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 COL. GEORGE WASHINGTON FLOWERS 
 MEMORIAL COLLECTION 
 
 TRINITY COLLEGE LIBRARY 
 HIRHAM. N.C. 
 
 Established by the family of 
 COL. GEORGE WASHINGTON ELOWERS 
 
 Date.. 
 
 mi- 
 
 
THE LIFE 
 
 OF- 
 
 m 
 
 FHOMAS J. JACKSON. 
 
 BY AN EX-CADET. 
 
 JCOSD EDITION, REVISED AND EVLAftGEfD PV T!ir lUTHOR^ 
 
 RICHMOND: 
 
 TAMES E/GOOP 
 
 1864. 
 
: «_ 
 
 Entered according to an act of Congress, 
 
 By JAMES E. GOO'DE, 
 
 In tne Clerk's Office of the. District Court of the Confederate States, 
 
 for the Eastern district of Virginia. 
 

 I 
 
 to 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL R. S. EWEIX, 
 
 this book: 
 
 is 
 
 DEDICATED. 
 
 i 
 
 317 
 
 Q 
 
* 
 
PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. 
 
 The success of the first edition of this work 
 has induced the publisher to undertake its repub- 
 lication. 
 
 The book has been carefully revised by the au- 
 thor, and considerably enlarged. In the absence 
 of official information, several errors unavoidably 
 entered into the original work. These have been 
 corrected in the present edition; and (it is believed) 
 the book has been very greatly improved. 
 
 Profoundly grateful for the success of the first 
 edition, the author offers to the public the work 
 in its present form, trusting for its success to the 
 same generous support that has sustained his past 
 labors. 
 
 Richmond, May 1, 1864. 
 
 o 1 7 t 
 
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. 
 
 * The materials from which this book has been prepared have been 
 .collected since June 1861, though for a different purpose. 
 
 Up»m the death of General Jackson, the author determined to pre- 
 pare a sketch of his life, a plan which he had had in contemplation 
 tor several months. He had fairly entered upon his task when he 
 learned that a distinguished Southern author was engaged in a 
 similar undertaking. 
 
 Believing, however, that there is room enough in the South for 
 two such books, he has continued his labor, and the result of it is 
 now offered to the public. 
 
 He had just put the work in press, when he was informed that 
 another life of General Jackson, and one which is to be more elab- 
 orate than any yet published, was being prepared by the Reverend 
 Doctor Dabney, formerly of General Jackson's staff. Feeling as- 
 sured, however, that there is still room for his book; he has perse- 
 vered and the work is at last ready. 
 
 He takes this opportunity of expressing his sincere wish that the 
 narratives of both Captain Cooke and Doctor Dabney may meet 
 with the same success that he desires for his own. 
 
 Many of the incidents related, came under, the immediate obser- 
 vation of the author, and the remainder are drawn from authentic 
 sources. 
 
 The book was completed and put in press on the 29th day of 
 May, but the failure to procure paper, and other difficulties hard to 
 overcome, have prevented its appearance at an earlier period. 
 
 October 1863. 
 
LIEUTENANT-GENERAL T. J. JACKSON 
 
THE LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 
 
 It would be difficult for any one to do justice to the 
 narration of such a life as that of Thomas J. Jackson — 
 a life pure and spotless as the dew of the morning ; 
 grand and glorious as the full blaze of the noontide sun. 
 To a stranger such a task must be an impossibility; and 
 even one who knew and loved him, may well pause in 
 ►dismay as he contemplates the magnitude of the task he 
 has imposed upon himself. Many will enter upon such 
 an undertaking: some with a desire to preserve to the 
 country and to the world a record of the services of a 
 good and great man ; others from more sordid motives 
 which in this age but too often invade the most sacred 
 places. Among these there is room for one who knew 
 and loved him, to offer his humble tribute to the glorious 
 dead ; and though that tribute may be imperfect, it will 
 the labor of love, and as such, it is hoped, 
 will prove acceptable to those to whom it is offered. 
 
10 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 General Jackson was of English descent. His great 
 grandfather John Jackson, and his great grandmother, 
 emigrated to this country at a very early day, and settled 
 upon the south bank of the Potomac. They did not re- 
 main there long, however, but soon removed to what is 
 now L swis county, in the western portion of "Virginia. 
 
 Their son Edward was surveyor of Harrison county, 
 and subsequently represented the county of Lewis in the 
 legislature for several years. 
 
 In early life, his son Jonathan Jackson, who was born 
 in Lewis county, moved to the town of Clarksburg in 
 Harrison county, for the purpose of studying law with 
 his cousin Judge John Cr. Jackson of that place. In due 
 time lie received his license and entered upon the prac- 
 tice of his profession with his cousin Judge Jackson. By 
 his practice he acquired some reputation and property, 
 and soon after entering upon his duties he married Miss 
 JSTcal, a daughter of Thomas Neal of Wood county. By 
 this lady he had four children — two sons and two daugh- 
 ters. • 
 
 Thomas Jonathan Jackson, the youngest of these 
 children, was born in the town of Clarksburg in Harrison* 
 county, on the 21st day of January 1824. When he was 
 scarcely three years old his father died, and his mother 
 soon followed. Before his death Mr. Jackson became 
 involved as security for some of his friends, and his pro- 
 perty was swept away. The children were thus left with- 
 out any means of support. 
 
 Shortly after the death of his parents, Thomas was 
 taken by an uncle to Lewis county. This uncle was liv- 
 ing on the farm on which the father of Thomas had been 
 born, and there the orphan boy remained until he reached 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 11 
 
 the age of seventeen years. During this period he spent 
 a portion of his time in working on the farm, and the re- 
 mainder in attending an old field school in the neighbor- 
 hood, where he received the rudiments of a plain English 
 education. 
 
 From his earliest childhood he exhibited a remarkable 
 degree of self-reliance and energy. He was quiet and 
 reserved, but kind and gentle in his feelings and man- 
 ners. He studied hard while at school, and was, prompt 
 and faithful in the discharge of his duties. These quali- 
 ties exhibited in a degree remarkable in one so young, 
 could not fail to attract the attention and win the admi- 
 ration of all with whom he was thrown. Nor were they 
 allowed to pass unrewarded. The people of Lewis wish- 
 ing to assist the young man so bravely struggling to raise 
 himself in the world, conferred upon him the office of 
 constable of the county when he was but sixteen years 
 old. He accepted the appointment, and in spite of his 
 extreme youth, discharged his new duties faithfully and 
 with ability. There are some persons in this -world to 
 whom God gives natures and characters older and ma- 
 turer than their years, and young Jackson was one of 
 these. 
 
 In his seventeenth year he solicited and received an 
 appointment as cadet in the military academy at AVcst 
 Point, and to accept this position, resigned the office of 
 constable. 
 
 It is related of him, upon what seems to be good au- 
 thority, that as soon as he heard that there was a vacancy 
 at West Point, he determined to secure it for himself. 
 He immediately set out and walked along distance through 
 rain and mud to a point from which he xjould take the 
 
12 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 stage to Washington city. Arriving there he sought out 
 Mr. Hays, the member of congress for his district, and 
 travel-stained and with his face flushed with excitement, 
 presented himself before him and told him that he wanted 
 the place at West Point then vacant. Astonished and 
 amused by such a request coming from one who seemed 
 so humble and so unsuited to such a position, Mr. Hays 
 entered into conversation with young Jackson and en- 
 deavored to dissuade him from trying to enter the West 
 Point academy. But the energetic youth was not to be 
 discouraged, and in the conversation evinced such a 
 marked degree of intelligence, that his application was 
 successful and he received the desired appointment. 
 
 He entered the military academy in 1842, and remained 
 there for four years. While a cadet he was noted for Ins 
 unwavering attention to his duties. His sense of duty 
 was always very high, and his performance of it most 
 faithful. It was necessary for him to study very hard. 
 His mind had not received the advantages of an early 
 education, and he had many difficulties to overcome. He 
 was never content with a partial knowledge of anything : 
 his mind never relaxed its grasp upon a subject until he 
 had thoroughly mastered it. 
 
 On the 1st of July 1846, Cadet Jackson graduated 
 with high distinction, and was brevetted second lieutenant 
 and assigned to duty with the first regiment of artillery 
 of the United States army. The war with Mexico had 
 begun, and there the young and the brave of the country, 
 and especially of the South, were hastening, burning 
 with a noble desire to distinguish themselves in the cause 
 of the country. 
 
 The regiment to which Lieutenant Jackson was as- 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 13 
 
 signed was already in Mexico with the army under Gene- 
 ral Taylor. As soon as he received his orders to join his 
 regiment in Mexico, he lost not a moment in proceeding 
 there, where he arrived late in the year 1846. It was 
 not his fortune to see any active service while under the 
 command of General Taylor, as that portion of the regi- 
 ment to which he was attached was not engaged in any 
 important operations. But the time which was thus af- 
 forded him for studying his new profession and duties 
 was not wasted in idleness. 
 
 Early in the year 1847, troops were drawn from Gene- 
 ral Taylor's army and sent to the island of Lobos, where 
 General Scott was organizing an expedition against the 
 city of Vera Cruz. Lieutenant Jackson was ordered to 
 that point with his battery. 
 
 On the 9th of March 1847, the army of General Scott, 
 landed near Vera Cruz, and on the next day began the 
 investment of the city. This work was begun by Gene- 
 ral Worth, and was carried on successfully. Batteries 
 commanding the city were erected and armed with siege 
 and naval guns. At last all was ready, and at four 
 o'clock on the afternoon of the 22d of March, the bom- 
 bardment began. 
 
 Lieutenant Jackson was assigned the command of one 
 of the batteries erected for the destruction of the devoted 
 city. Exposed to great hardships, he exhibited the most 
 unvarying cheerfulness, and, the object of a heavy fire, 
 he worked his guns with such skill and courage as to at- 
 tract the attention of the commanding general and re- 
 ceive his highest commendation. Eor his "gallant and 
 meritorious conduct" at the siege of Vera Cruz, he was 
 promoted to the rank of first lieutenant. 
 
14 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 After the fall of Vera Cruz, the army advanced to- 
 wards the city of Mexico. On the 18th of April the 
 battle of Cerro Gordo was fought and won. In this 
 action Captain John Bankhead Magruder, (who, like 
 Lieutenant Jackson, had been assigned to duty with the 
 heavy artillery), led the party that stormed the enemy's 
 works at Cerro Gordo. The Mexicans were driven from 
 their strong position. Captain Magruder was the first 
 artillery officer to enter the works. He captured a Mexi- 
 can field battery, which he turned and served with great 
 effect upon their flying columns. General Scott observ- 
 ing this, rode up to him and presented him with the guns, 
 which afterwards became so famous under the name of 
 " Magruder' '« light battery." 
 
 Lieutenant Jackson was very anxious to be transferred 
 from the heavy artillery service to a field battery ; and 
 as soon as he found that his friend, Captain Magruder, 
 had been placed in command of one, he bent every energy 
 to secure a transfer to that battery. In speaking of this 
 in after years, he remarked to a friend: "I wanted to 
 see active service. I wished to be near the enemy and 
 in the 'fight, and when I heard John Magruder had got 
 his battery, I bent all my energies to be with him, for I 
 knew if there was any fighting to be done, Magruder 
 would be on hand." 
 
 While Jackson was thus engaged, the army continued 
 to push on, and in August came within sight of the city 
 of Mexico. "From almost the same spot where, three 
 hundred years before, Cortes and his followers looked 
 down upon the distant halls of the Montezumas, the Ameri- 
 can army beheld the scenes which were soon to be made 
 famous by the gallant deeds they were to achieve there. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 15 
 
 The passes on the direct road to the city had been well 
 fortified and garrisoned by the Mexicans, but the coun- 
 try upon the flanks had been left unprotected because 
 their commanders deemed it utterly impossible for any 
 troops to pass over it and turn their positions. El Penon, 
 the most formidable of these, was rcconnoitered by the 
 engineers, who reported that it would cost at least three 
 thousand lives to carry it. Not wishing to make so great 
 a sacrifice of his troops, General Scott resolved to turn 
 the position instead of attacking it. Iieconnoisances of 
 the city of Mexico and its defences were ordered, and ! it 
 was discovered that the works on the south and west 
 were weaker than those at any other points. General 
 Scott now moved to the left, passed El Penon on the 
 south, and by the aid of a corps of skilful engineers, (fore- 
 most among whom stood Captain Robert E. Lee), moved 
 his army across ravines and chasms which the Mexican 
 commanders had pronounced impassable, and had left 
 almost entirely unguarded. General Twiggs led the ad- 
 vance, and halted and encamped at Chalco on the lake of 
 the same name. Worth followed, and passing Twiggs, 
 encamped at the town of San Augustin, eight miles from 
 the capital. As soon as Santa Anna found that the 
 Americans had turned El Pefion and advanced towards 
 the south side of the city, he left that fortress and took 
 position in the strong fort of San Antonio, which lay di- 
 rectly in front of Worth's new position, Northwest of 
 San Antonio, and four miles from the city, lay the little 
 village of Churubusco, which had been strongly fortified 
 by the Mexicans. A little to the west of San Augustin 
 was the fortified camp of Contreras with a garrison of 
 about six thousand men. In the rear was a reserve force 
 
16 Lii LL 
 
 of twelve thousand men lying between the camp and the 
 city. The whole number of Mexicans manning these de- 
 fences was about thirty-five thousand, with at least one 
 hundred pieces of heavy and light artillery. 
 
 General Persifer F. Smith was ordered to advance 
 with his brigade, (the 1st of the 2d division of regulars), 
 and carry the entrenched camp at Contreras, while 
 Shields and Pierce should move between the camp and 
 Santa Anna at San Antonio, and prevent him from going 
 to the assistance of the force at Contreras. At 3 o'clock 
 on the morning of the 20th of August 1847, the ex- 
 pedition set out and at daylight made the attack on 
 the entrenched camp, which was carried after several 
 hours hard fighting ; those of the enemy- who escaped 
 retreating to Churubusco. As soon as Contreras was 
 captured, the army advanced upon the works at Churu- 
 busco, and after a stubborn fight succeeded in driving 
 the enemy from them. 
 
 In these battles Lieutenant Jackson behaved most gal- 
 lantly, and was mentioned " for gallant services" in the 
 official report of General Twiggs. For his conduct in 
 these engagements he was brevetted captain, but this 
 promotion did not reach him until some time afterwards. 
 Lieutenant Jackson had obtained his transfer to the light 
 artillery service, and was ordered to report to Captain 
 Magrudcr. Of his conduct, Captain Magrudcr in his 
 official report, (which is, singularly enough, addressed to 
 Captain J. Hooker), speaks as follows : 
 
 " I reported to General Twiggs, and was ordered by 
 him to advance towards the enemy's battery. * * * 
 About 2 o'clock P. M., the battery was placed in front of 
 the enemy's entrenchments at the distance of about nine 
 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. IT 
 
 hundred yards. * * * My fire was opened * * * 
 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 farther in front, advanced in handsome 
 style, and beir 1 by me to the post so gallantly 
 
 filled by Lieutenant Johnstone,* 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 com- 
 mend him to major-general's favorable consideration." 
 
 After the death of Lieutenant Johnstone, Jackson be- 
 came first lieutenant of the battery, and filled that post 
 with skill and distinction. 
 
 On the 8th of September the battle of El Molino del 
 Rey was fought and won by the American army. 
 
 Having determined to carry the city of Mexico by 
 storm, General Scott gave orders for the final assault. 
 On the morning of the 13th September 1847, the attack 
 was begun, and by night the strong castle of Chapultepec 
 and the Belen and San Cosme gates of the city had been 
 carried by the American troops. Early the next morn- 
 ing (the 14th) the city was taken possession of. In the 
 actions which led to the capture of the city, Lieutenant 
 Jackson behaved with the most conspicuous gallantry, 
 and as a reward for his services was brevetted major. 
 
 In his official report of the battle of Chapultepec, 
 General Scott speaks of him as follows : 
 
 "To the north and at the base of the mound inaces- 
 
 * ThiL' officer had fallen a few minutes before. 
 
 3 
 
LIEUT 
 
 sible on that side, llic 11th infantry under Lieutenant- 
 colonel Herbert, and the 14th under Colonel Trousdale, 
 and Captain Magruder's field battery 1st artillery, one 
 section advanced under Lieutenant Jackson — all of Til- 
 low's division — had, at the same time, some spirited 
 affaii inst superior numbers, driving the enemy from 
 
 a lattery in the road and capturing a gun. In these the 
 officers and corps named gained merited praise. * * * * 
 Having turned the forest on the* west, and arriving oppo- 
 site- ta the north centre of Ohapul tepee, Worth came up 
 with the troops in the road under Colonel Trousdale, and 
 aided by a Hank movement of a part of Garland's brigade, 
 in taking the one gun breastwork, then under fire of 
 Lieutenant Jackson's section of Magruder's battery." 
 
 In the official report of General Worth, I find the fol- 
 lowing complimentary notice of the brave young artille- 
 rist : 
 
 u After advancing some four hundred yards we came to 
 a battery which had been assailed by a portion of Ma- 
 gruder'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 chi- 
 valrously at his post combatting with noble courage." 
 
 In closing his report, General Worth tenders his ac- 
 knowledgments to Lieutenant Jackson "for gallant con- 
 duct." 
 
 General Pillow says : 
 
 " I had placed Colonel Trousdale with the 11th and 
 1 1th regiments, and one section of Magruder's battery, 
 under command of Lieutenant Jackson, on the road lead- 
 ing on the left of Chapultepcc to the city, with instruc- 
 tions to advance on that road. * * .* ;.* Magruder's 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 19 
 
 field battery engaged a battery and a large force of the 
 enemy in the road immediately on the west of Chapulte- 
 pec. The advanced section of the battery, under the 
 command of the brave Lieutenant Jackson, was dread- 
 fully cut up and almost disabled. * * * * 
 Captain MGgruder'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 entrenched positions, did invaluable 
 service preparatory to the general assault." 
 
 The account given in the report of Captain Magrudcr 
 is more complete, and I give it entire, as nearly as pos- 
 sible. This report embraces descriptions of events which 
 occurred on the 8th, 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th of Sep- 
 tember. It is as follows : 
 
 " On the 8th instant at daylight, I was directed by 
 Major-general Pillow to move rapidly from the hacienda, 
 near Mixcoac, through Tacubaya, to support, if necessary, 
 Major-general Worth's division, then fiercely engaged 
 with the enemy near Chapultepcc. This order was com- 
 plied with, and I arrived on the field in time to witness 
 the defeat of the enemy * * and to assist in 
 
 driving off a large body of cavalry which threatened our 
 left flank and rear ; the latter was /lone by a few well 
 directed shots from the section under the immediate com- 
 mand of Lieutenant Jackson. * * * On 
 the 9th the division occupied the village of La Piedad, in 
 front of which a section under command of Lieutenant 
 Jackson was placed ; another being on the Piedad road. 
 Finding that Lieutenant Jackson's section was nearer the 
 enemy's lines, and that no attack would probal 
 place on the Piedad road, I took my post, on the 10th, 
 
 S, ^*r : V 
 
20 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 with this advanced section, retaining with me Lieuten- 
 ant Jackson. * On the morning of 
 the 13th, I was directed by Major-general Pillow com- 
 manding, to place the latter section, under command of 
 Lieutenant Jackson, at the opposite angle — that is, on 
 the left flank of Chapultepec. * * • * As 
 soon as our storming parties advanced sufficiently near 
 the enemy to render my fire dangerous to our own troops, 
 I received orders to join the other section of the battery 
 at the left angle, and holding it in hand until the main 
 work was carried, to dash forward upon the retreating 
 foe. On reaching the spot where Lieutenant Jackson's 
 section ought to have been, I found Lieutenant-colonel 
 Herbert with but seventy men threatened seriously by 
 the approach of a large body of infantry and cavalry. 
 I had determined to leave one piece at this point and to 
 unite the other with Lieutenant Jackson's section, when 
 I received a message from him requesting a reinforce- 
 ment of old troops. Genera] • near, I com- 
 municated with him, and was ordered to withdraw Lieu- 
 tenant Jackson's section to the angle above mentioned. 
 As I rode up into this section I was dismounted by a 
 grapeshot, but without material injury, and succeeded in 
 finding Lieutenant Jackson, whose section was, however, 
 so situated as to render it more unsafe to return than to 
 remain where it was. * * ;: Lieutenant 
 Jackson reports that he was ordered to that position by 
 Colonel Trousdale of the 14th infantry, under whose 
 command he had fallen ; that on finding a battery of the 
 enemy supported by a large force of infantry within short 
 range of him across the road, he fired as soon as lie could 
 bring a piece into battery, and drove the enemy from the 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 21 
 
 piece and work, after which the infantry entered it. When 
 I arrived, Lieutenant Jackson was still in the advance, 
 having caused a piece to be lifted by hand over the ditch. 
 I detached instantly a few men to disentangle and bring 
 up the disabled piece ; and passing the ditch, now nearly 
 filled up by the infantry, soon overtook Lieutenant Jack- 
 son, who had fired several times upon the enemy's re- 
 treating columns before my arrival. ' * I beg 
 leave to call the attention of the major-general command- 
 ing the division to the conduct of Lieutenant Jackson of 
 the 1st artillery. If devotion, industry, talent and gal- 
 lantry are the highest qualities of a soldier, then he is 
 entitled to the distinction which their possession confers. 
 I have been ably seconded»in all the operations of the 
 battery by him ; and upon this occasion, when circum- 
 stances placed him in command for a short time of an in- 
 dependent section, he proved himself eminently worthy 
 of it," 
 
 \ Among the many traditions concerning Lieutenant 
 Jackson's exploits in the war with Mexico, which arc 
 preserved with the most scrupulous fidelity by the cadets 
 of the Military Institute, is one relating to his conduct 
 in the battle of Chapultepec. I give it as it is told there. 
 Lieutenant Jackson had been placed, with his section 
 of the battery, in front of a formidable battery of the 
 enemy which was protected by a breastwork. His sec- 
 tion had suffered fearfully from the enemy's fire, and he 
 had lost many men. Many of those who remained un- 
 hurt, were endeavoring to shelter themselves from the 
 terrible fire which the enemy was hurling upon them. 
 Lieutenant Jackson and a sergeant remained by one of 
 the guns loading and firing as coolly as if they had been 
 
22 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 only at artillery practice. While in this situation, Cap- 
 tain Magruder arrived with orders from General AV orth 
 to remove the section. *This was found to be impracti- 
 cable. The men were called to their guns again, assist- 
 ance was sent forward by General Worth, and the battery 
 advanced nearer to the enemy's works, not for an instant 
 slackening its fire. The enemy abandoned the work and 
 fled, and the American troops including Jackson's com- 
 mand, entered and took possession of it. 
 
 In 1858 the graduating class at the Military Institute 
 resolved to ascertain the truth of the story by question- 
 ing Major Jackson himself. Accordingly one of them 
 related the incident as he. had heard it, and turning to 
 Major Jackson, asked : 
 
 "Is it true, major?" 
 
 Major Jackson smiled quietly and replied that it was. 
 
 " That was a very hot place, was'nt it, major ?" asked 
 another of the class. 
 
 " Yes, sir — very hot," was the answer. 
 
 " Why didn't you run, major ?" asked a third abruptly. 
 
 A suppressed laugh ran around the class. Major Jack- 
 son smiled and 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." 
 
 The reply was eminently characteristic of the gallant 
 soldier. Duty was with him the first thought ;, and in 
 the performance of it no obstacle was too great to be 
 overcome. 
 
 It is related also of him, that during the time his sec- 
 tion was exposed to the fire of the enemy, while his men 
 were trying to shelter themselves from the storm of balls 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 23 
 
 which swept around them, paying no attention to his re- 
 monstrances, he walked out into the road, and pacing up 
 and down before his guns exposed to the heavy fire, called 
 to the men — " Come back to your guns. This is nothing. 
 Don't you see they can't hurt me?" 
 
 The capture of the city of Mexico struck a death blow 
 to the power of the enemy. Shortly afterwards peace 
 was declared and the army returned to the United States. 
 
 This for awhile closed the military career of Major 
 Jackson, which, tfiough short, had been most brilliant. 
 He had joined the army in Mexico late in 1846, an un- 
 known brevet second lieutenant of artillery, with nothing 
 to depend upon for promotion but his individual efforts, 
 and in the brief campaign from Vera Cruz to the city of 
 Mexico, had reached the high rank of major — a series of 
 promotions unequalled by those of any other person con- 
 nected with the army of General Scott. 
 
 The severe service through which he passed in Mexico, 
 together with the climate of that country, had so im- 
 paired the health of Major Jackson, that shortly after 
 the close of the war he was forced to resign his commis- 
 sion in the army and retire to private life. 
 
 In 1851 he applied for and received the appointment 
 of professor of natural and experimental philosophy and 
 astronomy and the post of instructor of artillery at the 
 Military Institute of Virginia, situated near the town of 
 Lexington in the county of Rockbridge.* He immedi- 
 ately entered upon the discharge of his duties and re- 
 mained at the Institute until the year 1861. 
 
 * It has been said that Major Jackson received Lis appointmeut in 
 1852. Gen. Smith, superintendent of the V. M.I., states that the ap- 
 pointment was made in March 1851. 
 
 x 
 
24 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 While living in Lexington he made a profession of re- 
 ligion and connected himself with the Presbyterian 
 church, having for his pastor that good old man, the Rev. 
 Dr. White. After connecting himself with the church, 
 Major Jackson became an active and prominent member 
 of it, and filled successively and almost during the entire 
 period of his residence in Lexington, important secular 
 positions in it. His zeal and activity in the cause of 
 religion were always among his most striking character- 
 istics, but while he labored constantly, he labored quietly 
 and modestly. 
 
 Shortly after his removal to Lexington, he married 
 Miss Junkin, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Junkin, 4;he presi- 
 dent of Washington college. The lady did not long sur- 
 vive her marriage. By this union Major Jackson had 
 one child, a daughter, who died in infancy. Several 
 years after the death of his first wife, he married Miss 
 Morrison of North Carolina, who is still living. By this 
 second marriage he had one child, a daughter, born a few 
 months before his death. 
 
 The life of Major Jackson, while a professor at the 
 Institute, was marked by very little of importance. It 
 was quiet and peaceful, but always useful. For nearly 
 ten years he continued patiently and humbly to implant 
 in the minds and hearts of the youth of Virginia who 
 were placed under his charge, those teachings which have 
 since enabled them to win for themselves immortal fame, 
 and to serve their country so well in her hour of need. 
 The Military Institute of Virginia has furnished to the 
 South a number of most able and accomplished officers, 
 and who shall say that the hand of God did not place 
 Major Jackson in his humble position in order that he 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 25 
 
 might aid in preparing the youth of his native state for 
 the trials and services which were one day to be required 
 of them.* 
 
 Major Jackson was not as popular among the cadets as 
 were some of the other professors ; but none possessed in 
 such an exalted degree their respect and deference. He 
 was quiet and sometimes stern in his deportment. He 
 had many little peculiarities which were by the cadets 
 deemed wonderful. His quiet, blunt manner was con- 
 sidered b}' them a species of eccentricity ; and the pecu- 
 liar style in which he gave his commands when at drill 
 with the battery, (that long, drawling style so common to 
 regular officers), never failed to provoke a laugh. In the 
 section room he would sit perfectly erect and motionless, 
 holding his pencil in one hand and his class book in the 
 other, 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 ob- 
 servation. The course he taught was the most difficult 
 and complicated known to mathematics, running through 
 at least half a dozen text books. In listening to a reci- 
 tation he very rarely used a book. He was ready at any 
 
 •-Accompanying the annual report of Adjutant-general Richardson 
 to the general assembly of Virginia, is a document entitled " Memo- 
 rial of the eleves of the Virginia Military Institute, in the war of in- 
 dependence of the Confederate States of America, 18G1-62." It pre- 
 sents a list of the graduates of that institution who have entered the 
 service, the positions they hold, and the fates of those who have been 
 wounded or killed in battle. Prom this it appears that they consist 
 as follows : 
 
 Brigadier-generals, 8; colonels, 57j lieutenant-colonels, 42; majors, 
 45; captains, 110; lieutenants, 7V ; volunteer privates ll.-.^of general 
 and regimental staff, 81. Tot; '. 133 
 
26 lieutenant-general 
 
 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. Sometimes he would 
 startle his classes with questions the most irrelevant to 
 the subject of the recitation and which very few were able 
 to answer. The following incident may serve to illustrate 
 this : one morning in 1858 he called up a member of the 
 graduating class and propounded the following question : 
 
 " Why is it impossible to send a telegraphic dispatch 
 from Lexington to Staunton?" 
 
 The cadet seemed surprised at being asked such a ques- 
 tion, but endeavored to account for the difficulty by sta- 
 ting that the iron in the mountains would draw the mag- 
 netic current from the wires. 
 
 A smile passed over the major's features, and he cut 
 him short in his explanation with : 
 
 "No, sir. You can take your seat." 
 
 Another was called up, and he was equally unable to 
 shed any light upon the mystery. Another shared the 
 .same fate, and another still, and all the while Major Jack- 
 son evinced in his quiet way the greatest amusement at 
 the perplexity of the unfortunate individuals. At last 
 question had gone nearly around the class. A young 
 man, whose humor and audacity had ■ made him famous 
 among his comrades, was called up and asked to explain 
 the matter. For awhile he, too, seemed completely non- 
 plussed ; but then his countenance suddenly brightening, 
 he turned to the major and exclaimed slyly : 
 
 "Well, major, I reckon it must be because there is no 
 telegraph between the two places !" 
 
 " You arc right, sir," said Major Jackson, now as grave 
 as a judge. " You can take your seat." 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 27 
 
 A shout of laughter greeted this remark, and the major 
 looked on as calmnly as if nothing had happened, and 
 when order was restored, returned to the subject of the 
 recitation with the most perfect coolness. 
 
 His even temper was sorely tried by the annoyance to 
 which the cadets subjected him. It was their greatest 
 delight to worry the professors — especially " Old Jack," 
 as he was familiarly called. The drill battery was man- 
 aged by drag ropes, which .were manned by the junior 
 classes ; the first and second classes acting as officers 
 and cannoniers. At drill the cadets detailed to act as 
 horses, would play all kinds of pranks upon him. Some- 
 times a lynch pin would be taken from the axle of one of 
 the gun carriages, and the wheel would of course run off,, 
 and the carriage, caisson or limber, as the case might be, 
 break down. Again, some one would hang a small bell 
 inside of the limber box, and this would tinkle merrily 
 whenever the battery would move off, causing the cadets 
 to break into shouts of laughter. Major Jackson would 
 halt the battery and examine every piece, but could never 
 discover where the bell was concealed, and not finding it, 
 would order the pieces to move forward; but no sooner 
 would they move off, than the bell would begin again 
 its merry tinkle, causing renewed shouts of laughter. 
 Again, the officers would mimic the manner in which he 
 gave his commands. One movement was an especial 
 favorite with him — that of bri : the battery into 
 
 echelon; and whenever the command to form echelon, 
 with its usual accompaniment, "right oblique, trot, 
 march!" was given, the whole parade ground would ring 
 with the commands of the cadet oi uttered in 
 
 most rediculously drawling manner. One evening when 
 
28 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 this had been carried to a great excess, to the infinite 
 amusement of the corps, the adjutant approached Major 
 Jackson and asked him how he was pleased with the drill. 
 
 Very much, sir," replied the major. Then he added, 
 with a sly smile : " the officers gave very fine commands 
 this afternoon." 
 
 The artillery drills were very uninteresting to the 
 corps, unless cartridges were issued. Then I have never 
 seen any of the famous Light batteries of either the 
 federal or confederate armies excel them in proficiency 
 of drill or rapidity of movements. 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 nostrals 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. Per- 
 haps he was thinking of the scenes through which he 
 had passed in that far-oil" land, with whose history his 
 name is so imperishably connected. 
 
 No one for an instant doubted Major Jackson's skill 
 and talants, (indeed the proofs, of them were too constant 
 and striking to leave room for doubt,) but he sometimes 
 made some laughable mistakes, at which none seemed 
 more amused than himself. 
 
 Upon one occasion he informed one of his classes that 
 the clock in front of the Institute did not give the right 
 time, and declared his intention to correct it. He accor- 
 dingly led the class out upon the parade ground, and 
 arranging his instruments, prepared to take his observa- 
 tions for the purpose of ascertaining the true time. He 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 29 
 
 finished his work about half-past twelve o'clock in the 
 afternoon, and to his great astonishment discovered that 
 it was nearly seven in the evening. The announcement 
 of the result created a great deal of merriment, in which 
 he joined. It was afterwards discovered that the instru- 
 ment used was out of order, and the observations were 
 necessarily incorrect. 
 
 A cadet was once dismissed from the Institute in con- 
 sequence of a charge being brought and sustained against 
 him by Major Jackson. Filled with rage he vowed re- 
 venge ; and arming himself, took his position on the road 
 leading from the Institute into *Lexino;ton about the time 
 Major Jackson usually passed by on his way to meet his 
 classes, intending to shoot him whenever he should ap- 
 pear. A friend heard of this, and meeting Major Jack- 
 son on his way to the Institute, warned him of his danger 
 and urged him to turn back. This he refused to do, say- 
 ing — " Let the assassin murder me, if he will !" esteem- 
 ing his duty more important than his life. When he 
 reached the place where the young man was waiting for 
 him, he turned to him and gazed calmly at him. The 
 young man turned away in silence, and Major Jackson 
 continued his walk. It was always with him a matter of 
 unpleasantness to be compelled to bring charges against 
 a cadet, and he would seek by every means in his power, 
 consistent with his duty, to avoid such a necessity. When 
 the cadet battery "was in Charlestown during the " John 
 Brown war," \\6 chanced to see in front of one of the 
 hotels, a number of cadets, some of whom had been 
 making very free with the mean whiskey of the place. 
 Suspecting this, Major Jackson turned down a cross street 
 and avoided passing the group. Had he recognized the 
 
30 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 offenders, they would have been dismissed, and he wished 
 to avoid seeing them in order that he might not be forced 
 to report them. 
 
 It was a fact well known among the cadets, that he 
 made fewer reports than any other professor, and that 
 his reports were the most difficult to have removed. The 
 reason of this is obvious. He was always accessible and 
 ever ready to render assistance to those who needed it. 
 He would take any amount of trouble to aid his pupils in 
 mastering the difficulties which presented themselves to 
 them. But no one could be at all familiar with him. His 
 reserve, which many persons called coldness, prevented 
 this. Yet no one could withhold the admiration and 
 esteem which such a nature as his could not fail to com- 
 mand. A kinder, more generous and a nobler spirit was 
 never placed within a human breast than that which 
 glowed within the heart of Major Jackson. 
 
 Punctuality and promptness were among his most stri- 
 king characteristics, and he never neglected an opportu- 
 nity to commend the exhibition of these qualities by other 
 persons. I never knew him to be late but once. It is the 
 custom of the Institute to celebrate with great pomp the 
 11th of November, (the anniversary of its establishment). 
 Upon this day a salute is always fired at sunrise. It was 
 Major Jackson's duty to superintend the salute firing. 
 Upon one occasion he chanced to oversleep himself, and did 
 not reach the Institute until after the adjutant of the corps 
 had fired the salute. The latter officer, when he saw Major 
 Jackson, expected to receive a severe reprimand for 
 firing the guns before the arrival of his superior. Major 
 Jackson, however, at once commended his promptness in 
 firing the salute, and explained the cause of his delay. 
 
TIIOMAS J. JACKSON. SI 
 
 General Smith, the superintendent of the Institute, in 
 speaking of his punctuality, says he has known him fre- 
 quently to pace the yard in front of headquarters, in the 
 roughest weather, rather than be too late to. attend to 
 whatever business might call him there. 
 
 In 1859, when the "John Brown raid" occurred, Ma- 
 jor Jackson was ordered to Charlestown with the cadet 
 battery, where he remained until after the execution. 
 Those who witnessed that event will not fail to remember 
 the attention he attracted as he rode out of the town in 
 command of the battery on the morning of the 2nd of 
 December. While there ho gave more than his usual at- 
 tention to the training of the cadets. Every morning he 
 exercised them at the guns and in the school of the battery 
 over one of the most rugged sections of country in the state. 
 
