The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-07-31
WHERE JACKSON FELL.
Veterans Idea of How the Spot Can be Lo-
Gated,

Veterans Idea of How the Spot Can be L0-
Gated.
To THE EDITOR: In his interesting sketch
of old battietelds TRIBUNE May % Carrie
ton says that rock is placed on the supposed
spot where Gen Jackson was wounded, and that
nobody viii ever know whether he was shotby
his own men or the Union troops, he was
between the lines. Now, the writer of this if
his memory is not at fault, can demonstrate
and be hopes many of Gen. Rockers division,
then commanded by Gen. Berry, are yet alive
to bear him witness-the exact spot where Gen.
Berry fell. This, indeed can be easily done,
by those of the divisions whose right or left
rested on the Gordonville turnpike, and if the
place where Gen. Berry was killed. that Sun
day morning, when he inspected his line and
crossed the road where he was shot, is once
established, it will be found that the place
where Gen. Jackson was wounded is about 60
yards Zone more or less1 to the west. For the
better understanding of the comrades, let US
go back one day. We old Joe Hooker's divis-
ion-arrived at the Charlottesville House late
in the afternoon on Friday, and rested that
night about hundred yards from it on the
edge of the woods. On Saturday we lay there
little disturbed by sharpshooters- ofwhom
shot Gen. Whipple-and some shells, till about
o'clock in the afternoon, think, when sud-
denly to the southwest of US a fearful noise of
firing. shouting and yelling broke loose. Every
US out, and we went at the double-quick The
regiments and companies were little mixed up,
j remember, but when we met the retreating
Eleventh Corps on the left of the turnpike,
we had the road. Perhaps some comrade of
our-Sickles' brigade who was at the head
OF that eager crowd, will remember the herd of
bulls and oxen that rushed furiously in on the
same road we were on. The writer of this, at
any rate, saw in fash that in less than two
minutes the bulls or the Second Brigade would
have to leave that highway! We had bayonets
fixed, and shouted across from the left, near the
ditch: Boys, there must be Bull RUM" But
not liking the looks of the bright steel, the herd
broke right and left, and we went ahead. Then
Gen. Berry, riding in the left hand ditch of the
road to reach the head of his men, jumped from
the ditch and swinging his horse across the road,
shouted: Turn to the right and form line;
they viii be atyoui" The writer stood with his
breast against Berry's knee when he said that.
On the line we formed in this dense woodland
we made slight breastworks by cutting down
trees. My regiment-the 10th n. was
then about seventy yards to the right of the
road 1t was almost evening. Our pickets
were about thirty yards in front OF us, for, with
two comrades ] went out to see where they
were. Going back, as it was not dark yet, we
lay down about midway between our line and
our pickets, In less than 10 minutes; crack
crack!" went half dozen rifles near the road
then 20 to 80 more in quick succession from our
side and a half dozen perhaps from the rebels,
and, finally, as judged by the sound, three or
four cannon shots from our side. Then all was
still, but we could hear some talking at or near
the road. At the same time two riderless horses
came running from where we heard the voices
One soon came to halt; the other would have
run over US, but IN jumping upwe frightened
the animal, and he went back. To head him off
AS was not more than eight feet from him
/ ran on the inside line towards the road for
getting all about the nearness of our piclSets to
the Confederate line; but one of my comrades
shouted: " Come back, you are going to Libby
prison whose sweets / had already tasted
again" and stopped. From where / stood /
could hear some one giving orders in our line
at the road, and could hear the voices that
had heard before. The horse went back to
where it came from. and the distance did not
seem to me more then about IT'S to 200 feet
from the spot on the road where the horses
came from to where our regiment was IN the
line That night attack of the Confederates on
some portion of our line-I think about 10
o'clock-has always seemed to me TO have been
intended as a revenge for the loss of their be-
loved commander when they found out that
he was MORALLY wounded.-F. J. HALL Co. G,
10th New York
P. S.-After reading this over again / would
like 10 ask you, as favor, to change the word
" rebel wherever itoccursto " Confederate: if
courage and fearless marching into death is
not one of the noble attributes of mankind
then those men died for nothing; but the North
will yet be proud of that fearless infantry that
drove US out from Charlottesville. l wrote
after that battle to my father in Germany, "You
often praised the Old Guard at Waterloo; but
] saw Drawer men die."-F. j. HALL 34l East
10th street, New York city.