we shall give its main
events, leaving, however, to the regular historian of the entire
Revolution, the task of gathering up and placing upon record the
minute details.
The blow about to be struck at Manassas was intended by




6 0           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the Federal authorities to be decisive, and many things combined to make them certain of success. The North had responded to the appeal of the President with immense promptness and entlhusiasm; and when he called for an army of
400,000 meu and a loan of $400,000,000, Congress had voted
these great supplies with acclamation. Volunteers to invade
the South rushed to the Federal standard in great numbers, and
events occurring about the middle of July increased still further
the. general enthusiasm. General Pegram, of the Confederate
army, was forced to surrender his whole command at Rich
Mountain, in Western Virginia, and General Garnett was defeated and killed at Carrick's ford. Everywhere disaster seemed
to attend the Southern arms, and there appeared to be some justice in the dictum of the Northern journalists, who had described
the revolution as a "local commotion" only, or, in language
still more forcible, as an " unborn ta dpole."  Until the capital of
the Confederacy, however, was captured, and the government
dispersed, the great end was unaccomplished. The Southern
forces at Manassas lay in the'path; Patterson had accomplished
nothing against Johnston, and to defeat these.two bodies of
troops was essential to the Federal success., To attain this important object, what was called by the newspapers the "Grand
Army" was speedily organized at Washington.
Great attention was paid to the organization and equipment
of this force, upon which so' much depended. The troops were
armed with the best weapons, and the artillery was numerous
and excellent. The cavalry arm was numerous but defective,
and two or three years of hard fighting were necessary to show
the importance of that branch to the service; but at this time
cavalry was not considered necessary. It was universally believed at the North that the splendid body of infantry assembled
at Washington would be able to march, without serious opposition, to Richmond, and the campaign appears to have been regarded rather as a summer excursion than as the initial movement of a long and bloody war. This conviction was apparent
in the personal equipments of the men, and the articles of con



ADVANCE OF TEE GRAND ARMY.              61
venience and luxury which they carried with them. The army
rations were varied by large supplies of preserved meats, cordials, liquors, wines, and every luxury to tempt the palate.
Excellent oil-cloths protected the troops from the damp, and
white "havelocks" warded off the burning rays of the sun.
The march was looked upon as a frolic.
With the United States regulars, who had been summoned
from the West, the " Grand Army" amounted, by Federal accounts, to about 55,000 men, with 9 regiments of cavalry, and
12 batteries of rifled artillery, numbering 49 guns.  It was
placed under the command of Major-General Irwin McDowell, an officer of ability, and its movements directed by
Lieutenant-General. Winfield Scott, a Virginian, who had. re
tained his position in the United States Army, and now commanded all the Federal armies.
Such was the force which was ready by the middle of July
to advance upon General Beauregard at Manassas. His own
army consisted of 21,833 muskets, and-29 pieces of smooth-bore
artillery, with about 3 companies of cavalry. By the arrival
subsequently of General Johnston, with 8,333 muskets, 300
cavalry, and 20 guns, and General Holmes from the lower Potomac, with 1,265 muskets and 6 guns, Beauregard's force
was increased to 31,431 muskets, 55 guns, and about 500 cavalry.
The Confederate commander had taken position upon Bull
Run, a small watercourse which rises near Aldie, and flowing
around Manassas Junction, empties into the Occoquan. The
banks of this stream were abrupt, and densely wooded; butit
was fordable in numerous places, and was crossed on the Centreville and Warrenton road, below Sudley Church, by the'" Stone
Bridge," a solid and not unpicturesque structure of brown stone,
near which the battle of MIanassas was fought.
General Beauregard had posted his troops along this watercourse, behind earthworks, from Union Mills nearly to Stone
Bridge, a distance of about eight miles, ready to meet the Federal
forces should they attempt to cross at any of the fords. His




62            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
centre rested at Mitchell's ford, on the direct road from Centreville to Manassas; and opposite this point, Jackson, it will be
remembered, had been directed to take up his position.
The Federal army moved forward on the 16th of July, and
on the morning of the 17th entered Fairfax Court-House, General Bonham, who commanded the Confederate advance guard
at that place, retiring slowly before them. He continued to fall
back all day, his rear skirmishing with the Federal advance;
and after making a brief stand at Centreville after dark, and
throwing up signals to warn General Beauregard of his approach,
retired, at daylight on the 18th, within the lines on Bull Run.
About ten in the forenoon the enemy appeared, and opened
an artillery fire upon the Confederate centre at Mitchell's ford;
but the dense woods concealed the troops from view, and no
loss was inflicted. This was followed by an obstinate attack
upon General Longstreet, who was placed with 1,200 muskets
at: Blackburn's ford below.  A force of about 3,000 Federal
infantry drove in his advance on the north bank of the stream,
and, supported by a heavy fire of artillery, attempted to force
their way across the ford. Three vigorous charges were made
to attain this object, but all were repulsed. Longstreet's infantry, although unprotected by earthworks, fought with great
nerve, and the Federal infantry finally retired; the affair turning
into an "artillery duel," as General Beauregard styled it, in
which the guns of the Washington Artillery of New Orleans
were handled with great skill, and inflicted some loss upon the
enemy. Soon afterwards the Federal infantry retired from
Longstreet's front.
Such was " the battle of the 18th," as it is called-the prelude to the greater struggle on the 21st. The Confederate loss
was 15 killed and 55 wounded; the Federal loss 64 left dead
upon the field, the number wounded not known.
These two unsuccessful attacks, at Mitchell's and Blackburn's fords, upon the Confederate front, induced the Federal
commander.to abandon the further attempt to break through
Beauregard's line. His attention was now turned to the left




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MANASSAS.                      63
flank of the Confederate army, and preparations were made to
strike a decisive blow in that direction.
On the night of the 20th all was ready for this movement,
and at daylight on the 21st the Federal columns were far upon
their way.
CHAPTER XII.
MANASSAS.
A GLANCE at the map will give the reader a clearer idea of
the movements which now took place, than any description can
convey.
Beauregard's forces were strung out along the southern
bank of Bull Run, over a space of nearly eight miles-from
Union Mills to Stone Bridge; and the design of the Federal
commander was to move his main body silently through the
woods to the Confederate left, cross the upper fords of the
stream, and, falling upon Beauregard's flank, drive him back
upon Manassas, or cut him off completely from that base. He
would then be compelled to hasten from his earthworks, form
line of battle anew with a powerful enemy pressing him, and, in
case he was defeated, as he probably would be, the victory
would be decisive.
The details of the plan of operations betrayed the skilful
hand of Lieutenant-General Scott.  One division of about
16,000 men was to remain behind at Centreville, to protect the
Federal communications; another to march to Stone Bridge
with orders to make demonstrations there; and a third to move
up to Red House ford, with directions to wait until that point
was uncovered. Then a third was to cross at Sudley, ford, still
higher up, and drive away the Confederate forces at Red House
ford and Stone Bridge, when the divisions there would cross;
and thus a force of. about 40,000 men would be concentrated
upon the southern banks of Bull Run, directly upon Beauregard's




64            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
left flank. Then one determined charge, and the end would
crown the work.
The movements to attain this object commenced in presence
of a great crowd of spectators-editors, idlers, sensation hunters,
and even ladies-who had hastened with eager curiosity from
the Federal capital to witness the defeat of the Southern forces.
Champagne and every delicacy had been sent to Centreville to
celebrate the anticipated victory; and on the 20th that town and
the camps around it were the scene, it is said, of something like
a carnival. The excited crowd were listening for the thunder
of the guns from those "mysterious Virginia forests" so often
mentioned, and there was little or no doubt in any mind of the
result. Lieutenant-General Scott, and others who knew some
what better the mettle of the South, probably experienced no
little anxiety; but the crowd of spectators seem to have been
firm in their faith of a great Federal triumph.
Meanwhile the columns were moving, and during the night
of the 20th scouts brought word to General Beauregard, who
directed operations under General Johnston, that the enemy
were concentrating on the Warrenton road. The probability of
an attack upon the Confederate left wing was apparent, and at
four in the morning orders were despatched to all his commanders, by General Beauregard, to hold the troops in readiness to
march at a moment's warning. The design was, as soon as the
enemy's intentions were fully developed, to advance and attack
him in flank and reverse at Centreville, a point completely in his
rear. This excellent plan was never carried out, however, owing
to some fatality which attended the transmission of the orders;
and the battle of 3Manassas commenced and ended south of the
Stone Bridge.
The ground there is an extensive plateau, rising about one
hundred feet above the level of the stream, and consisting of
open fields, which fall off in gentle slopes, furrowed at intervals
by ravines. In these ravines grew clumps of bushes, and the
southern and eastern brows of the plateau were skirted with a
thick growth of young pines. The only buildings to be seen




MANASSAS.                      65
were the Henry and Robinson houses, plain wooden structures,
and the well-known " stone house " near the intersection of the
Warrenton road, and that extending from Manassas to Sudley
ford, which is known as the Sudley-Brentsville road. Near
this point was a belt of oak forest, where the final struggle took
place.
The Federal advance force was moving toward the Confederate left all night, and, following a narrow road through the
"Big Forest," reached Sudley ford about eight in the morning.  This column consisted of Hunter's and Heintzelman's
divisions; and the division opposite Stone Bridge having opened
fire on the Confederates and attracted their attention, General
Hunter at once threw his command across, and advanced rapidly
to the attack.
The extreme Confederate left at Stone Bridge was held by
Colonel Evans, with fifteen companies of infantry and Latham's
battery of smooth-bore six-pounders. He did not reply to the
artillery fire of the enemy, his guns being useless for that purpose; but when they threw forward a line of skirmishers, met,
them and engaged in a desultory skirmish, which lasted for three
hours without result. It was now half-past eight, and General
Hunter was over. Evans had become convinced that the attack
upon him was merely a demonstration to cover other objects,
and intelligence soon reached him showing the truth of this surmise. A heavy force was reported to be moving against his
flank, and, taking eleven of his fifteen companies, he hastened
forward by the Carter house, and, drawing up his line across the
Sudley-Brentsville road, with his artillery on the high ground in
rear, received the enemy's attack.
The conflict which immediately took place at this point
was very severe. The force of Colonel Evans was 800 infantry and two six-pound guns; that of General Hunter, by
Federal accounts, 16,000 infantry, 7 companies of cavalry, and
24 pieces of artillery; of which force 3,500 muskets and 8 guns
were at once thrown forward into action. The Federal division
hastening down from Red House ford would make the force op5




66            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
posed to Evans not far from 30,000 men, and to check this column even for a moment, with 800 muskets, seemed impossible.
It was necessary, however, to make the attempt, and the men
responded with ardor. The regiment was the 4th South Carolina, supported by a company of Wheat's battalion, and the men
were called on at once to meet a vigorous charge of the 2d Rhode
Island, supported by the fire of six thirteen-pound rifles. The
struggle was bitter and determined.  Wheat was severely
wounded, but his Louisianians fought only the harder for it,
and Evans succeeded in repulsing the charge. His object now
was to hold his ground as long as possible, in order to give
General Beauregard time to send forward reinforcements and
form his new line of battle; and the difficulty which the enemy
experienced in forcing him back is a high compliment to Colonel
Evans and his men. They fought with desperation, but were
slowly being pressed back by the heavy Federal line when the
promised succor came. General Bee, who had been ordered to
repair as quickly as possible with his own command and that of
General Bartow to the left, reached the plateau in rear of Evans
while the fight was raging, and perceiving the strength of the
position, drew up his whole command, consisting of four regiments, two companies, and a battery, near the" Henry house."
Finding, however, that Colonel Evans was hard pressed, he
promptly advanced to his assistance, and, reaching the field of
action, disposed his forces upon Evans' right, with his battery
on the high ground in rear. He arrived just in time. The
Southern line was just giving way before the advance of fresh
Federal troops, which poured in a steady and destructive fire,
when the appearance of the Confederate reinforcement gave a
new aspect to affairs. Bee rapidly advanced with his four regiments-the 7th and 8th Georgia, 4th Alabama, and 2d Mississippi-and, taking command of the field, threw himself with
ardor into the action.
It was at once renewed with additional fury. Bee's regiments fought with such gallantry, that, as one of them afterwards,
with thinned and bleeding ranks, marched off the field, General




MANASSAS.                      67
Beauregard raised his hat as they passed, and exclaimed, " I
salute the 8th Georgia with my hat off! History shall never
forget you!"  The gallantry of the others was equally marked,
and for an hour the blended commands of Bee and Evans faced
the great force opposed to them unmoved. The moment came,
however, when the term  of further resistance was reached.
Many officers had fallen, the men were exhausted, and still the
dark columns of Federal infantry grew heavier: as their rear
closed up. Bee's force, with that of Evans, was somewhat more
than five regiments, with six guns; the force opposed to him,
from  Federal accounts, two  divisions, consisting  of eight
brigades, with seventeen companies of regular infantry, cavalry,
and artillery, and twenty rifle pieces.
In face of this great odds Bee was slowly forced to give
ground. His thin lines were swept by a destructive fire of musketry from  the Federal troops, sheltered behind stone fences,
and the rifle guns of Ricketts and others filled the air with a
whirlwind of iron. General Bartow; Bee's second in command,
had had his horse shot under him, and was fighting on foot;
Wheat had been borne from the field,'and the ground over which
the opposing lines had fought was covered with dead bodies and
bathed in blood. The astonishing spectacle had been presented
of regiments holding their ground against brigades, and sustaining without confusion the fire of many times their number for
hours; but the men were now exhausted, hope began to desert
them, and Bee saw that he must' fall back in the best order he
could to escape destrufction.: HIe gave the order to retire just as
the brigades of Sherman and Keyes, which had crossed at Red
House ford, pressed down upon his flank.
The scene which ensued was one of painful disaster to the
Southerners.' The Federal troops swept forward with triumphant cheers, and as Bee's shattered battalions fell back in full retreat, poured into them a more rapid and galling fire than before.
The Federal artillery redoubled its fire,'and the retreat became
every moment more disordered.. The bristling battalions of
Federal infantry rushed upon their prey; the merciless fusillade




68            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
continued without intermission, and the fields were strewed
with the dying and the dead. Dust, blood, the lightning of musketry, and the thunder of artillery, made the scene one of inex
pressible anguish and despair.
Bee had aimed to retire in something like order to the
plateau near the Henry house, and make a stand there, in a
stronger position; but the quick eye of the soldier now told him
that all was lost. No exertions which he made could restore
good order; and though he rode to and fro, amid the storm of
bullets, beseeching the troops by all they held dear to rally to
their colors until reenforcements came, he could not reform his
line. His voice was not heard, or his commands were disobeyed.
All was over.
Such was the condition of things when the glitter of bayonets
caught the eyes of Bee, beyond the Henry house hill; and a
courier brought word that the reenforcements were coming at
last. Bee galloped in the direction of the fresh troops; they
were the First Brigade, under Jackson. He had been sent some
time before to support General Cocke, below Stone Bridge, but,
hearing the hot fire upon the left, had moved his brigade in that
direction. As he pressed on rapidly, the disordered troops of
Bee and Evans swept by toward the rear, but the First Brigade
continued to advance. All at once Bee appeared, approaching at
full gallop, and he and Jackson were soon face to face. The
latter was cool and composed; Bee, covered with dust and
sweat, with his drawn sword in his hand, his horse foaming.
In the bitter despair of his heart.he could only groan out,
" General, they are beating us back!"
The face of Jackson betrayed no corresponding emotion.
He had his " war look". on, but that was never a look of excitement. His eye glittered, and, in the curt tone habitual with. him,
he said coolly, " Sir, we will give them the bayonet."
These words seemed to act upon Bee like the... ring of a
clarion. He galloped back to his men, and, pointing with his
sword to Jackson, shouted, "~ Look! there is Jackson standing
like a stone wall! Let us determine to die here, and we will




MANASSAS.                     69
conquer!"  His command was partially rallied; the detachments took their position on the right, and Jackson's line swept
steadily on toward the plateau.
In a moment the whole aspect of affairs had undergone a
change. The Federal forces, which were rushing forward in
pursuit of the broken battalions of Bee, saw themselves suddenly
confronted by 2,600 bayonets, and their advance was checked.
At the same moment the 600 infantry of Colonel Wade Hampton, who had held the Warrenton road against Keyes, repulsing
him, until his position was completely flanked, fell back and
took position on the right. DMet thus by Jackson and by Hampton, whose splendid nerve was afterwards exhibited upon so
many memorable fields, the Federal lines came to a halt. The
First Brigade was in position, the troops ready and eager. From
this rock the wave went back.
There is no doubt that the presence of Jackson at this crisis
saved the fortunes of the day. No other troops were near, and
in thirty minutes the enemy would have been strongly posted
upon the plateau near the Henry house.  The retreat of General
Beauregard upon Manassas would have followed, or a desperate
assault upon earthworks occupied by the bulk of the Federal army.
The current of battle, only for a moment checked, now began
to move again with greater force than before. The Federal
battalions pressed across the Warrenton road, and rapidly advanced toward the Henry house, where the hottest portion of
the struggle was to take place. Jackson had formed his line
just under the eastern crest of the plateau, with Hampton and
the shattered remnants of the commands of Bee and Evans in a
ravine and forest on his right; in front of him he had placed two
guns of Stanard's battery, which kept up a steady fire as the
enemy continued to advance. The 4th and 27th Virginia infantry formed his centre, the 5th Virginia his right, and the 2d
and 33d Virginia his left. The instructions given by Jackson to
his troops were, 1" to charge the enemy with the bayonet so soon
as they should appear over the crest, and within about fifty yards." *
* Jackson to Colonel J. M. Bennett, July 28th, 1861, in Appendix.




T5o           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
As Jackson took position to check'the Federal advance,
Generals Johnston and Beauregard appeared upon the field.
They had ump to that time remained upon a lofty hill in rear of
Mitchell's ford, near the centre of the Confederate line, and,
hearing the continuous roar upon the left, had waited anxiously,
says General Beauregard, for similar sounds from the front, as
an order had'been sent for the whole right wing of the army to
advance and attack the enemy at Centreville. At half-past ten
a despatch from General Ewell, at Union Mills, conveyed the
mortifying intelligence that the order had never been received; and
as it was now too late to make the movement, the whole attention
of' the Confederate commanders was directed to the left. The
entire body of reserves was ordered to repair without delay to
that point, and Johnston and Beauregard set out at a rapid
gallop for the scene of action, which they reached about noon,
just as Jackson had opened fire with his artillery.
The spectacle at this moment was one of absorbing interest.
Through the dust and smoke which filled the valleys and -swept
across the hills, were seen the heavy masses of Federal infantry
rapidly forming upon the plateau; and from this cloud came the
thunder of artillery, the roll of musketry, and the confused
shouts of the combatants. At a single coup' d'ceil, the glance
embraced the artillery-swept plateau and the sheltering ravines,
the glitter of bayonets, the red glare of the cannon, and the
forms of the officers as they passed to and fro rallying or cheering on the troops. Jackson's men could scarcely be seen. They
were lying' down in line of battle, under the crest of the plateau,
awaiting the order to advance.
Generals Johnston. and Beauregard found affairs in a most
critical condition. Lee and Evans were overpowered, and unless Jackson and Hampton could hold their position until reenforcements arrived, the day was lost. Galloping up and down
the disordered lines of Bee, they appealed to the men by all they
valued on earth to rally to their standards; and seizing the colors
of the 4th Alabama, Johnston led them forward, and formed
them in face of a heavy fire. Beauregard was meanwhile en



MANASSAS.                      71
gaged in cheering on the men in every portion of the field. The
animation of his Creole blood burned in his dark face, and rang
in the inspiring tones of his voice, as in brief soldierly phrase he
called upon the troops to follow him. As the reserves came up,
he rapidly formed them under heavy fire,'and soon had a line
of battle consisting of, on the extreme right, Bee and Evans; in the
centre, Jackson, with his four regiments, and thirteen guns under
Colonel Pendleton; and on the left, the remnant of the 7th
Georgia, the 49th Virginia battalion, the 2d Mississippi, and the
6th North Carolina. Hampton's legion, the 8th Virginia, and
Jackson's 5th Virginia supported the right, as a reserve. On
the right of all was a company of cavalry, and on the extreme
left flank, another under Stuart.
This force consisted of 6,500 infantry and cannone ers, 2 companies of cavalry, and 13 pieces of artillery.  The Federal
force in line of battle, by their official statement, was somewhat more than 20,000 infantry, with 7 companies of regular
cavalry and 24 pieces of artillery. About'35,000 reserves were
at Centreville, Stone Bridge, and opposite the lower fords.
The coming'shock was to be borne by the Confederate centre, composed of the Virginia regiments of Jackson. Fresh,
thoroughly disciplined, and commanded by a soldier of known
coolness and courage, these regiments were rightly regarded as
the chief dependence of the Confederate commander in holding
his ground until reenforcements arrived. Jackson was indefatigable in encouraging his men, and rode up and down his lines
in the midst of a heavy fire, with an unconcern-which had an
excellent effect upon the untried youths of his command. He
had placed his artillery in front, without cover, and the cannoneers served the pieces with ardor, returning rapidly the fire
of the Federal batteries, which were planted upon every rising
ground in front. " I fully expected them all to be killed in that
position," he said afterwards, "yet felt that the occasion demanded the sacrifice." His infantry was lying down about one
hundred yards in rear of the guns, and as the familiar figure of
their commander passed to and fro on his bay horse, the men




72            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
heard the calm lips utter constantly the words, " Steady, boys'!
steady-all's well!"  Those who saw him on this occasion
noticed especially his coolness. "A more earnest yet calm expression," says General, Pendleton, " I have never seen upon
human countenance."
No material change took place in the positions of the opposing forces until about two o'clock, when the Federal lines
were pushed forward, and their batteries advanced, inclining
to the right, with the evident intention of securing an oblique
fire upon Jackson's front. In doing so one of them approached
so near Colonel Cummings' regiment-the 33d Virginia-that he
charged and captured it, but owing to the destructive fire of
musketry was obliged to retire and abandon the guns. This
movement of their artillery was the prelude to a new and more
determined advance of the Federal troops. Their infantry,
swarming upon the face of the plateau, was massed in the vicinity of the Henry house, and all at once the bristling lines were
thrown forward, and hurled with fury upon the Confederate centre. As they moved, the artillery under Pendleton greeted them
with a discharge of canister at close range, and then withdrew
at a gallop to the high ground across the little valley, where
they continued to fire upon the Federal forces as they rushed
forward at a double-quick to the charge.
Jackson met this charge with the bayonet. They were now
so close* upon him, as, in his own words, " to call for the free
use of the bayonet; and I accordingly ordered the charge to be
made, which cut the enemy's centre, and thus separated his
wings." The scene described and dismissed in these few simple
words, was one of the most stirring and magnificent spectacles
of the war. The long, and glittering lines of Federal infantry,
supported by the fire of their finest batteries, were almost in
contact with Jackson, when he ordered his men to charge.
They responded with wild cheers, and, firing a heavy volley,
rushed forward with all the ardor of volunteers. The enemy
met them with determination; and with one mad yell arising
from both adversaries, and mingling, its savage echoes, the sur




M AASSAS.                      73
ging masses came together. The scene which followed is indescribable. The thunder of artillery and the sustained crash of
musketry rolled like some diabolical concert across the hills,; and
the opposing lines were lost in a dense cloud of smoke, from
which rose shouts, yells, cheers, and the groans of the dying.
Jackson had charged without orders, from the necessity of
his situation; but General Beauregard, it seems, had at nearly
the same moment ordered his whole front to advance.  At
this order the troops rushed to the attack with an ardor and
enthusiasm never afterwards surpassed during the war. The
men seemed inspired with a species of fury almost, which made
them careless of wounds -and death. One who was carried dying from the field, exclaimed, with clenched hands, " They've
done for me now, but my father's there yet!-our army's there
yet!-our cause is there yet!-and liberty's there yet!"  The
officers set a chivalric example to the troops, and suffered heav
ily. Hampton was shot while bravely leading on his men. Bee
fell mortally wounded at the head of the Alabamians and Geor
gians, near the Henry house, grasping the sword presented t(
him by South Carolina, and urging on his men to the last. Col
onel Fisher, of North Carolina, was killed; Colonels Gartrell.
and Falkner wounded; and General Bartow, who had said, "1 I
shall go into that fight with a determination never to leave the
field alive. but in victory," was shot through the heart while
rallying the 7th Georgia, and fell, exclaiming to the men around
him, " They've killed me, but never give up the field!"
In the midst of this hot struggle Jackson's equanimity remained unshaken. He does not seem, during any portion of the
battle, to have contemplated disaster or defeat, and opposed to
the agitation and flurry of many around him a demeanor entirely unmoved. When an officer rode up to him, and exclaimed
with great excitement, " General, I think the day is going against
us!" Jackson replied, with entire coolness in his brief, curt
tone, " If you think so, sir, you had better not say any thing
about it."
His bayonet charge had pierced the Federal centre, sepa



74             LIFE OF STONEWALL JACK'SON.
rating the two wings; but such was their preponderance of numbers that this advantage not only became of doubtful value,'but
the Confederate line was in danger of being enveloped by the
heavy masses closing in upon its flanks. Jackson put forth all
his strength to retain his vantage ground; and.the enemy made
corresponding exertions to drive him from the plateau. At this
stage the struggle reached its utmost intensity. In portions of
the field, especially near the Henry house, the opposing lines
fought almost breast to breast; and though repeatedly repulsed,
the Federal infantry constantly returned with new vigor to the
charge.  Still the Confederate front remained unbroken. Led
by determined officers, who kept their ranks closed up, and
cheered them  by word and example, tile troops continued to
hold their ground upon the plateau-especially the first brigade,
which occupied the dangerous and important position in the
centre. The Federal line had first been broken by this brigade,
and now was destined to receive from it the coup de grace.
Jackson had held his position for. about an hour; and this
had enabled General Beauregard to hurry forward troops from
the lines' along Bull Run. These were at last in position, and,
taking command of them in person, General Beauregard, about
three o'clock, ordered the whole line to advance and make a decisive assault.*  Jackson still held the centre, and, although
wounded in the hand by a fragment of shell, paid no attention
to the accident. At the word, his brigade rushed forward, broke
through the Federal line in front of them, and, supported by the
reserves,' drove the enemy from the plateau, across the Warrenton road, into the fields of the Dogan farm.
The decisive success had been mainly achieved by Jackson's
command, and he proudly wrote to a friend soon afterwards:
"You will find, when my report shall be published, that the First
* The writer is unable to state the number of Confederate troops in this
final charge. He is able, however, to vouch for the statement that the bulk
of General Beauregard's forces under Longstreet, Bonham, and Ewell were
still retained at the lower fords to guard that front. The brunt of the battle
thus continued to be borne by the Army of the Shenandoah.




MANASSAS.                     75
Brigade was to our army what the Imperial Guard was to the
first Napoleon; that, through the blessing of God, it met the thus
far victorious enemy, and turned the fortunes of the day." From
a man so modest, and so much opposed to all vain-gloriousness
and boasting, this statement stands for a great deal. It would
never have been made had the praise been undeserved.
The battle, however, was not over. The Federal lines had
been driven from the Henry house plateau, but their numbers
rendered them still formidable, and prompt steps were taken to
follow up this important blow. While marshalling his troops
for a final attack, General Johnston, who had commanded the
whole field from his headquarters at the Lewis house, received
intelligence that " a Federal army" had reached Manassas, and
was then advancing upon his rear. This force was soon ascertained, however, to be that of General Kirby Smith of the Army
of the Shenandoah, who had just arrived with 1,700 fresh infantry. They had come over the Manassas Gap Railroad, and,
hearing the heavy firing, General Smith had stopped the train
before it reached the Junction, disembarked the troops, and hastened forward to the battle field. Coming rapidly into position
near the Chinn house, on the Confederate left, he opened fire
with Beckham's battery on the enemy at the moment when they
were commencing a final attack. Their line extended in the
shape of a crescent from the Carter house, around in rear of
Dogan's, and across the Warrenton road to Chinn's house. The
fields and roads were filled with infantry, and their two brigades
of cavalry which had not been used.  General Smith had
scarcely formed his line, when the Federal commander, throwing
forward a cloud of skirmishers, extended his right wing to outflank and envelope the Confederate line. They were met by the
fresh troops under Smith and Early with great spirit, and this
unexpected resistance, at a point supposed to be undefended, obviously disheartened the attacking column. At the same moment the whole Southern line advanced to the charge, and the
combined attack upon the Federal flank and front was decisive.
The enemy was forced over the narrow plateau near Chinn's




76               LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
house, out of the woods on its western slope, across the Warrenton road, and on toward Sudley and Red I-Touse fords.
Their lines were broken, and the army in full retreat.  Soon this
retreat became a wild and panic-stricken flight.  The roads were
filled with artillery, the horses at full gallop; men were crushed
beneath the wheels; wagons were overturned amid the hurrying
crowd, and every article which could impede the retreat was
dropped by the men in their headlong flight.
The rout was so complete, that Jackson said, in his curt voice,
as he sat his horse and looked at the retreating army: " Give
me ten thousand men, and I will be in Washington to-night!" *
a The writer has received valuable information in regard to this battle
from  General Stuart, General Hampton, General Pendleton, and others.
Jackson's report of the operations of his brigade is lost, and the general
official report is very confused and inaccurate. It is there stated that Jackson
was repulsed and driven from the plateau at two o'clock. This is unquestionably an error. He states, in his letter to Colonel Bennett, that he pierced the
Federal centre and held the ground thus won; and General Pendleton, who
was present, writes that in this charge the enemy were " thoroughly broken
and thrown back, nor did they at all again recover that ridge." General
Hampton's statement to the writer is distinctly to the same effect. The unreliable character of the general official report was a matter of notoriety in
the Army of Northern Virginia; but no intelligent person regarded the eminent soldier whose name is signed to it as responsible for its inflation of style
or inaccuracy of statement.








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PART II.
THE CAMPAIGN OF THE VALLEY.
CHAPTER I.
THE AUTUMN OF 1861.
THE first days succeeding the battle of Manassas were
passed by the Southern troops in discussing the incidents of
the engagement. Among other things, they recalled General
Bee's expression while rallying his broken lines: "There is
Jackson, standing like a stone wall"; and the name of "' Stonewall" from that time forward adhered to the Virginian. It has
now become his designation throughout the world.
Jackson always insisted, however, that his troops, and not
himself, were entitled to this name. He was not a little gratified
at it, and on his death-bed said: " The men who live through
this war will be proud to say,'I was one of the Stonewall
Brigade,' to their children."  But the brigade and the army
insisted as pertinaciously upon applying the term to himself as
descriptive of his obstinate resolution; and they succeeded in
fixing it upon him. He was never generally known as "' Thomas
Jonathan"-his real baptismal name. Bee, when about to surrender his brave soul to his Maker, had baptized him, amid
blood and fire, as " Stonewall" Jackson.




'78           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The part taken by his brigade in the battle has been described. They undoubtedly decided the fortunes of the day, by
first checking the rapid advance of the Federal forces until the
Confederate line was formed, and then, by piercing their centre,
separating their wings, and compelling them to fall back from
their strong position upon the plateau near the Henry house.
The importance of these services was recognized'by the country,
and Jackson began to be spoken of as a commander of nerve
and ability. Beyond this, however, his fame did not extend.
No one seems to have suspected the existence of those great resources of strategy and daring which lay under the calm exterior
of the Virginian; and his celebrity as a soldier was still to be
won upon more arduous fields.
For three days Jackson waited impatiently for the order to
advance upon Washington. We have heard his exclamation on
the field of battle, that with ten thousand men he could enter the
Federal capital that night; and to the future, when all the facts
shall be published, we must leave the decision of the question
whether he erred. What seems plain is, that Washington at
that moment was almost undefended, the Federal army routed,
and the way open. Jackson thought the movement perfectly
practicable, and said more than once, with some impatience, " I
have three days' rations cooked, ready to advance. Why don't
the order come! "
It did not come-for what reason it is difficult at this time to
understand. The army was not well, but sufficiently provisioned;
the means of transportation were limited, but many wagons were
not needed; and General Patterson had not moved from his position on the upper Potomac. This was not certainly known,
however, and the apprehension was felt that a new army would
await the Confederates at Arlington Heights. The men were
not then inured to forced marches and fasting, and the idea of
promptly advancing was abandoned. To the eye of him who
to-day embraces the whole field, " looking before and after," the
movement seems to have been practicable; but the future was
then hidden, the ground unknown, and the project of a forward




THE AUTUMN OF 1861.                  79
movement was given up. General Johnston collected his army,
much scattered in the hot conflict, and sending forward advance
forces to Fairfax Court House and Vienna, went into camp near
Centreville.
The intelligence of the victory at Manassas was greeted in
the South in a manner which seemed disproportioned to its importance. No bells were rung, or crowds harangued by street
orators; and it was difficult to believe, from the demeanor. of the
people, that they realized the good fortune of the Southern arms.
Such at least was the fact in Virginia, and the explanation may
probably be discovered in the natural character of the population. The Virginians are not easily elated by good fortune, or
depressed by bad; and they exhibited this temper of mind on the
present occasion. The Congress imitated them.  Resolutions
of thanks to the Southern troops were passed, couched in terms
of gravity and decorum, and the subject then seemed to be forgotten. The effect of the battle at the North was different.
Such ardent expectations of a decisive victory over the' South
had been indulged, that the result fell upon the people with the
startling effect of a thunderbolt. The press teemed with angry
denunciations of the generals who had thus suffered themselves
to be defeated; a policy of extermination against the South was
hotly advocated; and the entire body of Northern society
seemed to be convulsed, as it had never been before, in the
recollections of the living.
Prompt steps were taken by the Federal authorities to retrieve the disaster, and every energy was brought into play.
New levies were made; a heavy loan negotiated with the banks
of New York, on terms which indicated no change in the public
conviction that the South would soon be forced back into the
Union; and Lieutenant-General Scott, now past seventy, yielded
the command of the Federal armies to a younger and more active officer. General George B. McClellan, the officer in question, will probably rank, in the ultimate judgment of' military
critics, as the ablest Federal commander of the war. This estimate, which is formed by the present writer after a careful study




80            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
of his official reports, and a full consideration of all the circumstances under which he acted, will only go for what it is worth;
but his great abilities as a soldier were unquestioned even by his
opponents. He was at this time about thirty-five years of age, was
a graduate of West Point, and had been chiefly known before the
war as the author of a work upon European tactics, the result
of a visit as military commissioner to the Crimea. When the
war broke out he was assigned to the command of the Federal
forces in Western Virginia, where he achieved a complete success over the Confederate arms at Rich Mountain and Carrick's
ford. These affairs had appeared on the Federal bulletins as
" two victories in one day;" General McClellan received the
flattering name of " the Young Napoleon," and his sudden promotion to the command of all the United States forces indicated
the high opinion which had been formed of his abilities. Precise
and military in his bearing when on duty, but at other times easy,
approachable, and ever ready to smile and utter a kind word, he
became immediately and greatly popular with the troops. His
sentiments toward the South were those of a soldier for an open
and powerful opponent, and he entered upon the duties of his
great position with a zeal and energy which soon accomplished
the most important results. Under his directing hand the disorganized Federal army again took shape, reformed its broken
ranks, and once more presented a determined and dangerous
front to the South.
The military operations which took place during the remainder of the year 1861, over the whole field of struggle from Virginia to Missouri, form no part of the present narrative. The
South had not profited by the result of the battle of Manassas.
It is doubtful whether that victory did not prove a misfortune to
the Confederacy.  Instead of concentrating all their energies,
and preparing for a hard and protracted struggle, the Southern
people seemed to consider the conflict over, and the revolution
victoriously terminated at a blow. The ignis fatuus of European
intervention danced before every eye, leading the people of the
Confederate States still deeper and deeper into the treacherous




TRE AUTUMN OF 1861.                 81
slough: and during all this time the North, with greater energy
and resolution than before, was gathering, by land and by sea,
an overpowering force for their destruction. Immense iron-clad
men-of-war; great armies at every point on the frontier; enormous
levies of additional troops, and fresh loans; a resolute determination to crush the South at any cost —these were the elements
which the North now brought, with persistent activity, to the
further struggle. Active operations followed at nearly every
point. Armies took the field in Missouri, Kentucky, and Virginia; and extensive expeditions by water were undertaken
against the fortified places along the Southern coast. In Western Virginia an active campaign took place, resulting in the indecisive affairs at Scary Creek, Cross Lanes, Carnifax Ferry,
and Cheat Mountain, where Generals Floyd and Wise carried
on the contest with varying but unimportant results. The only
affairs of importance which redeemed the campaign in Virginia,
after July, from its general aspect of nonsuccess, were the
actions at Leesburg and Alleghany Mountain, in October and
December. In the former Colonel Evans met and repulsed with
heavy slaughter a Federal force which crossed the Potomac at
Ball's Bluff; and in the latter, Colonel Edward Johnson, with a
small body of Confederates, sustained the attack of a much larger
force of Federal troops for about six hours, when they retired
and left him in possession of the field.
But these successes did not greatly change the face of affairs,
and the prospect for the spring looked threatening.  Two Federal armies were held ready to advance at the opening of fine
weather —that at Washington, under personal command of General McClellan, and a second opposite Leesburg, under General
Banks of Massachusetts.  In addition to these, considerable
bodies of Federal troops occupied the counties of Hardy, Hampshire, and Morgan, on the head-waters of the Potomac, where
they lived on the country, harassed the inhabitants, and treated
as public enemies all who refused to subscribe to the Federal
oath of allegiance.
To protect this portion of the State, and guard the lower
6




82           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
valley against General Banks, the Confederate Government determined to send a force to Winchester. This could not be
wholly drawn from the army at Centreville, which faced General
McClellan, and other sources were looked to. Detached bodies
from various quarters were ordered to concentrate at Winchester, and especially the commands of Generals Loring and Henry
R. Jackson, who had hitherto operated in Western Virginia.
The force thus organized was officially styled the "Army of the
Monongahela," and was placed under the command of General
Stonewall Jackson, who had been advanced to the rank of
major-general.
This gratifying promotion seemed to produce little effect
upon Jackson, or he was too modest to let his feelings be seen.
On the night when he received his commission, his friend Colonel Pendleton slept with him, and they talked confidentially for
hours, but Jackson did not allude to it. It was only on the next
day, when they rode together to Fairfax Court House, that
Colonel Pendleton heard of it.  Jackson was looking for a
magistrate to administer the official oath, and was thus led to
mention his promotion.
CHAPTER  II.
JACKSON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS TO HIS BRIGADE.
AFTER the battle of Manassas, Jackson had remained with
his brigade in the woods near Centreville, only moving once,
when the Confederate generals advanced to Fairfax Court House,
and then abruptly retired, with the hope of drawing General
McClellan from his earthworks at Arlington. He had looked
in vain for the signal to march upon Washington. Day followed
day-and then weeks and months went by —the signal did not
come. His brigade awaited the order to advance with an im



JACKSON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS TO HIS BRIGADE.   83
patience as great as that of their commander, and were restive
as the bright autumn thus passed on.
They had began to regard their leader with that admiration
and affection which subsequently became so ardent. The Army
of the Potomac was nothing in their eyes without the Army of
the Shenandoah, the Army of the Shenandoah nothing without
the " Stonewall" brigade; and the commander of that brigade
was, in the opinion of his troops, the first of men-the " noblest
Roman of them all." His coolness in action, and the obstinate
resolution with which he fought, had made him the hero of the
ardent youths, sensitively impressible to military glory, and
prone, like the young everywhere, to hero-worship. They were
charmed with his soldierly qualities; delighted with his dingy
gray coat and yellow cap; and his very eccentricities and oddities were new claims upon their liking. They called him " Old
Jack" and " Stonewall;" and when troops bestow nicknames
on a commander, they almost always admire him. They
laughed when he rode by upon his sorrel, with the rim of his
cap on his nose and his chin in the air, but the cheer which followed was an evidence of the admiration and affection under the
laughter.  Those who witnessed the meetings between this
officer and his troops, at that time and afterwards, will recall
the spectacle of waving hats, and tumult and rejoicing. It was
in vain that Jackson endeavored to avoid these ovations, which,
in spite of his innate modesty, were the most delightful incense
to the pride of the soldier. In vain did he pluck off his old cap
-fix his eyes straight before him-and pass at a rapid gallop,
with his staff strung out behind him, in the effort to keep pace
with him. The men refused to be thus defeated. The signal was
given at one end of the brigade that " Old Jack was coming:"
the men ran to the road, and as he passed at full speed, cheers
arose and were carried along the line, as though their leader
was rallying them in the gulf of battle. So unfailing was this
reception of Jackson by his men, and such an uproar did his
presence always occasion, that it was compared to the immense
excitement produced in the regiments and brigades by the ap



84            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
pearance of a hare or squirrel, which the men invariably ran down
with deafening shouts and cries. When that distant cheering
was heard, the army would exclaim with good-humored laughter,
"That's Jackson or a rabbit! "
This great popularity of the General will serve to explain
the depression of his men when they were informed that their
favorite was about to leave them. The fact seemed incredible.
That any other general but the officer in the old gray coat, with
the old yellow cap, on the old sorrel horse, should lead the
Stonewall Brigade, appeared an idea too absurd for belief. It
seemed an outrage on them; a wanton disregard of their feel
ings which no public reasons could justify.
But in spite of this extraordinary excitement in the ranks of
the brigade, the inexorable order remained unchanged-the sorrowful moment approached when they were to bid farewell to
their commander.
The day at last came; it was the 4th of October. In a field
near Centreville all the regiments of the brigade except the 5th
Virginia, then on picket, were drawn up in close column with
their officers in front, and Jackson appeared before them as
though about to give the order for a charge. But now no enthusiasm or cheers awaited him. All knew for what purpose he
came, and the sorrow which filled every heart betrayed itself in
the deep silence which greeted his approach. Not a sound was
heard along the line nor hand raised in greeting to indicate that
the men had recognized their captain. The faces of the troops
were full of the deepest dejection, and they resembled children
about to be separated from their father.
As Jackson reached the centre of the line his staff halted,
and he rode slowly forward until he was within a few paces of
the men. As his glance met theirs, a slight color tinged his
cheek, and his eye flashed. Mastering his emotion with an effort,
in the midst of the profound silence, and speaking in the short
abrupt tones which were so familiar to them, Jackson addressed
them as follows:
" I am not here to make a speech, but simply to say farewell.




JACKSON'S FAREWELL ADDRESS TO HIS BRIGADE.   85
I first met you at Harper's Ferry in the commencement of this
war, and I cannot take leave of you without giving expression
to my admiration of your conduct from that day to this-whether on the march, in the bivouac, in the tented field, or on the
bloody plains of Manassas, where you gained the well-deserved
reputation of having decided the fate of the battle. Throughout
the broad extent of country over which you have marched, by
your respect for the rights and the property of citizens, you have
shown that you were soldiers-not only to defend, but able and
willing both to defend and protect. You have already gained a
brilliant and deservedly high reputation throughout the army of
the whole Confederacy, and I trust in the future, by your deeds
on the field, and by the assistance of the same kind Providence
who has heretofore favored our cause, you will gain more victories, and add additional lustre to the reputation you now enjoy.
You have already gained a proud position in the future history of
this our Second War for Independence; I shall look with great
anxiety to your future movements, and I trust whenever I shall
hear of the First Brigade on the field of battle, it will be of
still nobler deeds achieved, and higher reputation won! I"
As he uttered these words Jackson paused, and his eye
passed slowly along the line, as though he wished thus to bid
farewell, individually, to every familiar face. His emotion
seemed profound-the rush of memories crowding upon him
more than he could bear. He could not leave them thus, with
such formal words only; and the iron lip which had never trembled in battle was suddenly seen to quiver. Mastered by an
uncontrollable impulse, the soldier rose in his stirrups, threw the
reins on the neck of his horse with an electric gesture which sent
a thrill through every heart, and extending his arm, added in
tones of the deepest feeling:
"In the Army of the Shenandoah you were the First Brigade! In the Army of the Potomac you were the First Brigade!
In the second corps of the army you are the First Brigade I
You are the First Brigade in the affections of your General; and
I hope, by your future deeds and bearing, you will be handed




86            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
down to posterity as the First Brigade, in this our Second War
of Independence. Farewell!"
As the last words echoed in the ears of the men, and Jackson turned to leave them, the long pent-up feeling burst forth.
Three prolonged cheers rolled along the line of the brigade, and
no sooner had they died away than they were renewed and again
renewed. The calm face of Jackson flushed as he listened to
that sound, but he did not speak.
Waving his hand in token of farewell, he galloped away, and
the brigade returned slowly and sorrowfully to camp.
CHAPTER  III.
JACKSON' S PLAN.
BEFORE entering upon the narrative of the campaign in the
valley, it is necessary that we should briefly refer to Jackson's
views in the fall of 1861. What a distinguished man conceives
is often as interesting as what he executes, and certainly serves
equally to dis4play his character. The plan of operations which
we are about to notice was never carried out, and many persons
at that time thought it absurd; but it was the deliberate result
of Jackson's reflections, and will at least show his views at that
time.
He proposed that the Confederate forces should invade the
North in two columns, winter at Harrisburg, and in the spring
of 1862 advance directly upon Philadelphia. The result, he believed, would be a treaty of peace, and the establishment of
Southern independence.
The logic by which he arrived at the conclusion that this
plan must succeed was certainly plausible. The battle of Manassas had paralyzed for the time the military power of the
North, and every thing in that country was in confusion. On
every side were the evidences of discouragement and dismay;




JACKSON'S PLAN.                  87
the legislature was the arena of warring factions, the executive
embarrassed and disheartened, the old army Adisorganized, the
new levies undisciplined; and the whole Northern country, exhausted by the great effort which had ended so disastrously, lay,
for the moment, like a mighty hulk which had run on the breakers, and threatened every instant to go to pieces. Cool heads
saw that this prostration, however, was only temporary; that
the immense resources in population and war material at the
North would soon enable her to recover from the blow she had
received; and it was to take advantage of her present weakness
and avoid the recoil, that Jackson proposed his plan.
Its details were as follows: While the people and the authorities were thus discouraged, he proposed to advance with the
Army of the Monongahela, about 10,000 in number, into Northwestern Virginia, where he would reclaim that whole country
from the Federal sway, and summon the inhabitants of Southern
sentiment to array themselves under his standard. His information in regard to the feeling in that region-derived from personal knowledge and the statements of influential men-was extensive and reliable; and he did not doubt his ability to recruit
between fifteen and twenty thousand men, which would place at
his command at least 25,000 troops —enough for his further designs. These were bold and simple. While the enemy were
under the impression that his only object was to reclaim and occupy Northwestern Virginia, he would rapidly move his whole
force across the AMonongahela, into Monongalia County, march
upon Pittsburg, seize that place and destroy the United States
arsenal there. and then, in conjunction with the army of the
Potomac, which was to cross at Leesburg and form a junction
with his own column, advance upon Harrisburg and occupy the
capital of Pennsylvania. From Harrisburg he proposed that
the united armies should advance in the spring upon Philadelphia.
Such was the plan of operations which Jackson believed
would terminate the war before the summer of 1862. With the
heart of the North thus pierced by the Southern troops, the




88            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
strategic points captured, and Washington evacuated-the Fed
eral authorities, he believed, would abandon their opposition to
secession and agree to an honorable peace.
It was proposed to the Confederate authorities at Richmond,
but was not adopted. Nothing ever came of it, and the South
entered upon a military policy which contemplated a long defensive war, in which the Federal Government would find its resources exhausted, or the patience of the people worn out.
Whether this was an altogether prudent course, let the subsequent events of the struggle declare. It never had the approval
of Jackson. He believed then, and continued to believe, as will
be seen throughout his career, that " the Scipio Africanus policy
was the best." Invasion of the North was his possessing
thought, and became the dream of his life. He never ceased to
think of it, and the great successes at Port Republic, Cold Harbor, and the second ]Manassas, were chiefly important in his
eyes from their bearing upon his favorite policy.
To the question what would have been the result of the
adoption of this plan in the autumn of 1861, there will probably
be many answers; but we pass from what Jackson suggested to
what he effected.
CHAPTER IV.
THE WINTER MARCIH TO ROMNEY.
JACKSON proceeded to Winchester, and assuming command
of the valley district, applied himself energetically to the task
of organizing and drilling the raw levies from the surrounding
country. General Loring with his command arrived in December; and Jackson had succeeded, to his great joy, in regaining
his old brigade, which returned to him and went into camp near
the afterwards famous locality of Kernstown, in the latter days
of November.
The troops thus placed at his disposal were about 10,000 in




THE WINTER MARCH TO ROMNEY.               89
number. With this force he hoped to afford complete protection
to the country, and he applied himself with great activity to the
work of putting the troops in proper order for the spring campaign. They did not remain, in the meanwhile, entirely idle.
On the 17th of December a portion of the Stonewall Brigade
proceeded to the Potomac, and driving away a body of Federal
troops posted there, destroyed dam No. 5 on the Chesapeake and
Ohio Canal. Washington and Alexandria were largely supplied
with coal and other heavy produce from the interior by means
of this canal, and the inconvenience thus occasioned was probably considerable. Soon afterwards preparations were made for
a vigorous movement against the Federal forces at Romney,
Bath, and other points, which it was desirable to drive beyond
the Potomac.
Jackson at this time expressed succinctly and forcibly to one
of his officers, his opinion in reference to the fire delivered by
troops. The conversation had turned upon the relative advantage of firing by file, and by company or battalion, and Jackson
said: " I rather think the fire by file is best on the whole, for it
gives the enemy an idea that the fire is heavier than if it was
by company or battalion. Sometimes, however, one may be
best-sometimes the other-according to circumstances. But
my opinion is that there ought not to be much firing at all. My
idea is that the best mode of fighting is to reserve your fire till
the enemy get-or you get them-to close quarters. Then deliver one deadly, deliberate fire-and charge! "
His preparations were not complete until the last days of
December. All was ready at last, however, and on the first
day of January, 1862, he set out on the road to Romney, with
about 9,000 men, in the midst of many speculations as to his
intentions. " Conjecture was rife as to our destination," says
an officer, " but Jackson kept his own secrets so well as to deceive both the enemy and ourselves."  In spite of the winter
season the day was exceedingly bright and beautiful; the air
soft and balmy; and Jackson afterwards said to a gentleman
from Jefferson, 1" Sir, the dust was flying in the roads!"  So




90            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
mild was the temperature that the men left behind them their
overcoats and blankets, to be brought on in the wagons. A
short distance from Winchester Jackson wheeled to the right,
and now marched in the direction of Bath. On the next day
the weather changed and grew intensely cold. The men marched
all day, and at night the wagons which had been unable to keep
up with the troops, had not arrived. The army in consequence
was compelled to go into bivouac without rations or covering of
any description-depending upon camp fires for protection against
the cold. On the third day Jackson continued to press forward,
in spite of the sufferings of the troops, who, taken from comfortable winter quarters, and unaccustomed to hunger, cold, and
fatigue, found it almost impossible to proceed. Jackson became
restive. Riding along the column, he found his old brigade
halted on the side of the road, and asked General Garnett, who
had succeeded him in the command, the reason for this delay.' I have halted to let the men cook rations, General," was
the reply of Garnett.
" There is no time for that," responded Jackson briefly.
" But it is impossible for the men to march further without
them."
"' I never found any thing impossible with that brigade!"
returned Jackson in his curtest tones, and he rode on. His
plans did not admit of delay. He intended'to surprise and
drive the enemy before him; and in comparison with the success
of the campaign, which depended upon the celerity of his march,
he rightly estimated the sufferings of the men as a secondary
matter. Such is the fatal logic of war-the necessity of military affairs.
Jackson now drew near Bath, and suddenly found his advance guard attacked. The Federal forces were posted behind
fences and other cover, and poured a sudden fire into the vanguard, consisting of a portion of the 48th Virginia, Colonel
Campbell. Two companies of the 21st Virginia, under Colonel
Patton, M ere thrown forward to their support, and an animated
skirmish ensued. The enemy held their ground for about half




THE WINTER MARCH TO ROMNEY.               91
an hour, when rednforcements coming to the relief of the advance guard, the Federal forces were driven off with the loss of
about twenty prisoners. This engagement took place within a
few miles of Bath, and to that place the enemy retired on their
main body. The Southern troops encamped just outside of the
town, and as night descended a freezing snow-storm, accompanied with hail, swept down from the mountains, and beat directly
in their faces. The wagons had again failed to arrive-the men
were without any thing to eat, or blankets to cover them, and
their situation was distressing. They were even without axes,
and the officers were compelled to overlook the destruction of
the fences for firewood.  " Strike for the rails, boys," was the
order of an officer of the advance guard, and around the cheerful blaze the men sank down in the snow which continued to fall,
and worn out with fatigue slept profoundly.
" I built a fire," says a young soldier whose notes of the
march are before us, " and went to sleep by it, but waked up
about twelve o'clock at night and found the fire out, and about
three inches of snow over me."  He like the rest had left his
blankets in the wagons, and this snowy winding sheet covered,
that night, the whole slumbering army.
On the next morning the mountains and valleys were covered with snow, which still continued to fall without cessation.
Jackson did not modify his plans, however, in consequence of
this unexpected and most unfortunate change in the weather-so
bright and beautiful when he left Winchester. Bath was in
front of him, still occupied by the enemy; and as soon as the
troops had snatched a hasty meal, the order was given for an
advance upon the town. The Federal forces made but a brief
resistance. The Southern artillery was placed in position and
opened fire, when the infantry charged the enemy's breastworks,
and they fell back hastily in the direction of the Potomac. Jackson had sent a force round in rear of the town to cut off their
retreat, but their movements were too rapid. Before the troops
could reach the point designated, the Federal forces had passed
it and effected their retreat. They were pursued by Ashby's




92            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
cavalry, which came upon a considerable force of infantry in
ambush, and the cavalry having fallen back, the Confederate
artillery was brought forward and fire opened.  At nightfall the
enemy fell back from their position and retreated across the Potomac, wading the freezing stream in one of the coldest nights
that had ever been known in that region. The Federal quarters in the town of Bath fell inte the hands of the troops, and a
number of stores were captured. In their abrupt retreat the
Federal officers had left behind them rich uniforms, fine services
of china, and all the luxurious appendages of winter quarters.
These were taken possession of by the troops, who devoured
with humorous satisfaction the excellent dinners of some Federal officers, which were found smoking on the board.
At nightfall the artillery fire ceased and the troops fell back,
two regiments, however, remaining on picket. As these were
forbidden to make fires, the bitter cold of the January night
caused them intense suffering. The soles of the men's shoes, in
many instances, froze tightly to the ground, and the sufferings
of all were indescribable. On the morning of the  5th of January Jackson formed line of battle opposite Hancock, which
was held by a Federal force under General Lander; and bringing up his batteries, placed them in position to open fire. He
then sent Ashby with a flag of truce to demand the surrender
of the place. This was refused by General Lander, when Jackson sent back word that he was about to shell the place-giving
the authorities of the town two hours to remove the women and
children. At the expiration of that time he opened with his
batteries on the town, and the Federal batteries returned the
fire. The cannonade continued rapidly for about an hour without result-Jackson directing his fire only at that portion of the
town which was occupied by the troops-and then it ceased on
both sides for the day.
On the next day the cannonade was resumed, and getting
our range, the Federal batteries poured a heavy fire upon the
troops, with little injury, however. They had been reinforced
during the night, and Jackson saw that the place could not be




THE WINTER MARCH TO ROMINEY.              93
taken without very severe loss in charging across the river.
This fact, and the additional consideration that he had accomplished the object of his march in that direction, by driving the
Federal forces from the soil of Virginia, induced him to abandon the design-if he had entertained it-of following the enemy
into their own country, and give up the plan of taking the
town. His attention was now turned toward Romney, where a
Federal force, variously estimated at from six to twelve thousand, still remained; and having removed the stores abandoned
opposite Hancock, he prepared to advance on the former place.
While these events were taking place near the town of Hancock, Colonel Rust had been ordered to proceed with two regiments and a battery up the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, which
here runs along the Potomac, and destroy the railroad bridge
over Capon River. On the way to that point he fell into an
ambuscade, but succeeded in driving the enemy from their position; after which he pushed on, burned the bridge, and destroyed
a considerable portion of the road. He then rejoined the main
body, and Jackson set out for Romney.
The weather had now become terrible, and the difficulties in
the way of military movements almost insuperable. It has been
truthfully said, that Napoleon's passage of the Alps scarcely surpassed this march. Rain, snow, hail, and sleet beat upon the
troops, who were without tents, overcoats, or blankets; and had
it not been for the bivouac fires, many of the soldiers must have
perished.
The difficulties of the march were fourfold for the trains and
artillery. The roads were covered with ice two inches thick,
and so thoroughly glazed by the sleet that horses and men kept
their feet only by the greatest exertion. Men were slipping, and
their guns going off all along the line. " Thousands fell flat every
day," says an eye-witness-and both men and animals were often
seriously hurt. The knees and muzzles of the horses were terribly injured; and they were seen limping along, crippled and
streaming with blood; but still Jackson continued his march.
Wagon after wagon slid off the steep and slippery roads, and




94            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
turned bottom upward, despite every attempt made to steady
them. One train of wagons and artillery took from daylight
until three P. M. to pass a hilly point; heavy details of men
roughening the frozen roads with pickaxes, steadying the animals,
and almost lifting the vehicles along.  Jackson was present
everywhere, encouraging the troops and seeing that no unnecessary delay was permitted by their officers.  His presence infused life into the laggards, and silenced the malcontents. Passing a point of the road where a piece of artillery had stalled,
while a crowd of men were looking idle on, he stopped, dismounted, without uttering a word, and put his own shoulder to
the wheel. The men were shamed by the rebuke, and hastened
to take their places; the horses were whipped up, and the piece
moved on.
In spite of the extraordinary difficulties which this terrible
condition of the roads threw in the way of further operations in
that mountainous region, Jackson did not swerve from his fixed
purpose to clear the whole country of the enemy. He hoped to
surprise the Federal garrison at Romney, but intelligence of his
advance preceded him. General Kelly, who commanded the
Federal forces there, prepared to defend the town, and issued
orders to the troops to be ready. But these orders proved, it is
said, of no avail. A panic had seized upon the troops, and at
Jackson's approach General Kelly hastily evacuated the place,
leaving behind him his official papers, and public property to the
value of about half a million dollars, which fell into the hands of
the Confederates.
The objects of the expedition had thus been accomplished.
Two large counties had been cleared of the Federal troops which
had so long harassed them; the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
the great military artery between the East and the West, had been
seriously damaged, and the bridge over Capon River destroyed;
large amounts of stores had been captured; and the country
effectually reconquered from the enemy. These results had been
achieved by the persevering resolution of Jackson, and the endurance of the troops who had suffered severely from the bitter




THE WINTER MARCH TO ROMNEY.               95
cold. But the result of their hardships repaid them. The inhabitants of the region could now sleep in peace. When Jackson
entered Romney no Federal force was left in the entire country.
It was necessary, however, to promptly guard against an
advance of the enemy on his rear, from Williamsport or Harper's Ferry. Jackson accordingly left General Loring with a
portion of the army at Romney, and returned with the remainder
to Winchester. Here he wrote to a friend in Richmond, on
January 29th, " Please procure me thirty-five miles of telegraph
wire from this point to Romney"-his intention being to connect the two places by a line of telegraph, so that General Loring might communicate with him at a moment's notice, and
announce any movement of the Federal forces. Posted at Winchester meanwhile, with the main body of the army, he would
be able to guard the approaches both to that point and to General Loring's rear, and move either force as the operations of the
enemy dictated. He would thus be able to hold both the valley
of the Shenandoah, the valley of the South Branch of the Potomac, and the Mountains of Morgan. Not only Jefferson, Frederick, and Clarke, but Berkeley, Morgan, Hardy, and Hampshire
would be completely protected.
Such was the design of Jackson; but for reasons now generally known, it was not carried out. From their first arrival at
Winchester, General Loring, and a great number of his officers
and men, had made no concealment of their lack of confidence in
Jackson as a soldier. Truth demands the statement, that on
many occasions this want of respect was displayed in a manner
highly derogatory to military discipline, and that deference which
is due to a military superior. Jackson was regarded as a man
of weak judgment and deficient intellect, who had accidentally
attained his position; and the report was industriously circulated
that he cared nothing for the men of General Loring's command.
With this the camps had buzzed at Winchester; and the hardships of the winter expedition had added virulence to the sentiment. When General Loring was directed to remain at Romney,
the dissatisfaction of that commander, and many of his officers.




96             LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
and men, was excessive. As the Stonewall Brigade marched
back, General Loring's troops saluted it with jeers, and cries of,
"There goes the MSud Fence Brigade! There go Jackson's
Pet Lambs  " —and this was succeeded by more serious evidences
of dissatisfaction. A paper was drawn up and signed by General Loring and many of his officers, reflecting in disparaging
terms upon Jackson's dispositions at Romney: representing that
the losses of the expedition had been enormous; that the region
was untenable; Romney assailable by no less than twenty-three
roads, and forage and subsistence inaccessible. So strong were
the representations of this memorial, which was forwarded directly to Richmond, that an order was sent directly to General
Loring, for the withdrawal of his force from Romney to Winchester. In consequence of this order, which he regarded as a
personal discourtesy, and construed into an evidence of a want
of confidence in his capacity, Jackson resigned his commission
in the army.
This unlooked for result of the action of the War Department
created much discussion and feeling in Richmond, and wherever
it was known. Governor Letcher, without Jackson's authority,
withdrew his resignation, but to this he would not consent. In
vain did one of his most confidential friends urge upon him the
propriety of reconsidering his determination. Walking up and
down his headquarters, in great wrath, Jackson said, in his
curtest tones, that he would not submit to such treatment. For
himself, he said, he did not care. If he knew his own heart, he
had been actuated by no sentiment but love of country in embarking in the war, and the War Department could not prevent
him from serving in the ranks, as he intended to do. He was
nobody, but the authorities at Richmond must be taught a lesson,
or the next victims of their meddling would be Johnston and
Lee. He would not put up with a proceeding unmilitary and
discourteous throughout, and would not hold his commission.*
In this resolution he for some time remained obstinately fixed,
* We are indebted to Colonel A. R. Boteler for these details. Jackson's
angry protest was addressed to that officer.




THE WINTER MARCH TO ROMINEY.               9.7
but the representation of friends gradually had their effect. His
convictions of a supposed hostility to him  at Richmond, and
absence of confidence in his capacity, were changed; and withdrawing his resignation, he retained the command. Returning
to his duties, he wrote: "1 Though the troops under my command are inadequate to the defence of this district, yet we must
look on the bright side, trusting that a kind Providence will continue to give its protection to this fair portion of our valley. I
regret that......  should not regard the success of the
recent expedition as far outweighing the losses sustained."
We have summed up briefly the successes-the losses were
considerable. A large number of men were laid up in the hospitals, and the army seriously crippled. It is true that the great
majority only suffered from colds and slight ailments, but they
were lost to the army for the time. The reader will, however,
decide for himself whether te expedition was or was not worth
what it cost. The unfortunate\ esults which followed the withdrawal of General Loring are certain.  We soon afterwards
find Jackson, ordinarily so mild and patient, announcing to a
friend in terms of great bitterness, that the enemy were in possession of Moorefield; " General Loring," he wrote " ought to
be cashiered."  The results of the expedition were thus negatived at one blow, and all the sufferings of the troops had been
for nothing.  IMoorefield, Romney, and Bath were again defenceless, and the counties of Hardy, Hampshire, and Morgan
once more at the mercy of the enemy.
In the space of thirty days a principality had been won and
lost again.




98               LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER V.
JACKSON FALLS BACK FROM WgINCHESTER.
THE spring campaign of 1862, in Virginia, was looked forward to by the Federal authorities as the decisive movement of
the war-the hinge upon which the whole would turn.
Their plans were not destitute of ingenuity, and promised to
be crowned with success.  Several schemes were in turn resolved on and abandoned.  General VlicClellan, we believe, was
in favor of advancing up the Rappahannock, and thence marching across to York River, within about thirty miles of Richmond.
President Lincoln, however, preferred the line of Manassas, and
on the last day of January he issued the following special order:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, January 31, 1862.
Ordered, That all the disposable forces of the Army of the Potomac, after
providing safely for the defence of Washington, be formed into an expedition
for the immediate object of seizing and occupying a point upon the railroad
southwestward of what is known as Manassas Junction; all details to be in
the discretion of the General-in-Chief, and the expedition to move before or
on the 22d day of February next.
ABRAHAMI LINCOLN.
This plan not meeting the ready concurrence of Genera]l
McClellan, the Federal President wrote him  the following note
three days afterwards:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, February 3, 1862..Major- General JIc Clellan:
MY DEAR SIR,-You and I have distinct and different plans for a movement of the Army of the Potomac: yours to be down the Chesapeake, up the
Rappahannock to Urbana, and across land to the terminus of: the railroad on
York River —mine, to move directly to a point on the railroad southwest of
Manassas. If you will give me satisfactory answers to the following questions
I shall gladly yield my plan to yours:
1. Does not your plan involve a greatly larger expenditure of time and
money than mine?




JACKSON FALLS BACK FROM WINCHESTER.            99
2. Wherein is a victory more certain by your plan than mine?
3. Wherein is a victory more valuable by your plan than mine?
4. In fact, would it not be less valuable in this, that it would break no
great line of the enemy's communication, while mine would?
5. In case of disaster would not a safe retreat be more difficult by your
plan than by mine?       Yours truly,
A. LINCOLN.
The reply of General McClellan to this note is not given, but
his programme of operations, with some modifications, was subsequently adopted, and the plan of the entire campaign determined on.
Upon Ihe Confederate capital four armies were to converge;
that of F  emont from the northwest, that of Banks from the
valley, that of McDowell from Fredericksburg, and that of McClellan fro  the peninsula, between the James and York. Fremont and Banks, having united their forces, were to drive Jackson before them, ascend the valley, cut the Confederate communications, and sweep dowh upon the capital from the mountains.
McClellan was to march up the peninsula to the Chickahominy,
and extend his right wing far up that stream; and at the same
time McDowell was to advance from Fredericksburg and extend his left wing until it formed a junction with McClellan's
right. By this time Jackson, it was supposed, would be defeated
and swept away, and Fremont and Banks would unite with the
right wing of McDowell. The line would thus form an immense semicircle, fiom the shores of the James to the base of
the Blue Ridge, and Richmond would be enveloped on the east
and the north with a cordon of fire. Before the column ascending the peninsula, 150,000-the column advancing from Fredericksburg, 40,000-and the army descending from the mountains, 50,000-in all 240,000 men, the capital of the Southern
Confederacy must be evacuated, and Virginia come under the
sway of the Federal authorities.
Such was the Federal programme for the spring of 1862.
Toward the end of February it was obvious to General John
ston that General McClellan designed an attack on his position




100           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
at Centreville, as soon as the roads were firm, and the weather
admitted of an advance. To disappoint this movement and concentrate the Army of the Potomac with that under General MIagruder on the peninsula, for the defence of Richmond, Johnston
now removed or destroyed his stores and baggage at Manassas,
and early in March fell back toward the Rappahannock. McClellan pursued him as far as MIanassas, but speedily withdrew
his forces to Washington; and at this point in the coming contest we rejoin General Jackson at Winchester.
We now approach the " campaign of the valley."  By his
operations on this great theatre, in the spring of 1862, Jackson
will be mainly estimated in that aftertime which sums up and
passes judgment on all human events without fear, favor, or the
prejudices of the contemporary. In the great career extending
over barely two years of struggle, but so crowded with memoralble scenes, the names of Kernstown and McDowell, Winchester
and Port Republic, will outshine Cold Harbor, MIanassas,
Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, and even Chancellorsville. In
these latter battles Jackson was one of General Lee's lieutenants,
carrying out the orders of a commander-in-chief under the eye
and direction of that commander. In the valley he was commanding in the field, with general orders only to control him.
After the -first blows struck at the enemy, it was plain that full
confidence could be placed in Jackson, and what he thenceforth
accomplished was due to his own brain and nerve. The result
was the greatest of his campaigns; and the military student
will delight to dwell upon the toiling, marching, thinking, and
fighting  of those three months in the valley. Tradition will
cluster around the least detail, the soldier will be inseparably
connected with the beautiful region which he loved so well, and
old men will tell their grandchildren with pride that they
" fought under Jackson in the valley."
His scheme of invading the North had been long since abandoned, and he now bent all his energies to the hard task of holding the valley against the heavy forces of the enemy about to
advance upon him. He could expect no reinforcements from




JACKSON FALLS BACK FROM WINCHESTER.         101
General Johnston's army, which, reduced in numbers and embarrassed like his own by the process of reorganization, was
barely strong enough to present a bold front to the large force
under McClellan;' and so deeply did the people at large sympathize with the exposed situation of the little army, that it was
earnestly hoped and confidently expected, that the government
would order Jackson to fall back, and give up the idea of holding his advanced position. Such was by no means the desire
of Jackson; and he had resolved that nothing but the direct assault of an irresistible force should drive him from the soil he
had undertaken to protect.
The days hurried on, the snows of January were succeeded
by the cold rains of February; and as March approached the
brisk winds began to dry the roads. On the 26th of February
the Federal forces began to move. On that day, Major-General
Banks crossed the Potomac at Harper's Ferry with a force
said to number 20,000 men, afterwards swollen by reenforcements to 35,000; and on the same evening the Federal cavalry,
before which Col. Ashby with his small force was compelled to
retire, occupied Charlestown.  General Lander was moving
from above with about 11,000 troops, and these two columns,
numbering in all about 46,000 men, were now posted in Jackson's front. It is doubtful if he had at disposal to meet them as
many as 4,000 men; but these were excellent troops, and, to use
his own words, he " did not feel discouraged."  ReSnforcements
were expected from the upper valley, and, until these arrived, he
determined to take no step backward, unless compelled to do so
by numbers which he could not resist. HIe had realized the
long train of "woes unnumbered" which would attend the
occupation of the valley by the Federal forces. It gave them
a foothold which not only exposed the whole country north of
the Rapidan, but directly threatened the communications of
Richmond.  All his energies were accordingly bent to the
almost hopeless task of repulsing them, and retaining possession
of the country. " If this valley is lost, Virginia is lost," he wrote
to a friend on the 3d of March, and this extreme statement




102           LrFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
will serve to show his feeling. Indeed, the affection which
Jackson, never an imaginative or fanciful person, had for the
Valley of Virginia, was almost romantic. He always spoke of
it as " our valley" to his soldiers; and his blows were never so
sudden and dangerous as when he was compelled to leave Winchester and retreat. Even the Federal troops discovered this
love of Jackson for the region, and are said to have regarded it
as " his property," which he would surely come back and wrest
from them. Thus the feelings of the individual came to add
vigor, if it had been needed, to the resolution of the soldier;
and Jackson prepared-to defend every foot of the country. "' It
is but natural," he wrote afterwards, " that I should feel a deep
and abiding interest in the people of the valley, where are the
homes of so many of my brave soldiers, who have been with
me so long, and whose self-sacrificing patriotism has been so
thoroughly tested." This affection was more than returned by
the inhabitants. They speak now of Jackson as of one who
belongs entirely to themselves; and one of the young ladies of
the region wrote the other day, "lHe is such an idol with me,
that I devour every line about him."  He did much to conciliate
this admiration and affection. His whole heart seemed to be
set on defending to the bitter end the whole extent of the
valley, and some of the hardest fighting of the war took place
in the rough struggle for its possession.
Of Jackson's situation at the time which we have now
reached-the first days of MSarch, 1862-the following extract
from a letter written by him to a friend on the third will convey
an accurate idea:
"My plan," he writes, "isto put on as bold a front as possible, and to use every means in my power to prevent his advance
whilst our reorganization is going on. What I desire is to hold
the country, as far as practicable, until we are in a condition to
advance; and then with God's blessing let us make thorough
work of it... Banks, who commands about 35,000 men,
has his headquarters at Charlestown; Kelly, who has succeeded
Lander, has probably 11,000, with his headquarters at Paw Paw.




JACKSON FALLS BACX FROB0   WINCHESTER.        103
Thus you see two generals, whose united force is near 46,000
troops already organized for three years or the war, opposed to
our little force here. But I do not feel discouraged.  Let me
have what force you can... I am delighted to hear you say
that Virginia is resolved to concentrate all her resources, if
necessary, to the defence of herself. Now we may look for war
in earnest.      I have only to say this —that if this valley is
lost Virginia is lost."
His design, it will be seen, was to check the Federal advance
whilst his "; reorganization was going on."  Those brief words
touched on a dangerous and difficult subject. A large portion of
the Confederate forces had volunteered for twelve months only,
with the expectation that the war would terminate before the
expiration of that period. This hope was disappointed, a year
had passed away and hostilities were about to recommence with
new vigor. The Confederacy was threatened with an attack
still more dangerous, at the momemt when her soldiers claimed
the letter of the contract-the right to disband —leaving the
country defenceless. To prevent this disastrous result, Congress
retained the troops in the field, passing several acts, however,
permitting the men to change their arm of the service, to elect
new officers, and reorganize throughout the army. It was this
"reorganization" in the face of the enemy-throwing all into
confusion and rendering the camps so many scenes of electioneering for commissions-that Jackson was fearful of at the beginning of March.  While the " Carnival of Misrule " was
reigning throughout his army, and every cabin of logs and mud
in the winter quarters around Winchester, was the scene of
merrymaking over sly canteens of whiskey, smuggled in by the
candidate who was anxious to serve his country with braid on
his sleeves, while the men felt their power to dethrone their
present officers, and those officers unconsciously relaxed, in discipline on that account-in the midst of all this confusion the
enemy might at any moment advance. To prevent this advance
by assuming a bold front, and waiting patiently for the reorganization to be completed, was the object of Jackson in the first
days of March.




104           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The roads rapidly dried, and were now firm to the tread,
and hard enough to bear the heaviest artillery; but the Xrenforcements expected by Jackson did not arrive. With his army,
reduced by sickness, and leaves of absence-and before the new
organization was accomplished —he was called upon to meet
the enemy. They numbered, according to Jackson's estimate,
about 46,000, while his own force was in all about 4,000; but
among these were the men of the Stonewall Brigade, and many
gallant regiments formerly commanded  by General Loring.
With this little force he determined to make as obstinate a resistance as possible.
The collision soon came. On the day that the above letter
was written by Jackson, the 3d of March, General Banks left
a portion of his army at Charlestown, and marched with his
main body to Martinsburg, from which an excellent turnpike
road led to Winchester.
Colonel Ashby, whose  cavalry remained in front watcling
the enemy, reported these movements to General Jackson, and
preparations were made to receive their attack. The Confederate commander had no thought of retiring without a fight, and
his small force was soon ready to meet the Federal attack, which
speedily followed.  On the 10th of March General Banks
moved toward his adversary, and on the 11th the columns from
IMartinsburg and Charlestown were united at a point about six
miles from Winchester. About two o'clock in the afternoon,
Ashby's cavalry picket, about four miles from the town, was
attacked in force and the cavalry compelled to fall back. Reenforcements were speedily despatched to the scene of action, but
these were also obliged to retire; and Jackson promptly threw
forward his whole force and offered battle.
This determined front, as afterwards at Kernstown, must
have persuaded the Federal general that his adversary's force
was larger than it had been represented. He did not accept
the proffered battle, and made no further advance at the time,
waiting for his main body to arrive.
Jackson still occupied his position in advance of the town




JACKSON FALLS BACK FROM WINCHESTER.           105
with the determination not to retire before the enemy withobut
engaging them, when late in the afternoon he received an order
from Richmond directing him to evacuate Winchester, and fall
back up the valley. This was a bitter disappointment to him.
All his dreams of defending Wiinchester were at once dispelled;
and with a heavy heart he prepared to obey. There was nothing
in his orders, however, which forbade him to fightt as he fell
back, and he resolved that before retiring he would attack his
adversary. An incident related of him on this occasion conveys
an accurate idea of his feelings and intentions.
On the night of the 11th of March he visited the family of
the Rev. Mr. Graham, a Presbyterian clergyman of the*town,
with whom he was intimate, and the whole family were struck
with the unusual buoyancy of his bearing. His manner was
animated; his countenance smiling, almost gay; and he came
in with a rapid and elastic tread which indicated high spirits.
As the hour for evening prayers had arrived, he asked permission to read a chapter in the Bible and offer a prayer, as he frequently did; and every one took notice of the eloquence and
feeling in his voice. When the family rose from their knees,
Jackson remained for a moment silent, and then said:'" My
good friends, I can tell you what I am going to do to-night. I
shall attack the enemy, and defeat him."
After a few more words he left the house, but, to their great
surprise, returned toward midnight, looking haggard and dispirited.  I-Ie caie in slowly, almost dragging himself along,
and said, in accents of the greatest depression: " I have come
to tell you that I must leave you, and to say farewell."  His
head sank as he spoke, and lhe seemed to fall into a gloomy
reverie. From this he suddenly roused himself, and starting to
his feet with flushed cheeks and flashing eyes, he half drew his
sword from the scabbard and-exclaimed:
"I will never leave Winchester without a fight!-never,
never!"
He stood looking at the astonished auditors for some moments without uttering another word, and then his excitement dis



106            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
appeared. His sword was driven back with a ringing clash into
the scabbard, and in tones of profound discouragement he said:
" No! I cannot sacrifice my men. I intended to attack the
enemy on the Martinsburg road, but they are approaching on
the flanks too, and would surround me. I cannot sacrifice my
men; I must fall back."
He then bade his friends farewell, and left the house.* On
the same night he recalled his troops from their position in front
of the enemy, left the cavalry to guard his rear, and silently
evacuated Winchester.
He had remained in person until the last moment, to see that
no stores of any description were left. Even the useless telegraph wire was directed to be brought off, and he entrusted this
duty to Major Harman, the chief quartermaster, with the statement that he was " in no hurry to leave Winchester."  Every
thing in the shape of public stores had been already removed.
The cars and engines from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
had all been sent to the rear, and the men had been greeted with
the unique spectacle of one huge railroad engine rolling along
the valley turnpike, drawn by forty-two horses. Nothing was
thus left, and Jackson doggedly retired.
On the next morning a column of eight thousand Federal
troops entered the town and took possession. Colonel Ashby,
commanding the cavalry, which composed the rear-guard of the
army, remained behind his men, alone, in Winchester, until the
enemy had swarmed into the ancient town, and' were within two
hundred yards of his position.
An incident very characteristic of Ashby followed. The
enemy had observed the daring cavalier, who thus persistently
sat his horse, watching their entrance, and two men were sent
to make a circuit, and by striking the valley turnpike in his rear,
intercept him and cut off his retreat. If Ashby saw this he did
not pay any attention to the circumstance. He waited until the
* The scene here related is given on the authority of a highly respectable
gentleman of Winchester, who received the incident from the family of the
Rev. Mr. Graham, who witnessed it, and bear testimony to its truth.




KERNSTOWN.                    107
Federal column was nearly upon him, and then waving his
sword around his head, uttered a cheer and galloped off. At
the edge of the town he found himself confronted by the men
sent to intercept him; and those acquainted with the daring
character of Ashby will easily believe that this opportunity of
venting his spleen at being compelled to retreat was not unacceptable. Without attending to the loud " halt!" he levelled
his pistol as he came on, and fired at one of the cavalry men,
who fell. Ashby then caught the other by the throat, dragged
him from the saddle, and carried him off at full gallop. This
incident took place exactly as here narrated. It can only be
explained by the statement that Ashby was the best rider in the
Southern army.
Jackson continued to fall back, and Ashby's cavalry, supported by Chew's battery of horse artillery, held the rear, disputing every inch of ground with the enemy, who pursued
closely. The crack of the cavalry carbines is described as
having been incessant, and the roar of the artillery was " the
lullaby and reveille " of the little army.
CHAPTER VI.
KE RNSTOWN.
JACKSON'S retreat on this occasion was sullen and deliberate,
and the forces assailing his rear gained no advantage over Colonel Ashby, who confronted them with his cavalry everywhere,
and obstinately sustained their attack. At Newtown he met
and repulsed a column under General Shields which made a
furious assault upon the Confederate rear-guard, and the army
continued its march. Reaching Cedar Creek, near Strasburg, on
the evening of the first day, Jackson continued to retreat until
he arrived at the little town of Mount Jackson, nearly opposite
Luray, and about forty-five miles from Winchester. Here his
weary troops went into camp, the enemy having ceased the pursuit.




108           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The Federal forces were now in possession of the entire
region around Winchester, and sound policy would have seemed
to suggest a system of conciliation toward the inhabitants, with
a view to changing their sentiments of hostility, and reconciling
them to the Federal Government. This would have been difficult, perhaps, but not impossible; for in large portions of Frederick and Jefferson Counties, the opposition to secession had
been violent and determined-the attachment to the Union great.
A policy of kindness and conciliation toward the inhabitants
would have increased this feeling; and a majority of the people
might have been won to neutrality at least. General Banks
seems not to have understood the character of the people, and
his hostile treatment of them made them bitter enemies. His
policy united the jarring elements, and confirmed the wavering
in their Southern sympathies. Portions of this region had been
considered somewhat lukewarm in Confederate sentiment up to
that time, but General Banks succeeded in making the whole
strongly Southern. In 1863 a member of Congress from one of
the Gulf States declared that he regarded it as " the soundest
district in the Confederacy."
General Banks seemed at first to intend a hot pursuit of
Jackson, but this design was not executed. He massed his troops
at Winchester, and, at the same time, a considerable force was
sent across the Blue Ridge toward Fredericksburg.  General
Banks now regarding Jackson as for the time beyond his reach,
and believing that the Confederate commanders had neither the
ability nor the desire to return and attack him, turned over the
command to his suborzlinate, General Shields, and repaired to
the city of Washington.
On the 21st of March Jackson received intelligence from
Ashby. who had remained with his cavalry in front of the
enemy, that their troops had evacuated the town of Strasburg,
and fallen back in the direction of Winchester.  He immediately resolved to follow them,. and acted with his habitual
promptness. From  Mount Jackson, where his army lay, to
Winchester, the distance was nearly fifty miles, and to arrive in




KERNSTOWN.                    109
time to strike the rear of the retiring enemy, the "' Foot Cavalry,"
as the troops now began to be called, must put forth their utmost
exertions. No time was lost. Jackson broke up his camp,
placed himself at the head of his column, and leaving MIount
Jackson at dawn on the 22d, marched twenty-six miles, and bivouacked that night at Cedar Creek, beyond Strasburg. Ashby
had followed the enemy, incessantly skirmishing with their rearguards and on the evening of Jaclkson's arrival at Cedar Creek,
had an animated engagement with cavalry and artillery, in which
General Shields was slightly wounded by a fragment of shell.
The action lasted until night, the enemy continuing to fall back.
During his march Jackson received information from scouts
and other sources which induced him to hurry forward still more
rapidly. The enemy, he was informed, were sending off their
stores and troops from Winchester; only four regiments of infantry were now in the town; and as he approached the place
he was notified that fifteen thousand troops under General
Williams were then moving through the Blue Ridge at Snicker's Gap, below Berryville, to operate against General Johnston.
Jackson saw at a glance that if this intelligence was reliable, an
opportunity now presented itself to regain all his lost ground,
and strike a heavy blow at the entire programme of the enemy.
With his three or four thousand men he did not doubt his ability
to crush the four regiments at Winchester, and this sudden and
wholly unexpected attack on the enemy's rear would have the
effect of retaining General Williams in the valley.
Such was Jackson's design as he now hurried forward by
forced marches to Winchester. He di4 not doubt the report
which had been brought to him of the small force there. I-He
had received his intelligence " from a source remarkable for reliabiiity," Colonel Ashby, and it was not until he was actually
engaged with the enemy that he found the Federal force amounted to about eleven thousand men.
Marching from Cedar Creek at dawn he continued to press
forward, and about noon came up with the enemy's rear at the
little village of Kernstown, which is situated on the valley turn



1o0            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
pike, about three miles from Winchester. Here the men stacked
arms, and threw themselves on the ground to snatch some rest
after their incessant movement. The advance had been one of
extreme rapidity, the troops having passed over a distance of
more than forty miles within a period of less than thirty-six
hours. The march had been so rapid that only 3,087 infantry,
with 27 pieces of artillery, had been able to keep up; and these
were so thoroughly exhausted that they could scarcely stand.
An eye-witness declares that "'the men were utterly broken
down when they reached the battle-field, and so footsore and
weary, that if they trod on a rock or any irregularity, they
would stagger."  This condition of the troops induced Jackson to
resolve on deferring the attack until they had gained a night's rest,
but he subsequently returned to his original intention. His presence was known, as the enemy's position gave them a fair view
of his troops; and fearing that they would hurry forward reenforcements during the night, he resolved to attack them at
once. The men were in excellent spirits in spite of their fatigue,
and the order was given to prepare for battle.
It was now four o'clock in the afternoon, and the declining
sun warned the Confederate commander that no time was to be
lost. As the infantry came up he assigned them their places in
the commanding position which he had selected on the turnpike,
and impatiently awaited the return of the cavalry scouts which
had been sent out to reconnoitre. While he was thus engaged
forming his troops in line of battle, the roar of Ashby's gulns
directly in front showed that the action had begun. Jackson
was still forming his line when the scouts hurried in, and informed him that the enemy, who had been posted in heavy force
on the right of the turnpike, were then making a circuit at a
double-quick, and as secretly as possible, to the left.
Their intentions were thus developed. They obviously designed, under cover of a demonstration on the Confederate front,
to move around and assail the left flank —a repetition of their
strategy at- 3tanassas-and dispositions were promptly made to
meet this emergency. Ashby was left with his cavalry and ar




KIERNSTOWN.                    111
tillery, supported by Colonel Burks' brigade, to guard the turnpike; and with Colonel Fulkerson's and General Garnett's brigades (the latter the 1" Stonewall"), and a gun from Carpenter's
battery, Jackson moved to the left, and rapidly pushed on to gain
an elevated position which commanded the enemy's right.
The battle of Kernstown was fought near the eastern declivity of the Little North MIountain, not far from the spot where
the Opequan takes its rise. The country is undulating, and
generally open, but with patches of oak, birch,, and other trees,
which afford a good cover for infantry.  The fields are large,
gently rolling, and divided by rail fences or stone walls.  At
the end of AMarch, when the action took place, a portion of the
ground was ploughed, but the greater part was covered with a
thick crop of broom straw. Where the battle raged most hotly
the opposing lines were almost in collision with each other; the
woods in which they were formed being only separated by a
narrow neck of open field, where the ground sunk down in one
of the undulations mentioned. This was alternately taken possession of by both parties. On the left of this position was a
common rail fence which ran perpendicular to the Confederate
line, and formed a connecting link between the adversaries. At
right angles with this, and in front of the Confederate left wing,
was a substantial stone wall in a field of ploughed ground, which
extended toward the base of tile mountain. "
To attain the high ground on the left was the object of both
adversaries. The struggle thus became, in its very commencement, an attempt of each to outflank his opponent. The enemy
had gotten the start, but Jackson moved promptly to counteract
this advantage, and succeeded-through a heavy fire of artillery
directed at his column as it swept across the fields —in reaching,
without loss, athe position selected for his artillery. He opened
fire immediately with the gun from  Carpenter's battery, and
then hastened back in person to hurry forward the rest of the
artillery. Every- moment now counted, and new batteries came
up quickly. Waters' battery, and McLaug'hlin's "6 Rockbridge
artillery," one piece of which had done such good service in the




112           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
hands of Captain:Pendlelon. at Falling Waters, were placed in
position; and supported by the 21st Virginia, Colonel Patton,
who was ordered by Jackson to stand by the guns to the last,
opened fire on the Federal columns, which were seen rapiclly.
moving to the left. Their batteries promptly replied to the challenge, and for some time a rapid and continuous fire was kept
up-showers of case shot and shell falling in the midst of the
troops, but doing them little injury.
During this animated duel between the opposing batteries,
the infantry of the two armies had continued steadily moving to
the left, and in,that quarter the real contest soon commenced,
to which the artillery fire had only been the prelude. All at
once a long roar of musketry resounded from the woods, where
the Confederate left was posted, and in a moment the air was
filled with the din of battle. Colonel Echols, of the 27th Virginia, had opened the action by an attack upon the force immediately in his front, and this, he soon ascertained, was very
large. Jackson watched the contest closely, and seeing that
Echols was hard pressed by numbers, ordered the 21st Virginia
to his support. That regiment advanced and took position on
Echols' right, and the battle began to rage in earnest. The
enemy were masked in the woods, opposite Echols and Patton,
and, throwing forward line after line, made vigorous attempts to
outflank the ConfederXates both on the right and the left. These
attempts were partially successful, but did not accomplish their
object. The Federal infantry reached the flank of Jackson's
line, and poured a steady fire into the Southern troops; but the
position of the latter, in the woods, partially concealed them,
and the Federal fire being too high. they suffered comparatively
small loss, and did not retire. The remainder of Fulkerson's
brigade now came to their support, and soon afterwards the
Stonewall Brigade hastened up and formed line of battle upon
Fulkerson's right. These opened immediately a rapid and destructive fire. Before it the enemy's first line gave back, and
could not be rallied; but fresh troops instantly took its place,
and a resolute charge was again made upon the Confederates.




