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Chapter 17: Jackson's doings in the Shenandoah Valley character of this General Ashby's cavalry force heavy marching bivouac in the snow ruse of Jackson and capture of the enemy's stores battle of Kearnstown, march twenty-third scenes and incidents during the fight General Garnett accused as the cause of our defeat. Dear Major: When our regiment received marching orders at Manassas in December, and were ordered up the Valley with old Jackson, you were among the firsta blood animal, have presented several to him, but they are seldom used. When our army entered Maryland, in September, 1862, in order to get in the rear of General Miles at Harper's Ferry, and secure the fourteen thousand men under his command, Jackson's corps was stationed east of Frederick, and an influential citizen, in token of admiration, gave the Commander a very valuable horse, that he might appear to advantage. Jackson mounted in the public street, and was immediately thrown into the
fter a fatiguing march of seventy miles in three days, through valleys, over mountains, and along frightfully muddy roads, he arrived at nine A. M., May tenth, in sight of Colonel Johnson's little force, which was drawn up in a narrow valley, at a village called McDowell, with the heavy brigades of Milroy and Blenker in line of battle before him. This valley was not more than two hundred yards wide, having steep mountains on either hand, that on our left being called Bull Pasture Mountain. Jackson's men having been allowed a rest of two hours, he and Johnson immediately prepared for battle, and skirmishing began in all directions. Milroy and Blenker seemed confident of success, and handled their troops admirably; they had several pieces of artillery, we had none. At two P. M. the fight commenced in earnest, and Jackson immediately pushed his men forward to bring matters to a crisis. Observing that they suffered from our incessant and accurate musketry-fire, and that their comma
declared that he was a statesman without a speech, a soldier without a battle, and a millionaire with nary red. He could only abbreviate the description by calling him an unmitigated humbug. His staff usually comprised nearly sixty officers. When night closed in we found that our killed and wounded amounted to three hundred, and that of the enemy to one thousand, not counting the fight of Cross Keys, where our loss was three hundred, and that of Fremont five hundred. Thus ended Jackson's memorable campaign in the Valley, a chapter in history which is without parallel, but though the majority think that these movements were all his own, it may not be so. He was constantly in receipt of orders from Lee, and he faithfully obeyed them. No man in the army is half so obedient as old Stonewall, or so determined to be obeyed; the result is, that no army has shown greater endurance, marched farther, fought more frequently, suffered less, or done half the work that has fallen to
d and divided that I scarcely know what regiments are commanded by this or that general, although up to the present time I was well informed. In short, however we might speculate, it was generally known that a grand action was inevitable, for Jackson's movements from Gordonsville were rapid, and fully known to half the people of Richmond. On Wednesday, June, twenty-fifth, it was rumored that he had reached Hanover Court-House, fifteen miles to the right and rear of the enemy, and the generah of their position at the mill. Arriving at Hogan's plantation, one and a half miles west of the mill, General Lee took up temporary quarters there, while the columns of Ambrose Hill and Longstreet halted in the open to await the arrival of Jackson's right at New Coal Harbor. Unacquainted as I was with the country, I had several narrow escapes from horse pickets stationed on. roads that ran through dense woods; more than once I ran the gauntlet of their pistol-shots; until, being by no me
im in the rear. He is thoroughly aware of our style of fighting by this time, and would not hazard his existence in such an enterprise, and will undoubtedly retreat towards the James River. Such was the current of my thoughts when the clattering of hoofs behind induced me to turn, and I saw it was an old friend attached to Stuart's cavalry, who had participated in all the adventures of his dashing chief. His news interested me. As soon as Ambrose Hill had taken Mechanicsville, and Jackson's advance through the country had cut off the Federal communication with their depots on the Pamunkey and the head of York River, Stuart had been ordered to advance rapidly and secure whatever was possible ere the enemy had time to destroy it. On Thursday, therefore, he moved down the Branch turnpike, and proceeded towards the Pamunkey, where his presence was least expected or desirable, as large quantities of all kinds of stores were piled ready for burning. As Porter was not then defeate
