The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-14
Driver Who CarriedStonewall jackson OFF the Field
ny ANDnEw J. IIowELL, Jn.

by ANDREW j. HOWELL. JR.
The man who drove tho ambulance
which carried Stonewall Jackson
mortally wounded off the field al
charlottesville, has unique distinc-
tion. lie was a character In tho drama
OF the great battle who has some OF
tho atmosphere OF romance and
chivalry tnat attaches to the career
and death Of the beloved Southern
general. He Is still living and would
DO hero whatever his circumstances
In life might be. AS II is, hef Is a
plain, modest North Carolina merchant
and farmer named Thomas Jefferson
Capps, who plies his calling and lives
in the memory OF the four years Of his
hard military service. This was an
exceedingly hard service for an H.
provided Southern soldier, and yet,
Wit MIR. Caps. it was an experience
OF the most Intensely interesting and
exciting events in which lie was i'll one
way or another connected.
One cannot talk long with him with
out seeing where his great interest in
life lies; that is, In the memory OF
the Civil War; and about nothing is
his recollection clearer than every de-
tail Of the part his command took
In the intense struggle in the Wilder
ness near Charlottesville in May, 1868.
He was a private soldier, n member OF
Company Z, Third North Carolina Reg
iment.
l had often heard that Mr. Caps
drove the ambulance that bore the de-
voted chicftain off the field | CHANGED
to meet him one day in Wilmington,
Aft y
in onslow county, and asked him If
lie would tell me something of the
incident. He readily made an appoint
monument with me for that purpose,
and, within an hour, we were seated
on two boxes in small grocery store
on the edge of town, SO that he could
tell me his story.
For the most part, the story was
nothing more than what has been
written and told a thousand times of
The battle of charlottesville: If the
vigorous movement of the Federal
Army under Hooker; of the lightning
energy of "Jackson's Foot Cavalry" In
their effort to oppose him; of the meet
ing with the enemy; of the turns and
changes Of the battle: of the terrible
fire which crashed and roared through
the dense oak thicket; of the excite
ment of the men as they rushed heed
lessly through the underground. cheer
ing vigorously, to--they could not tell
what; of the lull before sunset, except
for the incessant, deadly, eXasperating
fire of some Federal batteries, which
swept through the Wilderness; and,
finally, near nightfall, Of the wounding
Of Jackson.
Then he hesitated. and went off on
an incidental circumstance. THE his
tories say" he explained. that Cen
eral jackson was wounded after dark
but know that 1t is not so. was
detailed at the time to ambulance
duty, and was out in the clearing. The
men in the woods thought that night
battle had settled among the thick
trees; But 1t was really some little
time before dark-or, rather before
night, for the moon was shining"
Now, he continued, about the
general. I remember it just as clearly
as II II happened day before yesterday.
No one who was in the engagement at
Charlottesville could forget much
about 1t. I was standing with my
ambulance awaiting orders from our
resinental surgeon, DIR. James McRee,
when an officer salloped up to me and
said, DO YOU see that thicket down
by the plank road?' l said Yes, SIR
I wish you would drive over there as
fast as you can. There are some
wounded officers that we want to
move
II told him that I was very sorry
that ] could not do so. for my orders
from DR.. McRee We're very strict, that
] should wait where 7 was until he
directed me to move. The officer red
hened and looked at me sternly; but
returned his gaze calmly, by which
he knew that was determined to
stand by my orders. He hesitated for
# moment, glancinE over the field, and
then he turned to mo and said, as il
he were talking in the greatest con-
fidence. It's General Jackson. IIe is
seriously wounded. and is lying over
there close to the plank road. l an
swered. That's enough; I'll go, Sir.
My orders to stay amounted to nothing
then.
II hurried over to the plank road
md galloped my horses toward the
place indicated / saw from where
/ had been. standing that things wsr.
pretty hot down there. but did not
know how It really was until / got n
little way on the road. The air was
filled with shells and small shot that
were searching everywhere for tn.
Confederates that Were In the woods.
My horses were wIa, but I was only
TOO glad they moved so fast. The
officer started back with mo, but his
horse reared and refused to 20. I
never expected to come back alive, I