XERNSTOWN.                     113
It was repulsed; and for some time this continued to be the
character of the contest-the Federal troops rushing forward,
the Confederates meeting them with a heavy fire, repulsing and
pursuing —and then the sudden appearance of Federal reserves,
in turn driving back their adversaries.
The Southern infantry engaged in every part of the field
nmnbered 2,742 men, according to Jackson's official report; and
he estimates the force of the enemy present at 11,000, of whom
" over 8,000 " he declares were probably engaged. They were
thus enabled to meet the Confederate assaults with fresh troops
from the reserves, and did do so with promptness. One Federal regiment was completely repulsed, and the Confederates
were hotly pursuing the men into the woods, when they suddenly
found themselves confronted by a flesh regiment which had been
lying down.  "' They seemed to rise," says an eye-witness, a" out
of the earth, and coming forward in beautiful order at a doublequick, took their place "-with the stars and stripes, says
another, "flaunting in our very faces."  The battle thus continued to rage with varying fortunes, the Federal forces having
failed to secure any advantage. The roll of musketry in the
woods, says one who heard it, "' rose and fell, and swelled on
the air like some grand infernal organ." The artillery continued to thunder from its position, but its deep diapason was no
match for the frightful din which rose steadily from the woods,
and showed that the more fatal " small arms" were busy at
their work.
The action had now become furious. There was little manoeuvring on the part of either adversary-all was hard, close
fighting. The lines wavered to and fro-advanced rapidly or
retired as quickly-and the musketry fire never relaxed. Men
and officers were falling or being wounded and borne off at every,
moment. Colonel Echols had his arm broken by a bullet, and
was compelled to yield the command of his regiment to Lieutenant-Colonel Grigsby. Lieutenant Dale, of the 5th Virginia,
fell while leading on his men. Captain Jones of the Irish battalion, mounted a stump and was cheering on his company, when
8




114           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
a bullet penetrated his brain, and he too fell. Captains Austin,
Robertson, Morrison, Lieutenant Lisle, and Lieutenant Junkin,
one of Jackson's aide-de-camps, were some of them wounded,
and all taken prisoners. Colonel Burks had his horse shot in
four different places, and six balls passed through his clothes.
Three times the colors of the 2d Virginia were shot down, and
but for the gallantry of Colonel Allen, who leaped from, his
horse and seized them, they would have been captured.
The battle raged thus blindly and without plan as it were,
for nearly two hours.  " There was almost a continuous roar
of musketry," says Jackson in his report of the action, " the
enemy's repulsed regiments being replaced by fresh ones from
his large reserves."  Jackson was everywhere seen under the
hottest fire, waving his sword around his head, and exclaiming,
" Give them one more volley, my brave boys  "  His form towered above the smoke on his sorrel horse; and a participant in
the battle makes the statement that he led five distinct charges
in person.
The Federal commander was still endeavoring to accomplish
his original design of turning Jackson's left, and assaulting him
in the rear. But at that point Fulkerson, with the 23d under
Taliaferro, and the 27th under Carson, held the position against
six Federal regiments without flinching. The ground was peculiar-the adversaries occupying a skirt of woods on each side
of a narrow field of ploughed ground, with the substantial stone
wall which we have mentioned, running directly across'it, in
their front and parallel with their lines. The distance was inconsiderable between the two lines of battle, and the stone wall
was a coveted object with both, as it would enable them to shelter themselves entirely from their opponent's fire. To attain
this advantage the two lines now gradually advanced, continuing to fire hotly as they came. When within close and deadly
range, each broke at a rapid double-quick for the wall, cheering
loudly and endeavoring to reach it first. The Confederates beat
their opponents; they occupied the position while their enemies
were still forty or fifty yards distant, and, dropping on their




KERNSTOWN.                     115
knees, rested their guns on the wall, and poured a heavy volley
into the Federal line. The effect was decisive. The enemy
broke in confusion, left one of their colors on the field, and retreated in disorder to the shelter of the woods. An Ohio and a
Pennsylvania regiment, which took part in this charge, are said
to have carried back only twenty men. The rest were killed, or
left on the field, and Fulkerson remained in possession of the
ground.
The force of the Federal commander was too large, however, to render this and other advantages gained by the Southern troops, in any degree decisive of the result. Their reserves
enabled them to fill up the broken ranks, and after each repulse
they returned with vigor to the encounter. The'engagement
had become general in every portion of the field, and the fire of
artillery and musketry was incessant. The batteries roared
hotly from the rising ground on the right-on the left the rattle
of musketry never ceased or relaxed-and from the direction
of tile turnpike, on the Confederate rights was heard the continuous thunder of the artillery under Ashby. The enemy were
pressing him, too, as they were Fulkerson on the left; and the
effort to turn Jackson's flanks and silence his artillery became
desperate. The guns were the aim of the Federal batteries,
and the object of charge after charge by their infantry. The
fire on them was accurate, and resulted in some loss. One gun
was dismounted from its carriage by a round shot, and another
was overturned by the frightened horses, among whom a shell
had burst. Both pieces subsequently fell into the hands of the
enemy. The charges which the artillery sustained were determined. As a piece belonging to the Rockbridge battery was
hurrying to take position in a different portion of the field, it was'
observed by a Federal regiment close at hand, and a charge
made to capture it.  The officer commanding the gun withheld
his fire until the enemy were within less than one hundred yards,
when the piece was double shotted with canister and discharged.
The execution was frightful, and a second shot' drove back the
entire regiment. They retired in confusion, and one of the can



116           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
noneers who served at the gun, declares that the field, as the
smoke lifted, was " one witherin(g mass of humanity."
Jackson's whole force, with the exception of Campbell's and
Langhorne's regiments, was by this time engaged; and he afterwards declared to one of his officers that it was " a fiercer fight,
during its continuance, than any portion of the battle of Manassas."  The stubborn stand made by the Confederates undoubtedly discouraged the Federal troops exceedingly, and the
citizens of Winchester declared that 1" crowds came stampeding
through Winchester during the fight, making for Yankee-land,
and exclaiming that they were utterly routed."  These numeroius stragglers were seen at Charlestown, on the next morning,
twenty-five miles distant; and there is reason to believe that at
one time the result of the action was extremely doubtful. Three
times the stars and stripes were seen to fall, and three times the
headlong charge of the entire Federal line was met and repulsed.
Their officers behaved with great gallantry, and were seen riding
up and down behind the lines, striking the men with their
swords, and ordering them to return to the contest. The Confederate officers were equally active, and performed many acts
of personal gallantry.  Captain B. W. Leigh, of the Irish Battalion, when his men were thrown into disorder, seized the colors, and advancing ander a heavy fire to a hillock in front of the
enemy, rallied his broken line for a new struggle. Other exhibitions of soldierly coolness were witnessed on the part of officers, and the men fought with a persistence scarcely to have
been expected in raw troops, the majority of whom had never
before met the enemy. When the ammunition of some of the
regiments became exhausted, the men borrowed from their comrades, and in the hottest part of the battle they were seen to stoop
and cut the cartridge-boxes from the dead bodies of the enemy.
The battle continued with unrelenting fury until the shades
of night began slowly to creep across the fields. The sun had
sunk behind the North Mountain, casting the long shadows of
the contending lines over the expanse of broom-straw, now dabbled in blood, and Mwaving in the chilly Mlarch winds; and still




KERNSTOWN-.                    117
the affair seemed as far froim being decided as at first. The
moment, however, was near at hand when the ranks of the Confederates were to be borne back, and the Federal forces were to
hold possession of the hard-fought field.
Jackson always believed that he lost the battle of Kernstown
by the falling back of the Stonewall Brigade. How did these
tried troops, under gallant officers, come to incur this grave imputation from their old chief? This question we shall endeavor
to answer. The Stonewall Brigade had taken position on the
right of Fulkerson, and had sustained charge after charge without wavering. In their turn they had charged, with all the
soldierly ardor which had animated them at Manassas, and the
Federal colors had more than once sunk before theim.  The
brigade had come, at various times, to the support of nearly
every regiment oil the field, and late in the afternoon their supply of ammunition became exhausted. This unfortunate accident occurred at the most critical moment of the battle, when
they were hotly engaged; and finding that his men were only
being butchered, without the power to return the enemy's fire,
General Garnett, commanding the brigade, ordered his lines to
retire a short distance, where they were less exposed. Such
was the origin of this unfortunate movement.  Jackson was
watching the progress of the action from a point near at hand,
when suddenly, to his inexpressible chagrin, he saw the lines of
his old brigade fall back. He galloped to the spot-stern, fiery,
and menacing as Washington at Monmiouth-and imperatively
ordering General Garnett to hold his ground, pushed forward to
stop and rally the men.  Seeing a drummer retreating like the
rest, he seized him by the shoulder, dragged him to a rise in the
ground, in full view of the troops, and said, in his curt quick
tones, " Beat the rally!"
The drum rolled at his order, and with his hand on the
frightened drummer's shoulder, amid a storm of balls, Jackson
sawv that the disordered lines were reformed and brought into
something like order.
But he had arrived too late.  The enemy had seen their




118            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
advantage, and were now  pressing forward with triumphant
cheers. They penetrated the opening, turned Fulkerson's right,
and he was forced back in disorder. At the same moment the
approaching roar of Ashby's artillery from the direction of the
turnpike, indicated that the enemy were pressing down upon
the right.  The day was lost.
But Jackson would not yield. His stern temper was fully
aroused, and with the heavy columns pressing him on both flanks
and in front, he refused to abandon the struggle. Under his
passionate appeals and orders the 5th Virginia, though almost
entirely without ammunition, re-formed under a heavy fire, and
taking position directly in front, held the enemy in check, without support, until the arrival of the 42d, under Colonel Langhlorne. This regiment was hurried forward, and formed on the
right of the 5th. But the day was lost. The enemy had pushed
forward rapidly, and turned the Confederate left flank; and the
handful of Southerners who still held their ground, saw the
Federal columns sweeping round and nearly enveloping them.
The two regiments supported for a time the weight of the masses
thrown against them; but the Federal flanking column having
gotten almost entirely in the rear of the 5th Virginia, it was
forced to fall back.  This exposed the left flank of the 42d, and
that regiment in turn was thrown into disorder, and retired before the enemy.
With his left thus enveloped, his cavalry retiring along the
turnpike on his right, and his centre broken through, Jackson
could no longer continue the contest. He gave no order to retreat, but that or destruction was the alternative, and the lines
retreated sullenly from  the field.  It was Jackson's first and
last defeat, and he'" died hard," fighting to the last.  His sole
remaining regiment had been ordered forward to continue the
action, but before it arrived he determined'to fall back. The
troops, says an officer who was present, fell back 6 without
panic" — sole cheering incident!-and the enemy was in possession of the field.
" Such was their gallantry and high state of discipline, that at no time




BEHIND THE SCENES.                  119
Night had descended, and a chill wind sighed in its passage
over the wide fields of broom-straw, and through the gloomy
depths of the forest, where so many dead and wounded men
were lying. The Federal troops had won the day, but the price
of the victory had been bloody.
CHAPTER VII.
BEHIND  THE SCENES.
BEFORE passing to the events which succeeded the battle of
Kernstown, let us glance at some particulars relating to this
singular and comparatively unknown conflict.  Many persons
regarded it as a blunder in Jackson; others as one of his chief
successes.  Federal writers claim a victory certain front the
first; but Jackson died in the belief that if he had held his
ground ten minutes longer, the enemy would have retreated.
Northern accounts stated the Federal numbers at 10,000, and
Jackson's at 12,000. Such were the various opinions. What
was the truth?
The battle was not a blunder or an accident, but the result
of calculation and design. Jackson was misinformed in relation
to the force in his immediate front, but would have fought it, at
the same time and place, with full knowledge of its amount.
An attack was necessary to accomplish his object-the retention
of the Federal forces in the valley; and this attack he would
certainly have made.  When he commenced his march from
fiiount Jackson, the Federal troops were leaving the valley; and
as he approached IWinchester, General Williams, with his 15,000
men, was below Upperville, east of the Blue Ridge, ready to
press General Johnston, who, falling backsfrom  Manassas, had
reached the Rapidan. It was important to divert this force from
during the battle or pursuit did they give way to panic." —General SMEILDs'
Report.




120            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
its march, for the relief of General Johnston, and the battle of
Kernstown accomplished this. The roar of artillery from Winchester was plainly heard by the Federal commander; and
under the impression, no doubt, that Jackson had been strongly
reinforced, and had fallen upon General Shields, General Williams made a rapid countermarch to his assistance. It will be
seen that Jackson's whole force up was 3,087, and that of General Shields estimated at 11,000. Thus the assault of about
3,000 men, kept about 26,000 from operating against Johnston.
The action was, beyond doubt, one of the fiercest encounters
of the war. Jackson states his force present on the evening of
the battle to have been 3,087 infantry, 290 cavalry, and 27
pieces of artillery. Of this number, 2,742 infantry, the whole
of the cacvalry, and 18 pieces of artillery were engaged.  The
Federal force seems to have considerably exceeded this. Jackson estimated their numbers on the field at 11,000, and stated
that "; probably over 8,000 were engaged." lIe was always extremely cautious in his statements, and this is doubtless not far
froml the truth, thoutgh it would seem improbable, that in a conflict so obstinate and doubtful, the Federal commander would
keep out of action reserves amounting to about 3,000 menmore than Jackson's whole force engaoed. Taking this estimate,
however, the Federal force was three times greater than the
Confederate.  The loss of the latter was 80 killed and 342
wounded-422. A Federal officer stated, some days afterwards,
that their loss in killed was 418. The Federal report is not at
hand.
The battle was an uncdoubted defeat of the Confederates.
General Shields wrote: " The enemy's sufferings have been
terrible, and such as they have nowhere else endured since the
beginning  of this war."  The Southern loss was heavy, the victory complete; but in spite of this, the affair was spoken of
among Federal officers as one over which they had very little
reason to rejoice. The bloody resistance made by the Southern
troops was the topic of conversation in Winchester, and the
officers, it is even said, "' did not claim a victory, only a drawn




BEHIND THE SCENES.                  121
battle."  We have quoted General Shields' statement, that the
Confederates at no time' gave way to panic;" the testimony
of another Federal authority was, that the stubborn stand made
by one of the Federal regiments, "; alone saved them."
These are not recorded in order to glorify the Southern
arms, but to show that this brief and desperate conflict with
which the spring of 1862 opened, was at one time very uncertain. A further proof of this is a statement made by Ashby to
Col. J. 31. Patton. Ashby stated that when the Southern line
fell back, in consequence of the movement of the Stonewall Brigade, an order for the Federal troops to retire was actually on
the way from  General Shields, and would have arrived in ten
minutes.  " This," says Colonel Patton, ";I had from Colonel
Turner Ashby, who told me he knew it to be so."  Ashby's character was very high, and he would not make such a statement
lightly. Jackson, it is certain, believed it; hence his displeasure
at the order from General Garnett, one of the bravest men in
the army, which virtually lost him, as he believed, the victory.
Private letters brought through the lines seemed to indicate
no depression of mind in those who sympathized with the Confederates. The people around Winchester were said to regard; the gallant fight of Sunday in the light of'a victory," and another letter described the passage of the Confederate prisoners
through the town as "' a march of triumph rather than of defeat."
Every attention was paid to them by the ladies of Winchester,
remarkable throughout the whole war for their Confederate
sympathies, and the success of the Federal troops seemed only
to intensify the bitterness of their dislike for the blue uniform.
Contemporary narratives paint the scene vividly-the waving
handkerchiefs as the Southern prisoners passed by, and the flushed
cheeks, and eyes full of scornful tears, as the ladies glanced
from the ragged scarecrows of Jackson to the finely dressed
Federal officers. The saddest scene of all was the appearance
of mothers and sisters upon the ghastly field of Kernstown. The
mayor of Winchester and the citizens dug a pit on the battlefield, and buried the dead bodies of the Southern soldiers.




122              LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Among the crowd were many of the ladies of Winchester, closely scanning the bodies as they were brought up one by one, and
sobbing  as they recognized  some relation  or friend.  Miany
found their kindred among the dead left on the field, for the
larger part of Jackson's force was from  the valley, and the
spectacle of the recognition of the bodies was harrowing.  It
affected even the Federal officers present; but one of these declares that every feeling of the Southern ladies, even grief for
the dead, seemed merged into an intense hatred toward themselves.  With flashing eyes and flushed faces, they would exclaim, "You may bring the whole force of the North here, but
you can never conquer us I-we will shed our last drop  of
blood!" *
Jackson had retreated from the field of Kernstown; but he
did not go far, and did not seem  to be aware of any danger in
remaining near the victorious enemy.  Retiring' to the position
on the turnpike which he had occupied in the m-iorning, he issued
orders for the troops to bivouac where they were, and soon the
fires were seen sparkling like stars along the roadside, the men
T "There is nothing," says the correspondent of a Northern journal,
writing of the Southern ladies, "nothing they will not surrender with a smile
-the gemmed ring, the diamond bracelet, the rich wgrdrobe. They cut up
rich carpets for soldiers' blankets without a sigh; they take the fine linen
from their persons for bandages. When four hundred of Longstreet's men
came up to Nashville prisoners of war, about the roughest, dirtiest looking set
of fellows the sun ever shone on, and a flight of stairs in the building they
occupied fell, killing and wounding a large number of them, you should have
seen the fair young traitoresses come forth from the old aristocratic mansions,
bearing restoratives and delicacies in their hands, mingling in the dingy crowd,
wiping away the blood with their white handkerchiefs, and uttering words of
cheer; should have seen them doing this with hundreds of Union soldiers all
around, and smiling back on the rough blackguards of rebels as they left.
But in all there was a defiant air in their humanity strange to see. Of a
truth, they carried it off grandly. And about all these girls were in mourning for dead rebels —brothers, lovers, friends, whom these same girls had
sneered into treason and driven into rebellion, and billowed all the South
with their graves; and the least they could do was to wear black for them
and flaunt black from the window blinds.  Clothed be tlheir souls in blacl."




BEHIND THE SCENES.                  123
cooking their rations and laughing over the events of the day,
Jackson got an armful of corn for his horse, and, wrapping his
blanket around him, laid down by a fire in a fence corner and
went to sleep.  -Ie was close enough to hear the conversation
of the Federal soldiers at their camp fires. At four o'clock in
the morning he commenced his retreat.
The enemy followed, and at Cedar Creek opened upon his
trains with artillery, forcing him to continue his retreat. It;
was made deliberately, and growing tired, apparently, of assailing so impassive an adversary, the Federal commander gave
up the pursuit, fell back from Strasburg, barricading the roads
in his rear, and returned to Winchester.
One of' the many peculiar features of the battle above described, was the effect it produced upon the men and the opinion
it gave them of Jackson. Defeats generally dishearten troops,
and put them out of humor with their commander.  The result
on this occasion seems to have been very different.  "' We don't
feel at all whipped," wrote an officer to his wife; and if it were
worth while, we might record many incidents showing that the
men of Jackson were proud of their exertions at Kernstown, and
believed that the enemy had suffered far more than themselves.
Their sentiment toward their commander was still more striking. Jackson had fought them desperately, and had them nearly cut to pieces; but one of the officers of Loring, who signed
the protest against him at Iomney, says that after Kernstown'. the men went frantic about him."  As lie passed along the
column they cheered him vociferously-the men of Loring as
well as of his own Stonewall Brigade. To fight them with desperation and march them to death, seemed, to judge from their demeanor, the best claims on the regards of the troops. They
struggled on exhausted, but jesting, and one was heard to say:
"Why is Old Jack a better general than Moses?  Because it
took Moses forty years to lead the Israelites through the wilderness, and Old Jack would have double-quicked them through in
three days  "  Jackson's spirit of combativeness seems to have
excited this enthusiasm; and it is certain that from the time of




124              LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the battle of Kernstown, he seemed able to achieve, with his own
particular troops, impossibilities almost.  He held them  in his
grasp as a sharp and tempered weapon, and it never failed him.
CHAPTER VIII.
McDOWELL.
KERNSTOWN  had  been  only  a  momentary  check.   The
enemy now  resumed their former design of following Jackson
and clearing out the upper regions of the valley, with an energy
greater than before.
The plans of the Federal authorities for the conduct of the
campaign and the thorough subjugation of the State were now
ripe.  The following letter from  General McClellan, addressed
to General Banks on the first day of April, will throw  some
light on the. Federal programme:
HEADQUARTERS An-ivY OF THE POTOMAC,
ON BOARD COMMODORE, 4231'il 1, 1862. 3
MAJOi-GENERAL N. P. BANKS, Commandint 5 th Army Co(ips:
GENERAL: The change in affairs in the Valley of the Shenandoah has rendered necessary a corresponding departure-temporary at least —from the plan
we some days since agreed upon.
In my arrangements I assume that you have a force sufficient to drive
Jackson before you, provided he is not reenforced largely. I also assume
that you may find it impossible to find any thing towards AManassas for some
days; probably not until the operations of the main army have drawn all the
rebel force toward Richmond.
I doubt whether Johnston will now reinforee Jackson with a view to offen.
sive operations. The time has probably passed when he could have gained
any thing by so doing..
I will order Blenker to move on Strasburg, and report to you for temporary duty; so that, should you find a large force in your front, you can avail
yourself of his aid..
In regard to your movements-the most important thing is to throw Jackson well back, and then to assume such a position as will enable you to pre



McDOWELL.                        125
vent his return. As soon as the railway communications are reestablished, it
will be probably important and advisable to move on Staunton; but this
would require communications, and a force of 25,000 to 30,000 for active operations. It should also be nearly coincident with my own move on Richmond; at all events not so long before it as to enable the rebels to concentrate on you and then return on me..
Please inform me frequently by telegraph and otherwise as to the state of
things in your front.      I am very truly yours,
GEORGE B. McCLELLAN,
Major-General Commanding.
It will thus be seen that, to " throw Jackson well back") and,
when the railroad was ready, to " move on Staunton," were the
intentions of the Federal commander about the first of April.
To cobperate with General Banks, two other columns were to
move in the same direction from  different points-one under
General Fremont from the upper waters of the ]Potomac, and a
considerable force under General Milroy from  the direction of
Monterey.  With Banks and Fremont following on Jackson's
rear, and iIilroy sweeping down on his flank from  the western
mountains, it was confidently anticipated that the Confederate
leader would be crushel, and the rich region around Staunton
fall into the hands of the Federal forces.
Such was the plan of operations, and such the situation of
Jackson, in the beginning of the month of April, which had now
opened with its bright verdure and brilliant sky.
Jackson slowly retreated after the battle of Kernstown, the
enemy pursuing him  in force and skirmishing incessantly with
his rear-guard under Ashby.  That cavalier was untiring in the
performance of his important duty, and the roar of his artillery
continued throughout the day —saluting the ears of the troops as
they awoke in the morning or laid down in bivouac at night.
The men suffered few  hardships during  the retreat.   The
weather was growing mild, and delightful with the approaching
spring, and though, by an order of Jackson, none but commanders of brigades were allowed to have tents, the troops did not
complain of sleeping in the open air. They kindled their campfires on the side of the turnpike, and, lulled by the distant thun



126           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
der of Ashby's artillery, went to sleep as soundly as if they had
been at home in their beds.
Jackson thus crept along in the days succeeding Kernstown
-like a wounded wolf, but turning every moment to snap at his
pursuers, and offer battle if they pressed on him-and thus came
again to the vicinity of Mlount Jackson, where he went into
the old camps which he had abandoned to march to Winchester.
Here he remained for more than a fortnight, paying no attention
to the enemy, whose large force was at the village of Edinburg,
in his front. General Banks seems to have been afraid to
attack him during this time, and contented himself with skirmishes while waiting for reinforcements to his already large
army.
About the middle of April, however, General Banks again
began to move, and Jackson promptly broke up his camp and
resumed his retreat. He reached the north fork of the Shenandoah where the turnpike crosses it without loss, and now, if he
could destroy the bridge in his rear before the enemy reached it,
their further advance would be temporarily checked.  They
were pressing on, driving Ashby before them; and knowing the
importance of preventing, if possible, the destruction of the
bridge, made great exertions to attain that object. Ashby held
them in check only by the most determined fighting; and when
the infantry and artillery crossed the bridge, the roar of the
guns from the rear-guard, close at hand, indicated the
near approach of the enemy. The bridge was finally passed by
the army, and it was Ashby's business now to destroy it, and
check further pursuit.  The task delighted this soldier; for
nothing is more certain than the fact that he loved danger for
its own sake, and never was so happy as when contending
face to face with imminent peril. Those who differ from him
in temperament may doubt this assertion, but the friends who
knew him best will support our statement. The work now before him was one of those tests of the stern fibre of his courage
which he loved best of all in the life of a soldier. With the masses
of Federal cavalry and artillery, supported by infantry, pressing




MaDOWELL.                     127
hotly on him, he had employment for his best faculties. Hurrying his cavalry across the bridge, he followed in person with
the artillery, which thundered over at a gallop, and then with a
detachment of picked men he hastened to apply fire to the bridge.
The enemy were now upon him. Their cavalry advanced at a
gallop, firing volleys as they came, but Ashby remained seated
upon his white horse superintending the work. It was more
difficult than he had expected. The timbers were wet from
rain, the flame would not kindle, and the bullets whistling
around the heads of the working party embarrassed their exertions. The Federal cavalry had now reached the bridge, the
first files dashed across, and Ashby's men ran to their horses,
leaving him alone. He was obliged to follow or be captured,
and galloped off last, pursued by eight of the enemy, whose fire
he was unable to return, his own pistols having been emptied.
They followed him closely, firing incessantly upon him as he retreated, and this animated chase continued for nearly two miles.
Assistance was then near, and, looking back, Ashby saw that
two of his pursuers were in advance of the rest. This odds was
not great, and he at once reined in. The Federal cavalrymen
came on at a headlong gallop, carried forward by their horses,
and the next moment terminated their career. A bullet from
one of Ashby's command pierced one of them through the body,
and the other, arriving abreast of Ashby, was cut down with one
blow of his sabre.
Such was the famous chase of Ashby. He had distanced
his enemies, but the fine horse which he rode-the beautiful
milk-white charger which the whole army admired —had received
a mortal wound. A ball had pierced his side, and the blood
was now gushing out at every pant. As he was led along the
line of a regiment under arms, an eye-witness declares that he
never had imagined so spirited and magnificent an animal. 6; He
was white as snow," says our authority, "' except where his side
and legs were stained with his own blood. His mane and tail
were long and flowing; his eye and action evinced distinctly the
rage with which he regarded the injury which he had received.




128           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
He trod the earth with the grandeur of a wounded lion, and
every soldier looked upon hini with sympathy and admiration.
He had saved his master at the cost of his own life. HEe almnost
seemed conscious of his achievement, and only to regret death
because his own injuries were unavenged."*
The Federal forces did not press Jackson closely after the
passage of the bridge, and lie continued his retreat without interruption. Crossing, on the 19th of April, into Elk Run Yalley, he took up a strong position between that place and Swift
Run Gap, and faced the enemy, with the determination to make
a stand and receive his attack. His new position had been
chosen with the eye of a soldier, and gave him  many advantages. He was able here to meet, in a strong position, the assault
of the force which had followed him up the valley; to face the
column under Milroy, rapidly advancing from the west, toward
Staunton; and, if necessary, to retreat upon Richmond, and unite
his forces with those of General Johnston, against the army under General M1eCClellan on the Peninsula.
The strength of his position was appreciated by General
Banks, and the main body of that commander's army did not
proceed further south than Harrisonburg. He seems to have
regarded the campaign as ended. On the 24th of April he telegraphed to President Lincoln: "' The rebel Jackson has abandoned the Valley of Virginia permanently, and is en route to
Gordonsville by the way of the mountains."  General Banks
was soon to find, however, that the dangerous rebel had no
thought of retreating.
W~e have a characteristic picture of Jackson at this time,
which may interest the reader. He was riding, on one Sunday
morning, along his lines drawn up for inspection, when Dr.
Dabney, his chaplain, determined to address the men. He and
Jackson accordingly dismounted and tied their horses; the Bible
was laid open upon the head of a bass drum; the small drums
beat to attention, and Dr. Dabney preached to the troops. During the sermon of more than an hour, Jackson stood perfectly
motionless, with his old cap drawn down to shield his eyes from
* See note in Appendix.




McDOWELL.                     129
the dazzling sunlight; and throughout the whole sermon an officer directly in front of him declares he did not move, or even
" wink his eyes."
Jackson's position was strong, but things looked hopeless for
a further continuation of the campaign in the valley. Forced
back to the Blue Ridge by the heavy columns in his front, he
now saw approaching from the western mountains another army
under M3ilroy, which would swoop down like a hawk upon
Staunton, and the whole region be in the possession of the enemy.  General Milroy was rapidly moving from the direction
of -Monterey with his main body, and his advance force had
already crossed the Shenandoah Mountain.
The rich prize of the Valley of Virginia seemed almost in
the Federal grasp-its fate trembled in the balance. If Banks
and Milroy formed a junction, Staunton was gone; and as General Edward Johnson, with two brigades, was then near Buffalo
Gap, a further result from the seizure of a point so important
would be to place the Federal forces between General Edward
Johnson and the main army at Swift Run Gap. Jackson was
forced to decide promptly what course he would pursue. Divide
et imrpea was obviously his best policy; and he determined to
advance immediately and attack the force approaching from the
west. General Ewell had just arrived from Gordonsville with
his division, and Jackson posted him at Swift Run Gap to confront General Banks, while by a forced march he would sweep
around by Staunton, and fall upon General Milroy. After defeating that commander, his design was to concentrate his own
forces, Ewell's, and Johnson's, upon Banks, and drive his column back down the valley to Winchester.
His plans were instantly put into execution. Taking his
own division, consisting of the brigades commanded by General
Taliaferro, General Winder (Stonewall Brigade), and Colonel
Campbell, he proceeded rapidly to Staunton, where he found
General Smith, of the Virginia Military Institute, with his corps
of cadets, which had been directed to repair thither for the defence of the region. From that point he continued to move
9




130           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
westward, and, forming a junction with General Edward Johnson, who had six regiments under his command, advanced by
forced marches upon Mlilroy.
On the morning of }!May the 7th, General Johnson, who
knew the country thoroughly, and led the advance, encountered
the enemy at the Shenandoah ~Mountain, and drove four regiments on picket there before him.  They retreated in haste,
and the Confederates took possession of their camps, in which
were found tents, clothes, arms, and a considerable amount of
commissary stores. Scouts ascended the mountain, and were
followed by a portion of the troops, who saw, as they reached the
deserted camps on the summit of the range, the enemy's regiments retreating about five miles in front of them, on the east
side of Bull Pasture Mountain. On the western slope of the
Shenandoah Mountain, which had thus been cleared of the enemy,
the men went into bivouac for the night.
At sunrise on the following morning the troops were again
put in motion, and advanced toward IMcDowell, a little village
situated in the valley of that name, just beyond the Bull Pasture
Mliountain. The men pressed forward and approached the eastern slope of the wooded range, when iAshby's scouts, who had
gone in advance and reconnoitred, returned with the intelligence
that the enemy had posted four pieces of artillery in the road,
on the western base of the mountain, with the obvious intention
of disputing the further advance. The road at that point passed
through a narrow gorge, which was susceptible of being defended
by a very small force against one much larger; and Jackson determined to turn the position by ascending the steep road leading
up the:mountain, near the gorge. This movement was executed
without resistance on the part of the enemy, and the elevated
ground was attained. General Johnson, who led the. advance,
then proceeded with a party of thirty men and several officers
to the top of Sutlington's Hill, an isolated spur of the mountain,
on the left of the main road, and saw before him, at his.feet as
it were, the whole valley of McDowell, bathed in the warm sunlight of the May morning. From this elevated point the entire




McDOWELL.                     131
position of the enemy was commanded, and their strength to a
partial extent discovered. In the valley near McDowell a considerable body of infantry was seen, and a height more to the
right was occupied by two additional regiments, drawn up in
line of battle. Directly in front, about a mile from the position
occupied by General Johnson, a battery had been posted, supported by a body of infantry.
The presence of the reconnoitring party on Sutlington's Hill
was speedily discovered, and the enemy sent forward a body of
skirmishers to attack it. These were engaged by the thirty men
which formed General Johnson's escort, and the Federal skirmishers were driven back. General Johnson then sent word to
Jackson that the hill was a position of great importance, and the
six regiments of Johnson's command were accordingly despatched
to him to hold it.
The battle of McDowell commenced at this point, and was
a struggle for the possession of Sutlington's Hill.
As General Johnson's regiments were hurried forward, one
after another, to the elevated ground, he hastened to place each
in line'of battle to repulse the assault which it was evident General Milroy was now about to make. The Federal commander
is said to have sent to General Fremnont, who was approaching
from the northwest, for reenforcements; but he had a considerable body of troops concentrated in front of the Confederates,
and he seems to have determined to direct all his energies meanwhile to the object of occupying the important position from
which General Johnson had made his reconnoissance, in advance
of the latter.
IJohnson had made rapid preparations to receive the expected attack. His two brigades, respectively commanded by
Colonels Scott and Connor, had not yet arrived, but a portion
of one of them-the 52d Virginia infantry-was already in position in the woods on the left side of the spur. This regiment
received and repulsed the assault of the enemny's skirmishers,
and thus gave time for the arrival of the other regiments, all of
which, but two, hastened forward to the positions assigned to




132           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
them. The 52d Virginia, as we have said, held the left; the
58th Virginia formed on the right of that; the 12th Georgia on
the right of that, and holding the crest of the hill; the 44th Virginia on the right of all, near a ravine which protected its right
flank. On the slope of the hill, in front of the Confederate lines,
was a body of woods, in which the skirmishers were posted, and
in this order General Johnson awaited the assault which he saw
would soon be renewed. He had no artillery in position, nor
was any used by the Confederates during the engagement.
There was no road to the rear by which it could have been withdrawn in case of' disaster.
During the pause which succeeded the first advance of his
skirmishers, and their repulse, the enemy opened with his artillery directly in front, and kept up a rapid and incessant cannonade while making his further preparations. A shower of case
shot and shell was thrown into the Coniederate lines, but the
troops were so well under cover, and the angle of elevation at
which the pieces were fired was so great, that no loss was inflicted. The artillery continued to thunder, with no response of
any description, until the moment came for the advance of the
Federal infantry; when it ceased firing.
General Milroy had been reinforced by the arrival of General Schenck, who had been hurried forward while the Confederates were held in check by his artillery, and had now at his
disposal a force estimated at 8,000 men. This force he threw
forward, with the evident determination of carrying Sutlington's
Hill, and driving the Southern troops from the advantageous
position which they occupied on its summit. The attack was
vigorous and resolute. Advancing  a heavy line of infantry
toward the western slope of the hill, where the character of the
ground and the thick woods afforded him great protection, the
enemy charged up the hill, drove the Confederate skirmishers
from their cover, and, emerging from the woods directly in front
of Jackson's line, poured a sudden and galling fire upon his
right. The 12th Georgia in the centre, and the 44th Virginia
on its right, received this fire, and responded with a heavy vol



McDOWELL.                     133
ley; and in a moment the battle began to rage with violence.
These two regiments supported alone the whole weight of the
column thrown against this point, delivering a fire so rapid and
steady that the charge, which was intended to repulse and turn
the Confederate right wing, completely failed. The two remaining regiments of Johnson's command, the 25th and 31st Virginia,
now hastened up thie rough road to the support of the others; and
the Federal troops, having returned to the charge with greater
fury than before, a sanguinary contest ensued all along the line.
The Federal commander seemed determined to make the
battle "' short and decisive," and to gain possession of the coveted hill by one brief and desperate charge, which should overwhelm all resistance, and accomplish his object at a blow. The
Federal lines were thrown forward amid rolling volleys of musketry, and they pressed General Johnson with a force so heavy
that the utmost exertions of the troops under that commander
were necessary to retain possession of the hill. The densely
wooded hillside was one long sheet of flame, and the reverberations rising from the forest and rolling along the mountain
warned Jackson that the moment had arrived to throw forward
his main body.
General Taliaferro was accordingly sent forward, and hastened with his brigade up the rough and winding by-road which
led from the turnpike to the summit of the hill, the 21st Virginia being. left at the point on the turnpike where the wood
road entered it to guard against an attack of the enemy on the
rear. Taliaferro soon reached the field, and promptly threw his
brigade into line of battle; the 23d and 37th to support Johnson's centre, where the 12th Georgia was holding its ground
6" with great gallantry;" and the 10th Virginia on the left, where
the 52d had succeeded in driving the enemy headlong down the
hill. This regiment, now reenforced by the 10th, advanced with
loutd cheers; and such was the impetuosity of the men, that the
Federal right wing was repulsed, and the Confederate left swept
round with the design of assailing the enemy in flank, and forcing
them back upon their centre.




134           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The resolute and aggressive front thus displayed on Jackson's
left induced the enemy to concentrate their main strength against
his right, and, by a determined attack, attempt to turn that
flank, and drive him from the hill. This design was speedily
discovered by Jackson, and his whole disposable force was rapidly concentrated in that part of the field to resist it. Taliaferr; and the 12th Georgia came quickly to the assistance of the
right wing, now hard pressed by numbers; and observing that
an elevated piece of woodland to the right and rear completely
commanded the field, and afforded an excellent position to fall
back to if necessary, Jackson hastened to occupy it with portions
of the 25th and 31st Virginia regiments, which were hurried
forward and rapidly placed in position. The interval between
this force and the main body was filled by Campbell's brigade
and the 10th Virginia which had hastened up from the left, and
with this strong reserve posted in the woods near the base of the
ridge, Jackson felt confident that the determined effort of the
enemy to turn his right flank would be defeated.
H is anticipations were correct, and his dispositions crowned
with success. The Federal forces made a persistent attempt to
break through this new line and obtain possession of the hill;
but charge after charge was repulsed. General Johnson was
wounded and forced to quit the field, but General Taliaferro
took his place and led the troops with skill and gallantry. Many
officers fell; among the killed and wounded were Colonel Gibbons of the 10th, Colonel Harman of the 52d, Colonel Smith
and Major Hiigginbotham of the 25th, and Major Campbell of
the 42d Virginia. The Confederate troops, however, held the
position which they had occupied, and the battle raged along the
wooded slopes of the mountain until after dark, when the Federal forces gave up the attempt to carry the hill, and retired.
General Milroy did not want to sustain the attack which he
had every reason to expect would be made upon him on the ensuing morning; during the night he evacuated 3McDowell, set
the woods on fire in his rear, and retreated toward:Franklin.
The battle of McDowell took place between the hours of half



McDOWELL.                      135
past four and half-past eight on the afternoon of the 8th of MIay,
and thus lasted four hours. It was hotly contested, especially
in the latter portion of the day, when the determined attempt
was made by the enemy to turn the Confederate right, and some
of the Southern regiments suffered severely. The Confederate
loss in killed was 71, in wounded 390, making a total loss of
461. That of the Federal troops is not known, as they held
their ground until night and bore off their dead. But 103 bodies
are said to have been discovered, covered with brushwood, in a
hollow of the mountain. At the village of McDowell a camp
was found, with large bake ovens, cooking stoves, and every
appliance of comfort.. The camp equipage, some cases of fine
Enfield rifles, and other public stores, fell into the hands of the
Confederates.
Having announced his success to the authorities at lRichmond
by the brief despatch, " God blessed our arms with victory at
McDowell yesterday," Jackson went in pursuit of General Milroy, and continued to press him until he had reached the neighborhood of the town of Franklin. The Federal troops, who had
halted here, did not offer battle, but retiring to the mountains
near at hand, planted their batteries, and set fire to the woods in
front to conceal their position. The dense smoke which rose
from the burning forest effectually accomplished this object, and
night approaching Jackson made no attack.  On the next morning he found that the enemy lad taken up a very strong position,
and as his own situation, with General Banks at Harrisonburg,
was by no means safe, he prepared to retrace his steps.
Before leaving Franklin he determined. however, to formally
return thanks to God for his success in'the recent conflict.  The
scene which followed is said to have been affecting and imposing. Jackson drew up his men in a little valley about three
miles north of Franklin, and after a few words, in his habitual
curt. tone, commending their gallantry at McDowell, appointed
10 o'clock on that day as the occasion of prayer and thanksgiving
for the victory. " There. in the beautiful little valley of the
South Branch," says an eye-witness, " with the blue and tower



136            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
ing mountains covered with the verdure of spring, the green
sward smiling a welcome to the season of flowers, and the bright
sun nncloudled, lending a genial refreshing warmth, that army,
equipped for the stern conflict of war, bent in humble praise and
thanksgiving to the God of battles, for the success vouchsafed to
our arms."  During this scene, the artillery of the enemy rolled
its threatening thunders from time to time through the gorges of
the mountain; and if any there prayed, I firom battle and murder and from sudden death, good Lord deliver us!" the words
must have seemed to them exceedingly appropriate, and formed,
as it were, for the occasion. Jackson stood as usual, motionless,
with bent head and devout bearing, while the prayers were uttered by the chaplain; -and the reader may fancy his erect figure
either that. of some pious cavalier, or devout Roundhead, performing his devotions on the field of battle.
This scene took place on the 14th of MLay, and on the same
day Jackson marched his troops back to -McDowell. On the
next day he crossed the Shenandoah Mountain and halted at Lebanon Springs, where the army was permitted a brief rest fromn
its fatigues, and an opportunity was afforded thetm to attend religious services, and observe the day appointed by President
Davis as one of fasting and prayer.  On the 17th the troops
were again in motion, and Jackson proceeded in the direction of
H]arrisonburg.
General Banks had fallen back to Strasburg, eighteen miles
from Winchester.  This sentence sunms up the results achieved
by Jackson, in his advance against Milroy. The importance of
the success at McDowell could scarcely be estimated too highly.
General Banks had nearly consu-tmmated his plans to drive Jaclison from. the valley, and was nearly in sight of Staunton, With
M3ilroy approaching from the west, when, at the moment of
greatest peril for the Confederate cause, appeared suddenly the
Dezus ex mazchinc. Jackson advanced swiftly upon Miilroy, and
struck a heavy blow at that portion of the programme. -He
then returned toward Harrisonburg' to assail his more powerful
adversary there; but General Banks did not await his coming.




JACKSON FLANKS HIS ADVERSARY.             137
He fell back to Strasburg, and even this distant point, it will be
seen, was only the " half-way house" on his retreat to the Po'
tomac.
----------
CHAPTER IX.
JACKSON FLANKS HIIS ADVERSARY.
THE designs of Jackson now required energy, nerve, rapidity
of movement, and all the greatest faculties of the soldier. Upon
him depended, in no small degree, the fate of the campaign in
Virginia.
Events had hurried on. While he was marching and countermarching in the valley —advancing to attack his adversary,
or retreating before hilm-the plans of the Federal Government
in other portions of the field of operations had been urged on
with the most untiring energy. The great outline of the'Virginia campaign, devised in the closet at Washington, had been
translated into action, and the Federal forces steadily pressed on
toward Richmond. McClellan had forced Johnston to evacuate
the Peninsula, and withdraw  his army behind the Chickahominy; and when Jackson began to move in pursuit of Banks,
the Northern forces were dark on the fields of New Kent. The
narrow and insignificant current of the Chickiahominy, at sonme
points approaching within a few miles of Richmond, was all that
now protected the front of Johnston from the attack of 156,000
Federal' troops, under the ablest general of the United States
Army.
This was only a portion of the peril. At Fredericksburg,
General McDowell, who had displayed such good generalship in
the great flank movement at Manassas, was stationed with about
40,000 troops, and his preparations were nearly complete for an
advance upon Richmond from the north. McClellan only waited
for his arrival on the Chiclkahomlny, to unite his right wing with
McDowell's left, when the great assault on the Confederate capi.




138            LIFUE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
tal would follow.  W ith nearly 200,000 troops hurled against it,
the city, it was supposed, must be evacuated or destroyed, and
the " Rebellion" terminated.
To prevent this junction between the forces of McDowell
and McClellan-to alarm President Lincoln, and induce him to
withhold further reenforcements for the defence of his capitalsuch was now the design of Jackson.  If he could drive General
Banks before him across the Potomac, he would accomplish this;
for the Federal authorities could not be at all sure that, in
such an event, he would not cross into Maryland, and, taking
advantage of the absence of McClellan's army, advance to the
assault of W~ashington.
The Federal authorities seem to have realized their danger.
President Lincoln's despatches teem with allusions to the suspected designs of the Confederate commander.  On tlhe 17th of
May, when, having defeated Milroy, Jackson commenced his
march upon HIarrisonburg, Lincoln writes to General McClellan:
"d In order, therefore, to increase the strength of the attack
upon Pichllmond, at the earliest moment, General McDowell has
been ordered to march upon that city by the shortest route.
I-Ie is ordered-keeping himself always in a position to,cover the
Capital from all possible attacc —so to operate as to put his left
wing in communication with your right.          *    *    *
The specific task assigned to his commands has been to provide
against any danger to the Capital of the nation.  At your earliest
call for rednforcements he is sent forward to cooperate in the reduction of Richmond, but charged, in attempting this, not to zuncover the City of Washington; and youe will give? o orders, either
before or after your junction, which ccan put him out of position
to cover this city."
On the 21st of lay, Lincoln writes to McDowell, at Fredericksburg:
" General Fremont has been ordered by telegraph to move
from  Franklin on Harrisonburg, to relieve General Banks, and
capture or destroy Jackson's or Ewell's forces. You are instructed, laying aside for the present tfhe movement on Bichmoncd, to put




JACKSON FLANKS HIS ADVERSARY.            139
twenty thousand men in motion at once for the Shenandoah,
moving on tle line or in the advance of the MIanassas Gap
Railroad. Your object will be to capture the forces of Jackson
and Ewell, either in cooperation with General Fremont, or in case
a want of supplies or transportation interferes with his movement, it is believed that the force with which you move will be
sufficient to accomplish the object alone. The information thus
received here makes it probable that, if the enemy operate
actively against Banks, you will not be able to count upon much
assistance from him, but may even have to release him. Reports received this moment are that Banks is fighting with Ewell
eight miles from Winchester."
General:McDowell replies, on May 24th:
"The President's order has been received-is in process of
execution. This is a crushing blow to us."  HIe adds, on the
same day: "I beg to say that cooperation between Fremont
and myself, to cut off Jackson or Ewell, is not to be counted
upon, even if it is not a practical impossibility. Next, that I
am entirely beyond helping distance of General Banks, and no
celerity or vigor will avail, so far as he is concerned. Next,
that by a glance at the map, it will be seen that the line of retreat of the enemy's forces up the valley is shorter than mine
to go against him. it will take a! week or ten days for my force
to go to the valley by this route, which will give it good forage,
and by that time the enemy will have retreated. I shall gain
nothing for you there, and shall gain nmuch for you here. It is,
therefore, not only on personal grounds that I have a heavy
heart in the matter, but that I feel it throws us all back, and
from  Richmond, north, we shall have all outr large masses
paralyzed, and shall have to repeat what wee have just accomplished. I have ordered General Shields to commence a movemzent by to-morrow morning. A second division will follow in
the afternoon."
Such was the position of the pieces on the great chessboard
of war toward the end of May. General McClellan threatening
General Johnston at Richmond, but incessantly calling for rekn



140           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
forcements, without which he declared himself unable to move
forward; President Lincoln in Washington, telegraphing General
McDowell at Fredericksburg to stop his advance toward Richmond,' and send 20,000 men to the valley, to protect the Federal
capital by destroying the command of Jackson; General McDowell replying that to " cut of Jackson is a practical impossibility:"
the Federal campaign embarrassed and everywhere halting in consequence of Jackson's daring and aggressive rmovements. The
complicated movements of Generals McClellan, Banks, McDowell,' Shields, Milroy, and Fremont were enough to puzzle the
blrain of the most thorough master of the art of war.
They do not seem to have disquieted or embarrassed Jackson,
who saw his work plain before his eyes-to divert re/nforcements -from McClellan; and he advanced to the accomplishment
of this object with the accuracy of a machine set in motion.
About the 20th of May he had arrived at Newmarket, where a
junction was formed between his own troops and those of Ewell,
who had marched from Elk Run Valley to meet himn; and from this
point his campaign against General Banks commenced. The Federal commander had reached Strasburg, and was fortifying there.
To assail him in front would be just what he expected, and the species of: attack against which he had provided; so to assault him
on his flank, where he did not expect it, was the obvious policy of
Jackson. X A glance at the map of Virginia will be necessary to
the right appreciation of the forward and retrograde movements
of the Confederate forces, which were now to make the region famous. The village of Newmarket is situated on the valley turnpike in the county of Shenandoah, nearly forty miles from Strasburg. From this latter place to a point somewhat higher up
than Newmarket runs the Massinutton Mountain, parallel to the
Blue Ridge, which is separated from  it by a narrow  valley
through which flows the south branch of the Shenandoah.
Travelling north from  Harrisonburg, and turning to the right at
Newmarket, you pass the Massinutton at Newmarket Gap,
reach Luray, in Page County, and thence approach Front Royal
by a road along the narrow valley in question.  Once arrived




JACKSON FLANKS HIS ADVERSARY.             141
at the town of Front Royal, you have reached the northern
terminus of the Massinutton Mountain, and are directly on the
flank of Strasburg.
Leaving a small force of cavalry to hold the turnpike and
conceal the movement of the main body, Jackson directed that
every thing, even the knapsacks of the men, should be left behind,
and set out by the route above indicated —his force amounting to
18,000 or 20,000 men. On the night of the 22d, his advance, under
Ewell, bivouacked within ten miles of Front Royal. With such
secrecy and celerity had the march upon Front Royal:been
made, that the army was nearly in sight of that place before a
single inhabitant of the region suspected its presence.  At dawn
on the morning of Friday the 23d, Jackson resumed'his rapid
march, and, diverging to the right by a steep and rough bypath so as to strike across into the Gooney Manor road, came
in view of the town about two in the afternoon. At this pointsnot more than a mile and a half from the place —he encountered
the enemy's pickets, and drove them in; when an instant advance
was ordered upon the town. The troops responded with cheers,
and the 1st Maryland, under Colonel Johnson, rushed forward
and encountered their namesakes, the 1st (Federal) Maryland,
Colonel Kenley, whom  they saluted with a volley and then
charged impetuously, forcing them to fall back in confusion,
The cavalry, sweeping down at the moment when they broke,
took a large number of prisoners; and Taylor's brigade, the reserve of the advance force, coming rapidly up, the rout of the
Federal forces was complete, and the town was in the possession
of the Confederates. The attack had taken the Federal'forces
completely by surprise.'I  hen our guns opened on the enemy,
they had no idea who was hammering at them," says a contem-n
porary letter. " Thinking that Jackson was a hundred miles
away from them, they were completely surprised and panicstricken by the suddenness of the attack; they surrendered to us
by hundreds, allowing all their stores of every sort, and in the
greatest quantities, to be captured, without an effort to defend
or destroy them."  Among the stores thus captured were about




142           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
five hundred excellent revolvers; and a soldier expresses the
joy which all felt at finding a wagon load of coffee, wvhich was a
"perfect God-send," as their rations of that article had been
stopped for some days. The appearance of the Confederates
was joyfully hailed by the inhabitants.  MIen, women, and children ran through the streets, laughing and cheering. Every
house was thrown open, and every window waved with handkerchiefs. But the men were not permitted to stop and accept
the hospitalities of the inhabitants. They were rushed through
the town at a double-quick, and a strong force thrown forward
toward a commanding height on the right of the turnpike, where
the Federal forces had taken position with the apparent intention
of resisting the Confederate advance. As the latter approached
they were met by a fire of rifled artillery; but Colonel Crutchfield,
Jackson's chief of artillery, placed some pieces in position; the
6th Louisiana was moved through the woods to flank their battery, and Wheat's Battalion and the 1st Maryland regiment
drove in their skirmishers in front. Thus threatened on their
flank and pressed down the turnpike, the Federal force retreated
across both forks of the Shenandoah, closely followed by the
Confederates.  They attempted to burn the bridge over the
north fork of the river, but before they could do so the Confederates arrived.  The flames'were extinguished, and, pushing
after the Federal forces at full speed, the Confederates poured
into them a hot fire of musketry and artillery.
During this scene the Confederate cavalry had moved to intercept the enemy's retreat. A force under Ashby and Flournoy
had, before the assault on the town, crossed the south branch of
the Shenandoah above Front Royal, and struck across toward
the northern shoulder of the Massinutton, to get between this
body of the enemy and their main force at Strasburg. Their
orders were to destroy the railroad and telegraph line between
the two places, so that Jackson's movement on his flank might
be concealed from General Banks as long as possible, and to guard
against the advance of reenforcements from Strasburg, or the
retreat of the enemy from Front Royal. Having executed his




JACKSON FLANKS HIS ADVERSARY.             143
orders, Colonel Flournoy pushed back to the bridge over the north
fork above mentioned; but finding some difficulty in passing it
from the partial destruction of the framework by fire, he hastened on with four companies of the 6th Virginia cavalry, and
came up with a body of Federal troops near Cedarville, five
miles from Front Royal. This force consisted of two companies
of cavalry, two pieces of artillery, two companies of Pennsylvania  infantry, and the Ist (Federal) Maryland  regiment,
which had been rallied and posted there to check Jackson's
advance. A charge was at once made on them by the four conmpanies of Confederate cavalry, Captain Grimsby leading the
advance, and the whole force was driven from the position which
it held. They re-formed in an orchard on the right of the road,
but a second charge threw them into confusion, and the whole
force surrendered. Ashby was meanwhile scouting along the
base of the Massinutton, and clearing out the country as he
swept it with his cavalry. At Buckton he came upon a body of
the enemy, posted as a guard at that point, in a strong position,
and protected by the embankment of the railroad.  Ashby
charged and dispersed them, gaining possession of the place and
capturing a train of cars; but this insignificant skirmish lost
him some of his best officers, among them Captains Sheets and
Fletcher.  Captain Sheets was an officer of conspicuous gallantry, greatly esteemed by Jackson and beloved by the army.
At Kernstown he had seen a Confederate lieutenant retreating
alone, and hotly pressed by the enemy. So great was the exhaustion of the officer, that, coming to a fence, he climbed it with
difficulty, and rolled over upon the ground. It was at this moment that Captain Sheets reached the spot; and though he had
with him only a small detachment of men, while the force of
the enemy's infantry was very considerable, he violently exclaimed,  "I will never see a Southerner captured before my
eyes," and charged them, rescuing the officer.  Hie had been
highly valued by Ashby, to whom he is declared to have been
" only second in fame and efficiency;" and here he fell, shot
through the head.




144. LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
As night came on, both the cavalry and infantry ceased from
further pursuit, and. the weary troops went into camp.  The
first day hadC thus been decidedly successful. A section of
rifled artillery, 700:prisoners, among them 20 officers, and large
quantities of public stores, had been the result of the opening of
the campaign.  But the advantages secured did not stop here.
Jackson had turned General Banks' position at the town of Strasburg, and the road.was now open for him to press straight forward  upon Winchester. When he had once struck the line of
the valley turnpike he would be completely in rear of the Federal
commander, and-able to intercept his retreat.
CHAPTER X.
GENERAL BANKS RETREATS.
- ON the next morning, May 24th, the troops were moving at
daylight, and Jackson hastened forward to the accomplishment
of his designs, which nothing but the exhaustion of the men had
prevented him from pursuing during the night.
The time thus lost, as will be seen, was precious; but the
delay could not be avoided. The men had marched from above
Luray,'a? distance of nearly thirty miles, under a burning sun,
and many had fallen out of the column overcome by heat and
wveariness.  These it was necessary to collect before advancing
further,' and the march was delayed until morning. At the first
dawn, the column was again in motion. General George H. Steuart, in temporary command of the 2d and 6th Virginia cavalry
regiments, was sent northward to Newtown, about nine miles
from  Winchester.   Ewell, with Trimble's brigade, the 1st
Maryland regiment and Courtney's and Brockenbrough's batteries, was directed to move on the main Front Royal turnpike
toward Winchester; and Jackson proceeded, in personal command of the main body of the army, in tjhe direction of M3iddle



GENERAL BANKS RETREATS.               145
town, with a detachment of Ashby's cavalry moving on his left
flank and keeping a close look-out for any attempt of the enemy
to retreat toward Front Royal.
On coming in sight of IMiddletown, Jackson saw the turn.
pike from Strasburg to Winchester black with long columns of
Federal cavalry in rapid retreat. No time was lost in bringing
up the artillery. The guns of Poague and Chew were rushed
into position, supported by Taylor's infantry, and a hot fire was
opened on the retreating column, which at once threw them
into confusion. A few additional rounds finished the work. The
cavalry broke in wild disorder, scattered.over the adjoining
fields, and disappeared like phantoms in the woods.  "The
turnpike," says Jackson in his report, " which had just before
teemed with life, presented a most appalling spectacle of carnage
and destruction.  The road was literally obstructed with the
mangled and confused mass of struggling and dying horses and
riders."  About 200 prisoners were captured, but the great body
of the Federal cavalry made good their retreat.
The column had been followed by a park of artillery and
about three regioments of infantry.  The former now opened a
rapid fire on the Confederates, and tried to force a passage
through. But the guns were effectually cut off. The Confederate batteries engaged them, and Taylor's infantry at the same
moment advanced, when the Northern artillery and infantry
retreated, rapidly upon Strasburg.  There the infantry abandoned their knapsacks and other accoutrements, and, with the
artillery, retired precipitately through the western mountains to
the Potomac.
It was now obvious that General Banks had already passed
Middletown with his main body in the direction of Winchester,
and the infantry which had been halted was pushed forward
rapidly in pursuit. Ashby had already followed, with cavalry,
artillery, and a supporting force of infantry, a long train of
wagons which was seen disappearing in the distance.  The
scene which.followed is said to have been indescribable. The
whole road was strewed with broken-down wagons, guns, knap10




1.46           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
sacks, oil-cloths, cartridge boxes, haversacks, swords, arms,
clothes, and accoutrements of every description.' The rush of
the retreat," says a writer at the time, " is represented to have
been more ridiculously terrible than that at lanassas." Ashby
had come up with the trains and the rear of the retreating Federals, and his batteries were firing upon them  all along the
turnpike. A shell or round shot would strike one of the wagons
and overturn it, and before those behind could stop their headway, they would thunder down on the ruins of the first; others
would tumble in, so as to block up the road completely; and
in among the disorganized cavalry and infantry escorting the
trains, trampled the horsemen of Ashby, taking prisoners or
cutting down such as resisted. There was no discipline or order
in the retreat, and few officers were visible.  General Banks had
retired to Winchester, whence he took the cars for HIarper's
Ferry.  He is said to have been overwhelmed with chagrin at
his misadventure, and even to have shed tears, declaring that
" he had been sacrificed by his Government."
Ashby's pursuit was hot, and a remarkable proof of the
demoralization of the Federal-troops is given by a well-accredited
incident of the retreat.  " In the ardor of pursuit," writes a
gentleman of character and veracity, " Ashby had separated
himself from his men, and had gotten abreast of the Yankee column of cavalry which was rushing down the turnpike. Alone,
he charged 500 of them, dashed through their line, firing his
pistols right and left as he did so; then wheeling about, he
again charged through them, and summoned them to surrender.
All who heard his voice obeyed, threw down their arms, and
dismounted, until some of the men came up and took charge of
them. In one instance he took thirty in this way."  Ashby
caught a guidon from the hands of its bearer on this occasion,
and this was afterwards suspended in the Virginia Capitol.
The incident above given is notnecessarily impossible, nor even
improbable.  Troops retreating in disorder become entirely disheartened, and lose the character of soldiers, despair inducing
them to surrender without resistance.




GENERAL BANKS RETREATS.               147
The cavalrymen of Ashby's command did not imitate his
example in looking first to the defeat of the enemy. Their misconduct nearly prevented Jackson from securing the fruits of all
his marching and fighting. Up to this time all opposition had
been borne down, and there was every reason to believe that, if
General Banks ever reached Winchester, it would be without a
train, if not without an army. The cavalry and infantry under
Ashby now disappointed all these hopes, and, in spite of every
exertion on the part of their commander, betook themselves to
pillaging the Federal wagons. In vain did Ashby attempt to
rally them to the serious work before them, and push on after
the Federal column, now retreating in greater disorder than before. His orders were not heard, or disobeyed. The ranks of
the pursuers were scattered, in hot pursuit, not of the enemy,
but of plunder. The choice contents of the wagons were too
much for their equanimity, and, forgetting their duty as soldiers,
they became thoroughly disorganized, and gave themselves up
to indiscriminate pillage.
The consequences of this gross neglect of duty were soon
seen: the enemy, who should have been persistently followed,
took advantage of the respite, and turned savagely upon Jackson's artillery, which had pushed on ahead, and was now near
Newtown, without any species of support. They brought up four
pieces of artillery, and planted them in the outskirts of the
town, opening a furious fire upon the Confederate batteries.
Jackson hastened to the front, and when he arrived at Newtown,
found Poague with two guns engaged in a hot combat with the
Federal artillery, which continued to check his further advance
until dark.
This conduct of his advance force profoundly enraged Jackson, and many hot words grew out of it afterwards. He was
much displeased with Ashby, whose fault as a soldier was too
great a relaxation of the reins of discipline in his command; and
as that officer felt that he had made every exertion to correct
the evil, he resented this imputation on the part of his command,
and for a time there was a marked coldness between himself




148           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
and Jackson. Proud and sensitive to any reflection upon himself or his troops, Ashby held himself aloof from Jackson, like
Achilles in his tent; and the stern Agamemnon, knowing that he
had done right, made no overtures for a renewal of amicable relations. But this did not last, the cloud soon passed away, and
when Ashby fell, Jackson wrote a noble epitaph for the fallen
soldier, which would be sufficient, if nothing else remained, to
hand down his name to posterity.
At nightfall, the Federal artillery, which had held the Confederate advance in check at Newtown, retired from the field;
and Jackson determined to push on after General Banks to Winchester.  The troops accordingly passed through Newtown,
and continued their march-the way " illumined by burning
wagons, pontoon boats, and other stores."  The scene in the
little village of Newtown was inspiring, and communicated a
new impulse to the troops. " It beggared description," writes
an officer who witnessed it. " Every house was illuminated by
the inhabitants, women and even men weeping for joy, and
cheering us till they were hoarse. They seemned ready to embrace every soldier; and so it was all along the road, bringing
to them and forcing on the half-starved fellows, as they swept by
in pursuit of the enemy, pies, bread, pickles, meat, and every
thing they could raise."  The inhabitants were indeed crazy
with joy at the sight of the gray uniforms of their own people.
Beyond Newtown, the spectacle along the roads was even
more striking th than that presented near Middletown. Hundreds
of abandoned, overturned, or burning wagons, filled with stores
of every description, were encountered by the troops, and excited
their longing as they pressed rapidly on. But no benefit could
be derived from these spoils of the enemy, as the delay produced
by the pillage had made it necessary to push on, and stop for
nothing.
At various stages of their march throughout the long night,
the Federal forces made vain attempts to check their further
progress. Soon after leaving Newtown, the advance was fired
on by a concealed force, but the 33d Virginia, Colonel Neff,




WINCHESTER.                    149
soon dispersed them. Near the old battle-ground of Kernstown,
a more serious attempt was made to check Jackson's advance.
As the troops approached that point, a sudden fire on their right,
left, and front at the same moment, revealed an ambuscade of
importance; and three regiments of the Stonewall Brigade were
thrown forward to engage the enemy.  They attacked with
great gallantry, and heavy firing continued for some time, but
the enemy, growing disheartened, finally retired, and the army
resumed its march. The Federal forces continued to ambuscade
thus from point to point during the remainder of the night, but
were regularly repulsed by the force in advance, and the army
now drew near Winchester.  The main body was halted for
about an hour to rest, but the advance force still pressed on,
Jackson's design being to occupy the heights commanding the
town, before daylight warned the enemy of his presence.
As he advanced, about dawn, toward the coveted position,
he received the welcome announcement that Ewell, pushing on
fromu Newtown, had reached, early in the night, a position about
three miles from the town, on his right, and had thrown forward
pickets a mile in advance.
The plans of the Confederate commander were thus fairly in
progress of fulfilment, and he instantly made his dispositions to
attack the enemy.
CHAPTER XI.
WINCHESTER.
JACKSON'S advance force approached the lofty hill, on the
southwestern side of Winchester, soon after daylight, on the
morning of the 25th of May.
This position was occupied by the Federal skirmishers in
force, and General Winder was directed to take the Stonewall
Brigade, and seize upon the heights as soon as possible. Thiswas promptly dono. The 5th Virginia was thrown forward in




150           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
advance as skirmishers, and the remainder of the brigade having been drawn up in line of battle, a sudden rush was made for
the hill. The enemy made a sharp and resolute resistance,
firing heavy volleys as the Confederates charged toward their
position, but the spirit of the Federal troops no longer reslonded
to the call. They recoiled before the Confederate fire, retreated
from their position, and the Southern troops, uttering loud
cheers, gained the crest and were in possession of the hill.
Prompt measures were taken to improve this advantage, and
open the attack with an energy which should give the Federal
forces no time to prepare. They had hastily opened with a battery directly in front, and to dislodge these guns Carpenter's and
Cutshaw's batteries, with two Parrott guns from the Rockbridge
artillery, were rapidly placed in position and opened fire.
The battle speedily commenced in good earnest. It was absolutely necessary, if the Federal forces expected to hold the
town of Winchester, that the Confederates should be dislodged
from their commanding position; and a body of Federal sharpshooters was promptly thrown forward to feel Jackson's left,
and drive him, if possible, from the hill. At the same moment
another Federal battery began to thunder on the left, and a dangerous enfilade fire was poured on the Southern lines.
This advance of infantry, and the fire of the new battery,
was promptly responded to by Jackson. The battery in his
front had been reduced to silence, and his guns were now turned
on the enemy's sharpshooters, who hastily retreated behind a
heavy stone fence, which protected them. From this excellent
position they opened a galling and destructive fire on the cannoneers and horses attached to the Confederate batteries, which
were now engaged hotly on the left. The combined fire of their.
sharpshooters and artillery was so heavy that Captain Poague,
who was most exposed to the enemy, was compelled to chancge
position, in the midst of a storm of balls. He rapidly withdrew
his guns; moved to the left and rear, and again taking position,
poured a determined fire upon the enfilading batteries of the en- 
emy. The Federal sharpshooters continued to fire from their




WINCHESTER.                     151
position behind the stone wall mentioned, with a precision which
was galling and dangerous in the extreme. No one could mount
to the crest of the hill without hearing the sudden report of
their excellent long-range guns, succeeded by the whistling of
balls near his person.  Colonel Campbell? commanding the 2d
brioade of Ja-ckson's division, went up to the summit to reconnoitre, and was giving some directions to Colonel Patton, the
senior officer under him, when a ball pierced his arm and breast,
and he was borne from the field, surrendering the command of
the brigade to Colonel Patton.  To drive out these persistent
and accurate marksmen, Captain Poague threw several solid
shot at the wall which protected them; but in spite of the missiles and. crashing stones around them, the line of sharpshooters
still gallantly held their position.
While, this hot fire was going on, the Federal commander
was making his preparations to assail Jackson's position in force.
All was ready at last, and suddenly the Federal infantry was
seen moving, in heavy columnns to the left, with the evident intention of gaining possession of the ridge to the north and west
of the town.
Meanwhile Ewell had not been idle. As soon as Jaclson's
guns were heard upon the left, he rapidly advanced toward the
southeastern side of the town, and became engaged with the
enemy, who were posted on the hills, and in the farm-houses
which here dot the rolling landscape.  The 21st North Carolina
and 21st Georgia lattacked and drove back the advance force of
the enemy, and Ewell pushed forward rapidly; but here, as on
the left, one of those obstinate stone walls, which appears so
often in the narratives of battles taking place in the Valley region, opposed its bristling front to his further progress.  The
Federal sharpshooters lined it, and, resting their guns on the top,
poured into the ranks of the 21st North Carolina, which was in
advance, so destructive a fire that this regiment was forced to
fiall back with heavy loss.  This success was, however, brief.
Taking the place of the repulsed regiment, the 21st Georgia
made a determined charge; the enemy were driven from their




152            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
cover; and the rmain body of Ewell's forces, which had been
arrested by this obstacle, swept forward amid the thunder of
artillery to the assault.
On the lef of Jackson's immediate position a similar advance was made, as we have seen, at the moment when his lines
were pushed forward on the right.  To defeat the enemy's attempt to gain possession of the hill west of the town, Jackson ordered General Taylor to advance with his brigade —move in rear
of the Stonewall Brigade-and making a circuit far round to
the left, ascend the northern hill, and thus confront the enemy's
line as it appeared. The movement was promptly made, and
the foot of the hill reached in the midst of a heavy fire of musketry and artillery, which the Federal batteries already nentioned, and the sharpshooters behind the stone wall, poured into
the Confederate ranks, as they took position. No attention was
paid to this fire by Taylor. HIe formed his line of battle, with
the 10th Virginia on his left, and the 23d on his right, and immediately gave the order for the troops to advance rapidly and
gain possession of the hill.  The men responded with eleers, and
moved forward steadily up the slope, reaching the summit without
resistance, and confronting the columns drawn up to receive them.
The Federal forces were thus caught in the grasp of Jackson, pressing upon both their flanks. The great leader " had
his war-look on," declares a soldier, "' and rode about the battlefield regardless of shot and shell, looking as if nothing was
going on."  The moment was enough to rouse him, and send a
thrill through the pulses of any but a man of iron. Ewell was
driving them on the right, and doing great execution with his
musketry and artillery, whose traces may yet be seen on the
houses and fences; and now Taylor was ready to fall on their
main body on the left. The attack was not delayed. Jackson's
lines swept down the hill, and across the intervening field, and
came into collision with the enemy. The volleys of musketry
were succeeded by the thunder of triumphant cheers rising above
the roar of the artillery; and driving the Federal line before
themrn, Taylor's men, reinforced by the Stonewall Brigade, burst




WINCIIESTER.                   153
sudclenly like a torrent into the town. At the same moment
Ewvell closed in on the right.  General Elzey, who had been in
reserve on the turnpike, advanced in front; and the whole Federal army gave way in disorder, and rapidly retreated.
The scene which ensued in the streets of Winchester is almost beyond the power of words. Men, women, and -children
thronged in crowds from the houses, and uttered cries of wild
joy at the sight of the gray uniforms. The women were before
the men in this ovation. All personal danger was lost sight of
in their excitement. As the Federal forces rushed tumultuously
through the town, the ladies swarmed into the streets, and paid
no attention to the shell and munsket-balls bursting, and whistling
around them. They hastened to every Southern soldier who
had been wounded and needed their services; and a gentleman
of the highest veracity declares that guards had to advance and
clear the way for the platoons to deliver their fire on the enemy.
Winchester was indeed wild with delight.  Confederate flags
and white handkerchiefs waved from  every window; bright
smiles saluted the troops on every side; and men, women, and
children were heard shouting " Thank God, we are free! Thank
God, we are free once more "  The -Twhole town was one great
scene of uproar and rejoicing-of mingled gray coats and blueof old men and children-and the flitting forms of girls, boldly
penetrating the crowd to administer to the wants of the wounded.
Jackson for the first time in his military career seemed mnastered by excitement. He caught his faded cap from his head,
and waving it in the air, cheered for the first and last time on
record. His affection for the people of Winchester was so great,
and his soldier pride so profoundly gratified at this triumphant
return to a place from which he had been compelled to retreat,
that he lost control of himself. The shouts of the men, the
sobs and exclamations of the women, and the shrill cries of the
children, mingled in one chorus of welcome; but they did not
divert his attention from the work before him. The troops were
pushed forward without a moment's pause, and Jackson rode far
in advance of the column, in dangerous proximity to the enemy.




154           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
One of his officers said, "; Don't you think you are exposing
yourself to danger, General?"  But his reply was, "; Tell the
troops to press right on to the Potomac "
The Federal forceds were followed persistently by the infantry, and the artillery kept up its fire; but they were not pressed
with cavalry, owing to the absence of Ashby's men, and the singular impression of General George I-. Steuart that he was under
Ewell and not Jackson. Tilhe pursuit was thus stopped for the
moment by the exhaustion of the infantry, who halted five miles
from the town; but Steuart coming up about an hour afterward,
and forming at Bunker Hill a junction with Ashby, who had
swept round to the left, the Federal forces were followed hotly
through Martinsburg, and driven across the Potomlac, with the
loss of many prisoners, and the capture of immense stores.
" It is seldom," says General Banks, in his report, "l that a
river crossing of such magnitude is achieved with greater success, and there never were more grateful hearts in the same
number of men than when, at mid-day of the 26th, we stood on
the opposite shore.  fy command had not suffered an attack
and rout. It had accomplished a premeditated march of nearly
sixty miles in the face of the enemy, defeating his plans, and
giving him battle wherever he was found."
It seemed thus that both the Federal and Confederate commanders were well pleased with the result, and congratulated
themselves upon the issue of the campaign.
CHAPTER XII.
THE LION IN THE TOILS.
JACKSON had thus driven his opponent before him, and regained possession of Winchester; but the Federal garrisons at
Charlestown and Harper's Ferry remained, and to these his
attention was now directed.
The troops, however, absolutely required rest. They had




THE LION IN TIHE TOILS.               155
made an exhausting march. From  the camp above Luray to
the point where the pursuit had stopped was about sixty miles,
and this distance thelmien had passed over in three days, fighting
two battles on the way. This was enough to break down their
strength, and it was necessary to give them a resting-spell.  On
the following day, accordingly, religious services were held
throughout the army, and thanks returned for the recent successes of the Southern arms.  The men then rested for that
day and the next, The army was then thloroughly refreshed and
ready for new movements, which commenced immediately.
On the morning of the 28th of May, the Stonewall Brigade
and the batteries of Poague and Carpenter, the whole under
General Winder, left their camps near Winchester, and proceeded, by way of Summit Point, toward Charlestown. When
they had reached a point about four miles from the town, intelligence was received that the enemy occupied that place in force,
and intended to dispute their further advance.  This information
was promptly conveyed to Jackson, who immediately sent
Ewell's division to cooperate in the movement. But Winder
did not wait for reinforcements.  He steadily advanced in the
direction of the town, and, emerging from the woods within a
mile of the place, saw the Federal forces in line of battle immediately in his front, and apparently about fifteen hundred in
number.
He decided to attack them, and at once advanced, when, as
he made his appearance, they opened upon him with two pieces
of artillery.  Carpenter's battery was placed in position, supported by the 33d Virginia, and returned the fire with such vigor
that, in twenty minutes, the Federal forces retired in disorder,
throwing away their arms, blankets, haversacks, and accoutrements.  Winder followed them into the town, and here a scene
took place similar to that which had occurred at Winchester.
The ladies crowded the streets, waving their handkerchiefs,
and exhibiting a " wild joy,"' says a letter of the time, at sight
of their fiiends.  The 2d Virginia was formed almost entirely
of volunteers from Jefferson, Frederick, Clarke, and Berkeley;




15G           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSO
and they had not seen their families for nearly a year. But they
were not suffered to stop, even to shake hands. Winder followed the retreating enemy to the little Ianmlet of Halltown,
firing into their rear both with -musketry and artillery, and then,
finding that they were posted in force upon Bolivar Heights, in
front of Harper's Ferry, returLed to the vicinity of Charlestown.
On the following day, Jackson arrived with the lnain body
of the army, and preparations were made to attack and dislodge
the Federal forces. His troops were in the neighborhood of
Halltown, and the 2d Virginia had been sent across to Loudoun
Heights, on the east side of the town, when intelligence reached
him that Federal columns were closing in upon his rear. Shields
was moving from Fredericksburg on his right, and Fremont from
the south branch of the Potomac on his left, with the design of
concentrating a heavy force at Strasburg and cutting off his retreat up the Valley.
It will be remembered that President Lincoln, on the 21st of
May, had directed General McDowell, then commanding at
Fredericksburg, to "' put 20,000 men in motion" to capture or
destroy Jackson and Ewell, and relieve General Banks. These
forces were to move on the line of the M3anassas Gap Railroad;
and the march took place as directed. The letter of a Northern
correspondent gives an entertaining account of the expedition,
and we make the following brief extract, in which the writer
amuses himself at the expense of General Banks:' Word was flashed over the wires from Washington that
the Philistines were upon the Congressional Samsons, and we
were summoned to the rescue. The order from the War Department, to send 20,000 or 30,000 men to assist Banks and
defend Washington, put an entirely new face on matters, and
knocked the plans which a month and more of time and millions
of money had been spent in maturing into that peculiarly chaotic,
formless, and void shape popularly known and described as a
cocked hat. As McClellan before had been served, so now was
McDowell.
6 At Markham Station, besides rheumatic pains, I encoun



THE LION IN THE TOILS.                157
tered Colonel Ashby's house, a deserted whitewashed tenement,
with battered walls and crumbling staircases, and smelling
strongly of secession and old cheese. At Front Royal we found
3Major-General McDowell and several minor Generals. They
were all determined upon one thing —that thing to bag Jackson,
and recapture the immense train he took from Banks-for you
must know that Banks lost over two millions of dollars in
property, and, it is said, several thousand prisoners.  Well,
then, it had been determined to retake, all these national gods
and goods.
"A  word about Blenker's division.  With all respect to
General Blenker himself, whom I highly esteem as a German
and a gentleman, it comprises as lawless a set as ever pillaged
lien-roosts or robbed dairy-maids of milk and butter. I saw a
company of them gutting the cellar of a house, carrying off every
thing eatable and drinkable, and only replying to the earnest remonstrance of the proprietary widow, and the representation that
she had seven children to feed, with a guttural' Nix fur stay.'
And two infantry captains bathed their yellow beards in the
golden cream, and were aiders and abettors, in fact, the overseers and directors of the larceny, not to say brutality."
This force was now moving from the east, and General Fremont was approaching from the west, to meet them in the neighborhood of Strasburg. The only force which Jackson had near
that point to meet them was a single regiment and two pieces of
artillery, under Colonel Connor, at Front Royal; and with this
small body overwhelmedcl, he would be completely cut off, and
forced to surrender or fight his way through.
It was necessary to act promptly in this emergency. The
whole effective force of Jackson was at this time 15,000 men,
and the body about to attack him from  the direction of Fredericksburg was probablylarger than his whole army. If General Fremont formed a junction with it, the odds would be overpowering; and to reascend the Valley before his enemies combined
was the obvious policy of the Confederate commander. Ile issued orders for that movement at once. All the troops, but the




158           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
S,tonewall Brigade and the cavalry, were directed to return to
Winchester; and these also, as soon as the 2d Virginia had
returned from Loudoun Heights, were to rejoin the main body
at that place.
Having made these arrangements, Jackson set out in person
for Winchester, travelling by a special train on the Winchester
and Potomac Railroad. A gentleman who was with him relates
a scene that ensued during the brief journey. At one of the
wayside stations, a courier was seen galloping down from the
direction of Winchester, and Jackson clutched at the despatch
which he brought.
" What news?" he asked, briefly.
" Colonel Connor is cut off and captured at Front Royal,
General."
" Good! " was the quick reply; " what more?"
" Shields is there, with four thousand men."' Good —very good!"
As he spoke his lips were firmly compressed, his face grew
rigid, and his eyes fixed themselves apparently upon some distaut object. Then this preoccupation suddenly disappeared; he
read the despatch which lie held in his hand, tore it in pieces,
and dropped it, after his accustomed fashion, and, leaning forward, rested his forehead on his hands, and immediately fell
asleep. He soon roused himself, and, turning to the gentleman
who furnishes these particulars, said:'I am going to send you to Richmondl for reinforcements.
Banks has halted at Williamsport, and is being reinforced from
Pennsylvania. Dix, you see, is in my front, and is being reinforced by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. I have just received
a despatch informing me of the advance of the enemy upon
Front Royal, which is captured, and Fremont is now advancing
toward Wardensville. Thus, you see, I am nearly surrounded
by a very large force.
" What is your own, General?" asked his friend.
" I will tell you, but you must not repeat what I say, except at
Richmond. To meet this attack, I have only 15,000 effective men."




THE LION IN THE TOILS.                159
" What will you do if they cut you off, General? "
Jackson hesitated for a moment, and then coolly replied:
"' I will fall back upon Maryland for reenforcements."
Jackson was in' earnest. If his retreat was cut off, he intended to advance into Maryland, and doubtless make his way
straight to Baltimore and Washington, depending on the Southern sentiment in that portion of the State to bring him reenforcenents. The design was characteristic of his military genius,
and its bold air of invasion probably surrounded it with charms
to the leader, who never lost sight of that policy. That the
Federal Government was apprehensive of some such movement
is certain, The wildest rumors were everywhere prevalent in
that country. It was said that Jackson had defeated all his opponents, had crossed the Potomac with an enormous army, and
was then advancing on Washington.  Terror reigned in the
North. Men wore anxious faces, and, it is said, were asking
constantly, " Where is Jackson?"' I-as he taken Washington?"
The best proof' however, that the movement was really anticipated, was the despatch of the Federal Secretary of War to the
Governor of Massachusetts: " Send all the troops forward that
you can, immediately. Banks completely routed. Intelligence
from various quarters leaves no doubt that the enemy, in great
force, are advancing on Washington. You will please organize
and forward immediately all the volunteer and militia force in
your State."  There is reason to believe that similar messages
were sent to all the Northern States, and that the alarm of the
Federal authorities was very great.
We have seen that the " great force " at Jackson's command
was 15,000 men, and that a much larger force was about to
close in upon his rear. His position was critical in the extreme.
Unless he moved with the greatest speed, and reached Strasburg
before the junction of Fremont and Shields, his retreat would be
cut off, and General McDowell, then at Front Royal, would
achieve his design of " bagging Jackson."  The great stores at
Winchester added to his embarrassment.  The thought of losing
the reward of all the toil and courage of his men was inexpres



160            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
sibly bitter to him. Loss of all his stores, the capture, possibly
the destruction of his little army-these were the contingencies
which stared Jackson in the face. To defeat the designs of the
enemy, and extricate his forces, was the object upon which he
now concentrated all his skill, nerve, and generalship.
Once at Winchester again, he possessed himself' of the very
latest information from the rear, and made his dispositions with
rapidity. The Federal columns were pressing rapidly to intercept him.  Colonel Connor had been attacked, as we have seen,
at Front Royal, by the Federal cavalry, and driven from the
place with the loss of all his prisoners, and some men of his own
command, but had destroyed all the captured stores, worth
$300,000, before he retreated. Fremont was already at Wardensville; no time was to be lost.
Early on the morning of May 31st, Colonel Cunningham
left Winchester with the 21st Virginia, in charge of about 2,300
prisoners, and the wagon-train, and moved quickly up the valley.
The train was twelve miles long, and was loaded with the captured stores, which the enemy were so anxious to regain.
Jackson followed with the main body. The evacuation of Winchester was a heavy blow to him and to the inhabitants.  We
have met with no description of the sorrowful scene which so
soon succeeded the joyful ovation upon his entrance. It was
doubtless affecting, for the whole heart of this man was bound
up in the old town, where so many loved him, and looked to
him  for protection. His parting with these faces, now filled
with anxiety and distress, mLust have been bitter. We only
know that in brief words he assured them that he would "' return
again shortly and as certainly as now," and that one day, not long
afterwards, when the Federalforces occupied the place, their camps
were suddenly thrown into tumult, their drums beat to arms, and
the words passed from lip to lip, a" Jackson is coming  "
A race now ensued, between Jackson and his adversaries, for
the possession of Strasburg.  Every moment was important.
On the speed of the "s foot cavalry " depended the safety of the
army; and if the larger portion marched, as they seem to have




THE LION IN THE TOILS.               161
done, from the vicinity, of Harper's Ferry to Strasburg, nearly
fifty miles, between the afternoon of the 30th and the night of the
31st of May, it is one of the swiftest marches on record.
Jackson arrived in time, and just in time. He encamped at
Strasburg on the night of the 31st, with General Fremont's advance almost in sight. Winder had not yet come up with his
brigade and batteries, and, as it was necessary to remain at
Strasburg until he arrived, Jackson determined to attack Fremont, and hold him in check. This duty was assigned to Ewell,
who advanced on the next morning with his division, and, supported by other troops, afterwards sent to him, made a sudden
and determined assault upon their advance force. The enemy
resisted obstinately, but Ewell finally drove them back, and
Winder arriving on the same evening, the whole army continued
their retreat up the Valley.
Jackson was now comparatively safe. He had realized the
prayer which his great namesake of the " Hermitage" uttered
for a friend-he had " triumphed over all his enemies." He had
flanked them at Front Royal, pursued them from 3Middletown,
beaten them at Winchester, chased them to the Potomac, filled
Washington with alarm; and now, when their forces were closing
in upon his rear to intercept him, be had passed between them
with his prisoners and stores, striuck them heavily as he retired,
and was moving toward the upper Valley.
HIe had captured 2,300 prisoners, 100 cattle, 34,000 pounds
of bacon, flour, salt, sugar, coffee, hard bread, and cheese,
$125,185 worth of quartermasters' stores, $25,000 worth of
sutlers' stores, immense medical stores, 9,354 small-arms, two
pieces of artillery, many cavalry horses; and 700 sick had been
released on parole, making the full number of prisoners more
than 3,000. These results had been achieved with a loss of 68
killed, 329 wounded, and 3 missing-total loss 400. In ending
his report, Jackson proudly declared that the battle of Winchester
was, " on our part, a battle without a straggler."
1 1




162           I~IFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER XIII.
OUT OF THE  MESHES.
MAY had passed, June arrived, and the Federal authorities
seemed as far as ever from the accomplishment of their designs
against Richmond.
General McClellan's army still swung to and fro on either
side of the Chickahominy, and that commander was still calling for
re:nforcements. A few days after the battle of Winchester, the
bloody but indecisive action of " Seven Pines" took place, and
this seems to have been regarded as the sure prelude to the capture and occupation of Richmond. To that achievement all the
Federal movements were directed. McClellan was to press forward from the east, McDowell to descend from Fredericksburg,
and Fremont and Shields to overthrow Jackson and swoop down
from the mountains. The three columns would then compose a
great cordon, and the Confederate power be crushed.
Such was the situation of affairs in the first days of June.
Events were hastening on in the Valley and the tidewater; the
great movements in both regions were contemporaneous. On the
first day of June, at the very time when McClellan and Johnston
were filgting  at " Seven Pines," before Richmond, Jackson
passed between the converging columns of his adversaries,
struck their advance with his right wing, and retired in safety.
At the very moment, some days afterwards, when General 1M/IcClellan, in the summit of a tall tree, as one of their writers describes him, was straining his eyes to discern the columns of
McDowell on the northern horizon, and listening for the tramp
of Fremont's men fron the mountains, news was to reach him
of events which reversed the whole plan of his campaign. Richmond was directly in his front, with the sunshine on its spires;
the army described as the " finest on this planet " was beneath
him, in the trenches; and, amid the treacherous swamps of the




OUT OF THE MESHES.                 163
Chickahominy, all was ready for the great advance, to be cooperated in by Generals McDowell, Shields, and Fremont, when
this intelligence came to overthrow the whole programme.
General Fremont had failed to intercept Jackson at Strasburg; and General MicDowell's column, under Shields, had met
with no greater success. Jackson had retired like a weary lion,
carrying off all his spoils; and the Federal commanders only
met at Strasburg to condole with each other on the escape of
their prey. But Jackson was yet in great danger from the
character of the country and the large force which the enemy
had at their disposal. The valley turnpike runs along the western base of the Massinutton Mountain, which completely protects that road from a flank movement from the east, as high up
as New Market. But opposite that point was the gap which
Jackson had passed through in advancing. Proceeding up the
Luray valley from Front Royal, a column of the enemy might
cross the south fork of the Shenandoah, seize the gap in question, and, coming in on Jackson's flank, assail his forces and
check their further advance. At the same time, the column
which was following on his rear would close in and form a junction with the other; and he would thus be compelled to fight the
entire Federal force in the valley, interposed between his front
and the Blue Ridge.
This movement by Luray was evidently the design of the
enemy. General Shields had now been in possession of Front
Royal for forty-eight hours, and, as he had not formed a junction with Fremont, as was originally intended, it was obviously
his purpose to make the flanking movement between the Blue
Ridge and the 3Iassinutton. To defeat this plan, Jackson sent
forward a party to destroy the White House bridge, over the
south fork of the Shenandoah, on the road to the New Market
Gap, and also Columbia bridge, some miles up the river.  A
signal station was also established on the southern summit of the
3Massinutton, to advise him of movements in the Luray valley,
and Jackson then hastened forward toward New Market with his
prisoners and captured stores.




