The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-03-17
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These injuries became at last so ire
ouent as the column continued to pass,
that Jackson sail: When asked, Just
say it is a coufs, erat. othcer.
The curiosity Vt the troops, however,
was evaded with the ut.no>t difficulty,
and the men would 70 around the
horses which were led along on each
side of the General, To conceal him, To
see If they could recognize hl n. Some
thing in the atmosphere seemed TO In
form tie yeterans of the oil corps that
their great commando va. no longer
in the saddle to lead them u .Ictory and
every circumstance appeared 10 furnish
ground for their gloomy suspicion. A
last the unfortunate discovery was made.
One OF the men caught a glimpse OF the
General, walking bareheaied IN the
moonlight, aud suddenly exclaimed,
in the most pitiful tone, says IN eje
witness Great God that Is GENERA
jackson
An ~evasive reply was made To these
words, indicating that the man was
mistaken aud be gazed at the officer
with a look of blank astonl-hment and
doubt, but passed on without further
words.
All this occurred before Jackson had
been able to drag himself more thaI
twenty steps. At the point, however.
which the party had now reached, they
found the litter hurried forward By
Capt. Leigh; and as the General I
strength was completely exhausted. he
was placed upon it, and borne, OH by
Capt. Leigh, Lieut.. Smith, and two
men Of the ambulance corps. The
rest Of the party walked on each side,
leading the horses.
The litter had scarcely begun to
move when the fire Of the enemy ar
tillery became frightful Tue ridge in
front of Charlottesville rcSr,nbled the
crater Of a volcano vomiting forth fire
and iron. \ hurricane of she'll and
canister swept the road as with the
Bosom OF destruction; and the broken
ranks, ndeless horses, and vii confu-
sion made up a scene of tunuit which
was enough 10 nv the toutrst nerves
The enemy hal pronarly understood
that some caIse OF confusion bad
arisen in the Confederate ranks, or
suspected that another attack was
abnut to commence, and they directed
upon the road over which the South
ern forces were c npciled 20 advance,
the concentrated tire II til Il helvies'
artillery. \ storm Of grape tore
through the trees and along the road
moving down the bougbS. and Strik-
ing fire from the toneS OF the urn
pike; and for a moment the Southern
lire was checked and thrown into the
utmost disorder. By this fire Gen.
Hill. Gen. Fender, Col. Crutchtield.
Jackson's chief of artillery and Major
Rogers, of artillery, also of Jacksons
staff, were wounded, and one of the
men Ct the ambulance corps carrying
the litter of the wounded General, was
shot through both arms, and cropped
his burden. His. companion did like
wise, hastily flying from the danger
Gus locality, and but for Cap. Leigh,
who caught the handle of the lit or, it
would have fallen 10 the glound. Lieut..
Smith had been leading his own and
the Generals horse. but the anl..als
now broke away from him, in uncon
troIlable terror, and the tremendous
fire scattered the rest OF the party in
every direction Tor shelter.
Under these circumstance the litter
was lowered into the road, and the
officers lay down b., it 10 protec, them
selves in some degrcee from the merci-
less hurricane of grape and canister
which whistled through the air and
"struck myriads of sparks from the fin
ty stone of the roadside Jackson
raised himself upon his elbow and at
tempted to get up, but Lieut.. Smith
threw his arms across the Generals
breast and compelled him to desist.
They lay in this manner for some min
utes without moving, and in the midst
of the most terrific confusion. so far
as | could see into our lines" SAYS one
OF the party, men and horses were
struggling with a most terrible death"
A few minutes before, the road had
been crowded, declares another, and
now no man or beast was visible except
those writing in the sgonies of death.
The wounded soldier and his compan-
ions were the sole living human be-
ings upon the gloomy scene.
In "A little while the fire of c mister
veered around to the opposite side; and
although the enemy continued to d.
rect a hot Gre of she'll down the road.
jackson rose to his feet, leaning upon
Llcuts. Smith and Morrison, the latter
rejoined the party. and follow
ell by Captain Leigh bearing the litter
lie probably loresaw would soon
again be needed, the General ;usned
from the Ilai wnlcn was anain
filling with infantry IN arti!l.ry and
struck INTO the woods Here lie drag
ged himself along with painful Difficult
tv, passing lines of infaAtiy living up,n
heir faces. lie was ao,,nr slowly
through the tangled uoGer growth Nv
he roadside. whco Gcn. Z adler who
had been slightly wounded, I, cognized
Lieutenant Smi;h aui asked who it
was that was w~oundcd.' Lieutenant
replied evasivcly, a Confeder-
lte officer" but as they came nearer in
he moonlight General Pen.icr recoe-
liZed his commander.
"Ah, General, ''he said, Il am sorry
see that you have been wounded.
The lines here are so much broken that
fear We VIII have to fall back"
Although greatly exhausted and al
most faintlng from his wound, Jack
on exnibltcd at this the old
martial fire of which nothing could de-
him. He raised his dropping
read and with Il flash of the eye ex-
damned:
You must hold your ground, Gen
raj Fender. You must hold your
,rouud, siI!'
To be Continued.