UNION CAVALRY SCOUTING IN FRONT OF THE CONFEDERATE AOVANCE.
BY JAMES LONGSTKEET, LIEUTENANT-GENERAL, C. S. A.
O NE night in the spring of 1863 I was sitting in my tent opposite Suff°^’
Virginia , when there came in a slender, wiry fellow about five feet eigh 1 ’
with hazel eyes, dark hair and complexion, and brown beard. He wore j 1
citizen’s suit of dark material, and except for his stooping shoulders was
formed and evidently a man of groat activity. He handed me a note ft' 0111
Mr. Seddon, Secretary of War. That was my first meeting with the fa®° u ®
scout, Harrison, who in his unpretending citizen’s dress passed unmoleste
from right to left through the Federal army, visited Washington City,
and drank with the Federal officers, and joined ine at Chambersburg ‘ VP ’ 1 1
information more accurate than a force of cavalry could have secured.
While my command was at Suffolk , engaged in collecting supplies
the eastern coasts of Virginia and North Carolina , General Burnside ^
relieved and General Hooker put in command of the Federal Army of 1
Potomac. General Lee was not expecting Hooker to move so early, and g aA ^
me no warning until the Foderals moved out to turn his left by Chancell 01 "
ville. He then sent urgent demand for me, but it so happened that all# 1 *
itn
:kiy
trains were down on the eastern coasts, and I could not move my troops ^out leaving the trains to the enemy. I made haste to get them back as q® c
as possible, and the moment we got them within our lines I pulled up f l0 ^around Suffolk , and, recrossing the Blackwater, started back on my march .join General Lee at Fredericksburg. Before wo got to Richmond , howW e1 ’we received dispatches announcing the Confederate success. But with th etidings of victory came the sad intelligence that General Stonewall JnckS
ckS'
was seriously wounded, a piece of news that cast a deep gloom over the arOn the 9th of May I joined General Lee at his headquarters at Frederi 1
burg. At our first meeting wo had very little conversation; General
merely stated that he had had a severe battle, and the army had been v ^much broken up. lie regarded the wound accidently inflicted on Jacks 011
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