The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-04-21
For the FARMER AND sosA>ic-
Reply to "Tar Heel"

Nr. Eddor. II notice in your issue
of the 3l>t u!to, an article Serious
Charge Against the ) onewail Brig gatc,
signei Tar Heel. The writer in
closing calls upon me for my rccoilec-
tions ol what occur. ed during the bat
tie of Chancellorsylllc. His article AZ
pears 10 have been written for the pur-
pose of uvestiyating charges, which If
true should be known. aud which II not
true will cnly add TO the lustre OF a
bright record now eIjoy ed Y the Stone
wall Brigade by di,peling doubts in the
minds of some, and the misstatements
that Tar Heel has heard. 1t is not
In my power to give him the lntorma-
tion he seeks. for the reason that state
hereafter. Ii is my pleasure to state
that during all of my Intercourse with
the Army Of Northern Virginia, extern
ding over about three year., | never
knew or heard ought of the Stonewal
Brigade excepting praise for Its reckles-
bravery. Witnessed its action IN the bat
ties of Cedar Run, Second Manassas,
Sharpsburg, fredericksburg, and the
first day Saturday at Charlottesville.
besides other smaller engagements, AMI
its cool determined fighting qualities
were always the same, Notwithstanding
sometimes under the most trying cir
cumstances. | mention Cedar Run for
the reason that this brigade was thrown
into line among tie first II hat fight.
and hardly had they goften IN position
when heavy columns or the enemy ap
peared 10 trout Gen Jackson. seeing
hat the engagement wa, rapidly com
ing or, rode to lie centre of thi, br gade
and taking of his cap SAID: :, expec,
good work from the Stoneaall Brigade
to day In less than ise minutes thev
were hotly euLagca. aud III fifteen min
ute. thGy Wee .ll.hci on the left by
large force. ir~,ca OF failing back as
most troops would have done then
left changed front under fire and heir
right moved forward and held their
ground until reinforced on either flank
| could relate other and many IN
stances where the Stonewlll Brigade b,
sacrificing noble lives added enviablo
laurels to its war record, bJt | do not
consider It. necessary.
As to Tar Heels intimation that
this bIiga !e ed to move forward on
the second day at Charlottesville |
know nothing | was In that battle on
the first day, aud my recollections OF
many events of that memorable day are
very vivid. | was with Gen jackson
when he receis ed hi, death wounds and
assisted in bearing him oft the field
with him untll after the am
putation of his arm, when by his drec
tion | went to Richmond to accompany
Mrs Jackson to his bed side and wa
not in the battle Of Sunday. |
If the Stonewai Brigade did at any
time after Gen. Jacksons death show /
want Of spirit | attribute it to The fact
that after bearing the brunk of So many |
hard fought battles its ranks We're
depleted by the sacrifice of its best lives
to the Lost Cause, aud they were filed
up with conscripts. These men from
all Safes, as all old soldiers know.
we're unreliable | know that many
Of them were enrolled in the Stone
wall Brigade, and its reputation to
wards the close of the war ulay have suf
tered by their presence. TT Is true,
which doubt, that this brigade failed
to do its duty on Sunday at Chancel
orsvillo, there is some good cause for
it. They were paraized not only by
he loss of Gen. Jackson whom they
dolized. but by the loss of their imme-
1iate brigade commander, Gen Paxton,
was killed also at that time They
had very few field officers and it is pos
sible they had DO commander on that
lay, and they may have had no orders
to move forward as did Ramseur's bri
yade. At any event do not think it
to make reflections upon the
honor Of any man or body Of men, espe
cially men who contributed SO much,
and gave up 30 many valuable lives to
what they and we conceived to be right
without the most positive proof that
their action has been such as to Justify
it. Yours very respectfully,
j. G. MORRISON