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MAJ. LOUIS A ORAia

K>ai: HARVARD COLLEGE LI BRARYJ^II

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MEMOIRS OF

STONEWALL JACKSON^

BY HIS WIDOW

MART Aiq^NA JACKSON

WITH INTRODUCTIOKS BT

Lieut.-Gen. John B. Gordon

AND Rev. Henrt M. Field

AUD 8KKTCHE8 BT

Ukkkraub FiTZHUOH Lsx, B. G. French, Lafayetts MoLaws, M. O.

fiUTLKR, Bbadlxy T. Johnson, James H. Lane, William B.

Taliaferbo, Samuel G. McGowan, Henry Heth, Basil

W. Duke, Ex-Gov. F. W. M. Holliday, Revs. J. W.

Jones and J. R. Graham, Ck)L. Auqustus C.

Hamlin, Caft. Joseph S. Morrison

and

Viscount (General) Woi^eley, Commander-in-Chief of the Armies

OF Great Britain, and Col. G. F. R. Henderson, Professor in

the British Staff College, Camberly, Surrey, England.

ILLUSTRATEID-

THE PRENTICE PRESS.
Courier-Journal Job Printing Company,
louisville, ky.

LlS ^T^<?d- lO'/h

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OOURIBS-JOUKNAL JOB PbIMTINO OX

TO
THl GRANDCHILDREN OF OBNKRAL JACKSON

JULIA AND JACKSON CHRISTIAN
8l)i0 Book ie IDtbuateb

r THE PEATmUL HOPI THAT A8 THIT GROW IH TXABS 1BIT KAT

OEAW nSPIRATIOH fSOM HIS IXAMPLI, AND OONfORM THKB LITIt

TO THl SAMI KXALTED STANDARD OF CHRISnAN DUTT, WHICH

MARKED THl CHARACTER OF THEIR ORAND6IRE, AND WHICH

WAS ALSO REFLECTED IN THE LIFE OF THEIR TOUNO

MOTHER, WHO WITH GENTLE FOOTSTEPS FOLLOWED

HER FATHER AS HE FOLLOWED JESUS

PREFACE.

Fob many years after the death of my husband the
shadow over my life was so deep, and all that con-
cerned him was so saored, that I could not consent to
lift the veil to the public gaze. But time softens, if it
does not heal, the bitterest sorrow ; and the pleadings
of his only child, after reaching womanhood, finally
prevaUed upon me to write out for her and her chU-
dren my memories of the father she had never known
on earth. She was my inspiration, encouraging me,
and delighting in every page that was written ; but
the work was not more than half completed when
God took her to be with him whose memory she cher-
ished with a reverence and devotion which became
more intense with the development of her own pure
and noble character. After her departure, which was
truly " sorrow's crown of sorrows," I had no heart to
continue the work; but, remembering how earnestly
she wished me to write it for her and her children, I
renewed the eflfort to finish it, for the sake of the pre-
cious little ones she left. In forcing my mind and pen
to do their task, I found some " surcease of sorrow "
in carrying out her wishes; and, as I went on, the

Vi PREFACE.

grand lessons of submission and fortitude of my h
band's life gave me strength and courage to persev<
to the end.

If it be thought that I have been too free in i
revelations of what was so purely personal, in that
pertained to his home circle, it must be remembei
that this was written expressly for his grandchildr
who in no other way could ever know that tender a
exquisite phase of his inner life, which was never
vealed to the world.

Mabt Akna Jackson

NOTE.

On pages 66 to 88 there appear frequent and extended extra
from an interesting article by Mrs. Margaret J. Preston, entit
** Personal Characteristics of Stonewall Jackson," which was p
lished in the Century Magazine for October, 1886. The appro]
ate credit for the use of tliese extracts was inadvertently omit
from the first edition of this work, and the Publishers are glad
the opportunity to make this acknowledgment to the author
the article referred to.

A similar acknowledgment is due to the late Colonel Willi
Allan, of General Jackson^s staff, for the use of materials fumisl
in his admirable " History of the Valley Campaign."

CONTENTS.

I. Thb Old English and Scotch-Ibibh Stock • . • 1

II. ** Thb Bot is Father of thb Man " 14

m. Four Years at West Point— 184)^1846 80

IV. The War With Mexico— 184^-1848 40

v. Ten Years in the Virginia MiLiTART Instttutb

—1851-1861 51

VL The Professor- Trip to Europe— 1851-1856 . . 81

VII. Second Marriage— Home Life— 1857-1868 ... 80

Vin. Home Life Continued— 1858-1859 112

IX. War Clouds— 1860-1861 133

X. Harper's Ferry- 1861 148

XI. The First Battle of Manassas 174

XII. WinchesterandRomney Expedition— 1861-1862 203

XIII. Kernstown, McDowell, and Winchester — 1862 236

XIV. Cross Keys and Port Republic— 1862 266

XV. The Richmond Campaign— 1862 280

•

XVI. Cedar Run and the Second Battle of Manas-

XVII. Maryland Campaign and Sharpsburg — 1862 . . 329

XVIII. Home Joys — Birth of a Daughter 353

XIX. The Battle of Fredericksburg 364

XX. Winter Quarters, Chaplain, and Correspond-
ence—1862-3 381

XXI. The Last Happy Days — Chancellorsyillb . . 407

XXII. In the Valley of the Shadow— at Rest .... 433

VUl CONTENTS.

SKETCHES.

1. A Chaplain's Reoollections of Stonewall Jackbon

— Chaplain J. Wm. Jones -

2. Reminiscence of General T. J. ** Stonewall " Jack-

son— Rev. James R. Graham, D. D <

3. Some Personal Reminiscences of Lt.*Gen. Thos. J.

" Stonewall " Jackson— Maj. -Gen. Wm. B. Talia-
ferro I

4. Personal Recollections of** Stonewall "Jackson

— Brio. -Gen. Bradley T. Johnson ........ 8

5. General Jackson — Brio. -Gen. James H. Lane. . . . S

6. Battle of Chancellorsyille, Va. — A Tribute to

General Jackson— Lt. -Col. Augustus Choate
Hamlin 5

7. Tribute to General Jackson — Brio. -Gen. Basil

Duke 5

8. Jackson THE Hero— Maj. -Gen. S. G. French .... 5
0. Personal Recollections of General Jackson —

Maj. -Gen. Lafayette McLaws 5

10. General Stonewall Jackson — Maj. -Gen. Hbnrt

Heth 5

11. First Sight of Jackson— Brig. -Gen. Samuel G.

McGowAN 5

12. "Stonewall" Jackson's Place in History— Col. G.

F. R. Henderson 5

13. General Jackson— Viscount (General) Wolselet. 6

14. Incidents in the Life of Stonewall Jackson —

Maj. -Gen. M. C. Butler 6

15. General Jackson, One of the World's Greatest

Soldiers — Maj. -Gen. Fitzhugh Lee 6

16. Harper's Ferry— Capt. Joseph G. Morrison .... 6

17. ** Stonewall" Jackson— Col. F. W. M. Holliday . 6

18. Appendix 6

ILLUSTILA.TIONS.

Qkhbbal Thoicas J. Jackson, FronHapieee, faob

Fathsb of Stonbwall Jackson 13

BiBTHFLACB OF GSNBRAL JaCKSON, ClABKSBUBG, W.VA. . 15

Btonbwall Jackson at thb Agb of 24 48

The Yiboinia Military Instttutb 54

Phbbbtterian Church and Lecture Room at Lexing-
ton, Va 58

*'CoTTAOE Home"— The Morrison HoKESTBAD 88

The Jackson Dwellino, Lbxinoton, Va 107

Mart Anna Jackson, Wife of General Jackson .... 148

"Old Sorrel" 172

General Jackson, at the Battle of First Manassas

(Bull Run) ^ 202

Jackson's Attack on the Right Wing of the Federal

Army at Chancellors ville 307

Julia, Daoohter of General Jackson, at 12 Years . . 360

Julia, Daughter of General Jackson, at 16 Years . . 360

Julia, Daughter of General Jackson, as a Bride . . . 360

Monument Where Jackson Fell at Chancellors-

VILLE, Va. 432

Jackson's Tomb, Lexington, Va 465

Prayer in Stonewall Jackson's Camp 480

Some Relics of General Jackson in Mrs. Jackson's

Home 492

Jackson Commanding Second Corps at Fredericksburg 526

Portrait of General Jackson, Best Extant 541

X ILLUSTRATIONS.

Map of Battle of Ghancbllobsyillb

General Jackson's Sword

Stonewall Brigade Planting Their Cannon ....
A Charge and Capture of Federal Breastwobkb a:

Chancellorsyille

Statue of General Jackson at Lexington, Va. . • .
Statue of General Jackson at Richmond, Va. . . .
General Jackson, from a Medallion Worn bt Mna

Jackson

Foley's English Statue of Jackson, Front View . . .
Foley's English Statue of Jackson, Back View ....

Julia Jackson Christian, at 4 Years

T. Jackson Christian, at 8 Years

INTRODUCTION.

By LisittxnakivGenkral Johk B. Oobdox.

Thb volume to which this is intended as a brief
introduction has already won its way to distinction.
It is now to be issued as a second and improved
edition. The value of this book, which insures a
more complete understanding of " Stonewall " Jack-
son's life and character, can scarcely be over-
estimated. Mrs. Jackson gives to the world, in a
simple and thrilling story, a less conspicuous but
scarcely less important phase of the life and char-
acter of the great warrior. She gives his domestic
life, which is the better side of him, if indeed any
one phase can be considered better than another in
a life like that of General Jackson, which in every
sphere was wholly consecrated to duty. Prom no
other, source could have been obtained such informa-
tion and data concerning one of the most remark-
able men who has ever figured in the history of this
country. His career as a soldier was brilliant and
dazzling. It had neither the dimness of a dawn,
nor the fading of a twilight; but was full-orbed
from first to last. Yet the philosophic historian
will no longer consider the splendor of his success
in war, without at the same time contemplating the
simplicity and purity' which, like a halo of light,
encircled his domestic and religious life.

To the casual observer General Jackson might

XU INTRODUCTION.

appear as a man of strange contradictions ; but s
a conception of him would be entirely erronec
There was in all of his mental and moral characi
istics the most perfect harmony. The writer of t
introduction has frequently had occasion to con
an impression, more or less prevailing, that Gene
Jackson, when upon his famous marches or
battle, became so intent upon victory as to 1
sight, in some measure, of the sufferings and li'
of his men. Nothing could be further from t
truth. That he did, on his forced marches, tax
the utmost the strength and physical endurance
his men is undoubtedly true ; but his object was
achieve results by surprises if possible, rather th
through hotly contested and bloody battles whc
the enemy was fully prepared ; and he succeed
because he struck when and where he was let
expected. It is also true that in delivering batl
his methods might be regarded as almost reckle
by those who failed to understand him, but wh
seemed reckless audacity was the essence of prudenc
His eye had caught at a glance the entire situatio
and his genius, with marvellous celerity and ace
racy, had weighed and measured all the chances <
success or failure. While, therefore, others le
gifted or officially more timid were hesitating <
slowly feeling their way, by employing in deta
insufficient forces, Jackson, without for one momei
doubting his success, hurled his whole army like
thunderbolt against the opposing lines and tin:
ended the battle at a single blow. The victory W8
won at the least possible cost of blood and life t
his army.

INTRODUCTION. XIU

General Jackson's conversation and bearing were
dignified, natural and unassuming. Few men ever
lived who won so great reputation in so short a
period and yet remained so free from the usual
weakness of personal vanity. He was essentially
a modest man, and yet his faith in his own intuitions
never Altered. When his judgment was once made
up, his reliance upon it was absolute. He listened
respectfully and patiently to suggestions from those
under his command, and then courteously but firmly
rejected them when they conflicted with his own
unerring judgment.

In issuing orders or giving verbal instructions his
words were few and simple ; but they were so clear,
BO comprehensive and direct that no officer could
possibly misunderstand and none dared disobey.

He had at times the aspect of an austere man ; but
it was only the semblance and not the substance of
severity. Mrs. Jackson, in the beautiful picture
which she draws of his most pronounced character-
istics, demonstrates — as those who] knew him best
always realized — that his nature was gentle, emo-
tional and affectionate and that his sensibilities
were both delicate and refined. His official and
dignified reserve, which, like an impenetrable armor,
protected him from unseemly familiarity and inquisi-
tive meddling with his plans, was never interpreted
as coldness by those who followed him ; for they
knew that beneath that official exterior there was
another Jackson whose great heart was beating
with ceaseless and fraternal solicitude for their wel-
fare and safety ; that under that brow always placid,
even in the fury of battles, there was a mighty

XIV INTRODUCTION.

brain throbbing with electric energy and wor
for their success with the power and precision o
most perfect machinery. Hence he attached
men to him by the strongest of ties, and aro
among them wherever he appeared an enthus:
that was boundless.

It is fitting perhaps that General Jackson's
ostentatious, sincere and deeply rooted relig
faith should be treated as his noblest and crowi
characteristic. His trust in God and reliance u
an overruling Providence permeated his thought
guided his actions at all times and in all stati<
Whether he was dispensing light and joy in
family circle, kindling the noblest aspirations am
his pupils in the school-room, planning in his 1
his masterful strategy and praying for heave
guidance, or riding like the incarnate spirit of '
through the storm of battle, his sublime faith nc
faltered.

In looking back over the career of this Ameri<
phenomenon, it is difficult for the writer to find
counterpart in history. Perhaps in quickness
decision at the moment of extremity, in rapidity
movement, in the originality and peculiar qualit
of his genius, General Jackson more resemb
Napoleon Bonaparte than any of the great warri
of the past. It would be the rankest sacrilege
compare, as a man, the character of Napoleon to tl
of the matchless Jackson. In this regard they W4
as wide apart as the poles. It requires, howev
neither the partiality of friendship for Jackson, e
any coloring of his record, to justify a comparis
between the two as great military chieftains. T

INTRODUCTION. XV

writer submits in conclusion that when an unbiased
and intelligent analysis is made of the character of
" Stonewall " Jackson, of his opportunities and
resources, and of the results achieved by him, he will
undoubtedly be accorded in history a commanding
position among the great generals of the world.

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST EDITION.

The time has come when we can do justice to
those who were once in arms against us. Our heroes,
on the one side and on the other, are nearly all gone
to the grave. As they drew near the end, those who
had been separated in unnatural strife felt the old
love come back again, and yearned for mutual recog-
nition. General Orant, on his death-bed, opened his
heart to General Buckner, speaking with the utmost
tenderness of the South, which had suffered so much.
It was his dying wish that all her wounds might
be healed ; and that henceforth the North and the
South should stand together, equal partners in one
glorious Union. It is only a few months since Gen-
eral Sherman was borne through our streets, and
among those who followed at his bier was his great
adversary, General Johnston, who, by a singular co-
incidence, survived him but a few weeks. Thus the
warriors who once " to battle rode " at the head of
hostile armies, now fall into line in the great proces-
sion to that realm of silence in which all enmities are
buried.

In this bearing of our great soldiers towards each

Xviii INTRODUOTION.

Other, they who were " first in war *' were also
in peace;" and it were well if they should r
''first in the hearts of their countrymen," s
leaders whom we are to follow in the work
union. '^ Why, then, do we recall the memorie
war that is ended, and that had better be forge
Let the dead past bury its dead." But out ol
dead past comes the living present. A great
cannot be forgotten. If it were only as a t<
explosion of human passion, a tragedy of whic
the world are spectators — it would have a te
fascination. Civil war has a still more tragic int
as it is a war between brothers, and, though fi
quarrels are proverbially bitter, yet all the while,
down in our hearts, there is a lingering tende
that other times and other scenes may awaken a
To rekindle this feeling, if it be not the desij
the present volume, cannot fail to be one result
It is a poor reconciliation which is obtained on]
agreeing never to speak of the past. It is the
thing of which we should speak, kindly indeed
without reserve. Men who are honest and I
have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to
ceal; and the better they know each other, the i
will they be drawn together by the mutual attra<
of noble characters. Besides, the four years of our*
War were in some respects the grandest since
nation was bom. Awful, terrible, it is true, but i
nificent and sublime. Then for the first time
American people learned what stuff they were n

INTRODUCTION. X1|L

of. For the development of character those four
years were better than a hundred years of unbroken
prosperity. Better than all the summer sunshine on
ripening harvests were the thunders and lightnings
that woke a nation to life, and gave it the full con-
sciousness of its power. Never did our countrymen
rise to such heights of courage and devotion. Never
did they perform such deeds, or make such sacrifices.
We must be sunk low indeed if we are capable of
forgetting the most splendid period of American
history.

Nor would we « have our annals limited to those
who fought on the side that was victorious. A na-
tion's life is counted not by years, but by genera-
tions. A generation that was distinguished by its
wars is followed by one that is devoted to the arts
of peace; and sons may be proud of the deeds of
their fathers, and yet not think it a part of loyalty
to keep alive their hatreds. Indeed, there comes a
time when the great figures that pass before us on
tbe canvas of history are so blended that we hard-
ly distinguish friends from foes, but recognize them
all as actors in a time that is forever past. And
so we can read the story of Lee and of Jackson
with no wish to depreciate their greatness, but
claiming it as belonging to us, since, if they were
Soathemers, they were also Americans, and their
illuftrious names are a part of our common inheri-
tance of glory. Therefore it is that we welcome a
tala of war which may be said to be told in the in-

INTRODUCTION.

tefest of peace, as it describes a career that illostra
some of the noblest qualities of human charact
Believing that a generous recognition of what v
true and brave on both sides is the surest pledge
complete reconciliation, I count it a privilege
have a part, however slight, in this tribute to
Christian soldier, who, if he were " not with us I
against us," showed such high qualities, such poi«
of command, ^uch fortitude, and such true ma
greatness, as to be worthy of the honor of us all.

Stonewall Jackson was the most picturesque figc
in the war. Not so high in command as Genei
Lee on the one side, or Oeneral Grant on the oth
neither had a personality so unique. In Jacks
there were two men in one : he united qualities th
are not only alien to each other, but that seem almc
incompatible — military genius of the highest ord
with a religious fervor that bordered on fanaticism ;
union of the soldier and the saint for which we mu
go back to the time of Cromwell. A thunderbolt
war, be was in society so modest and unassuming
to appear even shy and timid. A character in whii
such contradictions are combined is one of the mo
fascinating studies to be found in American histor}\

One view of this extraordinary roan has alreac
been given to the world. In the great operations <
war he was a character apart; a man of mysten
silent and uncommunicative ; wrapping himself in h
reserve as in a military cloak; asking no advice; fom
ing his own plans, which those nearest to him couj

IXTBODUCTIOK. XXI

not penetnte and hardly dared to oonjeoture, and
whidi were diBcloeed even to his military fiunily only
when be gave his orders for the march and the battle.
Snob is Stonewall Jackson as his martial figore passes
before as on the canvas of history.
. Bnt mdi is im^ the figure which it is the purpose of
this volume to pcntray. The author has no thought of
adding one more to the histories of the military career
of General Jackson. That has been written by bis old
companions in arms, and by military critics at home
and abroad who have made a study of his campaigns,
following on the map those rapid marches in which he
was not surpassed by Napoleon in his first campaigns
in Italy ; and finding in his peculiar strategy enough
to give him a place among the great captains of the
age.

But with Jackson, as with others who have acted a
great part in public affairs, there was another side to
the man — an inner life, known but to few, and fully
known only to her who was united to him in the
closest of all human relations. Of the war itself she
has but little to tell us; for he did not confide bis
plans even to her. It was not that he distrusted her
womanly discretion ; but, in the midst of thousands of
watchful eyes, had he disclosed to her the dangers into
which he was going, her cheek might have blanched
with fear, or a shade of anxiety passed over her
countenance that would have set all to wondering
what it meant. Only when he signified that she
should retire to a place of safety had she a forebod-

XXll INTBODUCnON.

ing of what was to come ; though she knew iiot in
what direction he was to move, nor how, nor when,
nor where he was to strike. But, with a woman's loy- *
alty to her husband and her faith in God, she was
content not to know, and prayed only for the gift
of patience as she waited for the event.

But when the battle was over, then the tidingg
came ! Now we expect to know everything from the
chief actor. But again we are disappointed, for in his
letters, even when written from a field bf battle, there
is no attempt to describe it, and hardly an allusion to
it, except in a general way, in the expression that often
recurs in his letters, that ^^ by the blessing of Almighty
God their arms have been crowned with victory."

But this extreme reticence, which at first is a disap-
pointment, when looked at a little more closely is a
revelation of the man, as it shows the supreme self-
command, which could turn at once from the terrible
excitement of war and direct his thoughts into a
channel so remote that it carried him quite away in
an opposite direction. While the battle raged he sat
on his horse unmoved in the very front of danger ; but
when the crisis was past, and he could be spared from
the field, even though the thunders were still rolling
in the distance, he rode back with the tension of his
mind relaxed, and entering his tent, ^'shut to the
door,^' and calmed bis spirit in the presence of God.

Next to the acknowledgment of his Maker was the
thought of home, and of the young mother with his
child in her arms I The man of war was at the same

INTRODUCTION. XXlll

time the most domestic of men. All his heart was
centred in one spoU Many who read these pages will
be surprised at the revelation of his passionate love of
home, to which he was eager to return, though he was
never to cross its threshold again. While the world
saw only the soldier with a coat of mail over his
breast, those who knew him best saw under it a great
human heart. Above all, to her who looked up in his
face with perfect trust and confidence, that face was
open as the day. To her this man of iron was the
gentlest and tenderest of human beings; whose first
thought was always for her ; whose strong arm guard-
ed her from harm ; who would not ^^ that even the
winds of summer should visit her too roughly."

Such devotion cannot be forgotten even after the
lapse of a quarter of a century. Still the yearning
heart turns fondly to the past. Still the faithful
bosom carries within it a great memory and a great
affection. As she looks back through the mist of
years, she sees not the military hero, the idol of the
army, riding down the line of battle, but the husband
of her youth, still the same. In her quiet hours, as
she sits by her desolate fireside, the old days come
again, and they are once more in the home that was
always made bright by the sunshine of his presence.
They sit round the old hearthstone, and kneel to-
gether in prayer, and walk to the house of God in
company.

Filled with such memories, it is but the impulse of
loyalty to the dead that she should wish that others

xxiv INTRODUCTION.

fihonld know him whose, name she bears as she knew
him ; that the world should appreciate not only the
soldier, but the man ; that they should know all the
gentleness and the tenderness that were in that lion
heart. This is revealed nowhere so folly as in his
letters to her during the war, which those who have
been permitted to see them privately have earnestly
requested to have given to the public. If to any they
seem too personal, I answer, that they are not to be
judged coldly and critically, but with the sympathetic
feeling of those who are themselves capable of such
tenderness ; and I have met the womanly shyness and
timidity that shrank from this ^' unveiling," by saying,
^^ Yes, you can leave it all out, and in every case yon
can replace the word of endearment by a blank ; but
every time you do this you leave out a touch of
Stonewall Jackson, for this fond devotion, this ex-
quisite tenderness, was a part of the man as truly as
his military genius. Sacred, indeed, are these words
of the dead, but nothing is too sacred to be devoted
to such a memory." Knowing, as she only can know,
all his worth — that he was not only strong and brave,
but tender and true, with a heart as soft as her own,
and that the nearer men came to him the more they
loved him — she is right to let him speak for himself
in these gentle words that are whispered from the
dust. And sure we are that those who have read all the
great histories of the war will turn with fresh interest
to this simple story, written out of a woman's heart

Henry M. Fikld.

LIFE AND LETTERS

GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON

CHAPTER I.

THE OLD ENGLISH AND SCOTCHIRISH STOCK.

In the year 1748 a ship sailed from the coast of
England, bearing a number of passengers who were
seeking new homes in the British colonies of Amer-
ica. In this vessel were a young man and a young
woman, both from the city of London, but who were
probably unknown to each other when they embarked
for the strange land to which they were bound.

The young man, John Jackson, was about twenty-
three years of age, and was endowed with many of
the qualities which insure success in life — being true
and upright, active and energetic, of quiet but deter-
mined character ; and he needed only the help of the
noble woman whom God gave him as a wife to make
his home in the forest a happy and prosperous one.
He was small of stature, but of good mind and sound
judgment, and left the impress upon his generation of
great goodness, industry, and tranquil courage. He
was of Scotch -Irish descent, and when, fifty years
after he left England, his eldest son, George Jackson,
1

2 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

was a member of Congress at the same time that
Andrew Jackson was Senator from Tennessee, they
found, on comparing notes, that their ancestors came
from the same parish near Londonderry.

Elizabeth Cummins, the young woman who was the
fellow - passenger of John Jackson, was a handsome
blonde, with the stature of a man, six feet in height,
and as remarkable for strength of intellect as for
beauty and physical vigor. She was well educated,
her father having been in sufficiently ea^y circum-
stances to own and rent out a public-house in Lon-
don called " The Bold Dragoon," from which he de-
rived a good income, and he was supposed to own
landed estates in Ireland. After his death, his widow
married her brother-in-law — a marriage which was so
repulsive to her daughter that she could not become
reconciled to it. Her step-father, who was also her
uncle, one day aroused her indignation to such a
pitch that with her powerful arm she hurled a silver
tankard at his head, and then fled from her home.
She scarcely missed her aim, it is supposed, for, young
as she was — not more than fifteen or sixteen — she was
not of a nature to do things by halves. However, the
unfortunate man must have recovered from the broken
head, or family ti'adition would have recorded his
death. It was the custom at that time for emigrants
who had not the means of paying for their passage
across the Atlantic to bind themselves for a certain
term of service on reaching the colonies. As the cir-
cumstances of Elizabeth's flight made it impossible
for her to procure money for her journey, she proved
her heroism by adopting this mode of escaping from
a life which had become intolerable to her.

THE OLD ENGLISH STOCK. 3

John Jackson was so captivated with this stately
Saxon beauty, that he eagerly offered her his heart,
his hand, and his purse, but she proudly refused his
assistance. During the voyage she formed the friend-
ship of a family bound for Maryland, and accepted
their offer of a home and employment, and thus earned
the money to pay her passage. John Jackson's devo-
tion, however, made an impression upon her heart,
and a year or two later they were married in Calvert
County, Maryland, he also having settled in the pos-
sessions of Lord Baltimore upon his arrival in the
New World. It is natural to suppose that Elizabeth
was the magnet that kept him from wandering farther
until he succeeded in winning her for his wife. The
young couple, in their desire to find new and cheaper
lands, moved at once to Western Virginia, and made
their first home upon the south branch of the Poto-
mac, at the place now known as Moorfields, the county
seat of Hardy County. But after a short residence in
this beautiful valley, the enterprising spirit of the pair
led them to seek broader lands, and they crossed the
Alleghany ridge, and settled upon the Buckhannon
River, at a place which was long known as Jackson's
Fort, but is now the little village of Buckhannon.
Here, surrounded by the Indian tribes, who were still
contending with the whites for the possession of the
lands, the settlers were often attacked by these treach-
erous foes. For their protection the whites were com-
pelled to build stockade forts, to which they fled with
their families in times of danger. Tradition has pre-
served many instances of the intrepid spirit which
Elizabeth Jackson displayed on these occasions. She
never quailed at the sound of the war-whoop, and her

4 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

voice was heard, not only in soothing and cheering
the women and children, but in inspiring the men to
heroic resistance.

When the American Revolution broke out in 1775,
John Jackson and his older sons bore their part in it
as soldiers, and at its close returned to their homes
and devoted themselves to the improvement of their
fortunes. The patriarch, John, and his true help-
meet, Elizabeth, by their sagacity and industry ac-
quired the most valuable lands of the country, and
were enabled to endow each one of their eight chil-
dren with a farm. Indeed, it is said that several
patents are still in existence, transmitted to EUzabeth
Jackson, in her own name — lands which proved valu-
able property to her descendants. Their eldest son
was Colonel George Jackson, who lived at Clarks-
burg, Harrison County, and who received his title
in the Revolutionary war. He represented his State in
the General Assembly of Virginia, and also in Congress.
After the death of his father he removed to Zanesville,
Ohio, where he spent the remainder of his life.

The second son was Edward, the grandfather of the
subject of this memoir. He made his home in Lewis
County, about four miles from the village of Weston,
and was a vigorous and energetic man, esteemed and
beloved, and for a long time was surveyor of that
region of country — a business that was very lucrative
in those early days, and he acquired a large estate.
He first married a Miss Hadden, by whom he had three
sons, George, David, and Jonathan, and three daugh-
ters, of whom one married a man named White, and
the other two married brothers of the name of Brake.

A second marriage added to his family nine more

DEATH OF THE OLD PIONEER. 5

sons and daughters, among whom was Cummins, the
kind half-uncle who befriended Thomas J. Jackson in
his youth, and the only one, so far as we know, that
had much to do with his early life.

In their declining years the old couple, John and
Elizabeth Jackson, removed to the town of Clarks-
burg, to be near their eldest son, George, and the death
of the aged sire is thus described by his grandson,
John G. Jackson, in a letter to Mrs. President Madi-
son, whose sister he had married in 1801 :

" Death, on the 25th of September, put a period to
the existence of my aged grandfather, John Jackson,
in the eighty-sixth year of his age. The long life of
this good man was spent in those noble and virtuous
pursuits which endear men to their acquaintance, and
make their decease sincerely regretted by all the good
and virtuous. He was a native of England, and mi-
grated hither in the year 1748. He took an active
part in the Revolutionary war in favor of indepen-
dence, and, upon the establishment of it, returned to
his farming, which he laboriously pursued until the
marriage of his youngest son, when he was prevailed
upon by my father to come and reside near him ; there
he lived several years with his wife, enjoying all his
mental faculties and great corporeal strength, until a
few days before his death. I saw him breathe his last
in the arms of my aged grandmother, and can truly
add, that to live and die as he did would be the ex-
cess of happiness. He left a valuable estate at the en-
tire disposal of the widow, with the concurrence of all
the natural heirs, as his liberality had been amply ex-
perienced by them all in his lifetime."

6 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The Stout-hearted wife of his youth survived him
until 1825, living to the extreme age of one hundred
cmdjhe yea/rs ! A great-granddaughter describes her
at the age of a century as being well preserved and
very interesting, and greatly beloved and revered by
her long line of descendants.

By her rare physical and intellectual stamina, this
remarkable woman was fitted to be the mother of a
strong and noble race ; and those of her descendants
who have met with any success in life have shown the
same clear intellect, sterling integrity, and force of
will. The house of Jackson has much to be thankful
for in both of these pioneer progenitors, for John Jack-
son himself, according to tradition, was the equal of
his wife in uprightness, energy, and courage. General
Jackson always had a pride in his ancestry, and wished
that the high character of the fathers should be per-
petuated in their descendants. Before the war, when
one of his relatives was a candidate for some political
office, he took the liveliest interest in his election, and
wrote several letters in his behalf, one to his cousin.
Judge William L. Jackson (at that time Lieutenant-
Governor of Virginia), urging his support, and saying :
" I am most anxious to see our family enjoying that
high standaixi and influence which it possessed in days
of yore." He always said his Jackson relations were
very clannish, and he himself was warm in his family
attachments, taking an interest in every worthy person
who had a drop of his blood in his veins.

One of the most distinguished sons of the house was
John G. Jackson, of Clarksburg, the eldest son of
Colonel George Jackson. He was an eminent lawyer,
succeeded his father in Congress, and was appointed

JUDGE JACKSOX. • ^

the first Federal Judge of the Western District of
Virginia. He married Miss Payne, sister of " pretty
Dolly Madison," the much-admired wife of President
James Madison.* A second wife was the only daugh-
ter of Governor Meigs, of Ohio. He died in the prime
of life in the same year with his venerable grand-
mother, 1825, aged forty-eight years.

* The foUowing letter from Mrs. President Madison to Judge
Jackson, expressing herself in regard to the illness of her sister
(his wife), will be of interest :

" WAsmNGTOW, D. C, January 12t]i, 1807.

" Oh, my dear brother, your letter has plunged me in the deepest
distress ! What can I do for that beloved sister whose image and
whose sufferings, I can say witli truth, have never for an hour
been absent from my mind ? Week after week have I looked and
prepared to receive and to nurse ray dear Polly, and now, alas ! she
is too ill [for me] to expect at all. I have consulted everybody, my
dear Jackson, whose judgment I could trust, and have been flattered
witli the hope, from them and my own opinion, that she would get
well. Oh tliat Heaven may spare her to you and to us, my brother I

'* I send you Doctor Jones's letter, whom I have seen and con-
versed with a great deal. — You cannot doubt your sister's love for
you, and her soul-felt sympathy.

** Hasten to tell me your hopes are revived, and that I may yet
see you leading to us my precious sister and your children. How
dreary, how forlorn, does this world appear without you all ! I
cannot express to you the desolation that seems to surround me
since I received yours of the 7th.

** All here is bustle and confusion, on account of Rose's arrival,
the quarrels in Congress, and the multitude of strangers j but it
falls upon my senses like the gloom of death !

**I hoi>e Mr. Madison will get time to write to you. I feel
scarcely able to hold my pen. Prepare for the next post, and
tell me of your sweet little Mary also.

Ever your affectionate sister, Dolly P. Madison.

Anna is well, and feels for you as she ought. Adieu.'^

8 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The other sons of Colonel George were Edward, a
physician ; William L., a lawyer, and father of the
judge of the same name (now living in Louisville,
Ky.) ; and George Washington, the father of Colonel
Alfred H. Jackson, who was a staff-officer of General
Jackson, was mortaUy wounded at the battle of Cedar
Run, and lies buried near his beloved commander in
the cemetery at Lexington, Virginia.

Jonathan Jackson, son of Edward, and the father of
Thomas Jonathan, like his grandfather, John, was a
man of short stature. There is a beautiful miniature
of him, representing an open, pleasing face, blue eyes,
and handsome mouth. He was a lawyer, having
studied his profession with his distinguished cousin,
Judge John G. Jackson, whose patronage induced him
to settle at Clarksburg, and soon afterwards he mar-
ried Julia Beckwith Neale, the daughter of a merchant
of Parkersburg.

The following facts relative to the Neale family and
also to Jonathan Jackson were furnished by Dr. David
Creel, a connection of the Neales ; and as they were
written in his ninety-first year, this, together with his
quaint style, will add to their interest. He died at
Chillicothe, Ohio, only a few years ago. It appears
that General Robert E. Lee had had some correspond-
ence with him about the history of General Jackson.
He wrote :

'' The Clarksburg Male Academy was conducted
solely by George Torvis, an old Englishman, a thor-
ough scholar with long experience as a teacher.
Among the pupils we found two noble and highly
promising young men — Edward, son of George Jack-

EDWARD AND JONATHAN JACKSON. 9

son, and Jonathan, son of Edward Jackson, senior.
These fathers were brothers, and among the pioneers
of the country some time before the Indians had re-
tired, so as to give assurance of peace and freedom
from danger, and soon became wealthy and indepen-
dent farmers of high standing and respectability.
While at school with these young men, a mutual at-
tachment was created, which was warmly cherished,
and became stronger and more endearing while they
lived, and sincerely lamented when they both died in
the prime of life. Edward Jackson, after leaving
school, studied medicine, and Jonathan Jackson read
law. Both attained to some degree of eminence in
their respective professions, with the esteem, confi-
dence, and good wishes of all who knew them."

It is said that these young cousins, who were as
brothers at school, in manhood became rival suitors
for the hand of Julia Iseale, Jonathan carrying off
the prize.

'* In paying the soldiers of the county of Harrison
in the war of 1812, one or two of them, in consequence
of sickness, did not receive their pay ; but soon after-
wards their friend, Jonathan Jackson, presented their
claims and got from us the money for them. This
was about the fall of 1813, at which time he was suc-
cessfully engaged in the practice of law. He was also
excise master, or United States revenue officer of the
county."'

Dr. Creel continues his account of the Keale
family :

10 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

" In the early part of the nineteenth century, George
Lewis and two brothers, George and Thomas Neale,
removed from the county of Loudon to Wood Coun-
ty, in Western Virginia. George Lewis purchased a
large tract of land lying on the Ohio River, six miles
from Parkersburg, which had been located by Gren-
eral Washington, and left by his will to one of his
legatees. George Neale, who had married one of his
daughters, purchased several hundred acres of land
from his father-in-law, and in a few years became a
wealthy and independent farmer, respected and be-
loved for his noble attributes of character. Thomas
Neale (the maternal grandfather of General Jackson)
married Margaret Winn, the daughter of Minor Winn,
who resided on the west side of Bull Run Mountain,
onlv a few miles from where the first battle was

4.'

fought in the late war. He located in Parkersburg
and engaged in the mercantile business, and had a
family of five children— two daughters, Harriet and
Julia, and three sons, Alfred, Minor, and William.
After our return home from the Academy at Clarks-
burg, we commenced teaching school in the viUage of
Parkersburg, and among the pupils were three of
Thomas Neale's children— Harriet, Julia, and his old-
est son, Alfred. Of Julia we desire to speak particu-
larly, not only because she was our great favorite, but
especially because of her connection with the history
of Jonathan Jackson, who became her husband, and
the father of Thomas Jonathan Jackson.

" When Julia Neale became our pupil, she was about
thirteen years old, endowed with a good natural mind,
soon acquired the habit of close application, and gave
us no trouble in her recitations. She was rather a bru-

JONATHAN JACKSON. H

nette, with dark - brown hair, dark - gray eyes, hand-
some face, and, when at maturity, of medium height
and symmetrical form. And now, at the close of our
ninety-first year, we still in memory behold her as
standing before us reciting her lessons with a pleas-
ant smile ; and also in the maturity of womanhood,
when her affianced lord came to pay her that hom-
age which soon terminated in a matrimonial alliance.
. . . General Lee, in his kind letter to us, was pleased to
express the belief that this extraordinary man, 'Stone-
wall ' Jackson, was indebted to us, more or less, as the
instructor of his mother."

Jonathan Jackson began housekeeping with his
young wife in a neat brick cottage of three rooms,
which he built for a law office, intending in the future
to erect a more commodious dwelling for his family
on the front of the large, grassy lot. * But his pecun-
iary misfortunes and untimely death prevented the
realization of this hope. His four children were all
bom in the cottage, and it was preserved as the birth-
place of General Jackson until a few years since,
when the lot became so valuable with the growth of
the town that the owner tore down the little cottage,
and built a business house upon the ground.

Jonathan was a successful lawyer, especially as a
pleader in the chancery courts, and with the comfort-
able patrimony which he had inherited from his
father he had a promising future ; but, being of a
free, generous, and incautious nature, he became deep-
ly involved by giving security for others, and when
he was cut down in the meridian of life every vestige
of his property was swept away. He was an aflfec-

12 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

tionate and devoted husband and father, and lost his
life by a malignant fever which he contracted in nurs-
ing his eldest child, Elizabeth, who died of the same
disease two weeks before her father. The three
children that survived him were Warren, Thomas
Jonathan, and Laura. His son Thomas, after reach-
ing the age of manhood, erected monuments over the
graves of his father and little sister in the cemetery
at Clarksburg.

Clarksburg is a pretty and thriving town, situated
in a picturesque country, and some of the Jackson
family still live there and keep up the name with
credit and honor. At Parkersburg also are found
many of General Jackson's kindred on both sides of
the house, who are noted for their enterprise, cultiva-
tion, and warm-hearted hospitality.

Several members of Edward Jackson's large family,
in physical stature, showed what they inherited from
their grandmother, Elizabeth Cummins.

One of her descendants, who bore the singular name
of Return Meigs, was six feet and seven inches in
height, and was proportionately strong and powerful.
There is a little romance in the family about the way
he got his name. When his father was engaged to
be married, an unfortunate misunderstanding led to
a temporary separation, whicli weighed so hard on the
disconsolate lover that when the object of his devo-
tion relented and said, " Return, Meigs," he declared
those were the sweetest words that ever fell upon his
ears, and he therefore commemorated his crowning
happiness by giving his first son this unique name.

Cummins Jackson was also of lofty stature, and was
noted for his herculean strength, which it is said he

STRENGTH LV OLD AGE. 13

proved by lifting a barrel of cider and taking a drink
from the bung-hole ; and, more marvellous still, that
he could take up a barrel of flour under each one of
his arms and carry them out of his mill !

One of his sisters, Mrs. White, known in the fam-
ily as "Aunt Katie," was as remarkable as were the
brothers, for her size, physical strength, and wonder-
ful industry. In her old age, when she thought her
natural force was much abated, she was known to
spin upon her spinning-wheel twenty-eight "cuts" of
flax a day, in addition to milking her cows ! Twelve
cuts a day was the usual task for servants.

CHAPTER II.

"THE BOY IS FATHER OF THE MAN."

Thomas Jonathan Jackson, the subject of this me-
moir, was bom in the town of Clarksburg, Virginia,
on the 21st of January, 1824 ; at least, that was the
supposed date of his birth, for in consequence of the
early breaking-up of his father's family no record of
the event was ever found, and he did not remember
dates with accuracy. Clarksburg is now in the State
of West Virginia ; but as he did not live to see the
Old Dominion so cruelly sundered in twain, he died
as he was born, a Virginian.

He was only in his third year when his father died
(of whom he was too young to have any remem-
brance), and his mother was left a widow with three
helpless children, without a home or means of sup-
port. But her own and her husband's relations assist-
ed her ; and as he had been an officer in the order of
Freemasons (who had presented him with a gold medal
in token of their respect), they now gave her a small
house of only one room ; and in this hurtible abode,
with her fatherless children, she spent the greater part
of the few years of her widowhood. Here she taught
a little school, and also added to her support by sew-
ing. The weight of the cares and struggles must have
been very trying to her delicate frame ; but she found
relief in spending a good deal of her time with her

BIRTHPLACE.

ftXher in Wood County ; and in the heat of sommer
she went to a place called "The Kidge," 'where her
brother, Minor W. Neale, always accompanied and
remained with her. A friend wrote : " I met her in
the summer of 1827, in Wood County. She was look-

ing as cheerful and ani-

matetl as usual, her easy.

graceful manners and pleasant con-

Tersation always making her a wel- '3 '^ '

come guest."

In the year 1830 Mrs. Jackson was married a sec-
ond time, against the wishes of her friends, to Captain
Blake B. Woodson, of Cumberland County, a lawyer
of good education, and of social, popular manners ; but
he was much her senior, and a widower without fort-
une. The relatives of her first husband offered to

16 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

help her if she would remain a widow, while warning
her that if she married again they should have to take
her children from her to support them. But all was
of no avail, and the result was what they had pre-
dicted. Though Captain Woodson was always kind
to the children, his slender means were inadequate to
the support of a family, and necessity soon compelled
the poor mother to give up her two boys to the care
of their father's relations. The youngest child, Laura,
she kept with her, and after the marriage Captain
Woodson removed to Fayette County, where he had
received the appointment of clerk of the county.

So Thomas, at the age of six years, had to take
leave of his mother, to be sent to the hotise of his
uncle. It was a heart-breaking separation. He was
at this time a rosy-cheeked, blue-eyed boy, with wav-
ing brown hair, to whom she clung with aira moth-
er's devotion. She had him mounted on horseback,
behind one of his father's former slaves, good " Uncle
Robinson," of whom he was very fond, and after pro-
viding him with every comfort, and bidding him good-
by, her yearning heart called him back once more,
and, clasping him to her bosom, she gave vent to her
feelings in a flood of tears. That parting he never
forgot ; nor could he speak of it in after-years but
with the utmost tenderness. Warren had been sent
some time before to the home of his aunt, Mrs. Isaac
Brake, who wished to relieve the mother of his sup-
port, and she had consented on account of the greater
temptations to the boy in town. Their mother lived
only a little over a year after her second marriage,
her delicate health completely giving way after the
birth of a son, who was named AVirt. As she lingered

HIS MOTHER'S GRAVE. 17

several weeks, she sent for her two fatherless boys, to
receive her farewell and blessing; and her prayers,
counsels, and triumphant death made an indelible im-
pression upon the mind of Thomas, who was then
seven years of age. In a letter announcing her death.
Captain Woodson says : " No Christian on earth, no
matter what evidence he might have had of a happy
hereafter, could have died with more fortitude. Per-
fectly in her senses, calm and deliberate, she met her
fate without a murmur or a struggle. Death for her
had no sting; the grave could claim no victory. I
have known few women of equal, none of superior,
merit." Her remains were buried near the famous
" Hawk's Nest " of New Kiver, which her son visited
in after-years, to find her grave and erect a mon-
mnent over it ; but nearly all who had known her
during her brief residence there had passed away,
and no one could be found who could point out the
spot with certainty. After his return to his home
in Lexington, he wrote to his aunt, Mrs. Neale, at
Parkersburg :

*' Sept. 4th, 1855.

"Though I have reached home, yet the pleasures
enjoyed under your hospitable roof, and in your fam-
ily circle, have not been dissipated. ... I stopped to
see the Hawk's Nest, and the gentleman with whom I
put up was at my mother's burial, and accompanied
me to the cemetery for the purpose of pointing out
her grave to me ; but I am not certain that he found
it. There was no stone to mark the spot. Another
gentleman, who had the kindness to go with us, stated
that a wooden head or foot board with her name on

18 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

it had been put up, but it was no longer there. A
depression in the earth only marked her resting-place.
When standing by her grave, I experienced feelings
to which I was until then a stranger. I was seeking
the spot partly for the purpose of erecting something
to her precious memory. On Saturday last I lost my
porte-monnaie, and in it was the date of my mother's
birth. Please give me the date in your next letter."

It was left to the generous impulse of a Confederate
soldier to do, after General Jackson's death, what he
was so anxious to do himself, in preserving his mother's
grave from oblivion. One who visited the spot writes :

" On the top of a beautiful wooded hill, near the
mining village of Anstead, Fayette County, West Vir-
ginia, is an old graveyard, still used as a burying-
place by the dwellers in this mountain region. It is
greatly neglected, and many graves are scarcely to be
found, though a few are protected by little pens of
fence-rails. The location is so beautiful, and the view
it commands so extensive and exquisite, that it is
worthy of being well cared for. Among those who
lie buried here is the mother of that noble Christian
soldier. General Stonewall Jackson. This grave, or
spot — for the grave is scarcely to be recognized — has
been kindly cared for by Mr. Stevens M. Taylor, for-
merly of Albemarle County. But no stone was erected
until a gentleman of Staunton, Captain Thomas D.
Ransom, one of his old soldiers, seeing the neglected
condition of the grave, had prepared a simple but
suitable monument — a tall slab of marble with an
inscription, giving the dates of her birth and death,

SEPARATED FROM BROTHER AND SISTER. 19

and adding that it is ^ a tribute to the mother of
Stonewall Jackson, by one of his old brigade.' "

Such a mother could not but leave a deep impres-
sion upon the heart of such a son. To the latest hour
of his life he cherished her memory. His recollections
of her were of the sweetest and tenderest character.
To his childhood's fancy she was the embodiment of
beauty, grace, and loveliness ; and when, a few months
before his death, while he was in the midst of the
army, a little daughter was born to him, he wrote that
he wished her to be called " Julia," saying, '' My moth-
er was mindful of me when I was a helpless, father-
less child, and I wish to commemorate her now."

After the death of their mother, the children were
sent back to their Jackson relatives — Warren return-
ing to Mrs. Brake, and Thomas and Laura finding a
home for a time with their aunt, Mrs. White, and later
with their step-grandmother Jackson, who was always
kind to them. Laura, who is still living, does not re-
member that Thomas ever lived with either of their
uncles-in-law Brake, and says that it was their broth-
er Warren, and not Thomas, who ran away when a
little boy from his " uncle Brake, because they couldn't
agree " — a statement which accords with the charac-
ter of the boy. Thomas and Laura lived with their
step-grandmother until her death ; and after the mar-
riage of her two daughters, which left no ladies in the
household, Laura was sent to find a home among her
Neale relatives, and lived with them until she was
married to Mr. Jonathan Arnold, of Beverly, West
Virginia. Her two sons, Thomas Jackson and Stark
W. Arnold, were the only nephews of General Jackson.

20 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The grandmother lived at the old Jackson home-
stead, in Lewis County, and at her death her son
Cummins became the head of the house ; and being a
large-hearted, generous man, he not only kept Thom-
as with him to rear and educate, but he also gave War-
ren a home after he ran away from his uncle Brake.
The story runs that this boy, Warren, when only nine
or ten years old, left the house of Mr. Brake, who had
offended him by sternness, and walked four or five
miles into the town of Clarksburg to the house of
Judge Jackson, his father's cousin, and asked Mrs.
Jackson to give him his dinner. AVhile eating at the
table he very quietly said : " Uncle Brake and I don't
agree; I have quit him, and shall not go back any
more." Mrs. Jackson was surprised and, disapprov-
ing of such independence in so young a lad, tried to
persuade him to return, but his unvarying answer was :
'' No, he and I don't agree ; I have quit him, and shall
not go back any more." He then went to the house
of another cousin, asked if he could spend the night,
and told her the same story. The next day he walked
eighteen miles all alone, to the home of his uncle Cum-
mins, who received him with great kindness, and the
two orphan boys were very happy at being together
under the same roof. Here the three children went
to school, when there w^ere any schools in the neigh-
borhood, and Thomas and Laura spent much time
in play, he always having a care over his little sister.
He was a cheerful boy, and, his sister says, sang a great
deal ; but in after-years he did not show any musical
talent, though very fond of hearing music.

The boyhood of Jackson showed that, truly,

** The child is father of the man,"

BROTHER AND SISTER TOGETHER. 21

for it was marked by the same energy, determination,
and perseverance that were to distinguish him in his
future career. No matter what he undertook, whether
of work or play, he " never gave up." At school, one
day, during recess, he became absorbed in making a
cornstalk fiddle, and when the bell rang for resuming
study he worked away as if he did not hear it, totally
oblivious of his duty to return to his lessons. Laura was
sent to call him, but his reply was, '* Wait till I finish
this fiddle !" and not until the teacher went out and
compelled obedience did he relinquish his task.

The children wandered all over the farm, and en-
gaged in many youthful enterprises, one of which was
the making of maple sugar. The trees stood on the
other side of a creek which had no bridge over it, but,
nothing daunted, our young hero went to work and
framed a little raft, upon which he and Laura would
cross daily, and busy themselves in drawing the sap
and boiling down the sugar. In after -years, when
he became the leader of armies, he often had occa-
sion to build bridges across streams for his troops, in
which he showed the same indomitable perseverance
in overcoming obstacles that he had shown when a
boy.

Laura followed him everywhere, even in his rabbit
hunts, in which he was quite an expert. After run-
ning a rabbit into a hollow log, he would place Laura
at one end and himself at the other, and in this way
they often caught the Uttle creatures with their hands.
He busied himself in making rabbit-snares, bird-traps,
and in other rustic diversions. In his childhood he
was extravagantly fond of the violin, and after com-
ing into possession of one of his own he made faithful

22 LlfS OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

eflForts to leam to play upon it, but, not being endowed
with the gift of music, this was one of the few things
he attempted in which he did not succeed. When a
boy, he did learn a few songs, among them a military
one, called " Napoleon's Eetreat."

This united, happy life of the little brother and sis-
ter did not continue more than a year or two, when
they were separated, never to have the same home
again. But he cherished a warm attachment for. her,
and kept up the most affectionate relations with her
as long as he lived. With money he saved from his
pay at West Point he bought her a silk dress as a pres-
ent upon his return home during his first vacation.

Cummins Jackson was a bachelor of middle age,
and being a man of independent fortune and a kind
heart, he was disposed to do all in his power for War-
ren and Thomas. The latter, it is said, was his favor
ite, and he could not have been treated with more kind-
ness if he had been his own son. He gave the lads
all the advantages of education his county afforded,
though these were not great in that new and unim-
proved region. It was the custom to have schools for
only about three months during the winter season, so
the boys were engaged during the remainder of the
year in assisting their uncle in the operations of the
farm and mills.

At school Thomas was studious and persevering,
showing a great desire to make the best of his advan-
tages ; but AVarren was the reverse, and as he grew
up his strong will, which had never been controlled,
and his independent and restless spirit impelled him
to launch out for himself and seek his own fortune.
His uncle thought it best not to thwart him in this,

IN SEARCH OF ADVENTURE. 23

and so the boy left this kind uncle and good home
when he was about fourteen years of age. But the
saddest part of this exodus was, that he persuaded his
young brother, of only twelve, to accompany him.
Thomas was very reluctant to go, for he loved his un-
cle, and was happy in his free and bountiful home ;
but his affection for Warren, and perhaps the latter's
authority over him as an elder brothel*, were too great
to be resisted. They went first to the home of their
uncle Alfred Neale, who lived on James Island, in the
Ohio, and were most kindly received by him and his
good wife ; but as this uncle prescribed for them the
same excellent discipline as their uncle Cummins —
that they should work on the farm and go to school —
Warren again rebelled, and spread his unfledged wings
for a flight farther down the Ohio, taking Thomas
with him.

Several months passed, and their friends heard noth-
ing of the young wanderers ; but in the autumn they
came back, like repentant prodigals, glad enough to
return to kindred and friends, but in such a sad plight
that it was touching to see them. Their clothes were
worn and soiled from travel, and their faces bore the
marks of sickness and suffering. Their story was that,
after floating down the Ohio, and earning their living
as best they could, they landed on a small island in
the Mississippi, near the southwestern corner of Ken-
tucky. Here they spent the summer alone, and sup-
ported themselves by cutting wood for the passing
steamboats.

Their lodging-place was a miserable cabin, and the
island being exceedingly malarious, they contracted
chills and fever, which made such ravages upon their

24 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

tender frames that they could stand it no longer ; so
by the kindness of a captain, who gave them passage
on his boat, they were enabled to reach home — no
doubt wiser, if not better, for their escapade.

Thomas determined at once to return to his uncle
Cummins, where the comforts of home and the fine air
of his native climate soon restored him to his wonted
health and strength, and here he remained until he re-
ceived an appointment as a cadet at West Point.

But Warren was too proud or ashamed to seek
again the shelter of a roof which he had so rashly
left, so he went to the house of his aunt, Mrs. Isaac
Brake, which had been his home after his separation
from his mother, where he received the kindest treat-
ment ; but he never recovered from the eflfects of the
exposure and hardships encountered during that disas-
trous trip, and after lingering a few years he died of
consumption at the age of nineteen. Before his death
he sent for Thomas and Laura to come and see him
once more, and, mounted on horseback, they rode
across the country to pay this last visit to their dying
brother. They found that this long illness, with the
influence of his sainted mother, had changed the un-
governed boy to such gentleness and submission that
he no longer wished to live, but was able to depart in
perfect peace.

After the wholesome experience of his adventurous
trip down the Ohio, and the recovery of his health,
Thomas showed a greater desire than ever for self-
improvement, and he became a valuable assistant to
his uncle in the management of his farm and mills.
Classical academies had not then been introduced into
that part of the country, but there were good English

OVERSEER OF WORKMEN ON THE FARM. 25

schools ; and he was a diligent, plodding scholar, hav-
ing a strong mind, though it was slow in development.
In arithmetic he was quick, and found no difficulty in
excelling his classmates; but in his other studies he
had to work hard, yet he always " stuck to it " with a
tenacity that would not '4et go." He never left a
lesson unmastered, and if he had not been able to
finish a task with his class, he would, when his time
came to recite, acknowledge frankly that he knew
nothing of thM lesson, not having yet perfected the
previous one. In this way he sometimes fell behind
his class ; but as he had a retentive memory, the knowl-
edge that he gained with so much labor was indelibly
impressed upon his mind.

His temper as a boy was cheerful and generous, and
his truthfulness was proverbial. There was an in-
stinctive courtesy in his conduct; his sense of justice
was very strong, and as long as he met with fair treat-
ment from his associates, he was gentle and peace-
able; but he was quick to resent an insult, and in
a boyish combat would never yield to defeat. He
was '^a ringleader in boyish sports, an expert in
climbing and jumping ; and whenever he was captain
in any game his side was pretty sure to come oflf
victorious.

In the management of his uncle's farm and mills,
Thomas early learned to put his young shoulders to
the wheel, and he soon proved so capable that he was
intrusted with the duties of overseer of the laborers in
getting the largest trees out of the forest, and convey-
ing them to the mill to be sawed into lumber, in all
which he showed great intelligence .is well as endur-
ance and efficiencv.

26 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

This free and active life was well adapted to both
his physical and moral development, and as his uncle
treated him as a companion, trusting and relying upon
him, he grew very manly and independent for a youth
in his teens. His bachelor uncles, it appears, were
fond of sport, of fox hunts and horse racing. His
uncle kept a number of blooded horses, and had a four-
mile race-track on his farm, and "Thomas," as he
always called him, was his trainer, and so well taught
was he to ride that he was never thrown. Naturally
he came to share in the pleasures of the chase, and to
ride his uncle's racers as soon as he was old enough.
With his determination to succeed in everything he
undertook, he did not fail in this accomplishment, for
his neighbors said, " If a horse had any winning quali-
ties whatever in him, Tom Jackson never failed to
bring them out on the turf!" But though he won
races for his uncle, and won a good deal of money, he
never had the least propensity to the vices that belong
to sporting characters.

AVhen riding home late one night, he was startled
at beholding a tall white spectre flitting across the road.
The horse became frightened and plunged backward ;
and Thomas confessed that at first he, too, was some-
what dismayed at such a ghostly apparition, but, deter-
mining to conquer all fear, he put whip and spurs to
his horse and forced him to gallop past the object of
terror, which he soon discovered, from the shouts of
laughter from the roadside, was one of his uncles, who
had tried to play a joke upon him by wrapping him-
self in a sheet and taking his stand at the foot of a
hill he was to pass.

This free life he could enjoy without being at all

WILL, COURAGE, AND TENACITY. 27

spoiled by it ; and though he spoke of himself as hav-
ing been " a wild boy," he was always noted for his
uprightness, honesty, industry, and truth. In his after-
years he was not disposed to talk much of his child-
hood and youth, for the reason that it was the saddest
period of his life. He had been very early left an or-
phan. Losing first his father and then his mother, he
had no home life, but grew up among remoter kin-
dred. All this made the memory so sad that he sel-
dom referred to it.

One who knew him at this time says : " He was a
youth of exemplary habits, of indomitable will and
undoubted courage. He possessed in an eminent de-
gree a talent for mathematics, and was unwilling, while
at school, to acknowledge his incapacity — 'give him
time ' — to solve any proposition. He was not what
is nowadays termed brilliant, but he was one of those
untiring, matter-of-fact persons who would never give
up when he engaged in an undertaking until he ac-
complished his object. He learned slowly, but when
he got learning into his head, he never forgot it. He
was not quick to decide, except when excited, and
then when he made up his mind to do a thing, he did
it on short notice and in quick time. Thus, while on
his way to school, an overgrown rustic behaved rudely
to one of the school-girls. Jackson was fired at his
cowardly conduct, and told him he must apologize at
once, or he would 'thrash him.' The big fellow, sup-
posing that he was an overmatch for him, refused,
whereupon Jackson pitched into him, and gave him a
severe pounding."

