Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1902-07-09

10 Tile III Oub, 81 tldt NOuCo ohu WI
ston might withdraw and reform their
divisions. General Lane, command
ing the leading brigade in Hills div
ision, moved up in rear OF my guns
and, hating, withdrew to the edge of
the woods for protection. AS soon
as the batteries became quiet, he
threw his regiments into position,
the 7th and 37th N. c. on the right of
the road, the 18th and 28th n. c. on
the left of the road, the 33rd N. G.
having been thrown forward to the
Van Wort house as skirmishers.
General Lane had just gotten his
line established, and returned to the
pike in search of General Hill for or
ders, when General Jackson rode up,
and, giving the command, Push
ahead, General Lane, passed on to
the front through the darkness. My
battery at this time was right be-
tween General Lanes skirmish and
battle-lines. AS General Jackson
rode by me to the front. Colonel
Crutchfield, his Chief of Artillery,
halted and said to me, Captain, l
have ordered up my guns; as soon as
they arrive you can retire and rejoin
your command. '-Stuart's Horse
Artillery Battalion. For a brief
space, shortly before this, there were
no troops on the firing line but my
battery.
LET it be observed here, that Gen
eneral Lane did not advance at once
as had been expected by General
Jackson. Colonel Hill of the 18th NC,
the regiment on the brigade right,
reported to General Lane a noise
upon his right flank, which should
be Investigated. Accordingly Lieut.
enant Emac and four men were sent
out, and very quickly ran into the
128th Pennsylvan q Regiment, which
on being told that Jackson had sur
rounded them, surrendered, and was
conducted to the rear. This episode
caused Lanes delay, which though
unavoidable, did indeed, perhaps, &C.
casion the death of the great chief
tain, who fell that night.
Now where were General Jackson
and his staff at the time General
Lane got through with the noise on
his right and the surrender of the
Pennsylvania regiment? Well, he
had reached Lanes skirmish line, the
33rd N. c., which had been deployed
as such. While there talking with
the officer in charge of the pickets, a
Federal horseman rode up and asked
for General Williams of Hooker's
army, A sergeant of the 33rd, with
out speaking, fired on the man. That
shot became the signal for the whole
skirmish line, which poured a volley
into the darkness. Very soon Lanes
regiments on the right of tn, road,
the 18th and 37th N. c., began also to
fire, endangering the lives of my men
and horses. at once dashed forward
through the leaden hail to the regi-
ments and, having succeeded in res
toring order and quiet, returned to
my guns to repair the damage done
b,, +bo Wild fusilIado
"When the picket line began to fire,
General Jackson, who was on the
right of the road, turned back, and
rode towards Lanes line of battle,
viii III had not begun to move for the
reason already assigned, In making
his way to the rear, Jackson crossed
to the left of the road, to avoid the
volleys from the 18th and 37th n. G.
Regiments, which as stated above, |
quoted He had nearly REACHED my
battery, keeping in the edge OF the
woods, when, for some UNI
known cause, Major Barry in COM
mand of the 18th n. G. Regiment, on
the left of the road, ordered his men
to fire. The 2Sth N. G. Regiment be-
ing aligned with the 18th, also dis
charged their guns. 1t was from
these volleys that General Jackson
received his fatal injuries. He was.
at the time, in the edge of the t mber
not far from my battery.
MY men very soon informed me
that the General had been wounded
and that one of their number, John
Webb, had his horse, the Little Sor-
rel, but just then the Federals open
ed from 20 to 80 cannon upon us, and
such was tbs rain of canister and
shell, that we wondered stone was
left on the pike. However, a pause
came after awhile, and the roaring
ceased
with the returning quiet, Colonel
Crutchfield's guns, which had not
been engaged thus far. came up to
relieve me. We welcomed them, and
as soon as our crippled pieces were
made movable, we went back $50 or
200 yards behind the lines to await
developments, and the return of Dick
Perkins whom | had sent with pair
of horses for disabled caisson.
eve had scarcely halted in the
rear, when Major Rodgers came up
wounded, and was removed from his
Lorr1 70 tho a1nhul La nee which thara |