New-York tribune., 1879-12-23

were nineteen guns Of the enemy Before me me Ton
federates had IN position four twelve-poundsr Ma, a.
the road aud within 900 yards OF the river
position thus exposed was not selected nor was u
as ordered. and as doubtless the best the locality
aft rded" The battery OF three tnn-pounder Parrots
behind the parapet of hed-work, sghtly constructed
and totally mad 9uae Tor protection These were the
nearly opposite my battery, ani nearer the river than
the one ON the enemy right Never Was there M oe,re @
sku gunners avail themselves OF such an opportunity
than did those OF Captain Ccthran upon this OCCASION
The troops Of McDowels corps had eaten very early
breakfast; the tents OF The officers were s.andhg
the dcuse yapor which brooded over the camps me ,
e s anu en "S y mssss from Se enemy artillery
Then there rush tents were struck; stan hotses
Mere started OF ont of range The Federal batteries
piled instantly, and the fire became general ~ VA, Tas
within our lines which the enemy had before sns
peced and the guns were fired as fast as the men couo
The ground in many places became dotted with shot
and the air hlled with pufs OF smoke from ouis,iug ~
PLYING the IRE of the before him. the spectacle
ON my front was most satisfactory. ,,.,. -, ,,,.
No Official record OF the thorough demolition OF ,n's
battery red guns to have been made, and no
Official record made, could reproduce the spectacle
Hardly mad the Confederate shells begun 10 burst about
our heads hardly had the Confederate round shot torn
huge gaps in the 2i Massachusetts Reglments rsii
fence, Cothran scOureed the battery WIN su' a
appalling fire that its gunners fed In dsmay and with
their guns shattered material sought shelter IN ine
merciiu forest be yond. Our promrtness IN answering
this Confederate challenge, the hghtninglike r'2uiu
with which our bolts were srea seemed 70 n"Sc M uSJc
the enemy, and so utterly 70 nave crusnsu is rS p
that stated not only Is there no @
OF the doings OF this battery bu, lis acme. ,e
summed np by the chief OF artlnely IN an d onci -"
port that the loDg-ranec guns OF captains Rogers alu
Anderson, the lef had shortly after tho commence
ment OF the engagement pren h ma nod
and iaeed under shelter OF the NIL on Whcn ts hu
been posted." This left Captain Cothran WIN only os
battery his Left 'front.' the one on thc enemy r9. & "
the road one thousand yards from The rivers DnnE
had oined spirited engagement The ConiedeIate
commander Tired sphe:cal case. Ihe ngoGe1en. Gs ,
almost ceasng part. Tue Conedefaies ciaiueo
a victory this eng cement But the enu nau no. Soe
Coihran renewed the attack, and again Confederate
battery rushed wildly for tue mercliu WOODS on ine
crest But Captain Miller of that battery shall teii ms
an cnfading fire of longrange battery p9sien 10 ms
fs. Yn ,et whose sHt have described fled from tie
field which subjected him TO CALLING cross nrc from
the enemys rlicd battery In their 'front.' captain Miller
chanet front ON his LETT. and replied; but the enemy
having his exact range, fired with tefrbc precision ana
sfre and then he retired iron what he calls this un
ccuaI contest The second victory by Captain Gotham
was rapidly and as decisiyey won as ms nrst zap
ram Miller with disabled battery and his diminished
nun,hes ded appalled, before him. IDdeod, so hOty was
Miller pursued In hls flight by the unerrlng aim OF
Cohrans gunners that the enemy seemed TO fear that
our Infantry would attempt The swollen river,
aud capture such fragments OF Miler's battery as
Cohran might scatter around Ere TINS battery reached
ihe sheltorine woods. regiment OF Confederate IN
fany emerged theretroni, formed IN me ana offered
vain protection. Ii was foolish display In moment
their ranks broken ami they turned with the de-
mosned IL n st s 1i dSer the Sead an
round shot BOWED along at the feet OF the supporting
infantry
The military charactero of General stonewall Jack
son, who was classmatc OF the author at West
Point. is the OBJECT of his fervcnt admiration and
he loses no opportunity to display his exploits III
The most imposing colors. General Jackson's march
10 gain the rear of Pope and get between the Fed
eral Army and the Federal Capital, is thus de-
scrbed:
At dawn of the 25th Jackson's CORPS was in motion
His soldiers were in the lightest OF mafcnng order;
They carried only their arms their cartridge boxes, and
their haversacEs. Many Of them. however were not
even encountered win raions I9e r1cs w9Ie % ,reed
lances and ammunition wagons accompanied the col
umn The OF the march led nrst To Amissylie,
thence nOrtheastcrly across Hedgeman's River,
then noriherly to Ssem,ma small small Town rooa on
divergcd from the shortest practicable line they
were not followed General Jackson's chief
engineer with a small body of cavalry preceded the
leading division. and stationed guides al every gap IN
wall fence OF at every farm gate where tne distance
precauuon taken TO conceal the march from Pope
Al unnecessary &c ,Ss direction Of .e Federal army was
watched by the Confederate cavalry The troops moved
asm Their eyes sparkled, their expression ardent
and their step elastic. They seemed to have been lifted
glorious achievements. The march too absorbing
on left stretched the ranges OF the Blue Ridse and
above the valley through which the streams unite that
flow together as the RappahanIock TO the sea; inc
% hathed in the rich color of the rising or the set
ting sun, the rugged paths up when inc arery oied
the greencst shade tempted neither the eye nor the ear
of those whose absorbing march called forth exclama
tions of wonder It flashed upon us FROM the hills
Seer the end OF the days march General Jackson rode
N tne head of his column. There. great stone he
stood gazing his soldiers passed II was sunset His
face was darkened by exposure his uniform was soed
though stern radiant with hope Before him passed
IN review his faithful men and their devoted Leaders
Fvell's division foremost What the balf OF hfe-
time passed officer III the regular army OF tue
United states could add to intrepid vaior. Ia high
we're exhibited his professional capacity and In bis
social relations, by General Ewe His life In the Union
army Legan some years before Jackson and continued
longer; but such genius JacksOn's TO permeae that
life was wanting The campaigns OF tue shenan-
Mountain Eweli shared But In them all Jackson
the master. When the next division passed, deeper
sweIled In the soul OF Jackson. Here were the men
whom he had often hurled against the enemy 20
snatch victory from the very jaws OF defeat, the
men whose sturdy courage had marked them in 1861
ne standing like wall before the fery assaults OF
TO meet in the came cause and by singular eoinel-
dence, upon the same Held. Stonewa >" jackson inc
Confederates bestowed his baptsma name upon the
chief who now gazed upon ms veterans Win q prSe
greater than wher he babe them stand AMIDST the
a. nv torrent on the field OF Manassas and they obcyed
him They were as moCnless as a wall And now some
az these men the old Sonewa brigade were before
him Jackson could not suppress their enthusiasm In
vain he sent to them to be SILENT In vain urged them
moi TO make known their presence TO tue enemy 0y their
cheers such considerations lad been urged To the first
troons pasglng they had repressed their DESIRES
giving token OF their expressions OF confidence and ad
mraon for their commander by silently swinging their
cans i'm air But the OF the old brigade grown
into division, could not repress their shouts Ihey
von see" turning or his staff, can't sop
them Then he added. VINO could not conquer with
sucn men as thescf
The conduct of General Mcdowell on the next day
for the discovery of the enemy who had completely
eluded the observation of the Federal officers,
e L,,.l and cro1c do