This manly and independent spirit impelled him at
an early age to seek a support for himself, and his

28 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

friends procured for him the position of constable of
Lewis County. He was but eighteen years old, and it
was contrary to law that a minor should hold this
office, but the influence and guarantee of his uncle,
with his own good character, overcame this objection.
At this time his health was somewhat impaired, and
it was hoped that the out-door life and horseback ex-
ercise would invigorate him. The duties of the office
required both courage and determination, qualities
that he soon showed that he possessed. Prompt in
meeting his own engagements, he enforced the same
upon others. Collecting debts is always a thankless
task, but it had to be done ; and Jackson did it kindly,
but firmly. In one case a man had made repeated
promises to pay, but would never keep an appoint-
ment for the purpose. After exacting one more
promise that he would pay, mithoutfailj upon a cer-
tain day, the young constable pledged himself to the
creditor that on that day he should have his money.
The day came, and the constable and creditor were on
hand, but the debtor was again missing, and was not
seen in the village all day. The young deputy, how-
ever, had given his word, and Tcept it by paying the
money out of his own pocket. The next morning the
delinquent appeared upon the scene, riding a fine
horse, but as the custom of the country did not per-
mit a man's horse to be taken from him while he was
on his back, the young officer waited until he saw the
man dismount, and then reproaching him for his
breach of faith, he seized the horse. The man re-
sisted, and a furious struggle followed, during which
he succeeded in remounting. This at first discon-
certed Jackson, but, not to be outwitted by this

DEATH OF UNCLE CUMMINa 29

manoeuvre, he held on to the bridle, and seeing near
by a stable door standing open, he led the horse up
to it, and quietly told the man he must "get off or
be knocked oflf," the door being too low for him to
go through on horseback. Thus the fugitive was fairly
caught, and after resisting and begging, he finally
slipped oflf and left the horse in the possession of the
young representative of the law.

But this business was distasteful to Jackson, and
he gladly resigned it on receiving an appointment to
the Military Academy at West Point.

Before closing this chapter, it may be of interest,
although it will be anticipating a few years, to know
the end of the good Uncle Cummins, who was a
second father to Thomas in his boyhood. After
the close of the Mexican war and the annexation of
California, the discovery of gold created great excite-
ment throughout the country, and caused a tide of
emigration to the Far West. Catching the popular
enthusiasm, and inflamed, perhaps, with a spirit of
adventure, this uncle, though in his fiftieth year,
left his Virginia home and travelled by wagon-train
across the plains, but lived only a few months after
reaching the Pacific coast. His nephew, Thomas,
inherited a few hundred dollars from his estate, which
he gave to his aunt, Mrs. White, who was then in
straitened circumstances, in gratitude for having given
him a home when he was first separated from his
mother.

CHAPTER III.

FOUR YEARS AT WEST POLVT— 1842-1846.

While the young Virginian was riding over the
hills of his native county, enforcing the law, he was
dreaming of other things. A desire for knowl-
edge had been the passion of his j'^outh. With the
pride of descent from a family that had stood high in
the country round, he felt deeply the disadvantages
which his early orphanage and poverty had entailed
upon him, and was ambitious to make a position for
himself, and keep up the prestige of his name. He
had determined to earn the means to procure a liberal
education, when the opportunity came in a way he
had not anticipated. A young man from the Con-
gressional district in which he lived had received
an appointment to the Military Academy at West
Point, but after entering had found that the disci-
pline and the hard study were too severe to suit his
self-indulgent tastes, and resigned in disgust and re-
turned home. Of course, this was the talk of the
neighborhood ; and one day that Uncle Cummins was
having his horse shod, the blacksmith looked up and
said : " Now here is a good chance for Tom Jackson,
as he is so anxious to get an education." His uncle
caught at the suggestion, and going home told his
nephew of the opportunity to get a cadetship at West
Point, which fired his heart with such eager hope that

APPOINTED TO WEST POINT. 31

he began at once his efforts to secure the vacant posi-
tion. He had many friends who had observed his manly
spirit, and were ready to help him ; and all joined in a
letter to the Hon. Samuel Hays, member of Congress
from the district, asking him to use his influence to have
him appointed. Of a prominent lawyer connected with
his own family, the young applicant felt at liberty to
request a more confidential testimonial, but he was
asked " if he did not fear that his education was not
sufficient to enable him to enter and sustain himself at
West Point." For a moment his countenance fell, but,
looking up, he replied : " I know that I shall have the
application necessary to succeed ; I hope that I have
the capacity ; at least, I am determined to try, and I
want you to help me." This friend did help him, and
wrote a letter of hearty commendation, in which he
dwelt especially upon his courage and resolution. As
soon as the letters were despatched to Washington, he
began to review his studies, in which he was assisted
by a lawyer in Weston, who made it a labor of love.
In due time the answer came from Mr. Hays, promis-
ing to do all in his power to secure the appointment,
and Jackson resolved at once to go to Washington, to
be ready to proceed to West Point without a mo-
ment's delay. So eager was he to start that he did
not wait for any preparations, but, packing his plain
wardrobe into a pair of saddle-bags, he mounted a
horse near sundown, and, accompanied by a servant
who was to bring the horse home, hurried oflf to
Clarksburg to catch the stage-coach. Upon his arrival
he found that the coach had already passed, but,
nothing daunted, he galloped on and overtook it at
the next stopping-place, and continued his journey.

32 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Arrived at Washington, he went straight to Mr.
Hays, who showed his interest and kindness by taking
him immediately to the Secretary of War; and in pre-
senting him, explained the disadvantages of his educa-
tion, but begged for him favor on account of his manly
determination. The Secretary plied him with ques-
tions, and an eye-witness describes the parley between
them as being " gruff and heroic, but, with the grit of
Old Hickory, this young Jackson was neither to be
bluffed nor driven from his purpose," and so much
pleased was the Secretary with his manliness and
resolution that he gave him the apppointment and
said to him: "Sir, you have a good name. Go to
West Point, and the first man who insults you knock
him down, and have it charged to my account !"

Mr. Hays kindly invited him to spend a few days
with him in Washington to see the city, but with the
one all-absorbing thought now in his mind of that
long-desired education coming within his grasp, he de-
clined, saying that one view from the top of the Capi-
tol would be all that he could treat himself to at that
time. Accordingly he ascended the dome, and took a
view of the magnificent panorama before him, and
then immediately proceeded on his journey.

Mr. Hays gave him a letter of introduction to the
faculty, bearing testimony to his excellent character
and courageous spirit, and asking that due allowance
be made for his limited education ; and his letter had
such weight that the authorities were very lenient in
their examination, and he was admitted. Here then,
in June, 1842, at the age of eighteen, we find him
where he had so longed to be, a cadet in the Military
Acaderav at West Point. His friends had done for

FOUR YEARS AS A CADET. 33

him all they could ; henceforth his career was to de-
pend upon himself.

When he entered upon his studies, he was made at
once to feel his deficiency in preparation. An old
friend and fellow-classmate says : " He had a rough
time in the Academy at first, for his want of previous
training placed him at a great disadvantage, and it
was all he could do to pass his first examination. We
were studying algebra, and maybe analytical geome-
try, that winter, and Jackson was very low in his class
standing. All lights were put out at ' taps,' and just
before the signal he would pile up his grate with an-
thracite coal, and, lying prone before it on the floor,
would work away at his lessons by the glare of the
fire, which scorched his very brain, till a late hour of
the night. This evident determination to succeed not
only aided his own efforts directly, but impressed his
instructors in his favor, and he rose steadily year by
year, till we used to say: 'If we had to stay here
another vear, "old Jack" would be at the head of
the class.' ... I believe he went through the very
trying ordeal of the four years at West Point without
ever having a hard word or a bad feeling from cadet
or professor ; and while there were many who seemed
to surpass him in the graces of intellect, in geniality,
and in good-fellowship, there was no one of our class
who more absolutely possessed the respect and confi-
dence of all."

He himself said that he " studied very hard for what
he got at West Point," and after entering and seeing
the amount of study he had to do, and the large num-
ber of cadets who failed annually, he fully expected
to be dismissed at the close of his first year, and in

34 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

anticipation he endured all the mortification of going
home and being laughed at; and he even prepared
what he would say to his young friends, intending to
tell them, "If they had been there, and found it as
hard as he did, they would have failed too." He was
always amused when speaking of this period of his
life, and of the importance he then attached to the
opinions of his young friends and companions. But
to his surprise he passed his first year, and from that
time he made steady progress until at the end of four
years he graduated, seventeenth in a large and distin-
guished class of over seventy. Among his classmates
were Generals McClellan, Foster, Reno, Stoneman,
Couch, and Gibbon, of the Federal army ; and Grenerals
A. P. Hill, Pickett, Maury, D. R. Jones, W. D. Smith,
and Wilcox, of the Confederate army.

When he went to West Point he was fresh and
ruddy in complexion, but had not yet attained his full
height, and is described as being a slender lad, who
walked rapidly, with his head bent forward. He had
a grave, thoughtful face ; but when anything interested
or excited him his form became erect, his eyes flashed
like steel, and a smile, as sweet as a woman's, would
illumine his whole face." The life he led there, and
the constant exercise of drilling, soon developed his
frame, and he became very erect, grew rapidly, and
presented a fine, soldierly appearance. The habits of
neatness and system which are taught at West Point
clung to him through life, and punctuality was ever
regarded by him as a virtue. In his intercourse with
his associates he was not sociable, except with a few
congenial friends; but he was invariably kind and
courteous to all, and always ready to aid in nursing

RULES OF MORALS AND MANNERS. 35

the sick and in helping those who were in trouble.
During his second year he was known to receive some
demerits, which he had not incurred himself, but he
chose rather to bear the blame silently than to expose
those who had unjustly cast it upon him. He said he
did not remember to have spoken to a lady during the
whole time he was at West Point, but he devoted him-
self with all his mind and soul to his studies, giving
but little time or thought to anything else. After his
arduous daily studies, he found recreation in walking,
and with a companion or alone he wandered over the
beautiful hills and valleys around West Point, and de-
lighted in climbing Fort Putnam, or " Old Put," as
the cadets called this great cliff, which is a very strik-
ing feature in the scenery, and from which he greatly
enjoyed the fine view of the majestic river, and the
varied and lovely landscape.

While at West Point he compiled in a private blank-
book, for his own use, a set of rules and maxims re-
lating to morals, manners, dress, choice of friends, and
the aims of life. Perhaps the most characteristic of
these maxims was, " You inay he whatever you resolve
to he;^^ but others will show the standards by which
he shaped his own conduct and character :

" Through life let your principal object be the dis-
charge of duty. — Disregard public opinion when it
interferes with your duty. — Endeavor to be at peace
with all men. — Sacrifice your life rather than your
word. — Endeavor to do well everything which you
undertake. — Never speak disrespectfully of any one
without a cause. — Spare no effort to suppress selfish-
ness, unless that effort would entail sorrow. — Let your

36 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

conduct towards men have some uniformity. — Temper-
ance : Eat not to dulness, drink not to elevation. — Si-
Jence : Speak but what may benefit others or your-
self ; avoid trifling conversation. — Kesolve to perform
what you ought ; perform without fail what you re-
solve.— Frugality : Make no expense but to do good
to others or yourself ; waste nothing. — Industry : Lose
no time ; be always employed in something useful ; cut
off unnecessary actions. — Sincerity : Use no hurtful
deceit ; think innocently and justly, and if you speak,
speak accordingly. — Justice : Wrong no man by doing
injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
— Moderation : Avoid extremes ; forbear resenting in-
juries as much as you think they deserve. Cleanli-
ness: Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or
habitation. Tranquillity : Be not disturbed at trifles,
nor at accidents, common or unavoidable.

" Motives to action : 1. Regard to your own happi-
ness. 2. Regard for the family to which you belong.
3. Strive to attain a very great elevation of charac-
ter. 4. Fix upon a high standard of action and char-
acter.

** It is man's highest interest not to violate, or attempt
to violate, the rules which Infinite Wisdom has laid
down. The means by which men are to attain great
elevation may be classed in three divisions — physical,
mental, and moral. Whatever relates to health, be-
longs to the first; whatever relates to the improve-
ment of the mind, belongs to the second. The for-
mation of good manners and virtuous habits consti-
tutes the third.

POLITENESS AND GOOD-BREEDING. 37

"Choice of Friends. 1. A man is known by the
company he keeps. 2. Be cautious in your selection.
3. There is danger of catching the habits of your as-»
sociates.

"4. Seek those who are intelligent and virtuous;
and, if possible, those who are a little above you, es-
pecially in moral excellence.

" 5. It is not desirable to have a large number of
intimate friends ; you may have many acquaintances,
but few intimate friends. If vou have one who is
what he should be, you are comparatively happy.

" That friendship may be at once fond and lasting,
there must not only be equal virtue in each, but virtue
of the same kind : not only the same end must be pro-
posed, but the same means must be approved."

He had also copied the following rules from a
book of etiquette on Politeness a/ad Good-hreeding :

''Good-breeding, or true politeness, is the art of
showing men by external signs the internal regard
we have for them. It arises from good sense, im-
proved by good company. It must be acquired by
practice and not by books.

'' Be kind, condescending, and affable. Any one who
has anything to say to a fellow-being, to say it with
kind feelings and sincere desire to please; and this,
whenever it is done, will atone for much awkwardness
in the manner of expression.

'* Good-breeding is opposed to selfishness, vanity, or
pride. Never weary your company by talking too
long or too frequently. Always look people in the
face when addressing them, and generally when they

38 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

address you. Never engross the whole conversation
to yourself. Say as little of yourself and friends as
.possible.

" Make it a rule never to accuse without due con-
sideration any body or association of men. Never try
to appear more wise or learned than the rest of the
company. Not that you should aflfect ignorance, but
endeavor to remain within your own proper sphere."

During these four years at the Military Academy
he had but one personal difficulty. This was caused
by another cadet changing his uncleaned musket for
Jackson's, which was always kept in perfect order.
The trick was very soon discovered by the latter,
whose suspicion fell at once upon the real culprit; but
as his gun fortunately had a private mark upon it, he
knew it could be identified ; so after telling the cap-
tain of the circumstances, he quietly bided his time
until that evening at the inspection of arms, when his
clean, shining musket was found in the hands of the
man whom he had suspected, who, when he was ac-
cused of the dishonorable deed, attempted to shield
himself by telling a falsehood. Jackson, who was
disgusted with the indolence and meanness of the ca-
det, declared that he was a disgrace to the Academy,
and that he would have him court-martialled and dis-
missed. It was only by the urgent remonstrance of
both cadets and professors that he could be induced
to give up his determination. The disgrace of the
young man overtook him, however, in a short time
after, when he was expelled from the Academy for
violating his parole of honor.

Jackson graduated on the 30th of June, 1846, at the

HE GRADUATES FROM WEST POINT. 39

age of twenty-two years, and received the brevet rank
of second lieutenant of artillery. His attachment to
his Alma Mater was very strong, and upon revisiting
the place, on a bridal tour, in the summer of 1857, his
delight was unbounded. The reunion with his old
professors and brother-officers was most cordial and
gratifying, and with the latter he had long talks and
many hearty laughs over old barrack reminiscences.
At the dawn of day he was off to climb the heights
of Fort Putnam, and once more to enjoy the view
of the Hudson, winding among the hills and dales of
that enchanting region. There was scarcely a spot
that he did not visit in and around West Point.

CHAPTER IV.

THE WAR WITH MEXICO— 1846-1848.

When young Jackson graduated at West Point, the
war with Mexico had begun, and his whole class was
ordered to proceed at once to the scene of action. Our
lieutenant had orders to report immediately for duty
with the First Regiment of Artillery, and went direct-
ly to New Orleans, from which he sailed for Mexico.
General TVinfield Scott was the commander-in-chief
of the army of the United States. The war contin-
ued two years, and Jackson was in most of the battles
that were fought from Vera Cruz to the fall of the
capital, which ended hostilities.

On the 9th of March, 1847, thirteen thousand five
hundred men landed in one day upon the open beach
near Vera Cruz ; and as they disembarked from the
many vessels of the squadron, under a cloudless sky,
and marched in perfect order, with martial musio
and colors flying, amid the cheers of the enthusiastic
soldiers, and took their positions by sunset, it was a
spectacle that impressed Lieutenant Jackson as ex-
ceeding in brilliance and animation any that he had
ever witnessed. The city was taken in a few days,
and in the battle Captain John Bankhead Magruder
greatly distinguished himself as commander of his bat-
tery of light field artillery. He was a very strict dis-
ciplinarian, and the position of second lieutenant being

THE BATTLE OF CHERUBUSCO. 41

vacant in his battery, there were not many young offi-
cers who desired the place. But Jackson, who saw that
its dangers and hardships offered advantages for quick
promotion, applied for and received the appointment.
Magruder was a daring officer, always in the thickest
of the fight, where his dash and heroism won him great
distinction, in which his subordinates were bound to
share, and, of course, had the opportunity of winning
glory for themselves.

In the battle of Cherubusco Captain Magruder lost
his first lieutenant, Mr. Johnstone, early in the action ;
and as Jackson had to take his place, he was advanced
next in command to the captain, whom we will leave
to describe the manner in which his young lieutenant
acquitted himself. In his official report. Captain Ma-
gruder says: "In a few moments. Lieutenant Jack-
son, commanding the second section of the battery,
who had opened fire upon the enemy's works from a
position on the right, hearing our fire still further in
front, advanced in handsome style, and being assigned
by me to the post so gallantly filled by Lieutenant
Johnstone, kept up the fire with great briskness and
effect. His conduct was equally conspicuous during
the whole day, and I cannot too highly commend him
to the major-general's favorable consideration." For
his gallantry in this battle he was promoted to the
brevet rank of captain.

In storming the Castle of Chapultepec, Captain Ma-
gruder again compliments him highly, and recom-
mends him for promotion thus : " I beg leave to call
the attention of the major-general commanding to the
conduct of Lieutenant Jackson of the First Artillerv.
If devotion, industry, talent, and gallantry are the

42 LII^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

highest qualities of a soldier, then is he entitled to
the distinction which their possession confers. I have
been ably seconded in all the operations of the bat-
tery by him; and upon this occasion, when circum-
stances placed him in command, for a short time, of
an independent section, he proved himself eminently
worthy of it."

General Scott, in his official report, makes honora-
ble mention of the part young Jackson bore in this
assault, and Generals Pillow and Worth both add their
testimony to his meritorious conduct. General Pillow
says : " The advanced section of the battery, under
command of the brave Lieutenant Jackson, was dread-
fully cut up, and almost disabled. . . . Captain Ma-
gruder's battery, one section of which was served
with great gallantry by himself and the other by his
brave lieutenant, Jackson, in face of a galling fire
from the enemy's position, did invaluable service."

General Worth speaks of him as " the gallant Jack-
son, who, although he had lost most of his horses and
many of his men, continued chivalrously at his post,
combating with noble courage."

A brother officer, who was not only an eye-witness,
but an actor in the storming of Chapultepec, gives
the following details of Jackson's part in the as-
sault:

" Lieutenant Jackson's section of Magruder's battery
was subjected to a plunging fire from the Castle of Cha-
pultepec. The little six-pounders could effect nothing
against the guns of the Mexicans, of much heavier cali-
bre, firing from an elevation. The horses were killed
or disabled, and the men became so demoralized that

THE STORMING OF CHAPULTEPEC. 43

they deserted the guns and sought shelter behind a
wall or embankment. Lieutenant Jackson remained
at the guns, walking back and forth, and kept saying,
* See, there is no danger ; I am not hit !' While stand-
ing with his legs wide apart, a cannon-ball passed be-
tween them; and this fact probably prevented him
from having any confidence in what the soldiers
playfully called being ' stung by a bomb.' The assault-
ing columns for the storming of Chapultepec consisted
of 250 regulars from Twiggs's Division and 250 regu-
lars from Worth's. These were all volunteers for the
forlorn hope. The oflBicers and non-commissioned offi-
cers were induced to volunteer by the promise of pro-
motion, and the men by the promise of pecuniary re-
ward. The rifle regiment under Colonel Persifer F.
Smith, the Palmetto Regiment, and the Marine Bat-
talion under Major Twiggs (brother of the general)
supported the storming party from Twiggs's Division.
When the castle was captured, many of the stormers
dispersed in search of plunder and liquor. A few pur-
sued promptly the retreating column of Mexicans.
Lieutenants D. H. Hill and Barnard Bee followed
down the causeway towards the Garita of San Cosme.
Every shot told on the huddled and demoralized thou-
sands of Mexicans, but their fire back upon the thirsty,
pursuing Americans was harmless. After the chase
had been continued over a mile, Lieutenant Jackson
came up with two pieces of artillery, and joined the
two young officers. They now pressed on vigorously.
Captain Magruder himself soon appeared with cais-
sons and men, but no additional guns. He expressed
a fear of losing the two guns, as the division of Gen-
eral Worth was far in the rear, but he yielded to the

44 LIFE OF GEXERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

solicitations of the young men, and continued the
march. Shortly after the arrival of Captain Magru-
der a column of two thousand cavalry, under General
Ampudia, made a demonstration of charging upon the
guns. They were unlimbered, and a rapid fire was
opened upon the Mexicans, who retreated without at-
tacking the artillery. It was not judged prudent to
proceed farther, and the command halted until Gen-
eral Worth came up. The part played later in the
day by the battery at the Garita of San Cosme is men-
tioned in the official reports. For gallantry in the
battles of Contreras and Cherubusco, on the 20th of
August, Lieutenant Jackson had been brevetted a cap-
tain ; and now this storming of Chapultepec, on the
13th of September, won him the brevet of major. In
the first batch of brevetted promotions there were only
five or six who received double brevets, and these
were the first who were promoted on recommenda-
tions from the field." Jackson was among this num-
ber, and was the only one of his class who rose to this
distinction. "Xo other officer in the whole army in
Mexico was promoted so often for meritorious conduct
or made so great a stride in rank."

In the storming of Chapultepec, when at the mo-
ment of greatest danger he was almost deserted by his
men, he refused to retire without orders from his com-
mander. However, he was soon relieved by reinforce-
ments. Years afterwards, when his pupils at Lexing-
ton were asking him for the particulars of the scene,
he modestly described it, when one of them exclaimed,
in astonishment, "Major, why didn't you run when
your command was so disabled ?" With a quiet smile

'*MY- DUTY IS TO OBEY ORDERS." 45

he replied, " I was not ordered to do so. If I had
been ordered to run, I should have done so; but I was
directed to hold my position, and I had no right to
abandon it." In after-years he confessed that the
part he played in stepping out and assuring his men
that there was no danger, when the cannon-ball passed
between his legs, was the only wilful falsehood he
ever told in his life ! In speaking of the storming of
Ohapultepec to a friend, he described one of those
awful casualties of war when, in consequence of some
misunderstanding on the part of the besieged in ob-
serving directions to clear the streets of the city of
non-combatants, the guns of his battery were ordered
to sweep a street which was filled by a panic-stricken
crowd, and after the smoke of the charge had cleared
away he could trace distinctly the track of destruc-
tion his own guns had made. No one felt more than
he the horrors of war ; but, with his high sense of a
soldier's duty, he felt that he had no right to " ask the
reason why," or to stop to consider the consequences.
As he often said, " My duty is to obey orders .'"

After the occupation of the city of Mexico by
the United States troops, there was a season of
rest for several months, which was very refreshing
and delightful to Major Jackson ; and as he, with a
number of other officers, had their quarters in the
national palace, he used to say jocularly that no one
came nearer to realizing the boast of the politicians
of the day, that "their soldiet^ should lodge in the
halls of the Montezumas !"

Here his life of ease and luxury was quite a contrast
to the stormy period through which he had passed ;
and when we hear of his adopting the Spanish cus-

46 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

toms — taking his morning cup of coffee before rising,
his late dinner, in which Spanish art almost rivalled the
delicious fruits of that semi-tropical climate — it does not
surprise us that, for the mere delight of living, he con-
sidered the city of Mexico to surpass all others he had
ever known. But notwithstanding his luxurious and
attractive surroundings, the young soldier never neg-
lected his duties, which he performed with the utmost
punctiliousness.

After the cessation of hostilities and the peaceful
possession of the capital by the United States army,
the people began to yield kindly to the advances of
the conquerors, and there was soon a friendly com-
mingling of the two nations which had so lately been
in deadlv conflict. The homes of the old noblesse.
whose pride was their pure Castilian blood, were
opened in cordial welcome to the American officers;
and the charms of society never had greater fascina-
tion for Major Jackson than when in the presence of
the beautiful and graceful Mexican women. However,
there was one drawback to his perfect enjoyment, for,
much as he could feast his eyes, he could not have the
pleasure of conversing with these charmers, as he was
ignorant of their language. But to a go-ahead young
man this was a trifle easily overcome ; so he went to
work and studied under a Spanish gentleman, until
he soon learned both to speak and read Spanish flu-
ently. His admiration for the language was great,
and he always said it was meant for lovers, the terms
of endearment being so musical and abundant. He
adopted them for his own use, and delighted in lav-
ishing them upon those dearest to him. Indeed, he
acknowledged that he came very near losing his heart

SOCIETY IN THE CITY OF MEXICO. 47

in Mexico, the fascinations of at least one dark-eyed
seiiorita proving almost too great for his resistance ;
but he found safety in compelling himself to discon-
tinue his visits, and thus escaped capture. '^ Discre-
tion is the better part of valor " was a maxim that he
often quoted. He formed some warm attachments for
his " fine Spanish friends," as he called them, and
brought home a number of interesting little souvenirs
with which they presented him : among them a hand-
some paper-knife, card-cases, gold pencil, and a mas-
sive sUver spoon that might have been designed for
royalty, it having a curious little compartment in the
centre, for the purpose of testing poison ! Those who
knew him afterwards as so strict and rigid in his ab>
stinence from worldly pleasures may be surprised to
know that as a young man he was very fond of danc-
ing, and participated with great zest in the balls of
the pleasure -loving Mexicans. Years later, in the
privacy and freedom of his own home in Lexington,
he used frequently to dance the polka for exercise,
but no eye but that of his wife was ever permitted to
witness this recreation. The delicious climate and
beautiful scenery of Mexico, with its wealth of flow-
ers and tropical fruits, so charmed him that he often
said that if the people had been equal to their climate,
and the civil and religious privileges had been as great
as those of his own country, he would have preferred
a home there to any other part of the world. Yet in
the midst of all this gayety he had his sober thoughts,
and it was while still in Mexico that he began that
religious life which was so marked in all his future
career.
The commanding officer of his regiment, the First

48 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Artillery, was Colonel Francis Taylor, an earnest
Christian, who labored much for the spiritual welfare
of his soldiers. He was the first man to speak to Jack-
son on the subject of personal religion, with whom the
sense of duty was so strong that once convinced that
a thing was right and that he ought to do it, he im-
mediately undertook it ; and so he resolved to study
the Bible and seek all the light within his reach. At
that time he had but little knowledge of creeds, and
no special preference for any denomination.' His
mother, it is supposed, had been a member of the
Methodist Church, but after his separation from her
at an early age it is not likely that he received any
religious instruction. One statement is that his mother
had him baptized in infancy by a Presbyterian clergy-
man, the Rev. Asa Brooks ; but if this be so, it is
probable that he did not know it himself, or he would
not have had the rite administered to him after be
was grown to manhood, for he believed in infant bap-
tism. He had been more accustomed to the Episcopal
service than any other, as the chaplains at West Point
and in the army had been chiefly of that denomina-
tion, and his friend Colonel Taylor was a devout
Episcopalian; but he determined to examine all the
religious creeds, and decide for himself which came
nearest to his ideas of the Bible standard of faith and
practice. Being then in the midst of educated Roman
Catholics, he resolved to investigate their system, and
for this purpose he sought the acquaintance of the
Archbishop of Mexico, with whom he had several
interviews. He believed him to be a sincere and de-
vout man, and was impressed with his learning and
aflfability ; but the venerable prelate failed to convince

BTOKEWALL JACKSON AT THE A

STATIONED AT FORT HAMILTON. 49

him of the truth of his tenets of belief. His prefer-
ence for a simpler form of faith and worship led him
to wait until he could have the opportunity of learn-
ing more of other churches.

The United States troops returned from Mexico in
the summer of 1848, and Major Jackson's command
was stationed for two years at Fort Hamilton, on
Long Island. Here he led a quiet, uneventful life,
forming some pleasant friendships among the resi-
dents, and especially with the ladies of the garrison.
He attended with more diligence than ever to his re-
ligious duties, but acknowledged that he went through
his Bible reading and prayers with no feeling stronger
than having performed a duty. Colonel Taylor was
residing near him, and their intercourse was delight-
ful and instructive to the junior officer, who always
spoke of his colonel with gratitude and reverence.
The chaplain of the garrison at that time is said to
have been a Rev. Mr. Parks, to whom Major Jackson
became much attached, and at whose hands it has
been reported that he received the sacrament of bap-
tism. That he had such a friend and spiritual ad-
viser is doubtless true, but that he was baptized by
him is a mistake. I visited Fort Hamilton a few
years ago, and sought out the little chapel in which
he worshipped while there (St. John's Episcopal), and
with the aid of one of the wardens, a friend of Major
Jackson, examined tfie records of the church, where
appeared the following entry :

** On Sunday, 29th day of April, 1849, I baptized
Thomas Jefferson Jackson, major in the U. S. Army.
Sponsors, Colonels Dimick and Taylor.

" M. SCHOFIELD.'*

50 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The minister very naturally made the mistake of
supposing his second name was Jefferson, instead of
Jonathan, the illustrious President of that name hav-
ing had so many namesakes. Upon the church rec-
ords it was also interesting to find the name of Kobert
E. Lee, Captain Corps Engineers, as a vestryman in
1842. The names of the rectors of the parish up to
that time were given, but that of Mr. Parks does not
appear among them. It is my impression that Mr.
Parks had charge of a church in the city of New
York, as I have heard Major Jackson speak warmly
and gratefully of a ministerial friend in that city ; and
as Mr. Parks was an alumnus of West Point, this is
most probable.

Although he had applied for and received the sacra-
ment of baptism in the Episcopal Church, his mind
was not yet made up on the subject of churches, and
he chose to wait for further opportunities of acquaint-
ing himself with the creeds. But having accepted
Jesus Christ as his Saviour and Redeemer, he wished
to avow his faith before men, and became a member
of that "Holy Cathohc Church" whose creed is em-
braced by all evangelical denominations. Baptism
in the Episcopal Church gave him the right to be-
come a communicant, and with this privilege he was
content, and he did not apply for the rite of con-
firmation.

One of the pleasant experiences of his garrison' life
at Fort Hamilton was the horseback exercise he daily
indulged in; and, mounted on a favorite little horse,
" Fancy," he rode all over the country, and along the
shores of the beautiful bay.

CHAPTER Y.

PROFESSOR IN THE VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE—

1851-1861.

At the close of his two years' term of, service at
Fort Hamilton, Major Jackson was ordered to Fort
Meade, near Tampa Bay, in Florida, where he re-
mained about six months. The warm climate he
found enervating and injurious to his health ; but a
deUghtful change soon came, removing him to the
bracing air of the Yalley of Virginia. This great
valley, which lies between the two ranges of the Blue
Ridge and Alleghany Mountains, is justly celebrated
as the most beautiful, picturesque, and fertile part of
the State. The county of Rockbridge derives its
name from the Natural Bridge, where a massive and
solid arch of rock spans a chasm, into whose depths the
beholder looks down with awe. At the bottom of the
ravine a little stream ripples along, adding a tender
grace and beauty to the surrounding sublimity and
grandeur.

Of this famous county, Lexington is the capital
town. If, in describing this little gem of a place, I
seem extravagant, the reader will pardon me, since
here was centred all th^ romance of my life; here
were spent my happiest days ; and it is still to me
the most sacred of all places, as here the mountains
keep watch and guard around the home and the
tombs of those who were dearest to me on earth.

52 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The scenery around Lexington is exquisitely beauti-
ful, being varied by ranges of mountains, hills, and
valleys, with fine forests and fertile fields of fruit
and grain. The wealth of green in spring and sum-
mer, the resplendent tints of autumn, and the snow-
capped peaks of winter present a perpetual feast to the
eye. Some of the mountains take their names from
the objects which they are supposed to resemble. The
most distinctive one, as seen from the town, suggests
the form of a large building; hence it is called the
" House Mountain." It is a very striking feature in
the western horizon, and is most beautiful when light-
ed up by the setting sun. Another ridge, from some
fancied resemblance, is called the " Hog's Back." It
is a fine mountain ridge, in spite of its unromantic
name.

Lexington has long been noted for its two grand
institutions, one of which was founded before the
Kevolutionary War, and received a large endowment
from the father of his country, from which it was
called Washington College — a name that it continued
to bear until after the late war, when General I^ee be-
came its president, upon which his name was also
given to it, so that what was before Washington Col-
lege is now Washington and Lee University. Gen-
eral Lee, and his son, General G. W. Custis Lee, who
succeeded him in the presidency, have improved the
spacious grounds till they are as attractive as a city
park. The former built the chapel, which, after his
death, was made a memorial chapel and a mausoleum,
in which is placed Valentine's exquisite recumbent
statue of the great soldier. This is to the visitor the
chief attraction of Lexington.

THE VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE. 53

A few hundred yards beyond the University, upon
the same elevated ridge, but farther out of town,
stands the Virginia Military Institute, with its castel-
lated buildings and extensive grounds. The barracks
command a magnificent view of the country for miles
around. This school was founded upon the model of
the United States Military Academy, and is called the
" West Point of the South."

The society of Lexington, as is usual in seats of
learning, is so cultivated and intelligent that it ri-
vals that gathered round the State University of
Virginia, But apart from the professors' families,
others, attracted by these opportunities of education,
have made Lexington their home ; so that it has be-
come known in all the country not only as a seat of
learning, but of general cultivation, refinement, and
hospitality.

In the Military Institute Major Jackson was elected
Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy
and Artillery Tactics on the 27th of March, 1851, and
thus Lexington became his home for ten years. Of
his election his friend, and subsequently his brother-
in-law, General D. H. Hill (then major), gives the fol-
lowing ax5count :

" The circumstances attending the election of Major
Jackson to a chair in the Virginia Military Institute
will be of interest to those who believe in the special
providence of God. It will be remembered that Gen-
eral Scott withdrew from General Taylor the greater
portion of his regular troops for the invasion of Mex-
ico by the Vera Cruz line. The troops withdrawn
marched to Camargo, where they took river steamers

54 UFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACESOK.

THB TmaiHiA

to Point Isabel, at the mouth of the Rio Grande, and
waited there for ocean transports to take them to
Vera Cruz. A young officer who had served with
General Taylor, and was waiting with his regiment
on the beach at Point Isabel, strolled over one after-
noon to see Captain Taylor, of the artillery. While
in conversation, Captain Taylor said: 'Here comes
Lieutenant Jackson, I want you to know him. He
was constantly rising in the class at West Point, and
if the course had been a year longer he would have
graduated at the head of his class. He will make his
mark in this war.' The young men were introduced,
and soon after took a walk on the beach, Lieutenant
Jackson admiring the grandeur of the ocean. He
said, among other things : ' I envy you men who have
been in battle. How I would Uke to be in one battle !'
and expressed the fear ttmt the war might come to an
end before his wish could be gratified. Little did he
then know how many scores of battles he would direct,

HOW HE GAME TO BE A PROFESSOR. 55

and how breathlessly the two divided sections of the
nation would watch his terrible movements! The
two young officers parted to meet under the walls of
Vera Cruz. After a night of toil they sought shelter
under a sand-bank to snatch a few hours' sleep, when
an enormous shell from the Castle of San Juan de
Ulloa came crashing through their shelter, and nearly
ended their earthly career. They were side by side
in the pursuit of the Mexicans after the fall of Cha-
pultepec, and they met again some time after the capt-
ure of the city of Mexico. The war closed. Major
Jackson remained in the service."

■•
Major Hill himself resigned, and accepted a profess-
orship in the "College" at Lexington, not the Mili-
tary Institute. A few years after he had been here
he went one morning to see Colonel F. II. Smith,
superintendent of the Institute, and found him much
perplexed in consequence of a difference between him-
self and the Board of Visitors. They wished to elect
as a professor R. E. Rodes (afterwards major-general
in the Confederate army), and he preferred a gradu-
ate of West Point. There was a good deal of feeling
among them, but a compromise was finally effected,
and the chair was offered to Professor A. P. Stewart,
a graduate of West Point, but at that time in Cum-
berland University. Professor Stewart had declined,
and Colonel Smith apprehended a renewal of the old
trouble. He handed an Army Catalogue to his vis-
itor, and asked him to suggest a suitable officer to fill
the chair. As he glanced over the catalogue, his eye
fell upon the name of Jackson, and the conversation
with Captain Taylor instantly occurred to him — " If

56 LIFE OF GENEILiL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the course liad been one year longer, Jackson would
have graduated at the head of hte class." Colonel
Smith was pleased with the name suggested. In a
few days he started for Eichmond, where there was
an adjourned meeting of the Board. The Hon. John
S. Carlisle, representative in Congress from Western
Virginia, and a connection of Major Jackson, was a
member of the Board, and heartily endorsed the nom-
ination. It was thought desirable, too, to elect a pro-
fessor from Western Virginia to secure patronage from
that quarter, most of the cadets then coming from the
East. So Major Jackson was elected unanimously to
the chair of Natural Philosophy, Professor Gilham
retaining that of Chemistry.

It was Major Jackson's connection with the Virginia
Military Institute which opened for him his career
in the war. It identified him with the Valley, and
gave him Valley men for his soldiers. It made him
familiar with the ground upon which his earliest vic-
tories were won. But by what a chain of apparently
fortuitous circumstances was he led to Lexington!
The conversation at Point Isabel was the first link —
the intercourse between the young men in Mexico;
the disagreement between Colonel Smith and the
Board ; Professor Stewart's declining ; the chance
visit to Colonel Smith's oflBce — these were the sub-
sequent links.

At the time of Major Jackson's acceptance of this
professorship his health was not good, and his eyes,
especially, were so weak that he had to exercise great
caution in using them, never doing so at night. Thus
crippled for his work, a friend asked- him if it was not
presumption in him to accept the place when he was

"WHAT I WILL TO DO. I CAN DO." 57

physically incapacitated to fill it. " Not in the least,"
was his prompt answer ; " the appointment came un-
sought, and was therefore providential ; and I knew
that if Providence set me a task, he would give me the
power to perform it. So I resolved to get well, and
you see I have. As to the rest, I knew that what
/ vnUed to do^ I could doP In order to regain his
strength for his new work, he spent a part of July
and August of 1851 on Lake Ontario, and the rest of
the summer in charge of the corps of cadets at the
Warm Springs of Virginia, from which he wrote to
his uncle Alfred Neale : " I have reported at Lexing-
ton, and am delighted with my duties, the place, and
the people. At present I am with the corps of cadets
at this place, where we may remain until the company
shall leave, which may be some time hence. I recruit-
ed very rapidly at Lake Ontario, where I passed part
of July and August. It would have given me much
pleasure to have visited you during the past summer,
but I am anxious to devote myself to study until I
shall become master of my profession."

In removing to Lexington, he found there a number
of churches, and attended one and another to see which
he liked best. Up to this time he knew scarcely any-
thing of Presbyterianism. Here he found that church
the largest and most influential, embracing many of
the most intelligent families, although the professors
of the Institute to which he belonged were mostly
Episcopalians. The pastor of the Presbyterian church.
Dr. William S. White, was a devout and earnest man
of God, whose kindness and affability made him very
winning to the young and to strangers. His impres-
sive and persuasive style of preaching attracted and

58 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

interested the new professor, who soon sought his ac-
quaintance, and then his counsel in religious matters.
The simplicity of the Presbyterian form of worship
and the preaching of her well-educated ministry im-
pressed him most favorably, and after a careful study
of her standards of faith and practice he gave his pref-
erence to that church. It has been said that he be-
came a Presbyterian by marriage, but this is incorrect,
for he had made his choice of a church before he
made clioice of a wife, and he was of too independent
and inflexible a nature to be influenced even by a wife
in so important a decision.

In his frequent interviews with Dr. White, the latter
became more and more interested in the earnest, can-
did inquirer; and although some of his theories were
not in strict accord with Presbyterianism, yet his pas-
tor was so impressed with the genuineness of his faith
and his extreme conscientiousness that he did not hes-
itate to receive him to the communion. He made a
public profession of his faith on the 22d of November,
1851, and became more and more attached to the
church of his choice with the lapse of time; his difli-
culties of doctrinal belief all vanished, and he was a
most loyal and devoted member and oflicer. But he
was the furthest possible remove from being a bigot.
His views of each denomination had been obtained
from itself, not from its opponents. Hence he could
see excellences in all. Even of the Roman Catholic
Church he had a much more favorable impression
than most Protestants, and he fraternized with all
evangelical denominations. During a visit to New
York City, one Sabbath morning, we chanced to find
ourselves at the door of an Episcopal church at the

A DEACON IN THE CHURCH. 59

hour for worship. He proposed that we should enter ;
and as it was a day for the celebration of the com-
munion, he remained for that service, of which he par-
took in the most devout manner. It was with the
utmost reverence and solemnity that he walked up
the chancel and knelt to receive the elements. In his
church at Lexington it has been said that he was an
elder, but he never rose higher than a deacon, whose
duties are purely temporal, to collect the alms of the
church and to distribute to the destitute. These hum-
ble duties Major Jackson discharged with scrupulous
fidelity. His pastor said he was the best deacon in
the church. • With a soldier's training of obedience to
superior command, he followed out the same principle
in his church duties, going to his pastor, as his chief,
for his " orders," and " reporting " his performance of
them in a military way. He never permitted anything
to interfere with his attendance upon the monthly
meetings of deacons; and to a brother-deacon, who
excused his absence by pleading that he had not the
time to attend, he said : " I do not see how, at that
hour, we can possibly lack time for this meeting, or
can have time for anything else, seeing it is set apart
for this business."

Between his pastor and himself existed the most
confidential relations, and he consulted him as he
would a father, regarding him as a man of great
worldly wisdom and discretion, as well as a faithful
leader of his flock. " He always acted on the princi-
ple that he was as really bound to 'report' the condi-
tion of himself and family to his pastor as the latter
was to minister to their spiritual wants."

Few men had such reverence for ministers of the

60 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX.

gospel, and he often said that, had his education fitted
him for it, and had he more of the gift of speaking,
he would have entered the pulpit. In a letter to his
aunt, Mrs. Neale, he said : " The subject of becoming
a herald of the cross has often seriously engaged my
attention, and I regard it as the most noble of all pro-
fessions. It was the profession of our divine Eedeem-
er, and I should not be surprised were I to die upon a
foreign field, clad in ministerial armor, fighting under
the banner of Jesus. What could be more glorious ?
But my conviction is that I am doing good here, and
that for the present I am where God would have me
be. Within the last few days I have felt an unusual
religious joy. I do rejoice to walk in the love of God.
. . . My Heavenly Father has condescended to use me
as an instrument in getting up a large Sabbath-school
for the negroes here. He has greatly blessed it, and,
I trust, all who are connected with it." So scrupulous
was he in the performance of his duties that he would
not neglect even the smallest, saying, " One instance
would be a precedent for another, and thus my rules
would be broken down." After his conscience decided
upon questions of right and wrong, his resolution and
independence enabled him to carry out his principles
with a total disregard of the opinions of the world.
He thought it was a great weakness in others to care
what impression their conduct made upon public opin-
ion, if their consciences were only clear. The fear of
the Lord was the only fear he knew. After he be-
came a Christian he set his face against all worldly
conformity, giving up dancing, theatre-going, and ev-
ery amusement that had a tendency to lead his thoughts
and heart away from holy things. When a question

PRAYING IN PUBLia 61

was raised as to the right or wrong of indulgences that
many consider innocent, he would say pleasantly:
" Well, I know it is not wrong not to do it, so I'm go-
ing to be on the safe side." His rule was never to
make any compromise with his principles. But there
was not a particle of asceticism or gloom in his relig-
ion. It shed perpetual sunshine upon his life, and his
cheerful serenity was like the full-flowing of a placid
stream. His faith and trust led him to feel that noth-
ing could happen to him but what was sent in wisdom
and love by his Heavenly Father. One of his favorite
texts of Scripture was : " We know that all things work
together for good to them that love God."

Soon after he united with the church, his pastor, in
a public discourse, urged his flock to more faithfulness
in attending the weekly prayer-meeting, and enjoined
upon the church officers and members especially their
duty to lead in prayer. Hearing this. Major Jackson
called to inquire if he was among those who were ad-
monished not to be deterred from their duty by mod-
estv or false shame. He said he had not been used
to public speaking; he was naturally diffident, and
feared an eflfort might prove anything but edif\ing to
the assembly ; " but," he continued, *" you are my pas-
tor, and the spiritual guide of the church ; and if you
think it my duty, then I shall waive my reluctance and
make the effort to lead in prayer, however painful it
may be." Thus authorized to call upon him if he thought
proper, after a time the pastor did so. In responding
to the request, his embarrassment was so great that
the service was almost as painful to the audience as it
was to himself. The call was not repeated, and after
waiting some weeks, the major again called upon Doc-

62 U^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

tor White to know if he had refrained from a second
call from unwillingness to inflict distress upon him
through his extreme diffidence. The good pastor was
obliged to admit that he did shrink from requiring a
duty of him which was rendered at such a sacrifice,
lest his own enjoyment of the meeting be destroyed.
His reply was : " Yes, but my comfort or discomfort
is not the question ; if it is my duty to lead in prayer,
then I must persevere in it until I learn to do it aright ;
and I wish you to discard all consideration for my
feelings." The next time he was called upon he suc-
ceeded better in repressing his agitation, and in the
course of time he was able to pour out his heart be-
fore God with as much freedom in the public meeting
as at his own family prayers.

To improve himself in public speaking, he joined a
debating society in Lexington, called " The Franklin,"
and his first eflforts there were on a par with those in
the Presbyterian lecture-room; but his perseverance
and determination overcame his difficulties to a great
extent, and he acquired considerable ease and fluency
as a speaker.

A congregational meeting of the church was held
to determine the best method of increasing the rev-
enue of the church. After several speeches, in which
there was a good deal of diversity of opinion. Major
Jackson rose quietly, and in a short but stirring ad-
dress recalled the old command, not " to rob God in
tithes and offerings," emphasizing the point that if
they did their duty as church memhers all their diffi-
culties would come to an end, with such earnest per-
suasion as led an eminent divine who was present to re-
mark, " Why, the major was really eloquent to-day!"

ADOPTS THE RULE OF GIVING A TENTH. 63

In his own giving for religious purposes, he adopted
the Hebrew system of titheey contributing every year
one tenth of his income to the church. He was a
liberal giver to all causes of benevolence and public
enterprises, and during the war he gave bounteously
of his means to promote the spiritual interests of the
soldiers.

During a summer spent in the little village of Bev-
erly, West Virginia (the home of his sister), he was
troubled to find that there was but little religious
influence in the place, and that a number of the friends
and acquaintances he made there were professed infi-
dels. So great was his desire to convince them of
their error and danger, that he prepared and delivered
a brief course of lectures upon the evidences of Chris-
tianity. A military man was not often seen in that
remote region, and this led him to hope that some
might be drawn even by curiosity to listen to some-
thing from him more favorably than from others,
though it might be much inferior. He did succeed in
attracting crowds of hearers, but the delivery, he said,
was one of the greatest trials he had ever had.

In social life Major Jackson was not what is called
a " society man ;" indeed, the very phrase seems an
incongruity as applied to him. But before his mar-
riage he mingled constantly in society — punctiliously
performing his part in the courtesies which are due
from young gentlemen — more, perhaps, from a sense
of duty than from inclination. He was not naturally
social, but he was a most genuine and ardent admirer
of true womanhood ; and no man was more respectful
and chivalrous in his bearing towards the gentler sex.
He never passed a woman either of high or low de-

64 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

gree, whether he knew her or not, without lifting
his cap, and he was never lacking in any attention or
service that he could render. When a lady entered
the room he always rose to his feet and remained
standing until she was seated. But with all his polite-
ness and thorough breeding, he was so honest and
conscientious that he could not indulge in those little
meaningless flatteries with which young people are
so prone to amuse themselves ; hence he was not so
popular in general society as young men who have
no scruples of that sort. But he had his friendsliips
among ladies who could appreciiate him, and was a
frequent visitor, delighting in throwing off restraint
and making himself very much at home. In a letter
to a friend he said : " The kind of friends to whom I
am most attached are those with whom I feel at home,
and to whom I can go at all proper times, and infor-
mally tell them the object of my call, with the assur-
ance that, if practicable, they will join me in carrying
out my plans, whether they are for an evening prom-
enade, a musical soiree^ or whatever they may be ; and
all this, without the marred pleasure resulting from a
conviction that afterwards all my conduct must under-
go a judicial investigation before ' Judge Etiquette,'
and that for every violation of his code I must be cen-
sured, if not socially ostracized."

A Southern lady thus describes the impression that
Major Jackson made upon her : " There was a pecu-
liarity about him which at once attracted your atten-
tion. Dignified and rather stiff, as military men are
apt to be, he was as frank and unassuming as possible,
and was perfectly natural and unaffected. He always
sat bolt upright in his chair, never lounged, never

A KNIGHT OF THE ROUND TABLE. 65

crossed his legs, or made an unnecessary movement.
The expression of his soft gray eyes was gentle, yet
commanding, giving you a delightful feeling of the
sweetness, purity, and strength of his character. His
dress (in times of peace at least) was always in good
taste, arid faultlessly neat. Everything he wore was
of the best material. *A thorough gentleman' was
not exactly the expression to describe the impression
first made upon you : it was something more — a title
of greater distinction than this must describe him —
* a modem knight of King Arthur's Round Table, '
would have more properly conveyed the indelible pict-
ure he fixed upon your mind. Nothing unworthy,
nothing ignoble, nothing of modem frivolity and little-
ness— any thoughtful observer could have seen, even
before the war, that ' Stonewall ' Jackson was as true
a hero as Bayard, or Raleigh, or Sidney."
• The following picture is one of the best that have
ever been drawn, and may well have the merit of ac-
curacy, since it is by one who was a constant observer,
as he was on his staff, and thus a member of his mili-
tary family. It is the Rev. Dr. Dabney who thus
sketches the figure of his chief : " His person was tall,
erect, and muscular, with the large hands and feet
characteristic of all his race. His bearing was pecul-
iarly English; and therefore, in the somewhat free
society of America, was regarded as constrained. Ev-
ery movement was quick and decisive; his articula-
tion was rapid, but distinct and emphatic, and, accom-
panied by that laconic and perspicuous phrase to which
it was so well adapted, it often made the impression
of curtness. He practised a military exactness in all
the courtesies of good society. Different opinions ex-
5

66 LU<£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

isted as to his comeliness, because it varied so much
with the condition of his health and animal spirits.
His brow was fair and expansive ; his eyes were blue-
gray, large, and expressive, reposing usually in placid
calm, but able none the less to flash lightning. His
nose was Koman, and well chiselled ; his cheeks ruddy
and sunburnt ; his mouth firm and full of meaning, and
his chin covered with a beard of comely brown. The
remarkable characteristic of his face was the contrast
between its sterner and its gentler moods. As he
accosted a friend, or dispensed the hospitalities of his
own house, his serious, constrained look gave place to
a smile, so sweet and sunny in its graciousness that
he was another man. And if anything caused him to
burst into a hearty laugh, the eflfect was a complete
metamorphosis. Then his eyes danced, and his coun-
tenance rippled with a glee and abandon literally in-
fantile. This smile was indescribable to one who never
saw it. Had there been a painter with genius subtile
enough to fix upon his canvas, side by side, the spirit
of the countenance with which he caught the sudden
jest of a child romping on his knees, and with which,
in the crisis of battle, he gave the sharp command,
* Sweep the field with the bayonet !' he would have ac-
complished a miracle of art, which the spectator could
scarcely credit as true to nature.

" In walking, his step was long and rapid, and at
once suggested the idea of the dismounted horseman.
It has been said that he was an awkward rider, but
incorrectlv. A suflicient evidence of this is the fact
that he was never thrown. It is true that on the
march, when involved in thought, he was heedless of
the grace of his posture ; but in action, as he rode

P£RSONAL APPEARANCE AND MANNERS. 67

with bare head along his column, acknowledging the
shouts which rent the skies, no figure could be nobler
than his. His judgment of horses was excellent, and
it was very rare that he was not well mounted."

His passport, which he procured at Washington for
a European trip in 1866, describes him thus : "Stature
five feet nine and three-quarter inches, English ; fore-
head full; eyes gray ; nose aquiline ; mouth small ; chin
oval ; hair dark-brown ; face oval ; complexion dark."

The last is a mistake, as bis complexion was nat-
urally fair, but was very susceptible to sunburn. A
lady who was a relative, with whom he lived under
the same roof several years, says :

"He was a man eui generis; and none who came
into close enough contact with him to see into his
inner nature were willing to own that they had ever
known just such another man." After she was allowed
unguarded insight into "the very pulse of the ma-
chine," she recalls the incredulity with which her
declaration that Jackson was the very stuflF out of
which to make a hero was received, before any sword
was lifted in the contest. ^

She describes him upon his first entrance into Lex-
ington society as " of a tall, very erect figure, with a
military precision about him which made him appear
stiflf, but he was one of the most polite and courteous
of men. He had a handsome, animated face, flashing
blue-gray eyes, and the most mobile of mouths. He
was voted eccentric in our little professional circle,
because he did not walk in the same conventional
grooves as other men: it was only when we came to
know him with the intimacy of hourly coaverse that

68 LIP£ OF 6£X£RAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

we found that much that passed under the name of
eccentricity was the result of the deepest underlying
principle, and compelled a respect which we dared
not withhold. After he became an inmate of our
household, we were not long in discovering that the
more rigidly and narrowly his springs of action were
scrutinized, the higher rose our respect and reverence.
What may have provoked a smile when the motive
or principle that lay behind the act was entirely mis-
apprehended came to be regarded with a certain ad-
miring wonder when the motive of the act was made
clear. We sometimes used to charge hini with losing
sight of the perspective of things. Not drawing the
distinction that men generally do between small and
great, he laid as much stress upon truth in the most
insignificant words or actions of his daily life as in
the most solemn and important. He weighed his
lightest utterances in ' the balances of the sanctuary.'
When it would be playfully represented to him that
this needless precision interfered with the graces of
conversation, and tended to give angularity and stiff-
ness to his style, his reply would be that he was per-
fectly aware of the inelegance it involved, but he chose
to sacrifice all minor charms to the paramount one of
absolute truth."

His crystalline truthfulness was equally noticeable
in admitting that he did not know facts or things,
when really there was no appeal made to his knowl-
edge except the common " you know," with which so
many interlard their conversation. "Nothing," he
said, " would induce him to make the impression that
he knew what he did not."

EXTREiLE CONSCIENTIOUSNESS. 69

So in conversation, if he unintentionally made a
misstatement about a matter of no moment whatever,
as soon as he discovered his mistake, he would lose
no time in hastening to correct it, even if he had to
go upon the mission in a pouring rain. Upon being
asked, " Why, in the name of reason, do you walk a
mile in the rain for a perfectly unimportant thing ?"
his reply was, " Simply because I have discovered
that it was a misstatement, and I could not sleep com-
fortably to-night unless I corrected it."

His ideas of honesty were just as rigid. An in-
stance soon after our marriage will show this. One
autumn afternoon we were taking a stroll, and passing
a large apple orchard where the ripe fruit had fallen
plentifully upon the ground, I asked him to step over
the fence and treat ourselves to some of the tempting
apples. My rebuke can be imagined when in the kind^
est manner he answered: "No, I do not think it
would be right to do that. I am sure that Colonel

R would have no objection, and would gladly

give them to us if he were here, but I cannot take
them without his leave."

No man carried his conscientiousness to a greater
extreme, and many may say that he did it to an un-
necessary and even morbid degree ; but his humility
was as pre-eminent as his conscientiousness, and al-
though he laid down these stringent rules for his own
governance, he did not set himself up as a guide or
model for others, and never forced his convictions
upon any one. He never even inadvertently fell into
the use of the expressions so common upon our lips
that he " wished that any event or circumstance were
different from what it was." To do so would, in his

70 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

opinion, have been to arraign Providence. He was
utterly free from censoriousness, envy, detraction, and
all uncharitableness, and certainly kept his rule that
if he could say nothing good of a man, he would not
speak of him at all.

But if he once lost confidence, or discovered decep-
tion and fraud on the part of one whom he had trust-
ed, his faith was not easily restored, and he with-
drew himself as much as possible from any further
dealings with him. However, he religiously kept the
door of his lips, not permitting a word of censure or
denunciation to pass them ; and even when convinced
that a man was a hypocrite, his severest sentence
against him was that he believed him to be a " de-
ceived man," who was so blinded that he could not
see the error of his ways.

..." Only in the innermost circle of home did
any one come to know what Jackson really was.
. . . His natural temperament was extremely buoy-
ant, and his abandon was beautiful to see, provided
there were only one or two people to see it."

As may be supposed, punctuality was regarded by
him as a virtue : " No one could ever charge him
with loss of time through dilatoriness on his part.
He never failed to fill an engagement ; or, if it was im-
possible for him to do so, he would take any amount
of trouble to give notice beforehand of his inability
to keep it. . . . Once only do I remember that he
was late in getting to prayer - meeting, for he was
as punctual as a clock in being in his seat before the
opening of the services of the church. On this oc-
casion, when he found that the worship had com-
menced (although we were only a few minutes be-

"I HAVE NO GENIUS FOR SEEMING." 71

hind time), he declined to enter, saying we had no
right to disturb the devotions of others by going in
during the service, and so we returned home.

^'His personal habits were systematic in the ex-
treme. He studied his physical nature with a physic
cian's scrutiny ; and having once adopted a regimen
which he believed perfectly suited to himself, nothing
would ever tempt him to swerve in the slightest de-
gree from it. He ate, as he did everything else, from
a sense of duty." He had suffered much from dys-
pepsia, and for that reason had to practise absolute
control over his appetite, and nothing could tempt
him to partake of food between his regular hours.
" When sometimes at parties and receptions a friend
would entreat him, for courtesy's sake and the gratifi-
cation of his hostess, to seem to accept some delicacy,
or at least venture upon a grape or an orange, he
would always reply : "No, no ; I have no genius for
seemingP

In all the means that he sought for relief in sub-
duing his arch-enemy, dyspepsia, he found none that
proved so beneficial as the hydropathic treatment.
He became a strong believer in the system, and dur-
ing his summer vacation he visited several hydro-
pathic establishments in New York and New Eng-
land, and invariably gained strength from the baths
and the exercise. One summer his chest broadened
several inches by his performances in the gymnasium,
and on his return home he found his double-breasted
coat (a major's uniform) incapable of accommodating
his increased dimensions, so he had to have a new
one made. He always wore citizen's dress when oflf
dutv.

72 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

When he had a home of his own, he provided himself
with some of his favorite appliances for gymnastic
exercises, and greatly invigorated himself by their use.

He abstained from the use of all intoxicating drinks
from principle, having a fondness for them, as he him-
self confessed, and for that reason never daring to in-
dulge his taste. During the war, when asked by a
brother officer to join him in a social glass, he replied :
"No, I thank you, but I never use it ; I am more afraid
of it than of Federal bullets." Nor did he use tobacco
in any form, and for many years not even tea and
coflFee, believing that they were injurious to his health.

When persons about him complained of headaches
or other consequences of imprudence, he would say :
" If you follow my rule, which is to govern yourself
absolutely, I do not think you would have these
sufferings. My head never aches : if anything dis-
agrees with me, I never eat it."

