The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-08

Tell me, general, what is the situation
here" Whereupon he informed me Of
McDowelrs movement how he was
transferring a large portion of his
ley. by way Of Manassas Gap, to cut
him off; how Fremont, with 5000 men.
was marching from the direction OF
Romney TO effect a junction with Nc
Dowell: how Banks had some 1000 or
5000 at Williamsport ready to re-
cross the river. and how saxton had
1000 more at Harper's Ferry, who
were being reinforced by the Balti-
more and Ohio Railroad and were pre-
pared TO cooperate with the rest Of
the Federal forces who were closing
in around him.
Mcdowell and Fremont" said he.
are probably aiming TO effect june
ton at Strasburg, SO as to head us
Off from the upper valley, and are both
nearer To II now than we are; conse-
quently. no time Is to be lost. You
can say TO them in Richmond that
I'll send on the prisoners. secure most.
If not all. OF the captured property.
and with Gods blessing Will be able
10 battle the enemy's plans here with
my present force. but that it will have
TO be increased as soon thereafter as
possible. You may tell them. too. that
IL my command can be gotten up TO
10000 men movement may be made
beyond the Potomac, which will SOON
raise the siege of Richmond and trans
Ter this campaign from the banks of
the James to those of the Susque-
hanna"
After RcinfOrcements.
He then told me to so TO Charles
town, where | would find q railroad
train ready at the station, with the
engine nred up: TO detach all the cars
but one. 10 take that and proceed
ttsi d.la
his quartermaster. Major Harmon,
would furnish me with transportation
10 Staunton, and that 1 could leave
my horse in charge of the assistant
quartermaster at Charlestown. TO be
sent with the troops that evening.
Thus instructed. / stood not on the
order OF my going. but went at once
and. although l rode rapidly, l had
hardly reached the railroad station at
Charlestown before Jackson himself
came galiop!ng up with his assistant
adjutapt. the gallant and accomplished
Sandy Pendleton. who was subse-
Quently killed in battle at Fishers
Hill; the general having suddenly come
10 the conclusion after ] had left him
at Halltown 10 so by rail 10 Winches
ter in advance of his army. which
meanwhile having been ordered back,
was making one Of those wonderful
that had already won for il the sobri-
quet OF "Jackson's foot cavalry" AS
soon as we took our places in the car,
putting his arm OH the back of the
seat before him as q rest for his head
hn fell into a sleep which lasted all
th@ way 10 Winchester with but one
inter-uption-that was near summit
Point, when, seeing horseman gal
Looping across the fields towards US,
vi I VI tn
Confederate cavalryman. l awaken
ed him that he might order the train
10 stop, as 1 supposed. the approach
Ing horseman 10 be a messenger with
information. Ny supposition was cor
rect. for 1t was a courier with a dis
patch. who. as he refined up by the
side Of the car and handed the paper
into It's window, informed us of the
defeat OF Colonel Conner. of the
showing that McDowells advance was
already within twelve miles OF stras-
burg. while Jacksons was upwards OF
forty miles north OF il. Strasburg be-
ing eighteen miles south OF Win
chester on the line OF Jackson's re-
treat, and the important point to-
wards which both the Federals and
Confederates were now converging
The general. having glanced at the
dispatch, tore 1t up, and dropping the
fragments on the hoor OF the car.
said to the conductor: Go on. sir. if
you please and resumed his SUM
bers.
An Agreeable Delay.
We reached Winchester at dusk in
a heavy rain storm. and. on arriving
al the generals headquarters, which
were in the Taylor Hotel. he told me
that, as he had concluded TO forward
certain important papers by me TO
Richmond. which would take two or
three hours to prepare. I would not be
able to get off as soon as ! expected
/ was very glad to know this as more
time was thereby given me to spend
with my only son. youth In his teens.
who had received two severe wounds
In the battle OF the previous Sunday
and was then lying disabled at the
house OF a friend in Winchester,
where. by the way, on Fastening to
see him, had the unexpected happi-
ness to find my wife also. who had
managed with much difficulty, to reach
there two days before. The exigencies
of the times had prevented our meet
ing for many months previously, and
our brief interview by the bedside OF
our wounded son was the only one
We had for more than a year there
eiitei' iIuiy war, under any circum-
stances and in any shape, Is a sad dis
turber of domestic life. In It's best
aspects 1t Is deplorable calamity TO
any country. But, when it comes In
that direst Of forms-in the hideous
guise of fratricidal civil war-raging
in the region of ones own residence,
with Its debasing system Of social
espionage and ex parte ordinations.
alternating communities and separating
friends, filling the hearts OF families
with anxiet!es and dread desolatlng
their fair fields and destroying their
happy homes. even over the defense
less heads of women and children, the
horrors Of that calamity. to say moth
ing OF It's sanguinary features, are en-
HANGED hundredfold, and no people
Of the South experienced them in
greater degree or endured them with
more heroic and accomplishing forti-
tude than those whose fate 1t was to
live during the late war in the lower
Valley OF Virginia. within radius
OF forty miles around the battle-
SCARED town Of Winchester. Espec!-
ally may this be said OF those min