164           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
General Fremont's advance, which had been hovering near
the Southern army, in spite of its repulse by Ewell, soon ascertained that the Confederates had retreated from Strasburg, and
the whole force of the Federal commander was pushed forward
in pursuit. 1Night had now descended, and a stratagem was attempted by the enemy, under the cloak of darkness, to throw the
Confederate rear guard into confusion. The Federal cavalry
approached cautiously, and, being challenged, ireplied, " FriendsAshby's cavalry." This disarmed suspicion, and enabled them
to come so near, that their attack was sudden and unexpected.
The 6th Virginia cavalry, which was nearest, retired in disorder before the volleys poured into their ranks, and this confusion
was communicated to the 2d Virginia cavalry, which was next
to the 6th. At this critical moment, Colonel Munford, who
commanded the 2d, acted with promptness and energy.  He
re-formed his regiment, charged the Federal cavalry, and drove
them back, capturing a number of prisoners. The army then
continued its march, without further annoyance that night.
Having snatched a brief rest, the troops moved again at daylight, resuming the retreat in the direction of Woodstock. The
enemy followed slowly and cautiously on the trail, apparently
afraid to press too near and encounter Ashby, who, with his
cavalry, Caskie's battery, and the 2d brigade, under Colonel.
Patton, held the rear. Near Woodstock another attack was
made on the rear guard.  The extreme rear was held by
Caskie's battery, supported by about two hundred men from
Patton's command, as sharpshooters. This was regarded by
Ashby as sufficient to hold the enemy in check; and his cavalry
was quietly pursuing its way, in advance of the artillery, when
the enemy's horsemen gallantly charged through the sharpshooters on the guns, captured some of the cannoneers, and nearly
succeeded in cutting off the retreat of a rifled piece. It was
withdrawn, however, in safety, a portion of the enemy rapidly
following, and, before they were aware of the intended attack
on them, the Confederate cavalry was thrown into' disorder.
The men retreated in confusion, and ran into the rear of the




OUT OF THE MESHES.                165
48th Virginia-then passing along a narrow causeway with a
ravine on one side and a steep embankment on the other —and,
so sudden was the appearance of the disorganized cavalry in the
midst of the infantry, that a number of the men were knocked
down before they could get out of the way. All was now confusion; but the cavalry rallied-the 42d Virginia was hastily
moved to the right of the road and the 48th to the left-and the
enemy were received with a sudden volley which drove them
back with loss. Three Federal cavalrymen had charged through
the whole length of the 2d brigade, two of whom were shot and
fell between the regiments posted on the roadside, the. other escaping.
This affair annoyed Jackson extremely, the force of Federal
cavalry which made the charge having been very small, and on
the next day he asked Colonel Patton to give him the details.
That officer did so, and declared that he regarded it as the most
dashing and gallant thing which the enemy's cavalry had yet done
-adding, that if he had been able, he would have prevented the
troops from firing upon the three men who charged through the
brigade. Jackson took no notice of these words at the moment,
but in a few minutes returned to the subject in a manner which
indicated that this daring onslaught on his rear guard by so small
a force had greatly exasperated him. "1 Why would you not
have shot those men, Colonel?" he asked, curtly. "I should
have spared them, General," returned the officer, " because they
were brave men who had gotten into a desperate situation where
it was as easy to capture them as to kill them." Jackson's reply
was brief. "' Shoot them all," he said, coldly; "' I don't want
them to be brave."
After this repulse, the army continued its march, Ashby
having been put in command of the whole rear guard, cavalry
and infantry, with orders to protect the rear during the remainder of the retreat. The energy of this commander was untiring,
and, in spite of incessant and determined assaults on him, he repulsed every advance of the Federal cavalry throughout the
march. The retreat was one long battle between the Confed



160           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
erate rear and the Federal vanguard. They were pressing hotly
to strike Jackson and delay him until General Shields reached
New Market to intercept his retreat, and no efforts were spaied
to break through the obstinate impediment which Ashby presented, and force Jackson to turn and defend himself. Shields'
column was pressing forward through the Luray valley; if the
Confederate commander could only be delayed for a day, nay a
few hours, his fate would be sealed.
Jackson fully appreciated, however, the critical character of
lis situation, and did not relax the rapidity of his retreat. His
column pressed on along the bank of the Shenandoah, pushing
the heavy trains and long lines of prisoners before it, and Ashby
continued to hold the rear, repulsing successfully every assault.
IHis artillery was never silent, and at times the troops in front
would hear the sudden rattle of small-arms, indicating that he
had ambushed the advancing squadrons, and from the woods
on the roadside poured a fire into their ranks when it was least
expected.
The Federal forces were thus successfully held in check.
BIount Jackson was passed; the bridge over the Shenandoah, a
locality well known to Ashby, was destroyed by him in rear of
the army; and Jackson was safe from the column in his rear.
A short march now promised to terminate the retreat. Jackson
pushed on through New Market, and finding at Harrisonburg,
which le reached on the 5th, that all the bridges above that
point were destroyed by the citizens, turned to the left and followed a country road in the direction of Port Republic, beyond
which Brown's Gap opened the straight path to Richmond.
The fluttering signals on the summit of the Miassinutton
Mountain informed him that General Shields was pressing up
the Luray valley to intercept him at Port Republic; but this
fact gave him little concern. The real struggle had been to prevent the enemy from uniting their columns and striking him
while laden with spoils and prisoners. One of their columns
was now distanced; the other was not feared. Jackson had
been the lion in the toils, but he was now out of the meshes.




THE DEATH OF ASHBY.                 167
CHAPTER  XIV.
THE DEATH OF ASHBY.
THE army marched from Harrisonburg in the direction of
Port Republic, on the morning of the 6th of June. They had
not seen the enemy for nearly two days, and indulged the hope
that they were now beyond pursuit. In this, however, they
were mistaken. The destruction of the bridge over the Shenandoah had delayed the Federal advance for a short time only, and
they were now pressing forward again on Jackson's trail.
Their cavalry advance-the 1st gNew Jersey-was commanded by Sir Percy Wyndham, an Englishman, who had served
as a captain in the Austrian army; in the Italian Revolution
under Garibaldi as colonel, and had come to the United States
at the breaking out of the war, and received froml President
Lincoln the appointment of colonel of cavalry. Placed in command of a regiment to operate in the Valley, Colonel Wyndham
had suffered much from the enterprise and activity of Ashby,
and had publicly announced his intention speedily to " ba g" that
officer.  We learn this from a correspondent of a Northern
journal who accompanied Colonel Wyndham, and who narrated
what occurred on this occasion. Advancing now from Harrisonburg, Colonel Wyndham  came, about three in the afternoon,
upon Ashby's cavalry, drawn up to dispute his further progress,
and notified his friend the correspondent, that if he " wished to
see a little funl he ought to remain and witness the encounter.
The correspondent did do so, and what he witnessed was the
scene here recorded. Ashby had seen Colonel Wyndham some.
time before he was himself discovered, and determined to " bag"
Sir Percy. He accordingly sent a portion of his command to
make a circuit, unperceived, and take position on the side of the
road at a point where the crest of a small hill concealed them
from view. When the party was in position, he made a demon



168           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
stration on the road in front of Colonel Wyndham, with the
apparent purpose of opposing his advance.
The force which Ashby showed in front was designedly small,
to draw his adversary on; and the plan succeeded. Wyndham,
flushed with anticipated success, and now certain that he would
capture or crush the renowned cavalier of the Valley, charged
down the road; when Ashby advanced to meet him, the party in
ambush closed in on his rear, and he was captured, together with
sixty-three of his men. As he was marched to the rear, under
guard, he is described as appearing " much chopfallen, and looking unutterable things in the way of impotent rage, disappointed
hopes, and wounded pride."  As he passed along, the troops
greeted his appearance with laughter; but what is said to have
excited his rage to the highest pitch, was the exclamation of one
of the Southern soldiers as he passed: "Look at the Yankee
colonel!"  Sir Percy, it seems, had a great horror of being
regarded as a "Yankee," and could not bear this title with
equanimity.
The affair which thus resulted in the capture of Colonel
Wyndhaum by the commander of the Confederate cavalry, was
succeeded on the same afternoon by a more serious engagement,
in which Ashby was to fall-depriving the army of the services
of a partisan of matchless enterprise, indefatigable energy, and
romantic daring. His fame had mounted to the zenith in the
brief and fiery campaign now nearly over, and he seemed to
have before him long years of renown and usefulness, when he
was suddenly cut down. We approach the narrative of his death
with reluctance, but cannot omit an event which covered the
whole army with gloom, and struck down in his pride and
strength the renowned Partisan of the Valley.
The enemy's cavalry was speedily followed by the main body
of their troops, and, believing that he could strike them to advantage, Ashby sent back for a portion of the infantry which was
placed at his orders, for the defence of the rear. The 58th Virginia and 1st Maryland were sent to him; and, leaving Colonel
MJunford in command of the cavalry, with orders to keep up a




THiE DEATHI OF ASIIBY.             169
fire of artillery upon the Federal cavalry, drawn up on a hill in
his front, Ashby took the two regiments of infantry and moved
to the right of the road through the fields, with the design of
making a circuit, unperceived, and falling on the left flank of
the enemy. They seem to have conceived a similar design to
assail his right flank; and thus the two columns met, encountering each other in a field waving with ripe wheat, near a piece of
woodland. General Ewell, who had now arrived, threw forward his skirmishers to drive the Federal forces from their
cover behind a fence immediately in his front. It was about
sunset when this movement was made, and the golden flush of
the beautiful June evening lingered on the trees and brightened
their summits, as it slowly died away beyond the western hills.
The troops advanced cautiously through the tangled underwood,
when all at once the dropping fire of musketry was heard in
front, and the 58th Virginia, a very small regiment, was ordered
to attack the enemy. Ashby led it, and a heavy volley was
poured into the Federal forces, which they replied to; another
came from the 58th, and the firing on the right became hot and
continuous. General Ewell saw that the position of the enemy
was such as to give them great advantage against an attack in front,
and that the small numbers of the 58th were making no impression.  HIe accordingly ordered Colonel Johnson, commanding
the Ist Maryland, to advance, while the fight was going on, on
his right, and, by charging the enemy's right flank, drive them
from the fence. Johnson promptly obeyed, and, gaining the edge
of the woods on the Federal flank, gave the order to charge, and
his men rushed forward under a heavy fire. Captain Robertson
and Lieutenant Snowden were shot dead; Colonel Johnson's
horse fell with him, pierced with three bullets; and the colors
of the regiment were three times shot down. But the Pennsylvania 1 Bucktails," Lieutenant-Colonel Kane, were driven from
their position behind the fence, their colonel captured, and the
IFederal forces were now in full retreat.
Ashby was dead. lie had gone forward with the 58th and
taken position on the right of the regiment, which suddenly




170            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
found itself in front of the enemy. A volley was poured into
the Federal forces, as we have seen, by the 58th-and then
another: but the numbers of the Virginians were so small, and
the position of the Federal troops so well chosen, that the fire
did them little damage.  Ashby witnessed this result and the
persistent stand of his opponents with fiery impatience. IHe
directed the 58th to cease firing, and press the enemy with the
bayonet; and, putting spur to his horse, rushed forward, shouting,
" Virginians, charge i " when the animal was shot under him,
and fell.*  In an instant he was on his feet, and again advanced.
He had not, however, moved ten steps, and was still ordering
the men not to fire but depend on the bayonet, when a bullet
pierced his body, and he fell dead almost instantly, at the very
moment when the shouts of triumph around him indicated the
repulse of the enemy.  His body was raised in the arms of the
men, placed on a horse before one of them, and, with the equipments of his horse, borne fromn the field, where the soldier had
died the death he would have chosen-leading a charge, and
with his face to the foe.
Thus ended the brief but splendid career of Turner Ashby.
The leader in a hundred engagements had fallen in an obscure
skirmish, so insignificant that the very name of it is unknown.
But that was not important.  The time and place were nothing,
and would thus have been regarded by him, so that he died " in
harness," fighting to the last.
The name of Ashby will long be remembered by the people of
Virginia, who rightly esteemed him as one of the ablest soldiers
of the war, and one of the noblest sons of the commonwealth
which gave him birth.  I-Ie was the ideal-type of the Southern
cavalier, pure-hearted, stainless in morals, and of heroic courage
and constancy. Let us praise the dead warmly, when we can do
so with truth-and Ashby was one of those men who stand out
- This horse was the same which Jackson had ridden at the battle of
Manassas, and belonged to Captain James Thomson of the Stuart Horse
Artillery. He lent the animal to both Jackson and Ashby, and both were
shot upon him.




THE DEATH OF ASHBY.                  171
from  his contemporaries, and shed splendor upon an epoch.
lThose who knew him best were least able to discover his faults;
and those which he did possess, were lost in the blaze of great
virtues. The son of a gentleman of Fauquier, he had early conceived a passionate fondness for horsemanship, the chase, and
all manly sports, and at the breaking out of the revolution had
rushed to the standard of his State with the ardor of a knigght
setting out on a crusade, or to rescue some weak woman held in
durance. He was already at Harper's Ferry when Jackson
arrived there; and when a friend asked, "What flag are we
going to fight under-the Palmetto, or what?" he raised his hat,
showed in it a Virginia flag which he had had painted on the
night before his departure from Richmond, and replied, E Here
is the flag I intend to fight under."  That night the flag was run
up by the light of the burning buildings, and Ashby fought under
it to the last. Thus commenced his career-in the midst of
joyous excitement, with the flush of youthful ambition and hopes
of distinction; but the cloud soon overshadowed this bright
dawn. In the last days of'June, 1861, his brother Richard,
while scouting with six men on the Upper Potomac, was attacked
by eighteen of the enemy, and, his horse falling with him, he
was cruelly bruised, beaten, and then shot and killed, almost
within sight of Turner Ashby.  He tried to reach  ichardcl,
and with eleven men charged one hundred, killing five with his
own hand; but all was of no avail. Richard lingered a few
days and then died, and was buried near the town of Romney.
Turner Ashby being present at his burial, he stood by the grave,
took his brother's sword, broke it, and dropped it on the coffin,
clasped his hands, and raised his eyes to heaven as though registering some vow, and then, closely compressing his lips to prevent a sob from bursting forth, mounted his horse in silence and
rode away. After the death of his brother, a lady said of him,
" Ashby is now a devoted zan."  He took command of Jackson's cavalry in the autumn of 1861, and his commander wrote
of him:' As a partisan officer I never knew his superior. His
daring was proverbial, his powers of endurance almost incredi



172           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
ble, his tone of character heroic, and his sagacity almost intuitive
in divining the purposes and movements of the enemy."  This
partisan, of character so heroic, of sagacity so intuitive, was the
native and untrained growth of Virginia soil, with no advantage
from the schools, and no military education. He could scarcely
drill a regiment; and the discipline which he preserved, if he
could be said to preserve any with the men whom he commanded,
was more like that of the chief huntsman of a hunting-party
than a leader of men in the field. He was a knight rather than
a soldier, but  what he wanted in knowledge of the science of
war, he made up by daring; and his men almost idolized him,
for they saw that he had the eye and the nerve of the born
leader. What made him their chieftain was his fearless courage.
his contempt for danger, his unassuming bearing, and the fire
of his eyes, as he waved his sword around his head, and cried
in his clear, sweet voice, " Follow me  "
As a leader of partisans he ranked among the foremost of his
contemporaries. He had the daring, the watchfulness, the love
of wild adventure, and the lcan in an attack, which make a
leader irresistible. The best rider, probably, in the whole State
of Virginia, he had delighted, in days of peace, to figure at tournaments on his swift blood-horses; and now the skill which he
had acquired there, and in the chase, was made useful for the
defence of the border. He might allow his men to rest, and
return home if they were dissatisfied; but he never rested, and
had forgotten all homes but his saddle. He was never idle;
ever curious to know what the enemy desig-ned, or were doing;
and allowed no man to reconnoitre for him when he could do so
in person. He would sometimes ride daily over a picket line
sixty or seventy miles in extent, appearing suddenly in presence
of the lonely videttes, and thus impressing upon them the conviction that his eye was always on them. His movements were
rapid, untiriug, without reference to night or day. He came
and went, it was said, " like a dream."  Heard of in one part
of the country on a certain day, on the next he would appear
suddenly, on his fleet white horse, nearly a hundred miles dis



THE DEATH OF ASHBY.                173
taut, in another region. He was the life and soul of the men
thus on duty. He never looked gloomy or dejected, though
often sad; and was cheerful, almost gay, except when the remembrance of his brother's death cast a shadow upon his forehead.  When that spell came over him, and brought a sad
smile to his lips, he was more than ever dangerous, and untiring
on the trail of the enemy; for private vengeance as well as the
public service then stung him to action.
He was a born king of battle, and had a passion for danger
for its own sake. It charmed and intoxicated him; kindled the
gaudiutn certaminis in his clear brown eyes; and he was plainly
then in his chosen element. The thunders of battle made him
happy. Habitually silent and sedate, at such moments he looked
animated, and grew eloquent of speech. He met Danger and
Death as old and familiar companions; shook hands and walked
arm in arm with them. Defiance of the enemy was at such
times a species of pride and delight to him. At Bolivar Heights
his cannoneers were shot down, and the enemy were rushing
with loud shouts on his artillery, when, leaping to the ground,
he seized the sponge-staff, and loaded and fired with his own
hands, driving them back with shattered ranks into the town.
At Boteler's mill, to encourage the militia, he rode up to the
crest of the hill on his famous white horse, in close range of the
enemy's swarm of sharpshooters, slowly paced up and down,
and, when the bullets were showering thickest, reined in his horse,
and stood perfectly still, gazing carelessly at them, the picture
and embodiment of chivalry. At Winchester, we have seen hilm
wait until the enemy swarmed in, and then cut down the men
sent round to intercept him; at Middletown, seen him charge
upon hundreds single-handed; at the bridge over the Shenandoah, remain behind all his men, until the enemy were upon
him; and we have shown how he fell, charging in front of his
line, with a spirit that was inaccessible to the emotion of fear.
But these scenes are only recorded by chance. The unwritten
romance of his career would fill volumes, and will yet be collected from the gray-haired oracles of the fireside.




174           LIF E OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
lie never forgot that he was a gentleman, and kept his
escutcheon untainted by any blot. No excitement, or peril, or
reverse made him rude; no success or praise touched his delicate and lofty spirit with the stain of arrogance or vanity. He
was as simple as a child, and preserved his winning courtesy
even toward the enemies whom he must have hated bitterly.
After the battle of Winchester, some Northern ladies came and
said: " Colonel Ashby, you may search our baggage; we assure
you we are carrying away nothing we are not at liberty to.
You may search our persons, and see if we carry away any
thing contraband."  He replied: " I have no right to look into
ladies' baggage, or to examine their trunks. Virginia gentlemen do not search the persons of ladies."
HI-e was pure in his life, devout and childlike in his religious
faith, and a regular attendant on the services of the Episcopal
Church, which was the church of his ancestors.  Hle was too
proud a man not to be humble and bend his knee to his Creator.
IHe would have nothing to do with the humors of the vulgar,
and kept himself aloof from the taint of such intercourse with
a sort of noble hauteur; though no man was more frank and
gay on the march, in bivouac, and by the camp-fire.
In appearance the partisan was thoroughly the soldier. His
figure was below the medium height, and, though not robust,
closely knit and vigorous; a frame capable of sleepless activity
and endurance; of remaining whole days and nights in the saddle, and of bidding defiance to all fatigues and hardships. His
forehead was fine; his eyes dark brown, penetrating, and brilliant; his complexion so dark that he resembled a Moor; and
this.face was covered by a heavy black beard and mustache.
-le was careless in his dress, wearing a plain suit of gray, cavalry boots, and a sash.  Hle " looked like work," and was
generally spattered with mud, or covered with dust. A long
sabre and dark feather indicated the cavalier; his seat in the
saddle was that of a master rider; and when this figure appeared amid the smoke of battle, the face all ablaze, and the
nervous hand guiding the most fiery horse, as though the two
~IWM~~VIV~ll I-V~-~~VCILJ -_'~UVJ -U *~VL




TIHE DEATH OF ASHBY.                 175
were one, it was impossible to imagine a more perfect picture
of the cavaliers of Prince Rupert in the days of Charles I. Of
his appearance in action his friends recall many particulars, and
their words grow eloquent as they write of him. " The last
time I saw Ashby," says Colonel Johnson, who was near him
when he fell, " he was riding at the head of the column with
General Ewell, his black face in a blaze of enthusiasm. Every
feature beamed with the joy of the soldier. He was gesticulating, and pointing out the country and positions to General
Ewell. I could imagine what he was saying, by the motions of
his right arm. I pointed him out to my adjutant,'Look at
Ashby; see how he is enjoying himself!'"
Of this beautiful nature, full of heroism, modesty, and chivairy, much more might be said, but the crowded canvas does
not admit of an adequate delineation of him. The writer of
this page had the honor and happiness to know him; to hear the
sweet accents of his friendly voice; and to look into the depths
of those clear brown eyes, which never sank before the stare of
peril. It seems to him now, as he remembers Ashby, that he
has known and clasped bands with one of the greatest of the
worthies of Virginia. As a stranger, he was charming; but
those who knew him best and longest are his warmest eulogists.
" I was with lim," says Colonel Johnson,'" when the first blow
was struck for the cause which we both had so much at heart;
and was with him in his last fight, always knowing him to be
beyond all modern men in chivalry, as he was equal to any one
in courage. He combined the virtues of Sir Philip Sidney with
the dash of Murat. I contribute my mite to his fame, which
will live in the Valley of Virginia, outside of books, as long as
its hills and mountains shall endure."
Such was the man who had fallen, in the bloom of manhood,
and just as his fame began to dazzle every eye. The career of
the great partisan was romantic, splendid, evanescent.  He
passed like a dream of chivalry. Young in years when he died,
he was old in toil, in vigils, in battles, in responsibilities, and
eminent public services. Fate had set its seal upon him. After




17V6          LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
his brother's death, a sad smile was the habitual expression of
his countenance, and his life was little worth to him, for he was
" devoted" to death and to glory. That death soon came, when
his pulses were most fiery; and in a mean, unknown skirmish
Virginia lost one of the greatest of her defenders. The bold
rider, the brave partisan, the great soldier, the gentleman, the
patriot, the Christian, the knight without fear and without reproach-such was Ashby.
He fell on the field, with the war-cry on his lips, and fighting
for his native soil; the wave of death rolled over him, and the
figure of the partisan disappeared in its depths. But thai figure
is not lost. It has passed from earth and the eyes of the flesh,
but will live immortal on the pages of history, in the memories
of the aged, and in the hearts of the people who saw his great
faculties, and loved him as the flower of chivalry and honor.
CHAPTER XV.
JACKSON NARROWLY ESCAPES CAPTURE.
To clearly comprehend the strategy of Jackson from  this
moment, it is necessary that the reader should have a correct
knowledge of the situation of the opposing forces, and the
ground upon which the adversaries were about to manoeuvre
their columns.
Port Republic is a village situated in the angle formed by
the junction of the North and South Rivers, tributaries of the
south fork of the Shenandoah, running, as we have seen, between
the Blue Ridge and the Massinutton, and uniting its waters with
the north fork in the vicinity of Front Royal. The village is
about fifteen miles southeast of Harrisonburg, and is connected
with that place by a county road which crosses a bridge over
the North River at the town. Another road passes through a
ford in the South River, runs northeast from Port Republic, and




JACKSON NARROWLY ESCAPES CAPTURE.            177
down the right bank of the Shenandoah, to Conrad's Store and
Luray. A third, crossing at the same ford, east of the town,
runs southeast, passes the Blue Ridge at Brown's Gap, and
leads to Charlottesville. The ground around Port Republic is
rolling, and broken into hills and spurs, crowned with forests;
the fields, at the time of the battle, were waving with corn and
wheat. North of the town the ground is elevated, and this was
the position which Jackson occupied with, his main body, Ewell
remaining in the rear, about four miles distant, on the road to
Harrisonburg, and at a point to which the intersection of several roads had given the name of Cross Keys.
Port Republic, occupied by Jackson; Conrad's Store, occupied by Shields; and Harrisonburg, occupied by Fremont, formed
very nearly the angles of an equilateral triangle, the sides fifteen miles in length. Brown's Gap was nearly in Jackson's
rear, as he faced both his adversaries: thus his avenue of retreat was completely open, and it was entirely at his option
whether he would fight, or fall back. Entirely out of the net
which the enemy had thrown to entrap him at New Market, he
was master of his own destiny, and it remained for him to decide whether he would abandon the Valley and unite his forces
with those of Johnston at Richmond, or advance to attack the
armies which had so persistently followed and offered him battle.
The odds against him were still such as would have discouraged a less resolute commander. General Fremont's army at
Harrisonburg is said to have numbered about 20,000 men, and
the force of General Shields, at Conrad's Store, between 10,000
and 15,000-probably about 12,000; making the whole force
opposed to Jackson somewhat more than 30,000 troops. His
own force had approached 20,000 when he marched down the
Valley to attack General Bankls; but such had been the rapidity
of the march, both in advancing and retreating, and so many of
his troops were laid up, detailed, and absent from other causes,
that his entire force amounted, probably, at this moment, to not
more than, if as much as 12,000 men.
These estimates are made upon reliable data, and, though
12




178           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
not official, are probably very near the truth. It will thus be
seen that Jackson had in front of him an adversary more than
twice as strong in numbers as himself.
It was the relative position of the two columns of the enemy,
however, which now induced him not to retreat further, but to
act on the offensive.  Fremont and Shields were only ten or
fifteen miles apart; but Jackson had destroyed the bridge over
the Shenandoah at Conrad's Store, and they were thus no nearer
a junction of their two columns than before. To attack him,
General Fremont must assail him by the Harrisonburg road in
his front, and General Shields by the road running down on his
right flank; and, if he could strike these adversaries in detail,
before their forces were united at Port Republic, he might count
with some certainty upon defeating them.
His plans were rapidly resolved on, and he hastened to carry
them into execution. General Ewell had fallen back from the
ground where Ashby fell, and now occupied a strong position
on, the Harrisonburg road; and the defence of that avenue of
approach could be left with confidence to this trusty soldier,
while Jackson went with the main column to meet General
Shields.
Jackson's plans were simple. He intended to crush General
Shields at one blow; and then return to the assistance of Ewell,
unite their forces, and fall upon the main body under Fremont.
The rest hejleft to Providence.
The great series of nanceuvres now commenced witlh energy.
Jackson's main body arrived opposite Port Republic on the
night of the 7th of June, and a small force of cavalry was at
once sent out on the road toward Conrad's Store to verify the
report of the rapid advance of General Shields, and reconnoitre
the strength of his column. On the next morning the cavalry
came galloping back. with discreditable precipitancy, and announced that the enemy were then marching on Port Republic,
and were nearly in sight of the place. Jackson, who had crossed
into the town on the night before, accompanied by some members of his staff, saw that not a moment was to be lost. The




JACKSON NARROWLY ESCAPES CAPTRnE.               179
enemy's design was evidently to make a sudden attack upon the
town, destroy the bridge over the Shenandoah, and thus cut off
the army, and get in its rear.  To defeat this design, Jackson
sent hurried orders to Taliaferro and Winder to get their men
under arms for the defence of the bridge, and occupy the ground
on the north side, immediately opposite to it, with their batteries.
Before these orders could be executed, the Federal advance
guard appeared, their batteries opened fire, and their cavalry,
crossing the South River, dashed into the town, followed by the
artillery, which thundered forward, and took position at the
southern entrance of the bridge.
Jackson and his staff had not recrossed the river, and were
completely cut off.  HIis army was on the north side of the
Shenandoah, its general with his staff on the south side, with
the enemy's cavalry and artillery holding the only avenue of return to the northern bank. The emergency served to display
Jackson's nerve and presence of mind.  He rode toward the
bridge, and, rising in his stirrups, called sternly to the Federal
officer commanding the artillery placed. to sweep it: " Who
ordered you to post that gun there, sir?  Bring it over here! "
The tone of these words was so assured and commanding,
that the officer did not imnagine they could be uttered by any
other than one of the Federal generals, and, bowing, he limbered
up the piece, and prepared to move. Jackson lost no time in
taking advantage of the opportunity. He put spurs to his horse,
and, followed by his staff, crossed the bridge at full gallop, followed by three hasty shots from  the artillery, which had been
hastily unlimbered and turned on him.  It was too late.  The
shots flew harmless over the heads of the general and his staff,
and they reached the northern bank in safety.*
* This incident has been variously related. It is here given accurately.
The correspondent of a Northern journal published the following statement
soon afterwards, which we extract for the amusement of the reader: " Yesterday I met Captain Robinson, of Robinson's battery, on his way home to
Portsmouth, Ohio, to recruit. He was at the battle of Port Republic, where
his brother lost three guns, and was wounded and made prisoner. Captain




180             LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
No time was now lost in placing the Confederate batteries
in position, and preparing for an assault with infantry on the
force occupying the bridge.  The guns of Wooding, Poague,
and Carpenter were hurried forward, and Poague opened with
one of his pieces on the Federal artillery, from which Jackson
had just escaped. This was followed by a rapid advance of the
infantry.  Taliaferro's brigade having reached the point first,
was ordered forward, and the 37th Virginia, Colonel Fulkerson,
clarged across the bridge in face of the enemy's artillery fire,
and captured the gnn which was playing upon them.  The rest
of the brigade followed; the Federal cavalry was dispersed and
driven back; another gun captured, and the town was in Jackson's possession.
The enemy determined, however, not to give up the place
without a struggle; and their 4th brigade, under General Carroll,
now advanced to the attack. The effort failed in its inception.
They were met by the fire of the Confederate batteries, which
sent a storm of shell into the advancing infantry and retreating
cavalry, and the Federal forces recoiled. In a short time they
were observed to retreat, and they continued to fall back until
they had reached Lewis', three miles down the river, where they
turned a bend in the road, and were lost sight of by the artillery,
which had continued to follow them  on the opposite bank of the
Robinson, who appears to be a very modest and veracious man, relates that
while he was working one of his guns, Stonewall Jackson, whose form was
familiar to him, came within easy hailing distance, and, standing erect in his
stirrups, beckoned with his hand, and actually ordered him to'bring that
gun over here.'
" Captain Robinson replied by eagerly firing three shots at the ubiquitous
Presbyterian, but without even the effect of scaring him.'I might have
known,' said he,' that I could not hit him.'
" Captain Robinson is utterly at a loss to explain this extraordinary personal demonstration of the redoubtable'Stonewall.' Whether he mistook
him for one of his own men, or that some incomprehensible ruse was involved
in the act, he does not pretend to guess. But one thing he does know-that
Stonewall Jackson is the great man of the war, and that our troops in the
Valley believe him to be as humane as he is rapid and daring."




CROSS KEYS.                     181
river, and hasten their movements by firing on their flank and
rear.  Such was the end of the first act of the drama.
CHAPTER XVI.
CROSS KEYS.
THE attack of General Shields on Port Republic had scarcely
been repulsed, when General Ewell was assailed by General
Fremont from the direction of Harrisonburg.
Ewell was posted, as we have said, with his division, nearly
half way between Harrisonburg and Port Republic, where several roads unite at a point known as Cross Keys, from a tavern
which formerly stood near the junction of the roads, bearing
two keys crossed upon its sign-board. The ground upon which
he determined to receive the attack of the enemy was a commanding ridge running at right angles to the Port Republic road,
which intersects it at about the centre. In front was a large
extent of open ground through which a rivulet ran, and his
flanks were protected by woods which concealed the position of
the troops.
Trimble's brigade was posted in the edge of the woods on
the right, across the creek, somewhat in advance of the centre;
General Geo E. SteuLart's brigade on the left, in a wood, with a
field in their front; and the centre was held by the batteries of
Courtney, Raines, Brockenbrouglh, and Lusk, in the open field
upon the ridge, supported by the 21st North Carolina, of Trimble's brigade, and Elzey's brigade as a reserve. From an aidede-camp of General Blenker, killed by one of General Trimble's
men, was afterwards taken General Fremont's " Order of'ilarch;"  and this showed that his fbrce consisted of six brigades
of infantry, commanded by Generals Blenker, Iilroy, Stahel,
Steinwehr, and another, and one brigade of cavalry. Ewell
had three brigades-Elzey's, Steuart's, and Trimble's, Taylor's




182           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
not having come up in time-and we have his own authority for
stating that his force did not number 5,000 bayonets.
Ewell's dispositions were scarcely made, and the troops well
in position, when the 15th Alabama, Colonel Canty, which had
been thrown out some distance in front, was attacked by the
enemy, and forced gradually to retire before the large force opposed to it. The regiment made, however, a gallant resistance,
and succeeded in holding the enemy in check until Ewell was
ready to receive them, when the men retired. The Federal
forces now advanced cautiously, and threw out skirmishers to
feel the Confederate position, their artillery following and taking
position in the centre, near the church and former Cross Keys
tavern, directly opposite to that of General Ewell. About noon
their batteries opened, and the Confederates replying with animation, several hours were spent in an artillery duel, without
serious results upon either side.
The indisposition of the enemy to advance upon the small
force opposed to them can only be explained upon the hypothesis
that General Fremont supposed Jackson's main body to be in
his front. The roar of artillery from the direction of Port Pepublic had announced to him the arrival of General Shields at
that point, and induced him to advance from Harrisonburg, with
the view of attacking Jackson's rear while he was engaged with
the column of Shields; but the gradually receding thunder of the
Southern guns, as General Shields fell back and was pursued
down the river, was sufficient proof of the failure of the attack;
and the enemy now seemed to fear-with good grounds for the
apprehension-an assault upon their main body by Jackson's
entire command, concentrated at Cross Keys.
In this state of doubt and ignorance of his adversary's position and designs, General Fremont did not advance his infantry
for some hours-contenting himself with the cannonade above
described. But as the day passed on, and Jackson did not attack, he discovered the small number of the force in his front,
and made his dispositions for an assault upon the Confederate
right wing, to turn their position. The attack was soon made.




crosS KEYs.                     183
A Federal brigade was suddenly seen moving toward the Confederate right, under cover of the woods, in the direction of a
hill whose crest was directly in front of General Trimble. They
steadily moved forward without annoyance from  the Confederates-Trimble reserving his fire-when, just as they mounted
the crest of the hill, within easy range of musketry, Trimble
gave the word, and a long' sheet of fire ran along his lines, followed by a cr;ash which resounded through the woods, and told
Ewell that the battle had begun. The fire was so sudden and
deadly that the ground was covered with the dead and wounded,
and the whole Federal line was borne back and driven from the
crest. This advantage was quickly followed up. Observing a
battery coming into position directly in his front, General Trimble ordered a charge upon it. The 13th and 25th Virginia, of
Elzey's brigade, had been hurried up from the rear; and, thus
reenforced, General Trimble pushed forward to capture the battery. As he advanced, the Federal infantry posted to support
the guns opened on his line; but the troops responded with so
much animation, that the Federal forces were driven from their
position, and the battery hastily limbered up and beat a retreat,
leaving'Trimble in possession of the ground.  This brief engage ment was almost without loss on the Southern side, and enabled Trimble to advance his position more than. a mile; while
the Federal forces were obliged to make a corresponding change
and fall back to the ground occupied by them before they advanced to the attack.
In this charge, a stand of colors was taken; the honor of
its capture being claimed both by the 16th BMississippi, Colonel
Posey, and the 21st Georgia, Colonel Mercer.
A simultaneous attack had been made on the left, where
Steuart was posted, and not less than four charges were made
by fresh Federal troops in this part of the field. They were all
repulsed with loss to the enemy —the Confederates fighting for
the most part behincd trees —and General Ewell was about to
order his whole line forward, when a large force of the enemy
was reported to be moving around his left, with the design of




184             LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKISON.
assailing him in the rear. This turned out to be erroneous;
band, having strengthened his centre and left with the 42d and
48th Virginia and 1st ("'Irish ") battalion, all under Colonel
Patton, he ordered a general advance, which began about dark.
His left had advanced nearly within musket range of the Federal bivouac fires near the church, and Trimble was about as
close to them, when Ewell received orders from  Jackson to
withdra-w as soon as possible, and cross the river to Port Republic. This was done without loss of time. The dead were buried,
the wounded removed, except those in articllo mortos, whom
it would have been cruel to disturb,* and the troops moved about
midnight toward Port Republic, which they reached at daylight.
General Ewell's loss in this battle in killed, wounded, and
missing, was 300. The enemy are said to have buried about
300, threw others into a well, and lost about 100 prisoners.
They stated their loss to be 2,000; and this remarkable disproportion can only be explained by the fact that Ewell's position
was vastly better than his adversary's, and that his opponents
were chiefly Dutch.t
The engagement at Cross KIeys was indecisive, but important
in its bearing upon the general plans of Jackson.  General Fremont's whole column had been checked by a much smaller force,
and an opportunity given for a concentration of all Jackson's
troops for the object which he now had in view.
His design was to quietly withdraw the command of General
Ewell during the night, leaving only a small force to make demonstrations in Fremont's front; and, concentratinog the army at
Port Republic, cross the river, advance upon General Shields5
and crush him at a blow.  The details of this intended movement, and Jackson's further designs, are so clearly conveyed in
* It is related of General Ewell that he remained to the last on the field of
Cross Keys, helping to place the wounded on horseback with his own hands,
and giving to those who were too badly injured to be removed, money out
of his own pocket.
f The writer is indebted to General Ewell for interesting particulars relating to this action.




CROSS KEYS.                    185
a MIS. statement of Colonel John M. Patton, commanding the
force left in front of General Fremont, that we here give an extract from it. Colonel Patton had in his brigade only eight huindred effective men; and feeling that it was desirable to know as
much as possible of Jackson's designs, and the duty expected of
him, he repaired during the night to Port Republic, to have an
interview with the General.
6' I found him at two o'clock A. M.," says Colonel Patton,
a actively making his dispositions. IHe immediately proceeded to
give me particular instructions as to the management of my men
in covering the rear, saying:' I wish you to throw out all your
men if necessary, as skirmishers, and to mnalke a great show and
parade,. so as to make the enemy think that the whole army are
behind you. Hold your position as well as you can, then fall
back when obliged; take a new position and hold it in the same
way, and I'll be back to join you in the morning.' I replied
that, as he knew the ground over which I had to retire (from
Cross Keys to Port Republic) was as bad ground for the purpose as any in the Valley, and as my force was small, it was
therefore very interesting for me to know wvhenr he would be
back. He turned his face aside and a little up, as he sometimes
did, and replied: I By file blessing of Providence I hope to be
back by ten o'clock.'
" This purpose of General Jackson's," adds Colonel Patton,: was not executed, on account of the untoward result of his first
charge on the Yankee battery at Port Republic. When that repulse took place, an aide was despatched to ups, who reached us
with his horse foaming, just as we were taking up a new position, and ordered us to break up our position, cross the bridge
at Port Republic, burn it, and hurry up to the battle-field, double
quick."
But we anticipate the order of events.




186           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER  XVII.
POET REPUBLIC.
JACKSON moved to attack the ]Federal column under General
Shields about sunrise.
The battle of Port Republic was fought on the eastern bank
of the Shenandoah, about two mniles from the town. The force
driven out of the place on the preceding day was only the advance guard, under General Carroll. The main body of General
Shields' army had now come up, and that commander had taken
a position which gave him great advantages in the bloody conflict about to ensue. His right flank rested on the river, which
here bends round in the shape of a crescent, and is edged with
thickets along its margin, so dense as almost completely to prevent the advance of troops. From this strong point the Federal
line of battle stretched away across an extensive field embraced
in the bend of the streamn, and at this time covered with a wheat
crop which the sunny days of June had turned into waving gold.
Their left wing rested on a wooded ridge near the Lewis Ihouse,
an-d just at the foot of Cole flountain; and at this point they
had posted seven pieces of artillery, with others in the rear of
the line, wherever the undulation of the ground afforded them
an opportunity to employ artillery to advantage. Thus judiciously drawn up, with his flanks protected by a river and a
thickly wooded ridge, General Shields awaited with confidence
the expected attack of Jackson.
That attack was not delayed. The Federal regiments were
scarcely arranged in line of battle, with the Stars and Stripes
waving proudly in the early sunshine, when they saw advancing toward them a long line of glittering bayonets beneath the
Confederate flag, and the blue "1 Sic semper" banner of Virginia.*  It was the Stonewall Brigade, under General Winder,
* Letter of a soldier.




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PORT REPUIBLC.                   18T
and accompanied by Jackson in person. They had encountered
and driven off the Federal pickets about a mile and a half from
Port Republic; and as they now swept forward, the 2d and 4th
Virginia on the right, the 5th andcl 27th on the left, toward the
river, they immediately became a target for the Federal batteries
near the Lewis house, which swept the plateau in front and the
field over which the Virginians were advancing, with a storm
of shell.  delneral WTinder immediately brought forward his
own batteries,, and posted Captain Poague, with two Parrott guns,
on the left of the road, with orders to open on the Federal artillery, and, if possible, silence it. Captain Carpenter was also
sent to the right with similar orders; but the dense undergrowth upon the ridge rendering it impossible to drag the guns
through it, he returned to the left and cooperated with Poague.
A rapid and determined fire was now opened from the Southern
guns, but their adversaries had the advantage in position and
weight of metal. The Federal artillery opposed to Poague consisted of three guns from Captain Clark's battery, three from
Captain HIuntington's, and one of Captain Robinson's, nearly all
rifles.*  It was soon obvious that the Confederate batteries were
no match for those of the enemy, and Winder determined to
stop this long-range engagement, and charge the Federal artillery with his infantry. At the word, his brigade, now re.dnforced
by the 7th Louisiana, under Colonel 1HJarry FlHays, advanced at a
double quick; but encountering a fire of shell, canister, and smallarms so heavy and murderous that nothing could stand before
it, the men fell back in disorder, and Winder was forced to
abandon his design.
This first repulse gave the enemy renewed spirit, and they
now rushed forward and made a vigorous attack upon the
brigade, which retired before them.  Jackson's artillery was,
in consequence, obliged to retreat in haste from  its position,
and the ground which his lines had occupied was now in possession of the Federal forces. They continued to push their
* Report of General Tyler.




188           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
advantage and press forward against the reinforcements hurried
to the front. The 54th and 58th Virginia, directed by General
Ewell, and led by Colonel Scott, made a determined attack upon
the flank of the advancing line, and for a short time held it in
check; but they were outnumbered by their opponents, whose
attack was supported by a hot fire of artillery, and were finally
compelled to retire into the woods, with the loss of one of Captain Poague's six-pounders, and a considerable number of men.
This inauspicious commencement of the action was disheartening, but a new aspect was speedily given to the face of affairs.
Jackson soon perceived that the wooded ridge near the Lewis
house, on the Federal left, was the key of the whole position, and
that, unless the artillery there posted was captured or silenced,
it would continue to sweep the entire ground in front, and render
an attack upon the Federal centre or right wing impossible. But
any attempt to take the guns seemed desperate. They were on
commanding  ground, supported by a heavy force of infantry,
and the charge must be made in the face of a " fire of hell."
Jackson sat on his horse, looking at the guns belching forth
their showers of iron hail, and then, turning to General Taylor,
who was near him, said briefly,' Can you take that battery?
It must be taken."  Taylor galloped back to his brigade, and
pointing with his sword to the enemy's guns, called out in a
voice which rang like a clarion, " Louisianians! can you take
that battery?"  The answer was a deafening shout, and, placing
himself at the head of the column, Taylor gave the order to
charge the guns.
The men swept forward at the word. They were the 6th,
7th, 8tll, and 9th Louisiana, Wheat's battalion of "G Tigers," and
a Virginia regiment. The ground over which they moved was
en the acclivity of the mountain, and they were obliged to penetrate a rough and tangled forest, which it was almost impossible
to pierce. But nothing could oppose the ardor of the men; they
rushed forward with ranks broken by the inequality of the
ground, and at that moment the loud cheering of the enemy on
the left indicated their entire success in that portion of the field.




PORT REPUBLIC.                    189
A response came from the right.  It was Taylor's Louisianians,
who had re-formed their broken ranks, emerged from the woods,
and now charged across the low grounds in front of the Federal
batteries with deafening cheers.' The low grounds were passed;
they were now ascending the slope. As they did so, the Federal
batteries directed upon them  their most fatal thunders.  The
advance was made, says an eye-witness, in the midst of " one
incessant storm of grape, canister, and shell, literally covering
the valley."  The men were mowecd down like grass-dead and
wounded were seen on every side; but the Louisiana Brigade
still rushed on, determined to take the battery or die in front of
it. The Federal guns were loaded and fired with extraordinary
rapidity, and the wails of agony from men torn to pieces by
fragments of iron, mingled wildly with the loud shouts of triumph
as the troops still continued to press on up the hill. All at once,
to the raking fire of canister from  the Federal artillery was
added a destructive fire from their infantry. The enemy's 3d
brigade, under General Tyler, which was posted in the rear
and on the flanks of the batteries, opened a determined fire, and
men and oficers went down before it in one indiscriminate mass.
Colonel Hays, of the 7th Louisiana, fell severely wounded. His
lieutenant-colonel, De Choiseul, was shot through the lungs, and,
while waving his sword, staggered and fell insensible, and was
borne from the field. Of 308 men of the regiment who went
into the charge, 158 were either killed or wounded. The troops,
however, continued to rush forward, regardless of peril; for an
instant the gun-muzzles belched their iron contents in their iaces,
and then the crest was attained; with loud cheers the Confederates came in contact with the enemy. As the cannoneers turned
to fly, many were transfixed with the bayonet, the horses were
shot, and the guns were turned upon the retreating infantry.
But the struggle was not over. It was absolutely necessary
for the Federal commander to recover, if possible, the lost ground.
For that battery to remain in the hands of the Southerners, was
to lose possession of the ridge-to lose the day-to be defeated,
al;d driven from the field. Heavy reenforcements were hurried




190           LIFE OF STONEW ALL JACKSON.
forward; a fresh brigade took the place of that which had been
repulsed, and a gallant charge was made to regain the guns.
The Louisianians were in turn driven back by the destructive
fire poured upon them, and the enemy dashed forward and recovered the pieces. But before they could be turned upon them,
the Confederates again charged, and a second time drove the
Federal troops from the guns. The battery was thus three times
lost and won in the determined effort on the part of the Louisianians and the best troops of the enemy, concentrated in this
part of the field, to recover the guns and hold the ridge. Victory finally decided for the Confederates. The enemy were
driven back; the guns were again turned on them with destructive effect, and the Confederate lines continued to advance.
Taylor had won the position on the ridge, after a heavy loss,
but he could not hold it, and he could not be reSnforced. General Shields was pressing the Confederate left wing with such
heavy masses, that all their disposable force was necessary in
that portion of the field. 1Iis heavy reserves were now brought
up and thrown upon Taylor-a fresh brigade advancing rapidly
and attacking the latter in flank, while a piece of artillery, which
had been posted within three hundred and fifty yards, opened a
galling fire of canister on his front. Under this combined attack
Taylor was compelled to fall back to the skirt of woods near
which the captured battery was stationed, and from that point
continued his fire upon the advancing enemy. They had now
reenforced their left by withdrawing troops from their centre,
and Taylor was in imminent danger of being outflanked and
enveloped by the enemy. They made a determined effort to
turn his left flank, which forced him to fall back; and in the
haste of this movement they recaptured one of the guns, though
without the caisson or limber. But this advantage over Taylor
had only been gained by dangerously weakening the Federal
right wing and centre. Winder had now rallied his brigade,
and, placing the batteries of Poague and Chew in position, opened
a hot fire on the Federal left. The batteries of Brockenbrough,
Courtney, and Raines were also hurried forward; and with




PORT REPUBLIC.                   191
these guns pouring a destructive fire into their centre, the Federal lines began visibly to waver.
Jackson saw his advantage, and now made a corresponding
movement to that of the Federal commander, rapidly throwing
his left wing to the support of his right. Colonel Connor's brigade arrived first, and, thus reinforced, Taylor turned savagely
upon his assailants and forced them back. This was the decisive moment of the battle, and Jackson's generalship secured the
result at which he aimed. The Confederate lines advanced with
loud cheers, a roll of musketry extended from end to end of the
line, and into the Federal right flank was poured a rapid fire
from the artillery of General Winder. Before this hot fire in
front and flank the Federal lines wavered more and more, and
soon they were seen to break in disorder. The next moment
saw them retreating, panic-stricken, from the field, with the Confederate infantry pursuing and firing upon them  as they fell
back. The infantry and artillery continued the pursuit for five
miles, when the cavalry took it up, continuing to press the rear
of the retreating column. One piece of artillery, about 800
muskets, and 450 prisoners were the immediate result of the
action. General Shields -was defeated.
Whilst the forces of General Shields were thus in full retreat,
General Fremont appeared on the northern bank of the Shenandoah, and is said to have been furious at the manner in which
he had been outwitted and General Shields defeated. The
bridge over the river had been burned when Trimble and Patton
retreated; and as the Shenandoah was greatly swollen, it was
utterly impossible for General Fremont to come to the assistance
of his coadjutor. H-Ie was compelled to look on while General
Shields was being defeated; to witness his rout, and to observe
every circumstance attending the pursuit. It is to be hoped that
General Fremont did not direct the artillery fire which now took
place upon the ambulances full of wounded, and the parties Qf men
engaged in burying the Federal as well as the Confederate dead.
The Rev. Mr. Cameron, chaplain of the 1st Maryland regiment,
was standing near a row of graves in which the Federal dead




192           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
were being laid, and, with prayer-book in hand, was reading the
burial service over them, when General Fremont's artillery
threw shell into the group, forced the men to drop the dead
bodies they were carrying to the graves, and MIr. Cameron to
abandon his religious services. On the next morning General
Fremont retreated, and Colonel Mnunford, pushing forward with
his cavalry to Harrisonburg, captured about 200 men, many of
them  severely wounded, several Federal surgeons, about 200
arms, many wagons, and a considerable amount of camp equipage
and medical stores.
In the battles of Port Republic, Cross IKeys, and the skirmish
in which Ashby fell, the Confederate loss in killed, wounded, and
missing was 1,096. No estimate was made of the Federal losses,
but as a defeated force generally loses more heavily than its adversary, the Federal casualties were probably greater. Jackson
took 975 prisoners, about 1,000 small-arms, and 7 pieces of
artillery, with caissons and limbers. One piece of artillery, from
Poague's battery, was captured and carried off by the enemy.
The battle of Port Republic was one of the most sanguinary
of the war. It was fought by Federal troops fromn the Northwestern States chiefly, the best in their army; and riding over
the field after the battle, Jackson said: " I never saw so many
dead in such a small space, in all my life before! "  The slaughter was indeed terrible. The Confederate loss in killed and
wounded was nearly one thousand men-for the losses in the
preceding engagements were very slight; the Federal loss was
probably greater. The Southerners fired low and fatally. A
Northern correspondent, writing from  the hospitals of Front
Royal, said: 6 It is a noticeable fact that the majority are
wounded in the legs or lower part of the body. One of the men
remarked,' They fired over our heads at Winchester, but they
fired under them this time!' "  Where the obstinate charge upon
the Federal batteries took place, the ground was strewn with
the dead and dying'. Thus, in the mere amount of blood that
was shed, the battle of Port Republic was remarkable and memorable; but this is the least of its grounds to be ranked among




JACKSON IN JUNE, 1862.               193
the famous conflicts of the late revolution in Virginia. It was
the final and decisive blow struck at the Federal campaign in
the Valley. It crushed, inexorably, in a few short hours, the
hopes and aspirations of the two leaders who had so long and
persistently followed Jackson. It disembarrassed the Confederate commander of his adversaries in that direction, and enabled
him to make his swift march against the right flank of General
McClellan on the Chickahominy.
It was the successful termination of a series of manceuvres,
which bear upon their face the unmistakable impress of military
genius. From the moment when, arriving at the town of Port
Republic, Jackson determined to retreat no further, but turn and
fight, his strategy was admirable. Up to that time, the sharp
claws of Ashby had drawn blood at every step as he retired; but
there the tiger crouched, ready to spring. He only did so when
the prey was within his reach. The blow delivered at Cross
Keys was followed by the more decisive affair at Port Republic;
and after that sanguinary contest General Fremont had no
longer the ability to assume an offensive attitude. He retired
from the conflict, abandoned any further struggle, and his victor
remained master of the field. Jackson's despatch announcing
his victory was in the following words:
NEAR PORT REPUBLIC, June 9th, VIA STAUNTON, June 10th.
Through God's blessing, the enemy near Port Republic was this day routed,
with the loss of six pieces of his artillery.
T. J. JACKSON, Major-General commanding.
CHAPTER XVIII.
JACKSON IN JUNE, 1862.
AT sunset on the 9th of June, 1862, the campaign of the Valley had terminated. It had commenced in earnest on the 11th
of March, when Winchester was evacuated, and ended on the
day of Port Republic, when Jackson had defeated his adversaries
and remained in possession of the field.
13




194           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The reader has had the events of the campaign narrated;
what now rose above the smoke, dust, and blood of so many
battle-fields, was, Banks, Shields, Milroy, Fremont, with Blenker, Sigel, Steinwehr, and other able soldiers defeated, and the
whole upper Valley regained. In three months Jackson had
marched 600 miles, fought four pitched battles, seven minor engagements, and daily skirmishes; had defeated four armies;
captured 7 pieces of artillery, 10,000 stand of arms, 4,000 prisoners, and a very great amount of stores-inflicting upon his adversaries a known loss of 2,000 men; with a loss upon his own
part comparatively small, and amounting in arms to but one
piece of artillery abandonod for want of horses, and a small
number of muskets.
The military results, in their bearing upon the whole field of
contest, had been very great. At an important crisis in the
history of the struggle, Jackson had intervened with his small
army, and, by his skill, endurance, and enterprise thrown the
whole programme of the enemy into confusion. Their design of
combining three heavy columns for an attack upon Richmond
had been frustrated by his daring advance down the Valley; all
the campaign halted for the moment; and Fremont and McDowell were not only crippled for the time, but their dangerous
adversary was in a condition to unite his forces with those of
General Johnston, and make that sudden attack on the Chickahominy which led to such important results.
Jackson's campaign in the Valley will always attract the attention of military men, and be studied by them as a great practical exposition of the art of making war. The swift and sudden
marches; the rapid advances and successful retreats; the furious
onslaughts indicating apparent recklessness, and the obstinate
refusal, on other occasions, to fight, from seeming timidity-these
communicate to the campaign in question a vivid interest unsurpassed in the annals of the entire war. Looking back over the
almost incessant movements of three months, it is difficult to discover any error in Jackson's operations. We have shown that
he attacked at Kernstown from  inaccurate information; but




JACKSON IN JUNEs 1862.              195
that information was furnished by Ashby, the most enterprising
and reliable of partisans; and the result of the battle, as the
reader has seen, was exactly what Jackson designed.  More
than 25,000 troops were diverted from the attack on Richmondand this great result had been attained by a force of about 4,000,
of whom less than 3,000 were engaged. In regard to the success which had attended the remainder of the campaign, there
could be no difference of opinion. The battle of McDowell permanently checked the advance of General Milroy from the west;
the advance upon General Banks drove that commander precipitately across the Potomac; and the retreat of Jackson in consequence of the movements of Fremont and Shields against his
rear at Strasbur$, was a complete success. He brought off all
his captured stores and prisoners; outmarched the two columns
following him; and finally, by a strategy as successfiul as it was
daring, fought them in detail at Cross Keys and Port Republic,
and defeated both. From that moment Jackson was master of
the situation, and could look with a grim  smile toward his retreating adversaries.
This campaign made the fame of Jackson as a commander.
In the operations of Mfarch to June, in the Valley, he had displayed his great faculties fully-his far-seeing generalship, his
prudent boldness, and that indomitable resolution and tenacity
of purpose which no storm could shake. Under the quiet and
unpretending exterior was a soul which was not born to bend,
and a will which broke down every obstacle in the path of its
possessor.  The rumor of his rapid movements and constant
successes came like a wind from the mountains to the Confederate capital, and infused fresh life into the languid pulses and
desponding hearts of the people. This will be remembered by
many readers of these pages. The performer of these great
achievements began to be looked upon as the  A"Man of Fate,"
whose mission was to overthrow all Federal generals who were
opposed to him. His military traits were the common talk and
admiration; his astonishing equanimity in the face of peril; his
cool determination not to yield; his refusal to entertain the idea




196            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
that he could be defeated; and the belief that, with his men, he
could go anywhere and achieve any thing.  The South had found
a military hero in the quiet soldier who concealed under his face
of bronze such wonderful faculties. In June, 1862, Jackson
was already the idol of' the popular heart; and this was the
result of his campaign in the Valley.
The fate of that region was now settled for the time, and the
victor of Port Republic was called upon to enter, without pausing, upon another struggle, on a new arena. The Valley was
exhausted; every portion of its highways and by-ways had been
trodden by tile " Foot Cavalry," until they knew and attached
sad or pleasant recollections-memories of fatigue and suffering,
or of rest and refreshment-to every stone, and bank, and
spreading tree upon the roadside; * the mountains must now be
left behind, and the army must set out for fresh fields of combat
in the lowland. Before proceeding with our narrative, however,
we shall give a brief outline of Jackson as he appeared at this
time, all covered with the dust of the arena upon which the
famous athlete had overthrown Banks, Fremont, and their associates. The popular idea of a general is a finely-dressed individual, covered with braid, mounted upon a prancing charger,
and followed by a numerous and glittering staff. The personal
appearance and equipments of Jackson were in entire contrast
to this popular fancy. He wore, at this time, an old sun-embrowned coat of gray cloth, originally a very plain one, and now
almost out at elbows.  To call it sun-embrowned, however, is
scarcely to convey an adequate idea of the extent of its discoloration.  It had that dingy hue, the result of exposure to
rain and snow and scorching sunshine which is so unmistakable.
It was plain that the General had often stretched his weary
~ So numerous were Jackson's marches backward and forward over the
Valley turnpike, that his men came to know, and would afterwards recognize
the most insignificant objects. "There is the very stone I sat down on in
May,'62," said one of his old.brigade with whom the writer rode over this
ground; and, going a little further, he added: " I remember perfectly lying
down under that tree yonder."




JACKSON IN JUNEI 1862.              197
form upon the bare ground, and slept in the old coat; and it
seemed to have brought away with it no little of the dust of the
Valley. A holiday soldier would have disdained to wear such
a garb; but the men of the Stonewall Brigade, with their comrades, loved that coat, and admired it and its owner more than
all the holiday uniforms and holiday warriors in the world. The
remainder of the General's costume was as much discolored as the
coat; he wore cavalry boots reaching to the knee, and his head
was surmounted by an old cap, more faded than all; the sun had
turned it quite yellow, indeed, and it tilted forward so far over
the wearer's forehead, that he was compelled to raise his chin in
the air in order to look under the rim. His horse was not a
" fiery steed," pawing, and ready to dart forward at'; thunder
of the captains and the shouting," but an old raw-boned sorrel,
gaunt and grim-a horse of astonishing equanimity, who seemed
to give himself no concern on any subject-would quietly lie
down to doze in the pauses of the firing, and calmly moved
about, like his master, careless of cannon-ball or bullet, in the
hottest moments of battle.
The General rode in a peculiar fashion, leaning forward
somewhat, and apparently unconscious that he was in the saddle. I-Is air was singularly abstracted; and, unless aware of
his identity, no beholder would have dreamed that this plainlyclad and absent-looking soldier was the leader of a Corps
d'Arm&ee.  The glittering eye beneath the yellow cap would
have altered somewhat the impression that this man was " a
nobodv; " but beyond this there was absolutely nothing in the
appearance of General Jackson to indicate his great rank or
genius as a soldier.
Such was the outward man of the General, as he appeared
soon after the campaign of the Valley; and this plainness of
exterior had in no small degree endeared him to his soldiers.
His habits were still greater claims on the respect and regard
of the best men of his command. He was known to be wholly
free from all those vices which are the peculiar temptation of a
military life. He lived as plainly as his men, and shared all




198           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
their hardships, never for a moment acting upon the hypothesis
that his rank entitled him to any luxury or comfort which they
could not share. His food was plain and simple; his tent, when
he had one, which was seldom, no better than those of the men;
he would wrap himself in his blankets and lie down under a
tree or in a fence corner, with perfect content, and apparently
from preference; for to fight hard and live hard seemed to be
his theory of war. He rarely allowed passion to conquer him;
when he yielded, it was on exciting occasions, and when great
designs were thwarted by negligence or incapacity on the part
of those to wlom their execution was intrusted. Such occasions
seldom occurred, and Jackson's habitual temper of mind was a
gentle and childlike sweetness; a simplicity and purity of heart,
which proved that he had indeed become " as a little child,"
walking humbly and devoutly before his God. Prayer was like
breathing with him-the normal condition of his being. Every
morning he read his Bible and prayed; and the writer will not
soon forget the picture drawn by one of his distinguished associates, who rode to his headquarters at daylight in November,
1862, when the army was falling back to Fredericksburg from
the Valley, and found him reading his Testament, quietly in his
tent-an occupation which he only interrupted to describe, in
tones of quiet simplicity, his intended movements to foil the
enemy. Before sitting down to table, he raised both hands and
said grace.  When he contemplated any movement, his old servant is said to have always known it by his " wrestling in
prayer" for many hours of the night; and on the battle-field
thousands noticed the singular gesture with the right arm,
sometimes both arms, raised aloft. Those who looked closely
at him at such moments saw his lips moving in prayer.
This, however, is not the place for a personal delineation of
Jackson, which is reserved for a subsequent page. Our desire
in presenting the foregoing brief sketch was to place before the
reader's eye, so to speak, the figure of the chief actor in the
stirring scenes which we now approach. The present writer




JACKSON IN JUNEI 1862.                199
first saw General Jackson on the field of Cold HIarbor, and the
above is a correct transcript of his appearance.
It seemed hard to realize that the plainly-dressedl, awkwardlooking person on the gaunt sorrel horse, with the faded cap and
the abstracted air, was the soldier who had foiled every adversary, and won at Port Republic those laurels which time cannot
wither.




PART III.
FROM  PORT REPUBLIC TO CHANCELLORSVILLE.
CHAPTER I.
~"GENERAL T. J. JACKSON, SOMEWHERE."
IN the latter part of June, 1862, the writer of these pages
was intrusted, for delivery to a confidential messenger, with a
despatch addressed " General T.. J Jackson, somewhere."
*" Somewhere" was at that moment, as it had been on many
other occasions, the only known address of the rapidly-moving
and reticent commander of the Army of the Valley. When he
was executing one of his great movements, his operations were
conducted with such secrecy that tlie troops used to say,'" Jackson is lost."  Let us tell how he became " lost" upon this occasion, and how he reached the unknown address of 6G somewhere."
The battle of Port Republic was fought on the 9th of June,
and on the 12th Jackson recrossed South River and encamped
near Weyer's Cave. " For the purpose of rendering thanks to
God for having crowned our arms with success," he says in his
report, " and to implore His continual favor, divine service was
held in the army on the 14th."
The troops were resting; Jackson was dreaming of an advance into Pennsylvania. We have said that, in spite of his dis



'~GENERAL T. J. JACKSON, SOMEWIIERE.'7      201
appointment in the autumn of 1861, the project of invading the
North recurred to him after every great success of the Southern
army; and a remarkable proof of the truth of this statement
was at this time presented. So strong was his feeling on the
subject now, that he, the most reticent and cautious of commanders, could not withhold some intimation of his views. To
a confidential friend, on whose prudence he knew he could rely,
he said at this time: "1 If they will only give me 60,000 men
now, I will go right on to Pennsylvania. I will not go down
the Valley; I do not wish the people there to be harassed. I
will go with 40,000 if the President will give them to me, and my
route will be along east of the Blue Ridge. I ought not to have
told even you that; but in two weeks I could be at Harrisburg."
The route here indicated was nearly identical with that which
General Lee afterward followed in advancing to Gettysburg.
It is left to the military student to determine whether a column
of 40,000 men penetrating toward the heart of the North, and
threatening Washington, would not have induced a withdrawal
of the forces before Richmond for the defence of the Federal
capital. But this policy, if it was urged upon the Confederate
authorities, was not adopted. It was determined to concentrate
all the troops near Richmond for a sudden attack upon General
McClellan, and the movements looking to this object had already
begun. On the 11th of June Whiting's division was embarked
on the cars of the Danville Railroad at Richmond, and moved
across the James to Manchester, opposite Belle Isle, where, at
that moment, a large number of Federal prisoners were confined,
but about to be released. The train remained opposite the island
until the forenoon of the next day; and the public were much
exercised upon the subject of this extraordinary blunder, as the
Federal prisoners about to be sent down the river would unquestionably inform General McClellan of this reenforcement of
Jackson. The train at last departed, however, and the troops
reached Lynchburg, where they remained until the 15th, when
they were moved to Charlottesville, andi thence on the 18th to
Staunton. On the 20th they were moved back to Charlottesville,




202             LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Jackson was already in motion.  All this marching and
countermarching had its object.  It deceived the enemy, who
believed that the Valley was alive with troops moving to and
fro, and preparing for a great advance down the Valley in pursuit of Shields and Fremont.  Attention was thus entirely diverted from Richmond, where the real blow was to be struck.
Jackson omitted, on this occasion, none of those precautions
which so greatly contributed to the success of his movements,
and which justly entitle him  to be characterized as the general
who "never made a mistake."  He commenced by blinding
those around him.  His engineers were directed to prepare immediately a series of maps of the Valley; and all who acquired
a knowledge of this carefully divulgedcl order, told their friends
in confidence that Jackson was going at once in pursuit of Fremont.  As those fiiends told their friends without loss of time,
it was soon the well-settled conviction of everybody that nothing
was further from Jackson's intentions than an evacuation of the
Valley.  Having deceived his friends, the Confederate general
proceeded to blind his enemies.
On the 16th of June he sent a note to Colonel Ilunford, who
had succeeded Ashby in command of the cavalry, and held the
fiont toward Harrisonburg, to " meet him at eleven that night
at the head of the street at Mount Crawford, and not to ask for
him or anybody." *  Mount Crawford is a small village on the
* Colonel Munford had already received the following instructions:
NEAR MoUNT MERIDIAN, June 13th, 1862.
COLONEL: It is important to cut off all communications between us and
the enemy. Please require the ambulances to go beyond our lines at once,
and press our lines forward as far as practicable. It is desirable that we
should have New Market, and that no information should pass to the enemy.
I expect soon to let you have two more companies of cavalry for the Army of
the Northwest. I will not be able to leave here to-day, and possibly not for
some time, so you must look out for the safety of your train. Please impress
the bearers of thefaic  of trunce as much as possible with an idea of a heavy advance on our part, and let them return under such impression. Whilst it is
desirable for us to have New Market, yet you must judge of the practicability.
The only true rule for cavalry, is to follow as long as the enemy retreats; be.




cc GENERAL T. J. JACKSON, SOMEWHERIE."           203
Valley turnpike, about eight or ten miles from  Port Republic,
and the same distance from  Harrisonburg.  Colonel MIunford
received the note, set out alone, and, at the appointed hour, entered Miount Crawford, which, at that late hour of the night,
looked dark and deserted.  The moon was shining, however;
and at the head of the street, in the middle of the highway, a
solitary figure on horseback awaited him, motionless, and in
silence.  The hand of the figure went to his cap, and in the curt
and familiar tones of Jackson came the words:
"' Al, colonel, here you are.  What news from the front?'
" All quiet, feneral," replied Colonel Munford.
"' Good! low I wish you to produce upon the enemy the
impression that I am going to advance."
And Jackson then gave his orders in detail, after which
the figures parted and went different ways-Jackson back to
Port Republic, Colonel Munford to Harrisonburg.  The following is the manner in which Colonel MIunford carried out his
orders:
At Harrisonburg were a number of Federal surgeons, who had
come with twenty-five or thirty ambulances to carry away the
wounded officers and men who had been abandoned at that point
by General Fremont in his retreat. These were informed by Colonel Munnford, that before he could give them permission to do so,
he must ascertain the wishes of General Jackson; and with this
reply he left them, to carry out the rest of the scheme.  There
was attached to his command, as an independent, a well-known
gentleman of that region named WVilliam  Gilmer; and to this
gentleman, ever ready for a good practical joke, was intrusted
yond that, of course, you can, under present circumstances, do little or nothing;
but every mile you advance will probably give you additional prisoners, and
especially as far as New MIarket, where you will get command of the road
from Kernstown and Columbia bridge. I congratulate you upon your continued
success.               Respectfully, your obedient servant,
T. J. JacksON, Maj.-Gen.
P. S. Press our lines as far as you otherwise would have done, before the
flag of truce is permitted to pass them.              T. J. J.




204           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the execution of the plot. The Federal surgeons occupied an
apartment next to the room used by Colonel Mfunford for his
headquarters, and only a thin partition divided them. Every
word uttered in one room could be heard in the other; and this
fact was well known to Colonel Munford, who gave Mr. Gilmer his instructions in a loud tone, despatched him apparently
to General Jackson, and then awaited the issue of his scheme.
Some hours having elapsed since they had been assured that
General Jackson's wishes would be ascertained, the surgeons
all at once heard a courier mounting the stairs, his spurs and
sabre clanking as he ascended.  They moved quickly to the
partition, and placed their ears close to the cracks-as it was
expected they would. The courier entered; the surgeons bent
lower, and determined not to lose a word.
"Well," said Colonel Munford, in a voice which he knew
could be beard, " what does General Jackson say?"
" He told me to tell you," replied Jir. Gilmer, in his loud and
sonorous voice," that the wounded Yankees are not to be taken
away; and the surgeons are to be sent back, with the message
that he can take care of their wounded men in his own hospitals.
He is coming right on, himself, with heavy reEnforcements.
Whiting's division is up; Hood's is coming. The whole road
from here to Staunton is perfectly lined with troops, and so
crowded that I could hardly ride along!"
Such was the highly important dial6gue which the Federal
surgeons, listening with breathless attention, overheard. When
Colonel Munford sent for them, every man was on the other side
of the room from the partition. They were ushered in, and
briefly informed that they could return with their ambulances;
General Jackson had instructed him to say that their wounded
would be cared for in the Confederate hospitals.
The surgeons returned without delay, communicated the important intelligence which they had overheard to General Fremont, and that night the whole Federal army fell back to
Strasburg, where they began to intrench against the anticipated
attack.




asGENERAL T. J. JACKSON, SOMEWHERE.)        205
Jackson was meanwhile on his way to the Chickahominy.
Such were the results of the nocturnal interview at Mount Crawford. Extraordinary precautions were used to conceal the in.
tended route of the troops. The men were forbidden even to
ask the names of the villages through which they passed; and
orders were issued, that to all questions they should make but one
response: " I do not know."  " This was just as much license
as the men wanted," says an eye-witness, " and they forthwith
knew nothing of the past, present, or future."  An amusing incident grew out of this order. One of FHood's men left the ranks
on the march, and was climbing a fence to go to a cherry-tree
in a field near at hand, when Jackson rode by and saw him.
" Where are you going? " asked the General.
" I don't know," replied the soldier.
" To what command do you belong?"
" I don't know."
" Well, what State are you from?"
" I don't know."
"' What is the meaning of all this? " asked Jackson of another.
"' Well," was the reply, ".Old Stonewall and General Hood
issued orders yesterday, that we were not to know any thing
until after the next fight." Jackson laughed, and rode on. The
troops had been moved for the greater part of the way by railroad; but at Frederick Hall, above Hanover Junction, they were
disembarked, and " moved in as many columns as there were
roads; and for the want of roads, we sometimes marched through
fields and woods."
On the morning of the 25th of June, the corps was rapidly
closing up," and approaching Ashland. Jackson had gone on
in advance, and, riding through Richmond, visited the headquarters of General Lee, on the Nine-Mile road.  Some one
recognized him as he passed, incognito, through the city, and
spoke of his presence; but so thoroughly had the entire movement been concealed, that the inquisitive personage was told
that his statement was all nonsense, as General Jackson was
then beyond the Blue Ridge.




206           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSO{N.
Having ascertained the views of the commanding general in
detail, Jackson disappeared as quietly as he came, and again
took the head of his advancing column.
" Somewhere," was the neighborhood of Ashland, upon the
Fredericksburg  Railroad, about sixteen miles from Richmond.
CHAPTER II.
ON THE CHICKAHOMINY.
BURIED in the tangled undergrowth on the shore of the
Chickahominy, the Federal army had no suspicion of the heavy
blow about to bestruclk at them.
General McClellan was now within a few miles of Richmond,
at the head of the most numerous and best equipped army that
had ever assembled on American soil. Every resource of the
Federal Government had been taxed to the utmost, to render
it overwhelming in numbers, and invincible in all the appliances
of war. M[ore than 150,000 troops were encamped on the'banks
of the Chickahominy, and the arsenals and machine-shops of the
North had left nothing to be desired in their armament and equipment for the great struggle before them. They were armed
with excellent rifle-muskets, and the cavalry with revolvers, repeating rifles, and carbines of the best pattern. To this admirable armament were added about 400 pieces of artillery, ranging
from the 30-pound Parrott to the Navy howitzer. Such were
the military equipments of the force; the appliances for personal
comfort were as excellent. No trouble had been spared to make
the troops contented; and that profusion of delicacies which had
attracted the attention of the hungry Confederates at Manassas,
was to greet their eyes again in the abandoned camps on the
plains of New Kent' and Henrico.
The Federal troops see m to have regarded their position as
unassailable-and not without show of reason. In front of their




ON THE CIICIKAIIOMENY.               20o
main body were the impassable swamps of the Chickahominy,
and on each side, the Pamunkey and the James enabled their gun
boats, mounted with artillery of the heaviest calibre, to guard the
approaches to their flank. In their rear was the White House,
where the largest steamers came to unload warlike stores or
camp delicacies; and from this point the York River Railroad
ran straight to the centre of the great camp, bringing thus to the
very tents all which the cities of the lorthl could afford for the
comfort or equipment of the troops.
Over this large army, as we have seen, was placed the
ablest and most accomplished soldier whom the North had yet
produced; and the Federal authorities confidently expected to
defeat Lee and capture Richmond.
Let us look back at the ground upon which this bitter and
determined conflict was now to take place. The Chickahominy
is a narrow  and sluggish stream, which, rising northwest of
Richmond, runs in a southeastern direction, and, holding its
course down the Peninsula, heads to the south and empties into
James River some distance above Williamsburg.  Its banks
are swampy, and overgrown with forest trees and heavy underwood, rendering the ground almost impassable. Through these
tangled swamps, narrow and winding roads of oozy turf, on
dark and miry clay, afford a difficult and uncertain means of
transit from point to point. These mysterious depths are still
tenanted by the fallow deer; and from  the shadowy recesses,
dim with trailing vines, comes the sorrowful and plaintive cry
of the whip-poor-will. It was truly one of the strangest freaks of
Fate, that these Pontine marshes, tepanted only by wild animals,
strange reptiles, and the solitary whip-poor-will and screech-owl,
should be destined to become the theatre of conflict between tens
of thousands of human beings, who in all the wide land could
find no other arena for combat.
Taking Richmond as a central point, the course of the Chickahominy described something like the arc of a circle around it to
the north and east. At JIeadow Bridge, where the outposts of
the enemy's right wing were established, the stream is but six




208           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
miles distant from the capital; at New Bridge, on the NineMile road, which led toward General tM[cClellan's centre, the
distance is nine miles.  The avenues of approach from the
Chickahominy, the arc, to Richmond, the centre of the circle,
were-commencing on the north and travelling down the stream
-the Fredericksburg Railroad, tile Brook turnpike, the Meadow
Bridge road, the Central Railroad, crossing at Meadow Bridge,
the Mechanicsville turnpike,'the Nine-Mile or New Bridge
road, the York River Railroad, the Williamsburg turnpike, the
Charles City road, and the Darby town road.
The Federal right was posted, as we have said, near Meadow
Bridge, and his line swept along the left bank of the Chickahominy, by Mechanicsville and Beaver-Dam  Creek, to Powhite
Swamp, where it crossed the stream and extended beyond the
York River Railroad; his left resting on the Williamsburg or
Bottom's Bridge road, at " Seven Pines," about five miles from
Richmond. The Federal line thus formed a species of crescent,
ten or fifteen miles in length; the Meadow Bridge road connecting Richmond with the northern tip, the Williamsburg road
with the southern, and the Nine-Mile or New Bridge road running nearly straight to the centre. This formidable line of battle
was heavily fortified-at Mechanicsville, Powhite, and Seven
Pines especially, where every knoll was crowned with almost impregnable breastworks of earth and trunks of trees, with the
boughs lopped'off and sharpened, and in front of these works
a bristling abatis of felled timber rendered access almost
impossible. The works were mounted with rifled artillery, and
every avenue completely commanded by the grim muzzles ready
to sweep the approaches with a hurricane of shot and shell.
For many weeks after the battle, the frowning fortifications extending on both sides of the York River road, excited the astonishment of the citizens who visited them. But beyond the
Chickahominy, on the hills above M1echanicsville and Gaines'
Mill, the Federal works were still more formidable, and required,
indeed,for their capture, the utmost exertions of the men of Hill
and Longstreet and Jackson, charging hour after hour, in the




ON THE CHICKAIHOINY.                 209
face of a fire which has seldom been surpassed for destructive
violence in all the annals of war.
Such was the position of the Federal forces on the last day
of May, when General Johnston struck at their left wing, stationed near " Seven Pines," and paralyzed for the moment the
advance which General McClellan designed at that time upon
Richmond. Their left was driven from the field, and their camps
and artillery captured; but on the right they still maintained
their ground, and were thus enabled to claim a drawn battle, in
spite of the repulse on the Federal left.
This battle was hotly contested, and a private letter from a
member of the New York artillery, in the Cincinnati Commercial, soon afterwards, thus described the scene:
1" Our shot tore their ranks wide open," says the Northern
writer, " and shattered them  asunder in a manner that was
frightful to witness; but they closed up at once, and came on as
steadily as English veterans. When they got within four hundred yards, we closed our case shot and opened on them with
canister; and such destruction I never elsewhere witnessed. At
each discharge great gaps were made in their ranks-indeed,
whole companies went down before that murderous fire-but
they closed up with an order and discipline that was awe-inspiring.     It was awful to see their ranks, torn and shattered by every discharge of canister that we poured right into
their faces, and while their dead and dying lay in piles, closed
up and still kept advancing right in face of the fire. At one
time, three lines, one behind the other, were steadily advancing,
and three of their flaBs were brougoht in range of one of our
guns shotted with canister.   Fire! shouted the gunner, and
down went those three flags, and a gap was opened through
those three lines as if a thunderbolt had torn through them, and
their dead lay in swaths. But they at once closed up and came
steadily on, never halting or wavering, right through the woods,
over the fence, through the field, right up to our guns, and,
sweeping every thing before them, captured every piece. * * Our
whole division was cut to pieces, with what loss I do not know."
14




210           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The battle of "1 Seven Pines" was indecisive, as on the third
day the Confederate forces fell back, and the Federal lines resumed their former position; and the Confederate cause sustained a serious loss in the wound received by General Johnston
from a fragment of shell which struck him as he was reconnoitring with General Stuart near Fair Oaks, upon the left. He
was succeeded by General Robert E. Lee, who now prepared
for a general attack upon the Federal lines with the whole Confederate force then in front of Richmond.
General Lee was at this time about fifty years of age, and in
the ripe vigor of his faculties. I-He was a Virginian by birth, the
son of Colonel Henry Lee, surnamed " Light-Horse Harry,"
and, like his father, had been a cavalry officer. HIe had accomnpanied Lieutenant-General Scott to Mexico, where lie is said to
have planned the entire campaign; and that officer's opinion of
his military abilities was known to be very high. In person,
General Lee was tall and vigorously knit, his countenance was
still remarkable for its personal beauty, his eyes were clear and
benignant, but suddenly blazed when he grew excited, and his
hair, beard, and mustache were gray. It was impossible to be
in this officer's presence, and to note his air of self-poised strength
and repose, without feeling that he was a person of great elevation of character and of broad and commanding intellect. IHe
had, at that time, won little popular fame, but had made a deep
impression upon some of the first men of the country. Those
who knew him best, loved and respected him the most; and he
was, indeed, a truthful type of the old Virginia cavalier. His
manners were courteous but reserved, his voice deep and pleasant, his bearing characterized by a supreme repose which few
human things seemed able to shake. Deeply sensible, apparently, of the great responsibility resting upon his shoulders, he
was without gayety or abandon; but he had by nature a dry,
quaint humor, which sometimes came out in private, and made
him  charming. What chiefly impressed a stranger was the
noble simplicity of General Lee's demeanor, the air of proud
courtesy which at other times distinguished him, and the latent




ON THE CHICKAHOfNY.                 211
fire of an eye which could be soft or fiery. It was impossible to
know him and not love him-for he was the soul of kindness, the
flower of chivalry and honor. His stately figure brought to mind
the old race of Virginians; and in prosperity or adversity, in victory or defeat, it was plain that this noble spirit was sufficient for
itself, looking to a greater power than man's for support.
He was said to have been greatly attached to the flag under
which he had so long fought, and to have resigned his commission in the United States Army only at the imperative call of
his native State. But, once embarked in the Southern struggle,
he had cast no look backward, and entered upon the war with
all the vigor of feeling and conviction combined. Above the
temptations of military ambition, as he was superior to the
thought of mercenary advantage, he had indulged, it is said, the
hope that the struggle might soon end, without bloodshed almost;
and so well known was this sentiment, that many Southern
journals sneered at him as a leader too soft and unwarlike for
the stormy epoch in which he appeared. They did not know the
great resources and imperial resolution of the man who concealed beneath his sweetness and repose of manner one of those
powerful organizations which mould with an iron hand the destinies of nations.
In military affairs, the most notable traits of this officer were
broad comprehension and great powers of combination. The
movements of his mind vwere cautious and deliberate, and he
liked best to initiate great campaigns and move large bodies
over a wide arena-to manceuvre with armies, rather than detachments. Averse, like Johnston, to affairs of the outpost, and
unnecessary bloodshed on any occasion, he husbanded his
strength for decisive movements, and preferred to fight pitched
battles rather than skirmishes. The world called him slow, and
compared his movements unfavorably with those of Jackson;
but Jackson left on record his own opinion of the man, when
lie said to an intimate friend, after the battle of Malvern Hill:
"' General Lee is not slow. No one knows the weight upon
his heart-his great responsibilities. He is commander-in-chief,




212            LIFE (OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
and he knows that, if an army is lost, it cannot be replaced. No!
there may be some persons whose good opinion of me will make
them attach some weight to my views; and if you ever hear that
said of General Lee, I beg you will contradict it in my name.
I have known General Lee for five-and-twenty years; he is
cautious; he ought to be.  But he is not I slow.' Lee is a
phenomenon.  He is the only man whom I would follow blindfold!"
Such was the man who now took command of the Confederate forces, and prepared to play the great game against MIcClellan.
To assail the Federal forces to advantage, it was obviously
the best policy to strike at one of their flanks, and crush that
wing before the other could cross the Chickahominy and come
to its support. General Stuart suggested an attack upon the
Federal left flank, which, in the event of his defeat, would have
prevented his retreat to his gunboats on James River; but
General Lee decided, finally, upon assailing his right wing, beyond the Chickahominy, and outflanking his right at the same
moment, if the fortifications in that direction were such as to
encourage the latter movement.
To ascertain the character of these defences on the enemy's
right flank, and obtain information as to his strengtlh and position, General J. E. 13. Stuart was directed to make a reconnoissauce with cavalry in that direction, and proceed, if possible, as
far as Old Church, when his further movements would be renulated by circumstances. This officer, whom we have met with in the
Valley, had now been promoted to the rank of brigadier-general,
and had become the chief cavalry leader of the war. His operations in front of the enemy, toward Arlington Heights, and
afterwards in covering the rear of the Army of the Potomac as
General Johnston fell back from Centreville, had gained for him
a high reputation, and this had been increased by operations in
the ]Peninsula.  His regiment had grown into a brigade, with
such accomplished regimental commanders as Colonel Fitz Lee,
Colonel Martin, Colonel W. H. F. Lee, and others; and with




ON TIlE CH-ICKAIIOiIN-Y.             213
about 1,500 men, General Stuart set out about the middle of
June on his reconnoissance.
The " Ride around cicCleilan" was long remembered, not
only by those who took part in it, but by the entire people, who
were delighted with its audacity and pleased with the annoyance
which it caused the enemy.  Stuart passed throughl Hanover
Court-I-louse, driving away a picket force; charged and routed a
squadron  rnuder Captain Royal, near Old Church, burned their
camp and several transports on the Pamunkey, destroyed large
wagon-trains, captured many prisoners, and, having marched
entirely around General McClellan's army, built a bridge over
the swollen current of the Chickahominy, far below, and safely
crossed into Charles City, just as the Federal cavalry and
artillery thundered down upon his rear.  This expedition at a
moment so important, excited generfal attention, and the Emperor Napoleon is said to have traced out Stuart's route upon the
map with deep interest, but the information obtained was more
important than the applause of citizens or soldiers.  Stuart had
completely succeeded in his object.  The discovery had been
made tlat the Tottapotamoi, a stream running across the Federal right flank, was -wholly undefended, a movement in that
direction entirely practicable, and a blow at General MIcClellan's
rear, from the quarter of Cold Harbor, almost certain to prove
fihtal, if accompanied by an assault in front.
The result of this reconnoissance decided General Lee, if his
resolution was not already taken; and General Jackson was
promptly directed to move his corps to the Chickahominy, for
an attack on the enemy in flank and reverse near Cold Harbor.
We have seen how he came at the summons, and on the
25th of June reached Ashland, about sixteen miles from Richmond.