As an instance of the alacrity with which, if once
convinced that a thing was right to do, he did it, on
one occasion, when he had been talking of self-abne-
gation and making rather light of it, a friend sug-
gested that he had not been called upon to endure it,
and supposed a case : " Imagine that the providence
of God seemed to direct you to drop every scheme of
life and of personal advancement, and go on a mission
to the heart of Africa for the rest of your days,
would you go ?" His eyes flashed as he instantly re-
plied : " I would go without my fiat /"

This same friend once asked him what was his un-
derstanding of the Bible command to be " instant in
prayer " and to " pray without ceasing." " I can give
you," he said, " my idea of it by illustration, if you

PRAYER WITHOUT CEASING. 73

will allow it, and will not think that I am setting
myself up as a model for others. I have so fixed the
habit in my own mind that I never raise a glass of
water to my lips without lifting my heart to God in
thanks and prayer for the water of life. Then, when
we take our meals, there is the grace. Whenever I
drop a letter in the post-office, I send a petition along
with it for God's blessing upon its mission and the
person to whom it is sent. When I break the seal of
a letter just received, I stop to ask God to prepare me
for its contents, and make it a messenger of good.
When I go to my class-room and await the arrange-
ment of the cadets in their places, that is my time to
intercede with God for them. And so in every act of
the day I have made the practice habitual."

" And don't you sometimes forget to do this ?"
asked his friend.

" I can hardly say that I do ; the habit has become
almost as fixed as to breathe."

His submission to his Heavenly Father's will was
so perfect, and the assurance that " all things work
together for good to them that love God " was to him
such a blessed reality, that he always said he pre-
ferred God's will to his own ; and his perfect assur-
ance of faith never forsook him, however severelv it
might be tried. " He used to express surprise at the
want of equanimity on the part of Christians under
the pressure of untoward circumstances ; and remarked
that he did not think any combination of earthly ills
could make him positively unhappy if he believed he
was suflfering the will of God." Thinking this a bold
assertion, a friend ventured to touch him in a vulner-
able point, knowing that his health was a source of

74 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

anxious care, and asked him : '^ Major, suppose you
should lose your health irreparably ; do you think you
could be happy still ?" He answered : " Yes, I should
be happy still." " Well, suppose, in addition to life-
long illness, you should become suddenly blind; do
you believe your serenity would remain unclouded ?"
He paused a moment, as if to weigh fully every word
he uttered, and then said : " I am sure of it ; even such
a misfortune could not make me doubt the love of
God." Still further to test him, and knowing his
impatience of anything that even bordered on de-
pendence, it was urged : " But if, in addition to blind-
ness and incurable infirmity and pain, you had to re-
ceive grudging charity from those on whom you had
no claim — what then?" There was a strange rever-
ence in his lifted eye, and an exalted expression over
his whole face, as he replied, with slow deliberateness :
" If it were God's will, I think I covld lie there content
a hundred years /"

General Jackson's extreme rigor in the observance
of the Sabbath has been much commented on, and he
has been called a religious fanatic. Certainly he
was not less scrupulous in obeying the divine com-
mand to " remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy "
than he was in any other rule of his life. Since the
Creator had set apart this day for his own, and
commanded it to be kept holy, he believed that it
was as wrong for him to desecrate it by worldly pleas-
ure, idleness, or secular employment, as to break any
other commandment of the decalogue. Sunday was
his busiest day of the week, as he always attend-
ed church twice a day and taught in two Sabbath
schools I He refrained as much as possible from all

STRICT OBSERVANCE OF THE SABBATH. 75

worldly conyersation, and in his family, if secular
topics were introduced, he would say, with a kindly
smile, " We will talk about that to-morrow."

He never travelled on Sunday, never took his mail
from the post-ofl3ce, nor permitted a letter of his own
to travel on that day^ always before posting it calcu-
lating the time it required to reach its destination ;
and even business letters of the utmost importance
were never sent oflf the very last of the week, but were
kept over until Monday morning, unless it was a case
where distance required a longer time than a week.

One so strict in his own Sabbath observance natu-
rally believed that it was wrong for the government
to carry the mails on Sunday. Any organization which
exacted secular labor of its employees on the Lord's
day was, in his opinion, a violator of God's law. Just
before his last battle he wrote the following letter,
touching upon this matter, to his friend Colonel J.
T. L. Preston :

"Near Fredericksburg, Va., April 27th, 1863.

" Dear Colonel, — I am much gratified to see that
you are one of the delegates to the General Assembly
of our Church, and I write to express the hope that
something may be accomplished by you at the meet-
ing of that influential body towards repealing the law
requiring our mails to be carried on the Christian Sab-
bath. Recently I received a letter from a member of
Congress (the Confederate Congress at* Richmond)
expressing the hope that the House of Representa-
tives would act upon the subject during its present
session ; and from the mention made of Colonel Chil-
ton and Mr. Curry of Alabama, I infer that they are

76 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

members of the committee which recommends the
repeal of the law. A few days since I received a
very gratifying letter from Mr. Curry, which was vol-
untary on his part, as I was a stranger to him, and
there had been no previous correspondence between
us. His letter is of a cheering character, and he takes
occasion to say that divine laws can be violated with
impunity neither by governments nor individuals. I
regret to say that he is fearful that the anxiety of mem-
bers to return home, and the press of other business,
will prevent the desired action this session. I have
said thus much in order that you may see that Con-
gressional action is to be looked for at the next meet-
ing of Congress; hence the importance that Chris-
tians act promptly, so that our legislators may see the
current opinion before they take up the subject. I
hope and pray that such may be our country's senti-
ment upon this and kindred subjects that our states-
men will see their way clearly. Now appears to me
an auspicious time for action, as our people are look-
ing to God for assistance. Very truly your friend,

''T. J. Jackson."

In another letter to his pastor he says : " It is de-
lightful to see the Congressional Committee report so
strongly against Sabbath mails. I trust that you will
write to every member of Congress with whom you
have any influence, and do all you can to procure the
adoption of the report. And please request those with
whom you correspond (when expedient) to do the same.
I believe that God will bless us with success if Chris-
tians will but do their duty. For nearly fifteen years
Sabbath mails have been, through God's blessing.

HE WOULD NOT BREAK THE SEAL. 77

avoided by me, and I am thankful to say that in no
instance has there been occasion for regret, but, on the
contrary, God has made it a source of pure enjoyment
to me."

For a long time he kept his resolution not to use
his eyes by artificial light ; and it was his custom never
to break the seal of a letter which came to him late
on Saturday night until the dawn of Monday morn-
ing. When he became engaged, and his ^ncee lived in
another State, it was a subject of amusing speculation
among his friends whether he would break this rule.
But it was found that even to the excuse " The wom-
an tempted me " he did not yield. A friend in walk-
ing to church with him one Sunday morning, know-
ing he had received a letter the evening before, said
to him : " Major, surely you have read your letter ?"
" Assuredly not," said he. " Where is it ?" asked his
friend. " Here," tapping his coat - pocket. " What
obstinacy !" exclaimed his companion. " Don't you
know that your curiosity to learn its contents will dis-
tract your attention from divine worship far more than
if you had read it ? Surely, in this case, to depart
from your rule would promote a true Sabbath observ-
ance, instead of injuring it." " No," he answered, qui-
etly, " I shall make the most faithful effort I can to
govern my thoughts and guard them from unnecessary
distraction ; and as I do this from a sense of duty, I
expect the divine blessing upon it." He said after-
wards that his tranquillity and spiritual enjoyment
were unusually great during the day.

In the autunm of 1855, he organized his Sabbath-
school for the instruction of the colored people of Lex-
ington. His interest in that race was simply because

78 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

they had souls to save ; and he continued to instruct
them with great faithfulness and success up to the
breaking-out of the war. In this missionary work he
was assisted by a number of ladies and gentlemen.
This school was held in the afternoon of the Sabbath ;
its sessions were short and spirited, and he soon in-
fused interest and punctuality into both teachers and
pupils. Upon my removal to Lexington I proposed
taking a class in the Sunday-school for white chil-
dren, but he preferred that my labors should be given
to the colored children, believing it was more impor-
tant and useful to put the strong hand of the Gospel
under the ignorant African race, to lift them up. I
have always felt thankful that his wishes guided me
in this matter, for it was a privilege to witness his
great interest and zeal in the work, and never did his
face beam with more intelligence and earnestness than
when he was telling the colored children of his Sab-
bath-school the story of the cross.

When in the army he inquired of every visitor from
the church to his camp how his colored Sunday-school
was getting on, and expressed great satisfaction at
hearing of its prosperity. This school is still in suc-
cessful operation.

The Eev. Dr. White said he was once both gratified
and amused when Major Jackson came to him to re-
port the result of a collection which he had made in
the congregation for the Bible Society. At the foot
of the long list of the church-members and other citi-
zens were a number of additional names in pencil-
marks with small sums attached to them. Upon in-
quiring who they were, the major explained : " These
at the top are your regulars, and those below are my

A B£LOy£D CHRISTIAN FRI£ND. 79

militia." In his round of visiting, he had caUed upon
some of his colored friends, and encouraged them to
give, even if it were but a mite, to this good cause, ar-
guing that their money was more profitably spent in
this way than in tobacco and whiskey, and that it
would elevate them, and increase their interest in the
study of the Bible. This activity for the good of oth-
ers brought its own reward. This man, so busy in
good works, his pastor said, '' was the happiest man
he ever knew." His faith and trust were so implicit
that his own will was in perfect subjection to that of
his Heavenly Father, and no suffering or trial could
make him wish it had been otherwise.

The story of Major Jackson's life in Lexington would
be lacking in one important link of the chain without
the mention of his dear and honored Christian friend,
Mr. John B. Lyle, to whom he was more indebted for
spiritual profit than to any one else except his pastor.
This gentleman was an elder of the church, a bachelor,
past middle-age, and not prosperous, as the world goes,
but he was one of those whole-souled, large-hearted
Christians whose lives are full of love and sunshine.
His genial face and ready sympathy made him a great
favorite with young and old, and he was known as the
comforter of the afficted, the restorer of the wayward,
and the counsellor of the doubting. Indeed, his heart
was big enough to take in all who sought a place there.
The young ladies made a special pet of him, and he
was generally the confidant and adviser of his numer-
ous friends, both in temporal and spiritual matters.
He was fond of music, and led the church choir. The
church at that time had no organ, but his magnificent
voice was almost equal to an organ itself. Major Jack-

so LIF£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

son rarely passed a day without a visit to Mr. Lyle's
sanctum, and thus, coming under the constant influ-
ence of one whose inner Christian life was as elevated
as his outward was active, his own religious character
became moulded into that exalted type for which he
was so conspicuous. It was largely due to Mr. Lyle's
guidance in religious reading, his own bright example
and instructions, that Major Jackson attained that
perfect assurance of faith which shed such sunshine
over his latter years. He also taught him to cherish
a high sense of the value of prayer, and to expect an
answer to it. In taking a journey, he never parted
from his wife without engaging in prayer ; before go-
ing to his Sabbath-schools he always knelt in prayer,
and so, in every act of life, "prayer was his vital
breath."

The first visit that my husband took me to pay af-
ter my arrival at my new home was to his friend, Mr.
Lyle, and his smiling and hearty " welcome to Lexing-
ton " went directly to the heart of the stranger. He
was then a partial paralytic, and it was not many
months until a final stroke removed him to a better
world. As an evidence of the strong hold he had on
the hearts of all who knew him, one who was not con-
nected with him by any tie of blood had him buried
in his own family lot in the cemetery, and marked the
spot by a monument bearing this inscription: "He
was the truest friend, the bravest man, and the best
Christian ever known to him who erects this stone to
his memory."

The name of Dr. White, the good pastor, and his
faithful under -shepherd, John B. Lyle, will long be
fragrant memories in Lexington.

CHAPTER VL

THE PROFESSOR— TRIP TO EUROPE.— 1851-1866.

Major Jackson had never been a teacher before he
became a professor in the Yirginia Military Institute,
and when asked by a friend whether he did not feel dis-
trustful of himself in undertaking so untried and ar-
duous a course of instruction, he replied: "No; I
expect to be able to study suflaciently in advance of
my classes ; for one can always do what he wills to ao-
complish.^^

In this spirit he entered on his duties as a teacher, and
discharged them with the same painstaking fidelity
that he did everything else he undertook in life. His
extreme conscientiousness constrained him to carry
out to the very letter all the regulations of the school,
and when he came into conflict either with superiors
or inferiors, it was because they were disposed to prac-
tise more policy and expediency than the rules pre-
scribed. But we will let some of his colleagues in of-
fice, and his friends in Lexington and elsewhere, give
their testimony to his character as a teacher and an
officer. The superintendent of the Institute, General
Francis H. Smith, says : " The professorial career of
Major Jackson was marked by great faithfulness, and
by an unobtrusive yet earnest spirit. With high men-
tal endowments, teaching was a new profession to him,
6

82 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

and demanded, in the important department assigned
him, an amount of labor which, from the state of his
health, and especially from the weakness of his eyes,
he performed at great sacrifice. Conscientious fidelity
to duty marked every step of his life here, and when
called to active duty in the field he had made consider-
able progress in the preparation of an elementary work
on optics, which he proposed to publish for the benefit
of his classes. Strict, and at times stem, in his disci-
pline (though ever polite and kind), he was not always
a popular professor ; but no one ever possessed in a
higher degree the confidence and respect of the cadets,
for his unbending integrity and fearlessness in the dis-
charge of duty. If he were exact in his demands upon
them, they knew he was no less so in his own respect
for and submission to authority. His great principle
of government' was that a general rule should not be
violated for any particular good ; and his animating
rule of action was, that a man could accomplish what
he willed to perform. For ten years he prosecuted his
unwearied labors as a professor, making during that
period, in no questionable form, such an impress upon
those who, from time to time, were under his command,
that when the war broke out the spontaneous senti-
ment of every cadet and graduate was to serve under
him as their leader.

'' The habit of mind of Major Jackson, long before he
made a public profession of religion, was reverentiaL
Devoutly recognizing the authority of God, submis-
sion to Him as his Divine Teacher and Guide soon
matured into a confession of faith in him, and from
that moment the ' triple cord ' — ' not slothful in busi-
ness, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord ' — bound him

THE DEATH OF HIS FIRST WIFE. 83

in simple and trustful obedience to his Divine Mas-
ter."

In the third year of Major Jackson's professorship
in the Military Institute a vacancy occurred in the
Chair of Mathematics at the University of Virginia
by the death of Professor Courtenay, and he was high-
ly recommended by General Lee and others for the
position, but, as was quite natural, the directors pre-
ferred an alumnus of the University, and so elected
Professor Bledsoe, an older and more experienced
teacher. In the end it proved better that Major Jack-
son remained at Lexington.

Major Jackson was twice married — ^the first time in
1853, August 4th, to Elinor, daughter of the Rev. Dr.
Greorge Junkin, President of Washington College,
who is remembered by all who knew her as a person
of singular loveliness of character; as possessed of
great natural intelligence, which was developed in a
family of high cultivation ; while her native modesty
and conscientiousness ripened, under parental culture,
into a beautiful type of Christian womanhood. Thus
she had every qualification to make a happy home.
But this happiness was not to be of long duration.
About fourteen months after the marriage, in giving
birth to a child, that never breathed, the mother died
also, so that all that was dearest to him on earth was
laid in the grave. This was a terrible blow, for he was
a devoted husband ; and his early life having been so
isolated from home influences, family ties were more
to him than to most persons. But his resignation to
God's will was unshaken, and his Christian character
became more mellowed and consecrated by this sad
bereavement.

84 l^'E OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

A few extracts from his letters to his aunt, Mrs.
Neale, will show the spirit in which he bore his afflic-
tion:

"February 10th, 1855.

" Your kind letter, so full of sympathy and love,
made a deep impression on my stricken heart. I can
hardly realize yet that my dear Ellie is no more — that
she will never again welcome my return — no more
soothe ray troubled spirit by her ever kind, sympa-
thizing heart, words, and love. . . . She has left me
such monuments of her love to God, and deep depend-
ence upon her Saviour's merits, that were I not to be-
lieve in her happiness, neither would I believe though
one were to rise from the dead and declare it. God's
promises change not. She was a child of God, and
as such she is enjoying Him forever. ... I have
suffered so much with my eyes lately that I have had
great fears that I might lose them entirely, but all
things are in the hands of a merciful Father, and
to His will I hope ever cheerfully to submit. . . .
My dear Ellie, when living, spoke of the beauty of
your letters. I feel that had she lived she would
have been in correspondence with you ; but now that
cannot be in this sinful world, though it may be that
an intimate friendship will exist between you in yon-
der world of bliss whither she has gone. If she re-
tains her pure, human affections there, I feel that she
will derive pleasure from the acquaintance of any one
who in this world loves me, or whom I love. And
does she not retain love there ? ' God is love.' I
believe that she retains every pure, human attribute,
and in a higher state than when trammelled with flesh
here. Oh, do you not long to leave the flesh and go to

AT HIS WIFE'S GRAVE. 85

God, and mingle with the just made perfect ? Of all
the moments of life, there are none around which I
cluster so much that is joyf uL Yet I feel that I do
not wish to go before it is the will of God, who with-
holds no good thing from them that love Him. I
thank my Heavenly Father that I can realize that
blessed declaration. I frequently go to the dearest
of earth's spots, the grave of her who was so pure
and lovely — but she is not there. When I stand
over the grave, I do not fancy that she is thus con-
fined, but I think of her as having a glorified ex-
istence."

For a long time he visited her grave daily, and al-
ways stood Over it with uncovered head, absorbed in
tender and loving memories. In one of his note-books
appears the following entry, showing his desire to
profit by his great sorrow : " Objects to be effected
by EUie's death : To eradicate ambition ; to eradicate
resentment ; to produce humility. If you desire to be
more heavenly-minded, think more of the things of
heaven, and less of the things of earth."

During the summer and fall of 1856, Major Jack-
son made a tour through Europe, which covered a
period of nearly five months. To a friend he wrote :
" I was so urged by a concurrence of favorable cir-
cumstances to visit Europe as to induce me to believe
that the time had arrived for carrying out ray long-
contemplated trip, with which I was much charmed."
He then goes on to speak in the most rapturous terms
of " the romantic lakes and mountains of Scotland,
the imposing abbeys and cathedrals of England ; the
Bhine, with its castellated banks and luxuriant vine

86 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

yards ; the sublime scenery of Switzerland, with her
lofty Mont Blanc and massive Mer - de - Glace ; the
vestiges of Venetian beauty ; the sculpture and paint-
ings of Italy ; the ruins of Rome ; the beautiful Bay
of Naples, illuminated by Vesuvius ; and lovely France,
with her gay capital," etc. Again he writes :

*' I would advise you never to name my European
trip to me unless you are blest with a superabundance
of patience, as its very mention is calculated to bring
up with it an almost inexhaustible assemblage of
grand and beautiful associations. Passing over the
works of the Creator, which are far the most impres-
sive, it is difficult to conceive of the influences which
even the works of His creatures exercise over the
mind till one loiters amidst their master productions.
Well do I remember the influence of sculpture upon
me during my short stay in Florence, and how there
I began to realize the sentiment of the Florentine:
* Take from me my liberty, take from me what you
will, but leave me my statuary, leave me these en-
trancing productions of art.' And similar to this is
the influence of painting."

In another letter he is enthusiastic over Powers's
statue of II Penseroso, who '^ is represented as walk-
ing abroad while absorbed in thought, with the finger
of one hand resting upon the lip, while the other car-
ries a train."

His trip gave him boundless pleasure, and, although
it was a hurried one, he managed to visit a great num-
ber of places in the space of four months, as the fol-
lowing letter to his aunt, Mrs. Neale, will show :

VISIT TO EUROPE. 87

«* Lexinoton, Va., Oct 27th, 1856.

" It is with much pleasure that God again permits me
to write to you from my adopted home. Your kind-
ness and that of uncle has not been forgotten ; but
when you hear where I have been during my short
absence, you will not be surprised at not having heard
from me, as my time was too short to see well all
that came within the range of my journey. After
leaving Liverpool I passed to Chester and Eaton
Hall, and from there, returning, I visited Glasgow,
Lochs Lomond and Katrine, Stirling Castle, Edin-
burgh, York, London, Antwerp, Brussels, Waterloo,
Aix-la-Chapelle, Cologne, Bonn, Frankfort -on -the -
Main, Heidelberg, Baden-Baden, Strasburg, Basle,
Lakes Lucerne, Brience, and Thun ; Berne, Freiburg,
Geneva, the Mer de Glace, over the Alps by the Sim-
plon Pass; Milan, Venice, Florence, Naples, Kome,
Marseilles, Paris, London, and Liverpool again, and
then home. ... It appeared to me that Providence
had opened the way for my long-contemplated visit,
and I am much gratified at having gone."

When he set out on this foreign tour, like other en-
thusiastic travellers, he began wfth a resolution to
keep a journal, in which he would give a minute de-
scription of all that he saw from day to day ; but when
he was fairly in the heart of Old England, he found
himself so absorbed with the sights and scenes that
crowded upon his attention that his " Journal " sub-
sides into mere jottings of places and objects which
are of interest chiefly to his family. During these
months he acquired such a knowledge of French that
for years after it was his custom to read his Scripture
morning lesson in a French Testament.

88 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

In crossing the ocean he gave himself ample time
to reach home at the expiration of his fm^lough, but
the steamer failed to make the trip in the nsoal num-
ber of days. At this his friends, who knew him to
be the very soul of punctuality, expressed their won-
der at his failure to " come up to time." Upon his
arrival, as soon as the first greetings were over, and
he had explained the cause of his detention, one of
them exclaimed : ^' But, Major, haven't you been mis-
erable since the beginning of the month ? You are
so particular in keeping your appointments that we
imagined you were beside yourself with impatience."
" Not at all," he replied ; " I did all in my power to
be here at the appointed time ; but when the steamer
was delayed by Providence, my responsibility was at
an end." The great object of his journey was at-
tained. Aside from the pleasure of seeing foreign
countries, his health was perfectly restored, and he
was ready to resume his work.

CHAPTER VII.

SECOND MARRIAGE.— HOME LIFS.^1867-1868.

In writing these memoirs, it has been my aim, up
to this period, to keep myself in the backgromid as
much as possible ; but in what follows, ray own life
is so bound up with that of my husband that the
reader will have to pardon so much of self as must
necessarily be introduced to continue the story of his
domestic life and to explain the letters that follow.

I trust it will not be out of place to give a very brief
insight into my early life, knowing full well that what-
ever interest is awakened in me is only a reflected one,
arising solely from the fact of my having been the
wife of General Jackson. The home of my girlhood
was a large, old-fashioned house, surrounded by an
extensive grove of fine forest trees, on a plantation in
Lincoln County, North Carolina. My father, the Rev.
Dr. R. H. Morrison, a Presbyterian minister, had in
his earlier life been a pastor in towns, and was the first
president of Davidson College, in North Carolina ; but,
his health having failed, he sought a country home for
rest and restoration, and reared his large family of ten
children principally in this secluded spot, where he was
able to preach to a group of country churches. lie
was graduated from the University of North Carolina,
in the year 1818, in a class with President Polk, Bish-
op Green, of Mississippi, and several other men of em-

90 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

inence in church and state. He was always a good
student, and his own home furnished the best school
for his children until the girls were old enough to be
sent oflf to boarding-school and the boys to college.*

* The names of these children were :

1st. Isabella, who married Qeneral D. H. Hill.

2d. William Wilberforce (of the Confederate army), who died
in 1865, a victim of the war.

8d. Harriet, married Mr. James P. Irwin, of Charlotte, N. C.

4th. Mary Anna, wife of Qeneral Thomas J. Jackson.

5th. Eugenia, married General Rafus Barringer, of N. C.

6th. Susan, married Judge A. C. Avery, of N. C.

7th. Laura, married Colonel J. E. Brown, of Charlotte, N. C.

8th. Joseph Qraham, maxried Jennie Davis, of Salisbury, N. C.

9th. Robert Hall, married Lucy Reid, of Iredell County, N. C.

10th. Alfred J., married Portia Lee Atkinson, daughter of Rev.
Dr. J. M. P. Atkinson, of Hampden Sidney College, Virginia.

Alfred, the Benjamin and flower of the flock, followed the sacred
calling of his father. Qifted in mind and person and winning
in manner, he gave promise of great usefulness in the church.
He was settled as pastor of a Pi-esbyterian church in Selma, Ala-
bama, where his labors had been greatly blessed, but at the end
of six months his career was cut short by typhoid fever.

My honored and beloved father long outlived his son, having
attained the age of ninety years. As he died since this biography
was commenced, I cannot refrain from quoting a brief tribute by
my pastor to his memory :

" Descended from a sterling Scotch-Irish ancestry, he inherited
those qualities of mind and heart which, hallowed by grace, made
him an honor to the age and a blessing to the world. Called by
the Saviour in the morning of life, he obeyed the voice of the gra-
cious Shepherd, and followed Him faithfully to its close. Four
times a year he read the Bible through from beginning to end, study-
ing all the commentaries that could throw light upon its sacred
pages. Those, with daily communion with Ood, and the reading
of devotional books, were the sources of his truly heavenly piety.
Literary tastes were sanctified, and mind and heart found their

DR. MORRISON AND GENERAL GRAHAM. 91

In those good old times before the war many wealthy
families lived upon their plantations, and the neigh-
borhood in which my father lived was noted for its
excellent society, refinement, and hospitality. My
mother was Mary Graham,* daughter of General Jo-
highest satis^tion and enjoyment in the green pastures of divine
truth and beside the still waters of divine consolation. The grand
doctrines of grace entered into and moulded his Christian experi-
ence, and made him humble and prayerful, cheerful and strong,
decided but liberal, active and zealous, steadfast, immovable, and
always abounding in the work of the Lord. In his latter years
all of his income — after providing for his personal wants — was de-
voted to the Oospcl, not restricting himself to his own, but assist-
ing other denominations of Christians.

^* Davidson College, of which he was the founder, has risen to
eminence among the institutions of America. Its high standard
commands the respect of the whole country, whilst the moral in-
fluences which govern and surround it are unsurpassed. During
the fifty-two years of its existence, it has given to the church two
hundred ministers of the Qospel ! Who is able to compute the
sum total of blessing accruing to the world from this one source
alone ? Who is able to measure its influence for good through
all coming time? And who is able to estimate the indebted-
ness of society, the state, and the church to its noble founder?
Davidson College is his monument, for which generations yet un-
born will rise up and bless the name of Dr. Robert Hall Morrison.

" He has left to his descendants the rich legacy of an honored
name, a holy life, an elevated Christian character, and many
fervent prayers which have been, and are yet to be, answered in
blessings on their heads — a legacy infinitely more precious than
all the diadems and treasures of earth/^

• The name of Graham recalls that of ray mother's father. Gen-
eral Joseph Graham, a name well known in our Revolutionary
annals. He entered the army at nineteen years of age. At the
end of two years of arduous and responsible service he was strick-
en down by a severe and lingering illness, but returning health

92 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

seph Graham, and sister of the Hon. William A. Gra-
ham, who was successively Governor of North Caro-
lina, United States Senator, and Secretary of the Navy
during President Fillmore's administration. Having
seen a good deal of the world in her young days, my
mother was anxious to give her daughters the same
pleasure, and we were indulged in charming trips
whenever it was practicable; but, there being six
daughters, we had to take these trips by turns. My
beautiful younger sister Eugenia and I left school at
the same time, came out as young ladies together, and
never were two sisters happier or more united in mut-
ual affection and confidence. We were simple coun-

fouDd liira again in the field. When the war invaded his own
section, and the army under Qeneral Qrcene withdrew towards
Virginia, to him was assigned the command of those troops which
sustained the rear-guard under General Davies. For many miles
he was confronted with Tarleton^s famous cavalry, said to be the
best in the British service. The obstinate resistance which he op-
posed to their advance had nearly closed his career. After many
gallant but ineffectual attempts to drive them back, he fell, liter-
ally covered with wounds. But no sooner did he recover than he
again took the field. The service which now fell to his lot was
one of peculiar privation, suffering, and sacrifice. Of commissary
stores, his command oflen had none ; nay, were sometimes under
the necessity of supplying their own horses and purchasing their
own equipments. But his patriotism was entire and uncalculat-
ing ; he recked not of means, health, or life itself in the cause to
which he had devoted himself; and so he continued in the field as
long as there was an enemy in the country, and though, when
peace was declared, he had but entered on the threshold of man-
hood, he had commanded in fifteen different engagements.

In civil life he was scarcely less distinguished. The many im-
portant positions filled by him afford the highest testimony to his
capacity and character. He received the commission of major-
general during the war of 1812.

VISIT TO WASHINGTON. 93

try maidens, knowing little of the world outside of
our father's home, where all was purity, peace, and
contentment.

My first revelation of the gay world was a visit to
my uncle Graham, in Washington, during the last
y^ of Mr. Fillmore's administration. Washington
was then a rather small, old-fashioned city compared
with its present expansion and ma^ificeni, but to a
little country girl, in 1853, it was the grandest and
most charming place that she had ever seen. Two
other young ladies were guests of my uncle at the
same time, and we formed a most congenial and hap-
py trio during my delightful stay of four months.
Being " Cabinet ladies," we, of course, were invited
to all the grand entertainments, and though none of
us were dancing girls (for myself, as a minister's
daughter, it would not have been considered proper),
certainly we did not need it to complete our enjoy-
ment.

One of our red-letter evenings was a select social tea
at the White House, the charming hostess. Miss Fill-
more, being equal in cultivation and accomplishments
to any one who has filled the position of " first lady
of the land." Her mother was living, and, of course,
took precedence of the daughter, but the latter was
hostess to her young friends on this evening. We had
some very delightful music on the harp, one lady sing-
ing "Auld Robin Gray" with exquisite beauty and
pathos.

Upon my return home, my younger sister, Eugenia,
was to have a trip to Lexington, Virginia, which at
that time was the home of our oldest sister, who had
married Major D. H. Hill (afterwards general in the

94 LIF£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Confederate army), a professor in "Washington College.
One of my father's elders and friends, Robert I. McDow-
ell, was a delegate to the General Assembly at Philadel-
phia, and kindly oflfered to escort Eugenia on her jour-
ney. Having recently returned from so long a visit
to Washington, it never entered into my head even to
wish that I might be permitted to accompany my sis-
ter, and my astonishment can be imagined when she
came bounding into my room in a perfect ecstasy, ex-
claiming : " Oh, sister, father says you may go, too !"
Being a very dependent younger sister, and always
shrinking, on account of shyness, from going any-
where alone, it may be that she had put in a plea for
me to accompany her that was irresistible ; but, at all
events, no plan could have been more delightful than
for us to make this visit together, and two more joy-
ous young creatures never set out upon a journey, the
entire unexpectedness of my being one of the party
filling the cup of our happiness.

At that time North Carolina had only a few rail-
roads, none near to us, going north ; but there was one
running from Charlotte to Charleston, South Carolina,
and our escort chose this circuitous route, via Charles-
ton, Wilmington, and Richmond, rather than travel by
coach across the country.

This long journey, instead of proving wearisome to
us, was a source of genuine enjoyment, especially as
we took it by easy stages. We spent one night in
Columbia, which we had time to see in its lovely May
dress, with its enchanting old private gardens, with
their wealth of flowers and evergreens. At Charles-
ton we spent only a few hours, but our drive through
it to take the steamer gave us a glimpse of this city

FIRST VISIT TO LEXINGTON. 95

by the sea. Our rapture then reached its acme, when
we beheld for the first time the ocean, and had a sail
of twenty-four hours upon it to Wilmington. It was
a perfect afternoon, the sunset was superb, and, as
we escaped seasickness, we were able to enjoy every-
thing. From Wilmington to Richmond we travelled by
rail, and expected at the latter place to part with our
escort, but he chivalrously volunteered to see us to our
journey's end, and accompanied us all the way to Lex-
ington. From Staunton to Lexington we travelled by
stage-coach. Upon our arrival, my sister, Mrs. Hill,
was as much surprised at seeing me as I was at
being permitted to take the trip, for she was expect-
ing only one of her young sisters to visit her that
summer.

General Hill has told of the links in the chain of
Providence that led Major Jackson to Lexington. Of
course, I cannot but look upon it as a special Provi-
dence that led me there to meet him who was to be
my future husband, and to know him as a friend, with-
out the remotest idea, on his part or mine, that we
could ever be to each other anything more.

Through the letters of Major and Mrs. Hill, we had
heard of their friend. Major Jackson, and his engage-
ment to Miss Elinor Junkin had been confided to them
before we went to Lexington, so that before we met
him we knew that he was soon to be married. He
was very intimate at the house of Major Hill, and was
the first gentleman to call upon us, his regard for our
relatives giving him a very friendly feeling towards
us. His greeting was most cordial, and he very soon
offered his services in the kindest manner, telling us
that if Major Hill was ever too much engaged to give

96 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

US every needful attention, we must call upon him as
we would upon a brother.

My first impression was that he was more soldierly-
looking than anything else, his erect bearing and mil-
itary dress being quite striking ; but upon engaging in
conversation, his open, animated countenance, and his
clear complexion, tinged with the ruddy glow of health,
were still more pleasing. The descriptions of his per-
sonal appearance differ so much that I must be per-
mitted to give mine, which surely ought to be true to
life. His head was a splendid one, large and finely
formed, and covered with soft, dark-brown hair, which,
if allowed to grow to any length, curled ; but he had
a horror of long hair for a man, and clung to the con-
ventional style, d la militaire^ of wearing very close-
cut hair and short side-whiskers. After he was per-
suaded to turn out a full beard, it was much more be-
coming to him, his beard being a heavy and handsome
brown, a shade lighter than his hair. His forehead
was noble and expansive, and always fair, from its
protection by his military cap. His eyes were blue-
gray in color, large, and well-formed, capable of won-
derful changes with his varying emotions. His nose
was straight and finely chiselled, his mouth small, and
his face oval. His profile was very fine. All his feat-
ures were regular and symmetrical, and he was at all
times manly and noble-looking, and when in robust
health he was a handsome man.

His manners were rather stiff, but they had a cer-
tain dignity which showed that he was not an ordi-
nary man. His uniform, consisting of a dark -blue
frock-coat with shoulder-straps, double-breasted, and
buttoned up to the chin with brass buttons, and fault-

OUR ••MILITARY ESCORT." 97

less white linen pantaloons, was very becoming to
him.

My young sister and I were at the age when girls
can see fun in everything, and while fully appreciating
the warmth of his kindness, we were silly enough to
make ourselves very merry over the role he had as-
sumed in offering himself as a brother to us, and we
never looked upon him as a beau any more than we
would upon a man who was already married. With
this perfect understanding of the situation, we came
to know him very intimately, a day rarely passing
without his calling for a few moments; and having
adopted us as his protegees^ he came every Sunday
evening to see if we were provided with escorts for
church. My beautiful young sister was more of a
belle than I, and was scarcely ever without an engage-
ment of this kind, so it fell to my lot to share the
brotherly wing of the major oftener than to her. I
always felt that he would have chosen her first if the
opportunity offered, but neither of us had any greater
hesitation in accepting his escort than we would that
of Major Hill. We both felt that he was a delightful
and never-failing stand-by, as he always kept out of
the way if any other young men wished to pay their
respects, only offering his services when they were
needed. But he often took us on long strolls into
the country, and contributed in every way that he
could to our enjoyment as long as he remained. We
teased him a great deal, which he always took good-
naturedly, but never once admitted to us the fact of
his engagement, and his fiancee and he were rarely
seen together in public. This was in deference to her
wishes, and they both kept their secret so well guard-
7

98 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ed that, when their marriage was announced it took
the town by surprise. We were in Lexington at the
time. He had bidden us good-by, and gone off in the
beginning of his summer vacation, and we thought we
had seen the last of the major, as we were to return
home before his professorial duties called him back.

That visit to Lexington, to us, was as charming as
charming could be. Arriving there, as we did, in the
month of May, that mountain country was arrayed in
all its spring beauty, and there could not have been a
more propitious season for social enjoyment to young
people than just before the commencements of the
two large institutions. We were there long enough
in advance to make many pleasant acquaintances,
and, that being the gay season of the town, there were
a succession of entertainments and a round of par-
ties, at which there was always music, but never danc-
ing or card-playing. A more cultivated and religious
community was not to be found; and the numerous
young men there at the time, embracing professors,
theological and college students, cadets, and citizens,
seemed to vie with each other in showing courtesy to
the young ladies, of whom there was an unusually large
circle there that summer. After the commencements
were over, the greater part of our acquaintances left for
their homes, or for new scenes of recreation during the
vacation. But even after the cessation of the round of
gayety, and when the College and the Institute were
empty, there were enough residents left to afford us a
very delightful, though quiet, time to the end of our visit.

One August morning we were taken by surprise
when our friend Major Jackson suddenly dropped in,
and our many exclamations of wonder at seeing him

A SISTER'S MARRIAGE. 09

amused him as much as his unexpected appearance
astonished us. The reunion was a merry one, and he
spent an hour or more, calling for his favorite songs
and seeming genuinely happy ; but not even a hint
did he give us as to the object of his return, although
we plied him with all sorts of teasing questions. We
saw him no more, but were electrili^ the next morn-
ing at hearing that he and Miss EUie Junkin were
married, and had gone North on a bridal tour I

After our return home, my sister and I became ab-.
sorbed in our old associations, and while retaining the
most pleasant and grateful recollections of our kind
friend Major Jackson, we 'lost sight of him entirely;
and as Major and Mrs. Hill removed from Lexington,
our communication with the place was cut oflf.

The following spring after our return, Eugenia was
married to a young lawyer of North Carolina, Mr.
Rufus Barringer, who during the war became a gen-
eral in the Confederate army.

The loss of her sweet companionship was, up to that
time, the greatest trial of my life. For three years
after, I lived at home " in maiden meditation, fancy-
free" — ^little dreaming what the future held in store for
me ; for I can truthfully say that my fate was as much
of a surprise to me as it could have been to any one
else. We had heard with sincere sorrow and sympa-
thy of the death of Mrs. Jackson ; but afterwards noth-
ing was heard from the major, except in an incidental
^way. However, he was given to surprises, and after
returning from Europe with restored health and spir-
its he began to realize that life could be made bright
and happy to him again, and in revolving this problem
in his mind his first impulse was to open communica-

100 LIPB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

lion with his old friend Miss Anna Morrison, and see
if she could not be induced to become a participant in
attaining his desired happiness. So, to my great sur-
prise, the first letter I ever received from him came to
me expressing such blissful memories over reminis-
cences of the summer we had been together in Lex-
ington that my sister Eugenia laughed most heartily
over it, and predicted an early visit from the major.
Still, I was incredulous, and when her prediction was
verified in a very short time, and I saw a tall form,
in military dress, walking up from my father's gate,
I could scarcely believe my senses. His visit was
brief, as he had asked for a leave of absence in the
midst of the session, promising to return on a certain
day, and it mattered not how much success or fascina-
tion enchained him, he would not indulge himself one
moment beyond the limit of his time. My father was
highly pleased with him as a Christian gentleman, and
ray mother was also favorably impressed, especially
with his extreme politeness, so that his visit was one
of mutual congeniality and enjoyment. I was always
thankful that our acquaintance and friendship had
been formed in a perfectly disinterested way, without
a thought on either side that we should ever occupy
a closer relation.

He was a great advocate for marriage, appreciating
the gentler sex so highly that whenever he met one
of the " unappropriated blessings " under the type of
truest womanhood, he would wish that one of his bach-
elor friends could be fortunate enough to win her.

Some extracts from his letters after our engage-
ment will show the tenderness of his nature, and how
with this human affection were mingled a boundless

EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS. 101

love and gratitude to Him who was the giver of all.
Upon hearing of the death of an idolized little boy,
the son of Major Hill, he writes : " I wrote to Major
and Mrs. Hill a few days since, and my prayer is that
this heavy affliction may be sanctified to them. I

was not surprised that little M . was taken away,

as I have long regarded his father's attachment to
him as too strong; that is, so strong that he would
be unwilling to give him up, though God should call
for his own. I do not believe that an attachment
ever is, or can be, absolutely too strong for any object
of our affections; but our love to God may not be
strong enough. We may not love Him so intensely as
to have no will but His. ... Is there not a comfort in
prayer which is nowhere else to be found ?"

"April 25th, 1857. It is a great comfort to me to
know that although I am not with you, yet you are
in the hands of One who will not permit any evil to
come nigh you. What a consoling thought it is to
know that we may, with perfect confidence, commit
all our friends in Jesus to the care of our Heavenly
Father, with an assurance that all will be well with
them! ... I have been sorely disappointed at not
hearing from you this morning, but these disappoint-
ments are all designed for our good.

" In my daily walks I think much of you. I love to
stroll abroad after the labors of the dav are over, and
indulge feelings of gratitude to God for all the sources
of natural beauty with which he has adorned the
earth. Some time since, my morning walks were ren-
dered very delightful by the singing of the birds. The
morning carolling of the birds, and their sweet notes

102 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOK.

in the evening, awaken in me devotional feelings of
praise and thanksgiving, though very different in their
nature. In the morning, all animated nature (man ex-
cepted) appears to join in expressions of gratitude to
God ; in the evening, all is hushing into silent slumber,
and thus disposes. the mind to meditation. And as
my mind dwells on you, I love to give it a devotional
turn, by thinking of you as a gift from our Heavenly
Father. How delightful it is thus to associate every
pleasure and enjoyment with God the Giver I Thus
will He bless us, and make us grow in grace, and in
the knowledge of Him, whom to know aright is life
eternal."

" May 7th. I wish I could be with you to-morrow
at your communion. Though absent in body, yet in
spirit I shall be present, and my prayer will be for
your growth in every Christian grace. ... I take
special pleasure in the part of my prayers in which I
beg that every temporal and spiritual blessing may
be yours, and that the glory of God may be the con-
trolling and absorbing thought of our lives in our new
relation. It is to me a great satisfaction to feel that
our Heavenly Father has so manifestly ordered our
union. I believe, and am persuaded, that if we but
walk in His commandments, acknowledging Him in
all our ways, He will shower His blessings upon us.
How delightful it is to feel that we have such a
friend, who changes not! The Christian's recogni-
tion of God in all His works greatly enhances his en-
joyment."

"May 16th. There is something very pleasant in

HIS SECOND MARRIAGE. 103

the thought of your mailing me a letter every Mon-
day; such manifestation of regard for the Sabbath
must be well-pleasing in the sight of God. Oh that
all our people would manifest such a regard for his
holy day ! If we would all strictly observe his holy
laws, what would not our country be ? . . . When in
prayer for you last Sabbath, the tears came to my eyes,
and I realized an unusual degree of emotional tender-
ness. I have not yet fully analyzed my feelings to my
satisfaction, so as to arrive at the cause of such emo-
tions; but I am disposed to think that it consisted in
the idea of the intimate relation existing between you,
as the object of my tender aflFection, and God, to
whom I looked up as my Heavenly Father. I felt that
day as if it were a communion day for myself." . . .

" June 20th. I never remember to have felt so touch-
ingly as last Sabbath the pleasure springing from the
thought of prayers ascending for my welfare from
one tenderly beloved. There is something very de-
lightful in such spiritual communion."

On the 16th of July, 1857, we were married. It
was a quiet little home wedding, and the ceremony
was performed by a favorite old ministerial friend of
mine, Rev. Dr. Drury Lacy. My father could not
trust his emotional nature enough to marry any of
his daughters.

Whether or not it was in his usual formula, or
whether he was impressed by the very determined
and unbending look of the miUtary bridegroom. Dr.
Lacy made him promise to be an " indulgent husband,"
laying special stress upon the adjective ; but he was

104 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

equally emphatic in exacting obedience on the part of
the bride.

The most memorable incident of the occasion to
me was that my trousseau, which had been ordered
from New York in ample time, arrived only a few
hours before the ceremony, and I had been compelled
to improvise a bridal outfit, in the certain expectation
of disappointment. However, the old adage " All's
well that ends well " was verified in this case, as every
article of my ordering was a perfect fit, and entirely
satisfactory ; and the trustful major had reassured me
all along that they would come in time. This was one
of the "special providences" which he loved to re-
count. His bridal gifts to me were a beautiful gold
watch and a lovely set of seed pearls.

A few days after our marriage we set out upon a
Northern tour. The trip included visits to Eichmond,
Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Saratoga, and Ni-
agara. In New York we saw almost everything that
was to be seen in the way of sight-seeing, even climb-
ing to the top of the spire of Trinity Church, to take
a bird's-eye view of the magnificent panorama which
it overlooks. The view was indeed grand, embracing
the whole city — orraceful, sparkling rivers; the bay
and sound, studded with vessels in motion and at
rest ; and beautiful rural scenery stretching out as far
as the eye could reach.

But the places that combined the greatest amount
of interest and pleasure were Niagara and Saratoga.
No man delighted more in viewing the grand and won-
derful works of the Creator, and in looking " through
nature up to nature's God." At Saratoga he took
not a particle of interest in the gay and fashionable

IN THE VALLEY OF VIRGINIA. 105

throng, but the natural beauties of the place channed
him, and he found a delightful recreation in rowing
me over the lovely lake, whose placid waters were, at
that time, covered with water-lilies.

After completing this delightful Northern tour, we
wended our way to the Rockbridge Alum Springs, a
very pleasant mountain resort in the Valley of Vir-
ginia, and only a few hours from Lexington. Here
we remained several weeks, or until the beginning of
the session at the Institute ; enjoying the quiet, and
spending the time in reading, walking, and sitting
in the woods ; the delicious mountain air and finie
scenery giving a zest to existence, and sending us
away regretfully when duty called us home. Major
Jackson derived great benefit from the mineral waters
of the Rockbridge Alum Springs, and it was a favorite
resort of his. Upon our return to Lexington we lived
for a few months at the best hotel in the place ; but he
was not at all fond of boarding, and longed for the
time when he could have a home of his own. In a
letter to a friend he says : " I hope in the course of
time we shall be able to call some house our home,
where we may have the pleasure of receiving a long
visit from vou. I shall never be content until I am
at the head of an establishment in which my friends
can feel at home in Lexington. I have taken the first
important step by securing a wife capable of making
a happy home, and the next thing is to give her an
opportunity."

Doctor Dabney truly says of General Jackson that
" in no man were the domestic affections ever more
tender and noble. He who saw only the stern, self-
denying soldier in his quarters, amidst the details of

106 LII^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the commander's duties, or on the field of battle, could
scarcely comprehend the gentle sweetness of his home
life. There the clou(][, which to his enemies was only
night and tempest, displayed nothing but the * silver
lining.' In his household the law of love reigned : his
own pattern was the chief stimulus to duty ; and his
sternest rebuke, when he beheld any recession from
gentleness or propriety, was to say, half tenderly, half
sadly : ' Ah ! that is not the way to be happy !' "
Bayard Taylor's beautiful lines :

" The bravest are tlie tenderest.
The loving are the daring,"

found a true exemplification in him, of which his
letters will be the best proof.

A few months after our marriage he proposed that
we should study together the Shorter Catechism as a
Sabbath-afternoon exercise, and it was not long until
we committed it to memory — he reciting it to me
Avith perfect accuracy from beginning to end. This
he had not been taught in his youth, although he had
read it carefully before committing himself to Presby-
terianism. He considered it a model of sound doc-
trine, as he did also the Confession of Faith ; but his
chief study was the Bible itself, which was truly " a
lamp unto his feet, and a light unto his path."

After boarding more than a year, he finally suc-
ceeded in purchasing a house in Lexington, the only
available one he could obtain, and it was his intention
to sell it and build one to suit himself in the course of
time. But unsuitable as this large, old house was for
his small family, it was genuine happiness to him to
have a home of his own : it was the first one he had
ever possessed, and it was truly his castle. He lost

UNDKB OUR OWN ROOF-TRER

107

no time in going to work to repair it and make it
oomfortable and attractive. His tastes were simple,
bat he liked to have everything in perfect order —
every door " on golden hinges softly turning," as he
expressed it ; "a place for everything, and everything
in its place ;" and under his methodical management

DWELLING, LKXINGTOH-

bis household soon became as regular and well-or-
dered as it was possible for it to be with negro ser-
vants. His furniture was very plain, though of ex-
cellent materials; but simplicity itself marked every
article. A lady said it was just her idea of a Chris-
tian home. He believed in providing his family uith
every comfort and convenience, for which he spared

108 LIF£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JAGKSOK.

DO expense. He was intensely fond of his home, and
it was there he found his greatest happiness. There
all that was best in his nature shone forth, shedding
sweetness and light over his household.

Those who knew General Jackson only as they saw
him in public would have found it hard to believe that
there could be such a transformation as he exhibited
in his domestic Ufe. He luxuriated in the freedom
and liberty of his home, and his buoyancy and joyous-
ness of nature often ran into a playfulness and abanr
don that would have been incredible to those who
saw him only when he put on his ofScial dignity.
The overflowing sunshine of his heart was a reflection
from the Sun of Righteousness, and he always said
we could not love an earthly creature too much if we
only loved God more. He was generous but unosten-
tatious in his mode of living, and nothing gave him
more pleasure than to welcome his friends to his sim-
ple and hospitable home. He particularly delighted
in entertaining ministers of the Gospel.

Ilis garden was a source of very great pleasure to
him : he worked in it a great deal with his own hands,
and cultivated it in quite a scientific way. He stud-
ied Buist's Kitchen Gard^n^ and had an elaborate cal-
endar for planting, which was given him by an en-
thusiastic brother-officer in the army. So successful
was he as a gardener that he raised more vegetables
than his family could consume. His early training
upon his uncle's farm had instilled into him a love for
rural pursuits, and it was not long until he gratified
his desire to possess a little farm of his own, which
embraced twenty acres near town. Here, with the
aid of his negroes, he raised wheat, corn, and other

ORDER OF THE DAY'S DUTIES 109

products, and every year his crops and land improved
under his diligent care. This farm he sold during the
war, and invested the proceeds in Confederate bonds
to assist the government.

His life at home was perfectly regular and system-
atic. He arose about six o'clock, and first knelt in
secret prayer; then he took a cold bath, which was
never omitted even in the coldest days of winter.
This was followed by a brisk walk, in rain or shine
(for with a pair of india-rubber cavalry boots and a
heavv arm v overcoat he was independent of the weath-
er), and he returned, looking the picture of freshness
and animation.

Seven o'clock was the hour for family prayers,
which he required all his servants to attend prompt-
ly and regularly. He never waited for any one, not
even his wife.

Breakfast followed prayers, after which he left im-
mediately for the Institute, his classes opening at
eight o'clock and continuing until eleven. He was
engaged in teaching only three hours a day, except
for a few weeks before the close of the session, when
the artillery practice demanded an additional hour
in the afternoon. Upon his return home at eleven
o'clock, he devoted himself to study until one. The
first book he took up daily was his Bible, which he
read with a commentary, and the many pencil-marks
upon it showed with what care he bent over its pages.
From his Bible lesson he turned to his text-books,
which engaged him until dinner, at one o'clock. Dur-
ing these hours of study he would not permit any in-
terruption, and stood all that time in front of a high
desk, which he had had made to order, and upon

110 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

which he kept his books and stationery. After din-
ner he gave himself up for half an hour or more to
leisure and conversation, and this was one of the
brightest periods in the home life. He then went
into his garden, or out to his farm to superintend his
servants, and frequently joined them in manual labor.
He would often drive me out to the farm, and find a
shady spot for me under the trees, while he attended
to the work of the field. When this was not the case,
he always returned in time to take me, if the weather
permitted, for an evening walk or drive. In summer
we often took our drives b}'- moonlight, and in that
beautiful Valley of Virginia the queen of night seemed
to shine with more brightness than anywhere else;
but, leaving all romance out of the question, there
could be no more delightful way of spending the long
summer evening. When at home, he would indulge
himself in a season of rest and recreation after supper,
thinking it was injurious to health to go to work im-
mediately. As it was a rule with him never to use his
eyes by artificial light, he formed the habit of study-
ing mentally for an hour or so without a book. After
going over his lessons in the morning, he, thus re-
viewed them at night, and in order to abstract his
thoughts from surrounding objects — a habit which he
had cultivated to a remarkable degree — he would, if
alone with his wife, ask that he might not be dis-
turbed by any conversation, and he would then take
his seat with his face to the wall, and remain in
perfect abstraction until he finished his mental task,
when he would emerge with a bright and cheerful
face into social enjoyment again. He was very fond
of being read to, and much of our time in the even-

HIS »* STUDY" AT HOMK m

ings was passed in my ministering to him in this way.
At first he fitted up a study for himself, but having no
children, he gradually came to making our large, pleas-
ant living-room his study, and finally moved his up-
right desk into it, having become assured that he
would meet with no interruption, either in his morn-
ing work, or when he sat with face to the waU, as
silent and as dumb as the sphinx, reviewing his les-
sons in the evening. He had a library, which, though
small, was select, composed chiefly of scientific, his-
torical, and religious books, with some of a lighter
character, and some in Spanish and French. Nearly
all of them were full of his pencil marks, made with a
view to future reference.

The few years spent so happily and peacefully in
this little home were unmarked by any events important
to the outside world. One little bud of promise was
sent for a brief period to awaken new hopes of do-
mestic joy and comfort, but it pleased God to trans-
plant it to heaven before these hopes could be real-
ized. The father, in announcing the arrival of the
infant to its grandmother, commences thus : '' Dear
mother, we have in our home circle a darling little
namesake of yours, and she is a bright little one, her
father being the judge. . . ." And he concludes by say-
ing : " I hope it will not be many years before our little
Mary Graham will be able to send sweet little mes-
sages to you all." The child lived only a few weeks,
and its loss was a great, very great, sorrow to him.
But here, as always, religion subdued every murmur.
Great as was his love for children, his spirit of sub-
mission was greater, and even in this bitter disappoint-
ment he bowed uncomplaining to his Father's will.

CHAPTER VIII.

HOME LIFE CONTINUED—l 858-1859.

The summer of 1858 was ushered in with sorrow,
bringing my first taste of bitter bereavement. Soon
after the loss of our first-born, another crushing stroke
came in the death of my sister Eugenia, who had always
been to me like a twin sister, so united and happy had
been our early lives together. She left two little chil-
dren motherless, and I was not permitted to be with
her at the time of her death ; so it seemed as if my cup
of trial was full. But all that love and sympathy could
suggest to alleviate a first grief was done for me by
my good husband, and his own beautiful example of
resignation and cheerfulness was a rebuke to me.

That summer was spent at the North. He was
never willing to be separated from his wife, unless
duty or necessity required it — his desire being to share
his every pleasure with her, without whom it would
not be complete. His vacations were seasons of great
recreation and enjoyment to him. He was fond of
travelling, and liked the bracing climate of the North-
ern States. When worn down bv the labors of his
professorship, he used to say that he had " a periodical
longing to go North," and this he gratified every sum-
mer after our marriage, until the beginning of the war.
He always returned home much refreshed and bene-
fited by these excursions.

IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. II3

He had never visited Fortress Monroe, and he seemed
to think that was a duty he owed himself; so this
summer of 1858 we took that point in our route,
and spent a few days there — he passing much of his
time in the fort, and acquainting himself with every
part of it. We then went by steamer to Cape May,
where he luxuriated in the surf bathing. Another
delightful trip by steamer took us to New York, where
we spent several weeks, for the purpose of having his
throat treated by a specialist. He was affected with
a slight bronchial trouble, but was not at all an invalid
in any other respect. While in the city, a part of each
day was devoted to sight-seeing. He generally went
out alone in the morning on an exploring expedition,
being an indefatigable walker, and then he would re-
turn and take me to the places which he thought
would most interest me. Thus the time was passed
most agreeably in driving and seeing every place of
interest in and around the city. The Diisseldorf Art
Gallery was a favorite place of resort, for while he
had but little knowledge of art, he had a natural love
for it. After spending the mornings in this way, he
enjoyed nothing so much in the evenings as to stay
quietly at home and have me read to him. This sum-
mer was devoted to Shakespeare, and he was a most
attentive and appreciative listener. Whenever a pasr
sage struck him, he would say, "Mark that," and
many were the interruptions of this kind. The even-
ings were sometimes varied by attending a con-
cert.

The opening of the fall term of the Military Insti-
tute always found him at his post, and our return
home was a joyful time both to us and our domestics.
8

114 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

As these servants will frequently be mentioned in
bis letters, a sbort account of tbem may not be un-
interesting. The first slave he ever owned was a man
named Albert, who came to him and begged that he
would buy him on the condition that he might be per-
mitted to emancipate himself by a return of the pur-
chase-money, as he would be able to pay it in annual
instalments. Major Jackson granted his request, al-
though he had to wait several years before the debt
could be paid, and my impression is that it was not
fully paid when the war broke out. This man, Al-
bert, hired himself as a hotel-waiter, and was never
an inmate of our family, except on one occasion, when
he had a long spell of illness, and his master tookT him
to his home to care for him as an act of humanity, for
Albert had no family of his own. Every morning my
husband paid him a call to see how he was getting
along and what he needed ; and one morning, as he
came in from one of these visits, his face was so con-
vulsed with laughter that he had to drop into a seat
and give full vent to the explosion before he was able
to explain the cause of it. Albert had been committed
to the ministrations of our two maid -servants, with
the expectation that he would be well cared for by
these colored sisters ; but probably he was not grate-
ful enough for their services, or their tender mercies
towards him may have grown cruel. At all events,
he complained of their neglect and ill-treatment, which
he summed up by saying that he '^had never bee?} so
hedeviUed by two women in his lifeP^ It was this
disgusted and dolorous recital of his woes that had
amused the major so intensely.

The next servant that came into his possession was

HIS SERVANTS.— DEATH OF "AUNT AMY." II5

an old woman, Amy, who was about to be sold for
debt, and who sought from him a deliverance from
her troubles. This was some time before our marriage,
when he had no use for her services; but his kind
heart was moved by her situation, and he yielded to
her entreaties, and gave her a home in a good. Chris-
tian family, until he had one of his own. She proved
her gratitude by serving him faithfully. She was one
of the best of colored cooks, and was a real treasure
to me in my new experience as a housekeeper. After
our home was broken up by the war, old Aunt Amy
languished and died in the house of a colored woman
in Lexington, her master paying all her expenses of
board, medical attendance, and comforts. She was
not suffered to want for anything, a kind friend then
looking after her, at his request, and providing for her
suitable burial.

Hardly had this poor old servant breathed her last
when the friend who had been engaged to care for
her wrote to General Jackson to inform him of her
death. And though he was then in the field, with
other things to think of, he said the reading of it
" moved him to tears." In it the friend writes :

... "I could have wished that your letter had
come a few hours earlier, that poor Aunt Amy's
heart might have been refreshed by the evidences of
your Christian remembrance and kindness. Before it
reached me, she had passed beyond the need of earth-
ly aid or sympathy, and I do trust was an adoring,
wondering spirit before the Throne. She died last
night at midnight without any fear, and, as I believe,
with a simple reliance on Jesus for salvation. It was

116 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

only the death of a poor slave — a most insignificant
thing in men's eyes — and yet may we not hope that
there was joy in heaven over another ransomed soul
— one in whom the Saviour saw the result of ^his
travail' and was 'satisfied.' ... I called to see her
a few minutes last Friday — found her sitting up,
though suffering much. She told me that she wanted
to thank you for that money, and to let you know
about her. She expressed entire resignation to God's
will, and trust in Christ alone. ... I knew that it
would be your wish that she should have a well-ordered
burial, so Dr. White attended, and my servants tell me
that it is many a day since so large a colored funeral
has been seen in Lexington. It may seem very need-
less to write so minutely about a poor old servant, but
I am sure your true Christian feeling will appreciate
all that I have told you of the humble faith of this
saved soul, gathered from your own household. The
cup of cold water you have ministered to this poor
disciple may avail more in the Master^s eye than all
the brilliant deeds with which you may glorify your
country's battle-fields. So differently do man and his
Maker judge !"

