Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-05-25
JACKSON AND BEE.
rug ,ATTeHs,s SERVICES At BULL
RUN WE'RE cREoITAeLs.
~. p.rrrived That the Henry House Pa
teau Was the Proper Place 10
Fight the Battle.

Observer. ~,
7, "a hard TO keep history exaety
straight one reason for II Is that "'
one man knows IT all. and no TWO n'e'
600 things alike. This is pre-en'i''ehuy
true of a great battle. have been s'ru'h
anew with this upon reading the recent
interesting article OF Colonel Preston On
how Jackson acquired his soubriquet Ok
"s,onevaIl." He corroborates my state
ment. several times published, as 10 Tue
main fact. but does so with VARIATIONS
ora additions which may confuse FUTURE
historical students. unless noticed no"
and harmonized. From what he says ="
would appear that General Bee must nave
made his remark about "StonewaiF' more
than once that day, and two different au-
d,,ors and perhaps In somewhat diIere"t
phraseology.
c-oionel Preston Is substantially correct
IN what he says about General joe JUN
ston nersonally leading the Fourth A''
hama I'm a charge in which they iohoNe1
him with spirit. all their resi''ie's'l
leaders and one third OF their men us,ns
then hors de combat. and also "poul 10
crashing their flag arS carrying II sun
distance and then relinquishing II 70 inc
gallant color-bearer / mentioned th'S
cident in a description Of that oatue ~"
lished n dozen years ago. Oid joe
truly magnificent on that OCCASION &c
IN General Bee. soon after that hdN'u7
rallied some South Carolinians oy p''"t
ing IN the example Of jackson An"
Virginians." that IS matter Oh
I know nothing. let South 'atoun 80.
see 70 that. But | venture 10 suggest ''.''
n would be well for southern writers "
he rather more careful than they so"'e
times are TO avoid laudations OF the troops
Of their own state at the expense V"
those of sister States the soiult's "a
each and every state won plenty OF re-
nown without committing a larceny u
glory from others.
AS A MATTER OF JUSTICE.
Tho statement that General Bee said
with tears. 10 General Johnston apou.
This time. "Mv command Is defeated ana
scattered. and | am alone" calls lot
notice. not for the purpose or dehlai,
for no one will question what Coionel
Preston says about it. but for the purpose
Of explaining how Bee came to say IT,
And when he came 10 the Fourth Ala,
IAN, very soon afterward. he also SAID
70 them. when Informed what regiment
Il was-for it was SO cut to pieces theh
that he failed at first TO recognize II;
"This IS all of my brigade | can hi'u
on the field" | can give an easy eNpla-
nation OF all this. and one that Is hisny
honorable. as we'll as just. both to Bee
and his brigade. and think 1t well 10
make a careful record Of IL here anu
now. as n matter OF historic justice.
Dee's brigade was composed OF the
Fourth Alabama, Second and Eleventh
Nississippi and the Sixth North Carolina
H,lsher's regimenO. When Bee arrived
on the plateau OF the Henry House.
where the main battle was Afterwards
fought. and where he arrived some time
before any other general officer ne mao
with him only the Fourth Alabama ana
Second Mississippi. and two companies OF
the Eleventh Mississippi The Skin
North Carolina. and eight companies OF
the Eleventh Mississippi, who came from
the Valley on a later train than the rest
of the brigade. were not yet mp. WIN
the coup doeil OF a great captain. Bee
perceived that this plateau was the
proper place to fight the battle. but he
saw also that the Federals. unless their
progress was delayed would arrive and
seize It before the Confederate army
could reach there In sufficient force.
Therefore he sent forward his Alabamians
and Mississlpplans at double quick 10
point a half mile further TO the front
10 delay the enemy--to be sacrificed in
fact, TO gain time.
A SACRIFICE.
Isrt no . IN
knowing nothing about war. and only
eager for the fray, went with boundless
enthusiasm to the altar. wherein nearly
one third OF their numbers were soon
offered But the object was accomplished:
for with some Of Bartow's Georglans, who
followed soon 10 aid them they checked
the enemy's advance for over an hour,
thus securing time for our army 10 occupy
the Henry plateau. Bee l think, had re-
manned on this plateau to superintend
the field and watch the enemy. and did
not go In person TO that advanced posi-
ton. When his two regiments. over
whelmed and shattered In their desperate
struggle with the whole Federal army.
which swarmed around their TANKS and
rear, at length fell back: they did so
at different moments, and became sepa-
rated. Their lines OF retreat were de-
termined also by chance and luck, having
TO thread their way between hostile bat
talions in their rear. The Fourth Ala
bama was saved by the accident that
our flag just then was furled around
the staff, and our stars and Bars In that
situation so resembed the Union flag
that Federal force that would have in
tercepted us was deceived as to our
identity till we got past them They
found out who we were In time TO pour
into us a deadly voley. which again deci-
mated the regiment: but our boys had the
pluck to turn and fire again and again
with destructive effect into their COM
pact ranks. strewing the ground with
dead and wounded. When ths.two regl-
ments returned to the Henry plateau. then
covered with fresh troops. they reached II
at different positions. and were not again
united during the day; nor did General
Bee soon find either OF them. Likewise
the other two regments-the Eleventh
Mississippi and Sixth North Carolina-ar.
rived on the field, and entered the battle
on the plateau at different times. and at
separate points, under the leadership Of
their respective colonels Thus it hap
pened-without the fault Of Bee or anv-
body else-that his brigade was not en-
bodied at all on the field that day. but
fought through the battle in separate
regiments. Fisher. Of the Sixth North
Carolina, and many OF his men. were
Killed. The Eleventh Mississippi did gal.
liant service far over to the left. ana lost
heavily.
NOT EXCELLED.
IL Is but fair TO say that Bees brigadn
was not excelled In hard fighting bv anv
other that day. But with his brigade tbns
scattered and out Of his hands, from the
causes l have. mentioned, II was bmt
natural that proud and ambitious ofHcer
like Bee should keenly feel at what a
disadvantage he stood in winning laiirels
and accomplishing results on that field
as compared with jackson. who had his
splendid brigade all I'm hand and ncb,ins,
under. his eye. And Bee evidently did feel
this; for there was something OF desnerats
purpose visible in his bearing and per-
ceptiole In what he said to the blood
when he at length found IT, After learn
ing what regiment it was. and saying that
was all OF his brigade he could find an tba