Stonewall Stonewall Jackson at the Battle of Cedar Mountain

James N.

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Jackson is With You
by Don Troiani captures the moment Jackson rallied the members of the 21st Virginia at the critical part of the battle as told by a Civil War Trails marker on the site: Stonewall Jackson could no longer restrain himself when he saw his panicked men streaming rearward. He spurred his horse forward and tried to unsheathe his sword, which had rusted into its scabbard from disuse. Jackson raised the sheathed sword over his head, seized a flag from a nearby color bearer, and skidded to a halt... crying "Jackson is with you!"

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The Battle of Cedar Mountain (also known as Cedar Run or Slaughter Mountain) had its origin in the aftermath of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan's failed Peninsula Campaign with his army sweltering on the banks of the James River following its "change of base." A new Federal army called pretentiously the Army of Virginia had been created under Maj. Gen. John Pope who had been brought from the Western Theater of the war to take command of the forces of Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell, Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks, and Maj. Gen. Franz Sigel, all of which had formerly been trounced separately by Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson in his legendary Shenandoah Valley Campaign only a few weeks previously.

Jackson presented a plan to his commander, Gen. Robert E. Lee, to attack and hopefully destroy the elements of Pope's army before they could concentrate or be reenforced by elements of McClellan's army near Richmond. Lee agreed to allow Jackson to move north with his own division, now led by Brig. Gen. Charles S. Winder and that of Maj. Gen. Richard Ewell, the force Jackson had led to victory in the Valley. He was soon joined by the over-sized "Light Division" composed of seven brigades commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose P. Hill which doubled his numbers to over 20,000 men.

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Map by Hal Jespersen, www.posix.com/CW

Jackson planned a swift march north from Gordonsville where his troops had been transported largely by train through Orange Court House and on to Culpeper Court House, held by the first of Pope's corps to arrive in the area, that of Banks, of whom Jackson observed, "He is always ready to fight and he generally gets whipped." Indeed, Banks was even more agressive than expected, smarting as he was from his rough handling at Winchester the previous May. The morning of August 9, 1862, one of the hottest days on record during the entire war with temperatures in the upper 90's, found Banks' two divisions on a ridge north of a branch of Cedar Run astride the main road to Culpeper. Jackson's leading division, Ewell's, was quickly sent to seize the highest ground around, the large hill known as Cedar Mountain on the farm owned by a man named Slaughter. The area below is near where a farm lane opened into the road, now the wide green path; this was known as The Gate, at extreme right.

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Jackson's artillery went into position here and on the lower slopes of Cedar Mountain itself from which the guns dueled with those of Banks back on his ridge. Charles Winder was ill that day and had left the ambulance in which he had been riding; he issued orders that none of his officers or men were to assist anyone wounded during this artillery duel or the ensuing battle. At some point, his left arm was shattered and his side torn by a shell fragment which led to his death that evening; he was replaced in divisional command by senior Brig. Gen. William B. Taliferro, who was not a favorite of Jackson's. This was to prove unfortunate in another way, because in Jackson's notorious secrecy he had informed only his most trusted subordinates, Winder and Ewell, of his intentions for the fight.

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Left to right above, Confederate generals Charles S. Winder; William B. Taliferro; Ambrose Powell Hill; and Jubal A. Early.

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The right center of Jackson's line was held by Brig. Gen. Jubal Early's brigade of Ewell's Division which stretched from the base of Cedar Mountain west to the Gate as seen in the photo above looking north toward the Federal position; modern Route 15 here replaces the Culpeper Road and crosses what at the time was a wide cornfield which stood between the lines. It was across this field late in the day around 5 pm that the unthinkable happened: although he would eventually be outnumbered by over two-to-one, Banks suddenly and without warning attacked Jackson before all his force was up and assembled.

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Banks' left-hand division was led by Brig. Gen. Christopher Augur who sent his brigades south across the field above toward Early's line. Pummeled by Confederate artillery at the Gate and on Cedar Mountain, the large knoll seen in the left background, Augur's men made repeated assaults though they never quite reached Early's line but nevertheless did the service of attracting all attention in his direction. Ewell's other brigades, those of Brig. Gen. Issac Trimble and Col. Henry Forno, remained on the slopes of Cedar Mountain supporting the artillery and played little part in the battle until later during the pursuit.

