The Osceola times., 1877-11-03
HAD lie A CHARMED LIFE!

| HAD HE A CHARMED LIFE.
| a Ntrsnse Inridcnt In the Career of stone
| wsiI jackson Vain EHsrss Of
| Northern Rinem IN 10 SIRy the ~
| lent Hero Of Manassas
| strange Reminiscenre Of
| the wilderness.
That was an awful day when the con-
iederate lion, Stonewall jackson, crept
upon poor Hooker hidden in the Wilder
ness. Lee on one side, Jackson on the
| other, and the woods around Chancellors-
vile shook and trembled, and were al
| most swept from the face Of the earth by
the whirring round shot, the Kissing shell
and the screaming grspe-shOt. Men were
struck stone dead as the battle line ad
vanced or retreated. White-faced recruits
and broDzed faced veterans were torn TO
fragments and hurled 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 shell. The
roar of guns, the crackle of muskctry, the
fierce shouts and awful groans made such
hell upon earth of that battlefield rs
was never seen before or after.
Fighting Joe Hooker was in box, but
not man in his great army dreamed
| that il was 40 until the long gray line of
| Stonewall Jackson came creeping through
| the quiet forest at three o'clock on that
ever to he remembered % of May, 1868.
The light earthworks had been thrown up
| to face another way, toward Lee. All
lines faced Lee, all men were looking for
Lee, when the three divisions of confed-
| crates, 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 without
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 broadening into full
life, a report ran through the reOrganiz9d
ranks that the great Stonewall Jackson
had been killed. Thousands believed it,
but three of us, lying side by side in
the new battle-line born after night came
down, put no faith in the rumor. Why
we did not is what ! started TO write
about.
Stuart's cavalry had been following up
Hooker's army, but it was like rat fol-
lowing in the footsteps o! horse. Lee
was 80 far away and coming up 40 slowly
that Hooker had time TO throw up light
earthworks, seizc the best ground, fell
trees to protect his nanks, and make
ready to shatter and hurl back the ex.
pected attack On that ID day of May
his soldiers, hidden in the woods or lying
in the fields, washed their clothing, wrote
letters home, made comfortable beds for
themselves, and were not in the least
troubled about what another week would
bring forth. As a deep river suddenly
bends to avoid bluff, 30 did that great
army Of Lees bend to avoid the Wilder
ness. II split in two, to attack at a given
hour on both sides, and Jee Hooker sat
in his tent and congratulated himself on
his impregnable position considered i'm
pregnable by him, when two great high
ways ran along the rear OF half Of his
army. SO universal was the feeling OF
security that soon after noon three in.
fantry men started out to
REG, BUY, OR FORAGE FOOD.
Sigeps corps was on Hookers west
flank, and commanded that day by
Howard. Part of this corps faced the
old turnpike and plank road part faced
the other way. Most of the men were
hidden in the woods and behind ridges,
and up the broad highway which should
have been first looked TO, Stuart was
pushing his cavalrymen rs skirmishers
We three men were beyond Sigel's corps,
and on the point Of entering farm
house from which every body had fed,
when, less than a rAe-shot away, we
caught sight of the confederate advance
The cayalrymen were advancing slowly,
evidently expecting 10 fed a heavy
| guard at rome point, but at the time we
| imagined that less than a regiment of
Stuart's men were feeling along up TO
pick up stagglers. We at least did not
fear them, and the proposition to enter
the house and secure better view Of the
roads speedily conveyed us to chamber
window. We could see but little more
from that post, but we did see, soon after
reaching it, that same Stonewall jackson
ride from shelter out upon the turnpike
in full view, attended by only three or
four officers. He had come out there to
make observations. Like cat, before
she destroys the mouse, he was wonder
ing at what point he should strike TO
disable his victim soonest.
Grim-minded and sOur.tempered was
the third man of us, and wars horrors
delighted him. When he had taken the
second look at the little party sitting
their horses in the open road, a wicked
smile crossed his face and he whispered /:
"By the hundred gods of the heaven |!
but that chap on the left there is Stone
wall Jackson, and I'm going to drop
him
Old Pete, our sour-tempered compan-
ion, had frst-class Minnie rifle with
him. He> lied It for several
months, escaping the atten