Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 29.djvu/345

 Chancettorsvittt. 829

CHANCELLORSVILLE*.

The Flank Movement that Routed the Yankees. GENERAL JACKSON'S MORTAL WOUND.

Description of How He Received It, by Captain W. F. Randolph, of his Body -Guard Under a Terrific Fire.

The following, written by Captain W. F. Randolph, of "Stone- wall" Jackson's body-guard, is taken from the Greeneville News- Times, March, 1901:

It is not the purpose of the writer of this article to give a detailed account of the memorable battle of Chancellorsville, which has been so often described by pens more felicitous than mine, but only to give some few incidents of the first two days leading up to the ter- rible catastrophe, which was the closing scene of one of the most brilliant and successful movements recorded in the history of any war.

The writer was, during these two days, attached to the person of General Jackson, and only left his side occasionally as the bearer of orders to his division commanders.

During the winter of '62 and '63, the Army of Northern Virginia was encamped near and around Fredericksburg, and the writer was in command of a company of cavalry and attached to the head- quarters of General Stonewall Jackson, then located near Hamilton's Crossing, about three miles below the town.

The battle of Fredericksburg, which took place the i3th of Decem- ber, resulted in the defeat of Burnside, and his retreat across the river ended all active operations for the winter. So we settled down in quiet observation, awaiting with anxious expectation the advance of General Hooker, whose artillery crowned the heights of the other side of the river, where the white tents of the Federal army could be seen here dotting the same hills.

The spring was well advanced, the country all around us was cov- ered with verdure, and the roads had become dry and hard, when


 * NOTE. See ante, pp. 166-172, article by Colonel C. C. Sanders.