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The climax of the battle came here in a patch of woods on the Confederate left front which screened that part of the battlefield from Jackson's view; with all attention focused on Augur's attack, the brigade of Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Crawford from the division of Brig. Gen. Alpheus S. Williams was undetected as it approached from out of a dense wood and through a large wheatfield on the west side of the road. It struck the poorly-deployed brigade led by Col. Thomas S. Garnett, two regiments of which were actually facing to the right at a ninety-degree angle from Crawford's attack. Jackson's old Stonewall Brigade was in support but not deployed in line-of-battle to receive the assault; both brigades were sent reeling to the rear where they fortunately met Jackson here as depicted in Troiani's painting at top.

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Fortunately for the secretive Jackson, A. P. Hill had just arrived at the head of his Light Division; Hill's leading brigade under Brig. Gen. Edward Thomas had already gone to support Early but Jackson discovered that of North Carolina politician Brig, Gen. Lawrence O'B. Branch standing by and listening as Branch delivered to them a speech! Jackson soon got Branch moving to support Garnett and sent Hill's other brigades to flank Crawford on his exposed right. The unit marker above, the only one on the battlefield, commemorates the 3rd Wisconsin of Williams' second brigade led by Col. George H. Gordon which moved from its reserve position to Crawford's aid. Confederate numbers began to be decisive as Jackson ordered his entire line forward and Banks ordered a retreat which soon degenerated into a semi-rout.

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Above, left-to-right: Nathaniel P. Banks; his division commanders Alpheus S. Williams and Christopher C. Augur; and army commander John Pope, who showed up at Banks' headquarters a mile in the rear almost in time to be captured in the Union rout by the pursuing 7th Virginia Cavalry of Col. William "Grumble" Jones.

The battle and Jackson's pursuit of the fleeing Federals was largely stopped by nightfall and the exhaustion of both sides. Only the tiny two-regiment brigade of between 300 - 400 men of Brig. Gen. George S. Greene supporting Banks' artillery had been unengaged and drew off in good order. Jackson soon discovered the fresh division of Brig. Gen. James B. Ricketts of McDowell's corps on a ridge north of Cedar Run and realized his hopes of destroying Banks before he could be reenforced had passed. Soon, the corps of Franz Sigel likewise appeared.

Jackson withdrew his three divisions southward to Gordonsville hoping to lure Banks or Pope into a position where they might be attacked successfully, but they wisely resisted, returning only as far as the Cedar Mountain battlefield where they spent several days "tidying up." Banks had lost 2,381 killed, wounded, and missing/prisoners out of about 9,000 committed; Jackson's losses were 229 killed and 1,047 wounded. Because this bloody little affair was soon followed by the arrival of Lee with James Longstreet's half of the Confederate army as well as reenforcements for Pope from McClellan and Ambrose Burnside, Cedar Mountain is usually thought of as only a preliminary to Second Manassas. Oddly enough, though Jackson's handling of the battle reflected little credit on his tactical ability, he regarded this as one of his finest victories!

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Looking south across the Wheatfield towards Cedar Mountain from the last position of Christopher Augur, who had been badly wounded in the battle. The line of odd stones barely visible past the Civil War Trails marker were originally placed over a century ago by Daniel A. Grimsley, Confederate veteran and then-owner of the land who went to great lengths to mark the positions of units in the battle. Unfortunately, subsequent owners have moved them to the sides of their fields to allow machinery to operate and where they now perform no useful function and are actually confusing to anyone trying to make sense of them!
 
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How long did it take you to explore this battlefield, James?

This venue will be my first stop on our trip next spring.
 
How long did it take you to explore this battlefield, James?

This venue will be my first stop on our trip next spring.

Bill, be sure to look again at the post because I was in the process of editing it when you made your reply. Cedar Mountain has been well-preserved though as of this time there is no visitor center or overall trail guide to the several markers, most of which I've pictured. It would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the battle and especially the excellent maps of it produced by the Civil War Trust. For example, the 3rd Wisconsin monument is at the end of a long trail that dead-ends at it and nowhere tells you where it's going; it was only by accident we decided to persist and found it! It took about two or three hours to hike the trails here, all accessible from a single somewhat obscure parking area near the 1920's monument. Supposedly this and nearby Brandy Station will be included in a regional Culpeper County Civil War State Park, hopefully with better interpretation.

Is Krick's book considered the best one on this battle?

I've consulted several sources to refresh my memory in writing this; there's a whole chapter about it in Bevin Alexander's excellent Lost Victories: The Military Genius of Stonewall Jackson, but the single best source is Robert K. Krick's Stonewall Jackson at Cedar Mountain, which I'm ashamed to say I haven't yet read!

