Diary of Judith W. McGuire: May 13, 1862

General Jackson is doing so gloriously in the Valley that we must not let the fate of the “Virginia” depress us too much. On the 9th of May he telegraphed to General Cooper: “God blessed our arms with victory at McDowell yesterday.” Nothing more has been given us officially, but private information is received that he is in hot pursuit down the Valley. The croakers roll their gloomy eyes, and say, “Ah, General Jackson is so rash!” and a lady even assured me that he was known to be crazy when under excitement, and that we had every thing to fear from the campaign he was now beginning in the Valley. I would that every officer and soldier in the Southern army was crazed in the same way; how soon we would be free from despotism and invasion!

SOURCE: Judith W. McGuire, Diary of a Southern Refugee, During the War, p. 112

Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Adjutant-General Samuel Cooper, May 9, 1862

VALLEY DISTRICT, VA., May 9, 1862.

Via Staunton, Va., May 10, 1862.

General S. COOPER, Adjutant-General:

God blessed our arms with victory at McDowell yesterday.

 T. J. JACKSON,

Major-General.

SOURCE: The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Series I, Volume 12 (Serial No. 15), p. 470

Diary of Margaret Junkin Preston: May 17, 1862

With what different feelings do I make a record in this little note book today, from last Saturday! Last night my husband, almost without any warning, (none, except that we heard Jackson had relieved the corps from farther duty, and they were soon to return), stepped in upon us just as tea was over. What a welcome we gave him! I do thank God for his mercy in having fulfilled my petitions, as I would fain hope, in restoring to me safe my precious husband. He was not in the battle at McDowell, though they marched 40 miles in one day in order to come up in time. The fight was just over, but he was left in charge of the battle field, helped to bury the dead, and saw the wounded borne off the field; the Southerners lost some 60 or 70 killed, and some 280 wounded; about 340 he certainly thinks in all. What the Federal loss was he could not tell. The Confederates buried about 40 of them, and the country people around say that multitudes of wagon-loads of dead and wounded were carried away. As the Confederates pursued, they came upon many graves just filled up, but how many were in them of course they could not tell. It seemed awfully unfeeling to hear Mr. P. say that they took off the dead men's shoes before burying them, and in one instance a soldier applied to him for leave to wear them. He stopped one soldier who was cutting buttons off a dead Federal's coat. (Buttons are a scarce article in the Confederacy!) The corps of cadets could not get the permission of the Board of Visitors to continue in the service, or they would have gone on with Jackson's army, as he desired them to do. This accounts for their return.

SOURCE: Elizabeth Preston Allan, The Life and Letters of Margaret Junkin Preston, p. 140-1

Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, March 7, 1863

March 7th.

I have just finished my report of the battle of McDowell.  . . . There is a good deal of religious interest in the army. Rev. Mr. Lacy is with me now, and I expect will continue with the army during the war. Rev. William J. Hoge is here, and has preached several sermons. Rev. Mr. Hopkins is chaplain of the Second Regiment of Virginia Volunteers. If you were here you would find a number of friends

SOURCE: Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), p. 418

Major General Thomas J. Jackson to the Soldiers of the Army of the Valley and Northwest, May 12, 1862

Soldiers of the Army of the Valley and Northwest:

I congratulate you on your recent victory at McDowell. I request you to unite with me this morning in thanksgiving to Almighty God for thus having crowned your arms with success, and in praying that He will continue to lead you on from victory to victory, until our independence shall be established, and make us that people whose God is the Lord. The chaplains will hold divine service at ten o'clock a.m. this day in their respective regiments.

SOURCES: Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), p. 258; Clement A. Evans, Confederate Military History, Volume 3: Virginia, Part 1, p. 234; Owen F. Morton, A History of Highland County, Virginia, p. 131; Sarah Nicholas Randolph, The Life of Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, p. 140; Carl Hovey, Stonewall Jackson, p. 63; Thomas A. Ashby, Life of Turner Ashby, p. 162; Confederate Veteran, Volume 20 No. 5, May 1912, p. 219-20; Henry Alexander White, Stonewall Jackson, p. 141 and William Allen, History of the Campaign of Gen. T. J. (Stonewall) Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley: From November 4, 1861 to June 17, 1862, p. 82 both of which site Robert Lewis Dabney, Life and Campaigns of Lieut.-Gen. Thomas J. Jackson,, p. 353 as their source.

Major-General Thomas J. Jackson to Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, May 12, 1862

Headquarters, Valley District, near Franklin.

My precious darling, I telegraphed you on the 9th that God had blest us with victory at McDowell. I have followed the enemy to this place, which is about three miles from Franklin. The enemy has been reinforced, and apparently designs making a stand beyond Franklin. I expect to reconnoitre to-day, but do not know as yet whether I will attack him thus reinforced. We have divine service at ten o'clock to-day (Monday) to render thanks to Almighty God for having crowned our arms with success, and to implore His continued favor.