 In 1861, when the proclamation of Abraham Lincoln 
 forced the South to fly to arms in defence of her rights, 
 Major Jackson was ordered by Governor Letcher to repair 
 to Richmond and take command of the " Camp of instruc- 
 tion," located at the " Fair grounds" near the city. On 
 the 20th of April he left Lexington, and as soon as he 
 reached Richmond, entered upon the discharge of his du- 
 ties. He was commissioned a colonel in the state forces — 
 this being the first colonel's commission issued by tho 
 state. As soon as he had taken charge of " Camp Lee," 
 he bent every energy to accomplish the task of organi- 
 zing and disciplining the large bodies of raw troops that 
 were flocking in daily from all portions of the state. He 
 did not remain long in this position, as his services were 
 needed at another point. 
 
 The confederate government seeing that Virginia was 
 to be the theatre of war, began very early to pour its 
 
32 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 troops into that state. The most important places were 
 occupied and fortified. Among these was the town of 
 Harpers Ferry, which was built upon a point of land at 
 the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. 
 This being considered a place of great importance, a 
 force was collected there, and Colonel Jackson assigned 
 the command. On the 2d of May 1861, he took com- 
 mand at Harpers Ferry and began to place the post in a 
 state of defence. On the 23d of May he was relieved, 
 and succeeded by General Joseph E. Johnston. " The 
 force at that point then consisted of nine regiments and 
 two battalions of infantry, four companies of artillery 
 with sixteen pieces, without caissons, harness or horses, 
 and about three hundred cavalry — they were of course 
 undisciplined — several regiments without accoutrements, 
 and with an entirely inadequate supply of ammunition."* 
 
 Colonel Jackson was assigned the command of the 1st 
 brigade of the army of the Shenandoah, (as N the force 
 under General Johnston was styled), and while at Har- 
 pers Ferry, rendered great assistance to his commanding 
 general. 
 
 Having collected a large number of troops, the fede- 
 ral government prepared for the opening of the campaign 
 in northern Virginia. On the Potomac line they held 
 the town of Alexandria, from which they threatened 
 General Beauregard's army at Manassas, and a strong 
 column under Major-general Patterson, was advancing 
 through Maryland towards Harpers Ferry. 
 
 Colonel (now major-general) Stuart was ordered by 
 General Johnston to observe the shore of the Potomac 
 
 * Gen. Johnston's report. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 33 
 
 and report the movements of Patterson's column, which 
 duty he performed with great skill and success. Colonel 
 (now lieutenant-general) A. P. Hill, with three regiments 
 of infantry, was sent to Romney to observe, and if pos- 
 sible check the movements of General McClellan, who 
 was reported marching from Western Virginia towards 
 the Valley for the purpose of uniting his forces with those 
 of General Patterson. It was of the greatest importance 
 to prevent the junction of these columns, should such a 
 step be contemplated. 
 
 Patterson was reported at or near "Willi amsport, and 
 it was evidently his intention to cross the Potomac. 
 
 As soon as he was convinced that the enemy were 
 about to enter Virginia, General Johnston evacuated 
 Harpers Ferry, which he had held for the purpose of 
 drawing them over the river, and moved towards Mar- 
 tinsburg, upon which point the enemy were advancing. 
 He marched rapidly, but when he reached the neighbor- 
 hood of Martinsburg, found that the enemy, having been 
 informed of his approach, had retired across the Poto- 
 mac. General Johnston now marched to Winchester. 
 . On the 20th of June he sent Colonel Jackson, with his 
 brigade, to the neighborhood of Martinsburg to watch 
 the enemy and check their advance. While there, Colo- 
 nel Jackson, in obedience to orders, entered the town of 
 Martinsburg and destroyed such of the rolling stock and 
 other property of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad as he 
 could not bring away. " A number of locomotives and 
 cars were successfully carried to Winchester, but more 
 than forty of the largest and finest engines, with others, 
 old and disabled, and nearly three hundred box and plat- 
 form and iron cars were destroyed." The road was torn 
 
 5 
 
34 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 up and the bridges destroyed for some distance ; thus in- 
 flicting a serious loss upon the enemy. 
 
 On Thursday, 2d July 1861, the federal army under 
 General Patterson, crossed the Potomac a second time, 
 at "Williamsport, and moved towards Martinsburg. As 
 soon as he was informed of this, Colonel Jackson broke 
 up his camp, which was located about two miles north of 
 the town, and advanced to meet the enemy. Having 
 proceeded a short distance he halted his brigade, and de- 
 taching a part of the 5th Virginia regiment, (Harper's), 
 a small portion of Col. Stuart's cavalry, and one gun 
 from Pendleton's battery, in all about 380 men, moved 
 forward towards the Potomac to reconnoitre the enemy's 
 position and ascertain his strength. Arriving near Fall- 
 ing Waters, he found the federal troops drawn up in line 
 of battle. This force consisted of Patterson's advanced 
 brigade under Brigadier-general George Cadwallader, 
 and numbered between three and five thousand men, with 
 a fine battery of field artillery. The action was opened 
 by a dash of two companies of Stuart's cavalry upon that 
 portion of the enemy's forces which was the first to ar- 
 rive upon the field. As soon as he came up with the main 
 body, Colonel Jackson, skilfully taking a position which 
 enabled him to conceal the smallness of his force, at once 
 engaged the enemy. The battle began at 9 o'clock in 
 the morning and was fought with great vigor for an hour, 
 when the firing grew more gradual, and continued so until 
 the close of the engagement. About 12 o'clock, Colonel 
 Jackson, finding that the enemy were making great efforts 
 to outflank him, which the superiority of their force 
 would onable them to do, drew off his men and retired to 
 his main body; the enemy making no attempt at a pur- 
 
• THOMAS J. JACKSON. 35 
 
 suit. Having rejoined his main column, he-continued his 
 retreat through Martinsburg and halted at a little place 
 called Darkcsvillc, about four miles south of the town, 
 where he was joined by General Johnston, who had ad- 
 vanced to his support with the army of the Shenandoah. 
 
 In this affair, Colonel Jackson lost two killed and ten 
 wounded. The enemy lost a large number killed and 
 wounded, and forty-five taken prisoners. This has al- 
 ways been justly regarded as one of the most brilliant 
 exploits of the Avar. With a mere handful of men, Colo- 
 nel Jackson had, for three hours, held in check a force of 
 ten times his own numbers, had repulsed every attack 
 made upon him, had inflicted a severe loss upon the enemy 
 and had impressed them so deeply with a sense of his 
 skill and strength, that they had allowed him to retire 
 unmolested. It was a severe blow for an invading army, 
 composed entirely of raw troops, to meet with such a de- 
 cided check from so small a force upon their first entrance 
 into ai hostile country. Surely it must have impressed 
 them most deeply with the conviction that the task of 
 conquering the South would be anything but child's 
 play. 
 
 General Patterson telegraphed to Washington that his 
 army had "routed and put to flight ten thousand of the 
 rebels." The defeat, however,. was too plain to be smoth- 
 ered over by such a bare-faced lie, and a telegram soon 
 afterwards appeared in a Louisville paper, which stated 
 that the federals had " evidently nothing encouraging to 
 communicate." 
 
 General Johnston waited four days for General Patter- 
 son, who had occupied Martinsburg, to come out and give 
 him battle ; but that officer declined doinp- so. The les- 
 

 36 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 son taught him at Falling "Waters was not without its 
 effect. He was in no hurry to meet the men who had 
 given him such a decided check as that which he had ex- 
 perienced on the 2d of July. Finding that General Pat- 
 terson would not come out and fight him, General John- 
 ston fell back to Winchester. 
 
 A few days after the arrival of the army at Winches- 
 ter, Colonel Jackson received the commission of briga- 
 dier-general in the provisional army of the Confederate 
 States. This promotion was intended as a reward for his 
 valuable services during the war. but especially his con- 
 duct at Falling Waters. The promotion was richly mer- 
 ited and gave great satisfaction to the army. 
 
 The 1st brigade of the army of the Shenandoah, com- 
 manded by General Jackson, consisted of the 2d, 4th, 5th, 
 27th and Sod Virginia regiments, and Pendleton's light 
 battery. A finer body of troops never marched to battle. 
 They were proud of their gallant commander, and it was 
 not long before this feeling of pride was changed to one 
 of almost idolatry. General Jackson was kind to and 
 careful of his men, never neglecting anything that could 
 contribute to their comfort. He at all times preserved 
 the most rigid discipline among them, and this was in a 
 great measure the cause of their wonderful success. 
 
 One of his most striking characteristics was his great 
 attention to details. He neglected nothing that could 
 contribute to the comfort or safety of his men or the 
 success of his undertakings. On the march he was gen- 
 erally near his wagon trains, superintending in person 
 their movements. The following incident is related of 
 him : Upon one occasion, one of his wagons stuck fast 
 in a mud hole; the wagoners were cursing and belaboring 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 6i 
 
 the mules without making any effort to prize the wagon 
 out of the hole. At this moment General Jackson hap- 
 pened to ride up. Seeing the difficulty he at once dis- 
 mounted from his old sorrel, and taking a rail from a 
 neighboring fence, went to work in good earnest to place 
 the wagon on dry ground. Instantly the wagoners ceased 
 cursing and put their shoulders to the wheel to help the 
 general. In a short time the wagon was safely landed on 
 solid ground, and then General Jackson superintended 
 the filling up of the hole in order to allow the rest of 
 the train to pass by in safety. 
 
 He fully appreciated the power of his example, and 
 never lost sight of the importance of giving his personal 
 attention to the minutest detail. 
 
 On the 18th of July, General Johnston began his cele- 
 brated march from Winchester to Manassas. Jackson's 
 brigade led the advance, and upon arriving at Piedmont 
 on the Manassas gap railroad, was embarked on the cars, 
 and, together with Bee's and Bartow's brigades, sent 
 forward to Manassas. 
 
 General Jackson readied Manassas on the 20th of 
 July, and was ordered to station himself on the lines of 
 Bull run, in the rear of Blackburn's and Mitchell's fords, 
 in order that he might be enabled to support either Gene- 
 ral Longstreet at the former, or General Bonham at the 
 latter point, as the occasion might require.* 
 
 " x The Rev. Dr. Moore, of Richmond, in a sermon in memory of Jack- 
 son, narrates the following incident: 
 
 "Previous to the first battle of Manassas, when the troops under 
 Stonewall Jackson had made a forced March, on halting at ni^ht 
 they fell on the ground exhausted and faint. The hour arrived for 
 setting the watch for the night. The officer of the day went to the 
 
o 
 
 8 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 The enemy having determined. to endeavor to turn the 
 left flank of the confederate army, began their attack at 
 half-past live o'clock on the morning of the 21st July, 
 upon Colonel Evans position at the " Stone bridge." A 
 few hours later, Colonel Evans being satisfied as to their 
 intentions, moved farther to the left, and changing his 
 • front, awaited their attack. They soon appeared, and 
 the battle began at quarter to ten o'clock. Evans' little 
 band, though assailed by overwhelming numbers, held 
 their ground firmly until the arrival of General Bee with 
 reinforcements. The battle continued to rage. In about 
 an hour General Bee, in order to avoid being outflanked 
 by the enemy, who were pressing upon him from all 
 points, fell back towards the Henry house. 
 
 About seven o'clock in the morning, General Jackson 
 was ordered to move with his brigade, together with Im- 
 boden's and five pieces of Walton's batteries, and guard 
 the intervals between Bonham's left and Cocke's right, 
 and to support either in case of need — the character and 
 topographical features of the country being shown to him 
 by Captain Harris of the engineers. Shortly afterwards 
 Imboden's guns were sent forward with General Bee to 
 the assistance of Colonel Evans. Soon after this, Gene- 
 ral Jackson moved to the support of General Bee, who 
 was sorely pressed by the dense masses of the enemy 
 
 general's tent and said ' Genera], the men are all wearied, and there 
 is not one but is asleep. Shall I wake them ?' 'No/ said the noble 
 Jackson, 'let them sleep, and I will watch the camp to-night.' And 
 all night long he rode lound that lonely camp, the one lone sentinel 
 for that brave, but weary and silent body of Virginia heroes. And 
 when glorious morning broke, the soldiers awoke fresh and ready for 
 .action, all unconscious of the noble vigils kept over their slumbers.'-' 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. S9 
 
 which were surging heavily upon him. He came into 
 action and formed his brigade in line of battle, just as 
 the torn and shattered fragments of Bee's forces, then 
 in great danger of being routed, reached the plateau on 
 ■which the Henry house is situated. The enemy finding 
 that the steady front which the gallant "first brigade'' 
 presented could not be broken, paused in their pursuit. 
 Order was restored along the lines, and soon Generals 
 Beauregard and Johnston arrived upon the field. While 
 the army was being reorganized, and the new line of bat- 
 tle arranged, the artillery of the two armies became hotly- 
 engaged. This brief rest given £o the infantry, afforded 
 the confederates an opportunity to reform their lines, 
 and, beyond a doubt, saved the victory then trembling in 
 the balance. It was due to the promptness of General 
 Jackson in moving forward from the position to which he 
 had been assigned early in the morning, and bringing his 
 brigade into position with such celerity and skill, thereby 
 checking the pursuit. 
 
 About two o'clock in the afternoon, General Beaure- 
 gard ordered the whole of the right of his line (except 
 the reserves) to advance and drive the enemy from the 
 plateau. This was done with spirit. "At the same time 
 Jackson's brigade pierced the enemy's centre with the 
 determination of veterans and the spirit of men who fight 
 for a sacred cause, but it suffered severely."* 
 
 The enemy fell back ; but soon receiving large bodies 
 of fresh troops, pressed forward again and recovered their 
 lost ground. About three o'clock in the afternoon, Gen- 
 eral Beauregard, having received a small reinforcement, 
 
 * General Beauregard's report. 
 
40 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 resolved to advance his lines and drive the enemy from 
 the plateau, and accordingly orders were issued for the 
 execution of this movement. 
 
 The army had suffered terribly — particularly the bri- 
 gade of General Bee. In that brigade every field officer 
 and nearly all of the company officers had fallen, and the 
 heroic regiments which composed it were on the point of 
 being overwhelmed. Just at this moment the order was 
 given to charge the enemy's lines. 
 
 Riding up to General Jackson, who sat on his horse 
 calm and unmoved, though severely wounded in the hand, 
 General Bee exclaimed in a voice of anguish : 
 
 " General, they are beating us back !" 
 
 General Jackson glanced around him for a moment. 
 His large eyes flashed and his features shone with a glo- 
 rious light. Turning to General Bee, he said calmly : 
 
 " Sir, we'll give them the bayonet." 
 
 Then placing himself at the head of his brigade, he 
 thundered : 
 
 "Forward!" 
 
 The men sprang forward with a cheer, and swept like 
 a whirlwind upon the startled foe. 
 
 Hastening back to his men, General Bee cried enthu- 
 siastically, as he pointed to Jackson : 
 
 "Look yonder! There is Jackson standing like a 
 stone wall ! Let us determine to die here, and we will 
 conquer. Follow me !" 
 
 Then placing himself at the head of his shattered col- 
 umn, General Bee led it forward, (animated by the glori- 
 ous example of General Jackson and his men), in that 
 noble charge, the success of which was purchased with 
 his pure life. The charge of Jackson's men was terrific. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 41 
 
 The enemy were swept before them like chaff before a 
 whirlwind. Nothing could resist its impetuosity. The 
 men seemed to have caught the dauntless spirit and de- 
 termined will of their heroic commander, and nothing 
 could stay them in their onward course. The 27th Vir- 
 ginia regiment, in this brilliant charge, captured the 
 greater portion of Rickett's and Griffin's batteries, and 
 the flag of the 1st Michigan regiment.* The name won 
 that day -by the brigade and its general, is immortal. 
 
 Just as the final assault, which ended in their rout, was 
 being made upon the enemy's lines, General Jackson was 
 informed that Keyes' brigade of Tyler's division of the 
 federal army was approaching for the purpose of out- 
 flanking the confederate forces. He at once ordered Al- 
 burtis' battery (supported by a small force of infantry) to 
 a point overlooking the road by which the enemy were ad- 
 vancing. A few shots from this battery and Latham's 
 guns, which had taken position a little to the left, forced 
 the federals to retire. 
 
 In the final attack upon the enemy's lines, the brigade 
 of General Jackson greatly distinguished itself, and 
 drove the enemy from the field. The victory gained by 
 the confederate army was complete, and no one contribu- 
 ted more largely to it than General Jackson. 
 
 The wound in the hand, he received in the early part 
 of the day. It was severe and painful ; but he refused 
 to leave the field, and continued in command of his bri- 
 gade until the close of the action. f 
 
 1 ■)!. Beauregard's report, 
 f Captain Cooke in his biography of General Jackson, relates the 
 following incident, us baprpeuing at this battle : 
 
 " While Jackson's ■wound was being dressed, eon^e one said. ( Here 
 
 6 
 
42 LI E IT ES ANT-n EXEK AL 
 
 The appeal of General Bee to his troops became widely 
 spread throughout the army and the South. The troops, 
 as a mark of their high esteem and admiration for Gene- 
 ral Jackson, bestowed upon him the flattering title of 
 " Stonewall Jackson." This name, so eminently char- 
 acteristic of him, was readily adopted by all, and became 
 so common that he was very rarely spoken of by any 
 other. So universal did the habit become, that many 
 persons devoutly believed he had no other name; and 
 this gave rise to many amusing blunders. It is said that 
 upon one occasion General Jackson received a letter ad- 
 dressed to " General Stone IV. Jackson." 
 
 The valuable services of General Jackson were ac- 
 knowledged by General Johnston in his report of the 
 battle ; and it is there stated that the victory was due, in 
 a great degree, to his skill and bravery. General Beau- 
 regard speaks of him as follows : " The conduct of Gen- 
 eral Jackson also requires mention as eminently that of 
 an able, fearless soldier and sagacious commander — one 
 fit to lead his efficient brigade; his prompt, timel}' arrival 
 before the plateau of the Henry house, and his judicious 
 disposition of his troops, contributed much to the success 
 of the day. Although painfully wounded in the hand, 
 he remained on the field to the end of thct)attlc, render- 
 ing valuable assistance." 
 
 The brilliant services of General Jackson procured for 
 him the commission of major-general. 
 
 In the fall of 18GI the confederate army in Virginia 
 
 comes the president !' He threw aside the surgeons, rose suddenly to 
 his feet, and whirling his old cap around his head, cried, with the 
 fire of battle in his eyes : 'Hurrah for the president! Give rae ten 
 thousand men, and I'll be in Washington to-night.' " 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 43 
 
 was reorganized. The army of the Potomac, consisting 
 of the forces lying along the Potomac, south of Harpefs 
 Ferry, was organized into several corps oVarmce — the 
 troops in the neighborhood of Centreville and Manassas 
 being under the immediate command of General Beaure- 
 gard. The troops at Winchester, those in the Valley of 
 Virginia, and the commands of Generals Loring and 
 Henry R. Jackson in Western Virginia, were organized 
 into a separate army, which was styled the " Army of 
 the Monongahela." The supreme command of the armies 
 of the Potomac and the Monongahela was conferred upon 
 General Joseph E. Johnston. 
 
 Having received his commission as major-general, Gen- 
 eral Jackson was ordered to proceed to Winchester and 
 take command of the army of the Monongahela. This 
 he at once prepared to do. Before leaving the army of 
 the Potomac, he took an affecting farewell of the troops 
 with whom he had been so long and so intimately con- 
 nected. On the morning of the 4th of October 1861, 
 the gallant "Stonewall brigade" was drawn up near its 
 encampment at Centreville. All of the regiments except 
 the 5th (which was on picket) were present. Drawn up 
 in close columns, the officers and soldiers who had on the 
 immortal 21st July won such glory under the guidance of 
 their gallant general, stood with sad hearts and sorrowful 
 countenances to bid him farewell; while thousands of 
 troops from other portions of the army stood by in re- 
 spectful silence. In a short time General Jackson, ac- 
 companied by his staff, left his quarters' and rode slowly 
 towards the brigade. He was received by them in silence. 
 Until this moment, his appearance had never failed to 
 draw from his men the most enthusiastic cheers. But 
 
44 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 now not a sound was heard : a deep and painful silence 
 reigneci over every thing : every heart was full ; and 
 this silence was more eloquent than cheers could have 
 been. 
 
 As they reached the centre of the line the staff halted, 
 and the general rode forward slowly to within a few paces 
 of his men. Then pausing, he gazed for a moment wist- 
 fully up and down the line. Beneath the calm, quiet ex- 
 tenor of the hero, there throbbed a warm and generous 
 heart, and this parting filled it with inexpressible pain. 
 After a silence of a few moments, General Jackson 
 turned to his men and addressed them in the following 
 brief, but expressive language : 
 
 " Officers and soldiers of the first brigade: I am not 
 here to make a speech, but simply to say farewell. I 
 first met you at Harpers Ferry, in the commencement of 
 this war, and I cannot take leave of you without giving 
 expression to my admiration for your conduct from that 
 day to this, whether on the march, the bivouac, the tented 
 field, or 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 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 and the whole Confederacy, and I trust, in the fu- 
 ture, by your own deeds on the field, and Iry the assist- 
 ance 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 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 45 
 
 have already gained a proud position in the future history 
 of this, our second war of 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 a 
 higher reputation won." 
 
 Here he paused ftnd glanced proudly around him. 
 Then raising himself in his stirrups and throwing the 
 bridle on his horse's neck, exclaimed in a voice of such 
 deep feeling, that it thrilled through every heart in the 
 brigade : 
 
 " 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 this army you are th# first 
 brigade ; you are the first brigade in the affections of your 
 general, and I hope by your future deeds and bearing, you 
 will be handed down to posterity as the first brigade in 
 this, our second war of independence. Farewell !" 
 
 For a moment there was a pause, and then arose cheer 
 after cheer, so wild and thrilling, that the very heavens 
 rang with them. Unable to stand such affecting evi- 
 dences of attachment, General Jackson hastily waved 
 farewell to his men, and gathering his reins, rode rapidly 
 away. 
 
 While the brigade entertained such a high opinion of 
 General Jackson, his opinion of the heroes who composed 
 it was equally exalted. 1 cannot illustrate this better 
 than by relating the following incident : 
 
 Soon after the succession of General Garnett to tho 
 command of the Stonewall brigade, he was ordered bv 
 General Jackson to execute some movement that required 
 a long march and grpnt rapidity- Tho troops were al- 
 
46 LIEUTENANT-C; EXEHAL 
 
 ready much fatigued by their extraordinary marches, and 
 knowing this, General Garnett remarked that he feared 
 it would be impossible to execute his orders. 
 
 "General Garnett," said General Jackson, interrupt- 
 ing him, " I once commanded the first brigade, and I 
 never found anything impossible with them !" 
 
 It is scarcely worth while to add, the movement was 
 executed. 
 
 General Jackson at once repaired to Winchester to or- 
 ganize his army and arrange the affairs of his department. 
 In addition to the troops sent him from the army of the 
 Potomac, (among which was his old brigade), the com- 
 mand of General Loring was ordered from Western Vir- 
 ginia to join him. 
 
 General Jackson was not popular at first with the 
 troops of General Loring. They were devotedly at- 
 tached to their commander, and were not willing that he 
 should serve under General Jackson ; and it was not until 
 they had passed through the glorious campaign in the 
 Valley, that they were perfectly satisfied with their new 
 general. After that, their feelings seemed to undergo a 
 complete change, and not even the troops of the old 
 " Stonewall brigade" were more devoted to him than 
 were " Loring's men." 
 
 While engaged in preparing his forces for active ope- 
 rations, General Jackson, on the ' 17th December, de- 
 stroyed Dam No. 5, on the Chesapeake and Ohio canal ; 
 thus disabling the canal and depriving the city of Wash- 
 ington of the supplies which were sent to it by that 
 route. 
 
 About the close of the year 18G1, General Jackson's 
 army numbered ten thousand men. The enemy had col- 
 
THOMAS J. JACKS03J. 4* 
 
 leoted forces at the towns of Bath in Morgan county, and 
 Romney in Hampshire county, from which points they 
 committed numerous depredations upon the surrounding 
 country. General Jackson resolved to drive them from 
 these places and free the country from their presence. 
 
 On the 1st of January 1862, he left Winchester with 
 his forces and took the road to Romney. Having pro- 
 ceeded- a short distance, he wheeled to the right and 
 marched towards Morgan county. The weather was very 
 warm and the roads dusty on the first day ; the second 
 day was very cold, and as the road was not in good order, 
 the wagons were unable to keep up with the army, and 
 the men were forced that night to lie out upon the ground 
 without their coverings or any thing to eat. On the 
 morning of the third day, the wagons came up, and the 
 troops were allowed a short time to cook provisions and 
 partake of food. As soon as this was done, they set out 
 •ring very much from the intense cold. The 
 night was passed most uncomfortably, and on the next 
 morning it began to snow rapidly. The troops suffered 
 from this, but pushed on cheerfully. That af- 
 ternoon they came within four miles of Bath. Here 
 the advanced brigade encountered a federal force, and 
 r a sharp skirmish, forced it to retire into the town. 
 The army encamped for the night just outside of Bath. 
 Snow, r I hail fell during the whole night, and the 
 
 to endure this without blankets or cov- 
 erings of any kind; but they were so mu 1 by 
 their long marches of the past few days, that they sank 
 down upon the wet ground and slept in spite of the hard- 
 ships to which they were subjected. The roads had be- 
 come almost impassable, owing to the and ice, and 
 
48 LIEriEXANT-GENERAL 
 
 it was with great difficulty that the horses could stand 
 upon their feet. It was late on Saturday morning (Jan- 
 uary 5th) before the wagons came up and the men could 
 procure food. As soon as the army had breakfasted, the 
 order was given to advance towards Bath. 
 
 The artillery, moving in advance, opened a heavy fire 
 upon the Yankees, and the infantry, hurrying forward to 
 charge the breastworks which had been erected -for the 
 nee of the town, the enemy spiked their guns and re- 
 treated towards the Potomac. A portion of the militia 
 which accompanied General Jackson's army, were ordered 
 to occupy a point in the rear of the town and thus cut off 
 the enemy's retreat; but before they could reach it, the 
 federals passed it, and retreated across the river to Han- 
 cock, in Maryland. The}' were pursued by the cavalry 
 to the Potomac, where the confederates fell into an am- 
 bush and had to fall back. A piece of artillery was then 
 ordered forward, and the woods in which the enemy lay 
 concealed were shelled until night. 
 
 At night the army fell back a short distance. Two 
 regiments of infantry and a battery were ordered to re- 
 main in the road all night to watch the enemy. They 
 had no fires, and their sufferings were intense. Number;', 
 overcome by the cold, sank down in their places, and had 
 to be carried to the rear. The soles of the shoes of the 
 men, in many instances, froze to the ground. Yet, not- 
 withstanding all they endured, not a murmur of complaint 
 was heard. 
 
 On Sunday morning (January 6th) the army arrived 
 opposite the town of Hancock, Maryland*. Here the 
 enemy had collected a strong force, and presented a hos- 
 tile appearance. General Jackson sent Colonel Ashby, 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 49 
 
 i 
 
 with a flag of truce, to the authorities of the town, giving 
 them two hours to remove the women and children from 
 the place, and notifying them of his intention to cannon- 
 ade it and drive the enemy from it. At the expiration 
 of the appointed time, General Jackson opened his fire 
 upon the enemies batteries, to which they replied feebly. 
 The fire continued rapidly for about an hour, and then 
 ceased on both sides for the day. Not wishing to destroy 
 the town, General Jackson directed his fire only at those 
 portions occupied by the enemy. 
 
 On the next morning the enemy, who had been rein- 
 forced during the night, opened a furious fire upon the 
 confederates, who did not reply to them, but busied them- 
 selves with removing the stores which the enemy had 
 abandoned. 
 
 While this was going on opposite Hancock, Colonel 
 Rust, with two regiments and a battery, was ordered to 
 proceed up the road and destroy the bridge over the 
 Oacapon river. In his march to that point he was am- 
 buscaded, but succeeded in driving the enemy out of their 
 place of concealment, and then burnt the bridge and de- 
 stroyed a considerable portion of the road.. 
 
 On Thursday morning (January 8th,) the army fell 
 back from before Hancock. Having cleared this portion 
 of the country, General Jackson resolved to drive the 
 enemy out of Romney, and immediately began his march 
 to that place. The enemy had at Romney a force of 
 about twelve thousand men under Brigadier-general Kel- 
 ly. Hearing that General Jackson was approaching, 
 General Kelley evacuated the town on the 11th of Janu- 
 ary, and retreated. General Jackson pressed on and 
 took pi on of (b- p 
 
 7 
 
50 LI KT*T EN ANT-GENERAL 
 
 It was the original intention of General Kelly, wfeen 
 he was informed of General Jackson's approach, to defend 
 Roumev, and he issued orders to that effect. But his 
 troops became seized with a violent panic as soon as they 
 heard of the advance of the terrible " Stonewall ;" 
 General Kelly, finding it impossible to make them fight, 
 was forced to retreat. 
 
 The federals abandoned a large amount of stores of 
 various kinds, and left behind them all the official papers 
 of their adjutant-general. From these papers much valu- 
 able information was gained. 
 
 Having driven the enemy before him at all points, 
 General Jackson, leaving General Loring at Romney, 
 returned to Winchester,, (taking with him the Stonewall 
 brigade), to guard his communications and watch the 
 growing force of the enemy at Harpers Ferry. General 
 Loring held Romney until the Gth of February, when he 
 evacuated it under orders from General Jackson, and re- 
 turned to AVinchester. 
 
 The terrible sufferings endured by the troops in this 
 expedition, caused many persons to regard the course 
 pursued by General Jackson as unnecessary, and he was, 
 for a time, the object of much censure. But the results 
 of the expedition, and the facts which time has revealed, 
 prove incontestibly that it was rendered necessary Iry; the 
 circumstances in which he was placed. The Baltimore 
 and Ohio railroad was the great connecting link between 
 the East and the West ; and the United States authori- 
 ties were using it to transport troops to the necessary 
 points. The destruction of a portion of this road, inclu- 
 ding an important bridge, caused the enemy to adopt a 
 more circuitous route through Pennsylvania, thereby put- 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 51 
 
 ting them to serious inconvenience. Two large and im- 
 portant counties were delivered for a time from the thral- 
 dom of the enemy and the demoralizing influence of their 
 armies; rescued from their plundering and destructive 
 acts of barbarity and villainy, and confidence restored in 
 the power and willingness of the government to give pro- 
 tection to its citizens. A severe loss was inflicted upon 
 the enemy, a large amount of stores of various kinds 
 captured, and the federal troops greatly demoralized, for 
 the time, by the sudden and successful march of the con- 
 federate array. 
 
 It is true the troops of General Jackson suffered terri- 
 bly — that the hospital reports showed the fearful conse- 
 quences of the exposure and hardships which had been 
 undergone ; but this could not be avoided : and a calm 
 consideration of the matter will not fail to convince any 
 one that the expedition was a necessity, and bravely and 
 skilfully carried out, reflecting the highest credit* upon 
 the gallant commander. 
 
 Nothing can better illustrate the perfect confidence re- 
 posed in General Jackson by his troops, than the patient 
 and cheerful manner with which they bore the most try in o- 
 hardships to which they were exposed. Some of them 
 were without shoes ; many of them but poorly clad ; and 
 nearly all without overcoats, blankets or tents: and yet 
 they never murmured. They bore everything with the 
 greatest cheerfulness. It was enough for them to know 
 that "Old Jack" thought the movement necessary. It 
 must not be supposed that General Jackson fared much 
 better thanjiis men. He experienced all of the hard- 
 ships to which they were subjected. Fatigue, cold, ex- 
 posure and hunger he shared with them. Wrapping him- 
 
52 LTEUTENANT-CiENERAL 
 
 self up in his blanket, he would throw himself down upon 
 the ground and sleep as soundly as if lying on a Led of 
 down. All that he could do to alleviate the Bufferings of 
 the men, he did most gladly. Such heroism as was ex- 
 hibited by both officers a^id men in this fearful march, 
 has never been surpassed in any age of the world. 
 
 Having returned to Winchester, General Jackson al- 
 lowed his army a brief period for rest. Sickness and 
 the process of reorganization diminished its strength con-, 
 siderably. 
 
 It was General Jackson's original intention to hold both 
 ttomney and Winchester, which positions would, he 
 thought, enable him to defend the Valley of Virginia. 
 By establishing a telegraph between Romney and Win- 
 chester, he would have the means of communicating 
 promptly with General Loring at the former place. He 
 was unwilling to allow the enemy to open the campaign, 
 and wes anxious to assume offensive operations as soon 
 as possible. He saw clearly the evils ihat would result 
 from allowing the federal troops, then organizing for the 
 invasion of the Valley, time to complete their arrange- 
 ments, and he was anxious to strike at once. In a letter 
 written on March 3d, he states his plan as follows : 
 
 " My plan is to 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, in 
 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 near Paw Paw. 
 
THOMAS J. JA('k\<0.\. 53 
 
 Thus you see two generals, whose united force is near 
 46,000, of 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 Vir- 
 ginia is resolved to concentrate all her resources, if ne- 
 cessary, 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," 
 
 Thus, it will be seen, he regarded a speedy opening of 
 an aggressive campaign by his forces, as the only hope of 
 success in the Valley. He saw clearly that if the fede- 
 rals were allowed time to concentrate their forces and 
 perfect their plans, his little army would be forced to 
 abandon a large portion of the Valley and retire towards 
 the mountains. The wisdom of his views must be evident 
 to all reflecting minds. Unfortunately the war depart- 
 ment did not agree with General Jackson, and its sanc- 
 tion was refused to his plans and the desired reinforce- 
 ments withheld. General Jackson was ordered to with- 
 draw General Loring from Romney, to go into camp at 
 Winchester and watch the enemy. 
 
 Although exceedingly mortified by the rejection of his 
 plans by the government, General Jackson, with the 
 promptness of a true soldier, executed the orders of the 
 war department and patiently awaited the movements of 
 the enemy. 
 
 The contrast between the views of the government and 
 the phins of General Jackson is striking. He was al- 
 ways in favor of prompt, vigorous, aggressive movements; 
 while the officials were content to await the development 
 
 
54 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 of the enemy's plans, thus allowing him all the time he 
 desired for the perfection of his designs. It was General 
 Jackson's rule to strike promptly and boldly wherever 
 the enemy showed a vulnerable point. He did not wait 
 for opportunities : he made them. His great idea in all 
 of his operations was to "press right on,", and drive the 
 enemy before him. He was in favor of an advance upon 
 Washington at the first battle of Manassas : he wanted 
 to attack McClellan at Harrison's landing; and at Fre- 
 dericksburg urged that Burnsicle should be driven out of 
 the town and into the Rappahannock, and the last order 
 he ever gave was to " tell A. P. Hill to press right on." 
 
 If he failed in striking one blow, he saw but one course 
 to pursue — to strike another, and to keep on striking 
 until success crowned his efforts. He was always averse 
 to any plan that gave the enemy a breathing spell. 
 
 He was not a rash man. His plans were the results of 
 mature and deliberate calculation. Every argument for 
 or against a measure was carefully weighed, and nothing 
 was undertaken hastily. No general ever paid greater 
 attention to his communications, or took more pains to 
 leave open a way of escape for his army in case of fail- 
 ure. All of his measures were bold and characteristic of 
 his strong and unconquerable will. He seemed to per- 
 ceive intuitively the chief danger against which he had to 
 contend,, and instead of scattering his efforts upon a score 
 of minor points, he bent all of them against the grand 
 central object, and never paused until he overcame it. 
 His strength of will was prodigious, and the stubborn 
 tenacity with which he held his ground on all occasions, 
 one of his most remarkable traits. 
 
 The time had not arrived when the government was to 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 55 
 
 appreciate the true character of the man to whose en re 
 had been entrusted the fortunes of the Valley. He was 
 thought by those in authority at Richmond a hairbrained, 
 rash dreamer, who aimed at impossibilities and who should 
 be watched and checked as much as possible. The au- 
 thorities seemed to be continually afraid that Jackson 
 would do something, or get into some trouble, and were 
 not willing to sanction his plan for the defence of the 
 Valley. Orders were sent him to remain quiet at Win- 
 chester, and the bold heart and fertile brain of the jrreat 
 soldier were forced for the time to throw aside all plans 
 and wishes, and content themselves with awaiting the 
 opening of the campaign by the enemy. 
 
