Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1888-05-10
stone,ran yaeI.son amd His Ven.

london Telegraph. March 81.
In modern times no army ever made
better use of its legs-not in retreat, but
in continuous attack-than the "ioot-cav-
airy" of Stonewall Jackson in 1861 and
1862. The following description of the
men by whose aid Stonewall jackson
drove three federal armies, under Gene
rails Shields, Fremont and Banks-each
Of them stronger numerically and inf
nitely better armed aud found than his
own-out of the Valley Of Virginia, in
1861, was written from Stonewall Jack
sons headquarters by an English eye
witness, who was accompanied by Lord,
then Colonel Wolseley AS we advanc-
ed the road was thickly crowded by the
rehuent tide OF sick and furloughed sol
diers. Such gauut, wan, bony, iamished
skeletons, many of them shoeless and hat
less, almost all in rags, the flame Of life
burnt down to the socket, the eyes deep
suuken and lustreless, the hair matted
and tangled like a Wild beasts, it had
never been my fortune TO encounter be-
fore on earth. Suffering, hungry, thirsty
and reduced as the poor fellows were, not
one aint-hearted, timid or complaining
word issued from their lips" With men
OF this stamp Stonewall Jackson held the
Valley of Virginia securely month after
month, against armies collectively out
numbering his in the ratio Of eight or
ten to one, and with them he marc he'd
over hills and across rivers, by night and
by day, uu,iI no federal general lay down
90 sleep without a missiying that when
to-morrow's dawn broke Stouowall Jack
SON might burst on his flank or centre
and strike panic into the hearts Of the
invaders of Virginia. With them
Stouewall Jackson descended with
astonishing rapidiiy from the Blue Ridge
and Joined General Lee before the seven
dlys of battle around Richmond, in 1862,
which ended in The total discontinue of
General Mcclellan. How, il will be ask
ell. were Stonewall Jackson's "loot-caval-
rv' equipped? Not in the same manner
a, the English infantry which, on June
Il. l775. attacked the raw American
leyic- posted on Buukcrs Hill, near Bos-
ton. and carried their works, with tre-
mendous luss Ia the as-aiant,, who, ac-
clrdiag % Mr. Charles Ross, the biogra-
ph,r of Lord Cornwalls, moved to the
attack in heavy marching order, with
three days provisions in their knaPsacks,
and carried altogether weight Of l25
pounds" Bunkers Hill was fought on
a icarluly hot day-the climax Of the
torrid summer OF America-and the Bit
ish regular, Of those days wore the lcath-
er strap or ueckcloih which, even in the
temperate climate Of England, no one
would now regard otherwise than as an
/ instrument of torture. Very different
was hc equipment Of s.oncwall Jackson's
men. a loose jacket, a soft and umbra-
geous felt hat, musket, seventy or eigh-
" rounds of ball cartridge, blanket
rolled up aud slung diagonaIly over the
shoulder and a tin water bottle--such
was ihe preparation for battle, Tor skir-
m,hiug, for climbing hills and fording
rivers with which the Virgniaus, North
Caroliuians, Gcorgions aud Alabamians
who constituted the "Stonewall Brigade
achieved wonders to which iew parallels
can be found in the history Of war.