The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1889-01-03

THE NATIONAL TRIBUN.
the success of the "overpowered" Confeder-
/ ates is accounted for.
| Asa Union scout /, for one worked alone
among strangers in a strange land, as well as
| among enemies.
II was my privilege recently to have had
such distinguished ex- Confederates as DIR. Smith
and Capt. Vess Chancellor as my escort over the
| famous battlefield. At another time, perhaps,
| THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE will publish an ac-
/ count of some revelations then made as to
] some gallantTy on our side on the day after the
/ killing of jackson, that will throw some light
/ on the events of that date, which has not here
| tofore been known,
Dr. Smith kindly piloted us over the Con-
/ federate lines from Salem Church to the forks
| Of the road, where Gen. Lee and Gen. Jack
/ son held their midnight consultation. 1t was
/ at this point, on the left-hand road going out
/ from Fredericksburg, where Jackson started
! off on his great flank movement, via the Fur
! naces. question arose among the Confeder-
ates present as to the distance Jackson's troops
were compelled to march to get around Hooker.
! DIR. Smith thought it less than 10 miles, but he
/ had horse to do his marching for him; while
! Capt. Taiaferro who vas a Lieutenant in the
| 47th Virginia, and, of course on foot, in Jack
sons command, is positive they walked fully
Is miles.
DR.. SMITHS STORY.
DR.. Smiths story of this last biYouac of Gems.
Lee and Jackson on this spot as told to me,
is very interesting.
q l was acting as Chief of Couriers at the
time" the Doctor said, as he got out of his
buggy. If you viii step over this way we
will stand under the identical trees where
found Gems. Lee and Jackson sitting on the
cracker boxes, over q little fire, talking ear
nestly to themselves"
Doctor, did Gen. Lee or Gen. Jackson orig
mate this flank movement ?"
- Looking significantly and smilingly at Capt.
Chancellor and the other gentlemen present, he
replied:
''That is the disputed question; but we
think the evidence bears strongest in favor of
Gen. Jackson, as you will remember that Gen.
Lee, in his note TO Jackson, gave him the credit
for the victory"
The Doctor, walking toward the road, point
ing to woods on the right continued:
There was a battery of yours down there
some place that kept up desultory Smelling
all day. Ii annoyed Gen. Jackson strangely,
and he kept sending his Aids out, as fast as
they would report to him, to try to locate it.
1t fell to my lot to ride over into that thicket to
try to find where the shells came from, but on
account of the density of the growth l could
not get through, so l rode around TO the other
road and it so happened that | did not get
/ back until late that night 1t was then l
/ found Gems. jackson and Lee in consultation /;
and being very tired myself, 1 lay down for a
! little rest, intending to report to the General
when he had separated from Gen. Lee l soon
fell asleep, and when / awoke the apparition of
/ the two Generals had disappeared, as if it were
| a dream. l reused myself and looked about
me, and found, upon inquiry that Jackson was
/ lying down near where l had been. Not de-
/ string to arouse him if asleep, | quietly crept
] L. l. L IL.
on blanket, his head resting on a saddle.
My approach seemed to rouse him, and,
noticing him move, / spoke, simply reporting
my return. Calling me to him. and here
the Doctors eyes filed with tears; he cOntin-
! ued, his voice tremulous with emotion, " the
General babe me sit down by him; then put
| ting his arms about me and drawing me to
him, he said, 1t is too bad that all you boys
! allowed that battery TO annoy your old General
so much. He asked me few questions as to
my work during the evening, and in the most
| feeling manner babe me goodnight, without
/ saying word of the morrow. / left him and
/ lay down myself near by, and slept so soundly
| that when awakened the next morning by the
! blinking Of the canteens and hushed voices of
/ the troops who were filing down the Furnace
road to the left on their way to the great flank
/ attack, the General had disappeared, and when
/ ] next saw him it was after he was wounded
! that night"
| Il thought to myself, Oh, for one good scout,
/ that Hooker so much neglected, to have re-
| ported that movement to our army before it
was discovered by the Eleventh Corps.
DR.. Smiths account of the wounding of his
/ Chief has already been told. There is one new
point that the recent discussion in THE Ma
TIONAL TRIBUNE has brought to light which
! tends largely to show that the shots came from
/ the list or I'D N. Y.
When 1 showed DR.. Smith the volume OF
scraps that / had collected on the subject, he
was amazed as well as greatly interested, aud
asked me to leave them with him for further
consideration.
In reading Col. Potters statement of the
! capture of black horse, ETC., the Doctor said:
"wHY, I RODE THAT HORSE.
! It was captured horse. When I heard Of the
wounding of the General that nj ght rode to
the front out the road in that direction Dis
covering the Generals horse x Old Sorrel -
standing on the roadside, I dismounted and
threw the bridle-rein of this black horse over
| the saddle of Old Sorrel, so l could find him
! when I should return. When we got to the
General, and had. him on the stretcher, had
/ hold of one corner, You know, and, as We passed
those two horses, I slipped the brides through
| my arm, intending TO lead them back with Us
as we moved along with the General on the
stretcher. We had not gone far until that
dreadful Smelling began. 1t frightened the
| horses so thatI was obliged to let them go, and
never saw the black horse after that. Old Sorre
drifted into our ranks and was appropriated by
a cavalryman; but, being afterward recognized
as the Generals horse, he was taken care o
and stuffed, and is now on exhibition in Rich
mOnd." OK.
The pains and aches ofrheumatism have in many