SOURCE: Mary Anna Jackson, Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson), p. 257

Southern News

NEW YORK, May 14.

News from North Carolina states that Gov. Clark has refused to furnish any more troops to Jeff. Davis, and has recalled all the N. C. soldiers now in the rebel army.

North Carolina has held a convention of its citizens, and pronounced against giving further aid to the rebellion, thus virtually returning to the Union.  In reply to the demand of Jeff. Davis for additional troops and means of transportation for his army through the Cotton States, Gov. Clark said that Davis had received all the aid from North Carolina that he could expect and that hereafter no more troops would be permitted to leave the State, and he has ordered all the N. C. troops home.

Gov. Clark also informed the rebels that they could use the railroads in retreating homewards, and that they would run their own risk of being intercepted by a Union force at any part of the State.

The Tribune has the following:  “We can positively assert that whatever modification may be made in his order Gen. Hunter will not be recalled, nor placed in position necessitating his resignation.”

Fort Darling, where our gunboats were engaged is situated on a bluff, 200 feet above the river, high enough to direct a plunging fire upon the attacking boats, which could not use their guns in response.

A loyal black who left Richmond on Friday, brought the first news of the fight, which was at the time going on.  The Richmond people were very apprehensive of the result.

– Published in The Davenport Daily Gazette, Davenport, Iowa, Tuesday Morning, May 20, 1862, p. 1

Special to New York Papers

(Herald Dispatch.)

WASHINGTON, May 13. – Matters in the Department of the Rappahannock remain unchanged.  The enemy’s pickets are stationed about five miles beyond Fredericksburg, consisting principally of cavalry.  The only infantry pickets being on the Bowling Green road.  The great body of the enemy has fallen back and they are not now supported in this vicinity.

The railroad bridge across the Rappahannock under the supervision of Gen. Gibbons, is rapidly approaching completion, as are all the other necessary repairs to the road.

Several residents of Fredericksburgh have been arrested for treason and sent to Washington.

(Times Correspondence.)

FRANKLIN, Va., via Green Springs and Baltimore, May 13. – Gen. Fremont arrived here early to-day at the head of his army, having come by forced marches to the relief of Schenck and Millroy.  He immediately reviewed the regiments stationed here, and rode a little beyond the town.  The enemy decamped last night and are now retreating.

In the late battle at McDowell our loss was 80 killed and about 200 wounded – many but slightly.

The troops are all in high spirits and full of expectation.

(Special to Tribune.)

WASHINGTON, May 13. – The Judiciary Committee of the House have agreed to report in favor of the 3d member from California.

A delegation from Columbus, Ohio, urged the claims of that place as a site for a National Armory before the Military Committee of the House to-day.

Acting Provost Marshal, Col. Gats, yesterday took charge of the Post Office at Fredericksburgh, outing the rebel Postmaster, who has held the same office for twenty years under the Federal Government, and grown rich upon it. -   Horn had the effrontery to demand forty five dollars, which he said the U. S. Post Office Department owed him, and which he hoped would be paid in gold.

WASHINGTON, May 13. – F. Throop, of the Contract P. O. Department, left Washington to-day for Norfolk to open the Post Office at that place.  The mails will be sent by the old rout via Fortress Monroe.

Representative Lovejoy’s bill, which has passed both Houses, establishes a Department of Agriculture, with a Commissioner’s salary of $3,000 per annum, as chief executive officer. – It is separate and distinct from all other Departments and exclusively devoted to Agriculture.

The recent act of the Legislature of New York, placing its canals at the service of the Government, so far as to allow the enlargement of its canal locks to a size adequate to the passage of vessels, to add to defend the Lakes from hostile attacks, was place on the table of Congress this morning, accompanied by a letter from Capt. Ericsson, and also by evidence furnished by extracts from the London Times showing the defenceless condition of American commerce on the Lakes and the ability of England at any time to take immediate and complete control of them.

(Special to Tribune.)

NEW YORK, May. – Montery, Tenn., May 12 – To-day our troops took possession of an evacuated rebel camp 8 ½ miles from Corinth, and the rebel pickets were driven in.

The Mobile Register of the 6^th states that five Federal gunboats appeared off Dolphin Island.

The New Orleans Delta of the 4^th records and interview between Gen. Butler and the mayor and Council, and says they will continue their functions, except upon political and military offences.  No oath of [allegiance] has been required.

– Published in The Burlington Weekly Hawk-Eye, Burlington, Iowa, Saturday, May 17, 1862, p. 3