I am reading Porter Alexander's "Military Memoirs" and currently I am at the section where he discusses the Seven Days Battles. He seems to be just as perplexed as everyone else as to what happened with "The Jackson of the Valley" and him being replaced with "The Jackson of the Chickahominy." He seems to take the attitude of "Who is this imposter and what have you done with the real Jackson" when talking about this campaign.
I'm sure it has been discussed on here many times but thought I'd throw this thread out there to get the forums opinions on it. Jackson seemed to be aggressive so many times, why would he falter now? Fatigue? Not wanting to encroach on the Lord's day perhaps? I found this part of Alexander's book interesting when he quoted Wade Hampton.
"We could see a very wide and deep ravine in which was a line of Federals lying down in line of battle, and evidently expecting, if any attack was made upon them, it would be from the open field below the ford of the stream. In this event their position would have been very strong. "Withdrawing without attracting their notice, I returned across the swamp and gave to Gen. Jackson all the facts stated above. "He asked if I could make a bridge across the stream, to which I replied that I could make one for the infantry, but not for artillery, as cutting a road would disclose our position.
He directed me to make the bridge. Ordering a detail of my men to cut some poles where they were standing and to carry them into the swamp, a bridge was made in a few minutes. I then again reconnoitered the position of the enemy whom I found perfectly quiet unsuspecting. On my return to our side of the swamp, I found Gen. Jackson seated on a fallen pine alongside of the road that led down to the ford, and seating myself by him, I reported the completion of the bridge and the exposed position of the enemy. He drew his cap down over his eyes which were closed, and after listening to me for some minutes, he rose without speaking, and the next morning we found Franklin with the rest of the Federal troops concentrated on Malvern Hill.
"While we were waiting at the White Oak crossing we heard the noise of Longstreet's battle at Frazier's Farm, and Capt. or Maj. Fairfax of Longstreet's staff came with a message from the general to Gen. Jackson. Though I heard this message, I cannot recall it. . . . In speaking to Gen. Lee in 1868 on this subject he expressed the greatest surprise at my account of this matter, and he said that he never had understood why the delay had occurred.
"Gen. Jackson was too great a soldier, and I was too much attached to him, for me to venture to criticize his actions or his plans, but it seems to me that everything which throws light on the plans of our great chief, Gen. Lee, should go down in history. I believe that if Franklin, who opposed us at White Oak, could have been defeated, the Federal army would have been destroyed.
"Yours truly,
"WADE HAMPTON."
Much comment suggests itself, but little is needed : Who that fought with Lee can picture to himself without emotion what might have happened had the Jackson of the Valley had the opportunity presented to him which Gen. Hampton has described as offered in vain to the Jackson of the Chickahominy"
I find it interesting that Hampton spoke to Lee about this incident in 1868 and Lee was surprised. No one is perfect, but Alexander truly seemed to think if Jackson showed more initiative during this campaign they could have struck a serious blow to the Union. I wonder what Jackson was thinking during this time? I know he pushed his men hard, but maybe he felt sorry for how hard they had worked recently and decided not to push them? I guess we'll never know for sure.
I'm sure it has been discussed on here many times but thought I'd throw this thread out there to get the forums opinions on it. Jackson seemed to be aggressive so many times, why would he falter now? Fatigue? Not wanting to encroach on the Lord's day perhaps? I found this part of Alexander's book interesting when he quoted Wade Hampton.
"We could see a very wide and deep ravine in which was a line of Federals lying down in line of battle, and evidently expecting, if any attack was made upon them, it would be from the open field below the ford of the stream. In this event their position would have been very strong. "Withdrawing without attracting their notice, I returned across the swamp and gave to Gen. Jackson all the facts stated above. "He asked if I could make a bridge across the stream, to which I replied that I could make one for the infantry, but not for artillery, as cutting a road would disclose our position.
He directed me to make the bridge. Ordering a detail of my men to cut some poles where they were standing and to carry them into the swamp, a bridge was made in a few minutes. I then again reconnoitered the position of the enemy whom I found perfectly quiet unsuspecting. On my return to our side of the swamp, I found Gen. Jackson seated on a fallen pine alongside of the road that led down to the ford, and seating myself by him, I reported the completion of the bridge and the exposed position of the enemy. He drew his cap down over his eyes which were closed, and after listening to me for some minutes, he rose without speaking, and the next morning we found Franklin with the rest of the Federal troops concentrated on Malvern Hill.
"While we were waiting at the White Oak crossing we heard the noise of Longstreet's battle at Frazier's Farm, and Capt. or Maj. Fairfax of Longstreet's staff came with a message from the general to Gen. Jackson. Though I heard this message, I cannot recall it. . . . In speaking to Gen. Lee in 1868 on this subject he expressed the greatest surprise at my account of this matter, and he said that he never had understood why the delay had occurred.
"Gen. Jackson was too great a soldier, and I was too much attached to him, for me to venture to criticize his actions or his plans, but it seems to me that everything which throws light on the plans of our great chief, Gen. Lee, should go down in history. I believe that if Franklin, who opposed us at White Oak, could have been defeated, the Federal army would have been destroyed.
"Yours truly,
"WADE HAMPTON."
Much comment suggests itself, but little is needed : Who that fought with Lee can picture to himself without emotion what might have happened had the Jackson of the Valley had the opportunity presented to him which Gen. Hampton has described as offered in vain to the Jackson of the Chickahominy"
I find it interesting that Hampton spoke to Lee about this incident in 1868 and Lee was surprised. No one is perfect, but Alexander truly seemed to think if Jackson showed more initiative during this campaign they could have struck a serious blow to the Union. I wonder what Jackson was thinking during this time? I know he pushed his men hard, but maybe he felt sorry for how hard they had worked recently and decided not to push them? I guess we'll never know for sure.