Blue and Gray Weekly, No. 26

At Cedar Mountain: Boys in Gray with Stonewall Jackson

This serial by Lieutenant Harry Lee, appearing in Blue and Gray Weekly, depicts Civil War action in Virginia. The narrative follows Captain Will Prentiss and the Virginia Grays—a company of young Richmond gentlemen under General Stonewall Jackson—who receive orders to secure a railroad cut above Gordonsville against Union cavalry raiders. Marching from their camp in August 1862, Prentiss and Lieutenant Fred Randolph deploy their men across the track and surrounding fields, expecting combat. As they wait along the cut, a distant locomotive whistle signals an approaching supply train from Charlottesville. Prentiss senses hidden Union forces and prepares for action, knowing the raiders will likely emerge when the train appears. The narrative combines military operations with character development, emphasizing the courage and discipline of the Southern youth. A companion feature advertises instructional pamphlets on boxing, hunting, magic tricks, and letter-writing.