The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-11-13

from forming line, till our aruIfeIy was
stopped and the firing ceased
The Eighteenth and Twenty-eignth
was formed on the left Of the road and
the Seventh and Thirty-seventh on the
right. the Thirty-third was thrown
orwar as skirmishers, covering the
brigade. The Eighteenth and Twenty
eighth were moved forward near the
skirmishing, (Which We did not know
at hat time were in our 'front.', and
before the Seventh and Thirty-seventh
were brought opposite us. A Yankee
officer came into the right regiment n
asked what troops it a Waving a
handkerchief, he claimed flag OF truce
rights, but was not allowed to go back.
Lane was informed at once or the
troops moving on his right flank and
went to investigate before advancing.
Though Jackson and Hill had a again
ordered the We had orders
at first to be careful as u cavalry
would cross at Ely'S or w. S. Fords
and might come in from its circuit in
our front, later we had orders to shoot
anything from the front.
Whilst General Lane was investigat-
ing the ~uati on his right, which
took some time, and resulted in retain
ing the officer who was parleying, and
the capture of his regiment-One Hun
dred and Twentieth Pennsylvania,
| Colonel Pender, hearing something in
| our front. called me with him, and we
| weEt Onward carefully on the edge OF
| the road some so or so yards, and
| found Captain George w. Sanderlin of
| the Thirty-third, who gave US our first
information that that regiment was de-
| ployed as skirmishers We TOLD him
| of our orders, and the complication that
| had risen on the right. He crossed the
road with us where Lieut.. Col. COwan
was and whilst talking with him Cap
tain Joe Sanders came up looking for
Colonel Avery to tell him of the troops
moving on the right of his skirmish
: line. In a few minutes a few shots
were fired, apparently two or three
hundred yards in our front, to the
right of the road. then extending to-
wards the right of the brigade. AT this
j%uncture Colonel Fender n myself
started for one line. making our steps
fast and long. Firing began along the
brigade. Before we reached the Eigh-
teenth it fired a terrific volley. How
we escaped was wonderful. Horses
with riders land horses without, came
into the line with us.
We are friends, cease firing! rang out,
but too late, Stonewall Jackson and
some of the staff wounded. and some
two or three courierS killed, was the
result of hat volley.
Lanes ambulance corps was in our
immediate rear, and was called into
use. A blanket was placed over Cen
eral Jackson to keep his wounding
from being known. as he was carried
to the rear.
I pulled the cape of his overcoat over
the head of one of Hills couriers, tina
fell about where I had last seen Colo
mel Pender. They were about the same
size, n resembled each other very
much. In the I was mis-
taken. Pender was safe and sound at
the left of the regiment. About a
half hour after the %wounding of Jack
son, another firing took place along the
line, and A. P. Hill. who had gone to
the front on foot to look for something
that was left. where Jackson was
wounded, was shot in the calf of his
leg. Hill was much displeased, and
was reproving us for firing at a nose,
etc. A OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES la
conically remarked, Everybody knows
the Yankee army can't run the Light
Division" and one little general
needn't try it." This sally restored
him to a normal condition and he limp
ed down the road, staying on the field
till General J. E. B. Stewart, the chiv-
alrous cavalryman. came from near
Ely'S ford where he turned the COM
mand over to him. Hill may have had
a confusion from a bursting shell as
mentioned by various writers of the in
cident. but he certainly got a minnie
ball in his leg after Jackson was
wounded.
How Jackson and Hill. their staff
and couriers got in front. was neve
satisfactorily explained. Neither OF
them was in the habit. day or night, OF
riding or otherwise going in front OF
the skirmishers, or line. when they
ordered an advance. and the enemy
known to be ait a short distance On that
night they certainly would not know
ingly AVE put themselves between
the lines at such a time. Such a body
Of horsemen could not have ridden
through any part Of Lanes brigade
that night without it's being known
We were never more on the alert, and
wide awake than that night, and ]
don't remember to have ever heard OF
a of the brigade yin that
he knew they had gone in our front.
My recollection is that when Hill and
Jackson came forward to know why
Lane did not advance and again di.
rected him to do so, they went to the
rear, to a large field. on the left of the
road, where Rody. C%olston, French ano
others reforming their commands
1t was more than probable that the
delay occurring by the complication or
Lanes right. caused them to- ride for.
ward ON n mountain road, leading
towards Charlottesville, passing be-
yond Lanes left, and they were ther
in our front, when the firing began
Whatever may be the true statement
OF how they got in that position, Their,
was nothing more certain than tina
they came from our front when the fir.
ing began.
1t was generally conceded that TIL
Eighteenth regiment fired the fata
shots. None regretted the occurrenc.
more than we did. and the army die
not blame US for the manner or meas
ure Of u discharge of our duty
though others did.
The Eighteenth and Twenty-eightl
were transferred ito the right of the bri
gade and about IL o'clock repulsed al
attack made upon that flank, capturing
many prisoners in addition to the regi
ment captured there earlier in tn,
night. The skirmish lines were not IA,
apart. and the least cause brought OIL
a volley.
With empty stomachs we slept on on,
arms. as best we could. between tn,
frings.
Our ears caught the rumbling of ar
tillery wheels and the clatter of man,
axes, making US painfully aware tina
Charlottesville Hill was fortified 70,
the mOrroV'S work Stewart gave or