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troopers. Ashby was older than Stuart, and he thought, and we all believed,that he was entitled to first promotion. When not absent scouting, Ashby spenthis nights with me at the bridge. He told me of Jackson’s order, and thathe would reply to it with his resignation. I expostulated with him, althoughhe had all my sympathies. I urged him to call upon Colonel Jackson thatnight. It was only twelve miles by the tow-path of the canal, and on hisblack Arabian he could make it in less than an hour. I believed Jacksonwould respect his feelings and leave his company out of Stuart’s battalion. I
ventured to write a private letterto Jackson, appealing in the strong-est terms for the saving of Ashbyto the service. The result of hisnight ride was that Jackson notonly relieved him from the obnox-ious order, but agreed to divide thecompanies between him and Stuart,and to ask for his immediate pro-motion, forming thus the nuclei oftwo regiments of cavalry, to befilled as rapidly as new companiescame to the front. One of theseregiments was commanded at firstby Colonel Angus McDonald,with Ashby as lieutenant-colonel,and in a few months Ashby waspromoted to its full command.Ashby got back to Point of Rocksabout 2 in the morning, as happya man as I ever saw, and completelyenraptured with Jackson. From that night on, the affection and confidence ofthe two men were remarkable. A trip Ashby had made a, few days before toChambersburg and the encampment of General Robert®#tetterson was thereal reason for Jackson’s favor. Ashby had rigged himself in a farmer’s suitof homespun that he had borrowed, and, hiring a plow-horse, had personateda rustic horse-doctor. With his saddle-bags full of some remedy for spavinor ringbone, he had gone to Chambersburg , and had returned in the nightwith an immense amount of information. The career of Ashby was a romancefrom that time on till he fell, shot through the heart, two days before thebattle of Cross Keys.
May 23d, 1861, Colonel Jackson was superseded in command at Harper’sFerry by Brigadier-General Joseph E. Johnston. When General Johnston arrived several thousand men had been assembled there, representing nearly allthe seceded States east of the Mississippi River. Johnston at once began thework of organization on a larger scale than Jackson had attempted. Hebrigaded the troops, and assigned Colonel Jackson to the command of the ex-clusively Virginian brigade. The latter was almost immediately commissioned
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COLONEL ROGER JONES. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.
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