214           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER  III.
COLD HARBOR.
ON the morning of the 26th of June, the great drama commenced. For seven long days and nights its tragic scenes were
to be unfolded on the banks of the Chickahominy. For weeks,
the sluggish waters had stolen away between the rush-clad margins, and no sound but the melancholy cry of the whip-poor-will,
or the hum of the Federal camps, had disturbed the sultry nights
of June. Now the dreary silence had given way to the uproar
of battle. In the midst of dust, and smoke, and blood, the cries
of the wounded, and the groans of the dying, with the thunder
and lightning of artillery and small-arms, mingled in one great
diabolical solo, the days were to dawn, reach their noon, and
sink into the black and woeful night, in whose sombre depths
were buried so many hopeless moans of anguish and despair.
When the movement of General Lee commenced, the divisions of Magruder and Huger, supported by those of Longstreet
and D. H. Hill, were in front of the powerful Federal works on
the York River Railroad and Williamisburg road, directly east
of the city. The division of A. P. Hill extended from Magruder's left, up the southern bank of the Chickahominy, Branch's
brigade occupying the point where the Brooke turnpike intersects the stream. Jackson, with his own, Ewell's, and Whiting's divisions, was on the march from Ashland, steadily sweeping down to his appointed work.
General Lee's plan possessed the simplicity of genius. Before any movement could be made against the Federal forces
beyond the Chickahominy, it was necessary to carry their powerful advanced positions at Mechanicsville, and on Beaver-Dam
Creek just below, so as to uncover the 3Mechanicsville bridge.
These works Lee determined to turn with the column of Jackson, while A. P. Hill assailed them  in front.  Hill was ac



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COLD HARBOR.                     215
cordingly ordered, as soon as Jackson passed beyond Meadow
Bridge, to throw his division across at tbhat point; to advance
upon Mechanicsville, attack the position, and uncover the bridge,
when D. H-I. Hill would cross and join Jackson, and Longstreet reenforce A. P. HLill-Magruder and Huger remaining
on the southern side in front of the enemy's left, with orders to
hold their ground, whatever force was brought against them.
The main body —Jackson, D. I-I. Hill, A. P. Hill, and Longstreet —was then to sweep down the northern bank of the Chickahominy in 6chelon of divisions, Jackson on the left and in the advance, and Longstreet next to the stream-threaten the Federal
depots at the White House, and their line of communication, the
York River Railroad; force them to come out of their intrenchments and filght-or retreat, and give up their position.  By this
plan of battle the enemy would be attacked beyond the Chickahominy before he could throw his left wing, near Seven Pines,
across to the assistance of his right. The programme of operations involved desperate fighting for the possession of Miechanicsville, where a large body of the troops must cross; but with
that point once secured, the movements which were to follow
promised, as far as the human eye could see, to result in the
success of the Confederate arms.  The Federal rioht wing and
centre would be assailed in front and flank at the same moment;
and the defective communications between the northern and
southern banks of the Chickaholminy threatened General McClellan with utter defeat before his left could come up to take
part in the action.
On the 26th, as we have said above, the great gladiators
were face to face, and the struggole began. Brigadier-General
Branch crossed the Chickahominy high up, where it is crossed
by the Brooke turnpike, and moved down the left bank to form
a,junction with General A. P. Hill, who crossed at Meadow Bridge about three P. ai. Branch did not arrive in time to
join Hill, who advanced upon Mechanicsville, and attacked the
Federal position there with stubborn resolution. The engagement which ensued was resolute and bloody; the Confederate




216            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
troops returning time after time to the assault.  The Federal
forces defended themselves with desperation, but were driven
from all their positions, retreating rapidly; and thee way having
thus been cleared for the passage of Longstreet and D. H. Hill,
their divisions were promptly thrown across.
aMeantime, General A. P. Hill had pressed on, upon the
track of the retreating enemy, and about a mile below Mechanicsville found himself in front of a new and far more formidable
series of works on the left bank of Beaver-Dam Creek, which
empties near this point into the Chickahominy.  The Federal
position here was almost impregnable to an assault in front.
The banks of the stream  occupied by the works were abrupt,
almost perpendicular; the ground in front was open and colmpletely swept by their numerous artillery; and to still further discourage assault, they had felled. the trees, destroyed the bridges,
and honeycombed every point with rifle-pits.
Tile m-ost obstinate and determined efforts were made to
drive the Federal forces from their strong position, and heavy
firing was kept up with artillery until nine o'clock at night.  The
attack was resumed at dawn, and the Southern troops made
every effort to overcome the fatal obstructions.  Foircing a passage across the ground in front, under a heavy fire of artillery,
they reached the banks of the stream, bhit the character of the
ground made a successful assault of the works in front impossible. An attempt was about to be made to cross lower down,
and attack the Federal left flank, when suddenly they retired in
haste from  their strong position, and, leaving every thing in
flames, retreated rapidly down the stream. Jackson had crossed
Beaver-Dam Creek, turned their right flank, and forced them to
retire.
Jackson had moved as rapidly as the crowding obstructions
in the roads would permit on the left of A. P. Hill, making for
the York River Railroad.  He advanced with Whiting's division
in front, preceded and guarded on his left flank by the cavalry
under Stuart. At Tottapotamoi Creek, a sluggish stream, with
abrupt banks heavily wooded, the- bridge was discovered to be




COLD HIARI3On.                   217
on fire, and the sound of the enemy's axes was heard beyond,
felling trees to obstruct the road. To prevent the prosecution
of this work, General Hood was directed to throw forward skirmishers, and Captain Reilly to open with his battery upon the
enemy. This had the desired effect. They disappeared, leaving
their axes sticking in the trees; and the bridge having been repaired, the army continued its march, still skirmishin'with the
Federal rear guard until it reached Hundley's Corner, where it
bivouacked for the night.  Jackson, following the orders of
General Lee, had thus borne away from the Chickahominy,
where the reverberating roar of a tillery indicated the commencement of the battle; had gained ground toward the Pamunkey,
driving all before him; and was now in a position to descend
next day on the enemy near Cold Harbor, and decide the fite of
the day.
The memorable 27th of Jun( dawned clear and cloudless.
Jacklon, now reenforced by D.- H. Hill, gradually converging
toward the Chickahominy again, and advancing steadily, with
Ewell in front, drove the enemy steadily before him, surmounted
every obstacle which they had placed in the roads. to bar his
progress, and about five in the afternoon reached the vicinity of
Old Cold Harbor.
He did not arrive a lmoment too soon. Whilst he had been
rapidly bearing down,. in accordance with his orders, in the direction of the White House, so as to threaten the Federal righlt
flank, important events had been taking place nearer to the
Chickahom'iny.
Longstreet and A. P.. Hill had pressed on after the retreating
ene-my —who left behind them burning wagons and crowds of
stragglers-until they reached, about noon, a point near Noew
Bridge. Here they found the Federal forces drawn up behind
Powhite Creek, in a position of very great strength, prepared to
hold their ground and dispute the passage of the stream.
Powhite Creek is one of those small watercourses which
traverse the counties of H-lanover and New Kent, running between densely-wooded bluffs, or stealing across marshy low




218           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
grounds. It runs obliquely to the Chickahominy, in a direction
nearly southwest, and on its left bank a long wooded ridge extends from above Cold Harbor to the vicinity of Gaines' Mill,
where it terminates in a bluff rising abruptly from a deep ravine.
On this ridge the enemy were posted; their right at McGehee's
house, their left near Dr. Gaines'.  The ravine in front was
filled with sharpshooters, lurking behind the banks and trees;
above them, on the slope of the ridge, a heavy line of infantry
was stationed behind a breastwork of trees; and on the crest a
third line was drawn up, supported by crowding batteries, ready
to unloose their thunders as soon as the Southern troops appeared.  No point was left unguarded; rifle-pits extended on
every hand; artillery and infantry crowned every elevation;
and the Federal batteries on the southern bank of the Chickahominy completely swept the ground over which the Confederates must advance to the assault.
In front of the Federal centre and right the ground was
marshy, and obstructed by felled trees; and the coverts were full
of sharpshooters, ready to delay the advance of the Southern
forces; while the heavy batteries from the crest above played on
them and repelled their attack.
General A. P. Hill advancing, followed by Longstreet,
reached the vicinity of New Cold Harbor, opposite the Federal
right and centre, about two o'clock. Here he came upon the
enemy, whose advanced artillery was posted in the fields near
by, and immediately attacked them, with a dash and courage
which, at the close of that memorable clay, had won for him and
his men justly deserved fame. Their advance was driven back;
and then, for more than two hours, ensued a conflict desperate
and bloody in the extreme.  In vain, however, did Hill, with
his force of not more than 8,000 men, assail the strong fortifications in which nearly 30,000 Federal troops, with heavy artillery
supports, disputed his advance. Their works crowning every
slope, and protected by ravines, watercourses, and the swamp,
in which the timber had been felled, rendering the approaches
almost impassable, still defied his most determined efforts; and




COLD HARI13OR.                   219
in charge after charge, the bravest of the Southern troops recoiled from the horrible fire, shattered and broken. Hill was reenforced by Picklett's brigade, and a still more resolute assault
was made than before; but-with the same result. The troops
fought with the rlost reckless courage; and three of Hill's regiments pierced the Federal line and attained the crest, but were
forced to retire before overwhelming numbers. Under the murderous salvos of shell and canister sweeping their ranks and
strewing the earth with their dead, the Southern troops were
forced to give back, and the enemy rushed forward and gained
possession of the ground from which they had been first repulsed.
General Lee had joined General A. P. Hill at New Cold
Harbor, and now listened with anxiety for the sound of Jackl
son's guns on his left. The obstinacy of the enemy in holding
their position on Powhite Creek, instead of falling back, as it
was expected they would do, to protect their communications,
had compelled a corresponding chanre in Jackson's movenments.
The design of advancing, down the Peninsula in 6cheon of divisions, was necessarily abandoned, in consequence of the changed
aspect of affairs; and Jackson had to alter his order of march
and hurry forward to the battle-field.  To relieve General Hill,
meanwhile, and hold the position until Jackson arrived, General
Longstreet was directed to make a feint on the right against the
enemy's left, near Gaines' Mill; and this he proceeded to do
without loss of time.  The batteries on the south side of the
Chickahominy, as well as those in front, were sweeping tihe approach, but the men advanced with great coolness to the assault,
and were now close upon the Federal position. Its enormous
streigth was now for the first time discovered; and finding that
he could effect nothing by a feint, General Longstreet determined
to turn the nmovement into a real attack, and made his preparations without delay.
Such was the aspect of affairs on the field about five in the
evening. The Federal troops had repulsed every assault, and
the descending sun threatened to set upon a day memorable in




220           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the annals of the South for bloody and disastrous defeat. One
man alone could reverse this picture of ruin, General Lee, as
we have said, awaited anxiously, near Cold Harbor, the noise
of guns upon his left, informing him that Jackson had arrived.
Suddenly the hearts of ail throbbed fiercely; and cheers rose
and ran along the shattered lines of Hill, as the welcome sound
-was heard. From the woods on the left came the rattle of
small-arm-ns, mingled with the roar of artillery; and, with every
passing moment, it grew louder and louder. General Lee
pushed on in the direction of the sound, and saw Jackson
comning to meet him.
Ablh, General," said Lee, " I am very glad to see you. I
hoped to have been with you before."
Then pausing a moment, and listening to the lonl-streaming
roar in the woods, he added: "'That fire is very heavy! Do
you think your men can stand it?"
Jackson turned his head to one side, as was his custom,
listened, and then said, in his brief tones: "They can stand
almost any thing. They can stand that!"
After a brief interview, he then returned to the command of
his corps. His appearance on this day was not imposing. He
rode a gaunt sorrel horse, slow, and somewhat awkward in movement, and his seat in the saddle was in strong contrast to that
of General Lee, who is very erect and graceful on horseback.
Jackson leaned forward like a tyro in riding; was clad in a
dingy gray uniform, without decorations, and wore his famous
old sun-scorched cap drawn down low upon the forehead. He
was sucking a lemon, and rode about slowly, often wholly unattended, listening with outward calmness, but evidently with
intense inward solicitude, to the continuous roar of musketry
from the woods. His position during the battle was near the
Old Cold Harbor house, on the left of his line; and riding
slowly to and fro across the fields, he was subjected to a heavy
fire of shell, which he appeared wholly unconscious of, retaining
his calm, almost absent air through all. His appearance is best
described by the statement, that he seemed to have lost all




COLD HAPBOr.                    221
personal consciousness of time and place. His brain seemed to
be busy with the hot struggle in the woods in front of him, and
le appeared to be absorbed in thought upon the great tragedy
being played before him —to have concentrated on the bloody
drama all the resources of his mind. and heart, and soul, until
be had become oblivious of his personal identity. When spoken
to, his head turned quickly, and the dark eyes flashed at you,
from beneath the rim of the old cap. A quick response, or an
order in the briefest tones, followed, and the General returned to
his absorbing thoughts.
Jackson had never seen the ground before; and this, he said,
greatly embarrassed him. But his quick eye, as at Manassas,
soon took in its general features, and his dispositions were
promptly made. Stuart took position in the extensive fields
near the Old Cold Harbor house, to charge and intercept the
enemy if they attempted to retreat toward the Pamunkey-his
men having been informed by their commander that they'; had
tough work before them, and they must perform it like men"and the infantry was rapidly moved to the points where the
Southern lines were weakest.
Whiting's division was hurried forward to assist Longstreet
in his assault upon the Federal left, and formed on the left of his
line, joining the right of General A. P. Hill. On the left of
Hill, and opposite the enemy's centre, was a part of Jackson's
old division, the remainder being sent to the right; on the left
of that, Ewell's; and on the extreme left, D. H. Hill's division.
The artillery had not yet arrived; but General Stuart's horse
artillery, under the gallant Captain Pelham, had already opened
on the left, near the Old Cold Harbor house; and the moment
had now come when the Federal positions must be carried, or
the day be lost. We have described the ground over which the
men of Jackson were now about to charge. In their front a
swamp: and sluggish stream, a wood of tangled undergrowth,
and heavy masses of felled timber, made successful attack almost
hopeless. But that attack must be made. The troops of Hilli
were worn out by -the long and tremendous struggle, of two days'




222           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
duration, and it was now the turn of their comrades.  Jackson's
men had charged and swept over the stone walls of the Valley,
lined with long rows of marksmen; and they must now show
that they were able to struggle through swamps, in which the
feet sunk at every step; to clamber over the enemy's abatis of
felled trees, with the boughs lopped and sharpened; to penetrate undergrowth, wade through deep ditches, and charge
masked-batteries, which were vomiting masses of shell and canister in their faces. The work was llard, and required all their
manhood; but it could not be avoided, The hour had came for
them to conquer or die.
Jackson gave the order, and his whole line swept forward in
one grand charge, with tumultuous cheers, and a long roar of
musketry, which thundered through the woods. The action had
begun in earnest.
Narratives of battles are chiefly valuable for the insight
which they afford into the depths of profound intellects, planning
and executing great movements upon arenas of decisive struggle.
It is the work of the brain, not the labor of the hand, which attracts the attention of the student; the conception of the commander rather than the fighting of the troops, which advance or
retire like puppets at the bidding of the controlling and responsible intellect - presiding over all. This is fortunate for the
narrator, who, deprived of the colors of the painter, finds his
subject too vast and exciting for his powers. What follows that
order to " charge with the bayonet," but smoke, uproar, the
smell of blood, the groans of the dying, and the shouts of those
who, perhaps, at the next moment will be riddled with bullets,
or mangled with shell, and hurled in an instant into eternity?
After five o'clock on the 27th of June, 1862, the banks of the
Chickahominy, near Powbite Creek, were enveloped in a vast
lurid canopy, through which were seen long lines sweeping forward to the charge, and from whose depths came up in a long
frightful roll, the crash of small-arms and the din of artillery,'qningled with wild cheers, as the opposing ranks clashed one
against the other. From the moment when Jackson gave the




COLD HARBOR.                    223
order for his lines to advance, the battle raged with indescribable
fury. Through the dense ascending clouds, we shall endeavor to
follow the movements of the troops commanded by Jackson, and
briefly describe the part which each took in the struggle. D. H.
HIill's troops, on the left, first came in contact with the Federal
line. The men rushed through the swamp, underwood, and
felled trees, in face of a heavy fire; and after a fierce and bloody
contest drove the enemy back on their reserve.  They took
position behind a fence and ditch; and Hill determined to press
on, when his attention was called to a battery which was so
posted as to pour a destructive enfilading fire upon his advancing
line. It was necessary first to silence this battery; and Colonel
Iverson, with the 1st, 3d, and 20th North Carolina, charged
and captured it.  The enemy immediately attacked them in
force, and succeeded in recapturing the guns, but not until General Hill had advanced over the dangerous ground, and was
engaged in an obstinate contest with the entire Federal force in
front of him.
Meanwhile General Ewell had a hard fight upon General
Hill's right. The same obstacles barred his advance upon the
Federal position, but he charged through the swamp, up the hill
in face of a terrible fire, and fought with that daring which had
so often excited the admiration of his commander. Reenforced
by Lawton and Trimble, General Ewell continued the struggle
until dusk, when his ammunition being completely exhausted, he
fell back.
Jaclson's old division was the third in the line, counting
from left to right, and was held as a species of reserve, to be
sent to the support of any part of the line which was hard
pressed. The 1st " Stonewall " brigade moved on the enemy's
front through the swamp, so frequently mentioned, and did some
of the hardest fighting of the whole day.
It is related that when his lines at this point were hard
pressed, Jackson turned to an officer of his staff, and said
quickly:' Where is the 1st brigade?"
" In the woods, yonder, General."




224            LIFE OF STONEWVALL JACKSON.
" Order it to advance! " was Jackson's brief response, and
soon the lines werel seen sweeping forward. As they charged.
the officers and men were heard shouting, " Jackson! Jackson! 
The enemy contended with especial obstinacy for the possession of the ground at this point, which was the key of his position; and the roar of his artillery and musketry, as his fire converged upon it, was appalling. Jackson said that night, in the
hearing  of the writer, that it was " the most terrible fire of
musketry he ever heard," and all who heard it will recognize
the truth of the description. The old brigade did not flinch
from the ordeal.  Under its brave leader, General Charles Winder, it moved steadily on, amid the tempest of projectiles, and
driving the enemy from point to point, stormed his last position,
three hundred yards beyond McGee's, with the bayonet.  The
2d brigade was sent to re nforce General Wilcox, at his own
request, but arrived too late to take part in the engagement.
The 3d brigade, sent to support Whiting, also came too late.
The 4th brigade took part in the general charge late in the
evening.
General Whiting's division, which held the right of Jackson's
line, advanced through the wood and swamp, in face of a murderous fire. Hood's 4th (Texas) brigade charged with a loud
yell, and rushing down the precipitous ravine, leaping ditch and
stream, pressed forward over the enemy's abatis, and- every
obstruction, driving all before them. They lost 1,000 men, but
took 14: pieces of cannon, and nearly a regime-nt of prisoners.
It was of the Texans that Jackson said on the next day, when
he surveyed the ditch and abatis, over which they charged:
" The men who carried this position were soldiers indeed! "
Of General Hood's decisive charge upon the Federal works
near MIcGee's house, one of his Texans gives an animated
sketch, of which a portion is here presented.  " While Hood's
brigade," says the writer, " was formed in line of battle, the 4th
Texas was held in partial reserve, and soon became separated
from the other regiments of the brigade. After remaining in




COLD HARBOR.                    225
the rear, lying down, for perhaps half an hour, General Hood
came for us, and moving by the right flank about half a mile,
halted us in an open space to the right of some timber, and in
rear of an apple orchard.  The sight which we here beheld
beggars description.  The ground was strewn with the dead and
dying-, while our ranks were broken at every instant by flying
and panic-stricken soldiers. In front of us was the' Old 3d
brigade,' who, but a few  moments before, had started with
cheers to storm the fatal palisade. But the storm of iron and
lead was too severe, they' wavered' for a moment, and fell upon
the ground. At this instant General Hood, who had, in person, taken command of our regiment, commanded in his clear
ringing voice,'Forward, quick, march,' and onward moved
the little band of five hundred, with the coolness of veterans.
Here Colonel Marshall fell dead from his horse, pierced by a
-Miuie ball.  Volleys of musketry, and showers of grape, canister, and shell ploughed through us, but were only answered by
the stern'Close up-close up to the colors,' and onward they
rushed over the dead and dying, without a pause, until within
about one hundred yards of the breastworks.  We had reached
the apex of the hill, and some of the men seeing the enemy just
before themn, commenced discharging their pieces. It was at
this point that preceding brigades had  halted, and beyond
which none had gone, in consequence of the terrible concentrated fir'e of the concealed enemy. At this critical juncture the
voice of General Hood was heard above the din of battle,
" Forward, forward, charge right down on them, and drive
them out with the bayonet.' Fixing bayonets as they moved,
they made one grand rush for the fort; down the hill, across
the creek and fallen timber, and the next minute saw our battle
flag planted upon the captured breastwork.  The enemy, frightened at the rapid approach of pointed steel, rose from behind
their defences, and started up the hill at speed. One volley was
poured into their backs, and it seemed as if every ball found a
victim, so great was the slaughter.  Their works were ours,
and, as our flag moved from the first to the second tier of dle15




226           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
fences, a shout arose from the shattered remnant of that regiment, and which will long be remembered by those who heard
it; a shout which announced that the wall of death was broken,
and victory, which had hovered doubtfully for hours over that
bloody field, had at length perched upon the battle flag of the
4th Texas. Right and left it was taken up and rang along the
lines for miles; long after many of those who had started it
were in eternity."
The movements which we have here referred to, took place
together all along the line. The declining sun looked down
upon a conflict of unspeakable desperation and bitterness, and
hour after hour the battle continued to rage, growing madder
and more bloody as the shades of night drew near. With intense but thoroughly suppressed excitement, Jackson moved to
and fro, receiving despatches, issuing orders, gazing at any one
who spoke to him with a quick flash of the dark keen eye, and
speaking in the curt, brief accents which characterized him.
He listened intently to the crash of musketry which issued from
the woods in front, and waited. The sound did not shift its direction, no change in the position of the combatants was discernible, and the roar continued, incessant and undiminished.
It was obvious that the Federal forces had not been repulsed,
and toward dusk a courier galloped up and delivered a message
from one of the generals that " the enemy did not give way."
Jackson's eyes glittered under his cap, and in words which
issued with a species of jerk, one by one as it were, from his lips,
he said: " Tell h]im if they stand at sunset to press them with
the bayonet! "
General Stuart, who was near, said: " You had better send a
second messenger, General, this one may be shot."
Jackson nodded, and turning to a mounted man, said: " You
go."9
Major Pendleton of his staff, however, volunteered, and bore
the duplicate order, and in a quarter of an hour the result was
perceived. The musketry fire had been heavy before, it now
became frightful. The order to charge with the bayonet had




GENERAL MIcCLELLAN RETREATS TO JAMES RIVER. 227
been obeyed, and the Confederate lines advanced, carrying all
before them. In spite of the terrible fire from the triple line of
Federal infantry on the ridge, and the incessant cannonade of
the batteries in front and flank, they steadily swept on, and before this determined charge the Federal lines gave way. They
were driven from the ravines and swamps to the first tier of
breastworks, over which the Confederates charged upon the
crest blazing with artillery. This last line was stormed at the
point of tile bayonet, and abandoning their pieces the Federal
troops fell back in the wildest disorder.
The battle was over, and, posted in advance of his batteries,
near the Old Cold Harbor house, his figure clearly revealed by
the fires which the shell had kindled, Jackson, whose corps had
decided the event, listened to the wild cheers of his men, as
they pressed the retreating enemy toward Grapevine bridge.
CHAPTER IV.
GENERAL MroCLELLAN RETREATS TO JA3MES RIVER.
WHEN night fell on Friday, June 27th, 1862, General McClellan was defeated.
Thenceforth the only question was, how could he withdraw
his shattered and disheartened forces to a place of safety.  Two
lines of retreat were open, both perilous: One down the Peninsula, with the vengeful Confederates assailing him at every
step, forcing him to turn and give battle day by day, if indeed
the first encounter did not terminate in the destruction of his
command. The other toward James River, on the right bank
of the Chickahominy, right through the Confederate lines,
through swamps and streams, over treacherous roads, through
the tangled morass, withl Lee on his rear and flank, ready to
destroy him.
Neither prospect was inviting, but rapid decision was neces



228            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
sary; and General McClellan determined to retreat toward
Harrison's Landing on James River.
The condition of things at the end of the battle, and the
state of the Federal troops, is well described by a correspondent
of the New York " Tribune."  The first sentences contain a
statement of the impression produced upon the Federal troops
by Jackson's appearance at Cold Harbor:
"' My note-book," writes the correspondent, "' says that, at
six o'clock, the enemy commenced a determined attack on our
extreme right, evidently with a design of flanking us. It was
an awful firing that resounded from that smoke-clouded valleynot heavier than some in the earlier part of the engagement,
but more steady and determined. It was only by overbearing
exhausted men with fresh ones, that the enemy succeeded in
turning that flank, as, at length, he did succeed, only too well;
and he accomplished it in three-quarters of an hour.  At the
expiration of that time, our officers judiciously ordered their
men to fall back; the order was not obeyed so judiciously, for
they ran back, broken, disordered, routed.  Simultaneously the
wounded and skulkers about the buildings used as hospitals,
caught a panic, whether from a few riderless horses plunging
madly across the field, or from instantaneously scenting the
rout, does not appear. A motley mob started pell-mell for the
bridges. They were overtaken by many just from the woods,
and it seemed as if Bull Run were to be repeated.'" Meanwhile the panic extended.  Scores of gallant officers
endeavored to rally and re-form  the stragglers, but in vain;
while many officers forgot the pride of their shoulder-straps, and
the honor of their manhood, and herded with the sneaks and
cowards. 0, that I had known the names. of those officers I
saw, the brave and the cowardly, that here, now, I might reward
and punish, by directing upon each individual the respect or the
contempt of a whole people 1
"' That scene was not one to be forgotten. Scores of riderless, terrified horses, dashing in every direction; thick flying
bullets singhing by, admonishing of danger; every minute a man
zD   C;I'Drb~L  J~  -~LIVl.hLIL1) V    MII




GENERAL MIoCLELLA N RETREATS TO JAIES RIVER. 229
struck down; wagons and ambulances and cannon blockading
the way; wounded men limping and groaning and bleeding
amid the throng; officers and civilians denouncing, and reasoning, and entreating, and being insensibly borne along with the
mass; the sublime cannonading, the clouds of battle-smoke, and
the sun just disappearing, large and blood-red —I cannot picture
it, but I see it, and always shall."
On the morning of the 28th it was ascertained that a portion of the Federal force still remained on the northern bank of
the Chickahominy; and as General Lee had no assurance that
they would not push forward reenforcements from the Peninsula, and make another effort to preserve their communications,
and save the enormous accumulation of public stores at the
White House, General Ewell was sent forward to Dispatch Station, about one mile east of the Chickahominy, on the York
River Railroad, with orders to seize the road, and cut the enemy's communications with the White I-louse. In this movement
General Stuart cooperated with his cavalry, advancing in front
of Ewell, and encountering the enemy at Dispatch.
As soon as Stuart's cavalry dashed up, the Federal forces at
this point retreated in haste across the Chickahominy, burning
the railroad bridge in their rear, and Ewell coming up, destroyed
a portion of the track of the road.
General Stuart-then proceeded down the railroad, to ascertain if there was any movement of the enemy in that direction,
and reaching the White House, attacked and drove off a gunboat, which was still in the river at that place. With a Blakely
gun Captain John Pelham attacked the dark-h-ulled, " monster,"
as the journals then styled these vessels, drove. it from its moorings, and chased it down the river, until it disappeared behind
the wooded bend. At General Stuart's approach, the officer
commanding at the White I-louse had set fire to the great masses
of stores there, and retreated down the Peninsula. As the cavalry galloped up, the scene was one mass of crackling flames
and lurid smoke, through which were visible the blackened ruins
of the "White House" mansion, the property of Colonel W.




230           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
11. F. Lee, son of the Confederate commander, and the scene
of Washington's marriage. From  the burning mass General
Stuart rescued several railroad engines, and about 10,000 stand
of arms, partially burned; and on the next day, leaving a
squadron to hold the position, hastened back to bear his part in
the great scenes which still continued to attract all eyes to the
banks of the Chickahominy.
Let us go back to the morning of the 28th of June, when
Stuart took up the line of march for the White House. Up to
the moment when the Federal forces retreated from Dispatch,
burning the railroad bridge, and crossing to the south side of the
stream, the intentions of General McClellan were undeveloped.
It then became plain that he had abandoned the line of the York
River Railroad; and early in the forenoon, the clouds of dust
which rose from the southern bank of the Chickahominy, indicated that the Federal troops were in motion. Their destination still, however, remained unknown. No certain evidences
of McClellan's intention to retreat toward Harrison's Landing
were observed, and as he still had at his command Bottom's and
Long bridges over the Chickahominy below, the line of retreat
down the Peninsula remained open. To frustrate any movement in that direction, Ewell was ordered to move from Dispatch
to Bottom's bridge, on the main road from Richmond to Williamsburg; and Stuart, on the next day, pushed on with his
cavalry, to guard the bridges still lower down.
Late in the afternoon of the 28th, the Federal works on the
south side of the Chickahominy, in front of Richmond, were reported to be fully manned, and their forces exhibited no intention of retiring. Here, however, commenced that run of good
fortune which General McClellan derived from the character of the
ground.  The densely-wooded lowgrounds, penetrated only by
narrow and winding roads, enabled the Federal commander to
make his dispositions without chance of discovery; and at the
moment when his  frowning fortifications bristled with heavy
guns, with cannoneers at their posts, rapid arrangements were
being made to retreat to James River. During the night these




GENERAL McCLELLAN RETREATS TO JAMES RIVER. 231
movements were too general to be longer concea]led, and it was
soon discovered that the entire Federal army was in full retreat.
Then commenced the great movement which will long be remembered for the horrors which accompanied it. The Confederates followed at dawn; and we shall proceed to narrate briefly
the events which ensued, without undertaking to decide upon the
charges of grave neglect of duty preferred by public opinion
against some of the Confederate officers, for permitting the Federal forces to elude them. General I-uger was to move by the
Charles City road, so as to strike the flank of the retreating
columnn  and General Magruder by the Williamsburg road, in
order to assail their rear. Jackson, who had remained on the
northern bank of the Chickahominy both to cut off their retreat
down the Peninsula and from his inability to cross until the
bridges destroyed by the enemy in their rear were reconstructed,
was now ordered to cross to the south bank, and move directly
down the stream to co6perate with Magruder in the attack upon
the Federal rear.
On the night of the 29th, accordingly, Jackson, now rejoined
by Ewe!l, took up the line of march for the new scene of operations, crossing at Grapevine bridge, a short distance north of the
railroad. This bridge had furnished an avenue of retreat to
General M1cClellan, on the night of the 27th, when his forces
fell back from Cold Harbor; and having passed over the rolling
structure of loose logs, half buried in the slushy soil, he had destroyed it behind him. Jackson hastily reconstructed it, and
pushed forward without pause toward Savage Station, the line
of the enemy's retreat.
Meanwhile the thunder of artillery throughout the latter
part of the afternoon had indicated the progress of a severe engagement between the Federal forces and Mlagruder. Following
the retreating column, Magruder had found their whole line of
works deserted, and vast amounts of military stores abandoned.
Approaching Savage's Station about noon,'he came upon their
rear guard, and attacked them with one of his divisions-the
conflict continuing until night. The loss inflicted was consider



232            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
able, and at nightfall General McClellan continued his retreat,
leaving behind immense amounts of stores and 2,500 men in the
hospitals. The stores had been partially burned, and the enemy
had loaded a long railroad train with their surplus ammunition,
gotten the engine under a fuill head of steam, and applying a
slow match to the ordnance, started the diabolical messenger on
its way toward the Chickahominy. The engine rushed on with
its dangerous freight until it reached the destroyed bridge, where
the train blew up with a roar which was heard more than thirty
miles-the cars rolling, torn to pieces, into the river; the grimy
engine hanging like some inanimate monster on the very brink
of the trestle work, in the centre of the stream, where, by some
strange chance, it had not toppled over.
The enemy's stand at Savage's Station had been made with
the design of covering the further retreat of their main body.
In this they succeeded, and, crossing White Oak Swamp without interruption, they destroyed the bridge behind them  and
were comparatively safe.
Jackson reached Savage's Station on the morning of the
30th, and gathered up about 1,000 stragglers from the Federal
army.  He did not delay his march, and pushing on, came up
with the enemy at White Oak Swamp, where they had assumed
a position behind the destroyed bridge, which rendered the passage of the stream in their front impossible. His artillery was
placed in position, and a steady cannonade commenced-during
which a severe action known as the battle of Frayser's Farmn
took place lower down.
Longstreet and A. P. Hill had pushed forward, and soon
came upon the Federal forces strongly posted on the Long bridge
road, about a mile from its intersection with the Charles City
road. General Hugoer had reported that his progress was obstructed, but about four P. mI. firing was heard on the Charles
City road, which was supposed to indicate his approach; and
Longstreet opened with his artillery to announce his presence.
A fierce and sanguinary conflict followed between the enemy
and Longstreet reinforced by A. P. HI-ill. General Huger did
Z-)o




MALVEIRN HILL.                   233
not come up, and Jackson was unable to force the passage of
White Oak Swamp: tlhus the two first-named commands bore
the brunt of the whole battle, which raged furiously until nine
o'clock at night. At that hour the Federal forces had been
driven with great slaughter from every position but one, which
they maintained until darkness settled down upon the woods.
Under the cover of night they continued to fall back, leaving
their dead and wounded on the field, several thousands of small
arms scattered about, and large. numbers of prisoners, including
a general of division.
The battle of Frayser's Farm was the turning point of the
drama.  General McClellan fought with desperation, and managed to hold his ground until night, when he continued his retreat toward James River.
CHAPTER V.
A L  ERN  HILL.
EARLY on the next morning —the 1st of July-Jackson forced
the passage of White Oak Swamp, captured a part of the Federal artillery, and pressing forward, reached the battle-field of
the evening before, where he was assigned to the front by General Lee, and immediately continued the pursuit.
His presence infused new ardor into the movement, and, advancing down the Willis Church road, under an incessant fire
from the Federal rear guard, he found himself in front of Malvern Hill.
On this powerful position General McClellan had drawn up
his entire army to repel the assault of his obstinate and untiring
foes. His left rested near Crewe's house, and his right near
Binford's. His infantry was behind hastily constructed earthworks, and his artillery so massed as to concentrate a deadly fire
upon every avenue of approach. In front the ground was open
for about half a mile, and sloping gradually from the crest occu



234           LIFE OF STONEWVALL JACKSON.
pied by the Federal forces, was completely swept by their infantry and artillery. To reach this open ground, the Confederate
troops were compelled to advance through a broken and thicklywooded country, traversed by streams and swamps, passable in
very few places; and this whole ground was in easy range of
the batteries on the heights as well as the gunboats in the river.
A more formidable position in which to repulse an assault
can scarcely be imagined, and the sequel plainly pointed out the
good generalship of the officer who had selected it.
General Lee determined to attack, and immediately made
his dispositions for battle. Jackson formed his line with
Whiting's division on the left and D. HI. Hill's on the right-one
of Ewell's brigades occupying the interval between them. The
rest of Ewell's and Jackson's old division were held in reserve
in the woods near Willis' Church. On the right of Jackson's
line were posted two of General Huger's brigades, and on the
extreme right of the Confederate line General Magruder's command was stationed. Longstreet and A. P. Hill were held in
reserve, and took no part in the action. These dispositions were
not made until late in the afternoon-the dense woods almost
wholly interrupting communication.  The same circumstance
prevented a sufficient amount of artillery from being thrown into
action; and under these disheartening circumstances the battle
commenced.
Malvern Hill was less a battle, scientifically disputed, than a
bloody combat in which masses of' men rushed forward and were
swept away by the terrible fire of artillery concentrated in their
front.  D. H. Hill, hearing, as he supposed, the signal from
General Lee for a general advance, put his lines in motion, and
advanced to'attack the tremendous position before him. He
was resolutely met, and so hard pressed that he was compelled
to call urgently for reinforcements. Jackson promptly sent forward Ewell's reserve and his own division; but owing to the
swampy nature of the ground, the thick undergrowth, and gathering darkness, their march was so much retarded that they did
not arrive in time to enable Hill to maintain his position, and he




IMALVERN HILL.                   235
was forced to fall back with heavy loss. On the left, Whiting,
with his batteries, drove back an advance of the Federal line
upon Taylor's brigade, holding Jackson's centre; but this was
decisive of no results.
On the right the command of Magruder and Huger gallantly
advanced to the attack. Several determined efforts were made
to storm the Federal position near Crewe's house, and the brigades advanced without faltering across the open field, in face
cf a hundred pieces of artillery which tore their lines as they
rushed forward, and a deadly and destructive fire of musketry
firom the masses of infantry upon the crest. As they approached
the hill some of the brigades gave way, and recoiled before the
awful fire directed upon them; but others continued to advance,
and, charging the Federal guns, drove them and their infantry
supports from  the position, leaving their dead mingled with
those of the Federal troops upon the bill.
But these efforts were all unavailing.  The position of the
enemy was so powerful, and the absence of concert between the
Confederate columns so fatal, that the Federal lines remained
unbroken; and after struggling desperately to hold the ground
thus won, the C'onfederate lines were compelled to fall back and
surrender their hard-earned advantage. The firing' continued
until nine at night, when silence settled upon the battle-field, and
the weary troops lay down within a hundred yards of the Federal guns.
Such was the battle of Malvern Hill, one of the most fierce
and sanguinary engagements of the war. Our sketch has been
tame and unequal to the subject; perhaps the reader may find
in the following sentences of a newspaper writer, soon after the
action, a more animated description:
" General McClellan," says this writer, " prepared, in the
language of one of his officers, to' clothe the hill in sheets of
flame.' Every ravine swarmed with his thousands, and along
the crest of every hill flashed forth his numerous artillery, having for the most part an unbroken play over the ascending slope,
and across cleared fields of twelve hundred yards in length.




236           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
"N Notwithstanding the formidable nature of this position, it
was determined to attack him, and late in the afternoon of
Tuesday, July 1st, this tremendous contest commenced. Soon
Malvern Hill was sheeted with ascending and descending flames
of fire. Thirty-seven pieces of artillery, supported at a greater
distance by heavy and more numerous batteries, and by his gunboats, kept faithful ward over the enemy's position, and ploughed
through our columns even before they could see the enemy or
deploy into line of battle. Undismayed by the most terrific cannonading of the war, the advance of 3Magruder's forces commenced. Onward, in the face of a storm of shot and shell, they
pressed forward, until within musket range of the enemy, and
then they opened their fire. Whole lines of the enemy fell as
they stood, or, attempting retreat, were overtaken by the bullets
of our troops, who never veered in their aim or recoiled while
the enemy's infantry remained in range; and when forced back
for a time by the avalanche of converging artillery, yet when the
infantry of the enemy ventured again beyond their batteries, our
lines advanced with shout and bayonet and drove them back
among the reserves and behind the wall of fire which flamed
along the mouths of the circling cannon.  Thus the contest
ebbed and flowed until night spread its mantle on the battlefield.'The batteries of the enemy were not captured by assault,
because no line of men could live in their converging fires, sweeping unobstructed the attacking forces for twelve hundred yards,
but his line of infantry was repeatedly broken with frightful
slaughter by the fierce charges of our troops, who held their
position and slept on the field, within one hundred yards of the
enemy's guns. The extent of the carnage of the enemy no one
imagined until daylight revealed it in the horrors of the battlefield. Our dead lay close together, producing thus upon the beholder an exaggerated impression of the number; but an examination showed that the loss of the enemy much exceeded ours.
His dead lay everywhere-here in line of battle, there in wild
confusion of rout and retreat; not a ravine, not a glade, not a




MALVERN HILL.                   237
hill that was not dotted by their mangled forms, while every
dwelling, outhouse, barn and stable for miles around, was
crowded with their dead and dying. In many places groups of
dead were found distant from the battle-field, where it was evident they were carried, with the intent of bearing them to the
river, and where they were roughly and rudely tossed on the
wayside when the panic overtook their escort. Every indication
showed the wildest flight of the enemy. Cannon and caissons
were abandoned, and for miles the road was filled with knapsacks, rifles, muskets, etc.  Loaded wagons were left on the
road, with vast quantities of ammunition unexploded. Caisson
drivers opened their ammunition chests, and threw out their
powder and round shot to lighten their loads, to enable them to
keep up with the rapid flight. It is hazarding but little to say
that when night put an end to the battle, the whole army of McClellan, with the exception of the artillery, and its diminished
infantry guard near Crewe's and Turner's houses, was utterly
disorganized, and had become a mob of stragglers. At daylight
aext morning nothing could be seen of his army except some
cavalry pickets that in the distance observed our advance. We
do not believe that 15,000 of the Grand Army of the Potomac
retreated from the bloody heights of Malvern Hill as soldiery.
If nature had scooped out the bed of James River, twenty miles
distant from Malvern Hill, the Grand Army of the Potomac
would have ceased to exist."
The Federal army had indeed retreated in the night to Harrison's Landing, and the long agony was over.




238           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER VI.
FEDERAL ACCOUNTS OF THE RETREAT.
GENERAL /MCCLELLAN had thus made good his retreat, but
in so doing he had passed through scenes the description of
which in army letters harrowed for many months the blood of
the whole Northern people.
The aim of this work is to present as faithful a picture as
possible of the great series of events in which Jackson took
part, and the statements of some Federal writers will here be
given in reference to General McClellan's retreat.  They are
vivid, and paint the great lurid picture in bloody colors. That
picture is a part of the present subject, since Jackson's corps
first broke the Federal lines and compelled them to fall back;
and his troops followed closely on the Federal rear, and largely
contributed to the decisive result. A correspondent of the New
York " Tribune" thus describes the scene:
"Huddled among the wagons were 10,000 stragglers-for
the credit of the nation be it said that four-fifths of them were
wounded, sick, or utterly exhausted, and could not have stirred
but for dread of the tobacco warehouses of the South. The confusion of this herd of men and mules, wagons and wounded,
men on horses, men on foot, men by the roadside, men perched
on wagons, men searching for water, men famishing for food,
men lame and bleeding, men with ghostly eyes, looking out
between bloody bandages, that hid the face-turn to some vivid
account of the most pitiful part of Napoleon's retreat from Russia, and fill out the picture-the grim, gaunt, bloody picture of
war in its most terrible features.
" It was determined to move on during the night. The distance to Turkey Island bridge, the point on James River which
was to be reached, by the direct road, was six miles. But those
vast numbers could not move over one narrow road in days;




FEDERAL ACCOUNTS OF THE RETREAT.            239
hence every by-road, no matter how circuitous, had been searched
out by questioning prisoners and by cavalry excursions. Every
one was filled by one of the advancing columns. The whole
fiont was in motion by seven P. A., General Keyes in command
of the advance.
"' I rode with General Howe's brigade of Cpuch's division,
taking a wagon track through dense woods and precipitous ravines winding sinuously far around to the left, and striking the
river some distance below Turkey Island.  Commencing at
dusk, the march continued until daylight.  The night was dark
and fearful. Heavy thunder rolled in turn along each point of
the heavens, and dark clouds spread the entire canopy. We
were forbidden to speak aloud; or, lest the light of a cigar
should present a target for an ambushed rifle, we were cautioned
not to smoke. Ten miles of' weary nmarching, with frequent
halts, as some one of the hundred vehicles of the artillery train,
in our centre, by a slight deviation crashed against a tree, wore
away the hours to dawn, when we were debouched into a magnificent wheat field, and the smoke stack of the Galena was in
sight. Xenophon's remnant of ten thousand, shouting,' The sea!
the sea!' were not more glad than we."
It is certain that the whole Federal army shared this feeling.
Another writer in the New York "1 Times " says: " When an aid
of General McClellan rode back and reported that the way was
all open to James River, a thrill of relief ran through the whole
line, and the sight of the green fields skirting its banks was indeed an oasis in the terrible desert of suspense and apprehension
through which they had passed. The teams were now put upon a
lively trot, in order to relieve the pressure upon that portion
still in the rear.
" General McClellan and staff rode ahead and took possession of the old estate known as Malvern Hill, one mile back
from Turkey Island Bend. It is a large, old-fashionQd estate,
originally built by the French, and has near it, in front, an old
earthwork  constructed  by General Washington  during the
Revolutionary War. It has a spacious yard shaded by vener



240           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
able elms and other trees.  A fine view of the river can be
had from  this elevated position.  General McClellan expressed
the opinion that, with a brief time to prepare, the position
could be held against any force the enemry can bring against
us.
" Exhausted by long watching and fatigue, and covered
thickly with the dust of the road over which we hlad passed,
many officers threw themselves upon the shady and grassy lawn
to rest. The soldiers also, attracted by the shady trees, surrounded the house, or bivouacked in the fields near by. General McClellan immediately addressed himself to the task of preparing despatches for the Government."
From the composition of his despatches General IMcClellan
was diverted by the intelligence that the enemy were approaching to attack him in his last stronghold. That attack was soon
made and General McClellan was able, as we have seen, by
massing his artillery upon strong positions, to repulse the Confederate assault, and hold the ground until the welcome shades
of night put an end to the contest.  But the battle of Malvern
Hill; indecisive as it appeared, had a conclusive effect upon the
Federal army. The frightful carnage which took place in their
ranks bore heavily upon the spirits of men who were completely
exhausted by the prostrating fatigue and excitement of six days
of marching and fighting, almost without rest or food. From
the 26th of June, the Federal troops had had no breathing space.
They were either engaged in desperate combat, or retreating,
hotly pursued. The Confederate column still followed, as fresh
and vigorous, to all appearances, as ever; and under these combined influences of fatigue, famine, disaster, and hopelessness, the
hearts of the Federal troops sunk. They gave up all further idea
of victory; many threw down their arms, and sacuve tui petut
was now the order of the day throughout almost the entire Federal army. They no longer looked forward toward the Confederate lines, but backward toward Harrison's Landing, where,
under the shelter of the gunboats, they saw their only hope of
extrication from the horrors which surrounded them. Broken




FEDERAL ACCOuNTS OF THE RETREAT.            241
in spirit, prostrated physically, and seeing in further contests
additional disaster only, they gave up the struggle, straggled
away, and arrived at the haven of' safety a confused and
disorderly mob, rather than a disciplined and effective army.
The following paragraph, from  the correspondent of the
New York " Tribune," at Harrison's Landing, on the 2d of
July, describes the demeanor of General McClellan, and the
condition of his troops:' General McClellan came on board the mail boat, greatly
perturbed.  IHe met General Patterson as he stepped on board,
laid his hand on his shoulder, and took him in a hurried manner into the aft cabin, or ladies' saloon. As he went in he beat
the air with his right hand clenched, from which all present inferred there was bad news. To the astonishment of the writer,
it was subsequently explained' that the whole Army of the Potomac lay stretched along the banks of the river where we lay,
having fought their way all through from Fair Oaks, a distance
of thirty miles.' General McClellan, however, claimed that his
troops' had fought the Confederates in superior numbers every
day for a week, and whipped them every time.' To a question
as to the location of certain divisions and their generals, the answer was,' They are scattered everywhere, but are, nevertheless, in a solid, compact body.' And in reply to another remark,
it was said,' What we want is fresh men; they (the troops) are
worked to death."'
The great advance upon Richmond from the Peninsula had
thus failed, like that from the direction of the Valley.  General
MIcClellan's large army, which he stated on his trial numbered
150,000, of whom 112,000 were effective for the field, had been
entirely defeated, in battle after battle, and driven to seek protection uncder the portholes of the gunboats on James River.
The Federal bulletins represented the movement from Cold Harbor to Harrison's Landing as only a premeditated " change of
base," to attain a more favorable position for a new advance on
Richmond; and it is true that General BlcClellan foresaw the
attack upon his right, and really did intend to move his forces
16




242           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
gradually toward James River. Still it was obvious that this
movement had now been made under compulsion, and that the
safety of his army rather than the attainment of a stronger position, induced him to fall back to Harrison's Landing. In
other words, the movement was not a military change of base,
but a compulsory retreat, in consequence of the bloody defeat at
Cold Harbor; and so it was regarded by the world. General
McClellan had evidently suffered a disastrous and conclusive
defeat. Hle had played for a great stake, and brought all his
skill and energy to bear upon the game, but it had gone against
him. He was bankrupt, and the world could not be induced to
believe that he rose the winner.
The effective Federal force engaged in all portions of the
field had been, by General McClellan's subsequent statement,
112,000 men. The writer cannot state the amount of Confederate troops accurately, and does not venture to set down the
exact number. The force under General Lee after Jackson's
arrival was generally estimated, however, by intelligent officers
in the Confederate army at 60,000. It maybe said with tolerable certainty that it did not exceed 70,000. The great battles
of the Chickahominy did not depend, however, so much upon
the number of the troops, as upon the skill of the commanders.
The best proof of General Lee's abilities as a soldier, lies in
the fact that General McClellan discovered his adversary's intentions, but does not seem to have been able to counteract
them. On the 25th he wrote to President Lincoln that he'" would probably be attacked to-morrow," but his position was
such that he could not guard against the assault, or meet it with
greater success. He had anticipated this very movement, but
had not been permitted by General Lee to avoid it by changing
the base of his army to James River. The inexorable fate approached in the person of Lee; the dial pointed to the destined
hour —and the star of M3[cClellan's fortunes went down in blood.
Lee had thus outgeneraled his great adversary, and reversed
all his plans. The result had proved the Confederate commander to be one of the most accomplished sol'iers of history;




FEDERAL ACCOUNTS OF THE RETREAT.           243
but in estimating his great merits, we should not lose sight of
the admirable fighting qualities of his troops, or the conspicuous
abilities of his subordinate commanders. Lee had shown himself to be a great captain-but he had admirable lieutenants.
Longstreet, the stubborn and unyielding fighter, who, like the
" War Horse," a name given him by Lee, seemed to thrill at
the " thunder of the captains and the shouting," and rejoice in
the hard brunt of action; A. P. Hill, the dashing, chivalric,
headlong commander of the "'Light Division," who seemed to
understand with difficulty that the moment sometimes arrived
when a general must fall back; Ewell, the blunt and determined
soldier, trained and confided in by Jackson; Magruder, the passionate, excitable, and enterprising leader; Hood, the daring
and indomitable Texan, tall, powerful, with his kind face and
honest smile, but under all a will of iron; Stuart, the prince of
cavalrymen, with his native genius for the career of arms, his
daring, nerve, and coolness even in a charge-that coolness
which remained unshaken, whatever perils menaced him; the
generals of divisions and brigades; the colonels of regiments;
the commanders of squadrons and battalions; the captains of
companies-all cooperated with the troops, and carried out the
plans of General Lee, with a skill and vigor which alone could
accomplish such results.
Among these distinguished soldiers, marching under Lee,
none had performed more important services in the recent battles than Jackson. When he appeared upon the field the battle
was almost lost, and the Confederate lines were on the point of
falling back. The sound of his guns changed the whole face of
affairs, as by magic; and when he threw his trained troops
against the Federal lines, they began in their turr. to waver.
This was always the signal with Jackson for a more resolute
attack; that attack was made, and the result was a decisive victory, in which Jackson's corps had borne the chief part.
He fought upon this occasion with the science of a trained
soldier, but the anxiety of earlier days in the Valley was spared
him. IIis troops no longer required watching and careful ma



244           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
nouvring to make them victorious. The raw levies had become
old soldiers, and fought with a steadiness which spared their
commander all solicitude. This was shown in Jackson's demeanor on the field. HIe had the air of one who knew upon
what he relied, and did not doubt the result.
Malvern Hill was the end of the struggle around Richmond.
It is true that General Lee sent Jackson forward on the next
day toward Harrison's Landing, and that on the day after there
was a desultory skirmish between the opposing forces. But the
roll of great events was exhausted, the curtain had fallen upon
the bloody drama.
Subsequent revelations, by General McClellan, of the strength
and condition of his army at that time, afford ample reason for
believing that an advance would have terminated in his capture;
but upon grounds which seemed to them at that time conclusive,
the Confederate authorities determined to retire; and on the 8th
of July the forces were accordingly withdrawn.  Jackson's
corps fell into line, left the hot pine woods in which they had
lain, sweltering in front of the enemy, and took up the line of
march for the neighborhood of Richmond.
Jackson had lost at the battle of Cold Harbor 589 killed,
and 2,671 wounded. At the battle of Malvern Hill 377 killed,
and 1,746 wounded.
The corps had sustained, in the fullest degree, its reputation,
won in the hard combats beyond the mountains, and had left its
mark all along the road from Ashland, by Cold Harbor to Malvern Hill; but it had left, too, some of its most precious blood,
poured out in the lowlands, as other precious blood had been, in
the Virginia Valley. Many brave souls slept under the green
sod of the Hanover slopes, in the silent swamps of the Chickahominy, and beneath the dim pines of Charles City, sighing over
their unknown graves. There may they rest in peace.




THE END OF THE DRAMA.                 245
CHAPTER VII.
THE END OF THE DRAMA.
THE memorable "battles around Richmond"  had thus resulted in the defeat of the Federal campaign, and the remnant
of General McClellan's army had retired for safety under the
frowning muzzles of the gunboats on James River.
We have traced in detail the movements which led to this
result, but in the hurry of the narrative have omitted some
things which are necessary to an intelligent comprehension of
the situation of the adversaries.
At the moment when General Lee struck at him, General
McClellan was within cannon shot of Richmond, and his great
numbers seemed to render its capture certain. From the White
House, their base of supply on York River, to Seven Pines,
within four or five miles of the city, the Federal troops were
encamped on every hill and in every valley. The fields and
forests of New Kent, Henrico, and Hanover, which. had made
those counties among the most attractive in the State, were full
of tents; the woods were disappearing after the fences, the
meadows were traversed by wagon roads, the old mansions taken
for hospitals or burned; and, under their impromptu arbors of
b-oughs, the Federal soldiers divided the proceeds of their forays
upon the neighboring estates. The troops seem to have fully
expected to take Richmond whenever a general advance was
made upon it; but General MIcClellan was not so well assured
of the result. He seems to have shrunk from risking a battle,
and evidently designed to capture the place by regular approaches-to advance step by step, constructing powerful works
as he proceeded, until his heavy guns should bear directly upon
the city, and compel its evacuation. He was energetically pursuing this design, when, on the 27th of July, he was compelled




246            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
to concentrate his army, as far as he could, behind Powhite Creek,
near Cold Harbor, to protect himself from destruction.
This battle has been much misunderstood. It has been regarded by many persons as only a link in the chain of events, but
it was in reality the day of decisive defeat for General McClellan.
The action at Mechanicsville was comparatively an affair of the
outpost, and the Federal commander promptly abandoned his
position there, and concentrated his entire available force for
the decisive struggle at Cold Harbor. I-Ie meant that to be the
ground upon which the issue should be decided; his ability to
hold the works behind Powhite Creek, the test of every thing.
They were stormed, and carried with the bayonet, and General
M~icClellan had been defeated. What remained for him now was
retreat; and all the fighting which followed was merely the
effort of a good soldier to fall back in order, and save the remnant of his army.
General McClellan's position was at that moment extremely
embarrassing.  As we have seen, he was called upon to decide
rapidly whether he.would retreat down the Peninsula, thus preserving his stores at the White House, or march across to James
River, a movement the moral effect of which would be much
better on the troops. Hle decided promptly upon the latter course,
but successfully masked his intention. A force was left on the
north bank of the Chickahominy, and General Lee was thus in
doubt as to the intended line of retreat. When that force was
attacked on the 28th, it retired to the southern bank, and the
perilous retrograde movement throughl the swamps of Henrico
and Charles City commenced. The ability displayed by General
McClellan in this movement is unquestionable.  Its success,
with the subsequent campaign of the same commander in lMaryland, entitle him, all things considered, to the palm of superiority
over all other generals of the Federal army. At every step the
Confederate advance was confronted by a powerful and admirably handled rear guard, supported by artillery; and the skill and
courage displayed by the Federal officers and troops, with the
difficult character of the country, effected their object.  At




THE END OF THE IRAMA.                 247
White Oak Swamp, the position chosen by General McClellan
was so excellent that Jackson could make no impression upon it;
and at Frayser's Farm the Confederate columns were held in check
until dark.  On  lalvern Hill a decisive stand was made, 3McClellan massed his artillery, fought with the fury of despair, and
repulsed every assault upon his shattered ranks.  W~hen he
reached Harrison's Landing, as he did on the same night, it was
to his skill and soldership alone that the Federal authorities owed
the salvation of the army.
The Northern forces had thus escaped utter rout, but the
results achieved by General Lee's attack were very great. In
mere war material these embraced fifty pieces of artillery, many
thousands of small-arms, millions worth of property, and thousands of prisoners. But the supreme result M8as the deliverance
of the Confederate capital. Richmond had unquestionably been
in imminent danger of capture, and all hearts had begun to despond, when, in one afternoon, the Federal power in front of the
city was effectually broken, and the campaign terminated.
Jackson's part in these events has been described, and he
now became absorbed in his favorite project of invading the
North. This became his possessing thought, and was no secret
from those with whom he conversed. As day after day passed,
in the woods of Charles City, his impatience became extreme,
and one night, while lying down in his tent conversing with a
confidential friend, he suddenly rose from his couch, struck it
violently with his clenched hand, and e.claimed:
Why don't we advance  Now is the time for an advance
into Pennsylvania; McClellan is paralyzed, and the Scipio Africanus policy is the best! [Let the President only give me the
men, and I will undertake it. I say this in no improper spirit.
I will go under any, one-under Ewell, or anybody who will.
fight. General Lee, I believe, would go, but perhaps he cannot."
And then came that tribute to General Lee which we have
already presented to the reader.
The views of Jackson were not concurred in by the Confederate authorities, who, menaced still by the force remaining




248            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
with General McClellan, and by the Federal army assembling at
Warrenton, seemed to have considered their resources too limited
to risk so important a movement, at suchl a distance from the
capital.  The absence, however, of those official revelations
which are the basis of all just views of public events, renders
any definite statement upon this subject premature.
With two little incidents which belong to this period, we
shall conclude our sketch of Jackson around Richmond. The
first exhibits that sternness of spirit which his sweet smile and
courteous manner concealed, and is thus related by the person
who witnessed it. Jackson sent an order to one of' his officers,
in the afternoon at Malvern Hill, to advance across the open
space in front of the Federal works and attack them.  The
officer in question hurried to Jackson, and said almost rudely:
" Did you order me to advance over that field, sir?"
Jackson's eye flashed under the rim of his cap, and, in his
briefest tones, he said:
" Yes."
" Impossible, sir!" exclaimed the officer, " my men will be
annihilated! Nothing can live there! They will be annihilated!"
Jackson listened in silence, but his face grew cold and rigid
with displeasure.  Hle gazed steadily for a moment at the
speaker, raised his finger, and in low brief tones said:
" General -, I always endeavor to take care of my
wounded and to bury my dead. You have heard my orderobey it!"
These words admitted of no reply, and the order was carried
out. The officer who relates the incident declares that he has
never before or since seen such an expression as that which
burned in the eye of Jackson as he uttered the above words.
He looked "' dangerous "-and that admgnition closed the interview.
The second incident displays the great personal popularity
which Jackson had already secured. On the morning after the
battle of Malvern Hill he was riding on the left of his line, when
he met Colonel Munford of thle cavalry, and after some woids




GENERAL POPE IN CULPEPPER.             249
upon military matters, asked him if he had managed to secure
any breakfast. The Colonel informed him that he had, and
Jackson said:
" I should like to have some myself. I wonder if I can get
some buttermilk?"
" Yes, General-come with me," was Colonel Munford's
answer.
And they rode to the plain mansion in which an old lady of' the
humbler class had furnished Colonel Munford with his breakfast.
" Can I get some breakfast for General Jackson, maadam?"
asked the officer;  li he has had none to-day."
" For whom?" exclaimed the good woman, pausing in her
work and looking earnestly at the speaker.
"For General Jackson," was the Colonel's reply.
" General Jackson!  That is not General Jackson!" she
again exclaimed, pointing to the man in the dingy uniform.
" Yes it is, madam."
The old lady gazed at the General for a moment in silence;
her face flushed red, and raising both hands she suddenly burst
into tears.
Every thing in her house was produced without delay, including the longed-for buttermilk; but nothing, evidently, in the old
lady's estimation was good enough for her hero.* These things
touched Jackson more than the plaudits of victory.
CHAPTER  VIII.
GENERAL POPE IN CULPEPPER.
THE disastrous issue of affairs on the Chickahominy took
place at a moment when the Federal arms had achieved important successes in the West.
In that quarter the Confederates had met with serious ree These incidents are related on the authority of Colonel T. T. Munford,
of the cavalry.




250            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
verses.  On the 30th of MIay General Beauregard had been
compelled to fall back from Corinth, and on the 6th of June the
Federal forces entered Memphis. They now held New Orleans,
Baton Rouge, Natchez, and Mlelmphis, on the Mississippi; and
though Vicksburg still held out, and the Federal troops had to
abandon the siege, the general result of the campaign was more
than favorable to their arms.  It was in the midst of the rejoicing at these successes that the great blow fell on the Chickahominy, reversing all their hopes of an early termination of the
conflict.
The Federal authorities did not, however, despair.  The
Southern successes were only the signal for still more gigantic
preparations, and determined efforts to overthrow the Confederacy. President Lincoln called for 300,000 additional troops;
larger bounties were offered for recruits than had ever before
been known in the history of any war; and the Federal legislation indicated the basis upon which the hostilities were thereafter
to be carried on. A bill passed Congress, confiscating the slaves
of all;persons adhering. to the Confederate Government. Another act directed slaves to be armed and enrolled as troops; and
military commanders were authorized to seize and make use of
any property, real or personal, belonging to Southern sympathizers, " necessary or convenient for their commands," without
compensation to their owners. The war was thus to be conducted upon the hypothesis that the Southern States were not
belligerents according to the laws of nations, but outlawed combinations beyond the pale of civilized warfare.
Immediate steps were now taken to retrieve the disasters on
the banks of the Chickahominy; and, during the month of July,
while General McClellan was still lying upon the hot shores of
the James, fresh levies were rapidly hurried forward to Washington.  That city became one great camp; the forces lately
under Generals Banks, MclDowell, and Fremont, were concentrated at the Capital; and large reenforcements having arrived
from McClellan, a very considerable army was soon ready to
take the field. This body was styled the " Army of Virginia,"




GENERAL POPE IN CULPEPPER.               251
and was speedily sent forward in detached columns to Warrenton, Culpepper Court-House, and Fredericksburg, with a view
to unite and advance upon Gordonsville.  This force was placed
under the command of Major-General John Pope, who was said
to have declared that he had " never seen any thing of his enemies but their backs."
General Pope reached the headquarters of tile army, on the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad, in a special car decked with
streamers, and soon afterward, issued a general order, in which
he said to the troops:
" I desire you to dismiss from your minds certain phrases,
which I am  sorry to find much in vogue among you. I hear
constantly of taking strong positions, and holding them; of lines
of retreat, and bases of supplies. Let us discard such ideas.
The strongest position which a soldier should. desire to occupy is
the one from which he can most easily advance upon the enemay.
Let us study the probable line of retreat of our opponents, and
leave our own to take care of itself. Let us look before and not
behind. Disaster and shame lurk in the rear."
General Pope then issued what was styled his "' expatriation
order."  This directed that all male citizens disloyal to the United
States should be immediately arrested, the oath of allegiance
proffered them, and if they took it, and "' furnished sufficient security for its observance," they should be released.  If they
declined taking it they should be sent beyond the extreme Federal pickets, and if found again within his lines should be treated
as spies and shot. " If any person," said this order, " having
taken the oath of allegiance, as above specified, be found to
have violated it, he shall be shot, and his property seized and
applied to the public use."  In addition, " all communication
with any person whatever living within the lines of the enemy,"
was prohibited; and " any person concerned in writing, or in
carrying letters or messages, will be considered and treated as a
spy."  General Steinwehr also issued an order direcgting that tlhe
prominent citizens of his district should be arrested anl detained
as hostages for the good behavior of the inhabitants, and made




252            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
to suffer in their persons for the acts of partisans and "' bushwhackers."  If any of the Federal troops were " bushwhacked,"
one of the hostages should suffer death.
The uncompromising hostility thus officially announced toward the entire population by General Pope and his lieutenants,
speedily became the rule of proceedings on the part of the troops.
Wholesale depredations were made upon the property of the citizens, and they were utterly unable to obtain from the Feder al
officers either indemnity for the past or protection for the future.
We refrain from entering into the disagreeable and repulsive
details of these excesses of the troops-excesses which induced
a writer in BlacLccoodl's Magazinze to declare that the war was
being conducted " in a way that cast mankind two centuries
back toward barbarism."  A Federal writer thus describes the
proceedings of the troops, and with his statement we dismiss the
subject.:
" The Army of Virginia has undergone a marked change in
a very important particular.  The new usage which has been instittited in regard to the protection of Confederate property, and
the purpose of the Government to subsist the army, as far as
practicable, upon the enemy's country, has produced a decided
revolution in the feelings and practices of the soldiery, and one
which seems to me very much to be regretted.
Unless these innovations are guarded by far more stringent
safeguards against irregular and unauthorized plundering, rwe
shall let loose upon the country, at t.he close of the war, a torrent
of unbridled and unscrupulous robbers.  Rapid strides toward
villany have been made during the last few weeks. MIen who
at home would have shuddered at the suggestion of touching
another's property, now  appropriate remorselessly  whatev er
comes in their reach. Thieving, they imagine, has now become
an authorized practice, and, under the show of subsisting themselves, chickens, turkeys, hams, and corn have become a lawful
plunder, with little discrimination as to the character or circumstances of the original owner.' It is to me a very serious and unfortunate state of facts,




GENERAL POPE IN CULPEPPER.              253
when soldiers will rush in crowds upon the smoke-house of a
farmer, and each quarrel with the other to get the best and
greatest share,  I blush when I state that on the march, through
a section of country, every spring-house is broken open, and
butter, milk, eggs, and cream are engulphed, almost before the
place is reached by the men.  Calves and sheep, and, in fact,
any thing and every thing serviceable for meat or drink, or
apparel, are not safe a moment after the approach of the army.
Even things apparently useless are snatched up, because, it
would seem, many men love to steal.'" At a place where I not long ago spent a night, scarcely an
article to which the fertility of a soldier could suggest the slightest use remained to the owner upon the following morning.
There had been soldiers there, you might wager. Pans, kettles,
dish-cloths, pork, poultry, provisions, and every thing desirable
had disappeared.  The place was stripped, and without any process of commissary or quartermaster.  So it has been in innumerable instances. Many a family, incapable of sustaining the
slightest loss, has actually been deprived of all.
"I not long ago saw a dozen soldiers rushing headlong
th ough a field, each anxious to get the first choice of three horses
shading themselves quietly under a tree.  The animals made
their best time into the farthest corner of the field, with the men
close upon them; and the foremost ones caught their prizes and
bridled them as if they had a perfect immunity in such things.
A scene followed. A  young lady came out and besought the
soldiers not to take her favorite pony. The soldiers were remorseless and unyielding, and the pony is now in the army.; I know a case where a family were just seating themselves
to dinner, when some of the soldiers being that way, they went
in and swallowed every thing. That was not all; but whatever
in doors and out of doors the soldiers wanted was readily appropriated, and the proprietor of the place told me sorrowfully that
they had ruined him-he never could now get out of debt. I
hardly regretted his misfortune so much on his account as for the
influence  of this thieving upon the soldiers. I was really grati



254            LIFE OF STONEWAI.L JACKSON.
fled to hear his little boy say,'Pap says he wouldn't vote the
secession ticket again if he had the chance.' His patriotism was
evidently drawing too heavily upon his fortunes, and Iwas rejoiced
to find him in an inquiring state of mind.  But unless a check is
given to this promiscuous and unauthorized plundering, the discipline and value of the army will be destroyed; and when the
enlistments have expired we shall let loose a den of thieves upon
the country."
It is said that General Pope subsequently issued an order declaring such proceedings unauthorized;: but the Federal forces
had accomplished their work.  The land was green when they
came, but they left a desert behind them.  The fences were
burned, the forests felled, the farm  lands turned into common,
and fathers of families began seriously to dread that their children would starve. When the writer of this page passed through
Culpepper in August, it was as much as he could do to procure
food for himself and forage for his horse.
General Pope advanced through Culpepper toward the Rapidan, and had as yet encountered no enemy. His right extended
to the foot of' the Blue Ridge, and his left toward the confluence
of the Rappahannock and IRapidan.  This was the state of things
in Culpepper in the last days of July.
CHAPTER IX.
CEDAR RUN.
WHILE General Pope thus advanced towve-d the Rapidan,
seriously threatening with his large force the Central Railroad at
Gordonsville, General McClellan was still with a considerable
* This was probably in consequence of General Order No. 107 from the
United States War Department, issued August 15th, that'-no officer or soldier might, without proper authority, leave his colors or ratlks to take private
property, or to enter a private house for the purpose, under penalty of death."




CEDAR RUN.                      255
portion of his army at Harrison's Landing, and professed to design another advance on Richmond. It was thus necessary for
the Confederate authorities to retain a sufficient number of troops
at the capital to repulse any advance of the enemy from James
River. It was equally important, however, to check General Pope;
and to that end, Jackson, who had gone into camp on the Mechanicsville road, not far from Richmond, was directed to proceed toward Gordonsville, and guard that point against the
threatened assault upon it. His own " Old Division," and General
Ewell's, were accordingly moved in that direction, and reached
Gordonsville on the 19th of July. Receiving reliable information
that the Federal army in his front greatly outnumbered his own
forces, Jackson sent back to General Lee for additional troops,
and was reinforced by General A. P. Hill's division.
It was not long before the advanced forces of cavalry on both
sides came into collision. On the 2d of August, whilst Colonel
Jones, by direction of Briogadier-General Robertson, was moving,
with the 7th Virginia cavalry, to take charge of picket posts on
the Rapidan, he received intelligence, before reaching Orange
Court-House, that the enemy were in possession of that town.
Continuing to advance, Colonel Jones found the main street full
of Federal cavalry, and charged the head of the enemy's column
-another portion of the regiment, under Major Marshall, attacking them in flank.' Both attacks were successful, and the
enemy were driven from the place. Bat the Confederate forces
were still greatly outnumbered; and, in consequence of the large
body of the enemy in front, together Awith the fire of their flanking
parties, Jones was compelled to fall back. I-e made another
stand, however, not fir from the town, and the Federal cavalry
retired. In this brief contest, Colonel Jones, while gallantly
charging at the head of his men, received a sabre wound, and
iMajor Marshall was captured.
Such was the attitude of the adversaries on the Rapidan in
the first days of August: Jackson at Gordonsville, General
Pope at Culpepper Court-HIouse, and the cavalry of the two
armies in face of each other at Orange.




256           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
General Pope was waiting to be rednforced by General Burnside, and the problem with the Confederate authorities was,
where would the Federal flotilla, under the latter commander,
make an attack? It lay in Hampton Roads, and was either intended for the Rappahannock or the James; to operate with
General Pope, or with General MeClellan in another attack upon
Richmond. The question was soon decided by a Confederate
prisoner-Colonel John S. Mosby, the well-known partisanwho left Old Point to come up the river just as General Burnside
was embarking infantry, cavalry, and artillery at Fortress Monroe. From a sure source he had obtained information that these
troops were intended for the Rappahannock; and as soon as the
flag-of-truce boat stopped below Richmond, Colonel Mosby repaired without delay to General Lee's headquarters and gave him
the intelligence. General Stuart, then on an expedition toward
the Rappahannock, had received the same information, but it
could not be transmitted so quickly. It was despatched by relays
of couriers to Jackson; and the receipt of this intelligence probably determined him to advance and attack General Pope before
he was rebnforced.
This design was carried into execution with that vigor and
rapidity which characterized all the movements of Jackson. On
the 7th of August he moved from Gordonsville, with his entire
force, in the direction of Barnett's ford,' on the Rapidan, a few
miles above the point where the Orange and Alexandria Railroad
crosses the river; and on the morning of the 8th Robertson's
cavalry, which had advanced beyond the Rapidan, encountered
the Federal cavalry on the road from Barnett's ford to Culpepper Court-House. They were attacked, driven back, and pursued by General Robertson-the army continuing to advance on
the track of the cavalry, with Ewell's division in front. The day
was spent in skirmishing with the Federal cavalry, and such was
the activity and enterprise which they displayed that Jackson
was obliged to send back an entire brigade to guard his trains.
Lawton's was selected, and thus was not engaged in the battle.
Jackson continued steadily to advance, bent on forcing Gen



CEDAR RUN.                     257
iral Pope to fight before his reenforcements arrived, and, if possible, before his troops, scattered over a large extent of country,
could be concentrated to resist the sharp iron wedge with which
the Confederate commander was about to pierce his adversary's
centre. On the next day-August the 9th-Jackson had reached
a point about eight miles from Culpepper Court-House, and here
he came upon the enemy.
The force in his front consisted, according to General Pope's
official report, of Banks' and Sigel's corps, and a division from
that of McDowell, amounting in all to 32,000 troops. Jackson
had two divisions, and a portion of a third.
The enemy were posted in force —infantry, cavalry, and artillery-on a crest of hills near the Culpepper road, a short distance west and north of Slaughter's Mountain. In front, the
country was open and undulating-a wheat-field and corn-field,
in which the shocks were still standing in the August sunshine,
extending between the opposing lines to the wooded crest, on
which the Federal batteries were in position, ready to open
when the Confederates advanced. A ridge on the right was
occupied by a heavy body of Federal cavalry; and the engagement opened in this part of the field.
A battery, under Lieutenant Terry, was sent forward opposite the position of the Federal cavalry, and opened upon them
with a vigor which soon drove them from the hill. As the cavalry retired, a Federal battery beyond the crest of the hill engaged Lieutenant Terry; and his fire having thus been diverted,
the Federal cavalry returned, and again took position on the
ridge.
Dispositions were now made to commence the action in
earnest. Jackson's division had not yet reached the field, but
Ewell was put in motion to secure a position which would enable
the whole Confederate force to attack with advantage. The
command of Ewell was divided. Early's brigade was ordered
to advance along the Culpepper road, and General Ewell, with
his two remaining brigades —Trimble's and Ilays', Colonel Ferno
commanding the latter-to diverge to the right, and passing
1'7




258           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
along the slope of Slaughter's Mountain, gain a position from
which his artillery would command the ground occupied by the
enemy.
These movements were made without delay. Early, formed
in line of battle, moved into the open field, and pushing forward
to the right of the road drove the Federal cavalry before him to
the crest of a hill which overlooked the entire space in his front.
As Early mounted this hill, the Federal batteries opened upon
him furiously; heavy bodies of cavalry appeared in the wheatfield on his left; and so hot was the artillery fire that he withdrew his troops for protection under the crest of the eminence.
His own artillery was now hurried forward and posted on his
right, near a clump of cedar trees, and four pieces, under Captains Brown and Dement, opened a rapid fire upon the Federal
batteries opposed to them.
At this moment Jackson's old division, commanded by Brigadier-General Charles Winder, arrived upon the field, and was
disposed in order of battle. Campbell's brigade, commanded by
Lieutenant-Colonel Garnett, was placed on the left, in a wood
near thev wheat-field; the batteries of Poague, Carpenter, and
Caskie, under Major Andrews, took position parallel to the road,
with Taliaferro's brigade as a support; and Winder's (" Stonewall") brigade, Colonel Ronald commanding, was held in reserve. At the moment when the troops moved to their positions
one of the saddest events of the day took place. General Winder
was proceeding to direct the fire of the batteries, with that skill
and coolness which had attracted the attention of all in so many
bloody encounters, when a shell exploded in front of him, and a
fragment mortally wounded him.
It is difficult," says Jackson, " in the proper reserve of an
official report, to do justice to the merits of this accomplished
officer.- Urged by the Medical Director to take no part in the
movements of the day, because of the then enfeebled state of his
health, his ardent patriotism and military pride could bear no
such restraint. Richly endowed with those qualities of mind
and person which fit an officer for command, and which attract




CEDAR RUN.                    259
the admiration and excite the enthusiasm of troops, he was rapidly rising to the front rank of his profession. His loss has been
severely felt."
The command of Jackson's division now devolved on Brigadier-General W. B. Taliaferro, whose own brigade was commanded during the remainder of the action by Colonel A. G.
Taliaferro.
Meanwhile, Ewell moving to the right, with his two brigades, had reached an elevated position on the northwestern
shoulder of Slaughter's Mountain. Here, at a point about two
hundred feet above the valley, lie posted Latimer's battery, and
opened a rapid and destructive fire upon the enemy. This was
echoed by the guns of Andrews on the left; and for two hours
an incessant cannonade was kept up between the opposing batteries. In this artillery engagement the enemy were seriously
damaged; but the Confederate loss was also considerable. Major Andrews, among others, was severely wounded and borne
from the field.
Jackson had not attempted an advance upon the Federal
lines. I-Ie was waiting for General A. P. Hill, who had not yet
come up. Encouraged by this apparent timidity and disinclination to attack, the Federal commander, about five o'clock in the
afternoon, threw forward a dense line of skirmishers in the
corn-field which has been mentioned, and these were followed by
an advance of his infantry, up to this moment concealed in the
woods behind his batteries. As this heavy column advanced on
the left, another body debouched into view from a small valley
hidden by an undulation of the ground on Early's right. This
latter force chiarged straight upon Early's batteries, and he was
at once engaged in a hot encounter, which gradually extended
from his right to his left. At this period of the action Hill's
division reached the field, and Jackson sent forward Thomas'
brigade to Early's support, which arrived in time to strengthen
his small line, and render most valuable assistance.
The attack on his right, however, did not deceive Jackson.
The main body of the enemy was still massed in front of his




260            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
centre and left, and the anticipated attempt to turn that flank
was speedily made. Under cover of the attack upon Early, a
strong column moved at a double-quick from the wood, through
the corn and wheat-field, swept forward over every obstacle,
and turning the Confederate left flank, poured a hot and deadly
fire into Jackson's rear.  So sudden and determined was this
assault, that the troops were almost surrounded before they
knew it; and nothing remained for them but to fall back to a
new position. The enemy gave them no time to reflect. They
rushed forward with deafening yells, pouring a terrific fire into
the wavering lines, and the day seemed lost. In vain did the
Confederate officers attempt to hold the men steady. Captain
B. W. Leigh, commanding the Ist Virginia battalion, took the
colors of his battalion and rode in front, directly down the road,
exposed to a concentrated fire; and his brother officers exposed
themselves with equal gallantry. But these efforts were useless. The left of Taliaferro's brigade was turned, and fell back;
this exposed Early, and his left also retired in confusion, though
the remainder of his line maintained its ground.
The fate of the day, in that portion of the field at least,
seemed now decided. The infantry had been flanked and driven
back; the artillery, finding itself in imminent danger of capture,
was rushed from the position which it had occupied, toward the
rear, and as it disappeared the enemy redoubled their volleys,
pressing the retreating Confederates with all the vigor of anticipated triumph.
At this moment of disaster and impending ruin Jackson appeared, amid the clouds of smoke, and his voice was heard rising
above the uproar and the thunder of the guns. The man, ordinarily.so cool, silent, and deliberate, was now mastered by the
genius of battle.  In feature, voice, and bearing, burned the
gaudhium certanminis-the resolve to conquer or die. Galloping
to the front, amid the heavy fire directed upon his disordered
lines, now rapidly giving way-with his eyes flashing, his face
flushed, his voice rising and ringing like a clarion on every ear,
he rallied the confused troops and brought them into line. At




CEDAR RUNo                     261
the same moment the old Stonewall Brigade and Branch's brigade advanced at a double-quick, and shouting, " Stonewall Jackson! Stonewall Jackson!" the men poured a galling fire into
the Federal lines. The presence of Jackson, leading them in
person, seemed to produce an indescribable influence on the
troops, and as he rode to and fro, amid the smoke, encouraging
the men, they greeted him with resounding cheers. This was
one of the few occasions when he is reported to have been mastered by excitement. He had forgotten apparently that he commanded the whole field, and imagined himself a simple colonel
leading his regiment. Everywhere, in the thickest of the fire,
his form was seen and his voice heard, and his exertions to rally
the men were crowned with success. The Federal advance was
checked, the repulsed troops re-formed, and led once more into
action, and with Jackson in front the troops swept forward and
reestablished their lines upon the ground from which they had
been driven.
Those who saw Jackson when he thus galloped to the front,
and thus rallied his men in the very jaws of destruction, declare
that he resembled the genius of battle incarnate.
The advance of the Federal forces was thus checked. They
were forced to retire still,more rapidly, and the Stonewall Brigade closed in on their right, and drove them back with terrible
slaughter through the woods.*  This brigade and that of Branch
maintained their position in spite of vigorous attempts on the
part of the enemy to dislodge them, and-were at length reinforced by the brigades of Archer and Pender. These were hurried forward to the threatened point, the lines were re-formed,
and a general charge was made all along the Confederate front.
This charge swept every thing before it. The enemy were
driven across the field, into the opposite woods.
To retrieve this disaster they had recourse to their cavalry.
As Jackson's lines swept forward, the men heard the tramp of
horsemen, and all at once a column of Federal cavalry made an
X Jackson's report.




262           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
impetuous charge. At the next moment it retired in disorder
before the determined volleys poured into it. Taliaferro had
met it in front and Branch assailed it in flank. From this combined attack it recoiled and hastily retreated from the field.
On the right Ewell had been forced to remain inactive. The
incessant fire of the Confederate batteries in the valley, sweeping the only approaches to the Federal left, had prevented him
from advancing. This difficulty noew no longer existed, and he
promptly threw forward his column. His front was covered
by skirmishers from the 15th Alabama, which had performed
a similar duty with so much gallantry at Cross Keys, and the
brigades advanced in echelon of regiments, Trimble in advance,
under a furious fire of artillery, with which the Federal guns
endeavored to check their progress. As Ewell advanced against
the Federal left, the confusion into which their right had been
thrown by the obstinate and determined attack of Jackson in
person, was communicated to their entire line. They wavered;
and thus repulsed from the Confederate left and centre, and now
pressed steadily by the right centre and left, they fell back at
every point, broke in confusion, and leaving their dead and
wounded on the field, retreated to the shelter of the woods, into
which they were pursued.
The bloody contest had thus terminated in the complete repulse of the Federal forces. Jackson had captured 400 prisoners, among them  a brigadier-general, 5,302 small-arms, one
Napoleon gun and caisson, with two other caissons and a limber,
and three stands of colors. His loss was 223 killed, and 1,060
wounded. The Federal loss was not known. Among the Confederate officers who fell, the fate of none excited more sympathy
than that of General Charles Winder and Colonel Richard H.
Cunningham. They were both in feeble health, and had been
strenuously advised by their physicians not to take part in the
action, but the sound of the guns was irresistible. They took
command of their men, and fell in the action.
Such was the battle of Cedar Run. It completely checked
General Pope's advance, and will take its place among Jack



JACKSON PURSUEs.                 263
son's most important successes. The Federal force opposed to
him was. undoubtedly much larger than his own, and we have
seen that at one period of the battle the Confederate line was in
imminent danger of a complete repulse. That repulse, however,
had been prevented by the timely arrival of Jackson, who, by a
reckless exposure of his person, rallied the troops, and led them
again in the charge which drove back the enemy.
As night descended upon the battle-field, a full moon rose,
pouring upon the scene of carnage its melancholy radiance.
The pallid beams fell on the upturned faces of the dead, the
forms of the wounded, and upon countenances distorted in the
last agony. Ja'ckson had added another to the roll of his victories, and the weary troops who had won the day with so
much difficulty lay down to sleep, the red battle-flags fluttering
above thein in the dim moonlight.
CHAPTER X.
JACKSON PURSUES.
THUS commenced that important movement of the Confederate forces northward, which drove the enemy from Virginia, and
obliged him, finally, to concentrate his entire available strength
in Maryland, for the defence of his own soil.
General Pope had commenced his campaign with an apparent conviction that nothing could resist his triumphal progress,
but his imposing advance had been entirely checked, and he was
now rapidly retreating to that "rear," where, to use his own
words, "~ lurked disaster and shame."  The hand which had
thus heavily struck him was that of the ubiquitous leader of the
Valley.  Two months before, Jackson had defeated Generals
Shields and Fremont, at Port Republic; within three weeks
thereafter, his troops had suddenly appeared near Richmond, and
throwing themselves upon General;McClellan had decided tho




264           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
fortunes of the day at Cold Harbor. Now the same men under
their active and indefatigable commander had emerged from the
woods of Culpepper, in front of General Pope, and checked his
advance. The presence of Jackson at this point had greatly
astonished the Federal forces. But a short time before the battie, he was supposed to be rapidly advancing down the Valley
upon Winchester. The Federal camps there had been thrown
into a tumult by this intelligence, the drums beat to arms, and
the Federal soldiers, we are informed by one of their own writers, reminded each other of the blunt words of Jackson, when
he had been compelled to retire from the town in Mlay, that he
would "' return again shortly, and as certainly as now." When
the troops there were thus beating the long roll in expectation
of his coming, he was near Gordonsville; and before their apprehensions had subsided, he had crossed the Rapidan, and driven
back General Pope. There was some ground for the statement,
that the enemy began to experience toward Jackson the sentiment of the Scottish mothers of the middle ages, when they
quieted their crying children with the threat 6I-Hush! or the
Black Douglas will get you!"'
General Pope evidently anticipated a different result from
the engagement at Cedar Run. When the firing commenced he
was in rear of Culpepper Court House, and he announced the
fact to his Government by telegraph, adding:   I go to the front
to see."  Hle is said, however, not to have reached the scene of
action, or taken any part in the engagement.
The battle of Cedar Run was disputed obstinately, and continued until night.  The Confederate troops were much exhausted by their march, and the hard fighting combined, and
the hours of darlkness were not propitious for an advance; but
Jackson was so anxious to follow up his success and reach the
Federal stronghold at Culpepper Court-House before morning,
that he determined to pursue without delay. An advance wlas
accordingly ordered, with Hill's division in front, and after proceeding cautiously for a mile and a half the troops came upon
the Federal forces.  Jackson sent forward Pegram's battery,




JACKSON PURSUES.                  265
supported by Field's brigade, with directions to feel the Federal
position with artillery; and the battery suddenly opened, throwing the Federal forces into great confusion. They rapidly ran
three or four batteries into position, and replied with a heavy
fire. A cannonade then commenced, and continued for some
time, when the Federal fire having become very severe, Pegram
was ordered to withdraw his guns. Colonel Jones, of the cavalry, having made a reconnoissance in front and toward the
right of the Confederate lines, and ascertained that Federal
re;nforcements had arrived, Jackson considered it imprudent to
continue the forward movement in the darkness, and ordered a
halt for the night. This terminated the fighting for that day.
A gentleman serving on Jackson's staff at this time gives
the following glimpse of him after the action. It may interest
those readers who are fond of personal and familiar details.
On the night of the battle, Jackson was excessively fatigued and
terribly hungry. His headquarter wagons rarely kept up, and
to find them was always a sore labor with him. It frequently
happened, indeed, that fiom simple want of food he would stop
at some camp-fire, share the rations of the men, and after a
familiar talk, go on his way. On this night he sought in vain
for his wagons, and rode about from camp to camp until he was
wearied out.  -Passing  near the bivouac of the Stonewall
Brigade, they recognized his figure by the moonlight; and starting to their feet, the men greeted him with enthusiastic cheers.
From this he soon escaped, and returning to the subject of rations, declared that if he only had some milk, of which he was
very fond, he would be happy. None could be procured, the
wagons were not found, and worn out with fatigue, the General
wrapped himself in his old cloak, stretchedhimself flat on his
breast under a tree, and instantly fell asleep.
On the following morning it began to rain, and suspecting
that the enemy had been heavily reenforcec  during the night
Jackson determined not to undertake a further advance. He
accordingly gave directions for his wounded to be sent to the
rear, the dead to be buried, and the arms abandoned by the




266            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
enemy in their flight to be collected from the battle-field. lu
the course of the morning General J. E. B. Stuart arrived, and,
at Jackson's request, took command of the cavalry, and made a
reconnoissance.  The result of this, and information from other
sources, convinced Jackson that the enemy had been strongly
reenforced.  Hie therefore determined not to hazard another
battle in his weakened condition, and after remaining long
enough to make all his preparations, retire.  The Federal commander seemed in no haste to renew the conflict; and on the
11th-nearly two dcays after the battle-sent a flag of truce, requesting permission until two o'clock to bury such of his dead
as the Confederates had not interred.  This was granted, and
the time afterwards extended, at General Pope's request, to
five P. Ad.
The Confederate forces remained in position ready to repulse
any attack until night, when Jackson fell back toward the Rapidan. He recrossed that river, and on the 14th of August-"- to
render thanks to God for the victory at Cedar Run, and other
past victories, and to implore His continual favor in the futureDivine service was held in the army."  On the plains of Orange,
as amid the blue ranges of the mountains after MIcDowell, the
men bent their bronzed faces in prayer to the Giver of Victory.
On the 11th of August, while in front of the enemy, some
one said: " General, you have sent no despatch announcing your
victory."
Jackson at once took a pencil, and wrote on his knee some.
lines which he handed to the speaker, with the question:
" How will that do?"'" Well, General," was the reply,' it is pretty much a
repetition of your other despatches; but this battle is a repetition of the others too, and I suppose it will do."
The despatch was as follows:
HEADQUARTERS VALLEY DISTRICT, August llth-6:15 A. M.
COLONEL: On the evening of the 9th instant God blessed our arms with
another victory. The battle was near Cedar Run, about six miles from Culpepper Court-House. The enemy, according to statements of prisoners, con



LEE ADVANCES FRO~M  THE BAPIDAN.                 267
sisted of Banks', McDowell's, and Sigel's commands.  We have over four
hundred prisoners, including Rrigadier-General Prince. Whilst our list of
killed is less than that of the enemy, yet we have to mourn the loss of some
of our best officers and men.  Brigadier-General Charles S. Winder was
mortally wounded whilst ably discharging his duty at the head of his command, which was the advance of the left wing of the army. We have collected about 1,500 small-arms and other ordnance stores.
I am, Colonel, your obedient servant,
T. J. JACKSON, MIaj.-Gen. Commanding.
Colonel R. H. CHILTON, A. A. G.
General Pope's was in these words:
HEADQUARTERS ARnvY OF VIRGINIA,
CEDAR 3OUNTAIN, Auiust 12t]-7:30 A. I. }
To Major-General HALLECK:
The enemy has retreated under cover of the night.
His rear is now crossing tile Rapidan toward Orange Court-House.
Our cavalry and artillery are in pursuit.
JOHN POPE, Major-General, &c.
CHAPTER XI.
LEE ADVANCES FROMI THE RAPIDAN.
JACKSON thus retired before the enemy toward Orange CourtHouse, and the Federal cavalry contented themselves with hovering on his rear and observing his march. The significance of
his retrograde movement was doubtless well understood, and was
justly regarded as the drawing back of the arm  about to strike
a heavier blow.
The result of the battle of Cedar Run seems to have convinced the Federal authorities that to make any headway in the
new field of operations on the Rappahannock, it would be necessary to concentrate in that region all the troops operating in
Virginia.  A  brief period only had therefore elapsed before a
fleet of transports appeared in James River, proceeded to Harri-'
son's Landing, and took on board the entire remnant of General




268           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
McClellan's army, which had remained there under protection
of the gunboats since the defeat on the Chickahominy. The
plan of the Federal authorities was to unite General M3cClellin's
forces with those of General Pope; to hurry forward from
Fredericksburg the troops under General Burnside, and, forming
one great army of these three distinct bodies, concentrate them
between the Rappahannock and tihe Rapidan, with a view to
penetrate the heart of Virginia, cut the communications of the
Confederate capital, and either drive the Government from the
State, or reduce it to submission.
This design was energetically undertaken, and the Confederates were promptly called on to decide whether they would
stand on the defensive, for the protection of Richmond against
this new attack, or advance upon the enemy, and "' carry the
war into Africa."
The latter determination was speedily arrived at; offensive
operations were decided upon; and no sooner had General Lee
satisfied himself that General McClellan was evacuating his position on James River, than he hastened to put his troops in
motion to attack General Pope before the expected reenforcements reached him.
The Confederate forces were accordingly concentrated in the
neighborhood of Gordonsville; and on the 15th of August Jackson advanced, passed Orange Court-House, and camped on the
same evening near Mount Pisgah Church. The force under his
command at this time consisted of
Ewell's Division-embracing the brigades of Lawton, Early,
Trimble, and Hays (Colonel Ferno commanding the latter); with
the batteries of Brown, Dement, Latimer, Balthus, and D'Aquin.
A. P. Hill's Division-embracing the brigades of Branch,
Gregg, Field, Pender, Archer, and Thomas; with the batteries
of Braxton, Latham, Crenshaw, McIntosh, Davidson, and
Pegram.
Jackson's (old) Division, Brigadier-General W. B. Taliaferro commanding-embracing the brigades of Winder (Colonel
Baylor), Campbell (Major Seddon), Taliaferro (Colonel A. G.