ugh the night, passing and repassing by a single road within a few feet of me, disturbed my slumber, and half asleep or awake, I heard all kinds of voices and noises around me. Huger's division had at last arrived somewhere in the neighborhood. Jackson's, Longstreet's, and other divisions were distributed in every direction through the neighboring woods, and it was difficult to ascertain in what order; for, having left my horse for five minutes to drink a cup of rye coffee, kindly proffered bybegged the men to stand to their arms, for he intended to destroy us, and push on to Richmond. These prisoners told a doleful tale of affairs since the fight opened at the Branch turnpike on Thursday afternoon. The rank and file knew nothing of Jackson's approach in the direction of Hanover Court-House; but the officers knew: and when asked what the immense destruction of stores meant along the line, they answered ambiguously, spoke of a probable change of base, clearing of the rear, and of a
ners began to whistle ominously, and with a mysterious wink in the direction of the Shenandoah Valley, would sarcastically observe, Lee's short of rations again! Jackson's detailed to go to the commissary! in allusion to the immense supplies more than once captured by Jackson from the unfortunate Banks. While our columns were in force; but if he gets badly handled, he can still fight on until dark, and if need be, receive reenforcements or retreat during night. Such in truth had been Jackson's method in many engagements; for, nearly always outnumbered, he had either vanquished the enemy before nightfall after a few hours' engagement, or had securely regged two men on foot to support him in the rear, so that he might superintend the movements of his men, just as the enemy were in full flight from the field. Jackson's inactivity surprised all who knew him. None could imagine why he remained so long before a powerful enemy, and made no movements of any kind. It seemed, howeve
to the ragged gentleman who was so anxious to make one of the firing party. The feverishness of our men regarding spies during these eventful days, was highly excited by the following incident: While Longstreet's corps was hurrying forward to Jackson's relief on the twenty-eighth, several brigades in advance on different roads were observed to halt, thereby stopping all further progress of the corps. Very angry at this, Longstreet trotted to the front, and was informed that a courier had brral attack was to extricate their left somewhat, and to push their right into Centreville, so as to keep open communication with Washington and Alexandria for the receipt of reenforcements and supplies; of which they stood greatly in need, since Jackson's visit to the Junction on the twenty-seventh. Reconnoitring parties were sent out during the night, who reported that the enemy had drawn in their left wing considerably, thus shortening, but perhaps strengthening, their line. Be that as it m
rapidity of Lee's movements Retrospect the strong position of Centreville is turned by one of Jackson's fast flank movements the enemy fall back from Centreville in great haste and confusion heavorth bank of the Rappahannock for some short time; but when Pope was forced back on Manassas by Jackson's flank movement, the point of debarkation was again changed to Alexandria — a considerable disstrict guards were placed to prevent stragglers from going to or staying there. I learned that Jackson's corps had travelled by the Drainsville road, passed over Goose Creek, two miles east of and bour troops must have been elsewhere than in line between the Potomac and Frederick, for, except Jackson's corps, I saw few others there. We had now been in Maryland some time, and were drawn up ipected. On the eleventh, our line from Frederick to the Potomac was suddenly broken up, and Jackson's corps proceeded very rapidly towards Hagerstown, as if intending to penetrate into Pennsylvan
the enemy's advance guard, etc. From a general review of our operations between the time of Jackson's departure from Frederick on the eleventh and the surrender of Harper's Ferry on the fifteenthin so few miles of each other during that time, McClellan's tardiness of action, in the face of Jackson's small force and activity, seemed to me inexplicable. The advance posts of the Federal cavalrrce was cautiously approaching to the attack. Our main army was in perplexed thought regarding Jackson's movements, and felt extremely anxious for his speedy junction. Strong picket-guards were thrmy as they came rushing into the woods in great masses, and with much noise. Suddenly, up rose Jackson's line of battle, the enemy halted, a moment of awful silence ensued, no man stirred, and then lized beings, it seemed like some ghastly panorama of things transpiring in a nether world. Jackson's. impetuous advance at length halted. His men had far surpassed their olden fame; but it soon