Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1899-03-09

| =. II
the fields of Virginia. To Ills khowi
n edge of the country, to his bold an
quiet reconnoisancy, to his celeriI!
and skill in drafting military maps, "
;, bis presence when intelligenceor uirec
IL tion in the line of his work was needed
s and 70 the skill and prOlnptltuae VIII
o which he executed important ofoers
We believe was due, to large extent
. the successes achieved by our troops
e i'll the Shenandoah Valley and eoine ol
those i'll Eastern Virginia. bis nrsl
n experience, the conduct OF the Tetrea'
OF those of Garnett's men VINO canne
through from Rich Mountain III single
a file over seven mountain ranges, was
g as difficult as it was creditaDle, anu ar,
+ IRVING at Monterey he was assigned
fol the time as adj jutant to Heck reg
: iment. Gen. Lee recognized the ser
vices he had rendered in this emer,
gency, aud assigned to hin The tFepa
ration of maps upon which he baseo
his movements against Rosecfans LII
March, 1862, he Was called TO Woou
stock 10y brief but coinprehenslVe
J order from Gen. T. j. jackson: Pre-
, pare complete map of the Valley
sho wing every point OF offence ana de-
fence, from the Potomac to J4exing-
ton. y
II Adopting upon this work he uAiissd
afterwards a system of Sketchlng rap
idly on horseback in his note book the
Typographical features of The country,
to be developed IN shape OF maps at
night in camp.
When jackson attacked Shields at
IKernstoWn, be entrusted to HotchklsS
the selection OF a line of defence, for
which he chose Stony Creek at Edin
burg. a position held from the 1st to
the 18th of April. Upon the retreat
and in accommodating for the attack
upon Banks, with the Massanuttan
as a post, HOtchkiss established
code OF signals most useful at the
time. In the advance against MilrOy
and return to the Valley, not only in
map making but in directing skir-
mishes, locating artillery, selecting
roads and blOckading mountain passes
between the forces of Fremont and
Banks, he rendered yeoman service.
For his reward he rode with jackson
through the streets Of Winchester, on
the memorable 25th of May. 1867.
He led the movement of Taylor's
brigade to flank the Federal left at
Port Republic. Later he was assigned
for the preparation of much needed
military maps for the use OF the corps
and division commanders, especially
covering the routes TO Washington.
He was in the engagemenG.at Chan- |
tilly, was occupied III constructing
and destroying bridges, and guided
Gen. J. E. b. Stuart from Sharpsburg
to Shepherdstown OH the night OF Sep
tember IL. On the 18th Of the same
month Hotchkiss was recommended
for promotion by Gen. Jackson to the
Secretary of War.
On the 18th of December he rode
with Jackson to Gen. Lees position
at Fredericksburg, and in the battle OF
the day following performed stan
duty. Part of the engineering WORK
done by Gen. Jackson's 5 direction in the
winter quarters at Moss Neck Was his
proposition, under charge OF strlck se-
crecy, of complete map from our
Rappahannock liver front to PhIla-
delpnla, which was utiliz d for the Get
tysburg campaign. He made the maps
for the charlottesville movements,
and by an all night reconnaissance {
found the route for the remarkable
flapking march around Hookel g front
which surprised and eventually STAN
peded his right wing (Howard's corps).
Hurrying to report his successful ex {
to jackson, he found him at
dawn in biyOuac near tie old Taberna
Gle Church, engaged i'll earnest cOnfer-
ence with Gen. Lee, and after few ,
consultation upon his intel
ligence jackson put his corps III mo-
tion. and parted with his chief for the
last time. After be was shot that
night, Hotchkiss helped to take him to
the rear, by detOur. avoiding the
Federal line, and was sent by him to
Gen. Lee, for whom he prepared maps
of the locality-the basis Of all since
published. AS engineer officer on the
staff of Gen. Ewell he rendered SINH
lar service during the Gettysburg cam
paign, accompanying him in the battle
of the first day, and then observing aud
reporting to him movements from
Seminary Ridge. On the retreat he
selected the position near Hagerstown
where Lee offered battle to Meade. AT
Orange G. H., with other staff duty he
was engaged in mapping out Meade's
movements and the Mine Run cam
paign. In the spring of 1854 Gen. Lee
sent him to select lines of defensive
operations in Southwestern Virginia.
where the enemy were destroying fur
naces and nitre works.
In the Wilderness campaign he was
active in staff and Typographical work,
and at second Cold Harbor be perform |
ed for General Lee the difficult task OF
mapping, in one day. during skirmlsh |
fire. the line of some ten miles held by
our force from Chickahominy to Toto
potomoy and it's approaches, giving
him the map the same day.
In June, 1854, General Early took
command of the Second Corps, and
CAPTAIN Hotchkiss accompanied him
on the ardous expedition to Maryland
and forced the march to meet Hunter
at Lynchburg, also in his Valley cam
paign against Sheridan. With Gen
eral Gordon he made the daring recon
| noisance of Sheridan's position, and
the sketches from which Cedar Creek
was fought, and led the attacking force
by a mountain pass in single file to
fall at day ybreak like thunderbolt on
the enemy's flank.
Corps Headquarters was at Staunton
the winter following, and Hotchkiss s
maps were seized by oder of General
Grant, upon the surrender, with the
view of using them i'll connection
with his official report. But when
/. | Hotchkiss insited upon going to
w ashington with his maps, offering to
COPY them, Grant kindly. ordered their
return and paid for the work OF copy
ing them.
As military man Hotchkis, was as
fearless as be was efficient. 1T may be
nent'onedthat he had two horses shot
under Lin. AS Confederate Vete-
ran he never ceased to vindicate the
cause and achievements of that army.
, AS an author his works on Chancel-
lorsville and the Valley campaign are
valuable contributions to history. lie
+, has also done much technical work for
| the general government pertaining to
. the war.
In June, 1896, he was. by Genera!
John B. Gordon, commander-in-caief
of the United Confederate Veterans,
commissioned upon his staff in that
r organization brigadier-general and
! chief of engineers.
4 Comrade Hotchkiss was the pioneer,
adviser and acknowledged leader OF