The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1885-05-14
Statement in Regard to Man
asses.
To the Statesman

To the Statesman.
The Century Magazine, for May,
contains General (then Captain) John
d. Imboden's animated narrative of
the battle OF First Manassas. 1t is disfig-
ured by two errors OF fact, which
Justice constrains me to correct.
Page 81 he speaks Of calling at the
quarters of General StoneWall Jack
SON, a few days after the battle, and
there seeing Mrs. jackson and her
little daughter Julia still in long
! dresses" etc. or my own PERSONAL
kno Wedge l know that Mrs. Jackson
did not visit her husband aG his quar-
tiers in that month, and that Julia was
not born until more than twelve
months artery wards. lin November or
December. 1852; this interview with
Gen. Jackson must have taken place
about July, 1861
On the same page Gen Imboden
states that after Second Manassas,
(September, 1862 General Jackson at
Edwards Ferry crossed the Potomac
put General d. H. Hill under arrest
for allowing his trains to cucumber
the ford; and that when his (Jackson's)
Chief Quartermaster, John Har-
man, had cleared the ford by
force of stentorian cursiDg and
swearing, Jackson said smilingly,
THANK you Maori and rode on
Now, in fact, MaJor-General D. H.
Hill crossed the Potomac, not at Ed
wards Ferry, but at "Toole's Ford
six miles above, he and General jack
son had not Iaot for a month, an
there WAS never Il ''cfo35 work" be-
tween them.
Concerning the other points of
Gen Imhonden's narrative l haYe no
thing to deny or affirm; nor do pre-.
sufDe to intimate to the reader wheth
er the credit Of the remaining nara
tive should suffer by the two broad
inaccracies have pointed out.
may also state. in conclusion, thai
Gen. jackson did not draw the same
inference which Gen. Imboden draws
from the lack of rations, teams, etc, a.
Manassas: as to the propriety of Gen
Johnston's policy in falling utterly tc
follow up his victory. l, myself asked
} Gen. Jackson In June, 1862, his opin-
ion of the inactive policy pursued
J Knitting his brows, he replied sternl.
! and almost passionately: 'Sir, 1t was
! a deplorable blunder! Did not TEL
thousand fresh men arrive on tn
| ground the next day, burning will
eagerness to pursue the enemy, mo-
, one Of whom was allowed chance &
/ draw trigger pas to scarcity of ration
and teams, his answer was: Tha
rations were not created by sitting
still; that the country was then full o
provisions; that the patriots might a
well have begun to learn then that the!
had soon to learn so fully; to marcel
: without rations and baggage-trains
in order to win all important victorie
and wrest the supplies they needed
from their enemies. have Away
felt certain Gen. jackson was right
that the real motive of Gen. John
| sons inaction was not deficient ra
{ lions, but his cynical contempt for, ant
| mistrust of volunteer soldiery whom
] he had seen with q professional dis
: gust, dlsorganized by their very vic
, tory. The neglect to gather an.
: fruits from this vital triumph wa
the first of that long series of blum
; ders which neatralized the gallantry
of the Southern people, and lost then
the independence they were so wei
entitled to win. R. Z. DABNEY.