LEE ADVANCES FROM THE RAPIDAN.            269
Taliaferro), and Starke; with the batteries of Brockenbrough,
Wooding, Poague, Carpenter, Caskie, and Raines.
The Old Division was thus commanded by a brigadier-general, and its brigades by colonels and majors- a significant
commentary upon the gallantry of its officers, who had been terribly thinned out in the fierce encounters through which it had
passed.
" Major-General Stuart," says Jackson, " with his cavalry
cooperated during the expedition, and I shall more than once
have to acknowledge my obligations for the valuable and efficient
aid which he rendered."
Jackson remained at MIount Pisgalh until the 20th, General
Longstreet not having completed his preparations to advance;
but all being at last ready, the army moved across the Rapidan
on that day, and the campaign began. General Lee appears to
have designed an attack on General Pope's left flank and rear,
with a view to cut off his retreat to the Rappahannock by the
line of the railroad, when the whole Federal army would either
be forced to fight at a disadvantage, or surrender themselves
prisoners of war. With this end in view, Longstreet moved by
way of Raccoon ford, and Jackson by way of Somerville ford,
on the Rapidan. Once beyond the river, Jackson pushed on
without delay, and on the same night reached Stevensburg, a
little village on the main road from Culpepper Court-House to
Fredericksburg, and almost opposite the left flank of the enemy.
It may interest some of our readers to have a glimpse of the
Southern troops upon the march. History deals in generalities;
but the actual picture, however homely, is more interesting, if not
as valuable, as the " official statement."  From the journal of an
eye-witness we extract the following paragraphs relating to the
movements of the troops:
" August 20.-Army crossed the Ranpidan, the water thighdeep. Scene exciting and amusing..   - X." August 21.-The enemy in close proximity, and we have
to move cautiously. *  *       From a hill on the other side of
the Rapidan we have a magnificent view for miles. Three col



0270          LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
umns-long black winding lines of men, their muskets gleaming
in the sunshine like silver spears-are in sight, moving in the
direction of Fredericksburg or down the opposite bank of the
river. Those skirmishing in front. Good many stragglers by
the wayside, but they are generally broken-down soldiers, and
trudge slowly along in the tracks of their comrades. An attractive part of the procession is the baggage trains, wending
their way in the rear of the army. Thousands of wagons are
in sight, and between the stalling of trains, the shouting of
drivers, and the chaotic confusion which emanates from the
motley mass, no man can complain of the ennui of the march.
" Nothing can be more picturesquely beautiful than the bivouac at night.  Thousands of troops line the woods on both
sides of the road for miles. Camp-fires are glimmering in the
trees, muskets are stacked along the edge of the forest, and the
men are disposed in every conceivable manner. Some are rolled
up in their blankets and already dreaming away the fatigues of
the day; some are sitting around the camp-fires, watching the
roasting ears, and discussing the 6coming events which cast
their shadows before,' and some are among the trees, moving to
and fro in the gray film of smoke that has arisen from the myriad fires and rests upon the earth. We live on what we can
get-now and then an ear of corn, fried green apples, or a bit
of ham broiled on a stick, but quite as frequently do without
either from morning until night. We sleep on the ground without any other covering than a blanket, and consider ourselves
fortunate if we are not frozen stiff before morning. The nights
are both damp and cold."
A portion of this extract paints with great accuracy the comtnissariat of the Southern army. " A bit of ham broiled on a
stick" was a luxury with the men, and the time was soon to
come when it would be wholly unattainable; when the entire
force would be called on to subsist upon green corn roasted on
the embers-sole bill of fare of the tired and hungry soldier.
General Lee had thus massed his army between the Rappahannock and the Rapidan, directly on the enemy's flank; but in




LEE ADVANCES FROM THE RAPIDAN.            271
his expectation of a decisive battle there, he soon found himself
disappointed. General Pope had no intention of renewing a
trial of strength with the Confederates after his experience at
Cedar Run; and with a prudence which ill assorted with his
publicly expressed determination to take no step toward that
" rear" where "6 lurked disaster and shame," he no sooner suspected the intended attack than he fell back promptly to the
north bank of the Rappahannock, and, crowning every hill with
his batteries, prepared to dispute the passage of the river.
Jackson lost no time in following up this retreat of the enemy, and on the 21st moved with Taliaferro's brigade in front to
Beverly's ford, the main crossing of the Rappahannock, just
above the point where the railroad intersects it. The enemy
were seen in force on the opposite bank, and Jackson promptly
ordered forward the batteries of his division under Major Shumaker, which opened fire and succeeded in silencing the Federal
artillery, and dispersing their infantry supports. This repulse,
however, was only temporary. General Stuart, who had made
a reconnoissance beyond the Rappahannock with his cavalry and
horse artillery, reported an advance in force, and heavy columns
soon appeared on the opposite bank. Their batteries were
placed in position, and a rapid and determined artillery duel ensued between the Federal batteries and those of Taliaferro.
This lasted all day, and when the shades of night descended
the landscape was still lit up by bursting shell and the lurid glare
of the cannon.
On the morning of the 22d Jackson withdrew from the enemy's front at Beverly's ford, and advancing up the bank of the
river with Ewell in front, crossed Hazel River, a tributary of
the Rappahannock, at Welford's ford. Here Trimble's brigade
was left to protect the flank of the'wagon train from  attack,
and the necessity of this precaution was soon rendered apparent.
About noon a small party of the enemy made a dash at the
train and captured a portion of it. They were attacked, however, in turn, the wagons recaptured, and the whole party made
prisoners. About four o'clock a more determined effort was




272           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
made to delay Jackson's march, and cut off his trains. A considerable Fecleral force crossed the river below, and attacked the
wagons, but this met with no better success. Trimble, supported by Hood (commanding General Longstreet's advance),
met this party, and after a sharp engagement routed and drove
them beyond the river again, a considerable portion of their
force having been taken prisoners.
Jackson continued to advance, paying little attention to these
assaults on his rear, and reached a point opposite Freeman's
ford, the next ford above the mouth of Hazel River. This he
found guarded by a strong force, and he marched on to Warrenton Springs, on the old stage road from Warrenton to Culpepper
Court-House.  Here he found the bridge over the river destroyed, but the point slightly guarded, and no time was lost in
endeavoring to secure a position of so much importance. The
13th Geor(gia, Colonel Douglas, with the eight guns of Brown
and Dement, and afterwards Early's brigade, were ordered to
cross, and the Springs were soon in his possession, with a number of prisoners.
This movement had no sooner been effected than it commenced raining, and Early's position became one of very great
peril. The Federal forces were rapidly approaching to attack
him; the river'began to rise, and he was completely cut off from
the main body on the southern Bank. Urgent messages were
despatched by General Early describing his situation, and stating
that a reconnoissance in person had discovered the enemy in his
front and on both flanks. To this Jackson responded briefly:
1' Tell General Early to hold his position."
The 23d passed, and the enemy were nearly in collision with
Early. But Jackson had not been idle. Details of men had
been constructing all day, temporary bridge over the swollen
river, and by dawn on the 24th the infantry and artillery were
all safely over on the southern bank again. Early had scarcely
crossed when the enemy pressed forward, and a fierce cannonade commenced between their batteries and those of Hill.
At the very moment when Jackson was thus feeling the en



LEE ADVANCES FROM THE RAPIDAN.            273
emy on the lRappahannock, General Stuart, at the head of his
cavalry, had by one of those bold dashes which characterized
him, penetrated to their rear, and, in the midst of night and
storm, struck them at Catlet's Station, on the Orange and Alexandria Railroad, where General Pope then was in person. The
men on this occasion behaved with much gallantry, charging at
a gallop through the midnight darkness, deepened by a heavy
thunderstorm, over rough and unknown ground, upon the camps
of the enemy. The attack threw every thing into confusion,
and the Federal officers fled from their tents into the darkness,
almost without firing a shot; but a heavy volley from their men,
behind the railroad, was poured into the faces of the southern
horsemen. General Pope escaped, leaving his coat and hat behind, but several of his officers were captured. The most valuable part of the captured property was a box of official papers,
which are said to have clearly exhibited the strength of his
army; his anxious desire for reSnforccments; his expectation
that they would soon arrive; and the slender hopes which he
indulged of holding his ground, if the Confederate commander
attacked him  in force. General Stuart hastened to lay these
valuable documents before General Lee, and the revelations
which they afforded of the enemy's numbers and designs, probably led to the decisive movement which speedily followed the
raid.
General Lee determined to send a column against the enemy's rear, to get between him and Washington, cut his communications, and in conjunction with the rest of the army, which
would follow, engage his whole force, and capture or destroy it
before it could retreat to the Potomac. This movement would
necessarily be attended with great peril, as the force thus detached would be entirely separated from the main body under
Lee; would move straight to a position directly in the path of
the retreating enemy, and might be called upon to sustain the
assault of his entire column before succor could reach it. To
effect the object of the commander-in-chief, the utmost energy,
judgment, and decision were necessary in the officer who under18




274           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
took the expedition, and a man must be selected who had capacity to operate alone, and whose movements would be rapid and
decisive. The officer selected to conduct this flank movement
was Jackson.
CHAPTER  XII.
THE MARICHO TO MANASSAS.
JACKSON lost no time. On Monday, the 25th of August, he
retired from the position opposite Warrenton Springs, and ascending the banks of the Rappahannock, passed through the little village of Amissville, and crossed the river at Hinson's ford,
dragging his artillery with difficulty up the narrow and rockribbed road beyond. From this moment rapidity of movement
was essential to success. The presence of Jackson in that region could not long be concealed, and it was vitally important
that the Confederate forces should push on and pass through
Thoroughfare Gap-their proposed line of advance-before the
enemy could occupy that strong fortress and bar their passage.
The famous' Foot Cavalry" were now called upon to put
forth their utmost strength. A long and exhausting march was
before them; every moment was precious; Thoroughfare Gap
must be reached before the enemy arrived, and the ordinary
rules of marching must be changed. As though recognizing
the truth of the maxim that wherever two men can place their
feet an army can move, Jackson pushed on beneath the' shadow
of the Blue Ridge, " across open fields," declares one of his
men, " by strange country roads and comfortable homesteads,
by a little town in Fauquier, called Orleans, on and on, as if he
would never cease."  When the Confederate forces advanced by
the same route in June, 1863, a soldier asked an old negro
whither the road which they were then travelling led.
"All right, master," replied the old man, with an astute




THE MARCH TO MIANASSAS.               275
smile, " yiru are going the same road Mass Jackson took last year,
only he took the nigh cuts!"
By these " nigh cuts," through fields and farm gates, often
through gaps hastily opened in the fences, Jackson continued to
advance. The troops were not permitted to pause for. an instant; weary, footsore, almost without food, they were still
marched steadily forward, and at night, worn out but gay, hungry but full of enthusiasm, they bivouacked near the town of
Salem, on the MBanassas Gap Railroad.
An officer of Jackson's staff presents a sketch of the leader
and his men at this moment, which is interesting.
" When his corps reached Salem," says this MS.,  General Jackson rode up to the officer commanding the front
brigade, and complimented him upon the good condition of his
men, and the fine march made that day.  They had then
travelled more than twenty miles, and were still moving on
briskly, and without straglers.  General Jackson stood on the
side of the road, and looked with evident pleasure on the full and
well-closed ranks; and when they commenced their usual cheering, he raised his hand to stop them, and all aolong the lines
went the words,' Don't shout, boys, the Yankees will hear us!'
The regiments passed by without music or noise, not even a
loud-spoken word could be heard, nothing but the steady tramp
of the men. As they passed, they raised their caps, and waved
them around their heads, and the enthusiastic love which beamed
on every countenance, showed how hard it was to suppress the
usual greeting. Those who saw General Jackson that evening
as he sat on his horse, cap in hand, with the westering sun
shining full on his firm kind face, could not say that he was
without pride. He was full of it-his face all aglow with it;
but it was for his men, not one iota for himself. When they
had all passed, he turned and said: Who could fail to win victory with those men!'"
In other portions of the line the men could not restrain their
enthusiasm at sight of the dingy uniform, the old yellow cap,
and the firmn face beneath. In spite of every caution, and the




276           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
orders of the General in person, they whirled their caps. around
their heads, and cheered him tumultuously. To this the soldierheart of Jackson succumbed, the disobedience of orders was
forgotten, and turning to a person near him, with a proud smile
which he could not suppress, he said: "' You see I can't stop
them! "
Reaching Salem at midnight, the troops were again in motion at daylight; and passing " crowds, all welcoming, cheering,
staring with blank amazement" at the sight of Confederate
troops in that region, pressed on through the plains to Thoroug'hfare Gap.  The mountain-gorge was undefended, the enemy
had been' headed off; " and passing rapidly between the frowning ramparts with their belts of dusky pines, Jackson with his
army, hungry and exhausted, but as resolute as ever, descended
like a hawk upon Manassas.
General Pope in his official report declares that he knew of
Jackson's movement. If he estimated its importance correctly,
his failure to oppose it is not flattering to his skill as a commander. It is probable, however, that he regarded it as a movement chiefly if not entirely of cavalry, a mere raid against his
depot at Manassas. It is improbable that the amount of force
under Jackson was discovered.  General Stuart was on the
right flank of the Confederate column with a cordon of pickets,
and a network of scouting parties, scouring the whole region,
and to penetrate Stuart's chain of videttes, in any important
movement, was next to impossible. Had General Pope felt convinced that the force advancing to assail his rear was not a body
of cavalry only, but an army corps under a commander so active
and dangerous as Jackson, his operations on the Rappahannock
would doubtless have terminated two days sooner. Thoroughfare Gap would have been defended; and the conditions under
which the great battles at Manassas were fought would have
been changed.
General Stuart had pushed in advance with his cavalry,
ascended the Bull Run Mountain by a winding and rocky road,
to the right of the gap, and descending the eastern acclivity




THE MARCH TO MANASSAS.                 27
taken his post again in front and on the flanks of the army,
which, on the afternoon of Tuesday, the 26th, reached the neighborhood of Ml3anassas.
This march will always remain famous in history. It was
the achievement of a leader fertile in resource, close in his calculation of time and material, and unerring in decision and execution. Jackson had either outgeneralled or surprised the cornmander of the Federal forces, and General Pope, who up to that
time had persistently kept his eyes upon the Confederate column
in his front upon the iRappahannock, now found himself cut off
fromi Washington by a column in his rear, and forced to retreat
or fight upon terms dictated by his adversary.
Jackson had thus accomplished with entire success one part
of his programme, and the execution of the movement was worthy of his reputation as a soldier. But in contemplating the
success of the leader, we ought not to lose sight of the credit
which belongs to the troops. They had on this, as on many
other occasions, displayed a soldiership, endurance, and cheerfulness under privation and hardship which would do honor to the
best fighting races of history. In two days they had marched
about fifty miles to make an attack, which is very different from
a retreat. This rapid advance was made to gain a position in
which they expected to be immediately assailed by the large force
under General Pope, certain to be united against Jackson as
soon as it could be brought up. Many of the men were barefooted, and limped along "C weary unto death."  They were faint
from-  want of food and broken down by absence of rest, but, as
we have seen, moved on "Lbriskly, and without stragglers.
Only those'who saw the Confederate troops at this timle, before
and after the second battle of MIanassas, can realize their cheerful and soldierly bearing under privations which were calculated
to break down their strength and quench all their ardor. The
lhenomenon was here presented of an army living for many
days upon green corn and unripe apples only —and during this
time making exhausting marches, engaging in incessant conmbats,
and repulsing every assault. The troops which presented this




278            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
worthy and honorable spectacle were for the most part composed
of young men who had never known what it was to want even
the delicacies of life. The flower of the Southern youth, raised
in affluence and luxury, were toiling on over the dusty highways,
or lying exhausted by the roadside, or fighting when so feeble
that they could scarcely handle their muskets; but a something
stern and resolute in the blood of these boys seemed to bear them
up, keep them to their work, and make them lauhgh even in the
midst of their sufferings.  The writdr of this page saw the men
of the South at this great crisis, and his pulse still throbs as he
recalls the noble spectacle which they presented.
Thoroughfare Gap was passed, the open country lay before
Jackson, and at Gainesville General Stuart came up with his
cavalry, and took position on the right flank. It was important
to strike the Federal communications immediately and attack
Manassas if possible before General Pope received intelligence
of the advance upon hia rear; and with this end in view, Jackson hurried forward to Bristoe, a station on the Orange and
Alexandria Railroad, four miles from  MIanassas, which was
reached and a small guard captured after sunset. As Stuart approached this place the sound of cars was heard from the direction of WVarrenton, and a train was soon seen approaching
rapidly.  Colonel AMunford, of the 2d Virginia cavalry, fired into
it' as it passed at full speed, but did not succeed in stopping it.
It continued its way and reached Manassas in safety. Other
trains were heard coming from the same direction, however, and,
dividing his force, General Ewell took possession of two points
on the railroad, which was obstructed by logs upon the track.
The trains came on without suspicion, and the result in this case
was more satisfactory.  Two were captured, one having been
thrown off the track-and others still were heard coming.
But by this time the firing seems to have been heard, and to
have excited suspicion. The trains in the direction of Warrenton uttered shrill screams which experts declared to signify, " Is
all right?"  One of these railroad experts, named Foreman,
jumped on the prostrate engine, turned a portion of the ma



THE MARCH TO MANASSAS.                 279
chinery, and signalled back;:   All right-come on "-General
Fitz Lee drawing up his cavalry to fire upon them as they drew
near. But the alarm had been given; the trains would not run
the perilous gauntlet; and the troops must turn their attention
elsewhere.
Jackson was thus completely in the enemy's rear; held possession of the railroad which supplied their army; and the first
act of the great drama had been played. When the curtain descended, this -was the position of affairs: Lee was on General
Pope's flank; Jackson in his rear; the Federal reinforcements'
from Washington and Fredericksburg had not arrived; General
Pope must fight on ground and conditions selected by his enemy.
A cool and determined spirit would not, however, have regarded
the situation as desperate. Lee, with his main body, was still
a long way off; Burnside was approaching from below; rebnforcements were being hurried forward from Alexandria; and
Jackson was playing a game which might with good hopes of
success be retorted against himself. Proceeding upon this view
of the subject, General Pope put his columns in motion and advanced to protect his communications, andc attack Jackson before
he could be re nforced by Lee.
Our narrative deals with the movements of the personage
thus threatened.  The first thing necessary was to gain possession of l3anaassas.  Night had now descended, and the men were
exhausted by the heavy marching of the last two days; but the
situation was critical; the destruction of tile stores at Manassas
essential' to Jackson's designs-an~d he determined to make the
attack -without. delay. Genera]l. Trimble volunteered to undertake it, and accordingly advanced with the 21st North Carolina
and the 21st Georgia-in all about five hundred men. In order
to insure the success of the assault, General Stuart was subsequently directed to move with a portion of his cavalry to cooperate with Trimble, and'" as the ranking officer, to take command of the expedition."  The Federal force at Manassas made
but slight resistance. General Stuart advanced ahead of the
infantry with his cavalry, until challenged by the enemy's inte



280            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
rior sentinels, and fired on with canister; and finding the ground
impracticable for cavalry at night, sent for the infantry. When
it arrived, he directed General Trimble to rest his centre on the
railroad and advance, which was immediately done, and after a
brief contest the place was captured, Colonel Wickhllam, with a
portion of the cavalry, cutting off the enemy's retreat.
The amount of arms and stores captured at Manassas was
very large. Eight pieces of artillery; seventy-two horses and
equipments; three hundred prisoners; two hundred negroes; two
hundred new tents; one hundred and seventy-five additional
horses, exclusive of artillery horses; ten locomotives; two railroad trains of enormous size, loaded with many millions' worth
of stores; fifty thousand pounds of bacon; one thousand barrels
of beef; twenty thousand barrels of pork; several thousand barrels of flour, and a large quantity of forage, fell into Jackson's
hands. In addition to these public stores, were the contents of
the sutlers' shops, containing, says an eye-witness, " an amount
and variety of property such as I had never conceived of."
The same writer says: "'Twas a curious sight to see our ragged
and famished men helping themselves to every imaginable article
of luxury or necessity, whether of clothing, food, or what not.
For my part I got a tooth-brush, a box of candles, a quantity of
lobster salad, a barrel of coffee, and other things which I forget.
The scene utterly beggared description.  Our men had been living on roasted corn since crossing the Rappahannock, and we
had brought no wagons, so we could carry little away of the
riches before us. But the men could eat one meal at least. So
they were marched up, and as much of every thing eatable
served out as they could carry.  To see a starving man eating
lobster salad and drinking Rhine wine, barefooted and in tatters,
was curious; the whole thing was indescribable."
This vast mass of public and private stores, with the exception of what the men consumed or carried away with them, a
bakery, furnishing daily fifteen thousand loaves of bread, and all
the public buildings of the place, were consigned to the flames




TIIE MARCH TO MANASSAS.                281
and utterly destroyed. Jackson was not to hold the place without a further struggle, however, on the part of the enemy.
Intelligence of the danger to which this great magazine of
stores was exposed having reached Washington, a brigade of
New Jersey troops, under General Taylor, was promptly ordered
forward by railroad to defend it. The train reached the bridge
over Bull Run about seven in the morning of the 27th; the
troops were disembarked, and the entire command hurried forward as rapidly as possible toward Manassas.  The Confederate
skirmishers, who had been posted along the crest of hills overlooking Bull Run, fell back before the enemy, and they were thus
drawn on toward the fortifications, where the infantry and dismounted cavalry awaited them in silence. They had advanced
in line of battle within close and deadly range, when suddenly
the artillery in the breastworks opened, and a storm of shot and
shell greeted them. They fell back behind a sheltering crest,
and were at once attacked by the Confederate infantry, who
drove them through  Blackburn's ford, to the opposite side of
Bull Run. Here they were fired into by the Stuart HIorse Artillery, unuder Major Pelham.  General Taylor was killed; his son,
nephew, and at least one-half of his officers wounded, and the
enemy fell back in full retreat.
Hill's and Jackson's divisions were now in the neighborhood
of Manassas, and had driven off some of the Federal cavalry
and artillery which still hovered near in the direction of the old
battle-field.  Ewell's division had remained at Bristoe.  This
was to receive the first attack of Pope's column, pressing forward
to guard his rear. The advance force of General Pope was led
by General Hooker, an officer of energy and ability, and it soon
became apparent that the whole of General Pope's army had
fallen back from the Rappahannock, and was about to throw
itself upon the comparatively small force opposed to it.
The enemy appeared in Ewell's front in the afternoon, and
their forces were visible as far as the eye could see, The Confederate commander saw that he was largely outnumbered, and
could effect nothing against this great force, but he nevertheless




282            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
advanced to the attack. determined to hold them in check until
Jackson had accomplished his work at IManassas. The 6th and
8th Louisiana regiments and the 60th Georgia were promptly
thrownf forward to engage two Federal brigades which were now
within close range; and Ewell opened with a rapid fire of artillery, which drove the Federal advance force back in confusion.
Their places were, however, taken by fresh columns of Federal
troops, and heavy reSnforcements were rapidly moved to the
front, General Pope evidently desiring to bring' on a general engagement immediately.  Ewell, however, declined the proffered
battle, and, drawing up Early's brigade to protect his rear, fell
back in the direction of Manassas.  Two regiments of cavalry,
under Munnford and Rosser, covered Early's rear; Captain Boswell, of the engineers, destroyed the bridge, and the column fell
back unpursued.
This affair was claimed by the Federal commander as an
important success, his impression being, apparently, that he had
thus repulsed, without difficulty. Jackson's entire force. The
intelligence was telegraphed  to Washington, where it was
printed; and this was the origin of the opinion held throughout
the Northl  for the moment, that Jackson was " cut off,' and
would inevitably be captured.
The Confederate cavalry had meanwhile exerted all their activity.  During the entire day they were engaged in observing
the enemy, reporting his movements, and capturing detached
parties in all directions. General Fitz Lee was sent on an expedition toward Fairfax Court-House, to still further damage
tile Federal communications, and, if possible, cut off the retreat
of Taylor's brigade; and the entire region was scoured by efficient officers of cavalry, who notified General Jackson of every
movement.
At nightfall Manassas was evacuated; and when the enemy
took possession on the following morning, Stuart's few remaining cavalry falling back before them, they found only smoking
ruins, and the burnt and blackened remains of their great masses
of stores.




THE MARdCH TO MANAXSSAS.               283
The destruction of these stores was of vital importance to
General Jackson. It doubtless seemed hard to his hungry soldiers, that after a march'of fifty miles, almost without food, they
should be called upon to destroy the tempting commissary
stores, and innumerable luxuries of the sutlers' shops, almost
before they had satisfied the cravings of nature. But the personal comfort of the army was at that moment a very small item in
the account. The destruction of these stores was one of the
greatest objects of the expedition; General Pope depended upon
them for the subsistence of his army; and the success or failure
of the grand operations about to commence was largely involved
in depriving the enemy of their benefit.
General Pope's official report shows how thoroughly he was
crippled by the capture of M3anassas.  I-e rests his apology for
the defeat Which followed upon the want of rations for his men
and forage for his horses.  Describinug his starving condition,
and inveighing against General McClellan for refusing to despatch trains of supplies without an escort of cavalry, he attributes all to the destruction at IManassas.  There were some
grounds for his statement. Even if General Fitz Lee's cavalry
had permitted a convoy to pass, it could not have arrived in
time; and General Pope declares in his report, that whether
defeating Jackson, or defeated by him, it was a simple question
of time whether he should fall back behind Bull Run, toward his
supplies, or "; starve."  He adds that the battle of Saturday was
fought because he had no option in the matter, and could not
delay an engagement.  " Starvation" for men and horses stared
him in the face, and drove himn to renew the action.
Such were the excellent results immediateiy achieved by
Jackson in the capture of the enemy's magazines at IManassas.
That historic place had thus been twice destroyed by the Confederate commanders —first by Johnston, and then by Jackson.
It had twice been occupied by the eneumy, on the next day,
but under different circumstances. The troops which took possession when Johnston evacuated and destroyed it in March,
were the advance gfiard of an army thoroughly provisioned and




284           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
in high spirits. Those who entered it on the 28th of August
were hungry, and with spirits already darkened by the shadow
of Jackson.
CHAPTER XIII.
JACKSON  AT JBAY.
JACKSON turned his back on the burning houses of Manassas
at nightfall.
His position was now perilous in the extreme. The main
body of Lee's army was in motion, and marching by the same
route which he had followed, to his assistance; but General
Pope was moving to attack him, and the head of the Federal
column had already come in collision with General Ewell. Lee
had the are of the circle to follow, while his adversary moved
over the chord; and all now depended upon the former's celerity, and Jackson's strategy in meanwhile keeping the enemy at
bay.  If General Pope could once come up with and strike
Jackson before Lee and Longstreet arrived, the contest would be
dlesperate, as the Confederates would be greatly outnumbered;
and to ward off the threatened blow until the main body came
to his succor, was now the aim of General Jackson.
The movement brought into play all his resources of energy,
nerve, prudence, and generalship. I-Ie might have retired without difficulty before the enemy, in the direction of Aldie, and
turning the Bull Run Mountain at its northern extremity, formed
a junction with Longstreet, and defied the foe; but this withdrawal of the advance force was no part of the plan of General
Lee. The design of that commander was to enlgage the enemy
with his whole force in the neighborhood of 3Manassas, while
they were laboring under the embarrassments occasioned by the
destruction of their stores and communications-while the men
and horses were hungry and exhausted-and before supplies
could reach them from Alexandria. The retreat toward Aldie,




JACKSON AT BAY.                       285
on Jackson's part, would have lost to him  half the fruits of the
great movement —tlwarted General Lee's plans —and reversed
the whole programme of operations. He accordingly banished all
thought of such a retrograde movement, and with that stubborn
nerve which characterized him, determined to fall back slowly to
a position within supporting distance of Longstreet, contest every
inch of the ground, and only retire when the existence of his army
made it necessary.
Accordingly, just after sunset, he put his troops in motion,
and began the movement which was to effect his object.  His
corps was divided, and took different routes.  Hill's division,
with a detachment of cavalry, set out on the road to Centreville,
crossing at Blackburn's ford, and thus drawing the attention of
the enemy in a false direction. Hill did not proceed beyond
Centreville, however. Having reached that point he faced to
the left, took the Warrenton  road, and returned, recrossing
Bull Run at Stone bridge, hotly pursued by General Pope, who
had gone after him  to Centreville'; with Heintzelman and Reno
as a body-guard," says General Fitz John Porter, " not knowing
at the time where was the enemy." Near this point he rejoined
Jackson, who had fallen back, with Ewell's division, his own
and the rest of the cavalry, and taken up a position on the battlefield of Manassas; his left resting near Sudley ford; his right at
a point a little above the small village of Groveton.*  The crest
which he occupied was partly protected in front by a railroad
T-The consequences of Jackson's movement against the Federal rear are
vividly depicted in the despatches of their generals. On the 28th General
Porter telegraphed to General Burnside: "All that talk about bagging Jackson
was bosh.  That enormous gap Manassas was left open, and the enemy
jumped through."  On the 29th the same general telegraphed: "It would
seem from proper (?) statements of the enemy that he was wandering around
lodse; but I expect they know what they are doing, which is more than any
one here, or anywhere, knows."  When a large amount of ammunition was
sent from Waslington, he telegraphed in regard to it that it "was on the
road to Alexandria, where we are all going."
On the 1st of September General McClellan wrote: "This week is the crisis
of our fate."




286           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
cut-that of a projected road branching from the main Manassas
Railroad near Gainesville, and running toward Alexandria.
Here he was in a position to repulse the enemy unless they advanced in overpowering force; to form  a junction with Longstreet as soon as he arrived, and, if hard pressed, retire up the
right bank of Bull Run toward Aldie.
Deceived by the movements of A. P. Hill toward Centreville, a force of the enemy had followed him in that direction,
and pursued hotly until his rear guard passed Stone bridge.
This was in the afternoon. But meanwhile the cavalry force of
the two armies had come into collision.  General Stuart disposed his cavalry so as to cover Jackson's front in the direction
of Warrenton and M3anassas; and having intercepted a despatch
from the enemy, directing cavalry to report to General Bayard
at Haymarket, near Thoroughfare, Stuart proceeded in that
direction, with his two fragments of brigades, to attack it,,and
establish communication with Longstreet, whose arrival was
looked for with intense anxiety. On the way, Stuart captured
a party of the enemy, and, having sent his despatch through by
a trusty messeniger, engaged the enemy's cavalry, while Longstireet was fighting at Thoroughfare Gap. The skirmish was still
going on when the sound of artillery from Stone bridge indicated
a battle there, and, quietly withdrawing from the action, General
Stuart hastened to place his command upon Jackson's right flank.
As the cavalry approached, the dust which they raised induced the apprehension on General Stuart's part that his command, coming as it did from the direction of the enemy, would
be taken for a part of the Federal force. A staff officer was
accordingly despatched with the intelligence of his approach, and
Jackson promptly informed that the supposed enemies were
friends. He was reconnoitring at the moment with General
Ewell and others in front of his troops, drawn up in line of battle,
and no sooner knew that his flank was not threatened than,
pointing to the enemy in his front, he said, briefly: "Ewell,
advance!"
Ewell immediately threw forward his own and Jackson's




JACKSON AT BAY.                   28$
divisions, and attacked the enemy, who were seen advancifig
parallel with the Warrenton turnpike, inclining somewhat in the
direction of iManassas. It was now nearly sunset, and Jackson's
men were almost worn down by their heavy marches; but the
enemy had exposed his flank, and the temptation to assail it was
irresistible. Starke's brigade was deployed in front, as skirmishers,.and the batteries of Wooding, Poague, and Carpenter
*opened on the enemy over the heads of the skirmishers. The
Federal batteries promptly replied, and so tremendous a fire was
concentrated upon the Confederate artillery that it was forced to
change its position. The more decisive " small-arms," however,
were now about to commence their work in earnest. Jackson's
old division, with the brigades of Lawton and Trimble on the
left, rushed forward to an orchard on the right, where they made
an impetuous charge upon a heavy force of the enemy less than
a hundred yards beyond the orchard. A fierce and sanguinary
conflict ensued, the enemy being constantly reenforced by fresh
troops; but in spite of this they did not advance. They continued, however, to receive Jackson's attack with the greatest
obstinacy, and sustained both the fire of musketry and that of the
Stuart Horse Artillery, under -Major John Pelham, without
flinching. Their intention, as afterwards appeared. was to protect the flank of their column until it passed Jackson's position,
and the troops to whom this duty was assigned performed it well.
They stood the fire of musketry and artillery until nine o'clock
at night, when the whole Federal force fell back.
Jackson's loss in this engagement was heavy, bbth in numabers and the personal worth of those killed and wounded. General Ewell had been badly wounded in the knee, which caused
the loss of his leg; and General Taliaferro, commanding Jackson's division, was also severely wounded.  The enemy had,
however, suffered heavily, and had yielded the, field, and the
troops prepared for the more decisive conflict which the coming
day would bring.
The mild hours of the August evening which witnessed this
contest on the historic plains of Manassas, were marked also by




2$8           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
a sharp engagement between Longstreet and the enemy in the
gorge of Thoroughfare Gap. This wild and romantic pass in
the mountains, with its frowning, fire-clad battlements on either
side-its narrow and winding road, and its rugged walls rising
rock above rock to the summit, right and left-was defended by
a considerable force, with powerful batteries judiciously posted
to take the eastern debouchment with shell and canister.  General Lee, who had pressed forward over the same road, followed
by Jackson, and reached the lofty hill upon the western opening
of the pass late in the afternoon, determined not to delay the
attack. A brigade was accordingly sent forward, and rushed
into the gap in face of a hot fire of musketry and storm of shell
from the enemy's artillery beyond.  The conflict was kept up
with great spirit for some time; but Lee having sent a force by
Hopewell Gap, a little north of Thoroughfare, to take the
enemy in flank and rear, they hastily withdrew their batteries
and left the way open to Longstreet, who passed through about
nine o'clock at night.
When a courier brought to Jackson the intelligence that
Longstreet had passed Thoroughfare, and was rapidly pressing
forward to join him, he drew a long breath and uttered a sigh
of relief. The long agony was over-the great movement was
so far a complete success. Longstreet —nay, Lee himself-was
near, and all was well.
CHAPTER XIV.
MANASSAS: AUGUST 29, 1862.
ON the morning of Friday, August 29th, Jackson's corps
was drawn up to receive the anticipated assault of the enemy,
posted directly in his front. His own division was on the right,
General Starke commanding; Ewell's, under General Lawton,
in the centre; and Hill's upon the left. The position was a
strong one. His left rested near Sudley ford, and his right a




MANASSAS: AUGUST 29, 1562.           289
little above the small village of Groveton, on the Warrenton
turnpike, a portion of the line being protected by the deep cut
for the projected railroad already mentioned.  Thus posted,
General Jackson was in a condition to repel any assault, unless
it was made in overpowering force; and confident of his ability
to hold his ground until reinforcements arrived, he presented a
dauntless front, ready to accept battle at any moment.
The fatal error of General Pope was his delay in making this
attack. Confusion seems to have reigned in the Federal counsels, and the plainest dictates of military science were disregarded.
It was known that Lee was advancing with Longstreet's corps. -
that great reserve whose blows were so heavy, and told for so
much in every contest. The route of this corps was also well
known; there, could be no doubt that they would advance
through Thoroughfare Gap; and yet Thoroughfare Gap, the key
of the whole position, the ThermopylT which ten men could
have held against a thousand, was inadequately guarded, and
suflbred to be cleared. The veriest tyro in arms would have
understood that all depended upon hurling the entire Federal
column upon Jackson before Longstreet arrived; but General
Pope either did not see the importance of doing so, or was unable to accomplish it. In his defence, he presents an array of
charges against General Porter and other officers, for delay,
inefficiency, and even disloyalty; but the rejoinders of these
officers are fatal in the extreme to General Pope's character for
generalship, and the fact remains clearly proved that he was outgeneralledl, as he was out-fought, by General Jackson.
The hour for the execution of the movement referred to above
had now passed. The golden moment upon which the hinges
of destiny turn had slipped away. That most terrible of phrases,' too late," applied in all its force to the movements of the Federal army.
A cloud of dust from the direction of Thoroughfare Gap, on
that eventful morning, told the tale of despair to General Pope,
of succor and good hope to Jackson. The great corps which
had turned the tide of victory upon so many bard-fought fields
19




290           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
was steadily pressing onward, and the advance was now on the
Warrenton turnpike, beyond Gainesville, not far from Jackson's
right.
All the morning General Longstreet was coming into position. The far-seeing eyes of the great soldier who commanded
the Southern army had embraced at a glance the whole situation
of things, and his plans were formed. The design was to envelop the enemy, as it were, and occupy a position from which
he could be struck in front, flank, and rear at the same moment,
if he made a single error; and this design dictated an order of
battle not dissimilar from that which was crowned with such
success on the banks of the Chickahominy.
Jackson fronted, as we have said, obliquely to the Warrenton road, his right resting near Groveton. When Longstreet
arrived, his troops were steadily advanced in a line crossing the
Warrenton road, his left resting upon a range not far from
Jackson's righlt-the two lines forming an obtuse angle, and
resembling somewhat an open V. The village of Groveton was
in the angle thus formed, about a mile distant; and the fields in
its vicinity were completely commanded by heavy batteries.
These were placed upon a ridge at the angle mentioned, where
Longstreet's left and Jackson's right approached each other, and
were commanded by that accomplished soldier Colonel Stephen
D. Lee, of South Carolina.
The advantage of this order of battle is apparent at a glance.
If the enemy advanced, as it was probable they would do, upon
Jackson, to crush him before Longstreet was ready to assist
him, they would expose their left flank to the latter, and be
placed in a most perilous position. If they succeeded in driving
General Jackson back, and followed up their success by a general advance all along the line, that success would only expose
them  still more to the heavy arm  of Longstreet ready to fall
upon their unprotected flank. Their very victory would be the
signal of their ruin. Triumph would insure destruction. The
* General Longstreet's expression to the writer.




MANASSAS: AUGUST 29, 1S62.           291
rapidly-closing sides of the great V would strike them in flank
and rear, huddle them together, and end by crushing them with
its inexorable vice-like pressure.
Their only hope, in advancing upon Jackson, was to penetrate between him and Longstreet, thereby dividing the line of
battle. But Colonel Lee was there, with his batteries crowning
the crest, and the design was hopeless.
Such was General Lee's order of battle. The enemy seemed
as yet unaware of it. They adhered to their design of overwhelming Jackson before succor reached him; and during the
whole forenoon were moving their troops to the left, and massing
them in his front. Skirmishing and cannonading, rather desultory in their character, and not important, went on during this
movement of the enemy; but it was not until after two that the
battle commenced in earnest.
About that time the enemy advanced a heavy column, consisting in part, it is said, of Banks', Sigel's, and Pope's divisions; and, supported by a heavy fire of artillery, threw themselves with great fury upon Jackson's left, consisting of the
division of A. P. Hill. Their evident design was to turn his
flank; and in spite of the destructive volleys poured into their
faces, they pressed on, crossed the cut in the railroad extending
along Hill's front, and, penetrating an interval of about one hundred and seventy-five yards, separated the right of Gregg's from
the left of Thomas' brigades. This success proved almost fatal
at the moment to General Gregg. He was entirely isolated,
and but for the stubborn stand made by the 14th South Carolina
and 49th Georgia, on Thomas' left, would have been cut off
and destroyed. These regiments attacked the enemy with vigor;
their triumphant advance was checked at the instant when they
were carrying all before them; and the Federal column was
forced to retreat beyond the cut again, with heavy loss. In this
sanguinary conflict the men fought almost breast to breast; and
General McGowan reported that " the opposing forces at one
time delivered their volleys into each other at the distance of ten
paces."




292            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
But the attempt to force back Jackson's left was not abandoned. The first assault was succeeded by another and another,
ever increasing in fury, and participated in by the best troops of
the Federal army. Time had, however, been given to remedy
the fatal defect in the line of battle; no opening was now presented to the enemy; and, wherever the attack wais made, they
found their assault promptly met. General Hill reported " six
separate and distinct assaults" which his division, reinforced by
I-Hays' brigade, met and repulsed. His loss was heavy. Gregg's
brigade had all of its field officers but two either killed or wounded; but Early's brigade, with the 8th Louisiana, came to its assistance, and the battle raged more furiously than before.
Early found that the enemy had obtained possession of the
railroad cut immediately in his front, from which they were
pouring a galling fire. He lost no time in attacking, and they
were driven from the cut, thence into the woods, and pursued
two hundred yards. As they fell back before the Confederate
infantry, they were subjected to a heavy fire from the artillery
posted on the high ground in rear; and so destructive was this
combination of cannon and small-arms, that one of the Federal
regiments is said to have carried back but three men.
A pause in the action was soon succeeded by another assault,
this time very generally directed all along the line. The best
Federal troops tookl part in this charge, which was made with a
vigor indicating the importance attached to it.  They evidently
spared no exertions.  The Federal batteries opened a furious
fire, and, under cover of it, their infantry advanced at a doublequick, plainly resolved to break through the line of Confederate
bayonets, or leave their dead bodies on the field. The conflict
which followed was exceedingly obstinate. It continued for several hours, and Jackson greatly exposed himself in encouraging
the men and holding his lines firm.
They retained their position thus, without wavering; but the
strength of the Southern troops, so sorely tried in the heavy
marching, began to flag. Other causes conspired to render assistance necessary.  Heavy reenforcements were being rapidly




MANASSAS: AUGUST 29, 1862.            293
pushed forward by the enemy, and Jackson's troops had shot
away all their cartridges.  " We got out of ammunition," writes
a young.soldier of A. P. Hill's division to his mother; 1" we collected more from cartridge-boxes of fallen friend and foe. That
gave out, and we charged with never-failing yell and steel. All
day long they threw their masses on us; all day they fell back
shattered and shrieking.  When the sun went down, their dead
were heaped in front of that incomplete railway, and we sighed
with relief, for Longstreet could be seen coming into position on
our right.  The crisis was over; Longstreet never failed yet;
but the sun went down so slowly! "?  Without ammunition, the
men of Jackson seized whatever they could lay their hands on
to use against the enemy. The piles of stones in the vicinity of
the railroad cut were used —-and it is well established that many
of the enemy were killed by having their skulls broken with
fragments of rock.
The conflict went on in this way all the afternoon, and was
obstinate and deteimined.  The enemy had not succeeded in
driving Jackson from his position; but his men were beginning
to grow weary in the unequal struggle with an enemy who
threw against them incessantly heavy rehnforceiments of fresh
troops, arriving from the rear and hurried to the front, to take
the place of those who had been repulsed.
General Lee saw that the moment had arrived for a demonstration on the enemy's left, and this was made about nightfall.
Hood's division was ordered forward, and now threw  itself
with ardor into the contest. Up to that moment the conflict had
been obstinate, but the firing upon both sides had perceptibly decreased in intensity-the Federal troops, like their opponents,
appearing fatigued by the persistent conflict.  It was at this moment that Hood's division advanced; and the quick tongues of
flame leaped from the muzzles of his muskets, lighting up the
gathering gloom with their crimson flashes. These "' fires of
death" were followed by the sharp crack of the guns, from end
to end of the great field between the opposing lines-and then
dusky figures were seen advancing rapidly toward the Federal




294           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
line. The next jets of flame spurted into the darkness were near
the edge of the wood where the enemy were drawn up; then, with
one long roar of musketry, and a maze of quick flashes everywhere, Hood's men rushed forward with wild cheers, driving the
enemy before them into the depths of the forest. When the deep
darkness of night, lit up now only by a few flashes of artillery,
put an end to the conflict, the Federal lines had been driven
more than half a mile from the position which they had held before Hood charged.
By order of General Lee the troops, however, fell back to
their former strong position, for the real struggle on the next
day, and bivouacked for the night-a circumstance which probably induced General Pope to telegraph that, although he had
sustained a loss of 8,000 men, he had driven back the entire
Southern army.
Jackson had thus successfully maintained his ground against
the heavy pressure of the enemy's columns, and night and Longstreet had come.
HI-s movement bad succeeded, and he had stood at bay after
securing all its advantages, with that stubborn and determined
front which defies all attempts to break througll it. Now the
dangerous moment had passed. Longstreet was there upon his
right, with his strong and veteran corps; and Lee was by his
side to take from his shoulders the heavy load of anxiety which
he had borne unaided.
The stern soul of Jackson the soldier must have rejoiced
within him when night came and all was well; but the heart of
the Christian was doubtless heavy, here as elsewhere, for the
blood about to flow.    




THE SECOND BATTLE OF MIANASSAS.             295
CHAPTER XV.
THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS.
SATURDAY, the 30th of August-the great day which was to
terminate the long conflict-dawned clear and beautiful.
With the first dawn the Confederate troops twere under arms,
and prepared for the great contest. All of General Lee's forces
had arrived, with the exception of Anderson's division, which
was only a few miles from the field, and line of battle was immediately formed.
The order of battle remained unchanged.  Jackson still
occupied his former position, with his left near Sadley, his right
above Groveton; and Longstreet's line, as before, stretched
away obliquely, the interval between the two being protected by
the eight batteries of Colonel Lee.  General Stuart's cavalry
was posted on the right and left wings, and batteries were so
disposed as to serve as supports to the advancing columns, or
repulse the onset of the enemy.
The Federal army adapted its line, in some measure, to that
of General Lee. It curved backward from its centre, following
the conformation of Lee's two wings, and is said to have embraced General Heintzelman on the right, General McDowell
on the left, and Porter, Sigel, and Reno in the centre. Their
batteries were disposed in a manner similar to General Lee's,
and their cavalry held well in hand to take an active part in the
battle.
It was in this attitude that the two armies remained in face
of each other for many hours-neither advancing to the attack.
General Lee's policy was plainly to await the assault in his
strong position behind the railroad, and on the high ground of
the Groveton leights-thus forcing the enemy either to attack
him, or retire across Bull Run, for supplies, pursued by the
Southern troops.  General Lee could hold his position indefi



296           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
nitely, having uninterrupted communication with his rear; but
the Federal general was forced to fight or retreat —and the obvious policy was to await his advance.
The strength of the position was evidently appreciated, and
persistent attempts were made to draw the Southern troops from
it. About one o'clock a feint was made upon the Confederate
right, and a brisk encounter took place between the advance
forces; but the enemy were speedily driven back with artillery,
and the Confederates retained their position. Heavy masses
then moved in the direction of Lee's left, and General Jackson
prepared for an instant renewal of the fierce conflict of the preceding day. Several demonstrations were made, but the failure
here was as marked as it had been on the right; and the Federal forces witlldrew, apparently designing to fall back in the
direction of Manassas.
These movements, during the whole forenoon, and up to four
in the evening, were vigilantly watched by Lee. Though outwardly calm, the latent fire of his eye showed that the dcesign
of the enemy was fully understood, and that every thing was
ready for the earnest work which must speedily succeed all this
manceuvring, these elaborate ruses and feints. The enemy had
failed in achieving their object-to deceive the wary eyes of Lee,
Jackson, and Longstreet-and they now prepared to abandon
their useless tmovements, and trust the event of the day to superior numbers and stubborn fighting.
The Southern troops had witnessed the complicated evolutions of the enemy across the wide fields and through the forest,
with little anxiety. The conflict of the preceding day had given
them confidence, and the men lay down in line of battle, laughing and jesting. Virginians, Georgians, Alabamians, Mississippians, Texans, Floridians, Carolinians-all awaited the development of the enemy's designs with entire calmness, and Ca species
of indifference which was very striking.  They were in this
careless mood-some talking, others jesting, others again sleeping beneath the warm August sky-when suddenly the roar of
thirty pieces of artillery shook the ground, and filled the air




THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS.              297
with their tremendous reverberations.. Every man started to
his feet-and the cause of the heavy cannonade was plain.
The enemy, entirely foiled in their attempt to draw Lee from
the heights, had suddenly advanced at a double-quick, as before,
against his centre, where Jackson's right and Longstreet's left
came together. The attack was made upon Jackson's line first,
by a dense column of infantry, which had been massed in a strip
of woods, in close vicinity to Groveton. Three heavy lines had
been formed for the charge, and as the first of these lines emerged
at a double-quick froma the woods, they were greeted with the
murderous fire above described. The fire was directed with
astonishing accuracy,. and the brigades which led the charge
were almost annihilated by the shot and shell which burst before,
behind, above, to the right, to the left-raking and tearing them
to pieces. They were swept away before this horrible fire like
leaves in the wind, and disappeared, broken and flying in the
woods-to be immediately succeeded, however, by other brigades
charging as before.  Again the iron storm  crashed through
the ranks; and again they broke and retired. A third force,
heavier than before now advanced with mad impetuosity, and, in
the midst of the rapid fire of Lee's batteries, threw themselves
upon Jackson, and engaged him with desperation.
The battle was now joined in earnest, and Jackson bore the
brunt of the attack. The force in front of him is said to have
embraced, among others, the divisions of Sykes and Milrorrell,
both enjoying a high reputation for discipline, gallantry, and efficiency. The onset of these veterans was sustained by Jackson,
and in some portions of the field entirely repulsed.  Colonel Lee
had meanwhile opened a rapid fire of artillery from the hills
above.  loving his batteries more to the left, he reached a position not more than four hundred yards from the Federal line,
and poured a destructive fire over the heads of the Confederates.
" As shell after shell," says an eye-witness, " burst in the wavering ranks, and round shot ploughed broad gaps among them,
you could distinctly see, through the rifts of smoke, the Federal
soldiers falling and flying on every side. With the dispersion




298           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
of the enemy's reserve," says the same writer, " the whole mass
broke and ran like a flock of wild sheep. Jackson's men, yelling like devils, now charged upon the scattered crowd, but you
could notice that they themselves had severely suffered, and were
but a handful compared with the overwhelming forces of the
enemy. The flags of two or three regiments did not appear to
be more tlan fifty yards apart. A golden opportunity was now
at hand for Longstreet to attack the exposed left flank of the
enemy in front of him, and he accordingly ordered the advance
of Hood's division, which moved obliquely to the right and forward of the position it had occupied. IKemper next followed,
with the brigade of General Jenkins on the right of that of
Pickett, and Jones' division completed our line of battle. The
brigade of Evans acted as a support to Hood.
6' Not many minutes elapsed after the order to attack before
the volleys of platoons, and finally the rolling reports of long
lines of mllusketry, indicated that the battle was in full progress.
The whole army was now in motion. The woods were full of
troops, and the order for thle supports to forward at a quick step
was received with enthusiastic cheers by the elated men. The
din was almost deafening. The heavy notes of the artillery at
first deliberate, but gradually increasing in rapidity, mingled
with the sharp treble of the small-arms, gave one an idea of
somen diabolical concert in which all the furies of hell were at
Nwork. Through, the woods, over gently-rolling hills, now and
then through an open field, we travel toward the front. From
an elevation we obtain a view of a considerable portion of the
field. Hood and Kemper are now hard at it, and as they press
forward, never yielding an inch, sometimes at a double-quick,
you hear these unmistakable yells which tell of a Southern
charge or a Southern success.
6 The troops they encounter are the best disciplined in the
Federal army, and for a little while most obstinately do they
contest every inch of ground over which we advance. Nothing,
however, can withstand the impetuosity of our boys. Every
line of the enemy has been broken and dispersed, but rallies




THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAS.             299
again upon some other positions behind. Hood has already advanced his division nearly half a mile at a double-quick-the
Texans, Georgians, and Hampton Legion loading and firing as
they run, yelling all the while like madmen. They have captured one or two batteries and various stands of colors, and are
still pushing the enemy before them. Evans, at the head of his
brigade, is following on the right, as their support, and pouring
in his effective volleys. Jenkins has come in on the right of
the Chinn House, and, like an avalanche, sweeps clown upon
the legions before him with resistless force. Still further to the
right is Longstreet's old brigade, composed of Virginians, veterans of every battle-field, all of whom are fighting like furies.
The 1st Virginia, which opened the ball at Bull Run on the 17th
of July, 1861, with over six hundred men, now reduced to less
than eighty members, is winning new laurels; but out of the
little handcful more than a third have already bit the dust.
Tooombs and Anderson, with the Georgians, together with Kemper and Jenkins, are swooping around on the right, flanking the
Federals, and driving them toward their centre and rear. Eschelman, with his company of the Washington artillery, Major
Garnett, with his battalion of Virginia batteries, and others of
our big guns, are likewise working around upon the enemy's
left, and pouring an enfilading fire into both their infantry and
artillery.
" We do nothing but charge I charge!!  charge I! i  If the
enemy make a bold effort to retrieve the fortunes of the day
(and they made many), and we are repulsed, it is but for the
moment, and the regiments rallying upon their supports plunge
back again into the tempest of fire that before swept them down.
" Some of the positions of the enemy were strong as Nature could make them, and Were charged five or six times, but
each time our soldiers were turned back by sheer physical inability to surmount the obstacles before tlhem. It was then grand
to witness the moral heroism with which, though their comrades
went down like swaths of grass under the mower's scythe, other
men continued to step into the path of death with cheerful alac



300            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
rity, and still to fall with the battle-shout upon their lips, and
the proud smile of conscious valor on their faces."
Gradually as the fierce struggle progressed, the sides of the
open Y, which Lee's order of battle resembled, closed upon the
flanks of the enemy.  Colonel Lee's artillery still continued to
play with destructive effect upon their front, and the batteries
were regularly advanced from position to position, raking the
lines of the enemy from every hillock.
The battle had now become terrific.  The ruses and maneouvres of the morning had long yielded to desperate, stubborn
fighting, and the day depended not so much upon any military
skill of the generals as upon the character of the troops engaged.
The Federal troops fought hard, but that " heart of hope" which
adds so much to the efficiency of the soldier had deserted them,
and they contended doggedly, but without the dash and fervor
which compel victory.  Gradually the Southern lines closed in
upon them. Longstreet's right pressed down upon their left,
and Jackson's column swung round steady, heavy, resistless,
upon their right, huddling the disordered regiments and brigades
apon their centre.
This was the situation of affairs as the sun sank slowly
toward the west, and the Confederate leaders now concentrated
all their forces for a last charge, which should carry every thing
before it. The batteries redoubled their exertions, the air was
hot and sulphurous with exploding missiles, whole ranks went
down before the whirlwind of iron, and the continuous streaminog roar of musketry was frightful in its intensity.  The enemy
continued to give ground; the Confederate reserves were hurried
forward to the front, and just as the sun sank a general charge
was made all along the lines. From the dust and smoke of battle
there appeared all at once before the eyes of the disheartened
Federal troops a rapidly-advancing line with gleaminrg bayonets,
and this line swept forward at a run.  " Tlhey came on," says
the correspondent of a Northern journal, 6" like demons emerging
from the earth."  There was no pause or hesitation. The Federal volleys tore through the line, but could not check it. The




THE SECOND BATTLE OF MIANASSAS.             301
men pressed on with deafening cheers over the dead and dying —
the ranks closing up where gaps were made; and before this
charge the last remnant of hope deserted the Federal troops.
They no longer came up to the struggle. Soon they broke and
disappeared in tile rapidly gathering darkness. The long contest
was ended; victory assured. The Federal army now thoughtl
of nothing but its safety behind the sheltering heights of Centreville.
Jackson's veterans had taken their full part in this hard combat, and, sweeping down upon the wavering lines, had led the
charge which put the enemy to final rout. The fighting of the
corps had been excellent.  They had sustained every assault
with great firmness; repulsed every attempt to force them from
their ground; and then advancing in their turn, had pushed the
enemy from position after position, and swept onward to victory.
" It was a task of almost superhuman labor," says the correspondent from whom we have already quoted, " to drive the
enemy from those strong points, defended, as they were, by the
best artillery and infantry in the Federal army; but in less than
four hours from the commencement of the battle our indomitable
energy had accomplished every thing.  Our generals - Lee,
Longstreet, Jackson, Hood, Kemper, Evans, Jones, Jenkins,
and others-all shared the dangers to which they exposed their
men. How well their colonels and subordinate officers performed
their duty is best testified by the list of killed and wounded.
" The battle raged in the manner described until after dark5
and when it was impossible to use fire-arms, the heavens were lit
up by the still continued flashes of the artillery, and the meteor
flight of shells scattering their iron spray. By this time the
enemy had been forced across Bull Run, and their dead covered
every acre from the starting point of the fight to the Stone
bridge. Had we been favored with another hour of daylight,
their rout would have been as great as that which followed the
original battle of Manassas. As it was, they retreated in haste
and disorder to the heights of Centreville."
The part taken by the cavalry in this celebrated battle has




302           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
not been noticed. General Stuart was indefatigable in his exertions to guard the Confederate flanks and procure the earliest information. He commanded the division of infantry which about
nightfall made the vigorous and successful attack upon the Federal left; and his cavalry was enuaged on the flanks of the army
throughout the day. As the enemy were giving way on the
left an impetuous charge was made by a body of cavalry under
Colonel Munford, of the 2d Virginia, which terminated, after a
close hand-to-hand conflict, in the complete rout of the largely
superior force brought against him. This ended the conflict in
that part of the field, and the enemy broke and retired, pursued
by the Confederate artillery and cavalry to the banks of Bull
Run, over which their confused column hastened on its way to
Centreville.
Thus terminated the bitter contest upon the weird plains,
already so deeply crimsoned with Southern blood.  Strange
Providence which rolled the tide of battle there again!-which
made the huge wave break in foam. again upon the melancholy
fields around Stone bridge! It was a veritable repetition of the
fierce drama of July, 1861.  " Batteries were planted and captured yesterday," says a writer, " where they were planted and
captured last year. The pine thicket, where the 4th Alabama
and 8th Georgia suffered so terribly in the first battle, is now
strewn with the slain of the invader. We charged through the
same woods yesterday, though from  a different point, where
Kirby Smith, the Blucher of the day, entered the fight before."
Such was this battle-a hot conflict and a complete success.




OXHILL,  OR GERMANTOWN.                303
CHAPTER XVI.
OXHILL, OR GERMANTOWN.
THE bloody and memorable conflict of;' the Second M/anassas" was the splendid termination of a series of manceuvres
which will always rank among the most famous of history.
If there were any persons who still muttered "' luck, mere
good fortune," in relation to Jackson's successes, they were now
forced to concede that his triumphs were the result of mathematical calculation-of nerve, and a fertility of resources which
compelled the very genius of necessity with her iron wedge to
yield to him.
What he had accomplished was this: He had, by a swift
and silent march, reached Thoroughfare before the enemy suspected his advance; passed through the narrow gorge without
resistance; repulsed the advances of General Pope at Bristoe
Station; captured and destroyed the large stores at M3anasas;
cut to pieces the force sent to relieve the garrison; retired with
deliberation to the old battle-field of Manassas; repulsed the
attack of the Federal army; held his position until Longstreet
arrived; and then falling upon the troops which were almost
starving in consequence of his destruction of their stores, had
borne the brunt of the encounter during a battle of incredible
fury; helped to rout them in the final and decisive charge, and
was now again on their track as they fell back toward the defences of Centreville.
Eighteen pieces of artillery, with their caissons and equipments, 6,420 small-arms, and countless prisoners were the
substantial results reaped by the corps of Jackson.
But the struggle had not terminated. The Federal forces
were still at Centreville, and on Sunday, the 31st of August,
Jackson's corps was again in motion. Ordered by General Lee
to turn Centreville, and cut off the retreat of the Federal forces,




304           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
he crossed Bull Rlun at Sudley ford, struck into the Little River
turnpike, and marching down that road, bivouacked on the same
evening not far from Chantilly. Here he was joined on Monday
morning, September Ist, by General Stuart, who had pursued the
enemy toward Centreville with his cavalry; fought their rear
guard at Bull Run bridge, which they destroyed behind them;
and moved thence to the Little River turnpike, where, not far
from Germantown, he took position with his artillery and opened
fire upon their trains, then rapidly retreating from Centreville.
Forming a junction with Jackson, General Stuart disposed his
cavalry in front and on the right flank of the infantry, and the
whole moved forward in the direction of Oxhill-a point on the
turnpike about three or four miles above Fairfax Court-House.
The scene at this moment was interesting.  The men of the
Stonewall Brigade and their comrades were lying on the side
of the road, hungry and exhausted.  They had not seen their
wagons since they left the Rappahannock, and the rations secured
at Ianassas were long since exhausted. Green corn and unripe
apples had for several days been their sustenance, and now they
were in a country which did not afford even these. The hungry
men saw on every side bleak fields and forests, with scarce a roof
visible in the entire landscape; and thus famished and worn out,
they were lying down awaiting the order to advance and attack.
There was no ill-humor visible; on the contrary, jests and
laughter greeted the least object calculated to excite them. And
when the leader who had nearly marched and fought them to
death rode by, they saluted him with tumultuous cheers.
A step beyond his men was Jackson. The Federal forces
were then in motion from Centreville, and the skirmishers on
the right were already engaged. The rifles were cracking and
the balls beginning to fly, but Jackson, like many of his men,
was asleep. Seated at the foot of a tree, with his chin upon his
breast, his cap drawn over his eyes, and his hands crossed on his
breast, as though he had fallen asleep while praying, he slept as
peacefully as a child. It was impossible not to be struck with
the attitude of the weary soldier. It was simple and unassumn



OXIIILL,  OR GERMANTOWN              305
ing, and so sweet a calm was diffused over the features that the
sleeper seemed to be dreaming of home. He was soon aroused;
duty called him, and mounting his horse, he took the head of his
column, and advanced to deliver battle on another field.
The enemy were awaiting him on the range of hills between
the Warrenton and Little ]River turnpikes, with their right near
Germantown, their left beyond 31ellen's house-their object being to cover their retreat from Centreville. Jackson determined
to attack without delay, and posting his artillery on an eminence
to the left of the turnpike, drew up his command in the woods
on the right-his own division on the left of his line, Ewe-ll's in
the centre, and Hill's on the right.
Oxhill is a ridge which extends obliquely across the turnpikG, here heavily wooded on each side, a mile or so above Germantown. Along this ridge runs a road from Frying Pan past
Mellen's house, to the Warrenton road, between Centreville and
Fairfax Court-House. On the crest of the hill, in the turnpike,
two pieces of artillery were stationed, and on the western slope,
in the woods skirting the right of the turnpike, the Confederate
infantry were drawn up in line of battle. The engagement
opened with an attack made by General Stuart, in front on the
turnpike, with a Blakely gun, supported by Colonel Wickham's
4th Virginia cavalry. Major John Pelham-called by Jackson,
in his report of the second Manassas, 1" the vigilant Pelham,"
and who was afterwards to receive from General Lee the supreme
name of " the gallant "-commanded this gun in person, and
General Stuart superintended the firing. It was run forward
under the crest of a little hill, but had no sooner opened on some
cavalry in front than a swarm of shaPpshooters rose from the
woods to the right and rained a storm of musket balls upon the
cannoneers. The enemy's lines were about one hundred yards
distant, and as the gun was without canister, it was, after a few
shots, withdrawn. The position of the Federal forces was thus
discovered, and the attack speedily commenced.
The brigades of Branch and Fields-Colonel Brockenbrough
commanding the latter-were thrown forward to feel the Federal
20




306            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
position, and as they advanced into action a violent storm roared
down, and lashed the woods with a fury which drowned the noise
of the guns. Torrents of rain beat upon the troops, rendering
it almost impossible to keep their powder dry; and the forest,
now shadowy with the approach of night, was lit up by lightning
flashes of dazzling brilliance, succeeded by deafening claps of
thunder.  Amid this war of the elements, the two brigades adlvanced upon the enemy, and engaged him in a close and determined struggle.  The Federal troops here posted to repulse an
assault appear to have been reenforcements which had not arrived
in time for the battle of the 30th of August, and they were thus
perfectly fresh, while the Confederates were greatly exhausted.
They were led by General Kearney, General Stevens, and other
officers of experience and ability, and pressed the two advance
brigades of Jackson in such numbers, both in front and flank,
that Branch began to exhibit signs of disorder.  Jackson now
threw forward the brigades of Gregg, Pender, and Thomas, to
which was added a portion of Ewell's division; and "' the conflict raged with great fury, the enemy obstinately and desperately
contesting the ground." *  All their efforts, however, were in
vain, and so heavy were their losses that they began to waver.
The loss of field and general officers on the part of the enemy
was remarkable, and probably disheartened the troops, already
dispirited by the violence of the attack.  General Kearney, mistaking a Confederate soldier in the half darkness for one of his
own men, inquired the position of a Federal regiment, but, discovering his mistake, suddenly turned to gallop off. As he did
so, the soldier levelled his musket, fired, and Kearney fell from
his saddle, mortally wouhded.t  General Stevens was also killed
in the engagement; and about dark, the Federal forces retired
from the field, which remained in possession of Jackson. $
X Jackson's report.
f His dead body was brought off and sent under a flag of truce next day
to the enemy.: In this action, when Jackson received a message from one of his Generals that he would have to fall back as the men could not get their glms




QENERAL LEE ENTERS MARYLAND.                  307
On the next morning it was discovered that the enemy had
withdrawn from  Jackson's front, and General Stuart, pushing
forward to Fairfax Court-I-House about noon, reported that they
were in full retreat toward Alexandria.  The inhabitants of
Fairfax welcomed the Confederates with great joy, and the cavalry and Stuart horse artillery continued to follow up the Federal
retreat for many miles.
Such had been the unfortunate termination of General Pope's
campaign, entered upon with such high hopes.*  He had professed to have seen hitherto only'" the backs of his enemies,"
but at Cedar Run and Manassas saw them  " face to face."  The
result had been disastrous defeat; and from  that time forth the
Federal authorities entrusted this officer with no important command.  He was another added to the Generals whom Jackson
had met and defeated.
CHAPTER XVII.
GENERAL LEE ENTERS MARYLAND.
THUS ended the great summer campaign by which the Federal authorities hoped to break down the military power of the
South before the forest leaves were touched by the finger of autumn.  The red battle-flag of the Confederates floated where the
Federal standard had been so lately seen, and new fields were
opened to the Southern army.. Maryland was now undefended;
to go off on account of the rain, Jackson is said to have sent back the reply
that the officer must hold his ground: "If his guns would not go off, neither
would the enemy's! " This might form a supplement to Shakespeare's list of
retorts, and be styled the "retort military."
"- Sept. 3.-General Pope asked to be relieved of his command, and was
transferred to the Department of the Northwest. He drew up the report of
his campaign in Virginia, and sent it to headquarters without waiting for the
reports of his subordinate Generals. In this document he blames several of
the officers for causing his defeat." —lational Almanac, 1863.




308           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
and the smoke of battle had scarcely lifted from the plains of
Manassas, when the victorious columns of Lee were in motion
toward the upper Potomac.
Long before, Jackson had written to a friend, " I am cordially with you in favor of carrying the war north of the Potomac," and we have seen that to cross into the enemy's country —
to advance upon the North-was his never-ceasing desire.
The signal of the long-wished-for advance now came. " On
to 1M'aryland!" was the watchword, and the veterans of Jackson
moved forward at the signal, joyous, elated, confident of victory,
and burning with ardor at the thought that the fair fields of Virginia, the homes of their loved ones, would be relieved of the
horrors of war. No time was lost by General Lee in commencing his movement.  It was necessary to gain a foothold in
iMaryland before the disorganized forces of the Federal Government were again put in fighting condition, and the campaign
began with energy and rapidity.
Jackson having, after his custom, inquired with great interest
what roads led to the Potomac, in the direction of Arlington
Heights, and ordered maps to be prepared of the region for his
use, put his troops in motion toward Leesburg.  Marching from
Oxhill, on Sept. 3d, by way of Dranesville, he bivouacked on
the 4th at Big Spring, beyond Leesbnrg, and on the 5th the
passage of the Potomac was effected without resistance. The
scene is said to have been inspiring.
" When our army reached the middle of the river, which they
were wading," says an army correspondent, "' General Jackson
pulled off his hat, and the splendid band of' music struck up the
inspiring air of'Maryland, my Maryland,' which was responded to and sung'with the spirit and with the understanding' by all who could sing; and the name of all who could then
and there sing, was legion."
This scene took place at White's ford, not far from Leesburg,
and on the night of the 5th Jackson's command bivouacked near
the Three Springs, in Maryland.  Captain Randolph, of the
Black Horse, a company of cavalry attached to the corps head



GENERAL LEE ENTERS MARYLAND.              309
quarters, scouted through the country on the right to give notice
of any movement of the enemy in that direction; and the weary
soldiers slept in peace.
Jackson had thus obtained an undisturbed foothold upon the
soil of Maryland, and his troops indulged in rosy dreams of the
exciting scenes and novel triunrphs of a march through the rich
and unexplored territory of that enemy who had so long laid
waste the fields of Virginia.  " Pennsylvania i Pennsylvania!"
was the watchword throughout the camps; but even the novel
and attractive scenes before them had not been sufficient to
enable a large portion of the troops to overcome the exhaustion
of the immense march from the Rappahannock, together with
the want of rest and food. A large portion of the command of
Jackson, and every other general, had broken down in the rapid
advance; all along the road from 3Ianassas to Leesburg thousands of stragglers, with weary frames and bleeding feet, were
toiling slowly on in the wake of the army, and the southern
bank of the Potomac swarmed with thousands of men who had
sunk down to obtain that rest which nature demanded, and without which they could advance no further.
Before this great force could rejoin the different corps, General Lee resumed his march; the enemy pressed forward on his
rear, the way was barred, and the Army of Northern Virginia
continued its march, and fought its enemies with less than twothirds of its numbers.
On the 6th of September Jackson reached the vicinity of
Frederick City, and his old division encamped in the suburbs,
with the exception of Jones' brigade, commanded by Colonel
Bradley T. Johnson, which was posted in the place as a provost
guard, with orders to protect all property, and promptly to suppress any attempt to harass the inhabitants. Ewell's and I-Till's
divisions occupied positions near the railroad bridge over the
3ionocacy, to repulse any advance of the enemy from the direction of Washington.
The reception of the Confederate forces in MBaryland was not
encouraging. That ancient commonwealth, illustrated by so




310            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
many great names, and strongly Southern throughout the larger
portion of its territory in the habits, opinions, and character of
its population, was now called upon to decide, by its acts,
whether the Souther-n proclivities claimed for it were only theoretical, or such as to spur its people on to overt acts against the
Federal Government.  The response seemed to indicate an
almost complete indifference, if not open hostility to the Confederate cause; and instead of being received with smiles, the
troops were looked upon with ill-concealed dislike.  It was not
until afterwards that the Confederates came to understand this
singular reception.  They had entered a portion of the State
entirely dissimilar to the lower counties, where the Southern
sentiment was powerful. Here the Union feeling was in the
ascendant, as in Western Virginia, and little encouragement met
the Southern arms.  What would have been the result of an
advance into the lower counties, where the planters were like
those of Eastern Virginia, nearly unanimous in favor of the
South, we can only conjecture; but in Frederick City and above
that point General Lee was met with little enthusiasm, and received almost no recruits.
There were, however, many exceptions to this want of cordiality in the demeanor of the people. One MBarylander fed in a
single day six hundred Southern soldiers; officers and men were
urged to stop and use the houses and all they contained; many
ladies sewed day and night on garments for the ragged troops;
and from the houses of a few daring gentlemen waved white
handkerchiefs and the Confederate fla,. An incident of the time
was the presentation of a magnificent riding horse to General
Jackson as soon as he crossed the river, which, however, came
very near resulting in his death. Frightened by the martial
sounds around him, the animal reared violently, and nothing but
Jackson's firm seat in the saddle —for with all his want of grace,
lie was an excellent rider-saved him from a heavy fall.
The following passages from the letter of an army correspondent, written on the 8th of September, presents a picture of
Frederick City at the time, and, with some allowance for the




GENERAL LEE ENTERS MARYLAND.              311
obvious desire of the writer to persuade himself that the reception of the Southern troops was enthusiastic, may be taken as a
truthful statement of the condition of things at the moment:
" Frederick to-day presents a busy scene, more like that of a
Fourth of July festival than a gathering of armed invaders. A
majority of the stores are closed to general admission, because
of the crowds eager to press and buy, but a little diplomacy
secures an entrance at the back door, or past the sentinel wisely
stationed to protect the proprietor from the rush of anxious customers. Prices are going up rapidly. Every thing is so cheap,
that our men frequently lay down a five dollar bill to pay for a
three dollar article, and rush out without waiting for the change.
The good people here don't understand it. Bitter complaints
are uttered against those who refuse Confederate money, and
it is understood that the authorities will insist upon its general
circulation.
"The people are beginning to recover from their surprise at
our sudden appearance, and to realize the magnitude of our
preparations to advance through and relieve Maryland from her
thraldom. Some are still moody, and evidently hate us heartily,
but we are more than compensated by the warm  welcome of
others, who now begin to greet us from every quarter.  Only a
few moments ago I met a lady who confessed that although she
had Confederate flags ready to expose in her windows as we
passed, she was afraid to wave them, lest being discovered by
her Union neighlbors, she should be reported to the Federals in
case of our retreat, and be thereby subjected to insult if' not imprisonment at their hands.  To assure me how true were her
sentiments, she introduced me to a large room in her house,
where there were fourteen ladies, young and old, busy as bees,
making shirts, di'awers, and other clothing for the soldiers.
" She was also distributing money and tobacco to the soldiers.
Judging probably from my rags that I too was in a destitute
condition, she benevolently desired to take me in hand and replenish my entity throughout; but of course I declined, and
though I could not help smilling at the ingenuous oddity of the




312            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
proposition, a tear at the same time stole down my cheek at the
thought of the sufferings which these noble-hearted ladies must
have endured to prompt the unselfish generosity by which they
endeavored to express their delight in our presence."
General Lee had given the strictest orders in relation to
depredations by the troops; and the same writer adds, " though
thousands of soldiers are now roaming through the town, there
has not been a solitary instance of misdemeanor."  A Marylander, Colonel Johnson, commanded the strong provost guard;
no Union man was molested; "I pay as you go," was the policy
of the Southern leaders; and all kinds of property used by the
troops, even the fence rails which they burned, were carefillly
paid for. Never before had the world beheld the spectacle of a
hostile army, in an enemy's territory, conducting itself with such
perfect regard for the rights of property and the feelings of the
inhabitants.  The result was soon evident.    Prices are going
up rapidly," says the newspaper correspondent already quoted.
Two days after the arrival of the "1 Rebels," they were found
not to be such terrible monsters after all; and goods which at first
were sold at "I greenback" prices, were now held at many hundreds per cent. higher.  Recruits did not appear.
Meanwhile General Lee had prepared his address to the
people of Maryland; and if any doubt remained of the policy
which would be pursued by the Confederate commander, this
authoritative statement of his views and intentions set that doubt
at rest. The army and the people of the State awaited the
document with intense interest; and when it was published, on
the 8th of September, at Frederick City, it was seized upon and
read with avidity, and had soon been disseminated and read
throughout the entire North.  The address was in these words:
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, e
Near FREDERICK TowN, Sept. 8th, 1862.
To the People of iaeryladcl:
It is right that you should know the purpose that has brought the army
under my. command within the limits of your State, so far as that purpose
concerns yourselves.
The people of the Confederate States have long watched, with the deepest




GENERAL LEE ENTERS MARYLAND.                     313
sympathy; the wrongs and outrages that have been inflicted upon the citizens
of a commonwealth allied to the States of the South by the strongest social,
political, and commercial ties.
They have seen, with profound indignation, their sister State deprived of
every right, and reduced to the condition of a conquered province.
Under the pretence of supporting the Constitution, but in violation of its
most valuable provisions, your citizens have been arrested and imprisoned
upon no charge, and contrary to all forms of law. The faithful and manly
protest against this outrage, made by the venerable and illustrious Marylanders, to whom, in better days, no citizen appealed for right in vain, was
treated with scorn and contempt. The government of your chief city has
been usurped by armed strangers; your Legislature has been dissolved by
the unlawful arrest of its members; freedom of the press and of speech have
been suppressed; words have been declared offences by an arbitrary decree
of the Federal Executive, and citizens ordered to be tried by a military commission for what they may dare to speak.
Believing that the people of Maryland possessed a spirit too lofty to submit to such a Government, the people of the South have long wished to aid
you in throwing off this foreign yoke, to enable you again to enjoy the inalienable rights of freemen, and restore independence and sovereignty to your
State.
In obedience to this wish our army has come among you, and is prepared
to assist you with the power of its arms in regaining the rights of which you
have been despoiled. This, citizens of Maryland, is our mission, so far as you
are concerned. No constraint upon your free will is intended-no intimidation
will be allowed. Within the limits of this army at least, Marylanders shall
once more enjoy their ancient freedom of thought and speech. We know no
enemies among you, and will protect all, of every opinion. It is for you to
decide your destiny, freely and without constraint. This army will respect
your choice, whatever it may be; and while the Southern people will rejoice
to welcome you to your natural position among them, they will only welcome
you when you come of your own free will.
R. E. LEE, General Commanding.
The campaign in ]Maryland was thus undertaken to aid the
people of that State in "' throwing off the foreign yoke" which
had so long weighed down their necks; in " regaining the rights
of which they had been despoiled;" "to enable them  again to
enjoy the inalienable rights of freemen, and restore independence
and sovereignty to the State."
No citizen would be coerced; no man's property taken from




314           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
him; if he joined the Southern army he would be welcome, but
if he remained at home he would not be molested. To each and
all was accorded the right to " decide his destiny, freely and
without restraint."
Certain persons have put themselves to the trouble of attempting to discover a profound ruzse in this address.  Such a
construction of the grave and statesmanlike paper is simply
absurd. The advance into Maryland was made for the purpose
stated by General Lee, and circumstances wholly beyond his
control-against the force of which he could not contend-dictated his subsequent operations.  What these circumstances
were, will be stated in the ensuing pages of this work.
General Lee had thus advanced without resistance into the
enemy's country, and his eagles already began to open their
broad wings for flight toward the rich fields of Pennsylvania.
But one serious cause of delay existed, which changed the whole
face of affairs.  This was the fortress, as it may appropriately
be called, of Harper's Ferry. At Harper's Ferry a force of
11,000 of the enemy, with seventy-three pieces of artillery, remnained, directly in his rear; and it was necessary before proceeding to enter on greater movements to gain possession of this
strong point which they still held.
On his trial, General McClellan, in reply to the question,
" Will you give a statement of the principal events connected
with the Maryland campaign? " said:
"' When at Frederick we found the original order issued to
General D. H. Hill by direction of General Lee, which gave the
orders of march for their whole army, and developed their intentions.  The substance of the order was, that Jackson was to
move from Frederick by the main Hagerstown road, and leaving
it at some point near  Hiddletown to cross the Potomac near
Sharpsburg, and endeavor to capture the garrison of MIartinsburg; and cut off the retreat of the garrison of Harper's Ferry
in that direction.  General McLaws was ordered, with his own
command and the division of General Anderson, to move out by
the same Hagerstown road and gain possession of the Maryland




GENERAL LEE ENTERS  IARYLAND.              315
Heights, opposite I-Harper's Ferry.  General Walker, who was
then apparently somewhere near the mouth of the Monocacy,
was to move through Lovettsville and gain possession of Loudoun HI-eights, thus completing the investment of Harper's Ferry.
General Longstreet was ordered to move to Hagerstown, with
Hill to serve as a rear guard.  *  *       It was directed in
the satne order that after Jackson, Walker, McLaws, etc., had
taken Harper's Ferry, they were to rejoin the main army at
Hagerstown or Boonsboro'. That order is important in another
sense.  It shows very plainly that the object of the enemy was
to go to Pennsylvania, or at least to remain in Maryland."
The discovery of this order was most unfortunate for the success of the campaign. Prompt steps were taken by the enemy
to check the advance of General Lee, relieve Harper's Ferry,
and defeat the projected invasion of Pennsylvania.
After the battle of 3Manassas great confusion is said to have
reigned in the Federal councils at Washington; and the anticipated attack of the Southern army upon the capital was regarded
with terror.  General Pope was cast aside, and the distinguished
officer who had fallen under the displeasure of the Federal Executive, and been deprived of the command of the army, was
appealed'to in this critical emergency.  General McClellan rose
to the command of the entire forces in and around Washington
without an effort on his part; and he acted without consultation
with any one, and under no orders but " Save the Capital."  The
genius of this skilful soldier was equal to the occasion. Troops
were hurried forward from various parts of the Nortl'; the renmnants of the army defeated at VIanassas were collectedland reorganized; Burnside's column was brought up; all the reserves
which had not arrived in time to participate in these great contests were put in requisition, and another army, numbering about
100,000 men, was at once ready to take the field. Never had the
great resources in men and material of the Federal Government
been more strikingly displayed; and the Southern troops were
now called upon to meet a fresh army. With this great mass
of old soldiers and new, veterans and conscripts, General MIc



316           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Clellan took position in front of Washington; when, finding that
General Lee no longer threatened that city, and had moved
toward Pennsylvania, the Federal commander hurried forward
in the direction of Frederick City.
General McClellan was still completely ignorant of Lee's designs, and it was necessary for him to move with caution so as
cover the capital.  President Lincoln was evidently uneasy,
from the apprehension that Lee's advance into Maryland was
only a feint, with a small force to draw the Federal forces
northward, when the main column would, by a rapid flank
movement, reach and assault Washington. Hampered by continual orders from the War Office, and unable to penetrate the
designs of Lee, General MIcClellan was compelled to advance,
with his left resting on the Potomac, in order to defeat any flank
attack upon Washington, and to proceedlvith a caution which
was indispensable in dealing with so wary and dangerous an adversary.
Great must have been the joy of General McClellan, there
fore, at finding, upon a table in Frederick City, the copy of Lee's
order of march left there by General D. H. Hill. It would be
difficult to over-estimate the disastrous effect which this careless
ness on the part of some one had upon General Lee's campaign.
General McClellan now no longer advanced cautiously, and with
an eye to the safety of the capital. He knew all General Lee's
designs, and hastened, without the loss of a moment, to counteract them.
If that order had not been found at Frederick City, the result of the Miaryland campaign would, in all probability, have
been wholly different.




J00NSBORO 9 AND CRAMPTON S GAP.           317
CHAPTER XVIII.
BOONSBORO' AND CRAMPTON'S GAP.
GENERAL LEE had, meanwhile, commenced his operations,
looking to the reduction of Harper's Ferry.
General Walker was directed to recross the Potomac and
move up with his brigade to Loudoun Heights, east of Harper's
Ferry; General McLaws was sent to occupy Maryland Heights
opposite the town, on the northern bank of the Potomac, to cut
off the enemy's retreat if they attempted to fall back toward
Frederick City; while General Jackson was directed to march
straight across the country to Williamsport, take possession of
Martinsburg, and intercept their retreat if they moved up the
river, or demand the instant surrender of Harper's Ferry and
its garrison. Jackson could take care of himself; but General
_McLaws was liable to be assailed in his rear, driven from Maryland Heights, and the garrison'thus relieved. A strong force
was accordingly posted at South lMountain, on the main road
from Frederick City to Boonsboro', under command of General
D. H. 1-ill, to receive the attack of General MIcClellan, then
known to be advancing; troops were also posted at Crampton's
Gap and other openings in the mountain lower down; and General Longstreet's corps was held in reserve, to move in any direction which the emergencies of the occasion demanded. The
cavalry under General Stuart was ordered to bring up and protect the rear.
Before following Jackson in his swift advance to the execution of his portion of the programme, let us relate the events
which occurred simultaneously upon the soil of Maryland. We
shall thus be enabled to present an uninterrupted narrative of
the operations of Jackson.
General McClellan's. advancing army first came in collision
with General Stuart's cavalry near Frederick City on the 11th




318            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
of September.  General Stuart's front extended from  New
nMarket, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, to Poolesville —
Fitz Lee being on the left, Hampton in the centre, and Colonel
Munford, commanding Robertson's brigade, on the right.
On the 12th the whole line speedily became engaged, and
opposed the advance of the enemy with obstinate valor.  The
Federal advance force was repulsed on repeated charges; and
it was not until the corps of the army had moved to their
assigned positions, that Stuart slowly retired, striking the advancing enemy at every step with his rear guard.  General
Hampton, bringing up the rear on the road friom Frederick City
to Middletown, was hotly assailed by a heavy force which had
rushed into Frederick; and, annoyed by the galling fire of the
Federal artillery, supported by a strong column of infantry, he
charged them with characteristic gallantry, drove back their infantry with great loss, and captured their artillery, though, the
horses having been shot, he could not bring it off. The cavalry
then slowly retired toward the gaps in the mountain, and on the
next morning, September 13th, Hampton, who had occupied
the gap in the Catoctin Mountain near Middletown, was vigorously assailed by overpowering columns.  The gap was obstinately held by his dismounted men and artillery until late in the
day, when further check of the enemy becoming unnecessary, he
was ordered to withdraw.v
On the 14th the enemy appeared in front of the various gaps in
the South Mountain, bent on breaking through and hastening to
the relief of the garrison at Harper's Ferry, now imminently threatened by Jackson.  At Crampton's Gap an obstinate stand was
made by a small force of dismounted cavalry and infantry under
Colonel Thomas T. Munford, of the 2d Virginia cavalry, with
a few hundred men, and the battery of Captain Chew, which had,- On approaching Crampton's Gap, General Hampton's column was mistaken by Colonel Munford for a force of Federal cavalry, and he ordered the
artillery to open upon it. The guns were loaded, sighted straight at Hampton, and were about to be discharged, when a white flag appeared at the head
of the column, and this serious accident was averted.