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I remember playing the battle out in Take Command: 2nd Manassas. Banks did pretty well, all things considered.

I think there's an old Strategy & Tactics game of it as well, though I've never played it.
 
Thanks, James!

I will definitely study this battle and the terrain before I depart Cincy.

I believe @Eric Wittenberg is working on a new book about this conflict.

Bill
 
I feel there is a similarity between this and Mansfield in that both of them involved a lager force advancing towards a smaller force and the smaller one attacking before the larger one had fully arrived. Taylor succeeded at Mansfield because he attached at the right time. Banks failed because he waited too long. If Banks had attacked Jackson maybe an hour earlier, AP Hill would have been farther away and not all of Jackson's command might have been in place.
 
I feel there is a similarity between this and Mansfield in that both of them involved a lager force advancing towards a smaller force and the smaller one attacking before the larger one had fully arrived. Taylor succeeded at Mansfield because he attached at the right time. Banks failed because he waited too long. If Banks had attacked Jackson maybe an hour earlier, AP Hill would have been farther away and not all of Jackson's command might have been in place.

Banks definitely got the jump on Stonewall who was totally surprised, something I hope I conveyed in my account and one reason I think this is a pretty interesting battle. Too bad for Banks he didn't associate the two situations!

Edit: It also reminds me of Port Republic which played out similarly with Jackson trying to deploy to assault a force half his size, but with his troops arriving in driblets over a rickety bridge of wagons built across a raging stream.
 
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Thanks for the photos and description! My direct ancestor, Sgt Joseph T Ramsey of co. A of the 21st VA, was busy getting himself killed in those turned-around regiments under Garnett. I found a first hand account of this battle by a soldier from the 21st VA, John Worsham. My husband kindly transcribed the account - this is Chapter 8, "One of Jackson's Foot Cavalry: His Experience and What he Saw During the War 1861-1865." John H. Worsham, co. F, 21st VA Inf. Copyright 1912 - work is in the public domain.

I thought this was worth reading in full - especially for the account of the ill-fated Lt. Col. Cunningham, whose laryngitis prevented him from making his orders heard at a crucial moment. Just one of those crazy things. The official report mentions twice that Cunningham could not make himself heard, but apparently his fellow officers didn't know why.

XIII

CEDAR RUN

We remained at Louisa C. H. a day, and marched to Gordonsville, then to Liberty Mills, then to Mechanicsville, not far from Louisa C. H., staying two or three days at each place. On August 4th we marched again to Liberty Mills. These movements were occasioned by reports from the enemy in our front, who had raised a new army, "The Army of Virginia," commanded by Gen. Pope, who said he had been doing great things in the Western army. In his order to his troops on taking command he said he had never seen anything "but the backs of the rebels, his headquarters were in the saddle, and he wanted the talk of guarding the rear of his army stopped, as an invading army had no rear, it was useless to make provision to look after communications in that direction." In less than a month he found out that his army did not have any rear, as Jackson had quietly slipped into Manassas, and gobbled it up. Gen. Stuart with his cavalry had previously raided his headquarters at Catlett's Station, capturing his official papers and his military dress coat.

On August 7th we left Liberty Mills and marched to Orange C. H. We were up early the next morning and on the march. During the day we were joined by A. P. Hill's division and Stafford's Louisiana Brigade. Our advance guard reaching Barnett's Ford on the Rapidan river, found the enemy in their front, and offering some resistance to our crossing. Near the ford we passed a "Quaker cannon," which our advance had rigged up. It was the hind part of a wagon with a black log on it. Our men ran this out on a hill in full sight of the Yanks, and advanced at the same time with a cheer. The enemy left the ford in a hurry. They could not stand the sight of the cannon. Soon after crossing the river, I saw one of our cavalrymen with a saber wound; his ear was nearly severed from his head.

On crossing the river, we took the direct road to Culpeper C. H., forded Robertson river in the afternoon, and about sunset went into camp in a wood near the road. About midnight we were awakened by the firing of musketry, and the ting of balls falling amongst us. Each man rose up and took his place in ranks more quickly than I ever saw it done; and when the order was given to "take arms," every man had his gun ready for action. We marched to the road and halted, to await orders from headquarters. The firing soon ceased. It resulted from the surprise of some Yankee cavalry on their way from Madison C. H. to Culpeper C. H. They were ignorant of our advance, and, being halted by our guard, they began to retreat, and after a brisk skirmish made off as soon as they could extricate themselves. In this affair my regiment got into ranks directly from their beds, and when we marched back to our camp, the laugh began; and those old Confederates made the woods ring with shouts. Some of the men were in their shirt sleeves, some having on them nothing but shirts, some with one shoe on, etc., hardly one with a hat, but every man was in his place.

