South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1892-09-09
. siigmatised as rebellion. Rebel
d;shonoring word

. siigMatised as rebellion. Rebel
ions-"Foul d;shonoring word
/ Whose wrongful blight so on aas stained
The hc,lest cxuse thar tongue or sword
or mortal ever icst or gained.
How many 20 init, bora 10 bisss,
hath sus beaesth that withsripg name,
Whom but days. an hours success.
Had waited 10 ctesuai fsms."
! The future historian may pass
BY the civil record Of tho Confed-
crate government with brief page,
but the achievements of her armies
will DO the topic of the historian
and the favorlte theme Of song and
story. In fact II you take out OF
the Confederate history the deed
of hes armies and the devotion aud
sacrifices Of the Southern women
there is. nothing left. The Con-
Tolerate soldiers achieved fame on
the battle field, equal to. the most
famous soldiers Of ancient or mod
crn times.
/ speak deliberately and with
sincere conviction of the truth of
the utterance, when say that tho
history of tho world records no
more gallant aud heroic struggle
than was made by the Confederate
armies.
For four years they fought
against the world in arms, endured
the greatest hardships aud pr,va-
tons without murmuring, and fac
ed tho heaviest odds without
bianching or faltering. Worn down
by fatigue; half clad; half starved; :.
they defeated army after army only
to be confronted with new lines of
fresh men, Irish, German, and
American. When the cause they
loved aud cherished became desper-
ate, hopeless, they still advanced,
while
sfCanuon 10 the right of them,
Cannon to the left OF them,
Cannon Ia trcnt OF them
Beloved and numbered
Few people to-day except the old
soldiers have any real conception OF
the services rendered and the hard
ships endured by the Confederate
soldiers. Take Stonewall Jack
sons command In 1864 and follow
it step by step. from the opening of
the campaign in March at Kerns-
town to its close at Fredericksburg
in December.
The first battle of the campaign
was followed by retreat up the
Valley to Swift Run Gap; with con-
slant skirmishes and harrassing
movements; for Jackson mover re-
treated like any other General. He
made haste very slowly and never
fell back out OF range Of the en-
emy's guns. When the pursuera
would halt he would halt and order
up his trains and cook rations in
sight of ia. enemy, and woe be to
the ind rect vanguard which
pressed t.sa closely on his rear.
From S"ift Run Gap jackson
moved rapidly aid secretly across
tho Blue Ridge to Mechum's river,
q station on the Chesapeak s. Ohio
railroad from whence he transport
ed his troops by rail to Staunton,
and from Stanton marched to
Mcdowell where he fought and
routed Milroy. Then the forced
march from Mcdowell back to the
Valley at Harrisonburg, aud the
swift pursuit of Banks to Harpcr's
Ferry with the battle of Front Roy
al and Winchester and innumera-
bic ombats and skirmishes. Then
the second retreat up the Valley to
Swift Run Gap with the battles of
Gross Reyes and Port Republic,
followed by the march to Rich
mond, and the battles OF Cold Har-
Dor, Gaines Mill and Malvern
Hill. From Malvern Hill his COM
mand moved back to confront Pope
and defeat him under the shadow
Of the Blue Ridge at Slaughter's
Mountain. Then the retrograde
movement to Orange Court House,
followed very soon by the invasion
OF Maryland, the battles of second
Manassas, Ok Hill, Harper's Ferry,
South Mountain and Sharpsburo. |
Then the retreat across the Poto- |
mac and the march to Fredericks-
burg with the battles Of Boilers
Ford, Castleman's Ferry and Fed |
ericksburg which closed the oam- |
paign, making nearly 1000 miles
marched and sixteen pitched bat
ties fought in nine consecutive
But this detail of regular marches
and battles represent to those who !
have never been soldiers but 1.-THE
Of the reality. To the old soldiers
it represents hundreds Of skirmish-
CO, and small affairs which precede
and follow a great battle in which
many are killed and wounded, but
which are not counted as battles;
nevor get into history and are not
noticed in general orders. The
miles marched by an army are
counted by the milestones along
the highway, but no account IL
taken Of the many weary marches
10 reach the lonely picket posts far
of from the line Of advance or re-
treat Of the marches and counter
marches, made to meet some real
oF repOrted movement Of tho onara y