BOONSBORO' AND CRAMPTON S GAP.            319
done excellent service in the campaign of the Virginia Valley.
Colonel Ilunford opposed the advance of Slocum's division of
the Federal army, and for many hours prevented them from
passing the mountain. It was only when his ammunition was
completely exhausted, and the enemy were flanking him on both
sides. that he retired through the gap, mounted his men, and
moved down the mountain. General Stuart having appeared
upon the field, drew up the cavalry, checked the retreat of the
infantry of General Cobb's command, and at night the small
Confederate force still opposed the advance of the enemy.
Meanwhile a still heavier engagement had taken place at
Boonsboro' Gap, above.  The pass at Boonsboro' is a defile,
through which runs the main turnpike from Federal City to
Hagerstown. The road is winding, narrow, and rugged-the
steep mountain on one side, on the other a deep ravine. Near
the top are two or three houses, but few other objects break the
monotony of the landscape. The enemy appeared in front of
the position occupied by General D. H. Hill, and immediately
assailed him. A severe conflict ensued, the enemy's numbers
enabling him to gain possession of the commanding ground on
Hill's left, and by overlapping both wings to press him back.
Couriers were immediately sent to General Lee announcing the
condition of affairs, and Longstreet was hurried forward from
Hagerstown to Hill's assistance. The appearance of his corps,
with Evans on the left, Dirayton on the right, and Hood's Texans
in the centre, at once changed the aspect of the field; the Federal
force who were pressing heavily upon Hill and driving him back,
were repulsed and held in check, and the ground maintained
against the most determined efforts of the enemy to force a passage.
In this action General Reno, of the U. S. Army, was killed.
Receiving information that Harper's Ferry would certainly
fall on the next morning, General Lee now determined to withdraw the commands of Longstreet and Iill, and retire toward
Sharpsburg, where his communications would be uninterrupted,
and his army could be concentrated. The trains were accordingly sent to that point, and the army slowly retired. The difd




320           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
ficult and dangerous task of bringing up the rear was entrusted
to General Fitz Lee, who performed this important duty, as
afterwards at Sharpsburg, with a courage and ability which excited the admiration of the whole army. This accomplished
officer had distinguished himself by skill and daring upon many
fields; but it was left for him, and his associate commanders of
the cavalry arm, to show the infantry on this occasion that the
saddle of a cavalryman is not a bed of roses, and that " dead
bodies with spurs on them" could be discovered, and discovered
in considerable numbers.
The last to leave the field, General Stuart with his cavalry,
everywhere met and repulsed the enemy's advance, the Confederate forces slowly retired, and at daylight on Monday morning
the army reached Sharpsburg.
General McClellan hastened to pass through the mountains,
soon after dawn on the 15th, and push forward to the relief
of Harper's Ferry. But he was too late. The golden moment
had passed away, the strong arm of Jackson had struck.
CHAPTER XIX.
CAPTURE OF HARPER'S FERRY.
JACKSON  had performed the work assigned to him with
rapidity, -accuracy, and success.
Leaving Frederick City on the 10th, as General McClellan
was pressing forward, he moved with great rapidity through
Middletown, Boonsboro', and Williamsport, recrossed the Potomac into Virginia, at Light's ford, and pressed forward to his
task. A. P. Hill was sent on the main road to Martinsburg,
Ewell's and Jackson's old division moved to the North Mountain depot on the railroad about seven miles northwest of Martinsburg, and Major Myers commanding the cavalry was despatched as far south as the Berkeley and Hampshire turn



CAPTURE OF HARPER'S FERRY.             321
pike. The object of these precautions was to prevent the escape
westward of General Wlhite, commanding the Fed6ral force at
Martinsburg, and they fully attained their object.  On the
night of the 11th General White evacuated the town, and fell
back to the trap set for him at Harper's Ferry.
On the 12th Jackson entered the town, capturing large
quantities of Federal stores. On the morning of the 13tbh, at
about 11 o'clock, the head of his column came in view of the
enemy drawn upon Bolivar Heights.
We have already presented a brief topographical sketch of
Harper's Ferry.  It is a small village nestling beneath an
almost perpendicular hill, in the angle formed by the junction of
the Potomac and the Shenandoah. Bolivar Heights is in rear
of the town, Mfaryland Heights is opposite, on the northern
bank, and Loudoun Heights is that portion of the Blue Ridge
across the Shenandoah and east of the place. General Johnston
had retired from this position because it was exposed to an enfilade and reverse fire from the heights above mentioned. The
Confederate forces now occupied these commanding positionsit was the enemy who were cooped up in Harper's Ferry-and
Jackson prepared to try upon General Miles, commanding the
enemy's force, the strategy which General Patterson no doubt intended to direct against Johnston.
Jackson immediately had recourse to signals-of which he
always made great use-to ascertain if General McLaws and
Walker were in position.  Neither height responded to his
flags; and a courier was sent to each of the generals for information. Jackson would unquestionably have stormed the place
that day, the 13th, and have been with his entire command at
Crampton and Boonsboro' Gaps in time to take part in the battles
at those two points on the 14th; but to attack while tle enemy
had their way of escape open, would not only have failed to
obtain the main object of the expedition, but more than 10,000
fresh troops would have been thrown against the weak Confederate lines at the lower gap of South Mountain. It was not until
late in the night that the courier from Loudoun Heights brought
21




322           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
word that General Walker was in position.  General IceLaws
was also, at this hour, in his allotted place, having attacked and
driven off the Federal force on Maryland Heights.
The character of the ground-mountain and river-rendering communication by courier exceedingly difficult and tedious,
resort was again had to signals; but even with this assistance
Jackson could not, in spite of his utmost exertions, convey to
Walker and -3cLaws his orders for the attack until late in the
day. Time was infinitely precious now, for the distant thunder
of artillery from  South iMountain indicated the engagements
there, and nothing had been done at Harper's Ferry. Walker
and MIcLaws signalled that Bolivar Heights, where the enemy
were still posted, was out of range of their artillery; and Jackson saw the necessity of forcing the Federal line back under the
guns of his coadjutors.
The order of battle by which Jackson surrounded the enemy,
and reached a position for storming the place in the morning,
was as follows:
General Hill was directed to move on the right along the
bank of the Shenandoah, around the base of the hill, and turning
the enemy's left, enter the town in their rear. In this movement Ewell's division under General Lawton was to cooperate.
One brigade of Jackson's old division, and a battery, under
General Jones, was to make a demonstration against the enemy's
right, while the remainder of the division as a reserve moved along
the turnpike in front.
Major Massie, commanding the cavalry, was directed to
draw up his command on the left of the line, to prevent the enemy
from escaping toward MJartinsburg.
General Walker was on Loudoun Heights to prevent their
escape over the mountain.
General MIcLaws was on Maryland Heights to cut them off
from t.he line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
The Federal commander was thus as completely environed
with watchful and dangerous foes, as a wild animal driven into
his hole by a party of hunters, with all the avenues barred




CAPTURE OF HARPER'S FERRY.             323
against his exit. Like a wolf in some cavern of the mountains,
he was about to be smoked out, and forced either to surrender or
die defending himself.
The movement commenced on the left, late in the afternoon,
the Stonewall Brigade, under Colonel Grigsby, advancing to
secure an elevated position on the enemy's right. The Federal
cavalry here stationed was promptly dispersed, and the eminence
seized upon. General Hill was equally successful on the right,
next to the Shenandoah.  loving obliquely until he struck the
river, he observed in front of him a commanding position occupied by Federal infantry, but no artillery-the approaches
having been obstructed by an abatis of felled trees.  The
brigades of Pender, Archer, and Brockenbrough were directed to
storm the position, and rushing forward, Pender in advance,
they attained the crest of the hill, the enemy retreating almost
without resistance.
In the centre the line was also pushed forward with energy.
Ewell's division, under Lawton, moved along the turnpike and
the fields which skirted it, in three columns, until it reached Halltown, when line of battle was formed, and Lawton advanced to
School House Hill; his own brigade and Trimble's being on the
right of the road, and Hay's and Early's on the left.
Such was the position of the Confederate lines when night
descended.  But the hours of darkness were not suffered to
pass unimproved. The brigades of Branch and Gregg, with
Thomas' as a reserve, moved along the Shenandoah, and taking
advantage of the ravines of the precipitous banks of the river,
established themselves on the plain to the left and rear of the
enemy's works; and all night the Confederate artillery was
moving into position. Jackson had a passion for artillery, as
we have already stated, and on this occasion he seems to have
posted his batteries with a care which left nothing to be desired.
Colonel Lindsey Walker had put in position on the crest gained
by Pender, on the enemy's left,: the batteries of Pegram, McIntosh, Davidson, Braxton, and Crenshaw; and during the night
Colonel Crutchfield, Jackson's chief of artillery, crossed ten




324           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
guns of Ewell's division over the Shenandoah and established
them on the right bank, on the acclivity of the mountain, so as
to enfilade the Federal position on Bolivar Heights, and take his
nearest and most formidable fortifications in reverse. The other
batteries of Ewell's division were placed upon School H-louse
Hill; Poague and Carpenter were posted on the left, opposite the
Federal right, and Walker and Mc3Laws were directed to cooperate
in the assault from the heights on the east and the north-Jackson
signalling to them: " I have occupied and now hold the enemy's
first line of intrenchments, and, with the blessing of God, will
capture the whole force early in the morning."
At dawn on the 15th of September, at the moment when
General McClellan began to move from Boonsboro' upon the retiring forces of General Lee, Jackson opened his artillery upon
Harper's Ferry.  Colonel Walker, Hill's chief of artillery, commenced a rapid enfilade fire from all his batteries at about one
thousand yards, and their thunders were echoed by the guns on
School House Hill in front. Soon the batteries of Brown, Garber, Latimer, and Dement across the Shenandoah opened on the
Federal rear; and Poague and Carpenter answered from the
left, pouring a hot and heavy fire upon the enemy's right.
Above the heads of the cannoneers raced the shot and shell of
Walker and M1cLaws from the Loudoun and Maryland Heightsrendering the scene one of great magnificence. The Federal batteries replied, and for an hour kept up a resolute fire. At the end
of that time their fire slackened, and then seemed to be silenced.
All at once the batteries of Colonel Walker ceased their fire,
and the infantry prepared to storm their works, for this was the
signal agreed upon. F Pender had commenced his advance against
their left, when the enemy made a last effort, and again opened.
The batteries of Pegram and Crenshaw replied with a rapid and
destructive fire, and the infantry was about to rush forward and
storm the positions of the enemy, when a white flag fluttered
fromn the Federal works, and in the midst of cheers which rolled
aloft and were re6choed from the wooded mountain, it was announced that the Federal commander had surrendered.




CAPTURE OF EHARPER S FERRY.             325
The scenes which ensued were singular, and those who were
present will long remember them. Jackson had been up for the
greater part of the night, and for many preceding nights had
scarcely slept an hour, although he required more rest than any
general in the army. He was now exhausted, and had no sooner satisfied himself that the place had fallen than he sat down on
the ground, leaned his elbow on a log, and was asleep in a moment.: Mleanwhile General I-Hill had communicated with the
Federal General White, who had succeeded to the command in
consequence of a mortal wound received by Colonel Miles,
and now came, in company with that officer, to arrange with
Jackson the terms of surrender. The contrast between General White's neat uniform and Jackson's dingy coat. is represented
as having been very striking; and the Confederate commander
wore an old hat, less imposing even than his yellow cap, of
which some lady in Martinsburg had robbed him. General
White probably regarded with some curiosity this singular specimen of a Southern general, and allowed Hill to open the interview. The latter said to Jackson:
"General, this is General White, of the United States Army."
Jackson made a courteous movement, but seemed ready to
fall asleep again, when Hill added:
" He has come to arrange the terms of surrender."
Jackson made no reply, and, looking under his slouch hat,
Hill found that he was asleep. He was again roused, and at last
raising his head with difficulty, said to the Federal commander:
" The surrender must be unconditional, General. Every indulgence can be granted afterwards."
As he finished speaking Jackson's head fell, and unable to
contend against his drowsiness he again fell asleep, and the interview terminated. The terms of the surrender were liberal.
The officers and men were paroled, with liberty to retain all
their personal effects, and the former their side-arms; and transportation was furnished them for their property. Upon these
terms 11,000 troops were surrendered.
An amusing incident of the time is thus related by an officer




326            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
of the Federal army, who met Jackson in the streets of Harper's
Ferry.
"While we were in conversation," said this officer, " an
orderly rode rapidly across the bridge, and said to General
Jackson:
"' I am ordered by General MIcLaws to report to you that
General Ml[cClellan is within six miles with an immense army!'
" Jackson took no notice of the orderly, apparently, and continued his conversation; but when the orderly had turned away
Jackson called after him with the question:
C"' lEas General BfeClellan any.baggage train or drove of
cattle?'
" The reply was that he had.  Jackson remarked that 6 he
could whip ally army that was followed by a flock of cattle'-alluding to the hungry condition of his men."
It is a well-known fact that the Federal troops, instead of regarding their conqueror with a sentiment of hatred, exhibited
the liveliest admiration for him and curiosity to see him. Many
desired to shake hands with him, and did so.  This feeling of
the Northern troops was displayed upon many occasions.  A
gentleman of Culpepper was offered by a Federal soldier $500
in' greenbacks " for Jackson's autograph, but refused it; and
a Federal officer said to a member of General Longstreet's staff,
whilst a prisoner in Wiashington:
" I believe if we were to capture Stonewall Jackson, our
troops would cheer him as he passed along."
Jackson captured at Harper's Ferry 11,000 prisoners, includirg a brigadier-general; 13,000 small-arms; 73 pieces of
artillery; about 200 wagons, and a large amount of camp and
garrison equipage.  His loss was small.
The following' was his despatch announcing the surrender?
HEADQUARTERS VALLEY DISTRICT, SejteblleI" 16, 1862.
COLONEL: Yesterday God crowned our arms with another brilliant success
on the surrender, at Harper's Ferry, of Brigadier-General White and 11,000
troops, an equal number of small-arms, 73 pieces of artillery, and about 200
wagons.
In addition to other stores, there is a large amount of camp and garrison




SIArIPSBURG, OR ANTIETAIM.              327
equipage. Our loss was very small. The meritorious conduct of officers and
men will be mentioned in a more extended report.
I am, Colonel, your obedient servant,
T. J. JACKSON, Major-General.
Colonel R. H. CHILTON, A. A. General.
It has been truthfully declared that the capture of Harper's
Ferry was worth the entire campaign in Maryland; and the
results achieved induced the belief, above alluded to, that General Lee had no other end in view when he advanced into that
country.  Such a supposition is exceedingly absurd; but the
capture of 11,000 prisoners, 73 pieces of artillery, 13,00f stand
of arms, and 200 wagons, is anil amount of damage which few
victories inflict npon an enemy.
lTo good fortune, however, is entirely without alloy; and
the movement against Harper's Ferry had withdrawn from General Lee a force at that moment infinitely precious.  With Jackson, McLaws, and Walker detached from the main body, he had
been compelled to arrest his advance into Pennsylvania, and fall
back to Sharpsburg to unite his army; and thus, instead of occupying the aggressive attitude of' an invader, to stand on the
defensive.
Jackson was now ordered to rejoin General Lee without delay, and leaving General A. P. Hill at Harper's Ferry-to
which Walker and MlicLaws had crossed —he took his two remaining divisions, and by a severe night march reached Sharpsburg on the morning of the 16th Septe-mber.
CHAPTER XX.
SHARPSnBURG OR ANTIETAMI.
THE battles of Boonsboro' and Crampton's Gap took place
on Sunday, September 14th; Harper's Ferry surrendered on
the morning of the 15th; Tuesday, the 16th, was spent by both
combatants in concentrating their forces for the great conflict
which was to ensue.




328           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The battle of Sharpsburg was fought east and north of the
town of that name, in the valley immediately west of South
Mountain.
This valley is undulating and broken into innumerable eminences of every size, from diminutive knolls to steep and lofty
bills. Many of the depressions between these hills are dry, af
fording good cover for infantry, while others are traversed by'Antietam  Creek, a deep, narrow, and crooked water-course,.which twists about like a serpent, and has to be'; crossed every
ten minutes."  Sharpsburg is situated on the western side of the
valley, and on the eastern side, near the foot of South Mountain, are the little villages of Peterstown and Keedysville.  Numerous farm-houses dot the valley in every direction, some
standing out plainly on the hill tops, others half hidden on the
slopes, with their ample barns and orchards.  Fields of clover
and ripe corn stretched on every hand, and to the northward a
dense belt of woods shut in the prospect.  In this amphitheatre,
with the hills rising in terraces around it, the two great adversaries, Lee and McClellan, were now to close in one of those
desperate struggles, which will throw a glare so lurid on the annals of this period.
An army correspondent writes: "' Jackson and Lawton
(commanding Ewell's division), always in time, had come forward rapidly during the night, and were in position on our extreme left. What a strange strength and confidence we all felt
in the presence of that man' Stonewall' Jackson"!
General Lee's line of battle was in front of Sharpsburg,
with Longstreet on the right, D. }H. Hill in the centre, and Jackson on the left-the cavalry under Stuart being posted on the
extreme left of the line.  The divisions of McLaws, Anderson,
and A. P. Hill, and Walker's brigade had not arrived on the
night of the 16th, and Jackson had under him only Ewell's and
his own division.
The Federal line was several miles in length, and their forces
embraced the corps of Burnside, Mansfield, Hooker, Sumner,
Franklin, Williams (formerly that of Banks, Jackson's old ad



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Waters@                   ~,:                  
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SIARPSBURG, OR ANTIETAM.              329
versary), and Sykes' division of Fitz John Porter's corps. General Hooker held the right of their line, one of his divisions
being commanded by General Meade, and Burnside the left.
On the evening of the 16th the opposing lines had already
come into collision, General McClellan having thrown Hooker
across the Antietam on his right for the assault next morning.
Jackson's division and General Hood, holding the left of D. H.
Hill, were attacked, but the enemy's batteries were soon silenced,
and, resting on their arms in close proximity to the Federal lines,
the Southern troops snatched a brief sleep before the arduous
struggle of the coming day.
At dawn skirmishing commenced between the advanced
lines of Jackson and Hooker, now rednforced by the corps of
Mansfield, and in a short time the Federal batteries, so posted
on the opposite sides of the Antietam as to enfilade the Confederate line, opened a heavy and destructive fire. Jackson's batteries under Poague, Carpenter, Brockenbroughl, Raine, Caskie,
and Wooding returned it hotly, and about sunrise the Federal
infantry advanced in heavy force to the edge of the wood, on the
eastern edge of the turnpike, driving in Jackson's skirmishers,
and opening upon his lines a determined fire of shell and canister
from their batteries at close range. This was kept up for some
time, when General Hooker suddenly advanced his line and
threw his entire column against Jackson.  The firing' which succeeded was heavy and incessant. The best troops of the Fed
eral army had been concentrated in this portion of the field to
turn the Confederate left, and the attempt was made with desperation. For more than two hours the lines of Jackson sustained this almost overwhelming assault without giving back,
and the great mortality which resulted was sufficient evidence
of the desperate character of the struggle. General Starke,
commanding Jackson's division, and Colonel Douglas, commanding Lawton's brigade, were killed; Generals Jones, Lawton, and
Walker were wounded and disabled; more than half of the
brigades of Lawton and Hays were either killed or wounded;
more than a third of Trimble's, and all the regimental com



330             LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
manclers in these brigades except two were either killed or
wounded.  Meanwhile column after column of fresh troops were
thrown into action on the Federal side, as their ranks were
swept back by the galling fire, and thus for hour after hour, now
giving back, now advancing, the Southern lines held their original ground.  The batteries of General -Stuart, commanded by
Major Pelham, his chief of artillery, under his direction, took a
leading part in this hot struggle; and so judiciously had these
guns been posted, as General Jackson's report will show, that
they had a most important bearing on the fortunes of the day.
Jackson's line, a very thin one, owing to the absence of s6
large a portion of his command, sustained the heavy Federal fire
with great gallantry, but their ammunition became completely
exhausted at last; and Jackson himself gave the order for his
line to retire slowly.*  This movement was not the result of
panic or confusion.  A writer in the New York   I Herald " said,' The rebel forces fell back slowly, and in very fair order, disputing every foot that they gave up with the greatest obstinacy."
This retrograde inspired the enemy with new ardor.  Their
right wing now rapidly advanced, and soon threatened to envelop
the Confederate left.  It was ahlmost at right angles with the
Federal centre, and General Hooker continued to extend his
right still further to outflank his adversary.  Prompt steps were
necessary to counteract this dangerous manoeuvre, and Jackson
quickly moved his line to the left and rear, facing obliquely to
the left to meet this new assault.  Into the gap thus made upon
his right the two small brigades of Texans under Hood threw
themselves with conspicuous gallantry.
Seeing -Hood in their path, the enemy paused, and a Northern
correspondent writes: " While our advance rather faltered, the
* " Want of ammunition" has so often been the excuse for bad fighting
and fair defeat, that the present writer dislikes even the phrase. But the deficient transportation of General Lee's army, and the absence of railroad connection with his depots at Richmond, were very severely felt both at Sharpsburg and Gettysburg. The Federal army was much more fortunate in these
particulars.




SIARPSBURG, OR ANTIETAM.               331
rebels, greatly reinforcedcl, made a sudden and impetuous onset
and drove our gallant follows back over a portion of the hardwon field. W That we had won, however, was not relinquished
without a desperate strugoule and here up the hills and down,
through the woods and the standing corn, over the ploughed land
and the clover, the line of fire swept to and fro as one side or
the other gained a temporary advantage."
Hood was now fighting with his right toward -the main line
of the enemy, for General Hooker had swept round so far that,
as we have said, his line was almnost at right angles with its
original position. Hood threwv himself into the action with great
gallantry, and says, in his report: "6 Here I witnessed the most
terrible clash of arms by far that has occurred during the war.
The two little giant brigades of my command wrestled with the
mighty force, and, although they lost hundreds of their officers
and men, they drove them fronm their position and forced them
to abandon their guns on our left."  One of these brigades numbered only 854 men.
Jackson had nmeanwhlile moved Ewell's division toward the
Dunkard Church, and rapidly formed a new line with a portion
of his own division on his right to oppose the further advance of
the enemy, who had rushed forward and planted a battery on the
turnpike near the edge of the woods.
Every thing now depended upon the arrival of the forces
under General McLaws. That officer advanced so slowly that
all the fruits of the terrible struggle of Jackson and Hood were
lost.
Before General McLaws had reached the field, General
Hooker made another and more determined attempt to turn the
Confederate left. The brunt of the battle was evidently here,
and a most persistent effort was made to break through Jacksen's
line, or flank and drive it back in confusion on the centre.  The
hottest portion of this assault was borne on the extreme left by
the Stonewall Brigade, which received the enemy with a determined fire, and momentarily checled them-and on tlle right,
Ewell had succeeded in holding his ground. At this crisis a




332           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
heavy Federal column, supposed to be General Sumner's corps,
appeared upon the left, and Jackson would have been forced in a
short time to retire, when his own rednforcements reached the
field. Semnmes' and Anderson's brigades, with a portion of the
divisions of Barksdale and McLaws, formed line of battle as soon
as they reached the ground; and soon the whole line, including
the Stonewall Brigade, swept forward in a determined charge.
This charge drove the enemy back, compelled them to surrender
all the ground they had gained, and pressing bn, the Confederate
troops forced them from and beyond the woods for more than a
mile.
Jackson had thus entirely defeated the persistent attempt to
turn his left, and General McClellan's report shows that the result of the Federal attack in this part of the field was regarded
by him as decisive of the battle. Such was undoubtedly the
fact; and the repulse of the Federal lines was so complete that
Jackson speedily assumed the offensive, and in his turn advanced
to turn the Federal right. General Stuart, with his cavalry, led
the advance in this movement, but from the nature of the ground,
Jackson states, the design was soon abandoned. The Potomac
here makes a remarkable bend, and the narrow ground between
the river and the enemy's right was so completely commanded
by their artillery, that Jackson finally determined that the movement was too hazardous to be attempted.
Of the fighting of the troops under Jackson and Hood on
this occasion, a Northern writer says:
"1 It is beyond all wonder how men such as the rebel troops
are can fight as they do. That those ragged and filthy wretches,
sick, hungry, and in all ways miserable, should prove such heroes
in fight, is past explanation. Men never fought better. There
was one regiment that stood up before the fire of two or three
of our long range batteries and of two regimnents of infantry, and
though the air around them was vocal with the whistle of bullets
and the scream of shells, there they stood and delivered their fire
in perfect order."
Of this great action in other portions of the field we present




SHARPSBURG~ OR ANTIETAILI.            333
the following animated description from a Southern journal,
which, if not entirely accurate, will at least convey to the reader
something of the emotions of an eye-witness:
" THE FIGHT UPON THE CENTRE.-SOOn after the cessation
of the fight on the left, the enemy made a strong demonstration
upon our centre, in front of the division of General D. H. Hill.
Here, for awhile, the contest was carried on mainly by artillery,
witlh which both the enemy and ourselves were abundantly supplied. The only difference between the two, if any at all, was in
the superiority of their metal and positions, and on our part the
lack of sufficient ammunition. Battery after battery was sent to
the rear exhausted, and our ordnance wagons, until late in the
day, were on the opposite side of the Potomac, blocked by the
long commissary trains which had been ordered forward from
Martinsburg and Shepherdstown to relieve the necessities of the
army.
" As indicated in the former part of this letter, our artillery
was posted on the summits of the line of hills which ran from
right to left in front of the town. That of the enemy, with one
exception, was on the rising ground at the base of the Blue
Ridge, and upon the various eminences this side. A single Federal battery was boldly thrown over the Stone bridge, on the
turnpike, nine hundred or a thousand yards in our front, and
held its position until disabled, with a hardihood worthy of a
better cause. I cannot now name all the positions of the different batteries-only those which I saw. Altogether, we may
have had playing at this time one hundred guns. The enemy
having at least an equal number, you may imagine what a horrid
concert filled the air, and how unremitting was the hail of heavy
balls and shells, now tearing their way through the trees, now
bursting and throwing their murderous fragments on every side,
and again burying themselves amid a cloud of dust in the earth,
always where they were least expected.
" This exchange of iron compliments had been kept up from
early morning, but at eleven o'clock the fire began to concentrate
and increase in severity. Columns of the enemy could be dis



334            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
tinctly seen across the Antietam  on the open ground beyond,
moving as if in preparation to advance. Others were so far in
the distance that you could recognize them as troops only by the
sunlight that gleamed upon their arms, while considerable numbers were within cannon shot, defiantly flaunting their flags in
our faces. At twelve o'clock the scene from the apex of the
turnpike was truly magnificent, and the eye embraced a picture
such as falls to the lot of few men to look upon in this age.
" From twenty different stand-points great volumes of smoke
were every instant leaping from the muzzles of angry guns. The
air was filled with the white fantastic shapes that floated away
from bursted shells. 1Men were leaping to and fro, loading, firing, and handling the artillery, and now and then a hearty yell
would reach the ear amid the tumult, that spoke of death or disaster from  some well-aimed ball.  Before us were the enemy.
A regiment or two had crossed the river. and, running in squads
from  the woods along its banks, were trying to form a line.
Suddenly a shell falls among them, and another and another,
until the thousands scatter like a swarm of flies, and disappear
in the woods. A second time the effort is made, and there is a
second failure. Then there is a diversion. The batteries of the
Federals open afresh; their infantry try another point, and finally
they succeed in effecting a lodgment on this side. Our troops,
under D. H. Hill, meet them, and a fierce. battle ensues in the
centre. Backwardl, forward, surging and swaying like a ship in
a storm, the various columns are seen in motion. It is a hot
place for us, but is hotter still for the enemy. They are directly
under our guns, and we mow theml down like grass. The raw
levies, sustained by the veterans behind, come up to the work
well, and fight for a short time with an excitement incident to
their novel experiences of a battle; but soon a portion of their
line gives way in confusion. Their reserves come up, and endeavor to retrieve the fortunes of the day. Our centre, however,
stands firm  as adamant, and they fall back. Pursuit on our
part is useless, for if we drove the enemy at all on the other
side of the river, it would be against the sides of the mountain,




SIHARPSBURG) OR ANTIETAM.              335
where one man, fighting for his life and liberty, disciplined or
undisciplined, would be equal to a dozen.
" Meanwhile, deadly work has been going on among our artillery. Whatever they may have made others suffer, nearly all
the companies have suffered severely themselves.  The great
balls and shells of the enemy have been thrown with wonderful
accuracy, and dead and wounded men, horses, and disabled caissons are visible in every battery. The instructions from General
Lee are that there shall be no more artillery duels. Instead,
therefore, of endeavoring to silence the enemy's guns, Colonel
Walton directs his artillery to receive the fire of their antagonists
quietly, and deliver their own against the Federal infantry. The
wisdom of the order is apparent at every shot, for with the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, they might have defeated us at
the outset but for the powerful and well-directed adjuncts we possessed in our heavy guns.
" Time and again did the Federals perseveringly press close
up to our ranks, so near indeed that their supporting batteries
were obliged to cease firing lest they should kill their own men;
but just as often were they driven back by the combined elements
of destruction which we brought to bear upon them. It was an
hour when every man was wanted. The sharpshooters of the
enemy were picking off our principal officers continually, and especially those who made themselves conspicuous in the batteries.
In this manner the company of Captain Miller, of the Washington Artillery, was nearly disabled, only two out of his four guns
being fully manned. As it occupied a position directly cunder the
eye of General Longstreet, and he saw the valuable part it was
performing in defending the centre, that officer dismounted himself from his horse, and assisted by his Adjutant-General, Major
Sorrel, Major Fairfax, and General Drayton, worked one of the
guns until the crisis was passed. To see a general officer wielding the destinies of a great fight, with its care and responsibilities upon his shoulders, performing the duty of a common soldier,
in the thickest of the conflict, is a picture worthy of the pencil
of an artist.




336           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
" The result of this battle, though at one time doubtful, was
finally decisive. The enemy were driven across the river with
a slaughter that was terrible.
"' There now ensued a silence of two hours, broken only by
the occasional discharges of artillery. It was a sort of breathing time, when the panting combatants, exhansted by the battle,
stood silently eying each other, and making ready-the one to
strike, and the other to ward off another staggering blow.
" THE FIGHT ON THE RIGHT.-It was now about 3 o'clock
in the afternoon, but notwithstanding the strange lull in the
storm, no one believed it would not be renewed before night.
Intelligence had come from the rear that General A. P. Hill
was advancing from Harper's Ferry with the force which Jackson had left behind, and every eye was turned anxiously in that
direction. In a little while we saw some of his troops moving
cautiously under cover of the woods and hills to the front, and
in an hour more he was in a position on the right. -lere about
four o'clock the enemy had made another bold demonstration.
Fifteen thousand bf their troops, in one mass, had charged our
lines, and after vainly resisting them, we were slowly giving
back before superior numbers.
" Our total force here was less than six thousand men; and
had it not been for the admirably planted artillery, under command of Major Garnett, nothing until the arrival of reenforcements could have prevented an irretrievable defeat. The 2d
and 20th Georgia have been especial subjects of comment, because of the splendid manner in which they successively met
and defeated seven regiments of the enemy, who advanced across
a bridge, and were endeavoring to secure a position on this side
of the river. They fought until they were nearly cut to pieces,
and then retreated only because they had fired their last round.
It was at this juncture that the immense Federal force crossed
the river, and made the dash against our line which well-nigh
proved a success. The timely arrival of General A. P. Hill,
however, with fresh troops, entirely changed the fortunes of the
day, and after an obstinate contest, which lasted from five o'clock




SHIAPSBURG  OR ANTIETAM.               337
until dark, the enemy were driven into and across the river with
great loss.  During this fight the Federals had succeeded in
flalking and capturing a battery, belonging, as I learn, to the
brigade of General Toombs. Instantly dismounting from his
horse, and placing himself at the head of his command, the
General, in his effective way, briefly told them that the battery
must be retaken if it cost the life of every man in his brigade,
and then ordered them to follow him. Follow him they did into
what seemed the very jaws of destruction; and after a short but
fierce struggle, they had the satisfaction of capturing the prize,
and restoring it to the original possessors."
The battle of Sharpsbturg was perhaps as obstinately disputed as any during the entire war. The statements about to
be laid before the reader will show that General McClellan's
force was nearly three times greater than General Lee's, and
there is no good reason to doubt that if the troops left on the
Virginia side of the Potomac had been present opposite the
bridge on the Antietam, and General McLaws had arrived in
time upon the left, General McClellan would have been so milch
crippled as to have been forced to retreat upon Washington with
the force which he had. Jackson drove General Hooker a mile
after all the troops which General McClellan could spare were
placed at Hooker's command on the right. With reinforcements
it is probable that Jackson would have routed his adversary.
As the day wore on it is said that General Burnside sent
message after message for reinforcements. These could not be
sent him; and as the sun was sinking' General McClellan is said
to have despatched orders to General Burnside to hold his position, calling after.the courier:
" Tell him if he cannot hold his ground-then the bridge!to the last man!-always the bridge! If the bridge is lost, all
is lost!"
The main body of General McClellan was thrown, as.we
have said, against the Confederate left, where Jackson was stationed, the design of the Federal commander being to force General Lee back upon the river, and cut him to pieces before he
22




338            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
could cross. His views are briefly expressed in the following
statement which he made upon his trial:
" On the morning of the 16th a close examination of the
ground was made, and preparations made for the attack. The
plan decided upon was to attack their left. The corps of General Hooker was thrown across the Antietam  early in the forenoon of that day (the 16th), gained possession of the opposite
ridge without serious resistance, and then turned to its left,
moving along the crest of the ridge, advancing steadily until dark,
having encountered very sharp resistance during the latter part
of its march. And during the evening the corps of Mansfield
was thrown over to support H-looker. Early on the morning of the
17tll the corps of General Sumner was also pushed over the Antietam, to support the troops already engaged. Franklin's corps
arrived on the ground from Rohrersville in the course of the
forenoon. The result of the day's fighting on our right was
that we gained a considerable portion of ground held by the
enemy the night before, after a very stubborn resistance on his
part-the fortunes of the day varying several times, but finally
resulting in our favor. It became necessary to throw Franklin's
corps across the Antietam to support our right soon after it
reached the field of battle. In the centre the effort was confined
mainly to artillery practice. On the left Burnside crossed the
river somewhere about noon, and, after severe fighting, gained
possession of the height which was the object of his attack, but
was finally obliged to yield it to the attack of a superior force,
still holding a position on the further bank of the stream."
In his report of the battle, General McClellan repeats his
statement that his main assault was against the Confederate left,
and his failure there decided all. The action is generally spoken
of at the North as a complete Federal victory; but this does not
appear from General McClellan's statements on his trial, or from
the established facts.  " The next morninog," said General
McClellan, 1" I found that our loss had been so great, and there
was so much disorganization in some of the commands, that I
did not consider it proper to renew the attack that day."




StAARPSBUZRG  CR ANTJETAM.             339
This was on the 18th, and during the whole of that day
General Lee remained, drawn up in line of battle, to resume the
conflict if the enemy advanced. His army had suffered serious
loss, however, especially in valuable officers; reenforcenlenlts
were constantly reaching the Federal commander; and General
Lee's communications with the southern bank of the Potomac
were by a single road so narrow and rugged that it was almost
impossible to supply the army with the commissary and ordnance stores necessary to a further occupation of the ground on
the northern bank. General Lee accordingly determined to recross the Potomac, to await at his leisure the additions to his
force which were expected, and to subsist and ammunition his
forces.
This movement was accomplished on the night of the 18th
without molestation, all the trains, artillery, and stores of every
description having been sent on before.
General. Stuart brought up the rear with his cavalry; the
last pickets were withdrawn, and by the morning of the 19th
General Lee had taken up a strong position on the southern
bank of the Potomac, ready to meet the Federal forces if they
attempted to cross.
The conditions under which General Lee fought the battle
of Sharpsburg were peculiar, and the disproportion of force
great. An accurate statement of facts in reference to these
points is necessary to a right understanding of the affair. It is
easy to write a partisan pamphlet and label it " history "-to
represent the defeated forces as;" overwhelmed by numbers,"
and the enemy's loss " much larger," " very nearly double," or
" frightful," without investigating the facts. Such a narrative
may flatter partisan feelings, but it is not history. The proceed
mg in question appears puerile to the present writer, who here
as elsewhere has made an honest effort to arrive at the truth of
history.
It is not difficult to establish the statement, that at Sharpsburg General Lee fought a force about three times greater than




340           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKS)N.
his own. When General McClellan was before the Committee
of Investigation, to examine into the circumstances attending
this action, he was asked, " What was your force at Antietam?" to which he replied,  "I think that before these two
divisions I alluded to came up, our force was about 90,000 mennot far from that; it may have been 93,000 or 94,000."  When
asked, "At what number did you estimate the force of the
enemy?" his reply was, " I think our estimate at the time, and
which was pretty well borne out by what occurred, was, that we
fought pretty close upon 100,000 men."
In his " Report of the Operations of the Army of the Potomac," General McClellan is more explicit, and says: " Our forces
at the battle of Antietam Were as follows:
Number of Men.
First Corps,.                           14,856
Second Corps,...                      18,813
Fifth Corps (one division not arrived),. 12,930
Sixth Corps,.                             12,300
Ninth Corps,.      13,819
Twelfth Corps,.......                10,126
Cavalry Division,.......            4,320
Total in action,....   87,164
General Lee's force he then estimated, from the reports of; prisoners, deserters, spies, etc.," at 97,445 men; and this he
declares " gives the actual number of men present and fit for
duty" in General Lee's army.
It will no doubt surprise General MlcClellan when he ascertains the fact that General Lee had at Sharpsburg, all told, only
33,000 troops, and that the brunt of the fight was sustained by
about 25,000, the others not having then come up. This fact
was long ago known to the present writer, from General Lee's
statement to General Stuart, that his force at Sharpsburog " did'
not exceed in all 35,000;" but General Lee's official report has
since been published, and the exact numbers are given —33,000.
The explanation of this paucity of numbers will be found in the




SHARPSBURtG, OR ANTIETAM.             341
bad equipment of the Southern forces, the very defective commissariat, and the exhausting character of the movements which
preceded the battle. In about three weeks the Southern army
h-ad marched from the lRapidan via lManassas and Frederick
City to Sharpsburg. During this time they were almost wholly
without rations, and so badly clad that they excited the pity and
astonishment even of their enemies, who spoke of them as
"ragged, hungry, and in all ways miserable."  They had fought
almost daily battles, and lost heavily; thousands had lagged behind from pure inability to proceed; and this was the explanation of General Lee's small number. Between the Rapidan and
the Potomac it has been estimated that more than 20,000 gave
out on the march, or were killed or disabled in battle. All the
roads of Northern Virginia were lined with soldiers comprehensively denominated " stragglers;" but the great majority of
these men had fallen out of the advancing column from physical
inability to keep up with it. Only a small portion, -we believe,
were "' skulkers," for the troops were greatly elated at the idea
of transferring hostilities to Pennsylvania; thousands were not
with General Lee because they had no shoes, and their bleeding
feet would carry them no further; or the heavy march without
rations had broken them down. This great crowd toiled on painfully in the wake of the' army, dragging themselves five or six
miles a day; and when they came to the Potomac, near Leesburg, it was only to find that General Lee had swept on, that
General McClellan's column was between them  and him, and
that they could not rejoin their commands. The citizens of that
whole region, who fed these unfortunate persons, will bear testimony that numbers sufficient to constitute an army in themselves,
passed the Blue Ridge to rendezvous, by General Lee's orders,
at Winchester. These 20,000 or 30,000 men were not in the
battle. Longstreet's corps of 26,000 men had dwindled to
13,000, just one-half. Jackson's was not quite so bad, but was
greatly reduced. Nor was the bulk of the latter corps present
until after four P. >ro toward the end of the action. General
Lee fought until late in the day, with Longstreet, D. H. Hill,




342            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Ewell, and two other divisions, a force of about 25,000 men.
The reinforcements from M3cLaws, Anderson, and Hill increased
this number to 33,000, with which force General Lee met the
87,164 men reported by General MIcClellan as'" in action" on
the Federal side. Sharpsburg may fairly be called a drawn battle,
and this result was highly honorable to the Southern arms.
In the movements which preceded the battle, General McClellan had again exhibited that skill and soldiership which
saved the Federal army on the Chickahominy. He had promptly
organized, from the remnants of General Pope's defeated battalions, and the new levies hurried forward, an army ready to take
the field; and nothing but his great personal popularity and the
confidence reposed in his military judgment by the troops, could
have achieved a result so important. With this force he had
advanced from Washington, and throughout the march his movements had been bold and judicious. His objects were to relieve
IHarper's Ferry and arrest Lee's advance. With these ends in
view he pushed Franklin's corps toward Crampton's Gap, on
the straight road to Harper's Ferry, and moved with his main
body toward Hagerstown, which the head of Lee's column had
reached.
But for the rapidity of Jackson's march, and the energy of
his attack nupon General Miles, McClellan would have succeeded
in his attempt to save the garrison.  On the night of the 14th
he had concentrated at South Mountain an overwhelming force,
and on the 15th would- have swooped down on Harper's Ferry.
But on that fatal 15th the place surrendered, and so much of the
Federal general's programme was defeated.  The other half,
however, was successful. Lee's further advance was checked;
his forces were moved back and concentrated at Sharpsburg;
and as the sun went down on the evening of the 16th of September, his great army confronted Lee on the eastern bank of the
Antietam.  What followed is known.




SHEPHERDSTOWN.                    343
CHAPTER XXI.
SHEP HERD STO WN.
THIE roll of great events was now exhausted, but another
bloody encounter was to take place near the spot where Ashby
had long before drawn rein, and sat on his white horse unmoved
amid the Federal bullets.
General McClellan had no sooner received intelligence of the
retreat of his adversary, than lhe pushed a strong column toward
the Potomac in pursuit of him. Heavy batteries were promptly
disposed along the high ground on the north bank of the river
opposite Shepherdstown, and a determined fire was opened on
the Confederate troops drawn up upon the southern shore. To
this fire, General Pendleton, chief of artillery of the army, replied with vigor, and the Stuart Horse Artillery, under Major
John Pelham, was especially active in engaging the enemy's
batteries.
In the evening the fire of the Federal artillery was redoubled,
and under the protection of the guns, General McClellan commenced crossing a column, driving off General Pendleton and
Lawton's brigades, which acted as a support to the guns. By
the morning of the 20th a considerable body had crossed to the
southern bank, and Generals A. P. Hill and Early, who had
moved with the rest of Jackson's corps toward lMartinsburg,
were directed to return and drive the enemy back.
These orders were promptly obeyed, and the troops were
soon at the point of danger.  General Hill, who commanded,
drew up his force in two lines-the first composed of Pender's,
Gregg's, and Thomas' brigades, under command of General
Gregg; the second, of Lane's, Arclier's, and Brockenbrough's
brigades, under General Archer. General Early, with his own
brigade and those of Trimble and Hays, took position in the
woods on the right and left of the road leading to the ford.




344           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The Federal infantry was drawn up on the high banks of the
southern shore, and every point upon the Maryland side of the
river was crowned with their batteries, ready to open upon the
Confederate line as soon as it advanced.  As General Hill
moved forward to the attack, the Federal artillery commenced a
rapid fire of shot and shell upon his advancing column, but no notice of this was taken by the troops. They pressed forward, and
Pen-der found himself in front of the main Federal force which
was massed to attack him. As he charged, they poured a volley
into his line, and then rapidly extended with the view of turning
his left. Archer promptly threw his brigade in that direction,
and formed on Pender's left, when, advancing his whole line,
Hill made an impetuous charge, and drove the Federal line
before him, from the hill, down the bank, and into the river,
where many were drowned in attempting to cross.
" With no stop or hesitation," says an eye-witness, "~ using
no artillery, sending his men in steadily, General A. P. Hill
drove the enemy into and across the river, taking 300 prisoners,
and making the river blue with the dead."
Two hundred prisoners were taken in this affair, which
seems to have discouraged the Federal commander from any
further attempts to cross the river. The position on the bank
was held by Hill throughout the day until relieved by Fitz Lee's
cavalry, General Stuart having gone with the rest of his command to make an important demonstration above, in the vicinity
of Williamsport, where he met and repulsed the enemy in a brief
but spirited engagement.
On the same evening Jackson moved from Shepherdstown,
and encamped on the Opequon, from which point, on the 27th,
he moved back to Bunker's Hill, on the Martinsburg and Winchester turnpike, where, in July, 1861, he had in the same
manner awaited the approach of General Patterson.
At Harper's Ferry, Sharpsburg', and Shepherdstown, he had
lost 38 oficers killed and 171 wounded, 313 non-commissioned
officers and privates killed, 1,859 wounded, and 57 missing;
making a total loss of 2,438 killed, wounded, and missing.




THE CAMPAIGN.                   345
" For these great and signal victories," he says in terminating his report,;" our sincere and hullmble thanks are due unto
Almighty God.  Upon all appropriate occasions we should
acknowledge the hand of Him who reigns in Heaven, and rules
among the powers of the earth. In view of the arcluous labors,
and great privations which the troops were called on to endure
and the isolated and perilous position which the commancd occupied while engaged with the greatly superior force of the enemy,
we feel the encouraging consolation that God was with us and
gave to us the victory, and unto His holy name be'all gratitude
and praise."
CHAPTER  XXII.
THE CAMPAIGN.
TniE campaign of 1862 had virtually ended, and General
Lee's army was again upon the soil of Virginia.
From James River to the Potomac, the path of the Southerners had been strewed all over with battles, Defeating the Federal forces in the bloody conflicts of the Chickahominy, they had
achieved an important success over the army of General Pope
at Cedar Runt; and then advancing without pause, had driven
that commander from Culpepper, flanked him beyond the Rappahannock, and after destroying his enormous depot of stores,
engaged hifm on the old battle field of Manassas, and in an
obstinate  and bloody battle completely defeated him.  At
Oxhill, the rout of the Federal forces on the soil of Virginia
became final, and the army had pushed on without resting, and
invaded Maryland. Here it had been engaged in bloody encounters at Boonsboro' and Crampton's Gap; had captured
Harper's Ferry, with 11,000 prisoners and 73 pieces of artillery,
and had sustained at Sharpsbtlrg the assault of 87,000 troops
under a commander of acknowledged ability, offering him battle




346           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
on the succeeding day, and only crossing back into Virginia for
want of food and ammunition. When the enemy pursued, they
had been completely defeated in a brief but bloody engagement,
and, drawn uIp on the southern bank of the Potomac, the army
still bade defiance to its adversaries.
Of the men who performed these arduous labors, and were
successful upon so many fields against odds so great, it has
been truthfully said that " one-fifth of them were barefooted,
one-half of them in rags, and the whole of them half famished."
We have seen- that even their adversaries regarded them with
mingled admiration and pity, characterizing them  as "those
ragged wretches, sick, hungry, and in all way miserable," and
wondering how they could 6' prove such heroes."  From Federal
sources came the acknowledgment that " men never fought
better," and it was evidently a subject of great astonishment
with the enemy how troops so badly clothed and fed, with such
gaunt frames and bleeding feet, could have the heart to contend
against superior numbers, thoroughly equipped, with a courage
so unfaultering and admirable.
A Southern writer, once an humble unit of this historic
army, may be pardoned this reference to its superb efficiency
and those laurels which " time cannot wither."  It did not win
those laurels without sweating blood in the effort, nor triumph
over " slaves and cowards."  The Northern troops fought at the
second Manassas. and at Sharpsburg, with a gallantry which extorted the admiration of their adversaries, and they were led by
generals of the coolest courage and the highest ability. They
were not a foe to be despised, nor did either side despise the
other in that hard struggle. When General Lee surrendered, it
was the preachers and other non-combatants, not the northern
troops, who wanted every Southern soldier hanged or shot foro
treason.
The toils, hardships, and glories of the army of Northern
Virginia must be left to the historian of the future.  But there
is a tribunal which is almost as impartial as the aftertime. It
has been said with truth that the voice of' the stranger is like




GENERAL LEE~ S ADDRESS TO HIS ARMY.         347
that of posterity, and a paragraph upon this army is here inserted
from the leading journal of England.
" The people of the Confederate States," says the "' London
Times," "' have made themselves famous. If the renown of
brilliant courage, stern devotion to a cause, and military achievements almost without a parallel, can compensate men for the toil
and privations of the hour, then the countrymen of Lee and
Jackson may be consoled amid their sufferings. From all parts
of Europe, from their enemies as well as their friends, from those
who condemn their acts as well as those who sympathize with
them, comes the tribute of admiration.  When the history of this
war is written, the admiration will doubtless become deeper and
stronger, for the veil which has covered the South will be drawn
away and disclose a picture of patriotism, of unanimous selfsacrifice, of wise and firm administration, which we can now only
see indistinctly.  The details of extraordinary national effort
which has led to the repulse and almost to the destruction of an
invading force of more than half a million of men, will then become known to the world; and, whatever may be the fate of the
new nationality, or its subsequent claims to the respect of mankind, it will assuredly begin its career with a reputation for
genius and valor which the most famous nations may envy."
CHAPTER XXIII.
GENERAL LEE'S ADDRESS TO HIS ARMY.
THE Maryland campaign had ended in,one of those retreats
which ruin an opponent. General Lee had entered the Federal
territory, and at one blow captured 11,000 prisoners, 13,000
small-arms, and 73 pieces of artillery; had repulsed a force
about three times greater than his own, under the ablest of their
Generals, in a pitched battle of incredible fury; and then, determining of his own motion to retire, had done so, after offering




348              LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
them  battle for twenty-four hours-leaving  nothing  in their
hands, and driving them with heavy loss across the Potomac
again when they attempted to harass his rear.
Such a retreat, after such successes, was a victory; and there
were many persons at the North even candid enough to concede
the fact.  "' He leaves us," growled the New York " Tribune,"' the debris of his late caraps, two disabled pieces of artillery. a
few hundred of his stragglers, perhaps two thousand of his
wounded, and as many more of his unburied  dead.  Not a
sound field-piece, caisson, ambulance, or wagon; not a tent, box
of stores, or a pound of ammunition.  Ie takes with him  the
supplies gathered in MIaryland, and the rich spoils of Harper's
Ferry."
General Lee's address to his army upon their return to Virginia will appropriately conclude olr account of the great campaign to which he refers:
Genterdal Orders No. 116.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY NORTHERN VIRGINIA, October 2d, 1862.
In reviewing the achievements of the army during the present campaign,
the Commanding General cannot withhold the expression of his admiration of
the indomitable courage it has displayed in battle, and its cheerful endurance
of privation and hardship on the march.
Since your great victories around Richmond you have defeated the enemy
at Cedar Mountain, expelled him from the Rappahannock, and, after a conflict
of three days, utterly repulsed him on the plains of Manassas, and forced him
to take shelter within the fortifications around his capital.
Without halting for repose you crossed the Potomac, stormed the heights
of Harper's Ferry, made prisoners of more than 11,000 men, and captured upwards of seventy pieces of artillery, all their small-arms, and other munitions
of war.
While one corps of the army was thus engaged, the other insured its
success by arresting at Boonsboro' the combined armies of the enemy, advancing under their favorite General to the relief of their beleaguered comrades.
On the field of Sharpsburg, with less than one-third his numbers, you resisted, from daylight until dark, the whole army of the enemy, and repulsed
every attack along his entire front, of more than four miles in extent.
The whole of the following day you stood prepared to resume the conflict
on the same ground, and retired next morning, without molestation, across the
Potomac.




JACKSON AND HIS VETERANS RESTING.                 349
Two attempts, subsequently made by the enemy, to follow you across the
river, have resulted in his complete discomfiture, and being driven back with
loss.
Achievements such as these demanded much valor and patriotism. History records few examples of greater fortitude and endurance than this army
has exhibited; and I am commissioned by the President to thank you in the
name of the Confederate States for the undying fame you have won for their
arms.
Much as you have done, much more remains to be accomplished. The
enemy again threatens us with invasion, and to your tried valor and patriotism
the country looks with confidence for deliverance and safety. Your past exploits give assurance that this confidence is not misplaced.
R. E. LEE, General Commanding.
CIHAPTEIR XXIV.
JACKSON AND HIS VETERANS RESTING.
JACKSON'S corps passed the beautiful month of October in the
picturesque Valley of the Shenandoah-that region which their
leader had already made so famous.
There, in the bright October dlays, the army rested and recovered its strength and spirits. The bracing mountain breeze,
the beautiful skies, the liberty to engage in every species of fun
and frolic, within the limits of military discipline, seemed to
pour new life-blood into the frames of the men, exhausted and
worn down by the immense marches which they had made from
Cedar Run to Sharpsburg, and the toils, privations, hardships,
and excitements which they ha; undergone.
That region must have aroused many memories in the hearts
of Jackson's men-especially in the members of the'; Old Stonewall Brigade," which had fought the enemy all along from  Falling Waters to the sources of the Shenandoah.  They had encountered General Patterson in one of the earliest engagements of the
war near 3M/artinsburg, but a few miles distant; on the road by
the side of which they were now encamped, they had retreated




350            LIFE'OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
before the columns of the same General; and along that road
they had pressed after General Banks when, rolted at Winchester, he had hastened to recross the Potomac.  Since those old
days they had fought at Cross Keys, Port Republic, Cold Harbor, Malvern Hill, Cedar Run, Bristoe, MIanassas, Oxhill, HIarper's Ferry, Sharpsburg, Shepherdstown, and Kearneysville.
Comrade after comrade had lain down to die upon those bloocdyfields-face after face had " gone into the darkness," amid the
war- smoke hovering above the swamps of the lowland, the pines
of Manassas, the Valley of the Antietam. They were still alive,
and after all their wanderings had returned to the land where
they first learned the art of war under their now illustrious chief
— returned to it, too, at a season when the face of Nature is glorious with that beauty which seems to reach perfection just when
it is passing —when the fields and forest, with their tints of gold,
and red, and yellow, are more lovely than the dreams of poets.`Here, in the fine' and beautiful Valley of the Shenandoah, on the
banks of the Opequon, which murmurs under its tall trees, as it
lapses gently toward the Potomac, the weary soldiers of the
Stonewall Corps found rest and refreshment; and the bracing
air, as we have said, made them boys again, filling every pulse
with health and joy. The jest, the practical joke, the ready
laugh passed round; and for a time the whole army of Northern
Virginia was in extravagant spirits, cheering upon the least provocation like a party of boys, and permitting no occasion for
indulging in laughter to escape them. We have a letter written
by one of the corps about this time, which conveys a very accurate idea of the manner in which Jackson's men amused themselves; and its careless style and homely details may serve to
interest the stay-at-home reader who is not familiar with the
" goings on " of an army. Here it is:' 6  Cock-a-doodle-doo-oo 1' sounded the' shrill clarion' of a
neighboring henroost before day this morning; a wakeful soldier
caught Iup the strain, and he and a hundred others forthwith repeated bogus cock-a-doodle-doos, until they had effectually'murdered sleep' throughout the entire regiment. To pass the time




JACKSON AND HIS VETERANS RESTING.               3i51
until breakfast (!)-i. e., till some I solid-shot biscuit' and
leather steaks of lean kine be cooked-I will' retaliate' on you
and your readers.
" The campaign having apparently ended, there are no' moving accidents by flood or field' of interest, and therefore nothing
left to record but the routine of daily camp life; this shall be
true to history, however, to let the old folks at home know how
we live'sure enough' while here. At this particular season,
though, it is particularly dull-'No mail, no post,
No news fiom any foreign coast;
No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease,
No comfortable feel in any member,
No shade, no sunshine, no butterflies, no bees,
November!'
" Our camps not being regulated by military rule, for want of
material in tents, etc., are left to illustrate the variegated, architectural, and domestic tastes of the thousand different individuals
concerned.  Hence, although a wall tent or Sibley graces an
occasional locality, the most of the men ensconce themselves in
bush-built shelters of various shapes, in fence-corners, under
gum-blankets, eked out by cedar boughs, or burrow semi-subterraneously like Esquimaux.  If, as is said, the several styles of
architecture took their origin from natural circumstances and
climate, etc., as the curving Oriental roofs from the long reeds
originally in use-the slanting Egyptians from  the.necessity of
baking their unburnt bricks in the hot sun-the Corinthian
from  its own flowery clime, etc., etc.-an architectural genius
might find enough original designs in this camp to supply a century to come.
"The only' useful occupation' of this brigade for some time
past has been to destroy all the railroads in reach; apparently,
too, for no better reason than the fellow had for killing the
splendid anaconda in the museum, because it was his'rule to
kill snakes wherever found.' A soldier just said,   Olcl Jack intends us to tear up all the railroads in the State, and with no




352           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
tools but our pocket-knives.' They have so far destroyed the
Baltimore and Ohio, from Hedgesville to near Harper's Ferry,
the Winchester and Potomac almost entirely, and now the Manassas Gap from Piedmont to Strasburg.
66 It is when idle in camp that the soldier is a great institution, yet one that must be seen to be appreciated. Pen cannot
fully paint the air of cheerful content, care-hilarity, irresponsible
loungings, and practical spirit of jesting that' obtains' ready to
seize on any odd circumstance in its licensed levity. A' cavalrynman' comes rejoicing in immense top-boots, for which in fond
pride he had invested full forty dollars of pay; at once the cry
from a hundred voices follows him along the line:' Come up
out o' them boots!-come out! —too soon to go into winter quarters! I know you're in thar! —see your arms stickin' out!' A
bumpkin rides by in an uncommonly big hat, and is frightened at
the shout:' Come down out o' that hat! Come down!'Taint
no use to say you ain't up there; I see your legs hanging out!'
A fancy staff officer was horrified at the irreverent reception of
his nicely-twisted mustache, as he heard from behind innumerable trees:' Take them mice out o' your mouth! —take'em
out!-no use to say they ain't thar; see their tails hanging out!'
Another, sporting immense whiskers, was urged to' come out
of that bunch of bar! I know you're in thar; I see your ears
a workinug!' Sometimes a rousing cheer is heard in the distance-it is explained:' Boys, look out!-here comes " Old Stonewall" or an old hare, one or t'other'-they being about the only
individuals who invariably bring down the house.: But the whole day of camp life is not yet described; the
night remains, and latterly it is no unusual scene, as the gloaming gathers, to see a group quietly collect beneath the dusky
shadows of the forest trees-' God's first temples' —whence soon
arise the notes of some familiar hymn, awaking memories of'
childhood and of home. The youthful chaplain in earnest tones
tells his holy mission; another hymn is heard, and by the waning light of the pine torches the weird-like figures of the grouped
soldiers are seen reverently moving to the night's repose. The




JACKSON AND HIS VETERANS RESTING.             353
deep bass drum beats taps —the sounds die out in all the camps,
save at times the sweet strains from. the band of the 5th Stonewall regiment in a neighboring grove, till they too fade away
into the stilly night, and soon-' The soldiers lie peacefully dreaming,
Their tents in the rays of the clear autumn moon,
Or the light of the watch-fires are gleaming;
A tremulous sigh as the gentle night wind
Through thie forest leaves slowly is creeping,
While the stars up above with their glittering eyes
Keep guard, for the army is sleeping.'"
During these days Jackson  had  his headquarters near
Bunker's Hill, and was often seen moving to and fro among his
troops on his old sorrel horse, with the old uniform.  He was
always greeted with cheers by his men, and the phrase, " Jackson or a rabbit," became universal in alluding to these gay
sounds heard in the distance. A hundred anecdotes were told, a
hundred witticisms attributed to him.
In Martinsburg, where the ladies crowded around him, he
said: " Ladies, this is the first time I was ever surrounded;" in
spite of which, says a letter-mrriter, " they cut every button off
his coat, commenced on his pants, and at one time threatened to
leave him in the uniform of a Georgia colonel- shirt-collar and
spurs."
After Sharpsburg, an old and hardened offender in D. H.
Hill's division was brought before that commander for burning
fence-rails; and despairing of producing any reform in him, General Hill sent him to Jackson, who asked him why he persisted
in burning rails.
"Well, General," returned the reprobate, "you see I've
been enlisted eight months now in General Hill's division, and
in all that time I never could get a good look at you, so I
thought I would steal some fence-rails; I knew they would take
me up and then send me to you, so I would see you."
A grim smile greeted this impudent excuse, and reading his
man at a glance, Jackson turned to an orderly and said:
23




354           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
" Take this man and buck him, and set him on the top of
that empty barrel in front of my tent. The front is open, and
he can look at me as much as he likes."
The order was obeyed to the letter, and for several hours,
while Jackson was engaged upon his official correspondence,
the rail-destroyer had an excellent opportunity of gratifying his
curiosity.
This and the incident related by Colonel Ford at Harper's
Ferry, with a hundred other anecdotes, true or imaginary, were
repeated by the men, and " Old Jack," a name by which the
General had become universally known among his troops, became immensely popular. We have already set forth the more
solid grounds of popularity with the best men of his command,
but these anecdotes made him a prime favorite with the mass
of the troops. Certain it is that Jackson was never more popular than after the 3aryland campaign; and this doubtless arose,
in very great measure, from the huge satisfaction which his
corps experienced in having secured the really solid results of
the movement, in the capturte of Harper's Ferry, with the great
number of prisoners, small-arms, and pieces of artillery.
The writer of these pages scanned curiously in those days the
appearance ofPthe soldier, with whose praises the whole land
was ringing.  I-Ie wore his dingy old uniform, and cavalry
boots, but the ladies of MNartinsburg had robbed him not only of
his buttons but his old cap. The individual in the tall black
hat, with the brim turned down, quaker-wise all round, scarcely
seemed to be the veritable Stonewall Jackson. But greater
changes still were to  ensue in his personal appearance.
Prompted by admiration, regard, or the desire to clothe in
more imposing garb the simple soldier, a distinguished officer,
long united to him by the ties of affection and the recollection of
many arduous toils in common, gave him a new coat, whose
wreath and staff buttons appear in the engraving in front of this
volume. It was suggested by one to whomn the question was
propounded whether Jackson would relish this present, that the
soldier would undoubtedly appreciate such an evidence of regard,




JACKSON AND HIS VETERANS RESTING.          355
accept the coat and put it away carefully in his trunk, not daring to wear it for fear of the indignation of his old brigade and
their comrades. But this prediction was falsified; Jackson was
highly pleased with his coat, and he wore it on the hot day of
Fredericksburg.
He was an object at this time of great curiosity in the region;
and was warmly greeted by those who had known Colonel Jackson of the days of Falling Waters, and regarded him as a son
of the Valley. The ladies were far more enthusiastic about him
than about the youngest and handsomest generals of the army;
and at the announcement that " General Jackson was coming,"
they would put on their finest silks, and pay as much attention
to their toilets as if he had been the most imposing and gallant
of Lovelaces, instead of a modest gentleman who preferred old
ladies in black silk; never kniew what anybody wore, and
blushed at the wishes expressed by young ladies to kiss him.
Upon one occasion when Generals Lee, Jackson, Stuart, and
Longstreet dined at a hospitable house on the Opequon, not far
from Leetown, the lady of the mansion declared that it was like
the famous breakfast at the Castle of Tillietudlem, and that General Lee's chair should be marked and remembered; but it was
said that General Jackson had been regaled with the choicest
portions of the banquet, and that for him she arrayed herself in
her best silk and assumed her most winning smiles.
It was at this period that Jackson displayed a trait of character for which few gave him credit.  When General Stuart
made his raid into Maryland and Pennsylvania in October, Jackson expressed the liveliest regret that he had not been able to
accompany him, as a private and amateur, cavalryman of the
expedition. He betrayed on this occasion a longing for excitement and action which seemed foreign to the character of the
pious and collected soldier; but nothing is more certain than
that this love of active movement, danger, and adventure, was a
prominent trait in his organization.
But the days were hurrying on. General McClellan still
threatened Lee's front, and as the month of October glided




356           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
away, carrying off the gorgeous trappings of the forest, and the
brilliant sunshine of the autumn days, the Federal authorities
were evidently preparing for another advance into Virginia.
Jackson remained in the vicinity of Bunker Hill, ready to
strike their advancing column if they attempted to move upon
Winchester; and he and his veteran corps still rested, before entering upon other bloody scenes of conflict.
CHAPTER XXV.
GENERAL McCLELLAN ADVANCES.
THE aim of this volume is to present an outline of the events
of Jackson's life; and the narrative is thus confined to the field
of operations in Virginia. The crowding incidents of the war
in other portions of the country are no part of our subject; and
in like manner all discussions of political occurrences may
with propriety be omitted.  The historian of the future will
sum utp and make his comments on the whole struggle; our part
is to follow the steps of Jackson.
WVe thus pass over the campaigns of the West, and those
political movements, at both capitals, which marked the autumn
of 1862.  Our attention will continue to be directed to the
movements of the two great adversaries who confionted each
other on the banks of the Potomac.
Both armies were resting after the exhausting campaign terminating on the field of Sharpsburg. But the bright days of
October were not suffered to glide away without attempts on the
part of each commander to beat up the quarters of his opponent.
This policy was inaugurated by Major-General J. E. B. Stuart,
in one of those raids which had so greatly annoyed the enemy
on the Chickahominy, at Catlett's, and elsewhere.  At daylight on the morning of the 10th of October, General Stuart,
with 1,800 men and four pieces of horse artillery, crossed




GENERAL  CioOLELLAN ADVANCES.             357
the Potomac between Williamsport and Hancock; proceeded by
a rapid march to Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, which he reached
at dark on the same day; captured the place; destroyed the
machine shops and railroad buildings, containing large numbers
of arms and other public stores; and on the next morning
marched toward Frederick City. The character of the country
above made it dangerous to attempt the recrossing of the Potomac in that direction, and Stuart had taken the bold resolution
of passing entirely around the Federal army, and cutting his
way through to and across the ford near Leesburg. This design
was executed with great skill and nerve. Moving with the utmost rapidity, he reached HI-yattstown below Frederick at dayliglit on the morning of the 12th, and pushing on toward Poolesville, found that the road in that direction was barred by General Stoneman with about 5,000 troops, and that railroad trains
were standing ready, with steam up, and loaded with infantry,
to move instantly to the point where he attempted to cross.
These formnidable preparations, however, failed in their object.
Turning short to the right, and thus leaving Poolesville to his
left, Stuart continued to advance with rapidity toward the Potomac, and reaching a point opposite White's ford, opened on
the enemy's infantry with his artillery, advanced his dismounted
sharpshooters, and charging their cavalry, cut his way through
and crossed the river, greeting their reserves as they rushed forward to harass his rear, with a discharge from the guns of Pelham from the southern bank.
This dangerous expedition had thus been successfully accomplished.  General McClellan had made elaborate dispositions to intercept Stuart on his return, and says in his report:
66 After the crders were given for covering all the fords upon the
river, I did not think it possible for Stuart to recross, and I believed that the destruction or capture of his entire force was
perfectly certain; but owing to the fact that my orders were not
in all cases carried out as I expected, lie effected his escape into
Virginia without much loss."  Stuart did not lose a man.
Such was the excellent good fortune of the expedition, which




35               LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
in many ways was important.  Several hundred horses were
brought safely out, and large amounts of stores destroyed, but
these were the least important results of the expedition.  The
Federal cavalry was for the time completely broken down; large
bodies of troops were detached from the Federal army to guard
the various fords on the Potomnac, and General ~McClellan's advance was long delayed by the necessity of leaving behind him
a strong force to repel such raids in future.  When he finally
moved, a very considerable number of troops remained on the
upper iPotomac, to guard against another movement of the Confederate cavalry into Pennsylvania.
It was not long before the Federal forces in their turn made
a reconnoissance.  A  strong column of infantry and artillery
was pushed from  Shepherdstown toward Leetown; but upon
reaching the edge of the woods in that vicinity they halted, and
on the same evening retreated rapidly, pursued by Stuart with
cavalry and artillery to the Potomac.  Still another attempt was
made to reconnoitre General Lee's position-this time with cavalry. A large force crossed at Shepherdstown, and making a
vigorons attack upon a small body of cavalry there, compelled
it to return toward MAlartinsburg.  Here General Stuart took
command in person; and though the horses were nearly exhausted and the men dispirited by the events of the morning,
his attack upon the Federal cavalry was so vigorous that they
were driven back over the road by which they had advanced,
and at nightfall had been forced to recross the Potonmac.?
" The following is General Lee's report of this incident:
HEADQUARTERS ARnY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
Camp on Washington's Run, Oct. 2, 1862.
Gen. S. COOPER, Adjt. and JIlspector General C. S. A., Riclhmond, Ta.
GEN ERAL: The enemy's cavalry, under General Pleasanton, with six pieces
of artillery, drove back our pickets yesterday, in front of Shepherdstown.
The 9th Virginia cavalry, which was on picket, repuised the enemy several
times, by vigorous charges, disputing the ground step by step, back to the
main body. By the time his artillery reached him, Colonel WV. H. F. Lee, who
was in command of the brigade, was obliged to place it on the west bank of
the Opequon, on the flank of the enemy as he approached ]Martinsburg.




GENERAL McCLELLAN ADVANCES.                   359
No further advance of the Federal forces took place until
toward the end of the month.  General ifMcClellan then crossed
a considerable force both at Shepherdstown and H-larper's Ferry;
and driving in General Lee's advance force of cavalry, pushed
his column to Kearneysville.  Here he was met by Stuart with
cavalry, artillery, and the Stonewall Brigade; but the force of
the enemy proving too great, the troops were, after an obstinate
encounter, withdrawn toward the main body.  On the next day
General McClellan pushed on to Charlestown, where his headquarters were established for a few hours.  I-Ie then returned to
Harper's Ferry.
All seemed ready now for the Federal advance, but General
McClellan appears to have regarded the equipment of his forces
as too incomplete to justify a forward movement.  An elaborate
correspondence took place upon this subject between himself and
General Halleck, the Federal General-in-Chief at Washing'ton,
and the controversy finally assumed a tone of anger and bitterness.  General 3ceClellan was greatly censured for not having
cut General Lee to pieces on the day after the battle of Sharpsburg, before he could recross the Potomac; and the Federal
commander's delay in advancing now, was the subject of unconcealed displeasure on the part of General Halleck  and tho
authorities at Washincgtoil.
This now took a definite official form.  On the 6th of OctoGeneral Hampton's brigade had retired through Martinsburg, on the Tuscarora road, when General Stuart arrived and made dispositions to attack.
Lee's brigade was advanced immediately, and Hampton's ordered forward.
The enemy retired at the approach of Lee along the Slepherdstown road, and
was driven across the Potomac by the cavalry, with a severe loss, and darkness alone prevented it from being a signal victory. His rear was overtaken
and put to flight, our cavalry charging in gallant style under a severe fire of
artillery, routing squadron after squadron, killing a number, wounding more,
and capturing several. He was driven through Shepherdstown, and crossed
the river after dark, in no case standing a hand to hand conflict, but relying
upon his artillery and carbines at long range for protection.
I regret to add that we lost one lieutenant and several privates.
I am, most respectfully, your obedient servant,
R. E. LEE, General Commanding.




360           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
ber General Halleck sent General M cClellan the following
order:
" I am instructed to telegraph you as follows: The President directs that you cross the Potomac, and give battle to the
enemy or drive him South. Your army must move now, while
the roads are good. If' you cross the river between the enemy
and Washington, and cover the latter by your operation, you can
be reinforced with 30,000 men. If you move up tile Valley of
the Shenandoah, not more than 12,000 or 15,000 can be sent
you. The President advises the interior line between Washington and the enemy, but does not order it. "*  *    9"
To this peremptory order General MlecClellan replied by new
complaints of deficient quartermaster stores-shoes, blankets,
horses, etc. Without a thorough redquipment of the army, and
thousands of fresh horses for the cavalry, it was physically impossible for him, he declared, to make a forward movement.
It is probable that General  [cClellan was also actuated by
an intelligent acquaintance with the clharacter and resources of
his adversary.  1Ie had been unable to gain a decisive success
over General Lee at Sharpsburg, where about half the Confederate army, exhausted by long marches, bad confronted him;
and it was scarcely probable, le must have felt, that his success
would now be more encouraging, when General Lee had filled
up his ranks, and rested, provisioned, and ammunitioned his
forces for another struggle.  No one, perhaps, of all the Federal
generals, estimated the military strength of the Southern army
so justly as this officer; and his desire, at this time, seems to
have been, to delay his advance into Virginia until he found
himself in command of a force so considerable and so thoroughly
equipped as to render success certain.
We have referred to the reconnoissances in force made to
Charlestown, and toward Bunker Hill. It is probable that General iMcClellan had not then determined by which of the two
routes he would advance. H-e states in his Report that he preferred the route east of the Blue Ridge; but feared that as soon
as he crossed into Virginia, Lee would recross into Maryland,




GENERAL MCCLELLAN ADVANCES.              361
and again advance toward Pennsylvania.  "I have since," he
says, "been confirmed in the belief, that if I had crossed the
Potomac below Harper's Ferry in the early part of October,
General Lee would have recrossed into i~aryland."
The month of November, however, was now rapidly approaching, with its heavy rains and inclement days, and the Federal
commander was convinced that General Lee would not undertake again to pass the Potomac, and leave a swollen river in his
rear. He therefore returned to his original plan-which was
also President Lincoln's-and prepared to move by the Piedmont route toward the Rappahannock.
" The plan of campaign I adopted during this advance," he
says, " was to move the army, well in hand, parallel to the Blue
Ridge, taking Warrenton as the point of direction for the main
army; seizing each pass on the Blue Ridge, by detachments, as
we approached it, and guarding them after we had passed, as
long as they would enable the enemy to trouble our communications with the Potomac.        "  We depended upon Harper's Ferry and Berlin for supplies, until the Mlanassas Gap
Railway was reached; when that occurred, the passes in our
rear were to be abandoned, and the army massed, ready for
action or movement in any direction. It was my intention, if
upon reaching Ashby's, or any other pass, the enemy were in
force between it and the Potomac, in the Valley of the Shenandoah, to move into the Valley and endeavor to gain their rear."
Such was the plan which the Federal commander proceeded
to carry into execution, in the last week of October, when his
army crossed the Potomac into Virginia.




362            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER XXVI.
JACKSON  HALTS.
THE Federal army began to cross the Potomac at Berlin on
the 26th of October, and General tLee promptly broke up his
camp in fiont of Wincllester, and moved toward the lowland.
Jackson brought up the rear, moving from his position on the
Martinburg  and Winchester turnpike near Bunker Hill, by
Smithfield, Summit Point, and Berryville, to the vicinity of the
little village of Millwood, opposite Ashby's Gap, where he
halted and established hlis headquarters.  This movement on the
part of Jackson puzzled and somewhat delayed the enemy,
lthrough fear of an attack upon their flank. The remainder of
the army meanwhile crossed into Culpepper.
General Stuart had promptly put his cavalry in motion, and
leaving a portion to report to General Jackson, crossed the Blue
Ridge at Snicker's Gap, on the last day of October. From a
spur of the mountain the wagon trains of the advancing enemy
could be seen, stretching away for miles, and moving from the
Potomac toward Middleburg.  For several days General Stuart
remained in front of the gaps of the Blue Ridge, protecting the
flank of the army from that assault which we have seen was the
design of General McClellan; and the small force under the
Confederate leader's command repeatedly met and defeated or
held in check the Fedezral Cavalry-at Mountsville, Aldie, Union,
and elsewhere. Finding that the Federal column was steadily
moving toward the Rappahannock,: Geineral Stuart notified General Jackson of his intention to move from in front of Ashby's
Gap, and proceeded by way of Barbee's Cross Roads —where a
portion of his command was hotly engaged with the Federal cavalry-to the lines on the Rappahannock, in front of General Lee.
Jackson remained in the Valley; and again the men of Longstreet declared, with great enjoyment of their joke, that the ec



JACKSON HALTS.                    363
centric commander of the 2d corps was " lost."  Jackson had
been "lost" after this fashion, however, before the battles of
the Chickanhminy, Cedar TRun, the advance to Warrenton
Springs, and the second Manassas. The army were well satisfied to have him thus disappear-confident that he would manage to make his way back to them, and'; turn up" if any hard
fighting was to be done. For the rest, it was not probable that
an enemy could surprise him in that valley region, every foot of
which haQl been fought over by his men.
Jackson was fully aware of the movements of the enemy,
and no doubt divined General McClellan's intention to gain by a
rapid march the banks of the,Rappahannock before General Lee
could confront him, seize the gaps in the Blue Ridfge, and, by
thus holding all the great avenues of exit from the Valley, divide
the Confederate aramy, attack it in detail, and defeat it. The
danger to which the Confederate commander was exposed was
great; but he seems to have felt entirely assured of his ability
either to defeat or elude the enemy.
General Stuart, whllo -isited him at this time, near M1illwood,
to notify him of the intended withdrawal of the cavalry, found
him reading his Bible in his tent, an occupation which he discontinued to describe his intended movements to foil General MIcClellan. The design of the Federal commander was evidently
well understood by him, and he stated to General Stuart that he
intended to remain near zMillwood for somle time-convinced
that the presence of his corps at that point would puzzle General
McClellan and delay his advance, from apprehensions of a movement against the Federal rear.  If General 3McClellan attacked
him with equal or not greatly disproportioned forces, he would
fight. If, however, the entire Federal army assailed him, he
would fall back toward Strasburgf, march around the Massinutton
lIountain, and crossing at New Market and Luray, rejoin General Lee. General Stuart described Jackson's demeanor on this
occasion as exceedingly sweet and kindly; but the two commanders were great friends, and the visit doubtless pleased
Jackson.




3964          LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
An incident exhibiting Jackson's kindness of heart belongs
to this period, and is here related in the words of the officer who
communicates it:'4In November, 1862, while passilng through Middletown,
Va., General Jackson, with his staff-riding some two or three
miles in front of his army, then on the march for Fredericksburg —met a very old woman looking for her grandson who was
somewhere in the army. As we passed she hailed the General,
saying:
"  Are you Mr. Jackson?'
"I-He told her he was, and asked what she wanted.';I want to see my grandson, George Martin-he belongs to
your company. I've brought him these clothes and victuals.'
"6 The General asked her what regiment her grandson was in,
but she could not tell.  She did not know what company he was
in-the name of his captain-even whether lie was a private or
an officer. All she could tell was, that' he was in 31r. Jackson's
conmpany.'
"1 In her disappointment she cried:
"' Why, MIr. Jackson, don't you know little George Martin?
-George Augustus Martin?  He's been with you in all your
battles; and they say,' she added, with tears streaming down
her furrowed cheeks,' that he fit as hard as the best of them.'
"At this point some of the younger members of the staff
laughed.  The General turned around quickly with his brow
contracted, his lips compressed, and his eyes flashing with anger.
He looked as if he was trying to find the guilty one. Dismounting from his horse, and approaching the old woman, he,
in the kindest manner and simplest words, explained why lie did
not know her grandson; but gave her such simple and repeated
directions as would enable her to find him."




CHANGE OF COMMANDERS.                365
CHAPTER XXVII.
CHANGE OF COMMANDERS.
GENERAL IMCCLELLAN, meanwhile, advanced toward the
Rappahannock, and his various columns were concentrating at
Warrenton, when, on the 7th of November, he was, without
previous notice, relieved of his command. Such was the sudden
termination of the active career of an officer who had proved
himself the most formidable adversary of the South.
The plans of General McClellan, when he was invested with
the command of all the Federal armies, were comprehensive,
and struck, to use his own phrase, " at the heart of the rebellion."  He was not long continued, however, in the supreme
command, and was sent with the Army of the Potomac to the
Peninsula, where he was defeated, but by his excellent generalship saved his army from surrender or destruction. Thence he
was ordered to YWashington, and his abilities seem to have been
recognized, since, after the defeat of General Pope, he rose
again, as by right, to the command of all the forces, and with no
orders except "; protect the capital" commenced offensive operations against General Lee. The result was the battle of Sharpsburg, by which the advance of the Confederate commander upon
Pennsylvania was checked, and his campaign defeated.  To
disappoint the plans of a soldier so eminent as General Lee is no
small proof of ability in the commander who succeeds in so
doing; and the movements of General McClellan subsequent to
the battle of Sharpsburg appear to have been able and judicious.
He moved as soon as he could into Virginia, and his plans
seemed excellently devised, when he was suddenly decapitated.
The explanation of this sudden withdrawal of confidence on
the part of the Federal authorities must be sought for in the
political histories of this period-it forms no part of our own
subject




366           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
General MicClellan was succeeded by General Ambrose E.
Burnside, a commander of some reputation but moderate abilities, who is reported to have protested against his appointment
to so great a command on the score of his inability to administer
it. President Lincoln, however, insisted, and General Burnside
assumed the direction of the army in its further operations.
The result of affairs at Fredericksburg subsequently occasioned
an official investigation; and from General Burnside's testimony
before the committee, we are informed of his designs upon assuming command of the Federal army. Finding that General
Lee confronted him in the upper Rappahannock, and that the
way was barred in that direction, General Burnside conceived
the project of making a demonstration in front of Lee to engage
his attention, and, whilst his adversary was thus amused, of
moving his main body rapidly down to Fredericksburg, where
he would cross and turn his adversary's flank. Lee would thus
be forced to fall back for the protection of Richmond, and the
Federal army would move rapidly in the same direction in pursuit.
This plan of operations at once commenced by a feint on the
upper Rappahannock, but it did not deceive the Confederate
commander. No sooner had General Burnside put his main
column in motion toward Fredericksburg, than General Lee,
who had remained in the vicinity of Culpepper Court-House
watching his opponent, made a corresponding movement across
the Rapidan. General McClellan had moved rapidly southward
only to find the army which he had left at Winchester facing
him in front of Culpepper.  General Burnside now no sooner
appeared upon the hills of Stafford near Fredericksburg, than
he discovered on the high ground opposite the gray lines of his
adversary.
The intended surprise had turned out a failure; and from
the latter part of November when these movements took place,
to the middle of December, the two armies remained in sight of
each other, divided only by the Rappahannock.
The Carge Federal camps were established in rear of the hills




CHANGE OF COMMANDERS.               3617
opposite Fredericksburg, and their earthworks on this commanding position were soon mounted with heavy artillery intended to
cover the crossing of their army. From " Chatham" and other
residences overlooking the town, General Burnside and his
officers constantly reconnoitred the Confederate position-the
pickets dotting the banks of the river below, from above Falmouth to Deep Run. The river was thus guarded from United
States ford, near the confluence of the Rappahannock and Rapidan, to Port Royal, twenty-two miles below the place.
The ground around Fredericksburg, on the southern side of
the river, was well adapted to the repulse of an attacking force.
From a point just above the town and immediately upon the
stream, commences a range of hills which, diverging from the
river, sweep around to Hamilton's crossing on the Richmond
and Fredericksburg Railroad about four miles below, and a mile
or more from the river. The ground thus enclosed is an extensive plain, through which, and parallel to the stream, runs the;" River Road," a broad highway skirted with cedars, growing
out of embankments, serving the purpose of fences. The ditches
formed by throwing, up these embankments. furnished an impromptu species of intrenchment which shielded the Federal
troops in no small degree from the Southern fire. Through the
plain described wanders a small stream known as Deep Run,
with precipitate banks, completely sheltering troops, as the
stream approaches the river.
On the crest of hills here mentioned —extending from near
Falmouth to the crossing, and thickly covered throughout nearly
their whole extent by oaks, edged by pine thickets-the Confederate commander had formed his line of battle. Longstreet's corps
held the left, extending from the river to. a point about midway
the length of the range, and just beyond Deep Run. Jackson,
who had remained in. the Valley until about the 1st of December,
when he rejoined General Lee, held the right of the line, occupying the ground from Longstreet's right tol Hamilton's crossing,
where the range of hills descends into the plain. On the extreme right, in the extensive plain intersected by the "River




368           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Road" and thle 1" Old Richmond Road," running from the crossing to the former, General Stuart was posted with his cavalry
and horse artillery to protect Jaclkson's flank, which it was probable the enemy would attempt to turn. The Massaponnax, a
small stream with precipitate banks, formed the southern and
eastern boundary of this plain, rendering any movement of the
Federal forces beyond General Stuart's right impracticable.
Such was the disposition of General Lee's forces to repulse
the intended advance of the enemy.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
F R E  E  R I CKSB UR G.
GENERAL BURNSIDE had thus completely failed in his design
of stealing a march upon his opponent, and it is on record that
he was greatly opposed to attempting the passage of the river in
the face of Lee. The Federal authorities, however, had set
their hearts upon striking a heavy blow before the spring, and
General Burnside reluctantly acquiesced in a project which did
not receive the approval of his military judgment.
Up to the 11th of December, no movement of any importance had taken place, though the enemy had made numerous
attempts to produce the impression that they intended to cross
below or above, not at Fredericksburg. Their troops were seen
moving to and fro on the Stafford hills opposite, and the river
bank was heavily picketed along the entire front.
The Confederate Generals awaited the threatened movement
with confidence, and a well-grounded belief that in spite of the
numbers of the Federal army, and the presence of such able
soldiers as Sumner, Franklin, Hooker, and others in command
of grand divisions, they would be able to repulse any attack.
It would seem that the enemy were, on their' side, equally
confident. The dismissal of General McClellan had been very




FREDERICKSBURnG.                 369
distasteful to the troops, but they were thoroughly disciplined,
anrd ready to fight under any one; and the Northern journals,
extensively circulated among their camps, had sedulously instilled
the conviction that the " On to Richmond" movement was now
certain of success.
The Confederate commander finally received reliable intelligence that the enemy had finished their preparations for crossing,
and were putting their troops in motion.
Before daylight on the morning of Thursday, December 1lth,
they commenced throwing two pontoons across at Fredericksburg, one above, the other below the destroyed railroad bridge.
While engaged in this attempt, and swarming upon the boats, a
destructive fire was opened upon them from the southern bank
of the river, where Brioadier-General Barksdale was posted
with his Mississippians, and this fire was so hot, that it at first
drove the enemy back. They quickly renewed the attempt,
however, and pushed on the work, in spite of the hail-storm of
bullets from Barksdale, whose troops fought with desperation.
The heavy fog slowly lifted from the scene, and then commenced.
and was kept up all day, one of the most determined bombardments known in history. The enemy had planted more than a
hundred pieces of artillery on the hills to the northern and eastern side of the town, and from an early hour in the forenoon,
swept the streets with round shot, shell, and case shot-firing
frequently a hundred guns a minute.  The quick puffs of
smoke, touched in the centre with tongues of flame, ran incessantly along the lines of their batteries on the slopes, and as the
smoke slowly drifted away, the bellowing roar came up in one
continuous roll. The town was soon fired, and a dense cloud of
smoke enveloped its roofs and steeples.  The white church
spires still rose serenely aloft, defying shot or shell, though
a portion of one of them was torn off. The smoke was succeeded
by lurid flame, and the crimson mass brought to mind the pictures
of Moscow burning.
This incessant fire of heavy artillery on the town was kept
up from daylight until dark. Barksdale's troops continued to
24




370           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
hold the place in spite of the terrible enfilading fire sweeping the
streets with round shot, grape, and shell, so as to command every
foot of ground in the town. Amid houses torn to pieces, and
burning, crashing chimneys, and falling walls which buried men
beneath them, the Mississippians maintained their position.
~hen night descended, the flames of burning houses still lit up
the landscape, and though the,continuous roar of the batteries
was hushed, a sullen gun at intervals resembled the hoarse
growl of a wild animal who retires with reluctance from his prey.
The result of this bombardment was cruel, and the scenes
which followed it sufficient to excite the sensibilities of the most
hard-hearted. MIlen, women, and children had been driven from
the town; and hundreds of ladies and children were seen wandering homeless and without shelter over the frozen highway,
with bare feet and thin clothing, knowing not where to find a
place of refuge.  Delicately nurtured girls, upon whose frail
forms no rain had ever beat, and whom no wind had visited too
roughly, walked hurriedly, with unsteady feet, over the various
roads, seeking some friendly roof to cover them. Whole families
sought sheds by the wayside, or made temporary shelters of fencerails and straw, knowing not whither to fly. Such were the cruel
results of the cannonade. Niglht had settled down; the shattered houses were visible only when the flames of the burning
buildings soared up suddenly as they caught some new object;
and the enemy held the place.  Barksdale hldcl fallen back,
fighting from street to street until he reached the suburbs, where,
posting his troops behind a stone wall, he held his ground, and
no further attack was made on him.
When the morning  of Friday the 12th dawned, the enemy
had thrown across additional pontoons, and their army was
nearly over. As yet they had not been saluted by a single shot
from the Confederate artillery; and they no doubt felicitated
themselves, in a very high degree, upon this circumstance.
Thus Friday ended-the night passed-the great day arrived.
General Lee had disposed his forces in the manner already indicated. Longstreet's corps was posted on the left, with strong




FREDERICKSBURG.                   371
batteries along the hills by Marye's house. Jackson held the
right, with General A. P. Hill in front and near HIamilton's
crossing; General Taliaferro, commanding Jackson's old division,
in his rear; and General D. HI. Hill, behind the crest of hills, in
reserve.  On the slope of the hill, just where it descends toward the crossing, Colonel Lindsay Walker was posted, with
Pegram's, McIntosh's, and sections of Crenshaw's, Latham's,
and Johnson's batteries-14 guns. On the left of the line, near
the Bernard cabins, Captain Davidson was stationed, with
Rains', Caskie's, Braxton's, and Davidson's batteries-21 guns.
To the right, and two hundred yards in advance of these, Captain Brockenbrough commanded Carpenter's, Wooding's, and
Braxton's batteries-12 guns. On Jackson's left was the right
of General Longstreet, under Hood; and this was just at the
centre of the whole line. On the extreme right, as we have.
said, beyond Hamilton's crossing, in the extensive plain, diversified by woods, General Stuart had drawn up his cavalry and
horse artillery, ready to assist in repulsing the attack upon what
was felt to be the weakest portion of the line.
Soon after daybreak on the 13th the troops were all in position, and General Lee rode along the lines, accompanied by
General Jackson, to inspect in person the disposition of the
forces. On the old " Richmond road," leading from the crossing
to the Bowling  Green or river road, General Stuart joined
them, and they proceeded to the outer picket lines, close on the
enemy. The movement had already begun, and the Federal
forces were seen advancing across the bottom directly upon General Jackson's position. By direction of General Stuart, Major
John Pelham, of the Stuart Horse Artillery, immediately brought
up a Napoleon gun, and opened on their left flank; three batteries replied, and for many hours this one gun fought them all
with unyielding firmness. Major Pelham and Captain Henry,
who both superintended the working of the piece, were publicly
complimented, and their obstinate stand, in an important position,
unquestionably had a most valuable part in demoralizing the
Federal forces.




