Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-03-26

moon was high in the heavens, sheddinga
food of soft silyery light, almost as bright
as day, upon the scene. When he APP
preached and saw US, he spoke, refined up
his horse, and essayed to dismount. The
effort TO do 50 betrayed so much physical
exhaustion that I stepped forward TO as
sist him, but before reached him he had
alighted He threw his arm across his
saddle TO rest himself, and fixing his eyes
upon the ground leaned in silence upon his
equally weary horse; the two forming q
striking group, as motionless as a statue.
The moon shone full upon his massive
features, and revealed an expression of
sadness | had never seen upon that fine
countenance before, in any of the vicissi-
tgdes of the war through which he had
passed. | waited for him to speak until
the silence became painful and embarIass-
ing, when to break it, and change the cur
rent of his thoughts, | remarked ia a
sympathetic tone, and in allusion to his
great fatigue:
General, this has been a hard day on
you"
This attracted his attention. He
looked up and replied mournfully;
'Yes, il has been sad, sad day to us, :"
and immediately relapsed into his thought
full mood and attitude. Being unwilling
again to intrude upon his reflections, l
said no more. After q minute or two he
suddenly Strengthened up to his full height,
and turning to me with more animation,
energy, and excitement of manner than l
had ever seen in him before, he addressed
me in a voice tremulous with emotion,
aHd said: ga
General, never saw troops behave
more m8gnificen1y than Pickett's Divis-
ion of Virginians did to-day in their grand
charge upon the enemy. And If they had
been supported, as they were to have been
but, for some reason not yet fully ex-
plsined to me, they were Motive would
have held the position they so gloriously
won al such fearful loss of noble lives,
and the day would have been ours"
After moment he added in a tone al
most of agony:
''Too bad Too bad! On, too bad u
never shall forget, as long as l live,
his language, and his manner, and his
appearance and expression of mental suf-
fering. Altogether 1t was scene that
historical painter might well immortalize,
had one been fortunately present to wit
ness it.
In little while he called up servant
from his sleep to take his horse; spoke
mournfully, by name, of several of his
friends who had fallen during the day,
and, when candle had been lighted, iu-
vited me alone into his tent, where, as
soon as we were seated, he remarked:
eve must return to Virginia. As
many of our poor wounded as possible,
must be taken home. / have sent for
you because your men are fresh, to guard
the trains back to Virginia. The duty
will be arduous, responsible and Danger
GUS, for / am afraid you will be hsrasEed
by the enemy's cavalry. can spare you
as much artillery as you require, but no
other troops, as l shall need all have
to return to the Potomac by different
route from yours. All the transportation
and all the care of the wounded will be
in.rusted to you. You will re-cross the
mountain by the Chsmbersburg road, and
then proceed TO Wlliamsport by any route
you deem best, without hating. There
rest and feed your animals, then ford the
river, and make no halt ill you reach
Winchester, where ] will again commu-
nicate with you"
After a good deal of conversation, he
sent for his chiefs of staff, aud ordered
them to have everything in readiness for
me to take command the next morning,
remarking to me that the general instruc-
tiOns he had given would be sent to me
pext day in writing. As l was about
leaving, to return to my camp, he came
ont of bis tent and said to me in low
tone: 81 viii place In your hands o-mor-
row q sealed package for President Davis,
which you will retain in your own pos
session till you are across the Potomac,
when you will detail trusty commits
stoned officer to take it to Richmond with
all possible dispatch, and deliver it imme-
| diately to the President. | impress it
upon you, that Whatever happens, this
package must not fall into the hands of
the enemy. If you should unfortunately
be captured, destroy it
| On the morning Of the 4th, my written
instructions and the package for Mr.
Davis were delivered to me. It was coon
apparent that the wagons and ambulances
and The wounded, could not be ready 10
move till late in the afternoon. The
General sent me four four-gun field bat
teries, which, with my own, gave me
twenty-five guns to defend the trains.
Shortly after room the very windows of
heaven seemed to be opened. Rain fell
| - daeh;psr torranfc opd IN O f;ttIo ,r,I Il n,
| the whole face of the earth was covered
with water. The meadows became small
lakes; raging streams ran across the road
in every depression of the ground; wag-
ons, ambulances and artillery carriages
! filled the roads and fields in all directions.
The storm increased in fury every mo-
ment. Canvas was no protection against
i, and the poor wounded, lying upon the
hard, naked boards of the wagOn-bodies,
were drenched by the cold rain. Horses
and mules were blinded and maddened by
the storm, and became almost unmanage-
able. The roar Of the winds and waters
made it almost impossible to communi-
cate orders. Night was rapidly approach
ing, and there was danger that in the
darkness the confusion" would become
"worse COMPOUNDED" About NJ. the
head of the column was put in motion,
and began the ascent of the mountain.
After dark set out to to gain the advance.
The train was seventeen miles long when
drawn out on the road. 1t was moving
rapidly, and from every wagon issued
walls of agony. For four hours gal
loptd along, passing to the front, aud
heard more-it wss too dark to see-of
the horrors of war, than | had witnessed
from the battle of Bull Run up TO that
day. In the wagons we're men wounded
and mutilated in every conceivable way.
Some had their legs shattered by shell
or Mimic ball; some were shot through
their bodies; Others had arms torn to
shreds; some had received q bali in the
face, or a jagged piece of shell had LAGER
ated their heads. Scarcely one in hun
bred had received adequate surgical aid.
Many had been without food for thirty
six hours. Their ragged, bloody and
dirty clothes, all clotIed and hardened
with blood, were rasping the tender, in
famed lips of their gaping wounds. Very
| few of the wagons hau even straw in
them, and all were without springs. The
road was rough and rocky. The jOltiug
was enough TO have killed sound, strong
men. From nearly every wagon, as the
| horses trotted on, such cries and shrieks