The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-02-14
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What Our Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
sToNEwALL JACKSON.
Another Claim By the Excelsior Brigade.

Another Claim hy lne Excelsior Brigade.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: As an old SUBJ
scriber 10 ThE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, / would
beg leave 20 be allowed space in your columns
TO have my say about what ! saw and heard of
the battle Of Charlottesville and the death of
Gen. Stonewail jackson. Ny regiment was
the l20th 4. Y, at that time part of the Ex-
celsi0r Brigade. On the afternoon Of the day
the Eleventh Corps made such a disastrous
break. we lay in the rear of Gen. Rockers
headquarters. Lieut. Green, of my company.
who bad a particular friend on Gen Hookers
staff, had been TO see him and brought TO us the
information that StoaewalI jackson was moving
around 10 our right with his corps, aud that
word had been sent 10 Gen. Howard to the
effect 10 lookout Tor him. This, If remember
rightly, was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon;
and naturally enough we began TO feel that
orr chances OF not getting into the fight that
day were pretty good. We however, were mis-
taken, for soon fierce firing was heard on our
right; and we were ordered TO stack KNAPP
sacks and were doube-qnicked down the road
toward the scene Of action, where we found
everything in confusion. Having gone some
distance down the road. we were fled TO the
right into the woods. We were marching left
la 'front.' by regiments, and as near as l can re-
member the line was as follows: On the imme-
diate right Of the road was the 10Th n. Y;
then list, I'D I'D, 7lth and I20th n. Y, COM
prising at that time the Second Brigade Sec
end Division, Third Corps. After receiving
proper formation, my company ID was detailed
for skirmish duty and deplOyed accordingly.
We were told at the time TO be careful how we
shot, as the Irish Brigade was in front Of US,
and 10 be sure and halt parties before we fired
on them. Ny Captain thought il would be
good Thing TO establish a farther-advanced Skin
mish-line, and SIX Of US were selected to form
It. j, being one Of those selected, was stationed,
probably, nearer the enemy's lines that night
than any one else. ] had in front OF me
cleared space, such as you viii find at times in
woods of Charlottesville descriptions kind
OF dried-up marsh where no trees had grown,
or had been trimmed out, did not know which.
IL being moonlight, l could see some distance
quite plainly.
While ! was being posted, and for some time
after took my position, could hear troops
forming ia front of me, and could plainly hear
tho rattle Of arms, the orders TO halt. front
Tlght-dress, etc. Soon everything was quiet;
when suddenly, without warning, there was
about dozen scattering shots fired from the
front and to the left OF me; / could plainly
see the flash Of the nuskets. Almost imme-
dlateiy volley was fired from our side, and
repeated, / think, about three times In the
meanwhile everything appeared 70 be in con-
fusion among the rebs, and ] could hear their
cries above the noise of the musketry, " Don't
shoot; you are shooting your own men. For
A@1h = 1d-nNs ouSl A-4aL=f IL
The firing ceased. and then a dark horse
dashed across the clearing toward the right of
our line. De was fully equipped, pistol-hol-
sters, etc, and apparently was an officers horse.
WAS told the next day that the horse was
captured by Gen. Cars Brigade and that it
was Gen. Stonewall Jackson's horse. and that
the regiment that fred the volley was the I'D
\. Y. Be that as it may, the firing was all on
the right Of the road from where Gen Berry
was killed the following morning, and this
position was occupied only by the Excelsior
Brigade. This is what ] saw and heard. Now
for what ] was told by a prisoner who was
captured at Gettysburg. He claimed that he
was with StoueWall jackson at Councillors
vile, and that the General attempted TO get
inside Of bis own lines and was fired upon and
wounded by his own men, and while they were
carrying him back 10 the rear a shot from our
side killed one Of the stretcher- bearers, and
the General dropped TO The ground from of
the stretcher before he could be caught The
prisoner seemed 10 think, and it was so re-
ported, that the shock Of the fall was more the
cause Of Gen. Jaekson's death than the wounds
just received; that IS, though the General was
severely wounded be would have stood
chance Of rallying but for the fall.
What / would like to know is, First, if Gen.
Hooker knew Of StOnewall Jackson's move
ment on our right-which be undoubtedly did
as my regiment knew Of 1t In the afternoon
why Gen. Howard did not profit BY it? Sec
end, why were we told, when on the skirmsh-
line, the Irish Brigade was in front of US?
And, third, what troops they were that formed
IL front OF ne al so late an hour? They must
have been some Of the rebel forces which we're
refined after Gen. jackson had gone outside of
his own lines. And, fourth, why was the horse
60 long getting 10 the front Of and passing me i?
-JEEE S. THOMPSON, Co. D, 120th n. Y. 229
W. Eleventh street. New York city.