Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1877-10-09
MfscELlAp satUs.
SToNEWALL JACKSON.
A "REMINISCENCES OF TIE WILDERNESS,
tFtour tie Ds.roit rrgge Press.l


tFrour tie Detroit Free Press.I 80
All 4! but these calls for rcgimental re-
unions means something more than decorated
halls, grand dinners aud toasts and responses.
Memory sits down with the boys in blue and
the boys in grey, and makes their hearts
thrill as they remember the terrible charge
of. the Confederates to possess themselves Of
the key-position at Gettysburg. She asks
the veterans to remember how the brave
Seventh Michigan pushed across the wide
river flowing past Fredericksburg and looked
into the fierce eyes of Barksdale's Mississip>
plans. She calls upon thsi sabro fight at
Trevillian Station, the tramp of StonewAll
Jackson's men on the plains of Manassas aud
the mad, eager rush at the earthworks around
Petersburg.
Well may memory sit at every veterans
right hand. for under one soil lulled to eternnl
reposc by the same soft breezes are the blue
and the grey, falling on their skirrnish line
IL the chargo-single and by scores, and no
man dares say that they were not brave and
true. f.i 81
Thai was an awful day when that Con-
federate lion, Stonewall Jackson. crept upon
poor Hooker hidden in the Wilderness.
LEE on ONE SIDE JACKSON on THE OTHER,
and the woods around cel!orsvillo shook
and trembled, and were almost swept from
the face of the earth by tho whirring round>
shot, the kissing she'll and the screaming
grape shot. Men wcre struck stone dead ss
the battle line advanced orrretreated Whitc>
faced recruits and bronzed faced veterans
were torn to fragments and hurled against
the living.
Wounded men fell in their tracks 10 be
crushed in the earth by the great limbs, cut
from trees by shot and shell. The roar Of
guns, the crack!c OF musketry, the fierce
shouts aad awful groans made such he'll
upon earth of that battle field as was never
seen before or after.
Fighting Joo Hooker vas in box, but
not man in his great army dreamed that
it was so until the long grey line of Stones
wall Jackson came creeping through the quiet
forest at three o'clock on that ever to be re-
membered End day of May, 1868 The
light eartbworks had been thrown up to face
another way-tOward Lee. All lines faced
Lee-al men we're looking for Lee, when
three divisions Of Confederates, moving with
soft step took looker's army in the rear and
drove Que brigade pcll-meIi into and over
another uItil veteran soldiers were without
strength or presence Of mind. That awful
night when
THE WOUNDED WERE BEING BURIED ALIVE
in the woods, and tho dead we're thicker
than the leaves just broadening into full life,
a report ran through the recognized ranks
that the great Stone wall 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 faith in
the rumor. Why We did not is what
started to write about.
S,uart's cavalry had be5a following up
Hooker's army, but it was Ike . rat follow
ing in the footsteps Of { ..orsa. ice was so
far away, and coming ri 20 slowly that
Hooker had time to thrcw % ght earth
works, seize the best cEcv63, fell trees to
protect his fanks, and mats Tcaiy to sha,ter
and hurI bsck the expected attack. On that
second day of May k.s soldiers, hidden in
the woods or lying iu the fields, washed their
clothing, wrote letters home, made comforta-
bic beds for themselves, and were not in the
least troubled about what another week would
bring forth. AS deep river suddenly bends
to avoid blHf, so did that great army of
Lees bend to avoid the wilderness. 1t split
in two, 10 attack at given hour on both
sides, aud Joe Hooker sat in bis tent and
congratulated himself on his impregnable po
sitioh-c considered impregnable by him when
two great highways ran along the rear of
half of his army. So universal was the feel
ing of security that soon after noon three in
lantTymen started out to
GEG, on BUY FORAGE FooD.
Sigel's corps was on Booker's west flank, aud
commanded tha. day By Howard. Part of
this corps faced the old turnpike aud plank
road, part faced the other way. Most of the
men we're hidden in the woods and behind
ridges, and up the broad highways which
should have been first looked to Stuart was
pushing his cavalrymeu as 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 rifle
shot away, we caught sight of the Confede-
rate advance. The cavslrymen were advanc-
ing slowly, evidently expecting to find
heavy guard at some point, but at the time
| We imagined that less than regiment OF
| Stuart's men were feeling along up 10 PICK
up stragglers, locate positions. etc. 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 acham-
! bcr window. We could sec but little mors