The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-01-27
THE LAST MEETING
Between Lee and Jackson Before
ChancellOrsYille-A New
Scrap of History.

0Sns HAS<uuSu ASC1 1ORAO"
the great Confederate, recently de-
livered an address at a soldiers
banquet in Richmond, his subject
being ''Chancellorsville." The ad-
dress was very lengthy. What makes
it important is the fact that the
speaker gave the first and, until
How, only published account of the
last interview between Lee and
Jackson, before the latter was
killed. After reviewing the battle,
and claiming that Hooker had 1885,
708 available men, while the Con-
federates had only 81, 303, he gave
an account of the last meeting be-
tween Lee and jackson. The only
person now living who heard this
conversation between the two Con-
federate leaders is Col. Marshall, OF
Baltimore, and he told it to Gen.
Fitzhugh Lee, who combats entire
ly the position taken by Northern
and Southern military writers upon
this subject.
GENERAL LEE SAID:
All, what an earnest talk Lee and
Jackson had on the night of May
1st! AT sunset they took their seats
on a log on the north side of the
plank-road, and a little distance in
the woods. Col. Marshall, the we'll
known aide-de-camp OF Gen. Lee,
was the only other person present,
having been ordered to come to the
spot for the purpose Of writing a
letter to Mr.. Davis, to be dictated
by Gen. Lee. Marshall sat Oh the
end Of q 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 Jackson talked about on
that eventful night. jackson spoke
to Gen. Lee about what he had seen
and heard during the advance; COM
mented on the promptness with
which the enemy had appeared to
abandon his movement toward
Fredericksburg, when opposed, and
the ease with which he had been
driven back to Charlottesville, and
concluded by expressing the opin-
ion very decidedly, and repeating
it more than once, that the enemy
would cross the Rappahannock be-
fore morning.
GENERAL JACKSON SAID:
"By tomorrow morning there
will not be any of them this side Of
the river" General Lee expressed
the hope that General Jackson'i
expectations might be realized, but
said he did not look for such re-
suit; that he did not believe the
enemy would abandon his attempt
so easily, and expressed his convic
ton that the main body of Genera
Hooker's army was In his front, anC
that the real move was to be mad
from this direction and not from
Fredericksburg. On this point ther'
was a great difference of opinion
among our higher officers, and Gen
eral Lee was the only one WIN
seemed to have the absolute con
viction that the real movement of tn
Federal army was the one he wa
then meeting. In this belief he neve
wavered from the first. Ate
telling General jackson that h'
hoped his opinion might be proves
to be correct, General Lee added
"But, General, we must get ready t.
attack the enemy if we should flint
him here to morrow, and you mus
make all arrangements to NOV
around his right flank" Genera
Lee then took up the map ant
pointed out to jackson the genera
direction of his route by the Fun
mace and Brook roads. Some con
versation took place as to the i'm
, portance of endeavoring to concea
the movement from the enemy, an
as to the existence Of roads furthe
to the enemy's right, by whic
jackson might pass so as not to D
exposed to observation or attach
The general line Of Jackson's rout
was pointed out, and the necessIt,
of celebrity and secrecy was enjoin
, Ell upon him. The conversatio
E was a lengthy one, and at she cor
, clusion OF it Gen. Lee said to Jacs
son that before he moved IN To
morning, if he should have an
: doubt as to whether the enemy wa
, stlll in position, he could send
D couple OF guns to q spot close b
and open fire on the enemy's pos
} ton, which would speedily sett
e the question. From the spot refe
E red to two Of our guns had to /
. Withdrawn that afternoon, as ii
u infantry were suffering from II
FIRE they were drawing from the Ell
d envy. Gen. Jackson then Withdrew
Y and Gen. Lee dictated to Col. Ma
8 shall long letter to President D.
o Wis, giving him fully the situation
In it he regretted he would NJ
s have the assistance of Pickett's an
II Hoods division, but expr essed b
l. confidence that had Withdrawn ar
d kept them from him, and close
with the hope that, notwithstan'
l. ing all our dangers and disadva
g tsges, Providence would bless Il
Ie efforts which he was sure his bra
u army would make, to deserve gu
Ie cess. Ali this is given in detail,
ID show the errors writers upon Cha
y cellorsville have fallen into, in I
a spect to the origin OF jackson
famous flank movement. Ia lit
pine thicket, close by this conft
- ence, Gen. Lee and staff bivouack
" that night. During the evening l
d ports reached him from Early th
all was quiet along the Rappaha
- mock. Wilcox was ordered ba
u to Banks Ford in consequence
er other rumors. Lees orders b
been issued; his plans digested; |
le trusty lieutenants we're TO car
" them out; the Chieftain sic
Hooker at Charlottesville, one a
w half miles away, was, howev
W awake, for at l $50, on the morni
We of the I'd OF May, he dispatch
Dc to Butterfeld to order the ponto
u bridges taken up below Frederick
VI burg, and Reynolds corps to mar
-, at once to his headquarters. L
~ morning of May %, 1858. bro
clear. Gen. Lee emerged from |
little thioket and stood on its ed