The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1890-05-23

skirmishers into the wood Tyler's skir-
mishers were advancing to seize the van
tage ground. Jackson's infantry and ar
tillery combined now held off Tyler, and
his batteries were also playing havoc with
Kimball's line the other side of the valley.
Kimball's tactics were at this juncture
unique. He had fought three inferior ac-
tions in order to hold the ground he then
occupied, and, with Ashby, and he knew
not how much besides, standing ready to
pounce upon him there, was 10th to leave
1t undefended. His force was divided into
eight regiments, and one by one these regi-
ments were moved out by the right flank
to the front of the Confederates to assist
Tyler in maintaining his ground In front
of the stone wall. The effect that this style
of fighting had on the southerners is told
In Jackson's report. He says that the re-
pulsed Union regiments with which he
fought at the stone wall were replaced by
fresh ones drawn from large reserve.
The Confederate Gen. Garnett, whose
brigade was in the center at the stone wall,
believed that he was largely outnumbered
because he saw six different Union flags on
his front. He also saw Onion cavalry NOV
ing around on his left flank, and this bug
aboo was simply few weak detachments
sent out by Kimball as flankers. However,
Garnett abandoned the stone wall, and
every effort put forth by the Confederate
commander and his lieutenant to ward off
disaster was unavailing. The Confederate
troops on the left of Garnett, Fulkerson's
brigade were isolated by Garnett's with
drawal from the line, and the relentless ac-
tivity of Kimball's men allowed no respite
for the recovery of lost ground. The stone
wall became the prize of the Union men, as
did also two of Jackson's cannon.
1t was now nearing night, and Kimball's
line was very much confused On his new
front there was a wide stretch of open
ground, with wood on the hither side
offering good rallying point for jackson.
But the pet of "kind Providence" had suf-
fered a complete rout; his troops retreated
to their trains, and Ashby's cavalry was
drawn upon to do picket duty along Kim
balls front
In his formal official report, intended for
eyes in Richmond, jackson wrote that
| though Winchester was not recovered, and
| though the contested field remained in pos
| session of the enemy, "yet the most essen
| tial fruits of the battle are ours"
This was penned several days after the
| fact which he made do duty as essential
| fruits" namely the recall of Williams
Union division to Banks army in the val
| ley as result of the Confederate attack at
| kernstown. But on the day Immediate
| ly following his overthrow by Kimball
| "StonewalP' put upon record another phase
of his mental processes at that time In a
dispatch to Gen. Johnston, dated March
"a, he appealed for 5000 more infantry, q
doubling up of his force, to aid him against
Kimball alone, should the latter advance.
He was himself at that moment retreating
| south, and in the same dispatch to John
ston he cried pathetically to his chief, after
| begging for the heavy reinforcement to
| help him stand off Kimball 81 will try and
remain on this side Strasburg."
| Just how jackson could make Kerns-
| town count as an essential gain for his side
because 1t resulted in the return of Union
| division to re-enforce Banks in the valley,
| when Jackson's own column needed to be
doubled in order to withstand Kimball
alone, is one of the military mysteries sur
rounding the fame of this remarkable
southern idol. If numbers counted for any,
thing, then the addition of Williams divis-
ion to Kimball's would have necessitated
the doubling of Jackson's force second
time, and that would have meant the de-
pletion of the Confederate armies outside
of the valley.
| Another cause for congratulation, as
jackson reported, was his belief that Kim
balls losses at kernstown exceeded his
own. In point of fact, Jackson's loss was
the greater by over 30 per cent. Evidently
| 'Stonewalp' met his peer when accident
| threw him lfoul of Col. Kimball in his first
Shenandoah campaign.
GEORGE L. KILMRR