348

LEE’S ATTACKS NORTH OF THE CHICK A HO MIN Y.

A. P. Hill to cross at Meadow Bridge, Longstreet at the Meehanicsville Bridge,and me to follow Longstreet. The conference broke up about nightfall.

It may be of interest to the student of history to know how Jacksonmanaged to slip off so often and so easily. His plan was to press his infantryas near as possible to the enemy, without bringing on a general engagement;then to occupy these advanced points with dismounted cavalry pickets, andto start his 44 foot cavalry ” in the other direction with all possible speed.His stealthy marches to the rear were made without consulting his highestofficers, and even without their knowing his destination.

It was characteristic of Jackson to select for his chief-of-staff, not amilitary man, but a Presbyterian minister, a professor in a theologicalseminary, and to clothe him with the power of carrying out his mysteriousorders when he was temporarily absent. Jackson’s confidence was wellbestowed, and he found in the Rev. R. L. Dabney, D. D., a faithful, zealous,and efficient staff-officer. To him, now a professor in the State Universityof Texas, I am indebted for the following account of the unexpectedappearance of Jackson on the Federal right wing before Richmond:

“ General Jackson’s forced march from Mount Meridian, in the neighbor-hood of the Port Republic battle-field, began in earnest on Wednesday, June18th, the general and a few of the troops having left the evening before. Aboutmidday on Thursday, the 19th, we were at Mechum’s River Station, aboutten miles west of Charlottesville, with the head of the column. The generalcalled me into a room in the hotel, locked the door, and told me that he wasabout to go in advance of his corps by rail to Richmond to see the commander-in-chief ; that the corps was going to Richmond to join in a general attackupon McClellan, but that he would return to his command before we gotthere; that I was to march the corps toward Richmond, following the line ofrailroad, as near as the country roads would permit, by Charlottesville andGordonsville, General Ewell’s division to form the head of the column withwhich I was personally to proceed; that strict precautions of secrecy were tobe observed—which he then dictated to me. He then got on an express trainand left us. I dined that day with General Ewell, and I remember that hecomplained to me with some bitterness of General Jackson’s reserve, saying,4 Here, now, the general has gone off on the railroad without intrusting tome, his senior major-general, any order, or any hint whither we are going;but [Major J. A.] Harman, his quartermaster, enjoys his full confidence, Isuppose, for I hear that he is telling the troops that we are going to Rich-mond to fight McClellan.’

44 ‘ You may be certain, General Ewell,’ I replied, 4 that you stand higher in

This was a source of annoyance to Loring in in your many scouts around, I would not know’61, and later on to Ewell. When Jackson’s corps what the corps was left for, or what it was expectedwas so strangely left at Winchester after the battle to do.” He then told me that he had suggested toof Sharpsburg, or Antietam, and General Lee had General Lee , who had to move back to protectgone to the Rappahannock (we were making a Richmond, that he could remain and remove ourfeint every day of holding the gaps in the Blue wounded and stores, and that his presence onRidge, with strict orders not to bring on an en- McClellan’s flank and rear would keep him fromgagement), I said to Jackson one day: “I am the attacking Lee . In case of any casualty to himself,next in rank, and should you be killed or captured the removal was to go on till completed.—D. H. H.