 On the 26th of February, the federal army, some 
 35,000 strong, under Major-general Banks, crossed the 
 Potomac at Harper's Ferry, and on the same evening the 
 enenry's cavalry occupied Charlestown in Jefferson county. 
 This column was destined for the invasion of the Valley 
 and the annihilation of the little army under General 
 Jackson. General Jackson's force had been greatly re- 
 duced, and now numbered scarcely four thousand' men. 
 The army of the Potomac was falling back from Centre- 
 ville to the Rappahannock and Rapidaa, and General 
 Jackson had no assurance of receiving assistance from 
 any point. The column under General Banks was already 
 nearly four times as large as his own, while the forces of 
 General Kelly were within three days march of Banks, 
 and the federal army in "Western Virginia could, when- 
 ever it was found necessary, move into the Valley to the 
 support of the army there. The position of Genera) 
 Jackson was very trying, and for awhile it seemed that 
 his gallant little army Would be overwhelmed by the im- 
 
o6 ULUiE.NAM'-t; e:\eral 
 
 mense force that was moving against it. All over the 
 country the hope was expressed that the government 
 would order General Jackson east of the mountains, and 
 thus prevent his being sacrificed in (what was then thought) 
 the vain attempt to defend the Valley. But General 
 Jackson himself was not so despondent. Believing that 
 the just God in whom he trusted did not always give 
 "the battle to the strong alone ; but to the vigilant, the 
 active, the brave/' he calmly awaited the enemy's ad- 
 vance. 
 
 " Though the troops under my command are inade- 
 quate to the defence of this district," he wrote in one of 
 his letters, " yet we must look on the bright side, trusting 
 that a kind Providence will continue to give its protec- 
 tion to this fair portion of our Valley." 
 
 Pausing a few days at Charlestown, General Banks 
 marched to Martinsburg, which place he occupied on the 
 3d of March. 
 
 Having completed his arrangements, he advanced upon 
 Winchester by the road leading from Martinsburg and 
 also that from Charlestown. On the 11th of March 
 these two columns were united at a point six miles from 
 Winchester. About two o'clock in the afternoon of the 
 same day, the enemy attacked the picket of Ashby's cav- 
 alry, four miles from the town. A small reinforcement was 
 hurried to the assistance of the cavalry, but was forced to 
 retire before the enemy. The whole confederate force 
 was now thrown forward and held in readiness to engage 
 the federals if they should continue to advance. This, 
 however, General Banks declined doing, and nothing fur- 
 ther occurred during the day. Late in the day, General 
 Jackson received an order from the gorerninent requiring 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 57 
 
 him to evacuate "Winchester and retire up the Valley. 
 With groat regret, he drew off his troops and retired into 
 the town. He at once commenced to remove the stores, 
 age and other public property. This was success- 
 fully accomplished, and not one dollar's worth of the pub- 
 lic property fell into the hands of the enemy.' 1 ' At last 
 all wag . and General Jackson, leaving Colonel 
 
 Ashby to cover his retreat with the cavalry, slowly re- 
 tired from the town, lie bivouaced that night about four 
 miles from Winchester. 
 
 At eight o'clock the next morning, eight thousand fede- 
 ral troops marched into Winchester and took possession of 
 the town. Colonel Ashby remained, sitting on his horse, 
 in the Main street, until the head of the enemy's column 
 came within a short distance of him, and then rode out 
 of the town and rejoined his command. In the after- 
 noon a federal column under General Shields advanced 
 
 met and driven back to 
 and. During the 
 s day, i retreat until he 
 
 reached Cedar creek, on the Vail rnpike, sixteen 
 
 mil( burg. 
 
 after e up the \ il he 
 
 reached Mount in Shcnan'". 
 
 county. 
 
 A detachment of the enemy followed General Jackson 
 in his retreat up the Valley as far as Strasburg, I 
 main column, however, resting in the neighborhood of 
 
 * It is a striking fact that General Jackson never .abandoned to the 
 enemy one thousand d >!!:i! ,: : worth of public property wlnlc he was 
 in the army, and ' :ed to destroy very little ; his measures 
 
 ibr its men IV successful. 
 
58 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 Winchester), the pursuing force being constantly held at 
 a respectful distance by Ashby's cavalry and Chew's bat- 
 tery, which constituted the confederate rear guard. 
 
 By the time he reached Mount Jackson, General Jack- 
 son's forces were reduced to scarcely more than three 
 thousand men. The little army now consisted of the fol- 
 lowing greatly reduced commands : Ashby's cavalry and 
 Chew's battery, (which had covered the retreat and were 
 now lying between the enemy and Mount Jackson) ; Col. 
 Fulkerson's brigade, (composed of the 23d and o7th Vir- 
 ginia regiments and Shumaker's battery) ; Brigadier-gene- 
 ral Garnctt's brigade, (the old " Stonewall brigade," com- 
 posed of the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 27th and 33rd Virginia regi- 
 ments, and McLaughlin's, Carpenter's and Waters' bat- 
 teries) ; and Col. Burks' brigade, (composed of the 21st, 
 42nd and 48th Virginia regiments ; the 1st battalion of 
 Virginia regulars and Marye's battery.) 
 
 ith this small force, which was undergoing the pro- 
 cess of reorganization, General Jackson was expected to 
 defend the Valley of Virginia against the overwhelming 
 hordes of the North. He did not shrink from the re- 
 sponsibility, but put forth all his energies to perform the 
 part assigned him. 
 
 On the 21st of March he received a dispatch from Col- 
 onel Ashby, informing him that the enemy had evacuated 
 Strasburg, and were retreating towards Winchester. At 
 the same time he learned that General Sedgwick, with a 
 force of 15,000 federal troops, had left the Valley and 
 was marching eastward for the purpose of assailing Gen- 
 eral Johnston, who was falling back from Centrevillc to- 
 wards the Rappahannock. The main column of yankees 
 left in the Valley, he was informed, was quite small, and 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSOX. 59 
 
 was advancing leisurely up the Valley, commanded by 
 General Shields. 
 
 As soon as General Jackson received this information, 
 his resolution was taken. He determined to wheel about, 
 fall suddenly upon Shields' column and defeat it. He 
 would thus accomplish two results, both of which would 
 be exceedingly beneficial to the South. He would inflict 
 a severe blow upon Shields, and force Sedgwick to return 
 to the assistance of his friends in the Valley, thus re- 
 lieving General Johnston of the danger that threatened 
 him. 
 
 General Jackson's troops had just reached Mount Jack- 
 son, and were greatly fatigued by their long marches. 
 But there was no rest in store for them then. As soon 
 as he received information of the enemy's movements, 
 General Jackson wheeled his forces about and marched 
 rapidly down the Valley. He left his camp on Saturday 
 the 22d of March, and bivouaced that night in the neigh- 
 borhood of Strasburg, having marched a distance of 
 twenty-six miles that day. He moved so rapidly that 
 only 2,700 of his men were able to keep up with him. 
 
 On the same evening, Colonel Ashby's cavalry had a 
 spirited engagement with the enemy, in which the federal^ 
 commander, General Shields, was severely wounded. 
 
 The next day, (Sunday 23d of March), General Jackson 
 moved forward, and about ten o'clock arrived in front of 
 Kcrnstown, a place about two miles south of Winchester. 
 
 Early on the same morning, General Banks, who was 
 still in Winchester, was informed by General Shields that 
 the only confederate force in his front was a small body 
 of Ashby's cavalry, and that he (General Shields) ap- 
 prehended no danger of an attack. General Banks left 
 
60 LIEUTEXAXT-GEXERAL 
 
 Winchester for "Washington city, and gave himself no un- 
 easiness with regard to Jackson, "whom he imagined far 
 away up the Valley. 
 
 The federals occupied a strong position at Kernstown, 
 and one which enabled them to see the arrival of General 
 Jackson's forces. 
 
 While on his march from Strasburg, General Jackson 
 was informed by a party who ho 1 ■ ' tys given reliable 
 information, that .-ral force h d to 
 
 about 4,000 or 5,000 men, and this information, + 
 
 hi the fact that the enemy cor.' 
 from their position, caused him to resolve to a 
 at once. His troops wer bat were in 
 
 excellent spirits and eager for battle. 
 
 He left Colonel Ashby, together with Colonel Burks' 
 brigade, to hold the Valley turnpike, and taking with him 
 one piece of Carpenter's battery and Fulkcrson's brigade, 
 with Garnett's brigade following as a support, moved to 
 the left in order to gain a position which would enable 
 him to attack the federal right. He wished to turn that 
 flank of the enemy and drive him from his commanding 
 'Lion which it was not advisable to attack in front. 
 -The pest of Carpenter's guns and the batteries of Mc- 
 Laughlin and Waters v> ere hurri I : and as soon 
 as the desired point (a hill which command ! federal 
 position), ~\ 
 
 his movement had ' 1 by 
 
 the woods, an 3 
 pose of Gener; ' i .son unt 
 fire upon the rich 
 
 Gen. Shields' report. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 61 
 
 The artillery having opened the battle, continued to 
 advance, maintaining all the while a steady lire. The 
 27th regiment, supported by the 21st, was thrown forward 
 to meet the infantry of the enemy who were moving to- 
 wards the confederate left. These two regiments gal- 
 lantly drove the federals back twice in a short space of 
 time. 
 
 The brigade of Colonel Fulkerson was advancing on 
 the left of the 27th regiment, when the enemy in large 
 force were seen moving rapidly towards a stone wall just 
 in his front. The possession of it would be a great ad- 
 vantage to cither p .;rty, and Colonel Fulkerson advanced 
 his command at a run. The enemy seeing this quickened 
 his pace, and an exciting race for the possession of the 
 ensued. The confederates were the first to reach it, 
 and failing on the" ' ihelterii We& be- 
 
 hind it, poured such withering volleys into the federal 
 ranks, that they recoiled in disorder, leaving one of their 
 regimental flags upon the field. They rallied, 1/owcvcr, 
 but only to be driven from their new position by Colonel 
 Fulkerson's brigade. 
 
 Shortly after the action opened, General Garnett ar- 
 rived on the field with the remainder of the u Stonewall 
 brigade," (the 2nd, 4th and 38rd Virginia regiments), 
 and the 1st Virginia battalion, and moving rapidly to 
 
 • front, joined in the engagement which now bee 
 iral. 
 e confederates, thou 
 fore ually rec •" its of 
 
 j), held their 
 
 1 
 
62 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 man to man by those who had yet a supply of them, and 
 the deficiency was thus remedied. 
 
 The battle continued to rage with great fury. The 
 troops were fighting against greatly superior forces of 
 the enemy, but they. would not give way. The reserves, 
 (which it will be remembered had been left in the Valley 
 turnpike), were yet to come up, and there was a strong 
 probability that a victory might be won. Unfortunately 
 General Garnett ordered his men to fall back, and this 
 unlucky movement was quickly taken advantage of by 
 the enemy, who threw forward their lines, turned Fulker- 
 son's right, and forced him to fall back. 
 
 As soon as General Jackson saw his lines waver, he 
 placed his hand firmly upon the shoulder of a little drum- 
 mer boy who happened to be by him, and said in a quick, 
 sharp tone : 
 
 " Beat the rally !" 
 
 The enemy poured a withering fire towards the spot, 
 but General Jackson stood unmoved, holding the boy by 
 his shoulder until the signal was sounded and the lines 
 were reformed. 
 
 For a moment defeat seemed inevitable ; but General 
 Jackson posted the 5th Virginia at a point from which it 
 could check the enemy's advance. This it did until Col- 
 onel Burks arrived on the field with the 42nd Virginia. 
 The advantage gained by the enemy enabled them to 
 press on, but before they could profit further by it, the 
 approach of night forced them to pause. Thus the battle 
 ended. 
 
 General Jackson now drew off his force, and retiring 
 to a point in the neighborhood of the field, passed the 
 night there. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 63 
 
 Colonel Ashby had not been idle during the fight. By 
 his skilful manoeuvering of his command, he protected 
 the confederate rear and compelled the enemy to guard 
 his front and left. 
 
 The confederate force engaged in the battle of Kerns- 
 town consisted of 2,742 infantry, 18 pieces of artillery 
 and 290 cavalry. Of these 80 were killed, about 200 
 wounded, and 300, (including a large number of those 
 who were wounded), taken prisoners. A number of the 
 wounded fell into the hands of the enemy. The dead 
 were left on the field, and two guns and four caissons were 
 abandoned on account of the lack of means to remove 
 them. 
 
 The citizens of "Winchester buried the dead, and 
 nursed the wounded tenderly. The prisoners were car- 
 ried to Baltimore, where they were kindly cared for by 
 the Southern citizens. 
 
 The enemy's forces in the battle numbered at least 
 8,000 men, with 3,000 additional troops in reserve. Their 
 artillery was equal, if not superior to that of the confede- 
 rates. Their loss has never been correctly ascertained, 
 but could not have been less than 1,000 men. 
 
 General Shields was in command of the enemy during 
 the first part of the engagement, but was afterwards re- 
 lieved by General Banks, who had been called back. 
 
 The column of General Sedgwick, which had passed 
 the Blue Ridge at Snicker's gap, was recalled by the 
 yankce commander. 
 
 Though the battle of Kernstown did not end in a con- 
 federate victory, it was far from being one for the enemy. 
 It is true, the enemy were left in possession of the field ; 
 but the principal objects of General Jackson had been 
 
.XT -GENERAL 
 
 ieved. He bad inflicted a severe blow upon General 
 Banks' army, had crippled it for awhile, (and time was 
 all important to the South), and had caused the recall of 
 General Sedgwick's column, thus preventing the success 
 of the mo \ upon General Johnston's army. All 
 
 this he had accomplished with an army of less than three 
 thousand men. Surely, when these facts are taken into 
 consideration, the enemy's claim to a brilliant victory 
 must fall to the ground as an empty boast. 
 
 General Shields in his report, which is a most shameful 
 perversion of the truth, claims to have won a great vic- 
 tory, but makes the following acknowledgment : 
 
 u The enemy's sufferings have been terrible, and such 
 e nowhere else endured since the beginning of 
 i such . . heir gallm 
 
 ittleor i 
 ; to pan . 
 . 24th, Gen;.. 
 
 aade no att. 
 .. t, but contented themselves wi 
 ly out of i. erhood, then f k to V 
 
 chester, and bloch I . c nthatpl 
 
 burg, to prevent General Jackson from advancing upon 
 tlicm again. 
 
 From Strasburg the army fell back to Mount Jackson, 
 
 the retreat being covered by Colonel Ashby's command. 
 
 At last General Banks, having become satisfied that 
 
 General Jackson had no idea of advancing upon him 
 
 thi ard a column in pursuit. 
 
 out this time General J;'.. irst exhibited, 
 
 :y of move- 
 ■ - . terward 50 celebrated. Kis 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 65 
 
 army had just reached Mount Jackson after a weary 
 march of forty-six miles, when he was informed that the 
 enemy was advancing up the Valley. This was on the 
 2'2d of March. Determining to check their movements, 
 he wheeled about, and by a forced march of more than 
 forty miles, readied Kernstown the next day, struck a 
 powerful blow at banks' army, and within the next thirty- 
 six hours was again at Mount Jackson.* 
 
 General Jackson remained at Mount Jackson for nearly 
 twenty days, and then abandoning that position, moved 
 leisurely up the Valley towards Harrisonburg. Passing 
 through that place he moved to the left, towards the Blue 
 Ridge. On the 19th of April he crossed the south fork 
 of the Shenandoah, and took position in Elk run valley, 
 between the Shenandoah river and Swift run gap — a pass 
 in the Blue Ritlffe. 
 
 His position afforded him many advantages. It enabled 
 him to inarch upon the enemy and dispute their advance 
 towards Staunton and the Central railroad — to prevent 
 their passing the Blue Ilidge unmolested — or to move his 
 force east of the mountains, should such a step be neces- 
 sary/ 
 
 It having become evident to the government that Gen- 
 eral Jackson must be reinforced in order to enable him 
 to make a successful defence of the Valley, General 
 
 * The surprising rapidity -with -which he moved, soon became an 
 universal theme of conversation, and gave rise to many amusing in- 
 cideuts. Upon one occasion a wag remarked that ''Stonewall Jack- 
 sou was a better leader than Moses;" and upon being asked his reason 
 for this assertion, replied: " It took Moses forty years to lead the Is- 
 raelites through the wilderness, while Jackson "Would have ' double- 
 quicked ' tbcm through it in three day 
 
 9 
 
66 LIEUTENAXT-UENERAL 
 
 Swell's division was ordered from Gordonsville to join 
 hiin. On the 30th of April, General Ewell arrived west 
 of the Blue Ridge, and within supporting distance of 
 General Jackson. This reinforcement was opportune, 
 but the confederate army was still numerically inferior to 
 that of the enemy. In spite of this inferiority. General 
 Jackson was now enabled to put into execution his long 
 cherished idea of an aggressive campaign. 
 
 General Banks advanced cautiously as far as Harri- 
 sonburg, and occupied the town. He threw forward a 
 small portion of his forces towards Swift run gap, and 
 constant skirmishing occurred between this body and the 
 confederate outposts. 
 
 Before proceeding to the narration of the events that 
 followed the arrival of General Ewell, it may not be out 
 of place to glance at a few facts, a knowledge of which 
 will greatly facilitate the reader in his attempts to form 
 a proper estimate of the Valley campaign, upon which 
 we are about to enter. 
 
 It will be remembered that the army of General John- 
 ston, greatly reduced in strength, had evacuated the po- 
 sition at Manassas and had fallen back to the Rappahan- 
 nock. The federal army of the Potomac had advanced 
 upon Manassas, and finding the works deserted and their 
 plans frustrated, had returned to the Potomac and em- 
 barked in their transports for Fortress Monroe. 
 
 The disappearance up the Valley of Jackson's forces 
 had induced the federal authorities to believe that he had 
 gone to unite his command with the main army under 
 General Johnston, and they felt no fear of any danger in 
 the direction of the Shenandoah. A portion of Banks' 
 forces were to be sent in pursuit of Johnston, a nominal 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. G7 
 
 force to be left in the Valley, and the main body was to 
 move to Manassas and serve as a covering force for Wash- 
 ington city. This plan would enable the troops intended 
 to cooperate with General McClellan to act with greater 
 freedom. 
 
 The movement had already begun when the sudden 
 blow struck, at Kernstown startled the federal authorities 
 with the knowledge that Jackson, who they imagined on 
 his way to join General Johnston, had fallen like a thun- 
 derbolt upon their forces in the Valley. Banks returned 
 to Winchester, the column already east of the Blue Ridge 
 was recalled, and a part of their plan rendered abortive. 
 
 It was evident that Jackson intended remaining in the 
 Valley, and it became necessary to modify their plan of 
 operations. 
 
 It was now determined to retain Banks in the Valley, 
 and order Fremont's army from Western Virginia to his 
 assistance. These two columns, when united, were to fall 
 upon Jackson, crush or drive him before them, and descend 
 upon Richmond from the mountains. 
 
 In the mean time McClellan was to move up the Pen- 
 la and lay siege to the city; and McDowell bad 
 orders to advance towards Richmond from Fredericks- 
 burg, and to extend his left wing until he formed a junc- 
 tion with McClellan in the neighborhood of Hanover 
 courthouse. 
 
 The last of April saw all of these columns in motion. 
 
 The danger which threatened the confederate capital 
 was very great. A simple but hazardous plan for its de- 
 fence was adopted by the Southern leaders. < 
 Johnston's army, properly reinforced, was deemed suffi- 
 cient for the protection of Richmond, but not a man could 
 
68 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 be spared from it at that time to dispute the advance of 
 Fremont and Banks or McDowell. Accordingly orders 
 were sent to General Jackson to prevent the advance of 
 the armies in the mountains, and to divert McDowell 
 from his march to Richmond. 
 
 As we have seen, General Jackson's command had 
 been reinforced by General Ewell's division, and was now 
 in a better condition to execute his orders. 
 
 It was necessary for him to move without delay. His 
 position was full of danger. In his front lay the army 
 of General Banks, who had advanced up the Valley for 
 the purpose of uniting his forces with the column of Gen- 
 eral Fremont. Fremont was advancing towards Staunton, 
 and his advanced guard under General Milroy had al- 
 ready forced the small command of General Edward John- 
 son, (who commanded the confederate force left to oppose 
 Fremont), back to a point near Staunton, a portion* of 
 the federals having crossed the Shenandoah mountain, 
 and encamped near the turnpike between Harrisonburg 
 and the Warm springs. Banks and Fremont might unite 
 their forces at any moment, move upon Staunton, and not 
 only capture that place, but throw themselves between 
 the column of General Jackson and that of General Ed- 
 ward Johnson, who was lying near Buffalo gap, and de- 
 feat them in detail. 
 
 The situation was critical, and the plan upon which 
 General Jackson determined, was bold and vigorous. He 
 resolved to leave General Ewell to watch Banks and hold 
 him in check, while he would unite his own division with 
 General Johnson's command, and thus strengthened, fall 
 upon Milroy, defeat him and drive him back across the 
 mountains, and then returning to the Valley tyith Gene- 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 69 
 
 ral Johnson's brigade, would unite these forces with those 
 of General Ewcll and drive Banks to the Pototnac. 
 
 The undertaking was one of great danger, and required 
 extraordinary rapidity and firmness in its execution, but 
 it v as admirably suited to such an army and such a com- 
 mander. 
 
 Being informed of General Fremont's approach, Gen- 
 eral Banks, on the 4th of May, evacuated Harrisonburg, 
 and fell back to a point lower down the Valley, from which 
 he could communicate more readily with the western army. 
 
 General Jackson had no time to lose. Ordering Gen- 
 eral Ewell to occup}' his (Jackson's) position in Elk run 
 valley and prevent Banks from advancing, In; moved rap- 
 idly with his division towards Staunton, at which place he 
 was joined by General Smith of the Virginia Military 
 Institute with the corjoxof cadets, who, at his request, 
 had come to join him in his defence of the upper Valley. 
 
 On the 7th of May, General Jackson united his forces 
 with those of General Edward Johnson, and hurried on 
 after Milrov. General Johnson's brigade being in the 
 advance, Jackson's division moved in the following order — 
 General Taliaferro's, Colonel Campbell's and General 
 Winder's brigades. 
 
 The enemy's advance was encountered near the inter- 
 section of the Staunton and Parkersburg and the Ha 
 sonburg and Warm springs turnpikes, and driven back 
 with ease. The federals retreated hastily, abandoning 
 their baggage, and the confederates halted for the ] 
 on the west side of the Shenandoah mountain. 
 
 The next morning the army pushed forward, an 1 wifl 
 halted on Bull pasture mountain, near the village of Mc- 
 Dowell in Highland county. 
 
70 LIEITKXAXT-GENERAL 
 
 General Milroy having been reinforced by the com- 
 mand of General Schenck of Fremont's army, and ex- 
 pecting to receive additional troops, had halted at Mc- 
 Dowell for the purpose of disputing the advance of the 
 confederates. 
 
 Just before entering the village, the turnpike by which 
 the confederates were advancing, (the only direct ap- 
 proach to the place), passes through a narrow mountain 
 gorge. This was commanded by the federal artillery, 
 and a passage of it was impossible. 
 
 To the left of the turnpike is a detached spur of the 
 Bull pasture mountain, known as Setlington's hill. From 
 this eminence could be obtained a fine view of the town 
 and the valley in which it was situated. General John- 
 son, with an escort of thirty men, ascended this hill for 
 the purpose of reconnoitering the enemy's position and 
 strength. A strong column of federal infantry was dis- 
 covered in the valley ; two regiments held a height on 
 the right, and a battery supported by an infantry force 
 was posted about a mile in front. The enemy sent a lot 
 of skirmishers to dislodge the party on the hill, but they 
 were driven back by General Johnson's escort. 
 
 General Jackson now determined to occupy Settling- 
 ton's hill, and ordered General Johnson's whole command 
 to secure it. The 52d Virginia, (the first which came up), 
 was thrown out on the left to act as skirmishers. It was 
 supported soon afterwards by the 58th. The 12th Geor- 
 gia held the centre, (the crest of the hill), and the 44th 
 Virginia was posted on the right. 
 
 Having received his reinforcements under Schenck, 
 Milroy determined to dispute the possession of the hill, and 
 to attempt to dislodge the confederates by a direct attack. 
 
* , THOMAS J. JACKSON. 71 
 
 The 52d Virginia had hardly reached the place assigned 
 it, when it was attacked by the enemy's skirmishers, who 
 were, however, repulsed in handsome style. 
 
 Milroy's forces now advanced rapidly towards the hill, 
 and emerging from the woods opposite the confederate 
 right, began an impetuous attack upon'that flank. The 
 confederates held their ground stubbornly, and were soon 
 reinforced by the 25th and 31st Virginia regiments of 
 General Johnson's command, who had just come up. The 
 31st Virginia had been stationed to guard the point at 
 which the troops left the turnpike to climb the hill, and 
 when they went into the action, this duty was performed 
 by the 21st Virginia. 
 
 The battle was now raging with great vigor along the 
 whole line ; the enemy making desperate efforts to turn 
 the confederate right. Seeing this, General Jackson sent 
 the brigade of General Taliaferro to the assistance of 
 General Johnson. The 23d and 37th Virginia were or- 
 dered 'to the centre to the support of the 12th Georgia, 
 which was manfully holding its ground, and the 10th 
 ▼inia was hurried to the right to reinforce the 52d, 
 which had beaten back the federals from the left and was 
 gallantly assailing their right Hank. 
 
 The federals now threw a strong force upon the South- 
 ern right, but were driven back by the brigade of Gene- 
 ral Taliaferro and 12th Georgia. The 2-5th and 31st 
 inia were ordered to secure an elevated piece of 
 wood land on the right and rear, from which they could 
 command the position of the enemy. Colonel Campbell's 
 brigade now came up, and, with the 10th Virginia, was 
 sent into the woods on the right to prevent any m 
 nient on the confederate right Hank from that direction. 
 
72 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 Being driven back in their last attempt, the enemy 
 abandoned the hill and retreated to McDowell. 
 
 General Jackson did not use his artillery in this en- 
 gagement. The nature of the ground would have pre- 
 vented the removal of the guns in case of a defeat, and 
 he was unwilling' to- run the least risk of losing them. 
 The federal artillery was posted on a hill in front of the 
 confederate line and kept up a heavy fire previous to the 
 attack of the infantry, but owing to the conformation of 
 the ground, inflicted no damage upon the confederates. 
 
 The battle began at half-past four o'clock in the after- 
 noon and ended at half-past eight at night — having lasted 
 four hours. General Edward Johnson was in command 
 of the troops on the field, and near the close of the en- 
 gagement received a severe wound in the ankle, which 
 for some time deprived the country of his valuable ser- 
 vices. 
 
 The federal force numbered about 8,000 men. Gene- 
 ral Jackson's was a little less. The confederates Tost 71 
 killed and 390 wounded — total 461. The enemy's loss 
 was about 1,0,00 killed, wounded and prisoners. 
 
 During the night/ the federals lefc McDowell and re- 
 treated towards Pendleton county. 
 
 The next morning General Jackson,, (leaving the pris- 
 oners and captured articles in charge of the corps of 
 cadets under Lieutenant-colonel Preston, and a small 
 body of cavalry), started in pursuit of Milroy's defeated 
 forces. Parties were sent to obstruct the North river, 
 Dry river and Brock's gaps to prevent Banks from send- 
 ing assistance to Milroy. 
 
 The enemy halted a few miles beyond Franklin in Pen- 
 dleton county, and commenced to fortify their position, 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. TS 
 
 Seeing this, and knowing that Milroy would soon receive 
 reinforcements from Fremont, and feeling assured that 
 he had very effectually put an end to all probability of a 
 junction between Milroy and Banks, General Jackson 
 returned to McDowell, which place he reached on the 
 14th of May. 
 
 Before leaving Franklin, General Jackson, on the 12th 
 of May addressed his troops in a few terse and pointed 
 remarks, thanking them for the courage, endurance and 
 other high soldierly qualities they had displayed at the 
 battle of McDowell, and on the march, and appointed 10 
 o'clock of that day "as an occasion of prayer and thanks- 
 giving throughout the army, for the victory which fol- 
 lowed that bloody engagement." 
 
 A writer who was present, thus describes the solemn 
 scene : 
 
 " There, in the beautiful little valley of the South 
 branch, with the blue and towering mountains covered 
 with the verdure of spring, the green sward smiling a 
 welcome to the season of flowers, and the bright sun, un- 
 clouded, 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 in the recent sanguinary 
 encounter of the two armies. While this solemn cere- 
 mony was progressing in every regiment, the minds of 
 the soldiery drawn oft' from the bayonet and the sabre, 
 the enemy's artillery was occasionally belching forth its 
 leaden death, yet all unmoved stood that worshipping 
 army, acknowledging the supremacy of the will of Him 
 who controls the destinies of men and nations, and chossR 
 the weaker things of earth to confound the mighty." 
 
 10 
 
74 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 The country was painfully excited -with regard to the 
 threatening aspect of affairs west of the mountains, and 
 anxious eyes were turned towards the gallant array of 
 the Valley, striving in vain to pierce the gloom that 
 seemed to enshroud it. The first gleam of light that 
 flashed over the distant hills, was the news of the victory 
 at McDowell, which was announced by General Jackson 
 in the following graceful and characteristic dispatch : 
 
 • Valley District, May 9, '61. \ 
 
 Via Staunton, May 10. J 
 To General S. Cooper : 
 
 God blessed our arms with victory at McDowell, yeterday. 
 
 T. J. Jackson, Major-general. 
 
 The first part of General Jackson's plan had succeeded 
 admirably. Fremont's advance had been driven back, 
 and the danger of a junction between this force and 
 Banks' army averted. God had blessed every effort with 
 success, and now nothing remained but to drive Banks 
 out of the Valley. 
 
 That officer, during the movement of General Jackson 
 west of the Shenandoah mountain, had fallen back to 
 Strasburg, which place he was fortifying. He had com- 
 mitted the folly of dividing his forces, a portion of them 
 being stationed at Front Koyal in Warren county. Gen- 
 eral Shields' division (about 8,000 men), had been sent 
 east of the mountains to join General McDowell at Fre- 
 dericksburg. 
 
 On the 15th of May, General Jackson left the village 
 of McDowell, taking with him General Johnson's forces, 
 and crossing the Shenandoah mountain, encamped at 
 night near the Lebanon white sulphur springs. Here 
 the troops were allowed a brief period of rest after their 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 75 
 
 long and fatiguing marches, and the fast recommended 
 by the president's proclamation occurring in the interval, 
 was duly observed. On the 17th of May the army 
 marched towards Harrisonburg. 
 
 General Ewell, whose orders were to watch Banks, had 
 left Elk run valley, and had followed him down the Val- 
 ley of Virginia as far as New Market, and General Jack- 
 son hurrying on through Harrisonburg, formed a junction 
 with Ewell's division near New Market. 
 
 Having united his entire command, General Jackson 
 began in earnest his movement against Banks. He de- 
 termined to fall upon the federal force at Front Royal 
 and capture it, hoping to get into Banks' rear, or compel 
 him to leave his works at Strasburg and fall back towards 
 Winchester. In order to accomplish this, he left New 
 Market and marched to Luray in Page county, leaving 
 Ashby (who had been made a brigadier-general) to hold 
 his position until the next morning,, (in order that the 
 movement might be as secret as possible), and then to 
 rejoin the army, taking care, however, to leave behind a 
 force sufficient to prevent any information of the move- 
 ment reaching General Banks. 
 
 General Jackson's army now consisted of his own di- 
 vision, (the 1st, or " Stonewall brigade," under General 
 Winder ; the 2nd brigade under Colonel Campbell ; the 
 3rd brigade under Colonel Fulkerson) ; the troops of 
 General Edward Johnson ; General Ewell's division, (the 
 brigades of Generals Elzey, Trimble and Taylor) ; the 
 Maryland line under Brigadier-general George H. Stew- 
 art, (the 1st Maryland regiment and Brockenborough's 
 battery) ; Ashby's cavalry ; and the 2nd and 6th Vir- 
 ginia cavalry under Colonel Flournoy. 
 
76 LTET'TEXANT-GEXERAL 
 
 On the 22d of May, General Jackson moved from Lu~ 
 ray towards Front Royal. Eweil led the advance and 
 halted at night about ten miles from Front Royal. At 
 daybreak on the morning of Friday the 23d of May, Gen- 
 eral Jackson resumed his march. About a mile and a 
 half from Front Royal, he encountered the federal pick- 
 ets. These were driven in and followed rapidly by the 
 advance of General Ewcll, which consisted of the 1st Ma- 
 ryland regiment supported by Wheat's Louisiana bat- 
 talion, followed by Ta}dor's brigade as a reserve. The 
 federals made a brisk fight, but were driven rapidly 
 through the town, losing a number of prisoners. 
 
 The enemy halted a short distance beyond the town, 
 and occupied a commanding ridge to the right of the 
 turnpike, opening with their rifled cannon upon the ad- 
 vancing columns of the confederates. 
 
 A battery was moved forward to drive them from their 
 position, the 6th .Louisiana sent through the woods to 
 turn their flank, and the 1st Maryland and Wheat's bat- 
 talion advanced upon them from 'the front. The enemy 
 offered but a feeble resistance to these last named forces, 
 and as soon as their skirmishers were driven in, fell back 
 across both forks of the Shenandoah river, and endea- 
 vored to burn the bridge over the North fork. The con- 
 federates, following rapidly, drove them from the bridge, 
 extinguished the flames and crossed the river in pursuit. 
 The enemy hurried on in the direction of Winchester — 
 the confederates following with enthusiasm. 
 
 General Ashby and Colonel Flournoy had been sent 
 across the South fork of the river above the federal posi- 
 tion, for the purpose of destroying railroad and telegraphic 
 communication between Strasburg and Front Royal. Col- 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 77 
 
 onel Flournoy executed his orders, and crossing the North 
 fork, came up with a force of the enemy consisting of two 
 companies of cavalry, two pieces of artillery and the 1st 
 (U. S.) Maryland regiment and two companies of Penn- 
 sylvania infantry. Colonel Flournoy had with him four 
 companies of the 6th Virginia cavalry. A spirited at- 
 tack was made upon the federals, who were driven back, 
 but were soon rallied. • A second attack was made upon 
 them, and this resulted in the surrender of their infantry, 
 the dispersion of their cavalry and the capture of their 
 artillery. This force had been stationed near Cedarsville 
 to check the confederate pursuit. 
 
 General Ashby, moving towards the west, encountered a 
 force of the enemy strongly posted at Buckton. He at- 
 tacked and routed them. 
 
 The army pushed on in pursuit for a short distance, 
 but halted at dark. 
 
 Seven hundred prisoners, two ten-pounder rifled Par- 
 rott guns and a large amount of commissary and quar- 
 termaster stores were captured during the day. General 
 Jackson had turned the enemy's flank, and could now ad- 
 vance towards the Potomac. 
 
 A new precaution had to be taken now. If General 
 Banks should determine to leave Strasbure, he had two 
 routes of escape before him — one to the Potomac through 
 Winchester ; the other through Front Royal to the neigh- 
 borhood of Manassas and Washington city. In order to 
 cut him off, it was necessary to watch both routes. Ac- 
 cordingly General Jackson divided his forces. Retaining 
 with himself the main body of the army, he moved to- 
 wards Middletown, thirteen miles south of Winchester, at 
 which point he wished to strike the Valley turnpike. 
 
78 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 This place was only five miles north of Strasburg, and 
 should General Banks determine to remain in his works, 
 it would be very easy to advance upon him. 
 
 On the morning of the 24th, General Jackson moved 
 towards Middletown, Ashby's cavalry being in the ad- 
 vance. General Ewell was ordered to move towards 
 Winchester. Brigadier-general George H. Stewart had 
 been placed temporarily in command of the 2nd and 6th 
 Virginia cavalry, and had been sent to Newtown, a point 
 about nine miles south of Winchester, to observe the 
 enemy and report his movements. He captured some 
 prisoners, a number of wagons and ambulances with medi- 
 cal stores and instruments. 
 
 General Banks, as soon as he heard of the capture of 
 Front Royal, determined to abandon Strasburg and re- 
 treat to Winchester ; or as he says in his official report, 
 " to enter the lists with the enemy (confederates) in a 
 race or a battle — as he should choose — for the possession 
 of Winchester." Judging by his movements, he must 
 have concluded that he was " to enter the lists in a race ;" 
 for he fell back from Strasburg with the greatest rapidity, 
 abandoning on his march everything that was calculated 
 to impede his army. 
 
 Having been informed by General Stewart, that Banks 
 was retreating from Strasburg, General Jackson pressed 
 on. When he reached Middletown he found a dense 
 mass of yankee cavalry hurrying along the Valley turn- 
 pike, almost blocking up the road. Poague's and Chew's 
 guns and General Taylor's infantry made a spirited at- 
 tack upon these and soon put them to flight, having in- 
 flicted upon them a heavy loss and captured many pris- 
 oners. The enemy's column was pierced. A part re- 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 79 
 
 treated towards Winchester. A lot of wagons was seen 
 m the distance going north, and Ashby's cavalry was sent 
 in pursuit. They had hardly started, when the federal 
 artillery, which had been cut off, opened upon General 
 Jackson's command, seemingly with the intention to break 
 through Ins hne and secure its retreat to Winchester. 
 laylors bngade was hurled upon this portion of the 
 federal column, and soon it was flying towards Strasburg. 
 ibis part of Banks' command afterwards crossed tho 
 mountains and retreated to the Potomac. 
 
