Chapter 82
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 pa.s.sed. The tenth of September pa.s.sed, 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 sh.e.l.l. 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--n.o.body coming and n.o.body 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
"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 ma.s.sacre, 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 Was.h.i.+ngton?'... 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 Was.h.i.+ngton--"
"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 princ.i.p.ally electrical and travelled by wire from Frederick to Was.h.i.+ngton and Was.h.i.+ngton 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 pa.s.sed in inaction, and morning dawned on inaction. March north toward Pennsylvania, and leave Was.h.i.+ngton to be bombarded!--turn south and east toward Was.h.i.+ngton 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 pa.s.sing 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 accomplis.h.i.+ng 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 accomplis.h.i.+ng 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., a.s.sistant Adjutant-General.