road. What the eye then saw was a scene of disordered troops, riderless horses, and utter confusion. The intended advance of the Confederates had doubtless been discovered, and this fire was directed along the road over which they would move. By this fire General Hill and some of his staff were wounded, and one of the men carrying the litter was shot through both arms and dropped his burden.
Continuation of Captain Wilbourn's Letter.
The part in reference to the solitary rider was changed, however, so as to make it appear more like a romance than reality. Just at the time mentioned a mounted soldier suddenly appeared near us who seemed to have been cut off from his command and lost, and halted just an instant as if at a loss what to do. He seemed to have discovered us just as we discovered him, and it was just as we were in the act of taking General Jackson a little way from the pike into the bushes to conceal him from the view of troops who might be passing, and before Wynn had left for Dr. McGuire and the ambulance. He left for Dr. McGuire as soon as General Jackson was laid on the ground, and this man appeared and disappeared before Wynn left, and it was he who first discovered the man on horseback. As I did not wish our men to know of the wounding of General Jackson, he was directed to "ride and see what troops those are," pointing towards our troops—thinking, if he should prove to be a Yankee, he would be captured by one of our own men, and I did not wish him to know who was wounded. He appeared to be a courier, and he rode off instantly in the direction indicated up the pike. I thought no more of him that night and gave my entire attention to General Jackson; but as General Hill came down the pike to a point opposite me, from which I called him to me, requesting him to dismount and come alone, I supposed the man on horseback had met General Hill and his party, who must have been near enough to see him, and I supposed he was probably one of that party. I made frequent inquiries afterwards and read all the accounts I saw, to see if I could find out who this man was and what became of him, but heard nothing until I saw General Revere's first article, written a year or two after the surrender. I always thought it strange that nothing was heard of the man, and concluded he was captured. It may have been General Revere, though his account is not at all correct as to what immediately preceded the wounding of General Jackson, as will be seen by a comparison of it with mine. Wynn, who was with me and who still lives near here, concurred with me in all the details after the occurrence, and every time we have spoken of it since, and we have done so frequently. When I see him I will ask him his recollections of this solitary rider, which made a great impression on him.
When General Hill came to me, he allowed only one of his escort to dismount, and accompany him, viz: Major Leigh, who, I believe, was then called Captain Leigh, and he ordered the rest to re-
