Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 30.djvu/124

This page needs to be proofread.

116 Southern Historical Society Papers.

me as the work of that day and night, May 2, 1863, and I was in it from start to finish.

In a letter written by Major Jed. Hotchkiss, a staff officer of Gen- eral Jackson's, of date October 8th, 1898, to Dr. Hunter McGuire, Jackson's chief surgeon, a copy of which I hold, he says: " It seems to me that this description of affairs by General Lane, when care- fully considered, with the topography, coincides with Major Moor- man's description, as well as my own, about as well as any three descriptions could." In a letter to myself from Major Hotchkiss, of date December 3rd, 1898, he says: " I am glad that you confirm my own recollections as to where Jackson was wounded, &c., &c. I think I may say, that we have now the last words upon this sub- ject, and that I can write a condensed account of that sad affair that will be final." Hotchkiss unfortunately died a short time after this

date.

M. N. MOORMAN,

Stuart Horse Artillery. Lynchburg, Va. , November I5th, 1902.

BALTIMORE, November 22, 1902. Winfield Peters, Esq:

Dear Sir, I have read Major Moorman's article (which there- with return to you) on Chancellorsville with great interest. I have a very great familiarity with the country about which he writes, from the fact not only of my having been in the battle of Chancellorsville on the evening of 2nd of May and morning of 3rd of May, 1863, as adjutant of the Stonewall Brigade, then commanded by General Paxton; but also from the fact that in '96, with four Federal officers who belonged to the Eleventh Army Corps (Howard's Corps) and three Confederate officers viz: Major Blackford, Colonel Palmer and General Lane I visited the field and spent the night at Talley's, which is on the road down which Major Moorman's battery moved and which marked the headquarters at the extreme right wing of Hooker's Army General Devens having that as his headquarters. A year or two ago, with one of my sons, I visited Mr. String- fellow, who lives on the northwesterly side of the Rapidan River. With him we drove across the Rapidan (the Germanna) ford, then over the road followed by Grant in his 1864 campaign to Wilder- ness tavern and store, and thence over the road across which Gen- eral Jackson formed his three divisions when he made the attack of