St. Landry democrat., 1879-11-22
A Scrap of History.
THE BATTLE OF CHANCELLORsVILLE-
LAST MEETING BETWEEN GENERALS
LEE AND JACKSON.


lRiehmond, Va, Special to the Globe-DemocratI
The Virginia Division Of the Assocla-
ton of the Army of Northern Virginia
had its annual banquet here to-day
Gen. J. A. Early presiding, on "h'cn.
occasion Gen. Fitzhugll Lee, nephew OF
Gen. r. Z. Lee, delivered the annual
address, his subject being ChanceIlnrs-
yille.D The address was very lengthy.
What makes it important is the TACT
that the speaker gave the first and until
now only published account of the last
interview between Lee and jackson
before the latter was killed. After re-
viewing the battle, and claiming that
Hooker had ,768 available men, while
the Confederates had only 53,303, he
cave an account Of the last meeting
between Lee and Jackson. The only
person now living who heard this con-
yersation between the two Confederate
leaders is Col Marshall, of Baltimore,
and he told it to Gen. Fit2hugb Lee,
who com bats entirely tbs position taken
hy Northern and Southern military
writers upon this subject.
Gen. Lee said: "Ah, what an earnest
talk Lee and Jackson had on the night
of May /. AT sunset they took their
seats on q log on the north side OF the
plank road, and a little distance III the
woods. Col. Marshall, the Weli-kn0wD
aide-de-camp of Gen. Lee, was the
only other person present, having been
ordered to come to the spot for the pur-
nose of writing lett, T to Mr.. Davis, to
be dictated by Gen. Lee. Marshall sat
on the end of 8 fallen tree, within three
feet of the two Generals. and heard every
word that passed between Them and
this is what he tells me Lee and jack
son talked about on thateventful night.
jackson spoke to Gen. Lee about what
he had seen and heard during the adj
vance commented on the promptness
with which the enemy had appeared to
abandon his movement toward t'reder-
ickshurg, when opposed, and the ease
Charlottesville, and concluded by eX-
nfeeSing the opinion very decidedly,
apd yeuaating it more than once, that
The enemy would recross the Kappa
hammock before morning.
He said in substance, "by Tomorrow
morning there will not be any Of them
this side of the river" Ger. Lee ex-
pressed fhe hope that Gen. Jaekson's
eSpectations might be realized, but said
he did not look for such result; that
he did not believe the enetny would
abandon his attempt so easily, and ex-
nressed his conviction that the main
body OF Gen. Hooker army was i'll his
front, and that the real move was to, be
made from this direction, and not fIom
Fredericksburg. On this point there
was a great difference of opinion among
our higher officers, and Gen. Lee was
the only one who seemed to have the
ahsolute conviction that the real move
ment of the FederHs arthy was the one
he was then meeting. In this belief he
never wavered from the first. After
teIling Gen. Jackson that he hoped his
op;nion might be proven to be correct,
Cen. Lee added, "But, General, We
must get ready to attack the enemy if
we should find him here tomorrow,
and YOU must make all arrangements
to move around his right flank Gen.
Lee then took up the map and pointed
ont to jackson the general direction of
his route by the Furnace and Brook
roads.
"Some conversation took place as to
the Importance of endeavoring to con-
ceai the movement from the enemy, and
ns to the existence Of roads further to
the enemy's right, by which Jackson
might pass so as not to be exposed to
observation or attack. The general line
Of Jackson's route was pointed out, and
the necessity of celebrity and secrecy
was enjoined upon him. The eonyersa-
ton was lengthy one, and at the con-
clusion of it Gen. Lee said to jackson
that before lie moved in the morning, if
he should have anY:doubt as % whether
the enemy was still in position be could
send couple of guns TO a spot close by
and open fire on the enemy's position,
which would speedily settle the ques-
ton. From the spot referred to two
OF our guns had to be Withdrawn that
afternoon. as the infantry were suffer-
ing from the fire they were drawing
from the enemy. Gen. jackson then
Withdrew and Gen. Lee dictated to Col.
Marshal a long letter to President Davis.
giving him fully. the situation. In it he
regretted he would not have the assis-
tance of pickett's and Hoods divisions,
hut expressed his confidence in the good
Judgment that had withdrawn and kept
them from him, and closed with the
hone that, notwithstanding all our dan
gers and disadvantages, Providence
would bless the efforts which he was
sure his brave army would make to
deserve success. All this is given in
detail, to show the errors writer's upon
charlottesville have fallen into in
respect to the origin of Jackson's famous
flank movement. In little pine
thicket, close by this conference, Gen.
Lee and staff biyonacked that night.
During the evening reports reached
him from Early that all was quiet along
the Rappaliannock. Wilcox was ordered
back to Banks Ford in consequence
of other rumors. Lees orders had been
issued his plans digested; his trusty
Lieutenants were to carry them ont
the Chieftain slept. Hooker at Chan
ceIiorsville, one and half miles away,
vas, however, awake, for at 1:55 on the
morning Of the I'd of May he dispatched
to Butterdeld to order the poDtoon
BRIDGES taken up below Fredericksburg
and Reynolds corps to march at once
fo bis headquarters. The morning of
Nav Q, 1868, broke clear. Gen. Lee
emerged from the little thiciset and
stood on :ts edge at sunrise, erect and
soIdierly, to see Jaekson's troops file by.
They had bivoaacked on his right, and
were now commencing the flank move
ment. About half hour after sunrise
Jackson himself came riding along,
When opposite to Gen. Lee he drew
rein, and the two conversed for few
moments. Jackson then started for
ward, pointing in the direction his troops
we're moving. His face was little
flushed as it was turned back toward
&C.. n. rr,j.y. r,al.an1 eTsY,rfyaf fo what