Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1885-11-12
The Shrt-TaiI i'm War.

On tho night of the battle of Frede
ricksburg, when Burnside was tryin,
to get his army back to the Staffor,
side of the river over the one pontoo
bridge, that was left, Lee called
council of war. Jackson had beef
holding a position some three miles
down the river from Mary's Heights
where the fiercest fighting had takel
place, but had moved his command vi
closer late in the afternoon. The nigh
was fearfully dark, and drizzline
rain had set in. jackson came int,
the council, saluted the officers pres
ent, and took seat off in a corner
Gen. Lee stated the purpose for which
the council had been called, and asket
one of the senior officers for his opinion
and then another, and another, until
all had spoken save Stonewall. Le'
then turned and asked his opinion
but received no response. All turne,
to hear what he would say, and there
sat Jackson, bold upright in his chair
fast asleep. ''Why, bless me-" sait
Lee, "the old fellow is asleep" and
going to him, he shook his arm ant
called his name, which awakened him
"Gen. jackson will you give us you
opinion as to what should be doHe?"
Gentlemen" he said, II am sorry
that have not heard all that has beer
said but my plan is, if the council will
agree to it, to go back to my corp
and march it into Fredericksburg q
once. The enemy has met with 4;
severe reverse, and is, in all propabili
ty, demoralized. They have only on,
bridge over which to escape. On
corps is sufficient to do this work, t,
destroy what remains of that army ol
this side of the river, and that bein.
done the campaign will be over"
"But, General" said Lee, "conside
the fact that those men have only tn,
one bridge over which to escape; the,
will fight desperately"
what if they do? My corps is &C
customed to desperate fighting. Blu
the very fact that they have only on,
avenue of escape, in their demoralizeC
condition, will cause them to max,
every effort to use the bridge. They
will not fight so desperately as you
think"
"But consider the darkness of the
night. Your men will not be able t.
distinguish their own comrades"
II have thought of all that. | will
make my men pull their shirt-tails ou
and march in; they will know one an
other then"
Gen. Lee walked back and forth fol
some time, deeply engaged in thought
Finally he said: "Gen. Jackson | car
not agree to your proposition; the
slaughter would be horrible, and my
conscience can not approve of it."
my conscience approves of il
thoroughly" said Jackson. "War is
war; the slaughter to-day has been
horrible, and would have been worse
the enemy gained those heights. The
enemy is in a trap, and we should take
advantage of it. If the tables were
turned they would march in on us"
"And at this very time" said a
Union officer to me last April, "we
were getting out of that place as fast
as men could be got over one bridge.
We were looking every minute for the
Confederate troops TO rush in upon us,
and if they had done so we would have
been utterly ruined. Pope's army,
when Jackson got behind him, was at
a picnic compared to our situation
that night" And when | told him of
Jackson's plan for enabling his troops
TO know their comrades, he said:
"fabius Maxlmus is the only other
man who ever lived who ever thought
OF such thing, and his soldiers didn't
have the materials. '-LoutSvilIe Cour-
Ter Journal.