On the next morning, August 9th, we resumed the march, Ewell's division in front, Jackson's next, and Hill bringing up the rear. About one o'clock we heard the boom of cannon in our front, and we knew that Pope had made a stand. The column hurried up, Ewell filing to the right, and sending the first line of skirmishers forward.

"Peace and beauty all around us, death and danger just

ahead,

On our faces careless courage, in our hearts a sombre

dread.

"Then the skirmish line went forward, and only the sounds

we heard

Were the hum of droning insects and the carol of a bird;

Till, far off, a flash of fire, and a little cloud went by,

Like an angel's mantle floating down from out an azure

sky.


"Then a shell went screaming o'er us, and the air at once

was rife

With a million whispering hornets, swiftly searching for

a life;

And the birds and insects fled away before the 'rebel yell,'

The thunder of the battle, and the furious flames of hell."


Our division was hurried along the road some distance, the Second Brigade marched to the front of the column and halted, the roll was called, we were ordered to load, and, after a few minutes of rest, we resumed the hurried march. Going for a short distance, the men on the left of the road cleard the way for a cannon ball that came bounding along like a boy's ball. The force with which it was traveling is indicated by its striking the stump of a tree, glancing up, and going out of sight. A little farther on we came to four of our men lying in the road dead, killed by the same ball. The road was fairly alive now with shot and shell from the enemy, and we filed to the left into the wood, went about one hundred yards, filed to the right, and continued our march, parallel to the road. We passed an old Confederate standing beside a small sapling, with one hand resting on it, and we asked him, "What is the matter?" He said, "I don't want to fight. I ain't mad with anybody." This put us all in a good humor and amidst laughter and cheers we continued the march. After going several hundred yards we halted and were ordered to lie down. The enemy were shelling this wood terribly, and our Captain Morgan was killed by them. After a short stay we were orderd forward, and halted on the edge of the wood, beside the main road that ran north and south. The woods we occupied extended north about one hundred and fifty yards to a field. This field continued along the road for about two hundred yards to another wood.

