We started again at 4.30 A.M., and met five wounded men who
had been captured and paroled by Banks in Louisiana; they confirmed everything
about the fall of Jackson, which made me consider myself particularly
unfortunate, and destined apparently to be always intercepted by the Northern
troops, which had happened to me at Alexandria, at Harrisonburg, and now again
at Jackson.
At 8 A.M. we reached the little town of Brookhaven, which
was full of travellers, principally Confederate soldiers, anxious to rejoin their
regiments. Maxey's brigade left this place by road last night to join General
Johnston, who is supposed to be concentrating his forces at a place called
Canton, not far from Jackson.
I called on Captain Matthews, the officer who commanded at
Brookhaven, and after introducing myself to him, he promised to assist me, by
every means in his power, to join General Johnston.
I then went to a Methodist chapel; a good many soldiers were
there, and great number of women.
At noon, just as I had begun to get in very low spirits
about the prospects of getting on, a locomotive arrived from a station called
Haslehurst, and brought us the astonishing report that the Yankees had suddenly
abandoned Jackson, after destroying all the Government, and a good deal of private,
property.
This news caused our prospects to look brighter.
SOURCE: Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, Three
Months in the Southern States: April-June, 1863, p. 102-3
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