Several horses were stolen last night, mine nearly so. It is
necessary to be very careful, in order to prevent this misfortune. We started
at 6.30, but got on very slowly, so blocked up was the road with waggons, some
of which had been captured and burnt by the enemy yesterday. It now turned out
that all Ewell's waggons escaped except thirty-eight, although, at one time,
they had been all in the enemy's hands.
At 8.30 we halted for a couple of hours, and Generals Lee,
Longstreet, Hill, and Willcox had a consultation.
I spoke to about my difficulties with regard to getting
home, and the necessity of doing so, owing to the approaching expiration of my
leave. He told me that the army had no intention at present of retreating for
good, and advised me to stop with them and see what turned up; he also said
that some of the enemy's despatches had been intercepted, in which the
following words occur: — “The noble but unfortunate army of the Potomac has
again been obliged to retreat before superior numbers.” I particularly observed
the marching to-day of the 21st Mississippi, which was uncommonly good. This
regiment all wear short round jackets, a most unusual circumstance, for they
are generally unpopular in the South.
At 12 o'clock we halted again, and all set to work to eat
cherries, which was the only food we got between 5 A.M. and 11 P.M.
I saw a most laughable spectacle this afternoon — viz., a
negro dressed in full Yankee uniform, with a rifle at full cock, leading along
a barefooted white man, with whom he had evidently changed clothes. General
Longstreet stopped the pair, and asked the black man what it meant. He replied,
“The two soldiers in charge of this here Yank have got drunk, so for fear he
should escape I have took care of him, and brought him through that little
town.” The consequential manner of the negro, and the supreme contempt with
which he spoke to his prisoner, were most amusing. This little episode of a
Southern slave leading a white Yankee soldier through a Northern village, alone
and of his own accord, would not have been gratifying to an abolitionist.
Nor would the sympathisers both in England and in the North feel encouraged if
they could hear the language of detestation and contempt with which the
numerous negroes with the Southern armies speak of their liberators*
I saw General Hood in his carriage; he looked rather bad,
and has been suffering a good deal; the doctors seem to doubt whether they will
be able to save his arm. I also saw General Hampton, of the cavalry, who has
been shot in the hip, and has two sabre-cuts on the head, but he was in very
good spirits.
A short time before we reached Hagerstown there was some
firing in front, together with an alarm that the Yankee cavalry was upon us.
The ambulances were sent back; but some of the wounded jumped out, and,
producing the rifles which they had not parted with, they prepared to fight.
After a good deal of desultory skirmishing, we seated ourselves upon a hill
overlooking Hagerstown, and saw the enemy's cavalry driven through the town
pursued by yelling Confederates. A good many Yankee prisoners now passed us;
one of them, who was smoking a cigar, was a lieutenant of cavalry, dressed very
smartly, and his hair brushed with the greatest care; he formed rather a
contrast to his ragged escort, and to ourselves, who had not washed or shaved
for ever so long.
About 7 P.M. we rode through Hagerstown, in the streets of
which were several dead horses and a few dead men. After proceeding about a
mile beyond the town we halted, and General Longstreet sent four cavalrymen up
a lane, with directions to report everything they saw. We then dismounted and
lay down. About ten minutes later (being nearly dark) we heard a sudden rush — a
panic — and then a regular stampede commenced, in the midst of which I descried
our four cavalry heroes crossing a, field as fast as they could gallop. All was
now complete confusion; — officers mounting their horses, and pursuing those
which had got loose, and soldiers climbing over fences for protection against
the supposed advancing Yankees. In the middle of the din I heard an artillery
officer shouting to his “cannoneers” to stand by him, and plant the guns in a
proper position for enfilading the lane. I also distinguished Longstreet
walking about, hustled by the excited crowd, and remarking, in angry tones,
which could scarcely be heard, and to which no attention was paid, “Now, you
don't know what it is — you don't know what it is.” Whilst the row and
confusion were at their height, the object of all this alarm at length emerged
from the dark lane in the shape of a domestic four-wheel carriage, with a
harmless load of females. The stampede had, however, spread, increased in the
rear, and caused much harm and delay.
Cavalry skirmishing went on until quite dark, a determined
attack having been made by the enemy, who did his best to prevent the trains
from crossing the Potomac at William sport. It resulted in the success of the
Confederates; but every impartial man confesses that these cavalry fights are
miserable affairs. Neither party has any idea of serious charging with the
sabre. They approach one another with considerable boldness, until they get to
within about forty yards, and then, at the very moment when a dash is
necessary, and the sword alone should be used, they hesitate, halt, and
commence a desultory fire with carbines and revolvers.
An Englishman, named Winthrop, a captain in the Confederate
army, and formerly an officer in H.M.'s 22d regiment, although not in the
cavalry himself, seized the colours of one of the regiments, and rode straight
at the Yankees in the most gallant manner, shouting to the men to follow him.
He continued to distinguish himself by leading charges until his horse was
unfortunately killed. I heard his conduct on this occasion highly spoken of by
all. Stuart's cavalry can hardly be called cavalry in the European sense of the
word; but, on the other hand, the country in which they are accustomed to
operate is not adapted for cavalry.
—— was forced at last to give up wearing even his Austrian
forage-cap; for the last two days soldiers on the line of march had been
visiting his ambulance in great numbers, under the impression (encouraged by
the driver) that he was a Yankee general. The idea now was that the army would
remain some days in or near its present position until the arrival of the
ammunition from Winchester.
_______________
* From what I have seen of the Southern negroes, I am of
opinion that the Confederates could, if they chose, convert a great number into
soldiers; and from the affection which undoubtedly exists as a general rule
between the slaves and their masters, I think that they would prove more
efficient than black troops under any other circumstances. But I do not imagine
that such an experiment will be tried, except as a very last resort, partly on
account of the great value of the negroes, and partly because the Southerners
consider it improper to introduce such an element on a large scale into
civilised warfare. Any person who has seen negro features convulsed with rage,
may form a slight estimate of what the result would be of arming a vast number
of blacks, rousing their passions, and then allowing them free scope.
SOURCE: Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle, Three
Months in the Southern States: April-June, 1863, p. 287-92
