The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-28
FIRST EDITIO N
STONEWALL JACKSON
The Morale of the Southern Gene
raj and His SOldiers-His Pro-
posed Night Attack with
Rebel Troops.

To the Editor OF the Savannah (iia.) NeLoS:-
MIR. Edward A. Pollard, in an article on Stone
wall Jackson, published in Plttndnl's Monthly
for December, states that the General 'once re.
commended night attack to be made by
assailants stripped naked and armed with bo vie
kniyes, suggesting that the novelty aud terror
OF such an appartion would paralYze the
enemy" Msny OF the papers throughout the
South, the papers OF this city among them, have
published the above quoted paragraph and
accused the author of falsehood and of an at
tempt to slander the memory of the illustrious
dead. The writer of this communication is not
an apolUgist for Mr.. Pollard, but he does not
think II Just that an assertion OF his should be
pronounced falsehood without an inquiry
being made regarding the truth Of it; and the
object OF this communication is to show that if
Mr.. Pollard was not fully true IN his assertion,
he had some ground Tor It,
The occasion referred to was Immediately after
the battle of Fredericksburg, Va. On the l1lh
OF December, 1862 the Federals occupying the
northern bank OF the Rappahanuock river, uoon
the southern side of which Fredericksburg is
situated, opened fire upon the town with 149
pieces OF artillery majority of the inhab
tants lett town when the bombardment com.
menced. Early III the morning the enemy,
under cover OF their fire, attempted to swing
pontoon bridge, laden with soldiers, across the
river. few well directed shots from our
artillery broke the bridge, and the boats doated
down the river, the men TO be drowned or to be
killed by the deadly rifles of Barksdae's Missis-
sippians. At night another and successful
attempt to cross was made below the city ut
thereafter the town was occupied by the
enemy. The 18th was spent in making prepa-
rations for the battle on tie i5lh the result of
which Is too well known to be detailed here.
Suffice 1t TO say, that by dark on that day the
| enemy's troops, to the number of 10000, torn,
| bleeding, anu thoroughly disorganized, were
| cIowded.in the town. While thus situated the
! Confederate chiefs held council of war. As
| has been frequently asserted, aud never until
lately contradicted, General Lee stated that he
| thought the enemy would make another attack,
not believing that they mad suffered so severely
and were SO broken up as was afterwards
DISAGREED, and suggested that the artillery of
the First ard Second Corps, his aud Longstreeps,
should be collected upon =. the hills
geav, Gre be front pened Of aDon the and Sa
| the men OF his corps be stripped to the waist to
distinguish them from the enemy, and under
cover Of the artillery fire force their way into
| the town and bayonet all who were not SINH
larly attlled. His corps was Oh tue right and
| Longstrcets on the LETT. The men of the latter
corps were not to be stripped nor to particioa ate
| IN the attack, but were to protect the artillery
and prevent the enemy from escaping up the
river and crossing at the fords, which DOUBTLESS
| they would have attempted had an attack been
| made, TOR there was only one pontoon at the
| town, which would not have afforded egress for
| one.tifth of the multitude aud the bridges at
! Deep run would have been secured and al
communication with them and the to Wn cut oil
| at the first dash made by our troops.
| 1t has been asserted by officers high in autbo-
| Iity that the suggestion above mentioned was
made and adopted, and that Jacks IN especially
stipulated that his troops should not be allo wed
| TO IRE, but should only use the bayonet. 1t is O
| well.authenticated fact that an attack upon the
| town was contemplated by our chief, and in
| fuItherahce of the plan the artillery was placed
| upon the heights in front of the breastwork !
| behind which they bad fought during the day g
| battle, with instructions TO await a signal and
| then open fire upon the town, and TO continue
| the fire until further orders, or until the yels
| ~ nt,r h" hat fhAu ~,
| town, in position TO be endangered by our fire.
| The infantry of the First Corps were posted to
| defend the artillery (it was afterwards told by
| men of the Second Corps that they mad received
orders TO strip to the waist) but the signal for
the bombardment was never given, and orders
| came to retire within the breastworks, as the
proposed attack had been given up by General
| Lee, who feared that the numerous inhabItants Is
| remaining within the town would suffer alike
| with the enemy.
| No zen can describe the horrors an butchery
| that would have attended that night b)mbaCd-
ment and attack, as suggested By the dead hero
who believed that war meant fighting and
hghting meant killng.n The town, which in its
best days did not, perhaps, contain more than
wagons, and about 60 600 men, besides the
| wounded and nol-combatants. The enemy
| quietly recTossed the river on the night of the
| l5tb leaving the Confederates TO rejoice over
smother barren victory. An examination OF the
| town. at er their departure, showed that the
| men had been so numerous that the houses were
not sufficient TO contain them aud that they
| had torn down the out-houses and ratings, and
broken up the turuiture, in order to make beds
| in the streets and yards.
| The writer of this communication has a most
| profound respect for the memory OF General
| stone wall jackson, yet he does not believe with
| others, that the assertion made by Mr.. Pollard,
| that the lllustrous hero desired to make night
| attack upon the enemy with his troops stripped,
| is a sapder upon his memory; but he does be.
| lieve that. If there had been more stripping to
| the waist aud night attacks, with fewer Gays OF
| thank ksgiying and fasting aud prayers, the South
would have less barren victories TO rejoice over
| and less to mourn tor now. A VIRGINIAN.