The National tribune., 1893-06-08
CHANCELLORSVILLE.

jackson Was Shot.
HAVE read with great interest the ac
counts of Comrades William E.. Cole
- 5th \. J., and that of G. w. S. Conant
in your issues of April 20 and May 4.
1t seemed always to have been accepted
so freely that Jackson was shot by his own
men, as well 10y the Union and the Confed-
crate alike, that he would have been bold
indeed who could headlong Jump and open
a controversy on that subject. But as the
matter Is now under discussion will add
some light upon it.
Berry's Division (the Second Division OF
the Third Corps on May g. 1863, lay in re-
serve in tile woods just by he edge of the
road leading TO Elliss Ford that is, on the
left of it as one travels toward the Chancel-
lor House
Toward evening we were ordered to fall
in. As we reached the Chancellor House
we marched very close TO the left of the
Plank road. We were advancing by the
right flank Hardee's) J, and just as we cleared
the plateau and were descending the gentle
slope which occurs there Gen. Berry, VITO
was riding along at fearful pace, refined in
his horse, and said to the Captain of my
company:
What is the number of your company in
line, sir?"
Seventh" answered Dunning."
Too far back" uttered Gen. Berry, and
turning around in his saddle, called out:
Mclaughlin, give me your regiment at
once!"
With a bound or two of his horse Col.
Mclaughlin approached Gen. Berry, re-
ceived a few short instructions, wheeled
about and ordered Left oblique!" The
head of his column just cleared the left of
ours when he added, ON the right by file
into linei"
Notwithstanding the panic-stricken men
who swaTmed on the road, and the firing
which was going on just at that time, ] en-
tirely forgot all about everything except
the movement referred TO above Marching
mechanically, my attention was entirely de-
voted to the charge which the 1st Mass
made to gain the fence at the foot of the
slope On our left of the Plank road.
Having reached the foot OF the slope we
filed by the right into the woods on our
right Of the Plank road. The left of my
regiment rested on the above road; the right
of the LIST Mass. rested also upon it, and be-
tween these two regiments there were two
guns placed on the road.
Feeling interested in that branch Of the
service. / stepped out to the road to ascer-
y
guns BATTERY K. 4th U. s. While talk
ing TO one of the cannoneers / noticed that
the woods beyond made a perfect arch or
tunnel. Just at this moment it seemed as
If dead calm prevailed everywhere, only
the cry Of the wbip-poor-will could be heard
Whatever was spoken seemed TO be in an
undertone.
Suddenly / saw men ride out from the
woods. The LIST Mass men. Just on the edge
of the road, fired into these horsemen. /
saw what / took TO he three, but proved to
be only two, riderless horses coming toward
us jumped into the bush so as to avoid
being run over, and was asked, What were
those fellows firing at 2"
As not single bullet at that time, as far
as / have been able 10 ascertain, struck
either man or tree in front o. the 1st Mass.
or the llth y. j., ii must follow, the lines
not being over 300 yards apart, that the 1st
Mass, or, rather, few Of its men, were the
party that killed thoroughly conscientious,
If you please. but still an erring man.
What becomes, then, of Col Hamlin's
statementsp The above are the facts in re-
gard To what was seen by me- 1t has
always surprised me that the claim of the
Confederates was so very lame. They were
thoroughly disciplined: two years OF ardu-
Gus warfare had certainly been endured by
those immedi lately in the rear of Jackson
and in our front. They certainly did not |
shoot at the moon. What became of the |
bullets which should have whizzed by Us or |
on the Plank road?
Comrades COnant and Cole are right as TO |
the cause of the death of Gen. Jackson
CHARLES RAPP, First Sergeant, Co. X, 18th |
n. j., Brooklyn, y. Y.