The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1865-09-26


This litter was carried by two officer,
and two men. the rest Of the escorts walk.
ing beside II and leading the horses. They
had scarcely began 70 move, however
whe the federal artillery opened a furious
hire upon the turnpike from the works il
front OF Chancellorsville, and hurricane
Of she'll and canister swept down the road.
What the eye then saw was scene OF
disordered troops, riderless horses. and Ut.
ter confusion. The intended advance Of
the eonfederates had doubtless been dis.
covered. and this fire was directed along
the road over which they would move
by this fire Generals Hill and Pender,
with several of his staff, were wounded,
and one Of the men carrying the litter was
shot through both arms and dropped his
burden. His companion dad likewise,
hastily flying from the Dangerous Locality,
aud but for captain Leigh, who caught
the handle OF the litter, it would have ial-
len TO the ground. Lieutenant Smith had
been leading his own aud the Generals
horses, but the animals now broke away
in uncomfortable terror and the rest OF the
party scattered TO find shelter. Under the
circumstances the litter was lowered by
Captain Leigh and Lieutenant Smith into
the road. and those officers lay down by IT
to protect themselyesin in some degree, from
the heavy fire Of artillery which swept the
turnpike aud "struck millions Of sparks
from the finty stones Of the roadside -
Jackson raised himself upon his elbow and
attempted TO get up, but Lieutenant Smith
threw his arm across his breast and com
PEELED him TO desist. They lay IN this
manner for some minutes without moving,
the hurricane still sweeping over them.
80 far as cou Id see" wrote one OF the
officers, "men an officers were struggling
with a nost teri ible death" The road
was otherwise deserted. Jackson and his
two officers were the sole living occu pants
of the spot. .
The FIRE of canister soon relaxed, though
that Of shot and shell continued, and Jack
son rose to his feet Leaning on the
shoulders Of the party who had Joined
him, he turned aside from the road, which
was again filed with infantry, and struck
into the woods--one Of the officers follow
ing with litter. Here he moved with
among the troops who were ly-
ing down in line of battle, and the party
encountered General Pender, who had
just been slightly wounded. lie asked
who il was that was wounded, and ihe re-
ply Was "a confederate officer" General
Pender, however, recognized Jackson and
exclaimed, "Ah general, / am sorry to
see you wounded, The lines here are so
broken that / fear we will have TO fall
back" He raised his head, and said with
a dash Of the eve, "You must hold your
ground General Fender you must h4ld
your ground, sir r. This was the last or
der Jackson ever gave upon the field.
His strength was now completely ex-
hausted, and he asked to be permitted to
lie down upon the ground. But TO this
the officers would not consent. The hot
fire of artillery still continued, and the ex-
pected advance Of the federal infantry
made it necessary % poye on, and the lit
ter was again put in requision. The gen
eraI, now nearly fainting, was laId upon it,
and some litter bearers having been pro.
cured, the whole party moved through The
tangled woods, towards Meize Chancel-
lors's. SO dense was the underground and
the ground so difficult that their. progress
was very slow. An accident now occas-
ioned Jackson untold agony. One of the
men caught his foot in vine, and stumb
ling let 90 the handle of the litter, which
fell upon bis left shoulder where the bone
had been shattered, and his agony must
have been extreme. "For the first time"
says one of the party, "he groaned, and
that most piteously." He was quickly
raised, however, and beam OF moonlight
passing through the foliage overhead re-
vealed bis pale face, closed eyes, and bleed
ing breast Those around him thought
that he was dying. What death for
such man All around him was the
tangled wood, only half illumined by the
struggling moonbeams above him burst
the shells of the enemy, exploding says an
officer, like showers of falling stars, and
in the pauses came the melancholy notes
of the wbippoorwills, borne on the night
air. In this strange wilderness, the man
Of Port Republic and Manassas, who had
led so many desperate charges, seemed
about to close his eyes and die in the
night.
But such was not to be the result then.
When asked by one Of the officers wheth-
er he was much hurt, he opened his eyes
and said quietly without further exhibition
OF pain, "No my friends don't trouble your
self about me- The litter was then raised
upon the shoulders OF the men, the party
continued its way, and reaching an ambn-
lance near Meizi Chance lors, place |
the wounded general in it. lie was then
borne to the field hospitalat Wilderness
Run, some five miles distant.
Here he lay throughout the next day,
Sunday, listening to The thunder Of the
artillery and the long roll Of The musket-
fy from Charlottesville, where Stuart,
Who had succeeded him in command, was
. essieg Gen. Hooker back towards the
Rappahannock. His soul must have
thrilled at that sound, long so familiar,
but be could take no part in the conflict.
Lying faint and pale, 10 tent in rear Of
The Wilderness Tavern" be seemed to
be perfectly resigned, and submitted to
the painful probing Of his wounds with
soldierly patience. II was obviously nec-