Year: 1863

answer to such questions. Jackson thel
turned to the guard, and ordered them t,


search him. He then had in the breas
pocket of his coat Hookers confdentia


orders to corps commanders, giving Z
Iplan, in part of the campaign, the COun.
tersigns of the field for a week in advance
and the field returns, giving the effective
strength Of the 18th Corps on the follow.
ing day. These were all exceedingly
important papers.


Fortunately, before the guard could
carry the orders into execution, terrific
raking fire was opened on JacksOn's col
umn by twenty pieces of artillery com
manded by Captain Best, from an emf
nenee on the plank road. The first eight
or ten shots few over the heads of the
column. The men and gunners dismoun-
ted, leaving their horses and guns. Our
artillery soon got the range with more
precision, and the shell and round shot
ricocheted and plowed through this dense
mass Of the enemy with terrific effect.
Shells we're continually bursting, and the
screams and groans Of the wounded and
dying could be heard on every side. As
an instance of the terrific effect of this
fire, one of the guard was struck by a
solid shot just below the hips, sweeping
off both his legs. A battery came dash
ing up, but when they got into the vor-
tex Of the fire the gunners fed, and could
not be made to man them. An officer,
splendidly mounted and equipped, at
tempted in a most gallant manner, to raj
ly them. A ball struck him on the neck,
completely severing his head from his
body and leaving his spinal-column stan
ding, His body rolled to the ground,
AID the horse gallOped to the rear. One
Of the shells struck a caisson full of ar
tillery ammunition, which, exploding, as.
cended in a crater of various colored
fame, and showered down on the heads
of tho men below a mass of fragments of
shot and shell. The loss inflicted bv this
fire must have been terrible, placing con-
siderably over one thousand men Aors du
canlbat and efeetually breaking up the
contemplated attack of the column. /





An officer Of Jacksons staff subse-
quently stated that it was about fifteen
minutes after this that General jackson
with staff advanced to the front to recon
noiter our position, having accomplished
which he returned by a different path
toward his own men, who, mistaking his
for that of party of our cav
airy, fred upon him, killing and wound
ing four of his staff and wounding Jack
son once in the right arm and twice in
the left arm and hand.


While Captain Wilkins was being ia.
ken to the rear he devoted his attention
to dispOsing of the important papers
which he had on his person. He dared
not take them from his pocket to attempt
to tear them up, but continuously placed
MS hand in his pocket and worked the
papers into ball, and as they were pas
sing along, got them into his bosom and
inally into the arm-pit under his arm, !
where he carried them all that night. I
The next morning the guard halted to
get their breakfasts, and a soldier was t
rying to kindle fire to cook some coffee
which they had taken from our men. ]
The wood was wet and the fire refused to S
ourn. The soldier swore at it until his l
patience gave out, when Captain Wilkins c
isked him if he would not like some kin a
llings and handed him the important a
oapers. The soldier took them, and not f
-reaming of their importance, used them {
O kindlo the fire. v