 General Jackson was now satisfied that the main col- 
 umn, of Banks' army had passed on towards Winchester, 
 and ho hurried on in pursuit. The enemy exhibited 
 evidences of great panic and confusion. Wagons were 
 upset in the road and abandoned or burned; clothing 
 arms, ammunition, everything that could impede their 
 flight was thrown away by the men; and prisoners were 
 taken at almost every hundred yards. Everything was 
 favorable to the belief that Banks' command was too 
 greatly demoralized to make a successful resistance to 
 the advance of the confederates. Still, it was necessary 
 to continue the pursuit with unremitting vigor, as the 
 enemy might be rallied if allowed time. 
 
 _ Unfortunately the cavalry and infantry sent forward 
 with General Ashby, tempted by the rich booty which 
 surrounded them, abandoned the pursuit and turned their 
 attention to plundering. General Ashby sought by every 
 means in his power to make his men return to their duty 
 but in vain. They wore deaf to all commands and ap- 
 peals, and the artillery which had continued the pursuit 
 as far as Newtown, was left without any support. A 
 delay of two hours ensued. 
 
LI EU TENANT-GENERAL 
 
 Profiting by the temporary cessation of the pursuit, 
 the federals rallied and opened on the confederate batte- 
 ries with four pieces of artillery, which were posted on 
 the northern edge of the town. Poague's two rifled guns 
 replied with spirit to this fire. Matters stood thus when 
 General Jackson arrived. About dark the federals aban- 
 doned Newtown and fled towards "Winchester. General 
 Jackson pressed on in pursuit, meeting on all sides large 
 numbers of wagons loaded with stores, abandoned, and 
 in some cases fired by the enemy. Repeatedly during 
 this night march the confederates were fired upon by am- 
 buscaded parties of the enemy, and skirmishing continued 
 throughout the nisdit. 
 
 o o 
 
 General Jackson regarded it as of the highest impor- 
 tance to seize before daylight, the hills around Winches- 
 ter, and in spite of the darkness and many difficulties with 
 which he met, continued to press forward his advance until 
 nearly morning. The other troops came up more leisurely. 
 
 General Ewell had moved forward by the road from 
 Front Royal to Winchester, and had taken position about 
 three miles from the latter place, with his pickets a mile 
 in advance of his main column. -His force consisted of 
 Trimble's brigade, the 1st Maryland regiment, the cavalry 
 under General Stewart, (which had been sent to him from 
 Newtown), and Brockenborough's and Courtney's batte- 
 ries. 
 
 About daybreak General Jackson moved forward upon 
 Winchester. Finding that the enemy's skirmishers were 
 in possession of the hill on the southwest, which over- 
 looked the town, he ordered General Winder to dislodge 
 them and secure the hill. This order was executed in 
 handsome style by the "Stonewall brigade/' 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 81 
 
 Two Farrott grins, (of the Rockbridge artillery), and 
 Carpenter's and Cutshaw's batteries were posted on the 
 hill, and opened on a federal battery in front, which was 
 keeping up an effective fire upon the confederates. About 
 this time a federal battery and a detachment of sharp- 
 shooters began a heavy fire from the left ; the position of 
 the battery enabling it to enfilade the confederate artil- 
 lery. The Parrott guns were turned to the left, and the 
 sharpshooters were forced to protect themselves behind a 
 neighboring stone wall. The battery, ho ^ ever, continued 
 to pour in a heavy fire upon Poague, who changed his 
 position to the left and rear, and opened effectively upon 
 the federal battery on the left, occasionally firing solid 
 shot at the stone wall, from behind which the yankee 
 sharpshooters were keeping up a destructive fusiladc 
 upon the southern troops. Carpenter and Cutshaw had 
 silenced the federal battery in front. 
 
 During the artillery engagement, General Banks moved 
 his infantry to the left, clearly intimating that he meant 
 to occupy the northern portion of the hill. General 
 Jackson ordered General Taylor to check this. Taylor 
 at once began to ascend the hill, passing in General 
 Winder's rear, and climbing the steep, attacked the enemy 
 with impetuosity and drove him down the hill and across 
 the plain below. The " Stonewall brigade" was now 
 thrown forward, and the enemy recoiling before this mag- 
 nificent charge, fled towards Winchester. 
 
 General Elzey, w T hos,e brigade had been held in reserve, 
 was now ordered forward in pursuit. 
 
 General Ewcll had attacked the enemy with vigor on 
 the right, and had succeeded in outflanking them and 
 driving them from that portion of the hill. lie then 
 
 11 
 
 ' 
 
82 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 moved rapidly towards the eastern side of Winchester, 
 and approached just as Taylor's brigade was advancing 
 on the opposite side. There was now a probability of the 
 federal army being entirely surrounded, as both of their 
 flanks had been turned, and to avoid this they retreated 
 rapidly into Winchester. 
 
 The confederates hurried on in pursuit. A feeble re- 
 sistance was made in the streets of the town, but the 
 enemy were driven through it. In passing through Win- 
 chester the troops were enthusiastically greeted by the 
 citizens. One. of the participants thus describes the 
 scene : 
 
 " Many were killed in the streets, and a remarkable 
 feature of the day was that when the tide of battle rolled 
 towards the town, the glorious women of Winchester 
 turned out to give relief to our wounded and exhausted 
 soldiers, and so regardless were they of danger, that they 
 were not deterred from their pious duty by the shot and 
 shell which fell around them. In the streets our men had 
 to advance a guard to clear the women out of the way 
 for our platoons to deliver their fire. This, I am assured, 
 was literally the case in more instances than one." 
 
 While passing through Winchester, the enemy made 
 an ineffectual attempt to burn the town. They had pre- 
 served up to this time a certain degree of order in their 
 movements, but after passing beyond the town, a few 
 shots from the confederate artillery threw them into the 
 wildest confusion. 
 
 The troops of General Jackson were greatly exhausted 
 by their long marches, but his order was to "press right 
 on to tlie Potomac" It was impossible to' do this. The 
 cavalry had not come up, and the infantry were incapable 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 83 
 
 of keeping up with the enemy, and after a pursuit of two 
 hours with the infantry and artillery, General Jackson 
 was forced to order a halt. Ashby's cavalry could not 
 be found, and an order was sent to Brigadier-general 
 George H. Stewart who had under his command the 2nd 
 and 6th Virginia cavalry, to move as rapidly as possible and 
 join General Jackson " on the Martinsburg turnpike, and 
 carry on the pursuit of the enemy with vigor." General 
 Stewart replied that "he was under the command of 
 General Ewell, and the order must come through him." 
 After a slight delay, occasioned by this, General Stewart 
 joined General Jackson with his cavalry and continued 
 the pursuit, capturing many prisoners. 
 
 On his march, General Stewart was joined by General 
 Ashby and his cavalry, who had been delayed by attempt- 
 ing to cut off a part of the federal force. The cavalry 
 pursuit was continued to Martinsburg, where the troops 
 captured a large amount of army stores. 
 
 Banks was, by this time, out of danger, having crossed 
 the Potomac and retreated into Maryland. His forces 
 had retreated in great demoralization after their final 
 rout at Winchester, and if the cavalry of General Jack- 
 son had conducted the pursuit with the ability and energy 
 which he had the right to expect of them, but few of the 
 fugitives would have succeeded in escaping across the Po- 
 tomac. 
 
 On the 26th of May, the army held a solemn thanks- 
 giving to God for the success that had crowned their 
 efforts, and implored his favor in • their future career. 
 This day and the next were allowed to the army as a 
 period of rest after their extraordinary exertions. 
 
 Early on the morning of the 28th, General Winder 
 
84 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 was ordered to move towards the Potomac, and at once 
 set out in the direction of Charlestown, taking with him 
 the "Stonewall brigade" and Carpenter's and Poague's 
 batteries. Hearing that the enemy were in strong force 
 at Charlestown, he sent information of this fact to Gen- 
 eral Jackson, who directed General Ewell to go to his 
 assistance with reinforcements. General Winder con- 
 tinued to move forward, and upon arriving at the edge of 
 the woods, a little less than a mile from Charlestown, dis- 
 covered the federals, apparently about fifteen hundred 
 strong, in line of battle. He moved on for the purpose 
 of attacking them. 
 
 As his command came in sight, the federals opened on 
 it with two pieces of artillery. Carpenter's battery was 
 thrown forward, and in twenty minutes forced the fede- 
 rals to retreat. They fled in great confusion, throwing 
 aside their arms and equipments of all kinds. They were 
 pursued to Halltown. Seeing a force of the enemy in 
 position on Bolivar heights, General "Winder returned to 
 Charlestown. 
 
 On the next day the army took position near Halltown, 
 and the 2nd Virginia was sent to occupy the heights in 
 Loudoun county, on the opposite side of the Shenandoah 
 river, to drive the enemy out of Harpers Ferry and force 
 them across the Potomac. 
 
 Leaving the army at this point, let us glance at a few 
 facts connected with the campaign. 
 
 The expedition had been a complete success. In the 
 brief 'period of twenty-two days, General Jackson had 
 passed the mountains, defeated Milroy and driven him 
 into Western Virginia ; then recrossing the mountains 
 and hurrying down the Valley, had fallen upon Banks 
 
TnOMAS J. JACKSON. 85 
 
 and driven him across the Potomac. In order to accom- 
 plish this, the army had marched more than two hundred 
 and fifty miles, had fought three battles and a number of 
 minor engagements. They had sustained, in the opera- 
 tions in the Valley, a loss of 68 killed and 329 wounded 
 and 3 missing; making a total of 400 men. The enemy 
 lost about 800 men killed and wounded, and 2,300 pris- 
 oners. In addition to these, TOO wounded men were 
 found in the hospitals of Winchester, and 50 in Stras- 
 burg, making the total number captured 3,050, and his 
 entire loss about 3,850. The sick and wounded were 
 paroled in the hospitals, and the surgeons (eight in num- 
 ber) who were taken with them, were unconditionally re- 
 leased, after being held one day as prisoners of war. 
 
 The army captured at Front Royal, Winchester, Mar- 
 tinsburg and Charlestown, an exceedingly large amount 
 of stores and other public property. A part of this was 
 saved, but a large portion of it was burnt for lack of 
 means to remove it. Much of it was also issued to the 
 citizens. Two large hospitals, furnished with every ne- 
 cessary article, were found in Winchester, and left un- 
 touched, with all their supplies for the use of the sick 
 and wounded of the enemy. A large warehouse in Win- 
 chester filled with medical stores was captured, and its 
 contents saved. More than 100 nead of cattle, 400 
 w T agons loaded, 34,000 pounds of bacon, large quantities 
 of flour, sugar, coffee, army bread, cheese, and 600 sacks 
 of salt, were accounted for by the proper officers, but 
 large quantities of these stores were taken by the troops 
 for their own use, and not accounted for. Sutlers stores, 
 valued at $25,000 were given to the troops, there being 
 no means of removing them. One hundred and twenty- 
 
88 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 five thousand, one hundred and eighty-five dollars worth 
 
 of quartermaster stores were brought off and immense 
 
 quantities destroyed ; and 9,354 small arms and 2 rifled 
 
 cannon, constituted a part of the ordnance stores which 
 
 were brought away. 
 
 General Jackson announced his victory in the follow- 
 
 mg dispatch: 
 
 Winchester, May 26th. 
 To GeneralS.. Cooper: - % 
 
 During the last three days God has blessed our arms with bril- 
 liant success. On Friday the federals at Front Royal were routed, 
 and one section of artillery in addition to many prisoners, captured. 
 On Saturday, Bank's main column, while retreating from Strasburg 
 to Winchester, was pierced — the rear part retreating towards Stras- 
 burg. On Sunday the other part was routed at this place. At last 
 accounts Brigadier-general George H. Stewart was pressing them with 
 cavalry and artillery, and capturing many. A large amount of ord- 
 nance, .medical and other 'stores have fallen into our hands. 
 
 T. J. Jackson, Major-general. 
 
 The defeat of General Banks' army and its flight into 
 Maryland, together with the approach of General Jack- 
 son to*the Potomac, threw the government and people of 
 the United States into a fever of excitement. The wild- 
 est rumors prevailed every where that General Jackson 
 was advancing upon Washington and that the city was in 
 great danger. The federal secretary of war telegraphed 
 to the governor of Massachusetts : " Send all the troops 
 forward that you can immediately. Banks completely 
 routed. * * * Intelligence from various 
 
 quarters leave no doubt that the enemy in great force are 
 advancing upon Washington. You will please organize 
 and forward immediately all the volunteer and militia 
 force in vour state." 
 
 A feeling of perfect terror prevailed every where. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 87 
 
 Men wore long and anxious faces ; and the questions — 
 "Where is Jackson?" "Has he taken Washington?" 
 were upon every tongue. 
 
 It will be remembered that a part of the federal plan of 
 operations against Richmond, was the advance of Gene- 
 ral McDowell from Fredericksburg towards that city, and 
 that one of the chief objects of General Jackson's move- 
 ment was to divert him from that march. General Jackson 
 hoped, when the campaign qpened, that the events would 
 take such a turn as to enable him to cross the Potomac 
 and attack Washington city. The situation of affairs 
 after the defeat of Banks, did not admit of any attempt 
 to put this movement into execution. 
 
 After General Jackson retired up the Valley to the 
 neighborhood of Swift run gap, General Banks fell back 
 to Strasburg, and sent General Shields' division to rein- 
 force General McDowell at Fredericksburg, who was pre- 
 paring to begin his march upon Richmond. 
 
 On the 17th of May the federal secretary of war tele- 
 graphed General McDowell to begin his march as soon as 
 Shields' division reached him. On the same day he wrote 
 to General McClellan, then in front of Richmond, and 
 clamoring for reinforcements, that McDowell had been 
 ordered' to join him, and would move in a few days " with 
 between thirty-five and forty thousand men." 
 
 Had this column been allowed to unite with McClellan, 
 the condition of Richmond would have been far more 
 critical. General McDowell in a letter to General Mc- 
 Clellan, informed him that he would move about the 24th 
 of May. 
 
 The movement was never executed. All this while 
 Jackson was marching rapidly down the Valley for the 
 
^8 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 purpose of preventing it. On the 23rd, the day before 
 McDowell *as to have begun his march, the blow was 
 struck at Front Royal, and the next day Winchester fell, 
 and the broken fragments of the federal army were 
 driven across the Potomac. « 
 
 The authorities at Washington had been suspicious of 
 Jackson's intentions. Now they were seriously alarmed. 
 It was resolved to abandon, or at least to postpone McDow- 
 ell's movement upon Richmond, in order to ensure the 
 ;y of Washington city. Fremont, it will be remem- 
 bered, had been ordered to move from Western Virginia 
 to help Banks, and instructions were now sent to him to 
 hasten his movements and fall upon Jackson's rear. 
 
 On the 24th of May, Lincoln sent the following order 
 to General McDowell : 
 
 " General Fremont has been ordered by telegraph to 
 move from Franklin on Harrisonburg, to relieve General 
 tks and capture or destroy Jackson's or Ewcll's forces. 
 You are instructed, laying aside for the present the move- 
 ment on Richmond, to put twenty thousand men in motion 
 at once for the Shenandoah, moving on the line or in ad- 
 vance of the Manassas 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 informa- 
 tion 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, arc that 
 Banks is lighting with Ewell eight miles from Winchester." 
 

 THOMAS J. JACKSON. 89 ~ 
 
 i the same day General McDowell wrote to the sec- 
 retary of war : 
 
 " The president's order has been received ; is in pro- 
 cess of execution. This is a crushing Mow to us." 
 
 On the same day he informed the president that Shields' 
 division had been sent off. 
 
 Thus, it will be seen, the remaining objects of the cam- 
 paign had been successfully accomplished. McDowell 
 hail been prevented from joining McClellan. 
 
 But this success, while it diminished the peril that hung 
 over Richmond, only increased the danger that threatened 
 sral Jackson. He was now menaced by two armies, 
 which were advancing rapidly upon him. Fremont was 
 advancing upon him from Romney, and Shields was 
 marching from Fredericksburg. These forces were seek- 
 ing to form a junction in his rear and cut off his retreat y* 
 up the Valley. 
 
 It was necessary to prevent this. On the 80th of May, 
 lie returned to Winchester with all his forces except the 
 "Stonewall brigade" and the cavalry. General Winder 
 was ordered to withdraw the 2nd Virginia from Loudoun 
 . and then to rejoin the main body of the army 
 with all speed. The cavalry were to accompany him. 
 fore Winchester was reached, Front Royal had been 
 : . by the federal cavalry, having been abandoned 
 by the fore- eneral Jackson to hold it, (the 12th 
 
 Gcor is of Rice's battery under Colonel Con- 
 
 nor.) A party of federal prisoners and some of the con- 
 into the hands of the enemy. About 
 i -master and commissary stores 
 ! Jackson, were burnt to pre- 
 iiemy. 
 
 
- 
 
 ■ 
 
 . 
 
 
 90 
 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 
 
 On the 31st of May, General Jackson left Winchester 
 with his entire command, except the troops left with 
 General Winder. He was informed that Fremont was 
 approaching by way of Wardensville, endeavoring to 
 reach Strasburg before him. The march of the two 
 armies to Strasburg was literally a race between them. 
 
 General Jackson's line, including his wagons and pris- 
 oners, was nearly twelve miles long. 
 
 Strasburg was reached that night ; the army having 
 marched fifty miles since about noon of the 30th, encum- 
 bered with a large park of artillery, a train of fifteen 
 hundred wagons, and 2,300 prisoners. The men were 
 far from being fresh, as their recent marches had greatly 
 fatigued them, but they pushed on with cheerfulness, 
 satisfied with the knowledge that u Old Jack" thought it 
 necessary to move with speed. This wonderful march, 
 together with their other movements, gained for them the 
 title of " Jackson's foot cavalry." 
 
 Having reached Strasburg, it was necessary for Gene- 
 ral Jackson to hold it until General Winder could reach 
 him ; and in order to observe the movements of Fremont, 
 a small force was thrown out in the direction of Wardens- 
 ville. The next morning, June 1st, this force was at- 
 tacked by Fremont's advance. General Ewcll was sent 
 with his division to check the federal army. A spirited 
 engagement ensued, which resulted in the federal advanco 
 falling back a short distance. 
 
 Late in the day General Winder arrived, his £roops 
 having marched with great rapidity. Having united his 
 forces once,jfio££^Gcncral Jackson on the evening of tho 
 1st of June left Strasburg, and resumed his retreat up 
 .the Valley. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 01 
 
 The confederate army had not gotten far from Stras- 
 burg, before their departure was discovered by the ad- 
 vanced forces of Fremont, who pushed on in pursuit. 
 During the night the federal cavalry attacked Jackson's 
 rear guard, but were driven back with the loss of several 
 prisoners. 
 
 From these prisoners, General Jackson learned that 
 Shields had been at Front Iloyal for two days without 
 making any effort to effect a junction with Fremont, and 
 was then moving southwards. He at once supposed that 
 Shields was marching on Luray for the purpose of moving 
 from there to New Market, and intercepting his retreat. 
 To prevent this, he had the White house and Columbia 
 bridges over the South fork of the Shenandoah de- 
 stroyed. 
 
 On the 2nd of June, Jackson's rear guard was attacked 
 by the federal advance. . At first the cavalry and artillery 
 of the confederates were thrown into confusion by the 
 fire of the federal artillery. The yankec cavalry pressed 
 forward to charge them before they recovered from their 
 confusion, but were repulsed by a handful of stragglers, 
 which had been collected by General Ashby to meet this 
 danger. 
 
 The 6th and 2nd Virginia cavalry were placed under 
 the command of General Ashby, who* was now given the 
 charge of covering the retreat — a service which he per- > 
 formed with great skill and gallantry. 
 
 On the 3rd of June the army reached Mount Jacks 
 After all the troops had crossed the bridge over the Shen- 
 andoah, near the place, General Ashby was ordered to 
 destroy it. He succeeded in doing so, itic 
 intheexecuti 
 
02 LIEUTENANT-GENES " 
 
 The army reached Harrisonburg early on the 5th of 
 June. Leaving the town behind him, General Jackson 
 ■wheeled to the left and marched to Port Republic. 
 
 On the Ctli of June, the enemy made a vigorous dash 
 upon the confederate rear guard, at a point between Har- 
 risonburg and Port Republic. General Ashby called for 
 reinforcements of infantry, which were sent him. A 
 severe skirmish ensued, and resulted in the repulse of 
 the enemy, with a heavy loss in killed, wounded and 
 prisoners. The confederates lost 17 killed, GO wounded 
 and 3 missing. 
 
 In this skirmish, General Ashby was killed. He fell 
 while leading a charge upon the enemy, and died instantly. 
 He was a great loss to the South, but especially to Gene- 
 ral Jackson's army.* 
 
 General Jackson's army had now reached Port Re- 
 public. Fremont's main column had arrived in the n< 
 borhood of Harrisonburg, and j was at Conrad's 
 
 store, about fifteen miles distant. General Jack 
 nearly equi-distant from both of these columns. 
 
 The destruction of the bridge over the South fork of 
 the Shenandoah, at Conrad's store, having prevented 
 Shields from passing the river at that point and ( 
 a junction with Fremont, he moved rapidly towards Port 
 . — , *_ . 
 
 ■ >: " In his official report, General Jar the foil 
 
 " An official report is not an appropriate place for mure tb 
 sing notice of the distinguished dead ; but the cl< 
 General Ashby bore to my command for most of thi 
 months, will justify me in saying that as a parti. r, I never 
 
 knew bis superior, His daring -was proverbial; his powers of endn • 
 ranee almost incredible ; his tone i heroic, and his 
 
 city almost intuitive in divining the purposes and 
 enemy."' 
 
THOMAS J. JAOKSOIT. 98 
 
 Republic, resolving to cross the river thero and fall upon 
 Jackson. 
 
 The town of Port Republic is situatud on a strip of 
 land formed by the junction of the North and South 
 rivers, which here empty into the South fork of the Shen- 
 andoah. The North river, the larger and deeper. of the 
 tributaries, was crossed by a wooden bridge, over which 
 lay the road leading from Harrisonburg. The South 
 river could be forded. 
 
 General Jackson resolved to prevent the junction of 
 the forces of Shields and Fremont, and to offer them bat- 
 tle separately. In order to carry out this plan, he divi- 
 ded his forces. General Ewell was posted about four 
 miles distant on the road leading tor Harrisonburg, while 
 the remainder of the army was encamped on some high 
 ground beyond the village, about a mile from the river. 
 Ewell was to check Fremont, while Jackson would attend 
 to Shields. 
 
 On the morning of the 8th of June, the scouts who had 
 been sent out the night before to gather information 
 respecting Shields' movements, came in and reported that 
 the enemy would be in sight in a short time. Taliafer 
 and Winder's brigade re ordered to take positions 
 
 immediately north of the bridge. 
 
 The yankce cavalry and artillery now came in sight, 
 and after firing several shots at the bridge, crossed S 
 river, and dashing into the village, d one of their 
 
 pieces at the southern end of the bridge. 
 
 General Jackson had crossed the r i id was in 
 
 Port Republic when the enemy occupied it. Upon re- 
 turning to the bridge, he found the enenr 
 of the southern en th a pii 
 
94 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 ted so as to sweep it. Nothing daunted by this unpleas- 
 ant discovery, General Jackson rode up boldly to the 
 officer in charge of the gun, and demanded sternly: 
 
 " Who told you to place this gun here, sir ! Remove 
 it and place it on yonder hill !" 
 
 As he spoke, he pointed to an eminence some distance 
 off. The officer bowed, limbered up his piece and pre- 
 pared to move away. When he had started, General 
 Jackson put spurs to his horse and galloped across the 
 bridge. 
 
 The federal officer now saw the trick, and hastily un- 
 limbering his gun, sent a shower of grape after General 
 Jackson, which, however, passed harmlessly over his 
 head. 
 
 Upon reaching his command, General Jackson sent 
 General Taliaferro's brigade to charge the piece and oc- 
 cupy the town. Poague's battery was opened on this 
 gun, which was subsequently captured by the 37th Vir- 
 ginia. General Taliaferro then crossed his brigade, drove 
 out the federal cavalry and occupied the town. A second 
 piece of artillery was then taken from the federals. A 
 column of infantry now made its appearance on the road 
 by whicli the cavalry had advanced, but was soon driven 
 back by the fire of the confederate batteries. It was 
 pursued for a mile by the Southern artillery on the op- 
 posite bank, and forced to seek shelter in the woods. 
 General Jackson held his position all day, expecting 
 Shields to renew the attack, but that officer remained 
 quiet. 
 
 In the meanwhile General Ewcll had taken position at 
 Cross Keys, about five miles from Port Republic. His 
 line was formed on a ridge conmiandb country in 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 95 
 
 front of it, which was open. Bodies of woods were on 
 both flanks. The road from Harrisonburg to Port Re- 
 public passed through his line near its centre. Trimble's 
 brigade, posted a little in advance of the centre, held the 
 right, Stewart's brigade the left, and Brockenborough's, 
 Courtney's, Lusk's and Bains' batteries were placed in 
 the centre. Elzcy's brigade was posted in the rear of 
 the centre, in order to support cither of the wings, both 
 of which were in the woods. 
 
 The 15th Alabama had been thrown forward about a 
 mile, and were attacked by Fremont's forces just after 
 the movement of Shields had been checked near Port 
 Bepublic. The gallant resistance made by this regiment, 
 enabled General Ewell to form his line of battle. 
 
 The battle of Cross Keys was opened about ten o'clock 
 by the enemy's skirmishers. In a short time the federal 
 artillery took position opposite the confederate batteries, 
 and a brisk artillery engagement ensued, lasting for sev- 
 eral hours. 
 
 Fremont now threw forward a brigade, under cover, to 
 turn the right flank of the confederates. This force was 
 driven back in handsome style by the troops of General 
 Trimble. A federal battery was placed in front of Gen- 
 eral Trimble, and about half a mile distant. That officer 
 had been reinforced by the 13th and 25th Virginia regi- 
 ments of Elzey's brigade, and he at once moved towards 
 the enemy for the purpose of taking the battery. It 
 was withdrawn before he reached it, but he succeeded in 
 driving back its infantry support, and occupying a posi- 
 tion a mile in advance of his original line. The enemy 
 retired to the position held by them early in the morning. 
 
 About two o'clock in the afternoon, General Ewell v 
 
LI • 
 
 reinforced by Taylor's brigade, the 42nd and 48th 
 
 the 1st battalion of Virginia regulars. Tay- 
 held in reserve, and the other reinforce- 
 ments and Elzey's brigade, (with the exception of the 
 two regiments which bad been sent to General Trimble,) 
 placed in the centre and on the left. 
 
 It was reported about this time that the enemy were 
 advancing in heavy force upon the. left, and General 
 Ewell prepared to resist their attack. The report proved 
 false, and General Ewell advanced his lines ; and when 
 night closed the struggle, Fremont had been driven back 
 two miles, and the confederates held the ground origi- 
 nally occupied by the enemy. 
 
 After nightfall, General Jackson withdrew General 
 Swell's troops and reunited them with the rest of the 
 army. He left General Trimble's brigade, supported by 
 the 42nd Virginia and the 1st battalion of Virginia rcgu- 
 under Colonel Patton, in Fremont's front, with orders 
 to hold him in check as long as possible, and then to 
 fall back across North river, and burn the bridge after 
 them. 
 
 During the night, General Fremont massed his troops 
 before Cross Keys, and the next morning, as soon as the 
 sound of cannon in his front told him that Jackson had 
 fallen upon Shields, marched to his assistance. General 
 Trimble's little force fell back before him, skirmishing all 
 
 d by ten o'clock in the morning had ere 
 the river and destroyed the brid. 
 
 About sunrise on the morning of the Oth of June, Gen- 
 Winder's brigade passed through Port Republic, 
 : the South fork of the Shenandoah on a tempo- 
 
 unk in the stream, 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 07 
 
 moved down the road alone; the bank of the river to at- 
 tack the enemy. 
 
 General Shields had formed his line of battle about a 
 mile and three-quarters below Port Republic. His posi- 
 tion was well chosen. His right rested upon the river, 
 and his line extended for about half a mile over an open 
 wheat field. His left rested upon the point of a low 
 o that skirted the field at that side, and was partially 
 protected by a copse of woods. Upon this ridge he had 
 posted a battery of six pieces, which commanded the 
 river road and the plain across which the Southern troops 
 had to advance to attack him; and upon some slight emi- 
 nences in the river bottom he had planted two or three 
 additional pieces. The position was admirably suited for 
 defence, while the country in which General Jackson had 
 to operate, was by no means favorable to him. 
 
 About a mile and a half below Port Republic, General 
 Winder drove in the federal pickets and began the en- 
 gagement. The enemy opened upon him with a sharp 
 fire of shell, causing him to suffer severely. Prague's 
 two Parrott guns were posted on the left of the road for 
 the purpose of silencing the federal batteries. It being 
 impossible to move Carpenter's battery to the right, 
 through the tangled undergrowth, a part of it was placed 
 in position near the Parrott guns. 
 
 General Winder having been reinforced by the 7th 
 Louisiana, and being unable to silence the federal battery 
 by his artillery, resolved to charge it and capture it. 
 Accordingly lie threw forward his brigade. It advanced 
 gallantly, but was received by the enemy with such a 
 withering fire from their battery and infantry, that it 
 to fall rivel federals 
 
98 li 
 
 now advanced, and driving back the infantry supports, 
 forced the Southern batteries to retire, and captured a 
 six-pounder gun belonging to Poague's battery. General 
 Ewcll now threw the 58th and 44th Virginia under Colo- 
 nel Scott, upon their flank, and checked their advance. 
 
 It was a critical moment. ~, "s command was 
 
 largely outnumbered, and was in danger of being over- 
 whelmed. At this moment the en ire startled by a 
 new danger to themselves, and forced to turn their atten- 
 tion to another part of the field. 
 
 Some time before this, seeing the danger that threat- 
 ened Winder, General Jackson turned to General Taylor, 
 and asked, pointing to the federal gui 
 
 " Can you take that battery ? It must be taken, or 
 the day be lost!" 
 
 "We can," replied Taylor; and pointing his sword to 
 the battery, he cried to his men, "Lou ans, can you 
 
 take that battery?" 
 
 A cheer answered him. 
 
 "Bbrward!" he cried. "Char battery and 
 
 take it!" 
 
 In order to reach the battery, Taylor moved through 
 the woods that lined the ridge on the federal left. He 
 moved rapidly ever a rugged country and through a 
 dense forest, and emerging from the woods just as the 
 federals were forcing Winder towards the river, charged 
 the battery in the face of a terrific fire and captured it. 
 
 The federals threw a heavy force upon Taylor, who 
 was assailing their left and rear, and a desperate struggle 
 ensued for the possession of the battery. It was retaken 
 three times by the enemy, and as often captured again by 
 the confederates. The enemy made desperate efforts to 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 99 
 
 turn Taylor's flank, and opened on him a perfect shower 
 of canister from a piece which had been rapidly brought 
 into position about three hundred and fifty yards distant. 
 
 Taylor fell back to the edge of the woods, from which 
 he had emerged, and here the federals succeeded in re- 
 capturing and carrying off one piece of the battery taken 
 by Taylor, leaving the limber and caisson behind. 
 
 General Shields now abandoned his movement upon 
 "Winder, and bent every energy to destroy Taylor. 
 
 General Winder succeeded in rallying his command, and 
 once more advanced upon the federals, who were trying 
 to surround Taylor in the woods, league's battery was 
 placed in its former position, and opened upon them ; 
 Chew's battery, which had just come up, was assigned a 
 position, and its fire opened on the enemy. Portions of 
 Courtney's, Brockenborough's and Rains' batteries arri- 
 ving afterwards, were placed in position and opened on 
 the enemy. The 44th and 58th Virginia were sent to 
 reinforce Taylor, who, upon their arrival, advanced his 
 command upon the enemy, now suffering severely from 
 the heavy fire of the Southern batteries, and forced thejm 
 to fall back. Another charge, and the enemy broke and 
 iled in confusion, leaving a number of their dead and 
 wounded on the field. 
 
 General Taliaferro's brigade had been left to hold the 
 
 town of Tort Republic, and secure the safe passage of 
 
 North river by General Trimble's commands. After 
 
 tble cr the river, led in the town. 
 
 The. d red to join General J 
 
 : back on the federal right, and" 
 in their 
 Giro into the flyittg 
 
100 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 mass, joined in the pursuit, which was conducted by this 
 brigade and that of General Winder, for five miles. 
 The enemy retreated in the direction of Luray. The 
 cavalry, under Colonel Munford, and some artillery, pur- 
 sued them three miles further. In their retreat, the 
 enemy lost 450 prisoners, 800 muskets, a number of 
 wagons and one piece of artillery, which had been aban- 
 doned. About 275 wounded federals fell into the hands 
 of the confederates, and were paroled in the hospitals 
 near Port Republic. 
 
 Fremont had been moving- rapidly to Shields' assist- 
 ance. He appeared on the opposite side of the South 
 fork of the Shenandoah, as the routed federals were 
 flying from the field. Being unable to cross to their as- 
 sistance, be revenged himself by shelling the confederates 
 who were on the field removing the wounded and burying 
 the dead of both armies. He remained in the neighbor- 
 hood of Port Republic until the 10th of June, when he 
 drew off his army and retreated rapidly down the Valley. 
 
 On the 12th, the cavalry under Colonel Munford, sent 
 out to ascertain Fremont's position, entered Harrison- 
 burg, capturing a quantity of stores and camp equipage, 
 about 200 small arms, and 200 wounded men belonging 
 to Fremont's army, who were paroled. 
 
 The confederate loss in the battles of Cross Keys and 
 Port Republic was 1,026 killed, wounded and missing, 
 and one piece of artillery. The federal loss is not accu- 
 rately known. It was about 2,000 or 2,500 killed, 
 wounded and prisoners, seven pieces of artillery, with 
 caissons and limbers, and 1,000 small arms. 
 
 The war department at Richmond received from Gen- 
 eral Jackson, the following announcement of his victory: 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 101 
 
 Tort Republic, June 9th. \ 
 Via Staunton, June 10th, 1862. J 
 
 To S. Cooper, Adjuiani-gencral : 
 
 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. 
 
 Shields, after his defeat, retreated rapidly towards Lu- 
 ray, and Fremont fell back to Mount Jackson and began to 
 fortify his position, being in hourly expectation of an 
 advance by Jackson. 
 
 On the 12th of June, General Jackson again -crossed 
 
 South river and marched to the neighborhood of Wcyer's 
 
 cave. " On the 14th, divine service was held in the 
 
 .army," and thanks returned to God for the success that 
 
 had crowned the confederate arms. 
 
 The Valley campaign — beginning with the advance of 
 Banks upon Winchester, on the 11th of March, and end- 
 ing with the crushing defeat of Shields at Port Republic — 
 was closed. It had been one of extraordinary vigor 
 and brilliancy. In the brief space of three months 
 through which it extended, hundreds of miles had been 
 marched — three separate armies intended for thc/lostruc- 
 tion of the little band of heroes, routed — the colossal 
 plans of the enemy for the subjugation of Virginia over- 
 thrown, and the record of Southern prowess brightened 
 by the names of Kcrnstown, McDowell, Front Royal, 
 Strasburg, Mid n, Winchester, Charlestown, Cross 
 
 i and Port Republic. 
 
 Let us glance at the leading features of the campaij 
 
 The army fell back from Winchester on the 11th of 
 ]i, and retired as far as Mount Jackson, and then, 
 tly retracing ite steps, fought the battle of K«. ■ 
 
102 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 town on the 23d. Retiring again to Mount Jackson, it 
 rested for a brief period until, upon the enemy's advance 
 up the Valley, it retired to the. neighborhood of Swift 
 run gap. On the 7th of May it swept over the moun- 
 tains, fell upon Fremont's advance and drove it back 
 in confusion. Then bearing eastward, it returned to 
 the Valley, and falling suddenly upon General Banks, 
 routed his army and drove it out of Virginia, capturing 
 and immense amount of spoils and over three thousand 
 prisoners. Then by a retrograde movement, the celerity 
 of which seems almost superhuman, it returned to the 
 upper Shenandoah, baffling the efforts of the federal 
 commanders, and defeating with heavy losses, the very 
 forces sent to capture it. In thirty-two days it had 
 marched nearly four hundred miles, skirmishing almost 
 daily, fought five battles, defeated three armies, two of 
 which were completely routed, captured about twenty 
 pieces of artillery, some four thousand prisoners, and 
 immense quantities of stores of all kinds, and had done 
 all this with a loss of less than one thousand men killed, 
 wounded and missing. Surely a more brilliant record 
 cannot be found in the history of the world ; and General 
 Jackson might well say this was accomplished " through 
 God's blessing;." 
 
