The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-05-31
sroNEwA11 JAcksoN.s way.
Asleep at Council OF War-NovsI
Plan for Night Attack.

Could an accurate diary of every i'm
portant council of war held during our
late misunderstanding have been kept,
it would afford great deal OF interest
ing reading. The grit. the backbone,
the resources, and the mental fertility
of leaders were shoSn quite as forcibIy
in these councils as on the battlefield
Who does not know of the council of
Confederate generals called on the night
of the first Manassas, and Of Jackson's
Give me 10000 men and will go 20
Washington tomorrow" Jackson was
always unwilling 10 speak first in =
council of war; and when the council
was called by Lee he was never called
upon until the older men and old sold
iers had expressed their opinions.
On the night of the battle of Freder-
icksburg. when Burnside was trying to
get his army back to the Stafford side of
the river over the one pontoon bridge
that Yves left. Lee called a council of
war. Jackson had been holdings posi-
tiOn about three miles down the river
from Marve's heights. where the fiercest
fighting had taken place, but had
moved his command up closer late in
the afternoon. The night was fearfully
dark, and a drilling rain had set H.
Jackson came into the council saluted
the officers present, and took seat OFF
in corner.-Gen. Lee stated the pur-
pose for which the council had been
called, and asked one of the senior Off
GERS for his opinion; and then another,
and another, until all had spoken save
Stonewall Lee then turned and asked
his opinion, but received no response
All turned to hear what he would say,
and there sat Jackson, bolt upright in
his chair fast asleep. why. bless me, "
said Lee, 1.-The old fellow is asleep and
going to him he shook his arm and
called his name, which awakened him.
"Gen. Jackson, will you give US YOUR
opinion as to what should be done?"
Gentlemen he said, Il am sorry
that have not heard all that has been
SAID, but my plan is, if the council will
agree to it, to go back to my corps and
march it into Fredericksburg at once.
The enemy has met with severe re-
verse and it is in all probability de-
moralized They have only one bridge
over which to escape. One corps is sufi-
I cient to do this work, to destroy what
| remains of the army on this side Of the
river. and that being done the ca Apaign
! will be over.
But, general" said Lee, "conside-
the fact that those men have only the
one bridge over which to escape; they
will fight desperately"
"What if they do? Ny corps is accus-
toned to desperate fighting. But the
very fact that they have only one ave
nue. of escape in their demOralized con-
dition, will cause them to make every
effort to use the bridge. They will nOt
fight so desperately as youthlnk."
But consider the darkness OF the
night Your men will not be able to
distinguish their own comrades"
J II have thought Of all that. L will
! make my men pull their shirt-taiis out
and march in; they will know one
another then"
Gen. Lee walked back and forth for
some time, deeply engaged in thought
Finally he said; "Gen. Jackson, can
not agree to your proposition; the
slaughter would be horrible, and my
conscience can not approve of il"
MY conscience approves of it thor
oughly, " said Jackson. "War is war;
the slaughter to-day has been horrible,
and would have been worse had the en-
envy gained those heights. The enemy
, is in a trap and we should take advan-
tage OF it. If the tables were turned
they would march in on US,
; ."And at this very time, said Union
officer to me last April, I'VE were getting
out of that place as fast as men could
be got over one bridge. We were look
ing 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 com
pared to our situation that night. And
when l told him of Jackson's plan for
enabling his troops to know their com
RAIDS, he said: "Fabius Maximus is the
only other man who ever lived who
would have thought of such thing. and
his soldiers didn't have the materials. "