3X2            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Soon after daylight the enemy began to feel General Lee's
position from left to right with infantry and artillery.  The Federal commander seemed to be undecided in his plans, and exhibited no powers of colmbination or manceuvring. The lines were
pushed forward, then drawn back, and the only Federal arm
that seemed efficiently handled was the artillery.  This was
fought with great skill and effect during the entire battle, and
inflicted severe loss upon the Confederates. The accuracy of their
fire was remarkable.  The writer of this, who was present on the
right, recalls an instance. A Blakely gun opened fire upon the
Federal batteries, when one of their guns replied like an echo; a
round shot crashed among the canonneers, and a boy exclaimed
to General Stuart who was sitting upon his horse near by,
" General, their very first shot has killed two men!"
About ten o'clock the fog lifted, and the enemy were seen
approaching in heavy force, about 55,000 troops having been
concentrated against the Confederate right.  They were commanded by Generals Franklin and Iooker, whose orders were
to gain possession of the old " Richmond road," turn the crest
of hills at HIamilton's crossing, and assail the Confederate right
flank. Encouraged by the silence of the Confederate batteries,
the enemy pushed forward directly upon Walker's position, and
were suffered to come within eight hundred yards before a gun
was fired.  When they had reached that point, however, fourteen guns opened suddenly, and completely broke and repulsed
them. No, troops could stand before the iron storm tearing
through their raunks, and General Franklin could not immediately re-form his men and bring them again to the assault.
About one o'clock, however, another attempt was made to
carry the position-this time preceded by a heavy fire of artillery directed against Colonel Walker and General A. P. Hill.
Walker opened all his batteries in response, and was assisted by
Pelham on the right. The Federal forces, consisting of Franklin's and Hooker's grand divisions, were evidently staggered by
the terrible fire; but re-forming, pressed on and closed in upon
A. P. Hill in a fierce and bloody struggle. An interval had




FEDERICKSBURG.                    33
been left between Archer's and Lane's brigades, and of this the
enemy took instant advantage.  Pressing forward, Hill's line
was penetrated; Lane's right and Archer's left turned; and
they were forced to fall back.  Gaining thus a position in rear
of that occupied by Lane and Archler, the enemy attacked
Gregg's brigade; and'in this contest General Gregg, while
attempting to rally Orr's Rifles, which had given way, fell mortally wounded.
Seeing that his first line was rapidly being forced back by
the overwhelming numbers brought against it, General Jackson
now ordered up his second line, consisting of the commands of
Lawton, Early, Trimble, and Taliaferro.  Their appearance
upon the scene changed every thing. In a brief but decisive
combat they repulsed the enemy, and, following up their advantage, drove him with great slaughter to the railroad in front of
the first position, taking a number of prisoners.  So far was the
pursuit carried, that Jackson's forces came within close range of
the Federal artillery, and fiull upon their strong reserves of infantry. The ground was not yielded, however, on that account; and
finding that the enemy did not advance, General Jackson
determined to do so himself. Their artillery was so posted as
to render the movement an extremely hazardous one, but the
stake was great, and Jackson determined to take the risks, and
if possible put the force of the enemy directly opposed to him to
complete rout.  Those who saw him at that hour, will never
forget the expression of intense but suppressed excitement
which his face displayed.  The genius of battle seemed to have
gained possession of the great leader, ordinarily so calm; and
his countenance glowed as from the glare of a great conflagration. His design was to place his artillery in front, draw up
the infantry in rear of it, and make the movement just as night
descended, so that if necessary he might fall back under the cover of darkness. This design was destined, however, not to be
carried into execution. Delay occurred in making the necessary
preparations, and when, finally, the first guns moved forward,
the  enemy, evidently fearing  such a movement,  opened a




3T4            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
terrific fire of artillery, which caused the abandonment of the
project.
We have neglected to speak of the events which occurred on
General Jackson's right.  The batteries there were a part of his
command, though directed by General Stuart, and throuohout
the day fought with unyielding obstinacy. The enemy handled
their guns with skill and nerve; and their immense reserves
were brought up and put into action-but they were encountered and silenced. The duel between the opposing batteries
during the latter part of the day was superb.  Colonel Walker
was exposed, from the position of his guns, to a destructive fire
from the Federal batteries, and the Confederate artillery in the
fields beyond  Hamilton's crossing was the target for their
heaviest giuns, both on the south and north side of the river.
Toward evening the battle in this part of the field became
desperate.  The enemy fought their artillery admirably, and
never was their enormous strength in that arm more thoroughly
displayed. Every species of projectile known to modern warfare was rained upon the fields, from guns of every calibre and
description, and in this cannonade the heavy siege pieces on the
heights beyond the river bore an important part.  The attempt
of General Franklin to turn the Confederate right was supported
in the most effective manner by his artillery, and the fire became appalling.  It was delivered parallel to the railroad, and
the Federal sharpshooters from the ditches poured a galling fire
into the Confederate cannoneers. The batteries which opposed
thi  Federal guns were those of Pegram, Latham, Crenshaw,
Johnson, McIntosh, Braxton, Letcher, and others.  To these
were subsequently added the 2d and 3d companies of Richmond
howitzers, the first company being engaged on the left-the Staunton Artillery, Lieutenant Garber, a section of Poague's battery,
Lieutenant Graham, Caskie's, HIardaway's, Louisiana Guard
Artillery, Captain D'Aquin, and others-all under the command
of Major Pelham, who fought them  with soldierly skill and
coolness.  The whole of the artillery on the right, including
Captain Henry's Horse Artillery, of Major Pelham's battalion,




FREDER1ICKSBURG.                     375
was under the immediate direction of General Stuart, who was
everywhere in the thickest of the fight-the target of artillery
and sharpshooters alike.  The latter had posted themselves two
or three hundred yards off, behind a hedge, and no doubt
attracted by the plume and uniform  of a general officer, directed
their fire upon him, striking him  twice, but not doing him
injury.  Meanwhile, the batteries never for an instant relaxed
in their fire. All through the afternoon they continued the fight,
those which were disabled or out of ammunition retiring, to be
replaced by others.
Just at sunset Stuart ordered all his batteries to advance.
This was done in consequence of a message from  Jackson that
"he was going to advance and attack the enemy precisely at
sunset, and General Stuart was desired to advance his artillery
and fire as rapidly as possible, taking care not to injure the
troops as they attacked."  This order was promptly obeyed.
Stuart took up a position so much in advance as to be almost on
the flank of the Federal line, not five hundred yards distant, and
opened a more rapid and determined fire than before.  When
General W. H. F. Lee, one of his cavalry officers, sent to ascertain how matters were going on, Stuart replied, " Tell General Lee
that all is right.  Jackson has not advanced, but I have; and I
am going to crowd them with artillery."  This was boldly and
effectually done, and the result was apparent.  The Federal fire
slackened, then ceased; and when General Stuart's voice, in the
darkness, ordered a new  advance toward the Bowling Green
road, no response could be elicited from  their guns, and the
Confederates remained masters of the field.*
* The force which operated against the Confederate right in this action
is stated to have been, as we have said, on Federal authority, 55,000 men.
This is not improbable, as the bulk of the United States forces was used in
this important assault. The army consisted of the 1st, 2d, 3d, 5th, 6th, 9th,
and 11th Corps; and if these were recruited to the full number they possessed
by General McClellan's statement, at Sharpsburg, it would bring the Federal
force, exclusive of the 3d, 11th, and one division of the 5th Corps, to 72,718
men. As the 11th was a corps of reserve, the Federal force was probably




376            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
On the left a similar result followed the assault upon M3arye's
Hill.  In this fierce andc determined attack, which was made by
Mleagher's brigade, composed,chiefly of Irish, the Federal loss
was frightful. The troops were compelled to cross the open ground
between the suburbs of the town and the base of the hill, and
while doing so were subjected to a close and deadly fire from
Cobb's. and Cooke's brigades, posted behind the stone wall at
the foot of the heights, and from  Colonel Walton's artillery in
the earthworks above.  This combined fire of bullets and canister drove them  back, but they again charged.  The result
was the same-tlbey were again repulsed with heavy loss, and
were forced to fall back, with shattered ranks, to the protection
of the houses. In this struggle General Cobb was killed and
General Cooke severely wounded, nearly at the same moment.
Such was the battle of Fredericksburg.  It is remarkable for
the small proportion of Confederate troops engaged, and for the
bad fighting of the Federal forces.  The explanation of the latter
fact must be left to conjecture, but with the exception of
Meagher's brigade, no portion of tle Federal infantry seems to
have acted with their customary efficiency.  The charge upon
Jackson seemed hot and determined, but in spite of the heavy
force engaged in it —55,000 men, by General Burnside's statement-it was repulsed without difficulty by Jackson's first and
second lines, certainly falling short of 15,000 troops.  The
Federal forces seemed to fight without enthusiasm or confidence
in their leaders.  They had lost morale from some reason; and
so easily was their advance repulsed, that General Lee regarded
the affair as nothing more than a heavy demonstration to feel
his position, not a definite trial of strength with the whole
Federal army.  From  the hill above Hamilton's crossing, in
company with Jackson, General Lee witnessed, on t;he next
(Sunday) morning, the imposing spectacle of the Federal army
drawn up in battle array, with banners flying, as though about
to advance to the assault; but that assault was not to take place.
not far short of 100,000 troops. General Lee's nulmbers are not known to the
present writer.




FREDERICIKSBURG                  377
The explanation of the fact will be found in an extract from
General Burnside's testimony before the subsequent Committee
of Investigation, in which he states both his plan of attack and
the considerations which induced him to abandon all further designs of carrying the heights occupied by the Confederates.
"' The enemy," said General Burnside,'" had cut a. road along
the rear of the line of heights, where we made our attack, by
means of which they connected the two wings of their army, and
avoided a long detour round through a bad country.'  obtained from a colored man from the other side of the
town, information in regard to this new road, which proved to
be correct. I wanted to obtain possession of that new road, and
that was my reason for making an attack on the extreme left.
I did not intend to make the attack on the right until that position had been taken, which I supposed would stagger the enemy'by cutting their line in two, and then I proposed to make a
direct attack on their front and drive them out of the works.
" I succeeded in building six bridges, and in taking the whole
army across. The two attacks were made,, and we were repulsed
-still holding a portion of the ground we had fought upon, but
not our extreme advance. That night I went all over the field
on our right. In fact, I was with the officers and men until daylight. I found the feeling to be rather against an attack the
next morning. In fact, it was decidedly against it.
"I returned to my headquarters, and after a conversation
with General Sumner, told him that I wanted him to order the
9thl Army Corps, which was the corps I originally commanded,
to form the next morning a column of attack by regiments. It
consisted of some eighteen old regiments and some new ones,
and desired the column to make a direct attack upon the enemy's
works. I though that that tese regiments, by driving quickly up
after each other, would be able to carry the stone wall and the
batteries in front, forcing the enemy into their next line, and by
joining in with them they would not be able to fire upon us to
any great extent. I left General SumlLer with that understanding, and directed him to give the order.




37V 8         LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
" The order was given, and the order of attack was formed.
On the next morning, just before the column was to have started,
General Sumner came tp to me and said:'General, I hope
you will desist from this attack.  I do not know of any general
officer who approves of it, and I think it will prove disastrous to
the army.'  Advice of that kind from General Sumner, who
has always been in favor of our advancing whenever it was
possible, caused me to hesitate. I kept the column of attack
formed, and sent over for the division and corps commanders
and consulted with them.  They unanimously voted against the
attack.  I then went over to see the officers of the command on
the other side, and found. that the same opinion prevailed
among them.' I thea sent for General Franklin, who was on the left, and
he was of exactly the same opinion. This caused me to decide
that I ought not to make the attack I had contemplated; and besides, inasmuch as the President of the United States had told
mne not to be in haste inl making this attack-lthat he would
give me all the support he could, but he did not want the Arimy
of the Potomac destroyed-I felt that I could not take the responsibility of ordering the attack, notwithstanding my own belief at the time that the works of the enemy could be carried.
" In the afternoon of that day I again saw the officers, and
told them that I bad decided to withdraw to this side of tle river
all our forces, except enough to hold the town and the bridge
heads, but should keep the bridges there for future operations in
case we wanted to cross again."
It was determined, however, by the advice of General
HIooker, not to attempt to hold the town even, and on Monday
night the Federal army commenced recrossing the river. By
Tuesday morning the forces had disappeared from  the south
bank of the Rappahannock, and General Burnside's was another
name added to the list of Federal generals who had suffered defeat at the hands of Lee and Jackson.




GENERAL BURNSIDE ATTEMPTS A LAST ADVANCE.  379
CHAPTER XXIX.
G-ENERAL BURNSIDE ATTEMPTS A LAST ADVANCE.
WE have not described the excesses which the Federal offii
cers permitted the troops to commit in Fredericksburg-the
burning of houses, the rifling of wardrobes, and the general
spoliation of private property. These scenes, of the tragic and
grotesque mingled —for men were found dead after Mleagher's
charge, with women's shawls and bonnets on —would take up too
much space, and excite only disgust. They will doubtless be recorded by local historians in the filture, and will remain a dark
portion of the great picture of the recent struggle.
We pass to General Burnside's final effort to gain a foothold
south of the Rappahannock.  In the latter part of January, the
Federal commander massed his army opposite Bankuls' ford, several miles above Fredericksburg, and the troops were already in
motion to attempt the crossing of the river, when the weather
suddenly changed, and torrents of rain descended upon the army.
The fate of any movement at this most unpropitious of seasons, was soon shown.  General Burnside was literally stuck in
the mud, and could not carry out his projected advance. The
movement is described so vividly in army letters written to
Northern journals at the period, that we shall make one or two
extracts, and then cismiss the subject. One correspondent writes:
"Within a space of two miles the scene of confusion was
greatest. In a deep gully, and on a hill-side, where the rcad
ascended, where stuck fast more than a dozen guns, caissons,
brigade wagons, and great headquarter wagons. The guns and
pontoons were three days in reaching the ford, and had to be
dragged by united labor of men and horses, when it was discovered that approaches to the river were impracticable.  The mud
in the freshly-cut roads was too deep. The men got in sight,
they said, of rebel camp-fires.




380           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
" At every turn or rise on the road a wagon or caisson could
be seen sticking fast in the mud; horses and mules were down
- in the mire, unable to rise. In every gully batteries, caissons,
supply-wagons, ambulances, and pontoons were mired; horses
and mules up to their bellies in mud; soldiers on the marcl
sinking to their knees at almost every step. It was impossible
to draw an empty Wiagon throughl the dreadful mud. The whlole
army was stuck fast."
Another correspondent gives a mrinute picture of the attempted advance, and of the feeling of the troops. He says:;" The march of the army to this place has been gloomy
enouglh. The severest storm of the season has continued since
early Tuesday evening until to-day. This afternoon there are
signs of sunshine again. Of course the inclement weather rendered army operations upon any -very extensive scale wholly impracticable. The execution of the orders for an advance would have
been poorly enough in the finest weather, for, as I told you before, the army has lost its prestige; the soldier no longer thinks
it an honor to belong to the Army of the Potomac. As an illustration of the feeling prevalent among the officers, I will say
that when General Burnside's order, which you have no doubt
already published, was read, the inquiry was made by an officer,'What do you think of it?'
"' General, it don't seem to have the ring,' was the response.
"'N o, sir, t7he bell is broken,' said the General.
";Not that he meant any want of confidence in General
Burnside; but the bell of the Army of the Potomac is sadly
fracturedl, and its tones have no longer the clear, inspiring ring
of victory. But I do n,>t need to refer to the condition of the
army at greater length. Every phase you can get will reveal the
same truth, which is well understood here and at Washington.
"All day on Wednesday the men dragged their feet from
one mud footstep to fathom another still more uncertain, and
picked their way along the skirts of woods and fields and the
edge of the road to keep as sound footing as possible. The cold
rain poured in torrents.




GENEiAL BTURNSIDE ATTEMPTS A LAST ADVANCE.  381
" The mules and horses, already worn to hide and bone with
cold and. starvation, floundered and trembled in the uncertain
ruts and deceptive mud pools. Teamsters and riders cursed and
lashed their beasts, but to no avail. At two o'clock pontoons
and guns and caissons, ammunition wagons and ambulances
were promiscuously mixed and interspersed in one long line,
where the mire was momentarily growing deeper and the darknless of night approaching. Each general and commanding officer whose business it was, were exerting themselves to their utmost to get the teams along. Some generals covered with mire
personally directed the drivers and the squads of men who
manned long drag-ropes and assisted the horses in moving the
heavy loadc.
" At the front the same state of affairs was observed. If the
pontoons had been up on Tuesday; yes, if the army had moved
when the order was first given, when the roads were dry and hlard,
instead of waiting a week, until the enemy had learned of the move
and of its destination, and the utmost reasonable expectations of
continued fair weather had passed, the march would have been fine
and the crossing would have been easy. The place selected had
all the advantages that could be asked, and to the rebels disadvantages Which would have given us easy success. I forbear
giving you the particulars of the location and preparations for
crossing, as well as the strength of the army, guns, and such arrange ments, as they may be secrets which would give the enemy
an advantage should General Burnside return to the attack at
this point when the roads are dry and troops rested.
" It had been contemplated to cross at several points, but the
difficulty of moving pontoon trains and guns compelled the abandonment of all but one place, and the concentration of men and
trains at that on Wednesday night. In fact, I suspect the purpose of crossing had been abandoned by General Burnside at
that time, and the troops and munitions were concentrated for
safety and convenience. The troops encamped in the splendid
growths of oaks, and the number of axes plying, and general
huin of life and activity, impressed one with the idea of stepping




382            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
into an immense ship-yard under full blast. The great blazing
log fires soon warmed the wet garments, and the men slept
soundly.
"; On Thursday the order was circulated to stop the further
advance of troops and wagons and batteries not yet up. The
cavalry in part returned to their old camps. Light artillery was
also sent back, and order sent to General Sumner's grand division, which had not yet moved, postponing indefinitely the orders
to be ready."
"' The bell is broken "-such was the figure employed to describe the depressed condition of the Federal troops at this time.
At the risk of wearying the reader we shall add another paragraph upon the same subject, which finishes the picture. It is
taken frorm the New York "1 Times," and the article from which
it is extracted is said to have greatly enraged General I-Halleck
at the time when it was publishedl:; Sad,. sad it is to look at this superb Army of the Potomac,
the match of which no conqueror ever led —this incomparable
army, fit to perform the mission the country has imposed upon it
-paralyzed, petrified, put under a blight and spell; and on the
other hand the noble nation bleeding to death and pouring out
the rich wine of its life in vain.
"' But the root of the matter is a distrust of the general conduct and ordering of things. They feel that tllings are at loose
ends-in fact they know it, for our army is one that reads and
thinks. This spirit of discontent is augmented by many causes
of a special nature. For example: 1. They have not for many
months been paid.  Shameful and inexcusable in the Government. 2. The stagnation, ennuri, disgust, suffering, sickness, and
discontent of camp life in winter (without winter quarters), amid
Virginia mud, cold, and rain.  No small hardships, I can assure
you; and it is doubtful if any European army ever had to subsmit to equally great ones. 3. General feeling of despondency
resulting from  mismanagement and our want of military success.  Soldiers are severe critics and are not to be bamboozled.
You may marshal your array of victories in glittering editorials



GENERAL BURNSIDE ATTEMPTS A LAST ADVANCE.  383
they smile sarcastically at them. You see men who tell you
that they have been in a dozen battles, and were licked and
chased every time-they would like to chase once to see how
it' feels.' This begins to tell painfully on them. Their splendid qualities-their patience, faith, hope, courage, are gradually
oozing out.  Certainly never were a graver, gloomier, more
sober, sombre, serious, and unmusical body of men than the
Army of the Potomac at the present time. It is a saddening
contrast with a year ago."
The condition of affairs in the Southern army was strongly
in contrast with this; and perhaps the Confederate authorities
never had >at their disposal a more effective force. The ranks
had filled up since the Maryland campaign; the men were well
rationed and tolerably clothed, and the result of' the battle of
Fredericksburg, in which about 25,000 troops (if so many) had
repulsed about 75,000: had greatly elated them. The present
writer never remembers seeing the army in gayer spirits, and
the correspondent of the London' Times," who saw them in
the winter of 1862, speaks of the " wonderful spirits of the tatterdemalion regiments of the South."  The same writer adds:
" It is a strange thing to look at these men, so ragged, slovenly, sleeveless, without a superfluous ounce of flesh upon their
bones, with wild matted hair, in mendicants' rags, and to think
when the battle-flagD goes to the front how they can and do fight.'There is only one attitude in which I never should be ashamed
of your seeing my men, and that is when they are fighting.'
These were General Lee's words to me the first time I ever saw
him; they have been confirmed by every other distinguished officer in the Confederacy."
The Southern troops found at this time a still greater admirer in the editor of the Washington " Republican," a journal
of strong Northern sentiment; and especial commendation was
bestowed upon the Virginians:
" If there has been any decadence of the manly virtues in the
Old Dominion," said this writer, " it is not because the present
generation has proved itself either weak or cowardly or unequal




384            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
to the greatest emergencies. No people, with so few numbers,
ever put into the field and kept there so long, troops more numerous, brave, or more efficient, or produced Generals of more
merit, in all the kinds and grades of military talent.  It is not a
worn-out, effete race which has produced Lee, Johnston, Jackson, Ashby, and Stuart.  It is not a worn-out and effete race
which, for two years, has defended its capital against the ap-.
proach of an enemy close upon their borders, and outnumbering
them thirty to one. It is not a worn-out and effete race which
has preserved substantial popular unity under all the straits and
pressure and sacrifices of this unprecedented war.' Let history,'
as was said of another race,' which records their unhappy fate
as a people, do justice to their rude virtues as men.' They are
fighting madly in a bad cause, but they are fighting: bravely.
They have few cowards and no traitors. The hardships of war
are endured without a murmur by all classes, and the dangers of
war witllout flinchi'ng, by the newest conscripts; while their gentry, the offshoot of their popular social system, have thrown
themselves into the camp and field with all the dash and high
spirit of the European noblesse of the middle ages, risking, without apparent concern, upon a desperate adventure, all that men
value; and after a generation of peace and repose and security,
lwhich had not emasculated them, presenting to their enemies a
trained and intrepid front, as of men born and bred to war."
CHAPTER XXX.
JACKSON AT FREDERICKSBURG.
WE pass now firom the narrative of great public events to a
few personal details of Jackson at the period of the battle of
Fredericksburg.
Those who served in the Army of Northern Virginia at the
time in question will not soon forget the effect produced upon the




JACKSON AT FREDERICKSBURG.             385
troops by the intelligence that Jackson had arrived with his invincible corps, and was ready to take part in any movement
which occurred. The presence of the great soldier seemed to
infuse new strength and confidence into every heart; and wherever he passed the woods reechoed with cheers in his honor. He
was then ascending to the summit of his fame, and the hearts of
the men went forth to greet him with an affection and admiration
amounting to enthusiasm.
On the evening of his arrival he had thrown himself upon the
ground, under a tree, and was warming himself by the camp-fire,
when an excellent lady, living near at hand, sent him an invitation to come and sup with the family. His presence had been
discovered from a, soldier, who asked permission to draw water
from the well'" for General Jackson "-to which the good lady
responded: "' Tell General Jackson that every thing in this
house belongs to him."
The General speedily appeared in response to the invitation,
and evidently enjoyed his conversation with the lady of the mansion with the keenest relish. The only significant circumstance
connected with the incident was the character of this lady. She
was not young, brilliant, and amusing, but very old, gray-haired,
and known throughout the whole region for her unassuming
goodness and devoted piety. In her society, Jackson seemed to
experience an inexpressible charm-to Vest his brain and his
heart, as with his sweet and modest smile he sat and listened to
the simple friendly accents. His countenance was full' of quiet
pleasure as he talked with the aged lady. and in spite of his long
day's march he nearly lost sight of his supper in continuing the
conversation.
Both are now dead; but they must have met again beyond
the stars.
When the enemy's intended advance was ascertained, Jackson's forces moved silently to their position, and the men began
to look out for their favorite, in order to cheer him as he rode
along the line. Strange to say, no sound was heard in any direction, and one of the men said:
25




386           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
" Why don't old Jack come along, I wonder?"
" Why, he passed by a quarter of an hour ago," was the
reply of a brother soldier.'; Old Jack! " exclaimed the first, " he pass by!"
Y ~es, didn't you see him with his staff?"
" What! " ejaculated the soldier with an accent demanding
at least three exclamation points, " that finely-dressed fellow that
went by here, Old Jack! No, sir! You can't fool me in that
way!"
But Jackson had really passed, and the troops had not recognized him, from a very simple circumstance. He had doffed his
old coat soiled with dirt and scorched by the sun, to appear in a
new uniform-for him of the most gorgeous description. It consisted of the new coat presented to him by General Stuart in the
Valley; a superb new overcoat of dark-blue cloth, with an ample cavalry cape; and a new cap, in the shape of his old cadet
cap worn in so many battles, but, unlike the former, shining with
gold braid which was resplendent in contrast with the dark cloth.
It was no wonder that the troops did not recognize him in this
unwonted finery. The old uniform had seemed to them to be a
part of him, and the new was by no means to their liking.
Jackson's position during the battle was for the greater portion of the time near or in front of Colonel Walker's artillery on
the hill above Hamilton's crossing, where his right was posted.
Here the fire of the enemy's guns was exceedingly hot, and Jackson, like the rest, dismounted and lay down to protect himself.
from the storm of shell which swept the crest. He was soon on
horseback again, however, and moving to every portion of the
field. It was in the latter part of the day that, while hurrying
to another part of the line, he directed an officer to order his artillery on the hill, then swept by projectiles, to move forward,
and added coolly:
6 Captain, if you and your horse come out alive, tell General
Stuart that I am going to advance my whole line at sunset."
At this period of the action, Jackson exhibited unwonted excitement. Despite his collected bearing, it was evident from his




JACKSON AT FREDERICKSBURG.               38T
rapid movements from point to point, and a flush in his cheeks,
that his whole soul was aroused, and his brain on fire with the
thought that he would be able to drive the enemy with the bayonet beyond the river. Even, however, at this moment, when his
resolution was taken, and his nature stirred to its depths, Uis
soldierly courtesy did not desert him. To the salutes which he
received, he responded as carefully, with the finger to the cap, as
if he had been on parade.
An affecting incident is related by a friend * who shared his
bed on the night of the battle; and it is here given as we received it from him. About midnight, Jackson's tent-mate, who
had not yet fallen asleep, saw the soldier rise, dress, and go to
his desk. He lit his candle, and, placing some books on end, so
as to conceal the light from the supposed sleeper's eyes, began to
work. From work he passed to reflection, and his friend said,
suddenly:
" What are you thinking of, General?"
"' Oh! are you awake?" was his reply; " I was thinking of
the battle to-morrow, and that the balls will be hotter on the hill
by the crossing than to-day."
As they were conversing, the sound of horse's hoofs was
heard approaching; the noise ceased, and an orderly came into
the tent.'" Who is that?" asked Jackson.
" Somebody from General Gregg, sir."
"Tell him to come in."
An officer appeared at the opening, and, saluting Jackson,
said:
" General Gregg is dying, General, and sent me to say to
you that he wrote you a letter recently in which he used expressions he is now sorry for. He says that he meant no disrespect
by that letter, and was only doing what he considered to be his
duty. He hopes you will forgive him."
Jackson listened to these words in silence, but it was evident
~ Colonel A. R. Boteler-our authority for this incident.




388           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
that he was greatly moved. When the officer had ceased speaking, he said, earnestly:
"1 Tell General Gregg I will be with him directly."
Then calling to his body-servant, he directed him to saddle
hi "~ old sorrel."
To this, however, the considerate Jim objected, and commenced an elaborate account of what the old sorrel had passed
through on that day. Jackson checked him impatiently, and directed him to obey without further words.
" Say to the General," he added, turning to the officer, " that
I will be with him immediately."
And he was soon in the saddle, riding through the chill December night, upon his mission.
We know not what passed that night between the brother
soldiers-what words were exchanged, what pardon granted ere
it was asked-or what solemn farewell's took place between the
man about to die and him who watched beside him. There are
many dramas in war-the curtain never rises upon some of the
most affecting.
CHAPTER XXXI.
WINTER QUARTERS AT MOSS NECK.
AFTER the battle of Fredericksburg, Jackson established his
headquarters at;; Moss Neck," the estate of the Corbins, about
ten miles below the town, and here he remained during the
winter.
Upon the crest of the long range of hills which here runs
along the right bank of the Rappahannock, dominating the wide
low grounds, and affording admirable positions for artillery, if
the enemy advanced, he remained for months, watching the uplands on the opposite side of the river, and ready at any moment
to oppose, with his veterans of the old corps, the advancing Fed



WINTER QUTARTES AT MOSS NECK.              389
erals.  From an eminence near headquarters the view was very
attractive.  To the right and left the wooded range extended
toward Fredericksburg on the one hand, and Port Royal on the
other; in front, the far-stretching low grounds gave full sweep
to the eye; and at the foot of its forest-clad bluffs, or by the
margin of undulating fields, the Rappahannock calmly flowed
toward the sea. Old mansions dotted this beautiful land-for
beautiful it was in spite of the chill influences of winter, with its
fertile meadows, its picturesque woodlands, and its old roads
skirted by long rows of shadowy cedars, planted with the regularity of ornamental shrubbery in a gentleman's garden.
Headquarters were near the " Corbin House;" in front was
" Hayfield," the residence of that Taylor. family illustrated in
old days by " Colonel John Taylor, of Caroline;" near at hand
were the hospitable residences of the Baylors, Bernards, and
others; and in the distance, toward Fredericksburg, was " St.
Julian," the ancient homestead of the Brooke family, which
Washington, Randolph, and the great statesmen of the past always paused at on their journeys, to give the news and discuss
the men and things of the past century.
Another age had come now, and the smiling fields were disfigured by the fbotprints of war. The meadows were crossed
and recrossed by roads which had cut up the soil into ruts and
miry holes. The steep banks-as the enemy have had an opportunity of seeing-were fashioned into earthworks for sharpshooters; the beautiful cedars were felled to supply firewood for
the troops; and every thing betrayed the presence of the huge,
dark, bloody, dirty, brutal genius of battle.
Jackson employed himself during the winter months in preparing the official reports of his battles.  The emboc' -Lent of the
facts, as given in the reports of officers engaged, was entrusted
to Lieutenant-Colonel Faulkner, A. A. G., but Jackson carefully
revised and corrected the statements before his official signature
was appended. He was exceedingly careful not to have any
thing placed thus upon formal record which was not established
by irrefutable proof.  Truth was, with him, the jewel beyond all




390           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
price; and nothing discomposed him more than the bare suspicion that accuracy was sacrificed to effect. Another marked
trait in him was his rooted objection to present in his reports the
motives of his aetioi, and explain the objects of his various
movements. It is said that Colonel Faulkner remonstrated with
him upon this point, and declarecl that the men who came after
him would be greatly embarrassed by the absence of these explanations; above all, that his fame would suffer on the' pages
of the historian. To this Jackson replied in nearly the following
words:
"- The men who come after me must act for themselves; and
as to the historians who speak of the movements of my command, I do not concern myself greatly as to what they may say."
He disliked adjectives in the narratives of his battles; and
this severe simplicity renders his reports occasionally cold and
dry to the reader-that of the battle of Iiernstown, for example.
But it is impossible to withhold our respect from the motives
which prompted this brevity of statement. Jackson had indeed
an unconquerable aversion for "' making the most" of any event
in which he was concerned. His native modesty revolted from
every species of ostentation; and boasting or self-laudation were
with him simply impossible. IIls modesty was displayed in
many ways. He always shrunk from those favorable comparisons of himself with his brother soldiers which indiscreet newspaper writers indulged in, and regarded them with obvious pain
and repugnance. It is not so certain that he did not enjoy
skilled commendation" of his actions, and even the praises of
the journals. He loved human sympathy and the admiration of
his fellowmen; and the expression of these feelings greatly
pleased him, for he was conscious of having labored hard to
deserve them. To the form, however, which this public sentiment occasionally assumed, he was not a little opposed. He
would never have his likeness taken. That which was fortunately secured in the spring of 1863, and appears in front of this
volume, was the result of an urgent request from one to whom
he could refuse nothing. When the publishers of an illustrated




WINTER QUARTERS AT MOSS NECK.              391
periodical wrote to him, asking for his daguerreotype and some
notes of his battles as the basis of a sketch, he wrote in reply,
that he had no likeness of himself, and had. done nothing worthy
of mention.
In the preparation of his official reports, and the routine of
labor incident to his command, passed the winter days of
1862-'63.  Those who visited Moss Neck during these clays,
give a humorous description of the surroundings of the famous
General Stonewall. Before his tent was pitched, he established
his headquarters in a small out-building of the Corbin House;
and all who came to transact business with Lieutenant-General
Jackson, were struck by a series of headquarter ornaments of
the most unique and surprising description.  On the walls of the
apartment were pictures of race horses, well known and dear
in former days to the planters of the neighboring region. Then
there was a portrait of some celebrated game cock, ready
trimmed and gaffed for conflict to the death. A companion
piece to these was the picture of a terrier engaged in furious
onslaught upon an army of rats, which he was seizing, tearing,
and shaking to death as fast they came.  These decorations of
headquarters excited the merriment of the General's associates;
and General Stuart suggested to him that a drawing of the apartment should be made, with the race horses, game cocks, and
terrier in bold relief, the picture to be labelled: 1" View of the
winter-quarters of General Stonewall Jackson, affording an insight into the tastes and character of the individual."  The impression which he produced upon his visitors, at the time in
question, is exhibited by the following passage from a letter
of the Rev. Dr. HIoge, who went to call upon him. Dr. Hoge
writes:
I have just returned from  a visit to General Jackson's
headquarters, at Moss Neck, the grand mansion of Mr. —-,
some ten miles from Fredericksburg.  The General modestly
occupies the lower room of one of the offices in the yard.  As
soon as I arrived General Jackson claimed me as his guest, and
I gladly spent what time I could with him. I found Mr. ----




392            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
regularly ensconced in his office, as a sort of chaplain general,
not officially, of course, but virtually. Hi-s work is partly to increase the number of chaplains, placing them where most needed,
and partly to preach himself wherever there is need of it in the
corps. His position is very important, and his residence with
General Jackson not only furthers his influence, but is personally
profitable to him. Indeed, it seems hardly possible to be long
in the society of that noble and honored General, that simplehearted, straightforward, laborious, devoted man of God, without catching something of his spirit-the spirit of toil, of patience,
of modesty, of careful conscientiousness, of child-like dependence
on God, of fervent believing prayer.  While I was in camp I
preached five times in the Stonewall Brigade. How the men
crowded into their log church, how they listened, how they
seemed to hang upon the word, you, of all men, need least.to be
told, for you have seen so mnuch of them from the beginning of
the war.  On Sunday night, after preaching, the General, Mr.
-, and myself, had a long talk, as we sat drying our boots in
front of the open fire. When it was nearly eleven o'clock the
General asked nme to conduct worship; and afterwards, before
retiring, he set us the example of kneeling again for secret
prayer. HIe then shared his bed upon the floor with me, and we
talked till long after midnight.  Thouglh usually taciturn, he led
the conversation. HIow anxious he was for his army! how
anxious for himself!  How manifest it was that he is a man
whose great desire is to be right in all things, and especially to
be right before God! In our whole intercourse I could not detect the slightest trace of self-importance, ostentation, or seeking
after vainglory.  To glorify God possessed all his thoughts.' I have been thinking a great deal about our chief end lately,'
said he,' and I think'the first answer in our catechism tells it
all; man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever; and I think,' he added,'we need not trouble ourselves
much about the second part, if we only attend well to the first.
I find my life in camp a very happy one when I am enabled to
keep this aim steadily before me-to live for the glory of God.'"




WINTER QUARTERS AT MOSS NECK.              393
Those who saw him during this period, will recall many
other charming reminiscences of him, He was very fond of
children, and those of the neighborhood will long remember the
kind voice and smile of the soldier —his caresses and affectionate
ways. We have alluded to the new cap, which the General
wore at'the battle of Fredericksburg, resplendent with gold braid
and all manner of decorations. He did not admire this fine substitute for that old, sun-scorchled cap, which had so long served
him; and when, one day, a little girl was standing at his knee,
looking up from her clustering curls at the kindly General, whose
hand was caressing her hair, he called for a pair of scissors,
ripped off the rich gold band, and joining the ends, placed it like
a coronet upon her head, with smiles and evident admiration of
the pretty picture thus presented.*
Another little girl, in one of the hospitable houses of that
region, told the present writer that when she expressed to a
gentleman her wish to kiss General Jackson, and the gentleman
repeated her words, the General blushed very much, and turned
away with a slight laugh, as if he was confused.
These are trifles, but it is surely a pleasant spectacle to see
the great soldier amid these kindly, simple scenes; to watch the
leader, whose soul has never shrunk in the hour of peril, passing
happy moments in the society of laughing children.
The days passed thus quietly at Moss Neck, the enemy
making numerous demonstrations, but never crossing. January,
February; the greater part of March went by, and Jackson still
remained upon his crest of hills above the meadows of the Rappahannock. But late in Matrch he moved his headquarters to a
point near Hamilton's crossing, just in rear of the battle field
of Fredericksburg, on the southern side of the MAassaponnax, and
not far from General Lee.
He had some time before been made Lieutenant-Goneral, but
this' promotion could add nothing to the stature pof a man whose
military renown was so firmly established.
* The late Colonel A. S. Pendleton, Jackson's A. A. G., is our authority
for this incident.




394           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Jackson looked forward to the coming campaign with the
deepest interest. Hee was one day conversing with a member
of his staff, and having stated the grounds upon which he believeci a great battle would soon take place, he remained silent
for some moments, and then added humbly and reverently:
" My trust is in God."
A brief silence again followed these words; but suddenly the
face of the soldier flushed with martial enthusiasm, and rising
to his feet, with flashing eyes and compressed lips, he exclaimed:
" I wish they would come! "
The spring was now beginning to advance, and the season
for hostilities had returned. Jackson hastened the preparation
of his reports, and had the satisfaction of knowing that at last
they were nearly complete.
It was whilst he was engaged in his revision of the report
of the operations of his corps in the Maryland campaign, that
the note of battle was again sounded; and from memories of
past events and the battles already fought, he was recalled to
the present and to the still more desperate conflict about to take
place-to the last, and what was to prove not the least splendid
of his achievements.
CHAPTER XXXII.
FEDERAL PREPARATIONS FOR THE CAMPAIGN OF 1863.
IT is impossible in a work like the present to present that
comprehensive view of operations in every quarter of the field,
which is necessary to an intelligent understanding of the late
revolution. The crowding incidents of the struggle must be
sought elsewhere.  Scarce an allusion can be made to them
here.
The aspect of affairs at the opening of the year 1863 was




FEDERAL PREPARATIONS FOR THE CAMPAIGN OF 1863. 395
far more encouraging to the South than in the spring of 1862.
Then a heavy cloud seemed to have settled upon the Southern
horizon, and ruin stared the Confederates in the face. Donaldson and Roanoke Island had been captured; the Confederates
had been defeated at Elkhorn, Kernstown, and Newbern, which
latter loss exposed all Eastern North Carolina. In April Fort
Macon surrendered, and on the 1st of May New Orleans fell.
Such had been the aspect of affairs in May, 1862.
As MIay, 1863, approached, the prospects of the South looked
far more favorable, and the victories of Cold Harbor, Cedar
Run, the second MIanassas, and Fredericksburg had inspired the
troops with enthusiasm.  In Virginia two years of arduous
struggle had not enabled the Federal authorities to penetrate
beyond the Rappahannock; and on the southern banks of that
river, in the opening of the spring of 1863, the long lines of
Confederate pickets warned the enemy that any attempt to cross
would be resisted by the army which had repulsed them in December at Fredericksburg.
We are compelled, in like manner, to pass over the political
events of the period, including the Emancipation Proclamation
of President Lincoln, by which he declared the slaves free on
and after January 1, 1863, and announced that the Federal Government would " do no act or acts to repress such persons or
any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual
freedom."  The general survey, military and political, must be
looked for elsewhere.
What had, however, a direct bearing upon the Virginia
campaign, and the subject of this book, was the evident impression among many of the most prominent politicians at the North,
that unless the approaching campaign was successful, the Federal Government must make peace upon the basis of separation
and Southern independence. The New York' Tribune" announced the programme of operations which the times demanded, and gave its views as follows: L Having massed our
forces and filled our depots and caissons, charge upon the rebels
in every quarter-assailing their ports with iron-clads, their ar



396            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
mies with stronger armies, fighting resolutely but warily with
intent to capture their strongholds and exhaust their resourceswhile expeditions of light-armed black Unionists, carrying only
arms and ammunition, traverse those portions of Rebeldom most
exposed and thickly peopled with slaves, carrying liberty.to all
who wish it, and arms wherewith to defend it; moving rapidly
and evading all fortified points and overpowering forces, while
breaking up railroads and telegraph lines, and making trouble
generally."  If this " making trouble generally" by blaclk Unionists and others did not attain its object, then the war must be
given up by the North.  " If three months more of earnest
fighting," said the' Tribune," "' shall not serve to make a serious
impression on the rebels-if the end of that term shall find us
no further advanced than its beginning-if some malignant fate
has decreed that the blood and treasure of the nation shall ever
be squandered in fruitless efforts-let uts bow to our destiny, and
mnake the best attainable peace."
The Federal authorities seemed so far to concur in these
views, as to determine upon a more resolute prosecution of hostilities than before. Every means was again used to gather recruits, and by the spring the authorities had upon the shores of
the Rappahannock, a force which MIajor-General Peck, of the
United States Army, stated, in the New York " Herald"  to
have numbered 159,300 men.
This large army was not to be commanded by General Burnside. The battle of Fredericksburg seems to have occasioned
his disgrace with the military authorities, and he was to be succeeded by General Joseph Hooker, called, for his nerve and obstinacy upon the field, " Fighting Joe Hooker."  This officer
was a soldier of ability as division or corps commander, but
does not seem to have possessed the faculties necessary in the
head of an army. I-He had become embroiled both with General McClellan and General Burnside, whose operations he
greatly censured before the Committees of Investigation; and the
Federal authorities now seemed to have so far coincided in his
views as to have decided that he should have an opportunity to




THE CAMPAIGN OPENS.                 397
display his own abilities unhampered by any immediate superior. He was placed in command of the celebrated Army of
the Potomac; all the resources of the Government were put at
his orders; and in April he had ready for the field an army
which he himself described as' the finest on this planet."
CHAPTER XXXIII.
THE CAMPAIGN OPENS.
AT the end of April the two armies confronted each other on
the banks of the Rappahannock, from a point above its confluence with the Rapidan, as far down as Port Royal. The bulkl
of the Confederate forces remained, however, near Fredericksburg.  The various fords in the county of Culpepper were
guarded by General Stuart with his cavalry.
The first note of the coming conflict was sounded on the 1 7th
of March from the upper Rappahannock. On that day General
Averill with about three thousand cavalry crossed the river at
Kelly's ford, with the obvious purpose of cutting General Lee's
communications in the direction of Gordonsville, and ascertaining his strength and position.
Bad fortune, however, attended the expedition.  The Federal general was met near Kelly's ford, by General Fitz Lee,
with about eight hundred cavalry, and his advance so obstinately
opposed, that, after a day of stubborn and bloody conflict, he
was forced to fall back, with heavy loss, and recross the river.
General Lee's loss was considerable; and among the officers
killed was 3Major John Pelham —the "I gallant Pelham" of General Lee's report at Fredericksburg-who was present with General Stuart during the battle. The fall of this great artillerist
was an irreparable calamity, but the enemy were checked; and
the Southern troops had the prestige of victory in the first action
of the spring campaign.




398           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
After the battle of Kellysville, which for hard and obstinate
fighting has scarcely been excelled, the Federal forces remained
quiet until April. Toward the middle of that month every
thing indicated an early advance. It was known that General
Hooker had been making extraordinary exertions to increase the
strength of' his army, and to place every department of the
command upon a thorough 1" war footing."  These labors were
said to have secured the desired result; and, in the month of
April, the Northern journals repeatedly and confidently asserted
General Hooker's ability to overwhelm  General Lee whenever
he advanced.
This confidence seems to have been shared by General
-looker and the majority of his officers. Whether deceived by
spies, who communicated false intelligence, or misled by his
own anticipations, which made " the wish the father to the
thought," the Federal commander exhibited, in many ways, a
perfect confidence in his ability to defeat Lee, and looked forward to the battle about to take place as destined to terminate
*the war.
The advance of the Federal forces was preceded as usual by
movements of cavalry. The enemy had largely increased their
force in this branch, and paid great attention to its armament
and equipment. The North had been ransacked for horses; the
best patterns of carbines and pistols were furnished in profusion;
and great attention was given to the organization of the force,
the character of its officers, and its efficiency in every particular. The commanders were given to understand that much was
expected of them; and General Pleasanton, to whose command
the whole was entrusted, seemed anxious to reqover the laurels
which Averill had lost in his encounter with Fitz Lee.
During the month of April, persistent attempts were made
by Pleasanton to penetrate into the county of Culpepper, and
beat up General Stuart's quarters there; his expectation being
to gain information, and unmask Geheral Lee's position.
These attempts, however, were unsuccessful.  The Confederate cavalry under Stuart confronted the enemy at every point,




THE CAMPAIGN OPENS.                 399
from United States ford below the confluence of the rivers to the
upper waters; whenever the Federal cavalry crossed they were
forced to retire with loss, and up to the moment when General
Hooker's army was put in motion, the enemy's great cavalry
force had been useless in gaining for the commanding general
information of General Lee's position, movements, or designs.
We have spoken of Lee's position in general terms. The
main body confronted the enemy's camps near Fredericksburg,
and occupied the woods in rear of the old battle field. A force
was posted opposite Ely's and United States fords higher up the
river, and the various fords from United States to Hinson's, far
up the Rappahannock, continued to be picketed by Stuart's cavalry, which, under the supervision of that energetic commander, left
no avenue of advance unguarded. The exposed left flank was
rightly regarded as the direction from which the Federal forces
would attack, with the view of turning General Lee's position
and forcing him to fall back. Extreme vigilance was accordingly enjoined upon the cavalry pickets; and no sooner had the
Federal column put itself in motion on the upper waters than
General Stuart telegraphed the fact to General Lee.
It would seem that General Hooker decided to advance upon
receiving information that the'" only army to oppose him was
one of 40,000 under Jackson, Lee being sick and his army scattered."  The presence of General Longstreet, with the greater
part of his corps in front of Suffolk, south of James River, was
well known to the Federal commander; and he rightly decided
that if it was possible for him at all to defeat Lee's army, it was
possible now.
General Hooker's plan is said to have been as follows:
A force of about 20,000 men was to cross the Rappahannock
near the old battle field of Fredericksburg, and thus produce
upon the Confederate commander the impression that General
IIooker was about to renew the attempt in which General
Burnside had failed. Whilst General Lee's attention was engaged by the demonstration at this point, the main body of the,
Federal army was to cross the Rappahannock by the upper fords,




400           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
and sweeping down with rapidity upon General Lee's left flank,
take a strong position not far from Fredericksburg. The column which had crossed below was then to recross the river,
move rapidly up the northern bank to the fords which the movement of the main body would have uncovered; and, a second
time crossing to the southern bank, unite with the other. Thus
the whole force of General Hooker would be concentrated on the
south side of the Rappahannock, and General Lee would be
compelled to leave his strong position on the 3Iassaponnax hills
and fight upon ground chosen by his adversary, or fall back
rapidly to prevent that adversary from attaining his rear and destroying him.
In order to insure the event of the conflict which it was anticipated General Lee would determine upon before falling back,
measures were taken to interrupt his communications so as to
cut off his supplies and prevent General Longstreet from coming
to his assistance. An extensive cavalry raid against the Central
Railroad was accordingly made a part of the programme; and
this, it was expected, would render General Lee's defeat perfectly certain.
Such was the apparently skilful but really bungling strategy
by which General Hooker attempted to outgeneral his able adversary. Formidable as his scheme appeared, it yet had a fatal
flaw.  The Federal commander was dividing his forces in presence of an opponent with whose ability he was thoroughly acquainted; and was exposing himself to the sudden and fatal
blow which was so soon to fall. The movement of his cavalry,
from which he expected so much, was the most fatal error of all.
By thus detaching nearly his whole mounted force from the main
army, General Hooker exposed himself to the great flank attack
from Jackson-which the presence of his cavalry would have
unmasked-and insured the defeat of his army.
The Federal commander seems scarcely to have doubted,
however, his ability to defeat General Lee, and appears to have
cherished the conviction that if he could once mass his forces on
the southern bank of the Rappahannock, the event was certain.




GENERAL HOOKER ADVANCES.                401
When this object was afterwards attained, General Hooker issued an order of congratulation to his troops, in which he declared that he occupied a position so strong that'6 the enemy
must either ingloriously fly or come out from behind his defences,
and give us battle on our own ground, where certain destruction
waits him."
CHAPTER XXXIV.
GENERAL HOOKER ADVANCES.
GENERAL HOOKER'S preparations were at last complete, and
on Mionday, the 27th day of April, the troops were put in
motion.
The 5th, 11th, and 12th Corps of the Federal army, under
General Slocum, moved with eight days' rations toward Kelly's
ford, near the point where the Orange and Alexandria Railroad
crosses the Rappahannock, and by Tuesday night were in position and ready to cross on the ensuing day. On Tuesday night
also, the 1st, 3d, and 6th Corps were opposite Franklin's crossing, three miles below Fredericksburg, ready to cross on pontoons simultaneously with the force above.
Both columns were on Wednesday, April 29th, thrown
across the Rappahannock at the points mentioned, and established themselves, without resistance, upon the southern bank of the
river. At the same time the great cavalry expedition under
General Stoneman began also to move, its route being through
the county of Culpepper, in the direction of Gordonsville.
General E-looker was in personal command of the main body,
which crossed at Kelly's ford, and now steadily moved toward
the Rapidan.
As soon as the designs of the enemy were developed in the
directions of Kelly's ford, General Stuart concentrated his cavalry in front of that point, and observed their further movements,
26




402           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
communicating full information of their force and the direction
of their march to General Lee. As the Federal column advanced, he hung upon its front and flank, and by a successful
attack:at Madden's, below Brandy, threw the enemy into disorder, and ascertained from prisoners captured that the column
consisted of the corps of Howard, Slocum, and Meade. The
men had eight days' rations in their haversacks, and supply trains
moved with the force, from which it was apparent that General
Hooker designed a real advance to offer battle to the Southern
army.
Every exertion was now made by Stuart to harass them and
impede their progress.  Discovering speedily that they were
moving toward Ely's and Germanna fords on the Rapidan, he
hastened with General Fitz Lee's brigade around by. Raccoon
ford above, to gain the front of their column, and interpose himself between them and Fredericksburg. General W. HI. F. Lee's
brigade, which constituted the rest of the command, was detached to guard the upper fords of the Rapidan, and oppose
Stoneman's heavy column of cavalry, which was then advancing
in the direction of Gordonsville.
The great events occurring in another portion of the field
will prevent us from returning to the subject of this extensive
raid. We shall, therefore, speak briefly of it here. The Federal
cavalry rapidly advanced and attacked General W. H. F. Lee
upon the Rapidan, but were delayed there for a considerable
time by that able commander. When he fell back in accordance
with orders from General R. E. Lee, General Stoneiman hastened
across, penetrated the country to the Central Railroad, which he
tore up for a short distance near Trevillian's; passed on to
James River, ravaging the country and carrying off horses; attempted to destroy the Columbia aqueduct, but failed; returned;
retreated, destroying the bridges on the South Anna behind him;
and hurried back across the Rapidan. During all this time the
horsemen of Lee had harassed him at every step; cut off detached portions of his command; captured many officers and
men; and greatly demoralized his men. With an adequate




GENERAL HOO00 ER ADVANCES.             403
force, instead of a few hundred men upon jaded horses, General
W. H. F. Lee would have cut off General Stoneman's retreat
and compelled his surrender.
The Federal columns under General Hooker had meanwhile
pressed on to Germanna and Ely's fords, where they succeeded
in crossing in spite of resistance from Captain Collins, of the 15th
Virginia cavalry. At the same time Couch's 2d Corps prepared
to cross at United States ford below.
In front of Banks' and Ely's fords General Lee had two
brigades of Anderson's division, Posey's and Mabone's, and one
battery-in all abont 8,000 men. Upon the approach of the
enemy this force was withdrawn and concentrated at Chancellorsville, where it was joined upon the morning of the 30th by
Wright's brigade, which had been sent up to re/nforce it. The
enemy still pressing on, reinforced now by Couch's Corps from
United States ford-making four army corps, under the immediate command of General Hooker-General Anderson fell back
from Chancellorsville to Tabernacle Church, on the plank road
five miles below, where he could be reinforced by the old Mine
road, running thence to General Lee's position near Fredericksburg.
Such were the relative positions of the adversaries on the
night of Thursday, the 30th of April. General Hooker had entirely succeeded thus far in his plans; his main body was over,
Sedgwiclk's column was reci'ossing the river to march up and
reunite with him, and Stoneman was streaming like a meteor
toward the Central Railroad.  Around Chancellorsville, the
Federal forces were rapidly throwing up strong intrenchments,
and two-thirds of the difficulties and dangers of the whole campaign seemed over.
They had just commenced.




404            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
CHAPTER XXXV.
IN  THE  WILDERNESS.
THE battle of Chancellorsville was a strange conflict, and it
took place in a singular country. Let us attempt to sketch the
features of the landscape, and define some of the localities of the
great drama.
Journeying westward from Fredericksburg over a broad and
excellent road, which in former days was the great highway be-e
tween the lower Rappahannock and the mountains, the traveller
is called upon to decide, some five miles from the town, whether
he will continue in the road which he is pursuing —the " old turnpike "-or follow one which diverges to the left, and is known
as the " Orange plank road." Both lead to Chancellorsville,
five or six miles distant-the " old turnpike" conducting him
straight over hill and through dale to the point in question; the' plank road" winding around so as to pass over a more level
country. Taking the latter, the traveller passes the ruins of
" Tabernacle Church," five miles from  Chancellorsville; then
"Aldrich's house," two miles distant; and reaches the locality
of the great struggle.
Chancellorsville was (for it is now destroyed) a large brick
mansion, with ample wings, and was formerly used as a tavern
for the entertainment of travellers journeying to and fro from
Fredericksburg to the mountains.  Standing in front of the
Chancellorsville house and looking southward the traveller had
before him extensive fields bounded by forests; behind him a
belt of woods, through which approached the main road from
Ely's and United States fords, a few miles distant. By this road
the Federal forces reached Chancellorsville.  Two or three miles
in front, but concealed from view by the thick growth of stunted
oaks and pines, was " the Furnace," an assemblage of buildings
for smelting iron ore. By this locality, Jackson moved from a




IN THE WILDERNESS.                 405
point between the " Tabernacle Church" and Chancellorsville,
to gain the right flank of the enemy. A mile or two distant on
the right was a plain wooden dwelling house, on the left side of
the main road, known as "1 AMelzi Chancellor's."  Between this
house and Chancellorsville, Jackson fell. A few hundred yards
from it, in the edge of the woods on the right of the road, was a
small white building, known as " Wilderness Church."  Just
beyond this point the old turnpike, which had been swallowed up
at Chancellorsville by the plank road, again left it-the plank
diverging to the left, the turnpike running straight on. Two or
three miles beyond Chancellorsville the plank road was joined
by a branch, the Germanna ford plank road coming from the
northwest and crossing the old turnpike at "Wilderness Run,"
five miles from Chancellorsville, where stood and still stands a
tall wooden building, called the "Wilderness Tavern."  Here
Jackson was taken when he was wounded.  Last of all, about
half a mile from the angle formed by the junction of the Orange
and Germanna plank roads, an eccentric independent highway
known as the "' Brock Road," and running from Spottsylvania
Court-House to Ely's-ford, crossed the Orange road and the old
turnpike, keeping on its course without respect to either. By
the "' Brock road" Jackson attained the old turnpike, and made
his attack upon the enemy's right and rear.
The country around Chancellorsville was known as "' The
Wilderness," and the bare fields, alternating with dense and impassable thickets, communicated to the region an appearance
inexpressively drear and melancholy. The houses were few and
lost in the interminable pines-often no indications of human
habitation were seen for many miles; and the only sign of life
which greeted the lonely traveller as he pursued his dreary journey in the evening over the interminable plank road, winding on
through the thick wood, was the mournful cry of the whippoorwill-that sound which was the last to greet the ears of so many
dying soldiers on the night of the great battle about to make this
sombre region more gloomy and depressing than before.
In this country of unending thickets and narrow and winding




406            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
avenues, General Hooker had established himself, carefully adding to the natural strength of the position. IIis troops were
massed around Chancellorsville, and the approaches to the central point were obstructed in every direction by felled trees,
earthworks for infantry, and redoubts for artillery.  From AIelzi
Chancellor's on the right, around toward the Furnace to the
southward, and across the plank road and the old turnpike below,
these defences extended in an unbrooken line, or rather lines-for
he had constructed additional works behind the first lind, upon
which to fall back if hard pressed. The approach to these defences was over narrow roads, completely commanded by hundreds of pieces of artillery, or through thickets where the growth
was so dense as in many localities to prevent the passage of a
human body between the trunks of the trees or the matted boughs.
In front of all bristled an elaborate abatis of felled trees, which
it seemed impossible for troops to charge across without being
annihilated. Yet those obstacles were surmounted; that bristling
abatis passed, and the Federal works carried at the point of the
bayonet.
General Hooker had thus guarded elaborately against that
attack which, in spite of his order to his troops, he probably expected. Federal writers assert that Chancellorsville was selected
as enabling General Hooker to there intercept the army of General Lee on its " line of retreat toward Gordonsville;" but there
is reason to believe that the Federal commander there halted to
avail himself of the character of the ground to repel an attack,
and from the very reasonable apprehension that if he advanced
further he would expose his own " line of retreat" in case of'
disaster, back to the Rappahannock.'The left wing of the Federal army, composed of three army
corps under General Sedgfwick, and numbering about 20,000
men, crossed, as we have seen, three miles below Fredericksburg,
on Wednesday, April 29th, and General Jackson, whose command was opposite that point, promptly drew up his corps in line
of battle to repel the anticipated attack. D. H. 1I-ill's division,
commanded by General Rodes, was formed on the right of and




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IN TIHE WILDERNESS.                407
perpendicular to the railroad, near Hamilton's crossing, his
right extending to Massaponax Creek; and  this line was
strongly and rapidly fortified by the troops under fire from the
Federal artillery on the northern bank of the river.
As the enemy did not advance, however, either on that dky
or the next, it became apparent that General Sedgwick's movement was merely a feint intended to occupy the attention of the
Confederate commander, while the main body of the. Federal
army crossed at some other point.
This view of the enemy's designs was soon confirmed by intellioence from General Stuart that General Hooker had crossed
the Rappahannock at Kelly's ford, on the same day, and was
then moving steadily toward the Rapidan. It was obvious that
General Sedgwick's part of the programme was to retain General
Lee at Fredericksburg, not to make an attack; and that General
Hooker designed to reach Chancellorsville, or some other point
on General Lee's flank, from which he would be able to take
his position near Fredericksburg in flank and reverse.
The resolution of General Lee was promptly taken. Jackson was ordered to leave one division of his corps in front of
General Sedgwick near Hamilton's crossing, and proceed with
the three others by the military road to Tabern'acle Church,
five miles from Chancellorsville; and taking command of Anderson's force at that point, 1" attack and repulse the enemy."
This order reached Jackson about 8 o'clock in the evening,
and at midnight the three divisions were on the march to Tabernacle Church. They were A. P. Hill's division, D. H-I. Hill's,
commanded by General Rodes, and Trimble's, commanded by
General Colston.
The command reached Tabernacle Church on Friday, Mlay
1st, and continued to advance up the plank road toward Alrich's,
when heavy firing from the old turnpike on the right indicated
that Anderson, who had been ordered to move up by that road,
had met the enemy. The force with which he came in contact
proved to be Sykes' division of regullars, and an obstinate resist.
ance was offered to his further advance. The firing becoming




408           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
very close and heavy, Jackson halted his column, and detached the
brigades of Ramseur, McGowan, I-Ieth, and Lane, which were
sent forward to support General Anderson. The remainder of
the corps was then drawn up in line of battle on the ridge in
rear, and directed to wait for further orders.
Jackson continued to press the enemy back toward Chancellorsville, in spite of stubborn resistance, until he found himself
in front of their first line of intrenchments, and was subjected to
the fire of the artillery in their earthworks, which the dense
woods had up to that moment masked from view. The heavy
abatis in -front of these defences rendered the result of an attack
very doubtful; and finding the day far spent, Jackscn determined
to defer firther operations until the next morning. The enemy
had now retired from his front, and that night the command
bivouacked near Alrich's house, about two miles from. Chancellorsville.
While these events were occurring in front of the enemy's
line of works stretching north and south across the plank road
and old turnpike, a hot artillery duel took place near the " Furnace," a point, as we have said, about two miles south of Chancellorsville, directly in front of the Federal right wing. General
Wright had been sent with his brigade to this point to feel the
enemy, and here he was joined by General Stuart, who had contrived to harass General Hooker's column and impede his advance
by charges of cavalry, and the fire of his batteries of horse artillery,
all along the road from Germanna ford.  The Federal infantry
occupied a commanding position about 1:200 yards in front, and,
with the design of driving thema from this ground, which General
Wright wished to secure, General Stuart directed Major Beckham, his chief of artillery, to open upon the enemy with four
pieces of his horse artillery.  This was done, and the Federal
infantry were driven from the crest; but the fire of Stuart's
pieces drew upon them the concentrated fire of several batteries
which were masked behind the woods, and now suddenly opened
all their thunders at the same moment. Further to the left,
from a position on Talley's farm, Captain Breathed, of the horse




IN THE WILDERNESS.                  409
artillery, also opened on the Federal infantry with a section of
rifle pieces; but in the conflict at the " Furnace " the Confederates sustained considerable loss. General Stuart here lost his
efficient Adjutant-General Major R. Chllanning Price, a young
officer of great courage and capacity.  All who knew him
loved him, and his death was a loss to the service.
Night put an end to the contest in this portion of the field,
and both armies prepared for the arduous struggle which was to
take place on the ensuing day.
MIeanwhile General Lee had arrived with the remainder of
Anderson's and McLaws' division. And a consultation was held
to determine upon the further plan of action. The position of
the Federal forces was peculiar. We have described it in general
terms on a preceding page, but note here some additional particulars relating to it, which will convey a better idea of the
difficulties with which the Confederate commander was called
upon to contend.  General Hooker had expected an. attack
either from  the direction of Fredericksburg on the line of the
old turnpike, or from the direction of Spottsylvania Court-HoIuse,
by way of the "6 Furnace."  Against  an assault from these two
quarters he had guarded himself by a double line of battle somewhat resembling two sides of a square, his. right ranging
along the plank road in front of Chancellorsville nearly east and
west, his left extending toward the river nearly north and south,
the angle where the two lines joined each other being below and
not far from the Chancellorsville house. The abatis in front
of the works was, as we have said, almost impassable, the
dense thickets presented a barrier which no courage could overcome; and behind the lines, as upon his flanks, the Federal commander had posted his numerous artillery ready to sweep the
roads as the Southerners advanced.
Humanly speaking, General Hooker's position was impregnable against an attaclk in front, except with a loss of life in
storming it frightful to contemplate; and the design of assailing
him from the east or the south was speedily abandoned.
An attack upon one of his flanks promised better results; and




410           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Jackson's suggestion that he should move well to the left and
make a sudden attack upon the enemy's right and rear above
Chancellorsville, while another assault was made in front, was
speedily assented to by General Lee. By this movement, the
elaborate series of def'ences thrown up by the enemy would be
rendered useless, their plan of battle reversed; and they would
be compelled to face to the rear and fight, if they fought at all,
at a disadvantage.
Those who are familiar with the bent of Jackson's genius
will easily comprehend the alacrity with which he proceeded to
carry out General Lee's orders. These sudden and mortal
blows struck at an enemy rejoicing in the strength of his defences, and prepared to hurl destruction on the assailant while
he himself is protected, always possessed an inexpressible charm
for the great leader who had delivered so many such; and Jackson now saw the field open for a supreme exhibition of military
genius, and a decisive victory.
He knew the importance of celerity and secrecy of movement, and every preparation was made for the march at an early
hour on the succeeding morning. No precautions were omitted
calculated to mask the movement from the enemy. Experienced
guides were promptly secured, and General Stuart was ready
with his cavalry to cooperate in the enterprise by guarding the
front and flanks of the column, driving off scouting parties, and
communicating prompt initelligence of the enemy's position or
movements. By the assistance of this experienced commander
of cavalry, and through the employment of due precaution, Jackson did not doubt his ability to reach the point where he intended
to attack, without beingo discovered, and to strike a blow which
would decide the fate of the enemy.




CHANCELLO1iSVILLE.                41 1
CHAPTER XXXVI.
C H A N C E LL 0 R S V I L L E
ON the morning of the 2d of May Jackson was early in the
saddle, and pushed forward his preparations with vigor, in spite
of a distressing cold which he had caught by sleeping without
sufficient covering to protect him from the humid airs of the
chill spring night.
This cold had resulted from his kindly solicitude for the comfort of another. In the hasty march he seems to have left behind him his blankets, and one of his aides threw over him a
heavy cape, as some addition to his scant covering. During the
night Jackson bethought him that the young man might be suffering from cold in consequence of this generosity, and, rising
quietly, he spread the cape over the youthful sleeper, and again
lay down without it. The consequence was a severe cold; and
this cold terminated in that attack of pneumonia which, occurring at a time when he was enfeebled by his wound, resulted in
his death. If he had not thrown that cape over his sleeping aide,
it is probable that he would have survived his wounds.
In spite, however, of this severe indisposition, Jackson had
never exhibited more ardor and energy than when undertaking
this great movement. Its splendid details and triumphant result
were no doubt mapped out in his brain, and an unwonted excitement mastered him. The enterprise was one which demanded the highest traits of military genius. He had undertaken to
move, without being discovered, along the entire front of the
enemy, and in close proximity to their lines; to make his way by
unfrequented roads and through dense thickets to their flank and
rear, and to attack the large force of General Hooker in his
intrenchments above Chancellorsville, and put every thing upon
the issue of the struggle. If one step went wrong in the programme, his purpose would be defeated; if he was repulsed in




412            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the assault, there was no possibility of receiving assistance from
General Lee; upon his skill and soldiership depended not only
the success of the movement which he was about to make, but
the very existence of the great army corps which he commanded.
The column commenced its march at daybreak. Leaving
the plank road about a mile and a half from Chancellorsville,
and occupying the attention of the Federal forces by the fire of a
battery under Major Pegram, Jackson pressed on steadily by
the Old Mine road in the direction of the Furnace; the cavalry
under General Stuart moving in fiont and on the flanks of the
column, to mask the troops from the enemy. At the Furnace
the 23d Georgia, Colonel Best, was left to guard the road leading from that point toward Chancellorsville, in order to protect
the column against an attack on its flank in passing, and Jackson continued to advance. As the rear of the column reached
the Furnace, the anticipated attack took place; the enemy suddenly advancing and assailing the 23d Georgia so unexpectedly
that the whole regiment, with the exception of Colonel Best and
a few men, was surrounded and captured. The trains of the
corps were also attacked by the Federal forces, but Colonel J.
Thompson Brown promptly placed his artillery in position, and,
after a brief but hot engagement, the enemy were repulsed and
compelled to retreat toward Chancellorsville.
The design of the Confederate commander seemed thus to have
been unmasked; but such was not the fact. The enemy still had
no suspicion of his real intentions, and the direction in which his
column now noved no doubt explains this circumstance. The road
which Jackson followed, bends southward at the Furnace for a
short distance, returning, as it were, toward the point from which
it came';nd the enemy's writers assert that they supposed the
Southern troops to be in full retreat toward Spottsylvania CourtHIouse. Such was the fatal misconception of General HIookeraffording one more proof of the soundness of Napoleon's maxim,
that the first necessity of a general is to study the character of
his opponenj  General H-looker ought to have been sufficiently




CHANCELLORSVILLE.                 413
acquainted with the character of Jackson to understand that to
retreat without a battle was no part of the military philosophy
of the man of Kernstown; and that the soldier who had flanked
General McClellan and gotten in rear of General Pope, would
probably try the same strategy against General Hooker.
The column continued its rapid march —its movement comlpletely masked by the cavalry which attacked and drove Off the
reconnoitring parties of the enemy-its destination undreamed
of by the Federal army, now engrossed by Lee's attack in front.
Hour after hour the march. continued without' cessation; the
troops penetrating with difficulty the wild country through
which they moved; the artillery slowly toiling on through the
narrow roads over which the heavy engines of war had never
before moved. Jackson rode at the head of his column, and
General Stuart with his cavalry continued to protect the front
and flank from observation. Reaching the Brock road, running,
as we have said, from Spottsylvania Court-House to Ely's ford,
and crossing the right flank of the enemy, Jackson continued to
follow it until he attained the point where it intersects the
Orange plank road, not far from the plank road to Germanna
ford, and about three miles from Chancellorsville.
At this point General Fitz Lee, commanding the cavalry
under General Stuart, informed Jackson that, by ascending an
elevation near at hand, he could obtain a good view of the positions of the enemy, who, taking him for a simple cavalry vidette,
would pay no attention to him. He accordingly proceeded to
the point indicated, and from which the Federal cavalry had
been driven. A single glance showed him the position of the
Federal line of battle. He was not yet sufficiently on the enemy's' flank, and, turning to one of -his aides, he said, briefly,
"Tell my column to cross that road."  He referred to the
Orange plank road, and, hastening back, placed himself again at
the head of the troops, who continued to move by the Brock road,
and advanced without delay to the old turnpikes.
General Fitz Lee gives us this incident.




414           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The movement had thus far been a complete success. Jackson had reached without discovery a position where he could attack the enemy in flank and reverse, and orders were instantly
issued to prepare the troops for action. Those who saw him at
this moment declare that he had never exhibited greater anhimation and ardor. The troops moved rapidly to their positions,
and line of battle was promptly fQrmed; Rodes' division in front,
on the left of the turnpike; A. P. Hill's two hundred yards in
rear of the first line; and Colston's at the same distance in rear
of the second. This disposition of the forces was subsequently
modified, however, in consequence of the dense undergrowth,
which rendered it almost impossible for the troops to move forward in extended line of battle, and Rodes only advanced in line,
the two other divisions, with the artillery, moving in column
along the road. The only artillery which was in front and
ready for action at the opening of the engagement, was a section
of the Stuart Horse Artillery, under Captain Breathed; and
these pieces moved in front of Rodes, having been ordered by
General Stuart to keep a few yards in rear of the skirmishers,
which were thrown forward about four hundred yards in advance.
If the reader has understood our verbal chart of the country,
he will perceive that the enemy was now'taken at a fatal disadvantage. The old turnpike ran straight into the flank and rear
of the Federal right wing, and Jackson's design was to advance
rapidly on the line of this road, extend his line of battle well to
the left, and, swinging round with his left, cut off the enemy's retreat to the fords of the Rappahannock, and capture them. This
strange wilderness of impenetrable thickets and narrow roads
presented almost insuperable obstacles to the success of such an
undertaking; but such was the confidence of the Confederate
commander in his veteran corps, trained to overcome all difficalties upon many battle fields, that he looked forward to victory
as within his grasp.
The Federal lines extended across the old turnpike, close
now to his. front; behind these, below Melzi Chancellor's, they




ClTANCELLORSVILLE.                  415
occupied strong earthworks, protecting the flank of their, right
wing; and on the ridcle at Chancellorsville, their epaulements
were mounted with rifled artillery, ready to sweep the approaches
from every quarter. General Hooker had been joined at this
time by the 1st and 3d Corps of General Sedogwiek's column, and
had six army corps at Chancellorsville.  The force of General
Lee, in the absence of Longstreet, was about 35,000 men in all
-and  of these Jackson had taken 22,000 to make his attack
upon the Federal right.*
Jackson had moved so skilfully and silently that up to the
moment of attack the enemy did not so much as suspect his presence. Immediately in front of him was Sigel's 11th Corps, commanded on this day by General Htoward; and Fate decreed that
this force should receive the last charge of Jackson.
That charge was sudden, unlooked for, decisive. At fifteen
minutes past five in the evening Jackson gave the order for his
lines to advance and chare the enemy's works; and at the
word the men rushed forward with tumultuous cheers, bearing
straight down on the flank of the Federal right wing.  The two
guns of Breathed opened a rapid fire in front of the line-limbering up and advancing at a gallop to secure new positions as
the infantry rushed on-and Rodes burst like a thunderbolt upon
the unsuspicious troops of Eoward, who ran from their suppers,
which they were cooking, to seize their arms and endeavor to
defend themselves.  Rodes' men d6bonched <at a double-quick
from the woods, uttering loud cheers, and, attacking the enemy
in friont and flank, pressed on to their intrenchments and stormed
them, capturing several hundred prisoners and five pieces of artillery.  So sudden was this attack that scarcely any organized
resistance was offered to the assault-the Federal forces flying
in the wildest confusion, leaving the field strewed with their guns
and knapsacks.
In this attack the men of Colston's division bore a prominent
* General Lee's numbers are not understated here; and the force under
Jackson is exactly stated, on the authority of Colonel A. S. Pendleton, his
assistant adjutant-general, an officer of very high character and intelligence.




416             LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
part.  They advanced with great enthusiasm; soon caught up
with General Rodes' line; and, mingling  with it in inextricable
confusion, went over the enemy's works, and aided in completing
the rout of the Federal forces.
Colonel Crutchfield, Jackson's chief of artillery, now hurried
forward his batteries, and opened a heavy fire upon the enemy's
epaulemenets near Chancellorsville, which drew from  their artillery a furious response.  This fire was directed down the road,
however, and inflicted small loss upon the Confederate infantry.
They were advancing to the right and left of the road, led by
Jackson in person, and those who saw him at this moment declare that he seemed completely carried away by the excitement
of the moment. He leaned forward on his horse, extending his
arm  far in front, as though he wished to " push the men forward," and his voice was heard exclaiming,' Press forward!
press forward!" every few  minutes during the entire attack.
When not thus mastered by the ardor of battle, his right hand
was raised aloft with that gesture now familiar to his men, as
though he were praying to the God of battles for victory.@ 
The charge of the Confederates had resulted in the complete
rout of the right wing of the Federal army.  Jackson had burst
upon them from  the woods so suddenly that they could not or
did not make the least resistance. Whole regiments ran without
firing a shot.  Batteries went off at a gallop, ran into trees and
fences, and were captured and turned upon them.  At a single
* "Frequently, during the fiercest of the conflict, he would stop, raise his
hand, and turn his eyes toward heaven, as if praying for a blessing on our
arms. The frequency with which this was done that evening attracted the
attention of all with him. Our troops made repeated charges, driving the
enemy before them every time, which caused loud and long-continued cheering
along our entire line, which was ever the signal for victory-and General
Jackson would invariably raise his hand and give thanks to Him who gave
the victory. I have never seen him seem so well pleased with the progress
and results of a fight as on that occasion. On several occasions during this
fight, as he passed the dead bodies of some of our veterans, he halted, raised
his hand as if to ask a blessing upon them, and to pray God to save their
souls."-2~S. of Captain WVilbourn, of Jackson's stac.




CHANCELLORSVILLE.                  41'7
blow Jackson had paralyzed the right wing of the Federal army,
and they were rushing in complete disorder upon the reserves.
A writer in a Northern journal thus describes the scene:
" The flying Germans came dashing over the field in crowds,
stampeding and running as only men do run when convinced that
sure destruction is awaiting them. I must confess that I have
no ability to do justice to the scenes that followed. It was my
lot to be in the centre of that field when the panic burst upon us.
May I never be a witness to another such scene! On one hand
was a solid column of infantry retreating at double-quick; on the
other was a dense mass of beings who were flying as fast as. their
legs could carry them, followed up by the rebels pouring their
murderous volleys in upon us, yelling and hooting, to increase
the confusion; hundreds of cavalry horses, left riderless at the
first discharge from the rebels, dashing frantically about in all
directions; scores of batteries flying from the field; battery
wagons, ambulances, horses, men, cannon, caissons, all jumbled
and tumbled together in one inextricable mass-and the murderous fire of the rebels still pouring in upon them! To add to the
terror of the occasion there was but one means of escape from
the field, and that through a little narrow neck or ravine washed
out by Scott's Creek. Toward this the confused mass plunged
headlong. For a moment it seemed as if no power could avert
the frightful calamity that threatened the entire army. On came
the panic-stricken crowd, terrified artillery riders spurring and
lashing their horses to their utmost; ambulances upsetting and
being dashed to pieces against trees and stumps; horses dashing
over the field; men flying and crying with alarm-a perfect torrent of passion, apparently uncontrollable.  The men ran in all
directions. They all seemed possessed with an instinctive idea
of the shortest and most direct line from the point whence they
started to the United States Aline ford, and the majority of them
did not stop until they had reached the ford. Many of them on
reaching the river dashed in and swam to the north side, and are
supposed to be running yet. The stampede was universal; the
disgrace general."
27




418            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
The attack thus briefly described lasted for two or three hours.
The first charge took place at half-past five or six in the afternoon, and the Confederate troops continued to follow the enemy
until after eight at night. The tangled undergrowth of the region rendered successful pursuit almost impossible; but through
this obstinate barrier the troops rushed on, driving the enemy
before them until they took refuge in the strong works around
Chancellorsville. The Southern lines continued to press forward
until they reached the ridge overlooking that upon which Chancellorsville is situated, about half a mile distant, when, in the
darkness, the right of the Confederate line became entangled in
a heavy abatis of felled trees, and the troops were compelled to
halt.
They were now in very great confusion-the divisions of
Rodes and Colston having been mingled almost inextricablyand it was necessary to desist from the attack in order to re-form
the commands. This was rendered still nore necessary by a sudden fire from the Federal batteries in front, scarcely half a mile
distant, which swept the road and woods with shot and shell, still
further adding to the confusion resulting from  the charge.
Rodes: division was accordingly ordered to fall back~, and, directing General A. P. Hill to move with his division to the front,
Jackson rode forward to reconnoitre the enemy's position.
It was.now nearly ten o'clock at night. The Wilderness
slept in the tranquil light of the moon, and from the dark
thickets came the continuous and melancholy cry of the whippoorwill, sounding strangely amid that scene upon which so
many human beings had just met in close and deadly encounter.
The silence was unbroken, except by these plaintive cries of the
bird of night, mingled with the tramp and hum of men, as they
moved to their allotted positions for the new struggle which, in
spite of the darkness, Jackson had determined upon; and from
the dark lines of the enemy near Chancellorsville, directly in
front, came only a confused and hollow murmur-sole evidence
of the fact that their army was on the qui vive, and their gunners
standing with lighted port-fires beside the pieces, ready to sweep




CIIANCELLORSVILLE.                419
the approaches to the position which they occupied, if the rustle
of a leaf or the fall of a twig announced a new advance of the
Southerners.
Jackson's design had been only half achieved.  He had
driven the enemy from their first line of intrenchments, and
doubled up their right wing on their centre.  But this only
showed the possibility of a more decisive success. Jackson saw
at a glance the immense results to be achieved by vigorously following up the blow which he had already struck, and his design
now was to swing round with his left, interpose his corps
between the Federal army and United States ford, and capture
or destroy tliem, or be himself destroyed.
He wanted but " one more hour of daylight" he afterwards
said, to effect this great movement, and cut the enemy off from
the Rappahannock; but within the hour he was himself to fall,
struck down by one of those incomprehensible decrees of Providence which men see but cannot understand. We approach with
pain the details of this event, which filled the whole South with
grief.
Jackson had ridden forward, as we have said, to reconnoitre,
accompanied only by Captain R. E. Wilbourn of his staff, and
Captain William Randolph, with about half a dozen couriers, and
two men of the signal corps. The enemy were less than two
hundred yards in front of his lines, and no pickets had been established. Thus Jackson soon'found himself considerably in
advance of the troops, with nothing between him and the enemy.
Who was to blame for this neglect we have no means of ascertaining, but it resulted in the death of Jackson.
Such was his ardor at this critical moment, and so great his
anxiety to penetrate the movements of the enemy, doubly
screened as they were by the dense forest and the shadows of
night, that he continued his way without thought of the great
danger to which he was exposing himself.  So real was this
peril that one of his staff officers said to him: 1" General, don't
you think this is the wrong place for you? "  To which he replied
quickly, "The danger is all over-the enemy is routed!-go




420           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
back and tell A. P. Hill to press right on!"  No one presumed
to offer further remonstrance, and Jackson continued to advance
down the road toward Chancellorsville, listening for every
sound, and endeavoring to peer through the half darkness.
IIe had advanced in this mianner more than a hundred yards
beyond his lines, and had reached a point on the road opposite an
unfinished weather-board house on the right, whose shell-torn
roof may still be seen, when suddenly, without any conceivable
cause, a heavy volley was fired by the Confederate infantry in his
rear and on the right of the road, apparently directed at him andhis escort. Several of the party fell from their horses; and
Jackson turned to the left and galloped off in the opposite direction. HIe had not gone twenty steps into the woods when a
Confederate brigade, which was there drawn up within twenty
yards of him, delivered a volley in their turn, kneeling on the
right knee, as the flash of the guns showed, as though preparing
to guard against cavalry. By this fire Jackson was wounded in
three places. l-e received one ball in his left arm, two inches
below the shoulder joint, shattering the bone and severing the
chief artery; a second passed through the same arm, between
the elbow and wrist, making its exit through the palm of the
hand; and a third ball entered the palm of his right hand, about
the middle, and passing through, broke two of the bones.
At the moment when he was struck he was holding his bridle.
in his left hand, and his right was raised, either in. the gesture
habitual with him, or to defend his face from the boughs of the
trees. His left hand immediately dropped by his side, and his
horse, thus no longer controlled by the rein, wheeled suddenly
and ran off with him from the firing, in the direction of the enemy. His helpless condition exposed him immediately to a distressing accident.  His horse ran violently between two pinie
trees, from one of which a low bough extended, about the height
of his head, to the other; and as he passed between the trees
this bough struck him in the face, tore off his cap, and threw him
so violently back that his shoulders came in contact with his
horse. He did not fall, however, and soon rose erect again,




CHANCELLORSVILLE.                  421
seizing the bridle with the bleeding fingers of his right hand, and
turning the horse into the road again. Here Captain Wilbourn
succeeded  in catching the reins and checking the animal, who
was almost frantic from terror, at the moment when, fromn loss
of blood and exhaustion, Jackson was about to fall from the
saddle.
The scene which the road presented at this moment was
gloomy and exciting. Horses mad with fright were seen running in every direction, in the greatest confusion-some of them
riderless, others defying the control of their riders-and in the
road lay the wounded and dying, making the night more tragic
with their groans. The whole escort of Jackson, except Captain
Wilbourn and Mr. WVynn, of the signal corps, were killed,
wounded, or dismounted.  One of the signal corps, who was riding just behind Jackson, had his horse killed, and himself fell.
mortally wounded. A courier was wvounded, and his horse ran
with him into the enemy's lines, which were not more than one
hundred yards distant; and Lieutenant Morrison, aide-de-camp
and brother-in-law of Jackson, threw himself from his horse as
he ran off toward the enemy's lines-the animal falling dead a
moment afterwards.  Captain Boswell, chief engineer, who had
been sent to General HIill, near by, was killed, and his horse ran
with him into the enemy's lines before he fell; Captain Forbes,
aide-de-camp to General Hill, was killed; Captain Howard, of
the staff, was wounded, and his horse bore him off into the Federal camp; Captaina Leigh, aide-de-camp, had his horse shot under
him; and two or three of Geheral Hill's couriers were killed.
[Near the spot where Jackson was wounded, were counted the
dead bodies of fourteen horses.
Such had been the lamentable result of this causeless fire —
officers and men killed, others wounded, others borne off into the
enemy's lines; Captain Boswell, of Jackson's staff, dragged a
corpse toward Chancellorsville, and Jackson himself wounded
unto death.
We proceed to relate the remaining particulars of the tragedy.
The firing had ceased as suddenly as it began, and Jackson was




422           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
back in the road near the spot where he had received the first
volley. No one but Captains Wilbourn and Wynn, of the signal
corps, were present now. The rest were dead or scattered. But
some one was seen sitting on his horse by the side of the road,
and looking on, motionless and silent. This unknown individual
was clad in a dark dress, which strongly resembled the Federal
uniform; but he was directed to "' ride up there, and see what
troops those were "-the men who had fired the volleys. The
stranger slowly rode in the direction pointed out, but never returned. Who this silent personage was, is left to conjecture.
Captain Wilbourn, who was standing by Jackson, now said,'"They certainly must be our troops "-to which the General
assented with a nod of the head, but said nothing. He was
looking up the road toward his lines " with apparent astonishment," and continued to look in that direction as if unable to
realize that he could have been fired upon and wounded by his
own men. His wound was bleeding profusely, the blood streaming down so as to fill his gauntlets, and it was necessary to act
promptly. Captain Wilbourn asked him if he was much injured,
and urged him to make an effort to move his fingers, as the
ability to do this would show that his arm was not broken. He
endeavored to do so, looking down at his hand during the attempt, but speedily gave up the effort, announcing that the arm
was broken. An attempt made by his companion to straighten it
caused him great anguish, and murmuring, L' You had better
take me down," he leaned forward and fell into Captain WVilbourn's arms. He was so much exhausted by loss of blood,
that he was unable to take his feet out of the stirrups, and
this was done by lIr. Wynn. IIe was then carried by the two
men to the side of the road, where, in case the enemy advanced,
he would not be discovered, and his fall could not come to the
knowledge of his own troops. Here he was laid under a smiall
tree, Captain Wilbourn holding his head upon his breast, and
Wynn was sent back to summon Dr. McGuire, his chief surgeon,
and hasten up the first ambulance which could be found. The
messenger was also cautioned not to mention his wound to any




CHIANCELLORSVILLE.                 423
one but the surgeon, in order that the troops, soon to renew the
attack, might not be discouraged. Captain Wilbourn then made
an examination of his injuries; first removing the General's field
glasses and haversack —which latter contained some paper, envelopes, and two religious tracts-and putting them on his own
person for safety, he proceeded, with a small penknife, to cut
away the sleeves of the India rubber overall, dress coat, and two
shirts from the bleeding arm.
While engaged in this painful duty he heard the sound of
horses' hoofs approaching, and General Hill, who had succeeded
in checking the fire of the troops, to which he had also been exposed, rode up.  Captain Wilbourn called to him, and he approachied- dismdunting immediately, with Captain B. W. Leigh,
serving that day on his staff. The rest of the staff and escort
were halted, and remained in the saddle a few paces fiom the
spot. Jackson had just murmured, "' Captain, I wish you would
get me a skilful surgeon," when General Hill camne to his side,
and expressed his regret at the occurrence, asliing if the wound
was painful. Jackson replied, " Very painful," and added that
his "' arm was broken."  General Hill pulled off his gauntlets,
which were full of blood, and Lieutenant Smith, his aide-de-camp,
who had just arrived, renmoved his sabre and belt. The arm,
now much swollen, was tied up with a handkerclief; and as it
had ceased bleeding, and Jackson did not complain, or exhibit
any marks of suffering, those around hirn indulged the hope that
the artery was not cut. IHe was painfully weak, however, and
it was necessary that some stimulant should be administered.
A flask, containing a small quantity of whiskey or brandy, was
furnished by one of the party, and this was held to his lips. He
swallowed the spirits with manifest repugnance, and then called
for water, which was handed him in a canteen, and of which he
drank freely. This seemed to give him strength, but his condition was still critical, and it seemed impossible to move him
without making his wound bleed afresh.
To remove him friom that spot was, however, absolutely necessary. The enemy were not more than a hundred yards distant;




424           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
the battle might recommence at any moment; and the situation
of the wounded leader, thus exposed to both the Federal fire and
that of his own men, and in danger of being trampled upon by
the charging battalions, was critical in the extreme..Either
death or capture imminently threatened him; and it was not
long before a new act in the tragic drama commenced.
Suddenly the voice of Captain Adams, of General Hill's
staff, was heard from the road, about ten or fifteen yards in front
of the group, calling out:'I-Halt! surrender-fire on them if
they don't surrender!"
General Hill immediately drew his pistol, and mounting his
horse, moved back to take command of his line, first assuring
Jackson that he would keep his accident, as far as possible, fronm
the knowledge of the troops-for which the General thanked
him. The persons halted proved to be two Federal skirmishers
who at once surrendered, with an air of considerable astonish
ment, declaring that they were not aware they were in the Confederate lines. This incident will show how near the enemy
were at the moment; and a few minutes afterwards Lieutenant
Morrison, who had now come up, reported that tie Federal lines
were advancing rapidly, and were at that moment within less
than a hundred yards of the spot.  He exclaimed, "Let us
take the General up in our arms, and carry him off! " but Jackson, now very faint and pale, replied, "6 No; if you can help me
up, I can walk."
He was accordingly lifted and placed upon his feet, when the
enemy's batteries in front opened with great violence, and Captain Leigh, who had just arrived with a litter, had his horse
killed under him by a shell. He. leaped to the ground, near
Jackson, and the latter leaning his right arm upon this officer's
shoulder, slowly dragged himself along toward the Confederate
lines, the blood!from his woliunded arm flowing profusely over
Captain Leigh's uniform. The Southern troops were now in
motion to repulse the advance of the enemy, and as they passed
the wounded general, whose escort of officers indicated his rank,
they asked: " Who is that? who have you there?"




