The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1904-04-14

charges OF canister into the advancing Ilne
Hooker, too. flaming out with the old fire
the darling child Of bis creation, now un-
der Gen. Berry. and shouted to its COM
mander: Throw your men into the
the enemy on your bayo-
nets-don't fire a shot-they can't see
you !"t31) Berry's Division, unaffected by
the flying crowd streaming past it. hasten
ed forward at the double-quick, in the most
perfect order, with fixed bayonets, and
took position on 4 crest at the western end
Of the clearing around Charlottesville.
Here Gen. Warren with Berry's men, and
the artillery Of the Twelfth Corps. under
Capt. Best. and Hays Brigade of the Sec
ond Corps, formed a line to check the enemy
in front, while Pleasonton and Sickles as
sailed his right flank: and 80 pieces of
curves of fire athwart the night-sky. poured
swift destruction into the Confederate
ranks. Thus the torrent was stemmed
But, more than all, an unseen hand had
struck down the head and front of all this
hostile menace. Jackson had received a
mortal hurt.
DEATH OF JACKSON.
On seeing the success that attended the
first blow, Jackson, quick to perceive the
from this victory, proceeded to make dis
positions to press on at once. extending
his left so as to cut off Hooker from United
States Ford To relieve Rhodes's Division
which had made the attack. he sent for
ward A. L. Hills Division; and being in
tensely anxious to learn the true position
of his antagonist, he personally went for
ward through the dark woods. and with
a portion Of his staff rode out beyond his
own lines to reconnoiter the ground, in
structing the troops not to fire. unless
cavalry approached from the direction of
the enemy" 1927 Finishing his examina-
ton of the ground. he turned back with
his staff to Renter his own lines; but in
the darkness. his troops. installing. as it
eral cavalry on the charge, fired volley
which killed and wounded several of his
staff, and pierced Jackson with three bull
lets. On being removed to the rear. his
arm was amputated, and he seemed in the
way Of recovery, but pneumonia superven-
ing, he expired at the end of a week. AS
the dying Napoleon is recorded to have
unconscious mind still busy with the
mighty blow he was executing when wound
ed. breathed out his life in the order, "A.
z. Hill, prepare for action !"(33)
Thus died Stonewall Jackson, the ablest
of Lees lieutenants. Jackson was es-
sentially An executive officer. and i'm this
sphere he was Incompatible. Devoid of
nigh IucHldl pdTtS. anu ueSIlIute Oh tnat
power OF planning and combination, and
Of that calm. broad. military intellect,
which distinguished Gen. Lee, whom he re-
garded with a childlike reverence, and
whose designs he loved TO carry out. he had
yet those elements of character that above
all else. inspire troops. A fanatic in re-
ligion. fully believing he was destined by
countered him. he infused something of his
own fervent faith into his men. and at
the time of his death had trained a corps
whose attacks in column were unique and
Irresistible; and it was noticed that Lee
ventured upon no strokes of audacity af-
ter Jackson had passed away.
PREPARATIONS OF A NIGHT.
The operation of Jackson. resulting in
the doubling up of Hooker's right, made
important changes in the line indispensa-
BILE: so during the night new front was
formed on that flank. with Sickles and
Berry. The Eleventh Corps was for the
time out of the fight; but Reynolds's Corps,
which had up to this time been operating
with Scdgwick on the left. below Fred
ericksburg, arrived that evening, and with
its firm mettle more than supplied the tenn
porary loss. No idea was entertained Of
retreating; and if Lee did not retire. it
was evident that the morrow must bring
with it a terrible struggle. But before
ton becomes then more complicated, and
flames out in a double battle. it will be
necessary to indicate what had been pass
ing with that portion of the army under
Sedgwick, and to point out the relations
between these two parts of one and the
same drama.
SITUATION OF sEDGwIcK.
1t was not until after Fridays develop
ments near Charlottesville. when the re
columns that went out to-
ward Fredericksburg had met the enemy.
and had been recalled. and Lee followed
up and drew his lines around Chancellors-
vile, that Hooker became convinced that
Lee was not minded to fall back Seeing
this, he, on Saturday morning, withdrew
Reynoldss Corps also from the force I'M
der Sedgwick, and it reached Chancellors-
vile late that night. This left Sedgwick
with only his own (Sixthl Corps; but it
was q powerful corps, numbering some o.
600 men. ga
Now it is question which will present
itself to the military student, whether il
would not have been better. the. moment
lodgment was gained at Charlottesville,
on Thursday, to have at once brought the
three corps under Sedgwick up to that
point and united the army. Their pres
ence below Fredericksburg, while the turn
ing operation was in execution, was cor
rect; but after that purpose was accom-
plished, the three corps near Fredericks-
burg, and the four corps at Chancellors-
vile, presented the character of a divided
army, separated from each other by 20
miles, a river to be twice passed, and the
enemy between the two parts. And espe-
cially when Fridays developments had
proved that Lee would not retreat, but
offer battle at Charlottesville was such
a junction desirable. Nor was this neces-
sity lessened but rather greatly heightened
by the fact that Hooker's order to with
draw from the advanced position gained
on Friday, by FORGETTING possession of
Banks's Ford (the tenure of which would
have practically brought the two parts Of
his army together). defnitively severed
Sedgwick from the force at Chancellors-
vile. and made a junction possible only
on one of two conditions: first, detour by
the north bank of the Rappahannock. max
ing the passage at United States Ford
but this was one entire days march Sec
ondly, by direct march of Sedgwick from
Fredericksburg to Charlottesville. with
Lee interposing between him and Hooker.
HOoKER's ORDER TO sEDGwIcK. /
Now when, on Saturday night, the dis |
ruption of the right wing had given a blow
to all his hopes, and seriously imperilled |
his army. Hooker resolved to adopt the |
latter course. and with a view to relieve