Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-05-02
How stonewall Jackson Proposed TO Mark
His Men I'm Night Attack.

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On the night OF the battle OF Fred
ricksburg, when Burnside was tryin,
F. to get his army back to the StatiorI
/ side OF the river over the one pontool
bridge that was left, Lee called coun
oil of war. Jackson had been holdin;
position some three miles down ths
river from Marve's heights, where thu
lierceest lighting had taken place. but
had moved his command up closer
J late in the afternoon. The night !:
farfully dark, and drizzling rain
had set in. Jackson came iutO the
council, saluled the officers present
and took a seat off in the corner. Gen,
Lee stated the purpose for which the
council had been called, and asked
one OF the senior differs for his opin-
ion; and then another, and another.
until all had spoken save Stonewall.
Lee then asked his opinion, but re-
ceived no response. llturned 70 hear
what he would say, and there slt Jack
son, bolt, upright in his chair, tlst
asleep. "Why, bless me-" said Lee,
@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 10 what should be done ?"
"Gentleman," he sud, III 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 Sc
we're reverse, and is in all probability
.iemoralized. They have only one
bridge over which to escape. Our
corps is sufficient 20 do this work, to
destroy what remains OF that army on
this side of the river, and that being
done the campaign will be over"
But, General" said Lee, consider
the fact that those men have only one |
bridge over which to escape; they will |
fight desperately"
"What il they do? Ny corps is nc
custOmed to desperate lighting But
the very fact that they have but one
avenue OF escape, i'll their demoralized /
condition, will cause them 10 make an
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 to
distinguish their own comrades"
al have thought Of all that. | will
make my men pull their -hrt-tails out
and march in; they wall know one an.
9th r hen
q N. Lee walked back aud forth
for some time, deeply engaged in
thought. Finally he ssld: Gen. Jack
son, cinnot agree to your propoSi-
ti'n; the slaughter would be horrible,
md my conscience cmnot approve
Df it"
"My conscience approves OF it thor
Iughly," said .Iacksln. War is war;
he slaughter to day has lie N horrible,
md would have b'en worse ltad the
'nemy gained these heights. The en-
my is in II trap, nnd We should take
advantage of il. Ii the tables were
urned they would march in on u4."
"And mt this very time" saida Union
nan to me lust April. "we were get
ing men out of that place as fist as
men could lie got over one bridge. :
We were looking every minute for the
troops to rush in upon us, ,
nj if they had done so we would have
'een utterly ruinni, Popes army,
When Jarkson got behind him, was mt
picnic compared Ia our situation !,
hat night" And when / told him of !
ackson's plan of ennabling his troops :
o know their comrades. he said y
FabiuS Maximus is the only other =
nan who ever lived who would have i
lought OF such thing, and his sol /
iers didn't have the materials"