Hetty, our chambermaid and laundress, was an im-
portation from North Carolina. She had been my
nurse in infancy, and from this fact there had always
existed between us a bond of mutual interest and at-
tachment. As she wished to live with me, my father
transferred to me the ownership of herself and her two
boys. Hetty was sent as a nurse to our first child,
from her plantation-home in North Carolina to Lex-
ington, and made the journey all alone, which was

HETTY AND HER BOYS. 117

quite a feat for one so inexperienced as a " corn-field
hand," in which capacity she had served for years.
After travelling by stagecoach and railroad as far as
Eichmond (although she did not go down into South.
Carolina, around Bobin Hood's Bam, and back again
into North Carolina, as my sister Eugenia and I had
done), she had to change cars, and being sorely be-
wUdered in finding her train, she was asked where
she was going, and her discouraged reply was : " Why,
I'm going to Virginia^ but the Lord knows whether
I'll ever get there or not !" She did, however, turn
up all right at the end of her destination, and was so
rejoiced at finding her young mistress at last that her
demonstrations were quite touching, as she laughed
and cried by turns.

That she was fully equal to taking care of herself
is instanced by the following : On her return to North
Carolina during the war, she was again travelling alone,
and while changing trains she saw a man pick up her
httle, old hair trunk — her own personal property, con-
taining all her valuables — and suspecting his honesty,
with a determination to stand up for her rights, she
called out to him peremptorily : " Put down that
trunk; thaCs General Jackson^ s trunk P'^

Hetty was an energetic, impulsive, quick-tempered
woman, with some fine traits, but inclined to self-
assertion, particularly as she felt her importance in
being so much the senior of her new master and mis-
tress. But she soon realized, from the spirit which
" commanded his household after him," that her only
course must be that of implicit obedience. After learn-
ing this lesson she toned down into a well-mannered,
useful domestic, and indeed she became a factotum in

118 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the household, rendermg valaable service in the house,
garden, and upon the farm. The latter, however, was
her favorite field of labor, for the freedom of the
country was as sweet to her as to the birds of the air.
She became devoted to her master, was the nurse to
his infant child at the time of his death, and was a
sincere mourner for him, her tears flowing freely;
and she said she had lost her best friend.

Hetty's two boys, Cyrus (called Cy) and George, be-
tween the ages of twelve and sixteen, were pure, una-
dulterated Africans, and Major Jackson used to say
that if these boys were left to themselves they would
be sure to go back to barbarism ; and yet he was un-
wearying in his efforts to elevate them. At his re-
quest I taught them to read, and he required them to
attend regularly family worship, Sunday-school, and
church. He was a very strict but kind master, giv-
ing to his servants " that which is just and equal," but
exacting of them prompt obedience. He thought tbe
best rule for both parents and masters was, after mak-
ing prohibitory laws and knowing they were under-
stood, never to threaten, but punish, for first offences,
and make such an impression that the offence would
not be repeated.

When a servant left a room without closing the
door, he would wait until he had reached the kitchen,
and then call him back to shut it, thereby giving him
extra trouble, which generaUy insured his remembrance
the next time. His training made the colored servants
as polite and panctual as that race is capable of being,
and his system soon showed its good effects. They
realized that if they did their duty they would receive
the best of treatment from him. At Christmas he was

UTTLE EMMA. 119

generous in presents, and frequently gave them small
sums of money.

There was one other little servant in the family,
named Emma, whom the master took under his shel-
tering roof at the solicitation of an aged lady in town,
to whom the child became a care after having been
left an orphan. The arrangement was made during
my absence from home, and without my knowledge,
my husband thinking that, although Emma was of the
tender age of only four years, she would make a nice
Uttle maid for me in the future. On my return he
took great pleasure in surprising me with this new
present, which, by the way, proved rather a trouble-
some one at first, but with the lapse of time she be-
came useful, though never a treasure. She was not
bright, but he persevered in drilling her into memor-
izing a child's catechism, and it was a most amusing
picture to see her standing before him with fixed at-
tention, as if she were straining every nerve, and recit-
ing her answers with the drop of a courtesy at each
word. She had not been taught to do this, but it was
such an effort for her to learn that she assumed this
motion involuntarily.

The other animate possessions of the family were a
good-looking horse (named, from his color, Bay), two
splendid milch cows, and a lot of chickens. Bay was
also bought during my absence, and after coming to
meet me at Goshen with a horse and buggy, on our
homeward ride I commented on the nice appearance
of the horse, when my husband smilingly replied : " I
am very thankful that you hke him, for he is your
own property." He had a playful way of applying
the pronoun your to all the common possessions of the

120 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

family, and so persistently did he practise this pleas-
antry that he applied it to himself and all his indi-
vidual belongings, of which he always spoke to me as
" your husband," " your cap," " your house," and even
" your salary !" Upon the occasion of a visit from my
mother to us, he went out and, unexpectedly to me,
bought a rockaway, saying she was not strong enough
to walk all over town, and he wanted her to see and
enjoy everything while she was with us.

A little incident will show the kindness and tender-
ness of his heart. A gentleman who spent the night
with us was accompanied by his daughter, but four
years of age. It was the first time the child had been
separated from her mother, and my husband, fearing
she might miss the watchfulness of a woman's heart,
suggested that she should be committed to my care
during the night, but she clung to her father. After
his guests had both sunk into slumber, the father was
aroused by some one leaning over his little girl and
drawing the covering more closely around her. It
was only his thoughtful host, who felt anxious lest his
little guest should miss her mother's guardian care un-
der his roof, and he could not go to sleep himself until
he was satisfied that all was well with the child.

In his home no man could have been more unre-
strained and demonstrative, and his buoyancy and
sportiveness were quite a revelation to me when I
became a sharer in the privacy of his inmost life.
These demonstrations and playful endearments he
kept up as long as he lived; time seeming only to
intensify instead of diminishing them.

One morning he returned from a very early artil-
lery drill, for which he had donned full regimentals.

HIS ABANDON IN HIS OWN HOME. 121

as it was daring commencement time, and he never
looked more noble and handsome than wlien he en-
tered his chamber, sword in hand. He playfully be-
gan to brandish the sword over his wife's head, look-
ing as ferocious and terrible as a veritable Bluebeard,
and asking her if she was not afraid. His acting
was so realistic that, for a moment, the timid httle
woman did quail, which he no sooner saw than he
threw down his sword, and, in a perfect outburst of
glee, speedily transformed himself into the very an-
tipode of a wife-killer.

He would often hide himself behind a door at the
sound of the approaching footstep of his wife, and
spring out to greet her with a startling caress.

During the spring of 1859 I was not well, and as he
always wished me to have the best medical attention
the country afforded, he took me to New York for
treatment, where I was obliged to remain several weeks.
As it was the time of his session, he could not stay with
me, so he had to return to his duties and spend all
those weeks by himself. It was our first separation,
and our home seemed very lonely to him. Every day
that a letter could make the trip without travelling on
Sunday he was heard from, and I hope that I do not
trespass in delicacy or propriety in permitting others
to see so much of these letters as will show the abound-
ing sweetness of his home-life. On his return, after
leaving me in New York, in March, 1859, he writes :

" I got home last night in as good health as when I
gave my darling the last kiss. Hetty and Amy came
to the door when I rang, but would not open until I
gave my name. They made much ado about my not

122 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

bringing you home. Your husband has a sad heart.
Our house looks so deserted without my esposa*
Home is not home without my little dove. I love
to talk to you, little one, as though you were here,
and tell you how much I love you, but that will not
give you the news. . . . During our absence the ser-
vants appear to have been faithful, and I am well
pleased with the manner in which tjiey discharged
their duties. George came to me to-day, saying he
had filled all the wood-boxes, and asked permission
to go fishing, which was granted. . . . You must be
cheerful and happy, remembering that you are some-
body's sunshine."

•

" April 27th. All your fruit-trees are yielding fruit
this year. When George brought home your cow this
morning, she was accompanied by one fine little rep-
resentative of his sire, and it would do your heart good
to see your big cow and your little -calf, and to see
what a fine prospect there is for an abundant supply
of milk. . . . We had lettuce for dinner to-day from
your hot-bed. Heretofore I have been behind Cap-
tain Hayden's calendar for gardening, which he wrote
out for me ; but this day brings me up with it, and I
hope hereafter to follow it closely. I have arranged
under each month its programme for the different days,
so I have but to look at the days of the month, and

follow its directions as they come." . . .

■ ■

* When in Mexico, he had become so familiar with the Spanish
language that he was constantly using Spanish words and phrases,
especially the terms of endearment, which are so musical. Thus,
his wife was always his espoaa, or, if he wished to use the dimin-
utive, his esposita (his little wife), while he was her espaso — pet
names that recur constantly in his letters.

LETTERS TO HIS WIFE. 123

" May 7th. I received only three letters last week,
and have only one so far this week, but ^ hope springs
eternal in the haman breast ;' so you see I am becoming
quite poetical since listening to a lecture*on the subject
last evening. ... I send you a flower from your garden,
and could have sent one in full bloom, but 'I thought
this one, which is just opening, would be in a better
state of preservation when my little dove receives it.
You must not give yourself any concern about your
€spo%(f8 living. . . . My little pet, your husband was
made very happy at receiving two letters from you and
learning that you were improving so rapidly. I have
more than once bowed down on my knees, and thanked
our kind and. merciful Heavenly Father for the pros-
pect of restoring you to health again. Now, don't
get impatient, and come off before you are entirely
well. . . . Yesterday Doctor Junkin preached one of
his masterly sermons on the sovereignty of God, and,
although a doctrinal discourse, it was eminently con-
soling ; and I wish that you could have heard such a
presentation of the subject. To-day I rode your horse
out to your lot and saw your laborers. They are do-
ing good work. I was mistaken about your large gar-
den fruit being peaches, they turn out to be apricots ;
and just think — my little woman has a tree full of
them ! You must come home before they get ripe.
You have the greatest show of flowers I have seen
this year. Enclosed are a few specimens. Our pota-
toes are coming up. We have had very uncommonly
dry weather for nearly a fortnight, and your garden
had been thirsting for rain till last evening, when the
weather commenced changing, and to-day we have
had some rain. Through grace given me from above,

124 LI^ OF GENERAL THOXAS J. JACKSON.

I felt that the rain would come at the right time, and
I don't recollect having ever felt so grateful for rain
as for the pl^sent one. . . . You must not be dis-
couraged at the slowness of recovery. Look up to
Him who giveth liberally for faith to be resigned to
His divine will, and trust Him for that measure of
health which will most glorify Him and advance to
the greatest extent your own real happiness. We are
sometimes suffered to be in a state of perplexity, that
our faith may be tried and grow stronger. 'All
things work together for good ' to God's children. See
if you cannot spend a short time after dark in looking
out of your window into space, and meditating upon
heaven, with all its joys unspeakable and full of glory ;
and think of what the Saviour relinquished in glory
when he came to earth, and of his sufferings for us ;
and seek to realize, with the apostle, that the afflictions
of the present life are not worthy to be compared
with the glory which shall be revealed in us. Try to
look up and be cheerful, and not desponding. Trust
our kind Heavenly Father, and by the eye of faith
see that all things with you are right and for your
best interest. The clouds come, pass over us, and are
followed by bright sunshine ; so, in God's moral deal-
ings with us, he permits us to have trouble awhile.
But let us, even in the most trying dispensations of
His providence, be cheered by the brightness which
is a little ahead. Try to live near to Jesus, and secure
that peace which flows like a river. You have your
husband's prayers, sympathy, and love. . . .

" I am so glad and thankful that you received the
draft and letters in time. How kind is God to His
children ! I feel so thankful to Him that He has blessed

LETTERS TO HIS WIFE. 125

me with so much faith, though I well know that I
have not that faith which it is my privilege to have.
But I have been taught never to despair, but to wait,
expecting the blessing at the last moment. Such oc-
currences should strengthen our faith in Him who
never slumbers. ... I trust that our Heavenly-
Father is restoring my darhng to health, and that
when she gets home she will again be its sunshine.
Your husband is looking forward with great joy to
seeing her bright little face in her own home once
more. If you should be detained longer, I will send
you some summer clothing, but get everything that
is necessary there. I sent you a check in order that
you may have ample funds. I know how embarrass-
ing it is even to anticipate scarcity of money when
one is away from home. You are one darling of dar-
lings, and may our kind and merciful Heavenly Father
bless you with speedy restoration to health and to
me, and with every needful blessing, both temporal
and spiritual, is my oft-repeated prayer. Take good
care of my little dove, and remember that the day of
miracles is past, and that God works by means, and
He punishes us for violating his physical as well as
His moral laws. When you come home, I want to
meet you at Goshen in a private conveyance, and bring
my little one gently over the rough roads. I hope
you will take my advice, and not burden yourself by
carrying anything in your hands, except your um-
brella and basket. You are very precious to one
somebody's heart, if you are away off in New York.
My heart is with my esposita all the time, and my
prayers are for her safety. How I wish you were here
now to share with me the pleasures of home, our garden.

126 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX.

and the surrounding country, which is clothed in verd-
ure and beauty ! . . . On Wednesday your e9poso hopes
to meet his sunshine, and may he never see its bright-
ness obscured, nor its brilliancy diminished by spots !"

The reader wiU see how freely he used the Span-
ish pet names. In some of his letters he would string
together a dozen or moi-e of them — the "linked
sweetness long drawn out" — at once in playfulness
and as the overflow of a heart full of tenderness.
But this sportiveness and buoyancy of temperament
were known only in the innermost circle of his home,
and from these sanctities the veil would never have
been lifted except to reveal this beautiful phase of
his character.

In the summer of the year 1859, he went to the
White Sulphur Springs for a fortnight, leaving, me
to spend the time at the Eockbridge Baths. The
railroad not being completed at that time, he thought
the travel by stage-coach would be too fatiguing to
me, but he felt that he needed the mineral waters of
the White Sulphur. From there he wrote : " This is
a very beautiful place, and I wish very much that I
had my dove here. I feel that I must bring her here
sometime. She would enjoy it greatly, and I should
enjoy it so much more if she were with me. To-
morrow, you know, was my day to write, but I
thought I would drop you a line to-day, so that you
might know the whereabouts of your husband. . . .
I ana tired of this place, and wouldn't give my little
pet for all the people here. I want to go and stay
with my little woman. As yet I am not certain
whether the waters are beneficial to me." . . .

A SERMON OF DR. THORNWELL. 127

" August 15th. Last night I enjoyed what I have
long desired — listening to a sermon from the Rev. Dr.
Thomwell, of South Carolina. He opened with an
introdaction, setting forth the encouragements and
discouragements under which he spoke. Among the
encouragements, he stated that the good effected here
would be widely disseminated, as there were visitors
from every Southern State. Following the example
of the apostle Paul, he observed that whilst he felt
an interest in all, yet he felt a special interest in those
from his own State. He spoke of the educated and
accomplished audience it was his privilege to address.
After concluding his introductory remarks, he took
his text from Genesis, seventeenth chapter, seventh
verse, which he presented in a bold, profound, and to
me original manner. I felt what a privilege it was
to listen to such an exposition of God's truth. He
showed that in Adam's fall we had been raised from
the position of servants to that of children of God.
He gave a brief account of his own difficulties when
a college student, in comprehending his relation to
God. He represented man as a redeemed being at
the day of judgment, standing nearest to the throne,
the angels being farther removed. And why ? Be-
cause his Brother is sitting upon the throne he is a
nearer relation to Christ than the angels. And his
righteousness is superior to that of the angels — his
being the righteousness of God himself. I don't rec-
ollect having ever before felt such love to God. I
was rather surprised at seeing so much grace and
gesture in Dr. Thomwell. I hope and pray that
much good will result from this great exposition of
Bible truth. . . . Early yesterday morning the tables in

128 LUi: OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the parlor were well supplied with religious tracts. . . .
Time passes more pleasantly here than I expected,
but I want to get back to my esjposita^ and I never
want to go to any watering-place without her again."

In the succeeding autumn I paid a short visit to
my father in North Carolina, and the following ex-
tracts are from his letters during that period r

..." I am writing at my desk, which I have raised
so high that it makes me stand straight. I watered
your flowers this morning, and hoed another row of
turnips, and expect to hill some of the celery this
evening. Your old man at home is taking good care
of one somebody's flower-slips, and they are looking
very nicely. Yesterday I went into the kitchen and
sealed some jars of tomatoes, and Hetty has put up
many jars besides, of plums and other fruits, so that
we shall be well supplied this winter. I hope they
will keep well. ... I was invited a few days since to

go to the Misses B 's and see some pagan idols

which they had received. They were mostly paint-
ings and some other devices, but quite interesting.
Among the various Chinese curiosities (for they do
not all refer to worship) was an image consisting of
a man in miniature in a sitting posture, with long
ringlets of hair hanging from various parts of the
face. The statue can be removed from the chair in
which it sits, and is the best-finished piece of work-
manship of the kind that I ever saw from a pagan
land. It was taken from one of the churches in
Canton after its capture, and is said to have been
worshipped.

THE JOHN BROWN RAID. 129

"I hope that my little somebody is feeling as
lively as a lark ;" and in another letter he tells her
that he wants her to be '^ as happy as a spring
butterfly."

"October 17th. I have been wishing that you
could see our beautiful forests in their autumnal glory.
I have been greatly enjoying their beauty, but my
pleasure would be much enhanced if you were with
me. I have just been thinking how happy you must
be in your old home, and it makes my heart happy
too to think of the happiness of my little darling."

" October 29th. This morning I buried ninety-nine
heads of your cabbage for winter use."

It was in the fall of 1859 that the celebrated John
Brown raid was made upon the government stores at
Harper's Ferry. Brown was a fanatic, who conceived
the idea that he could raise an insurrection in the
South and emancipate the negroes. But he was ar-
rested, convicted, and condemned to execution. Fear-
ing that an attempt might be made to rescue him, the
Governor of Virginia, Henry A. Wise, ordered out the
troops, in which were included the corps of cadets of
the Virginia Military Institute, and with their officers
at their head they marched to the place of rendezvous.
The following extracts from Major Jackson's letters
will tell the part he had to take in the affair :

" Charlestown, Nov. 28th, 1859.

"I reached here last night in good health and
spirits. Seven of us slept in the same room. I am
9

130 I'IPB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

much more pleased than I expected to be ; the people
appear to be very kind. There are about one thou-
sand troops here, and everything is quiet so far. We
don't expect any trouble. The excitement is confined
to more distant points. Do not give yourself any con-
cem about me. I am comfortable, for a temporary
military post."

" December 2d. John Brown was hung to-day at
about half-past eleven a. m. He behaved with un-
flinching firmness. The arrangements were weU
made and well executed under the direction of Colonel
Smith. The gibbet was erected in a large field, south-
east of the town. Brown rode on the head of his
coflto from his prison to the place of execution. The
coflSn was of black walnut, enclosed in a box of poplar
of the same shape as the coffin. He was dressed in
a black frock-coat, black pantaloons, black vest, black
slouch hat, 'white socks, and slippers of predominat-
ing red. There was nothing around his neck but his
shirt collar. The open wagon in which he rode was
strongly guarded on all sides. Captain Williams (for-
merly assistant professor at the Institute) marched
immediately in front of the wagon. The jailer, high-
sheriflf, and several others rode in the same wagon
with the prisoner. Brown had his arms tied behind
him, and ascended the scaffold with apparent cheer-
fulness. After reaching the top of the platform, he
shook hands with several who were standing around
him. The sheriff placed the rope around his neck,
then threw a white cap over his head, and asked him
if he wished a signal when all should be ready. He
replied that it made no difference, provided he was not

EXECUTION OF JOHN BROWN. 131

kept waiting too long. In this condition he stood for
about ten minutes on the trap-door, which was support-
ed on one side by hinges and on the other (the south
side) by a rope. Colonel Smith then announced to the
sheriff * all ready ' — which apparently was not com-
prehended by him, and the colonel had to repeat the
order, when the rope was cut by a single blow, and
Brown fell through about five inches, his knees falling
on a level with the position occupied by his feet before
the rope was cut. With the fall his arms, below the
elbows, flew up horizontally, his hands clinched ; and
his arms gradually fell, but by spasmodic motions.
There was very little motion of his person for several
moments, and soon the wind blew his lifeless body to
and fro. His face, upon the scaffold, was turned a
little east of south, and in front of him were the
cadets, commanded by Major Gilham. My command
was still in front of the cadets, all facing south. One
howitzer I assigned to Mr. Trueheart on the left of
the cadets, and with the other I remained on the
right. Other troops occupied different positions around
the scaffold, and altogether it was an imposing but
very solemn scene. I was much impressed with the
thought that before me stood a man in the full vigor
of health, who must in a few moments enter eternitv.
I sent up the petition that he might be saved. Awful
was the thought that he might in a few minutes
receive the sentence, * Depart, ye wicked, into ever-
lasting fire !' I hope that he was prepared to die, but
I am doubtful. He refused to have a minister with
him. His wife visited him last evening. His body
was taken back to the jail, and at six o'clock p. m.
was sent to his wife at Harper's Ferry. When it

132 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

arrived, the coflan was opened, and his wife saw the
remains, after which it was again opened at the depot
before leaving for Baltimore, lest there should be an
imposition. We leave for home via Richmond to-
morrow."

This was the only expedition after our marriage in
which he accompanied the cadets, until he took them
to Richmond at the opening of the war, in obedience
to the call of the governor. Several trips were made
by the corps to the capital and to Norfolk, to grace
state occasions ; but at such times he always requested
that he might be permitted to have his holiday at
home, while he lent his sword, epaulets, and sashes
to his brother-officers, who were more fond of display.

The next letter is to his aunt, Mrs. Neale, of Parkers-
burg:

" Lexington, Va., Jan. 2l8t, 1860.

" I am living in my own house, I am thankful to
say, as, after trying both public and private boarding,
I have learned from experience that true comfort is
onl\^ to be found in a house under your own control.
I wish you could pay me a visit during some of your
leisure intervals, if you ever have such. This is a
beautiful country, just on the confines of the Virginia
Springs, and we are about fourteen miles from the
Natural Bridge. . . . What do you think about the
state of the country ? Viewing things at Washington
from human appearances, I think we have great reason
for alarm, but my trust is in God ; and I cannot think
that he will permit the madness of men to interfere
so materially with the Christian labors of this country
at home and abroad."

CHAPTER IX.

WAR CLOUDS— 1860-1861.

Majob Jaokson'S vacation in the summer of 1860
was spent in New England — at Northampton, Massa-
chusetts. This was once the home of Jonathan Ed-
wards, and a large old elm-tree which was planted
by him is still standing as a memorial of the great
American theologian. In the old burying-ground, a
time-worn, moss-covered tombstone bears the name
of the saintly David Brainerd. On Round Hill is a
hydropathic establishment, which attracted Major
Jackson there. The hotel is built upon an elevation
overlooking the town— the Connecticut River winding
through the loveliest of emerald valleys, with fine
mountain scenery, embracing Mount Tom and Mount
Holyoke — all together forming a landscape which
Jenny Lind thought one of the most beautiful she
had seen in America.

The climate also is bracing and delightful, and there
was much to contribute to our enjoyment, notwith-
standing the inhospitable elements which Southerners
felt in the North at that time of great political ex-
citement. As it was the summer before Mr. Lincoln's
election, Major Jackson heard and saw enough to
awaken his fears that it might portend civil war ; but
he had no dispute with those who differed from him,
treating all politely, and made some pleasant acquaint-

134 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ances, among them a Baptist minister, who often
joined us in our walks, when the conversations were
always friendly. To our surprise, one day the wife
of a gentleman from South Carolina reported that
her husband had had a violent political dispute with
this same minister, whom we had found so courteous.
Although he was an abolitionist, and Major Jackson
was a slave-holder, each had recognized in the other
enough to be a bond of union, and their pleasant re-
lations continued as long as they remained together.

In front of the hotel was a large grove of forest
trees, under which were seats here and there, and
we literally lived out of doors. In strolling through
this grove we came upon a reservoir, which we ex-
pected to see filled with water, but to our surprise it
was dry, and upon the floor were gambolling a large
number of tame rabbits, white, brown, and spotted,
and guinea-pigs of all sizes and ages — a sight that
was quite an attraction to the guests of the hotel.
The little animals were the pets of the children of the
proprietor, and the old reservoir, having been aban-
doned for a much larger one, made a secure and ex-
cellent home for the pretty creatures. In these peace-
ful surroundings Major Jackson's health improved
wonderfully; the baths with the exercise gave in-
creased fulness as well as vigor to his manly frame.
I too was greatly benefited by this novel treatment.
I had gone there without a particle of faith in
hydropathy, but as I was not strong, my husband
persuaded me to try it, and it was astonishing how
rapidly my strength developed. From not being able
to walk a mile upon my arrival, by degrees I came
to walking five miles a day with ease, and kept it up

LETTERS FROM HOME. I35

until my departure. Indeed, I proved such an en-
couraging subject to the skill of the doctor that at
his suggestion, but sorely against my own will, I was
left behind for a month after my husband had to re-
turn to his professorial duties. But he " reported "
to me as regularly as if I were his superior officer,
though not exactly in military style, but after his do-
mestic fashion :

*' Little one, I must tell you what is in your gar-
den. First and foremost, there is a very long row of
celery : this is due to Hetty, and I told her that as
she had succeeded so well I wouldn't touch its cult-
ure ; though when it comes upon the table, and my
little pet is here to enjoy it with me, I do not expect
to be so chary of it. You have also Lima beans, snap
beans, carrots, parsnips, salsify, onions, cabbage, tur-
nips, beets, potatoes, and some inferior muskmelons.
Now, do you think you have enough vegetables ? I
am just thinking and thinking about that Uttle some-
body away up there."

When the time arrived for me to return, he would
have come for me, but he was so conscientious about
his duty that he would not leave his chair even for a
single day, except in case of absolute necessity, and so
he writes :

** September 25th, 1860.

" In answer to your question how you are to come,
I should say, with your husband, if no other arrange-
ment can be effected. If you don't meet with an
opportunity of an escort to New York or farther, see
if the doctor can't get you one to Springfield, upon

136 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the condition that you pay the expense. I don't
want you to pass through Springfield alone, as you
have to change cars there, and you might meet with
some accident ; but as visitors invite the doctor to
make excursions with them, can't you invite him to
make one with you to Springfield, and after he sees
you on the right train, sit in the same car until you
reach the depot in New York, where you may expect
to find your eaposo waiting for you ? Be sure to write,
and also telegraph, as I would rather go all the way
to Round Hill than for you to come through Spring-
field alone. Your husband feels bright, and the light
of his approaching little sunshine makes him still
brighter. Whenever you write or telegraph for him,
you may expect him to come for you in double-quick
time."

Having arranged for my escort to a place within
driving distance of Lexington, he sends a last mes-
sage :

" September 28th. I expect to set oflf with your
rockaway and " Bay," and you must not be left behind.
You may expect to have your dinner sent from home,
so that in our homeward drive you can eat your own
dinner."

In February, 1861, I left him again for a brief
period, to attend the wedding of my sister Susan, who
married Mr. A. C. Averv, afterwards a Justice of the
Supreme Court of North Carolina. A few extracts
will show the character of the letters that followed
me on this trip :

LETTERS FROM HOME. 137

" Home, February 18th, 1861. My precious little
darling, your husband has returned from the Insti-
tute, had his dinner all alone, and feels sad enough
this afternoon ; but I trust that my little pet has had
a pleasant day's travel, and that the kind providence
of Ood has kept her from all accident and danger,
and has spread out before her many enjojonents. I
hope that you will be greatly prospered during all
your absence. The day here has been very change-
able, alternating between sunshine and snow. I hope
the Richmond weather is better, for I have been
thinking you might be too much exposed in shopping.
However, I hope you have taken a carriage, if neces-
sary, and have taken good care of my little one."

..." 19th. My darling pet, your husband feels a
loneliness for which he can hardly account, but he
knows if his darling were here he wouldn't feel thus.
I have been busy, but still the feeling exists. I fol-
low you in mind and heart, and think of you at the
diflferent points of your route."

" 23d. I was very thankful to our kind Heavenly
Father for his protecting care extended over my little
pet, as stated in your letter. I do delight to receive
letters from my little woman. If Sue is approach-
able on the Avery question, tell her she must be very
litigious if she finds it necessary to engage the ser-
vices of a member of the legal profession for life !
Tell her we have them here from a mere tyro up to a
judge of the Federal court, though do not mention the
subject to her if you think it would be at all unpleasant,

" On Saturday I sent your boy, George, with

138 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

your horse and wagon down to Thompson's landing,
and brought up a barrel of nice Eichmond sweet pota-
toes. I have laid aside the best, and hope they will
keep till my little pet gets home.

" What think you ? I went down to your hen-
house yesterday evening, pursicant to orders^ and, look-
ing into the nests, found nine fresh eggs besides the
Deaver [a porcelain egg bought of a man of that
name], and, appropriating eight of them, J returned,
leaving one in each nest."

" Feb. 27th. This is a beautiful day here, and I have
b^n thinking how blissful Sue's married life will be

if her bridal day is its true emblem We had

quite a treat last night in the performance of a com- •
pany in Druidical costumes, making exquisite music
upon instruments constructed of ox-horns, copied from
the Druidical instruments in the British Museum."

" March 16th. Amy has gone to grace the wedding
of one of her colored friends by her imposing presence.

George left for C 's on the morning of March 1st,

and I haven't seen his delectable face since. I am
thankful to say that everything is working well at
home. I expect to continue sending you letters as
long as you stay away. You had better come home if
you want to stop this correspondence. I have been
working to-day at your garden fence to keep your
chickens out, and also to prevent egress and ingress
between our garden and that of Seilor Deaver.

"Your peas are just beginning to make their appear-
ance above ground. . . . The colored Sabbath-school
is greatly blessed in numbers and teachers, and is do-

SOUTHERN FEELING FOR SECESSION. I39

ing a good work. . . . Your friends here remember
my darling with much interiest."

During this visit of mine to North Carolina, I was
surprised to find the people of that State almost unani-
mous for secession, for in my Virginia home the feel-
ing was very much the reverse. After the election
of Mr. Lincoln, South Carolina had boldly led off
in withdrawing from the Union, and was followed
by one after another of her sister States in solemn
procession — including Mississippi, Alabama, Florida,
Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Afterwards all the
Southern States, except Kentucky, which remained
neutral, followed suit ; and on the 9th of February,
1861, the first seven States formed a Confederacy, and
established a provisional government at Montgomery,
Alabama. Jefferson Davis was chosen President, and
Alexander H. Stephens Vice-President.

At this time Major Jackson was strongly for the
Union, but at the same time he was a firm States'-
rights man. In politics he had always been a Dem-
ocrat, but he was never a very strong partisan, and
took no part in the political contest of 1860, except
to cast his vote for John C. Breckinridge, beheving
that his election would do more to save the Union
than that of any other candidate. Pie never was a
secessionist, and maintained that it was better for the
South to fight for her rights in the Union than out of
it. The grand old State of Virginia, whose sons had
done more than those of any other State to form the
Constitution which drew all the States under one gen-
eral government, was reluctant to withdraw from it,
and was among the last of the Southern States to

140 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

secede. South Carolina, after her secession, urgently
solicited the Federal government for an equitable
settlement of the rights she claimed as a State, and
especially demanded the possession of Fort Sumter as
her only fort for her local protection. In reply to
this the governor of the State was informed by the
United States government that the garrison of the
fort would be reinforced — " peaceably if they could,
forcibly if they must." This was regarded by the
spirited secessionists as a call to arms, and they im-
mediately bombarded Fort Sumter, which in a short
time was reduced to ruins. President Lincoln then
issued a proclamation, calling upon the States to fur-
nish seventy-five thousand men to put down what he
assumed to be a " rebellion " against the only author-
ized government of the country.

Virginia now hesitated no longer. On the 17th of
April she seceded, and immediately began prepara-
tions for the struggle which was inevitable. After
the threat of coercion on the part of the North, the
South became almost a unit, and the enthusiasm with
which men of all ages and classes rushed to arms was
only equalled by that of the women at home.

With his high sense of duty and devotion to his
State, Major Jackson had been deeply impressed by
the startling course of events, which had developed in
such rapid succession. Some weeks before Virginia
cast in her lot with the Southern Confederacy, a
Peace Conference had been held in Washington to
devise some terms of mutual concession. The Gen-
eral Assembly of Virginia had proposed this effort at
conciliation, and delegates were sent from both the
Free and the Slave States, but all their attempts proved

APPREHENSIONS OF WAR. 141

vain. After the failure of this Peace Conference,
Major Jackson called upon his pastor and expressed
these views: "If the general government should per-
sist in the measures now threatened, there must be
war. It is painful to discover with what unconcern
they speak of war, and threaten it. They do not
know its horrors. I have seen enough of it to make
me look upon it as the sum of all evils." (However it
may surprise those who knew him only as a soldier,
yet it is true that I never heard any man express
such utter abhorrence of war. I shall never forget
how he once exclaimed to me, with all the intensity of
his nature, " Oh, how I do deprecate war !") " Should
the step be taken which is now threatened, we shall
have no other alternative; we must fight. But do
you not think that all the Christian people of the
land could be induced to unite in a concert of prayer
to avert so great an evil? It seems to me that if
they would thus unite in prayer, war might be prevent-
ed and peace preserved." His pastor fully concurred
with him, and promised to do his utmost to bring
about the concert of prayer he proposed. " Mean-
time," said he, " let ns agree thus to pray." In his
public prayers after this, his most fervent petition
was that God would preserve the whole land from
the evils of war.

But while the storm was gathering which was soon
to burst with such fury, Jackson exhibited no undue
anxiety — praying only the more importunately, if it
were God's will, that it might be averted, and that the
whole land might be at peace.

In a conversation with a friend he described the
demoralization of civil strife upon a nation, which has

142 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

since seemed sadly prophetic of the very evils that
have come upon the country. But his absolute trust
in the Euler of all things kept him from the agitation
and fear which weighed so heavily upon others. At
this time the Kev. Dr. J. B. Ramsey visited him and
thus describes his frame of mind :

" Walking with God in prayer and holy obedience,
he reposed upon His promises and providence with a
calm and unflinching reliance beyond any man 1 ever
knew. I shall never forget the manner and tone of
surprise and child-like confidence with which he once
spoke to me on this subject. It was soon after the
election in 1860, when the country was beginning to
heave with the agony and throes of dissolution. We
had just risen from morning prayers in his own house,
where at that time I was a guest. Filled with gloom,
I was lamenting in strong language the condition and
prospects of our beloved country. 'Why,' said he,
' should Christians be disturbed about the dissolution
of the tJnion? It can come only by God's permis-
sion, and will only be permitted if for His people's
good ; for does He not say, " All things work together
for good to them that love God ?" I cannot see how
we should be distressed about such things, whatever
be their consequences.' That faith nothing could
shake, because he dwelt in the secret place of the
Most High, under the pavilion of the Almighty."

It has been said that General Jackson "fought
for slavery and the Southern Confederacy with the
unshaken conviction that both were to endure."
This statement is true with regard to the latter,
but I am very confident that he would never have
fought for the sole object of perpetuating slavery. It

NOT TO PERPETUATE SLAVERY. 143

was for her constitutional rights that the South resist-
ed the North, and slavery was only comprehended
among those rights. He found the institution a re-
sponsible and troublesome one, and I have heard him
say that he would prefer to see the negroes free, but
he believed that the Bible taught that slavery was
sanctioned by the Creator himself, who maketh men
to differ, and instituted laws for the bond and the free.
He therefore accepted slavery, as it existed in the
Southern States, not as a thing desirable in itself, but
as allowed by Providence for ends which it was not
his business to determine. At the same time, the
negroes had no truer friend, no greater benefactor.
Those who were servants in his own house he treated
with the greatest kindness, and never was more happy
or more devoted to any work than that of teaching
the colored children in his Sunday-school.

At the time that the clouds of war were about to
burst over the land, the Presbytery of Lexington held
its Spring meeting in the church which Major Jackson
attended. These ecclesiastical gatherings, with their
interesting religious services and preaching, and the
pleasant hospitalities incident to them, were regarded
in Virginia as seasons of special social and religious
privilege and enjoyment. Major Jackson was enter-
taining some of the members of this body, but owing
to the intense political excitement in the town, and
the constant demands made upon him in military mat-
ters, he found but little time to give to his guests, and,
still more to his disappointment, none to the services
of the sanctuary. The cadets were wild with youth-
ful ardor at the prospect of war, and the citizens were
forming volunteer companies, driUing and equipping

144 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

to enter the service. Major Jackson's practical wis-
dom and energy were much sought after, and inspired
hope and confidence. While the Presbytery was still
in session, came the dreaded news from Eichmond
that Virginia had seceded from the Union, and cast in
her lot with the Southern Confederacy. This was the
death-knell of the last hope of peace.

The governor of the State, " honest John Letcher,"
as he was called, notified the superintendent of the
Institute that he should need the services of the
more advanced classes of the cadets as drill-masters,
and they must be prepared to go to Eichmond at
a moment's notice, under the command of Major
Jackson.

Having been almost entirely absorbed all the week
with his military occupations, to the exclusion of his
attendance upon a single church service, which he had
so much desired, he expressed the earnest hope, on re-
tiring late Saturday night, that the call to Eichmond
would not come before Monday, and that he might be
permitted to spend a quiet Sabbath, without any men-
tion of politics, or the impending troubles of the coun-
try, and enjoy the privilege once more of commun-
ing with God and His people in His sanctuary. But
Heaven ordered it otherwise.

About the dawn of that Sabbath morning, April
21st, our door-bell rang, and the order came that
Major Jackson should bring the cadets to Eichmond
immediately. Without waiting for breakfast, he re-
paired at once to the Institute, to make arrangements
as speedily as possible for marching, but finding that
several hours of preparation would necessarily be
required, he appointed the hour for starting at one

TAKING LEAVE OF HIS HOME. I45

o'clock P. M. He sent a message to his pastor, Dr.
White, requesting him to come to the barracks and
oflfer a prayer with the command before its departure.
All the morning he was engaged at the Institute, al-
lowing himself only a short time to return to his
home about eleven o'clock, when he took a hurried
breakfast, and completed a few necessary preparations
for his journey. Then, in the privacy of our chamber,
he took his Bible and read that beautiful chapter in
Corinthians beginning with the sublime hope of the
resurrection — " For we know that if our earthly house
of this tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building of
Grod, a house not made with hands, eternal in the
heavens;" and then, kneeling down, he committed him-
self and her whom he loved to the protecting care of
his Father in heaven. Never was a prayer more fer-
vent, tender, and touching. His voice was so choked
with emotion that he could scarcely utter the words,
and one of his most earnest petitions was that " if con-
sistent with His will, God would still avert the threat-
ening danger and grant us peace !" So great was his
desire for peace that he cherished the hope that the
political difficulties might be adjusted without blood-
shed, until he was convinced by stem reality that this
hope was vain. Although he went forth so bravely
from his cherished and beloved home, with a firm
trust in God, yet he hoped confidently to be permit-
ted to return again. His faith in the success of the
cause of the South, which he believed to be a right-
eous one, never wavered to the end of his life ; and if
he ever had a thought that he should not survive the
struggle, it was never expressed to his wife. Ah!
how the light went out of his home when he depart-
10

146 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ed from it on that beautiful spring day ! But in the
painful separation it was weU for us that we could
not know that this was the final breaking-up of our
happy home, and that his footstep was never again to
cross its threshold !

When Dr. White went to the Institute to hold the
short religious service which Major Jackson requested,
the latter told him the command would march pre-
cisely at one o'clock, and the minister, knowing his
punctuality, made it a point to close the service at a
quarter before one. Everything was then in readi-
ness, and after waiting a few moments an oflScer ap-
proached Major Jackson and said: "Major, every-
thing is now ready. May we not set out?" The
only reply he made was to point to the dial-plate of
the barracks clock, and not until the hand pointed to
the hour of one was his voice heard to ring out the
order, " Forward, march !"

From this time forth the life of my husband be-
longed to his beloved Southern land, and his private
life becomes public history.

After he had taken his departure for the army, our
home grew more lonely and painful to me from day
to day, and at the invitation of a friend, Mrs. William
N. Page (one of the best and noblest of women, who
had been as a mother to me during all my residence in
Lexington), I went to her house and remained until
my husband lost all hope of an early return, when he
advised me to go to the home of my father in North
Carolina. I had not a relative in Lexington, but kind
friends did all in their power to prevent my feeling
this need, and all hearts were drawn together in one
common bond of trial and anxiety, for there was

RETURN TO MY FATHER»S HOUSE. 147

scarcely a household upon which had not fallen a part,
at least, of the same weight of sadness and desolation
which flooded my own home. It was a time of keen
anguish and fearful apprehension to us whose loved
ones had gone forth in such a perilous and desperate
undertaking, but one feeling seemed to pervade every
heart, that it was a just and righteous cause ; and our
hope was in God, who " could save by many or by
few," and to Him the Christian people of the South
looked and prayed. That so many united and fervent
prayers should have been offered in vain is one of
those mysteries which can never be fathomed by finite
minds. The mighty Kuler of the nations saw fit to
give victory to the strong arm of power, and He
makes no mistakes. But for two years I was buoyed
up by hope, which was strengthened by my husband's
cheerfulness and courageous trust ; and when he be-
came more and more useful in the service of his
country, I felt that God had a work for him to ac-
complish, and my trust and prayers grew more con-
fident that his precious life would be spared through-
out the war. It was well that I could not foresee the
future. It was in mercy that He who knew the end
from the beginning did not lift the veil.

CHAPTER X.

HARPER'S FERRY— 1861.

After marching to Staunton, the cadets were trans-
ported by rail to Richmond. The day after their de-
parture, while they were still en route^ and had stoppeil
for a short time, Major Jackson wrote as follows :

"April 22d, 1861. My little darling, the command
left Staunton on a special train at about a quarter-past
ten this morning. We are now stopping for a short
time on the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge. The
train will hardly reach Richmond before night. The
war spirit here, as well as at other points of the line,
is intense. The cars had scarcely stopped before a re-
quest was made that I would leave a cadet to drill a
company."

"Richmond, 23d.

..." The cadets are encamped on the Fair grounds,
which is about a mile and a half out of the city, on
the left side of the road. We have excellent quar-
ters. Colonel Robert E. Lee of the army is here, and
has been made major-general. This I regard as of
more value to us than to have General Scott as com-
mander ; as it is understood that General Lee is to be
our commander-in-chief, and I regard him as a better
officer than General Scott. So far as we hear, God is
crowning our cause with success, but I don't wish to

./^^.^-^a^^i^e-ii'Si'^i —

TROOPS GATHERING AT RICHMOND. 149

send rumors to you. I will try to give facts as they
become known, though 1 may not have time to write
more than a line or so. The governor and others hold-
ing responsible offices have not enough time for their
duties, they are so enormous at this date."

"Fair Grounds, 24th.

..." I am unable to give you the information I
would like respecting things here. The State troops
are constantly arriving. The Fair grounds are to be
made the place for a school of practice. William [my
brother, Major W. W. Morrison, who had held an office
under the United States government] passed through
to-day on his way home, and looks very well. He says
there is great uneasiness at Washington. His resigna-
tion was accepted, although they desired him to re-
main. Major-General Lee is commander-in-chief of all
the land and naval forces in the State."

" 25th. The scene here, my darling pet, looks quite
animated. Troops are continually arriving. Yester-
day about seven hundred came in from South Caro-
lina. ... I received your precious letter, in which
you speak of coming here in the event of my remain-
ing. I would like very much to see my sweet little
face, but my darling had better remain at her own
home, as my continuance here is very uncertain."

While in Richmond he applied himself diligently to
the drilling and discipline of the masses of untrained
soldiers that were pouring into the city. One day a
raw recruit, seeing by his uniform that he was an offi-
cer, accosted him, and begged that he would give him

160 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

some instruction as to his duties. He had just been
assigned as corporal of the guard for the day, and was
in total ignorance of what was required of him, his
superior officer, probably as ignorant as himself, not
having explained what he was to do. Major Jackson
at once went with him around the whole circuit of sen-
try posts, taught him all the "salutes," the "chal-
lenges," and every detail of his position ; and the sol-
dier was so impressed with his knowledge, and so
grateful for his kindness, that he was heard to say that
" he should always respect that many It was this read-
iness to do all in his power for others that gave him
such a strong hold upon the hearts of his soldiers.

Of course, he was anxious to begin active duty in
some position worthy of his skill and experience ;
but his first appointment was a disappointment to
him, being in the engineer department with the rank
of major. It was distasteful to him, because he felt
that he could not render as much service in it as by
more active service in the field. Some of his friends
saw that the appointment was not one suited to him,
and at their request the Executive War Council with-
drew it, and he received a commission as colonel of
the Virginia forces, and was ordered to take command
at Harper's Ferry. The day after receiving his com-
mission, which was the 27th of April, when it was read
out in the Convention for confirmation, a member of
that body inquired, " Who is this Major Jackson, that
we are asked to commit to him so responsible a post?"
" He is one," replied the member from Rockbridge,
Hon. S. McD. Moore, " who, if you order him to hold
a post, will never leave it alive to be occupied by the
enemy."

TAKES COMMAND AT HARPER'S FERRT. 151

His next letter was from Winchester, dated April
27th:

" I came from Eichmond yesterday, and expect to
leave here about half-past two o'clock this afternoon
for Harper's Ferry. On last Saturday the Governor
handed me my commission as Colonel of Virginia Vol-
unteers, the post which I prefer above all others, and
has given me an independent command. Little one,
you must not expect to hear from me very often, as I
expect to have more work than I have ever had in the
same length of time before ; but don't be concerned
about your husband, for our kind Heavenly Father
will give every needful aid."

The first news from him after reaching Harper's
Ferry was simply a line of Spanish, expressing all the
love of his heart. The second was not much longer,
but in it he said : " I am very much gratified with my
command, and would rather have this post than any
other in the State. I am in tolerable health, probably
a little better than usual, if I had enough sleep. I
haven't time now to do more than to tell you how
much I love you."

" May 3d. I feel better this morning than I have
for some time, having got more sleep than usual last
night. Your precious letters have been reaching me
from time to time, and gladden your husband's heart."

" May 8th. At present I am living in an elegant
mansion, with Major Preston in my room. Mr.
Massie is on my staff, and left this morning for Kich-

152 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

mond as bearer of despatches, but will return in a few
days. I am strengthening my position, and if at-
tacked shall, with the blessing of Providence, repel
the enemy. I am in good health, considering the
great amount of labor which devolves upon me, and
the loss of sleep to which I am subjected, but I hope
to have a good sleep to-night, and trust that my habits
will be more regular in the future. Colonels Preston
and Massie have been of great service to me. Human-
ly speaking, I don't see how I could have accomplished
the amount of work I have done without them. . . .
Oh, how I would love to see your precious face !"

In his next letter he advised me to make every nec-
essary provision for the servants, and arrange all our
home interests, so that I could return to my father's
sheltering roof in North Caix)lina. Up to this period
he had still hoped that the gathering storm might pass
over without bloodshed ; but Virginia had now adopt-
ed the Constitution of the Confederate States, thus
uniting her destiny with theirs, and all hope of escap-
ing war died even in the most sanguine hearts.

Our servants, under my supervision, had up to this
time remained at home ; but without the firm guidance
and restraint of their master, the excitement of the
times proved so demoralizing to them that he deemed
it best for me to provide them with good homes
among the permanent residents. After doing this,
packing our furniture and closing our house, my bur-
dened, anxious heart found sweet relief and comfort
upon reaching the home of my kind parents, who had
sent one of my young brothers to bring me to them
just as soon as my husband advised the removal

HARPER'S FERRY. 153

Thenceforward my home was with them throughout
the war, except during the few visits which I was per-
mitted to pay my husband in the army.

Harper's Ferry is surrounded by scenery of rare
beauty and grandeur. The little village occupies the
slope of a ridge called Bolivar Heights, which runs
along a tongue of land between the junction of the
Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. The Potomac is the
boundary line between Maryland and Virginia. The
beautiful Shenandoah, whose signification in the In-
dian language is " sparkling waters," flows forth from
the grand and exquisite Valley of Virginia, along the
western base of the Blue Ridge, until it meets the Poto-
mac, when they unite and rush through the mountains
towards the ocean. Through the great cleft, worn
ages ago by the waters forcing their passage through
the range of mountains, a picture of surpassing beauty
is revealed in verdant, undulating plains, stretching
far away into the distance, presenting a striking con-
trast to the wild and gigantic scenery of the fore-
ground. East of the Shenandoah the Blue Ridge rises
immediately from the waters, overlooking the village,
and this eminence is called Loudoun Heights. North
of it, and across the Potomac, a twin mountain of
equal altitude bears the name of Maryland Heights,
and commands a view of the whole upper valley of
the Potomac. In consequence of the greatly superior
elevation of the heights of Loudoun and Maryland to
that of the Bolivar Heights, upon which the village is
built, it will be seen that Harper's Ferry was not at
all a position that was strong for defence, if attacked
by an army, unless it was held as a fortress by a
large garrison, with heavy artillery to crown all the

154 Ll^£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

triangle of mountains that surround it, and to unite
those crests with each other. Still, it was a matter of
paramount importance to the Confederates to secure
and hold this post. The place had long been used by
the Federal government as a point at which to manu-
facture and store fire-arms, and the banks of both
streams were lined with factories and arsenals where
thousands of arms were annually made and stored. As
soon as war became imminent, the possession of Har-
per's Ferry, with its arms and munitions of war, be-
came such a necessity to the Virginians that the mili-
tia companies of the surrounding country resolved to
effect its capture; but while they were assembling
for this purpose, the Federal oflBcer in command of
the place heard of their design, and, after setting fire
to the factories and store-houses, deserted the town.
However, as the factories were saved by the efforts
of the Virginians, and as they had already removed and
secreted a large number of arms, he did not inflict
such a blow as he had intended. Harper's Ferry now
became the rendezvous of all the troops in the Valley
of Virginia, and it was the command of these and
others sent to reinforce them that was given to Colo-
nel Jackson when he received his commission in the
service of Virginia. Many other companies of volun-
teers flocked from the valley, all of whom were filled
with ardor and enthusiasm; but the majority were
without training or discipline, and many were unpro-
vided with arms. Altogether the force at Harper's
Ferry consisted of about twenty-five hundred men —
four hundred Kentuckians and the rest Virginians —
but volunteers from the South afterwards swelled the
number to forty-five hundred men. There were eight

SECRECY IN MIUTARY OPERATIONS. 155

companies of cavalry, and four battalions of field ar-
tillery with fifteen light guns ; but all was a confused
mass when Colonel Jackson came as a stranger to
take command. However, with the aid of Colonels
Preston and Massie and two cadets whom he had
brought as drill-masters, and by his own tireless en-
ergy, order and consistency soon took the place of
chaos and confusion. As matters then stood, Harper's
Ferry was regarded as the most important position
in Virginia. Its command was the advance guard
of all the Southern forces, and it was expected that
blood would first be shed there, as a large force under
General Patterson was threatening an attack, and
through that pass it was surmised the invaders would
pour into the State. Regarding it as a necessity to
the protection and defence of his post. Colonel Jack-
son had taken possession of the Maryland Heights,
which towered so far above the village and Bolivar
Heights as greatly to endanger his force should they
be seized by the enemy. In his despatches to the gov-
ernment, he declared his determination, if attacked, to
make such a resistance as should convince the enemy
of the desperate resolution of the people of the South.
From the very first. Colonel Jackson showed that
reticence and secrecy as to his military operations
that was so marked in all his campaigns, and con-
tributed so greatly to his success. It was his maxim
that, in war, mystery was the key to success. While
in command at Harper's Ferry, on one occasion, he
was visited by a committee from the Legislature of
Maryland, whose object appeared to be to learn his
plans. This dignified body was received with courtesy,
as the co-operation of their State was earnestly de-

156 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

sired by the South, and some of Colonel Jackson's
friends were curious to see how he would stand the
test of being questioned upon military matters and
keep his secrets, while yet showing the utmost polite-
ness to his guests. After pumping him for some time
without any satisfactory result, one of the delegation
ventured to ask directly : " Colonel, how many troops
have you ?" He promptly replied : '' I should be glad
if Lincoln thought I had fifteen thousand."

Upon the formal union of Virginia with the South-
ern Confederacy, all her forces and armaments were
turned over to that government. The capital of the
Confederate States was transferred from Montgomery,
Alabama, to Richmond, a city rich in historic associa-
tions from the days of Washington, and now destined
to be the centre of the South in the momentous strug-
gle of the next four years.

Among the very first notices of Colonel Jackson
that appeared in the papers was the foUowing :

"The commanding officer at Harper's Ferry is
worthy of the name he bears, for ' Old Hickory ' him-
self was not a more determined, iron-nerved man than
he. Born in Virginia, educated at West Point, trained
in the Mexican war, occupied since at the pet mili-
tary institution of the Old Dominion, his whole life
has been a preparation for this struggle. A brother
officer says of him : ' Jackson does not know fear !'
Above all, he is a devoted Christian, and the strongest
man becomes stronger when his heart is pure and his
hands are clean."

One of the first acts of the Confederate authorities

SUPERSEDED BY GENERAL JOHNSTON. 157

after taking possession at Eichmond was to appoint
General Joseph E. Johnston to the command at
Harper's Ferry, whose higher rank, age, and greater
experience as an officer it was thought would render
him a more suitable commander for this most impor-
tant post than Colonel Jackson. Accordingly, General
Johnston was sent on to take command, without any
instructions to the latter from the government to turn
it over to him ; and as he had been placed there by
the authority of General Lee, as commander of the
Virginia troops, his fidelity as a soldier constrained
him to hold his position until he should receive orders
from the same source to resign it into other hands.
This was an embarrassing situation for both officers,
but fortunately a communication soon came from
General Lee, in which he referred to General John-
ston as commander at Harper's Ferry; and Colonel
Jackson at once recognized this as official evidence
that he was superseded, and as promptly yielded the
command to General Johnston. The latter was too
true and honorable a soldier himself not to appreciate
the conduct of a man whose inexorable and unflinch-
ing devotion to duty threw him into a momentary
collision with himself; and, ever after, both their
official and social relations were cordial and pleasant,
and the superior officer had no more faithful and zeal-
ous supporter than his predecessor at Harper's Ferry.
To this change of command Jackson thus alludes in

his letters :

" Harper's Ferry, May 27th, 1861.

" My precious darling, I suppose you have heard
that General Joseph E. Johnston, of the Confederate
army, has been placed in command here. You must

158 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

not concern yourself about the change. Colonel Pres-
ton will explain it all to you. I hope to have more
time, as long as I am not in command of a post, to
write longer letters to my darling pet."

The Virginia regiments at the different posts were
now organized into a brigade, and Colonel Jackson
was appointed its commander. He writes : " I am in
command of the Virginia troops stationed here, and
am doing well. I have been superseded by General
Johnston, as stated in a former letter, but so far as I
have yet learned, I have not been ordered to the
Northwest." He had a great desire to go to his native
section of Virginia, and devote his energies to rescuing
that part of the State, and saving it to the South.

"I am very thankful to an ever- kind Providence
for enabling you so satisfactorily to arrange our home
matters. I just^love my business little woman. Let
Mr. Tebbs have the horse and rockaway at his own
price ; and if he is not able to pay for them, you may
give them to him, a^ he is a minister of the Gospel. . . .
I have written as you requested to Winchester, that
if you were there, to come on ; but, my little pet, whilst
I should be delighted to see you, yet if you have not
started, do not think of coming. . . . My habitual
prayer is that our kind Heavenly Father will give
unto my darling every needful blessing, and that
she may have that ' peace which passeth all under-
standing !' "

The next letter touches upon the persistent secrecy
and reticence in his military affairs which has already

_-•»

"THE STONEWALL BRIGADE." 159

been noticed, and shows that even to his wife he did
not confide his plans any more than to his comrades
in arms :

"June 4th. Little one, you wrote me that you
wanted longer letters, and now just prepare yourself
to have your wish gratified. You say that your hus-
band never writes you any news. I suppose you
meant military news, for I have written you a great
deal about your esposo and how much he loves you.
What do you want with military news ? Don't you
know that it is unmilitary and unlike an officer to
write news respecting one's post ? You wouldn't wish
your husband to do an unofficer-like thing, would you?
I have a nice, green yard, and if you were only here,
how much we could enjoy it together ! But do not
attempt to come, as before you could get here I might
be ordered elsewhere. My chamber is on the second
story, and the roses climb even to that height, and
come into my window, so that I have to push them
out, when I want to lower it. I wish you could see
with me the beautiful roses in the yard and garden,
and upon the wall of the house here; but my sweet,
little sunny face is what I want to see most of all.
Little one, you are so precious to somebody's heart ! I
have been greatly blessed by our kind Heavenly Father,
in health and otherwise, since leaving home. The
troops here have been divided into brigades, and the
Virginia forces under General Johnston constitute the
First Brigade, of which I am in command."

This afterwards became the famous " Stonewall Bri-
gade." The Rev. Dr. William N. Pendleton, rector of

130 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the Episcopal Church at Lexington, a graduate of West
Point, had command of a battery of light field-guns,
which was manned chiefly by the young men of the
college and town of Lexington. It was attached to
the Stonewall Brigade, in which it was known as the
Rockbridge Artillery. This battery contained seven
Masters of Art of the University of Virginia, forty-
two other college graduates, nineteen theological stu-
dents, and others (including a son of General Lee),
who were among the noblest young men of the South,
and a proportion of Christian men as surprisingly large
as it was highly gratifying. The very best blood of
the South was represented among these volunteer
soldiers, many of them taking the place of privates.

On the 16th of June General Johnston evacuated
Harper's Ferry. Doctor Dabney's explanation of this
movement was, that the Confederate commander
speedily learned the untenable nature of his position
there, and, having accomplished the temporary pur-
poses of its occupation by the removal of the valuable
machinery and materials for the manufacture of fire-
arms, he determined to abandon the place. Win-
chester, being the true strategic point for the defence
of the upper regions of Virginia, thither General
Johnston resolved to remove his army. In his retreat
he offered battle, but did not think it prudent to attack
the enemy, whose force was very greatly superior to
his own. In his letters Colonel Jackson gives an ac-
count of this march. June 14th he wrote from Har-
per's Ferry :

" We are about leaving this place. General John-
ston has withdrawn his troops from the Heights

LETTERS FROM CAMP. 161

(Maryland and Virginia), has blown up and burnt the
railroad bridge across the Potomac, and is doing the
same with respect to the public buildings. Yesterday
morning, I was directed to get ready to evacuate the
place, and in the evening expected to march, but up
to the present time the order has not come. I am
looking for it at any moment, and, as I am at leisure,
will devote myself to writing to my precious pet. I
am very thankful to our kind Heavenly Father for
having sent Joseph [my brother] for you, and I trust
that you are now safely and happily at Cottage
Home [my father's place], and that you found the
family all well. You speak of others knowing more
about me than my darling does, and say you have
heard through others that I am a brigadier-general.
By this time I suppose you have found out that the
report owes its origin to Madam Rumor.''

" June 18th. On Sunday, by order of General John-
ston, the entire force left Harper's Ferry, marched
towards Winchester, passed through Charlestown, and
halted for the night about two miles this side. The
next morning we moved towards the enemy, who
were between Martinsburg and Williamsport, Mary-
land, and encamped for the night at Bunker Hill.
Yesterday morning we were to have marched at sun-
rise, and I hoped that in the evening, or this morning,
we should have engaged the enemy ; but, instead of
doing so. General Johnston made some disposition for
receiving the enemy if they should attack us, and
thus we were kept until about noon, when he gave
the order to return towards Winchester. Near sunset
we reached this place, which is about three miles
11

MOVBMENTS IN THE FIELD. 163

tiiat the enemy are again crossing into Virginia at
Williamsport, and^ I am making the necessary arrange-
ments for advancing to meet them."

