The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-07-19

OF his brfgndes narcned nity~two 49,
| one dsy). held Fremont back with ono nand
| and Shields with the other. until aai OF his
| troops and trains had passed the point Oh
| danger and moved quietly up the alley pur,,
| sued by three armies, until at Cross heys anu
| at Port Republic he suffered himself 70 %
caught" and showed beyond all contr9;
| yersy that the man who caught "Stonewau
isctsonn had indeed caught a Tartar"
one of his biographers well puts u: In
! thirty-two DAYS he had marched nearly four
| hundred miles, skrmisbing almost oany,
fought five battles defeated three armies, TWO
OF whom were completely routed captured
about twenty pieces of artillery some
| four thousand prisoners and immense quantl-
| ties Of stores of all kinds, and had done all
Of this with loss Of less than one thousand
| men in killed, wounded and missing"
The march from the Valley TO Seven Days
| Around Richmond" and that TO Pope's rear
| at Manassas; the march to the capture of
Harper's Ferry, and thence TO Sharpsburg
| (Antietam): the move from the Valley TO first
| fredericksburg. and that 10 Hooker's rear at
| Charlottesville, were all famous for their
/ rapiditv. II is related Of Bedford Forest
| ''the Wizard of the Saddle" the "Stonewall
| Jackson Of the West'-that when asked the
secret of his success, he promptly repiee.di
| in characteristic, If not classic, phrase;
| eits thar fust with tho most men" Jackson
| acted on this maxim His men useo 10 say
| "Old Jack always starts at early dawn, eA,
can't whom he starts the night before" and
while no rarely had the most men" he nearly
| always got there fust," and struck before
! the enemy was aware Of his presence.
HIS SECRECY.
The secrecy with which Jackson formed
| and executed his plans was a most important
| element of his success.
After the defeat of Fremont at Cross Keys,
and Shields AT Port Republic, he was largely
reinforced by General Lee. who took pains TO
have the fact known to the enemy. and Jack
son was not slow TO confirm the impression
that with these achievements he would
sweep down the Valley again.
He took into his confidence Colonel J. 1.
Munford. who commanded the advance OF his
cavalry and he detailed for special duty Mr..
William Gilmer, Of Abemsrle. who was vide
ly known in Virginia O political speaker.
and in the armv as q gallant soldier.
number Of Federal surgeons who had
come under flag Of truce to look after Banks
wounded were quartered IN room adjoining
Colonel Munford's when Mr.. Gilmer Billy
Gilmer" was his popular subriquet) stalked IN
with rafting saber and jingling spurs, and IN
loud tones announced, Dispatches for Gen.
eral Jackson What is the news!" he was
asked loud enough TO be heard by. surgeons
in the next room. who pressed their ears TO
the key-hoes and cracks eager to catch every
word. Great news, was the loud response.
Stsunton is full of gray people coming TO re;
inforce US. There is General Whiting and
General IawtOn and General Hill, and
don't know who else, atEthe head OF about
80. 900 men. They will all be up by to-mor-
row afternoon. and then won't we clean out
this Valley and make the Yankees skedaddle
again across the Potomac? Hurrahl for old
Stonewall and his foot cavalry, as well as
his crittur companies. say J"
Ii is needless to add that when the surgeons
were sent back to their own lines early the
next morning, they hastened TO carry the
news" to headquarters. A hasty retreat Of
the Federal army followed, and jackson so
skilfully manpuvered his forces, used his
cavalry as a curtain across the Valley and 80
secretly conducted his march TO Richmond,
that at the very time that he was laundering
on McClelan's flank at Cold Harbor, Banks
was fortifying at Strasburgs against an e1-
pected attack from him.
well remember how profoundly ignorant
the men, and even the niger officers on the
march were as to our destination. At Char
lottesville we expected to march into Madison
county to meet q reported move OF Banks
across the mountains At GOrdonsyille the
PRESBYTERIAN pastor, Rev. Dr. Ewing. told me
as a profound secret which he had gotten
from headquarters that we would move at
daylight next morning towards Orange Court
house and Culpeper to threaten Washing
| ton"
We did move at daylight" Eve generally
did, but it WAS towards Louisa Courthouse.
| There and at Fredercks Hall and at Hanover
junction We expected TO move on krederlckS-
burg to meet Mcdowell, and twas really only
| when we heard A. 7. Hills guns at Mechanics
vile on the evening of June 18th, that we took
| in the full situation and there rang along our
| moving columns for miles shouts of antclpa-
| ted victory, as the Foot Cavalry hurried
| forward TO take their place IL the picture
near the flashing of the guns"
| The evening that Jackson spent at Fred
| rcks Hall, Mrs. Harris sent him an invitation
| TO take breakfast with her the next morning
| and he courteously thanked her and said, If
| can | will be happy to do So" But when
| the good lady sent to summon him to break
| fast his famous body servant Jim met the
messenger with look OF astonshment and
| said. ''Lor, you surely didn't spec to find the
| General here at dis hour, did you? You don't
know him den. Why he left here at o'clock
| dis morning, and | spec be is whipping the
| Yankees in de Valley agin by now" The
| truth is, he had ridden into Richmond, dis
| lance of fifty miles, TO have an interview
| with President Davis and General Lee, and
| receive his final instructions as TO the part
| he was to take in the great battle that was
/ impending, and he did II so secretly thai the
| army knew nothing of his absence. and. Rich
mond nothing of his presence within her
| walls
| 1t was on this ride that a characteristic in
| cident occurred. Before day MIR. Mathew
| Hope, respected citizen living in the lower
part of Louisa county. was awakened by the
| clatter of horses hoofs in front of his house.
| Asking Who is there?" he received for an
answer Two Confederate officers who are
on important business, and want two fresh
horses 10 ride into Richmond. Have you two
good horses"
Yes always keep good horses" was Mr..
Hopes reply, but | cannot lend them TO
every strRggler who claims TO DO COnfed-
crate officer on important business. You can
not have my horses"
But our business is very urgent. We must
and will have them. and you had as well sad
die them at once. We will leave our horses in
their place" II do not saddle my own horses"
was the indignant reply; Il keep negroes Tor
that purpose, and | shall certainly not saddle
them for you, especially as have no assur-
ance that you will ever bring them back" The
officers soon got the horses and galloped off
with them and Mr.. Hope was very much as
tonishod when several days afterwards they
were returned in good condition with thanks
and compliments of General Jackson" and
exclaimed. why did he not tell me that he
was Stonewall Jackson? If had known who
he was / would have cheerfully given him all
of the horses on the place and have saddled
them for him too"
This worthy gentleman doubtless felt very
much like the old citizen near Richmond,
who seeing struggling cayalrymsn Cas he
supposed riding across his field rushed out
with something Of the vim of Miss Betsy Trot-
wood Whap don Eeva apraarad IN how ,,~aa,