CHaANCELLORSVILLE.                 425
To this the reply was, " Oh, it is only a friend of ours who
is wounded."
These inquiries became at last so frequent as the column
continued to pass, that Jackson said: ". When asked, jnst say it
is a Confederate officer."
The curiosity of the troops, however, was evaded with the
utmost difficulty, and the men would go around the horses which
were led along on each side of the General, to conceal him, to
see if they could recognize him.  Something in the atmosphere
seemed to inform  the veterans of the old corps that their great
commander was no longer in the saddle to lead themn to victory;
and every circumstance appeared to furnish ground for their
gloomy suspicions. At last the unfortunate discovery was made.
One of' the men caught a glimpse of the General, walking bareheaded in the, moonlight, and suddenly exclaimed, " in the most
pitiful tone," says an eye-witness: " Great God! that is General
Jackson!"
An evasive reply was made to these words, indicating that
the man was mistaken; and he gazed it the officer with a look
of blank astonishment and doubt, but passed on without further
words.
All this occurred before Jackson had been able to drag himself more than twenty steps. At the point, however, which the
party had now reached, they found the litter hurried forward by
Captain Leigh; and as the General's strength was completely
exhausted, he was placed upon it, and borne off by Captain
Leigh, Lieutenant Smith, and two men of the ambulance corps.
The rest of the party walked on each side, leading the horses.
The litter had scarcely begun to move, when the fire of the
enemy's artillery became frightful. The ridge in front of Chancellorsville resembled the crater of a volcano vomiting forth fire
and iron. A hurricane of shell and canister swept the road as
with the besom of destruction; and the broken ranks, riderless
horses, and wild confusion made up a scene' of tumult which was
enough to try the stoutest nerves. The enemy had probably
understood that some cause of confusion had arisen in the Con



426           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
federate ranks, or suspected that another attack was about to
commence, and they directed upon the road over which the
Southern forces were compelled to advance, the concentrated fire
of their heaviest artillery. A storm of grape tore through the
trees and along the road, mowing down the boughs, and striking
fire from the stones of the turnpike; and for a moment the
Southern line was checked and thrown into the utmost disorder.
By this fire General H[ill, General Pender, Colonel Crutchfield,
Jackson's chief of artillery, and /IMajor Rogers, of artillery, also
of Jackson's staff, were wounded, and one of the men of the ambulance corps carrying the litter of the wounded General, was
shot through both arms, and dropped his burden. I-us companion
did likewise, hastily flying from the dangerous locality, and but
for Captain Leigh, who caught the handle of the litter, it would
have fallen to the ground. Lieutenant Smith had been leading
his own and the General's horse, but the animals now broke
away from him, in luncontrollable terror, and the tremendous
fire scattered the rest of the party in every direction for
shelter.
Under these circumstances the litter was lowered into the
road, and the officers lay down by it to protect themselves in
some degree from the merciless hurricane of grape and canister
which whistled through the air, and " struck myriads of sparks
from the flinty stone of the roadside."  Jackson raised himself
upon his elbow and attempted to get up, but Lieutenant Smith
threw his arm across the General's breast and compelled him to
desist. They lay in this manner for some minutes without moving, and in the midst of the most terrific confusion.' So far as
I could see into our lines," says one of the party, " men and
horses were struggling  with a most terrible death."  A few
minutes before, the road had been crowded, declares another,
and now no man or beast was visible except those writhing in
the agonies of death. The wounded soldier and his companions
were the sole living human beings upon the gloomy scene.
In a little while the fire of canister veered around to the
opposite side; and although the enemy continued to direct a hot




CIAdNCELLORSVILLE.                427
fire of shell down the road, Jackson rose to his feet, leaning
upon Lieutenants Smith and alorrison, the latter having rejoined
the party, and followed by Captain Leigh bearing the litter
which he probably foresaw would soon again be needed, the
General turned aside from the road which was again filling with
infantry and artillery, and struck into the woods.  Here he
dragged himself along with painful difficulty, passing lines of
infantry lying upon their faces. IH-e was moving slowly through
the tangled undergrowth by the roadside, when Gen.eral Pender,
who had been only slightly woundedo recognized Lieutenant
Smith, and asked "1 who it was that was wounded."  Lieutenant
Smith replied evasively, ~ "A  Confederate officer," but as they
came nearer in the moonlight, General Pender recognized his
commander.
"Ah! General," he said, "I am sorry to see you have
been wounded. The lines here are so much broken that I fear
we will have to fall back."
Although greatly exhausted and almost fainting from  his
wound, Jackson exhibited at this moment the old martial fire
of which nothing could deprive him. He raised his drooping
head, and with a flash of the eye exclaimed:
" You must hold your ground, General Pender! You must
hold your ground, sir!"
This was the last order given by Jackson on the field. His
strength was now completely exhausted, and he asked to be permitted to lie down upon the ground. But to this his escort
would not consent. The fire of the enemy's artillery was still
exceedingly hot, and as an advance of their infantry was momentarily expected, it was necessary to move on. The litter
brought on by Captain Leigh was now again put in requisition;
the fainting General was laid upon it; and some men having
been procured to carry the litter, the whole party continued to
move through the tangled wood in the direction of Mielzi Chancellor's. So dense was the undergrowth, and the ground so difficult, that their progress was slow and painful. An accident
which happened to one of tihe litter-bearers, was the occasion of




428           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
more pain to the wounded man than the injuries which he had
received from the bullets. One of the men caught his foot in a
grapevine, stumbled, and let go the handle of the litter, which
descended heavily to the ground. Jackson fell upon his left
shoulder, where the bone had been shattered, and his agony
must have been extreme. " For the first time," says one of the
party,'; he groaned, and most piteously."
He was raised from the ground, and a beam of moonlight
passing thraugh the dense foliage overhead, revealed the countenance of the soldier,spale, exhausted, with closed eyes-his
breast covered with blood, and rising and falling with his painful breathing. Those around him now feared that the great loss
of blood had deprived him of his small remaining strength, and
that his life was slowly ebbing away. What a death to die!
All around him was the dense and tangled wood, only half illuminated by the struggling moonbeams-above him burst the
shell of the enemy, exploding, says an officer, " like showers
of falling stars;" and when the firing lulled for a moment, they
beard the melancholy cry of the whippoorwill, lost in the thicket.
In this strange wilderness the man of Port Republic and MIanassas, who had led so many desperate charges, seemed about to
close his eyes and die in the night, far from home and kindred,
and watched over by a few friends only whom Providence had
sent to his assistance.
But such was not to be the termination of his career. When
asked by one of the party whether he was much hurt, he opened
his'eyes, and said quietly, without further exhibition of pain:
"' No, my friend, don't trouble yourself about me."
The litter was then again raised upon the shoulders of the
men, and the party continued their way. The ground now became still more difficult, and finding further progress through
the wood utterly impracticable, they turned to the left, reached
the road, and pressing into service new reliefs of bearers, made
their way to a point on the road where a solitary ambulance was
standing. In this ambulance Colonel Crutchfield and Major
Rogers had been placed when wounded.  Although badly




THE RESULT OF JACKSON'S MOVEIMENT.           4-29
hurt, the latter insisted upon being taken out, to make room for
the General, and Jackson was laid in his place.
The General repeatedly asked for some spirits during his
progress to the rear, and this was now obtained.  It sensibly
relieved him, and, reaching 3Melzi Chancellor's, he found Dr.
MIcGuire, his chief surgeon.
From  Melzi Chancellor's he was taken to the hospital at
Wilderness Run, at the intersection of the old turnpike and
Germanna plank road, five miles west of Chancellorsville.*
CHAPTER XXXVII.
THE ELSULT OF JACKSON'S MOYEMENT.
THE decisive engagement which we have attempted to describe should properly be called the battle of the Wilderness, to
distinguish it from the battle of Chancellorsville, which occurred
on the next day.  We have, nevertheless, acquiesced in the popular decision, which has given the latter name to the battles
hoth of Saturday and Sunday; and now proceed briefly to sum
up the exciting incidents which terminated the great struggle,
before returning to the proper theme of these pages.
When Jackson and Hill were both wounded and forced to
retire from  the field, a member of General Hill's staff was despatched to summon General Stuart, who had gone with his
cavalry to hold the road to Ely's ford. As soon as he arrived,
the command of the corps, which had temporarily devolved upon
General Rodes, was formally turned over to him  by General
Hill, who was still upon the field, and he proceeded to make
e The foregoing narrative is based upon minute and most interesting AMS.
statements from Captain R. E. Wilboura and Lieutenant J. P. Smith, of the
General's staff, and a letter of Captain B. W. Leigh, serving on General Hill's
staff, which will be found in the Appendix to this volume. These details are
now for the first time published.




430            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
instant preparations for a renewal of the attack. Ignorant in a
great measure of the enemy's position, and summoned thus to
take command in the darkness, General Stuart requested Major
Pendleton to go to General Jackson and ask what his dispositions and plans were, as he " knew that what General Jackson
had designed was the very best that could be done."  When this
message awas delivered to the wounded soldier at Wilderness
Run, he replied: " Go back to General Stuart and tell him to
act upon his own judgment, and do what he thinks best; I have
implicit confidence in him." *
In consequence of the recent attack upon the Confederate
right, and the confusion of the troops which had fired into each
other several times, mistaking each other for the enemy, General Stuart decided not to hazard a night attack, and addressed
himself energetically to the task of preparing for an assault
upon the Federal position at dawn next day. Riding rapidly
along the lines, he placed each in position, enjoined silence, and
made every disposition for a move at daylight.  A writer in one
of the journals describes the picturesque appearance of the General as he thus moved rapidly to and fro, his drawn sabre gleaming in the moonlight, his words of good cheer inspiring the men
of Jackson with new ardor for the obstinate struggle which was
still before them.
The corps was drawn up in three lines-Hill's division constituting the first, Colston's the second, and Rodes' the third.
At dawn every preparation was made; the troops were eager
for the encounter; and as the sun rose splendidly, driving away
the mists which enveloped the wild landscape, General Stuart
ordered his three lines to advance upon the enemy. The men
bore steadily down upon the Federal position, which was not
half a mile in front, and soon the forest echoed with the crash
of musketry and artillery. With a quick eye General Stuart
had seen that the ridge upon the right of his line was an admi-. This statement is made upon the authority of Colonel A. S. Pendleton,
Jackson's adjutant-general, who recalled the exact words used by General
Jackson.




THE RESULT OF JACKESON'S MOVEMENT.          431
rable position for artillery, and, massing rapidly upon this eminence thirty pieces, he opened a heavy enfilading fire upon the
Federal batteries.  The effect was important, the fire sweeping
every thing before it, and driving the enemy still further from
the plank road beyond Chancellorsville toward the river.
Met thus by this heavy and damaging fire from the Confederate right, the Federal lines swung round and made a vigorous
assault upon their left. To repulse this attack, Colston's division, which had been ordered to the right, was rapidly moved to
the left, and the three lines became merged into one line of battle, which was soon engaged in a bloody contest with the heavy
columns of the enemy, fighting now with the energy of despair.
General Hooker had contracted his lines, massed his forces for
a last struggle; and at this critical moment the ammunition of a
considerable portion of the Southern troops, in consequence of
the hot action on the night before, was exhausted.
Every available regiment was immediately sent to the point;
the troops were ordered to hold the ground at all hazards, if necessary with the bayonet, and the enemy were held in check.
The right of the line had now swung round, and about eight
o'clock the works of the enemy were stormed by the combined
forces of the Confederates, Stuart's right having connected with
Anderson's left, where General Lee commanded in person.
Three times they were won and lost, amid a deafening roar of
artillery and musketry. ]Nothing, however, availed to check the
Southern troops.  The artillery was advanced; the infantry
made their way over every obstacle, and at ten o'clock Chancellorsville was in General Lee's possession.
The scene presented at this moment was one of overpowering horror and magnificence. In their fiery path the shells had
set the woods on fire, and the forest was roaring and crackling
above the countless wounded, buried in their depths, and thus
exposed to the most agonizing of all deaths.  Over the bleeding
bodies soared the inexorable flames; and in many instances the
fallen, half torn to pieces by shell, or pierced with balls, found
their expiring moments hastened by the cruel tongues of fire.




432           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
An inexpressible horror enveloped the scene, and in front of all
rose the Chancellorsville house, riddled with cannon shot, and
presenting one huge mass of flame. It had been set on fire by
shell, and now resembled the crater of a volcano, from which
rose jets of flame and lurid smoke, mingling with the rest, and
overshadowing the whole landscape with its gloomy mantle.
Such is a brief outline of this sanguinary conflict. The
Confederate troops never fought with Inore resolution, and although they were gallantly met they carried the day. A Northern writer describing the Southern troops says:
" From the large brick house, which gives the name to this
vicinity, the enemy could be seen sweeping slowly, but confideutly, determinedly, and surely, through the clearings which
extended in front. Nothing could excite more admiration for
the best qualities of the veteran soldier than the manner in
which the enemy swept out, as they moved steadily onward,
the forces which were opposed to them. We say it reluctantly,
and for the first time, that the enemy have shown the finest
qualities, and we acknowledge, on this occasion, their superiority in the open field to our own men.
"' They delivered their fire with precision, and were apparently inflexible and immovable under the storm of bullets and
shell which they were constantly receiving.  Coming to a
piece of timber, which was occupied by a division of our own
men, half the number were detailed to clear the woods. It
seemed certain that here they would be repulsed, but they
marched right through the wood, driving our own soldiers out,
who delivered their fire and fell back, halted again, fired and
fell back as before, seeming to concede to the enemy, as a matter of course, the superiority which they evidently felt themselves. Our own men fought well. There was no lack of courage, but an evident feeling, apparently the result of having been
so often whipped, or of having witnessed the rout on the night
previous, that they were destined to be beaten, and the only
thing for them to do was to fire and retreat. The enemy felt
confident that they were to be victorious, and our men had, from




THE RESULT OF JACKSON'S MOVEIWENT.          433
some occasion, imbibed the same impression.  Our men showed
lack of earnestness and enthusiasm, but' no want of courage.
All that they needed was the inspiration of a series of victories
to look back upon, and an earnestness and confidence in the success of the cause for which they were fighting. Thus ended
the Sabbath and another chapter in the series of our disasters."
On the afternoon of Sunday, Mlay 3d, General Lee was in
line of battle along the plank road with his centre at Chancellorsville. A final advance was just on the point of being made
when intelligence arrived that General Sedgwick had recrossed
into Fredericksburg, stormed Marye's hill, captured a portion of
the Confederate force there, and was now advancing up the main
road to form a junction with General Hooker at Chancellorsville.
This movement of so heavy a force against his flank made it
necessary for General Lee to delay his advance upon General
Hooker; and the divisions of Anderson and McLaws were sent
to meet Sedgwick. At Salem  Church, about five miles from
Fredericksburg, they encountered Barksdale and Wilcox falling
back before the enemy, who pressed them hotly; and the reenforcements just came in time. General Sedgwick was held in
check until night; and on the next morning General Lee, who
had arrived during the night, vigorously attacked him and drove
him back in confusion on Banks' ford. lie was pursued to that
point, and barely had time to cross on his pontoons when the
Confederate' artillery opened upon him.
On Tuesday, the 5th, McLaws' division was sent toward
United States ford, and General Lee returned with Anderson to
Chancellorsville to attack General IIooker.'"By this time,"
says a Northern writer, " the aspect of affairs had become exceedingly dark."  The prospect was indeed gloomy. General
I-looker had been defeated in every struggle since his appearance
on the southern shores of the Rappahannock; had been driven
from Chancellorsville, forced back upon the river-and on Tues
day afternoon it commenced raining.
When General Lee advanced on Wednesday morning his ad28




434              LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
versary had disappeared.  He had commenced the movement as
far back as Sunday night; on Monday night all his trains and
baggage were across, and on Tuesday night the infantry and artillery were moved to the Northern bank, heavy layers of pine
boughs having been laid upon' the pontoons to deaden the sound
of the wheels.
To all who witnessed these events, the movement of General
Hooker meant enforced retreat.  He styled it " withdrawing,"'
and issued a " congratulatory order" to his troops, which is here
recorded.
General Order No. 49.
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE POTOMAC, Afay 6, 1863,
The Major-General commanding tenders to this army his congratulations
on its achievements of the last seven days. If it has not accomplished all
that was expected, the reasons are well known to the army. It is sufficient
to say they were of a character not to be foreseen or prevented by human sagacity or resources.
In withdrawing from the south bank of the Rappahannock before delivering a general battle to our advesraries, the army has given renewed evidence
of its confidence in itself and its fidelity to the principles it represents.
By fighting at a disadvantage we would have been recreant to our trust, to
ourselves, to our cause, and to our country. Profoundly loyal, and conscious
of its strength, the Army of the Potomac will give or decline battle whenever
its interests or honor may command it.
By the celerity and secrecy of our movements, our advance and passage
of the river were undisputed, and, on our withdrawal, not a rebel dared to follow us. The events of the last week may well cause the heart bf every officer
and soldier of the army to swell with pride.
We have added new laurels to our former renown. We have made long
marches, crossed rivers, surprised the enemy in his intrenchments; and whenever we have fought, we have inflicted heavier blows than those we have received.
We have taken from the enemy 5,000 prisoners and 15 colors, captured 7
pieces of artillery, and placed hors du combat 18,000 of our foe's chosen
troops.
We have destroyed his depots filled with vast amounts of stores, damaged
his communications,.captured prisoners within the fortifications of his capital,
and filled his country with fear and consternation.
We have no other regret than that caused by the loss of our brave corn




THE RESULT OF JACKSON'S MOVEMENT.                  435
panions; and in this we are consoled by the conviction that they have fallen
in the holiest cause ever submitted to the arbitration of battle.
By command of Major-General HOOKER,
S. WILLIAMS, Assistant Adjutant-General.
General Lee's order was as follows:
General Order No. 5
I-IEADQUARTERS ARnrY or NORTHERN VIRGINIA, M/eay 7, 1863.
With heartfelt gratification the General commanding expresses to the army his sense of the heroic conduct displayed by officers and men during the
arduous operations in which they have just been engaged.
Under trying vicissitudes of heat and storm you attacked the enemy,
strongly intrenched in the depths of a tangled wilderness, and again on the
hills of Fredericksburg, fifteen miles distant, and by the valor that has triumphed on so many fields, forced him once more to seek safety beyond the
Rappahannock.  While this glorious victory entitles you to the praise and
gratitude of the nation, we are especially called upon to return our grateful
thanks to the only Giver of victory, for the signal deliverance He has
wrought.
It is therefore earnestly recommended that the troops unite on Sunday
next, in ascribing unto the Lord of Hosts the glory due unto His name.
Let us not forget in our rejoicing the brave soldiers who have fallen in
defence of their country; and, while we mourn their loss, let us resolve to
emulate their noble example.
The army and the country alike lament the absence for a time of one to
whose bravery, energy, and skill they are so much indebted for success.
The following letter from the President of the Confederate States is communicated to the army as an expression of his appreciation of their success:
"I have received your despatch, and reverently unite with you in giving
praise to God for the success with which he has crowned our arms. In the
name of the people, I offer my cordial thanks to yourself and the troops under
your command, for this addition to the unprecedented series of great victories
which our army has achieved. The universal rejoicing produced by this happy result will be mingled with a general regret for the good and the brave
who are numbered among the killed and the wounded."
R. E. LEE, General.
The trenchant criticism of a Northern journal upon General
Hooker's whole campaign will appropriately conclude our brief
outline.  This, it must be remembered, is a Federal criti'ue,




436           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
not Confederate; and if somewhat bitter, will not be found
unfair.
G In view," says this writer, " of the pleasing delusions which
the Administration is now endeavoring to propagate, it would be
well, perhaps, to outline some of the leading facts in this short
campaign, from which the reader can draw his own moral:
" 1. It is not true that General Lee was surprised or deceived
by General Hooker's movement across the Rappahannock. From
the Richmond papers of last Saturday it is clear that the Confederate military leaders understood it perfectly, and deliberately
allowed our army to cross, confident of their ability to defeat, if
not destroy it. Forney, in the Philadelphia' Press,' states that
General I-ooker was induced to cross by the assurances of his
spies and scouts that the only army to oppose him was one of
40,000 under General Jackson, General Lee being sickl and his
army scattered. The Baltimore secessionists had the same report, and believed it.  General Hooker, therefore, at the very
start, was the deceived party, and walked straight into the trap
prepared for him.
" 2. The great cavalry raid, which was an entire success, did
General Hooker no good, because it did not precede, instead of
accompanying his movements.  General Lee's reenforcements
had all arrived before the destruction of the railroads and
bridges.  To him this is now only a temporary inconvenience.
Had General Hooker retained his cavalry with his army, it
would have been far better for him. He could have captured
several thousand more prisoners when Fredericksburg was
taken, and, more than all, could have prevented General Jackson's surprise of his flank and rear. They might have changed
the complexion of the fight.
" 3. General Hooker's division of his army was as disastrous in this instance as have been all such in former military
history. It is known that General Halleck utterly disapproved
of this dispersion of the Union forces, and the result proved that
in this case, at least, he was right. If General Lee had furnished General Hooker with a plan, it could not have been more




THE RESULT OF JACKSON S MIOVEMENT.         437
to his liking. H-e first hurled all his forces upon General Hooker
and beat him; this was on Saturday and Sunday, and then on
Mionday he repossessed the heights of Fredericksburg, and drove
General Sedgwick across the river, with the loss of one-third of
his force. Thus General Lee, with one great army, beat two
smaller armies in detail.
" 4. The battles of Saturday and Sunday were indisputable
rebel victories, as the enemy's attack upon General Sedgwick on
Monday proved. The latter was defeated almost before General
Hooker's eyes, and the latter could not even make a diversion to
save him. Generals Lee and Jackson drove our army steadily
from point to point until it was crowded back upon the south
bank of the river. Our artillery, which, according to the rebel
accounts, was splendidly served, no doubt saved what remained
of the army.
" 5. The retreat across the river, according to General Lee's
despatch to Jeff. Davis, commenced on Sunday night, and was
in consequence of his signal victory.  The Administration's
statement is that it was commenced on Tuesday night, simply
as a matter of precaution on account of the storm and the rising
stream. General Lee's account has all the known facts and the
probabilities on its side. The Union correspondents all agree
that the stores and baggage were moved to the north bank on
Mnonday, leaving nothing but the artillery and infantry to cross
on Tuesday. The fierce storm of that day probably saved the
bulk of our army, which was passed over at night.
"' 6. General Hooker's statement of his losses reads as if it
was made by General Wadsworth. He says his total loss in
killed, wounded, and missing will not be more than 10,000
men. If this be true, there are several circumstances that need
explaining badly. General Sedgwick alone, all the accounts
agree, lost one-third his force, or about 6,000 men; but call it
5,000. The capture of Fredericksburg, and the storming of the
heights in its rear on Sunday, lost us 800 men in killed and
wounded. This would leave but little over 4,000 to have been
killed, wounded, and captured in the tremendous battles of Sat



438           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
urday and Sunday, when, at the very least, 150,000 men met in
deadly conflict. If General Hooker and General Lee commanded
Chinese armies, this might have been possible; but as they were
Americans on both sides, it is simply incredible.  The rout of
the 11th Corps, and the driving back of our whole lines for two
days in succession, must have cost us-we will not say how
many men, but certainly more than 4,000. Judged by the other
battles of the war, this fight ought to have put 25,000 men hors
du combat. General Hooker may be right in his estimate, but
if he is, the fighting on both sides was disgraceful.
" But the theme is too painful to dwell upon. The whole
management of the campaign shows a painful lack both of capacity andtrue courage, of mental force and a high sense of
honor. Our rulers are alike incapable and unveracious."
Such was the epitaph of General Hooker!
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
" IT IS ALL EIGHT."
ALL day long on Sunday, while the great conflict was roaring around Chancellorsville, Jackson lay at Wilderness Run,
faint, motionless, but thrilling at this sound so long familiar to
his ears.
Never before had the illustrious soldier been compelled to
retire from the field-for, at Manassas, though wounded, he still
retained command of his brigade; and it must have stirred his
soul to its depths to find himself thus powerless as an infant
while the great battle; big with weal or woe for his country, was
raging furiously a few miles distant from. the couch on which
he lay.
But there was no choice left him. The fatal balls I-ad torn
through flesh and muscle, through bone and artery. His life
was ebbing slowly; and he could only submit his spirit humbly




IT IS ALL RIGHT."                 439
to the decree of that God ewho had never deserted him, and to
whose mysterious will he bowed with simple, childlike resignation.
He had been carried, as we have said, to the field hospital at
Wilderness IRun, about five miles west of the battle-field; and
here he was placed in a tent in rear of the tavern at that point,
under a stunted tree, which is still exhibited to the visitor. He
had lost so much blood in that painful progress from the front,
borne on a litter every moinent jolting and aggravating thus the
extent of his injuries, that upon arriving at Wilderness Run he
was almost pulseless. The face from whichl his men had so
often gathered the inspiration of victory, was calm and pale; the
arm which had risen reverently aloft in so many scenes of blood
and death was paralyzed, and lay as helpless as an infant's by
his side; the great form which had towered in the front of battle was stretched, drained of strength and motion, on the bed of
a hospital.
A thorough examination was speedily made of the soldier's
wounds. They were found to be very serious; and the result of
a consultation between Drs. MlcGuire, Black, Coleman, and
Walls, was that amputation of the arm should be immediately
resorted to.
This, decision of the surgeons was guardedly communicated
to him.  iHe was asked: " If we find amputation necessary,
shall it be done at once?"  I-e replied with alacrity and that
disregard of pain which was a part of his manly spirit:' Yes, certainly! IDr. McGuire, do for me whatever you
think right."
Preparations were accordingly made for performing the operation, and the patient having been put uqder the influence of
chloroform, his arm was taken off without subjecting him, apparently, to very great pain. I-He slept well after the operation,
and when he awoke asked for Mirs. Jackson, and requested that
she might be sent for.
His thoughts then turned to the battle which was at the time
in progress, and he seemed to have no doubt that it would result




440           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
in victory for the Confederates. lie spoke of the attack which
he had made on the preceding evening, and said with a glow of
martial ardor and a proud smile: " If I had not been wounded,
or had had one hour more of daylight, I would have cut off the
enemy fiom the road to United States fordl; we would have had
them entirely surrounded, and they would have been obliged to
surrender or cut their way out-they had no other alternative.
My troops may sometimes fail in driving an enemy from a position; but the enemy always fails to drive my men friom a
position."
He did not complain of his wounds, and never referred to
them unless a direct question was addressed to him on the subject by some one.  ie spoke, however, of the fall from the
litter as he was being borne from the field; and, although no
contusion or abrasion was perceptible from this accident, declared that it had done him serious injury.
About this time he had the satisfaction of receiving from the
commander whom he loved and admired so warmly, this touching evidence of his sympathy:
" I have just received your note, informing me that you
were wounded. I cannot express my regret at the occurrence.
Could I have directed events, I should have chosen, for the good
of the country, to have been disabled in your stead., I congratulate you on the victory which is due to your skill and
energy."
This recognition from his commanding general of the loss
which the cause had sustained when he was wounded,. proved
grateful to his feelings; but upon reading it he reverently said:
" General Lee should give the glory to God."
The regret of General Lee at this deplorable event was indeed poignant. The soul of the great commander was moved
to its depths; and he who had so long learned to conceal emotion, could not control his anguish. " Jackson will not —le cannot die! " General Lee exclaimed, in a broken voice, and waving every one from him with his hand-" he Cannot die i "
But the hours were hastening on-Sunday passed; the




" IT IS ALL RIGHIT.9)             441
wounded man sleeping well in the afternoon-and Monday
came. His physicians now deemed it advisable to remove him
to some point where he could be more quiet; and, accordingly,
he was carried to MIr. Chandler's, near Guinea's Depot, on the
Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad, about eight
miles from HIamilton's crossing, where every arrangement -was
made to ensure his comfort and careful treatment. During the
ride from the Wilderness to Guinea's he complained greatly of
the heat of the day, and, in addition to the wet applications applied to his wound, begged that a wet cloth might be laid upon
his stomach. He declared that this gave him great relief.
During the ride to Guinea's he had maintained his serene and
cheerful bearing, and talked much in reference to the battle of
Saturday. He spoke of the gallant bearing of General Rodes,
and said that his commission as major-general ought to date
from that day. In this the wishes of the dying soldier were complied with.
I-e seemed also very anxious to hear all the particulars of
the battle of Sundlay. When told of the charge of his old Stonewall Brigade, and how, led by Stuart in person, and shouting,
" Charge! and remember Jackson! " they pressed on over every
obstacle, his breast heaved, the old martial light came to his
face, and with deep emnotion he exclaimed:
" It was just like them! it was just like them! They are a
noble body of men!"
I-He was very much affected at the intelligence of General Paxton's death, but seemed to derive a sorrowful satisfaction from
the glories which his old command had won. He asked after
every one whom he knew, and said:
" The men who live through this war will be proud to say'I was one of the Stonewall Brigade' to their children."
With that modesty, however, which never left him, he hastened to guard this declaration from the appearance of egotism,
and added that the name of " Stonewall " did not belong to him,
but to his brigade.
His mind continued to~ dwell continually upon religious sub



442           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
jeets, and his views of Providential interposition were constantly
present with him. Looking at his mutilated arm, he said:
" MIany people would regard this as a great misfortune: I
regard it as one of the great blessings of my life."
An officer long associated with him said:
"'All things work together for good to those that love
God.'' Yes, yes i" was the earnliest reply, " that's it!"
Speculating with this officer upon the question whether those
miraculously cured of the palsy by our Saviour ever had a return of the disease, lie said with great feeling:
"' I do not think it could have returned, for the power was too
great. The poor paralytic could never again shake with the
palsy. Oh, for infinite power! "
On Monday night he slept well, and seemed to have recovered in a great measure from -the nervous shock which he had
received from his injuries. His spirits rose, and on Tuesday
morning he ate with relish, and seemed to look forward to his
recovery as speedy and certain. He was still somewhat annoyed
by the cold which he had caught on the night of the 1st of IMay,
by returning the cape spread over him by the young member of
his staff; but to this he attached no importance.
IH-e said to his physician: " Can you tell me, from the appearance of my wounds, how long I will be kept from  the
field? " and when told that they were doing remarkably well, he
exhibited very great satisfaction. He had no pain in the side,
and thought himself well enough to see and converse with his
staff; but he was advised against this by his attendants, and did
not persist.
On Wednesday, his wounds continued to look remarkably
well, and he was now regarded as so far out of danger, that preparations were made to carry him by railroad to Richmond. A
rain, however, which had set in, prevented this design, and he
was not removed. On this night, while Dr. MicGuire, who had
not closed his eyes for three nights, was snatching a little rest,
the General complained of nausea, and: ordered his body servant,




'KIT IS ALL RIGHT."                 443
Jim, ti place a wet towel on his stomach.  This was done, but
with bad results.  The surgeon was -waked by Jim at daylight,
and informed that his master was suffering very much. The
pain was in the right side, and was due partly to the heavy fall
fron, the litter while being borne from the battle-field, and partly
to incipient pneumonia, which now began to develop itself.
This was on the morning of Thursday, and later in the day
3Irs. Jackson arrived. The presence of his wife seemed to afford
the General great joy, and thenceforth she nursed hitl to the
moment of his death.
The remainder of the sorrowfiul record will not fill much
space, or occupy the attentions of the reader many moments.
The Supreme Ruler of the destinies of humanity had decreed
that this pure and majestic spirit should pass from earth to a happier and more peaceful realm. The hours of the great soldier were
numbered; he had fought his last battle, finished his work, and
now was about to receive that crown laid up for those who believe in Him who governs all things.
GC  Thursday evening all pain had ceased, but a mortal prostraticn came on, from which he never recovered.  He still conversed feebly, and again said:
" I consider these wounds a blessing; they were given me for
some good and wise purpose, and I would not part with them if
I could."
From this time he continued to sink, and on Sunday morning
it was obvious that he could only live a few hours longer. His
mind was still clear, however, and he asked MIajor Pendleton, his
Adjutant-General,'" who was preaching at headquarters on that
day?"  Mrs. Jackson was with him  during his last moments,
and conversed with him fully and freely.
"; I know you would gladly give your life for me," he said,
" but I am perfectly resigned. Do not be sad, I hope I shall recover. Pray for me, but always remember in your prayers to
use the petition,' Thy will be done.' "
In the event of his death, he advised her to return to hei
father's home, and said:




444            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
"1 You have a kind, good father, but there is no one so kind
and good as your Heavenly Father."
His manner to every one had become full of gentleness and
tenderness. The great spirit was fading slowly from the world,
like a sun unobscured by clouds or vapors. The prospect of death
produced no change in him.
"It will be infinite gain," he said,' to be translated to
heaven, and be with Jesus."
When his wife announced to him finally with tears that his
last moments were approaching, he murmured calmly:
"'Very good, very good; it is all right."
Apprised thus that his final moment was approaching, he
sent kind messages to all his friends, the Generals and others;
taking thus his leave of earth, and sending his august farewells
to those with whom he had fought upon so many bloody battlefields.
I-e expressed a wish that he might be buried in "Lexington,
in the Valley of Virginia "-and then his mind began to wander.
That delirium which seizes upon the most powerful organizations,
the most vigorous brains, at the mysterious moment when the
last sands are falling from the hour-glass, began to affect him.
His thoughts reverted to the battle-field of Saturday, and he
exclaimed at intervals:' Order A. P. Hill to prepare for action."
"' Pass the infantry to the front! "
"' Tell Major Hawks to send forward provisions to the men!" 
Hie evidently believed himself once more amid the forests of
the Wilderness, and about to advance with his great corps upon
the enemy.
This martial agitation soon, however, passed away. His excitement disappeared, his features again became serene, and he
murmured with a smile:'" Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the
trees i"
The moment had indeed arrived when the illustrious leader
was about to pass the dark river which separates two worlds,




JACKSON'S REMAINS TAKEN TO LEXINGTON.    445
and rest under the shade of the Tree of Life. From this time
he continued gradually to sink, and at fifteen minutes past three
in the afternoon, on Sunday, the 10th of May, he peacefully
expired.
Such was the death of Jackson. He who had passed through
a thousand scenes of carnage, expired upon his bed, surrounded
by weeping friends, who were taught by that august spectacle
how a Christian soldier call die.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
JACKSONIS REMAINS TAKEN TO LEXINGTON.
THE incidents which accompanied the reception of the illustrious soldier's body in Richmondl and Lexington will terminlate
our narrative.
Honors were offered to him in all parts of the country, and
the reader will peruse with interest these two which we have selected from the number. General Lee wrote:
" With deep grief the Commanding General announces to the
army the death of Lieutenant-General Jackson, whl-o expired on
the 9th, at 3.15 P. ir. The daring, skill, and energy of this great
and good soldier, by a decree of an all-wise Providence, are now
lost to us. But while we mourn his death, we feel that his spirit
lives, and will inspire the whole army with his indomitable
courage and unshaken confidence in God as our hope and
strength.
" Let his name be a watchword for his corps, who have followed him to victory on so many fields. Let officers and soldiers
imitate his invincible determination to do every thing in the defence of our beloved country."
General Beauregard, commanding at Charleston, and long
the warm friend of the Virginian, wrote:
"The illustrious soldier, Lieutenant-General Thomas J.




446           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
Jackson, is dead. The memory of his high worth, conspicuous
virtues, and momentous services will be treasured in the heart,
and excite the pride of his country to all time. His renown is
already identified with our revolution; and even our enemy admits his unselfish devotion to our cause, and admires his eminent
qualities.
" The Commanding Generals of the First Military District
and of the District of Georgia, on the day following the receipt
of this order, will cause a gun to be fired every half hour, beginning at sunrise and ending at sunset; and the flags of every
post in the department will be hoisted at half-mast in token of
this national bereavement."
The intelligence reached Richmond on the evening of the
10th, and created profound depression among all classes of citizens. On the morning of the 11th it was announced that the
remains of the soldier would reach Richmond that afternoon in a
special train sent by the Governor of Virginia, and the Mayor
of the city requested all persons to suspend business after ten
o'clock in token of respect for the dead. All stores, workshops,
the departments of Government, and all places in which labor
was performed were closed. Flags were suspended at half-mast,
a deep silence reigned in the streets, and in spite of the intense
heat large crowds remained for hours at the Fredericksburg
depot, waiting for the arrival of the train.
About four in the evening, amid a painful silence, only
broken by the tolling of the bells, the train reached Richmond
with its burden. The coffin was placed in a hearse, behind
which was stationed the General's staff, and preceded by General Elzey and his staff, the State Guard of Virginia, and two
regiments of infantry, moved through crowds of citizens to the
Governor's house.
The body was laid in the reception-room of the mansion, the
coffin-lid having been raised so as to show the person of the
dead; a wreath of laurel was laid upon the breast, and around
the coffin was wrapped the snow-white banner of the Confederate
States.




JACKSON'S REMAINS TAKEN TO LEXINGTON.    447
That banner had been just adopted, and had never yet been
raised.  It was thus first used to wrap the dead body of the
man who had fought so well for the land over which it was to
float.
" The face of the dead," says a writer in one of the journals,
" displayed the same indomitable lines of firmness, with the long,
slightly aquiline nose, and high forehead, of marble whiteness;
but the cheeks presented a deep pallor. The eyelids were firmly
closed, the mouth natural, and the whole contour of the face
composed, the full beard and mustache remaining. The body
was dressed in a full citizen's suit, it being the object of his
friends, and we doubt not the nation's wish, to preserve the
uniform in which he fought and fell."
During the evening a few friends and the officers of government were admitted, also  some members of Jackson's old
brigade. It is said that President Davis stood long by the body,
gazed at the pallid face with deep emotion, and then turned
away and left the house in silence. A more affecting incident
was the appearance of an old soldier of the Stonewall Brigade.
The veteran stood for some moments looking at the pale face of
his General with tears in his eyes, then bending down pressed a
kiss upon the lips, and slowly retired.
During the night the body was embalmed, a plaster cast of
the features taken, and the corpse was placed in a metallic
coffin. On the next day a great and solemn pageant marked the
universal sense of loss.
A great procession was formed, and at the hour appointed
the coffin was borne to the hearse; a signal gun was fired from
the equestrian statue of' Washington on the square; and to the
solemn strains of the 1" Dead March in Saul," the procession
began to move. The hearse was drawn by four white horses,
and preceded by two regiments of Pickett's division and the State
G-uard of Virginia, with arms reversed, General Pickett and
his staff, the Fayette artillery, and a squadron of cavalry. Behind came Generals Ewell, Winder, Churchill, Corse, Steuart,
Kemper, Garnett, and Admiral Forrest-pall-bearers.  These




448           LIFE OF STONEWVALL JACKSON.
were followed by the horse of the dead soldier caparisoned for
battle, and led by his body-servant; his staff; members of the
Old Stonewall Brigade with sorrowful and downcast looks;
General Elzey and his staff;* and then a vast array of governmnent officials, the President, members of the Cabinet, the
Governor of Virginia, the city authorities, with the judges,
citizens, and good people generally-a silent and sorrowful multitude.
The procession moved down Governor's Street and up to the
head of MIain Street, whence it returned to the western gate of
the Capitol Square, where a great concourse had assembled to
see it enter. Sobs had accompanied it upon its way, the tears
not only of women but of bearded men; such public grief had
not been displayed since the death of Washington.
Thus amid tolling bells, the discharge of artillery at intervals,
and the mournful strains of martial music, the long procession
reached the Capitol Square. Here it halted, and the hearse
moved to the western entrance of the capitol, accompanied only
by the pall-bearers, general officers, and the public guard. In
the midst of a great crowd of weeping women and children,
with the thunder of artillery, and the mournful music of the
bands filling the' air, the coffin was then lifted from the hearse
and borne into the capitol. The Hall of the House of Representatives had been draped in mourning, Confederate standards
folded along the face of the galleries, and here in front of the.
speaker's chair, on a species of altar covered with white linen
looped up with crape, the coffin was deposited.
The face and bust were then uncovered, and the crowd was
admitted to gaze upon the features. Throughout the afternoon
multitudes continued to come and go, old men and youths,
women and children-all taking a sorrowful look at the placid
features of the illustrious dead. When night came, 20,000 persons had thus passed in front of the body.
From the capitol the remains of Jackson were borne, under
military escort, to Lexington, where they were received by
General Smith, the corps of cadets, the professors, and a large




JACKSON'S REIEAINS TAKEN TO LEXINGTON.    449
body of citizens.. They were escorted in solemn procession to
the barracks of the Institute, and deposited in the old lectureroom of the deceased. The room was just as he had left it two
years before, as no one had occupied it during his absence; but
it had been draped in mourning. The coffin was placed in front
of the dead man's favorite chair, and amid the roar of the old
cadet battery, beard at intervals of half an hour throughout the
day, the body of the soldier lay in state in the familiar hall.
It was thus that he had returned to the beloved spot where
he had passed so many happy hours in other years, and to which
his thoughts went back in those last moments when he murmured:
" Bury me in Lexington, in the Valley of Virginia!"
" Lexington!"  That town had witnessed the peaceful labors
of the professor; the calm researches of the quiet student; the
serene enjoyments of the good husband and friend. Thence he
had departed to enter upon the career which was to make his
name renowned forever in the annals of a tragic epoch-to
crown him with glory and honor as the right arm and chief
hope of a great people. He murmured " Lexington! Lexington! " as the German exile murmurs  G the Rhine! the
Rhine! "
" The Valley of Virginia! "  Those words too had, doubtless, a magical influence upon the stern soul of the celebrated
leader. They conjured up visions of his chief glories won upon
that old familiar, long loved soil. They meant Kernstown!
McDowell! Winchester! Cross Keys! Port Republic! There
was scarce a foot of the great highways of that region but had
been trodden by him and his soldiers; scarce a mile over which
he had not fought. There his steps had been clogged with
battles, and almost every encounter was a victory. For that
sacred earth he had fought so long and persistently; thence he
had so frequently driven the invaders; every foot was dear to
himr from the mouth of the beautiful Shenandoah to its source;
and for its freedom he had cheerfully risked all that man possesses. He had delivered that lovely land from  all its foes;
29




450            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
and, lying powerless there near Fredericksburg, his heart turned
fondly to the scene of his happiness and his fame. In that earth
which he had redeemed-the soil of the Valley of Virginia-he
desired his ashes to repose.
There they were accordingly deposited. Escorted by infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and borne to the grave upon a caisson
of the old cadet battery, as became the great artillerist, they
were consigned to the beloved earth where reposed the bodies
of his first wife and child.
It is said that some loving hand planted on his grave a piece
of laurel brought from  the grave of Napoleon at St. Helenathus connecting, as it were, by an invisible link, the man of
Austerlitz with the victor of Port Republic and Chancellorsville.
Both returned in the moments of delirium to the battle-field;
but whilst Napoleon died with that fierce cry, 1 Tate d'Arm.e!"
upon his lips, Jackson fell asleep in a childlike dream of rivers
and green trees. Napoleon trusted in his " Star "-Jackson in
God. The former was a simple fatalist; the motto of the Virginian was, " Do your duty and trust to Providence."'; It is all right," was the other motto of Jackson-and he
clung to it even in death. Let us, too, trust that all is well, and
look beyond the storm with serene trust in tim who rules the
destinies of men and nations.
CHAPTER XL.
JACKSON THE SOLDIER AND THE MIAN.
WE bhave presented in the foregoing pages as truthful a record
of the events of Jackson's career, as the material at our command permitted.  It is impossible that the main occurrences
have not been understood, or that the reader has not formed a
tolerably clear idea of the military and personal traits of the in



JACKSON THE SOLDIER AND THE iMAN.           451
divildual. From the narrative, better than from any comment,
those characteristics will be deduced; but a rapid summary
of Jackson's traits as a soldier and a man may interest some
readers, and to this we now proceed.  Eulogy is easy in presence of this great career; but let us dismiss all such unprofitable
work, and rationally inquire what endowments went to accomplish the successes of the soldier.
Jackson was a born leader, and had, underlying all, that supreme spirit of combativeness which is the foundation of inilitary success. It is a fancy that he did not love fighting. War
was horrible in his eyes, it is true, from the enormous public and
private misery which it occasioned; but he none the less loved
the conflict of opposing forces. In battle, under his calm exterior, he had the gccudiuz   certazminis. You could see that he was
a fighting animal, from his ponderous jaw. We say "' animal,"
because, at such moments, Jackson the compassionate Christian,
became Jackson the veritable bull-dog.  His combativeness,
when thus aroused, was obstinate, enormous. To fight to the
death was his unfalterinag resolve, and his own invincible resolution was infused into his troops; they became inspired by his
ardor, and were more than a match for two or three times their
number fighting without this stimulus. With Jackson leading
them in person, on fire with the heat of battle, the Stonewall
Brigade and other troops which had served under him long, felt
themselves able to achieve impossibilities.  But combativeness
and military ardor do not make a great commander; without
them  no officer can accomplish much, but more is needed to
achieve the glories of arms. Enterprise is necessary; and this
word, for want of a better, must express a quality of Jackson's
mind which more than all else gave him his astonishing success.
His rule was, never to allow an enemy to rest; to attack wherever it was possible, and to press on until all opposition was
broken down and the clay gained. The remarkable activity
shown in his campaigns is an evidence that he possessed this
trait as a General in a more eminent degree, perhaps, than any of
his contemporaries. A sluggish or unwary adversary was doomed




452            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
already. When he least expected it, Jackson was before him,
attacking with all the advantages of a surprise. It was said that
he marched his men nearly to death, and it was true. But
these excessive drains upon their physical strength were compensated by victories, by spoils, and by an immense accession to the
moral strength of his command. Nor did he fail to preserve,
thus, thousands of lives, which would have been lost by more
deliberate and conventional warfare. H1-e always preferred to
arrive, by forced marches, in face of an unprepared enemy, and
drive theml before him, with comparatively small loss, to a more
leisurely advance which would find them  ready to meet him.
He aimed to succeed rather by sweat than blood. His famous
flank movements proved a terrible tax on the strength of his
troops; but after their exhausting marches, the men finished the
ivork without bloodshed, almost, and soon forgot their weariness
in the sweet sleep which follows toil and victory. Aggressive
warfare was the fundamental principle of his military system.
He preserved the unvarying conviction, throughout his whole
career, that the true policy of the South was one of invasion.
So far did he carry this, that after Port Republic, as we have
seen, he was passionately bent on advancing into Pennsylvania,
though General McClellan was knocking at the doors of Richmond with an army of 150,000 men. After the battles of the
Chickahominy, he rose from his camp-couch one night, where he
was lying, talking with a friend, and violently striking the pillow
with his clenched hand, exclaimed: " Why don't we go to Pennsylvania now?  The Scipio Africanus policy is the best I"  To
march, to manceuvre, to flank, to strike-to advance, retreat,
keep his enemy in constant fear —such was his system. He
never rested, and took no account of hours or seasons. He
seems to lhave considered all weather good to fight in, and to
have discarded the general conviction of military men that night
attacks are hazardous. The Bath expedition was undertaken in,
the dead of winter; and at Fredericksburg he projected and attempted to execute that final assault upon the Federal army
which was to begin "' precisely at sunset." At Chlancellorsville,




JACKSON THE SOLDIER AND THE 3MAN.          453
at nine o'clock at night, when he fell, he was preparing for that
movement of his left wing which was to envelope General Hooker and decide the fate of the Federal army. No other general
living would have ventured upon so dangerous an undertaking;
but Jackson had decided upon it without hesitation.
It is not to be wondered at that unwary or indolent opponents
became the victims of a strategy so bold and aggressive. General Banks is an example. A more unfortunate appointment
could not have been made by the Federal Government. General
Banks seems to have been without enterprise, and greatly wanting in that watchful care which his position, in friont of so dan-.gerous a foe, required. Jackson surprised him at Strasburg,
and drove him from the Valley, almost without resistance. The
manoeuvring around Port Republic was another example of his
superiority to General Fremont, whose plan of advancing with
one column upon Jackson's rear, while another was sent to intercept him, was turned against him, and became the occasion of
his ruin. The rapidity of Jackson's marches in the Valley campaign and the expedition to the rear of General Pope, was marvellous; but there was something still more striking in the enterprise which suggested these movements. To a soldier so fertile in resources, so rapid, daring, and unhesitating, victory was
almost a foregone conclusion.
The difference between enterprise and foolhardiness is that
between calculation and chance. Jackson's military movements
were always based upon close calculation, and he was certainly
not wanting in foresight and caution. HI-e seems to have known
perfectly well what it was in his power to achieve, and as
thoroughly what was beyond his strength. He risked much, on
many occasions, but appears to have been justified in his calcurations of the ultimate result. It will be objected to him by
military men, that he hazarded too much at times, and was only
extricated by good fortune.' There appears to be some justice
in this; but the resources of his genius were enormous, and
doubled his numbers. Some of his ideas seem absurd rwhen
coolly looked at. We have seen that when he was asked what




454           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
he would have clone if, after the battle of 5Winchester, the converging columns of the enemy had cut him off at Strasburg, he
replied, " I would have fallen back upon Maryland for rednforcements."  Such a movement must, it would appear, have
terminated in his destruction; but it would be dclffcult to find a
man of his old command who would have doubted his ultimate
triumph even then.
His genius was for great movements and decisive blows;
and thus his services became more and more valuable as his
rank increased. He was better as brigadier than as colonel;
better still as major-general; and as lieutenant-general was best
of all. It is useless to ask what he would have been as conmander-in-chilef, without a superior at Richmond. But the brain
which conceived and executed the campaign of the Valley, must
have been equal to any position.
Jackson's other merits as a General were great. He was a
bad organizer and disciplinarian, but admirable in his selection
of men for important command. Ihe conducted his campaigns
upon the soundest rules of military science; and where he diverged from the beaten track of precedent, did so from considerations connected with the nature of the country in which he
operated, the peculiarities of his adversary, or the character of
the troops upon which he depended.
IIHe kept open generally his line of retreat, and provided
for disaster-though it was hard to realize that failure ever
entered into, his calculations.  He had the soldier's eye for position, and chose, his ground both for infantry and artillery with
the exactness of genius; but if all his arrangements were made,
and his plans required battle, would fight on any ground. He
depended most upon his infantry, but loved artillery from his early
association with that branch of the service, never appearing so
well pleased as when directing in person the fire of his cannon,
amid a shower of shot and shell.  When once engaged, he
seemed to discard all idea of defeat, and to regard the issue as
assured. And what was more important, his men seemed to
share his conviction. Even at Kernstown he believed the Fed



JACKSON THE SOLDIER AND THE IMAN.          455
eral forces woulid have retired in ten minutes if one of his own
brigades had not been ordered to fall back. A man less open to
the conviction that he was whipped, could not be imagined. His
indomitable combativeness, it might have been said, made him
set his teeth against Fate, and endeavor to place his heel upon
Destiny itself.
It may be said of him with truth, that he deserved victory.
No man was more careful in the use of every precaution to ensure success. The idea that he blundered on without prudence
or system, and achieved his successes only by some mysterious
good fortune, is a mere fancy. No soldier was ever less indebted to " luck; " no one ever proceeded in military matters
upon profounder logic. Ie knew his strength and his weakness,
but the difference between him and others was, that he made his
estimates more correctly. He did not look to numbers only, but
to morale, the situation, and the spirits of his troops. With the
three hundred of Leonidas, he would have attempted great
things; with the fifty thousand survivors of Napoleon's Grand
Arqene, crushed in morale by Waterloo, he would have attempted
nothing. If his men were on fire with ardor, and the enemy,
though treble their. number, were disorganized by surprise, or
for other reasons, he would advance to the assault without fear
of defeat.
No General ever made a greater use of mystery. He saw
from the first that he commanded men of education, thought,
speculation-the most inquisitive of private soldiers. Without
due precaution taken, they were certain to know what it was inexpedient for the private soldier to know; his designs would be
penetrated, and be noised abroad. H-ence his inscrutable mystery. He would not permit his men to inquire the names of the
towns through which they passed; and on the march against
General _McClellan at Richmond, issued that order directing the
troops to reply, " I don't know," to every question. He said
that if his coat knew what he designed, he would take it off and
burn it. He would encamp for the night at cross roads, and the
quidnunes were in despair at their inability to determine toward




4A56          LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
what point of the compass he woulid march on the morrow.
About to abandon the Valley, he publicly directed careful maps
to be made of the region, as though intending a campaign therein. When one of his staff engaged dinner a few miles ahead of
his advancing column, he admonished him of his error. How
did he know that the column would pass that point?
He had the faculty of waiting for his adversary. No man
was ever more determined not to be forced to fight before he
was ready. His retreats appeared panic-stricken, but were in
reality the deliberate movements of a master of the art of war.
He was never more dangerous than when flying. From dreams
of success, and visions of complete victory, his opponent was apt
to be rudely awakenedl. We. have seen that, in May, 1862,
General Banks, then at -Iarrisonburg, telegraphed that the rebel
Jackson had been driven from the Valley, and was in rapid
retreat on Richmond. The commentary was Jackson's swift
and unexpected march upon Milroy at McDowell; his complete
defeat of that officer, and his equally rapid advance upon General Banks at Harrisonburg, before  which the Federal comnmander was forced in turn to retreat in confusion.
Until all his arrangements were made, no adversary could
draw him into action. When the moment came, he saved the
officer opposed to him all trouble on that score. He initiated
the matter by attacking with all his strength. If one assault
failed, he made a seeond. If his first line gave tway he brought
up his second. If the second had bad fortune, his reserve was
led into action; and if these did not at once retrieve the fortunes
of the day, he placed himself in front of them and led them in
person, fully determined to conquer or die.
There were few who failed him at such moments. The sight
of Jackson upon these occasions, seemed to turn the heads of the
troops. They forgot all else, and grew reckless; and when men
become reckless, they go far.  Cedar. Run, as the reader may
remember, furnished an instance of this. The left wing, formed
of Jackson's veterans, was broken, and in ten minutes the battle
would have been lost. There were no reserves to put in, and




JACKSON THE SOLDIER AND THE MAN.             451
Jackson rallied the troops in person. A single shout of " Stonewall Jackson! Stonewall Jackson!" ran along the line, and it
was re-formed in a moment. In front of them they saw a sword
shining through the smoke of action, and recognized the old
faded cap and piercing eyes of their chief.  The result was
a new assault, and one of the most important of Jackson's
victories.
His tenacity and strength of will seemed to have no limit.
Nothing appeared to affect that supreme resolution.  Such a
man is the master of fate, and with his iron hand directs events.
Napoleon trusted to his star, and Jackson, it was said, believed
in'" his destiny "-a word which he construed, apparently, to
mean success against his enemies, wherever he encountered them.
There seems to be good ground for the belief that he regarded
himself as a passive instrument in the hands of Providence to
accomplish great events, and had satisfied himself that the Lord.
of Hosts would uphold him.  This conviction, supported by
abilities of the first order, made him almost irresistible.
His intellect, in all military matters, was remarkably clear, vigorous, and practical.  There are some nimble annd apprehensive
spirits whose natures' appear too sharp and delicate for everyday work. To cut down a tree men do not use a razor, but an
axe.  Jackson's military judgment was a ponderous weapon,
and struck straight at the obstacle. He was opposed to half-way
measures, and in favor of decisive blows.  Subtlety and dialectical hair-splitting found little favor with him. He knew what he
wanted, and had a perfectly clear idea of the means by which he
could secure his object.  Refinements of strategy occupied little
of his attention.  He was for results, and saw how to attain
them. Alone of all the Southern generals he was in favor of
attacking the Federal army on the evening of the battle of
Fredericksburg; and at the council of war, held on that occasion, is said to have started from a doze, when called upon for
his opinion, exclaiming, only half awake, " Drive'em into the
river."  All his views were aggressive, and looked to attack,
not defence. After Port Republic he said, " If the President




458            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
will give me 60,000 men, I will be in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
in two weeks. I will undertake it with 40,000."  After Cold
Harbor, as we have seen, he again wished to advance, exclaiming,;" The Scipio Africanus policy is the best."  On the evening
of the first battle of Manassas, his clear military intellect, unclouded by subtleties, hesitations, or those pros and cons which
paralyze action, saw the whole field before him; and he said, in
his curt voice:'6 Give me 10,000 men, and I will be in W}ashington to-nigllt."
HIe was an intense and concentrative thinker. His piercing
eyes saw far and deep.  Without the power to utter, write, or
perform any notable thing in the ordinary commerce of human
affairs, he brought to the great game of war immense powers of
analysis and combination.  Success was an equation which he
worked out with mathematical precision. When an event took
place like the gap left in his line at the second battle of Manassas, and Fredericksburg, or the falling back of the Stonewall
Brigade at Kernstown, his whole plans miscarried. It was the
error in the calculation which vitiated the result.  Such were
the faculties which seem to the present writer to have characterized Jackson, and produced his extraordinary successes. But it
is difficult to discard the idea, after a full consideration of his
career, that he was guided in his arduous campaigns by something resembling a species of intuition.  Many of his followers
openly stated their belief that he was " inspired," and the military critic will find, after all, in his career a certain intuition of
genius which cannot be classified or described. He seemed to
possess the faculty of seeing what was the right thing to do at
the right time; not to come to his conclusion, by any train of
logic, but at a bound. Others exhibited supreme talent, trained
to the highest perfection; but Jackson's military movements
everywhere betrayed that subtle thing called genius. His glance
was like the lightning which reveals the entire landscape before
the benighted traveller and shows him the road.
Passing from the characteristics of Jackson the soldier we
may find some points of interest in the personal traits of Jackson




JACKSON THE SOLDIER AND THE MAN.           459
the man. It is interesting to know how such men look and
speak; how they carry themselves under good or bad fortune;
in what manner they "' live and move and have their being."
Jackson's demeanor upon the field was quite absorbed, and at
times absent-minded, as though he were engaged in some profound calculation, or following some subtle train of thought.
When spoken to at such moments, his head turned quickly, his
eye glittered, and he listened with attention, replying in the
fewest words possible. His tone was curt but not discourteous.
His bearing, his smile, and the ready hand to his cap, on the
contrary, were markedly courteous, nor has the present writer
ever known him, under the most exciting circumstances, to lose
this simple and modest air of kindly good breeding. He was
the most approachable of corps commanders, and any private
soldier might be sure of a friendly reply to any question which
he asked. There was no air of authority, official stiffness, hauteur, assumption, or coldness in his demeanor. He 6" looked like
work," was unmoved by vanity, regarded his troops as his
children; and when he fell, it was not the heart of wife and friend
alone that felt the blow, but thousands who no longer felt the old
enthusiasm preluding victory.
Hiis air at Lexington had been that of a recluse. In the
army he became somewhat more sociable, but was never easy
and unemlbarrassed. His voice was low and distinct, without
much compass, but clear in enunciation, with all its curtness,
and conveying the impression of great earnestness in the speaker.
All the staff officers of the army liked him. In listening to a
communication he bent over, paid close attention, and from time
to time nodded his head and smiled, as though pleased with the
accuracy of the statement. His orders were brief, clear, and
if necessary were repeated. This was done quietly, and without fret or impatience. " He was the politest man I ever saw,"
said an officer long near his person, " and I believe he considered it a part of his military duty."  This may be true, but it
was not the source of his courtesy. He was by nature kindly,
and on many occasions displayed an exquisite sense of true cour



460            LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
tesy, and spole very nobly. Just before Chancellorsville, while
riding with General Lee, he met Colonel Wickham, of the cavalry, who received some instructions from General Lee as to the
disposition of his force. When General Lee had finished, Jackson said: G" Colonel, there is a gap in the line yonder; General
Wright is too much to the left. Tell him to close up with your
cavalry."  Colonel Wickham looked at the speaker, whose dress
exhibited no evidences of his rank, and said, " From  whomn
shall I say the order comes, sir?"  " 1Why, Colonel," said General Lee, " don't you know General Jackson?"  Colonel Wickhamri bowed and replied,'" I did not, General. I keep with my
command, and never before had the pleasure to meet or know
you, General Jackson."  "But I knew yotu, Colonel," replied
Jackson, with the bow of a nobleman and his most winning
smile.  This smile was very sweet. A  lady described it as
" angelic."  It was certainly the most friendly imaginable, and
charmed all who conversed with him.  It was impossible not to
see that he was a man of great kindness, of an extraordinary
sweetness of temper, tender-hearted, easily moved to pity and
all pure emotions. He was very simple and unost ntatious in
his manners and habits; used neither tea, coffee, nor tobacco,
and never touched spirit except as a medicine. When he was
sick one day, Dr. MIcGuire, his surgeon, gave him  some mwhiskey, and he made a wry face in swallowing it. Dr. MlcGuire
asked him if it was not good, when he replied:'" Oh yes, very
good. I like liquor, both the taste and the effect, and that is the'reason I don't cdrinkl it!"  He cared not what he ate, and would
sleep in a fence corner with perfect content. There never was
a greater sleeper. His physical constitution seemed to require
it, and he would drop asleep untder a tree, in his chair, or in the
saddle on a march. -; " If his rest was broken for one nigjht,"
says Dr. MeGuire, " he was almost sure to go to sleep upon his
horse if riding next day."  On one of these occasions when he
was swaying unsteadily with the movements of his horse, a soldier who did not recognize him called out and asked facetiously
"6 where he got his liquor! "  The noise woke the General, and




JACKSON THE SOLDIER AND THE MAN.              461
lie laughed heartily.  His propensity for lying on the ground
had much to do with the dingy appearance of his uniform.  his
old coat was covered with dust collected from  the battle-fields
of many regions, as ie slept upon the earth, in rude bivouac,
after the hard-fought day. All this endeared him to his soldiers,
at -whose camp-fires he would stop to talk in the friendly fashion
of the officers of Napoleon, and whose rations he would frequently share.  The sight of his faded coat and cadet cap was
the sign to cheer, and " Old Jack" was personally adored, as in
his military capacity he was regarded by his men as the greatest
of leaders.  Even his peculiarities became sources of popularity, and endeared him to his troops. It was said of Suwarrow
that his men mimicked him, gave him nicknames, and adored
him.  It was the same with Jackson.  His troops laughed at
hlis dingy old uniformin  his cap, tilting forward on his nose, his
awkward strides, his abstracted air, and christening him "' Old
Jack," made him their first and greatest of favorites.  There
was one peculiarity of the individual, however, which they regarded with something like superstition.  We refer to the singular fashion he had of raising his hand aloft, and then suddenly
letting the arm fall at his side.  On many occasions he made
this strange gesture as his veterans moved slowly before him,
advancing to the charge. At such moments his face would be
raised to heaven, his eyes closed, and his lips would move evidently in prayer.  The same gesture was observed in himl, as we
have seen, at Chancellorsville, while gazing at the body of one
of his old command.  I-le was plainly praying', with his hand
uplifted, for the welfare of the dead man's soul.
We have given an outline of Jackson's chief traits as a soldier.  Intellectually, he does not appear to have been conspicuously endowed beyond the sphere of his profession.  His mind
was sound and just, but not brilliant or original.  He was a
good mathematician, a patient thinker, and displayed a native
good sense in his views and opinions, but, except in military af-:
fairs, he exhibited no traces of genius.  He was a clear and intelligent but not a powerful or original writer.  Such of his let



462           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
ters as we have seen do not differ in a noticeable degree from
those of mediocre men. He seemed to possess little imagination or poetry. His genius was practical, and dealt with the
phenomena of nature, the principles of science and philosophy,
and the realities of the world aroundc him. It will remain an
interesting problem whether he would have distinguished himself in the conduct of civil affairs.  It is certain that he would
have been a dominant man, and as President would have administered the Government in accordance with his views of
right, without regard to persons.  Whether he would have
proved himself as great in the cabinet or the ch'air of the Executive as in the field, is doubtful.
An officer long intimately associated with him gives an excellent summary of his character.
1 Apparently dull in some directions," says this gentleman,
6 he was in others an original and patient thinker.  As a military genius no other remains like him. Judging with quick and
seldom erring sagacity, he was as prompt, energetic, and successfidl in action.  Humble before his Maker, gentle in daily life,
with an amiable sweetness to chosen friends, and a sincere politeness toward every human being, he was habitually brief and
decided in expression, steadfast in purpose, and when fully
aroused, as in the crisis of battle, sublime in the fire of his
spirit. A man of prayer, faith, simplicity, purity, and power."
There is little doubt that the views of the present generation,
including the writer of these pages, concerning Jackson the soldier, are more or less mingled with undue admiration. His
faults are not seen; his merits may be exaggerated.  But as a
man, his virtues were recognized even by his opponents. The
trait of character which conciliated most the regard and respect
of his enemies, was the profound sincerity and earnestness of
his nature.  There was no doubt about Jackson's utter truth
and honesty.  Life with him was a serious affair, and he seemed
to have no time for enjoyment even. At West Point lhe studied
conscientiously, avoiding all lighter occupations; in 3exico he
betook himself to hard fighting; and at Lexington his whole




JACKSON THE SOLDIER AND THE MAN.             463
sold became absorbed in the performance of his humdrum duties, and the earnest endeavor to discover the will of his MIsaker,
and conform to that will in all things.
The students laughed at the silent and awkward professor,
who found enjoyment apparently in nothing but religious exercises and hard work; but they could not understand the " great
thoughts" and certain joys which the taciturn soldier derived
from his religion.
We cannot here define the exact religious views of this eminent man. He has been called a fatalist, from his ultra indiffer
ence to danger; but fatalism, proper, is an absurdity. That he
held the Presbyterian* view of predestination is certain; but to
discover and perform the will of God, without regard to that or
any other dogma, was his'" meat and drink."  With him, his
religion was his life. It was the broad foundation of all his
thoughts and words and deeds. He seemed to live, consciously,
under the eye of God, and to shape all his actions with reference
to the divine approval. He had no time to think whether this
or that in his character, his actions, or his utterances, was;" conventional" or not-pleased or displeased his fellow-man, Am I
conforming my life to the will of God? was always and under
all circumstances his only question.
From this profound and controlling piety sprung his virtues,
his peculiarities, and his true greatness.  Contemplating the
profound significance of his position as an immortal soul, tarrying for a season only upon earth, and destined by its conduct
here to shape for all eternity its own weal or woe, all other
things became poor and inconsiderable in his eyes; what men
thought of him, how he appeared in society, what dress he wore,
what food he eat, what worldly enjoyments he neglected, or what
worldly honors he missed or secured.  Something of the old
spirit of the ilan of Tarsus was in the heart of Jackson, who
had his meditations and his work, and could afford to neglect the
purple and the feasting, and endure all things for the faith that
was in him.
Jackson died before he reached the age of forty, and had but




464           LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON.
two years of life for the display of his great faculties. But
this period was long enon gh.  In that contracted space of time
he accomplished results which will render his name and fame
immortal.  Few human beings ever equalled him  in the great
art of making war-fewer still in purity of heart and life.
It was a nature almost altogether lovely which lay under that.
faded uniform of the great soldier.  No stain of insincerity, or
meanness, or vain-gloriousness marred a character which combined the loftiest virtues of the gentleman, the soldier, and the
Christian.
He sleeps now, cold to praise or blame; but a poor writer,
proud to have touched his hand and followed him, offers this
page to his illustrious memory.




APPENDIX.
GENERAL JACKSON TO COLONEL J. M. BENNETT,  DESCRIBING THE PAIRT
TAKEN BY IIIS BRIGADE IN THE FIRST BATTLE OF MANASSAS.
HEADQUARTERS FIRST BRIGADE, CAMP NEAR MIANASSAS, }
July 28th, 1861.
IMY DEAR COLONEL: About four o'clock, A. I., on the 21st, by request of
General Longstreet, I sent him a reenforcement of two regiments. Subsequently I received an order from  General Beauregard to reinforce General
Bonham. Afterwards I received an order from the same officer to reenforce
General Cocke. Finally, I was instructed by him to take such a position as
would enable me to- reinforce either General Bonham or General Cocke.
These instructions were executed in the order in which they were given.
About an hour after I had taken such a position as would enable me to throw
rednforcements toward either of the two Generals, so as to give timely assistance, I received a message from General Cocke, who requested me to guard
the Stone bridge. I promptly moved in that direction, and halted at a place
indicated by the guide. Whilst in this position, I had reason to believe that
General Bee was hard pressed by the enemy, and I accordingly moved in the
direction of the firing, and at the same time sent a message to the General
that I was reInforcing him; hoping that such an announcement would so inspirit his troops as to keep back the enemy till my arrival. But I had not
advanced far before I met his command falling back. I passed on, with the
understanding that he would try to rally his troops in my rear. So soon as I
had nearly reached the summit of the next hill, I placed two pieces of Captain
Stanard's battery in position, firing on the enemy. I also placed two regiments of infantry (Colonel Preston's and Colonel Echol's) in the rear of the
battery, concealed from the enemy's view. One regiment (Colonel Harper's)
was placed on the right of the battery, and principally in the woods. One
regiment (Colonel Allen's) was placed on the left of the battery, and the re30




466                           APPENDIX.
maining one (Colonel Cummings') on the left of this. All the regiments had
instructions to charge the enemy with the bayonet so soon as he should appear
over the crest, and within about fifty yards.  Apprehensive lest my flank
should be turned, I sent orders to the colonels of cavalry to secure them. The
enemy continued to advance, but not being able to force our centre, its batteries inclined to the right, evidently for the purpose of securing an oblique
fire upon my front; but in so doing one of them approached so near my left
regiment, that the Colonel by charging with the bayonet captured the guns.
But in consequence of the severe small-arm fire of the enemy he was forced
to abandon them; but the battery was of no further service during the action, in consequence of the cannoneers having been driven off and the horses
killed. Finally, the onward movement of the enemy brought them so near.my battery and central regiments as to call for the free use of the bayonet,
and I accordingly ordered the charge to be made, which cut the enemy's centre, and thus separated his wings. A few moments more, and the field was
essentially in the possession of the brigade, and of other troops; though
both my flanks were turned by Federal forces. But by reposting the artillery
in rear, and giving a few shots, taken in connection with the small-arm fire
of other troops on my left, the victory was made complete. In the enemy's
first battery there were two rifled guns and one twelve-pounder howitzer.
The credit of taking these, so far as to prevent their being used by the
enemy, belongs exclusively to Colonel Cummings' regiment. There were six
other rifled guns which fell into the hands of the brigade, and a few other
troops, in the final charge.
Through the blessing of Providence, my brigade passed our retreating
forces, met the thus far victorious enemy, held him in check until re6nforcements arrived, and finally pierced his centre, and thus gave a fatal blow.
I am more than satisfied with the part performed by my brigade during the
action.
You must excuse my "not having written this letter in reply to yours"
earlier, but a slight wound (a broken finger) requires me to keep watching the
flies all the time. I received the wound during the last charge.. X 
In reading about the recent battle, you must observe that the term  "left
of our line" is used in two senses-one meaning the left of our fortified line,
and the other the left of our line of battle. The battle was fought principally to the left of the fortified line-that is, the armies in open battle met and
fought there. X * X
You will find that when my report shall be published, that the 1st brigade
was to our army what the Imperial Guard was to the First Napoleon-that,
through the blessing of God, it met the thus far victorious enemy and turned
the fortunes of the day.
Please let me hear from you soon.
Your much attached friend           T. J. JACKSON.




APPENDIX.                           4637
II.
EXTRACT FROM[ A LETTER WRITTEN BY CAPTAIN W. B. LEIGHS A FEW
DAYS AFTER THE BATTLE OF CHAKNELLORSVILLE.
*   -X  Jackson's corps had already commenced the flank movement
of which you have read. D. H. Hill's division, under Brigadier-General Rodes,
had gotten out of our way, and it had been followed by Trimble's division,
under Brigadier-General Colston.
We left the plank road at a point so near the enemy that his balls
whistled over our heads, and, marching from nine o'clock in the morning till
five o'clock in the evening —a distance of ten or twelve miles, through a dense
wilderness-formed ourselves at the other end of our detour, on the right
flank of the enemy, and not more than three or four miles from the point at
which we left the plank road. - A part of our.march was along a road in plain
view of the enemy, and under fire from one of his batteries, and why he did
not attack us I can hardly conjecture. I have understood that he believed
we were in full retreat to the southward. It is certain they never guessed our
real design, for their right flank was assailed by us when they so little expected
an attack, that many of their troops were cooking their suppers. Our manceuvre seems to me to have been one of the boldest, and its results prove it
to have been one of the most brilliant recorded in the annals of war. Arrived at the point of our destination, and having driven in the enemy's pickets,
General Jackson made his dispositions for the attack. My position on General
A. P. Hill's staff gave me an opportunity to learn the plan. It consisted simply in deploying D. H. Hill's and Colston's divisions on each side of the old
turnpike road leading to Chancellorsville, with one brigade of (I believe) D. H.
Hill's division deployed across the plank road, and the remaining brigades of
A. P. Hill's division marching by flank down the old turnpike.
Aides-de-camp and couriers were galloping up and down the road, and
through the woods, and across the fields, for some time before all the arrangements for the attack were complete. At length the troops were ordered
forward, and in a little time the dropping fire of skirmishers announced their
approach to the enemy. In a few minutes volley after volley of musketry, intermingled occasionally with the deep boom of the cannon, told us that the
battle had begun. The woods in front of us seemed filled with combatants,
but the musketry did not equal in volume or extent that which I have heard
elsewhere-Gaines' Mill, for instance. The sounds gradually receded before
us; our troops were evidently driving the enemy before them. This continued
from about six o'clock in the evening, when the attack commenced, until
about half-past nine o'clock.
In the mean time our troops had driven the enemy about three or four




468                          APPENDIX.
miles'toward Chancellorsville; they had run like sheep on' our approach,
throwing away their arms, knapsacks, haversacks, and every thing of which
they could divest themselves. They had been completely surprised, having
thrown up intrenchments to meet an attack from the front; but, as we assailed their right flank, their intrenchments were useless, and they abandoned
them. They had, it is true, barricaded the roads, and some of their intrenchnments were in the right direction to meet our attack; but neither barricades
nor intrenchments enabled them to delay our progress.  Our troops marched
in line of battle through woods filled with thick undergrowth, and across several ravines, at a rapid pace for several hours. The thick woods, the combat,
and the coming on of darkness, had deranged our lines, and brigades, and even
divisions, had gotten mixed together. In this state of things we nevertheless
pressed forward until we reached the brow of the declivity opposite to that
on which the tavern, etc., known as Chancellorsville, is situated. Here we
were met by the fire of a battery posted so as to enfilade the road, and General Jackson and General Hill rode forward for the purpose, as I suppose, of
making' arrangements for taking this battery. I accompanied General Hill as
he rode down the road toward the enemy's battery. At one point we were
subjected to a severe fire from the battery; but it slackened after awhile, and
we pursued our course. We soon passed our most advanced lines, when suddenly a musketry fire opened to our right in the woods. From whom this fire
proceeded I have never learned; but it seemed to serve as a signal for the
enemy'S battery to resume its fire. In an instant the road was swept by a
storm of grape and canister; the shells burst above, around, and amongst
us. General Hill, and his staff following him, turned back toward our lines,
and, as we approached them, we abandoned the road-which was, as I have
said, enfiladed by the enemy's battery-and turned off to our right into the
woods. Whether it was that our troops mistook us for a body of Federal
cavalry, or for some other reason, I do not know; but as we approached within fifteen or twenty paces of our lines, we were received with a blaze of fire.
This alone-without the fire from the enemy's battery, which still continuedrendered our situation a most perilous one; and it seemed as if we were all
doomed to destruction. I perceived that my only hope of escape was in getting to the ground, and lying so that I exposed as little of my person as possible to the fire of our men. I accordingly endeavored to dismount, but my
horse was rearing and plunging so violently that I could not do so. Just at
this time he was shot, as I judged from his frantic leaps, and whether he
threw me off of him, or whether I managed to get off myself, I am unable to
say; but I found myself lying on the grou-nd, and he rushed off. I received
a smart blow on tlhe side of my head, and put up my hand to feel if I was
wounded, but I found I was unhurt.  I lay on the ground for a short time,
until our troops discovered their error and ceased their fire, and then rose. I
saw a number of dead and dying men and horses around me, and a horse




APPENDIX.                           469
standing near me; I immediately mounted him, and rode about the woods to
see if I could find General Hill. I soon found him. WVe came out into the
road together at the point at which we had left it; and he informed me-or I
heard some one say-that he was going forward to see General Jackson, who
had been wounded. I perceived that almost all of his staff had disappeared:
Captain Forbes had been mortally wounded, Captain Howard had disappeared, and, as I have since learned, was taken prisoner by the enemy; one
of the couriers had been killed, another mortally wounded; another had disappeared, and is still missing; Captain Taylor had his horse shot under him;
Captains Adams and Hill alone had been neither wounded nor dismountedthe latter was absent on duty when we were fired upon.
We soon came up to where General Jackson was, and found him lying by
the side of the road under a little pine tree. General Hill directed:me to go
for a surgeon and an ambulance, and I hastened off for that purpose. I had
not gone more than one hundred yards, or thereabouts, whenI met General
Pender marching up the road with his brigade. I told him that General Hill
had sent me for a surgeon and an ambulance for General Jackson. He said
there was an assistant-surgeon, Dr. Barr, with his command, who was called
for and speedily appeared. Dr. Barr said that there was no ambulance within
a mile of the place, but that he had a litter with him. I hastened with Dr.
Barr and the litter-bearers back to where I had left General Jackson, and also
carried with me Captain Smith, General Jackson's aide-de-camp, who had ridden up, inquiring for the General. We had been with the General but a short
time when the enemy's battery again commenced to fire upon us. My horse
-the second horse-was shot, and I had to let him go. General Jackson
rose and walked a few yards, leaning on my arm. His left arm had been
broken above the elbow, and a ball had passed through his right hand. He
was, nevertheless, calm, and did not utter a groan. We had not gone far,
when, at my suggestion, he laid down on the litter, which we took up and
were carrying him along, when the cannonade became so terrific that the litterbearers abandoned the litter, leaving no one with General Jackson but Captain Smith and myself. We laid the General down in the middle of the road,
and lay down ourselves beside him. The road was perfectly swept by grape
and canister-a few minutes before it had been crowded with men and horses;
and now I could see no man or beast upon it but ourselves. After a little
time General Jackson again rose and walked a short distance to the rear, turning aside off the road-partly because the enemy's fire was mainly aimed at
the road, and partly because the road was again being encumbered with infantry and artillery, and it was easier to go through the woods. But he soon
became faint, and we again put him in the litter. I could not induce any of
the men whom I met to act as litter-bearers (and, by the. way, I had myself
carried the litter on after the General, when he undertook to walk a second
time), until I told them it was Genieral Jackson whom we wished them to




470                          APPENDIX.
carry. This I was reluctant to do, as we wished to conceal from the troops,
as long as possible, the fact of his having been wounded. As soon, however
as I mentioned his name, I found every one willing to aid us. We proceeded
in this way for about half a mile. As we were going through the woods, one
of the litter-bearers got his foot tangled in a grapevine anid fell, letting General Jackson fall on his broken arm. For the first time he groaned, and most
piteously-he must have suffered agonies; but he soon recovered his composure, and we again took the road to avoid a repetition of such an accident.
It was a long time before we got out of the space on which the fire of the
battery seemed to be concentrated; as long as we were within it, the shells
burst around us thick and fast; they seemed to fall like showers of falling
stars.
At length I met Dr. Whitehead, who, as I have since learned, had been
summoned when General Jackson was first found wounded. Dr. Whitehead
had procured an ambulance, in which the General was placed. At this time
he complained of great pain in the palm of his left hand. He had before repeatedly asked for spirits, of which we could procure none for a long time;
but at length Dr. Whitehead got a bottle. At M3r. Melzi Chancellor's we
stopped to get some water for the General, and here we were joined by Dr.
McGuire, chief surgeon of our corps, who took charge of him.
III.
NOTE TO PAGE 128.
The period of the incident here related is incorrectly given. Ashby's
horse was shot on Jackson's last retreat, just before the battles of Cross Keys
and Port Republic. The date of the event was accurately stated in the original MIS. of this work; but a very gallant officer who took a prominent part
in these scenes assured the writer that it occurred on thefirst retreat-his
memory misleading him. As Jackson's report was not then at hand, the
alteration was made. Circumstances connected with the publication of the
work prevent a remoulding of the statement; this note will sufficiently guard
the reader from an erroneous impression. The misstatement is not a serious
one; but truth is always important.
THE END.




HISTORY OF THE WORLD.
By PHILIP SMITH, B. A.
PLAN OF THE WORK.
SINCE Sir Walter Raleigh solaced his imprisonment in the Tower by
the composition of his "LHistory of the World," the Literature of
England has never achieved the work which he left unfinished. There
have been " Universal Histories," from the bulk of an encyclopoedia
to the most meagre outline, in which the annals of each nation are
separately recorded; but without an attempt to trace the story of
Divine Providence and human progress in one connected narrative.
It is proposed to supply this want by a work, condensed enough to
keep it within a reasonable size, but yet so full as to be free from the
dry baldness of an epitome.  The literature of Germany abounds
in histories,-such as those of Miiller, Schlosser, Karl von Rotteck,
Duncker, and others,-which at once prove the demand for such a
book, and furnish models, in some degree, for its execution. But even
those great works are somewhat deficient in that organic unity which
is the chief aim of this " History of the World."
The story of our whole race, like that of each separate nation, has
"a beginning, a middle, and an end." That story we propose to follow, from its beginning in the sacred records, and from the dawn of
civilization in the East,-through the successive Oriental Empires,the rise of liberty and the perfection of heathen polity, arts, and
literature in Greece and Rome,-the change which passed over the
face of the world when the light of Christianity sprung up,-the
origin and first appearance of those barbarian races which overthrew
both divisions of the Roman Empire,-the annals of the States which
rose on the Empire's ruins, including the picturesque details of
medieval history and the steady progress of modern liberty and civilization,-and the extersion of these influences, by discovery, conquest, colonization, and Christian missions, to the remotest regions of
the earth. In a word, as separate histories reflect the detached scenes
of human action and suffering, our aim is to bring into one view the
several parts which assuredly form one great whole, moving onwards,
under the guidance of Divine Providence, to the unknown end ordained in the Divine purposes.
Such a work, to be really useful, must be condensed into a moder.
ate compass; else the powers of the writer would be frittered away,
and the attention of the reader wearied out by an overwhelming bulk,
filled up with microscopic details. The more striking facts of history,
-the rise and fall of empires,-the achievements of warriors and
heroes,-the struggles of peoples for their rights and freedom,-the
conflict between priestcraft and religious liberty,-must needs stand
out on the canvas of such a picture with the prominence they claim
in the world itself. But they will not divert our attention from the
more quiet and influential working of scienco and art, social progress




HISTORY  OF THE WORLD.
and individual thought,-the living seed sown, and the fruit borne, in
the field broken up by those outward changes.
While special care will be bestowed on those periods and nations,
the history of which is scarcely to be found in any works accessible
to the general reader, the more familiar parts of history will be
treated in their due proportion to the whole work. It will be found,
we trust, by no means the least valuable part of the scheme,-thal
the portions of history which are generally looked at by themselves,
-those, for example, of Greece and Rome, and of our own country,
-will be regarded from a common point of view with all the rest: a
view which may, in some cases, modify the conclusions drawn by
classical partiality and national pride.
The spirit of the work,-at least if the execution be true to the
conception,-will be equally removed from narrow partisanship and
affected indifference. The historian, as well as the poet, must be in
earnest,
" Dower'd with the hate of hate, the scorn of scorn,
The love of love;"
but he must also be able to look beyond the errors, and even the
virtues, of his fellow-men, to the great ends which the Supreme Ruler
of events works out by their agency:-' "Yet I doubt not through the ages one increasing purpose runs,
And the thoughts of men are widen'd with the process of the suns."
No pains will be spared to make this history scholarlike in sub.
stance and popular in style. It will be founded on the best authorities, ancient and modern, original and secondary. The vast progress
recently made in historical and critical investigations, the results obtained from the modern science of comparative philology, and the
discoveries which have laid open new sources of information concerning
the East, afford such facilities as to make the present a fit epoch fox
our undertaking.
The work will be divided into three Periods, each complete in
itself, and will form Eight Volumes in Demy Octavo.
I.-ANCIENT HISTOnY, Sacred and Secular; from the Creation to the
Fall of the Western Empire, in A. D. 476. Two Volumes.
II. —MEDIEVAL HISTORY, Civil and Ecclesiastical; from the Fall of the
Western Empire to the taking of Constantinople by the Turks,
in A. D.. 1453. Two Volumes.
III.-M-ODERN HISTORY; from the Fall of the Byzantine Empire to
our own Times. Four Volumes.
It will be published in 8 vols., 8vo. Price in cloth  per vol.
Sheep        Volume 1 & 2 now ready.
NEW YORK: D. APPLETON & CO., Publishers.