"Monday morning, June 24th. I advanced with
Colonel J. W. Allen's regiment and Captain Pendle-
ton's Battery, but the enemy retreated across the river,
and) after reconnoitring their camp, I returned to my
present position, four miles north of Martinsburg. The
Federal troops were in two camps, one estimated at
about six hundred, and the other at nine hundred.
You spoke of the cause of the South being gloomy.
It is not so here. I am well satisfied that the enemy
are afraid to meet us, and our troops are anxious for
an engagement. A few days since Colonel A. P. Hill,
who had been sent to Bomney, despatched a detach-
ment to bum a bridge eighteen miles west of Cumber-
land. The enterprise was successful. The enemy lost
two guns and their colors. I regret to see our ladies
making those things they call ' Havelocks ' [a cover-
ing to protect the head and neck from the sun], as
their time and money could be much more usefully
employed in providing haversacks for the soldiers,
many of whom have none in which to carry their ra-
tions. I have been presented with three Havelocks,
but I do not intend to wear them, for, as far as I am
concerned, I shall show that such protection is unnec-
essary in this climate."

** Berkeley County, June 28th.

..." I am bivouacking. I sleep out of doors without

any cover except my bedding, but have not felt any

inconvenience from it that I am aware of in the way

of impaired health. Last evenincr, opposite Williams-

164 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX.

port, one of our men was shot in the abdomen by the
enemy, but he is still living, and I trust will recover.
I am inclined to think it was done by a Virginian
rather than a Northerner. There is a great deal of
disloyalty in this county, although it has diminished.
Mr. Edwin Lee, son-in-law of General Pendleton, is
my aid, and Sandy Pendleton is my ordnance oflBcer
and acting adjutant -general. Last night the news
came, after I had retired, that the enemy had packed
their wagons with baggage, thus indicating a move in
some direction. I didn't trouble my command, but
merely gave such orders as were necessary to prevent
their approach without giving me timely notice ; but,
in consequence, I had my rest disturbed, and am feel-
ing the effects of it to-day. Yesterday Lieutenant
Bowman, of the Eighth Regiment, Pennsylvania Vol-
unteers, who was captured some time since opposite
Williamsport by Colonel J. E. B. Stuart, of the cav-
alry, and now in Richmond on his parole of honor, sent
a letter via here to Williamsport which required us
to send a flag of truce. All went off well."

The next letter was written upon a sheet which had
been captured from the Federals. It was bordered all
around with an edge of bright red, and at the top of
the first page, in the left-hand corner, was a gayly
colored picture of the statue of Liberty, holding over
her head a United States flag, and beneath her feet
were the words " Onward to Victory !"

" Darkesvillb, July 4th.

'* My precious darling, day before yesterday I
learned that the enemy had crossed the Potomac and

THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT. I65

were advancing upon me. I immediately ordered my
command under arms, and gave such instructions as I
desired to have carried out until I should be heard from
again, and with Captain Pendleton's Battery and one
regiment of Virginia volunteers advanced to meet the
Federal troops. After proceeding to the locality which
had been indicated as occupied by them, and ascertain-
ing the position of their advance, I made the necessary
movement for bringing a small part of my force into
action. Soon the firing commenced, and the advance
of the enemy was driven back. They again advanced,
and were repulsed. My men got possession of a house
and bam, which gave them a covered ix)8ition and an
effective fire; but finding that the enemy were en-
deavoring to get in my rear and that my men were
being endangered, I gave the order to their colonel
that, if pressed, he must fall back. He obeyed, and
fell back. The artillery of the foe opened upon me,
and I directed Captain Pendleton to take a favorable
position in rear and return their fire with one gun.
His first ball cleared the road, which was occupied by
the enemy." [It is said that, before firing this first
ball upon the enemy, the reverend oflicer lifted his
eyes to heaven and uttered the prayer, " Lord, have
mercy upon their souls !"] " I still continued to fall
back, checking the enemy when it became necessary,
so as to give time for my baggage to get into column
at camp before I should arrive there, as one of my ob-
jects in advancing was to keep the enemy from reach-
ing my camp before my wagons could get out of
the way. Besides my cavalry, I had only one regi-
ment engaged, and one cannon, though I had ordered
up two other regiments, so as to use them if necessary.

166 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

My cannon fired only eight times, while the enemy
fired about thirty-five times ; but the first fire of Cap-
tain Pendleton's Battery was probably worth more
than all of theirs. I desired, as far as practicable, to
save my ammunition. My orders from Oeneral John-
ston required me to retreat in the event of the advance
in force of the enemy, so as soon as I ascertained that
he was in force I obeyed my instructions. I had twelve
wounded and thirteen killed and missing. My cavalry
took forty -nine prisoners. A number of the enemy
were killed, but I do not know how many. As I
obeyed my orders, and fell back, after ascertaining
that the Federals were in force, the killed of the ene-
my did not fall into our hands. My officers and men
behaved beautifully, and were anxious for a battle,
this being only a skirmish. [The affair was known as
that of " Falling Waters."] I wrote out my official re-
port last night, and think General Johnston forward-
ed it to Richmond. This morning one of his staff-offi-
cers told me that the general had recommended me
for a brigadier-general. I am very thankful that an
ever-kind Providence made me an instrument in carry-
ing out General Johnston's orders so successfully. . . .
The enemy are celebrating the 4th of July in Mar
tinsburg, but we are not observing the day."

Upon his return to Winchester he received the fol-
lowing note from General Lee :

" Richmond, Va., July 8d, 1861.

^^ My dear general, I have the pleasure of sending
you a commission of brigadier-general in the Provis-
ional Army, and to feel that you merit it. May your
advancement increase your usefulness to the State.

" Verv trulv, R. E. Lee."

IB MADE A BRIGADIER-GEKSRAL. 167

His surprise and gratification at his promotion are
expressed in the following letter :

'' I have been officially informed of my promotion
to be a brigadier-general of the Provisional Army of
the Southern Confederacy, but it was prior to my skir-
mish with the enemy. My letter from the Secretary
of War was dated 17th of June. Thinking it would
be gratifying to you, I send the letters of Generals
Lee and Johnston. From the latter you will see that
he desired my promotion for my conduct on the 2d
and 3d instant. On the 3d I did nothing more than
join General Johnston. My promotion was beyond
what I anticipated, as I only expected it to be in the
volunteer forces of the State. One of my greatest
desires for advancement is the gratification it will
give my darling, and [the opportunity] of serving my
country more efficiently. I have had all that I ought
to desire in the line of promotion. I should be very
ungrateful if I were not contented, and exceedingly
thankful to our kind Heavenly Father. May his bless-
ing ever rest on you is my fervent prayer. Try to
live near to Jesus, and secure that peace which flows
like a river."

In the next letter he aUudes to the destruction of
the property of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad by
the command of General Johnston :

... ^^ It was your husband that did so much mischief
at Martinsburg. To destroy so many fine locomotives,
cars, and railroad property was a sad work, but I had
my orders, and my duty was to obey. If the cost of

168 I'll^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the property could only have been expended in dis-
seminating the gospel of the Prince of Peace, how
much good might have been expected ! . . . You must
not be concerned at our falling back to this place
[Winchester]. . . . One of the most trying things here
is the loss of sleep. Last night I was awakened by a
messenger from the house of a friend where some cav-
alry had stopped. One of his fair daughters took it
into her head that the cavalry belonged to the enemy,
whereupon she wrote me a note, much to my discom-
fort ; but the field-oflBcer of the day went over to ex-
amine into the case, and found the officer in command
was one of his friends. The people here are very kind ;
so much so that I have to decline manv invitations to
accept their hospitalities. At present I am in a very
comfortable building, but we are destitute of furni-
ture, except such things as we have been able to
gather together. I am very thankful to our Heavenly
Father for having given me such a fine brigade."

" Winchester, July 16th.

..." Last evening the enemy encamped at Bunker
Hill, about ten miles from us, and this mornmg we
would have given them a warm reception had they
advanced, but we have heard nothing respecting their
movements to-day. The news from the Northwest is
unfavorable, as you have probably seen in the papers,
but we must not be discouraged. God will, I am well
satisfied, in His own good time and way, give us the
victory. ... In reply to your queries, I am sleeping on
the floor of a good room, but I have been sleeping out
in camp several weeks, and generally found that it
agreed with me well, except when it rained, and even

HIS CHEERFUL, HOPEFUL SPIRIT. 169

then it was but sUgbtly objectionable. I find that
sleeping in the open air, with ijo covering but my
blankets and the blue sky for a canopy, is more re-
freshing than sleeping in a room. My table is rather
poor, but usually I get corn-bread. All things consid-
ered, however, I am doing well. ... As to writing
so as to mail letters which would travel on Sundav,
when it can be avoided, I have never had occasion,
after years of experience, to regret our system. Al-
though sister I gets letters from her husband every

day, is she any happier than my espositaf Look
how our kind Heavenly Father has prospered us! I
feel well assured that in following our rule, which is
Biblical, I am in the path of duty, and that no evil can
come nigh me. All things work together for my good.
But when my sweet one writes, let the letters be long,
and your esposo hopes to send you full ones in return ;
and when the wars and troubles are all over, I trust
that, through divine mercy, we shall have many happy
days together."

He always wrote and talked in the same hopeful,
cheerful strain, never seeming to entertain a thought
that he might fall ; or if he had such a thought, he was
too unselfish to overshadow his wife's happiness by
intimating it to her. With the apostle Paul, he could
say that " living or dying he was the Lord's," but he
never expressed a desire to live so strongly as not to
survive his wife. From the very thought of such a
bereavement, his aflFectionate nature seemed to shrink
and recoil more than from any earthly calamity, and
he often expressed the hope, with the greatest fer-
vor and tenderness, that whatever trial his Heavenly

170 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Father sent upon him, thi^ might be spared. In sick-
ness, he was the most devoted of nurses — his great and
loving heart having not a fibre of selfishness in it, and
th^re was no end to the self-sacrifice he would endure.
Once, during a painful though not dangerous illness
in his family, after exhausting every means he could
think of for relief, his anxiety became so overpower-
ing that he burst into tears, and his manly frame
shook with convulsive emotion. Such was the ex-
quisite tenderness of heart of the man who, as a sol-
dier, could bear every privation, and on the march and
in the field set his men an example of the most heroic
endurance. This mingling of tenderness and strength
in his nature is illustrated by a letter to one of his offi-
cers who had obtained leave of absence to visit a strick-
en hous^old. A beloved member of his family had
just died ; another was dangerously ill ; and he asked
for an extension of his furlough. This was the reply :

" Mr DBAB Major, — I have received your sad letter,
and wish I could relieve your sorrowing heart; but
human aid cannot heal the wound. From me you
have a friend's sympathy, and I wish the suffering
condition of our country permitted me to show it.
But we must think of the living and of those who are
to come after us, and see that, with God's blessing, we
transmit to them the freedom we have enjoyed. What
is life without honor? Degradation is worse than
death. It is necessary that you should be at your
post immediately. Join me to-morrow morning.
'' Your sympathizing friend, T. J. Jackson."

Among the stores captured at Harper's Ferry, not

"OLD SORREL." 171

the least valuable was a train of cars on the Baltimore
and Ohio Eailroad, bound for Washington, loaded with
horses for the government. This was a lawful prize,
and was at onoe turned over to the Confederate army,
except two which Jackson purchased ; and, hoping that
hostilities would soon blow over, he selected the small-
er one, which he called '^ Fancy," as a present for his
wife, thinking his size and gait were admirably suited
for the use ot a lady. His name of ^^ Fancy ^ seemed
rather a misnomer, for he was anything but a fancy-
looking animal: ; but he was well formed, compactly
built, round aind fat (never ^^ raw-boned, gaunt, and
grim," as he has often been described), and his powers
of endurance were perfectly wonderful. Indeed, he
•seemed absolutely indefatigable. His eyes were his
chief beauty, being most intelligent and expressive,
and as soft as a gaz^e's. He had a peculiar habit of
lying down like a dog when the command halted for
rest. His master made a pet of him, and often fed him
apples from his own hand.. General Jackson had
several other horses, one or two being superb creat-
ures, which had been presented to him, but he prefer-
red the little sorrel to them all, finding his gait, as he
expressed it, '^ as easy as the rocking of a cradle." He
rode him in nearly every battle in which he was en-
gaged. After being lost for a time, upon the fall of
his master at Chancellorsville, he was found by a Con-
federate soldier, and kindly sent by Governor Letcher
to the family of General Jackson in North Carolina,
and lived many years in Lincoln County on the
farm of the Rev. Dr. Morrison, father-in-law of the
general, and with whom his family made their home.
Here he was treated to the greenest of pastures and

172 LIFE OF OEKKRAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the best of care, and did excellent serrice as a family
horse, botli in harness and under the saddle, and for a
long time was the riding-horse of the venerable min-

i2^

ister to his country churciies. One of the young
Morrisons used to say that Old Fancy (as he was called
on the farm) " had more senite, and was the ^reatext
old rasijal he ever saw," He could make as good use
of his mouth in lifting latches and letting down bars
as a man could of his hands, and it was a frequent
habit of his to let himself out of his stable, and then
go deliberately to the doors of all the other horses and
mules, liberate each one, and then march off witli
them all behind hira, like a soldier leading his com-
mand, to the green fields of grain around the farm — a
fence proving no obstacle to him, for he could, with
his mouth, lift off the rails one by one until the fence
was low enough to juin|) over; so that he was contin-
ually getting into mischief. Hut he was such a pet

"OLD SORREL.* 173

that he was allowed to do anything; and was often
taken to county fairs, where he was an object of as
much interest as one of the old heroes of the war.
His hardiness was shown by his great longevity, for
he was over thirty years of age when he died, in 1886,
at the Soldiers' Home in Richmond, Virginia; and
such was still the enthusiasm for the old war-horse
that his body was sent to a taxidermist to be mount-
ed. It now stands in a glass case in the library,
where the veterans, as they look upon it, can im
agine that they see again their beloved commander as
they have seen him so often on the field of battle.

CHAPTER XL

THE FIRST BATTLE OF MANASSAa

While General Johnston's movements were going
on in the lower Valley of Virginia, others of great im-
portance were being made elsewhere in the State, the
chief of which was the organization of an army by
General Beauregard at Manassas Junction, to cover
the approach to Bichmond, the capital of tl|e Confed-
eracy. This Junction was about twenty-five miles
from Alexandria, and was manifestly the strategic
point for the defence of Northeastern Virginia. The
United States troops were now massed in and around
Washington, preparing for an advance into Virginia,
and all the energies of the Confederate authorities
were concentrated upon preparations to repel the in-
vaders. On both sides Manassas was the centre of
expectation. Generals Beauregard and Johnston were
acting in concert, and on the 18th of July Johnston
received a telegram from Beauregard that the enemy
was advancing in force upon Bull Run, and calling
upon him to hasten to his assistance. General Mc-
Dowell, with a large army, was marching forward to
attack the Confederates with the confidence of an easy
victory. They had already driven back General Beau-
regard's advance guard, and seemed likely to carry all
before them when the arrival of Johnston's troops
turned the fortune of the day.

ON THB MABCH TO THB FIELD. 175

We will now let General Jackson give his account
of the movements of his command at this juncture.
He writes:

" On the 18th of July I struck my tents, rolled
them up, and left them on the ground, and about noon
marched through Winchester, as I had been encamped
on the other side of the town. About an hour and
a half after leaving, I had the following order from
General Johnston published to my brigade : ' Our
gallant army under General Beauregard is now at-
tacked by overwhelming numbers. The commanding
general hopes that his troops will step out like men,
and make«a forced march to save the countrv.' At
this stirring appeal the soldiers rent the air with
shouts of joy, and all was eagerness and animation
where before there had been only lagging and unin-
terested obedience. We continued our march until
we reached Millwood, in Clarke County, where we
halted for an hour or so, having found an abundance
of good water, and there we took a lunch. Resuming
the march, my brigade continuing in front, we arrived
at the Shenandoah River about dark. The water was
waist-deep, but the men gallantly waded the river.
This halting and crossing delayed us for some time ;
but about two o'clock in the morning we arrived at
the little village of Paris, where we remained sleep-
ing until nearly dawn. I mean the troops slept, as
my men were so exhausted that I let them sleep while
I kept watch myself."

After pacing around the camp, or leaning upon the
fence, watching the slumbers of his men until nearly

176 LIFS OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

daylight, he yielded his post to a member of his staff,
who insisted on relieving him, and he then threw his
own wearied frame down upon a bed of leaves in a
fence corner, and snatched an hour or two of sleep,
after which he rose at dawn and roused his men to
continue their march.*

* This Night-watch by the Commander has been celebrated
in a poem, which appeared after his death, and is said to have
been written by Mr. James R. RandaU.

** When the command halted for the night, and the officer of
tlie day went to General Jackson and said, ^ General, the men are
all so wearied that there is not one but is asleep,* and asked if
he should not awaken some of them to keep guard, he replied,
* No, let the poor fellows sleep, and I will watch the camp to-
night/ And all those hours till the daylight dawned he walked
around that camp, the lone sentinel for that brave but weary and
silent body of Virginia heroes ; and when the glorious morning
broke, the soldiers awoke fresh and ready for action, all uncon-
scious of the noble vigils kept over their slumbers.

"The Lone Sentry.

** Twas in the dying of the day.

The darkness grew so still,
The drowsy pipe of evening birds

Was hushed upon the hill.
Athwart the shadows of the vale

Slumbered the men of might —
And one lone sentry paced his rounds.

To watch the camp that night

" A grave and solemn man was he.
With deep and sombre brow.
Whose dreamful eyes seemed hoarding up

Some unaccomplished vow.
His wistful glance peered o^er the plains
Beneath the starry light,

"THE LONE SENTRY." 177

In his letter General Jackson continues: "Bright
and early we resumed the march, and the head of our
column arrived at Piedmont, on the Manassas Gap
Kailroad, about six o'clock in the morning. After get-
ting our breakfast, the brigade commenced going
aboard of the cars, and the same day all that could be
carried arrived at Manassas about four o'clock in the
afternoon, without much suffering to my men or ta
myself. The next day we rested, and the following
day was the memorable 21st of July."

*^ Mai^assas, July 22d. .

" My precious Pet, — ^Yesterday we fought a great
battle and gained a great victory, for which all the
glory is due to God alone. Although under a heavy
fire for several continuous hours, I received only one

And with the murmured natne of God
He watched the cump that night.

" The future opened unto him

Its grand and awful scroll ;
Manassas and the Vulley march

Came lieaving o^er liis soul ;
Richmond and Sharpsburg thundered by

With that tremendous fight
Which gave him to the angel hosts

Who watched the camp tliat night

" We mourn for him who died for us

With that resistless moan,
While up the valley of the Lord

He marches to the Throne !
He kept the faith of men and saints,

Sublime and pure and bright ;
He sleeps — and all is well with him

Who watched the camp that night."

178 LI^£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

wound, the breaking of the longest finger of my left
hand; but the doctor says the finger can be saved.
It was broken about midway between the band and
knuckle, the ball passing on the side next the fore-
finger. Had it struck the centre, I should have lost
the finger. My horse was wounded, but not killed.
Your coat got an ugly wound near the hip, but my
servant, who is very handy, has so far repaired it that
it doesn't show very much. My preservation was en-
tirely due, as was the glorious victory, to our God, to
whom be aU the honor, praise, and glory. The battle
was the hardest that I have ever been in, but not near
so hot in its fire. I commanded in the centre more
particularly, though one of my regiments extended to
the right for some distance. There were other com-
manders on my right and left. Whilst great credit is
due to other parts of our gallant army, God made my
brigade more instrumental than any other in repulsing
the main attack. This is for your information only —
^ay nothing about it. Let others speak praise, not
myself."

Though he was so reticent of his own part in the
battle, it was well known that his brigade saved the
day, the credit of which was justly given to its com-
mander. At one moment it seemed as if all was lost.
The troops of South Carolina, commanded by General
Bee, had been overwhelmed, and he rode up to Jack-
son in despair, exclaiming, " They are beating us back !"
" Then," said Jackson, " we will give them the bayo-
net!" This cool reply showed the unconquered mind
of one who never knew that he was beaten, and put
fresh courage into the heart of him who was almost

*' JACKSON STANDS LIKE A STONE WALL!*' 179

ready to acknowledge defeat ; and, as he rode back to
his command, he cried out to them to ^^ look at Jack-
son !" saying, ^^ There he stands like a stone .wall I
Rally behind the Virginians !" The cry and the ex-
ample had its effect, and the broken ranks were re-
formed, and led to another charge, when their leader
fell dead with his face to the foe But with his last
breath he had christened his companion in arms, in the
baptism of fire, with the name that he was henceforth
to bear, not only in the Southern army, but in history,
of Stonewall Jaokson, while the troops that followed
him on that day counted it glory enough to bear on
their colors the proud title of the " Stonewall Brigade."

Soon after the battle he writes :

" Mr. James Davidson's son, Frederick, and William
Page (son of my dear friend) were killed. Young
Riley's life was saved by his Bible, which was in the
breast-pocket of his coat. . . . My finger troubles me
considerably, and renders it very diflBcult for me to
write, as the wind blows my paper, and I can only
use my right hand. I have an excellent camping-
ground about eight miles from Manassas on the road
to Fairfax Court House. I am sleeping in a tent, and
have requested that the one which my darling had
the loving kindness to order for me should not be sent.
If it is already made, we can use it in time of peace.
. . . General Lee has recently gone to the western
part of our State, and I hope we may soon hear that
our God has again crowned our arms with victory."

^^ August 5th. And so you think the papers ought to
say more about your husband I My brigade is not a

180 LI^£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

brigade of newspaper correspondents. I know that the
First Brigade was the first to meet and pass our retreat-
ing forces — to push on with no other aid than the smiles
of God ; to boldly take its position with the artillery
that was under my command — to arrest the victorious
foe in his onward progress — to hold him in check un-
til reinforcements arrived — and finally to charge bay-
onets, and, thus advancing, pierce the enemy's centre.
I am well satisfied with what it did, and so are my
generals, Johnston and Beauregard. It is not to be
expected that I should receive the credit that Gen-
erals Beauregard and Johnston would, because I was
under them ; but I am thankful to my ever-kind Heav-
enly Father that He makes me content to await His
own good time and pleasure for commendation — know-
ing that all things work together for my good. If my
brigade can always play so important and useful a
part as it did in the last battle, I trust I shall ever be
most grateful. As you think the papers do not notice
me enough, I send a specimen, which you will see from
the upper part of the paper is a leader. My darling,
never distrust our God, who doeth all things well.
In due time He will make manifest all His pleasure,
which is all His people should desire*. You must not
be concerned at seeing other parts of the army lauded,
and my brigade not mentioned. 'Truth is mighty
and will prevail.' When the official reports are pub-
lished, if not before, I expect to see justice done this
noble body of patriots. My command consists of the
Second, Fourth, Fifth, Twenty-seventh, and Thirty-
third regiments of Virginia Volunteers, commanded
respectively by Colonels James W. Allen, James F.
Preston, Kenton Harper, W. W. Gordon, and A. C.

A CHARACTERISTIC LETTER. 181

Cammings ; and, in addition, we have Colonel Pendle-
ton's Battery. My staff-officers are Lieutenant-colonel
Francis B. Jones, acting adjutant-general ; Lieutenant-
colonel J. W. Massie, aide ; Lieutenant A. S. Pendle-
ton, ordnance officer ; Captain John A. Harman, quar-
termaster ; and Captain W. J. Hawkes, commissary."

Dr. Dabney says : " It is due to the credit of Jack-
son's wisdom in the selection of his instruments, and to
the gallant and devoted men who composed this staff,
to state that all of them who survived rose with their
illustrious leader to corresponding posts of usefulness
and distinction." A number of other officers subse-
quently served upon his staff, who deserve to be includ-
ed in this eulogy. General Jackson continues :

"August 10th. . . . Prince Napoleon passed here
on the evening of the 8th, en route from Washington
to Manassas. He spent the night with General John-
ston, took a view of the battle-field yesterday morning,
and then returned to Washington, passing here about
eleven o'clock a.m. I only saw him at a distance."

A day or two after the battle of Manassas, and be-
fore the news of the victory had reached Lexington
in authentic form, the post-office was thronged with
people, awaiting with intense interest the opening
of the mail. Soon a letter was handed to the Rev.
Dr. White, who immediately recognized the well-
known superscription of his deacon soldier, and ex-
claimed to the eager and expectant group around him :
" Now we shall know all the facts." Upon opening
it the bulletin read thus :

182 UFK OF GKNKEAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX.

^ My dear pastor, in m j tent last night, after a fa-
tigaing day's senice^ I remembered that I had foiled
to send yon my contribution for our colored Sunday-
schooL Enclosed yon will find my check for that ob-
ject, which please acknowledge at your earliest conven-
ience, and oblige yoars faithf oUy, T. J. Jackson."

This little note is a revelation of character. It is
remarkable, not so much for what it says as for what
it does not sav. Not a word in it about the battle or
about himself — he who tamed the defeat into victory.
In that hour of triumph his heart turned away from the
field to the poor negro children whom he had been ac-
customed to teach in the Sunday-school in Lexington.

In his next letter General Jackson writes : " I have
received a circular to the effect that two professors
must return to the Institute at the opening of the
session, the 1st of September, and that if that number
do not consent to return, the Board of Visitors will
desiOTate two; and if thev decline, their seats will
thereby be declared vacant, and the board would fill
them. I decline<l returning. How would you like
going back to Lexington in September, and staying
there for the remainder of the war ? . . . I am glad
that the battle [First Manassas] was fought on your
birthday, so you can never tell me any more that I
forget your birthday. See if I don't always remem-
ber it, though I do not my own. If General Lee re-
mains in the Northwest, I would like to go there and
give my feeble aid, as an humble instrument in the
hand of Providence in retrieving the downtrodden
loyalty of that part of my native State. But I desire
to be wherever those over me may decide, and I am

NEVER ABSENT FROM DUTY. 183

content here. The success of our cause is the earthly
object near my heart ; and, if I know myself, all I am
and have is at the service of my country." About
this time he wrote to his friend, Colonel Bennett, First
Auditor of the Commonwealth :

" My hopes for our section of the State have greatly
brightened since General Lee has gone there. Some-
thing briUiant may be expected in that region.
Should you ever have occasion to ask for a brigade
from this army for the Northwest, I hope mine will
be the one selected. This of course is confidential, as
it is my duty to serve wherever I may be placed, and
I desire to be always where most needed. But it is
natural for one's affections to turn to the home of his
boyhood and family."

August 17th he writes to his wife :

..." Ton want to know whether I could get a fur-
lough. My darling, I can't be absent from my com-
mand, as my attention is necessary in preparing my
troops for hard fighting should it be required ; and as
my officers and soldiers are not permitted to go and
see their wives and families, I ought not to see my
esposita, as it might make the troops feel that they
were badly treated, and that I consult ray own pleas-
ure and comfort regardless of theirs : so you had
better stay at Cottage Home for the present, as I do
not know how long I shall remain here."

From the time he entered the army at the begin-
ning of the war he never asked or received a fur-

184 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

lough, was never absent from duty for a single day,
whether sick or well, and never slept one night out-
side the lines of his own command.

August 22d he writes : " Don't you wish your
esposo would get sick, and have to get a sick leave
and go home, so that you couldn't envy sister Sue ?
Sickness may compel me for a time to retire from
camp, but, through the blessing of God, I have been
able to continue in command of ray brigade. . . .
StiU much remains undone that I desire to see effected.
But in a short time I hope to be more instrumental in
serving my country. Every officer and soldier who is
able to do duty ought to be busily engaged in mil-
itary preparation by hard drilling, in order that,
through the blessing of God, we may be victorious in
the battles which in His all-wise providence may await
us. I wish my darling could be with me now and
enjoy the sweet music of the brass band of the Fifth
Regiment. It is an excellent band."

He delighted in listening to music, both instrumental
and vocal, but he had so little talent for it that it was
with difficulty he could distinguish tunes. When he
learned that the tune of " Dixie " had been adopted by
the Confederates as a national air, he felt that he ought
to be able to know it Avhen he heard it, so during the
first visit I paid him in camp he requested me to sing
the air to him until he could impress it upon his mem-
ory, so as to be able to recognize it. It was a tedious
service, and became so perfectly ridiculous from his
oft-repeated command of " again " and " again " that
it finally ended in hearty laughter on both sides.

AT FAIRFAX COURTHOUSE. 185

In his letter he continues :

" Don't put any faith in the assertion that there
will be no more fighting till October. It may not be
till then ; and God grant that, if consistent with His
will, it may never be. Surely, I desire no more, if our
country's independence can be secured without it. As
I said before leaving my darling, so say I now, that if
I fight for my country, it is from a sense of duty —
a hope that through the blessing of Providence. I
may be enabled to serve her, and not merely because
I prefer the strife of battle to the peaceful enjoyments
of home. . . . Yesterday the enemy drove in our pick-
ets, and General Longstreet sent me a request to move
forward with my brigade, and the consequence was
that after advancing beyond Fairfax Court-House six
miles it turned out that the enemy did not intend to
attack, and I had a ride of twelve miles for nothing ;
and my wourtded finger suffered from it, but I trust,
with the blessing of an ever-kind Providence, it will
soon be well. I meet with a number of old army
friends and some of my classmates, which is quite a
pleasure. The country about Fairfax Court House is
beautiful. As I came in sight of the place, the sun
was near setting, and Avith its mellowed light greatly
contributed to beautify the scenery. I am writing
under a Sibley tent, which is of a conical form, so
constructed as to allow fire to be used, having an
opening at the top for the escape of smoke; though
as yet I have had my fires in the house. The weather
is quite cool at night. What do you think? This
morning I had a kind of longing to see our lot — not
our house, for I did not want to enter its desolate

186 LIPB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

chambers, as it would be too sad not to find my little
sunshine there."

From Camp Harman, near Manassas, he wrote :

" Yesterday I received two letters from one little
jewel of mine at Cottage Home, and I am just going
to read them over and over again and answer. First,
in reference to coming to see your e^^posoy what would
you do for privacy in camp? I tell you there are
more inconveniences attending camp life for a lady
than little pet is aware of; and worst of all is the
danger you might encounter in such a trip, as the cars
are so crowded with soldiers. But I would dearly
love to have my darling here at this time, and think I
might probably be able to get a room for you with a
kind family in whose yard I have my tent. The
family is exceedingly obliging, and we could have de-
lightful times together, as I have to stay about quar-
ters on account of my wounded finger. However,
through the blessing of an ever-kind Providence, it is
now much improved. Should there be a good escort
coming on and returning, little one can come; but you
must not spare any expense in making your trip com-
fortable. You must hire a carriage whenever you
haven't a safe and good conveyance, in the event of
your coming. Last Sabbath Dr. Pendleton preached
at my headquarters in the morning, and Rev. Peyton
Harrison preached in the evening. ... If the war is
carried on with vigor, I think that, under the blessing
of God, it will not last long, though we may frequently
have little local troubles along the frontier. ... At
present it would be improper for me to be absent

PERMISSION TO PAT HIM A VISIT. 187

from my brigade a single day, but just as soon as duty
will permit I hope to see my sunshiny face. The rea-
son of my changing my advice about your coming was
probably in consequence of orders respecting a march.
Within the last three weeks I have had to march off
several times, but in each case I have been privileged
to return to my present encampment, where I desire
to stay as long as I am to remain inactive, for it is the
best encampment I have had. We are blessed with
excellent water and a good drill-ground. Little one
can come on with the first good opportunity, if she is
willing to bear the unexpected occurrences of war. I
know not one day what will take place the next, but I
do know that I am your doting esposo,^^

It was my good fortune to find an escort to the army,
and I joyfully set out, in compliance with my husband's
somewhat doubtful permission, to pay him a visit. But
he was not mistaken in apprehending the difficulties I
should encounter, as will be seen by my experience in
makingthis journey through a beleaguered country. We
reached Richmond safely and without much discomfort,
but no one was permitted to leave without a passport,
which the government was exceedingly strict in grant-
ing to men unless they were engaged in the service of the
army or were going into it. Unfortunately, my young
man did not come under either head (although he was
going upon an inspecting tour with a view to finding
some position among his friends), so he was refused a
passport! Like most of the Southern ladies in ante-
bellum times, I was unaccustomed to travelling alone,
and my husband was much opposed to my doing so.
However, after coming so near to him (and yet so far I)

188 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

I could not give up this long-coveted opportunity of
seeing him, and I determined to venture on my way
alone. So after telegraphing him to meet me at Ma-
nassas, I started with my passport as bravely as I
could, yet filled with apprehension — the cars being
crowded with soldiers, and scarcely a woman to be
seen. An hour or two after leaving Richmond, what
was my joy and relief to see a friend from Charlotte,
North Carolina, passing through the car! I sprang
from my seat and rushed after him, and from that
moment my mind was at ease, for Captain J. Harvey
White (a gallant officer, who afterwards fell in defence
of his country) verified in my case the old proverb, "A
friend in need is a friend indeed." My husband failed
to receive my telegram in time to meet me at Manas-
sas, and, finding no accommodation there for a lady.
Captain White was unwilling to leave me without pro-
tection, and advised me to go on with him to Fairfax
Station, thinking that point was still nearer to Greneral
Jackson's headquarters. However, my husband did
arrive at Manassas very soon after we passed on, and it
was then too late, and the distance too great for him
to follow us that night. Fairfax Station we found
converted into a vast military camp, the place teem-
ing with soldiers, and the only house visible from the
depot being used as a hospital. Not a place to accom-
modate a lady was to be found, so I was compelled to
spend the night in the car in which I came up, the
train remaining stationary there until the next morn-
ing. One other female, a plain, good woman, who was
in search of a sick relative among the soldiers, was of
the party, and Captain White, our kind protector. A
lady seemed to be a great curiosity to the soldiers,

MEETING AFTER FIVE MONTHS' SEPARATION. 189

scores of whom filed through the car to take a look,
until the annoyance became so great that Captain
White locked the doors. The next morning was the
Sabbath, and as Captain White was hastening to a
sick brother, he was compelled to go on his mission,
but he first procured f6r me a small room, which was
vacated for a few hours just for my accommodation, in
the house that was used as a hospital. There was no
lock on the door, and the tramp of men's feet, as they
passed continually to and fro and threatened entrance,
was not conducive to a peaceful frame of mind ; and
the outlook was still more dismal, the one small win-
dow in the room revealing the spectacle of a number
of soldiers in the yard, busily engaged in making coffins
for their dead comrades / I was all alone, and had
nothing to read, so it can be imagined that the few
anxious and dreary hours spent in that little place of
horrors seemed an age, and my relief and happi-
ness were truly inexpressible when the brightest vision
that could be to me on earth appeared in the person of
my dear husband, whom I had not seen for five months.
He drove up in an ambulance, and, taking me in, we
were speedily driven to his headquarters. Arrived
there, we found his whole brigade assembled for di-
vine worship, and the venerable Bishop Johns was just
about to begin service in a small farm-house on the
grounds. A delay was made in order to give us time
to get into the house and be seated ; and all the staflf-
ofScers, and it seemed to me a host of others, came
forward to welcome their general's wife, much to my
embarrassment, for I felt most unpresentable after my
experience of the preceding night.

The bishop conducted a delightful service in the

190 I'l^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

porch of the house, and the soldiers swarmed around
him like bees, standing and sitting in the grassy yard.
It was an interesting and imposing scene. The bri-
gade was encamped on a beautiful hill near Cen-
tre ville, and. General Jackson's tent was in the yard
of the farm - house at which he secured lodging dur-
ing my visit. It was a grand spectacle to view
from the crest of the hill the encampment of that
splendid Stonewall Brigade, especially at night, when
the camp-fires were lighted. I met there for the first
time General Joseph E. Johnston, and was much
impressed with his soldierly appearance and jx>l-
ished manners. Indeed, the ofScers and soldiers gen-
erally made the impression of fine specimens of the
Southern gentleman, and the grand review of the
whole of General Johnston's command was the most
imposing military display that I had ever witnessed.
General Jackson was justly proud of his brigade, and
their affection for him was beautiful to behold. They
all felt so inspirited by the great victory they had just
gained, and their general's part in it was rehearsed
with pride by every one who called upon his wife,
while he^ with his characteristic modesty, gave all the
credit to his noble men.

He took me over the battle-field of Manassas. There
was nothing remarkable about the ground, which was
somewhat undulating, with many open spaces and
pine-trees. Bull Run is a small, insignificant stream.
General Pendleton accompanied us in the ambulance,
and both officers explained the different positions and
movements of the two armies, and talked the battle
over in a very interesting manner. Much of the debris
of the conflict still remained : the old Henry house

VISIT TO THE BATTLB-nELD. 191

was riddled with shot and shell; the carcasses of the
horses, and even some of the bones of the poor human
victims, were to be seen. It was difficult to realize
that these now silent plains had so recently been the
scene of a great battle, and that here the Eeaper
Death had gathered such a harvest of precious lives,
many of whom were the very flower of our Southern
youth and manhood.

All was quiet in the army during my visit, and al-
though my husband was unremitting in his duties to
his command, yet he had sufficient leisure to devote
to my pleasure to make the time pass most delight-
fully. We had a nice room in a kind, obliging fam-
ily named Utterbach, and I took my meals with him
and his staff at their mess-table under the trees. The
fare was plain, but, with the exception of the absence
of milk, it was abundant and substantial. His staff-
officers were all most agreeable and intelligent gentle-
men. His cook at that time was a very black negro,
a hired man named George, who so felt the importance
of his position as the head of the culinary department
at headquarters that his boast was : " I outranks all
de niggers in dis army !" Every moment of the time
I was privileged to remain was full of content and en-
joyment, and that camp life had a charm for me that
I never would have broken myself. But all things
have to come to an end in this fleeting world, and my
delightful visit shared this fate all too soon — the array
being ordered to change its location in less than a fort-
night after my arrival — and I was sent back sorrow-
fully to North Carolina.

My visit was made in September, and General Jack-
son's next letter was written the 24th of that month :

192 I^F£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

" I am going to write a letter to my darling pet e^po-
gita, who paid me such a sweet visit, and whose dear
face I can still see, though she is 'way down in the
Old North State. If my darhng were here, I know
she would enjoy General Jones's band, which plays
very sweetly. We are stiU at the same encampment
as when you left, and I have the promise of three
more waU tents. Yesterday Rev. Dr. William Brown
visited Munson's HiU, and took a peep at the Yankees.
. . . The Board of Visitors of the Institute met in Rich-
mond, and decided if the professors did not return
they would fill their places, superintendents and all.
Suppose they ask you to go back. Are you going to
do so, or will you let them fill your chair ? Colonel
Echols returned this morning, but does not bring, to
our finite minds, very good news. Greneral Floyd was
only about thirty miles west of Lewisburg, and General
Wise was fifteen miles in advance of him. General Lee,
with four regiments, had gone on to General Wise."

" Monday morning. This is a beautiful and lovely
morning — beautiful emblem of the morning of eter-
nity in heaven. I greatly enjoy it after our cold,
chilly weather, which has made me feel doubtful of
my capacity, humanly speaking, to endure the cam-
paign, should we remain long in tents. But God, our
God, does, and will do, all things well ; and if it is His
pleasure that I should remain in the field, He will give
me the ability to endure all its fatigues. I hope my
little sunshiny face is as bright as this lovelj* day.
Yesterday I heard a good sermon from the chaplain
of the Second Regiment, and at night I went over to
Colonel Garland's regiment of Longstreet's Brigade,

SERMON OF DR. DABNET. 193;

and heard an excellent sermon from the Bev. Mr.
Granberry, of the Methodist church, of whom you
may have heard me speak in times past." . . .

" 26th. I did not have room enough in my last let-
ter, nor have I time this morning, to write as much as
I desired about Dr. Dabney's sermon yesterday. His
text was from Acts, seventh chapter and fifth verse.
He stated that the word Ood being in italics indicated
that it was not in the original, and he thought it would
have been better not to have been in the translation.
It would then have read : ^ Calling upon and saying.
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' He spoke of Stephen,
the first martyr under the new dispensation, like Abel,
the first under the old, dying by the hand of violence,
and then drew a graphic picture of his probably broken
limbs, mangled flesh and features, conspiring to height-
en his agonizing sufferingsr But in the midst of this
intense pain, God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy,
permitted him to see the heavens opened, so that he
might behold the glory of God, and Jesus, of whom
he was speaking, standing on the right hand of God.
Was not such a heavenly vision enough to make him
forgetful of his sufferings ? He beautifully and forci-
bly described the death of the righteous, and as forci-
bly that of the wicked. ...

" Strangers as well as Lexington friends are very
kind to me. I think about eight days since a gentle-
man sept me a half -barrel of tomatoes, bread, etc.,
and I received a letter, I am inclined to think from
the same, desiring directions how to send a second
supply. I received from Colonel Euflf a box of beau-
tifully packed and delicately flavored plums ; also a
13

194 U^ OF GENERAL THOXAS J. JACKSON.

bottle of blackberry vinegar from the Misses B-

What I need is a more grateful heart to the ' Giver of
every good and perfect gift.' "

*' Camp nsab Fairfax Court-Houbb, Oct Ist

^^ Yesterday I rode down to the station, and while
there President Davis, very unexpectedly to me, ar-
rived in a single car ; the remaining part of the train,
I suppose, stopped at the Junction to unload. He
looked quite thin. His reception was a hearty cheer
from the troops. He took his seat in an ambulanoe-
like carriage, and as he passed on his way to the Court-
House the air rang with the soldiers' welcoming cheers.
He was soon met by a troop of horse, and a horse for
himself. Leaving his carriage and mounting his horse,
he proceeded on his way, escorted by the cavalry,
about four thousand of the First Corps (General
Beauregard). The troops belonged to Generals Long-
street, D. R. Jones, and Philip St. George Cocke. It
was quite an imposing pageant." . . .

" Yesterday I saw President Davis review. He
took up his quarters with General Beauregard, where,
in company with Colonels Preston, Harmon, and Ech-
ols, I called upon him this morning at about half-past
ten o'clock. He looks thin, but does not seem to be
as feeble as yesterday. His voice and manners are
very mild. I saw no exhibition of that fire which I
had supposed him to possess. The President intro-
duced the subject of the condition of my section of the
State, but did not even so much as intimate that he
designed sending me there. I told him, when he
spoke of my native region, that I felt a very deep in-

LETTERS TO HIS WIFE. 195

terest in it. He spoke hopefully of that section, and
highly of General Lee."

" October 14th. I am going to write a letter to the
very sweetest little woman I know, the only sweet-
heart I have ; can you guess who she is ? I tell yoa,
I would like to see my sunshine, even this brightest
of days. My finger has been healed over for some
time, and I am blest by an ever -kind Providence
with the use of it, though it is still partially stiff. I
hope, however, in the course of time, that I shall be
again blest with its perfect use. ... If I get into
winter -quarters, will little ex -Anna Morrison come
and keep house for me, and stay with me till the open-
ing of the campaign of 1862 ? Now, remember, I don't
want to change housekeepers. I want the same one
all the time. I am very thankful to that God who
withholds no good thing from me (though I am so
utterly unworthy and ungrateful) for making me a
major-general in the Provisional Army of the Confed-
erate States. The commission dates from the 7th of
October." . . .

'' October 15th. The enemy are gradually approach-
ing us."

" Centre viLLE, Oct. 21st.

" For several days your esposo has been here, and
has an extra nice room, the parlor of a Mr. Grigsby,
who has promised that he will also let me have another
room for my chamber, and then I can use the parlor
for my office. He has very kindly offered me the use
of his library. The walls of his parlor are hung with
pictures and paintings, including large portraits on

196 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

opposite sides, I suppose of the eaposo and esposa. The
carpet has been removed, but an abundance of seats
have been left, two settees among them. Mr. Grigsby
is apparently a man of much character, and I am very
much pleased with him. His wife is delicate, and two
of his sons have typhoid fever, but are past the crit-
ical stage of the disease. He has not yet consented
to my staff moving into the house, probably for fear
of disturbing the sick. Colonel Jones has resigned
and gone home, and Mr. Marshall went with him.
They are both nice gentlemen."

" CENTREVnXE, Oct 22d.

. . . '' I am going to tell you just where your eaposo
is living for the present. Starting from Mr. Utter-
bach's on the Warrenton road towards the battle-
ground of Manassas, a street turns off to the right
from the Warrenton road. Following the street
about one hundred yards brings you to a large stone
house, with four chimneys, on the right-hand side of
the road. Passing up a flight of steps of nearly eight
feet brings you into the porch, after crossing which
you enter a hall about ten feet wide, and you have
only to come into the first door on your right if you
wish to see your husband, seated on the left of a
hickory fire, on the opposite side of the room, writ-
ing to his sweetheart, or to his esposita, whichever
you may choose to call her. Looking around the
room, you will see upon the mantel a statuette of a
mother with a child in her arms, an oil painting of
a beautiful boy, a globe lamp, two candelabra, and
two vases. Above the mantel are two rose pictures.
On either side of the fireplace is a window, and oa

BEFORE HIS HICKORY FIRE. I97

the left of tbe fire are a pair of bellows and a large
shovel. On the right are a pair of tongs, and a hand-
some feather broom for your esposo to sweep the
hearth with. So far I have described only the south-
ern wall. Turning your eyes to the right, you will
see two windows on the western wall, looking
towards the battle-ground of the 21st July. On the
left end of this wall hangs the celebrated oil paint-
ing, * Beatrice Cenci.' Between the windows is a
large portrait (as I suppose) of Mrs. Grigsby. On
the right of the right-hand window is a landscape
painting. Upon the northern wall to the left of the
door is a picture, * The Evening Prayer,' with the in-
vocation, 'Defend us from all perils and dangers of
the night.' Near this hangs a thermometer. On
the right of the door are two other works of art, and
between them is the library desk, which is kindly
placed at my disposal. Upon the eastern wall, left
end, is a picture of 'Holyrood.' Near it, but on the
right, is a large portrait of Mr. Grigsby. About
the centre of the wall is a large mirror— on its right
is a picture called * Innocence' — and here is your
loving husband !

..." Our success at Leesburg reflected credit upon
Colonel Evans and his heroic brigade.

... "I have written to Colonel Preston, of Lex-
ington, to join me. My desire is to get a staflf spe-
cially qualified for their duties, and that will render
the greatest possible amount of service to their
country. Last night, Drs. White and McFarland
reached here .and are staying with me. They are
just from Synod at Petersburg, and give a very-
gratifying account of things there. Dr. McFarland

ii a nobie wptmaat of cimacter.'^ Ths was the Ber.
Br. Francif McFarland. Dr. Wkhe (GcBoal Jack-
fcm'f pasto47 had oome at his inTitatmi to pfeadt
to his oommancL Dr. Dabnej thos describes the
▼isit:

^ They arrived at nigfat&llr and fomid the cooa-
mander-in-chief on the spot, commmiiGatiiig in persoa
some important orders. General Jackson mereh^
paosed to give them the most harried salutation con-
sistent with respect, and without a momenta dafljin^
passed on to execute his duties. After a length of
time he returned, all the work of the evening com-
pleted, and renewed his welcome with a beaming
face and warm abandon of manner, heaping upcm
them affectionate attentions, and inquiring after all
their households. Dr. White spent five days and
nights with him, preaching daily. In the general's
quarters he found his morning and evening worship
as rc^larly held as it had been at home. Jackson
mrxlestly proposed to his pastor to lead in this
worship, which he did until the last evening of his
stay; when, to the usual request of prayers, he
answered : ' General, you have often prayed with and
for me at home; be so kind as to do so to-night.'
Without a word of objection, Jackson took the sacred
volume, and read and prayed. ' And never while life
lasts,' said the pastor, ' can I forget that prayer. He
thanked God for sending me to visit the army, and
prayed that He would own and bless my ministra-
tions, both to officers and privates, so that many
souls might be saved. He gave thanks for what it
had pleased God to do for the church in Lexingtoii,

HIS FEBYOR IN PRAYEB. 199

"to which both of us belong" — specially for the re-
vivals He had mercifuUy granted to that church,
and for the many preachers of the Gospel sent forth
from it. He then prayed for the pastor, and every
member of his family, for the ruling elders, the
deacons, and the private members of the church,
such as were at home, and especially such as then
belonged to the army. He then pleaded with such
tenderness and fervor that God would baptize the
whole army with His holy spirit, that my own hard
heart was melted into penitence, gratitude, and praise.
When we had risen from our knees he stood before
his camp fire with that calm dignity of mien and
tender expression of countenance for which he was
so remarkable, and said : " Doctor, I would be glad
to learn more fully than I have yet done what your
views are of the prayer of faith ?" ' A conversation
then commenced, which was continued long after the
hour of midnight, in which, it is candidly confessed,
the pastor received more instruction than he im-
parted."

Dr. White was with him when he received his
order to go to his new command of the Valley Dis-
trict, and after reading it he handed it to his pastor,
saying: "Such a degree of public confidence and re-
spect as puts it in one's power to serve his country
should be accepted and prized ; but, apart from that,
promotion among men is only a temptation and a
trouble. Had this communication not come as an
ordeTj I should instantly have declined it, and con*
tinned in command of my brave old brigade."

To his wife he wrote on the 4th of November :

200 ^'I^ OF GENERAL TH0MA8 J. JACKSON.

"This morning I received orders to proceed to
Winchester. I am assigned to the command of the
military district of the Northern frontier, between
the Blue Bidge and the Alleghany Mountains, and I
hope to have my little dove with me this winter.
How do you like the programme ? I trust I may be
able to send for you after I get settled. I don't ex-
pect much sleep to-night, as my desire is to travel
all night, if necessary, for the purpose of reaching
Winchester before day to-morrow. My trust is in
God for the defence of that country [the Valley].
I shall have great labor to perform, but, through the
blessing of our ever-kind Heavenly Father, I trust
that He will enable me to accomplish it. Colonel
Preston and Sandy Pendleton go with me."

One great trial to him in going to this new field
of action was that he was to leave behind his " brave
old Brigade," as they were not included in the order.
An article in the Richmond Dispatch of that date
thus describes the separation :

" The writer never expects to witness a more touch-
ing scene. Drawn up in close columns stood the sub-
altern officers and men who had rushed with loud
cheers into the very thickest of the bloody 21st of
July day, and opposed with the combined courage
and discipline of veterans the advance of the con-
fident foe — the men who were all Virginia troops, and
from that West Augusta to which Washington had
looked in olden days as the last refuge of indepen-
dence. Proudly had they vindicated the historic
fame of their section at Manassas, and now they had

PARTING FROM HIS OLD BRIGADE. 201

again formed to say ^ good-by ' to their loved leader.
The glow which brightened their faces and lit up their
flashing eyes in the fire of battle was gone. They
looked like children separating from a father; and
striking indeed to those who saw those brave men in
the battle was the contrast in their bearing then and
to-day. Virginia has reason to be proud of all her
troops, but to Jackson's brigade she owes her largest
debt. The appearance of General Jackson was re-
ceived with not the slightest applause. The officers
and men he commanded knew for what purpose they
had been formed, and felt not like cheering. General
Jackson briefly and feelingly addressed his assembled
comrades as follows : ' Officers and soldiers of the
First Brigade, I am not here to make a speech, but
simply to say farewell. I first met you at Harper's
Ferry in the commencement of this war, and I can-
not take leave of you without giving expression to
my admiration of your conduct from that day to this,
whether on the march, the bivouac, the tented field,
or on the bloody plains of Manassas, where you gained
the weU-deserved reputation of having decided the
fate of the battle. Throughout the broad extent of
country over which you have marched, by your re-
spect for the rights and property of citizens, you have
shown that you were soldiers, not only to defend, but
able and willing both to defend and protect. You
have already gained a brilliant and deservedly high
reputation throughout the army and the whole Con-
federacy, and I trust, in the future, by your own
deeds on the field and by the assistance of the same
kind Providence who has heretofore favored our
cause, that you wiD gain more victories and add

202 L^P^ 0^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

additional lustre to the reputation yoa now enjoy.
You have already gained a proud position in the
history of this our second war of independence. I
shall look with great anxiety to your future move-
ments, and I trust whenever I shall hear of the First
Brigade on the field of battle it will be of still nobler
deeds achieved and higher reputation won.'

^^ Here General Jackson, rising in his stirrups, and
casting his bridle reins upon the neck of his steed,
with an emphasis which seemed to thrill throughout
the brigade, said : ' In the Army of the Shenandoah
you were the First brigade; in the Army of the
Potomac you were the First brigade ; in the Second
Corps of the army you were the First brigade ; you
are the First brigade in the aflfections of your general ;
and I hope by your future deeds and bearing that
you will be handed down to posterity as the First
brigade in this our second War of Independence.
Farewell!' For a moment there was a pause, and
then three loud and prolonged cheers rent the air.
It was followed by three and three more. Unable to
stand such evidence of affection any longer, General
Jackson waved farewell and galloped away. The
different regiments returned slowly to their quarters,
and thus ended a scene not often witnessed, and
which makes upon spectators impressions not easily
eradicated."

CHAPTER XII.

WINCHESTER AND ROMNET EXFEDITION— 1861-1862.

Wb will now follow General Jackson to Winchester,
which he made his headquarters daring the winter of
1861-1862. He had been ordered to the command of
the Valley District, without troops being assigned to
him ; having, as we have seen, to leave behind him
his chief reliance in battle, his invincible Stonewall
Brigade. He found at Winchester only a small force,
consisting of a part of three brigades of militia and a
few companies of cavalry, all of which were imper-
fectly organized and poorly equipped, and with but
little training or experience. He lost no time in call-
ing out all the remaining militia of the district, and
in a few weeks his little army was increased to about
three thousand men. To the instruction and drilling
of these new recruits be devoted himself with the
utmost energy ; and, already forming plans for a vig-
orous forward movement, he sent a petition to the
government for reinforcements. In response to this
request he had the great gratification of having his
own Stonewall Brigade sent to him, about the middle
of November, together with the Rockbridge Battery,
now commanded by Captain McLaughlin.

The attachment which General Jackson felt for the
men that had been tramed under him, and his pride
in them, were fully reciprocated ; as one of them ex-

204 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

pressed it: "Wherever the voice of our brave and
beloved general is heard, we are ready to follow. I
have read of the devotion of soldiers to their com-
manders, but history contains no parallel case of devo-
tion and affection equal to that of the Stonewall Bri-
gade for Major-General Jackson. We do not look upon
him merely as our commander — do not regard him as
a severe disciplinarian, as a politician, as a man seek-
ing popularity — but as a Christian ; a brave man who
appreciates the condition of a common soldier ; as a
fatherly protector ; as one who endures all hardships
in common with his foDowers ; who never commands
others to face danger without putting himself in the
van. The confidence and esteem of the soldiers are
always made known in exulting shouts whenever he
makes his appearance."

General Jackson was so captivated with the Valley
of Virginia, the more he saw of it in his campaigns,
that he used to say that when the war was over he
wanted to have a home in the Shenandoah Valley,
and there indulge his taste for rural pursuits, and en-
joy that domestic life which was so dear to him. The
beauty and grandeur of the scenery, with its chains
of mountains, limpid streams, fine forests, dales, and
fertile fields, were to him charming be3"ond descrip-
tion. The people of the Valley were not unworthy of
it. They enjoyed the free and easy lives natural to
those living in a land of plenty, and dispensed their
hospitalities with grace and generosity ; but it was in
adversity that their noblest qualities were illustrated.
Displaying a loyalt}'^ that death only could quench —
patience under hardship and toil ; calmness and hero-
ism amid the storms of war, which destroved and des-

LETTERS TO HIS WIFE. 205

olated their homes and country ; the first to rally to
the defence of the South, and the last to give it up —
who can ever do justice to the nobleness and magna-
nimity of those people of the Valley? But it seems
unfair not to take in the whole of Virginia in this
tribute, for it was the universal testimony of the Con-
federate soldiers, from the beginning to the end of
the war, that the Virginians, as long as they had a
crust of bread, would share it with the soldiers from
other States, and that the noble women of Virginia
never wearied in their ministrations to their necessi-
ties, especially in nursing the sick and wounded.

On the 9th of November General Jackson wrote
from Winchester to his wife :..."! trust that my
darling little wife feels more gratitude to our kind
Heavenly Father than pride or elation at my promo-
tion. Continue to pray for me, that I may live to
glorify God more and more, by serving Him and our
country. ... If you were only here, you would have
a very nice house, the description of which I will post-
pone until after answering your letters ; and if there
isn't room, it will be deferred for the next letter, as it
will take nearly a whole letter to tell you how very
nice it is. And if your husband staj^s here this win-
ter, he hopes to send one of his aides for one little
somebody. You know very well who I mean by
* Uttle somebody.'

" And now for an answer to your questions ; and
without stating your questions, I will answer them.
My command is enlarged, and embraces the Valley
District, and the troops of this district constitute the
Army of the Valley ; but my command is not alto-

206 ^^^^ 0^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

gether independent, as it is embraced in the Depart-
ment of Northern Virginia, of which Gteneral John-
ston has the command. There are three armies in this
department — one under General Beauregard, another
under General Holmes, and the third under my com-
mand. My headquarters are for the present at Win-
chester. A major-general's rank is inferior to that of
a full general. The rank of major-general does not
appear to be recognized by the laws of the Confeder-
ate States, so far as I have seen ; but there may be
some law embraced in the Army Kegulations which I
have not seen. At all events, the President appoints
them in the Provisional Army of the Confederate
States, and these appointments are only for the war.
As the regulations of the army of the Confederate
States do not require the rank of major-general, there
is no pay and no staff appointed for it; but I ex-
pect to have two aides, and at least an adjutant-
general. I am making up my staff slowly, in conse-
quence of desiring to secure a good one, and some of
them being at a distance. My promotion places me
between a brigadier and a full general ; but I don't
think that either a major-general or a full general
will be paid any more than $301 per month (the pay
of a brigadier), but as commander of an army my
additional pay is $100, making in all $401 per month.
I send you a check for $1000, which I wish invested
in Confederate bonds, as I think, as far as possible,
persons should take Confederate bonds, so as to re-
lieve the government from any pecuniary pressure.
You had better not sell your coupons from the bonds,
as I understand they are paid in gold, but let the
Confederacy keep the gold. Citizens should not re-

LOOKING AFTER HIS SERVANTS. 207

oeive a cent of gold from the government when it is
so scarce. The only objection to parting with your
coupons is, that, if they are payable in gold, it will be
taking just so much out of the Treasury, when it needs
all it has. Give my love and congratulations to Will-
iam [his brother-in-law. Major W. W. Morrison] upon
his promotion. I saw Captain Barringer at Manas-
sas, and his regiment of cavalry presented a fine ap-
pearance. I send you a letter announcing that Amy
[his faithful old servant] has gone to a better world.
The tears came to my eyes more than once while read-
ing it."

The following extracts from letters to a gentleman
in Lexington will show that he took time to attend
both to the temporal and spiritual interests of his ser-
vants, even in the midst of absorbing military occu-
pations :

" I desire, if practicable, that my boys shall have
the opportunity of attending the colored Sabbath-
school in Lexington, if it is still in operation. I am
glad to hear that they are both well, and I trust,
through the blessing of an overruling Providence, they
will serve you faithfully. It is gratifying to know that
they are in such good hands as yours. . . . Should you
not need George, please hire him to some suitable
person, with the condition that, if in or near town, he
be required to attend Sabbath-school; and wherever
he may be, let him be required to attend church at
suitable times, as I am very desirous that the spiritual
interests of my servants shall be attended to. . . .
I thank you for your kindness in taking such good

208 ^PB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

care of my lot. Any expense that you may incur in
keeping up fences, etc., please let me know, and I will
settle it. I did not expect to hear of the grass taking
so well. Please sell the wheat and deposit the pro-
ceeds in the Bank of Rockbridge."