 The campaign was planned and executed by General 
 Jackson, and must constitute the real test of his gene- 
 ralship. He struck at the enemy boldly, vigorously 
 successfully. Sweeping them before him with irresistible 
 force, ho placed his command in a position in which the 
 federals thought it easy to annihilate it. Two strong 
 columns were hurled upon him, ,'eat hope of crush- 
 
 ing him. lie moved rapid! o, and when he 
 
TJI' !Otf. 
 
 reached his mountain lair, turned fiercely upon them and 
 drove both down the Valley with the fury of a lion at 
 hay. Every plan of the enemy was defeated, their most 
 secret devices penetrated and foiled, and just at the mo- 
 ment when they thought their success complete, they 
 Were hurled from the path of the great commander, 
 stunned by the force of the blow. We can compare this 
 rign with but one other — Napoleon's fii paign 
 
 in Italy. Indeed, if, in this comparison, we remember 
 that the army of Italy was composed of regular troo] 
 enured to the hardships and fatigues of Avar, and that 
 Jackson's men were volunteers, some of whom had never 
 seen service, and all of whom had to learn the art of war, 
 we shall find the comparison not unfair, and the com- 
 mander of the glorious army of the " .rill not sufi 
 
 by it.* 
 
 General Jackson had not only beaten his enemies ; he 
 1 done more — he had conquered public opinion, and 
 fought his way into the affections of his countrymen. 
 When he took command in the Valley, in the fall of 
 1861, he was comparatively unknown, or known simply 
 as a major-general commanding a portion of the -co 
 rate army. He was severely censured for his Bath and 
 Romney expedition, declared by numerous home-made 
 military critics, a rash, blundering blockhead, and the 
 great mass of the people began to doubt whether he was 
 the proper person to be entrusted with such an important 
 command. The people of the South were not less sur- 
 
 * The late Colonel Orozet, who had served under the great Napo- 
 leon, was once asked if Jackson's movements did not remind him of 
 the emperor's. "Sir!"' exclaimed the old man with enthusiasm, 
 <' ihcy arc extra Xui'olcuh. 
 
104 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 prised tlmn were the enemy, by the suddenness and bril- 
 liancy of the movement upon Kernstown, and began to 
 ♦see a probability that Jackson might be a very good sol- 
 dier after all. The news from McDowell had scarcely 
 been realized, when it was followed by the bulletins an- 
 nouncing the success of the expedition against Banks. 
 General Jackson now appeared in a new light, and when 
 the story of the march up the Valley and the battles of 
 Cross Keys and Port Republic was told, he stood fore- 
 most among the heroes of the war. The people were 
 surprised, delighted, fascinated. There was about the 
 exploits of Jackson so much splendor and attraction, 
 that they could not fail to attract the hearts and take 
 captive the imaginations of the public. His deeds were 
 full of romance and chivalry, and high above them all 
 shone out the pure and beautiful character of the man. 
 The people were astonished, but it was because they 
 had not known General Jackson. He exhibited no new 
 trait to cause all their admiration. The young artille- 
 rist, pacing calmly before his guns in Mexico, to show 
 his, men that the enemy could not hurt him, and then 
 pushing forward stubbornly, sweeping the enemy before 
 him — the quiet professor, whose earnestness, firmness and 
 rigid discipline were the wonder and amusement of his 
 pupils — the calm, undismayed brigadier, whose only rem- 
 edy for the danger of defeat was the bayonet — the deter- 
 mined, taciturn major-general who led the march to Bath 
 and filled his hospitals with his sick — the rapid marcher 
 who fell upon Shields at Kernstown — the commander of 
 an army who freed the Valley from the enemy — the skil- 
 ful strategist, who baffled the schemes of his foes and 
 crushed them at the very m< i ..... they thought him in 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 105 
 
 their power — all these were but the various developments 
 of the character of one man — the glorious hero, whose 
 name was now on every tongue — and in every aspect 
 in which that character had presented itself, might be 
 seen the same striking features — the marks that dis- 
 tinguished him from other men. Those who knew him 
 intimately, were not surprised at his success. They had 
 been expecting it. When the war began, one man had 
 the wisdom and courage to recommend Jackson to the 
 governor of Virginia, as the best man to be given the 
 command of the state troops, and it was fortunate that 
 the recommendation was heeded. 
 
 Having taken hold of the popular affection, General 
 Jackson was not very fairly treated. The popular idea 
 of his personal appearance was not in accordance with 
 the reality, and many extravagant pictures of him were 
 drawn by various persons. 
 
 Captain Cooke, in his biography of him, presents the 
 most truthful sketch I have yet seen, and I Cannot refrain 
 from introducing it here. It is as follows : 
 
 " The outward appearance of the famous leader was 
 not imposing. ***** 
 
 He wore an old, sun-embrowned coat of gray cloth, origi- 
 nally a very plain one, and now almost out at the elbows. 
 To call it sun-cmbrowncd, 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 unmistakc- 
 able. It was plain that the general had often stretched 
 his weary 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 Awley. A holiday soldier would 
 
 14 
 
106 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 have disdained to wear such a garment ; but the men of 
 the old Stonewall brigade, with their brave comrades of 
 the corps, 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 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 "the 
 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, 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, lean- 
 ing forward somewhat, and apparently unconscious that 
 he was in the saddle. His air was singularly abstracted, 
 and unless aware of his identity, no beholder would have 
 dreamed that this plainly clad and absent looking soldier 
 was the idolized leader of a great army corps, at that 
 very instant hurling themselves, column after column, 
 upon the foe. The glittering eye beneath the yellow cap 
 would have altered somewhat the impression that this 
 man was "a nobody" — that wonderful eye, in whose 
 blaze was the evidence of a slumbering volcano ; but be- 
 yond this, there was absolutely nothing in the appear- 
 ance of General Jackson to indicate his great rank or 
 genius as a soldier." 
 
 General Jackson's habits 9md mode of life were wry 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 107 
 
 simple. He lived very plainly, never asking for anything 
 his men could not share, unless it was necessary to him. 
 He had hut one tent, and that one no better than if it 
 had belonged to the humblest private in his command. 
 Often he was without it. He seemed to be pleased when 
 he had left it behind, and then, wrapping himself up in 
 his blankets, and lying down on the ground he would 
 sleep as soundly as if he were in a palace. He made 
 very little use of the privileges to which his rank entitled 
 him. He believed that luxuries unfitted a soldier for his 
 duty. 
 
 He was a sincere christian, and his habits were strongly 
 marked by his earnest, unaffected piety. He had a high 
 temper, but he ruled it so well that it was rare for him to 
 give way to outbursts of passion, and when he did so, it 
 was only under some sudden and powerful provocation. 
 He was kind and gentle, very forbearing and exceedingly 
 charitable towards others. 
 
 Captain Cooke, from whose valuable work Ihave already 
 quoted at some length, says of him : 
 
 " Jackson's habitual temper of mind was a gentle and 
 child-like 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 condi- 
 tion 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, last November, when the 
 army was falling back to Fredericksburg from the Valley, 
 and found him reading his testament quietly in his tent' 
 an operation which he, only interrupted to describe, in 
 
108 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 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 move- 
 ment, his old servant is said to have known it by his 
 u 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. Like Joshua, he prayed with 
 uplifted hands for victory." 
 
 And yet some persons called Jackson " a puritan." 
 It is true the religious element of his character was one 
 of its most striking features, but he made no parade of 
 his piety. He was so earnest, so simple, that he was 
 utterly unconscious of the fact that he was one of the 
 brightest lights of the church on earth. So far from 
 being a puritan, he was one of the most liberal men in 
 matters of religion, to be found in this liberal land. The 
 writer of these pages knew him while he was a prominent 
 member of the Presbyterian church in Lexington, at a 
 time when religious disputes w T ere running high in that 
 little town, and was struck with his true christian charity 
 for the honest convictions of other parties. 
 
 A short time before his' death, he wrote to a friend in 
 relation to the duties and difficulties of army chaplains' : 
 
 "Denominational distinctions should be kept out of 
 view — a nd not touched upon. And as a general rule, I 
 do not think that a chaplain who would preach denomi- 
 national sermons should be in the army. His congrega- 
 tion is his regiment, and is composed of various denomi- 
 nations. I would like to see no questions asked in the 
 army what denomination a chaplain belongs to, but let 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 109 
 
 the question be, does he preach the gospel ? The neglect 
 of the spiritual interests of the army may be seen from 
 the fact that not half of my regiments have chaplains." 
 
 Let us resume the narration of General Jackson's 
 campaigns. 
 
 The command of the confederate army before Rich- 
 mond having been assumed by General Lee, on the 1st of 
 June, he had determined to attack McClellan as soon as 
 possible and raise the siege of the city. Jackson had 
 drawn the column of General McDowell from its march 
 to McClcllan's assistance, and it was necessary to strike 
 the enemy before this column could be sent to it again. 
 
 Reinforcements from Lee's army were sent to General 
 Jackson, and he was ordered to march at once to the 
 Chickahominy for the purpose of joining in the struggle 
 for the confederate capital. Shields had disappeared' 
 down the Valley, Fremont was fortifying at Mount Jack- 
 son, and it was evident General Jackson had nothing to 
 fear from cither of them. Leaving General Robertson's 
 brigade of cavalry and Chew's battery to cover his move- 
 ments and watch the enemy, he left his camp near Wey- 
 er's cave on the 17th of June, and began his march to 
 Richmond. 
 
 The movement of General Jackson was very hazardous, 
 and it was necessary to preserve the greatest secrecy 
 concerning it. The troops were ordered to maintain the 
 strictest silence regarding it. They were instructed to* 
 give no information to any one during the march. If 
 questioned as to their destination, the names of their 
 commanders, or from what place they had come, they 
 were to reply: " I don't know." 
 
 This gave rise to an amusing incident. On the second 
 
110 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 day of the march, one of the men- belonging to Hood's 
 brigade, (which had been detached from Lee's army and 
 sent to Jackson), left the ranks, and started towards a 
 cherry tree in a neighboring field. General Jackson, 
 happening to be near, observed this, and riding up to the 
 man, asked : 
 
 " Where are you going, sir ?" 
 
 "I don't know," replied the man coolly. 
 
 " To what command do you belong ?" 
 
 "I don't know." 
 
 " Well ! what state are you from ?" asked the general 
 in great astonishment. 
 
 " I don't know," replied the man with the utmost 
 gravity. 
 
 Another straggler had now come up, and General Jack- 
 son turning to him, asked in surprise : 
 
 " What is the meaning of this ?" 
 
 " Why, you see," said the man, " Old Stonewall and 
 General Hood issued orders yesterday that we were not 
 to know anything until after the next fight ; and we are 
 not going to disobey orders." 
 
 The general smiled, and ordering the men to take their 
 places in the ranks, rode off, much pleased with the 
 fidelity with which his orders were executed. 
 
 At Gordonsville the troops were embarked on the cars, 
 and conveyed as far as Frederick's hall in Louisa county. 
 Leaving the cars there they moved across the country, 
 and on the evening of the 25th of June, reached the 
 little village of Ashland in Hanover county, sixteen miles 
 from Richmond, driving in the enemy's pickets, which 
 were stationed near that place. 
 
 The federal army under General McClellan was lying 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. Ill 
 
 on the Chickahominy about four or five miles below Rich- 
 mond. Its right wing held Mechanicsville, a little village 
 in Hanover county, with detached portions occupying the 
 heights as far as the Meadow bridges. From Mechan- 
 icsville, its line' extended along the north bank of the 
 Chickahominy, following the direction of that stream, 
 (which sweeps around Richmond from" west to east in a 
 semi-circular course), to Bottom's bridge. Its right wing 
 had been thrown across the river near Bottom's bridge, 
 and was massed along the line of the York river railroad 
 as far as Fair Oaks station. The federals had strength- 
 ened their position by a series of most elaborate fortifi- 
 cations, and deemed themselves so secure, that General 
 McClcllan, in a speech to a portion of his army, assured 
 them that no troops in the world could carry such works 
 if defended by even a handful of men. 
 
 "When the enemy crossed the Chickahominy in May, 
 and advanced his lines towards Richmond, General John- 
 ston, then in command of the confederate army, had 
 dealt them a terrible blow at Seven Pines, and forced 
 them to halt at Fair Oaks station. General Johnston 
 was wounded in the battle, and the command passed to 
 General Lee. 
 
 General Lee determined to strike the enemy at the 
 earliest moment. His plan was worthy of his great 
 genius. It was to turn McClellan's left flank, get in his 
 rear, attack him in his strong works on the north bank 
 of the Chickahominy, and drive him from them. This 
 would compel the federal commander to reunite his forces 
 on one side of the stream, and would give the confede- 
 rates an opportunity to throw their entire army upon 
 him, defeat him and raise the siege of "the city. 
 
112 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 The disposition of McClellan's troops was highly favor- 
 able to the success of such a plan. He had placed the 
 Chickahominy between his two wings, and had by the 
 nature of his line rendered it impossible for either wing 
 to strengthen the other without exposing itself to the 
 danger of defeat. 
 
 So skilfully and surely laid were the plans of General 
 Lee, that when the attack was made, McClellan's defeat 
 was inevitable. Indeed, the latter was aware of the ar- 
 rival of Jackson at Ashland almost as soon as the place 
 was reached by the Valley forces, and on the 25th of 
 June, wrote to Secretary Stanton — " I incline to think 
 that Jackson ivill attack my right and rear. * * 
 
 I shall probably be attacked to-morrow." 
 
 This knowledge availed him nothing. The young Na- 
 poleon felt that his sun had set. Lee held him with a 
 hand of iron. He saw clearly his approaching ruin, but 
 he was powerless to avert it. General Lee had saved 
 Richmond before a blow was struck. 
 
 To General Jackson, General Lee assigned the duty of 
 turning McClellan's left flank, gaining his rear, and cut- 
 ting off his retreat from the White House. 
 
 General Jackson's command now comprised the follow- 
 ing troops: Major-general Whiting's division, which had 
 been sent him from Lee's army, (consisting of General 
 Hood's and Colonel Law's brigades and lleilly's and 
 Balthis' batteries); Major-general Ewell's division, (con- 
 sisting of General Elzey's, (4th); General Trimble's, 
 (7th), and Colonel Seymour's (8th, Taylor's old brigade) 
 brigades ; the Maryland line ; Colonel Johnson and Brock- 
 cnborough's, Courtney's and Carrington's batteries : 
 General Jackson's old division, (consisting of General 
 
THOMAS J. JACESON. 113 
 
 Winder's, (the 1st, the "Stonewall'''); Lieutenant-colonel 
 Cunningham's, (the 2nd) ; Colonel Fulkerson's, (the 3rd), i 
 and General 'Lawton's, (the 4th) brigades,, and Poague's, 
 Carpenter's and Wording's batteries. 
 
 'With this force Jackson was to attack the enemy in 
 flank and rear, while Lee with the. main -army would at- 
 tack them in front. 
 
 At three o'clock on the morning of the 26th of June, 
 General Jackson left Ashland and marched towards Han- 
 over courthouse. . Stuart's cavalry moved in front of his ' 
 column and protected his left. Whiting's division was 
 in the .advance. The federal pickets fell back before 
 General Jackson, and- made no resistance until Tottapo- 
 tomoi creek was. reached. This creek is scarcely more 
 than a swamp, and the banks, 'which are covered with a 
 thick woods, are steep and difficult of ascent. Here the 
 federals destroyecj the bridge, and -attempted to obstruct 
 the road by felling trees. A detachment of skirmishers 
 from Hood's brigade soon drove the enemy from their 
 position, the. bridges were repaired, the stream crossed, 
 and tke march resumed. ' During the remainder of the 
 day tne enemy made repeated, feeble attempts to impede 
 the advance of Jackson's forces, but were driven steadily 
 before them. 
 
 General. Jackson halted for the night at Hundley's 
 corner 'in Hanover. He had noW turned the federal 
 right flank and gained their rear.- Ho was in possession 
 of a position which would enable him to fall upon Mc- 
 Clellan's rear at Gold Harbor the next day, and, if ne- 
 cessary, he could cut 'oft' the retreat of the federals to- 
 wards the White House. 
 
 Early the next morning he moved rapidly towards 
 L5 
 
114 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 Cold Harbor. While he is or? his march, let us glance 
 at affairs in other quarters of the great field. 
 
 Brigadier-general Branch, on the afternoon of. the 
 26th of June, crossed the Chickahominy at the point 
 where the Brook turnpike crosses, that stream, and dri- 
 ving the enemy's forces before him, marched down the 
 river to effect a junction with Major-general A. P. Hill. 
 
 General A. P. Hill crossed the Chickahominy at -the 
 Meadow bridges, drove the enemy from their strong 
 works in the neighborhood of Mechanicsvillej and opened 
 a way for the passage of the river by the rest of the 
 forces of General Loncrstreet, which consisted of Lonsr- 
 street's old division and D. H% Hill's division. The next 
 day (June 27th) the federal army was driven back to 
 Gaines' mill, where a stand was made. A fierce and 
 vigorous assault was made upon the enemy's strongly en- 
 trenched position in. the neighborhood of Gaines' mill, 
 and after a desperate struggle, the federals were driven 
 from the works. 
 
 Having been forced from his strong position at Gaines' 
 mill, General McClellan massed his troops and formed a 
 new line of battle at Cold Harbor, intending to make 
 there a last stand for the possession of the north bank of 
 the Chickahominy. 
 
 From Gaines' mill, the confederates pressed on towards 
 Cold Harbor. They 'had not been able to. use a single 
 piece of their artillery in the attack upon Gaines' mill, 
 and were now advancing without it. The enemy pre- 
 sented a formidable appearance. . Their force comprised 
 the command's of McCall, Porter and Sedgewick, and 
 about thirty pieces of artillery. They held a strong po- 
 sition at Cold Harbor, and were moving heavy masses of 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 115 
 
 troops through the woods for the purpose of surrounding 
 the confederates. The were -numerically superior to the 
 confederate forces, and for a* moment it seemed that the 
 latter would be overwhelmed. 
 
 The. enemy's column approached rapidly through the 
 wq^ds. In a short time the confederates would be com- 
 pletely outflanked. At this moment a sheet of flame 
 burst from the woods before them to and a storm of balls 
 swept through the hostile ranks. The enemy paused in 
 surprise, while the fatal fire was hurled upon them more 
 fiercely than before. 
 
 A 'wild and joyful cry rang along the southern lines, 
 ^nd the shout of "Jackson ! Jackson !" was passed from 
 ^ian to man. The conjecture was- corcect.- Two or three 
 rigades had been sent on in advance by General Jack- 
 n, and had arrived upon the scene of conflict at this 
 Tritical moment. 
 
 Early in the morning General Jackson had taken up 
 his line of march for Cold Harbor, moving steadily to- 
 wards the Chickahominy. Ewell led the advance, and 
 swept the enemy before him. 
 
 Cold Harbor was reached about five o'clock in the 
 afternoon, just as .the enemy were endeavoring to crush 
 .the column of General A. P. Hill. The line of battle 
 was speedily formed. Whiting was on the right of the 
 line ; next came Jaekson's, then Ewell's, and then D. 
 H. Hill's division the last, on the left. Stuart's cav- 
 alry were posted to the left of Hill and ordered to 
 prevent the enemy from retreating towards the White 
 House. 
 
 The rapid firing on the right induced General Jackson 
 to suppose that the confederate force in that direction 
 
11G LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 was heavily pressed by the enemy, and he immediately 
 moved forward with his whole corps. 
 
 As soon ' as the heavy volleys in the direction of the 
 federal rear informed General Lee of the arrival of Gen- 
 eral Jackson, General Longstreet's forces were- hurried 
 'forward, and the action became general. ^ 
 
 The limits of this work forbid any further allusion to 
 the part borne by the other portions of the army, and, 
 for the future, I shall be forced to confine myself simply 
 to the operations of General Jackson's command, with 
 but an occasional reference to the rest of the troops. 
 
 The federal line in -front of General Jackson was very 
 strong. The right rested on a ridge, almost parallel to 
 the Chickahominy^and the left on a sharp bluff, at tl™ 
 foot of which were a deep ravine and two lines of en- 
 trenchments. Several batteries of artillery were pos™ 
 on this bluff. Their front was protected by a swam^P 
 through which ran a little creek difficult to' pass, a thick 
 undergrowth, and a quantity of felled timber. 
 
 General Jackson directed General D. II. Hill to carry 
 the federal left. Hill's troops passed across the swamp, 
 the creek, the undergrowth and obstructions in front, in 
 the face of a heavy fire, and gallantly assailing the 
 enemy, forced them to fall back on their reserve. The 
 federals made a stand behind a fence and. a ditch, and 
 posted a battery so as to enfilade Hill's line. The 1st, 
 3rd and 20th North Carolina charged it and took it, and 
 Hill, now supported by the " Stonewall brigade" under 
 General Winder, pressed on. Upon reaching the crest 
 of the hill, he was assailed by the whole federal force 
 in his front, and the enemy succeeded in recapturing 
 their battery. General Hill. held with stubborn courage 
 
. THOMAS J.- JACKSON. Ill 
 
 • 
 
 the position he had gained, and the -.battle went, on with 
 increased fury. # ' 
 
 General Ewell was moving on the right of . General 
 Hill. He surmounted the obstacles in his way, and 
 charged up the hill with impetuosity, driving the enemy 
 before him. Soon after he reached the crest of the hill, 
 he was reinforced by Lawton's and Trimble's brigades, 
 and continued to. press the enemy heavily. About dusk 
 he was compelled to draw oft" his troops,- having fired 
 every round of ammunition in his command.' 
 
 Jackson's old division was originally posted on Ewell's 
 right,, but . its brigades were sent to reinforce other parts 
 of the line. 
 
 . The Stonewall brigade was marched to the left to Gen- 
 eral . Hill's support, and bore a conspicuous part in the 
 battle. It never wavered, but moved on steadily, press- 
 ing the federals back, and had the honor of carrying 
 with the bayonet the last position of the enemy — a point 
 some three hundred yards beyond McGce's. 
 ', General Wilcox having- called for reinforcements, the 
 2nd brigade was sent to him, but reached him too late to 
 take part in the battle. The 3rd brigade was sent to 
 General Whiting's assistance, but reached him too late. 
 The 4th brigade was added to General Ewell's com- 
 mand. 
 
 General Whiting's division held the extreme right of 
 the line, and its advance was greeted by the enemy with 
 a withering fire, but it pressed forward. Hood's Texans, 
 with thrilling cheers, dashed through the ravine, and oyer 
 the ditch and felled timber, and drove the enemy from 
 their position. They captured nearly a thousand pris- 
 oners, inflicted a heavy loss in killed and wounded upon 
 
4 
 
 118 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 • 
 
 the enemy, and captured . fourteen pieces of artillery. 
 Their loss waa 1,000 men. $ 
 
 The movements of Jackson's divisions -tfere simulta- 
 neous. -They had no artillery in action when the battle 
 began. Shortly afterwards Captain John Pelham of the 
 Stuart horse artillery, was ordered to take position a 
 little beyond Cold Harbor house with one Blakeley and one 
 Napoleon gun, and open upon the federal batteries for the 
 purpose of drawing a portion of their fire from the troops 
 of I). H. Hill and Winder. His position was very near 
 the .federal batteries, whose heavy guns soon rendered his 
 Blakeley gun unfit for service, but lie continued to hold 
 his ground with his remaining gun, seriously annoying 
 the enemy by the steady fire which he maintained in 
 spite of their efforts to silence him. Soon afterwards 
 additional guns were sent to the point held by "the 
 gallant Pelham," and an effective. fire opened on the fed- 
 i crals, whose replies became feebler and less frequent. 
 
 
 The night was now setting in, and, - General Jackson 
 having ordered the .troops to "press them with the bayo- 
 net," the whole line charged the enemy, whose right was 
 now seriously weakened by -the heavy fire of the confede- 
 rate batteries.. Hood's and the "Stonewall" brigades 
 were in advance of the rest of Jackson's line, and drove 
 every obstacle before them. The enemy, wavered, and 
 turning about, fled in confusion towards Grapevine bridge, 
 closely pursued by Jackson's men. 
 
 General McClellan's army was routed. Lee, Long- 
 street and A. P. Hill had driven it from its entrench- 
 ments and forced it back to the position a-t Cold Harbor. 
 Here McClellan thought he could repulse any attack 
 made upon him, and formed his line with a bright hope 
 
THOMAS J.. JACKSON. 119 
 
 of success. Alas I for that hope ! he had been driven 
 back- from Mechanicsvillc only to meet with a worse de- 
 feat at the hands of Jackson. 
 
 The battle had been a desperate struggle, but the con- 
 federate victory was complete. 
 
 The enemy crowded along the bank or* the Chick - 
 ahominy in confusion and dismay, momentarily expecting 
 the confederates to advance upon them. The Southern 
 army bivouaced on the battle, field, and General McClel- 
 lan, having succeeded in restoring order among his troops, 
 withdrew his defeated right wins;, during the night, to 
 the south bank of the Chickahominy. 
 
 It was now useless to think of attempting to hold his 
 position on the south side, for such an effort would ensure 
 either the capture or destruction of his army. He Jiad 
 but one course to pursue — to seek safety in flight. Two 
 routes wcre # open to him; one down, the peninsula, and 
 the other through the swamps to the .James river. The 
 former would be attended with great danger, as he might 
 be ruined in another battle. The latter was more favor- 
 able to him, as it offered him the means of eluding in the 
 thick swamp, the vigilance of his pursuers. He chose 
 the route to James river, and after destroying enormous 
 quantities of stores of all kinds, and reducing his army 
 to the smallest allowance of baggage, began his retreat. 
 His route lay right through the confederate lines, and 
 owing to the carelessness or inefficiency of the confederate 
 officer charged with the duty of intercepting him, he w T as 
 enabled to pass through in safety. His retreat was con- 
 ducted with great skill, but his escape was due to a blun- 
 der on the part of the confederates. 
 
 On the 28th, General Jackson sent General Ewcll with 
 
 ft . . TVgJ^ 
 
IEU] 
 
 120 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 his division and Stuart's cavalry to Dispatch station on ■ 
 the York river railroad. Stuart drove oft* a yankee force 
 and E well's men destroyed. a considerable .portion of the 
 railroad and the telegraph to the-White House. 
 
 Having ascertained that the enemy had not retreated 
 towards the^Pamunkey, General Ewell moved to Bottom's 
 bridge. The next day. he t rejoined General Jackson's 
 command. On the night of the 29th, General Jackson 
 repaired the Grapevine bridge, by which the federal army 
 had retreated across the Chickahominy, and which they 
 had destroyed after them, .and marched to Savage station 
 on the York river railroad. At this point he secured 
 about 1,000 stragglers from the federal army and dis- 
 covered the immense stores abandoned by them.. 
 
 pushing on, he came up with the enemy the next day 
 at White Oak swamp. The federals had crossed the stream, 
 destroyed the bridge, and posted a strong artillery force 
 and 'a detachment of sharpshooters on the opposite side 
 to prevent the passage of the stream by the confeder- 
 ates. General Jackson moved up a portion of his bat- 
 teries and a brisk fight ensued. The enemy fell back at 
 night, and General Jackson repaired the bridge aiid con- 
 tinued the pursuit. The next morning he was ordered to 
 the front by General Lee. On the afternoon of the same 
 day, July 1st, he came up with McClellan at Malvern 
 hill. The federal army held a position of exceeding 
 great strength, "and their artillery was massed upon a 
 point from- which it could sweep -every approach to the 
 hill. Major-general Magruder attacked the enemy on 
 the right, and General Jackson's corps on the left of the 
 confederate line in this, battle. * 
 
 Whiting held the left of Jackson's line, and D. IT.- 
 
 
THOMAS* J. JACKSON. 121 
 
 Hill the right. Taylor's brigade of EwelFs division, 
 was in the centre in advance of the wings, and the re- 
 mainder of E well's division was held in reserve in the 
 rear of this line. Jackson's old division was held in re- 
 serve near AVillis' church. 
 
 General D. II. Hill, thinking that a general advance 
 had been ordered by General Lee, moved forward gal- 
 lantly to attack the almost impregnable position of the 
 enemy. He encountered a stubborn resistance from a 
 superior force, and was compelled *to send for assistance. 
 Ewell's reserve and Jackson's old division were ordered 
 to him, but owing to the approach of night and the diffi- 
 culties presented by the swampy grounds and thick 
 woods through which they had to move, did not reach 
 •the field in time to render any aid to Hill, who was forced 
 to fall back with heavy loss. The federals now made an 
 advance upon Jackson's line, but were driven back by 
 the fire of Whiting's artillery on the left. 
 
 Jackson's men slept on their arms in, front of the fede- 
 ral position. At daylight the' next morning, the federal 
 army was not to be seen. It had retreated during the 
 night. 
 
 The attack of Magruder and Jackson upon Malvern 
 hill, had inflicted such a blow upon the federals and had 
 demoralized their forces to such an extent, that General 
 McClellan was forced to abandon Malvern hill, which "he 
 had determined to hold permanently, not daring to sub- 
 ject his army to another attack from the confederates, 
 lest it should be utterly ruined. He abandoned the hill 
 during the night and fell back to the James river. 
 
 In this battle General Jackson had a very narrow es- 
 cape. He was rcconnoitering the position- of the enemy, 
 
 16 
 
122 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 when a shell fell and exploded between the forelegs of 
 his horse, fortunately without injuring either the horse 
 or its rider. 
 
 The plan of General Lee, save in one or two instances, 
 resulting from the neglect of subordinates, had been suc- 
 cessfully executed. General Jackson had promptly and 
 ably seconded him in all his efforts, and the assistance he 
 rendered during the brief but eventful campaign of the 
 Chicfcahominy was incalculable. 
 
 General Jackson's Toss in the battles before Richmond 
 was as follows : in the battle of Cold Harbor, 589 killed 
 and 2,671 wounded; at Malvern hill, 377 killed and 
 1,746 wounded — making a total of 5,383. 
 
 General Jackson was in favor of advancing upon Mc- 
 Clellan, and attacking him in his new position, the morn-* 
 ing after the -battle of Malvern hill, but it was deemed 
 best by General., Lee to refrain from further pursuit. 
 The evidence furnished' the committee appointed by the 
 yankee congress to investigate the conduct of the war, 
 proves beyond all possibility of doubt, that an advance 
 upon McClellan after the battle of Malvern hill, would 
 have been a death blow to his army. 
 
 The confederate army remained in front of McClellan 
 until, the 8th of Julv, when it fell back nearer to Rich- 
 mond. 
 
 The campaign in lower Virginia was over, and General 
 Jackson and his glorious army were now to pass through 
 new scenes. 
 
 After being so completely out-generalled by Jackson, 
 Fremont was removed from his command in the Valley, 
 and succeeded by Major-general John Pope, or as he is 
 better known, ■" Proclamation General Pope." 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSOKl 123 
 
 The defeat of McOlellan's army having put an end to 
 the campaign in the peninsula; the federal government 
 resolved to make another effort to capture Richmond, by 
 advancing General Pope's army from the -Rappahannock 
 .and Rapidan. General Pope moved his forces across the 
 mountains and appeared in the neighborhood of the Rapi- 
 dan, and thus began his celebrated campaign in Virginia. 
 
 This General Pope had held, previous to his appear- 
 ance in Virginia, the command of a division in the fede- 
 ral army under General Halleck, and had rendered him- 
 self quite famous by his lying propensities. He was the 
 same officer who captured (?) during the retreat of Gene- 
 ral Beauregard from Corinth, the ten thousand confede- 
 rate soldiers, who so singularly disappeared after their 
 capture. It is possible that this brilliant exploit (?) pro- 
 cured him the command of Fremont's army. 
 
 From his " headquarters in the saddle,'' he issued the 
 most pompous and absurd proclamations, in which he an- 
 nounced that there would be no more 'Mines of retreat," 
 no more "bases of supplies," no more ditching or in- 
 trenching. He boasted, that in His previous career, he 
 had not been able to see anything but the "backs" of 
 his enemies, and promised his army a glorious victory 
 whenever they should encounter the "rebels." He at 
 once inaugurated a system of tyranny and oppression 
 from which he was .driven only by the stern but tardy 
 measures of retaliation adopted by the confederate gov- 
 ernment. The people and the country in which his army 
 was quartered, suffered severely from the infamous con- 
 duct of their "Northern brethren" {?) and General Pope 
 and his army will ever be remembered in Virginia by the 
 shame they won by their conduct. 
 
124 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 It was necessary to check the advance of General Pope ? 
 and also retain at Richmond a sufficient number of troops 
 to meet McClellan/who was supposed to be contempla- 
 ting another movement upon the capital. General Jack- 
 son was ordered to proceed to the Rapidan and guard the 
 country south of that stream against the incursions of 
 Pope's army, while General Lee with the rest of the 
 army, remained at Richmond. He arrived. atGordons- 
 ville on the 19th of July with his old division and that 
 of General Ewell. Finding that his force was too small 
 to resist the advance of the enemy, General Jackson 
 asked for more troops, and the division of General A. P. 
 Hill was sent to him. . 
 
 Pope's army was assuming a very threatening atti- 
 tude, and General Jackson thought it necessary to attack 
 it before it could receive reinforcements. He was in- 
 formed that only a part of it was at Culpeper courthouse, 
 and he determined to fall upon it at once. 
 
 He left Gordonsville on the 7th of August, and moved 
 with his army towards the Rapidan, which stream he 
 crossed on the 8th. The cavalry under General Robert- 
 son led the advance, and the infantry followed, Ewell's 
 diyision being in front. 
 
 On the morning of the 8th, General Robertson en- 
 countered the. federal cavalry beyond the Rapidan, and 
 drove them back to Culpeper courthouse. The enemy's 
 cavalry threatened to cut off General Jackson's train, 
 and to prevent this he sent General Lawton's brigade to 
 guard the wagons. 
 
 On the 9th of August, General Jackson resumed his 
 march towards Culpeper courthouse, and encountered the 
 enemy at a point eight miles from that place. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 125 
 
 A body of federal cavalry was seen on the right of the 
 road by which the confederates were advancing, and was 
 driven off by a battery commanded by Lieutenant Terry. 
 A battery of the enemy returned this fire, and soon after- 
 wards the cavalry resumed their original position. 
 
 Early's brigade was now thrown forward near. the road 
 to Culpcpar courthouse, and General Ewcll was ordered 
 to move with Trimble's and Hays' brigades, farther to 
 the right, passing near the base of Slaughter's mountain. 
 
 In front of Early was a hill, which he soon gained, 
 driving the federal cavalry before- him. In front of his 
 new position was another hill, upon which the federal ar- 
 tillery was posted. The valley lying between the two 
 forces was open and rugged, and "consisted of a cornfield 
 with a wheat field to the left, in which the stacks were 
 still standing. The opposite hill was wooded. 
 
 As Early reached his new position, the enemy opened 
 on him with their artillery, and began to mass their cav- 
 alry in the wheat field referred to. General Early moved 
 his infantry a little to the rear, in order to screen them 
 from the fire of the federal artillery, and threw forward 
 on his right and a little in advance, four pieces of artil- 
 lery, which opened an effective fire upon the yankce bat- 
 teries. 
 
 General Winder now came up with Jackson's division, 
 and placed Campbell's brigade to the left, in the woods, 
 near the wheat field, and Taliaferro's brigade parallel to 
 the Culpeper road, with Poague's, Carpenter's and Cas- 
 kie's batteries in front of it. Vender's brigade (the 
 " Stonewall") was held in reserve. 
 
 General Winder had just formed his line, when he was 
 mortally wounded by the explosion of a shell. The com- 
 
126 lieutexant-(,km:hal 
 
 mand of the division passed to Brigadier-general Talia- 
 ferro. 
 
 While these events were transpiring, General Ewell 
 had gained the position to "which he had been ordered — the 
 northwestern extremity of Slaughter's mountain. He 
 placed Latimer's Lattery at a point about two hundred 
 feet above the valley beneath-, and opened a* heavy fire 
 upon "the federal guns, doing them serious damage. 
 
