The Long Roll
Recruits are coming in all the time; good, determined men. I truly
feel that we are invincible. I write in haste, to get this in the
bag we are sending to the nearest railway station. Dear love to all.
Aff'y your son,
JOHN SMITH.
"Good!" said Jackson. "Always deceive, mystify, and mislead the enemy.
You may thereby save your Capital city. The next."
"From one of Ashby's men, sir."
MY DEAR SISTER,--We are now about thirty companies--every man from
this region who owns or can beg, borrow, or steal a horse is coming
in. I got at Staunton the plume for my hat you sent. It is
beautifully long, black, and curling! Imagine me under it, riding
through Maryland! Forty thousand of us, and the bands playing
"Dixie"! Old Jack may stand like a stone wall, but by the Lord, he
moves like a thunderbolt! Best love. Your loving brother,
WILLIAM PATTERSON.
"Scratch out the oath, Jarrow. He is writing to a lady, nor should it be
used to a man. The next."
MY DEAR FITZHUGH,--Papers, reports, etc., will give you the details.
Suffice it, that we've had a lovely time. A minie drew some blood
from me--not much, and spilt in a good cause. As you see, I am
writing with my left hand--the other arm's in a sling. The army's in
the highest spirits--South going North on a visit.
All the grey bonnets are over the border!
We hear that all of you in and about Richmond are in excellent
health and spirits, and that in the face of the Young Napoleon!
Stronger, too, than he thinks. We hear that McDowell is somewhere
between you and Fredericksburg. Just keep him there, will you? We'd
rather not have him up here just yet. Give my love to all my
cousins. Will write _from the other side of the water_.
Yours as ever,
PETER FRANCISCO.
P. S. Of course this is not official, but the impression is strong
in the army that the defensive has been dropped and that the geese
in the other Capitol ought to be cackling if they are not.
Jarrow drew the whole together. "I thought the three would be enough,
sir. I never like to overdo."
"You have the correct idea, Jarrow. Bring the boy in, Gold. I want the
bag captured early to-morrow."
On May the twenty-eighth, fifteen thousand in all, Winder still in
advance, they moved by Summit Point toward Harper's Ferry, thirty miles
away. Ewell on Rifle led the main column, Jackson and Little Sorrel
marched to-day with the rear, Ashby on the black stallion went far
ahead with his cavalry. The army moved with vigour, in high spirits and
through fine weather, a bright, cool day with round white clouds in an
intense blue sky. When halts were made and the generals rode by the
resting troops they were loudly cheered. The men were talkative; they
indulged in laughter and lifted voice in song. Speculation ran to and
fro, but she wore no anxious mien. The army felt a calm confidence, a
happy-go-lucky mood. It had come into a childlike trust in its
commanding general, and that made all the difference in the world.
"Where are we going? Into Maryland? Don't know and don't care! Old Jack
knows. _I_ think we're going to Washington--Always did want to see it. I
think so, too. Going to take its attention off Richmond, as the Irishman
said when he walked away with the widow at the wake. Look at that
buzzard up there against that cloud! Kingbird's after him! Right at his
eyes!--Say, boys, look at that fight!"
In the afternoon the Stonewall came to Charlestown, eight miles from
Harper's Ferry. Here they found, strongly posted in a wood, fifteen
hundred Federals with two guns, sent from Harper's Ferry by Saxton. A
courier went back to Ewell. Winder, without waiting for reinforcements,
attacked. The fight lasted twenty minutes, when the Federal line broke,
retreating in considerable disorder. The Stonewall, pressing after, came
into view, two miles from the Potomac, of the enemy's guns on Bolivar
Heights.
Saxton, now commanding about seven thousand men, had strongly occupied
the hills on the southern side of the Potomac. To the north the Maryland
Heights were held by several regiments and a naval battery of Dahlgren
guns. The brigadier commanding received and sent telegrams.
WASHINGTON.
BRIGADIER-GENERAL SAXTON,
HARPER'S FERRY.
Copy of Secretary of War's dispatch to Governors of States.
"Send forward all the troops that you can immediately. Banks
completely routed. Intelligence from various quarters leaves no
doubt that the enemy, in great force, are advancing on Washington.
You will please organize and forward immediately all the volunteer
and militia force in your state."
In addition, the President has notified General McClellan that his
return to Washington may be ordered. City in a panic.
X. Y.
HARPER'S FERRY, VIRGINIA, May 31.
The enemy moved up in force last evening about seven o'clock, in a
shower of rain, to attack. I opened on them from the position which
the troops occupy above the town, and from the Dahlgren battery on
the mountains. The enemy then retired. Their pickets attacked ours
twice last night within 300 yards of our works. A volley from
General Slough's breastworks drove them back. We lost one man
killed. Enemy had signal-lights on the mountains in every direction.
Their system of night-signals seems to be perfect. They fire on our
pickets in every case. My men are overworked. Stood by their guns
all night in the rain. What has become of Generals Fremont and
McDowell?