The new and enlarged field of labor to which Gen-
eral Jackson had been promoted required some addi-
tions to his staflf, and in consequence he received many
applications from persons desiring to secure these po-
sitions either for themselves or their friends and rela-
tives. In writing upon this subject he says :

" My desire is to get a staff specially qualified for
their specific duties, and that wUl render the greatest
possible amount of service to their country."

In response to another request his reply was:
" Tour letter, and also that of my much-esteemed

friend, Hon. Mr. in behalf of Mr. , reached

me to-day; and I hasten to reply that I have no
place to which, at present, I can properly assign him.
I knew Mr. personally, and was favorably im-
pressed by him. But if a person desires oflSce in these
times, the best thing for him to do is at once to pitch
into service somewhere, and work with such energy,
zeal, and success as to impress those around him with
the conviction that such are his merits he must be
advanced, or the interest of the public service must

suffer. If Mr. should mention the subject to

you again, I think you might not only do him, but the
country, good service by reading this part of my letter
to him. My desire is to make merit the basis of my
recommendations and selections."

IN WINTER-QUARTERS AT WINCHESTER 20^

He never appointed a man to a responsible position
without knowing all about him. He woold make
the most minute inquiries. Was he intelligent ? Was
he faithful? Was he industrious? Did he get up
eanrlyf This was a great point with him. If a man
was wanting in any of these qualifications, he would
reject him, however highly recommended. No feeling
of personal partiality, no feeling of friendship, was
allowed to interfere with his duty. He felt that the
interests at stake were too great to be sacrificed ta
favoritism or friendship.

To his wife he writes from Winchester, November
16th :

" Don't you tremble when you see that you have
to read such a long letter, for I'm going to write
it just as full as it can hold. And you wish that I
could have my headquarters at Mr. Grigsby's ? I tell
you this is a much better place for my pet. You can
have plenty of society of charming ladies here, and
the Rev. Mr. Graham, our Presbyterian minister, lives
in the second house from here, his door being only
about thirty yards from our gate. This house be-
longs to Lieutenant-Colonel Moore, of the Fourth
Virginia Volunteers, and has a large yard around it.
The situation is beautiful. The building is of cottage
style and contains six rooms. I have two rooms, one
above the other. My lower room, or office, has a
matting on the floor, a large fine table, six chairs, and
a piano. The walls are papered with elegant gilt
paper. I don't remember to have ever seen more
beautiful papering, and there are five paintings hang-
ing on the walls. If I only had my little woman
14

210 LIF£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

here, the room would be set off. The upper room is
neat, but not a full story, and is, I may say, only re-
markable for being heated in a peculiar manner, by
a flue from the oflSce below. Through the blessing of
our ever-kind Heavenly Father, I am quite comfort-
able. I have much work to perform, and wouldn't
have much time to talk to my darling except at night ;
but then there is so much pleasant society among
the ladies here that you could pass your time very
agreeably. I hope to send for you just as soon as I
can do so, with the assurance that I am in winter-
quarters."

It can readily be imagined with what delight
General Jackson's domestic plans for the winter were
hailed by me, and without waiting for the promised
*'aide" to be sent on as my escort, I joined some
friends who were going to Richmond, where I spent
a few days to shop, procure a passport, and to await
an escort to Winchester. The latter was soon found
in a kind-hearted but absent-minded old clergyman,
who occupied himself so assiduously in taking care of
the little woman he had in charge that he entirely
forgot to look after her baggage (a very necessary
precaution in the upturned and disjointed condition
in which the country then was), and the result was a
lost trunk ! We travelled by stage-coach from Stras-
burg, and were told, before reaching Winchester, that
General Jackson was not there, having gone with his
command on an expedition to demolish Dam No. 5
on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. It was there-
fore with a feeling of sad disappointment and loneli-
ness that I aUghted from the stage-coach in front of

MEETING AT LAST. 211

Taylor's Hotel at midnight in the early part of dreary,
cold December, and no husband to meet me with a
glad welcome. By the dim lamp-light I noticed a
small group of soldiers standing on the sidewalk, but
they remained as silent spectators, and my escort led
me up the long stairway, doubtless feeling disap-
pointed himself that he still had me on his hands.
Just before reaching the landing I turned to look
back, for one figure among that group looked start-
lingly familiar, but as he had not come forward, I
felt that I must be mistaken. However, my back-
ward glance did reveal an oflScer muffled up in a
military overcoat, and cap drawn down over his eyes,
following us in rapid pursuit, and by the time we
were upon the top step a pair of strong arms caught
me in the rear ; the captive's head was thrown back,
and she was kissed again and again by her husband,
before she could realize the delightful surprise he had
given her. The good old minister chuckled gleefully,
and was no doubt a sincere sharer in the joy and
relief experienced by his charge. When I asked my
husband why he did not come forward when I got
out of the coach, he said he wanted to assure himself
that it was his own wife, as he didn't want to com-
mit the blunder of kissing anybody else's esposa. He
had returned but a few hours before to spend the
Sabbath in Winchester, and with the hope of my
arrival upon the midnight stage.

On Monday morning, bright and early, he sent a
number of telegrams in search of the missing trunk,
which, by the way, contained some valued treasures,
and had also, while in Eichmond, been replenished
with numerous new and pretty additions to its ward-

212 LIf£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

robe, just for that winter in Winchester ; and in those
war times of blockade and scarcity, such things were
doubly prized. But the telegraph failed to bring any
tidings of the trunk, and forthwith the aide who was
to have been my escort was despatched to Richmond
in pursuit of it. In a few days he returned with the
discouraging report that he was unsuccessful in every
effort to trace the lost piece of baggage. So, giving
it up in despair, I addressed myself to the task of
supplying the necessities of the situation. It was, of
course, impossible to replace the beautiful Richmond
outfit ; but notwithstanding this great loss, my happi-
ness was unalloyed so long as I was privileged to be
with my husband and the charming friends I found
in Winchester. However, after the lapse of three
whole weeks, what was my surprise one day to see
my long-lost trunk safely placed within my room, and
its recovery was all the more gratifying because my
good husband, during all those weeks, had not ceased
to continue the search for it, and his letters to officials
and friends had proved instrumental in finding the
trunk securely locked up in Richmond as lost bag-
gage ! It was speedily sent on by express, the con-
tents found to be intact, and were all the more
appreciated on account of the deprivation endured by
their temporary loss.

My husband was fortunate enough to engage board
for us both with the Rev. J. R. Graham, in whose
delightful Christian family we spent as happy a win-
ter as ever falls to the lot of mortals on this earth.
Winchester was rich in happy homes and pleasant
people, in social refinement and elegant hospitality ;
and the extreme kindness and appreciation shown to

THE HAPPY HOMES OF WINCHESTER. 213

General Jackson by all, bound us both to them so
closely and wannly that ever after that winter he
called the place our " war home."

Among the many excellent matrons there were
two who specially won our hearts — Mrs. Kobert Y.
Conrad and Mrs. Anne Tucker Magill. These ladies
were conspicuous for their lovely Christian characters
— ^being foremost in all good works, in the hospitals
ministering to the soldiers— and wherever they went
their hves were devoted to the relief of suffering and
to doing good. Both were descended from old Vir-
ginia families, true specimens of patrician blood.
Mrs. Conrad, even in the decline of life, retained
much beauty, of brunette style, and in manner was
a most gentle and gracious lady. Several of her
sons were gallant soldiers in the army, and her two
young daughters inherited their mother's grace and
beauty.

Mrs. Magill was of the house of John Kandolph, of
Soanoke, and a sister of Hon. John Randolph Tucker,
Virginia's honored statesman — a man known not
only in Virginia, but in all the South, as in the very
front rank of Congress and of statesmen; and in
social life a man "of infinite jest," but withal an
earnest Christian. This family seemed to possess as
an inheritance the richest vein of humor, in addition
to high mental endowments. It would be difficult
to describe the sunshine which irradiated the very
presence as well as the whole life of Mrs. Magill,
whom General Jackson designated as "inimitable."
I once heard the face of a woman, who united the
rarest beauty to the utmost sweetness of disposition,
described as "a love letter to all the world." This

214 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

would apply exactly to Mrs. Ma^ll, who was the im-
personation of love and kindness, and her natural
buoyancy of temperament was heightened by her
beautiful Christian faith and trust. In her General
Jackson found a spirit congenial to his own, and so
admired her bright and radiant disposition that he
often said to his wife that when she grew to be an
old lady, he hoped she would be "just like Mrs.
Magill !" She was the mother of my hostess and
friend, Mrs. Graham, and when I became a member
of her daughter's family she said she must adopt me
as her daughter too, and during all my sojourn she
lavished upon me the loving attentions of a mother
to a child. One day in every week our whole house-
hold dined with her, and I shall never forget those
delightful reunions. She was blest with several
daughters, whose cordial manners and sweet music
made their home charming to visitors.

I recall a very amusing scene which occurred in
Mr. Graham's parlor, showing Mrs. Magill's playful
humor. A number of visitors, including several
young officers, were spending the evening, and as
they were about breaking up, Mrs. Magill and a
young captain of artillery began to fight a most
ridiculous battle— the captain seizing a chair as his
cannon and pointing its back at Mrs. Magill. The
fun became contagious, and soon everybody in the
room took sides, drawmg out the chairs as pieces of
artillery, amid such noise and laughter that General
Jackson, who was in his room up-stairs, came down
to see what it was all about. Taking in at a glance
the broad humor of the occasion, he said, sharply :
" Captain Marye, when the engagement is over, you will

AN INTERVAL OF REST AND PEACE. 215

send in an official report." The uproar of this mirth-
provoking scene was heard far out into the street, and
would not have been suspected as coming from a
preacher's house, and yet, if I mistake not, his rever-
ence was one of the most furious combatants on the
side of his mother-in-law !

The Winchester ladies were among the most famous
of Virginia housekeepers, and Uved in a great deal of
old-fashioned elegance and profusion. The old border
town had not then changed hands with the conflicting
armies, as it was destined to do so many times during
the war. Under the rose -colored light in which I
viewed everything that winter, it seemed to me that
no people could have been more cultivated, attractive,
and noble -hearted. The memories of that sojourn
in our " war home " are among the most precious and
sacred of my whole life. It was there that I was
permitted to be the longest time with my husband
after he entered the army. He was in such fine health
and spirits that, with the exception of the Romney
expedition, there was nothing to mar the perfect
enjoyment of those three blessed months.

No sooner had General Jackson, with his gallant
Stonewall Brigade, taken up his headquarters at
Winchester, than petitions came pouring in from the
loyal people along the border counties of Virginia,
praying for protection, and this he promised them so
soon as he could get more reinforcements. In the
small body of cavalry which he found at Winchester,
a conspicuous officer was Lieutenant-Colonel Turner
Ashby, whom General Jackson placed in command of
his cavalry after consolidating all the companies into
a regiment. At the beginning of the war this young

216 I'l^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

soldier raised a company of volunteers, and during
the summer campaign he had been engaged in the
first capture of Harper's Ferry, and distinguished
himself by his gallantry and courage. He was as
brave and chivalrous a gentleman as ever drew sword,
and when he received his trust from General Jack*
son he kept it with unwearied zeal until he fell in
the cause to which he had given his life. His
brother, Captain Eichard Ashby, whom he had loved
with unusual tenderness and devotion, and who was his
equal in courage and heroism, had fallen by the hand
of the foe, and this terrible stroke inspired Turner
Ashby with a fearful resolution to avenge his broth-
er's death. With his sad, earnest gray eyes, jet-
black hair and flowing beard, his lithe and graceful
form mounted upon a superb steed, he was a typical
knight of the Golden Horseshoe, and his daring and
intrepid exploits soon shed a halo of romance around
his name, and made it one of terror to his enemies.
The sound of his well-known veil and the shout of
"Ashby!" from his men were the signal for a tre-
mendous charge that was generally victorious. He
was an invaluable auxiliary to General Jackson in
guarding the outposts of the army — his coolness, dis-
cretion, and untiring vigilance being as remarkable
as his daring and bravery.

Before proceeding further with an account of Gen-
eral Jackson's movements, a brief glance will be given
at the situation in Northwestern Virginia. The cam-
paigns of the Confederates in that region had been at-
tended with disaster almost from the beginning, which
had been a source of great grief to General Jackson ;
and his anxiety to be sent as a defender to the loved

SITUATION IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA. 217

" home of his boyhood and family " has already been
shown in his letters. General McClellan, crossing the
Ohio, had attacked a small force under General Rob-
ert S. Gamett, who was killed in one of the first en-
gagements of the war. After his death and the de-
feat of his troops, the Confederate government sent
out a larger force, under General Robert E. Lee, to
oppose Rosecrans, who had succeeded McClellan. The
high reputation of General Lee raised great hopes of
success ; but owing to the nature of the country, the
mountains, the condition of the roads, and the superior
numbers of the enemy, these hopes were doomed to
disappointment.

After this second failure of the campaign even in
hands so competent as General Lee's, that distin-
guished officer was assigned to a more important
command, and was succeeded in the Northwestern
Department by Brigadier-General Loring. Brigadier-
General Henry R. Jackson and Colonel Edward John-
son, of this command, had each gallantly repulsed the
enemy ; but their successes proved to be fruitless on
account of their forces being too small to hold any
ground they had gained ; and the enemy having occu-
pied the counties of Hardy and Hampshire, thereby
threatening the rear of the Confederates, they were
finally forced to retreat to a position on the Shenan-
doah Mountain, fortv miles to the rear.

Such was the situation in the Northwest w^hen Gen-
eral Jackson arrived at Winchester. And so anxious
was he to engage in the work of protecting his native
region that he urged the government to let him have
the troops under Generals Loring and Johnson, and, if
his request were granted, that there should be no delay

218 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

in hurrying them at once to him ; and with these rein-
forcements he proposed to undertake a winter cam-
paign. He remembered the saying of Napoleon, that
" an active winter's campaign is less liable to produce
disease than a sedentary life by camp-fires in winter-
quarters" — and seeing the imminent dangers that
were threatening the country from delay, together
with the immense resources of the Northern Army,
he was eager to do all in his power, feeling that
the issues involved justified him in making the ex-
periment. The government partly accedcKi to his
request, but did not furnish him with all the troops
he desired, and so restricted him, both in force and
authority, that it was impossible for him to accom-
pUsh all that he hoped and expected. A letter to
the War Department will show how much he had
reflected upon this subject, and what bold plans he
had formed:

" Headquarters, Valley District, Nov. 20th, 1861.

" Hon. J. P. Benjamin, Secretary of War :

" Sir, — I hope you. will pardon me for requesting
that at once all the troops under General Loring be
ordered to this point (Winchester). Deeply impressed
with the importance of absolute secrecy respecting
military operations, I have made it a point to say but
little respecting my proposed movements in the event
of sufficient reinforcements arriving; but since con-
versing with Lieutenant - Colonel J. T. L. Preston,
upon his return from General Loring, and ascertain-
ing the disposition of the general's forces, I venture
to respectfully urge that after concentrating all his
troops here, an attempt should be made to capture

PLAN OF A WINTER CAMPAIGN. 219

the Federal forces at Komney.* The attack on
Eomney would probably induce McClellan to believe
that the Army of the Potomac had been so weakened
as to justify him in making an advance on Centre-
ville; but should this not induce him to advance, I
do not believe anything will during the present
winter. Should the Army of the Potomac be at-
tacked, I would be at once prepared to reinforce it
with my present volunteer force, increased by General
Loring's. After repulsing the enemy at Manassas,
let the troops that marched on Romney return to
the Valley and move rapidly westward to the waters
of the Monongahela and Little Kanawha. Should
General Kelly be defeated, and especially should he
be captured, I believe that by a judicious disposition
of the militia, a few cavalry, and a small number of
field -pieces, no additional forces would be required
for some time in this district. I deem it of great im-
portance that Northwestern Virginia be occupied by
Confederate troops this winter. At present it is to
be presumed that the enemy are not expecting an
attack there, and the resources of that region neces-
sary for the subsistence of our troops are in greater
abundance than in almost any other season of the
year. Postpone the occupation of that section until
spring, and we may expect to find the enemy pre-
pared for us, and the resources to which I have
referred greatly exhausted. I know that what I
have proposed will be an arduous undertaking, and
cannot be accomplished without the sacrifice of much
personal comfort ; but I feel that the troops will be

* Oeneral Kelly was then at Romney with a force reputed to
be five thousand men, to cover repairs on the Baltimore and
Ohio Railroad.

220 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

prepared to make this sacrifice when animated by
the prospect of important results to our cause and
distinction to themselves. It may be urged against
this plan that the enemy will advance on Staunton
and Huntersville. I am well satisfied that such a step
would but make their own destruction more certain.
Again, it may be said^that General Floyd will be cut
off. To avoid this, if necessary, the general has only
to fall back towards the Virginia and Tennessee Kail-
road. When Northwestern Virginia is occupied in
force, the Kanawha Valley, unless it be the lower
part of it, must be evacuated by the Federal forces,
or otherwise their safety will be endangered by forc-
ing a column across the Little Kanawha, between
them and the Ohio River. Admitting that the season
is too far advanced, or that from other causes all
cannot be accomplished that has been named, yet
through the blessing of God, who has thus far so
wonderfully prospered our cause, much more may be
expected from General Loring's troops according to
this programme than can be expected from them
where they are. If you decide to order them here, I
trust that, for the purpose of saving time, all the
infantry, cavalry, and artillery will be directed to
move immediately upon the reception of the order.
The enemy, about five thousand strong, have been for
some time slightly fortifying at Romney, and have
completed their telegraph from that place to Green
Spring Depot. Their forces at and near Williams-
port are estimated as high as five thousand, but as
yet I have no reliable information of their strength
beyond the Potomac.

" Your most obedient servant,

" T. J. Jackson, Major-General, P. A. C. S."

GENERAL LEE DOUBTS THE WISDOM OF IT. 221

General Johnston endorsed this letter as follows:

" Centreville, Nov. 2l8t.

" Respectf uUy forwarded. I submit that the troops
under General Loring might render valuable services
by taking the field with General Jackson, instead of
going into winter^uarters, as now proposed.

" J. E. Johnston, General."

The Secretary of War, in sending General Jackson's
letter to General Loring, and expressing concurrence
in the opinion that it would be the destruction of the
enemy for him to advance at that season upon Mon-
terey and Staunton, said :

" In opposition to all this, we have the views of
General Lee and yourself impliedly given in the
recommendation to guard the passes through the
winter. We do not desire, under such a state of
things, to direct the movement above described, with-
out leaving you a discretion, and the President wishes
you to exercise that discretion. If upon full con-
sideration you think the proposed movement objec-
tionable and too hazardous, you will decline to make
it, and so inform the department. If, on the contrary,
you approve it, then proceed to execute it as promptly
and secretly as possible, disguising your purpose as
well as you can, and forwarding to me by express an
explanation of your proposed action to be conmiuni-
cated to General Jackson."

In the meantime, while awaiting the result of this
decision. General Jackson determined not to remain

222 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

inactive, and taking the small force then under his
command, early in December, he went to work to
destroy Dam No. 5 on the Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal, which ran down the Potomac from Cumber-
land, Maryland, to Washington. This canal was of
great importance to the enemy in affording them the
means of transporting their supplies and troops,
especially since the railroad bridge at Harper's Ferry
had been burned. As General Banks, with a large
force, was ' upon the other side of the Potomac,
General Jackson despatched his militia to make a
feint upon Williamsport, while he, with the rest of
his troops, repaired to the dam, the destruction of
which was accomplished, but at the expense of great
personal discomfort and suffering to his men. How-
ever, they proved themselves true soldiers — many of
them volunteering to enter the chill waters of the
Potomac, and working like beavers for four cold winter
days and still colder nights, waist-deep in water, with
the Federal cannon-balls booming over their heads ;
but only one poor fellow lost his life from the guns
of the enemy. Captain HoUiday (afterwards an hon-
ored Governor of Virginia), of the Thirty-third Regi-
ment, and Captain Robinson, of the Twenty-seventh
(all Virginia troops), volunteered, with the companies,
to go into the river and cut out the cribs. This was
done under fire from the Maryland bank.

General Loring decided to join General Jackson,
and with his troops, numbering about six thousand
men, arrived in Winchester the latter part of December.
The government did not send Colonel Edward John-
son's troops also, as Jackson had requested, and directed
Loring to retain command of his own forces, but to act

NEW YEAR'S DAY, 1862. 223

under orders from Jackson. The enemy having pos-
session of the towns of Bath, Hancock, and Eomney,
which gave them control of the fertile valley of the
south branch of the Potomac, Jackson's plan was to
move swiftly upon the first two named villages, and
then to attack Romney, which was their strongest
point.

The morning of New Year's Day of 1862 dawned
upon Winchester with all the glory and mildness of a
spring day, and, the roads being in good condition,
General Jackson started out with his little army of
about eight thousand five hundred men, five battal-
ions, and a few companies of cavalry, all moving for-
ward with alacrity and fine spirits. But the weather,
which on the first day had been so propitious, on the
second " suddenly changed to be very severe, and the
snow and sleet made the roads almost impassable for
loaded wagons, unless the teams were specially shod
for the purpose." The sufferings of the troops were
terrible, as the frozen state of the roads rendered it
impossible for the wagons to come up in time, and
for several nights the soldiers bivouacked under the
cold winter sky without tents or blankets. All these
hardships and privations Jackson shared with the
troops, and tried to encourage them in patient en-
durance, and inspire them to press on. His own
command bore up with great fortitude and without
murmuring, but the adverse weather had the efifect
of greatly intensifying the discontent and disgust of
Loring and his men, who had from the first been dis-
inclined to a winter campaign ; and an unfortunate
jealousy springing up between the two commands,
caused an immense amount of trouble and disappoint-

224 I'l^ 0^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ment to Jackson, and frustrated much of the sacoess
for which he had reason to hope. Many of the
malcontents left their posts on the plea of sickness
and returned to Winchester, and taunted ^^ Jackson's
pet lambs,'' as they called the Stonewall Brigade, for
their foolhardiness in following a leader whom they
did not hesitate to denounce as rash and severe, in
dragging men through a winter campaign in such
arctic weather. Nevertheless, this much-abused man
and his brave followers pressed on, and at the end
of a three days' hard march they reached Bath, but
found the enemy had fled without stopping to make
any resistance, leaving behind them all their stores
and provisions. The Confederates pursued the fugi-
tives, and soon overtook them near Hancock, and
drove them into that village. Colonel Ashby was
sent on the morning of the 5th to summon the place
to surrender, and was led blindfold through the streets
into the presence of the Federal commander. His
name had so often caused dismay and confusion
among their troops that their curiosity was greatly
aroused at a sight of the dashing young cavalryman,
and as they thronged around him he heard whispers
of " That is the famous Ashby." The Federal com-
mander refused to surrender, whereupon General
Jackson cannonaded the town, and speedily drove the
Federal forces out of it. It was his design to cross
the Potomac and enter Hancock, but he says in his re-
port : '' On the 6th the enemy were reinforced to such
an extent as to induce me to believe that my object
could not be accomplished without a sacrifice of life^
which I felt unwilling to make, as Romney, the great
object of the expedition, might require for its recovery,

MOVING ON ROMNEY. 225

and especially for the csapture of the troops in and near
there, all the force at my disposal. ... As the United
States troops had repeatedly shelled Shepherdstown,
and had even done so while there were no troops in
the place, and it was not used as a means of defence,
I determined to intimate to the enemy that such out-
rages must not be repeated, and directed a few rounds
from McLaughlin's battery to be fired at Hancock.
The invader having been defeated and driven across
the Potomac, the telegraph line broken at several
points, and the railroad bridge across Great Cacapon
destroyed, thus throwing material obstacles in the
way, not only in transmitting intelligence from Rom-
ney to Hancock, but also of receiving reinforcements
from the east, arrangements were made for moving on
Romney.

" The next day, the 7th, the command was put in
motion. . . . Before night a despatch reached me giv-
ing intelligence of our disaster that morning at Hang-
ing Rock, where the enemy not only defeated our
militia under Colonel Monroe, but captured two guns.
. . . The enemy evacuated Romney on the 10th, and
the town was soon occupied by Sheetz's and Shand's
companies of cavalry, which were subsequently fol-
lowed by other troops. The Federal forces, abandon-
ing a large number of tents and other public property,
which fell into our possession, retreated to a point
between the railroad bridge across Patterson's Creek
and the northwestern branch of the Potomac, which
was as far as they could retire without endangering
the safety of the two bridges. Our loss in the ex-
pedition in killed was four ; in wounded, twenty-eight.
The Federal loss in killed and wounded not ascer-
15

226 LI^B OF GENERAL TUOMAS J. JACKSON.

tained. Sixteen of them were captured. After the
arrival in Romney of General Loring's leading bri-
gade, under Colonel Taliaferro, I designed moving
with it, Gamett's brigade, and other forces on an im-
portant expedition against the enemy, but such was
the extent of demoralization in the first-named bri-
gade as to render the abandonment of that enterprise
necessary. BeUeving it imprudent to attempt further
movements with Loring^s command against the Fed-
erals, I determined to put it in winter-quarters in the
vicinity of Romney."

On hearing of the approach of Jackson, even when
they were over a day's march distant, the Federals,
though superior in numbers, fled from Romney in such
haste that they left their tents standing, and much of
their equipage behind them. In their track of retreat
they left ruin and desolation everywhere. The dwell-
ings of the rich and poor alike, the factories, mills,
and churches were burned or wantonly desecrated ;
widows and orphans driven from their homes, and the
torch applied to them ; and even the domestic ani-
mals— everything that could be useful to man — were
either taken away or shot down. For fifteen miles it
was one continuous scene of smoking ruins and dev-
astation. In his official report General Jackson thus
alludes to these atrocities :

" I do not feel at liberty to close this report with-
out alluding to the conduct of the reprobate Federal
commanders, who, in Hampshire County, have not
only burned valuable mill property, but also many
private houses. The track from Romney to Hanging

FRUITS OF THE EXPEDITION. 227

Bock, a distance of fifteen miles, was one of desola-
tion. The number of dead animals lying along the
roadside, where they had been shot by the enemy, exem-
plified the spirit of that part of the Northern army."

General Jackson^s estimate of the value of the
fruits of this expedition will be shown by a quota-
tion from his report :

" On January 2d there was not, from the informa-
tion I could gather, a single loyal man in Morgan
County who could remain at home with safety.
Within less than four days the enemy had been de-
feated, their baggage captured ; and by teaching the
Federal authorities a lesson, that a town claiming
allegiance to the United States lay under our guns;
Shepherdstowh protected, which had repeatedly be-
fore, though not since, been shelled ; the railroad com-
munication with Hancock broken ; all that portion of
the county east of the Great Cacapon recovered ;
Romney and a large part of Hampshire County evac-
uated by the enemy without the firing of a gun ; the
enemy had fled from the western part of Hardy, had
been forced from the offensive to the defensive —
under these circumstances, judge what must have
been my astonishment at receiving from the Secre-
tary of War the following despatch: 'Our news in-
dicates that a movement is being made to cut off
General Loring's command. Order him back to
Winchester immediately.' "

From the report of General Loring and his com-
mand, it seems that the military circles of the Con-
federacy at Kichmond had been made to believe that

228 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

they were the victims of a crazy leader, whose mad
career must be stopped at once for the safety of Lor-
ing and his men, if not for the country. General
Jackson, with the Stonewall Brigade, had returned to
Winchester, leaving Loring's force, which was the
larger part of his command, in winter-quarters near
Romney, with the confident expectation that, since he
had cleared out all that region of the enemy, Loring
would be safe, and able to defend himself against any
future attack, and, besides, he was near enough to go to
him in case of danger. It can readily be seen, there-
fore, how inexplicable to him seemed this order from
the War Department. In his report he continues :

" I promptly complied with the order, but in do-
ing so forwarded to the Secretary of War my con-
ditional resignation. Up to that time, God, who has
so wonderfully blessed us during the war, had given
great success to the eCForts for protecting loyal citizens
in their rights, and in recovering and holding territory
in this district which had been overrun by the enemy.
It is true that our success caused much exposure and
suffering to the command. Several nights the troops
had to bivouac, notwithstanding the inclemency of the
weather, their tents not coming up on account of the
bad condition of the roads ; yet every command, except
part of General Loring's, bore up under these hardships
with the fortitude becoming patriotic soldiers.

..." General Loring's evacuation of Romney and
return to the vicinity of Winchester was the beginning
of disasters. The enemy, who up to that time had been
acting on the defensive, suddenly changed to the oflfen-
sive and advanced on Romney ; next, drove our troops

JACKSON RESTGKS HIS COMMAND. 229

out of Moorefield on the 12th of this month [Febru-
ary] ; two days after forced onr militia from Bloomery
Pass, thus coming to within twenty-one miles of Win-
chester, and capturing a number of prisoners."

Perhaps the honorable Secretary of War was, in
his turn, somewhat surprised at receiving the follow-
ing reply to his peremptory order to General Jackson :

" Hbadquabters, Valley District, Jan. Slst, 1862.

" Hon. J. P. Benjamin :

" SiK, — Your order requiring me to direct General
Loring to return with his command to Winchester
has been received and promptly complied with. With
such interference in my command, I cannot expect to
be of much service in the field, and I accordingly re-
spectf.ully request to be ordered to report for duty to
the Superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute
at Lexington, as has been done in the case of other
professors. Should this application not be granted, I
respectfully request that the President will accept my
resignation from the army.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

" T. J. Jackson,
" Major-General, P. A. C. S."

This letter was, of course, submitted to General
Johnston, the chief commander of the department,
who, in forwarding it, wrote upon it this endorsement :

" Headquarters, Centreville, Feb. 7th, 1862.

" Respectfully forwarded with great regret. I don't
know how the loss of this officer can be supplied.
General officers are much wanted in this department.

" J. E. Johnston, General."

230 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

General Johnston also wrote the following letter to
General Jackson :

** February 3d. .

" Major-General Jackson :

^' My dear Friend, — I have just read, and with pro-
found regret, your letter of January 31st to the Secre-
tary of War asking to be relieved from your present
command, either by an order to the Virginia Military
Institute or the acceptance of your resignation. Let
me beg you to reconsider this matter. Under ordi-
nary circumstances, a due sense of one's own dignity,
as well as care for professional character and official
rights, would demand such a course as yours ; but the
character of this war, the great energy exhibited by
the government of the United States, the danger in
which our very existence as an independent people
lies, require sacrifices from us all who have been edu-
cated as soldiers. I receive my information of the
order of which you have such cause to complain from
your letter. Is not that as great an official wrong to
me as the order itself is to you ? Let us dispassion-
ately reason with the government on this subject of
command, and if we fail to influence its practice, then
ask to be relieved from positions the authority of
which is exercised by the War Department while the
responsibilities are left to us. I have taken the liber-
ty to detain your letter to make this appeal to your
patriotism, not merely from warm feelings of personal
regard, but from the official opinion which makes me
regard you as necessary to the service of the country
in your present position.

" Very truly yours,

" J. E. Johnston."

REASONS FOR DISSATISFACTION. 231

Oeneral Jackson also addressed the following note
to General Johnston's adjutant-general :

" Headquarters, Valley District, Feb. Ist, 1862.

'* Major Thomas G. Rhett, Assistant Adjutant-General :
" Major, — The Secretary of War stated, in the order
requiring General Loring's command to fall back to
this place immediately, that he had been informed that
the command was in danger of being cut off. Such
danger, I am well satisfied, does not exist, nor did it,
in my opinion, exist at the time the order was given,
and I therefore respectfully recommend that the order
be countermanded, and that General Loring be re-
quired to return with his command to the vicinity of
Romney.

" Respectfully,

" T. J. Jackson,
" Major-General, P. A. 0. S., commanding."

" Endorsement :

" Centreville, Feb. 6tb, 1862.

"Respectfully referred to the Secretary of War,
whose orders I cannot countermand.

" J. E. Johnston, General."

In his late expedition, General Jackson had received
but little aid from the government. The disaffection
of General Loring and his men had been enough to dis-
courage and seriously affect the success of the enter-
prise. Jackson had endured with his command all the
rigors and hardships of an exceptionally severe winter.
And yet, in the face of all these obstacles, he had with
his heroic little band succeeded in driving the enemy

232 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

from every point he had attacked, and had recovered
his entire district. When it was urged upon him that
he should be willing to make sacrifices to serve his
country in her time of sore need, he exclaimed : " Sac-
rifices ! have I not made them ? What is my life here
but a daily sacrifice ? Nor shall I ever withhold sacri-
fices for my country, where they avail anything. I
intend to serve her anywhere, in any way in which I
am permitted to do it with effect, even if it be as a
private soldier. But if this method of making war is
to prevail, which they seek to establish in my case, the
country is ruined. My duty to her requires that I
shall utter my protest against it in the most energetic
form in my power, and that is to resign." He also
wrote to Governor Letcher, requesting him to use his
influence in having him ordered back to the Institute,
saying the order from the War Department "was
given without consulting me, and is abandoning to the
enemy what has cost much preparation, expense, and
exposure to secure, and is in direct conflict with my
military plans, and implies a want of confidence in my
capacity to judge when General Loring's troops should
fall back, and is an attempt to control military opera-
tions in detail from the Secretary's desk at a distance.
I have, for the reasons set forth in the accompanying
paper, requested to be ordered back to the Institute,
and if this is denied me, then to have my resignation
accepted. I ask as a special favor that you will have
me ordered back to the Institute. As a single order
like that of the Secretary's may destroy the entire
fruits of a campaign, I cannot reasonably expect, if
my operations are thus to be interfered with, to be of
much service in the field. A sense of duty brought

"NO, NO: I MUST RESIGN !" 233

me into the field, and has thus far kept me. It now
appears to be my duty to return to the Institute, and
I hope that you will leave no stone unturned to get
me there. If I ever acquired, through the blessing of
Providence, any influence over troops, this undoing my
work by the Secretary may greatly diminish that in-
fluence. I regard the recent expedition as a great suc-
cess. ... I desire to say nothing against the Secre-
tary of War. I take it for granted that he has done
what'he believes to be best, but I regard such a policy
as ruinous.

" Very truly your friend,

" T. J. Jackson."

A gentleman who had an interview with him at
this critical moment thus gives the result: "Never
can I forget an interview held with him the night
that he forwarded his resignation. When urged to
withhold it, upon the ground that the country could
not spare his services — that his name was alike a ter-
ror to our enemies and a tower of strength to our
cause, inspiring confidence and arousing enthusiasm,
even among the doubtful and wavering — 'No, no,'
said he, ' you greatly overestimate my capacity for use-
fulness. A better man will soon be sent to take my
place. The government have no confidence in my
capacity, or they would not thus countermand my
orders, and throw away the fruits of victory that have
been secured at such a sacrifice of the comfort of my
noble troops in their hurried march through the storm
of snow and sleet. No, sir, I must resign, and give
my place to some one in whom they have more confi-
dence.' "

234 LI^^£ ^P GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

When urged that perhaps the government had been
misinformed as to the facts, he responded :

" Certainly they have ; but they must be taught not
to act so hastily without a full knowledge of the facts.
I can teach them this lesson now by my resignation,
and the country will be no loser by it. If I fail to do
so, an irreparable loss may hereafter be sustained,
when the lesson might have to be taught by a Lee or
Johnston." This was nearly his exact language, as we
well remember it. But little he knew that when his
services were lost to the cause — or, as General Lee
afterwards expressed it, that he had lost his right arm
— the whole army would be paralyzed, and the cause
itself lost. But our far-seeing and sagacious governor
knew the worth of Stonewall Jackson to the armv,
and wrote at once, begging him to reconsider his de-
cision, and sent one of his most influential officials to
remonstrate with him in person against his leaving the
army. The same protests poured in from other quar-
ters, from persons of all grades, both in public and
private life, among them some aged ministers of the
Gospel — all imploring him to withdraw his resignation.
In reply to a second letter from Governor Letcher, he
wrote :

'* WiNcnESTER, Feb. 6th, 1862.

" His Excellency John Letcher, Governor of Virginia :
" Governor, — Your letter of the 4th instant was re-
ceived this morning. If my retiring from the army
would produce that effect upon our country which you
have named in your letter, I, of course, would not de-
sire to leave the service ; and if, upon the receipt of this
note, your opinion remains unchanged, you are author-
ized to withdraw my resignation, unless the Secretary

WITHDRAWS HIS RESIGNATION. 235

of War desires that it should be accepted. My reasons
for resigning were set forth in my letter of the 31st
ultimo, and my views remain unchanged ; and if the
Secretary persists in the ruinous policy complained of,
I feel that no officer can serve his country better than
by making his strongest possible protest against it,
which, in my opinion, is done by tendering his resigna-
tion, rather than be a wilful instrument in prosecuting
the war upon a ruinous principle. I am much obliged
to you for requesting that I should be ordered to the
Institute.

" Very truly your friend,

" T. J. Jackson."

Upon receiving assurances from the government
that 1%, did not intend to interfere with his military
plans. Governor Letcher deemed it best to withdraw
his resignation in the name of Virginia ; and to this
he yielded with true soldierly obedience, and it was
thus that Stonewall Jackson was preserved to the
army.

CHAPTER XIII.

KERNSTOWN, McDOWELL, AND WINCHESTER— 1 862.

After all the hardships and trials of the late ex-
pedition, General Jackson returned from Romney to
Winchester so full of animation and high spirits, gal-
loping along on his little sorrel with such speed through
the mud and slush, that one of his elder staff-officers
laughingly said to him : " Well, general, / am not so
anxious to see Mrs. Jackson as to break my neck keep-
ing up with you, and with your permission I shall fall
back and take it more leisurely." As they were not
in pursuit of the enemy, the request was granted, and
this officer, with some others, did not reach Winches-
ter until the day following, while General Jackson,
with the younger members of the staff, rode the whole
forty miles in one short winter day. After going to
a hotel and divesting himself of the mud which had
bespattered him in his rapid ride, and making as per-
fect a toilet as possible, he rang the door-bell of Mr.
Graham, who admitted him, and in another moment
he came bounding into the sitting-room as joyous and
fresh as a schoolboy, to give his wife a surprise, for
he had not intimated when he would return. As soon
as the first glad greetings were over, before taking his
seat, wnth a face all aglow with delight, he glanced
around the room, and was so impressed with the cosy
and cheerful aspect of Mr. Graham's fireside, as we all

JOYFUL RETURN HOME. 237

sat round it that winter evening, that he exclaimed :
" Oh ! this is the very essence of comfort /" The bright
picture of home-life was exceedingly refreshing to him
after all the discomfort and exposure through which
he had passed since he left us three weeks before. He
never looked better and more radiant than on that
evening. Mr. Graham had an interesting little family
of children, who afforded him much pleasure, and it
was the special privilege of one of the little boys to
ride down-stairs in the mornings upon the back of the
general, the performance provoking as much glee on
his part as it did on that of the child.^

In making the trip from Romney, he was more than
ever charmed with " Little Sorrel," whose powers of
endurance proved quite remarkable. After bearing
him along with so much fleetness and comfort, he said
the horse seemed almost as fresh and unwearied at the
end of the journey as at the beginning.

When the Loring troubles came, and General Jack-
son thought he might be ordered back to the Institute,
the anticipation of returning home gave him unbound-
ed happiness — the only consideration marring it being
a feeling that his paramount duty was to be in: the
field when his country was in danger. Duty alone con-
strained him to forego the happiness and comforts of his
beloved home for the daily hardships of a soldier's life.

For the next month after his return he remained
quietly in Winchester. After Loring's evacuation of
Romney the Federal troops again took possession, and

* It is an interesting item of the family liistory that the little
youngster who was thus honored, when he grew to manhood, be-
came a minister of the Gospel, and, as the Rev. Alfred T. Graham,
was married to Miss Isabel Irwin, a niece of Mrs. Jackson.

238 LIPE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

spread in sach numbers along the border as to threat-
en Winchester on every side ; and the difficulties of
General Jackson's position were gredtly enhanced by
a diminution of his small army, Loring and all his
troops that were not Virginians having been or-
dered elsewhere ; and in order to induce re-enlist-
ment, furloughs had been freely granted ; so that,
at the time of the most imminent danger, General
Jackson's force was reduced to about four thousand
effective men, exclusive of miUtia. He informed the
commander-in-chief that his position required at least
nine thousand men for its defence, threatened as it was
by Banks on one side and Lander on the other. But as
Johnston was himself preparing to retreat before the
advance of McClellan, he had no troops to spare. To
a friend in the Confederate Congress Jackson wrote :

"What I desire is, to hold the country as far as
practicable until we are in a condition to advance;
and then, with God's blessing, let us make thorough
work of it. But let us start right. ... In regard to
your question as to how many troops I need, you will
probably be able to form some idea when I tell you
that Banks, who commands about thirty-five thousand,
has his headquarters in Charleston, ^nd that Kelly,
who has succeeded Lander, has probably eleven thou-
sand, with his headquarters near Paw -Paw. Thus
you see two generals, whose united force is near forty-
six thousand troops, already organized for three years
or the war, opposed to our little force here; but I
do not feel discouraged. Let me have what force
you can. McClellan, as I learn, was at Charleston on
Friday last; there may be something significant in

PREPARING TO LKAVE WINCHESTER. 239

this. You observe, then, the impossibility of saying
how many troops I shall require, since it is impossible
for me to know how many will invade us. I am de-
lighted to hear you say Virginia is resolved to conse-
crate all her resources, if necessary, to the defence of
herself. Now we may look for war in earnest. You
ask me for a letter respecting the Valley. I am well
satisfied that you can say much more about it than I
can, and in much more forcible terms. I have only to
say this, that if this valley is lost, Virginia is lost.
" Very truly your friend, T. J. Jackson."

Jackson meanwhile remained at Winchester, watch-
ing closely the advance of Banks, and doing what was
possible to impede it. General Johnston thus describes
the duty assigned to him : " After it had become evi-
dent that the Valley was to be invaded by an army
too strong to be encountered by Jackson's division,
that officer was instructed to endeavor to employ the
invaders in the Valley, but without exposing himself
to the danger of defeat, by keeping so near the enemy
as to keep him from making any considerable detach-
ment to reinforce McClellan, but not so near that he
might be compelled to fight." General Jackson sent
his stores, baggage, and the sick to the rear, but con-
tinued to hold his position to the last moment. Early
in March, when he found that he would be compelled
to retire from Winchester, although his heart was
yearning to stay and defend the place, he thought it
was no longer safe for me to remain, and I was sent
away on the same train which conveyed the sick to a
place of safety. In the midst of all this terrible men-
tal strain my husband maintained the most perfect

240 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

self-control and cheerfulness, throwing oflf (when in
my presence at least) the heavy burden under which
he labored — talking as little as possible about military
matters, and showing much of his old home playful-
ness and abandon. He told me that when his ^^ sun-
shine " was gone out of the room which had been to
us the holy of holies on earth that winter, he never
wanted to enter it again; and yet to the last mo-
ment he lingered at the door of the coach in which I
left with bright smiles, and not a cloud upon his peace-
ful brow. For thirteen months we did not meet again.

Never, as long as life lasts, can I forget the harrow-
ing scenes of that day upon which I left Winchester.
Many of the poor soldiers looked as if they were almost
at the point of death. Some were so helpless that they
had to be carried on the backs of their comrades — their
pale, emaciated, and despairing faces and moans of suf-
fering being pitiful and heart-moving beyond descrip-
tion. At Manassas there was a delay of an hour or
more in transferring them to another train, and as I
sat and watched that procession of concentrated mis-
ery, with my own heart so heavy and anxious, I was
never so impressed with the horrors of war.

No ray of sunshine lightened the gloom. As I jour-
neyed sadly along, my attention was attracted by the
conversation of a lady and gentleman who sat imme-
diately in front of me. He was a Confederate officer,
and she w- as plying him with questions about the army,
its officers, etc. After freely discussing Lee, Johnston,
and others, the lady asked : " And what do you think
of Old Stonewall f^ I almost held my breath, but
could not have been more gratified when the answer
came, for it was this : " I have the most implwit confr

PROPOSES A NIGHT ATTACK. 241

dence in him^ madam. At first I did not know what
to think of his bold and aggressive mode of warfare ;
but since I know the man, and have witnessed his abil-
ity and patriotic devotion, / would follow hvm amy-
wherer How my heart warmed to that stranger,
who little knew that General Jackson's wife was a
listener to a commendation which could not have been
more satisfactory if it had been given for her benefit!
This was to me the brightest gleam of sunlight on that
dreary journey.

To show General Jackson's extreme reluctance to
retreat from the loyal old town of Winchester without
striking a blow in its defence, he conceived the bold
idea of becoming the attacking party himself, and to
this end he called a council of his chief ofScers, and
proposed to them a night attack upon Banks. In the
meantime, while they were assembling, he went, all
booted and spurred, to make a hasty call on his friend
Mr. Graham, whose family he found oppressed with
the gloom which overspread the whole town. He was
so buoyant and hopeful himself that their drooping
spirits were revived, and after engaging with them
in family worship he returned to meet his council of
war. However, his proposition was not approved, and
he hurried back to correct the impression he had made
upon his friends by his cheering words and sanguine
predictions; his countenance and bearing, which at
that time beamed with hope and the fire of patriotic
devotion, were now changed to deepest perplexity and
depression. Still, he was so loath to give up his coveted
scheme that he said, with slow and desperate earnest-
ness: "But — let me think — can I not yet carry my
plan into execution ?" As he uttered these words he
16

242 LIF£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

grasped the hilt of his sword, raised his face with a
look of determination, and the light of battle glowed
in his eyes ; but the next moment he dropped his head,
and, releasing his sword, said : ^^ No ; I must not do it ;
it may cost the lives of too many brave men. I must
retreat, and wait for a better time."

On the 7th of March General Banks approached
within four miles of Winchester, and General Jackson
drew up his little force in line of battle to meet him ;
but the former withdrew without attacking. The ac-
tivity of Ashby and the boldness with which Jackson
maintained his position impressed his adversary with
the conviction that the Confederate force was much
larger than it was in reality. Banks advanced in a
cautious and wary manner, refusing to attack, but
pushing forward his left wing so as to threaten Jack-
son's flank and rear. By the 11th of March this move-
ment had gone so far that it was no longer safe to hold
Winchester. Jackson remained under arms all day,
hoping for an attack in front, but none was made, and
late in the afternoon his little army withdrew from the
town, and it was occupied by the Federals the next day,
March 12th. The Confederates continued to retreat
slowly to Woodstock and Mount Jackson, forty miles in
rear of Winchester, and Shields's division was thrown
forward in pursuit to Strasburg on the 17th.

To his wife General Jackson wrote on the 10th of
March from Winchester :

" My darling, you made a timely retreat from here,
for on Friday the Yankees came within five miles of
this place. Ashby skirmished for some time with
them, and after they fell back he followed them until

GENERAL BANKS IN WINCHESTER. 243

they halted near Bunker Hill, which is twelve miles
from here, where they are at present. The troops
are in excellent spirits. . . . How God does bless us
wherever we are ! [This was in reference to the kind-
ness we had received in Winchester.] I am very
thankful for the measure of health with which He
blesses me. I do not remember having been in such
good health for years. . . . My heart is just overflow-
ing with love for my little darling wife."

"Woodstock, March 17th, 1862.

" The Federals have possession of Winchester. They
advanced upon the town the Friday after you left,
but Ashby, aided by a kind Providence, drove them
back. I had the other troops under arras, and marched
to meet the enemy, but they did not come nearer than
about five miles of the town, and fell back to Bunker
Hill. On last Tuesday they advanced again, and
again our troops were under arms to meet them, but
after coming within four miles of the town they
halted for the night. I was in hopes that they would
advance on me during the evening, as I felt that God
would give us the victory ; but as they halted for the
night, and I knew they could have large reinforce-
ments by morning, I determined to fall back, and sent
my troops back the same night to their wagons in
rear of Winchester, and the next morning moved still
farther to the rear."

The retirement of Jackson and the unopposed occu-
pation of the lower valley by Banks relieved McClel-
lan of all fears in that direction ; and in pursuance of
President Lincoln's requirement, Banks was ordered

244 ^^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

to intrench himself in the vicinity of Manassas, in or-
der to guard the approaches to Washington. Shields's
division was accordingly recalled from Strasburg, and
the Federals began their movement towards Manassas
on the 20th of March. On the evening of the 21st
Ashby reported that the enemy had evacuated Stras-
burg. Jackson, divining that this meant a withdrawal
towards Washington, at once ordered pursuit with
all his available force. The whole of his little army
reached Strasburg on the afternoon of the 22d, the
greater part after a march of twenty-two miles. Mean-
time the indefatigable Ashby was following close be-
hind the retreating enemy, and late in the afternoon
of the 22d, as Jackson was entering Strasburg, Ashby
was attacking the Federal pickets one mile south of
Winchester. After the skirmish, Ashby camped for
the night at Kemstown, three miles south of Win-
chester. General Shields, who commanded the troops
Ashby had attacked, and who was himself wounded
in the skirmish, had displayed but a small part of his
force; and this fact, combined with information ob-
tained within the Federal lines, misled the Confeder-
ates. The reports brought out led Ashby to believe
that all but one brigade had gone, and that it expected
to leave for Harper's Ferry the next day ; but the fact
was that Shields's division of three brigades still re-
mained. This information caused Jackson to push on
with all haste the next morning. At daylight he sent
three companies of infantry to reinforce Ashby, and
followed with his whole force. After a march of four-
teen miles he reached Kemstown at 2 p.m. Shields
had made his disposition to meet attack, and Ashby
kept up an active skirmish with the advance of

BATTLE OF KERNSTOWN. 245

Shields's force during the forenoon. But though thus
making ready, the Federal generals did not expect an
attack in earnest, believing that Jackson could not be
tempted to hazard himself so far from his main sup-
port. When he reached Kemstown his troops were
very weary. Three fourths of them had marched
thirty-six miles since the preceding morning. He
therefore gave directions for bivouacking, and says in
his report : " Though it was very desirable to prevent
the enemy from leaving the Valley, yet I deemed it
best not to attack until morning. But subsequently
ascertaining that the Federals had a position from
which our forces could be seen, I concluded that it
would be dangerous to postpone the attack until the
next day, as reinforcements might be brought up dur-
ing the night." Jackson, therefore, led his men to the
attack. His plan was to gain the ridge upon which
the Federal right flank rested, turn that flank, and get
command of the road from Kemstown to Winchester
in the rear. He gained the top of the ridge, but
Shields held him in check until he could hurry other
troops to that flank, when Jackson in turn became
the attacked party. For three hours of this Sunday
afternoon the sanguinary and stubborn contest con-
tinued. But bravely as the Confederates fought, they
were finally overcome by the superior numbers of the
enemy, and were compelled to retreat. Weary and
dispirited was the little array which had marched four-
teen miles in the morning to attack a force more than
double its own, and which had for three hours wrestled
for victory in so vigorous a manner as to astonish and
deceive the enemy. Baffled and overpowered, it slow-
ly retraced its path for six miles more, and sank to

246 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

rest. In the fence corners, under the trees, and around
the wagons, the soldiers threw themselves down, many
too tired to eat, and forgot in slumber the toils, dan-
gers, and disappointments of the day. Jackson shared
the open-air bivouac with his men. His faithful com-
missary, Major Hawks, made a roaring fire, and wa^
making a bed of rails, when the general wished to
know what he was doing. " Fixing a place to sleep,"
was the reply. " You seem determined to make your-
self and those around you comfortable," said Jack-
son. Knowing the general had fasted all day, the
major soon obtained some bread and meat from the
nearest squad of soldiers, and after they had satisfied
their hunger they slept soundly on the rail bed in a
fence corner.

The Federals picked up two or three hundred pris-
oners, and as they marched them through the streets
of Winchester the inhabitants turned out almost en
masse to show them their sympathy, and many of
their friends and kindred were recognized among the
captives. The next day the citizens asked and obtained
permission to bury the Confederate dead on the battle-
field, and persons of all ages and conditions flocked
thither, for there was scarcely a family in the county
which had not a relative in Jackson's command ; and
with torturing anxiety the women looked into the
face of every prostrate form, fearing to find it one of
their own loved ones. The wounded had been taken
off the battle-field by their general, who ordered his
medical director, Dr. McGuire, to send them to the
rear. As the army was retreating, the surgeon siiid :
" But that requires time. Can you stay to protect
us ?" " Make yourself easy about that," replied he ;

RETIRES TO MOUNT JACKSON. 247

" this army stays here until the last wounded man is
removed." And then with deep feeling he said : " Be-
fore I will leave them to the enemy I will lose many
more men." The next morning after the battle, Gen-
eral Jackson gradually retired before the advancing
enemy, once more, to Mount Jackson.
To his wife he wrote on the 24:th of March :

" Yesterday important considerations, in my opin-
ion, rendered it necessary to attack the enemy near
Winchester. The action commenced about 3 p.m. and
lasted until dark. Our men fought bravely, but the
superior numbers of the enemy repulsed me. Many
valuable lives were lost. Our God was my shield.
His protecting care is an additional cause for grati-
tude. 1 lost one piece of artillery and three caissons.
The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded was
probably superior to ours."

" March 28th. Near Mount Jackson. . . . My lit-
tle army is in excellent spirits. It feels that it inflicted
a severe blow upon the enemy. I stayed in camp last
night bivouacking. To-day I am in the house of a
Mr. Allen, where I am quite comfortable. This is a
beautiful country. The celebrated Meem farm is near
here, and is the most magnificent one that I know of
anywhere. After God, our God, again blesses us with
peace, I hope to visit this country with my darling,
and enjoy its beauty and loveliness."

" April 7th. My precious pet, your sickness gives
me great concern ; but so live that it, and all your tri-
als, may be sanctified to you, remembering that ' our

248 LIFE OF OENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of
glory.' I trust you and all I have in the hands of
a kind Providence, knowing that all things work to-
gether for the good of His people.

" Yesterday was a lovely Sabbath day. Although
I had not the privilege of hearing the word of life,
yet it felt like a holy Sabbath day, beautiful, serene,
and lovely. All it wanted was the church-bell and
God's services in the sanctuary to make it complete.
. . . Our gallant little army is increasing in numbers,
and my prayer is that it may be an army of the living
God as well as of its country."

" April 11th. I am very much concerned at having
no letter this week, but my trust is in the Almighty.
How precious is the consolation flowing from the
Christian's assurance that ' all things work together
for good to them that love God !' . . . God gave us a
glorious victory in the Southwest [at Shiloh], but the
loss of the great Albert Sidney Johnston is to be
mourned. I do not remember having ever felt so sad
at the death of a man whom I had never seen. . . .
Although I was repulsed in the attempt to recover
Winchester, yet the enemy's loss appears to have been
three times that of ours. In addition to this, the great
object which required me to follow up the enemy, as
he fell back from Strasburg, seems to have been ac-
complished very thoroughly. I am well satisfied with
the result. Congress has passed a vote of thanks, and
General Johnston has issued a very gratifying order
upon the subject, one which will have a fine effect
upon my command. The great object to be acquired

FIGHTING A BATTLE ON SUNDAY. 249

by the battle demanded time to make known its ac-
complishments. Time has shown that while the field
is in possession of the enemy, the most essential fruits
of the battle are ours. For this and all of our Heav-
enly Father's blessings, I wish I could be ten thousand
times more thankful. Should any report be published,
my views and object in fighting and its fruits will
then become known. You appear much concerned at
my attacking on Sunday. I was greatly concerned,
too ; but I felt it my duty to do it, in consideration of
the ruinous effects that might result from postponing
the battle until the morning. So far as I can see, my
course was a wise one ; the best that I could do under
the circumstances, though very distasteful to my feel-
ings ; and I hope and pray to our Heavenly Father
that I may never again be circumstanced as on that
day. I believed that so far as our troops were con-
cerned, necessity and mercy both called for the battle.
I do hope the war will soon be over, and that I shall
never again have to take the field. Arms is a pro-
fession that, if its principles are adhered to for suc-
cess, requires an officer to do what he fears may be
wrong, and yet, according to military experience, must
be done, if success is to be attained. And this fact of
its being necessary to success, and being accompanied
with success, and that a departure from it is accom-
panied with disaster, suggests that it must be right.
Had I fought the battle on Monday instead of Sun-
day, I fear our cause would have suffered ; whereas,
as things turned out, I consider our cause gained much
from the engagement."

His bold attack at Kernstown, though unsuccess-

250 LIFB OF OENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ful, led to many important results. Its first effect
was the accomplishment of one of the principal ob-
jects of the Confederates — the recall of the Federal
troops then marching from the Valley towards
Manassas. It had also the effect of changing the
disposition of several of their divisions and corps,
and producing such consternation at Washington
that President Lincoln did not consider his capital
secure, and detained McDowell's corps in front of
the city, although General McClellan had left over
forty thousand troops for its defence !

For this achievement at Kemstown the Confederate
Congress passed the following resolution of thanks :

" 1. 2iesoh)ed by the Congress of the Confederate
States, that the thanks of Congress are due, and are
hereby tendered, to Major-General Thomas J. Jack-
son, and the officers and men under his command,
for gallant and meritorious services in a successful
engagement with a greatly superior force of the
enemy near Kernstown, Frederick County, Virginia,
on the 23d of March, 1862. 2. Resolved^ that these
resolutions be communicated by the Secretary of
War to Major-General Jackson, and by him to his
command."

The noble women of Winchester, during the whole
war, devoted themselves to nursing the sick and
wounded soldiers with tender care and self-sacrifice,
and their compassion failed not even in administer-
ing to the wounded of the enemy. And after the
war was over, from the midst of saddened and deso-
late homes, they continued their self-denying care for

MEMORIALS TO THE DEAD. 251

the ashes of the brave men to whose comfort and
encouragement they had contributed so freely in life,
and by whose suffering cots they had often watched
in sorrow, danger, and death. Under the leadership
of Mrs. Philip Williams, they gathered the thousands
of * Confederate dead from the surrounding battle-
fields and placed them in the " Stonewall Cemetery "
— a memorial not more to the patriotism of man than
to the devotion of woman. They also erected a hand-
some monument to "The Unknown Dead" — and the
State of Maryland, in the year 1880, likewise placed
a beautiful monument in this cemetery in memory of
her brave soldiers who fell in defence of the South.
It is said that the State of North Carolina has more
soldiers buried upon Virginia battle-fields than any
other Southern State — a fact which speaks for itself
in showing the heroic part borne by the good Old
North State in the struggle for independence.

The next month after the battle of Kernstown was
to General Jackson one of comparative inaction. He
spent it in recruiting his forces and reorganizing his
regiments, his ranks filling up under the new impe-
tus given to enlistment by a new conscription bill,
and by the return of furloughed men, which nearly
doubled the number of his troops since the battle,
but even yet he had only about five or six thousand
men. His great desire to press into service every
available man in Virginia will be seen by the fol-
lowing letter, which he wrote on the 21st of March to
Governor Letcher's aide-de-camp, Colonel French :

"Colonel, — Please request the governor to order
three thousand muskets to Staunton at his earliest

252 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

convenience for the militia of this district. None of
the militia beyond the county, except five hundred
from Augusta, have yet arrived, but they are turning
out encouragingly. There are three religious denom-
inations in this military district who are opposed to
war. Eighteen [men] were recently arrested in endeav-
oring to make their escape through Pendleton County
to the enemy. Those who do not desert will, to some
extent, hire substitutes, others will turn out in obedi-
ence to the governor's call ; but I understand some of
them say they will not ' shoot.' They can be made
to fire, but can very easily take bad aim. So, for the
purpose of giving to this command the highest degree
of efficiency, and securing loyal feelings and co-opera-
tion, I have, as these non-combatants are said to be
good teamsters and faithful to their promises, deter-
mined to organize them into companies of one hundred
men each, rank and file, and after mustering them,
with the legal number of company officers, into ser-
vice, assign them to the various staflf departments
without issuing arms to them; but if at any time
they have insufficient labor, to have them drilled, so
that in case circumstances should justify it, arms may
be given them. If these men are, as represented to
me, faithful laborers and careful of property, this ar-
rangement will not only enable many volunteers to
return to the ranks, but will also save many valuable
horses and other public property, in addition to arms.
. . . All I have pledged myself is that, as far as prac-
ticable, I will employ them in other ways than fighting,
but with the condition that they shall act in good
faith with me, and not permit persons to use their
names for the purpose of keeping out of service."

