The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-12-22
stoncwaiI Jacrsson-W :so 7&sscss As'"'
A Rcsminisccnce of the war oo

MoEHISTowS. y. d., bSN''
To The Editor Of the Herald
Having Observed your remarks on th'
subject Of the death OF the rcbci Hcmcrh
Thomas Jonathan Jackson, take inc lintl
* of a>kinr YOU to add my testimony Il
TINT of others 30 that there can remain nc
reasonable doubt but that ne was killed by
his own troops, and will make my narrative
;z>horf as possible for Your columns.
Al the l,aftle cf Charlottesville ] com.
handed the Second brigade Of the Second
division of the Third Army corps. and Our
division was held in reserve near the Chan
crllorsvillc House until about 5 O'Clock on
Satnrday afternoon. the Cd of May, 1863,
which was the time Of the furious attack
made on the right Of our line by Jackson,
which broke the Eleventh corps, hurting ii
i,ack in disorder. We were almost lmme-
datclr ordered to the front to check the
attack Of the Acny, and depoyed IN line
Of battle to the right Of the Orange Court
house plank-road, not far from our iirs'
po.ition. the enemy stopping any further
qlv9ucr at that time. As soon aS my me
was formed and pickctS thrown out in front
II Il. I rode to the front to inspect the
r;gket line. a. il was my invariablc habit to
do. 10 rccti:v It's positions if necessary. II
vas now twilight, and little later
tic moons light aided the vision TO
,icrcc the darkness of the dense forest
in which was our position. Nhlie en-
.,.cod in changing the posts Of some Of the
Sraf:ncl< covering the LEFT front OF my line
in comparatively clear place near the
piank-road, heard the sound Of al ap-
I,roachiar ravairadc from the side OF the
enemy which soon appeared, ana the fore
most 'horseman dctachng himself from it
came on alone, 50 near that the solder near
e; me lcvclled his rifle for 4 shot at HIM;
hit ! stopped him from firing, not WlShln%
- reveal our position, and Judging MN an
officer making 4 reconnaissance, IN which
r2~n i would have been Z useless thin@to
kirhim-cvcn if ne could have hit him III the
uncertain light. After Il few moments.
sncut apparently in trying to pierce the
Gloom. this person slowly turned his horse,
and tHia whole party returned towards the
Confrdcratcs 1T gallop. The CHATTER OF the
hoot> became fainter in the distance, when
suddenly the darkness in that direction was
l;s-htod IN by a fash succeeded by the we'll
known rattle Of Il vollcv of muSkctry from
nj least a battalion on the right of the road.
and after the interval OF about twenty
."condS came another yollcy from lis left.
T. inc apprehensive that some OF our troops
MIGHT possibly be in that direction, deter
mined 70 ride forward alone and satisfy my
self. rs if called into action there might be
danger Of firing upon our own troops.
lid So leaving nv ORDERLY within my picket
line. Emerging from the thick underground
liooU the road. 4 riderlcSS horse dashed past
me towards our lines, and rcincd up near
2 .r01tp Of three persons, two of whom were
s,iuDortinc the third, who was Stretc on
the ground, apparently grierously hurt.
! horse or perhaps more than one, were
near ~. ~ I saw indiStinctly, but whether
thrv were tied totreeS or held by other per-
sons | could not make out. | saw ut once
hat these were ConfederateS, probably
officers, and visions Of the Libby began to
lii through nv mind ut finding myself 50
near them: bu: rejecting that | was
well-1rmcd and mounted, moreover.
That | wore 4 priyatc'S gray oHelco2t ana
.iouchcd hat, which We're common TO both
parties. / sat STILL regarding" the group IN
Silence. but prepared to fly if necessary
al the first warning. The silence was
broken by one Of the persons, who seemed
70 regard me with surprise, and, speaking
~. Que having authority, he directed me TO
'"rilc III, there and see what troops those
were" indicating the direction Of his army;
10 which | gave q sign CT assent, and, too
happy to escape, rode in that direction
uniil out Of sight Of the group. when,
making a circuit / returned within my own
lines Just rs reached our picket line the
Federal section Of artillery posted on the
plark-road commenced firing, and could
i!ainlv bear the grape crashing through
the limbs Of the tr"cS near the point | had
It. found my brigade engaged III
strengthening their position by a ruGc line
81 abituS in preparation for the battle.
That night two intrepid officers Of my
hr~ado-LicutcN2nt Colonel Holt and Cap
tnin Hugo. OF the SEVENTEEN New
Nork-crawicd on all fourS within
the cneuy's lines. and captured several
prisoners from whom l extracted the inior-
nation that Khodcs's division of Jackson,s
corps lay in our front and one OF them, 81
officer, gavc me, upon q sort Of croSS-eXaml-
nation. some interesting details. At early
daylight the next morning Sunday, May 81
he enemy commenced Il vigorous attack
although thousands OF fresh troops lay with
IL half muskct-shot, was forced, after Il gal
luui defence and heavy losses, to retire and
Weld the ground TO them.
About fortnight afterwards, at the camp
OF Falmouth, ! saw the Richmond EnQui-
re-. giving ii detailed account of the death
of Stonewall Jackson, and the circllm-
stances Of his receiving his wound, Which
IuaJln it clear to me at least that the man
saw Wing on the ground was himself, and
that he was killed by his own men. Other
Confederate accounts mention "Some one
was sitting his horse by the side of the
lr0od, coolly looking on motionlesS and
sllout.' "rhc unknown individual was
clad in dark dress strongly resembling the
felcral uniform, but it seemed impossible
that he could have penetrated to that spot
without being discovered, and what fol-
owed seemed to prove that he belonged to
The Confcderates." Captain Wilbourne di.
rocted him Ito ride up there and see what
troops those werc," upon which the
stranger slowly rode in the direction
pointed out, but never returned with any
answer. "WEo this silent parsonage wa.
is left to posterity," etc. AZ I vel
knew Stonewall Jackson from the time o.
the Mexican war, | could not have taileC
10 recognize him had | interviewed .
him on this occasion, which would, how
ever, resulted most disagrecably to at leas
one Of the PARTIES. finale for which
avail myself Of the present occasion t
heartily thank Captain Wil5ourne" fol
having aycrtod by his opportune command
hoping he will excuse me for havin:
never returned As to Jackson haFiu.
met his death at the hands OF the + irst Mas
sachusctts, that is impossible, as that reci
Inent occupied Il position on the lett Of ON
division, near the plank-road, and com
pletely out OF sight aud range of the spo
be advanced to while accommodating.
While upon the subject of the battle OF
Charlottesville, If / do not intrude to,
much upon your valuable space, permi
Inc respectfully to protest against the state
neuts charging my late gallant and abb,
friend General Sedgwick, either directly Of
by implication, with having been the cause
of the loss OF that great battle while glori
flying other generals engaged in it, although
the former achieved the really only great
exploit OF the tive days campaign-the sue.
"cssiul storming of the heights Of Frede.
r.cHsburg. The military student who i'm
partially examines the details of this bat.
lie must, think, inevitably come TO these
conclusions