The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-01-01
The Shlrt-Tail i'm War.

On the night Of the battle Of Frcdc-
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 iicrccst fighting had taken
place, but had moved his command up
closer late in the afternoon. The night
was fcarfully dark, and q drizzling
rain had set in. jackson came into
the council, salutcd the officers pres
ent, and took seat off in corner.
Gen. Lee stated the purpose for which
the council had been called, and asked
ono of the senior officers for his opinion
and then another, and another, until
all had spoken save Stoncwall. 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 mc,'' said
Lee, ''thc 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 doRc?"
Gentlemen" he said. II am sorry
that have not heard all that has been
said; but my plan is, if the council will
agree to it, to 90 back to my corps
and march it into Fredericksburg at
once. The enemy has met with a
severe reverse, and is, in all propabili-
ty, demoralized. They have only one
bridge over which to escape. One
corps is sufficient to 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.' 9
"But, General" said Lee, consider
the fact that those men have only the
one bridge over which to escape; they
will fight desperately"
"What if they do? My corps is ac-
customed to desperate fighting. But
the very fact that they have only one
avenue of escape, in their demoralized
condition, will cause them to make
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 to
distinguish their own comrades"
II have thought of all that. I will
make my men pull their shirt-tails out
and march in; they will know one an
other then"
Gen. Lee walked back and forth for
some time, deeply engaged in thought
Finally he said: Gen. Jackson l can
not agree to your proposition; the
slaughter would be horrible, and my
conscience can not approve of it,
"My conscience approves of it
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 trap. and we should take
advantage of it. If the tables were
turned they would march in on us.
"And at this very tlme,'' said a
Union officer to me last april, 1--WE
were getting out of that place Us 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
10 know their comrades, he said:
''Fabius Maxlmus is the only other
man who ever lived who ever thought