JACKSON, THOMAS JONATHAN. 



551 



Gen. A. P. Hill with his division to hold Harp- 

 er's Ferry and finish paroling the prisoners, he 

 crossed the Potomac at the Sheperdstown ferry 

 on the 16th, and the same evening took post on 

 the Confederate left wing on the historic field 

 of Antietam. The hardest fighting of the suc- 

 ceeding day devolved upon, him, and though the 

 obstinate valor of the Federal troops availed to 

 push him back some distance, the ground was 

 gained at a cost of life never exceeded during 

 the war. On the night of the 18th the Confed- 

 erates quietly retreated into Virginia, and for 

 several days Jackson was employed in destroy- 

 ing the Baltimore and Ohio railroad track from 

 near Harper's Ferry to the North Mountain, a 

 distance of 30 miles. Scarcely had he accom- 

 plished this work when he was called upon to 

 repel a reconnoitring party of Federals, who 

 crossed the Potomac near Shepherdstown and 

 were driven back with serious loss. 



During October and November Jackson re- 

 mained in the valley of Virginia, Lee hav- 

 ing meanwhile occupied and fortified Marye's 

 Heights, in the rear of Fredericksburg, in front 

 of which Burnside lay, on the left bank of the 

 Eappahannock. In the first week of December 

 he was summoned thither by Lee, and upon his 

 arrival took command of the right wing of the 

 Confederate army, which he held during the 

 eventful battle of the 13th. Though here, as at 

 Antietam, the weakest point in the line was 

 given him to defend, and though at one time he 

 was in imminent danger of being flanked by 

 Franklin, he held his ground till darkness 

 ended the battle, at which time no important 

 advantage had been gained in that quarter by 

 the Federals. He even designed a night attack 

 by massing his artillery in front and supporting 

 the pieces with infantry, but was obliged, in 

 consequence of a severe fire from the Federal 

 batteries on the opposite side of the river, to 

 abandon the project. 



For several months Jackson remained at his 

 headquarters, ten miles below Fredericksburg, 

 employed chiefly in preparing the official re- 

 ports of his battles. He still held command of 

 the right wing, and for services in the battle of 

 December 13th had been promoted to be a 

 lieutenant-general. With the exception of cav- 

 alry expeditions and occasional reconnoissances, 

 no operations were undertaken by Gen. Hooker 

 from the time of assuming command of the 

 Federal army, January 26th, until the latter 

 part of April. On the 26th of that month, how- 

 ever, he commenced the execution of a plan 

 which he had been long maturing, and which 

 contemplated a flank movement by one portion 

 of his army some distance above Fredericksburg, 

 while another portion crossed the Eappahan- 

 nock below the town, and menaced it from 

 that quarter. By a skilful ruse Jackson's corps 

 was detained in its old position below Fred- 

 ericksburg, while the bulk of the Federal army 

 crossed the Rappahannock and the Rapidan at 

 various fords above, and on the evening of 

 April 30th was concentrated to the number of 



four corps at Chancellorsville, about 12 miles 

 west of Fredericksburg. The position of Hooker 

 enabling him to threaten both Fredericsburg 

 and Gordonsville, was strengthened during the 

 ensuing day by the erection of breastworks and 

 abatis. Lee was not slow to fathom the de- 

 sign of the Federal general, and leaving a single 

 division to guard the heights he had so long 

 occupied, he moved westward on the 29th of 

 April, and threw up earthworks midway be- 

 tween Chancellorsville and Fredericksburg to 

 arrest the progress of Hooker toward the latter 

 place. During May 1st he reconnoitered the 

 Federal lines, and finding them impregnable in 

 the neighborhood of Chancellorsville by reason 

 of the earthworks and abatis, he determined 

 upon a flank movement upon Hooker's right, 

 and selected Jackson to execute it. 



The latter accepted the task with alacrity, and 

 early on the morning of the 2d his corps com- 

 menced its march, moving toward the road 

 leading to Germanna ford on the Rapidan, so as 

 to strike the rear of the Federal right wing, oc- 

 cupied by the eleventh corps under Gen. How- 

 ard. No suspicion seems to have entered the 

 mind of any of the Federal generals that such a 

 movement was in progress, the Confederate at- 

 tack, if made at all, being expected in front of 

 Chancellorsville, and no precautions had been, 

 taken to fortify this part of the line. Suddenly, 

 at about six o'clock in the evening, Jackson fell 

 like a thunderbolt upon the unprepared Fed- 

 erals, who were cooking supper, or engaged in 

 various camp duties. Formation or order was 

 impossible in the face of the impetuous charge 

 of the Confederates, and in an almost incredi- 

 bly short time the greater part of the eleventh 

 corps was routed and fleeing in a confused mass 

 toward the Federal centre, which was, by this 

 unforeseen disaster, pressed back upon Chan- 

 cellorsville. By great exertion the fugitives were 

 rallied behind other troops, and the advance of 

 Jackson stayed. The latter, however, had no 

 thought of pausing in his career, and having 

 given orders to Gen. A. P. Hill to press for- 

 ward in pursuit, reserving his fire unless cav- 

 alry approached from the direction of the en- 

 emy, he rode with his staff" and escort to the front. 

 It was now nearly nine o'clock, and quite dark, 

 and in deference to the wishes of his staff, who 

 thought he was exposing himself needlessly to 

 the Federal skirmishers, Jackson turned his 

 horse to ride back toward his own lines. In 

 the growing obscurity, the cavalcade was mis- 

 taken for Federal cavalry, and a South Caro- 

 lina regiment, in literal conformity with the 

 orders recently issued, fired a sudden volley 

 into it, by which Jackson was wounded in both 

 arms, and several of his staff killed outright. 

 He fell from his horse, exclaiming, " All my 

 wounds are by my own men," and almost im- 

 mediately a Federal column, attracted by the 

 firing, charged over the very spot where he 

 lay, his staff scattering in all directions at 

 their approach. The Federals were in turn re- 

 pulsed, and in the midst of a terrific artillery 



