Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1881-08-20
A Night With Jackson.
From the Philadelphi, TineA

dents occurred which, though triting in |
themselves were So characteristic of the |
Generals consideratc kindness that per-
haps on that account they deserve 10 be |
recorded. After the fight was over, !
when
The night cloud had lowered
Aud the sentinel stars set their wateh III
the sky,
we were riding together near Hamilton's
Crossing, OF the right of our line, when
he turned 10 me and said: "Colonel, as
this has been fatiguing day and you
must be tired, think you had better re-
turn TO camp, get your supper and go 10
bed for we are likely 10 have busy day
tomorrow" The advice was timely and
too good to be neglected; so with CRATE
ful appreciation of its fitness l thanked
him for the suggestion and promptly
turned my horses head toward the camp,
which was about Z mile from the Cross
ing, whereupon lie added, rs parting
Injunction: .'Be sure and tell Jim 10
make you comfortable in my tent Tonight
and not to wait for me. If wanted, |
shall probably be at army headquarters.
jim was the Generals body servant
and faithful factotum, rs much identihed
with him in his campaigns, as was The
rode in battle, and which, by the way,
was AS little like the Scriptnral war horse
described in Job as the General himself
resembled the classical representations oil
! Mars in Heather mythology.
The servant and cold Sorrel" being
! about the same color-each having the
! hue of gingerbread without any of its
! spiciLeSs-their respective characters
| were in u concatenation accordingly. For
| they were equally obe1ient, patient, easy
going and reliable not given 10 devious
courses nor designing tricks; more SER
! yiceable than snowy and, altogether, as
! sober-sidcd pair of subordipates rs any
| PRESBYTERIAN elder, with plain tastes and
a practical turn, need desire 10 have about
him. Both man and horse seemed 10 I'M
derstand their master thoroughly and
rarely failed TO come up fully to all his
requirements. So when | told Jim that
his master said he must make me comfort
able for the night, l knew that nothing
| further need be urged 10 impress him
with the cCmprehensiyeness OF the order,
which he'd be sure TO look upon as limit
ed only by the resources ofthe camp and
his own capacity as Il caterer. Conse-
| ouently, in due time, a substantial sup
per was served TO which full justice was
| done, as had eaten nothing since day
! light. and soon thereafter | WAS sound
asleep OH the Generals pallet, which ap-
peared to have 4 caoutchouc capabillty OF
| accommodation when Jim, son hospit-
able thoughts in tent proceeded, US he
said, TO "wideL of it out for 10 make 1t
more titten for two"
IN TENT WITH JACKSON.
About midnight was awakened by the
entrance of the General, who had been, as
| learned afterwards, at General Lees
Headquarters. but did not let him know
he had disturbed me, rs that would have
worried him. Lighting candle and lay
ing aside his great coat, sword, ETC., lie
opened the draught of the little sheet-iron
stove that warmed the Sibiey tent, anu
seating himself at the table read for
awhile in his well-worn Testament; then,
kneeling reyerently down, he "bowed
himselffn PRAYER" When through with
his deyotions he drew of his boots, put oh
pair of slippers and quietly lying down
bv my side fell fast asleep almost imme-
diateiv. By this time | was too wide
awake TO follow his example. Ny thoughts
revertiug to the terrible scenes OF the pre-
cedinC day would not be controlled and
could not recall them from the bloody bat
tle-feld close by, where the dreadful
drama had been enacted and where there
were then lying so many thousand OF
brave men, who
chad sunk OH the ground o'erpowered
The weay to sleep and the wounded 10
die"
] thought Of the magnificent spectacle
of the morning before, when "the rolling
mists" began to rise from the river and
revealed "the grand Army OF the Poto-
mac" with its hundred and twenty-five
thousand men, superbiy armed and equip
ped. as il dcployed, column after column,
on the open plain before us, Gin all the
pomp and pride and circumstance OF war"
one of the grandest sights ever bebeld on
the continent. / thought Of the splendid
advance of its triple lines Of battle, march
ing with the precision Of regulars OF dress
parade and preserving their alignment
perfectly along our front as far as the eye
could reach, until coming within point
blank range Of our position, when-with
three hundred cannon roaring around
them and the air filled with the merciless
missiles Of death--tbey so gallantly rush
ell TO the charge OH the right band and on
the left, and were so remorselessly re-
pulsed by the concentrated fire Of the
Confederates, which sent them reeling
back beyond the river road TO reform
their shattered ranks for fresh assault,
while the intervening ground, covered
with their killed and wounded, was so
torn up by shot and shell that 1t looked In
places as il il had been plougbed. i
thought Of young Pelham's daring feat
how, dashfng forward far into the open
field upon the Federal flank, he so raked
the advancing lines with an en1ilading
fire from two pieces Of his horse artillery
rs to compel them 10 pause aud not only
TO confront him with whole division Of
infantry, thrown into a crochet at right
angles with their main lines Of battle, but,
likewise, 10 concentrate upon him the fire
of four batteries, beside the heavy guns
on Stafford Heights; and how, Dotwith-
standing these combined attacks, the boy
artillerist maintained the unequal duel for
more than an hour, d until he was recalled
by positive orders from his perilous posi-
ton. Well might General Lee exclaim
as he did TO Jackson in regard to Pelham's
prowess: at is iDspiriting to see such
glorious courage in one so young;" and
we'll might Jackson say Of him, as he did
to me that day: "He's the best artillerist,
for his age, | ever saw" / thought Of
the furious assaults made early in the az
ternoon upon our right, when, again un-
der cover of terrible cannonade, "tbree
lines Of battle advanced TO the charge,
preceded by clouds OF skirinishers" and
strengthened by ten batteries OF field
guns upon their fanks Of how they broke
| through portion Of the Confederate line,
forcing two of A. +. Hills brigades TO fall
back on their supports and Of the tempo
rary confusion which was caused thereby,
for fear our flank should be turned aud
| our position taken in reverse; Of how
grandly the lionhearted Gregg flung HIM