. Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War . orm part of the turningcolumn, and had a long night march before it. By nine oclock, says Dabney, the roar of the strugglehad passed away, and the green battle-field reposed underthe starlight as calmly as when it had been occupied onlyby its peaceful herds. Detachments of soldiers were silentlyexploring the ground for their wounded comrades, whilethe tired troops were slowly filing off to their bivouac. Atmidnight the last sufferer had been removed and the lastpicket posted ; and then only did Jackson turn to seek afew hours repose in a neighbo
. Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War . orm part of the turningcolumn, and had a long night march before it. By nine oclock, says Dabney, the roar of the strugglehad passed away, and the green battle-field reposed underthe starlight as calmly as when it had been occupied onlyby its peaceful herds. Detachments of soldiers were silentlyexploring the ground for their wounded comrades, whilethe tired troops were slowly filing off to their bivouac. Atmidnight the last sufferer had been removed and the lastpicket posted ; and then only did Jackson turn to seek afew hours repose in a neighbouring farmhouse. Thevalley of MDowell lay in equal quiet. The camp-fires ofthe Federals blazed ostentatiously in long and regularlines, and their troops seemed wrapped in sleep. At oneoclock the general reached his quarters, and threw himselfupon a bed. When his mulatto servant, knowing that hehad eaten nothing since morning, came in with food, he said, I want none ; nothing but sleep, and in a few minutes hewas slumbering like a healthy I I COMMENTS 369 It seems, however, that the march of the turningcokimn had aheady been countermanded. Putting himselfin his enemys place, Jackson had foreseen Milroys move-ments. If the one could move by night, so could the other ;and when he rode out at dawn, the Federals, as he antici-pated, had disappeared. The next day he sent a laconicdispatch to Eichmond : God blessed our arms with victoryat MDow^ell yesterday. This announcement was doubtless received by thepeople of Virginia, as Dabney declares, with peculiar May 4 Johnston had evacuated Yorktown. On the 5thhe had checked the pursuit at Williamsburg, inflictingheavy losses, but had continued his retreat. On the 9thNorfolk was abandoned ; and on the 11th the Merrimac,grounding in the James, was destroyed by her commander. The victory of MDowell was the one gleam of brightnessathw^art all these clouds. It must be admitted, however,that the victory was insignificant. The
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