The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1868-12-10

as she said, we were soon seated on the
grass plat, enjoying good though homely
meal, and under the influence of her ex
cellent buttermilk, corn bread, and fried
chickens, wcIe rapidly becoming reinvigor-
ated. Suddenly confusion of voices
sounded near US, and | caught The CLEAN
of sabres and bright uniforms, as about a
dozen of cavalry In dark blue Numbered
down toward Us. Evidently they had not
seen Us. A word and a touch, and all
four of us were in the adjoining thicket,
awaiting their approach. They galloped
up, and ordering breakfast, sat down on
bench TO await it. / felt touch On my
shoulder, and looking up saw pale face
near my own, with eyes turned in con-
strained manner to AN officer on The bench.
"R-," the lips whispered, almost in
audibly, "now is the lime to end the war.
YOnder sits Sherman | was SO utterly
taken by surprise that l did not at first
comprehend him, but gradually as gazed
mechanically on the officer pointed out TO
me, began TO understand that the SOuth's
greatest and most powerful enemy, the one
who was rapidly wiping her out of exist
ence as nation. who held her fate, as it
were, in The hollow of his hand, who had
done her more evil in four months than all
his predecessors had accomplished in al
most as many years, was sitting there Sc
rene and unconscious, within reach OF my
carbine. I at once commenced cautiously
to unsling it. The fate of the Confeder-
acy perhaps hung Oh that moment /; when
at tins length of time l think upon The
awful interests that were at stake, my
brain reels and crow faint. The Cen
eIai arose unconscious of his peril, and
walked with rapid military tread into
the house, followed by his staff, and very
soon we could see them through the open
window engaged in eating breakfast l
was completely b flied, and bad no oppOr-
tunity, nor had any Of US, TO renew our
attempts, as body of cavalry soon ar
rived, before whom we thought it prudent
to retire, and accordingly made sudden
retreat.
GENERAL sTONEwALL JACKsONs PROPOSED
NIGHT ATTACK WITH NAKED TROOPS.
A writer for the Savannah Nelrs says
that Mr.. l.. A. Pollard had good ground
for the assertion that Gen. Stonewall
jackson once recommended night attack
10 he made by assaIiants stripped naked
and armed with bowie knives. He adds:
The occasion was Immediately after the
battle Of Fredericksburg, Va. On the
llrh of Dec, 1862, the Federals occupy
ing the northern bank of the Rappahan
mock River, on The southern side of which
Frederick sburg is situated, opened fire
upon the town with 40 pieces of artillery.
A majority of the inhabitants left town
when the bpmbardment commenced.
Early in the morning the enemy, under
cover Of their fire, attempted 10 swing 4
pontoon bridge, laden with soldiers, across
tho river. A few we!-lirected shots
from our artillery broke the bridge, and
the boats fnated down the river, the men
to be drowned or to he killed by the
deadly ri1es of Bark sGale's Mississippians
At night another and successful attempt
Ia cross was made below the city al Deer
Run, and in few moments thereafter the
town was occupied by the enemy. The
18th was spent IN making preparations
for the battle on the 18Th, the result of
which Is too well known TO be detailed
here suffice il to say, that by dark on
that day the enemy's troops to the num-
ber of G0,O00, torn, bleeding, and ihor
uu9hly dis'rganzed, were crowded in
town. While thus situated, the Con feder-
ate chiefs held council of war. As has
! bcen frequently asserted, and never until
lately contradic,ed, Gen. Lee SAID that he
/ thought the enemY would make another
attack, not believing that they had suffer
ed so severely and were SO broken up as
was afierward ascertained. To this opin-
! ion Gen. jackson disagreed, and suggest
cd that the artillery of the First and Sec
ond Corps, his and LongslTeefs, should be
collected upon the hills directly in front OF
! the town and heavy fire be opeued upon
! it, and that the men of his corps be strip
ped to the waist to distinguish them from
the enemy, and under cover Of the artil-
lery fire force their way into the town,
and bayonet all who were not similarly at
tired. His corps was on the right and
! Longs;reet's on the left The men of the
; latter corps were not to be stripped, nor
I to participate in the attack, but were TO
! protect The artillery and prevent the
euemy from escaping up the river and
/ crossing at the fOrds, which, doubtless,
! they would have attempted had an attack
been made, for there was only one pom
/ toon at the town, which would not have
afforded egress for one fifth of the multi
tude, and the bridges at Deep Run would
/ have been secured. and all communication
with them and the town cut off at the
! first dash made 10y our troops. 1t has
been asserted by officers high III authority
that the suggestion above mentioned was
made and adopted, and that jackson es
peciaIly stipulated that his troops should
not be allowed TO fire, but should only use
the bayonet 1t is a well authenticated
: fact that AN attack upon the town was
contemplated by our chief, and in further
ance of the plan the artillery was placed
i upon the heights in front of the breast
works behind which they had fought dur