[367] “courier,” and the whole town was soon agog with the “glorious news.” Several hours afterwards Colonel Munford sent back his guests, who, of course, carried “the news” to headquarters. Colonel Munford pushed his advance down to New Market, and the Federal army immediately retreated to Strausburg, where they were busily engaged in fortifying against Jackson at the very time when “the foot cavalry” were thundering on McClellan's flank before Richmond.
Our march was so secretly undertaken and so secretly executed that our higher officers, as well as the men, were in profound ignorance of our destination.
At Charlottesville we expected to turn off through Green county to meet a rumored move of the enemy across the mountains. At Gordonsville I was told by the Presbyterian minister, at whose house Jackson made his headquarters, as a profound secret, not to be breathed, that we “would move at daybreak on Culpeper Courthouse.” We moved instead on Louisa Courthouse, where again we were deceived into thinking that we should move across by Spottsylvania Courthouse to meet McDowell's column coming down from Fredericksburg. At Frederick's Hall, Beaver Dam depot, and Hanover Junction, we still expected to head towards Fredericksburg, and it was really not until the afternoon of June 26, when we heard A. P. Hill's guns at Mechanicsville, that we appreciated the true nature of the move we had made, and the bloody work before us.
It was on this march that Jackson met one of Hood's Texans straggling from his command, when the following coloquy ensued:
Where are you going?
“I do not know, sir,” promptly responded the Texan.
“What command do you belong to?”
“I do not know, sir.”
“What State are you from?”
“Don't know, sir.”
“Well!” said the General a little impatiently, “what do you know?”
“Nothing at all, sir, on this march for old Stonewall says we must be know-nothings until after the next battle, and I am not going to disobey orders.”
At Fredericks Hall, Jackson made his headquarters, by special invitation, at one of those hospitable old Virginia mansions which were so famous in their day. The lady of the house had prepared the next morning an elegant breakfast, and sent to call General Jackson to partake of it; but his room was vacant and no one knew whither he had
