Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-07-29

to push pursuit further. Next day, under
flag of truce from Pope, 600 of his dead
were buried. On the night of the 18th
Jackson's force commenced returning to it's
former position near Gordonsville, carrying
off one piece of artillery and over 5000
muskets captured on the field. Pope had
now commenced to see something more OF
| rebels than their backs, and the very
presence of jackson in the vicinity of
Gordonsville had so disordered the minds
and excited the fears of the authorities at
Washington that on the Sd Of August a
peremptory order was given for the evacu-
ations of Harrison's Landing and the rein
forcement of Pope by McClellan's army
On the 14th, in response to frantic direc-
tion from Halleck, Mcclellan telegrapbed
as follows: Movement has commenced by
land and water. All sick will be away to-
morrow night. Everything done to carry
out your orders 7 don't like Jaekson's
movements; he will suddenly appear when
least expected"
GRAND STRATEGY.
"Having ascertained that Mcclellan
was sending troops to reinforce Pope, Cen
eral Lee, on the 18th of August, ordered
the divisions of Longstreet, D. r. Jones
Hood and Evans brigade to Gordonsville,
and also Stuart with Fitzhugh Lees
brigade of cavalry.
son the 20th forward movement was
commenced. Pope's army was in Culpep-
er county, between the Rapidan and Rap
pahannock. On the same day (20th) Pope
learned from captured dispatches of Lees
| movement, and hastily crossed the Kappa
hammock. Jackson crossed the Rapidan at
| Somerville ford and Longstreet lower down.
| Pope massed large force on the north
| bank of the Rappahannock in an unavail-
| ing attempt to prevent the Confederates
| from crossing. A Confederate force, among
which was my own brigade, crossed the
Rappahannock near the Sulphur Springs.
/ That night the rain fell in torrents and the
river overdowed its banks, preventing cur
recrossing. The enemy came up in heavy
| force and the situation was extremely crit
ical. General jackson personally superin-
tended the repair of the bridge, which had
been destroyed, and our troops got over
not moment too soon. Jackson now COM
menced his famous march to the rear of
Pope. His movements were covered from
the enemy by demonstrations of the caval-
~. On the Goth he passed through Thor
oughfare Gap and the next day captured
the small Federal force at Bristoe Station
and Manassas Junction, and, after feeding
his hungry soldiers and loading bis wagons,
destroyed immense stores of quartermaster,
commissary and ordnance supplies. By
rapid marches and counter marches he
eluded and bewildered Pope, and on the
28.h concentrated bis force in the cut of s
recently made railroad in proximity to
Thoroughfare Gap, so as to unite his forces
with Longstreet's forces, whose approach
was announced by firing On the morning of
the 29th." The description Of Jackson's
coDsummate generalship in these maneuv-
ers was very graphic and the speaker char
acterized it as a brilliant display of 'tgrand
strategy" The effect was with less than
20, 600 men he confused and delayed the
so 900 of Pope until the decisive hour on
the 30th, when Longstreet fell upon the de.
mOralized legions and put them to flight,
Jackson's exhausted veterans joining in the
chase untli night closed upon as signal
victory as that Of Waterloo.
CHANCELLoRsvILLE.
The 's5 oh into Maryland, Jackson's
strategic 6 ptuge of Harper's Ferry and its
10000 Federal garrison, and his conspicu-
GUS part in the battle of Autietam, fought
against desperate odds were picturesquely
described. The speakers most energetic
and eloquent delineation YVES reserved for
the browning and final act in the splendid
drama of Jackson's career in his great
achievement at charlottesville. s'Here''
he SAID, ''the disparity of forces was great
or than in any battle of the war, and the
chances of the Confederate army were ar~
pareutly hopeless. But nothing could
daunt the spirit Of the two great souls who
devised and executed the bold and brilliant
strategy by which victory was snatched as
it were, from the hands of fate. There is
nothing in the annals of history, ancient or
modern, to surpass the audacious march of
Jackson around the front and flank of
Rockers army, and the vehemence with
which he fell, like a thunder. bolt, upon the
unsuspecting enemy, crushing in his right
wing and folding it up in confusion upon
the discordered CENTRE" The description
of this great victory, in which Jackson was
MORALLY wounded, concluded, of course,
the narrative of his military career, and
the speaker passed to his concluding re-
sonal traits Of Jackson SIS soldier and
commander.
LEE AND JACKSON.
'sThe ardent admirers of General Lee,
on the one hand and of General Jackson on |
the other," he said, sometimes start a |
contention as to which Of iha TWO possessed |
the greatest military genius. This is not |
only ill-adVised in itself, as tending to lead |
in the heat of rivalry from the praise of
one to the disparagement of the other, but
it is founded upon misoonception of their
characters. They were, each in
his particular sphere, pre-eminent-Lee in
and planning the general out
line and scope of great campaigns and |
and Jackson in executing these
plans with consummate skill, energy and
celebrity.
"They mutually supplemented each
other, and made together combination of
military sagaeity and pro .ess such as the
world has seldom, if ever, witnessed. Gen
eral Jackson felt and exhibited an inquest
Joining confidence in the wisdom of Lee in
great emergencies, while Lee recognized in
his superb lieutenant a soldier of almost
natchless skill, indomitable energy and
1auntless courage an arm on which he
,ould always lean with absolute confidence.
The battle of Charlottesville furnished an
admirable illustration of these characters.
Il is related by Gen. A. l.. Long in his
of Lee, to when be was military
s.Hooker had sntrenched 10000 men in
ront Of the Chancellor house in an lmpene. 4