Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-11-08
Had He a Charmed Life?

VI GOUHCW6tAA - eeCASOAA-A AhO boAh
Efforts Of a Northern Rifeman
4 to Slay the Silent Hero of Manas-
sas-A Strange "Reminiscences of
the Wilderness.
i [Detroit Free Press.
That was an awful day when
! the Confederate lion, Stonewall
Jackson, crept upon poor Hooker
hidden in the Wilderness. Lee
on one side, Jackson on the other,
and the woods around Chancellors-
vile shook and trembled, a1d were
almost swept from the face cf the
earth by the whirring round shot,
the Kissing shell and the scream
ing grape-shot. Men were struck
stone dead es the battle line ad
vanced or retreated. White faced
recruits and bronzed faced veterans
were torn to fragments and buried
against the living. Wounded men
fell in their tracks to be crushed
in the earth by the great limbs
cut from the trees by shot and
she'll. The roar of guns, the
crackle of musketry, the fierce
shouts and awful groans made
such a hell upon earth of that
battlefield as was never seen before
or after.
Fighting Joe Hooker was in a
tox, but not man in his great
army dreamed that it was SO un-
til the long gray line OF Stonewall
Jackson came creeping through
the quiet forest at three o'clock on
that ever to be remembered I'd of
May, 1868. The light earth
works had been thrown up to face
another way, toward Lee. All
lines faced Lee, all men were look
ing for Lee, when the three divis-
ions OF Confederates, moving with
soft step, took Hooker's army in
the rear, and drove one brigade
pell NELL into and over another
until veteran soldiers were with
out strength or presence of mind.
That awful night, when
THE WOUNDED WERE BURIED ALIVE
In the woods, and the dead were
thicker than the leaves just broad
ening into full life, a report ran
through the reorganized ranks that
Stonewall Jackson had been killed.
Thousands believed it, but three
of us, lying side by side in the
new battle line born after night
put no faith in the rumor. Why
we did not is what | started to
write about. Stuart's cavalry had
been following up Rockers army,
but it was like rat following in
the footsteps of a horse. Lee was
SO far away and coming up SO
slowly that Cooper bad time to
throw up light earthworks, seize
the best ground, fell trees to pro
tect his hanks, and make ready to
shatter and hurl back the expect
ed attack. On that End day of
May his soldiers hidden in the
woods or lying in the fields, wash
ed their clothing, wrote letters
home, made comfortable beds for
themselves, and were not in the
least trouble about what another
week should bring forth. As a
deep river suddenly bends to avoid
bluff, so did that great army OF
Lees bend to avoid the Wilder
ness. It split in two, to at
tack at a given hour on both sides,
and Joe Hooker sat 10 his tent
and congratulated himself on his
imrregnable position - considered
impreguable by him, when two
great highways ran along the rear
of half Of his army. So univer
sal was the feeling of security that
soon after noon three infantry men
started out to
mr., p1rv op roRAGR FooD
SigeTs corps was on Hooker's
west flank, and commanded that
day by Howard. Part of this
corps faced the old turnpike and
plank road part laced the other
way. Most Of the men were hid.
den in the woods and behind ridg-
es, and up the broad highway
which should have been first look.
ed to. Stuart was pushing bis
cayalrymen as skirmishers. We
three men were beyond Sigers
corps, and on the point of enter
ing a farmhouse from which eve
ry.body had fed, when, less than
a rife shot away, we caught sight
; of the Confederate advance. The
cavalrymen were advancing slow
Ilv. expecting evidently to tind a
heavy guard at some point, but al
. the time we imagined that less
than regiment of Stuart's men
were feeling along up to pick uF
; stragglers. We at least did not
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