The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-15

| mounting, I tied my horse in a thicke near the road, advanced cautiously 1 expecting every moment to come il 1 contact with some outlying picket, but met no enemy until l came to an open. ing in the woods overlooking 8 larg, 1 field, where l saw a sight most amaz, 1 ing and unexpected. No less than vast force of federals in every conceiv. l able state of disorder without any | formation; several batteries of artil- 1 lery unlimbered; hundreds gathered around the camp fires cooking, some lying stunning themselves in the bright May sunshine, apparently as uncon- scious of danger as if they had been encamped around the environs of Washington city-no sentinels, nc pickets, no line of battle anywhere
 My heart bounded with exultation, and
 could have shouted for joy. "Verl- ly, I said to myself, "the God of bat
 tie has this day delivered these people
 into our hands" But I had time only
 for a brief glance. Hurrying to where
 had tied my horses, I mounted and
 rode with all possible speed back to
 
 my report. Not word escaped his
 lips. He raised his eyes to heaven and
 his lips seemed to murmur prayer,
 and then. turning to General Hill said:
 Order the whole line to advance.
 General Hill, but slowly, with great
 caution, and without noise"
 And so the movement commenced slowly, silently, with no sound save the
 occasional cracking of stick beneath
 the feet of the men; those long gray lines stretching far into the gloom of the forest, pressed on twenty-five thou sand veterans of many a hard-fought field, who had never moved save in the path of victory. On and on in the gathering evening, the sinking sun casting long shadows behind them, the frightened birds twittering and chirp- ing as they flew from tree to tree, and an occasional bark of squirrel as he looked out, startled at the unwonted scene, were the only sounds that inter rupted the stiffness, solemn and oppres- sive; strange calm preceding a storm, the like of which has rarely been chronicled in the annals of war.
 When our line of battle dobouched from the dense wood which effectually concealed the advance, 1t came imme- diately upon the federal encampment and directly in the rear of their whole line. The first intimation the enemy had of our approach was the character istic Confederate yell, which rolled along the line. and rang out clear and loud above the thunderous clash of and re-echoed through the forest, which had until then been as si- lent as the grave. Never was surprise so complete, never was victory more easily won As our lines swept like an avalanche over the federal camps, they, overwhelmed and outnumbered at eve- ry point, resistance was paralyzed and the panic which ensued is indescriba- ble. On the part of the enemy it was not retreat, but the widest flfght-a race for life. At one time during the evening young officer, wild with en- thusiasm, dashed up to the general cry ng, General, they are running too fast from us, we cant come up with them." They never ran too fast for me, sir,' was the immediate response. And thus onward rushed pursuer and down the road toward Chan Now and then Jackson would press his horse to gallop and lash to the front, and whenever he ap- )eared the troops would break ranks md rush around him with the widest 'heers I ever heard from human hroats. When night closed upon the cene the victory seemed to be com ,lete. The infantry of the enemy had from our cover of several of artillery, which, halting ipon every eminence, poured furious ire of shot and shell down the road lpon our advancing columns. In or Ter to avoid this furious fire as much IS possible, our men were formed in oumns and made to march p the l dge of the dense wood, and parallel | with the road This they were able to To by the aid of the moon, which shone | cry brightly, rendering all ooiects in | UT immediate vicinity clearly distinct | bout this time General A. P. Hill | ode up, and Jackson and himself had onference of some length. I did nut | ear all that was said, but both were eeply absorbed. for shells from the of the enemy were bursting ell round us and blowing up the ground nder our horses feet without either of hem taking the slightest notice of the tile incident As for myself, I cared | ut little either as I was then i'm ressed with the idea that the bullet ad not been nodded which was to kill UT general. The firing soon ceased and fill rode away.
 At this juncture the general had TO fficer with him except Lieutenant eith Boswell, and myself. together ith a dozen of my own men, who were dng behind. A Confederate brigade as marching slowly in column on the fit of the road and close to the woods. eth Boswell was riding on the right : the general and myself on the left, ,tween him and our lines. The gen al turned to me and asked: Whose 'igade Is that?" q don't know sir" replied, but will find out in a mo- ent" I at once rode up to our line ld asked the first officer I met whose 'igade it was. He replied 'I,ane's orth Carolina I rode back to Jack , n, giving hi mthe reply. "Go and tell @ officer in command" he said, "to { 1t this brigade" I rode up to the me officer, gave the command and l Id him that 1t came from General .ckson in person. The order was ssed along the line and the whole ' ipada halted at Onrp ma king n half |