The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-11-12
patlng In ali its important engagements. arc

| patlng In all its important engagements. arc
the greater part Of the time commanding .
| brigade. at the hattie above named sTaE
| an involuntary witness Of III event which
| bad al Important !'tsiiug Oh the issue ci ll'
war. and which had been Tie sril"t. 81
prolonged controversy. ] refer to the death
Of Stoncwa! Jackson. The circumstances
under which acquired The right to give
Testimony hi .hc tia.ter wrrc rni'i"n hat r.
iiarkalrlc; and here give I1Il! .t;,tcurnt
nG tlicm. The left OF my brigade line lay
near the plank-road ut Characteristic. and
after night bad fallen rode for
HLrd, ayt.cft'i.ss ID NY iDyari;ibic lmbit,
H. inspect my picket line. The iu0Un has.
r,>cn, and partially Illuminated the woods.
BEGAN my inspection on the right OF the
picket line, progressing gradually to the left.
where ] stopped to Iectifg the post OF sen
tiacl hot rar from tie i!Auh-rGad. While
thus engaged I heard the sound Of hoofS
from the direction Of the cGemy'S liGe, and
paused to listen. Soon calYaCale appeared
approaching us. The foremost hor=euln de-
ta&hed himself from the maiu body, which
halted not far from Us, and riding cautiously
neafer, seemed TO try to pierce TIE gloom.
He was so close to Us that the soldier nearest
me levclled his rifle for Il shot ut him but
forbade him, as did not wish to have our
position revealed, and 1t would have been
useless to Kill the man whom judged TO lie
Stat officer making Il reconnaissance.
Having completed his observations, this
person rcjoincd the group in his rear and
all returned at Il rlllop. The CHATTER Of hoofs
soon celSt1 to be audible. and the silence Of
the night was unbrokcn save by the ineiai-
choly cries OF the whipporwill, which WAS
heard in one continued vail, like spirit
voices, when the horizon was lighted up BY
il sudden flush in the direction OF the enemy,
succeeded by the welI-known rattle of Il
vollcy Of muskctry from at least a battalion.
4 second yolley quickly followed the first,
and heard cries in the same direction.
Fearing that some of our troops might be
in that locality, and that there was danger
OF our firing upon friends, left my or
d.rly and rode toward the Cortede-
rate lines. 4 riderIeSs horse dashed
past me toward our lines, and | refined
up in presence of 4 group of several per-
sons gathered around a man lying on the
ground, apparently badly wounded. saw
at once that these were Confederate officers,
and visions of the Libby began to fit through
ny mind; but, rejecting that I was well
armed and mounted, and that had on the
great coat Of private soldier, such rs was
worn by both parties, sat still regarding
the group In silence, hut prepared TO Use
either my spurs or my sabre, IL occasion
might demand The silence was broken hv
one of the COnfederatcs, who appeared to re-
gard me with establishment then, speaking
in a tone Of authority, he ordered me to
ride up there and soc what troops those
WERE" indicating The rebel position. | III
stantly made gesture Of assent, and rode
slowly in the direction Indicated until out Of
sight Of the group; then made Il circuit
round it and returned within my own lines.
Just as | had answered the challenge Of our
picket the section Of our artillery posted on
the rlank-road began firing, and / could
plainly hear the grape crushing through the
trees near the spot occupied by the group Of
Confederate officers.
About fortnight Hftcrwlrd ! saw a Rich
mond newspaper at TIC clmp at Falmouth
in which were detailed the circumstances Of
the death Of Stoncwal Jackson. These left
no doubt in my own mind That the person |
had seen lying on the ground was that Off
Ger and that his singular nrcdictiOu--mcn-
toned previously been verified. The
following is IN extract from the newspaper
ac&oilnt: General Jack-nu. having gone
some distance III trO'it Of his lire on SatlIr-
day evening. was returning about S O'Clock,
attended l,y his stan. The cayal,adc vas. in
the darkness. mistaken for Il body Of the
cuemv's cavalry. aud fred on by = regiment
of his own cGtp-." Then, after detailing
what took place after the General fell from
hi, horse. III account proceeds: The turn
pike was utterly deserted, with the cNccp-
ton 0. Captains WilhOurn and Wynn !;
but in Tue skiIting Of the ts!ckc; Oh
tho left some pcl50n was observed ny the
side Of the wood sitting Oil his horse mo-
iinuie=s and silent. The unknown indi-
yidrrsI was cad in dark dress which
strongly rrScmhIrd tie FEDERAL uniform, but
i. seemed mIn,->hir IlElt hc could smv:
Icnrti:!rh 10 that spot without being dl--
covered. and whit Beloved seemed to pro'r
that he belonged to he ConfcdcMic5. Cap
tain Wi!bauGn directed him 10 ride up Their"
and sec what troops those Wcr'-thc men
who fired on jackson and the stranger rode
slowly i'll tie direction pointed ont, but
ncNcr returned with any answer. Who This
silent parsonage was is lcit 10 pcsiclily, etc.
.IacksOn'S death happened i'll strange CON-
cidcncc with this E0roSr0pic prediction made
wears before: bat the coihcidrncc was, be-
licvc, merely fortult0Hs. and ] incn:lon II
here only to show what mysterious "giylnSS-
OUT we sometimes experience III i!ic.-
J'-1,,, :. Keel ana !.,Yftjip.