The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-01-15

IL, The morning of the following day was &C
Ecupied by the Confederate leadsrsrin plannin,
a deed Of dreadful note, The Federal posi-
ton was too strong to justify an attack in front
jackson, fertile in expedients, suggested y;
movement of his entire command round tn,
| right oftbe opposing army, aud an attack OF
/ Hooker's righs aud rear, LEE hesitated t.
adopt plan which would leave him for. sew
cral hours with only about sixteen thousanc
men in presence Of the whole right wing q
| tho Federal army With an audacity which
he had never displayed before, and which ht
never displayed aiterward, be gave his appro
| val to the suggestion, and the movement be
gan early Id the morning. 7iFflSs 81 a'fs sd
The distance marched by jackson, from the
point where heleft the Confederate position
on the plank road east Of Charlottesville, t.
! the limit Of his westward march, a point d
the old turnpike west Of the Federal position
was eleven miles or more, and this distance
vas somewhat increased by the fact that he
often left the main roads to avoid the mud
Every step Of his movement may be followed
on No. Of the admirable maps with which
the authors have enriched their book. While
lie was making this long march through dense
forest and over wood roads, with $4,000 men
and his artillery and trains, the Federal COM
| mandel lay quiet in his lines, calling up, the
| First Corps with its II 900 men from the
| neighborhood Of fredericksburg, examining
his position in person, aud reetifying certain
details which he considered faulty. As early,
at least, as nine o'clock in the morning Of this
eventtul day, he received information Of
Jackson which led him to suspect his OBJ
jecta His suspicious might well have been
confirmed by the results Of reconnaissance
| in force made by Sickles, the commander
Of the Third Corps. But he seems to have
made up his mind THAT the enemy must be
retreating, and to have inverted the inforl
nation he received into evidence in support
OF that theory. Two years fighting had not
been Sufficient to teach him that the South
ern army was not wont to retreat without
firing a shot; but lie had net learned the
lesson that he might have learned, from
Gaines's Mills and Thoroughfare Gap and.
the Autietan. The, great deception prac-.
ticed By Frederick upon Soubise at Rosbach,
was. here repeated upon him, and it appears
to disadvantage in comparison with Soubise,
for thu French general was no more COM
pietely decelYed,l aud he moved his troops
with all the rapidity in his power on what
be supposed was his retreatng enemy, while
Hooker Kept his masses quiet, though the fre-.
quent demonstrations which LEE made al
that day along his front. proved to him that
at least q rear guard Of the Southern army
was near, his lines.
When Jackson reached the plank road, west
Of charlottesville, he halted and inspected
the Union lines from commanding hill. He
then ordered his command to move a little
further to the north west that he might de-
liver his attack completely in rear as well as
flank. When he reached the old turnpike he
turned sharply to the right, moved eastward
along that road for three quarters of mile.
aud there, at distance OF three quarters of
a mile from the right OF the Federal line, he
deployed his command to the right and left OF
the road, in three lines covering a front Of
about a mile and three eisbths. Is Between
Eve and six o'clock iu the Afternoon all was
ready. Twenty six Thousand men were ia or
der Of battle. within rife shot Of the men b.
formed the extreme right Of our army, aud
they, poor fellows, had stacked their arms aid
were eating what was to many Of them their
last meal.l An was silence where jackson and
his men were, and it was in this ,lull before
the storm that Hooker telcgraphed to Sedg-
wick ): "We know the enemy is flying, trying
to save his trains-two OF Sickless divisions
are among them" z This message reached
Sedgwlck near Fredericksburg at Z .05 P. M,
and it was just before six O'Clock that Jackson
gave the order to advance. What followed
i but too we'll known; but we must fnd places
| for a few libes from the picturesque descrip-
| ton which the authors give US OF the scene
that. was presented as the curtain rose: s...,f
just before six O'Clock Jackson gave the
order to advance. AS swiftly as the brush
wood would permit the lines moved forward
The forest was full Of game, which, altled
from their hiding places by the unusual pres
ence Of man, ram in numbers to and over the
Federal liucs. q Deer leaped over the works at
TaAey's aud dashed iuto the wood behind
The Federal troops had, in most cases, their
ar,ns stacked, aud were eating supper. All
| danger was thought to be over for the night
The startled game gave the frst iutination
of Jaekson's approzdh. But SO little was it
! respected orLeilyved, thar the saggestion was
treated as a Jest. Presently the busles were
heard through which orders were passed along
the Confederate lines. This excited still
fmore remark Ere it had been long discuss
ed, however, there caAei the sound OF = lev
struggling shots from the skirmishsrs then q
! mighty cheer, aud ia . moment more Jacks on
was upon them A terrible volley from his
line d battle was poured among the Union
troops ere they could recover from their sur
prise. & Those in l,ue returned scattered ire,
others seized their arms uninterrupted to form.
/ Officers tried to steady their men and lead
then, 70 meet The attack Ali was in vain. /"
t1p. 43yilsTsg.i Z s!lvP sd e; lmsas 9sesf
THE Confederstes marched strait ht on kill
ling, woundlpg, and capturing as they advanc-
| ed, ior about Two miles. Then the approach
Of night, the gallantry with which some Fed
eral artillery was used and the confusion pro-
dueed in their own formation by the difficulty
OF The country aud the tumult Of swift yicto-
4 nv, Combined 70 make thesn pause. II was
| while jackson was reforming his front line,
I and preparing to achieve still moe decided
successes, chat he received his death-wouuds.
The story OF the manner IN which he receis.
ed his wounds aud was carried from the field
is told IN few striking words which bring
the whole scene before US. ''9
I ssL n s,sc..ass ~ Iackson had hccn Immense