Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-01-30


now breaks up winter quarters at
Centreville, and marches to Rich
mond. From Richmond it is trans
ported by water to Kings Mill on
James River. 1t marches across
the peninsula, and is placed in po-
sition on the lines of defense near
Yorktown. The conscript laws are
passed by the Confederate Congress,
and all of you are now in Tor the
war. The reorganization OF COM
panies and regiments takes place,
and in few days afterwards on the
night of May Sd, the Confederate
army retires from the trenches and
falls back up the peninsula. Pick
etts Brigade passes through Will
llamsburg on the 4th and halts in
an old field directly in rear OF the
buildings of William and Mary
College. All day and all night the
rain pours down in torrents. The
Confederate army tolls slowly
through the deep mud, and Nc
Clellan at the head of the Federal
hosts presses on closely in its rear.
The boom of cannon on the morn
ing of the 9TH tells you that hot
work is about to begin. You rap
idly retrace your steps through the
streets of the ancient capital, and
are soon in the thick of the fight.
Rain continues to fall. Mist and
the smoke of battle obscure
everything. You push forward
over fallen timber until almost
nightfall, when the 2Sth finds
itself some three or four hun
dred yards in advance of the
Confederate line Of battle, and
almost surrounded by the ene-
NV. You now receive orders
to fall back, and you withdraw
under destructive fire. Next
morning the march mp the PENN
sula is resumed. The Confederate
army now takes position on the
lines Of the Chickahomlny, and
| Mcclellan advances by gradual
approaches. On the 3lst of May
the battle of Seven Pines is joined
and is renewed on the lst of June.
Picketts Brigade bears the brunt
of the bloody engagement of the
1st. Gen. Joseph Z. Johnston IS
wounded IN the first days fight,
and Gen. Robert L. Lee now as
snmes command of the Army in his
stead. 1t is called the Army OF
Northern Virginia.
The first month of summer
is passing away. Tho Valley
of Virginia has already been Illus
trated by the splendid achieve.
meuts of StOnewall Jackson.
Preparations for a great conflict
on the lines of the Chicahomlny are
rapidly progressing. Bodies OF
troops march and countermarch in
all directions. Heavy reinforce
msnts are pushed to the front. The
seven days battles begin on the
10Th of June. On the 9th Picketts
Brigade is in the line that makes
the terrible charge on the strong
Federal position at Gaines Mill,
and again on the 30th it is in the
victorious column of assault at
Fraziers Farm. The seven days
battles end with Malvern Hill, and
McClellan's great host on the 2nd
day of July crouches on the banks
of the James under cover of the
artillery of his gunboats.
Another Federal army is now adj
vancing through Piedmont Virginia
under Gen. Jno. Pope, that redonbta'
blesoldIer, who always kepthis head
quarters in the saddle. Jackson
has already gone up to Culpeper
TO break lance with him, and on
tho 9th of August checks his ad-
vance at Cedar Mountain. The
army of Northern Virginia is now
concentrated at GOrdOnsville. Pope
falls back, ,places the Rappahannock
river between his army and Lees
and offers battle. There is heavy
skirmishmg at the front. A Sum-
mers shower is falling and the
Confederate forces move forward
under the arch of a rainbow. Wild
cheers greet its appearance IN the
heavens. Why just at this time
does the beautiful bow of Gods
promise arch over the exultant and
victorious hosts of the Army OF
Northern Virginia ? Are the storm
clouds drifting away ?Does the del
uVe of war begin to subside 7 The
soldiers accept the omen, wildly
cheer and move on. But Lee does
not intend to fight Pope on the
Rappahannock. Jackson has al
ready moved to the left to get IN
his rear at Manassas, and Long
street follows. YCu march through
Culpeper and Fauquier and
are halted the evening of the
2Sth of August, at the mouth
of Thoroughfare Gap. Next
morning at day break the Gap is
cleared of the Federal troops, and
you push forward to reinforce Jac..
son on the plains of Manassas. 1t
is the morning of the 3Oth day OF
August; ; some desultory artillery
firing, and now and then the pat
tering of muskets on the skirmish
line, alone indicate that hostile ar
mics are confronting one-anotheI