Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1902-10-30
THE pRoFANE PRIVATE.
Vented to Take Up = Collection ana
Pay for q Mired Gun, But Gen.
jackson Wouldn't Do 1t.

d
Among the many quaint stories that
are told in connection with Stonewall
Jackson's brilliant campaign in the
Shenandoah valley in 1862 there is one
that always brings u smile to my face
when I think of it as told by an old
''ex-confed' who was attached to one
of the batteries of his command dur
ing that trying time, relates a writer
in the Detroit Free Press.
In the early spring of that year Gen.
Jackson had rushed his "Commissary
Gen." Banks-the commander of
federal army in the valley-through
Winchester and Martinsburg, across
the Potomac into Maryland, with the
loss to the latter of many men and q
large quantity of military supplies,
and then leisurely returned to VIM
chester, where he was not permitted
to remain long undisturbed by his en-
emies. Banks, Shields and Fremont,
approaching from three sides (north,
east and west), endeavored to cut off
Stonewall's retreat up the valley.
After leaving Winchester the con-
federates followed the turnpike-a
frst-class road--through Stroudsburg,
Woodstock, Edenburg, Mount Jackson
and New Market to Harrisonburg,
where they left the turnpike and struck
out in the direction Of the Blue noun
tains by way of Mount Crawford.
Between the condition of the pike
and the red clay road on which Jack
sons command now found itself there
could be no comparison. Everything
on wheels stuck fast in the mud, and
the patience of officers and men were
alike tried to the utmost.
The infantry and cavalry kept out Of
the mud road as much as possible, seek
ing the fields and threading their way
through the woods where the ground
was not cut up so much. Notwithstand-
ing the disheartened condition of
things, the toilsome march was kept
up in the direction of Port Republic,
with Banks and Fremont hanging like
bulldogs on the rear and Shields push
ing with all his might up the Luray
valley to keep Jackson from crossing
the river and reaching the protection
of the "burly Blue Ridge" after his an
ticipated defeat by the two tirst-named
generals.
At point on the road where it was
belly deep to the horses a 12-pound
howitzer was stuck fast, and the dis.
gusted artillerymen strove in vain
with whip and spur, fence rails, strong
English, and every expedient that dis
gusted men could think of to get out
of the slough of despond."
At this time some cava lrymen sitting
on their horses looked idly on, and
congratulated themselves upon having
four legs under them, instead of four
wheels, and a heavy piece of artillery
in their charge, which seemed to be
possessed of the devil of obstinacy.
While the cavalrymen were enjoying
the situation, sitting high and dry
upon their horses, and now and then
cracking joke at the expense of the
mud-bedrabbled gunners, a rather
quaint-looking officer, with an old
slouched hat cooked over his eye
askew," halted with his staff and
quietly took in the situation.
Then, turning to one of the cavalry
officers in command of the troop Oh
the roadside, he directed him to order
some of his men to 6ismount and help
the gun out of it's unfortunate posi-
ton.
The response of the mounted men
to the order was very slow indeed; but