The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-11-11
STONEwALL JACKSON.
A Comrade Says He Was Wounded by the Fire
From the LIST Mass.

"
A COmrade Says He Was Wounded by the Fire
From the LIST Mass.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In recent
/ issue appeared an article on "StOnewall Jack
son the Manner in Which He Met His Death"
/ j would like 10 answer that bold, brave and
fearless Capt. James Power Smith. He says:
When jackson had reached the point where his
line crossed the turnpike, scarcely mile west
OF Charlottesville and not half mile from line
OF Federal troops he had found his front line unit
for the farther vigorous advance he desired by
reason of the irregular character Of the fighting.
now right now left. and because of the dense
thicSets through which IL was impossible 10 pre-
serve alignment. Division commanders found IL
more and more difficult the twilight deepened to
hold their broken bTigades in hand. RegTetting
the necessity Of relieving the troops in 'front.' Gen
/ jackson had ordered A. II. Hills Division his
third and reserve line to be placed in front, and
while this change being effected, impatient
and anxious. the General rode forward on the turn
pike, followed by two or three Of his staff and n
number of couriers and signal Sergeants. lie passed
the swampy depression aud began the ascent of the
/ hill toward Charlottesville. when he came upon
line of Federal infantry lying on their arms.
/ Fired at 10y one two muskets two musket balls
from the enemy whisted over my head as ! came
10 the 'front.', he turned and came back toward his
line upon the side OF the road to his left As he
rode near 10 the Confederate troops just placed in
position and ignorant that he in the front, the
left company began firing To the front, and two Of
! his party fell from their saddles dead.
Squirting his horse the road 10 his right lie
was met 10y second volley from the right company
OF Pender's North Carolina Brigade. In this volley
he received three balls and not two rods from his
own troops.
This fearless Captain must have been dream
ing. The changes made in their lines know
nothing about, but this do know, for we were
there all the time: When the Eleventh Corps
broke that Saturday afternoon we were in the
woods on the left of the road leading from the
river across the plank road by the Chancellor
| House We had Just received our rations of
fracb hanf
fires, when we had orders to fall in quick
Some of the boys kicked over their coffee in the
fire, but put mine in my canteen in case got
wounded. We went on the dOuble-quick up
| the plank road, left in front till we reached
the woods; then we turned 10 our right
marched into the woods formed line of battle
and part Of each company began 10 throw up
6reastworks. Co. i of our regiment was on the
skirmish-line, two or three rods in front. After
deploying the company the Orderly Sergeant Of
Co. took what was left of the company on the
plank road. During this time up 10 10 o'clock
we had taken a number of prisoners They
were mostly officers Of different grades inquir-
ing for certain regiments and brigades. We
would tell them that they were farther on, and
then pass them TO the rear.
About 10 o'clock that night a lot of cavalry
las we thought at the time) came galloping
down the plank road. The Sergeant of Co.
shouted:
Halt; who comes there?"
The answer he received was, "Gen. Jackson
and staff"
The Sergeant said, "You are my prisoners"
At that the General and his squad and turned
galloped back up the plank road as fast as their
horses could take them. When they fled the
Sergeant and the men that were with him fired
at them. Gen. jackson was hit by some Of our
regiment, for just soon as We heard them
fire our whole regiment fired a vOley.
Gen. Jackson was hit in the body and could
not ride his horse. He told some of his men TO
take him down, and called for a stretcher.
They took him from his horse and sat him
against large tree on the right side Of the
plank road. While some were attending TO the
General, Others were running and calling for a
stretcher. In the meantime one of our boys in
the Sergeant's squad crept almost TO where the
General was, when the rebels sang out, Here
comes a stretcher." Then he crept back again
10 his post.
When the cavalry came down the plank road
Capt Charles f. Rand, of Co. j, jumped up to
see what was coming. He was killed by the
same volley that hit Gen. Jackson. There were
some of the Generals staff hit at the same
time After they had placed him on the
stretcher and had just started with him for
the rear, some one in the Sergeants squad fired
one shot where the rebels were talking, and the
General was hit the second time. Two of those
who were carrying him to the rear were killed.
This time there were two or three volleys ex-
changed Our artillery sent few shot and
shell over our heads. When there was no firing
we could hear every word that was said till
they got the General out of the way.
Capt. Smith says the General had passed
the swampy depression and began the ascent"
He had only got TO the edge of it when he was
challenged by our boys. We built our breast
works through the middle of that swamp.
have good reason 10 remember that part Of it,
for / sat down in a mud puddle a number of
hours Sunday morning with my ammunition
on dry spot about as big as my hat, and only
had two shots left when / was obliged 10 leave
my comfortable position OH account of the reb-
els being in our rear. When ] started back
there was not a man 10 be seen at my left be-
hind our works, and only for the rebel yell
behind me i would not have looked that way
gave one yell and jumped for the rear. My
legs did me good service that time num-
Der of my comrades preferred jumping over on
| the other side Of the breastworks TO running
| the gantlet. Our company relieved Co. at II
o'clock Saturday night. We went far enough
to see the tents the Eleventh Corps left but the
rebels thought that we had gone far enough,
and told us 10 get" and we did get behind our
breastworks and pretty lively, too. But they
| paid dearly for IL soon after.-JOsEPH L. Nut
TER, Co. Ii, LIST Mass, Wiscasset. Ne.