 The artillery duel (in which nearly all of Jackson's 
 batteries were engaged) continued for about two hours — 
 the enemv suffering greatly. 
 
 About five o'clock in the afternoon, the enemy ad- 
 vanced his skirmishers and moved to -the front his in- 
 fantry, which antil then had been hid in the woods to the 
 rear and left of his artillery. Another body of infantry, 
 hitherto concealed in the valley by the rolling country, 
 advanced towards the point occupied by Early's artillery, 
 and upon which his right Hank rested. 
 
 The battle between the infantry once opened, soon be- 
 came general. 
 
 General A. P. Hill's division now arrived, and General 
 Thomas' brigade was sent to General Early's assistance. 
 
 The attack upon Early's position, was intended to cover 
 an attempt to turn the confederate left -flank. A heavy 
 column of the enemy was 1 hurled upon it, and succeeded 
 in driving it back and assailing it fiercely in the roar. 
 Campbell's brigade fell back, and the enemy pressing on, 
 forced Taliaferro's brigade and a portion of Early's 
 troops* back from their position. The artillery of Jack- 
 son's division being thus exposed, was withdrawn. 
 
 General Jackson's army was now in great danger of 
 being defeated. Dashing to the left, General Jackson, 
 
THOMAS J, JACKSON. 127 
 
 usually so calm and cool under all circumstances, threw 
 himself between the enemy and his retreating troops, and 
 in loud and ringing tones, and all unmindful of the ter- 
 rible fire to which he was exposed, commanded the men 
 "to form again. Reassured by his enthusiasm and hero- 
 ism, they rallied. At this moment the old " Stonewall 
 brigade" and Branch's brigade of ilill's division came 
 up. Placing himself in front of the line, General Jack- 
 son gave his brief, stern order: "Press them with the 
 bayonet !" The troops swept forward, drove the ad- 
 vancing enemy before them, and re-established the line of 
 battle. 
 
 Archer's and Pender's brigades now came up, and a 
 general charge was ordered. The enemy were driven 
 with great loss across the valley and into the woods be- 
 yond it. . 
 
 The federal commander now hurled his cavalry upon 
 Taliaferro's brigade, but they were met with such a galling 
 fire from this brigade in front, and Branch's brigade as- 
 sailed them so heavi-ly on their flank, that they wheeled 
 and fled, having suffered severely. 
 
 The fire of the confederate batteries had forced Gene- 
 ral Ewell to remain silent, as an advance on his part 
 would have exposed his men to the fire of their friends' 
 artillery. AVhen*the infantry engagement resulted in the 
 repulse of the federals, and he could move across the 
 valley, he advanced his command and made a spirited 
 attack upon the enemy's left. 
 
 The whole line was now pressing heavily upon the 
 enemy, and just as the moon was rising they gave way 
 at all points and abandoned the field, leaying their killed 
 and wounded behind them. 
 

 128 UEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 The enemy fell back to a thick wood, about two miles 
 in the rear of the battle field. Being anxious to reach 
 Culpeper courthouse that night, General Jackson ad- 
 vanced his weary troops in pursuit, Hill's division being 
 in front. After a march of about a -mile and a half, the 
 enemy was encountered. 
 
 Pegrani's battery, with Fields' brigade for a. support, 
 was thrown forward, and before the enemy were aware of 
 its presence, had opened a rapid and effective fire upon 
 them. The yankee infantry broke and fled in every di- 
 rection. Three federal batteries were thrown forward 
 and opened on Pegram, who continued gallantly to main- 
 tain his ground, though against such heavy odds, but was 
 finally forced to withdraw with severe loss. 
 
 General Jackson, having been informed of the arrival 
 of reinforcements for the enemy, ordered a halt for the 
 night. 
 
 The next morning it became evident' that the federal 
 army had been largely reinforced, and General Jackson 
 concluded not to advance. He made the necessary ar- 
 rangements for defending his position, and ordered the 
 dead to be buried, the wounded to be sent to. the rear, and 
 the arms left on the field by the. enemy to be collected. 
 
 The day passed off very quietly, the enemy making no 
 demonstration, and on the 11th they* sent in a flag of 
 truce, asking permission to bury their dead, and the day 
 was spent in performing that duty. 
 
 Having accomplished all that he desired, General Jack- 
 son, on the night of the 11th, withdrew his troops and 
 retired across the Rapidan. His army lay almost within 
 musket range of the enemy, and yet so skilfully and sue- • 
 cessfully was the retreat effected, that the federals knew 
 
' THOMAS J. JACKSON. 129 
 
 nothing of it until the next morning, when they found 
 that the Southern forces had disappeared. 
 
 In the battle of Cedar run the enemy had thirty-two 
 thousand men engaged, and were commanded by Gene- 
 rals Pope, McDowell, Scigcl and Banks. They sustained 
 a bloody defeat. Their loss was very heavy in killed and 
 wounded, and has been estimated at from three to four 
 thousand. Certainly it was very severe. General Gor- 
 don, commanding one of their brigades, speaks of his 
 loss as follows: "I carried into action less than 1,500 
 men. I lost in about thirty minutes 466 killed, wounded 
 and missing. * * * * As I approached, 
 
 the enemy received me with a rapid and destructive fire. 
 For at least thirty minutes this terrible fire continued. 
 Companies were left without officers, and men were fall- 
 ing in every direction from the fire of the enemy. * * 
 It was too evident that the spot' that had witnessed the 
 destruction of one brigade, would be, in a few minutes, 
 the grave of mine. I had lost more than thirty in every 
 hundred of my command." 
 
 General Crawford, another of their officers, says in his 
 report: " The whole woods became one sheet of fire and 
 storm of lead. The enemy's infantry was crowded into 
 .the timber, and into some underbrush at our right, and 
 they mowed our poor fellows down like grass. The over- 
 whelming numbers of the enemy forced us .to fall back, 
 but only when not a field officer remained?' 
 
 Surely, if the rest of the federal army suffered in the 
 same proportion, the estimate of its losses given above is 
 very moderate. . The enemy also lost about four hundred 
 prisoners, including one of their brigade commanders — 
 General Prince — five thousand three hundred and two 
 
 17 
 
130 IJEUT&T ANT-GENERAL * 
 
 Stand's of arms, one Napoleon gun, twelve wagon loads of 
 ammunition, and several wagon loads of new clothing. 
 
 The confederate force engaged, consisted of not quite 
 three divisions. Its loss was 233 killed and 1,060 wound- 
 ed — making a total of 1,293 men. 
 
 General Jackson sent the following despatch to Gene-' 
 ral Lee's adjutant-general^ announcing his victory : 
 
 Headquarters Y alley District, )_ 
 August 11, 6^ A. If. j 
 
 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 Culpeper courthouse. The enemy, according to the statement 
 of prisoners, consisted of Banks', McDowell's and Siegel's commands. 
 JVe have over four hundred prisoners, including Brigadier-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 aboftit 
 1,500 small arms and other ordnance stores. 
 
 I am, colonel, your ob't serv't, 
 
 T. J. Jackson, Major-general. 
 Col. R. H. Chilton, A. A: G. 
 
 General Pope telegraphed to Washington news of^a 
 " great victory," but as in the case of the ten thousand 
 men taken from Beauregard, he was utterly powerless to 
 show any proof of his boasted achievements. 
 
 Being satisfied that the enemy were evacuating their 
 position on the James river, and that the army of Gene- 
 ral McClellan would be sent to the assistance of General 
 Pope, General Lee no longer felt any hesitation in re- 
 moving his army from Richmond. By the 17th of Au- 
 gust he had assembled * on the Rapidan a force of suffi- 
 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 131 
 
 cient strength to enable him to commence operations 
 against Pope. It was necessary for him ho act with 
 promptness. The corps of General Burnsicle had been 
 moved up to Aquia creek, and McClellan's army was 
 leaving the James river. He must fight Pope before 
 these forces could reach him. The plan he adopted was 
 a bold one, and would be attended with considerable risk. 
 But the situation of the country at the time was such as 
 to require boldness and promptness. 
 
 With the bulk of the army, General Lee would ad- 
 vance and engage General Pope in front and towards his 
 flanks, while General Jackson's corps was to cross the 
 mountains, get- into Pope's rear, and then marching to 
 Manassas, seize his lines of communication with Wash- 
 ington and cut off his supplies. The movement assigned 
 to General Jackson was attended with great risk, as the 
 enemy might, at any time, by a rapid change of position, 
 cut him off from the army of General Lee, and derange 
 the whole plan of the campaign. Resolving, however, to 
 put this plan into execution, and feeling assured- that he 
 could place the fullest reliance upon General Jackson's 
 ability to execute his portion of it^General Lee began 
 to prepare for the campaign. 
 
 The army now advanced to Orange courthouse, and 
 General Pope, suspicious of danger, retreated across the 
 Rappahannock. This movement caused some modifica- 
 tion of General Lee's plan of operations. 
 
 General Jackson was ordered to gain Pope's rear, and 
 cut him off from Washington, while General Lee, by 
 making a series of feints in the federal command 
 front, would draw his attention from the movement of 
 General Jackson. 
 
132 .LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 On the 20th of August, General Jackson crossed the 
 Rapidan ahout eight miles northeast of Orange court- 
 house, and on the evening of the 21st reached Beverly's 
 ford, six miles west of Brandy station on the Orange and 
 Alexandria railroad. At this point a considerable force 
 of the enemy occupied the left bank of the river. The 
 next day was spent in skirmishing with them ; and late 
 in the day the march was resumed, and on the 23rd of 
 August General Jackson appeared on the bank of the 
 Rappahannock at the little village of Je'ffersonton, oppo- 
 site the Warrenton springs in Fauquier county. General 
 Early's brigade was thrown across the river, but the 
 stream swelling with great rapidity, (owing to heavy rains 
 having fallen recently), the rest of the troops were unable 
 to cross. The situation of Early was perilous in the ex- 
 treme ; but the enemy did not take advantage of it. The 
 next evening the bridge over the Rappahannock, which 
 the enemy had destroyed, having been completed, Gene- 
 ral Ewell crossed over with Lawton's brigade to Early's 
 assistance. The federals hurriedly massed large bodies 
 of troops at the springs to resist the advance of the con- 
 federates. During^ the night the brigades of Early and 
 Lawton recrossed the river and rejoined the main column. 
 
 By his rapid movements along the river, General Jack- 
 son had induced the enemy to believe that he contem- 
 plated a passage of it near the springs : had perplexed 
 "them greatly in their efforts to discover the true point 
 where he wished to cross the stream, and had drawn off 
 a large body of troops from the main column. The di- 
 vision of General R. II. Anderson, having coinc up from 
 Gordonsville, was left to watch and amuse the enemy, 
 who remained drawn up in line of battle at Warrenton 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 13 
 
 oo 
 
 springs all clay on Monday 25th. General Jackson, on 
 the morning of the 25th, pushed on up the river towards 
 Flint hill, in the county of Rappahannock.. The enemy 
 hearing that a large, force of confederates 'was moving 
 towards the mountains, supposed it was the division of 
 General Ewell . making a demonstration to cover the re- 
 treat of Jackson, who was believed to be falling back to 
 Gordonsville. 
 
 When the army had passed the little village of Amis- 
 villc, it ^Yhcelcd suddenly to the right, and moving rap- 
 idly over a rugged and unused road, crossed the Rappa- 
 hannock at Hinson's ford, about fifteen miles above YVar- 
 renton springs. The passage of the' stream was exceed- 
 ingly difficult, and might have been successfully resisted 
 by the enemy, but they had no force there. Avoiding 
 the hills, and marching across fields and lanes, the corps 
 halted for the night near the town of Salem, in Fauquier 
 county, a station on the Manassas gap railroad. The 
 army reached it at midnight, and was on the march again 
 at daybreak. General Jackson had now turned the right 
 flank of the enemy, and was rapidly gaining his rear. 
 
 The next morning, the 26th, the march was resumed 
 in the direction of Thoroughfare gap, where the Manas- 
 sas gap railroad passes through the Bull run mountains. 
 Here General Jackson expected to encounter a portion 
 of the federal troops. Fortunately this strong pass, 
 which a small force of brave men might have held against 
 his whole army, had been left unguarded, and there was 
 nothing to oppose the march of the confederates. Moving 
 his army rapidly through the gap, General Jackson hur- 
 ried on in the direction of Gainesville, which he reached 
 late in the day." 
 
134 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 General Pope has declared, in his official report, that 
 he was, from the first, fully aware of all Jackson's move- 
 ments-. If this be true, General Pope must have been 
 the greatest simpleton upon record. He left his rear 
 entirely unprotected, ainj made no effort whatever to re- 
 sist the progress of Jackson, .which, he says, was so well 
 known to him, and so " carefully noted." A mere hand- 
 ful of. men could, have checked, if they could not have 
 rented, Jackson's advance at at least half a dozen 
 points. The truth is, - however* that the movements of 
 General Jackson were so rapid, and the operations of the 
 cavalry under General Stuart, between his corps and the 
 enemy, so completely covered those movements, that 
 General Pope was entirely ignorant of them, until Gene- 
 ral Jackson had fully gained his rear. 
 
 Arriving at Gainesville, the corps wheeled to. the right 
 and marched to Bristow station, on the Orange and Alex- 
 andria railroad, "which was reached after .night. The 
 small force and the military stores.left there by the enemy 
 were captured. Several trains of cars returning to 
 Washington were also captured. One, • however, suc- 
 ceeded in getting by and telegraphed the alarm from 
 Manassas to Alexandria. Those coming from the oppo- 
 site direction returned and gave the alarm. 
 
 Learning that the enemy had established a large depot ' 
 of supplies at Manassas, General Jackson ordered Gene- 
 rals Trimble and Stuart to proceed thither at once and 
 occupy the place. By midnight they reached Manassas, 
 and captured the entire force stationed there. At Ma- 
 nassas junction the enemy had established an immense 
 depot of supplies. The confederates captured an exten- 
 sive bakery, (which was capable of turning out 15,00.0 
 
 * 
 
O • 
 
 THOMAS J. JACKSON. 18 
 
 loaves of bread daily';) several thousand barrels of flour ; 
 large quantities of corn and oats ; two thousand barrels 
 of pork; one thousand barrels of beef; fifty thousand 
 pounds of bacon; several trains of cars with large loads 
 of stores ; and. ten first class locomotives. 
 
 The next day, the 27th, afto leaving General Ewcll at 
 Bristow,. General Jackson occupied Manassas with the 
 rest of his Corps. 
 
 The federal authorities at Washington, upon receiving 
 information of the capture of Manassas, supposed that it 
 had been done by a small force, and looked upon the 
 ir as a mere raid. A New Jersey brigade, composed 
 of five regiments, under Brigadier-general Taylor, was 
 sent from Alexandria " to chase the rebels away." The 
 brigade left the car's at Bull run bridge, about 11. o'clock, 
 on the morning of the 27th, and moved rapidly towards 
 the junction. They were allowed to approach within a 
 few hundred yards of the fortifications around the junc- 
 tion, not. having met with any enemy save a line of skir- 
 mishers, Who retired before them. As they came within 
 range of the heavy guns* a rapid fire was opened upon 
 i, driving them back to a ridge of Kills,, which .shel- 
 tered them from the fatal storm. Throwing forward his 
 infantry, General Jackson drove them from their place 
 of refuge back' to Bull run. Crossing that stream at 
 Blackburn's ford, they fled- towards Oeiitreville, hotly 
 pursued by the cavalry and hoi^c artillery of Gen 
 • art, which inflicted great loss upon them. The pur- 
 suit was contin yond Centreville, the ping 
 in the wildest confusion. The brigade was almost anni- 
 hilated. General Taylor was wounded, and so was nearly 
 every officer in his command. 
 
I8G LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 General Ilcintzelman's corps of McClellari's arbayliad 
 reached General Pope's lines, and lay at Rappahannock 
 station, when news was received of the capture of Bris- 
 tow. General Heintzelman had been informed that a 
 "raid" had been made upon the railroad, but he saga- 
 ciously judged that the movement must be one of great 
 magnitude, and at once advanced with his whole- corps to- 
 wards Bristow. A sharp engagement ensued late in the 
 day, in which the enemy were repulsed with considerable 
 loss, and forced back for some distance. The officer in 
 immediate command of the enemy during the attack, was 
 General Joseph Hooker. 
 
 Not wishing to expose his troops to the danger of being 
 separated when the enemy should advance upon him, 
 General Jackson had ordered General Ewell to occupy 
 his position until the enemy should make' their appear- 
 ance, and then to check their progress and rejoin the 
 main body of the corps at Manassas. Having checked 
 the advance of the enemy, General Ewell withdrew his 
 troops during the night and rejoined General Jackson. 
 
 In the meantime, General Lee having been informed 
 of the success of Jackson's movements, had advanced 
 with the remainder of the army to his assistance, intend- 
 ing to throw his entire force in the enemy's rear. Long- 
 street's corps, which had been amusing the enemy during 
 Jackson's- march, now swept around from the river and 
 marched towards Thoroughfare gap. 
 
 Startled by the news that General Jackson had gained 
 his rear, General Pope awoke to a sense of his danger, 
 and prepared to meet it. General Jackson was in the 
 very heart of the country occupied by the federal troops, 
 cut off, for the time, from all assistance from the army of 
 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 137 
 
 General Lee, and in danger of being completely hemmed 
 in by the dense masses of the enemy. His situation was 
 desperate, and to a commander of less genius, might have 
 been fatal. General Pope saw this and resolved to en- 
 deavor to profit by it. . Sending Rickett's division to 
 occupy and hold Thoroughfare gap, and thus prevent 
 Jackson from receiving any assistance or effecting a re- 
 treat through it, he moved up from Fauquier with 'his 
 army, for the purpose of forcing his way through Jack- 
 son's line, and recovering his communications with Wash- 
 ington. • The federal army had been reinforced by a por- 
 tion of the troops of General McClellan, and the rest of 
 that army was on the Potomac and on it* way to join 
 Pope. Relying upon his great strength, General Pope 
 moved forward with rapidity. His column was advan- 
 cing upon the front of General Jackson, McClellan's 
 troops were approaching in his rear, and Burnside, who 
 was advancing from. Fredericksburg, was marching upon 
 his flank. General fackson's situation was now perilous 
 in the extreme. His forces did not consist of more than 
 20,000 men, and these were almost broken down by their 
 extraordinary marches, and his supply of food was very 
 short, not exceeding rations for a day and a half. His 
 train was sixty miles off, having been unable to keep up 
 with him in his advance. The head of General Long- 
 street's column had only arrived at the western extremity 
 of Thoroughfare gap, thirty miles distant, and between 
 that column and his own was a federal force of 90,000 
 men. The enemy had occupied the gap, and it was by 
 no means certain that General Longstreet would be able 
 to force a passage through it. In this critical situation 
 General Jackson could choose between only two alterna- 
 
 18 
 
 
138 LIEUTEXANT-GENERAL 
 
 tives : either to fight the enemy and endeavor to hold 
 them in check until General Longstreet could come up, 
 or to retreat to the Valley of Virginia by way of Cen- 
 treville and Leesburg. If he chose the former, he would 
 have to encounter the danger of being overwhelmed and 
 cut to pieces before Longstreet could come up ; if the 
 latter, to run the risk of having his retreat intercepted 
 by the column which was approaching from Alexandria. 
 In either case his condition would be extremely perilous. 
 The enemy were closing in upon him, and it was neces- 
 sary for him to decide at once. The darker the clouds 
 seemed to close around the heroic general, the more bril- 
 liantly did his genius shine out above them, and never 
 was this more strikingly exemplified than at this moment. 
 Without hesitation he resolved to' meet the enemy and 
 resist the advance. As soon as General E well's division 
 rejoined him, he set fire to the depot and stores captured 
 at Manassas, and moved off in the direction of Bull run, 
 the darkness of the night covering lUs movements. Upon 
 reaching Bull run, he halted .and formed his line near the 
 Sudley church, almost on the very spot that had witnessed 
 the heroic struggle of the 21st July 1861. 'By this move- 
 ment he brought his forces much nearer to the*main body 
 of the enemy under. General Pope', but at the same time 
 shortened the distance between himself and General 
 Longstreet. In this position he could fight the enemy 
 the next clay, and if General Longstreet could be suc- 
 cessful in forcing a passage through Thoroughfare gap, 
 he could fall upon the enemy and assist General Jackson. 
 Or if he should be forced to retreat, he had now an open 
 way by which he could move into the Valley. His troops 
 marched all night over a rough and rugged country. The 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 130 
 
 morning of Thursday, the 28th of July, foimcUhcm drawn 
 up along the banks of Bull run, weary and hungry, and 
 awaiting the advance of the enemy. It seemed that they 
 had caught the spirit of their leader, for i,n spite of their 
 sufferings, they uttered not a murmur, but eagerly awaited 
 the coming conflict, The right of the line was composed 
 of the 1st division (General Jackson's old division) under 
 General Taliaferro ;• the centre of A. P. .Hill's division, 
 while Ewcll held the left ; the troops facing Manassas 
 junction. 
 
 In order to reopen his communications with Washing- 
 ton, it was necessary for General Pope to get his army 
 across Bull run and defeat General Jackson. The route 
 he had chosen for the retrograde movement of his army, 
 was over the Stone bridge and the Sudley ford, and Gen- 
 eral Jackson now occupied a position directly In his path. 
 
 Earty on the morning of the 28th, the cavalry under 
 General Stuart, encountered the enemy's cavalry near 
 Gainesville on the Warrent'On turnpike, and drove them 
 back. Later in the day, the 2nd brigade of the 1st di- 
 vision, under Colonel Bradley Johnson, again repulsed 
 them. A heavy column, under Scigel and McDowell, 
 was now advancing upon Jackson's position, and a des- 
 perate encounter was near at hand. General Jackson at 
 once ordered General Taliaferro to advance with his di- 
 vision and attack them. Ewcll and A. P. Hill were to 
 follow him, and engage the enemy when they came up 
 with them. General Taliaferro had gone about three 
 miles, when he found that the enemy had abandoned the 
 Sudlc}^ road and were advancing upOn him from the War- 
 renton turnpike. General Jackson at once moved up his 
 other divisions and formed his line near tlio little village 
 
140 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 of Groveton ; his right resting above and near the vil- 
 lage, and his left upon the old battle field of Manassas. 
 The action began at five o'clock in the afternoon, the 
 enemy making the attack in several heavy columns. It 
 was opened by an artillery combat at long range, but 
 gradually the distance between the two armies shortened, 
 and by six O'clock they were within easy musket range 
 of each other. A furious attack was made upon the di- 
 vision of General Taliaferro, and gallantly and success- 
 fully repulsed. Hill and Ewell now came into action, 
 and the battle became general along the whole line. The 
 federal troops had been informed by their commanders, 
 that Jackson had been " caught in a complete trap". with 
 a small force, and that it was only necessary to make a 
 determined effort, to annihilate him. Inspired by this 
 thought, they fought with great desperation. Several 
 times they advanced to force the Southern lines with: the 
 bayonet, but each time were driven back with terrific fury. 
 Night came on, but the battle continued to rage furiously. 
 Gradually the enemy fell back. Finally they abandoned 
 the field, and by nine o'clock the battle was o^er, General 
 Jackson remaining in undisputed possession of the field, 
 having successfully repulsed the enemy at all points. 
 
 Although the battle had been so severe, General Jack- 
 son's loss was small in proportion to that of the enemy, 
 being between 800 and 1,000 killed and wounded. But 
 among these were Generals Trimble and Taliaferro, two 
 gallant officers wounded, and the brave old Ewell, whose 
 presence was a tower of strength to the army, lost a leg. 
 
 The enemy's loss has never been accurately ascertained, 
 but was very heavy. 
 
 The night passed away in silence, and the troops, 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON, 141 
 
 wearied by fatigue and hunger, spent it in resting upon 
 their arms, awaiting the renewal of the conflict the next 
 clay. 
 
 While the battle was going on near Groveton, stirring 
 events were transpiring in another direction. 
 
 As soon as General Jackson had gained Pope's rear. 
 General Longstrcet had been ordered to move with speed 
 to his assistance. He reached Thoroughfare gap late on 
 the 27th of August, and found it occupied by the enemy. 
 
 Thoroughfare gap is an abrupt opening in the range of 
 the Bull run mountains. Its width varies from one hun- 
 dred to two hundred yards. A swift mountain stream 
 rushes through the pass, and along its bank winds a rug- 
 ged and difficult road and the track of the Manassas gap 
 railroad. On the left hand the mountains rise up per- 
 pendicularly, and on the right the thick timber and un- 
 dergrowth render it impossible for any but the most active 
 men to obtain a foothold upon it. The famous pass of 
 Thermopylae sinks' into insignificance when compared 
 with this in strength. ' That pass was turned by a moun- 
 tain road ; this had no such weak point. The force of 
 the enemy occupying it, consisted of General Rickett's 
 division and several batteries of artillery. 
 
 In spite of the great advantages possessed by the 
 enemy, General Longstreet resolved to drive them from 
 the gap, and pass his troops through it. On the morning 
 of the 28th, he moved forward and engaged them, and 
 during the day succeeded in driving their entire force 
 from the pass. With the thunder of the guns at Grove- 
 ton ringing in their ears, the gallant Southerners emerged 
 from the gap, on the eastern side, and bore away towards 
 Ma i 
 
142 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 The passage of Thoroughfare gap was one of the iflost 
 brilliant exploits of the campaign, and reflects the highest 
 credit upon the gallant general and brave men who effected 
 it. It was accomplished with a loss of only three men 
 wounded. 
 
 Upon arriving within supporting distance of General 
 Jackson, General Longstreet moved to the neighborhood 
 of Sudley church and took position on the left. The 
 plan of General Lee was now nearly accomplished. He 
 "had moved his entire' army around' the enemy and had 
 gotten into their rear. The army had endured hardships 
 and privations innumerable, but these, so far from de- 
 pressing it, had inspired it with an enthusiasm that was 
 irresistible. 
 
 The morning of the 29th of August dawned beauti- 
 fully over the scenes of such fearful strife. General 
 Jackson's corps occupied a position a little in advance of 
 that which it had- held during the previous evening. All 
 of General Longstreet's forces had not yet come up, and 
 his line was not completely formed. Later in the day 
 all the troops were present, and the lines fully estab- 
 lished. 
 
 Early in the morning, the enemy made a feeble attack 
 upon General Ewell's division, and were quickly repulsed 
 with great slaughter. The confederate artillery opening 
 upon them in their flight, added greatly to their suffer- 
 ings. About four o'clock in the afternoon, General Pope 
 made a desperate attempt to force the Southern lines 
 asunder, and effect a passage through them. The attack 
 was made upon the command of General Jackson, and 
 soon afterwards extended along the whole line. General 
 Lcc ? late in the afternoon, seeing that the enemy were 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 143 
 
 receiving strong reinforc.ments, ordered" General Hood 
 (of Longstreet's corps) to move with his division, and 
 make a. demonstration upon their right. Hood moved up 
 rapidly and soon became warmly engaged with the enemy, 
 and when the battle closed, had driven them three-quar- 
 ters of a mile. This movement compelled the federal 
 commander to change his line very materially. 
 ^ Profiting by this assistance, General Jackson advanced 
 . his troops with great energy. The battle raged hotly on 
 both wings of the army, and the enemy fought with great 
 vigor. About nine o'clock they fell back sullenly and 
 left the confederate forces in possession of the field. . 
 
 Daring the fight the ammunition of Jackson's men 
 gave out. They held their ground, however, .defending 
 themselves with pieces of rock which lay thickly along 
 their position. To supply their lack of ammunition, the 
 cartridge boxes of wounded and dead friends and foes 
 were secured and emptied, and their, contents passed 
 along the line. . • 
 
 When Hood came into the fight, Jackson's men were 
 being slowly pressed back by the overwhelming masses 
 thrown upon them. Hood's charge gave them an oppor- 
 tunity to recover thek lost ground, and they were quick 
 to avail themselves of it. 
 
 The confederate loss was small in proportion to the 
 number engaged and the fierceness of the conflict. The 
 enemy acknowledged a loss of eight thousand killed and 
 wounded. The Northern papers estimated the losses in 
 Pope's army, in the various conflicts previous to the 29th, 
 at nine thousand men, making in all a total of seventeen 
 thousand men. 
 
 During the night, General Lee ordered the troops to 
 
144 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 fall back nearer to Manassas plains, intending to take 
 position there and offer the enemy battle the next day. 
 The night was spent by the troops in occupying the po- 
 sitions assigned them. They were greatly in need of 
 rest, and very much, weakened by abstinence from food, 
 and yet in this weak and exhausted condition, they were 
 on the morrow to fight the greatest battle that had yet 
 been fought in America. 
 
 The morning of the ever memorable 30th of August 
 came at last. The confederate army now occupied a po- 
 sition different from any it had yet held. The line of 
 battle extended for over five miles, and was in the form 
 of an obtuse crescent. Jackson's corps held the left, 
 and his line extended from the Sudley ford, on Bull run, 
 along the partly excavated track of the Manassas inde- 
 pendent line of railroad for a portion of the way, and 
 thence towards a point on the Warrenton turnpike about 
 a mile and a half west of Groveton. The 1st division 
 (now comm%nded by General Starke) was on the right ; 
 Ewell's division (under General Lawton) in the centre, 
 and A. P. Hill on the left. From Jackson's right, ex- 
 tended Longstreet's line, which formed the right wing of 
 the army, stretching beyond the Manassas gap railroad. 
 In the centre, between Jackson's and Longstreet's lines, 
 a strong force of artillery was posted upon an eminence 
 which commanded a large portion of the field. 
 
 The enemy, in order to engage General Lee, had now 
 to conform his line to that of the Southern army. Con- 
 sequently the federal line took the form of a crescent, 
 the centre (greatly advanced) being at Groveton, and the 
 wings inclining obliquely to the right and left. General 
 Heintzelman held the federal right and General McDowell 
 
THOMAS J. JACKbUN. 145 
 
 the left, while the corps of General Fitz John Porter and 
 Scigel, and Reno's division of Burnside's army, formed 
 the contrc. 
 
 Thus the advantage lay with General Lee. The con- 
 federate army (especially the corps of General Jackson) 
 occupied the ground upon which the enemy fought the 
 first battle of Manassas, and the federal army the ground 
 held by the confederates that day— the positions of the 
 two armies on the 21st being completely reversed on the 
 present occasion. 
 
 The federal artillery was posted on the hills, in the 
 rear of their infantry. 
 
 About 12 o'clock M. the battle was opened between 
 the artillery of the two armies— the enemy making the 
 attack. The firing was very rapid, and was kept up with 
 great spirit. 
 
 A little after two o'clock the enemy advanced a strong 
 column of infantry and began a spirited attack upon 
 General Jackson's line. Advancing under the cover of 
 a heavy fire of artillery to within musket range of the 
 Southern lines, they opened a rapid fire, which was re- 
 sponded to with fatal effect. Shortly after this a second 
 column of the enemy, and then a third, advanced to sup- 
 port the first. Jackson's infantry hurled a deadly fire 
 upon them, and unable to endure it, they repeatedly 
 broke and ran, and it required all of the efforts of their 
 officers to rally them again. Jackson's artillery was now 
 moved to the left, -and a destructive fire was opened upon 
 the federal columns. The battle was going on hotly, and 
 the infantry were doing effective service, while the fire of 
 the artillery was terrific. Shot and shell tore through 
 the federal ranks at each discharge, bringing down scores 
 
 19 
 
146 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 to the ground, breaking the line of the enemy and throw- 
 ing them into confusion. The order was given to charge, 
 and the infantry sweeping down with great force, drove 
 the bewildered foe from the field at the point of the 
 bayonet. Thus, in half an hour, the forces of Generals 
 Sykes and Morell, the most celebrated corps of the fede- 
 ral army, were driven in confusion from the field by a 
 smaller force of confederates. 
 
 General Jackson's line, which, it will be remembered, 
 extended from Bull run to the Warrenton turnpike, had 
 been considerably advanced during this brief engagement. 
 His left, ■ which had pushed forward more rapidly than his 
 right, had moved around by tl\e Pittsylvania house, and 
 was forcing the enemy towards the turnpike and driving 
 them down upon General Longstreet's position ; thus 
 clearly demonstrating the wisdom of General Lee's for- 
 mation of his line of battle. 
 
 Longstreet was not slow to perceive his advantage. 
 His troops were at once- thrown forward, and now the 
 whole line was advancing upon the enemy. The federals 
 were being heavily reinforced, and dense masses of fresh 
 troops were rapidly brought into action. Dashing upon 
 the exposed left flank of the enemy, which was in front 
 of him, General Longstreet, in spite of this, drove them 
 furiously before him. While Longstreet outflanked and 
 drove the enemy on the left, Jackson pressed heavily upon 
 their right. The two wings of the crescent line were 
 gradually drawing nearer together and enclosing » the 
 enemy between them. Sweeping upon them in those ir- 
 resistible charges which have become so famous, the vet- 
 erans of Jackson and Longstreet broke the federal col- 
 umns and chased them from the field. Dashing on, at 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 147 
 
 the head of his troops, with his whole soul glowing with 
 the genius of battle, General Jackson exhibited the 
 greatest heroism. Under the guidance of such a general, 
 and stimulated by such an example, it is no wonder that 
 his troops were invincible. 
 
 Long after darkness the battle raged, the enemy being 
 driven at all points, and after nine o'clock they aban- 
 doned the field and fled ingloriously across Bull run. So 
 rapid was their flight, that it was impossible for the con- 
 federates to keep up with them. 
 
 General Pope abandoned his wounded without making 
 any provision for them. They were kindly cared for by 
 the confederate commander, until the federals could attend 
 to them. 
 
 The enemy's loss in this second battle of Manassas 
 was very heavy. The confederate loss was much less, 
 but at present unknown to me. It has been said, and I 
 am convinced of the truth of the assertion, that the 
 enemy's losses on the 27th, 28th, 29j:h and 30th of Au- 
 gust, numbered thirty -five thousand men. 
 
 A scanty allowance of food — the first they had eaten 
 for four days, was issued to the army on the morning of 
 the 81st. It consisted of beef without bread. 
 
 The enemy now occupied the heights of Gentreville 
 and Germantown, and from these General Lee resolved 
 to dislodge them. General Jackson was ordered to turn 
 their, right flank. He set out at two o'clock in the after- 
 noon, and at night encamped in Pleasant valley,, fifteen 
 miles from the battle field. Here, for the first time since 
 the march began on the 25th, the men enjoyed an unbro- 
 ken night's rest, and here again they were compelled to 
 go without food. # 
 
148 LT F. U T EC X A NT-G ENER A L 
 
 On the next day, (September 1st), upon nearing the 
 federal lines, General A. P. Hill's division was attacked 
 by the enemy, who wished to protect the removal of their 
 trains from Centreville to Alexandria. The battle was 
 fought at Germantown, a small village in Fairfax county, 
 near the main road from Centreville to Fairfax courthouse. 
 The federal troops having been rallied by their comman- 
 ders, marched out from Centreville and fell upon Hill's 
 division, which constituted Jackson's advance. After a 
 short, but desperate' fight, they were routed and driven in 
 confusion towards Alexandria, losing many of their num- 
 ber and all of their artilleiy. Generals Kearney and 
 Stevens were killed — the former left dead on the field. 
 The confederate loss was very slight. 
 
 In this brief campaign, the enemy lost upwards of 
 thirty-five thousand men killed, wounded and prisoners, 
 many millions of dollars worth of stores and other pro- 
 perty, over thirty pieces of cannon, and many small arms. 
 The confederate loss was about six thousand men. The 
 enemy had been driven into the lines of Washington, and 
 were now trembling for the safety of their capital. The 
 campaign had been, in every respect, brilliant and suc- 
 cessful. 
 
 On Tuesday, 2nd of September, the corps of General 
 Longstreet came up, and the army for the first time en- 
 joyed a full allowance of food. 
 
 Having driven the enemy within the lines of Washing- 
 ton, General Lee resolved to cross" the Potomac and enter 
 Maryland. Several motives have been attributed to him 
 by the press and public, as inducing him to take this step. 
 The principal of these are — 1st, that he wished to libe- 
 rate and ho]<J the state of Maryland, believing that the 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 149 
 
 condition of affairs warranted such a step. Second, that 
 he simply wished to capture the column of federal troops 
 stationed at Harper's Ferry. Much fruitless discussion 
 has been engaged in by the friends of these opposite 
 propositions, and it may seem out of place to mention 
 them here, but for the completeness of this narration it 
 win be necessary to refer to them briefly. This I shall 
 do further on, simply stating here that I accept the lat- 
 tcr^roposition as embodying the true reason of General 
 Lee for crossing the Potomac. 
 
