Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 30.djvu/125

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The Last Forlorn llo[>c of the ('onfetlc.riu-i/. 117

the evening of 2nd May, 1863. We went over that road all the way by Chancellorsville to Fredericksburg. The details given by Major Moorman correspond exactly with my general understanding of all that happened at and about the time of General Jackson's being wounded and unhorsed. I was under the very severe artillery fire which occurred later in the evening, perhaps about nine o'clock, our brigade having moved up towards the front and having been aligned on the left-hand side of the Plank road or turnpike, the two roads which run from Orange Courthouse at that point having run to- gether.

Major Moorman gives very interesting details with which, of course, I am not entirely familiar. I recall very distinctly that the fact that General Jackson was wounded was known through the command, certainly by me, with amazing rapidity. During this last summer I met old Sickles at Saratoga and had quite a conver- sation with him on the events of that night. I asked him what he would have done if General Jackson had attacked him during the night? His reply was, with his usual pomposity of manner, that he would have crushed him. The idea of Dan Sickles ever living to crush "Stonewall" Jackson amused me very much.

I am, very truly,

RANDOLPH BARTON, Late Captain C. S. Army.

[From the Sunny South, November 30, 1902.]

LAST FORLORN HOPE OF THE CONFEDERACY.

By WALLACE PUTNAM REED.

When the tidings of Lee's surrender at Appomattox reached the Confederates in Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana, they swore that they would die in the last ditch rather than stack arms under the Stars and Stripes. Kirby Smith was in command of the department, and under him were Generals Buckner and Magruder, to say noth- ing of that born soldier, General Joe Shelby, with his 1,000 Missouri rough riders, the very flower of the army.

Backing these generals were 50,000 trained soldiers, the finest fighting material in the world.