Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1899-02-01
sToNEWALL JAOKSON's WAY,

died IN StauntOn, once to'" WIG Ao
ing story to friend TO whom he WAS
driving f,om Staunton to Weysrs
Cave:
CATER our defeat of General Banks"
said the major, 1--WE halted in the
woods where we stopped q minute or
80 to rest our men, who had been over
worked in the hard valley campaign,
We went into camp with The intention,
I suppose, ofremaining several dsys.l
Alb nut eleven o'clock on the second
night of the encanpnsnt General Jack
son sent for me. The rain was falling
in torrents. Hound him in his tent
bending over set Of maps and inssnt-
ly studying the roads which led up the
Valley to Winchester and HaIpsrs
Ferry, over which we had just jour.
neyed and fought, too. He asked me
minutely about the roads, formation
Of the country, and other details; and
while was giving the desired insoi-
nation he interrupted me by ssyiAg:
"By the way, major wish Jon would
take short ride for me tonight /
know it is dark and disagrseabls, bus
you will not mind that. Yos can Gee
in the darkness down here ! want
you to get on your horse and ride soI
an inn on the pike few miles above
staunton. There you will SEQ a lone
horseman, clad in a rubber coat. Greet
him and say:
General Jas son says it ID oil right.
"Aiter delivering this message you
may 60 to your home in etaunton and
get a good nights rest, aeioining me
here in the morning
al performed the mission, though
had grea. difficulty in crossing the
swollen streams. I delivered the nss-
sage. and the lone horsenan immed-
lately gslloped up the pike. turned
my horses head toward Stsunton.
reached home At about three o'clock in /
the morning and went to bed. I got
up about nine o'clock, and after break. /
fast I went to tho telegraph Office TO
learn the news from Richmond. for
General McClslland WAS making it hot
for General Lee. Imagine nay sus.
prise when I found General jackson
and his staff in the telegraph Office.
The general was talking over the wire
with General Lee, who wss in Rich
mond.
cat length the conversation ceased
1 did not know what the two generals
were talking about, nor did anybody
else, except themselves and the tsle-
graph operators. We mounted our
horses and started, as I supposed, to
return 70 the camp. When We reached
= yo;rt where the roads forksd, Cen
sra Jackson took what I told him wss
the wrong road. His STAFF s2-v 'old
him the same thing, but he merely bsds
US follow him, which We reluctantly |
did. At length We began to climb the
road. Again sxpossulatsd
with the general for gcing out OF his
way to reach camp, but he merely told
me to ride ahead and tell some cot
layers TO prepare dinner for US. Ibid
30, and at the hrst cottage / halted and
ordered the dinner the women at homo
FASTENED to prepare il for US.
"For the first time I learned that
the army had broken camp early IN
the morning, had climed the mountains
and was then miles ahead on its way
to Richmond.
"Tho remainder is known. While
The northern army was in full retreat
up tho valley. and while General JACK
,on was believed TO be in hot pursuit.
40 was crossing che mountains on his
var TO Richmond. Two days later he
WAS engaged against Mcclellan. The
,esults of the battles around Richmeud
ire wei, known. History might
have recorded different results bat for
his march Of Jaokson's, hish has
,evex before been told. across tho
Q feat which hss been
,qualed only by Nspolson's crossing
he Alps. The lone hozseman whom /
.ssostsd in she dark was . savslryman,
md the message which I conveyed to
him meant that The cavalry should
pursue the northern army up the VAL
ey, which it did. This cavalry was
mistaken ct the north for General
Jsekson's entire army, and imagine the
surprise at the north when in Was
learned that General Jackson was aid