Page:War songs and poems of the Southern Confederacy.djvu/21

 THE AUTHOR&#39;S REMINISCENCES OF WAR DAYS 9 10,000 men any day.&#34; Another conversation occurred about this time with reference to General Jackson. Several Federal officers who had been in the fight the day before, were discus- sing the point whether General Jackson was a Christian. One said, &#34; I do not believe he is a Christian, for if he was he would not be such a devil of a fighter&#59;&#34; the other said, &#39;&#39; 1 do not know whether he is a Christian or not &#59; but there is one thing certain, if ever he makes up his mind to go to Heaven all hell can&#39;t keep him from it.&#34; Such was the impression that Stonewall Jackson had made upon the men of the Federal Army. He was a Christian indeed, and when he fell asleep in the arms of victory at Chancellorsville, his last words gave evidence that he had gained another and greater triumph — &#39;&#39; Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.&#39;^ IN THE BREASTWORKS BELOW PETERSBURG The second day of April, 1865, found me in the breast- works below Petersburg on the Appomattox River, — a boy of sixteen, and a soldier in an army of 40,000 men&#39; opposing fully five times that many on the other side. Our attenuated line, which was &#39;&#39; long drawn out,&#34; extended from beyond Richmond on the one side to miles below Petersburg on the other. These lines were very close together, so close indeed, that we could easily hear the rumbling of wagons within the lines of the Federal Army. Often I have sat at night and witnessed an artillery duel of the batteries, as the flaming mes- sengers of death passed each other in the night air on their mission of destruction. It was Sunday, the second day of April, 1865, when orders came to us to be ready at once to march. It does not take a soldier long to pack his goods and chattels, nor does he have to tarry for many courses at his morn- ing meal. Suffice it to say, we were soon under way, we knew not whither, though the impression on our minds was that it would be to advance, and we should soon be in the thick of the fight.