The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1904-01-22

related, Federal patrol, passing
the night after the battle, into a
cornfeld where the fight had been
fercest, believed they had sur
prised a whole Confederate bri-
gade, for the moon rising above
the mountains showed a long line
of men in grey lying with their
muskets beside them, in order of
battle, sleeping, it seemed, the
slumber of utter exhaustion; but
the first man touched was cold and
lifeless, and the next and the next
and the next. 1t was the biyouac
of the dead.
And then at last he came to
Charlottesville, Charlottesville,
the dearest victory ever purchased
by Southern arms, for in exchange
they gave Stonewall jackson. 1t
was here that Lee did for the last
time that holdest thing command
ers ever do-diyided his army in
the face of the foe. But be knew
who was to lead the detachment to
the enemy's flank, and he himself
was to remain with forces left be-
hInd. He never did it again, for
he had no jackson to lead. The
old man told me how on that fresh
May morning amid the vistas of
the wilderness all dappled with
sunshine, they started on the last
march behind their beloved leader,
how they swept with steady flow
through the forest tract, the new
grass yielding beneath their feet,
knowing not where nor why, but
thrilling with expectation because
"Old Jack" led the way--"Old
Jack1 who never led in vain how
they covered the fifteen miles in
five hours and almost without a
halt fell like cyclone upon the
disorganized and unsuspectin e
troops Of Hooker, sweeping them
before their cheering legious like
chaff, until the darkness came,
"and then"-and the old mans
voice trembled with the pain Of it
after forty years, ''and then Gen
eral Jackson fell, wounded by a
fire from his own men. Yes, we
lost him there. Many marches we
had after this, and many peril
did we face and many battle
awaited us, but somehow we never
fought so well again"
II walked in the woodland meadow,
Where sweet the thrusEes sing,
And there on bed Of mosses
Found a bird with broken wing;
] healed the wound and each morning
1t trilled forth sweet refrain,
But the bird with the broken pinion
Never scared so high again.
1t is u singular and almost stnrt-
ling fact that although Jackson
practically won every battle he
fought, Charlottesville was the
first in which he had the oppor-
tunity of following his victory to
its logical end and reaping the full
fruits. One Of the greatest victo-
ries ever achieved BY military
chieftain was just within his grasp,
but as he reached forth his hand
he fell. Was it chance or some
hing higher, | wonder, that struck
lown Albert Sydney Johnston in
.he hour he fell at Shiloh, and pal
sled the powerful arm of jackson
1t Chancellorsville2 Had each of
hem lived two hours longer all
history might have been changed.
Ali welll we do not know; we do
rot know.
What StonewaIl jackson might
nave been had God spared is but
title less interesting than what he
vas. Had be lived the Confeder-
ICY might have lived and the de-
liaI of States Rights been treason.
Had this been true certain it is
hat only his refusal would have
yept him from being the recipient
if the highest honors and rewards
he would have had to bestow.
Had this not been true, there was
till Virginia mighty Virginia.
stunned and bleeding, but with her
fContinned on 4th page