BANKS FOLLOWS JACKSON SLOWLY. 253

On the 28th of April, Greneral Jackson applied to
General Lee, then acting as commander-in-chief under
President Davis, for a reinforcement of five thousand
men, which addition to his force he deemed necessary
to justify him in marching out and attacking Banks.
Next day he was informed that no troops could be
spared to him beyond the commands of Generals Ewell
and Edward Johnson, the latter of whom was seven
miles west of Staunton, at West View, with a brigade.
General J. E. Johnston had transferred the mass of his
army to the front of Richmond, where he had taken
command in person. Ewell's division alone remained
on the Rappahannock to watch the enemy, and to
aid Jackson in case of need. This division was now
near Gordonsville, and a good road from that point to
Swift Run Gap placed it in easy reach of Jackson.
Banks followed Jackson but slowly. He reached
Woodstock on April 1st, and having pushed Ashby's
cavalry back to Edinburg, five miles beyond, he
attempted no further serious advance until the 17th.
He then moved forward in force, and Jackson retired
to Harrisonburg, and, crossing the main fork of the
Shenandoah, took up his position at the western base
of the Blue Ridge, in Swift Run Gap. This camp
the Confederates reached on the 20th of April, and
here they remained through ten days more of rain
and mud.

On the 16th of April, General Jackson wrote to

his wife as follows :

" Near New Market.

'•This morning is warm and spring-like, and this
country is one of the most beautiful that I ever
beheld. ... On last Wednesday the enemy advanced

254 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

on me at one o'clock a. m., and I fell back to this
place, where I arrived on Friday. My route was
through New Market and Harrisonburg. I am about
midway between Harrisonburg and Stannardsville.
The enemy did not advance as far as Harrisonburg
on the Valley turnpike. The advance of the two
armies is within a few miles of each other. ... I do
want so much to see my darling, but fear such a priv-
ilege will not be enjoyed for some time to come."

"Swift Run Gap.

..." Dr. Dabney is here, and I am very thankful
to God for it. He comes up to my highest expecta-
tions as a staflf-oiHcer."

"Staunton, May 5th.

"Since I last wrote to my darling I have been
very busy. On Wednesday last I left my position
near Swift Kun Gap, and moved up the south fork
of the Shenandoah to Port Republic, which is about
three miles from Weyer's Cave. I would like to see
the cave, for I remembered that my little pet had
been there, and that gave me a deeper interest in the
great curiosity. The road up the river was so treach-
erous that I could only advance about six miles per
day, and to leave the road was at the risk of sinking
yet deeper in the quicksands, in which that locality
abounds. The country is one of the loveliest I have
ever seen. On Saturday the march was resumed,
and we crossed the Blue Ridge at what is known as
Brown's Gap, and thus entered into Eastern Virginia.
I stopped with a very agreeable family named Pace.
Here I expected to pass the Sabbath, but on Sunday
morning I received a despatch stating that part of the

POSITION OF THE TWO ARMIES. 255

enemy's force had arrived within one day's march of
Brigadier-General Edward Johnson's camp. Under
the circumstances I felt it incumbent upon me to
press forward, and I arrived here last evening, where
I am stopping at the Virginia House. The troops are
still coming in. The corps of cadets of the Virginia
Military Institute is here."

General Edward Johnson was seven miles west of
Staunton with about thirty-five hundred men. Gen-
eral Jackson had about six thousand troops, and Gen-
eral Ewell, with an equal force, was in the vicinity of
Gordonsville. Such was the Confederate position. On
the other hand, Banks, with the main body of his force
of about twenty thousand men, occupied Harrisonburg,
twelve or fifteen miles in front of General Jackson.
Schenck and Milroy, commanding Fremont's advance
of six thousand men, were in front of Edward John-
son, their pickets already east of the Shenandoah
mountain, and on the Harrisonburg and Warm Springs
turnpike. Fremont was preparing to join them from
the Baltimore and Ohio Kailroad with nearly ten thou-
sand men, making the total of Fremont's movable
column some fifteen thousand ; so, with a force of
about sixteen thousand men (including Ewell and Ed-
ward Johnson), General Jackson had on his hands the
thirty-five thousand under Banks and Fremont. The
Warm Springs turnpike afforded Banks a ready mode
of uniting with Milroy and Schenck, in which case
Staunton would be an easy capture. Fremont was
already preparing to move in that direction. Jackson
determined to anticipate such a movement, if possible,
by uniting his own force to that of Johnson, and fall-

256 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ing upon Milroy, while Ewell kept Banks in check.
Then he would join Ewell, and with all his strength
attack Banks. To accomplish this, Ewell was ordered
to cross the mountain and occupy the position Jackson
had held for ten days at Swift Run Gap, thus keep-
ing up the menace of Banks's flank. As Ewell ap-
proached, Jackson left camp on the 30th of April, and
marched up the east bank of the Shenandoah to Port
Republic, and on the 5th of May he reached Staunton
with his army, after a toilsome march through the
mud and frequent quicksands. The movement of this
devious route mystified friends as well as foes. The
good people of Staunton were almost as much aston-
ished when General Jackson made his sudden appear-
ance in their town as if an angel had dropped down
from the clouds ; for, like Banks, they thought he had
withdrawn from the valley and disappeared into Eaat>
em Virginia, no one knew whither. He gave his
troops one day to rest, and on the next he hurried for-
ward, united Johnson's force with his own, drove in
the Federal pickets and foraging parties, and camped
twenty-five miles west of Staunton. On the morrow
(May 8th) he pushed on to McDowell, seized Sitling-
ton's Hill, which commanded the town and enemy's
camp, and made his dispositions to seize the road in
rear of the enemy during the night. But Milroy and
Schenck had united, and seeing their position unten-
able, made a fierce attack in the afternoon to retake
the hill or cover their retreat For three or four hours
a bloody struggle took place on the brow of Sitling-
ton's Hill. The Federals, though inflicting severe loss,
were repulsed at every point, and at nightfall quietly
withdrew. This was known as the battle of McDow-

THANKSGIVING FOR VICTORY. 257

elL The enemy lit their camp-fires, and in the dark*
ness evacuated the town, retreating twenty-four miles
to Franklin, in Pendleton County, where they met
Fremont advancing with the main body of his forces.
Jackson followed to this point ; but, finding it impos-
sible to attack to advantage, deemed it inadvisable to
attempt anything further in this difficult country, with
his ten thousand men against Fremont's fourteen or
fifteen thousand. Screening completely his move-
ments with cavalry, he turned back (May 13th),
marched rapidly to within seventeen miles of Staun-
ton, then turned towards Harrisonburg, and sent a
despatch to General Ewell that he was on his way to
attack Banks with their united forces. On the 12th
of May he wrote thus to his wife :

** Hbadquabtbrs, Valley District, near Franklin.

" My precious darling, I telegraphed you on the 9th
that God had blest us with victory at McDowelL I
have followed the enemy to this place, which is about
three miles from Franklin. The enemy has been rein-
forced, and apparently designs making a stand beyond
Franklin. I expect to reconnoitre to-day, but do not
know as yet whether I will attack him thus reinforced.
We have divine service at ten o'clock to-day (Monday)
to render thanks to Almighty God for having crowned
our arms with success, and to implore His continued
favor."

"Near Harrisonburg, May 19th.

..." How I do desire to see our country free and

at peace ! It appears to me that I would appreciate

home more than I have ever done before. Here I am

sitting in the open air, writing on my knee for want

268 I'll^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

of a table. . . . Yesterday Dr. Dabney preached an
excellent sermon from the text : ^ Come unto me, all
ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you
rest.' It is a great privilege to have him with me."

Before beginning his march on his return, he grant-
ed his soldiers a rest of half a day on Monday, and
issued the following order :

*' Soldiers of the Army of the Valley and Northwest :
" I congratulate you on your recent victory at Mc-
Dowell. I request you to unite with me this morn-
ing in thanksgiving to Almighty God for thus having
crowned your arms with success, and in praying that
He will continue to lead you on from victory to vic-
tory, until our independence shall be established, and
make us that people whose God is the Lord. The
chaplains will hold divine service at ten o'clock a.m.
this day in their respective regiments." *

The day after the battle he sent the following brief
announcement to the government at Richmond :

♦ A writer thus describes this scene : " There, in the beautiful
little valley of the South Branch, with the blue and towering
mountains covered with the verdure of spring, the green - sward
smiling a welcome to the season of flowers, and the bright sun,
unclouded, lending a genial, refreshing warmth — that army,
equipped for the stem conflict of war, bent in humble praise and
thanksgiving for the success vouchsafed to their arms. While
this solemn ceremony was progressing in every regiment, the ene-
my^s artillery was occasionally belching forth its leaden death ;
yet all unmoved stood that worshipping army, acknowledging
the supremacy of the will of Him who controls the destinies of
men and nations, and chooses the weak things of earth to con-
found the mighty."

TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY. 259

"God blest our arms with victory at McDowell
Station yesterday.

" T. J. Jackson, Major-General."

About the time General Ewell received the message
from General Jackson to join him at Harrisonburg,
an order came from General Johnston calling him with
his force back to Gordonsville. But Ewell, knowing
what a disappointment it would be to Jackson to thus
have all his plans destroyed by want of his support,
determined to have an interview with Jackson before
moving in any direction. He accordingly rode a day
and night to see him, and in the conference both were
sorely perplexed as to what was their duty under the
circumstances; Jackson not questioning the right of
superior authority, and saying regretfully : " Then
Providence denies me the privilege of striking a de-
cisive blow for my country, and I must be satisfied
with the humble task of hiding my little army among
these mountains to watch a superior force." But Ewell
proposed that if Jackson, as his ranking officer, would
take the responsibility, he would remain until the
condition of affairs could be represented to General
Johnston, which was decided upon, and meantime they
united in a vigorous pursuit of Banks. Ashby had
followed close on Banks's heels, and now occupied
his outposts with constant skirmishing, while he com-
pletely screened Jackson. The latter, having marched
rapidly to New Market, as if about to follow the foe
to Strasburg to attack him there, suddenly changed
his route, crossed the Massanutton Mountain to Luray,
where Ewell joined him, and poured down the narrow
Page Valley by forced marches towards Front Royal.

260 I-Ii-'B OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The Confederates marched from Franklin to Front
Royal, a distance of one hundred and twenty miles,
by Jackson's route, in ten days, and arrived at the
latter place on the 23d of May. Front Royal was
held by about one thousand Federals under Colonel
Kenly, who had charge of large stores, and of the
railroad and the important railroad bridges on the
Shenandoah*. This force covered the flank and rear
of Banks's position at Strasburg. Kenly was taken
by surprise, but after making what resistance he could,
was forced across the bridges which he vainly attempt-
ed to destroy, and fled to Winchester. Jackson, too im-
patient to wait for his tired infantry, placed himself at
the head of a few companies of cavalry, and pushed
after the foe, whom he overtook, attacked, and dis-
persed so effectually, that of those who were not killed
or wounded, the greater part were taken prisoners.

Exhausted nature could do no more.' The weary
and march-wom army sank down to rest. General
Banks, amazed at this irruption, by which his flank was
turned and his communications threatened, began dur-
ing the night a precipitate retreat from Strasburg to
Winchester. Jackson anticipates this, and pressed on
the next morning to Middletown, a village between
Strasburg and Winchester, to find the road filled with
Federal trains and troops. Capturing or scattering
these in every direction,.he followed on after the main
body, which had already passed him, towards Winches-
ter. He overtook them in the afternoon — pushed
Banks's rear-guard before him all night, giving the
main body of his troops only one hour to rest upon
their arms. The advance regiment, under Colonel
Baylor, were not allowed to lie down at all, while their

BANKS DRIVEN ACROSS THE POTOMAC. 261

vigilant and untiring commander stood sentinel him-
self at the head of the column, listening to every sound
from the front. At dawn, he gave in an undertone
the command, " Forward ! March !" which was passed
down the command, and by daylight on the 25th of
May he reached Winchester to find the Federal forces
drawn up across the approaches to the town from the
south and southeast. A vigorous attack was at once
made by the Confederates, which for a short time was
bravely resisted, but the Federal lines soon began to
yield, and, seeing himself about to be overwhelmed,
Banks retreated through Winchester. General Jack-
son pressed closely, and the Federals emerged from
the town a mass of disorganized fugitives, making
their way with all speed towards the Potomac. See-
ing the enemy break, Jackson set spurs to his horse,
and, bounding upon the crest of a hill, shouted to his
men : " Forward ! After the enemy !" and with a face
aflame with animation and triumph, he galloped
amidst the foremost pursuers. The Confederate in-
fantry followed for several miles, capturing a large
number of prisoners, and had the cavalry been as effi-
cient, but few of Banks's troops would have escaped.
The troopers who proved derelict at this crisis had
yielded to the temptation of the rich spoils they had
captured from the enemy, and, as General Jackson
expressed it, " forgetful of their high trust as the ad-
vance-guard of a pursuing army, deserted their colors
and abandoned themselves to pillage to such an ex-
tent as to make it necessary for the gallant Ash by to
discontinue further pursuit." This was a painful dis-
appointment to General Jackson, and as he watched
the flight of the multitude of fugitives, and saw the

262 ^^^^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

golden opportunity for cavalry to make the victory
complete, he exclaimed with bitter regret : " Oh that
my cavalry were in place ! Never was there such a
chance for cavalry !" In his official report he says :
" Never have I seen an opportunity when it was in
the power of cavalry to reap a richer harvest of the
fruits of victory !"

Banks halted on the north side of the Potomac, and
Jackson allowed his exhausted men to rest at Win-
chester. In forty-eight hours the enemy had been
driven between fifty and sixty miles, from Front Royal
and Strasburg to the Potomac, with the loss of more
than one third of his entire strength. His army had
crossed that river a disorganized mass. Hundreds of
wagons had been abandoned or burned. An immense
quantity of quartermaster, commissary, medical, and
ordnance stores had fallen into the hands of the victor.
These stores were estimated by the Confederate quar-
termaster as worth $300,000, and proved of inesti-
mable value to the Confederacy. Some twenty-three
hundred prisoners were taken to the rear when Gen-
eral Jackson fell back, besides seven hundred and fifty
wounded, sick, paroled, and left in the hospitals at
Winchester and Strasburg, making a total of about
three thousand and fifty. The victory was glorious,
even if the weary and march-worn command had not
achieved all that their tireless and indomitable lead-
er thought possible. Winchester, having for several
months been in the hands of the enemy, the jo}'^ of the
inhabitants knew no bounds when they caught sight
of the victorious Confederates, whom they welcomed
as their deliverers and greeted with the wildest enthu-
siasm. Universal rejoicing was manifested by all ages

WHAT HAD BEEN DONE IN FOUR WEEKS. 263

and sexes. That historic old town and its beautiful
environs presented, by the afternoon of May 25th, an
aspect of quiet and repose strangely in contrast with
the stormy scenes of the morning.

Monday, the day after the engagements around
Winchester, was spent, according to General Jack-
son's custom, in religious services and thanksgiving,
the following general order being issued by him on
the morning of that day :

" Within four weeks this army has made long and
rapid marches, fought six combats and two battles —
signally defeating the enemy in each one — capturing
several stands of colors and pieces of artillery, with
numerous prisoners, and vast medical, ordnance, and
army stores; and, finally, driven the boastful host
which was ravaging our beautiful country into utter
rout. The general commanding would warmly ex-
press to the officers and men under his command his
joy in their achievements, and his thanks for their brill-
iant gallantry in action and their patient obedience
under the hardships of forced marches, often more
painful to the brave soldier than the dangers of battle.
The explanation of the severe exertions to which the
commanding general called the army, which were en-
dured bv them with such cheerful confidence in him, is
now given in the victory of yesterday. He receives
this proof of their confidence in the past with pride
and gratitude, and asks only a similar confidence in
the future. But his chief duty to-day, and that of the
army, is to recognize devoutly the hand of a protecting
Providence in the brilliant successes of the last three
days — which have given us the results of a great vie-

264 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

tory without great losses — and to make the oblation of
our thanks to God for His mercies to us and our coun-
try in heartfelt acts of religious worship. For this pur-
pose the troops will remain in camp to-day, suspending
as far as possible all military exercises, and the chap-
lains of regiments will hold divine service in their sev-
eral charges at four o'clock p. m."

The next day was devoted to rest ; and on the third
he moved on again towards Harper's Ferry, in order,
by the most energetic diversions possible, to draw
away troops from Richmond.

The total rout of Banks at Winchester created such
a panic in Washington that President Lincoln sent a
despatch to McDowell to lay aside for the present his
movement upon Richmond, and put twenty thousand
men in motion at once for the Shenandoah, to meet
the forces of Jackson and Ewell. And in a despatch
to McClellan, of the 25th of May, he says :

"Banks ran a race with them, beating them into
Winchester yesterday evening. This morning a battle
ensued between the two forces, in which Banks was
beaten back in full retreat towards Martinsburg, and
probably is broken up in a total rout."

A favorite aphorism of General Jackson's was:
" Never take counsel of your fears." While President
Lincoln was thus "taking counsel of his fears" and
promptly ordering troops from all directions to over-
whelm Jackson, the latter was resting from the fa-
tigues of his forced marches at Winchester. His loss
during the whole expedition was four hundred men.

REJOICINGS IN WINCHESTER. 265

The entire strength of his force was not over fifteen
thousand men. All the energy of a great government
was now expended in gathering about him a force of
between fifty-five and sixty thousand men. Fremont,
who had been quietly resting at Franklin while Gen-
eral Jackson was making forced marches after Banks,
was startled by the tidings of the Federal rout, as he
himself was ordered by the President to take up his
march, and come to the rescue in saving the national
capital from the grasp of the redoubtable Confederate
leader. On the 26th of May General Jackson wrote
thus to his wife from Winchester :

"My precious darling, an ever -kind Providence
blest us with success at Front Royal on Friday, be-
tween Strasburg and Winchester on Saturday, and
here with a successful engagement on yesterday. I
do not remember having ever seen such rejoicing as
was manifested by the people of Winchester as our
army yesterday passed through the town in pursuit of
the enemy. The people seemed nearly frantic with
joy; indeed, it would be almost impossible to describe
their manifestations of rejoicing and gratitude. Our
entrance into Winchester was one of the most stirring
scenes of my life. The town is much improved in
loyalty to our cause. Your friends greatly desired to
see you with me. Last night I called to see Mr. and
Mrs. Graham, who were very kind. . . . Time forbids
a longer letter, but it does not forbid my loving my

CHAPTER XIV.

CROSS KEYS AND PORT REPUBLIC— 1868.

After his victory at Winchester, General Jackson
despatched a trusted messenger- to Richmond to ask
for reinforcements, and even that he should be given
a force sufficient to march on Washington, believing
that this would be the surest way to break the for-
midable lines which the enemy were now drawing
round the Confederate capital. " Tell them," he said,
" that I have but fifteen thousand effective men. If
the present opening is improved, as it should be, I
must have forty thousand." But the government de-
cided that it would be unsafe to withdraw any troops
from the defence of Richmond, but directed him to
carry out his plan to the^ extent of making a feint of
an invasion of Maryland, and of a move upon Wash-
ington, and to retreat when he became too much en-
dangered by overwhelming numbers. He marched to
Harper's Ferry, closely watching the approach of the
enemy, and concluded on the 30th of May that it was
time to withdraw his small army if he would pass
between the converging armies of Fremont and Mc-
Dowell. By his march to Harper's Ferry he had in-
tensified the panic at Washington, but he had now
carried out his instructions to the extreme point con-
sistent with safetv.

The movements of the large bodies of troops which

JACKSON PASSES BETWEEN TWO ARMIES. 267

President Lincoln had been for some days urging with
such haste towards his rear, now demanded his atten-
tion. Shields was pouring down from the mountain-
pass to Front Royal to cut him off. The combined
forces of McDowell and Fremont, which were nearly
three times that of the Confederates, were hastening
from opposite directions to intercept his retreat ; and
once at Strasburg, the way would be barred. From
the Potomac side the combined forces of Banks and
Saxton amounted to fourteen thousand men, that
were ready to close in on his retreat. In this peril-
ous situation, Jackson decided to occupy Strasburg
in advance, and to pass swiftly between the two
principal armies gathering for his destruction. It
was a case in which supreme audacity was the most
consummate skill. He lost no time in escaping
from the dangers that threatened him — sending for-
ward his twenty -three hundred prisoners under a
guard ; then his long trains, many loaded with capt-
ured stores, followed by his whole army of scarcely
fifteen thousand men. Th^ march was made without
molestation, the main body of his troops camping at
Strasburg on the night of the 31st. Of these the
larger part had marched twenty-five miles the day
before, and the rear-guard, under General Winder,
which had kept up a running skirmish with the
enemy between Harper's Ferry and Winchester, had
marched thirty-five miles. Thus, in a single day,
Jackson had put thirty miles between himself and the
slow columns of Saxton and Banks, and took position
directly between the armies of Fremont and McDow-
ell, which had been sent to crush him. Fremont had
orders from Mr. Lincoln to enter Strasburg that after-

368 LUi^B OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

noon, but he stopped several miles short of the town,
hindered probably by a violent rain-storm ; but, what-
ever the cause, the result was the loss of all oppor-
tunity to cut off Jackson's retreat.

The next morning Fremont made a feeble effort to
advance, but evidently hesitated to bring down the
whole of Jackson's force on himself, while uncertain
that McDowell was in supporting distance. The lat-
ter, on coming up, said he found " it was too late to
get ahead of Jackson then." Shields was sent in pur-
suit in another direction to ^^head off" Jackson, but
the latter had gained a day's start, and with his entire
force continued to retreat towards Harrisonburg.

Between Friday morning (when Jackson was in
front of Harper's Ferry) and Sunday night he had
marched a distance of between fifty and sixty miles,
though encumbered with prisoners and captured
stores, and reached Strasburg before either of his ad-
versaries, having passed safely between them, while he
held Fremont at bay by a show of force, and blinded
and bewildered McDowell by the rapidity of his move-
ments. In order to prevent the pursuit of Shields by
the Luray Valley, and his " heading off," Jackson de-
spatched a detachment of cavalry to burn the three
bridges over the South Fork of the Shenandoah, which
was effected without opposition. Having taken this
measure to free himself for the time from one of his
pursuers, he fell back more leisurely before the other.

On Monday (June 2) he retreated to Mount Jack-
son. On this day he wrote his wife these few hurried
lines :

" I am again retiring before the enemy. They en>

MOVES TOWARD? PORT REPUBLia 269

deavored to get in my rear by moving on both flanks
of my gallant army, but our God has been my guide
and saved me from their grasp. You must not expect
long letters from me in such busy times as these, but
always believe that your husband never forgets his
little darling."

On the 3d he fell back to New Market. Ashby,
who had received his commission as brigadier-general
at Winchester a few days before, was now placed in
command of all the cavalry, and to him was commit-
ted the duty of protecting the rear. The Confederates
were closely followed by Fremont's advance, with
whom Ashby constantly skirmished, checking them
whenever they came too near; and by burning the
bridge over which the Confederates crossed, their ad-
vance was held back for a day. Jackson continued
his retreat, and on the 5th reached Harrisonburg.

Here he changed his line of march, and, leaving the
valley turnpike, moved in the direction of Port Re-
public and Brown's Gap. His first care was to pre-
vent a union of the forces of Fremont and Shields, for
which4ie burned the only bridge over the Shenandoah
by which they could cross, while he held the only
ready means of communication between them, the
bridge at Port Republic. By destroying the other
bridges he had placed a barrier between his two pur-
suers, and now he occupied the point where their two
routes converged. No farther to the rear would the
Shenandoah serve as a barrier to their junction, for
south of Port Republic its head- waters are easily ford-
able. General Jackson sent his sick and wounded to
Staunton, having overcome what was thought an in-

270 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

surmountable obstacle in having a ferry constructed
to convey them over the swollen river.

On the 6th Ashby was attacked by a body of Fre-
mont's cavalry, under command of Colonel Sir Percy
Wyndham, an English officer who had taken service
in the Union army, and now rushed into the fray,
without sufficient knowledge of the situation, and was
defeated and taken prisoner with sixty-three of his
men. As soon as the news of his repulse was received
at Fremont's headquarters, a strong force was ordered
forward to hold the farther end of the town and the
approaches on that side. Ashby, in disposing his troops
to meet this formidable advance, seemed to the spec-
tators to be instinct with unwonted animation and
genius. A fierce combat ensued, in which his horse
fell ; but extricating himself, and springing to his feet,
' he saw his men wavering, and shouted, " Charge, men !
for God's sake charge !" and waved his sword, when a
bullet pierced him full in the breast, and he fell dead.
The regiment took up the command of their dying
general and rushed upon the enemy, pressing them
back, and pouring volleys into them until they were
out of musket range.

The interest attaching to this fight between Jack-
son's rear-guard and Fremont's advance does not
grow mainly out of the engagement itself, which was
comparatively unimportant, but out of the fact that
it was the occasion of the fall of General Turner
Ashby, who was truly the ideal of a soldier in whom
the qualities that excite admiration were united to
those that win affection and devotion. Insensible to
danger, the more daring an enterprise the greater was
its attraction for him. ** With such qualities were

DEATH OF GENERAL ASHBY. 271

united the utmost generosity and unselfishness ; a
delicacy of sentiment and feeling like a woman's ; and
a respect for the rights of others which permitted
within the limits of his authority no outrage on
friend or foe. Says General Jackson in his report :

" An official report is not an appropriate place for
more than a passing notice of the distinguished dead ;
but the close relation which General Ashbv bore to
my command for most of the previous twelve months
will justify me in saying that, as a partisan officer, I
never knew his superior. His daring was proverbial,
his powers of endurance almost incredible, his tone of
character Heroic, and his sagacity almost intuitive in
divining the purposes and movements of the enemy."

After the remains of the young hero had been pre-
pared for burial in Port Eepublic, General Jackson
came to the room and requested to see them. He
was admitted alone, and after remaining for a time
in silent communion with the dead, came forth with
a countenance of unusual solemnity and elevation.
Ashby's widowed mother lived in Fauquier, but her
home being now within the Federal lines, she was de-
nied the comfort of receiving the remains of this, her
second gallant son who fell in defence of his country.
He was taken to Charlottesville for temporary inter-
ment. Slowly and sadly the funeral cortege passed
on its way through that exquisitely beautiful valley.
The storm of battle even seemed to have ceased out
of respect for the dead. An escort of the brave com-
rades of Ashby, with bowed heads and solemn mien,
their arms reversed, accompanied the hearse. Behind

272 LI^£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

it came the chieftain^s horse and trappings, led by his
negro servant, whose grief was most demonstrative.
His personal staff next followed. The whole, as it
wound along the country road in the broad sunlight
of a perfect summer day, seemed to recall some rite of
ancient chivalry ; and surely no braver, truer knight
was ever borne to a glorious tomb. After the war
his remains were removed and placed beside those of
his brother, Captain Bichard Ashby, in the " Stone-
wall Cemetery " at Winchester.

*^ Brief, brave, and glorious was his youDg career ;

His mourners were two hosts, his friends and foes.
And fitly may the stranger, lingering here,

Pray for his gallant spirit^s briglit repose.

For he was Freedom's champion ; one of those,
The few in number, who had not o'erstept

The charter to chastise which she bestows
On such as* wield her weapons. He had kept
The whiteness of his soul, and thus men o'er him wept'^

And now for two days — the 6th and 7th of June —
Jackson's army enjoyed a sorely needed rest. In the
twenty -four days that had intervened between the
time that he had withdrawn from Fremont's front
at Franklin and his arrival at Port Eepublic, it had
marched three hundred miles, besides driving Banks
over the Potomac. Lying on the north side of the
Shenandoah, along Mill Creek, a few miles in front of
Port Eepublic, these exhausted and march-worn men
refreshed themselves, and at the end of two days were
as ready as ever for battle.

Meantime Jackson, having prevented the junction
of his two opponents by burning the bridges across
the South Fork of the Shenandoah, below Port Re-

BAITLE OF PORT REPUBLIC. 273

public, was preparing to lake advantage of their en-
forced separation. He adapted his strategy to the
character of the country and the rivers. Fremont
was equal to Jackson in force, Shields was inferior.
Together they largely outnumbered him. His effec-
tive force at this time could not have exceeded thir-
teen thousand men, and he determined to retreat no
farther, but to fight them in detail while separated.
To retire towards Brown's Gap was to allow his
enemies to unite. To concentrate on the east side at
once against Shields as the weaker, and burn the
bridge to keep Fremont back, was to run the risk of
having the battle-field in the plain on the eastern side
commanded by Fremont's guns, which would then
crown the heights on the left bank. While it might
not thus entirely paralyze Fremont in the struggle
with Shields, it would certainly prevent Jackson from
returning in case of success to attack Fremont. The
Confederate commander therefore took the other
plan remaining to him, and, having sent off his prison-
ers to the railroad at Waynesboro' and removed his
trains to Port Republic, placed his army in position
on the north side of the river ; General Ewell's divi-
sion at Cross Keys, half-way on the road to Harrison-
burg, and General Winder's division on the heights
above the bridge along the river. Here artillery was
at hand to command the town and bridge and plain
by which Shields must approach. Fremont was well
closed up, and his vigorous pursuit of the last few
days indicated a prompt attack without waiting for
the co-operation of Shields. The latter was not so
well up as Fremont, but his advance came within six
miles of Port Republic on Saturday evening, Jirne
18

274 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

7th. Jackson thus took a position where he might
receive the attack of F»^mont, while it was in the
power of a small part of his force to hold Shields in
check. His position, if the latter attempted to attack
in aid of Fremont, was impregnable. The Federal
General Tyler thought it "one to defy an army of
fifty thousand men." Defeat by Fremont would
have rendered Jackson's condition precarious, but this
contingency he did not anticipate. His sagacity was
made manifest, and his strategy approved, by the
movements of his adversaries. Fremont had failed to
seize the Confederate line of retreat at Strasburg
when it was possible, and had permitted Jackson,
encumbered with prisoners, to pass by him unmo-
lested. His pursuit of the retreating Confederates
had emboldened him, and now, having followed them
over fifty miles farther, he was ready to attack in
a chosen position the army which he had hesitated
to fight when hampered by its trains and captures.
Then McDowell was within reach to aid ; now an im-
passable river prevented all co-operation. Shields, on
the other hand, condemned by the burning of the
bridges to make his toilsome way along the muddy
roads of the Luray Valley, had halted at Columbia,
and sent forward his advance brigades to harass Jack-
son's flank, with orders to go as far as Waynesboro,
and break the railroad. The mass of Shields's forces
were known to be miles away, and Jackson's cavalry
scouts were expected to give timely warning of his
approach. Jackson had placed his headquarters on
the southwestern outskirts of the village.

Sunday morning, June 8th, was bright with all the
glory of summer in the Valley of the Shenandoah.

BATTLE OF PORT REPUBLIC. 275

Quiet reigned throughout the Confederate camp, and
men and animals alike seemed to enjoy the rest,
which for a day or two had followed the excessive
toils and marches of the campaign. Jackson was just
mounting his horse to ride to the front, when a bold
and unexpected dash by the enemy opened the fight
at Port Republic itself, and for a few moments threat-
ened such disaster that Shields sent a despatch to Fre-
mont saying, " I think Jackson is caught this time."

Jackson, followed by his staflp, rode rapidly through
the town towards the bridge and his troops stationed
on the hills around it. The enemy boldly crossed the
bridge, and rode so quickly into the middle of the
town as to intercept the two hindmost members of
Jackson's staff, and make them prisoners; but both
were soon released, one by being left in town when
the Federals subsequently retreated, and the other
by capturing the soldier in whose care he was placed
and bringing him back as a prisoner. The enemy
promptly placed one piece of artillery at the bridge,
so as to command the approaches to it, and with
another piece prepared to attack Jackson's train
lying just outside of the town. Their unexpected ap-
proach threw teamsters and camp-followers into great
confusion. But soon a gun from a Confederate bat-
tery was brought and placed so as to rake the main
street of the village, and a charge was poured into the
rear column of Federal troopers, and their movement
was checked. Meantime Jackson had reached his troops
nearest the bridge, and ordered three batteries in-
stantly to the brow of the terrace overlooking the
river. Taliaferro's brigade, of Winder's division, was
the nearest infantry. General Taliaferro had them

276 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

drawn up for inspection. Ordering them forward,
Jackson placed himself at the head of the leading
regiment, and the first of Poague's guns that was ready,
and rushed at a double-quick towards the bridge. At
the word from Jackson, Poague fired a charge which
disconcerted the enemy, then followed a volley from
the infantry, and an immediate charge with the bay-
onet. In a moment the Federal gunners were down,
their gun was captured, and the bridge was again in
Jackson's possession. The Confederates lost two men
wounded, and the Federals their chance of destroying
the bridge. Carroll (the Federal colonel), seeing him-
self attacked from both ends of the village, rode out
of it as rapidly as he entered it, and in his flight aban-
doned another piece of artillery to the Confederates.
He soon met his infantry coming to his support;
but the three Confederate batteries were now in posi-
tion on the bluff on the north side, and they so rained
fire on all the approaches to the town and bridge
from the south and east side that any further attempt
was futile, and Carroll's whole force was obliged to re-
treat. To avoid the galling fire they moved some
distance towards the mountain before turning down
the river. The Confederate batteries followed on the
bluff, and continued to shell them until they were en-
tirely out of range, some two and a half miles below.
The affair had only occupied about one hour, and quiet
once more succeeded to the noise of battle.

To guard against any repetition of this attack,
Jackson now stationed Taliaferro's brigade in the vil-
lage to hold the fords of South River, and placed the
Stonewall Brigade on the north side of the main
river, to observe the enemy and impede by artillery

BATTLE OF CROSS KEYS. 277

any renewed advance. The remainder of Winder's
division was held in reserve to assist Ewell, if need be.
While these arrangements were being made, the battle
opened along Ewell's front.

On Saturday evening, Fremont had made a recon-
noissance, and having found the Confederates in force
near Cross Keys, gave orders for a general advance
the next morning. General Ewell selected for his
position one of the ridges with which the country is
filled, the Federals occupying a lower parallel ridge.
Fremont disposed his forces for attack. Blenker's
division, his left wing, was placed opposite Trimble.
For a time a spirited fire was maintained between the
opposing batteries, when the infantry was brought
into play. General Trimble's brigade met the first
assault, which it gallantly repulsed, and drove down
the hill and back into the woods from which they
advanced. The Confederates awaited another attack,
but the repulse had been too bloody to invite a speedy
renewal. Trimble waited a short time, and, perceiving
no indications of a new advance, determined to move
against the enemy. Several other regiments joined him
en route^ and after a short and sharp struggle the
Federals were forced to yield ; the artillery limbered
up and retired; and in a few minutes their whole left
wing was retreating towards the position which it held
before the opening of the battle. Meantime, IVIilroy
had advanced against the Confederate centre. A
fierce artillery duel was here the principal feature of
the contest. The Confederate batteries were in good
position, and, in spite of the loss of men and horses
in some of them, kept up so spirited a fire that no
serious attempt was made on this part of the line. The

278 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Federals drove in the Confederate skirmishers and felt
the lines behind them, but there was no real attack.
Thus, at the centre of the contending armies, the
hours passed in which the fate of the day was being de-
cided on Blenker's front. Schenck was last to take his
post in the Federal line. He arrived on the field at
one p. M., and moved in rear and to the right of
Milroy, to take position to attack the Confederate
left. General Ewell, seeing the movement of troops
towards his left, strengthened and extended his line
on the same flank. This delayed Schenck's aggressive
movements, and before he was ready to attack in ear-
nest the battle had been decided by the defeat of
Blenker; and Fremont, alarmed by the disaster on his
left wing, ordered both centre and right to withdraw.
Ewell, conscious of his inferiority of force, and antici-
pating an attack from Schenck on his left, had been
content with the advantages already gained until his
enemy's purposes were developed. As the Federal
right and centre withdrew, he followed, pushing for-
ward his skirmishers and occupying the ground in
front of the field. Night was at hand, however, and
General Ewell decided to bivouac in the position he
held rather than risk a night attack on the enemy.
Thus ended the battle of Cross Keys. Ewell had
repulsed Fremont so decisively on one wing as to
paralyze his army and to secure all the advantages of
victory. This had been done, too, with but a small
part of the force at command. The losses were great-
ly disproportioned, Ewell's being but two hundred and
eighty-seven, while that of Fremont was six hundred
and sixtv-four.

During this engagement the advance force of

PREPARING FOR A FRESH ATTACK. 279

General Shields continued quiet on the east side of
the river. Jackson, emboldened by his slowness to
advance, and the easy repulse of Fremont, conceived
the bold design of attacking his two opponents in
succession the next day, with the hope of overwhelm-
ing them separately. For this purpose he directed
that during the night a temporary bridge, composed
simply of planks laid upon the running-gear of wagons,
should be constructed over the South Eiver at Port
Republic, and ordered Winder to move his brigade at
dawn across both rivers and against Shields. Ewell
was directed to leave Trimble's brigade and part of
Patton's to hold Fremont in check, and to move at
an early hour to follow Winder. Taliaferro's brigade
was left in charge of the batteries along the river,
and to protect Trimble's retreat if necessary. In case
of an easy victory over Shields in the morning, Jack-
son proposed to return to the Harrisonburg side of
the river and attack Fremont in the afternoon. In
case, however, of delay, and a vigorous advance on
Fremont's part, Trimble was to retire by the bridge
into Port Republic, and burn it to prevent his an-
tagonist from following. Jackson superintended in
person the construction of the foot-bridge over South
River, and before five o'clock in the morning Winder
was already crossing. After two brigades had crossed,
Jackson moved at once against the Federals at Lewis-
ton, leaving orders for the remaining troops to follow
as rapidly as possible. The foot-bridge proving defec-
tive, a good deal of time was lost in getting the troops
over. Impatient of delay, Jackson, without waiting
for the remainder of his forces, ordered an attack, as
soon as Winder had come up, upon Tyler, whose

280 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

position was an admirable one, on the second terrace
from the Shenandoah. The ground held by his left
and centre was elevated, and commanded all the avail-
able approaches from Port Kepublic. Here he had
six guns planted. A dense and almost impenetrable
forest protected his flank, and made aU direct ap-
proach to it difficult, while the batteries there placed
covered a large part of the front and enfiladed
Winder's advance. In this position General Tyler
disposed his force. He seems, though on the alert,
not to have been aware of Jackson's rapid approach
until the latter was deploying in his front, but he
was altogether ready to meet the attack. Winder de-
ployed his skirmishers, and, advancing on both sides
of the road, drove in the outposts. He soon found
that the Federal batteries commanded the road and
its vicinity completely. Jackson then directed him
to send a force to his right through the woods to
turn the Federal left flank. Winder, with less than
twelve hundred men, found himself unable to cope
with the force before him, and sent to Jackson for
reinforcements, which the latter hurried forward as
fast as possible. A most determined and stubborn
conflict now took place. Jackson, finding the resist-
ance of the enemy so much more obstinate than he
had expected, and that his first attacks had failed,
determined to concentrate his whole force and give
up all intention of recrossing the river. He there-
fore sent orders to Trimble and Taliaferro to leave
Fremont's front, move over the bridge, bum it, and
join the main body of the army as speedily as pos-
sible. Meanwhile the bloody work went on, the
Federals for a time proving the victors ; but a rein-

THE LOSSES ON BOTH SIDES. 281

forcement to the Confederate batteries in aid of the
infantry enabled them to carry their position, and
capture five of the enemy's guns. The Federals had
made a most gallant fight, both with their guns and
to save them, but they could not resist the combined
attack. They were pushed back at every point, and
were soon in full retreat. Not a moment too soon had
they yielded the field, for the remainder of Jackson's
force was arriving, and in a short time they must have
been entirely overwhelmed. Colonel Carroll, who
covered the Federal rear, says : " As soon as we com-
menced the retreat, the enemy turned and opened
upon us portions of Clark's and Huntington's bat-
teries that they had taken from us, which threw the
rear of our column in great disorder, causing them to
take to the woods and making it, for the earlier part
of the retreat, apparently a rout. . . . Their cavalry
also charged upon our rear, increasing the confusion."
The Confederate infantry pressed the enemy for sev-
eral miles, and the cavalry followed three miles more.
About four hundred and fifty prisoners, a few wag-
ons, one piece of abandoned artillery, and eight hun-
dred muskets were the trophies of the pursuit. Some
two hundred and seventy-five of the Federal wounded
were paroled in the hospitals near the battle-field.
About two hundred others were carried ofif.

In the series of engagements on the Gth, 8th, and
9th of June the losses were :

ConrBDitRATK. Friirral.

On JuDC 6 70 Over 155

" 8 287 704 (including Carroirs).

" 9 816 Say 916

1173 1775

282 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

During the forenoon Fremont had advanced against
Trimble on the north side of the river, and was driv-
ing him slowly back, when the latter was ordered to
rejoin Jackson at Lewiston. He, with Taliaferro,
then withdrew as rapidly as possible, crossed the
bridge without loss, and succeeded in burning it in
the face of the advancing Federals. Fremont's army
arrived on the heights overlooking Lewiston only in
time to witness the retreat of Tyler, and were pre-
vented by the river from giving him any assistance.

Next day the Confederates rested in camp. Ex-
hausted nature demanded repose, and Jackson now
gave it to his tired and battle-worn troops. Both
Shields and Fremont continued to retreat down the
valley. "Significant demonstrations of the enemy,"
as Fremont expressed it, caused him to withdraw far-
ther, and he joined Banks and Sigel at Middletown,
while Jackson moved out from his confined bivouac,
and camped in- the noble park-like forest between
Weyer's Cave and Mount Meridian. Here for five
days of that splendid June he rested and refreshed his
army. On the 13th he issued this order : " The forti-
tude of the troops under fatigue and their valor in
action have again, under the blessing of Divine Provi-
dence, placed it in the power of the commanding gen-
eral to congratulate them upon the victories of June
8th and 9th. Beset' on both flanks bv two boastful
armies, you have esca})ed their toils, inflicting success-
ively crushing blows upon each of your pursuers. Let
a few more such efforts be made, and you may confi-
dently hope that our beautiful valley will be cleansed
from the pollution of the invader's presence. The
major-general commanding invites you to observe to-

THE LORD'S SUPPER IN CAMP. 283

morrow, June 14th, from three o'clock p. m., as a sea-
son of thanksgiving, by a suspension of all military
exercises, and by holding divine service in the several
regiments." The next day, being the Sabbath, the
Lord's Supper was administered in a woodland grove,
nature's own great temple, to a large company of
Christian soldiers from all the army, with whom their
general took his place, and received the sacred em-
blems from the hands of a regimental chaplain.

The following extracts are from letters to his wife :

" Near Port Republic, June 10th.

" On Sunday, the 8th, an attack was made upon us
by a part of Shields's command about seven o'clock
A. M., which a kind Providence enabled us to repulse.
During the same morning Fremont attacked us from
the opposite side, and after several hours' fighting he
also was repulsed. Yesterday morning I attacked that
part of Shields's force which was near Port Republic,
and, after a hotly contested field from near six to ten
and a half a. m., completely routed the enemy, who
lost eight pieces of artillery during the two days.
God has been our shield, and to His name be all the
glory. I sent you a telegram yesterday. How I do
wish for peace, but only upon the condition of our
national independence !"

" Near Wkyer's Cave, June 14th.

*' When 1 look at the locality of the cave, I take ad-
ditional interest in it from the fact that my esposiia
was there once. . . . Our God has again thrown his
shield over me in the various apparent dangers to
which I have been exposed. This evening we have

284 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

religious services in the army for the purpose of ren-
dering thanks to the Most High for the victories with
which He has crowned our arms, and to offer earnest
prayer that He will continue to give us success, until,
through His divine blessing, our independence shall be
established. Wouldn't you like to get home again ?"

The battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic closed
the Valley Campaign of 1862. Brilliant as were the
achievements of General Jackson during the succeed-
ing months of his too brief career, it was his Valley
Campaign which lifted him into great fame ; nor do
any of his subsequent achievements show more strik-
ingly the characteristics of his genius. Within forty
days he had marched four hundred miles ; fought four
pitched battles, defeating four separate armies, with
numerous combats and skirmishes; sent to the rear
three thousand five hundred prisoners; killed and
wounded a still larger number of the enemy, and de-
feated or neutralized forces three times as numerous
as his own upon his proper theatre of war, besides
keeping the corps of McDowell inactive at Fredericks-
burg.

From the rapidity of his forced marches, Jackson's
soldiers were sometimes called his "foot-cavalrv."
They sometimes marched twenty-five, thirty, and even
thirty -five miles a day ! A Northern writer said that
" Jackson moved infantry with the celeritv of cavalrv.
His men said he always marched at ' early dawn,' ex-
cept when he started the night before ; but despite all
these ' hardships, fatigues, and dangers,' says one of
the ' foot-cavalry,' ' a more cheerful, genial, jolly set
could not be found than were these men in gray.' "

"STONEWALL JACKSON'S WAY." 285

They indulged in jokes ad libitum at the expense of
each other, their indefatigable leader, and the Yankees.
They declared that General Jackson was far greater
than Moses. " Moses," they said, " took forty years
to lead the Israelites through the wilderness, with
manna to feed them on; 'old Jack' would have
double-quicked through it on half rations in three
days." General Banks was dubbed by them " Jack-
son's commissary-general," and whenever the head of
their column turned down the valley, the jest ran
along the lines, '^ Lee is out of rations again, and Jack-
son is detailed to call on the ' commissary -general.' "

It was a stirring life the soldiers led in those days of
the war ! Warm friendships sprang up among com-
rades who stood in the ranks together and shared the
same privations and dangers. Besides these personal
attachments among officers and soldiers, that which
held the whole army together was its devotion to its
commander, who shared the privations of the common
soldier, the fatigues of the march, and the dangers of
battle. All had such confidence in his genius for com-
mand that they felt sure of victory where he led the
way. This confidence is expressed in the rough verses
of one of his soldiers, which must have had a stirring
effect when read or sung after a long day's march, as
the men sat round their camp fires. Then, like a
bugle, rang out the lines of

** Stonewall Jackson^b Way.

'' Come, stack arms, men ; pile on the rails ;
Stir up the camp-fires bright ;
No matter if the canteen fails,
We'll make a roaring night.

286 ^I^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Here Shenandoah brawls along,
There lofty Blue Ridge echoes strong,
To swell the Brigade's roaring song
Of Stonewall Jackson's way.

"We see him now — the old slouched hat.
Cocked o'er his eye askew;
The shrewd dry smile, the speech so pat,

So calm, so blunt, so true.
The ^ Blue-light Elder - knows them well :
Says he, 'That's Banks — he's fond of shell;
Lord save his soul ! we'll give him — ' well,
That's Stonewall Jackson's way.

<' Silence I ground arms! kneel all! caps off!
Old Blue-light's going to pray;
Strangle the fool that dares to scoff!

Attention ! it's his way !
Appealing from his native sod
In forma pavperis to God,
•Lay bare Thine arm — stretch forth Thy rod,
Amen !' That's Stonewall's way.

"He's in the saddle now! Fall in!
Steady, the whole Brigade I
Hill's at the Ford, cut off !— we'll win

His way out, ball and blade.
Wliat matter if our shoos are worn ?
What matter if our feot are torn ?
Quick step ! we're with him before morn !
That's Stonewall Jackson's way.

*'The sun's bright lances rout the mists
Of mornin<T — and, by George!

There's Longstreet struggling in the lists,
Hemmed in an ugly gorge.

Pope and his columns whipped before —

* Bayonets and grape!' hear Stonewall roar;

* Charge, Stuart ! jmy off Ashby's score !'

That's Stonewall Jackson's way.

GENERAL EWELL. 287

** Ah ! maiden, wait and watch and yearn
For new8 of Stonewnll^s band ;
Ah I widow, read with eyes that bum,

That ring upon thy hand.
Ah ! wife, sew on, pray on, hope on ;
Thy life shall not be all forlorn.
The foe had better ne^er been bom

Than get in Stonewall's way I*'

The gallant General Ewell proved a faithful coad-
jutor to General Jackson in aJi their arduous opera-
tions together. When asked once what he thought of
the latter's generalship in this campaign, he replied, in
his brusque, impetuous manner : " Well, sir, when he
commenced it I thought him crazy ; before be ended
it I thought him inspired." Ewell was not a religious
man at the beginning of the war, but the influence
of Jackson's example was blest to his conversion, as
the following well-authenticated fact will prove : "At
a council of war one night, Jackson had listened very
attentively to the views of his subordinates, and asked
until the next morning to present his own. As they
came away, A. P. Hill laughingly said to Ewell, 'Well,
I suppose Jackson wants time to pray over it.' Hav-
ing occasion to return soon afterwards to get his
sword which he had forgotten, Ewell found Jackson
on his knees, and heard his ejaculatory prayers for
God's guidance in the perplexing movements then
before them, by which he was so deeply impressed,
and by Jackson's general religious character, that
he said: 'If that is religion, I must have it;' and in
making a profession of faith not long after, be at-
tributed it to the influence of General Jackson's ex-
ample."

288 I^E OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Still more striking is the testimony to Jackson's de-
vout habits by his colored servant Jim, who said that
he could always tell when there was going to be a bat-
tle. Said he : " The general is a great man for pray-
ing, night and morning — all times. But when I see
him get up several times in the night besides, to go off
and pray, then I know there is going to he something to
pay ; and I go straight and pack his haversack, be-
cause I know he will call for it in the morning."

CHAPTER XV.

THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN— 1862.

While we leave the brave little army of General
Jackson luxuriating in a rest among the grand old
woods and green valleys of the Shenandoah, a brief
glance will be given at the operations of the two con-
tending armies around Richmond. For months the
government at liV'ashington had been concentrating
its energies upon the capture of the Confederate capi-
tal. General McClellan, with a large army splendidly
equipped, had intrenched and fortified himself upon
the approaches to the city, and, aided by a fleet of
gun-boats in the James River, was marching up from
the Peninsula, while McDowell, with his corps, was
advancing from Fredericksburg to join him.

To oppose this great movement. General Johnston
had, early in April, transferred his army from Ma-
nassas to the Peninsula, but in consequence of greatly
inferior numbers was compelled to fall back before
the advance of the Northern army, not, however, with-
out resisting and inflicting heavy losses. On the 5th
of May a battle was fought at Williamsburg; but
Johnston continued to retreat until he finally settled
down with his army between Richmond and the
Chickahominy. As the Federals began to cross that
stream on the 31st of May, he attacked them, and a
fierce contest ensued, lasting from two o'clock until
19

290 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

nightfall, and, as he reports, " drove them back to the
* Seven Pines,' more than two miles through their
own camps, and from a series of intrenchments, and
repelled every attempt to recapture them with great
slaughter." In this battle he was wounded so se-
riously that he was unable to resume command, and
his place was filled by General Robert E. Lee, who
thus became the commander-in-chief of all the South-
ern armies. President Davis was also upon the ground,
giving his counsel and aid. The gallant and dashing
General J. E. B. Stuart, called from his initials " Jeb "
Stuart, had, in obedience to General Lee's orders,
made a raid with his cavalry force of twelve hundred
men, and some light artillery, around the whole cir-
cuit of the Federal lines — a perilous undertaking, but
from which he returned in safety, having thus ascer-
tained the position and strength of the enemy. This
was one of the most daring and brilliant exploits of
the war, atid won, both from friends and foes, great
distinction for Stuart and his gallant troopers.

And now comes in the part of Jackson, who, after
his victory at Winchester in May, had requested to
be reinforced, saying : " I should have forty thousand
men, and with them I would invade the North ;" to
which General Lee's reply was : " But he must help
me to drive these people away from Richmond first."
Thus, with his keen military sagacity, he had already
formed the design to concentrate the army of Jack-
son with his own, and take the aggressive against
McClellan. However, in order to deceive the enemy,
it was necessary to mask Jackson's removal from the
Valley ; and a reinforcement of seven thousand men
was sent as far as Staunton as a blind, and then

THE RICHMOND CAMPAIGN. 291

marched back with Jackson's army. The enemy in the
Valley was deceived with equal adroitness, and Jack-
son's sudden march over the mountains was a com-
plete surprise to friends as well as foes — not a man in
his own army knowing where it was going as it took
up its march from Mount Meridian on the 17th of
June. After accompanying his troops to within fifty
miles of Richmond, he placed them in command of
General Ewell, and rode express, with a single courier,
to the city to confer with General Lee. On leaving
his camp on this occasion, he met with a pleasing
evidence of the faithfulness of one of his pickets,
who, not knowing him, refused to let him pass ! The
general pleaded that he was an officer on military
business, but without avail; then that he was an officer
bearing important intelligence to General Lee, but
the man still protested, saying he had special orders
from Jackson not to pass either soldiers or citizens.
He agreed, however, to call the captain of the guard,
who, on coming forward, recognized his general, and
at once let him pass. He did not go, however, with-
out warmly commending the fidelity of the sentinel-
soldier for his strict obedience to orders.

After a full conference with General Lee, Jackson
the next day returned to his command, and conveyed
it safely to Ashland on the evening of June 25th,
from which he was directed to march and turn the
enemy's works at Mechanicsville, where he had a
powerful reserve intrenched. On reaching Ashland,
Jackson encountered unexpected difficulties in the
way of burned bridges and the handling of a part of
his army by inexperienced subordinates, which caused
much delay. Under the stress of his great anxiety and

292 I'lPI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACEISON.

heavy responsibilities, he gave not one moment to
rest or sleep during the night, but devoted the whole
of it to the most energetic preparations and to prayer.
Soon after sunrise the next morning, his army was
put in motion, and in its march met at each cross-
road the vigilant cavalry of Stuart, that gradually
covered his left ; and by the afternoon Jackson was
abreast of the enemy's right flank at Mechanicsville.
Here A. P. Hill's division* had been in position be-
fore the enemy's works for some hours, and was only
waiting for Jackson's support to make an attack. At
the sound of the latter's guns, which told that he was
approaching, Hill swept forward, and drove the
enemy out of the little village, and down the Chicka-
hominy into their strong intrenchments on its eastern
bank. In their impetuosity to drive them out of this
position, the Confederates would not wait until Jack-
son's advance could turn their flank, but attacked
them that evening on their left. A furious cannon-
ade opened on both sides, and after a severe fight the
Confederates failed to dislodge the enemy from their
works, and slept that night upon their arms. This
was the beginning of the seven days' battles around
Richmond.

The bearinff of the soldiers in this crisis was not
more worthy of admiration than the calmness of the
people. Dr. Dabney says :

♦ It is taken for granted that most readers know that there were
two generals by the name of Hill in the Confederate army — A. P.
Hill, of Virginia, and D. H. Hill, of North Carolina. Both were
very distinguished officers. The latter was a brother-in-law of
Stonewall Jackson.

THE SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES. 293

" The demeanor of the citizens of Richmond showed
their courage, and their faith in their leaders and
their cause. For many weeks the Christian people
had given themselves to prayer ; and they drew from
Heaven a sublime composure. The spectator, passing
through the streets, saw the people calmly engaged
in their usual avocations, or else wending their way
to the churches, while the thunder of cannon shook
the city. The young people promenaded the heights
north of the town, and watched the distant shells
bursting against the sky. As the calm summer even-
ing descended, the family groups were seen sitting
upon their door-steps, where mothers told their chil-
dren at their knees how Lee and his heroes were
driving away the invaders."

At dawn on the morning of the 27th, the contest
between the Federal artillery and that of A. P. Hill
was resumed ; but perceiving the divisions of Jack-
son approaching their rear, the enemy retreated down
the Chickahominy towards Cold Harbor, burning and
deserting vast quantities of army stores. General
Lee directed Jackson to proceed to Cold Harbor with
D. H. Hill, and strike their line of retreat. Not
knowing the country, Jackson was misled into taking
the wrong road, and had to retrace his march, thus
losing an hour of precious time, while the cannonad-
ing told that the battle was thickening in front, and
there was danger that he might be too late to fulfil
his order. But he maintained his calmness and com-
posure, and when this fear was suggested to him, he
replied: "No, let us trust that the providence of
God will so overrule it that no mischief shall result."

294 I'IFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The event proved that his confidence was not mis-
taken, for by this delay D. H. Hill was enabled to
meet him precisely at the appointed time and place.
While A. P. Hill was fighting against overwhelming
numbers, Jackson, with D. H. Hill, advanced under
the hottest fire, and for several hours continued the
combat with wavering fortunes. The battle was a
hardly contested one; but the Confederates, after
making the most stubborn resistance, and stoutly
holding every inch of ground they had won, at last
won the day. The faithful Stonewall Brigade, under
General Winder, with D. H. Hill's command, made
brilliant charges; and, with simultaneous successes
upon other parts of the field, the whole wing of the
Federal army, with its reinforcements, was forced back
into the swamps of the Chickahominy.

During this terrible day, while the issue was in
suspense, Jackson was seen to show unwonted excite-
ment, riding restlessly to and fro, despatching mes-
sengers to each of his division commanders with this
sharp command: "Tell them this affair must hang
in suspense no longer; 8jn<'ep the field vnih the hay-
onetP'* But before his messages were receiveil, the
ringing cheers rising from every side out of the smok-
ing woods relieved his anxiety, and told him that the
day was won. The next morning there was not a
Federal soldier north of the Chickahominy. In Jack-
son's official report of the battle, he thus describes
the part borne by the gallant General Hood and his
Texans, who were under his command :

" Advancing through a number of retreating and
disordered regiments, he came within range of the

THE SEVEN DATS' BATTLES. 295

enemy's fire; who, concealed in an open wood and
protected by breastworks, poured a destructive fire,
for a quarter of a mile, into his advancing line, under
which many brave oflBcers and men fell. Dashing on
with unfaltering step in the face of these murderous
discharges of canister and musketry, General Hood
and Colonel Laws, at the heads of their respective bri-
gades, rushed to the charge with a yell. Moving
down a precipitous ravine, leaping ditch and stream,
clambering up a difficult ascent, and exposed to an in-
cessant and deadly fire from the intrenchments, these
brave and determined men pressed forward, driving
the enemy from his well-selected and fortified posi-
tion. In this charge, in which upwards of a thousand
men fjell, killed and wounded, before the face of the
enemy, and in which fourteen pieces of artillery, and
nearly a regiment were captured, the Fourth Texas,
under the lead of General Hood, was the first to
pierce these strongholds and seize the guns. . . .
The shouts of triumph which rose from our brave
men as they, unaided by artillery, had stormed this
citadel of their strength, were promptly carried from
line to line, and the triumphant issue of this assault,
with the well-directed fire of the batteries, and suc-
cessful charges of Hill and Winder upon the enemy's
right, determined the fortunes of the day. The Fed-
erals, routed at every point, and aided by the dark-
ness of the night, escaped across the Chickahominy."

