The Long Roll
me on any such errand!"
Lee smiled. "General Jackson, what is your opinion?"
Jackson spoke with brevity. "I might prefer, sir, to attack McClellan
first and then turn upon Harper's Ferry. But I see no madness in the
other plan--if the movement is rapid. Sometimes to be bold is the sanest
thing you can do. It is necessary of course that the enemy should be
kept in darkness."
"Then, general, you will undertake the reduction of Harper's Ferry?"
"If you order me to do it, sir, I will do it."
"Very good. You will start at dawn. Besides your own you shall have
McLaws's and Anderson's divisions. The remainder of the army will leave
Frederick an hour or two later. Colonel Chilton will at once issue the
order of march." He drew a piece of paper toward him and with a pencil
made a memorandum--SPECIAL ORDERS, NO. 191.
The remainder of the ninth of September passed. The tenth of September
passed, and the eleventh, mild, balmy and extremely still. The twelfth
found the landscape for miles around Frederick still dozing. At noon,
however, upon this day things changed. McClellan's strong cavalry
advance came into touch with Jeb Stuart a league or two to the east.
There ensued a skirmish approaching in dignity to an engagement. Finally
the grey drew off, though not, to the Federal surprise, in the direction
of Frederick. Instead they galloped north.
The blue advance trotted on, sabre to hand, ready for the dash into
Frederick. Pierced at last was the grey, movable screen! Now with the
infantry close behind, with the magnificent artillery rumbling up, with
McClellan grim from the Seven Days--now for the impact which should
wipe out the memory of the defeat of a fortnight ago, of the second Bull
Run, an impact that should grind rebellion small! They came to Frederick
and found a quiet shell. There was no one there to sabre.
Information abounded. McClellan, riding in with his staff toward
evening, found himself in a sandstorm of news, through which nothing
could be distinctly observed. Prominent citizens were brought before
him. "Yes, general; they undoubtedly went north. Yes, sir, the morning
of the tenth. Two columns, but starting one just after the other and on
the same road. Yes, sir, some of our younger men did follow on horseback
after an hour or two. They could just see the columns still moving
north. Then they ran against Stuart's cordon and they had to turn back.
Frederick's been just like a desert island--nobody coming and nobody
getting away. For all he's as frisky as a puppy, Jeb Stuart's a mighty
good watch dog!"
McClellan laughed. "'Beauty' Stuart!--I wish I had him here." He grew
grave again. "I am obliged to you, sir. Who's this, Ames?"
"It is a priest, sir, that's much looked up to. He says he has a
collection of maps--Father Tierney, will you speak to the general?"
"Faith, and that I will, my son!" said Father Tierney. "Good avenin',
general, and the best of fortunes!"
"Good evening, Father. What has your collection to do with it?"
"Faith," said Father Tierney, "and that's for you to judge, general. It
was the avenin' of the eighth, and I was sittin' in my parlour after
Judy O'Flaherty's funeral, and having just parted with Father Lavalle at
the Noviciate. And there came a rap, and an aide of Stonewall
Jackson's--But whisht! maybe I am taking up your time, general, with
things you already know?"
"Go on, go on! 'An aide of Stonewall Jackson's--'"
"'Holy powers!' thinks I, 'no rest even afther a funeral!' but 'Come in,
come in, my son!' I said, and in he comes. 'My name is Jarrow, Father,'
says he, 'and General Jackson has heard that you have a foine collection
of maps.'
"'And that's thrue enough,' says I, 'and what then, my son?' Whereupon
he lays down his sword and cap and says, 'May I look at thim?'"
Father Tierney coughed. "There's a number of gentlemen waiting in the
entrry. Maybe, general, you'd be afther learning of the movement of the
ribils with more accuracy from thim. And I could finish about the maps
another time. You aren't under any obligation to be listenin' to me."
"Shut the door, Ames," said the general. "Now Father.--'May I look at
them,' he said."
"'Why, av course,' said I, 'far be it from Benedict Tierney to put a
lock on knowledge!' and I got thim down. 'There's one that was made for
Leonard Calvert in 1643'--says I, 'and there's another showing St.
Mary's about the time of the Indian massacre, and there's a very rare
one of the Chesapeake--'
"'Extremely interesting' he says, 'but for General Jackson's purposes
1862 will answer. You have recent maps also?'
"'Yes, I have,' I said, and I got thim down, rather disappointed, having
thought him interested in Colonial Maryland and maybe in the location of
missions. 'What do you wish?' said I, still polite, though I had lost
interest. 'A map of Pennsylvania,' said he--"
"A map of Pennsylvania!--Ames, get your notebook there."
"And I unrolled it and he looked at it hard. 'Good road to Waynesboro?'
he said, and says I, 'Fair, my son, fair!' And says he, 'I may take this
map to General Jackson?' 'Yes,' said I, 'but I hope you'll soon be so
good as to return it.' 'I will,' said he. 'Bedad,' said I, 'you ribils
are right good at returning things! I'll say that for you!' said I--and
he rolled up the map and put it under his arm."
The general drew a long breath. "Pennsylvania invaded by way of
Waynesboro. I am much obliged, Father--"
"Wait, wait, my son, I'm not done, yet! And thin, says he, 'General
Jackson wants a map of the country due east from here, one,' says he,
'that shows the roads to Baltimore.'"
