The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1914-09-11
JACkSON'S ORDER
OBEYED BY ENEMY
Confederate General Was in Un-
ion Hands, But Made His Es.
cape by Strategy.

! 1eTHdpS lUc HiuSL important OTuti
that "Stonewall" jackson ever issued
certainly the most vital to himself
is not in the official war records,
says the youths Companion. The or
der was given in person by Jackson
to a Northern artillery officer as he
stood, in full uniform. ready for
battle beside his gun, apd-strang-
est of all-was at once executed by
him, with the result that the battle
was lost by the Union arms.
1t was on a spring morning in
1862. just before the battle of Port
Republic. Jackson, i'm advance of his
troops, with only single escort,
galloped across the bridge over the
Shenandoah river into the town,
which stood on the east bank. Learn
ing that the army of Gen. Shields
was still a good many miles away,
and confident that his own troops
would be in possession long before
the enemy, he rode to residence
at the further end of the village,
where he spent nearly an hour.
But meantime the energetic
Shields, whom Jackson later de-
clared to be his most formidable OPP
ponent, had thrust forward small,
swift collmn to occupy Port Repub-
lie. seize the bridge and halt Jack
sons advance So rapid did it move
hat it gained both objects without
iring a shot. Mere than that Jack
ion was prisoEer-if anyone had
;ncwn it,
Jackson, in utter ignorance of the
disastrous change, mounted his
horse and ambled down the main
street to the bridge. What was his
establishment to see groups of soldi-
ers in blue busily moving to and fro
about the bridge head, and throw
ing up Entertainments and fortiflca-
tons. Planted on a little knoll that
commanded the bridge and its ap-
proaches was formidable field
gun. ar -
Fortunately for Jackson, the re-
cent campaigns up and down the
valley had faded both blue and gray
uniforms into a nondescript drab.
As jackson sat on his horse and
watched the busy scene, he formed
his plan swiftly. He could not so
back; he must cross that bridge;
that was his only chance. 1t was the
frowning field gun that he feared.
He must put it out of commission
long enough to get beyond its range.
Throwing up his hand to attract at
IGNITION. he shouted to the officer in
command of the gun:
what are you doing with that
gun up there? / didn't order it there,
and | don't want it there!" There
was authority and petulance in his
voice as he added, Timber up, and
run ii over on that knob over there!'
The officer at the gun, thinking
he had to deal with some superior
officer recently arrived, fastened to
obey without question, explaining in
self defense that he had understood
his orders otherwise.
Sitting on Little Sorrel while the
Federal troops worked busily about
him, Jackson calmly waited until the
gun was numbering off to its new po-
sition. Then he rode quietly across
the bridge and up the other bank
until he was well out of musket
range. Then he turned, waved his
hand to the astonished Federals and,
putting spurs to his horse, galloped
away from he rain of bullets that
battered harmlessly in the rear.
Had he been captured, the Con-
federate victory at Port Republic
which he won few hOursN later
would not have happened; the able
and energetic Shields would have
defeated his troops, stunned by his
loss.