The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-02-20
- Correspondence .Richuaond Dispdtch :
StonewaI Jackson..-How He Met His Death.
RICHMOND, VA, Jan. 1, 1878:

give to the pubic some Oi tne CiiSuhiSttS1nooS
Connected with the death wound Of General
Jackson. Particularly as recent publication
has declared that night attack WAS not con-
tempiated at the time.
when General jackson moved SO unexpec-
taily and so successfully upon the enemy's
flank at Charlottesville his front line was
composed of Rhodes Division, and his second
of A. 2. Hills, with the exception of McGow-
ans tSouth Carolins) wholly of North Caroll-
MANS. One or two brigades moved oy the
flank along the plank road, Immediately in rear
of our artillery-mine being in front. When,
about dark we reached the breastworks from
which the enemy had been driven, we, were
Halted. and remained standing in the road for
some time. General A. P. Hill then ordered
ma to form across the road-two regiments to
the right, two to the left, and one thrown Tor
ward as strong line of skirmishers- the
purpose of making night attack but soon at,
ter the order was given, our artillery opened
and the enemy replied. .....s,.- ,,.aa y. :
was unwilling to attempt to maneuvre them IN
the dark. and In such woods, under such a
deadly fire. Col. w. II. Palmer, of this city,
calamity crossed the road to know why did
mi move nv command. I requested him to
tell Gen. gHill that if he wished me to do SO
successfully, he must order his artillery TO
cease firing. The order was given, and, as 1
had anticipated, the enemy also ceased firing
Z now formed my brigade as had been or
Sered, putting the Seventh and Thirty seventh
pn.the right of the road, and the Eighteenth
and Twenty-eighh on the left, the right OF the
Eighteenth resting on the road, while the Ihlr,
ty-fhird, under Col. Avery, was thrown forward
q sKifmisbers. TIE woods in front of our
fight consisted of large oaks, with but little
nndergroWtb }: in rear Of our right there was a
Dine Ticket. and to the left OF the road there
was a dense growth of scrubby oaks, and
through. which it was very difficult for troops
to move. Our skirmishing line occupied the
crest of the hill, separated on the right of the
road from the Charlottesville hill by deep
valley. I cautioned all of my field officers to
watch closely; the front as we were then occu-
u,yying the front line and were expected to make
q night attack. After forming my line, rode
baci to ask Gen. Hill if we must advance or
Await further orders, and on reaching the plank
road met Gen. Jackson alone, L think, and ne
at once wished to know for whom was look
ing. Itold him, and to save further delay, l
asked for orders. In an earnest tone, and with
pushing gesture of his right hand in the d.
rection of the enemy, he replied: Push rlght
ahead Lane and then rode forward.
ON reaching the right of my command, to
mt it in motion, found that Lieutenant
Colonel Smith of Pennsylvania regiment had
come up between our line of battle and the
skirmish lire with a white handkerchief tied
t6a stick TO learn, as he stated, whether we were
friends or foes. This officer seemed surprised
at my not allowing him to return after ne had
satisfied his curiosity. I was still further de-
layed by officers Of the Seventh regiment, re-
porting that during my absence, troops OF some
kind had been heard talking on our right.
Lieut.. Emack with five men, vas at once sent
out to reconnoitre, and he soon returned with
the One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Pennsyi-
vania regiment which had thrown down their
arms and surrendered on being sold t1at tney
were cut of. Just as Captain Young four GAL
liant boy-captain about Is or 10 years old, was
ordered with his company to take this regiment
to the rear. the right Of the skir1nish line fired,
Iafteryards learned fron, Colonel Avery, at
terson who rode up from the direction of the
enemy. and called for General Williams"
This Unknown person escaped, but the firing at
him cansed the whole sllirmish line to open
and the enemy responded. Much heavier in
fantry firing was heard Immediately afterwards
;rithe direction 6f the plank road, followed by
fe-opening of the enemy s artillery. H.. .1s,,
General Pender now rode up, and advised i
me not 10 advance, as General Jackson had
been wounded, and, he thought, by my COM
mand. + did not advance, but went to the
plank road, where. l learned that General Hill
SaJ also been wounded. I there, moreover,
learned from Colonel John D. Barry, then
Major of the Eighteenth North Carolina regi-
mIent. that he knew nothing Of Generals Jack
soI, and Hill having gone to the front; that ne
could not tell friend from foe nsuch woods;
that when the skirmish line fired, there was
heard the Gathering Of approaching horsemen
and the cry of cavalry, and that he not only or.
dered his men to fire, but thai he pronounced
tbe subsequent cry Of friends to be lie, and
that his men continued to fire upon the ap.-
proaching party. It was generally understood
that night by my command and others, that
the Eighteenth regiment not only wounded
Generals Jackson and Hill but KILLED q some oI q,
their couriers and perhaps some of their stan
ofE;cers. as some Of them were missing: Col.
RaYry. who was one of my bravest and most
accomp plished officers, always thought Generals
JacEsop and Hill were wounded by MS COM
mand.
After the wounding of these two generals,
General Heth assumed command of Hills di-
y;s;on countermanded the order for an ad-
yyance and directed me to form the whole of my
brirade on the right Of the plank road. We
were the ONLY troops in line of battle on the
rE;ght Of the road until after we had repulsed
an attack made by the enemy, In which we
csptured few prisoners and Enc coiors OF tne
TTird Main regiment. McGowan's brigade
then prolonged our right, and we rested on our
arms until the next morning
On the morning of the Sd we were ordered to
make direcs attack upon the enemy's WORKS.
which was composed Of logs hastily thrown TO-
gesher the night previous, in our 'front.' an ana on
the hill facing the Chancelioryliie mn. we car
ried the works, but could not hold them on ac-
connt of the concentrated, murderous artillery
Ere from the Ghancellorville hill, under which
the enemy threw forward fresh infantry. The
brigade that was to have supported us did not
come to our assistance, and before General
Ramseur, thena brigadier, could get up with
his North Carolinians. We were driven back
with q loss of nine hundred men out Of about
t,ventv. seven hundred carried into action. Of