 On the 3d of September, General Ja'ckson moved off 
 from Germantown in the direction of Leesburg, and halted 
 for the night at Drainesville. He reached Leesburg the 
 next day. 'On Friday, the 5th of September, he crossed 
 the Potomac, and took the way to Frederick city in 
 Maryland. 
 
 The passage of the Potomac was thrilling beyond de- 
 scription. The men sprang forward with wild and en- 
 thusiastic cheers, and were soon over the river and upon 
 the shores of the United States. Each man felt himself 
 the avenger of a wronged and outraged state, and believed 
 that he came to offer to a gallant but enslaved people the 
 prescious boon of liberty. Their anticipations were, how- 
 ever, soon checked by the very cool reception with which 
 they were met. They had believed that men would come 
 crowding into their ranks, and that the whole population 
 would receive them with open arms. They had entered 
 the worst portion of the state, and consequently ought 
 not to have entertained such bright hopes. Western 
 Maryland, like Western Virginia, was too thoroughly at- 
 tached to the Union to hail with delight the advance of a 
 Southern army. It comprised but a very small portion 
 
150 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 of the stat'e, and all persons who believed then that Gen- 
 eral Lee desired to liberate Maryland, beheld with regret 
 his entrance into that portion of it. The friends of the 
 South were, with a few exceptions, all east of Frederick 
 county, and the friends of the Union, in and west of it. 
 The few Southern men in the section occupied by the 
 confederate army, not knowing the nature of the invasron, 
 were afraid to act at once. To those who know how 
 much they had to dread from the tyranny of the feffral 
 government, this will not seem strange. ■ 
 
 Before reaching Frederick city, General Jackson was 
 presented with a magnificent gray charger. This act, 
 which was prompted by the most enthusiastic admiration 
 for the general, came very near proving fatal to him, for 
 he had scarcely mounted the horse before the animal be- 
 came frightened, threw him, and came near breaking his 
 neck. 
 
 On Saturday, the 6th of September, the army entered 
 Frederick city. Here they were permitted to purchase 
 such articles as they wanted, for confederate money. On 
 Monday confederate money was refused, and the prices 
 of articles advanced. The troops most scrupulously 
 avoided interfering with the inhabitants, and every right 
 they possessed was most faithfully respected. Persons 
 of known hostility to the South were treated with great 
 kindness — the conduct of the confederate army being in 
 marked contrast with that of the federal forces, when oc- 
 cupying Southern territory. 
 
 On the 8th of September, General Lee. issued his pro- 
 clamation, inviting the people of Maryland to rise in de- 
 fence of their homes and liberties. This, however, was 
 impossible, for reasons which will be stated further on. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. . 151 
 
 Only about eight hundred recruits were obtained during 
 this campaign. 
 
 On Wednesday, the 10th of September, the army 
 moved forward towards Hagcrstown. The greatest ex- 
 citement now prevailed among the troops. They thought 
 they- were advancing into Pennsylvania, and stimulated 
 by the prospect of visiting upon the enemy in his own 
 country some of the horrors that had been perpetrated 
 upon the South, they pushed on with the greatest delight. 
 At night the corps of General Jackson halted at Boons- 
 boro', on the national road, ten miles from Ilagerstown, 
 while a small party, of cavalry, for the purpose of divert- 
 ing the enemy's attention, made a raid into Pennsylvania. 
 
 The whole North was now thrown into a perfect fever 
 of excitement. The invasion of Maryland had filled the 
 entire Union with the greatest surprise and terror, and 
 these feelings were heightened by the advance of General 
 Lee in the direction of Ilagerstown. It was rumored 
 that Jackson was entering Pennsylvania by at least a 
 dozen different directions. The routed forces of General 
 Pope had crowded in confusion into the lines of Wash- 
 ington, and mutinous and demoralized, refused to fight 
 again under that general. There was but one man who 
 could bring order out of such confusion, and that man 
 was General McClellan. 
 
 Nothing in the history of the war is more singular than 
 the influence possessed by' General McClellan over his 
 troops*. During the entire period in which he held the 
 command of* the federal army, he was never successful in 
 any of his undertakings. He was defeated in every 
 pitched battle, and in a majority of the minor engage- 
 ments; driven with loss and in dismay from the Chicka- 
 
 
152 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 hominy to the James, and outgeneralled upon every occa- 
 sion. Yet in spite of all these misfortunes, the confi- 
 dence which his troops reposed in him never wavered, 
 and his influence over them never diminished. Undoubt- 
 edly he was the most skilful commander the armies of 
 the Union could boast of, but he had the misfortune to 
 contend against Lee, Johnston and Jackson. 
 
 The failure of the Peninsula campaign had placed Gen- 
 eral McClcllan in bad repute with his government, and 
 it was with great reluctance that they summoned him to 
 the command of the army again. Yielding to the neces- 
 sity of the occasion, "they removed .General. Pope and 
 placed General McOlellan at the head of the army once 
 more. Hastily reorganizing the remnants of Pope's 
 army, and leaving a strong force for the protection of 
 Washington city, General McClellan advanced . towards 
 Frederick for the purpose of engaging the army of Gen- 
 eral' Lee. The skill exhibited by him in this movement 
 won for him considerable praise both North and South. 
 His object in hastening after General Lee was to prevent 
 the invasion of Pennsylvania, or, if necessary, to relieve 
 Harpers Ferry, and by throwing his army between that 
 of General Lee and the Potomac, to cut oif his retreat 
 into Virginia. 
 
 Having resolved upon the capture of Harpers Ferry, 
 General Lee began to put his plan into operation. The 
 approach of General McClellan, which was reported to 
 him, rendered it necessary to act with great promptness. 
 The army was divided into three portions — Jackson's and 
 Longstreet's corps, and a strong force under Major-gene- 
 ral D. H. Hill. The column of General D. H. Hill was 
 to occupy the passes of the South mountain and hold 
 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 153 
 
 McClellan in check, while Jackson would recross the Po- 
 tomac and capture Harpers Ferry. The corps of General 
 Longstreet would remain within supporting distance of 
 both .Jackson and Hill, and render assistance to either 
 as necessity might require. 
 
 On Thursday morning (the 11th September) the corps 
 of General Jackson left Boonsboro' and continued to ad- 
 vance in the direction of Hagerstown. Upon reaching 
 a point about a mile beyond Boonsboro' it suddenly 
 wheeled to the left and 'marched to the Potomac, which 
 was crossed at Williamsport. On the 12th, the corps 
 entered Martinsburg. The federal forces Stationed there 
 had retired to Harpers Ferry, upon hearing of the ap- 
 proach of the confederate*. After halting for a few 
 hours to refresh his men, General Jackson hurried on in 
 the direction of Harpers Ferry, and at noon on the 13th, 
 encamped about throe miles from that place. 
 
 While the corps of General Jackson was to attack 
 Harpers Ferry from the direction of Bolivar, the division 
 of General McLaws was to occupy the%laryland heights, 
 and General Walker's forces to hold those on the Lou- 
 doun side of "the Shenandoah, thus completely hemming 
 in the federal forces. 
 
 As soon as he reached the point at which he halted, 
 General Jackson signalled the heights opposite him in 
 order to ascertain whether the other forces had come up. 
 No reply was received ; and during the day the signals 
 were repeated, but still' remained unanswered, and it was 
 feared that the attempt to occupy the heights had failed. 
 It was known that General McClellan was rapidly ap- 
 proaching the army of General Lee, and it was necessary 
 that the works at Harpers Ferry should be carried at 
 
 20 
 
 
154 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 once. The day and the night passed away in painful 
 suspense. The morning of the 14th carne, and the sig- 
 nals were repeated. An answer was returned from the 
 Loudoun heights ; Walker had reached his position-; but 
 nothing was heard from McLaws. Later in the day the 
 signals were again repeated, and McLaws answered from 
 the Maryland heights. He had succeeded, after encoun- 
 tering numerous difficulties, in reaching and occupying 
 the heights, driving the federal force stationed there into 
 the town of Harpers Ferry. General Jackson advanced, 
 his troops and invested the town: His line was drawn 
 completely around it, from the fotomac to the -Shenan- 
 doah. A. P. Hill's division held the right, Swell's the 
 centre, and the 1st (Jackson^) the left. Thus the enemy 
 were completely enclosed within the Southern lines. 
 
 In order to make a more effectual. resistance, the enemy 
 abandoned a number of outworks and retired within their 
 principal defences on Bolivar heights, and the troops of 
 General Jackson j,t once occupie 1 the' abandoned works. 
 
 It was now very late in the day, and General Jackson 
 resolved to defer the final assault until the next morning. 
 At night he sent to Generals McLaws and Walker orders 
 to open their fire upon the town the next morning at 
 sunrise, accompanying them' with the following charac- 
 teristic message : 
 
 " I have occupied and now hold the enemy's first line 
 of entrenchments, and, with the blessing of God, will 
 capture the whole force carty in the morning." 
 
 At sunrise on the morning of the loth of September, 
 a heavy cannonade was opened upon the enemy's works 
 from* all quarters. It was responded to feebly. A little 
 before ten o'clock, General Jackson ordered General A, 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 155 
 
 P. Hill to advance with his division and storm the federal 
 entrenchments. The order was obeyed with alacrity, but 
 just as Hill arrived within two hundred yards of the 
 enemy's works, a white flag was hung out from them.' 
 General Hill at once sent forward an aid to enquire the 
 cause of this, and a^lO o'clock received the sword of 
 General White, who had succeeded to the command of 
 the federal troops after the fall of General Miles, who 
 had been mortally wounded during the engagement. The 
 firing ceased, and the troops entered and took possession 
 of the place. 
 
 The terms of the surrender accorded by General Jack- 
 son were most liberal. The officers were allowed to re- 
 tain their private property, and they, taking advantage 
 of this privilege, carried off a large portion of the public 
 property, and attempted to take with them a number of 
 negroes, whom they claimed to have brought with them 
 from the North. Many negroes were recognized by their 
 owners, who lived in the surrounding country, and re- 
 covered. • Seventeen wagons were loaned the officers to 
 carry off their baggage, and were detained for a long 
 time, and then returned in a very damaged condition. 
 The men were paroled and allowed to depart, and after- 
 wards exchanged. 
 
 General Jackson captured at Harpers Ferry 11,000 
 troops and Brigadier-general White, 73 pieces of artillery, 
 nearly 12,000 small arms, about 200 wagons, and a large 
 amount of supplies, ammunition and clothing. The fed- 
 eral loss in killed and wounded was not very heavy. That 
 of the confederates was very slight. 
 
 General Jackson modestly announced his victory in tin 
 following dispatch : 
 
i56 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 • 
 
 HEADQUARTERS VALLEY DISTRICT, t 
 
 September 16th, 1862. • J" 
 • Colo f&l: 
 
 Yesterday God crowned our arms with another brilliant suc- 
 cess, on the surrender at Harpers Ferry, of B # rigadier-general White 
 and 11,000 troops, an equal number of small arms, 13 pieces of artil- 
 lery, and about 200 wagons.. 
 
 In addition to other stores, there is a large amount of camp and 
 garrison equipage. Our loss is very small. The "meritorious conduct 
 of officers and men will.be mentioned in a more detailed report. 
 
 I am colonel, your obedient servant, 
 
 T. J. Jackson, Major-general. 
 Col. R. H. Chilton, A. A. G. 
 
 While these events were transpiring at Harpers Ferry, 
 others of equal importance were occurring in Maryland. 
 The column of General D. H. Hill had been left to guard 
 the passes of the South mountain. On the 14th of Sep- 
 tember, General McClellan came up with General Hill 
 and engaged him. Seeing Hill so sorely pressed, and 
 being informed that Harpers Ferry would fall the next 
 day, General Lee moved up with Longstreet's colunrn to 
 his assistance. The enemy were held in check, and du- 
 ring the night the army withdrew towards the Potomac, 
 halting on the banks of the Antietam creek, near the 
 village of Sharpsburg. 
 
 It was expected that Harpers Ferry would fall on the 
 13th, and if this had been the case, the object of the 
 campaign being accomplished, the army of General Lee 
 could have retired across the Potomac without fighting the 
 battles of Boonsboro' or Sharpsburg. But the obstacles 
 were more formidable than had been anticipated ; and as 
 Harpers Ferry had not fallen when McClellan came up 
 with D. H. Hill, it was necessary to fight him in order to 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 157 
 
 Cover the operations of General Jackson; and upon finding 
 that the federals pressed so closely upon him after leaving 
 Eoonsboro', General Lee saw that it would be necessary 
 to fight McClellah again in order to check his advance, 
 and secure a safe passage of the Potomac. He accord- 
 ingly sent orders to General Jackson to join him at once 
 a.t Sharpsburg. The army had been greatly weakened 
 by sickness and other causes, but especially by the strag- 
 gling of the men, which had been indulged in to a shame- 
 ful extent. Over thirty thousand men had been lost to 
 the army in this way, since the march from the Rapidan 
 began. 
 
 On Monday, General Jackson received General Lee's 
 order to join' him. McLaws and Walker, with their 
 forces, crossed over to Harpers Ferry ; A. P. Hill's di- 
 vision was left to hold the place until the captured arti- 
 cles could be removed, and in the afternoon the corps 
 began the march up the river to rejoin General Lee.* 
 
 On Thursday, the 16th, General Jackson with his own 
 and E well's divisions reached the army on the Antietain 
 and disposed his forces to take part in the approaching 
 
 - Colonel Ford, an officer of the federal army, relates the-following 
 incident which occurred at Harpers Ferry : 
 
 '•While we were in conversation." he says, "an orderly rode rap- 
 idly across the bridge and said to General Jackson, ' Lam ordered 
 by General McLaws lo report to you that General McCIellan is within 
 six miles with an immense army.' Jackson took no n'otice of the 
 orderly apparently, and continued his conversation ; but when the 
 orderly had turned away, Jackson called after him with the question, 
 ' Has McCIellan any baggage train or drove of cattle ?' The reply 
 was that he had. Jackson remarked that he could whip any army 
 that was followed by a flock of cattle, alluding to the hungry cottdi- 
 . :3 men." 
 
lo« LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 battle. The rest of his command were hurrying on, but 
 had not yet come up. 
 
 General Lee's army was drawn up on the* Antietam 
 k, a small stream near the town of Sharpsburg. The 
 town lies in a deep valley, through which winds the creek. 
 On the cast is a high mountain ridge, running nearly 
 from North to South. The country is very undulating. 
 The right wing of the army, under General Longstreet, 
 rested at the base of the mountain ridge ; the centre, 
 under General D. II. Hill, at Sharpsburg, and the left, 
 (consisting of his two divisions) under General Jackson, 
 about a mile to the left of the town. 
 
 The enemy appeared in front of General -Lee's posi- 
 tion about three or four o'clock on Monday afternoon, but 
 made no attack. Tuesday was spent by General McClel- 
 lan in massing his troops on his right for the purpose of 
 endeavoring to turn the confederate left flank. Late on 
 Tuesday evening, heavy skirmishing occurred between 
 the two armies. 
 
 On the eve of a great battle, General Lee's effective 
 force did not number thirty-five thousand men, and of 
 these, three divisions (McLaws., A. P. Hill and Walker) 
 were yet to come up. The enemy had over one hundred 
 thousand of his best troops. 
 
 At three o'clock on the morning of the 17th of Sep- 
 tember, the troops were under arms. At daylight the 
 pickets commenced skirmishing. Soon after this the 
 enemy opened a heavy artillery fire upon the confederate 
 position, and the battle had fairly begun. Between six 
 and seven o'clock, the main body of the enemy .was 
 burled with terrific force against E well's division (under 
 Lawton) in a desperate attempt to turn the confederate 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 159 
 
 left flank, and from this division the fight extended to 
 Jackson's own. The Southern troops were largely out- 
 numbered, but fought with great efficiency. The enemy 
 had concentrated his best troops for his attempt to turn 
 General Lee's left, and for two hours and a half the 
 battle raged with varying success. Large numbers had 
 been lost on both sides, and finally Swell's hardy vete- 
 rans, borne down b}>- superior numbers, began to give way. 
 At this moment, Hood, who had been ordered to General 
 Jackson's assistance, dashed into the fight, and the 
 troops of General Lawton rallying quickly, a fresh stand 
 was made against the enemy, and soon the federal col- 
 umns were driven back. Receiving reinforcements, they 
 again forced the confederates to retire, having succeeded 
 by mere superiority of numbers in outflanking General 
 Jackson, whose men retired slowly, hotly contesting 
 every inch of ground. Eight federal batteries were 
 now in full play upon the troops under General Jack- 
 son, while huge swarms of Northern infantry pressed 
 heavily upon them. McLaws had just come up, and 
 General Lee ordered him to Jackson's assistance. As 
 McLaws brought up' his division, Jackson's men were 
 nearly exhausted and almost out of ammunition. Bring- 
 ing his reinforcements into action with a skilful hand, 
 and advancing his whole line, General Jackson swept 
 down upon the enemy with impetuosity and drove them 
 before him at all points. For half an hour longer the 
 battle raged furiously, and then the enemy began to re- 
 treat. They were driven from the field, and at one point 
 pursued for nearly a mile. The engagement on the left 
 ceased at half-past ten o'clock, and was not renewed by 
 the enemy during the day. They contented themselves 
 

 160 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 with endeavoring to prevent GeneralJackson from driving 
 back their lines from their original position. 
 
 Soon after the close of the fight on the left, the fede- 
 rals attacked General D. H. Hill's position at Sharps- 
 burg. Previous to this, an .artillery fight, which com- 
 menced at sunrise, had been going on at this point. 
 About 12 o'clock a column of federal infantry crossed 
 the Antietam, and advanced upon the confederate centre, 
 while other troops were hurried over the creek to the as- 
 sistance of the first column. 
 
 The confederate artillery receiving the fire of the fed- 
 oral guns without returning it, directed their attention to 
 the infantry, and uniting their efforts with those of the 
 Southern infantry, drove back assault after assault, in- 
 flicting heavy losses upon the enemy. Finally they were 
 driven back in confusion across the Antietam. 
 
 It was now 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and a lull in the 
 battle occurred, which lasted for two hours. At 3 o'clock 
 the approach of A. P. Hill with the rest of Jackson's 
 forces was announced. The confederate force on the 
 extreme right did not now exceed six thousand men, 
 while the enemy were seen approaching, about fifteen 
 thousand strong, to attack it. Charging in one solid 
 mass, they endeavored, by their great weight, to break 
 and -drive back the Southern line; In this they were 
 well nigh successful. ' The artillery poured a destructive 
 fire into their ranks, but filling up the gaps they clashed 
 oji with spirit. The Southern infantry resisted their ad- 
 vance right manfully, but at last, having fired their last 
 cartridge, began to give way. It was 4 o'clock, and the 
 fate of the day was trembling in the balance. At this 
 moment A. P. Hill, the Blucher of the day, dashed for- 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 161 
 
 ward with his hardy veterans, and throwing them upon 
 the enemy, engaged them in an obstinate conflict, which, 
 about 6 o'clock, resulted in the federals being driven, 
 with broken and shattered ranks, back over the Antie- 
 tam. Night coming on, the- battle ended. The enemy 
 had been driven back at all points, and the confederates 
 were left in possession of the field. 
 
 The confederate loss in this battle was about 7,000 
 men, including Generals Starke and Branch killed, and 
 Generals Anderson, Lawton, Wright, Ripley and Armis- 
 tead wounded. The enemy lost about 25,000 men, in- 
 cluding Generals Hooker, ITartsuff, Duryee., Richardson, 
 ■Sedgwick, French, Sumner, Dana, • Meagher, Ricketts, 
 Weber and Rodman wounded. They claimed to have 
 won a great victory. This, as has been seen, was untrue. 
 They were defeated at every point. 
 
 On Thursday morning the enemy were not to be found. 
 They had abandoned their position during the night, and 
 had withdrawn' a short distance from the field. During 
 the day several " flags of truce" came in from the enemy, 
 asking permission to bury the dead. The requests were 
 refused, because they did not come from General McClel- 
 lan. All of the wounded, except those who were too 
 badly hurt to be removed, were carried from the field, 
 and the army remained in possession of the battle ground 
 during the entire day. At night General Lee withdrew 
 his troops, and, recrossing the Potomac, retired into Vir- 
 ginia. 
 
 In order to defend his passage of the Potomac, Gene- 
 ral Lee placed General Pendleton, with forty or fifty 
 pieces of artillery and three brigades of infantry, at 
 Boteler's mill, near Shepherdstown, on the right bank of 
 
 21 
 
162 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 the river. After the army had crossed,, this force, sup- 
 ported by another, all under General A. P. Hill, was left 
 to watch the enemy, while the main body of the army 
 retired a few miles beyond Shepherdstown. 
 
 On Friday, the 19th, the enemy appeared in large 
 force, on the opposite side of the river, and wishing to 
 decoy them over, General Hill withdrew his main body 
 from sight and left a very weak force confronting them. 
 
 On the next day, (Saturday the 20th of September), 
 the federal commander crossed a large column and made 
 an effort to capture the little band. As soon as the enemy 
 had gotten fairly over, General Hill advanced his troops, 
 and falling suddenly upon them, drove them across th% 
 river with great slaughter. So great was their confusion 
 and fright, that, although the river was scarcely more 
 than knee deep, many were drowned in crossing. The 
 confederates poured a withering fire into them, and the 
 river was, in many places, literally black with their corpses, 
 and, it is said, the water was red with their blood for a 
 mile below the ford. The enemy lost 2,50.0 men, and the 
 confederates 250. 
 
 After recrossing the Potomac, General Lee withdrew 
 his army to Martinsburg and began the work of reor- 
 ganization. Stragglers were picked up and brought in, 
 and the army gradually resumed its former proportions. 
 
 The campaign in Maryland had been eminently suc- 
 cessful. In commencing the narration of it, I asserted 
 tnat it was General Lee's object to capture the federal 
 force at Harpers Ferry. If this assertion is true, it is 
 impossible to deny that the campaign was successful. But 
 if it was his object to liberate the state of Maryland, the 
 campaign was a failure.. In the absence of official infor- 
 
THOMAS J*. JACKSON. 168 
 
 illation, we can only^speculate upon the probable designs 
 of General Lee ; but with the existing facts before us, I 
 think we can arrive- at a very fair estimate of his inten- 
 tions in invading the state of Maryland. 
 
 When his army reached Pleasant. Valley, General Lee 
 had a choice of two routes leading into Maryland : he 
 could cross the Potomac either near Seneca falls, or in 
 the neighborhood of Poolsville. By crossing at the for- 
 mer place he WQuld be nearer Washington, and by a 
 rapid march would be enabled to seize the only railroad 
 leading to the city, and cut off its communications with 
 the North. If forced to retreat, the way was open 
 through Montgomery county. He would then be in a 
 portion of Maryland where he would be surrounded by 
 friends, and where thousands would iiock to his standard. 
 He could, in case of necessity, aid the city of Baltimore 
 and Lower Maryland in throwing off the federal yoke ; 
 and if he could hold the army of General Pope within 
 the lines of Washington, he would have every reason to 
 hope for success. ' But if he should enter the state by 
 the latter route, he would be in a section hostile to him, 
 far removed from the federal capital and* the friends of 
 the South, and with a large federal army between him- 
 self and Southern Maryland. The liberation of Mary- 
 land must necessarily be a slow process and accompanied 
 with very great risk. In the present condition of affairs, 
 the South was not prepared to attempt it. But a tempt- 
 ing prize lay within the grasp of the confederate com- 
 mander. The stronghold of Harpers Ferry, with its 
 large garrison and immense quantities of stores, might, 
 by a bold movement be captured. The garrison would 
 thus, for a time, be lost to the federal service, and the 
 
 'A 
 
164 EIEUTENA^f-OEXEEAL 
 
 stores, of which the South stood greatly in need, secured 
 to her. To capture Harpers Ferry General Lee resolved, 
 and for this purpose the army entered Maryland. 
 
 At Frederick city, General Lee issued a proclamation, 
 inviting the Marylancters to rise in defence of their lib- 
 erties. An accomplished writer, who is not an admirer 
 of General Lee, says that " bis proclamation at Fred- 
 erick, offering protection to the Mary landers, is incon- 
 trovertible evidence of the fact that tlie object of the 
 campaign was to occupy and hold the state." I admit 
 that at first this seems to be true. But a closer exami- 
 nation of the subject must convince every unprejudiced 
 person that this proclamation affords no such evidence. 
 In it General Lee no where asserts his intention to occupy 
 and hold the state. He says the people of the South 
 sympathize with Maryland, and wish liu see her freed 
 from the tyranny of her foes, and adds: "In obedience 
 to this wish our army lias come among you and is pre- 
 pared to assist you with the power of its anus in regain- 
 ing the rights of which you have been deprived.'' 
 
 In this announcement I can no where see the assertion 
 of a determination to liberate the state or to occupy and 
 hold it. General Lee states that the army is " prepared 
 to assist" the people, but does not say that it is his pur- 
 pose to remove the federal yoke from Maryland. It was 
 necessary for the army to place the Marylanders in a 
 condition to rise before they could avail themselves of 
 the offer ; and this had not been done. Of course, if 
 they should rise against the federals, it would be a great 
 gain for General Lee. I do not think he expected them 
 to rise, and I am convinced that his proclamation was 
 issued for the purpose of deceiving the enemy as to his 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 165 
 
 real intentions — a measure which he could embrace with 
 perfect, propriety. The permanent occupation of Mary- 
 land would have been of incalculable value to the South, 
 but what good would have resulted -from the occupation 
 of the western portion of it, sixty miles from Baltimore,. 
 with a large hostile ariny between Washington and Fred- 
 erick, I am at a loss to discover. 
 
 The proclamation, which those who pronounce this 
 campaign "a failure," hold up as such "incontrover- 
 tible evidence'' of the truth of that assertion, was issued 
 on the 8th of September 1862. On the morning of the 
 10th, the army left Frederick and moved towards Ha- 
 gcrstown, thus increasing the distance between itself and 
 Washington and its friends, but drawing nearer to Har- 
 pers Ferry. Surely General Lee could not expect his 
 proclamation to be scattered through the state, and the 
 
 friends of the South to flock to him from a distance vary- 
 
 * * . 
 
 ing from sixty to one hundred and twenty miles, in the 
 
 short space of two days. And if he had wished them to 
 
 rise, why should he have moved his army farther from 
 
 them. It is certainly more reasonable to suppose that in 
 
 this case be would have moved nearer to Washington, 
 
 and either have crossed the Monocacy himself, or have 
 
 prevented the passage of it by the army of General Mc- 
 
 Clellan, which, he knew, was preparing to advance upon 
 
 him. Every movement of his army was towards Harpers 
 
 Ferry, and affords "incontrovertible evidence" that it 
 
 was his object to capture that place. Of the events 
 
 which would have followed the capture of Harpers Ferry, 
 
 I am, of course, unprepared to speak ; but I do not 
 
 believe that General Lee expected to fight either at 
 
 Boonsboro' or Sharpsburg. The delay in the capture of 
 
166 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 Harpers Ferry, necessitating a protection of Jackson's 
 operations, and the rapid advance of McClellan, forced 
 him to fight at those places, and added new laurels to the 
 wreath that already encircled his brow. 
 
 The assertion of the enemies of General Lee, must, 
 therefore, fall to the ground, when opposed by a fair and 
 unprejudiced statement of facts. 
 
 In support of my argument, I append the following 
 extract from a letter written to the London " Times," by 
 a correspondent, who was. furnished by General Lee him- 
 self with such information, as it was proper to reveal, 
 concerning the campaign. He says : 
 
 "It is generally stated that the confederate authorities 
 calculated upon a rising in Maryland directly their army 
 entered that state. Nevertheless, everybody to whom I 
 spoke on the subject ridiculed 'the idea of ever having 
 thought that any such rising would ever take place, until 
 either Baltimore was in their hands, or they had at least 
 established a position in that country, as it was well 
 known that the inhabitants of Washington and Frederick 
 counties were far from being unanimous in their opinions, 
 and that in many districts there, the unionists were con- 
 siderably in the majority." 
 
 After remaining in Martinsburg a short time, General 
 Lee removed his army to Winchester. The enemy occu- 
 pied Harpers Ferry and the left bank of the Potomac as 
 far as Williamsport, occasionally throwing bodies of troops 
 into Virginia. , 
 
 General Jackson was once more in the Valley of Vir- 
 ginia, and had redeemed the promise made to the people 
 of Winchester when he left it the last time, that " he 
 would return again shortly, and as certainly as now." 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 161 
 
 ■ **• 
 That coming had long been watched for by both friend 
 
 and foe. Once when he was moving upon Pope at Cedar 
 
 run, the enemy at Winchester had been startled by the 
 
 report that he was moving rapidly down the Valley, and 
 
 had been filled with dismay at the prospect of meeting 
 
 him. 
 
 « He had come again to the Valley bearing the laurels 
 
 of nearly half a score of victories won since he left it. 
 
 He came only once more — never to leave it. 
 
 "While the army lay at Winchester, General Jackson 
 was charged with the duty of watching the enemy. About 
 the middle of October, General McClellan crossed his 
 army at Harpers Ferry and Williamsport, and moving 
 forward, occupied Charlestown in Jefferson county, and 
 Kearney svillc on the Baltimore and .Ohio railroad. Se- 
 vere skirmishing occurred along the lines daily* On the 
 17th of October the enemy moved forward from the Po- 
 tomac towards Martinsburg. General Jackson at once 
 advanced upon them and drove them rapidly across the 
 the river. Remaining with his command for some time 
 in the neighborhood of the Potomac, he inflicted great 
 damage upon the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, tearing 
 up the track and burning bridges. That portion of the 
 road extending ||m Sir John's run, in Morgan county, 
 to a point within a few miles of Harpers Ferry, a dis- 
 tance of about forty miles, was entirely destroyed. 
 
 General McClellan lay idly watching General Lee until 
 late in October. His forces were more numerous and 
 better equipped than those of the confederate commander, 
 but he had suffered too severely from Lee's skill and the 
 bravery of his troops, to wish to attack him again. The 
 federal government sent General McClellan repeated 
 
168 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 orders to advance upon General Lee, but he contrived to 
 evade the execution of them, knowing that his safety lay 
 in inaction. At last, having received peremptory orders 
 to advance, he moved the main body of his army east of 
 the Blue Ridge, sending the corpS of General Burnsicle 
 in advance. His object was to seize the passes of the 
 Blue Ridge, hold the army of General Lee in check, anil 
 force that officer either to remain in the Valley or to pass 
 the mountains nearer to Staunton, while he would send a 
 strong column to attack Richmond. The plan was well 
 laid, but not deep enough to baffle the penetration of 
 General Lee. Scarcely had McClellan put his troops in 
 motion, when Longstreet's corps passed the Blue Ridge 
 and moved towards Culpeper. General Jackson was left 
 behind to watch McClellan, to prevent him from occu- 
 pying the mountain passes, and to check any pursuit of 
 Longstreet that might be-attempted. 
 
 McClellan pressed on. General Jackson moving his 
 forces from point to point, confuted him as to his inten- 
 tions, and prevented him from occupying the gaps- through 
 which he desired to pass his own troops. Baffled by the 
 superior skill of Jackson, and finding that Lee had out- 
 generalled him again, McClellan begun massing his troops 
 in the region of Culpeper. vThe feder^ army coivinued 
 to move on and reached Warrenton. nere General Mc- 
 Clellan was deprived of his command by his government, 
 and was succeeded by General Burnside. 
 
 Gencral'Burnside finding that General Lee was deter- 
 mined to prevent him from passing the upper Rappahan- 
 nock, resolved to move his army lower down, cross the 
 river at Fredericksburg, and throw himself between Rich- 
 mond and General Lee. He at once began to move his 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 169 
 
 army down the Rappahannock, hoping by attracting Lee's 
 attention in another direction' to accomplish this move- 
 ment in secrecy. But General Lee was watching him 
 closely, and as soon as he was satisfied as to the inten- 
 tions of the federal commander, moved his army rapidly 
 towards Fredericksburg. 
 
 General Sumner commanded the advanced corps of 
 General Burnside's army, and when he arrived opposite 
 Fredericksburg, demanded of the mayor and council the 
 surrender of the ^ace. This was on the 21st of No- 
 vember. The city authorities, acting under instructions 
 from General Lee, refused to comply with the demand. 
 General Burnside hurried forward with the remainder of 
 his army, but when he reached the hills of Stafford, op- 
 posite Fredericksburg, found the army of General Lee 
 occupying the heights in the rear of the town.* 
 
 General Burnside determined to make the Rappahan- 
 nock his base of operations against Richmond, and for- 
 tified his position. The hills in the rear of Fredericks- 
 burg were strongly fortified by the confederates, and for 
 some time the two armies lay watching each other. 
 
 General Lee being satisfied as to the intentions of 
 General Burnside, directed General Jackson's corps to- 
 join him. 
 
 General Jackson left the Valley about the 1st of De- 
 
 x_ When the demand for the surrender of Fredericksburg was re- 
 ceived, the federal commander was asked for time to obtain an an- 
 swer from General Lee. General Sumner replied that the request 
 could not be granted — " the delay would be too great ; General Lee 
 was at least^a hundred miles away." When he was informed that 
 General Lee's forces were bnt ihref mil t.'.'e (ow,-:..he seemed 
 
 ove.-'.vhelajcd with .-. 
 
 22 
 
170 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 cember, and by a rapid march, reached Fredericksburg 
 soon afterwards. 
 
 On the 11th of December, General Burnside crossed 
 the Rappahannock and occupied Fredericksburg. 
 
 The army of General Lee was posted on the hills 
 
 which lie in the rear of the town, and which enclose it 
 
 in almost a semi-circle, the centre being about four miles 
 
 from the river. The country between the hills and the 
 
 * 
 river is to a great extent open and very little broken. 
 
 Immediately above the town and on ihe left of the con- 
 federate position, the bluffs are .bold and without trees or 
 undergrowth. As the range of hills extends to the east- 
 ward, the elevation decreases, and they become more 
 thickly wooded. The left was within rifle range of the 
 town, and by far the strongest point of the line. The 
 centre and right were weaker, the enemy enjoying many 
 advantages in attacking them of which they were de- 
 prived on the left. The left was held by General Long- 
 street's corps, while Jackson was posted on the right. 
 The order of the various divisions, proceeding from left 
 to right, was as follows : " Anderson's on the extreme left, 
 afterwards Ransom's, McLaws', Pickett's and Hood's — 
 these comprising Longstreet's corps ; then A. P. Hill's 
 and Taliaferro's of Jackson's corps. The cavalry under 
 General Stuart were posted on the extreme right of the 
 line, which stretched along the hills from Fredericksburg 
 (on the left), to the Massaponax creek (on the right). 
 Eweli's (now under Early) and D. H. Hill's divisions had 
 been stationed near Port Royal to prevent a passage of 
 the river at that point by the enemy, and as soon as 
 Burnside revealed his intentions, were ordered back. 
 They reached the field about 9 o'clock on the morning of 
 
• THOMAS J. JACKSON. 171 
 
 the battle, and took position on the right to act as a sup- 
 port to the rest of Jackson's corps. 
 
 About 9 o'ciock on the morning of the 13th of De- 
 cember, the enemy advanced a heavy column, estimated 
 at 55,000 strong, to attack General Jackson's position, 
 their movement being partially concealed by a heavy fog 
 that overhung the entire field, but which was gradually 
 lifting. General A. P. Hill had" been posted with his 
 division at Hamilton's crossings — the centre of the con- 
 federate line— and upon this poiut the federal attack was . 
 directed. 
 
 As soon as the. enemy were seen approaching, General 
 Stuart moved forward his horse artillery under Major 
 Pelham, and opening an enfilading fire upon them-, doing 
 great execution. At the same time the troops of General 
 Hill became hotly engaged. The confederates had the 
 advantage in position, but the enemy greatly outnum- 
 bered them. Twice the enemy furiously assailed General 
 Jackson's position. About one o'clock two of Hill's 
 brigades were driven back upon his' second line, and the 
 enemy succeeded in occupying a portion of the woods on 
 the crest. But their success was of short duration, for 
 Early hurrying forward with a part of his division, fell 
 upon them with fury, drove them from the hill and across, 
 the plain below, and only ceased his pursuit when his 
 men came under the fire of the fedfraj batteries. The 
 right of the enemy's column, extending beyond Hill's 
 front, took possession of a copse of woods in front of the 
 position of General Hood, but were quickly driven from 
 it with loss. 
 
