GENEALOGIES and
HISTORIES
GENEALOGIES and
HISTORIES
by Robert E. Alter
[This is from a children's book in which each chapter is devoted to a Civil War figure. In Chapter 6, "Where Certain Destruction Awaits Him," the hero is Robert E. Lee. The larger story of the chapter has to do with "Fighting" Joe Hooker, in charge of the Army of the Potomac, and his underestimation of Lee's strategy at Chancellorsville, Virginia, in April and May of 1863. In this excerpt, Van Gilsa has just spotted Jackson's advance and has ridden to give the news to Howard. Unfortunately, Howard was a "rather narrow-minded man who did not like Germans. This intracorps conflict proved to be disastrous." Howard implied that Von Gilsa was so drunk he was seeing things. Von Gilsa rode off in a rage. A moment later Jackson struck.]
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The Confederates [in Stonewall Jackson's advance] rushed down the turnpike, Rebel-yelling all the way, and hit [the German corps under General] Von Gilsa with troops numbering 150 to one. They flattened him. Then they struck the rest of [General O. O.] Howard's Corps and stacked it up in a very short time. The Germans took off through Chancellorsville in a frenzied rout. The overwhelming Rebel drive surged past Wilderness Church, Dowdall's Tavern, Hazel Grove, and up to the Van Wert House. There it met the Eighth Pennsylvania, four hundred men. Every Pennsylvanian was hit and eighty percent of them killed, but they somehow managed to hold up Jackson until Hooker could bring his massed artillery on Cemetery Hill into play. As twilight crept over the land the battle raged like a bright flame. The multitude of guns dripped glowing sparks. "Press them! Press them!" Jackson roared. "Cut them off!" But night closed in too soon and the fight became an angry artillery duel.
p. 100-101, map p. 103 | ||||||
Published in 1965 by the Western Publishing Company, Inc.
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