The Sun.
London, England, 1863-05-30 00:00:00

THI suN,rnormoN, SATURDAY EVENING,` MAY 30, 1863.

How General Jackson was Wounded.

(From the Richmond Inquirer, March
_l3O

General Jackson, having gone some distance in
front of the line of skirmishers on Saturday evening,
was returning about 8 o'clock, attended by his Staff
and part of his couriers. The cavalcade was in the
darkness of the night mistaken for a body of the
enemy's cavalry, and fired upon by a regiment of
his own corps. He was struck by three balls,
one through the left arm, two inches below the
shoulder joint, shattering the bone and severing
the chief artery ; another ball passed through the
same arm between the elbow and wrist, making its
exit through the palm of the hand ; a third ball
entered the palm of the right hand about its middle,
passing through, and broke two bones. He was
wounded on the Plank Road, about 50 yards in
advance of the enemy. He fell from his horse,
and was caught by Captain Wormley, to whom
he remarked, "All my wounds are by my own
men." He had given orders to fire at anything
coming up the road, before he left the lines. The
enemy's skirmishers appeared ahead of him, and he
turned to ride back. Just then some one cried out,
" Cavalry, charge !" and immediately the regiment
fired. The whole party broke forward to ride
through our line to escape the fire. Capt. Boswell
was killed, and carried through the line by his horse,
and fell among our own men. Col. Couchfield,
chief of staff, was wounded by his side. Two
couriers were killed. Major Pendleton, Lieuts.
Morrison and Smith, escaped uninjured. General
Jackson was immediately placed on a litter and
started for the rear. The firing attracted the atten-
tion of the enemy, and was resumed by both lines.
One litter-bearer was shot down, and the general
fell from the shoulders of the men,
receiving a
injury severe contusion, adding to the of the arm,
and injuring his side severely.
The enemy's fire of artillery on this point was
terrible. Gen. Jackson was left for five minutes,
until the fire slackened; then placed in an ambul-
ance and carried to the field hospital at Wilderness
Run. He lost a large amount of blood, and at one
time told Dr. M'Guire he thought he was dying,
and would have bled to death, but a tourniquet was
immediately applied. For two hours he was near
pulseless from the shock. As he was being carried
from the field, frequent inquiries were made by the
soldiers " Who have you there ?" He told the
doctor, " Da not tell the troops I am wounded."

After the reaction, a consultation was held be-
tween Drs. Black, Coleman, -Walls, and M'Guire,
and amputation was decided upon. He was asked,
" If we find amputation necessary shall it be done
at once ?" He replied, "Yes, certainly, Dr. M'Guire,
do for me whatever you think is right." The opera-
tion was performed while he was under the influence
of chloroform, and was borne well. He slept on Sun-
day morning, was cheerful, and in every way was
doing well. He sent for Mrs. Jackson, asked minutely
about the battle, spoke cheerfully of the result, and
said : "If I had not been wounded, or 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 bad no other alternative. My troops
sometimes may fail in driving the enemy from a
position, but the enemy always fail to drive my men
from a position." This was said smilingly. He com-
plained this day of the fall from the litter; although
no contusion or abrasion was apparent as the result
of the fall. He did not complain of his wounds;
never spoke of them unless asked. On Sunday
evening he slept well. On Monday be was carried
to Chancellor's house, near Guruess' depot. He
was cheerful ; talked about the battle, gallant
bearing of General Rhodes, and said that his
Major-General's commission ought to date from
Saturday, the grand charge of his old Stonewall
brigade, of which he had heard ; asked after all his
officers; during the day talked more than usual,
and said—" Men who live through this war will
be proud to say, ' I was one of the Stonewall bri-
gade,' to their children." He insisted that the term
Stonewall belonged to them, and not to him.
During the ride to Guineas he complained greatly
of heat, and besides wet applications to his wounds,
has zed that a wet nloth ha AnDlieri to his stomaeh
which was done, greatly to his relief, as he ex-
pressed it. He slept well on Monday night, and
eat with relish the next morning. On Tuesday his
wounds were doing very well. He asked, " Can you
tell me, from the appearance of my wounds, how
long I will be kept from the field ?" He was greatly
satisfied when told they were doing remarkably
well. He did not complain of any pain in his side,
and wanted to see the members of his staff, but was
advised not. On Wednesday his wounds looked
remarkably well. He expected to go to
Richmond this day, but was prevented by
rain. This night, While his surgeon, who
had slept none for three nights, was asleep, he
complained of naseau, and ordered his boy, Jim, to
place a wet towel over his stomach. This was done.
About daylight the surgeon was awakened by the
boy saying, " the General is in great pain." The
pain was in the right side, and due to incipient
pneumonia and some nervousness, which he himself
attributed to the fall from the litter. On Thursday
Mrs. Jackson arrived, greatly to his joy and satis-
faction, and she faithfully nursed him to the end.
By Thursday evening all pain had ceased. He
suffered greatly from prostration. On Friday he
suffered no pain, but prostration increased.