Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-11-03
HAD He A CHARMED LIFE!

A Strange Incident In the Career OfStOne.
wall JAcGsOn-The Vain Efforts Of u
| Northern RiHemRn 10 SIay the VI
lent Here OF Manassas
htTRnEe RemIuIScence OF
the wilderness.
That was an awful day when the con.
fedeTate 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 we're al.
most swept from the face of the earth by
the whirring round shot, the Kissing shell
and the screaming grape-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 she'll The
roar of guns, the crackle Of musketry,t 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 box, but
not man in his great army dreamed
that it was SO until the long gray line of
Stonewall Jackson came creeping through
the quiet forest at three O'Clock on that
ever to be remembered ID Of May, 1868.
The light earthworks had been thrown up
to face another way, toward Lee. All
lines faced Lee, all men were locking for
Lee, when the three divisions of conled-
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 i
In the woods, and the dead were thicker
than the leaves Just broadening into full
life, report ran through the reorganizQd
ranks that the great Stonewall Jackson
had been killed. Thousands believed it,
but three OF. lis, 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 a rat fol-
lowing in the footsteps OF horse. Lee
was 10 far away and coming up so slowly
that Hooker had time to throw up light
earthworks, seize the best ground, fell
trees to protect his flanks, 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 we're not in the least
troubled about what another week would
bring forth. Asa deep river suddenly
bends to avoid bluff, 30 did that great
army Of Lees bend to avoid the Wilder
ness. 1t 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 as skirmishers,
Wethree men were beyond Sigeps corps,
and on the point of entering farm
house from which every body had fed,
when, less than riAe.shot away, we
caught sight of the confederate advance.
The cavalrymen were advancing slowly, |
evidently expecting to fi1d a heavy |
guard at rome point, but at the time we
imagined that less than regiment OF
Stuarts men were feeling along up to
pick up stagglers. We al least did not |
fear them, and the proposition to enter
the house and secure a better view Of the
roads speedily conveyed us to a chamber
window. We could see but little more
from that post, but we did sec, soon after
reaching il, that came SUOnewall jackson
ride from shelterOut 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 bis 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
theirhorses in the open road, wicked |
smile crossed his face and he whispered
"By the hundred gods of the heaven
but thatchap on the left there is Stone. |
wall jackson, aid I'm going to drop
him!"
old Pete, our sour.tempered compan-
ion, had a first-olass Minnie rife with
him. BE had carried It for several
months, in some way esCapinglthe atten-
tion of the inspector, and in some way
always secured ammunition for it.
saw him, in at least half dozen in
stances, shoot down videttes and skirm. |
jshers who seemed to be half a mile away
and he was known throughout the regi |
ment as a dead shot.
There was considerable firing around
us from foragers, straeglers, and men
cleaning their guns, and a shot from the
window might not attract particular
attention. Resting the heavy gun across
the Window-sill, and having as steady |
rest as hunter ever asked ior, "0ld |
Pete" was ready to keep his word, !