Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/194

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

a number of officers belonging to his staff, the general's personal baggage, despatch book and other valuable papers, and a large sum of money, horses and other property. 'J he princijml depot of the Federal army was at Manassas Junction, and Stuart lost no time in attacking and successfully carrying off a large amount of booty. At Second Bull Run Stuart's cavalry was conspicuous, and in the Maryland raid which followed, led in advance of "Stonewall" Jackson's corps. At Sharpsburg he rendered valuable service, guarding with his artillery an im- portant eminence on Jackson's left, upon which depended the security of the Con- federate forces, and also led the movement by which General Sumner and his troops were repulsed. On October 9, after a brief rest. General Stuart led the celebrated raid on Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, at the head of eighteen hundred picked cavalry. When this force was assembled to start. General Stuart thus addressed them, "Soldiers, you are about to engage in an enterprise which to insure success, imperatively demands at your hands, coolness, decision and bravery, implicit obedience to orders wathout ques- tion or cavil, and the strictest order and so- briety on the march and in bivouac. The destination and extent of this expectation had better be kept to myself than known to you. Suffice it to say, that with the hearty cooperation of officers and men, 1 have no doubt of its success — a success that will re- flect credit in the highest degree upon your arms." The men responded enthusiastically to his address and all through the march the orders of their general were strictly obeyed. Nothing was disturbed in the state of Mar}- land, but once they entered Pennsylvania the ca])ture of horses was systematically and diligently pushed. The entire raid was a wonderful instance of the control he had over his men. Colonel Alexander K. Mc- Clure, who was one of the committee of three citizens who surrendered the town of Chambersburg, thus wrote. "General Stuart sat on his horse in the centre of the town, surrounded by his staff', and his command was coming in from the country in large squads, leading their old horses and riding the new ones they had found in the stal)les thereabouts. General Stuart is of medium size, has a keen eye and wears an immense sandy whiskers and moustache. His de- meanor to our people was that of a humane

soldier. In several instances his men com- menced to take private property from stores, but they were arrested by General Stuart's }irovost guard." General Stuart was over- joyed by the complete success of his raid, and his return march from Chambersburg was one of the most remarkable on record. Within twenty-seven hours he had covered eighty miles, notwithstanding the fact that lu was encumbered with his artillery and the horses that had been captured, and had forced a passage of the Potomac in the face ot the enemy. During the entire march the only casualties met with were the wounding of one soldier, and the capture by the enemy of two more who had dropped out of line. Railroad and public property had been destroyed in Chambersburg, valued at $251,- 000 ; thirty United States government offi- cials and prominent citizens were captured and forwarded to Richmond to be held for the exchange of imprisoned Confederate citizens ; two hundred and eighty-six wounded prisoners were paroled and about twelve hundred horses captured. A still more important result of the raid was the demoralizing effect it had on the Federal cavalry. This was succinctly described by General ^^IcClellan in his report: "It was necessary to use all my cavalry against Stuart, and this exhausting service com- pletely broke down our horses, rendering a remount necessary before we could ad- vance on the enemy." At Fredericksburg Stuart guarded the extreme Confederate right. He was with "Stonewall" Jackson at Chancellorsville, and on the nights of the second and third of ]\Iay the command of the corps devolved upon (leneral Stuart, as (ieneral A. P. Hill, the senior in rank, had been disabled shortly after Jackson was mortally wounded. There he displayed characteristic valor, and personally led the charges that resulted in carrying Hazel Green Ridge, the strategic point that com- manded the situation. His battle cry, "Charge and remember Jackson," roused his men to their greatest efforts, and after re- peated charges followed by rej^eated re- pulses, the Confederates finally forced back the r^ederal centre and turned their own guns on them as they retreated.

General Stuart bore an important part in Lee's advance into Pennsyhania, crossing the Potomac and guarding the flanks of the advance columns. lie met and repulsed