The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-10
THE FIRST |: !. 5,
BAT GALLON ] | !: N.
Continuation 81. the, Sketch OF.
This Aggregation Of Famous
Virginia Fighters.
THE OLD irish BATTALION"
Where and How They Fought
i'll the Days That Tried
Mems Souls.

in the Days That Tried
553 Mems S Souls.
tWrltten$for The Times Dispatch, by Judge
Charles Acxander.) 5555s,5 3s
Z General jackson had commenced upon
Ills remarkable campaign In tic Valley
or Virginia and its sidings His cl1arac-
n ter and worth was only known to q few
III persons Tho was generally thought to be
inlpusive, and d trust to- God and lucky
sort OF man, which was absolutely err
5g Toneous. OF all the generals that served
$ under during the four years Of war;
he was the mos prudent, the most active,
X ana the most determined. He had but
5 few ideas, d bit they were Very clear to
%S him, and as a military3 man he va $
$4 d WAYS erua to he size ;nf any command
4 given to \ him. and he could accomplish,
all within the reach of his resources
Whatever he undertook was perfectly
plain to him, which gave him grea + con-
lldence in himself; lie always; :lSncW " hat
s5 lie wanted Ito do. and exercised good
Judgment ii, measuring the strength OF
Ills forces and the enemy. West Point
taught him the science of war and ma
Ffture lavisilcdF upon him as it did upon
Forest. tile unlcttcred general Of the
West. the art Of war that never blum
$dcrcd,s
$s Jackson had fought the $battlo$of Kerns-
town not for q vic tory, but to hold the
0I,ederals In the Nalleyaof Virginia, that
they might moi Interfere with JOfr1stonSs
retreat from MANASSAS. That battle. ac-.
@colnplishcd his object. hutgllc had hoped
forSmorc. and het commended to tln5day
$Euf$ HIS death, hat he would have won
sic victory IL General Garnet had rot
ordered f Il retreat. AS the battle had
ID drawn back the Federal troops that had
passed the Blue Ridge on their way 70
tho East, and tho Federal forces had
become too strong TO be5iatta ckcd by his
Elittlc army be fore he would find 1t neccs-
65sary to return up the Valley to protect
the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad from
threatened advance Of General Mil
sroys army from the West. He march
ed al once up 81 the Valley, then sought
g AiirOy, whom he found at Mcdowell, and
drove him back, but sustained, perhaps,
greater loss in killed and and wounded 1 than ,
the Federals; &Yct5git was a valuable VIC
tory, In which the First Virginia Battalion
X participated with somc loss
1t was then hat General Jackson plan
nod his attack .unonrGcnernl Banks. who
had his army scat TERED, and was routed
8i5;lt every place where assaulted. and driven
In great disorder to Ilnrper's Ferry,
leaving to Jackson an outfit not only
VI sufficient for himself, but TO greatly help
thn main army OF Northern Virginia In
this grand move the First Virginia Bat
TALON acted Its part, And then came q
trying time upon the whole of Jackson's
army Fremont. with thirty thousand
Al
west 10 intercept his return up the Val
8 ley, and Shields with an army OF ter
thousand men, was holding the passes
" on the Blue Ridge and marching up the
5$H Shenandoah. They hoped to cut Jack
q son off from his line Of retreat and lc
T crush him by numbers. Jackson com.
si menced bis retreat up tho Valley, with
Ills prisoners and plumber III advance
a both OF which reached Staunton IN safe
#ity.
agrhe rear guard Of Jacks0n's army hat
III barely passed tho jnnclure OF the roat
from the west with the Valley turnpike
AZ before the head Of Frcmont's column
# reached it. Jackson's rear was pressed
by Federal cavalry. Tho First Virgins
~ Battalion marched the greater par o.
one day in line Of battle, across fields
8 parallel TO The road, and over bitches am
fences rea at,any me , I, 70 ag boz,
W
@ agreeable, SEit was upon this retreat tga
3 i Witnessed IA check of the enemy. GU,
cavalry haa been routed ny the enemy'
NJ cavalry that grenily ontnumbered them
III and fought with spirit. Our infantry ant
artillery were upon the turnpike and II
@531ull retreat, Tho First Virginia Battalion
III was the hlndmost Infantry, ard next tt
M 1t WAS The Twenty-tirst Virginia ltegl
Bslnent commanded by Colonel John y
s Patton. The road was fenced whichtkcp
vi, loose horses along It's way, II WAS murl
IS elevated Just where We were, and beoy
81 ~ WAS il deep gorge, Riderlcss horses
# III frantic terror, threatened ~ desllo.
sSl4lis. b One X rushed my clothes as he pass
air AZ he leaped below and to death
#Sl saw no cayalrgmen disposed 10 rid
fupun AS but only The rideriess, terror
h stricken horses that We're more danger
8 Ols Than cannon balls, General GeorG
# H. Stewart. who commanded cavalry
s lost liis head. II he4evcr had one, ordera
@ our men TO about face and fire upon on
NJ feireating cayalrgncn but the liattAlio
Fl oiiicer9 checked Alsoncegany obedience I
The order For a.little while al va
~ confusion around, Dnt not In the bal
% TALON; cur men remained cool and ever
II nne'i,1 Ills place, except u few who ma
# been knoeked bg horses from. The tpri
{ pike.
55sSln q short time thereafter Gcnen
IN AshSy rode up u General Jackson. vi
M WAS lingering nral ihe scene Of tropbt
and stiid. General. give me a regimen
48of Infantry and Will stop the enemy
M General jackson IA once ordered -
81 First Virginia Battalion Then i'wentssfiri
85yyirstlaia Regiment, and CaskieS Batter
TO halt IlLsY were faced about an