"Baltimore!--"
"'Have you got that one?' says he. 'Yis,' says I, and unrolled it, and
he looked at it carefully and long. 'I see,' says he, 'that by going
north from Frederick to Double Pipe Creek you would strike there the
turnpike running east. Thank you, Father! May I take this one, too?'
And he rolled it up and put it under his arm--"
"Baltimore," said McClellan, "Baltimore--"
"'And now, Father,' says he, 'have you one of the region between here
and Washington?'... Don't be afther apologizing, general! There are
times when I want a strong word meself. So I got that map, too, and he
looked at it steadily. 'I understand,' says he, 'that going west by
north you would strike a road that leads you south again?'--'And that's
thrue,' said I. And he looked at the map long and steadily again, and he
asked what was the precise distance from Point of Rocks to Washington--"
"Point of Rocks! Good Lord! Ames, get ready to take these telegrams--"
"And thin he said, 'May I have this, too, Father?' and he rolled it up,
and said General Jackson would certainly be obliged and would return
thim in good order. (Which he did.) And thin he took up his cap and
sword and said good avenin' and went. That's all that I know of the
matter, general, saving and excepting, that the ribil columns certainly
_started_ next morning with their faces toward the great State of
Pennsylvania. Don't mention it, general!--though if you are interested
in good works, and I'm not doubting the same, there's an orphan asylum
here--"
Having arrived at a cross-roads without a signpost McClellan
characteristically hesitated. The activity of the next twelve hours was
principally electrical and travelled by wire from Frederick to
Washington and Washington to Frederick. The cavalry, indeed was pushed
forward toward Boonsboro, but for the remainder of the army, as it came
up, corps by corps, the night passed in inaction, and morning dawned on
inaction. March north toward Pennsylvania, and leave Washington to be
bombarded!--turn south and east toward Washington and hear a cry of
protest and anger from an invaded state!--turn due east to Baltimore and
be awakened by the enemy's cannon thundering against the other sides of
the figure!--leave Baltimore out of the calculation and lose, perhaps,
the whole of Maryland! McClellan was disturbed enough. And then, in the
great drama of real life there occurred an incident.
An aide appeared in the doorway of the room in which were gathered
McClellan and several of his generals. The discussion had been a heated
one; all the men looked haggard, disturbed. "What is it?" asked
McClellan sharply.
The aide held something in his hand. "This has just been found, sir. It
seems to have been dropped at a street corner. Leaves and rubbish had
been blown over it. The soldier who found it brought it here. He thought
it important--and I think it is, sir."
He crossed the floor and gave it to the general. "Three cigars wrapped
in a piece of paper! Why, what--A piece of paper wrapped around three
cigars. Open the shutters more widely, Ames!"
HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA,
_September 9, 1862._
SPECIAL ORDERS, NO. 191
The army will resume its march to-morrow, taking the Hagerstown
road. General Jackson's command will form the advance, and after
passing Middletown with such portion as he may select, take the
route toward Sharpsburg, cross the Potomac at the most convenient
point, and by Friday morning take possession of the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad, capture such of the enemy as may be at Martinsburg,
and intercept such as may attempt to escape from Harper's Ferry.
General Longstreet's command will pursue the main road as far as
Boonsborough, where it will halt with reserve, supply, and baggage
trains of the army.
General McLaws, with his own division and that of General R. H.
Anderson, will follow General Longstreet. On reaching Middletown he
will take the route to Harper's Ferry, and by Friday morning possess
himself of the Maryland Heights and endeavour to capture the enemy
at Harper's Ferry and vicinity.
General Walker with his division, after accomplishing the object in
which he is now engaged, will cross the Potomac at Cheek's Ford,
ascend its right bank to Lovettesville, take possession of Loudoun
Heights, if practicable, by Friday morning, Key's Ford on his left,
and the road between the end of the mountain and the Potomac on his
right. He will as far as possible cooperate with generals McLaws and
Jackson and intercept the retreat of the enemy.
General D. H. Hill's division will form the rearguard of the Army,
pursuing the road taken by the main body. The reserve artillery,
ordnance and supply trains, etc., will precede General Hill.
General Stuart will detach a squadron of cavalry to accompany the
commands of generals Longstreet, Jackson, and McLaws, and, with the
main body of the cavalry, will cover the route of the army, bringing
up all stragglers that may have been left behind.
The commands of Generals Jackson, McLaws, and Walker, after
accomplishing the objects for which they have been detached, will
join the main body of the army at Boonsboro or Hagerstown.
By command of General R. E. Lee,
R. H. CHILTON.,
Assistant Adjutant-General.
In the room at Frederick there was a silence that might have been felt.
At last McClellan rose, and stepping softly to the window, leaned his
hands upon the sill, and looked out at the bright blue sky. He turned
presently. "Gentlemen, the longer I live, the more firmly I believe that
old saying, 'Truth is stranger than fiction!'--By the Hagerstown
Road--General Hooker, General Reno--"
On the morning of the tenth Stonewall Jackson, leaving Frederick,
marched west by the Boonsboro Road. Ahead, Stuart's squadrons stopped
all traffic. The peaceful Maryland villages were entered without warning