R. SAXTON.
HON. E. M. STANTON, _Secretary of War_.
At Williamsport on the Maryland side, twelve miles above, General
Banks likewise sent a telegram to the Government at Washington.
WILLIAMSPORT, May 28, 1862.
Have received information to-day which I think should be
transmitted, but not published over my name, as I do not credit it
altogether. A merchant from Martinsburg, well known, came to inform
me that in a confidential conversation with a very prominent
secessionist, also merchant of that town, he was informed that the
policy of the South was changed; that they would abandon Richmond,
Virginia, everything South, and invade Maryland and Washington; that
every Union soldier would be driven out of the Valley immediately.
This was on Friday evening, the night of attack on Front Royal.
Names are given me, and the party talking one who might know the
rebel plans. A prisoner was captured near Martinsburg to-day. He
told the truth I am satisfied, as far as he pretended to know. He
was in the fight at Front Royal and passed through Winchester two
hours after our engagement. He says the rebel force was very
large--not less than twenty-five thousand at Winchester and 6000 or
7000 at Front Royal; that the idea was general among the men that
they were to invade Maryland. He passed Ashby yesterday, who had
twenty-eight companies of cavalry under his command; was returning
from Martinsburg, and moving under orders, his men said, to
Berryville. There were 2000 rebels at Martinsburg when he passed
that town yesterday. These reports came to me at the same time I
received General Saxton's dispatch and the statement from my own
officer that 4000 rebels were near Falling Waters, in my front.
N. P. BANKS,
_Major-General Commanding._
HON. E. M. STANTON.
Friday evening the thirtieth was as dark as Erebus. Clouds had been
boiling up since dark. Huge portentous masses rose on all sides and
blotted out the skies. The air was for a time oppressively hot and
still. The smoke from the guns which had wrangled during the day, long
and loud, hung low; the smell of powder clung. The grey troops massed on
Loudoun Heights and along the Shenandoah wiped the sweat from their
brows. Against the piled clouds signal-lights burned dull and red, stars
of war communicating through the sultry night. The clouds rose higher
yet and the lightnings began to play. A stir began in the leaves of the
far-flung forests, blended with the murmur of the rivers and became
rushing sound. Thunder burst, clap after clap, reverberating through the
mountains. The air began to smell of rain, grew suddenly cool. Through
the welcome freshness the grey troops advanced beyond Bolivar Heights;
there followed a long crackle of musketry and a body of blue troops
retreated across the river. The guns opened again; the grey cannon
trained upon the Maryland Heights; the Maryland Heights answering
sullenly. Down came the rain in torrents, the lightning flashed, the
thunder rolled. The lightnings came jaggedly, bayonets of the storm,
stabbing downward; the artillery of the skies dwarfed all sound below.
For an hour there was desultory fighting, then it ceased. The grey
troops awaiting orders, wondered, "Aren't we going to cross the river
after them?" "Oh, let it alone. Old Jack knows."
Toward midnight, in the midst of a great access of lightning, rain, and
thunder, fighting was renewed. It was not for long. The guns fell silent
again upon Loudoun Heights; moreover the long lines of couching infantry
saw by the vivid lightning the battery horses come up, wet and shining
in the rain. From regiment to regiment, under the rolling thunder, ran
the order. _Into column! By the left flank! March!_
A small stone hut on the side of a hill had formed the shelter of the
general commanding. Here he wrote and gave to two couriers a message in
duplicate.
HARPER'S FERRY,
VIRGINIA.
May 31. Midnight.
HON. GEORGE W. RANDOLPH, Secretary of War:
Under the guidance of God I have demonstrated toward the Potomac and
drawn off McDowell, who is sending Shields by Front Royal. Moving
now to meet him and Fremont who comes from the West.
T. J. JACKSON,
_Major-General Commanding._
CHAPTER XXIV
THE FOOT CAVALRY
Three armies had for their objective Strasburg in the Valley of
Virginia, eighteen miles below Winchester. One came from the northwest,
under Fremont, and counted ten thousand. One came from the southeast,
Shields's Division from McDowell at Fredericksburg, and numbered fifteen
thousand. These two were blue clad, moving under the stars and stripes.
The third, grey, under the stars and bars, sixteen thousand muskets, led
by a man on a sorrel nag, came from Harper's Ferry. Fremont, Indian
fighter, moved fast; Shields, Irish born, veteran of the Mexican War,
moved fast; but the man in grey, on the sorrel nag, moved infantry with
the rapidity of cavalry. Around the three converging armies rested or
advanced other bodies of blue troops, hovering, watchful of the chance
to strike. Saxton at Harper's Ferry had seven thousand; Banks at
Williamsport had seven thousand. Ord, commanding McDowell's second
division, was at Manassas Gap with nine thousand. King, the third
division, had ten thousand, near Catlett's Station. At Ashby's Gap was
Geary with two thousand; at Thoroughfare, Bayard with two thousand.
Over a hundred miles away, southeast, tree-embowered upon her seven