 Soon after the repulse of the attack on the right, the 
 enemy made a furious charge, upon the Southern left 
 
172 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 under General Longstreet. They approached gallantly — ■ 
 the Irish division being in the advance. These troops 
 fought with desperation, but in vain. From Marye's hill, 
 Walton's guns and McLaws' infantry hurled a fearful fire 
 upon thein, and swept them back with torn and shattered 
 ranks into the town. About dark, the" enemy made a last 
 assault upon the hill, supported by a terrible fire from 
 the federal batteries on the opposite side of the river. 
 They were again repulsed and driven into •the town. 
 
 The losses sustained by the enemy in these several 
 attacks were very great, and the remnants of that splendid 
 army, which had so vauntingly crossed the Rappahan- 
 nock, crowded at night into Fredericksburg' in the great- 
 est demoralization and confusion. They ran through the 
 streets and cowered in the cellars, positively refusing to 
 go back to the field again. Had General Lee opened his 
 guns upon the- town that night, a perfect massacre and 
 the destruction of the greater portion of the federal army 
 would have ensued. 
 
 The next day General Burnside gave orders for- a sec- 
 ond advance upon the confederate lines, but the troops 
 refused to obey them ; aud his general officers represent- 
 ing this to him, induced him to recall his orders. The 
 day was spent in burying the dead and caring for the 
 wounded. On Monday, the 15th, the • enemy continued 
 in Fredericksburg^ nut made no demonstration, and at 
 night, under the cover of a severe storm, recrossed the 
 river. g 
 
 The confederate loss in this engagement was about 
 1,8P0, including Generals T. R. R. Cobb and Gregg. 
 The enemy's loss has been estimated. at from twenty to 
 twenty-five thousand men, including Generals Bayard 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. . 173 
 
 and Jackson killed, and several generals wounded, and 
 1,626 prisoners. • 
 
 During the battle, General Jackson was conspicuous 
 for his gallantry. Just before the action began, he rode 
 along the lines dressed in a handsome new uniform, the 
 gift of a friend. It was his habit to dress very plainly, 
 and his men had grown accustomed to watch for their gen- 
 eral just before a battle began, never failing to recognize 
 him by the old slouched hat and the faded gray uniform, 
 when too far oft* to distinguish his features. Never before 
 had they failed to shout until the heavens rung, when 
 they saw him approach. Now they glanced carelessly at 
 the officer in the handsome uniform, and gazed impa- 
 tiently up and down the lines, wondering why " Old 
 Stonewall" did not appear. After he had passed them, 
 it became known to them that the officer in the fine uni- 
 form was their general, and they gave vent to many ex- 
 clamations of regret at having suffered him to pass them 
 without cheering him. 
 
 It is related of him, that as the action began, he was 
 standing by General Lee, watching the advance of the 
 enemy. The gallant Pelham was bravely contending 
 against a heavy fire from the federal batteries. Turning 
 to, General Jackson, General Lee exclaimed: 
 
 " It is inspiriting to see such glorious courage in one 
 so young." 
 
 General Jackson replied in his quiet, firm way : 
 
 " With a Pelham upon either flank, I could vanquish 
 the world." 
 
 Shortly after this, General Longstreet asked him, 
 smilingly, as he pointed to the federal column which was 
 approaching to attack the right :' . 
 
174 . LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 " Are you not scared by that file of yankees you have 
 before, you, down there ?" 
 
 "Wait till they come a little nearer," replied General 
 Jackson, "and they shall either scare me, or I'll scare 
 them." 
 
 At a critical period of the engagement, General Lee 
 sent an aid with an order to General Jackson. The offi- 
 cer was searching for him in the midst of a heavy fire 
 from thp enemy, when he heard some one exclaim : 
 
 " Dismount, sir ! dismount! You will certainly be 
 killed there !" 
 
 Glancing around, he saw General Jackson lying flat 
 upon his back on the ground, while the balls were whist- 
 ling all around him. Alighting, he gave him General 
 Lee's order. Making the officer lie down by him, Gene- 
 ral Jackson read the message, and turning over wrote a 
 reply. Handing it to the aid, he resumed his original 
 position in- the coolest and most unconcerned manner 
 imaginable. 
 
 , During this battle there was witnessed a spectacle, 
 which, although it was now so familiar to the men, was 
 unsurpassed by any seen that day. Riding forward a 
 short distance in front of the army, and uncovering his 
 head, and raising his eyes to heaven, General Jackson 
 prayed the God of battles to be with the army that day. 
 The troops looked on with softened hearts, and it would 
 have fared badly with the wretch who could have dared 
 to make light of such a scene in the presence of one of 
 Jackson's men. 
 
 After the battle of Fredericksburg, the army continued 
 to hold its position on the hills, awaiting the advance of 
 the enemy. General Jackson busied himself in looking 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. * 175 
 
 after his men and trying to make them comfortable. He 
 also availed himself of this opportunity to prepare his 
 official reports of his campaigns. 
 
 During the second session of the first congress, (early 
 in 1863), the president was authorized to confer upon a 
 certain number of officers of the army the rank of lieu- 
 tenant-general. As soon as this law was passed, the 
 president conferred upon General Jackson (among others) 
 the new rank. 
 
 Late in April, the movements of General Hooker, now 
 in command of the federal army, began to assume a sig- 
 nificant character, and it became evident that a <xreat 
 
 ■ 
 battle was soon to be fought. 
 
 One evening late in April, General Jackson was con- 
 .versing with a member of his staff, and giving his rea- 
 sons for believing tha't a great battle was at hand* As 
 the conversation progressed, he became unusually excited. 
 Suddenly pausing, he was silent for some moments, and 
 then said humbly and reverently, " My trust is in God. ? ' 
 Then, the true spirit of the warrior rising within him, he 
 raised himself to his full height, and exclaimed proudly, 
 while his noble features glowed with enthusiasm — "I 
 wish they would come !" 
 
 Having determined to cross the Rappahannock, Gene- 
 ral Hooker began to put his plan into execution. On the 
 28th of April he crossed a column under General Sedg- 
 wick, at Deep run below Fredericksburg, and in front of 
 General Early's position. After severe skirmishing, 
 Early forced this column to remain close to the shore of 
 the river. Hoping to divert General Lee's attention to 
 the column at Deep run, and thus conceal his own move- 
 ments, General Hooker, after leaving a strong corps at 
 
176 * • LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 Falmouth, moved his main army about twenty-five miles 
 .up the Rappahannock, and crossed the river. The column 
 at Deep run was then withdrawn to the Stafford side. It 
 was General Hooker's intention to occupy a strong posi- 
 tion above Fredericksburg, and thus force General Lee 
 either to submit to an attack in his rear, or to leave his 
 works on the Spotsylvania hills and come out and fight 
 him in the open field, where he hoped that his 'superior 
 numbers would give him the victory. As soon as General 
 Lee should advance to meet him, Sedgwick was to cross 
 the river at Fredericksburg and fall upon Lee's flank. 
 In order to cut off General Lee's communications with 
 Richmond and deprive him of assistance, General Stone- 
 man, with the federal cavalry, was to fall suddenly lipon 
 the Fredericksburg and Central railroads, destroy them,, 
 and fchen do what other damage he could. 
 
 About noon on the 29th of April,' General Lee was 
 informed that a large force of the enemy had crossed the 
 Rappahannock at Kelly's and Ellis' fords, and were press- 
 ing towards Ely's and Germanna fords on the Rapidan. 
 Two small brigades Of Anderson's division (Posey's and 
 Mahone's) had been stationed for some time at these 
 points to guard the approaches to Fredericksburg. Un- 
 able to stand before the pressure of Hooker's heavy 
 columns, they retired to Chancellorsville, where they de- 
 termined to make a stand. General Wright was at once 
 ordered to their assistance, and reached Chancellorsville 
 at daylight on the morning of the 30th. General An- 
 derson had come up during the night, and having received 
 more accurate information respecting the strength of the 
 enemy, determined to fall back to a point five miles 
 nearer Fredericksburg, where the road leading from Uni- 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 177 
 
 ted States ford, (called the old Mine road) crosses the 
 Orange and Fredericksburg plank road. This point was 
 reached about 8 o'clock in the morning, and General An- 
 derson, disposing his forces in line of battle, resolved to 
 hold his position until he could receive assistance from 
 General Lee. His force consisted of scarcely more than 
 five thousand men, while Hooker brought with Kim nearly 
 his whole army. The enemy halted at Chancellorsville. 
 
 The position held by the army of General Hooker was 
 very strong. His left rested at Ghancellprsville, while 
 his right stretched away towards Wilderness creek. 
 
 Chancellorsville consists of one large brick house, and 
 is situated about fifteen miles west of Fredericksburg 
 and four miles southwest of the Rapidan, at the point 
 where the main road from Ely's ford falls into the plank 
 road. About four or five miles west of Chancellorsville, 
 is a rugged country covered with a thick, tangled and 
 apparently impenetrable • growth of stunted oaks, called 
 the Wilderness. Scattered here and there through this 
 Wilderness are cleared spots, varying in size from fifty 
 to one hundred acres. . Through the midst of these woods 
 winds a narrow and tortuous road. Upon the cleared 
 spots General Hooker erected strong breastworks, and 
 behind them posted his artillery and infantry. To ap- 
 proach these works, an attacking force must either ad- 
 vance by the road, which could be- swept by the artillery, 
 or force their way through the woods. A stronger posi- 
 tion could not have* been chosen, and it is no wonder Gcn- t 
 oral Hooker considered it "impregnable." . Strong in- 
 trenchments had also been thrown up in the vicinity of 
 Chancellorsville, and, thus prepared. General Hoo! 
 ' f\ I isfc. 
 
 23 
 
178 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 As soon as he heard of General Anderson's situation, 
 General Lee ordered General Jackson to leave one divi- 
 sion of his corps to hold the works at Fredericksburg, 
 and to march with the o.ther three (A. P. Hill's., under 
 that general's command ; D. H. Hill's, under General 
 Rodes ; and Trimble's under General Colston) to Ander- 
 son's position, to take command of Anderson's and part 
 of McLaws' divisions, and " attack and repulse the 
 enemy." 
 
 Leaving Early's division before Fredericksburg, he 
 reached Anderson's position the next morning. Ander- 
 son's division was placed in iron* and two brigades of 
 McLaws' division sent forward on .the United States' ford 
 road. Posey's, Wright's, and shortly afterwards Ran- 
 seur's brigades were formed in line of battle on both sides 
 of the road, at the head of the column, and the com- 
 mand advanced towards the enemy. 
 
 As General Jackson approached Chancellorsville, some 
 slight skirmishing occurred between his advanced forces 
 and those of the enemy. 
 
 The day was now far advanced, and General Jackson, 
 ordering a halt, spent the rest of the afternoon in bring- 
 ing up his command and assigning them to the positions 
 they were to occupy the next day. 
 
 General Lee arrived at night, and the plan of opera- 
 tions for the coming day was arranged. It was necessary 
 to act promptly. Sedgewick Was hovering suspiciously 
 t about Fredericksburg, and might at any moment drive 
 back the little force left to check him, and advance to 
 Hooker's assistance. It was impossible to gain anything 
 by an^attack upon Hooker's front, as its great strength 
 would enable a very small force to hold it. General' 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. # 179 
 
 Jackson proposed to move his corps to the left, attack 
 Hooker's right and force it back upon Chancellorsville, 
 and General Lee gave his sanction to the proposition. 
 
 The night was quite cool. Seeing General Jackson 
 without covering or protection of any kind, one of his 
 aids offered him his cape, and after much persuasion in- 
 duced him to accept it. During the night he was fearful 
 that? the young man might take cold from being deprived 
 of his cape, and rising softly, threw it over him as he lay 
 asleep, and then lying down again, passed the night with- 
 out any thing around him. This produced a cold, which 
 afterwards resulted in pneumonia. He was always careful 
 of the comfort of others, even at the sacrifice of his own. 
 
 Early the next morning General Jackson began his 
 movement upon the federal right flank. General Fitz 
 Lee's brigade of cavalry was thrown towards the front 
 and between the column of General Jackson and the 
 enemy. This gallant cavalier successfully covered the 
 movements of General Jackson and prevented the enemy 
 from gaining any information respecting them. 
 
 General Jackson took with him only the three divisions 
 he had brought with him from Fredericksburg, and moved 
 rapidly towards the left to a point called the " Furnace." 
 From the " Furnace" he marched still farther to the left, 
 and passing around the federal right flank, moved through 
 the tangled undergrowth of the Wilderness until he 
 reached Germanna ford on the Rapidan. He was now 
 completely in the rear of the enemy, and his presence 
 was entirely unsuspected by them. 
 
 Ascending a hill in the vreinity, he obtained an excel- 
 lent view of the enemy's position, and hastening to. hi ■; 
 command, prepared to attack the enemy. 
 
180 ' LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 The road by which he determined to advance upon 
 them was the old turnpike, which led directly to the fed- 
 eral rear. Rode's division was formed in line of battle 
 in front ; Hill followed at a distance of three hundred 
 yards, and Colston marched behind Hill at the same dis- 
 tance from him. The undergrowth was so thick, that 
 Hill's and Colston's commands were afterwards marched 
 in column along the road, and only Rodes advanced in 
 line of battle. The ground was so swampy, that the ar- 
 tillery was forced to 'march in column on the road. 
 
 Marching rapidly down the old turnpike, General Jack- 
 son extended his line to the left, intending to cut off the 
 federal forces from the United States fords and crush 
 them. 
 
 The enemy's force on his right consisted of the elev- 
 enth army corps, under General Howard — formerly com- 
 manded by Seigel. .They were strongly posted. 
 
 Up to this moment the federals had received no inti- 
 mation of General Jackson's approach, and his attack 
 took them completely by surprise, and filled them with 
 dismay. 
 
 Moving forward rapidly, General Jackson made a furi- 
 ous assault upon the federal line and swept it fiercely 
 before him. The suddenness and impetuosity of {he 
 attack demoralized the enemy, and in a short time a 
 whole army corps was routed. 
 
 A yankee correspondent of a New York paper, 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 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 181 
 
 that followed. It was my lot to be in the centre of the 
 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 human beings who were flying 
 as fast as their legs could carry them, followed up by the 
 rebels pouring their murderous volleys upon us, yelling 
 and hooting to increase the confusion ; hundreds of cav- 
 alry 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, ambu- 
 lances, horses, men, cannon, caissons, all jumbled and 
 tumbled together in one inextricable mass — and the mur- 
 derous 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. 
 Towards this the confused mass plunged headlong. For 
 a moment it seemed as if no power could avert the fright- 
 ful calamity that threatened the entire army. On came 
 the panic-stricken crowd — terrified artillery riders spur- 
 ring 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 appa- 
 rently uncontrolable. 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 mine ford, and the majority 
 of them did not stop till they had reached the ford. 
 Many of them, on reaching the river, dashed in and SAvam 
 to the north side, and arc supposed to be running yet." 
 
182 LIHUTENANT-GENEIIAL 
 
 » 
 
 The federal right was now being doubled up on its left 
 at Chancellorsville, and it was necessary to press forward 
 without delay. 
 
 A. P. Hill's division was thrown forward to relieve 
 Hodes, whose men had become greatly exhausted by their 
 inarch through the "Wilderness. Hill was ordered to form 
 his men on both sides of the road and advance upon the 
 enemy. He was directed to refrain from firing " unless 
 cavalry approached from the direction of the enemy." 
 
 Hill's skirmishers pressed forward and soon became 
 actively engaged with the enemy.. 
 
 It was now very dark, and being anxious to obtain the 
 exact position of the 'enemy and satisfy himself as to 
 their movements, General Jackson rode forward to the 
 line of skirmishers. His position was exceedingly dan- 
 gerous, as the. enemy's sharpshooters in the woods in front 
 might at any moment kill or wound him. One of his 
 aids said to him : 
 
 " General, don't you think this is the wrong place for 
 you?" 
 
 General Jackson turned to him and said joyfully : 
 
 " The danger is all over : the enemy is routed ! Go 
 back and tell A. P. Hill, to press right on !" 
 
 Upon finishing his observations, and discovering the 
 enemy's skirmishers approaching, he turned to ride back, 
 forgetting, doubtless, the order he had given. As the 
 party came near the Southern lines, they were mistaken 
 for a body of federal cavalry and fired upon. General 
 Jackson was struck by three balls. One entered his left 
 arm, two inches below the shoulder joint, shattering the 
 bone and severing the principal artery; another entered 
 the same arm between the elbow ynd the wrist, passing 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 183 
 
 • 
 
 out through the palm of the hand, and the third entered 
 the palm of the right hand, about the middle, and passing 
 through, broke two of the bones. This occurred about 8 
 o'clock in the evening, on the plank road, about fifty 
 yards in advance of the enemy. One of General Jack- 
 son's staff and two couriers were killed, and another staff' 
 officer wounded by this discharge. General Jackson at 
 once fell from his horse, and was caught by Captain 
 Wormley. He said to him calmly, as that officer knelt 
 by him, "All my wounds are by my own men." 
 
 The firing was now resumed by both armies. The 
 enemy's forces advanced, and charged over General Jack- 
 son as he lay upon the ground. In a few minutes they 
 were driven back and assistance rendered to General 
 Jackson. He was at once placed on a litter and sent to 
 the rear. • He had to be carried along the line of fire, 
 and one of the litter bearers was shot down, and the 
 general was- thrown heavily to the ground, adding to the 
 injury done to his arm, and hurting his side severely. 
 Seeing that it would be impossible for the litter-bearers 
 to carry him from the field under such a heavy fire, Gen- 
 eral Jackson directed them to leave him .until it slackened, 
 and for five minutes he was left alone, exposed to the 
 fearful storm of balls that swept the field thickly all 
 around him. When the firing slackened, he was placed 
 in an ambulance and carried to the hospital near Wilder- 
 ness, run. 
 
 As he was being carried- from the field, frequent en- 
 quiries were made by the men, "Who have you there?" 
 He turned to the surgeon, who was with him, and said : 
 
 "Do not tell the troops I am wounded." 
 
 He lost much blood, and but for .-.the application of a 
 
184 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL . 
 
 tourniquet, would have bled to death. For two hours he 
 was almost pulseless. At one time he thought he was 
 dying, and the tourniquet was applied. 
 . General Hill being disabled by a wound, General Stu- 
 art was sent for, and took command of JaGkson's corps. 
 The next day the enemy were routed and driven from 
 Chancellorsville to the banks of the Rappahannock. On 
 the same day General Sedgewick crossed at Fredericks- 
 burg, and carried the hills in the rear of the place. On 
 Monday (4th May,) General Lee moved back with a por- 
 tion of his army, and drove Sedgewick across the river. 
 Having disposed of Sedgewick, he again advanced upon 
 Hooker, who was lying close to the banks of the Rappa- 
 hannock. A severe storm delayed his movement, and 
 Hooker taking advantage of it retreated across the river. 
 
 After General Jackson was carried to the hospital, and 
 had recovered slightly from the great prostration caused 
 by the loss of so much blood, Drs. Black, Coleman, 
 McGuire and Walls, the surgeons in attendance upon 
 him, held a consultation with reference to his wounds, 
 and decided that amputation was necessary. Dr. McGuire 
 approached the general, and asked him : 
 
 "If we find amoutation necessarv, shall it be done at 
 once?" 
 
 General Jackson replied promptly and firmly : 
 
 "Yes ! certainly — Dr. McGuire do for me whatever 
 you think right." ' • 
 
 The operation was performed while the general was 
 under the influence of chloroform, and he bore it well. 
 Sometime afterwards, he stated to a friend that his sen- 
 sation in taking chloroform was delightful, that he was 
 conscious of everything that was done to him, that the 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 185 
 
 sawing of his bone sounded like the sweetest music, and 
 every' feeling was pleasant. 
 
 As soon as General Jackson was wounded, he sent 
 information of the sad event to General Lee. The mes- 
 senger reached his headquarters about 4 o'clock on Sun- 
 day morning, and found the commander-in-chief resting 
 upon a bed of straw. 'Upon being' informed of General 
 Jackson's misfortune, he exclaimed: 
 
 a Thank God it is no worse ! God be praised he is 
 still alive!" Then he added: "Any victory is a dear 
 one that deprives us of the services of Jackson, even for 
 a short time." 
 
 The officer who brought the information remarked that 
 he believed it was General Jackson's intention to have 
 pressed the enemy on Sunday, had he been spared. Gen- 
 eral Lee said quietly : u These people shall be pressed 
 to-day." Rising and dressing, he partook of his simple 
 meal of ham and crackers and set out for the field. The 
 history of that day proved that he remembered his 
 promise. 
 
 After the defeat of Hooker, General Lee addressed to 
 General Jackson the following noble letter, which is char- 
 acteristic of him : 
 
 General : 
 
 I have just received your note informing me that you were 
 wounded. I cannot express my regret at the occurrence. Could I 
 have dictated events, I should have chosen (or the good of the coun- 
 try, to- have been disabled in your stead. 
 
 I congratulate you upon the victory which is due to your skill and 
 energy. 
 
 When this note was read to General Jackson, it is said 
 ■he exclaimed with emotion : 
 
 "Far better for the Confederacy that ten Jacksons' 
 24 
 
186 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 should have fallen, than one Lee." Then he added, 
 calmly and humbly : " General Lee should give the glory, 
 to God." 
 
 On Sunday morning he slept for a short while. During 
 the day he was very cheerful. Pointing to his mutilated 
 left arm, he said to one of his aids : 
 
 " Many poople would would regard this as a great mis- 
 fortune. I regard it as one of the greatest blessings of 
 niy life." . ' ■ 
 
 The officer replied : 
 
 " All things work together for good to those that love 
 God." 
 
 "Yes! yes!" was the earnest reply. " That's it." 
 He sent for Mrs. Jackson, who was in Richmond. 
 He asked many questions about the battle of the previ- 
 ous day, and spoke cheerfully of the final result. Turning 
 to a friend, he said : 
 
 u If I had not been wounded, or had had an hour more 
 of daylight, I would have cut off the enemy from the 
 road to the United States ford, and 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 -dri- 
 ving the enemy from a position," he added with a smile; 
 " but the enemy always fail to drive my men from a po- 
 sition." 
 
 He spoke in the highest terms of the conduct of Gen- 
 eral Rodes during the battle, and said that he had fairly 
 won his major-general's commission, which ought to date 
 from the day of the battle. General Jackson had con- 
 ferred this rank upon him, on the field, and the president 
 afterwards confirmed it. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 187 
 
 He complained during the day of the effects of his fall 
 from the litter, though as yet they were not visible. 
 
 On Sund;^ night he slept well. 
 
 On Monday he was carried to Chandler's house, near 
 Guinea's station. He was still cheerful, and questioned 
 •those around him as to the battle of Sunday. When lie 
 was told of the grand charge of his old " Stonewall bri- 
 gade," led by General Stuart in person, how with the 
 shout "Charge, and remember Jackson ! " they pressed 
 on in that irresistible advance, ove*r the dead and the 
 dying, antl how with torn and mangled ranks they drove 
 the enemy from the field, his eyes lb shed, his breast 
 heaved, and he exclaimed with deep emotion : 
 
 " It was just like them ! ii was just like them ! They 
 are a noble body of men." 
 
 Afterwards he remarked that " the men who live 
 through this war will be proud to say to their children, 
 4 1 was one of the Stonewall brigade.' He also said 
 that the term " Stonewall" belonged 'to his old brigade, 
 rather than to himself ; and insisted that it should be 
 called by it. He was very much affected by the news of 
 the death of his friend, General Paxton. 
 
 During his sufferings, his mind very frequently ran 
 upon religious subjects. Speaking with one of his staff 
 as to whether those who were miraculously cured by 
 Jesus, ever had a return of the disease, he exclaimed: 
 
 " I do not think they could have returned, for the 
 power was too great — the poor* paralytic would never' 
 again shake with palsy. Oh ! for infinite power !" 
 
 While he was being carried to Guinea's, he complained 
 
 • of the intense heat, and. asked that a wet cloth might 
 
 be placed to his stomach. This was done, and he 
 
188 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 seemed to be greatly relieved. On Monday night lie slept 
 "well. 
 
 On Tuesday he seemed to be better and ate with relish. 
 During the day he asked his surgeon : 
 
 " Can you tell me from the appearance of my wounds, 
 how long I will be kept from the field V 
 
 He was told that he was doing remarkably well, and if 
 he continued to improve, it would not be long. Soon 
 after this he expressed a wish to see the members of his 
 staff, but was advised not to do so, as he needed repose. 
 
 On Wednesday his wounds seemed to be improving. It 
 had been arranged that he should go to Richmond to-day, 
 but a rain prevented it. At night he slept very badly. 
 His surgeon, who had been without sleep for three nights, 
 was advised to take some rest, and while he was asleep 
 General Jackson complained of sickness, and ordered his 
 servant to place a wet cloth to his stomach. About day- 
 light, the surgeon was awakened by this servant, who in- 
 formed him that the general was suffering great pain. 
 Upon examination it was found that pneumonia had set 
 in, resulting from his exposure on the night before the 
 battle. His system was too weak and exhausted to cast 
 it off, and the disease increased alarmingly. 
 
 On Thursday Mrs. Jackson arrived from Richmond. 
 This gave him great satisfaction, and he seemed to im- 
 prove under the faithful nursing of his wife. He was in 
 pain during the day, but at night all pain had left him. 
 • Still he suffered greatty from prostration. 
 
 On Friday he was free from pain, but the prostration 
 increased. 
 
 Saturday passed away, and he grew feebler every hour. 
 
 On Sunday morning it was evident to all that he was 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 189 
 
 sinking rapidly.- Mrs. Jackson was informed of this, and 
 requested to make it known to her husband. 
 
 UpGn-this day he was very calm and cheerful, and en- 
 deavored to cheer those around him. Turning to his 
 wife, he said to her tenderly : 
 
 " I know you would gladly give your life for me, 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.' ' 
 
 He advised- her in the event of his death, to return to 
 her father's home, and added : 
 
 " You have a kind, good father. IJut there is no one 
 so kind and good as your heavenly father." 
 
 During his illness he manifested towards all around 
 him, and especially to his wife, a greater degree of gen- 
 tleness "and tenderness than was usual with him. It was 
 the calm sternness of the warrior giving place to the out- 
 gushings of a pure and noble heart. When the surgeons 
 told his wife that he could not live more than two* hours, 
 she informed him of the fact. He replied that he was 
 willing to die, and added : 
 
 "It will be infinite gain to be translated to heaven, and 
 be with Jesus." 
 
 It had ever been with him a cherished wish to die oh 
 the Sabbath, and now God was about to grant his wish. 
 It had been his custom to see that religious services were 
 held regularly in his camp, and early on Sunday morn- 
 ing he asked who was to preach to the men that day, and 
 upon learning that they would not be deprived that day 
 of their accustomed services, seemed satisfied. 
 
 After parting with his wife and his friends, and send- 
 ing messages to the various generals with whom he had 
 
190 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 been associated, and to his men, and expressing a wish 
 he had frequently mentioned before, that General Ewell 
 should succeed him in the- command of his corps, and his 
 desire to be buried in Lexington, Virginia, he became 
 slightly delerious. Occasionally in his wanderings he 
 would speak of some religious subject, and then give an 
 order. Among his last words, he was heard to exclaim: 
 
 "Order A. P. Hill to prepare for action." "Pass the 
 infantry to the front." "Tell Major Hawks to send for- 
 ward provisions to the men." "Let us cross over the 
 river, and rest under the shade of the trees." 
 
 Then he sank gradually, and at fifteen minutes after 
 three o'clock, in the afternoon of the tenth of May, he 
 expired peacefully. His soul had passed over the dark 
 river and was resting under the trees of heaven. The 
 brief but eventful life of this great and good man was 
 ended, and now in his fortieth year he was lost to his 
 country that needed him so much. 
 
 The* news of the wounding of General Jackson filled 
 the army with the most profound and undisguised grief. 
 His men loved. him devotedly, and he was the idol of the 
 whole army. Many stout-hearted, veterans, who. had, 
 under his guidance, borne hardships and privations in- 
 numerable, and dangers the most appalling, without a 
 murmur, wept like children when told that their idolized 
 general was no more. The death of General Jackson 
 was communicated to the army in the following order : 
 
 Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia, ^ 
 
 May 11th, 1863. j 
 
 General Orders No. 61. 
 
 With deep grief the commanding general announces to the 
 army the death of Lieutenant-general T. J. Jackson, who expired 
 on the 10th inst., at quarter past 3 P. M. The daring, skill^and energy 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 191 
 
 of this great and good soldier, by the decree of an All-Wise Provi- 
 dence, are now lost to us.. But while Ave mourn his death, we feel 
 that his spirit still 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 to his corps, who have 
 followed him to victory on -so many fields. Let his officers and sol- 
 diers emulate his invincible determination to do everything in the 
 
 defence of our beloved country. 
 
 R. E. Lee, General. 
 
 Throughout the country the news of the wounding of 
 General Jackson had carried the greatest grief and 
 alarm. The people had learned to look upon him as the 
 great champion of the South, and they were filled with 
 serious apprehension, when they contemplated the proba- 
 bility of losing his services. The greatest anxiety to 
 hear from him was everywhere manifested ; for there was 
 not a heart in the South that did not throb more warmly 
 when the name of "Stonewall Jackson" was mentioned. 
 A week of long and anxious suspense passed away, and 
 at last, when all were, to a certain degree, prepared for 
 it, the news came that the idol of the South was no more. 
 The ' first information of the death of General Jacksoa 
 was telegraphed to the governor of Virginia, and then 
 hurried all over the land, carrying sorrow wherever it 
 
 we&t. 
 
 On Monday morning the 11th of May, it was announced 
 that the remains of General Jackson would reach Rich- 
 mond during- the day, and the mayor of the city at once 
 requested all persons to suspend business after ten o'clock, 
 in token of their respect for the departed hero. All 
 stores, workshops, the government departments, and all 
 places in which labor was performed, were closed. Flags 
 were Jwrog at half-mast, and a deep silence reigned over 
 
192 • LIELTEXANT-GENEIL. 
 
 the capital of Virginia. Large crowds filled the streets, 
 and in spite of the intense heat, waited patiently for the 
 arrival of the cars from Fredericksburg. 
 
 Shortly after four o'clock in the afternoon, the special 
 train containing the precious burden, moved slowly into 
 the city. Only the solemn peals of the bells' as they 
 tolled their mournful knell, broke the deep silence that 
 reigned over everything. 
 
 At the depot the coffin was removed from the cars, and 
 placed in a hearse to be carried to the mansion .of the 
 governor. The escort which received it consisted of 
 Major-general Elzey and staff, the State -Guard of Vir- 
 ginia, with colors shrouded in mourning, the forty-fourth 
 North Carolina and the first Virginia regiments, (after 
 which came the hearse and General Jackson's staff,) the 
 city authorities and citizens on foot. 
 
 The remains were escorted to the mansion of .the gov- 
 ernor, and placed in the reception parlor. The lid of the 
 coffin was removed, the new flag of the Confederacy, 
 which had never before been used for any purposed, was 
 •thrown over it, and a single wreath of laurel laid upon 
 the lifeless breast^ During the evening his friends were 
 allowed to visit the body. The only change that was 
 perceptible, was that the features seemed some#hat 
 smaller than they were in life. But there was still the 
 firm, grave expression which had always dwelt there, and 
 above all, there rested upon the lifeless countenance an 
 expression of happiness and peace, so perfect and so in- 
 tense, that the gazer was awed and thrilled by it. 
 
 During the night the body was embalmed, and a plaster 
 cast of his features taken, in order that they might be 
 preserved in marble. 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 193 
 
 • 
 
 The next day, all the honors that his native state could 
 lavish upon her noble son were heaped upon him. At 
 eleven o'clock his body was removed from the executive 
 mansion, and conveyed with appropriate ceremonies to 
 the capitol of Virginia. 
 
 The procession was formed in the following order, the 
 troops marching with reversed arms : 
 
 ORDER OF PROCESSION. 
 
 A brass band. 
 
 The 19th regiment of Virginia infantry. 
 
 The 5Gth regiment of Virginia infantry. 
 
 The State Guard of Virginia. 
 
 Major-general Pickett and staff, mounted. 
 
 A battery (6 pieces) of artillery. 
 
 A squadron of cavalry. 
 
 THE HEARSE, 
 
 containing the coffin, 
 
 With Major-general Ewell, Brigadier-generals Winder, Churchill, 
 
 Corse, Stuart, (G. II.) Kemper and Garnett. and Admiral 
 
 Forrest of the navy as pall bearers. 
 
 The favorite horse of General Jackson, fully caparisoned and led by 
 
 his servant. 
 The members of the old "Stonewall brigade," who were present in 
 
 the city. 
 
 A band of music. 
 
 Major-general Elzey and staff. 
 
 The officials of the military department of Henrico. 
 
 A carriage containing the president of the Confederate Stales. 
 
 The members of the cabinet on foot. 
 
 The heads of bureaux, and their clerks, on foot. 
 
 The governor of Virginia and his aids. 
 
 The state officers and clerks. 
 
 The mayor and city authorities. 
 
 The judges of the state and confederate courts. 
 
 Citizens on foot. 
 
 The procession moved from the executive mansion, 
 25 
 
 / 
 
 ; 
 
194 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 
 down Governor street into Main, up Main to Second, 
 through second to Grace, and down Grace to the capitol' 
 square. 
 
 The streets were filled with large crowds. The mourn- 
 ful cortege moved on in silence, which was only broken 
 by the solemn strains of music, and the discharge of ar- 
 tillery at intervals of half an hour. Tears rolled down 
 many cheeks, and hundreds who had known General 
 Jackson only by his great deeds, wept as though mourn- 
 ing for a brother. Such a universal outburst of grief had 
 never been witnessed in Virginia since the death of 
 Washington. 
 
 • Upon the arrival of the procession at the square, the 
 column was halted, the body removed and borne into the 
 capitol, where it was laid in state in the hall of the house 
 of representatives of the Confederate States. 
 
 At least twenty thousand persons visited the hail to 
 behold the remains of the hero that day. 
 
 The next morning the remains were placed on a special 
 train and conveyed to Lynchburg. It. was hoped that 
 General Jackson would be buried in Hollywood cemetery, 
 near Richmond. There Virginia has prepared a last 
 resting-place for her honored children. There rest the 
 ashes of Monroe and Tyler and many of the good and 
 brave of this revolution, and it was hoped that there too 
 would rest the dust of General Jackson. But it was his 
 wish to sleep in his dearly loved home in the Valley, and 
 thither all that remained of him was carried. On Wed- 
 nesday morning the remains passed through Lynchburg. 
 Minute guns were fired, bells were tolled, and a large 
 procession of citizens followed the body through the city. 
 
 On Thursday afternoon they reached Lcxntgton. They 
 
 V 
 
 i 
 
THOMAS J. JACKSON. 
 
 were met at the canal by the corps of cadel 
 fessors of the Institute, and a large number of cN 
 and escorted to the Institute barracks. 
 
 The body of General Jackson was placed in tl e 
 lecture room which had once been his. Two yeajs a£ 
 he had left it an humble and almost unknown man ; no^\ 
 he Returned to it with the hero's laurel wreath encircling 
 his brows, and enshrined forever in the hearts of his 
 countrymen. With the exception f of the heavy mourning 
 drapery with which it was hung, the room was just as he 
 had left it. It had not been occupied during his absence. 
 The body was deposited just in front of the chair in 
 which he used to sit. It. was a beautiful and a touching 
 scene, and brought tears to every eye that witnessed it. 
 
 Guns were fired every half hour during the day by the 
 cadet battery, and the deepest grief exhibited by every 
 one. 
 
 The next day, the 15th of May, General Jackson was 
 buried in the cemetery at Lexington, where rest the 
 remains of his first wijfe and child. 
 
 He has gone, but his spirit is still with his countrymen. 
 Oh ! may it animated each heart and nerve each arm to 
 strike, as he struck, for the freedom of the land. 
 
 There in the beautiful Valley of Virginia, with which 
 his name is so imperishably connected, the hero lies 
 sleeping. Around him the " everlasting hills" keep 
 eternal guard, and the deep and unwavering love of his 
 stricken, but still glorious mother, watches with tender 
 devotion over his sacred dust. Ages shall roll awa} T , 
 empires crumble into dust,, nations pass into oblivion. 
 
MP 
 
 fENANT-GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. 
 
 memory of Jackson will still shine out in all its 
 
 end radient splendor. And when the last great 
 
 . > shall sound, and the radient light of the resurrec- 
 
 q morn shall break away the gloom which overshrouds 
 
 me ^prld, Virginia, whose pure heart beats but for God 
 
 and duty, shall there be found still watching by the tomb 
 
 of Jackson. 
 
 And yet, he is not Virginia's alone : God gave him to 
 the world. 
 
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