The Second Brigade formed a line of battle in the corner or angle of the wood, the 21st Va. Regt. on the right, the 48th Va. next, both facing east, the 42nd Va. next, and, at right angles to the road and facing north, the Irish battalion next, forming the left. The brigade thus formed a right angle. In front of the 21st and 48th there was a large field surrounded by a rail fence, the road running between the wood and the fence. In the open about three or four hundred yards obliquely on our left there was a corn field, full of Yankees, well concealed. Another line had formed at right angles to the main road and across it, its right concealed in the second wood, which was beyond the small field in front of the 42nd Regt. and the Irish battalion. As soon as we reached the road, we saw a line of Yankees advancing from the corn field, the 21st and 48th opened fire on them at once; and the battle of Cedar Run had commenced in earnest. We caused the advancing line to halt, and the fighting was terrific. The Second Brigade was alone at this point, since Jackson had not had time to extend his line. The Yankees now made an advance with the line that had been concealed, in front of the Irish battalion and the 42nd Regt. Their line being longer than ours, they swung around the Irish battalion in our rear, and occupied the position from which we had advanced only a few minutes before. The 21st and 48th were fighting the force at and near the corn field, although it had been strengthened by the second line; still we were fighting with such effect that we kept this force back. A part of the force, advancing against the left of the brigade, were firing directly into the flank of the 48th and 21st Regiments, and we were making terrible havoc in their ranks. Col. Cunningham of the 21st, who was sick, came along the line, walking and leading his horse, and said to the men as he passed that the enemy were in our rear and he desired to get us out of the position we were in, and we must follow him. His voice was one of loud compass and great command, but he could hardly speak, and as he passed me he said, "John, help me get the men out of this, I can't talk loudly." I induced all the men near me to face down (southward) the road, and we started. After a few steps, I saw a Yankee sergeant step into the road about fifty or seventy-five yards ahead (south) of us, and at the same time heard the firing of rapidly approaching enemy in our rear. A great dread filled me for Jackson, because I had seen him at this spot only a moment before. The sergeant, having his gun in his left hand, his drawn sword in his right, turned up the road towards us, and approached. A Yankee private stepped into the road just ahead of him; this being the road on which we marched to get to our position, it showed that the enemy were not only in our front, flank, and rear, but actually had the second brigade surrounded. The Yankee sergeant did not stop his advance towards us until he actually took hold of one of the men of our regiment and pulled him out of ranks, and started towards the rear with his prisoner. One of our men, who was in the act of capping his gun, raised it to his shoulder, fired, and the sergeant fell dead not ten feet away. By this time the road was full of Yankees, and there was such a fight as was not witnessed during the war; guns, bayonets, swords, pisols, fence rails, rocks, etc., were used all along the line. I have heard of a "hell spot" in some battles, this surely was one. Our color bearer knocked down a Yankee with his flag staff, and was shot to death at once. One of the color guard took the flag, and he also was killed; another, Roswell S. Lindsay of F Company, bayoneted a Yankee, and was immediately riddled with balls, three going through him. Four color bearers were killed with the colors in their hands, the fifth man flung the riddled flag to the breeze, and went through the terrible battle unhurt. Col. Cunningham had crossed the road leading his horse, pulled down the fence, passed through the gap into the field, started to mount his horse, his foot in the stirrup, when he was struck by a bullet, and fell back dead, his horse receiving his death wound at the same time. It was a terrible time, the Second Brigade was overwhelmed, nearly half of the 21st Va. Regt. lay on the ground, dead and wounded. F Company of Richmond carried eighteen men into action, twelve of them were lying on the ground, six dead and six wounded, and many of the regiment were prisoners. The remnant was still fighting hand to hand. Jackson hurried men to our relief, the Stonewall Brigade coming in on our left, and the third Brigade on our right. They succeeded in surrounding a part of the command who had surrounded us, and took nearly all of them prisoners, including their brigadier general; and released those of our men who had been capured in time for them to join the little band in the advance. Just at this moment the enemy hurled a line of cavalry against us, from the corn field, but our fire on them was so hot that those not unhorsed, wheeled, and off to the rear they went on a run. Our whole line now advanced, and the enemy were in full retreat. We could plainly see Ewell, with a part of his division on Slaughter Mountain, way off to the right of our line, advancing too; as the mountain at this point was free of woods, we could see his skirmish line in front advancing down the mountain, his line of battle following, and his cannon belching forth fire and smoke, and we could see the enemy's shell bursting on the mountain side. It was a magnificent and inspiring sight.


We kept up the pursuit until 9 or 10 o'clock at night, when we halted, and were allowed to rest for the night.

The battle was fought and won, the 21st Va. Regt. had written its name high on the scroll of honor, but at what cost. They went into battle with two hundred and eighty-four men; thirty-nine of them lay dead on the field, and ninety-two were wounded. Old F Company of Richmond lost Capt. Morgan, shot through the body by a piece of shell. He was a splendid soldier, and the best informed man on military matters that I knew during the war. Henry Anderson, Joe Nunally, John Powell, William Pollard, and Roswell Lindsay were killed, Bob Gilliam was shot through the leg, Clarence Redd through both wrists, Ned Tompkins through one arm and in the body, Porter Wren in the arm, and Harrison Watkins through the body, and Clarence Taylor through the hip.

Nearly half of Jackson's loss in this battle was in the Second Brigade. Amongst the killed were Brig. Gen. Charles Winder of the Stonewall Brigade, who commanded the division, and Lieut. Col. Richard H. Cunningham (an old F), who commanded the 21st Va. Regt., two as gallant men as the cause ever lost, a great loss to our command and the army. Both were conspicuous on every battlefield for brave deeds, and they gave promise of being great soldiers. I have always thought there was a similarity in their deaths. Both were on the sick list, each had been riding in an ambulance during the day, but, at the sound of the guns, each mounted his horse, came to the front, and took command of his men. Winder was posting his advance artillery in the open field just to our right when he was killed, and Cunningham was killed a few minutes later near the same place. I also think if they had lived each would have been promoted, Winder to be a major general, and Cunningham to be a brigadier general, both commissions dating from this battle.

Here is what Major Dabney, on Jackson's staff, says in his life of Stonewall Jackson. After describing the position of the brigades that were already in line of battle to our right, he comes to that occupied by the Second Brigade and says: "The whole angle of forest was now filled with clamor and horrid rout. The left regiments of the Second Brigade were taken in reverse, intermingled with the enemy, broken and massacred from front to rear. The regiments of the right and especially the 21st Virginia, commanded by that brave Christian soldier, Colonel Cunningham, stood firm, and fought the enemy before them like lions, until the invading line had penetrated within twenty yards of their rear, for the terrific din of the musketry, the smoke, and the dense foliage concealed friend from foe, until they were separated from each other by this narrow interval. Their heroic colonel was slain, the orders of officers was unheard amidst the shouts of the assailants, and all the vast uproar; yet the remnant of the Second Brigade fought on, man to man, without rank or method, with bayonet thrust and musket clubbed, but borne back like the angry foam on a mighty wave, towards the high road."

