Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-26
CHAPTER XII.

Panic does not always follow defeat.
Indeed it seldom does. A battle is a
checkerboard wherein all the spots are
marked with blood. The checkers are
men-men lying in reserve. men on the
battle lines, men charging OIL tanks or
center.
The generals in command watch the
board. If one makes a move on the
right or left, the other seeks to take ad-
vantage of it. For the time being they
shut their ears to the roar of battle.
shut their eyes to the sight of dead and
wounded. Beauregard halted at the
threshold of victory at Shiloh. So with
Mcclellan at Antietam. AT Freder-
icksburg Lee permitted Burnside to re-
treat after defeat. At Gettysburg Meade
did the same with Lee. Jackson had
thrown himself against Shields at
Kernstown Oh the right, on the left, ON
the center. He could not break the line
anywhere. He left his dead along a front
of a mile and a half, but the sacrifice was
in vain. 1t was military tactics to re-
treat-to fall back to a strong position
and oblige Shields to attack him or give
over his march up the valley. There is
sometimes more generalship in a retreat
than in an advance or in fighting a bat
tie. The trains must be saved, the
broken and disorganized commands
picked up and reformed, the best troops
sent to the rear to stand as Ii bulwark
between the exhausted army and the en-
thusiastic enemy.
Jackson left nothing behind him-ar-
tillery, wagons OF muskets-worth gath
ering up and reporting. Most of his
wounded were carried up the valley as
he fell back. Shields followed slowly,
and the rear guard had no fighting to
do. The panic of a army, of an army
corps even, is a terrible sight, but the
panic of a town is something which no
one can fifty describe. The news of
Jackson's defeat preceded him, and
when he reached Winchester it was to
find a town wild with fear and crazed
by terror. Wa was young then. In
after years the old town changed hands
without a tremor, gathered up the dead
off its streets and buried them as part
of the regular programme.
THE Yankees are coming! The town
will be given up to sackl Winchester
is TO be burned, and women and chill
dren must feet
So rose the cry from house to house.
Some locked their doors and rode away
on horseback or in their carriages.
Others left their doors wide open and
took the turnpike to the south on foot,
carrying whatever they had at first laid
hands on as a burden. Furniture was
brought out and piled in the streets and
set fire to, and had not Jackson's adj
vance arrived as it did the people of the
town would have applied the torch to
their own rooftrees. The Yankee SOL
der was popularity supposed to be with
out honor or pity-a rufian who stopped
at no crime. jackson paused to refresh
his men and allay the excitement. Those
who had not fled decided to remain,
though fearful of consequences, but the
general excitement scarcely abated.
The Percys were among the first to
hear Of Jackson's defeat and the news
that the Federal army was following
him up and would soon be in Winches-
ter. They were excited, but not terrified.
I'VE will remain right here, and we
shall not be disturbed, " said Marian to
her mother. 1.-The Federals have not
burned towns elsewhere nor made war
on women and children, and they will
not do SO here. We have no cause to be
afraid"
Neither had they, but circumstances
which could not be foresee1 sooq caused