And now another brigade charged, and was driven back by an enfilade fire.

At ten o’clock a third and final charge was made along the whole line; the intrenchments were ours, and Chancellorsville was won.

Company H had lost many men; Pinckney Seabrook, a most gallant officer, had fallen dead, shot by some excited man far in our rear.

We moved no farther in advance.  The scattered lines re-formed, and were ready to go forward and push the Federals to the Rappahannock, but no orders came.  General Lee had just received intelligence of the second battle of Fredericksburg.  The enemy, under Sedgwick, had taken the heights above the town, and were now advancing against our right flank.  Our division, and perhaps others, held the field of Chancellorsville, while troops were hurried east to face Sedgwick.  Before the close of the 4th the Federals near Fredericksburg had been forced to retire to the north bank of the Rappahannock.  By the morning of the 6th all of Hooker’s army had recrossed the river.

Chancellorsville is considered Lee’s greatest victory, because of the enormous odds he fought.  Longstreet, with two of his divisions, was not at Chancellorsville, but was at Suffolk opposing the Federals under Peck.  Hooker’s army had numbered a hundred and thirty thousand, while Lee had less than sixty thousand men.

We marched back to our huts below Fredericksburg.  A few days later we learned that the most illustrious man in the South was dead.  No longer should we follow Stonewall Jackson.

The two corps of the army were formed into three—­Longstreet’s the first, Ewell’s the second, and A.P.  Hill’s the third.  Our General Gregg had been killed at Fredericksburg, and we were now McGowan’s brigade.  Our General Jackson had fallen at Chancellorsville, and we were now in the corps of A.P.  Hill, whose promotion placed four brigades of our division under General Pender.  Letters received by Company H a few weeks before had been addressed to Gregg’s brigade, A.P.  Hill’s division, Jackson’s corps; letters received now were addressed to McGowan’s brigade, Pender’s division, A.P.  Hill’s corps.  But why do I talk of letters?

* * * * *

Shortly after our return to the old camp, by order of General Pender, a battalion of sharp-shooters was formed in each brigade of his division.  Two or three men were taken from each, company—­from the large companies three, from the small ones two.  Our brigade had five regiments of ten companies each, so that McGowan’s battalion of sharp-shooters was to be composed of about a hundred and twenty men.  General McGowan chose Captain Haskell as the commander of the battalion.  When I heard of this appointment, I went to the Captain and begged to go with him.  He said, “I had already chosen you, Jones,” and I felt happy and proud.  When the battalion was drawn up for the first time, orders were read showing the organization of the command.  There were to be three companies, each under a lieutenant.  I was in Company A, with the other men from the First.  Gus Rhodes, a sergeant in Company H, was named orderly-sergeant of Company A of the battalion, and Private B. Jones was named second sergeant.  For a moment I wondered who this B. Jones was, and then it came upon me that no one could be meant except myself.