Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-02-06

L
LYH HEART OF THE MAN.
We have received the following letter
from Col. VIM. Allan, Principal of the
McDonogh School in Maryland, who was
an officer in Stonewall JacksOn's COM
mand. The action described in the clos
ing paragraph is photograph o. the gen
erous, kindly heart of one of the most re-
markable men of his time:
| MCDONOGH, Md,
Jan. 81, 1885.
Editor VindicGtor.
The recsnt death of the venerable Capt.
G. r. Mason and your illusions to bis
services with Jackson in the war, wildly
recall some of the occasions on which
these services we're most valuable and ef1ic-
| lent. Capt Mason first joined Jackson, l
think, in the celebrated expedition to
Romney. with which that famous soldier
opened the year 1862. Col. M. G. Hartman
was at that time Jackson.s acting chief
| @. NJ. Capt. M ason with company of
workmen had charge of repairing roads
and bridges, and his admirable services
! and great energy soon secured the CONT
dence and esteem of the General, as we'll
as of everybody else who bad to do with
| him. 1t was on the retreat Of Jackson be-
| fore Fremont 10 The first week Of June,
| 1862, that the incident in connection with
| the crossing at Mt. Crawford took place.
Jackson was falling back rapidly before
| FrcmOnt and Shieldo RI q mint uhpro npe
| of his adversaries could not pass his flank
| while he was fighting the other. He had
determined to leave the turnpike at Har-
risonburg and go to Port Republic. AT
the former place was large number of
sick and wounded and considerat lie
amount of hospital and other stores which
he did not wish to fall into the hands of
the enemy. The roads were so bad in con-
sequence of the heavy rains that il would
have much impeded bis movements to
have taken the sick and the stores, in adj
ditlon to his necessary trains, sover the I'M
paved roads to Port Republic. He was
therefore very anxious to send them by
the turnpike direct to Staunton. But the
bridge at Mt. Crawford, over n orth River
was down and the river was in food, and
impossible. He sent his engineers to try
to make crossing of some kind. and Capt.
Mason was ordered to aid them in every
possible way. The day before Jackson
reached Harrisonburg, however, word
cessful, and the river could not be forded
or ferried so violent was the raging TOR
rent. Urgent messages were sent, but
apparently without avail. Orders were
given that the stores should be loaded up
and the sick placed in the ambulances
next morning, but they were not TO move
until the question of route should be de-
termined. At midnight Gen. Jackson sent
an additional messenger to bring definite
information at daylight as to the possibiii-
ty of crossing. AS this messenger passed
Harrlsonburg at daybreak, he found every
body actively at work under DR.. Nc
CURES directions, getting ready to move
at a moments notice and anXiouSly await
ing instructions as to the road to be fol-
lowed. A courier from the engineers, at
Mt Crawford, was here encountered car
rying report to the General that no
crossing was possible at the time and
none for vehicles could probably lie effect
ed for II or "a hours longer. The mes
doubted information, and having learned
from the courier that Capt. Mason was
working away at the ferry determined to
go on to Mt. Crawford and see for him.
81 If. Reaching there soon after sunrise,
he found Capt. M. hard at work making
ferry-boat sufficiently large to carry a
two-horse Vehicle. Upon enquiry, the
Captain informed him that the boat would
| be ready in an hour, that rope had al
ready been stretched across, the farther
end having been taken over by man who
swan the torrent On vigorous horse, and
| that he thought light vehicles might be
ferried over as soon as the boat could be
| launched. AS the river was falling, this
was a very favorable outlook. When Capt
Mason was Informed of the Generals
anxiety to send the sick and the stores
by this route, and was told that DR.. Nc
| CURES trains were even now ready to
move. he said, ''Send them on, [ will be
ready to put them over the river before
| they can get here" And this proved to be
the fact. All the aubulancos and two
| horse wagons were sent to Mt. Crawford,
and long before night were safely Oh their
way to StaunJon while Jackson and his
army were at Cross Keys and Port Repub-
Tic and Fremont had occupied Harrison
burg.
Capt. Mason's energy and skill in such
emergencies were proverbial. On the
Sunday night after the battle of Cross
Keys, Jackson desired to cross the two
branches of the Shenandoah at Port Re-
public, SO as to attack Shields next morn
ing. Over the main fork of the river was
the bridge which Jack son had so promptly
rescued from Shield s Cavalry on Sunday
morning, but there was no bridge over
South river and it was breast deep. Capt.
Mason with the assistance of Capt. A. NJ.
CARRIER, constructed TEN Dorary bridge
during the night out Of the running gear
of wagons pulled into the stream and
fastened together. On these, planks were
laid, and on this slight structure Jackson 5
troops passed over to attack and over
| Whelm Shields.
The story of Capt. Mason g prompt re-
pairs Of the Grape Vine bridge over the
Chickahominy, by which Jackson followed
up Mcclellan, has accompanied many Of
the notices of his death.
1t is not simply for his services in the
army that Capt. Mason deserves to be re