Lt. Col. Garnett, commanding he Second Brigade, gives the 21t Virginia special mention in his report of this battle. Likewise does Brig. Gen. Taliaferro of the Third Brigade. Brig. Gen. Early of Ewell's division says in his report that his attention was directed, especially in the general advance, towards a small band of the 21st Virginia with their colors; as every few minutes the color bearer would shake out his colors, seemingly in defiance to the enemy.

We remained on the battlefield all the next day, gathering the wounded and burying the dead. Gen. Jackson was joined during the day by Gen. J. E. B. Stuart, whom he ordered to take command of a reconnoitering expedition. On Stuart's return, he reported to Jackson that Pope had been heavily reinforced. In consequence, Jackson would not renew the advance, and Pope, being so much surprised at seeing the front of a rebel, had not recovered sufficiently to attack Jackson.

About midday, Pope asked permission of Gen. Jackson to succor such of his wounded as had not already been treated by us, and to bury his dead; this Gen. Jackson granted, and put the field of battle under the command of Brig. Gen. Early. Soon the Yank and Confederate were engaged in friendly converse, trading papers, tobacco, etc.

When night came on, Gen. Jackson thought it best to fall back behind the Rapidan, and we crossed that stream the next day, and went into camp between that river and Gordonsville. While we were there, Stark's Louisiana Brigade was added to Jackson's division; the division consisting of the First (Stonewall), Second, Third, Fourth, or Louisiana, brigades. We remained in this camp until August 16th, when we marched a few miles, and prepared for another advance against Pope.
 
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Thanks for the photos and description! My direct ancestor, Sgt Joseph T Ramsey of co. A of the 21st VA, was busy getting himself killed in those turned-around regiments under Garnett. I found a first hand account of this battle by a soldier from the 21st VA, John Worsham. My husband kindly transcribed the account - this is Chapter 8, "One of Jackson's Foot Cavalry: His Experience and What he Saw During the War 1861-1865." John H. Worsham, co. F, 21st VA Inf. Copyright 1912 - work is in the public domain.

I thought this was worth reading in full - especially for the account of the ill-fated Lt. Col. Cunningham, whose laryngitis prevented him from making his orders heard at a crucial moment. Just one of those crazy things. The official report mentions twice that Cunningham could not make himself heard, but apparently his fellow officers didn't know why.

I've read Worsham in the 1990's Time-Life Collectors' Library of the Civil War reprint pictured below which I own, but that was now quite a few years ago. As for Lt. Cunningham's problem, I fully sympathize and empathize because I suffered from the same condition back in 1988 at the Gettysburg 125th as the captain of a small Union company in the free-wheeling Wheatfield scenario.

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As a sometime medical reenactor, my favorite "sidebar" story concerning Cedar Mountain is the story of Confederate Major Richard Snowden Andrews of Maryland who was commanding the battalion of artillery attached to Winder's Division of Jackson's army there. Sometime in the afternoon during the artillery duel and presumably around the time Winder was himself wounded, Andrews was directing a section of his smoothbores into position when he too was struck by a shell fragment that almost disemboweled him. He had the presence of mind to support his wound as he slipped from the saddle into the dust of the road near the Gate, where he reportedly lay for three hours before being taken to a field hospital by order of Jackson's medical director, Maj. Hunter McGuire, possibly a result of Winder's order not to remove those wounded.

Owing to the ignorance of wounds to the head or body and the nature of infections like peritonitis by doctors of the era, those with wounds like Andrews' were merely made as comfortable as possible while they waited for inevitable death. Andrews however refused to be discouraged and asked to at least have his wound treated and sewn up. According to one account, a pair of surgeons who happened to be brothers from Georgia agreed, one saying something like "This fellow's so full of grit" - meaning both spunk as well as referring to the dirt from the road - he may have a chance. Miraculously, Andrews not only survived his wound but returned to service in time to be wounded again on the way to Gettysburg! Below is his jacket he saved as a memento of his near-fatal wound; the cut across the chest is from where it was removed for his treatment.

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