The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-15
STOSEWALI JACKSON.
From the Detroit Free Press. ]

! A "Reminiscences Of the wilderness.
tFrom the Detroit Free PrcssI
All! but these calls for regimental re-
unions mean something more than deco.
rated halls, grand dinners, and toasts and
responses. Memory sits down with the
BOYS in blue and the boys in gray, 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 re.
member how the brave Seventh Michigan
| pushed across the wide river flowing past
| Fredericksburg and looked into the fierce
eyes OF Barksdae's Mississippians. She
calls upon the sabre fight at Trevilian Sta
ton, the tramp Of Stonewall Jackson's men
on the plains OF Manassas, and the mad,
eager rush at the earthworl.S around Peters
| burg.
Well may Memory sit at every veterans
right hand, for under one soil, lulled to
eternal repose by the same soft breezes, are
the blue and the gray-falllng on their skir-
msh line, in the charge, single and by
scoreS-and no man dareS say that they
were not brave and true.
That was an awful day when that Con-
federate lion. StonewalI Jackson, crept
upon poor Hooker, hidden in the Wilder
ness.
LEE on ONE slDE-JACKsoS on THE OTHER,
and the woods around Charlottesville
shook and trembled, and were almost swept
from the face Of the earth by the whirrins
| round-shot, the Kissing shell, and the
screaming grape-shot. Men were struck
| stone-dead as the battle-line advanced or re-
treated. White-faced recruits and bronze
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 trees by shot and shell. 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.
j.. Fighting Joe Hooker was in a box, but
not ilian In his great army dreamed that
it was so until the long gray line Of Stone
wall Jackson came creeping through the
quiet forest at O'Clock on that ever-to-
aforementioned I'd day of May, 1868. The
light earthwolks had been thrown up to
face another way-toward Lee. All lines
faced Lee; all men were looking for Lee,
when three divisions OF Confederates, NOV
ing with soft step, took Hooker's army In
the rear and drove one brigade pell-mel
into and over another, until veteran soldiers
were without strength or presence OF mind.
That awful night when
THE WOUNDED WERE BEING BURIED ALIVE
in the woods, and the dead were thicker
than the leaves Just broadening into full
life, a report ran through the rc0rganizcd
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 I started to write about.
Stuart's cavalry had been following up
uooker's army, but it was like Il rat follow
ing in the footsteps OF horse. Lee was so
far away and coming up so slowly that
Hooker had time to throw up light EARTH
works. seize the best ground, fell trees to
protect his fankS, and make ready to shatter
and hurl back the expected attack. On that
I'd 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 q deep river
suddenly bends to avoid bluff, so did that
great army Of Lees bend to avoid the VIII
derness. 1t split in two to attack at a given
hour on both sides, and Joe Hooker sat in
impregnable position-considered impreg-
nable BY him when two great highways ran
along the rear of half OF his army. So uni
ycrsal was the feeling of security that soon
after noon three intantrymen started out to
BEG OR BUY FoRAGg-FooD.
Sigel's corps was on Hooker's west flank,
and commanded that day by Howard. Part
| OF this corps faced the old turnpike and
l,1o RI ho pt t,ar
OF the men were hidden in the woods and
behind ridges, and up the broad highways
which should have been first looked to Stu
art was pushing his cavalrymen as skirmish-
ers. We three men were beyond SisePs
corps, and on the point OF entering farm
house from which everybody had fed,
when, less than a rifie-shot away, we caught
sight of the Confederate advance. The
cayalrymen were advancing slowly, eyi-
IDENTIFY expecting to find heavy guard
at some point, but. at the time we ima-
gined chat less than regiment OF Stu
arts men were feeling along up to pick
up stragglers. locate positions, etc. We, at
least, did not fear them, and the PROPOSE
tion to enter the house and secure better
view OF the roads speedily conveyed US to q
chamber -Eindow. We could see but little
more from; that post, but we did see, soon
after reacthng it,
THAT SAME sToEEwALL 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
observation. Like cat before she destroys
the mouse, he was wondering at what point
,hs should strike to disable his victim
soonest.
Grim-minded aad sour-tempered was the
third man OF us. aud wars horrors delighted
him When he had taken his second look
at The little party sitting on their horses on
the open road, wicked smile crossed his
face, and he whispered:
"By the hundred gods Of the heathen!
but THAI chap on the lett there is old Stone
sYall Jackson, and I'na going to drop him!"
Old Pete, our sour-tempered companion,
had a tirst class Minnie rifle with him. He
had carrde4 1t for several months, in some
way escaping the attention Of the inspector
and iB some way always secured adlmuni-
tion Tor it. lsaw him in at least half dozen
instances shoot down yidettes or skirmish.
ers who seemed to be half mile away, and
he was known throughout the regiment as
q dead.shot. .s.s
There was considerable firing around us
from forHgerS, HtTagglers and men cleaning