Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1886-04-03
The ShIrt-TaiI i'm War.

On the night of the battle of Frede-
ricksburg, when Burnside was trying
to get his army back to the Stafford
side of the river over the one pontoon
bridge, that was left, Lee called a
council of war. Jackson had been
holding position some three miles
down the river from Mary'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 drizzling
rain had set in. Jackson came into
the council, saluted the officers pres
ent, and took q seat off in corner.
Gen. Lee stated the purpose for which
the council had been called, and asked
one of the senior officers 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, bold upright in his chair,
fast 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
y
opinion as to what should be doneP"
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 60 back to my corp
and march it into fredericksburg a
once. The enemy has mot with ;
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 OF
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 demoralize'
condition, will cause them to max
every effort to use the bridge. They
will not fight SO desperately as yol
think"
"But consider the darkness of tn,
night. Your men will not be able t.
distinguish their own comrades"
II have thought of all that. l will
make my men pull their shirt-tails on
and march in; they will know one an
other then"
Gen. Lee walked back and forth fo
some time, deeply engaged in thought
Finally he said: "Gen. Jackson L ca
not agree to your proposition; tn
slaughter would be horrible, and M
conscience can not approve of il"
"My conscience approves of
thoroughly" said Jackson. "War i
war; the slaughter to-day has beer
horrible, and would have been wors
the enemy gained those heights. The
enemy is in a trap, and we should tax
advantage of it. If the tables wer
turned they would march in on u.s."
"And at this very time" said
Union officer to mo last April, "w
were getting out of that place as fas
as men could be got over one bridge
We were looking every minute for tn
Confederate troops to rush in upon us
and if they had done SO we would hav
been utterly ruined. Pope's army
when Jackson got behind him, was a
picnic compared to our situation
that night" And when | told him o
Jackson's plan for enabling his troop
10 know their comrades, he said
"Fabius Maxlmus is the only othe
man who ever lived who ever thought
of such a thing, and his soldiers didn'
have the materials. -LOuiSUlLe Couy
Ter Journal.