The next morning, as General Jackson inspected
this position and saw the deadly disadvantages under
which the Texans had carried it, he exclaimed : " These
men are soldiers indeed T'

296 LIf£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The Confederates had indeed gained a great victory.
It now remained to push their success to the utmost.
To this end Ewell and Stuart were sent to cut off the
retreat by the York River Railroad, which was effected.
Before retiring, the enemy destroyed a vast amount of
army stores and burned the residence and farm build-
ings of General Lee at the White House. The retreat
down the Peninsula being now cut oflf, it only remained
for the Confederate right wing to get between it and
the James River to complete the success by the capt-
ure of the whole Federal army. But the retreat was
aided by the dense forests and impassable swamps, and
as they burned the bridges across the Chickahominy
as soon as they had crossed them, they were able to
continue their march towards the James. At their
intrenchments, and in their track, were found desert-
ed supplies of vast army stores, much of which they
had attempted to destroy. But, notwithstanding, the
spoils proved a rich harvest to the Confederates, who
gained great stores of fixed ammunition, and, besides,
the suffering country people were supplied with much-
needed provisions and necessaries.

McClellan's last intrenchments were at Savage
Station, where General Magruder made a vigorous
attack upon his flank and front, and drove him out of
them near sunset of the 29th. The sound of the com-
bat put Jackson on the qui vive^ and as he lay down
under the open sky for a short rest, he gave orders
that everything should be ready to move at early
dawn. At midnight he was awakened by a sudden
shower, which drenched him so thoroughly that he
could sleep no more, and he determined to precede his
troops to the position of Magruder, in order to have

SLEEPING IN THE RAIN. 297

time for fuller conference. This was the same gallant
John Bankhead Magruder under whom Jackson won
his first laurels as a soldier in Mexico.

On June 30th General Jackson wrote thus to his
wife:

"Near White Oak Swamp Bridge.

"An ever-kind Providence has greatly blessed our
efforts and given us great reason for thankfulness in
having defended Richmond. To-day the enemy is re-
treating down the Chickahominy towards the James
Eiver. Many prisoners are falling into our hands.
General D. H. Hill and I are together. I had a wet
bed last night, as the rain fell in torrents. I got up
about midnight, and haven't seen much rest since. I
do trust that our God will soon bless us with an honor-
able peace, and permit us to be together at home again
in the enjoyment of domestic happiness.

" You must give fifty dollars for church purposes,
and more should you be disposed. Keep an account
of the amount, as we must give at least one tenth of
our income. I would like very much to see my dar-
ling, but hope that God will enable me to remain at
the post of duty until, in His own good time. He
blesses us with independence. This going home has
injured the army immensely."

After the discomforts of the previous night, when
his troops came up, he was found drying himself be-
fore a camp-fire, but, speedily taking his place at their
head and moving on, captured at Savage Station a
field hospital containing twenty-five hundred sick and
wounded. Other prisoners fell into his hands at every
step, until one thousand were sent to the rear. An

298 LIP£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

officer, congratulating him on the great number of his
captives, said they surrendered too willingly, and that
their maintenance would be a heavy expense to the
Confederacy ; but General Jackson answered, with a
smile, " It is cheaper to feed them than to fight them."
On this day, the 30th, he surprised the enemy by a
fierce onslaught from his batteries that were in a con-
cealed position, which drove them rapidly to the rear,
leaving several pieces of artillery behind them. They
afterwards rallied, and during the rest of the day an
artillery duel was kept up ; but as each party was in-
visible to the other, not much damage resulted to either
side. The White Oak Swamp bridge having been de-
stroyed, Jackson made an attempt to repair it, so as to
pursue the enemy ; but when night came, and he saw
that so little had been accomplished, more wearied
and depressed than he had ever been seen to be before,
as he lay down to sleep, he said : " Now, gentlemen,
let us at once to bed, and rise with the dawn, and see
if to-morrow we cannot do something .'"

During that night the Federal forces skilfully with-
drew from his front and moved to Malvern Hill. At
an early hour the next morning, July 1st, Jackson put
his corps in motion and crossed the White Oak Swamp.
His reconnoissance showed him the enemy strongly
posted upon an eminence in front of Malvern Hill. In
short, the whole army of McClellan, which was still
powerful and well disciplined, was now assembled on
one field, while the whole Confederate army was con-
verging around it, under the immediate eye of the
general-in-chief and the President. The war of the
giants was now about to begin. The position of the
Federals was selected by McClellan himself with con-

BATTLE OF MALVERN HILL. 299

sura mate skill — the ridge commanding all the sur-
rounding country, and he was also under the protec-
tion of his gun-boats in the James River. The Con-
federates labored under the disadvantage of an in-
ferior position, having also to cross swampy woods
and a plain, which was exposed to the fire of McClel-
lan's artillery, and, as they approached his intrench-
ments, his deadly musketry was equally appalling.
The Confederate leaders were likewise ignorant of the
country, which impeded their progress and delayed
the opening of the battle until late in the afternoon.
But on it came at last, and raged with the utmost fury
until night put an end to the conflict. Jackson's
troops fought with their usual bravery, but he con-
ceded the laurels of the day to D. H. Hill, who charged
across the open plain in fac-e of a terrific fire of artil-
lery, under which his men fell fast. But he was soon
reinforced by Jackson, and enabled to maintain his
ground until the veil of darkness interposed and mer-
cifully closed the bloody struggle. At ten o'clock the
battle died away, when Jiickson retired slowly and
^vearilv to the rear to seek some refreshment and rest.
Ilis faithful servant, Jim, prepared a pallet for him on
the ground, in the midst of a confused multitude of
wagons and stragglers, and after partaking of some
food he sank to sleep. At one o'clock he was awak-
ened by his division commanders, who wished to re-
ceive instructions for the morning. These officers all
agreed in the opinion that McClellan would probably
take the aggressive on the morrow, and were full of
apprehension as to their ability to resist him. Jack-
son listened indifferently, asking a few brief questions,
and. said, as if at ease in the matter, " No ; I think he
will clear out in the morning."

RESULT OF SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES. 301

a campaign, which had been prosecuted after jnonths
of preparation at an enormous expenditure of men and
money, completely frustrated. More than ten thou-
sand prisoners— including oflScers of rank — fifty-two
pieces of artillery, and upwards of thirty-five thousand
stand of small-arms, were captured. The stores and
supplies of every description which fell into our hands
were great in amount and value; but small in com-
parison with those destroyed by the enemy. His
losses in battle exceeded our own, as attested by the
thousands of dead and wounded left on every field ;
while his subsequent inaction shows in what condition
the survivors reached the protection to which they
fled."

After spending a few days in a much-needed rest
and in gathering up arms, the Confederate army was
marched back, on the 8th of July, to the vicinity of
Richmond.

A few extracts from Jackson's letters at this time
will furnish glimpses of his varied experiences during
this memorable week. Thus he writes :

" When my command arrived at White Oak Swamp
bridge we found it broken up by the enemy ; but we
opened upon the Federal artillery, and succeeded in
securing one of their cannons, four caissons, and one
battery wagon, in addition to part of a pontoon-bridge
train and prisoners. Many prisoners have fallen into
our hands, and they really appear gratified at the idea
of being taken. I have never seen prisoners so con-
tented. . . . On Tuesday we had another engage-
ment, in which General D. H. Hill, with his division,

302 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

accomplished more than any other part of the army.
Other troops were sent to support him, but his division
may be said to have borne the brunt of the battle, and
he was by far the most distinguished officer engaged
that day. My position is now about three miles north
of James River, and twenty -five miles below Rich-
mond. During the past week I have not been well,
have suffered from fever and debility, but through
the blessing of an ever-kind Providence I am much
better to-day. Last week I received a present of a
beautiful summer hat from a lady in Cumberland.
Our Heavenly Father gives me friends wherever I
go. ... It would be delightful to see my darling, but
we know that all things are ordered for the best."

The corps reached the neighborhood of Richmond
on the 10th of July, and it was during its stay of a
few days there that General Jackson made his first
appearance openly in the city, for the purpose of at-
tending divine worship on the Sabbath. He thus
speaks of it in a letter to his wife ;

'^ Yesterday I heard Rev. Dr. M. D. Iloge preach in
his church, and also in the camp of the Stonewall
Brigade. It is a great comfort to have the privilege
of spending a quiet Sabbath within the walls of a
house dedicated to the service of God."

He slipped into the church unattended — quietly and
modestly took a seat near the door, and, after the ser-
vices were over, was gone before the congregation was
aware of his presence. After calling on a mother who
had lost a son in his command, he returned to his tent.

"WHAT I STONEWALL JACKSON?" 303

So great was the modesty of the now famous general
that he found his greatness embarrassing, and he shrank
more from public notice and applause. Whenever his
soldiers caught sight of him, they rent the air with
their cheers, which he always acknowledged by lifting
his cap, and then putting spurs to his horse and gal-
loping away at the top of his speed. " Little Sorrel "
seemed to know the signal for this stampede, and per-
haps it was from these marvellous flights that the
" foot-cavalry " drew some of their inspiration. When-
ever the sound of the " rebel yell " was heard in their
camp, the soldiers jocularly said, " That's ' old Jack,'
or a rabbit /"

In the movements of the troops around Kichmond,
on one occasion, Jackson and his staff were compelled
to ride through a field of uncut oats. The owner
rushed out upon them with great indignation, venting
his rage specially on the general's devoted head, and
demanding his name " that he might report him." In
a quiet tone the name was given. " What Jackson ?"
asked the farmer. '' General Jackson," was the reply.
'*What!" exclaimed the electrified man, as the truth
dawned upon him — " what ! ' Stonewall ' Jackson ?"
" That is what they call me," was the answer. Tak-
ing off his hat with the profoundest respect, and with
a voice now all kindness and reverence, the man said :
" General Jackson, ride over my whole field ; do what-
ever you like with it, sir."

On the 14th of July, he wrote to his wife from
Richmond :

"Again your husband is about leaving his camp.

304 LI^£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Please direct your next letter to Gordonsville, and
continue to address me there until you hear otherwise.
Everybody doesn't know the meaning and location of
' IleadqtKirterSy VaUey District P "

During his campaign in the valley he had requested
that his letters should be directed simply to " Head-
quarters, Valley District " — his headquarters during
all that time being principally in the saddle ; but after
he was transferred to Richmond the inappropriate-
ness of this address amused him, and perhaps caused
delay and even loss of his letters. Ubiquitous as he
was during the war, he could not have any one address
long. About the time of his leaving Richmond, his
chief of staflF, the Rev. Dr. Dabney (who afterwards
wrote his biography) was compelled to resign in con-
sequence of ill-health. The general wrote: "It was
with tearful eyes that I consented to our separation."
This officer, by his intelligence and faithfulness, had
been invaluable to him, not only in his Valley Cam-
paign, but in the battles around Richmond. In one
instance, at the battle of Chickahominy, a misconcep-
tion of Jackson's orders on the part of a messenger
might have resulted in a fatal error but for the prompt-
ness and efficiency of the chief of staflF, who, compre-
hending the general's true intentions, and the urgency
of the occasion, went himself in person and brought
ail into harmonious action, and thus decided the fort-
unes of the day.

In a letter to his wife he says :

" If you will vouch for Joseph's (her brother) heing

ALWAYS KIND TO THOSE WHO DID THEIR DUTY. 305

an early rise?* during the remainder of the war, I will
give him an aide-ship. I do not want to make an
appointment on my staflf except of such as are early
risers ; but if you will vouch for him to rise regularly
at dawn, I will offer him the position."

The youth, Captain J. G. Morrison, was courageous
enough to accept even on this rigid condition, and
served the general faithfully until his death, being
himself twice wounded, the last time losing the whole
of one foot, except the heel.

Oeneral Jackson was no respecter of persons when
duty was concerned. On one occasion, when he had
an early march before him, he so lost his patience with
the tardiness of his staff in rising that he ordered his
cook to pack up everything, and to throw away the
coffee, which had been captured from the enemy and
was a rare luxury ; and he finally threatened to arrest
the whole staff if they did not get up immediately.
This had the effect of awakening them thoroughly,
and doubtless of arousing some ire also against the
stern and relentless leader, though all who served un-
der him were ready to say, as one did, that " his kind-
ness to those who did their duty was like a woman's."
The attachment of members of his staff to him was
sincere and strong. They knew he was sterner to
himself than he was to them, and could never doubt
his whole-souled and patriotic devotion. I shall never
forget the intense feeling with which young " Sandy"
Pendleton (as he was called) said to me the day after
General Jackson's death, his face bathed in tears:
" God knows I would have died for him P
20

306 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

This true and gallant ofScer followed his general to
the grave in less than a year — slain in battle in his
youth and promise. He was the only son of the Rev.
General W. N. Pendleton, of Lexington, and would
have followed his father's sacred calling if he had
lived. A tender romance hangs around his memory.
With his ardent, chivalrous nature, his heart was soon
captured during the war by a charming young lady,
near whose home he was stationed for a time in win-
ter-quarters. He had some rivals among his brother^
officers, but was successful in winning the prize, and,
obtaining a furlough, was married, and spent a few
blissful weeks with his young bride, when duty called
him into the field, and they never met again. Many
were the simUar tragedies which the cruel war brought
to the hearts and homes of the devoted Southern
women, for even the stern duties of the soldier's life
did not put a stop to marrying and giving in mar-
riage ; hence it was that there were left so many broken
hearts and blighted Uves.

CHAPTER XVI.

CEDAR RUN AND THE SECOND BATTLE OF MANASSAa

After the terrible fatigues of the campaign around
Richmond, it was a joyful moment when Jackson and
his troops received orders (the campaign being over)
to return to the valley. It was sad to think that they
should leave thousands of their comrades behind
them to sleep their last sleep near the city which they
had given their lives to defend. But they, too, had
suflFered from hardships and exposure. Some were
just out of the hospital walking on crutches, or with
their arms in slings; others had contracted diseases
as deadly as wounds, but who felt new life from the
thought of exchanging the swamps of the Chickahom-
iny for the bracing air of their native mountains. No
one had undergone more exposure than their com-
mander, who had slept on the ground, and had the
coarse fare of the common soldiers, so that he and
they were alike in the highest spirits when they set
out on their return march. On the 19th of July they
reached Gordonsville, from which • Jackson writes to
his wife :

" I have been staying for a few days with Mi's.
Barbour, mother-in-law of the Rev. Mr. Ewing, of our
church, and have received much kindness from her
and her three daughters. My tent opens upon the Blue

A CHRISTIAN HOUSEHOLD. 309

Eidge in the distance. The wagon-train is moving in
front."

The society and kindness of this Christian family
were exceedingly congenial and refreshing to him,
and after the duties of the day were over he spent
his leisure moments in their home circle, enjoying
their hospitality, and amusing himself with the chil-
dren of the household. One little girl, in particular,
he made a special pet of, often taking her upon his knee
and caressing her until she grew so fond of him that
she asked him one day to give her as a keepsake one
of the bright brass buttons from his coat when it was
worn out. Months afterwards, although burdened
with the most anxious and weighty cares of an ardu-
ous campaign, he did not forget the request, and sent
the promised button, which the dehghted child pre-
served as one of her greatest treasures.

General Jackson found special pleasure in joining
Mr. Swing's household in their family worship, and
whenever requested would conduct prayers himself.
Mr. Ewing thus describes these services : " There
was something very striking in his prayers. He did
not pray to men, but to God. His tones were deep,
solemn, tremulous. He seemed to realize that he was
speaking to Heaven's King. I never heard any one
pray who seemed to be pervaded more fully by a
spirit of self-abnegation. He seemed to feel more
than any man I ever knew the danger of robbing
God of the glory due for our success."

After spending a few days at Gordonsville, he
changed his quarters into the county of Louisa, near
by, so as to find in that fertile region better pastur-

310 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

age for his horses. He also wished to be more retired
and devote his time to reorganizing his command, and
getting both men and horses into better condition for
future service. Just before this move he wrote from
Gordonsville, on the 28th of July :

" My darling wife, I am just overburdened with
work, and I hope you will not think hard at receiving
only very short letters from your loving husband. A
number of oflScers are with me, but people keep com-
ing to my tent — though let me say no more. A
Christian should never complain. The apostle Paul
said, * I glory in tribulations !' What a bright ex-
ample for others !"

After ascertaining that the enemy were in large
force under General Pope, combining the united com-
mands of Fremont, Shields, Banks, and McDowell,
making an army of at least fifty thousand men, Jack-
son applied to General Lee for reinforcements. The
division of A. P. Hill was immediatelv sent to him,
and, with this accession to his small army, Jackson
had no intention of remaining idle or of awaiting an
atttick from so powerful a foe, but determined to strike
a blow himself before the enemy had time to concen-
trate all their forces. He therefore advanced tow-
ards them on the 7th of August. Before taking this
step, it was observed that he was much in prayer, but
this was his custom previous to every battle. Even
upon the field he was often seen to lift his eyes and
raise his right arm as if in earnest prayer, and some-
times it seemed that while his soul was thus lifted up
in supplication, the Lord of hosts heard and answered,
giving him the victory.

THE BATTLE OF CEDAR RUN. gH

Pope's army was gathering in all its strength at
Culpepper Court-House, and on the 9th of August
Jackson's little army came in contact with his ad-
vance-guard about six miles from the Court-House, on
the borders of a little stream called Cedar Run. Here
hostilities began by a furious cannonade on both sides,
lasting two hours, when, about five o'clock in the
afternoon, the infantry of both armies became hotly
engaged. The conflict was fierce and stubborn, but
the overwhelming numbers of the en^my swept down
with such impetuosity that the weaker party were
forced to yield, and it looked as if it were doomed to
destruction. Ewell, Early, A. P. Hill, Winder, and
other commanders all fought their bravest and best —
the gallant Winder receiving a mortal wound — and
still they were pressed back. " It was at this fearful
moment," says his late chief -of -staff, Dr. Dabney, " that
the genius of the storm reared his head, and in an
instant the tide was turned. Jackson appeared in the
mid-torrent of the highway, his face flaming with the
inspiration of battle : he ordered the batteries which
Winder had placed to be instantly withdrawn to pre-
serve them from capture ; he issued his summons for
his reserves ; he drew his own sword (the first time in
the war), and shouted to the broken troops with a
voice which pealed higher than the roar of battle :
' Rally, brave men, and press forward ! Your gen-
eral will lead you ! Jackson will lead you ! Follow
me !' This appeal was not in vain, and the Federals,
startled by this unexpected rally, were driven from
the field. They afterwards made an attempt to re-
trieve the fortunes of the day, which they had so
nearly won, by an assault from a magnificent body of

312 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

cavalry, but even this was repelled, and the troopers
driven in full retreat."

That night Jackson bivouacked with his troops.
Finding every house filled with the wounded, he de-
clined to enter, saying the sufferers needed a place for
rest more than he did. He was so utterly worn out
that he threw himself upon a grass-plot — one of his
staff kindly spreading a cloak to add to his comfort
— ^and here, underneath the star-lit canopy of heaven,
he found that rest and sleep which his wearied frame
so much demanded. When offered food his reply was :
" No, I want rest^ nothing but rest /"

Two days after the battle he wrote to his wife :

"On last Saturday our God again crowned our
arms with victory, about six miles from Culpepper
Court-House. I can hardly think of the fall of Brig-
adier-General C. S. Winder without tearful eyes.
Let us all unite more earnestly in imploring God's
aid in fighting our battles for us. The thought that
there are so many of God's people praying for His
blessing upon the army greatly strengthens and en-
courages me. The Lord has answered their prayers,
and my trust is in Him, that He will continue to do
so. If God be for us, who can be against us ? That
He will still be with us and give us victory until our
independence shall be established, and that He will
make our nation that people whose God is the Lord,
is my earnest and oft -repeated prayer. While we
attach so much importance to being free from tem-
poral bondage, we must attach far more to being free
from the bondage of sin."

THE DEATH OF GENERAL WINDER. 313

This battle of Cedar Eun Jackson himself pro-
nounced the most successful of his exploits. But he
announced it to his commander-in-chief, General Lee,
in these devout and modest terms :

" August 11th, 6.30 A. M. On the evening of the
9th, God blessed our arms with another victory. The
battle was near Cedar Run, about six miles from
Culpepper Court -House. The enemy, according to
statements of prisoners, consisted of Banks's, McDow-
ell's, and SigePs commands. We have over four hun-
dred prisoners, including Brigadier - General Price.
Whilst our list of killed is less than that of the enemy,
we have to mourn the loss of some of our best officers
and men. Brigadier-General Charles S. Winder was
mortally wounded whilst ably discharging his duty at
the head of his command, which was the advance of
the left wing of the army. We have collected about
fifteen hundred small-arms and other ordnance stores."

In his official report, he pays this tribute to the
late commander of the Stonewall Brigade, the brave
Gteneral Winder :

" It is difficult within the proper reserve of an offi-
cial report to do justice to the merits of this accom-
plished officer. Urged by the medical director to take
no part in the movements of the day, because of the
enfeebled state of his liealth, his ardent patriotism and
military pride could bear no such restraint. Richly
endowed with those qualities of mmd and person
which fit an officer for command, and which attract
the admimtion and excite the enthusiasm of troops.

814 I^li^'fi OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX.

he was rapidly rising to the front rank of his profes-
sion. His loss has been severely felt."

The report closes as follows :

" In order to render thanks to Almighty God for
the victory at Cedar Run, and other victories, and
to implore His continued favor in the future, divine
service was held in the army on the 14th of August."

In this battle the Confederates had between eigh-
teen and twenty thousand men engaged, while the
Federals, according to their own returns, had thirty-
two thousand. Jackson, however, had one incalcu-
lable advantage over the enemy, which he gained by
his promptitude in seizing and holding Slaughter's
Mountain — an elevation which commanded all the
surrounding plains, and enabled him to overlook the
whole scene of action as it lay beneath him, and to
pour down the volleys of his artillery upon the foe.
while his own gunners were secure from a returning
fire, in consequence of the elevation of their position.
It was to the advantage of this position as well as
the bravery of his troops that he was indebted for his
complete success.

By this victory Pope received such a blow that he
was deterred from making another advance until he
could gather reinforcements. Burnside's corps was
withdrawn from North Carolina and sent on to Cul-
pepper Court-House, and it was believed that McClel-
lan's remaining forces would be recalled from James
River and sent also to swell the ranks of the grand
" Army of Virginia," as the command of Pope was

OUTLOOK FROM THE TOP OF CLARKE'S MOUNTAIN. 815

called. At all events, General Lee was convinced
that McClellan was incapable of further aggression,
and that the most effective way to dislodge him from
the Peninsula was to threaten Washington ! He
therefore determined to move his army from Rich-
mond to Gordonsville. He began his march on the
13th, and four days after, on the 17th, McClellan
evacuated the Peninsula and removed his troops to
the Potomac.

On the 15th, as soon as the troops from Eich-
mond began to arrive, Jackson left Gordonsville, and
marched to the base of Clarke's Mountain, on a peak
of which he had established a signal station, which
commanded a view of the enemy's encampment along
the Orange Eailroad. After General Lee joined him,
with their united forces he was most impatient to
push on in pursuit of the enemy on the 18th, and cut
off his line of retreat ; but General I^e, owing to the
dilatoriness of a part of his subordinates, deemed it
best to restrain Jackson's impetuosity, and postponed
the advance until the 20th, to give his troops more
time for preparation. By this delay the success of
Jackson's design was frustrated, for on the night
of the 18th the Federals obtained information from
a party of colored deserters from the Confederate
camp which so alarmed them that the next day,
when General Lee ascended Clarke's Mountain to
take a look at their encampment, he saw their tents
gradually disappearing, and the work went steadily
on until the whole of Pope's vast army " folded their
tents like the Arabs, and silently stole away !" The
object of Pope was to place the Rappahannock be-
tween himself and his pursuers. General Lee now

816 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

hastened to pursue, and at an early hour on the
morning of the 20th the whole Confederate army
was put in motion. General Stuart's splendid division
of cavalry, with its usual daring, dashed across the
Rappahannock, and after skirmishing a few hours
and capturing some prisoners, returned to report
Pope's whole army massed upon the northern bank
of the Rappahannock, with a powerful artillery pre-
pared to dispute the passage of General Lee. His
position on that side of the river was far more safe
and defensible than when Jackson proposed to attack
him on the 18th. General Lee now ordered Jackson
to cross the Rappahannock high up, and by a forced
march go to Manassas and get in Pope's rear. Other
divisions were sent to Pope's front, and the two hos-
tile armies marched along on either side of the stream,
opening fire upon each other whenever the opportunity
offered. Jackson continued his march up stream until
he reached Warrenton Springs, on the 22d, where he
found the bridge destroyed, but he passed Early's bri-
gade over on a mill-dam, and took possession of the
Springs. Before other troops could be crossed to his
support, a sudden and heavy rain -fall swelled the
river so as to render it impassable, and Early was
thus cut off from his friends and surrounded bv the
enemy. His situation was one of extreme peril, but he
managed to conceal his troops in the woods, and hold his
foes at bay with artillery, until Jackson had construct-
ed a temporary bridge, and by the dawn of the morn-
ing of the 24th the gallant Early, with his command,
had recrossed the river without the loss of a man.

While a fierce artillery duel was going on across
the river between A. P. Hill and the enemy, Jack-

GETTING BETWEEN POPE AND WASHINGTON. 317

son left the river-bank a few miles, and marched to
the village of Jeffersonton. He was thus lost sight
of by the Federals, and to Longstreet was given
the task of amusing Pope by the appearance of a
crossing at Warrenton Springs. Jackson was now
preparing to obey Lee's order to separate himself
from the rest of the army, pass around Pope to
the westward, and place his corps between him and
Washington at Manassas Junction. Leaving behind
him all his trains, except ambulances and carriages
for ammunition, and making a hasty issue of rations, he
started from Jeflfersonton early on the morning of the
25th of August. On that day he wrote a hurried note
to his wife, not alluding to his movements, but saying :

" The enemy has taken a position, or rather several
positions, on the Fauquier side of the Eappahannock.
I have only time to tell you how much I love my
little pet dove."

Although his troops had been constantly marching
and fighting for five days, and subsisting upon insuffi-
cient rations, supplemented by the green corn of the
fields along their route, yet they did not lose their
enthusiasm and devotion to their indefatigable leader.
Towards the close of the day he had gone in ad-
vance of the column, and, dismounting, had stepped
upon a large stone by the roadside, probably to in-
spect his army as they passed by. As he stood upon
this elevation, with uplifted cap, the sunset glow ir-
radiating his noble face and figure, his men, as they
caught sight of him, began to cheer, but he quickly
indicated by a gesture that silence must be preserved.

318 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

in order not to betray their presence to the enemy.
Down the column were passed the words, " No
cheering, boys; the general requests it," and the com-
mand was instantly obeyed ; but as the soldiers passed
their general, the}'^ waved their caps in the air, and
their eyes bespoke the cheer which their lips had
been forbidden to utter. As the columns marched by
in this loyal and devoted spirit. General Jackson
turned to his staff, with a face beaming with pleasur-
able emotion, and exclaimed : " Who could not con-
, quer with such troops as these?"

Thus always, whatever his army achieved, his mod-
esty led him to ascribe it to his brave men, feeling
himself to be but an humble instrument in the hand
of God.

With such a leader to inspire them, Jackson's corps
marched fifty miles in two days, capturing all their
supplies from the enemy, and reached Bristow Station,
by which they accomplished their object, that of
placing themselves between Pope and Washington —
a perilous position, as they were now cut off from
General Lee, with the whole of Po})e's army in their
front. General Stuart, with his cavalry, was guard-
ing the right flank, and his promptness and efficiency
were invaluable to Jackson, enablinor him to carrv out
his plans of secrecy and rapidity of movement. Upon
arriving at Bristow Station,the fii'st object of Jackson
was to get possession of the vast stores of the enemy
at Manassas Junction, four miles farther north. So
much did he realize this necessity that he determined
to press on that night, and not to wait until morning,
and thus give the enemy time to destroy the stores.
So completely were his brave soldiers in sympathy

CAPTURE OF ARMY STORES. 319

with him that General Trimble, with his Twenty-first
North Carolina and Twenty-first Georgia regiments,
volunteered for this service, and, supported by a de-
tachment of Stuart's cavalry, with Stuart himself in
command of the whole, the work was undertaken,
and resulted in complete success. The Confederates
captured all the vast stores, consisting of every-
thing which their army needed, took several hundred
prisoners, two himdred and fifty horses, with im-
mense commissary and quartermaster's supplies. To
this disaster Pope ascribed his defeat in the three
days' sanguinary struggle which ensued upon the
plains of Manassas, alleging that his army had been
compelled to fight without sufficient rations and am-
munition.

On the morning of the 27th, Jackson went to the
relief of Trimble, who had been all night under arms,
taking a part of his command, and leaving the rest to
watch Pope, with orders to rejoin him, if necessary,
at Manassas. Almost immediately after Jackson's
arrival upon the scene, a Federal detachment began
an attack, but, mistaking the strength of the Con-
federates, were soon compelled to retire in confusion.
Their own guns were captured and turned against
them, making such havoc in their ranks that Jack-
son's heart was moved with compassion, and he
dashed forward alone, at the risk of his life, and
waved a white handkerchief, as a signal of truce to
them to accept quarter. The reply to this was a
volley from their guns, and, seeing his offer refused,
he hastened back to his men and ordered them to
proceed with their work. The opposing force was
quickly overcome; the commander fell mortally

320 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

wounded and was left upon the field, while his men
were pursued and scattered.

Jackson now gave his troops a short rest, and per-
mitted them to refresh themselves with the rich spoils
which they had captured from the enemy. As it was
impossible for them to remove all these vast stores,
the men were allowed to help themselves to all that
they could consume and carry away, and the remain-
der was destroyed, to prevent its falling again into the
hands of the enemy. The new clothing, boots, hats,
and tempting eatables were a rare treat to the hungry
soldiers, who had marched twenty -five and thirty
miles a day, and had fed principally on green com
and apples gathered by the way. But after a few
hours of this high carnival, they had again to buckle
on their armor. The forces which Jackson had left
at Bristow Station under Ewell had been attacked,
and after a brave resistance had been withdrawn to
join Jackson at Manassas. This was in obedience to
Jackson's order, and was managed with so much skill
that not a single man was captured in the retreat ;
the stream separating Bristow from Manassas was
safely crossed, and the railroad bridge was burned.
One division was sent that night across the Warrenton
and Alexandria Turnpike, and halted near the battle-
field of the first Manassas. The next morning, the 28th,
the two remaining divisions, after marching in differ-
ent directions, joined the first, and Stuart's cavalry,
after making a circuit as far as Fairfax Court-House,
was also brought up on the flanks of the infantry,
and the whole command was now concentrated north
of the Warrenton Turnpike. The left wing rested on
Bull Run, the right extended towards the road lead-

LONGSTREET COMING TO HIS SUPPORT. 321

ing from Thoroughfare Gap, through which Long-
street, with his corps, was expected to come up to
the support of Jackson.

Thus far Jackson had been entirely successful in
executing the instructions of General Lee in placing
his corps between Pope and the Federal capital, but
his position was becoming more and more critical ; for
if Longstreet, by any reason, should fail in coming up
to time, there was danger of Jackson's small army
of only eighteen thousand men being crushed by the
sheer weight of the greatly superior numbers of the
whole Federal army, which he had drawn upon
himself through his daring and rapid movement.
Scarcely had he completed the disposition of hi&
troops, when the enemy were discovered to be advanc-
ing along the Warrenton turnpike in heavy force.
Suspecting that they might be retreating to Alex-
andria to avoid an engagement, Jackson determined
to attack them, even at the risk of his own safety.
He had no idea of letting the enemy escape him, and
he lost no time in striking them on the flank as they
passed, thereby arresting their march and compelling
them to come to a stand. The Confederate batteries,
having an elevated position, opened such a fierce
cannonade that the enemy were forced to return it,
and a short time before sunset a furious and bloody
battle began, and continued until about nine o'clock,
when the enemy retired under cover of darkness,
leaving the field in the possession of the Confederates.
In this engagement two of General Jackson's major-
generals, Ewell and Taliaferro, were wounded ; the
former losing a leg, but he was subsequently able to

resume his command.
21

322 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

On the morning of the 29th Jackson discovered that
the enemy were preparing to give battle, and, if possi-
ble, crush him before he could receive reinforcements.
To both officers and men the danger of their situation
was so imminent that all eyes were anxiously turned
towards Thoroughfare Gap, to see Longstreet coming
to their relief. Early in the morning clouds of dust in
that direction raised their hopes, but it proved to be a
body of the enemy who had occupied that pass the
day before for the purpose of intercepting Longstreet's
passage, and were now retiring to Bristow. At ten
o'clock Jackson's right flank was attacked by a heavy
cannonade from the enemy's batteries, which was re-
turned with promptness and spirit. A general and
terrible conflict now threatened, and Jackson's lines,
though thinned by battle and almost exhausted by
their extraordinary exertions, yet stood heroically at
bay. Soon, however, their anxious hopes were real-
ized when Stuart's couriers came dashing up and an-
nounced the approach of Longstreet. Already great
clouds of dust were seen arising over Thoroughfare
Gap, and the expected troops, stimulated by the sound
of the cannonading, were hurrying forward to the
relief of their struggling comrades. Stuart conducted
them in safety to Jackson, and the union of the two
corps was effected, and infused new life and spirit
into the whole Confederate ranks. After Longstreet's
arrival, the enemy changed position, and the battle
continued for many hours with stubborn and relent-
less fury on both sides. The Federals displayed great
valor, six times rushing forward in separate and deter-
mitied assaults, but were each time repulsed. About
two o'clock they hurled their masses of infantry with

SECOND DAY OF THE BAITLE. 323

perfect desperation against Jackson's wing, but, as line
after line advanced to close quarters, it was only to
be mowed down and driven back in dismay and con-
fusion. The conflict raged until many of the Confed-
erate infantry had exhausted their cartridges ; but they
declared they would hold their position with the ba}-^-
onet, and some of them did thus hold it, while others
seized the stones of the field and fought with them.
While Jackson's corps was struggling against these
furious onslaughts, Longstreet was engaged in equally
severe and bloody w^ork in resisting the forces that
were brought against him. The army of Pope was
reinforced by a corps of McClellan from the Penin-
sula, and with this new enemy Longstreet was engaged
until nine o'clock at night, driving back his assailants
and capturing a number of prisoners and trophies.
Darkness then closed this second day of carnage, and
the weary Confederates slept upon their arms, in pos-
session of the lines which they had so gallantly held.

That night, when Jackson and his staflf came together
for a few hours' sleep under the open sky, their pale
faces did not indicate the success of the day, for their
hearts were heavy with sorrow at the fall of many of
the best and bravest of their army, and around them,
in the darkness, lay the wounded and dying. Wearied
and sad, they spoke but little beyond inquiries and
remarks concerning the occurrences of this event-
ful day. The medical director, Doctor McGuire, in
speaking of the terrible conflict, said : " General, this
day has been won by nothing but stark and stem fight-
ing." "No," replied Jackson, 'Mt has been won by
nothing but the blessing and protection of Provi-
dence." After the fatigues and horrors of the day

324 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

were over, the chaplains, who had oc5cupied themselves
in C5aring for the wounded, collected in groups all the
men that could be found oflf duty, and led them in
prayer and praise to the Captain of their salvation.
Before another sun had set, many of these worshippers
were among the throng around the great white throne.

General Lee, having arrived with Longstreet upon
the scene of action, the morning of the 30th found the
commander-in-chief at the head of his army, upon the
ground which his subordinates had so stoutly held
against all the assaults of the previous day, and calm-
ly awaiting the attack. Jackson held the left wing,
Longstreet the right, and the artillery occupied an ele-
vated ridge in the centre, commanding the fronts of
both wings.

The Confederates stood solely upon the defensive,
and possessed such advantages in position that it might
be said the battle was won before it was fought. The
Federals showed their wisdom in delaying hostilities
until late in the afternoon. The morning was marked
by only an occasional cannonade upon different por-
tions of the Confederate lines, with slight skirmishes,
and the great attack was not made until four o'clock.
Then the struggle began in earnest — the Federals
making a most gallant charge — three lines advancing
in dense masses, and dashing like great billows against
their opponents. As each line recoiled before the
murderous fire with which it was met, another fol-
lowed with still more determination, and the struggle
raged with furious desperation, until the Confederates
exhausted their ammunition.

For about half an hour the brunt of the battle was
borne by Jackson's lines, and finding them wavenng

THIRD DAY OF THE BATTLE. 326

at several points, Longstreet was ordered to his assist-
ance. But before the order was received, Longstreet,
perceiving and embracing an opportunity of pouring
his artillery into the advancing ranks, turned the tide
against them. This gave the Confederates time to
rally, and they dashed forward with renewed enthu-
siasm and vigor. Both of their wings were ordered
to close in upon the foe, while the artillery dealt a
deadly and terrific fire into his lines, causing them to
break just as darkness, intensified by the smoke of
battle and an impending storm, gathered over the ter-
rible scene. At ten o'clock the third day of this great
battle came to an end, and the wearied Confederates
lay down to seek rest upon a victorious field, but
found only a watery bivouac under the beating of a
continuous rain, while all night long was heard the
tramp of the enemy retreating to the heights of Cen-
treville.

In this three days' battle the Confederate loss was
very heavy, but the battle-field revealed the fact that
that of the Federals was far greater. Their surgeons,
under a flag of truce, ministered to the wounded,
many days being consumed m the work, and num-
bers of lives were sacrificed by delay in receiving
attention. The estimate was that in this series of
battles the total Confederate loss was about seventy-
five hundred men, eleven hundred of whom were slain
upon the field. Jackson's proportion of the loss in
officers and men greatly exceeded that of the rest of
the army, in consequence of his fighting the first day
without the support of reinforcements, and subse-
quently the enemy seemed to select his lines chiefly
as the points of the most furious attacks. In all the

326 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

long struggle he lost only thirty-five men by capture,
while the prisoners on the other side were estimated
at seven thousand, in addition to two thousand left
wounded upon the battle-field. Twenty thousand
small-arms, thirty pieces of artillery, numerous colors,
and a large amount of army stores fell into the hands
of the Confederates. In reviewing the whole, Jack-
son thus closes his report :

"For these great and signal victories our sincere
and humble thanks are due unto Almighty God. We
should in all things acknowledge the hand of Him
who reigns in heaven and rules among the armies of
men. In view of the arduous labors and great priva^
tions the troops were called to endure, and the isolated
and perilous position which the command occupied
while engaged with greatly superior numbers of the
enemy, we can but express the grateful conviction
that God was with us, and gave us the victory ; and
unto His holy name be all the praise."

Dr. Dabney says : " Few words are needed to point
out the share which Jackson and his corps merited
in the glory of the second victory of Manassas. To
the rapidity of his march, the promptitude and skill
of his action in seizing and destroying the Junc-
tion, the wisdom which guided his selection of a posi-
tion, and the heroic tenacity with which he held it
against fearful odds until the arrival of General Lee,
was the splendid result chiefly due. It was so or-
dered as if to illustrate the superior prowess of the
Confederate soldiery, that in this battle the positions
of the combatants in July, 1861, were almost precisely

"GOD GAVE US THE VICTORY !" 327

reversed. The ground held by Jackson in the second
battle was that held by McDowell in the first ; and
the ground from which the Confederates drove Pope
at nightfall, the 30th of August, was that from which
McDowell could not drive them on the 21st of July ;
while the preponderance of numbers was still upon
the Federal side."

On the 1st of September General Jackson wrote to
his wife :

" We were engaged with the enemy at and near
Manassas Junction Tuesday and Wednesday, and again
near the battle-field of Manassas on Thursday, Friday,
and Saturday ; in all of which God gave us the vic-
tory. May He ever be with us, and we ever be His
devoted people, is my earnest prayer. It greatly en-
courages me to feel that so many of God's people are
praying for that part of our force under my com-
mand. The Lord has answered their prayers ; He has
again placed us across Bull Run; and I pray that
He will make our arms entirel}'' successful, and that
all the glory will be given to His holy name, and
none of it to man. God has blessed and preserved
me through His great mercy. On Saturday, Colonel
Baylor and Hugh White were both killed, and Willie
Preston was mortally wounded."

Hugh White was the son of his pastor, a candidate
for the ministry, and was one of the purest and no-
blest of characters, as was also young Preston, who
combined great beauty of youthful manhood with
fervent piety and the brightest promise. They were

828 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

both Lexington boys, from Gteneral Jackson's own
church, and sons of his dearest friends.

On the morning of the 1st of September, Greneral
Jackson's soldiers arose from the wet ground, cold and
comfortless, and, after refreshing themselves with food
and warmth from camp-fires, were ordered to march.
Longstreet was to remain to bury the dead and gath-
er up the spoils. Stuart reported the enemy as hav-
ing rallied upon the heights of Centreville, and occu-
pying a powerful line of works, capable of defence
either in front or rear, which General Joseph E.
Johnston had constructed the first winter of the war.
Here Pope's shattered army had taken refuge, and,
with large reinforcements from McClellan, once more
presented a front, and General Jackson was directed
to turn their position, and, if possible, compel them
to retreat without a battle. To accomplish this, he
marched through circuitous country roads, which
brought him up far in the rear of Centreville. As
soon as the enemy perceived this unexpected move-
ment, they resumed their retreat, but upon approach-
ing Fairfax Court -House they found Jackson pre-
pared to attack them. A sudden and spirited engage-
ment, known as that of Ox Hill, took place, the enemy
making such a brave and desperate resistance that
at last victory seemed almost within their grasp ; but
after a short and bloody struggle the tide again turn-
ed, and they once more took up their line of retreat,
and disappeared in the darkness.

CHAPTER XVII.

MARYLAND CAMPAIGN AND SHARPSBURG— 1862.

The invaders had now retreated in full force from
Northern Virginia, leaving only a few fortified posts
along the frontier, while the shattered armies of both
Pope and McClellan sought shelter in the strong
fortifications of Washington, from which they had so
recently marched in immense numbers and with
splendid equipment, in the confident expectation of
annihilating the Confederate army. Pope's boast had
been that during his campaign his headquarters
should be in the saddle, and that he would subsist his
troops on the invaded country, authorizing them to
appropriate from the inhabitants all the horses and
provisions which they could make use of, and to de-
stroy what they could not use. He also demanded
that all citizens within his lines should take an oath
of allegiance to the Federal government, or be ban-
ished South, threatening that they should be executed
as spies in case of their return. Fortunate was it for
the Virginians that this cruel and boastful command-
er had so short and inglorious a reign.

The success of the Confederates thus far, with an
inferior force against greatly superior numbers, now
emboldened General Lee to conceive the plan of
taking the aggressive, and pursuing his advantage
by an invasion of Maryland. It was desirable that

830 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Virginia should have a respite from the ravages of
the two great contending armies, which had so long
made it their field of battle; and as Maryland had
been a Southern State, and was full of Southern
sympathy, it was hoped that the appearance of Lee's
army would stimulate her people to aid in achiev-
ing independence. From the beginning of the war,
many Marylanders had been in the Southern army,
and it had no braver men or better soldiers. In
consequence of its forced marches and many hard-
fought battles, it was poorly equipped for an invasion ;
but the great success hitherto, and the high spirit of
his men, gave confidence to their commander, and the
army was put in motion for the Potomac — Jackson's
corps having rested only one day after the battle of
Ox Hill, which closed with the night of September
1st, in a thunder-storm and deluge of rain. The first
day they marched to Dranesville, and on the second
reached Leesburg.

The fame of Stonewall Jackson having spread far
and wide, the people were eager to catch a glimpse of
him whenever his march led him near their homes.
Crowds pressed upon him, and ardent admirers would
sometimes throw their arms round the neck of his horse.
Attentions were showered upon him by the old and
young, and were often of so enthusiastic a nature as
to really embarrass him. As an instance of this, while
he was passing through Leesburg a lady was seen
standing in her doorway, who, on having her hero
pointed out to her, ran out into the middle of the
street, and, divesting herself of a scarf, threw it before
his horse. With his characteristic modesty, he did
not comprehend that this was meant to do him honor,

CROSSING THE POTOMAC. 331

and, reining up, he looked with puzzled inquiry first at
the lady, who had retired to the sidewalk, and then
at the scarf in front of his horse's feet. One of his
young staff officers, seeing his perplexity, explained to
him in a stage whisper : " She means you to ride over
it, general." As soon as he understood the delicate
tribute which she intended, he turned to her with a
beaming smile, and, taking oflf his cap, gallantly rode
over the scarf.

On the 5th of September General Jackson's com-
mand crossed the Potomac at White's Ford. The
river here is only about half a mile wide, and having a
level and pebbly bottom, from two to three feet deep,
the infantry were able to ford the stream. As the
troops came in sight of the river, they quickened their
steps, and as line after line planted their feet upon
Maryland soil, they rent the air with enthusiastic
cheers.

As soon as they had crossed, the first work to be
done was to destroy the locks of the canal, thus drain-
ing off its waters and preventing its navigation. On
the 6th the army occupied the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad and entered Frederick City. Here a Mary-
land gentleman welcomed General Jackson by pre-
senting him with a superb horse, and a few hundred
young men joined the ranks of the Southern army.
Just as soon as his troops became the invaders, he
issued the most stringent orders against straggling,
depredation upon property, and every species of rapine
or trespass, and his well-disciplined soldiers proved
their obedience by a respect for private rights and
a magnanimous forbearance that were in striking
contrast with the conduct of the Federal army while

832 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON. .

in Virginia. At Frederick, Jackson rested with his
troops foar days, and the day after his arrival being
the Sabbath, he attended divine worship. It was a
noteworthy fact that the people of the place attended
their varioas churches with as mach freedom and se-
curity as if they were not within the lines of an in-
vading army. Of the service he wrote to his wife the
next day, September 8th :

..." Last evening I attended a Grerman Reformed
church in Frederick City. I was not quite near
enough to hear all the sermon [his modesty had led
him to take a back seat], and I regret to say fell
asleep; but had I been near enough to hear, would
probably not have been so unfortunate. The minister
is a gifted one, and the building beautiful. The pews
are arranged m a circular form, so that every person
faces the pulpit. The town appears to be a charming
place, neat and beautiful. The ladies and gentlemen
were sitting in front of the doors, and all looked so
comfortable, and I may say elegant, according to my
ideas, and their enjoyment looked so genuine, that
my heart was in sympathy with the surroundings.
If such scenes could only surround me in Lexington,
how my heart would, under a smiling Providence,
rejoice !"

Whittier's celebrated war poem, " Barbara Friet-
chie," claims to be founded upon an incident which
was supposed to have taken place upon the entrance
of General Jackson with his troops into Frederick
City. The story is best told in the poet's own melo-
dious language, the part relating to General Jackson
and his troops only being quoted :

"BARBARA FBIETCfllE." 883

** On that pleasant morn of the early fall
When Lee marched over the mountain wall —
Over the mountains winding down.
Horse and foot, into Frederick town—
Forty flags with their silver stars,
Forty flags with their crimson bars.
Flapped in the morning wind : the sun
Of noon looked down, and saw not one.
Up rose old Barbara Frietchie then,
Bowed with her fourscore years and ten ;
Bravest of all in Frederick town,
She took up the flag the men linuled down :
In her attic window the staff she set.
To show one heart was loyal yet.
Up the street came the rebel tread,
Stonewall Jackson riding ahead.
Under his slouched hat, left and right
He glanced ; the old flag met his sight.

* Halt !' — the dust-brown ranks stood fast.

* Fire I' — out blazed the rifle blast ;

It shivered tlie window, pane and sash ;
It rent the banner with seam and gash.
Quick, as it fell from the broken staff,
Dame Barbara snatched the silken scarf;
She leaned far out on tlie window-sill.
And shook it forth with a royal will.

* Shoot, if you must, this old gray head.
But spare your country's flag,' she said.
A shade of sadness, a blush of shame.
Over the face of the leader came ;

The nobler nature within him stirred
To life at that woman's deed and word :

* Wlio touches a hair of yon gray head
Dies like a dog ! March on !' he said.

4e ♦ « ♦ ♦ 41

Honor to her 1 and let a tear

Fall, for her sake, on Stonewall's bier."

Alas for the poet ! that rade hands should have to

334 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

sweep away this graphic picture, which his many ad-
mirers have SO long regarded as drawn from life ; but
I have been told by members of General Jackson's
staflf that this pretty story was a myth. This is con-
firmed by Dame Barbara's own nephew, Valerius
Ebert, of Frederick City, who writes to a Northern
paper:

..." As to the waving of the Federal flag in the
face of the rebels by Dame Barbara on the occasion
of Stonewall Jackson's march through Frederick,
truth requires me to say that Stonewall Jackson, with
his troops, did not pass Barbara Frietchie's residence
at all ; but passed through what in this city is called
" The Mill Alley," about three hundred yards from
her residence, then passed due west towards Antie-
tam, and thus out of the citv. But another and still
stronger fact with regard to this matter may be here
presented — viz. : the poem by Whittier represents our
venerable relative (then ninety -six years of age) as
nimbly ascending to her attic window and waving
her small Federal flag defiantly in the face of Stone-
wall Jackson's troops. Now, Dame Barbara was at
the moment bed-ridden and helpless, and had lost
the power of locomotion. She could at that period
only move, as she was moved, by the help of her at-
tendants. These are the facts, proving that Whittier's
poem upon this subject is pure fiction."

The bold step of General Lee in the invasion
of Maryland spread consternation at Washington ;
and President Lincoln, realizing the paramount im-
portance of protecting the capital, no immediate ac-

ENTHUSIASTIC DEMONSTRATIONS. 886

tion was taken to follow the invading army. Upon
the arrival of the whole Confederate army at
Frederick, General Lee held a consultation with his
leading generals as to a plan of future operations.
Although the mass of the Federal troops had retired
to Washington, Harper's Ferry had not yet been
evacuated, as General Lee had hoped, and this en-
dangered the safety of his army. It had been his
design to proceed with his command into Western
Maryland, keeping up his communications with Rich-
mond through the Shenandoah Valley, and to threaten
Pennsylvania, thus hoping to draw the enemy after
him, and away from their base of supplies. But with
the Federals holding Harper's Ferry, it was deemed
necessary to capture the place as speedily as possible,
and General Jackson was ordered to move with his
corps to Martinsburg, and after dislodging the enemy
there to march down the south side of the Potomac
upon Harper's Ferry. He accordingly left Frederick
on the 10th of September, and, making a rapid transit
through Middletown, Boonsboro', and Williamsport,
the next day he recrossed the Potomac, and was upon
his native soil. Upon hearing of Jackson's approach,
on the 11th, the Federal commander retreated to
Harper's Ferry, and the next morning Jackson's cav-
alry I'eached Martinsburg, where the people, equally
astonished and delighted, greeted him with a glad
welcome; and, being once more in his beloved val-
ley, among his own people, his heart responded with
grateful emotion to their eager demonstrations. The
ladies, who are always foremost in doing and claim-
ing honors, beset him on all sides, and besought of
him souvenirs — some requesting locks of his hair, and

336 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

others buttons from his coat. He tried to excuse him-
self by telling one pretty petitioner that she had more
hair than he had, and he permitted them to strip his
coat of buttons, but finally their importunity so
embarrassed him that, with a blushing face, he said :
" Really, ladies, this is the first time I was ever sur-
rounded by the enemy," and, with the best grace he
could, he retreated from the clamorous circle. After-
wards, a considerate young lady sent him a present
of several cards of military buttons to replace those
that had been cut from his coat, accompanying the
gift with a charming letter. As a penalty of sharing
his master's fame, poor "Little Sorrel" lost many
locks from his mane and tail.

A rapid march from Martinsburg brought General
Jackson and his corps, on the morning of the 13th of
September, to Harper's Ferry. In the space of three
months Jackson had swept down the valley, fought
and won the battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic ;
had marched to Richmond and borne a conspicuous
part in the seven days' battles ; had then turned north
towards Washington, and won the battle of Cedar
Run, and the second great struggle upon the plains
of Manassas; and now, after a march to Frederick,
Maryland, returned to Harper's Ferry, thus complet-
ing a circuit so full of toil, heroism, and victory as
to appear almost incredible.

Arrived at Harper's Ferry, General Jackson found
the enemy in force, and drawn up in battle array
upon Bolivar Heights. General Lee, in his plan for
the capture of the place, had ordered two other divi-
sions, commanded by Generals McLaws and Walker,
to approach simultaneously with Jackson's corps, and

CAPTURE OF HARPER'S FERRY. 887

seize the Maryland Heights and Loudoun .Heights^
which would surround the garrison beyond escape.
It was but one day's march for these divisions, while
Jackson's route around by Marti nsburg was a circuit
of sixty miles. He was therefore naturally anxious
to ascertain whether they had arrived at their respec-
tive destinations, and lost no time in signalling their
posts, but, receiving no reply, found that he was in
advance of them. He then sent couriers to the heights,
who returned during the night with the intelligence
that both generals had executed their movements,
and were in possession of the two heights. The
Federals were now encompassed on every side. On
the morning of the 14th, Jackson established com-
munication with McLaws and Walker, and, as the
ranking officer, directed the plan of operations for
the capture of Harper's Ferry.

After cutting roads, with great labor, by which
artillery could be taken up to the heights, the Con-
federates poured shot and shell upon the enemy,
producing great dismay and the wildest confusion.
However, they still had one loop-hole of escape, for
the Confederate artillery could not dislodge the troops
that occupied the main line upon Bolivar Heights,
and here there was a chance of McClellan's coming
to their relief. So it fell to Jackson's corps to deal
the finishing stroke, in frustrating this forlorn hope,
which was accomplished by moving in the darkness
of night, screened by the ravines along the river, and
getting in the enemy's rear. To make assurance
doubly sure, he planted eleven pieces of artillery
across the Shenandoah to intercept egress or ingress,

thus destroying every chance of escape or relief. The
22

888 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

morning of the 15th found the assailants eager to re-
new the attack, and Jackson ordered all the batteries
to open at once. A furious cannonade thus began,
when after about an hour's resistance on the part of
the garrison, a white flag was seen to be lifted aloft,
and the tempest of battle at once ceased. The enemy
had surrendered — with a garrison of eleven thousand
men, over sixty pieces of artillery, thirteen thousand
stand of small-arms, great numbers of horses and
wagons, and vast quantities of stores of every descrip-
tion. The garrison was treated on the most liberal
terms. The oflBcers were permitted to retain their
side-arms and all their personal effects, upon their
parole ; and wagons and horses were also loaned them
to remove their baggage into the Federal lines. The
privates also, after being disarmed, were released on
parole.

Writing to his wife, Greneral Jackson says :

" It is my grateful privilege to write that our God
has given us a brilliant victory at Harper's Ferry
to-day. Probably nearly eleven thousand prisoners,
a great number of small - arms, and over sixty pieces
of artillery are, through God's blessing, in our posses-
sion. The action commenced yesterday, and ended
this morning in the capitulation. Our Heavenly
Father blesses us exceedingly. I am thankful to say
that our loss was small, and Joseph and myself were
mercifully protected from harm."

When General Lee sent the forces under Jackson
from Frederick to reduce Harper's Ferry, he started

McCLELLAN'S ARMY APPROACHING. 339

the remaining part of his command in other direc-
tions, and in the meantime the situation of the
Confederates in Maryland assumed a grave aspect.
McClellan's grand army entered Frederick the day
after General Lee evacuated it, and unfortunately a
copy of his order directing the movements of his
whole army had been dropped on leaving the town,
and was picked up by the Federals, revealing Lee's
plan to McClellan, who at once embraced his oppor-
tunity, and pressed forward in pursuit, before. Lee
could concentrate his scattered troops for battle.
The Confederate army was now in great peril, as
McClellan, with a full knowledge of the situation
and of the movements of the Confederates, was
gathering his forces for a decisive conflict. On the
13th the Confederate cavalry near Boonsboro' was
forced back slowly, and the command of Gteneral
D. H. Hill, which had been sent to guard the moun-
tain pass in front of Boonsboro', was attacked by
overwhelming numbers. With less than five thousand
men, he held the pass for five hours, repelling re-
peated assaults until Longstreet, coming to their sup-
port in the afternoon, enabled them to maintain their
ground until nightfall.

To oppose the advance of the enemy more effectu-
ally, General Lee determined to concentrate his forces
at Sharpsburg, and Jackson was summoned to join
him as speedily as possible. Prompt to obey the
order, he did not wait to receive the surrender of the
Federal troops at Harper's Ferry, but left that duty
to General A. P. Hill. With the rest of his com-
mand he took up his march by way of Shepherds-
town. Generals Walker and McLaws having orders

340 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

to follow. The movement of all the troops, except
McLaws's, which were harassed and delayed by the
enemy, was safely effected, Longstreet and D. H.
Hill arrived at Sharpsburg on the morning of the
15th, and their troops were greatly inspirited by the
news of the capture of Harper's Ferry. Sharpsburg
is a little hamlet, situated two and a half miles from
the Potomac and one mile from Antietam Creek.
In the Federal accounts this creek gave name to the
battle, which is always spoken of as the Battle of
Antietam. Sharpsburg itself is remarkable only for
its intersection of six roads, which afforded facilities
for the concentration of Lee's divided army. The
country is elevated and undulating, and presented a
good defensive position, and here General Lee made
his dispositions to meet the advance of the enemy on
the 15th of September; but the latter made only re-
oonnoissances on that day. However, on the next
morning, the 16th, their batteries opened fire, and
their swaying multitudes indicated that a great battle
had begun. It was about noon when Jackson arrived
on the field, and, after a brief rest for his wearied
troops, took his position, which was one of great
exposure and danger. With the approach of evening,
both the Federal artillery and infantry fiercely assailed
the Confederates under the command of General
Hood, whose left Jackson was ordered to support.
This assault continued late into the night, but was
gallantly repelled, and the two hostile armies slept
upon their arms to be ready to renew the bloody con-
flict in the morning. Even their hours of repose were
disturbed by a continual dropping fire.

A splendid autumn morning had scarcely dawned.

THE BATTLE OF SHARPSBURG. 341

on the 17th, when its brilliant beams were obscured
by the smoke of terrific volleys from the whole Fed-
eral line of artillery — the heaviest fire falling upon
the Confederate left held by Jackson — an attack which
was soon supported by infantry advancing in great
force. The overwhelming numbers were met with
unflinching bravery and resolution, and for several
hours the unequal combat raged with unceasing vio-
lence and varying fortune. Many of the Confederate
field officers were killed and wounded, and their whole
line rapidly thinned under the murderous fire of the
tremendous odds against them ; still they fought with
unconquerable tenacity, repeatedly breaking the ranks
of the enemy, and, although forced back by sheer
weight of numbers, they turned at every favorable
position to make a stand, and retired to the best ad-
vantage, when Jackson, still undaunted, ordered Early
and Hood to gather up the fragments of the shattered
troops and return to the front to relieve those who
were there so sorely pressed. Nobly did they exe-
cute their commission, and, rushing forward against
the surging masses of the enemy, succeeded in arrest-
ing the tide of battle. For hours they resisted far
greater numbers, and finally drove them back, and re-
established the Confederate lines. Most opportunely,
at this juncture. General McLaws, with his division,
arrived upon the field, and with his prompt co-opera-
tion and the strenuous efforts of other commanders the
victorious enemy were checked ; their lines "began to
waver, and they retreated half a mile with great loss.
General Jackson was now enabled to re-establish the
whole of his line ; but the Federals, though withdraw-
ing their infantry, still rained down a furious artillery

342 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

fire the remainder of the day ; but Jackson's troops,
now in a more sheltered position, suffered little loss.
The Federal troops returned again to attack the Con-
federate right and centre, but were again repulsed.
Unfortunately, however, they discovered that one of
the brigades opposed to them had been withdrawn
from its position, and immediately pressed forward
through the breach thus made, and pierced the Con-
federate lines. General D. H. Hill and other officers
rallied the remnants of several scattered brigades, and
with four pieces of artillery, supported by only a few
hundred bayonets, arrested the vast masses of the ene-
my. This small force (some of whom had fired every
cartridge, and could trust only to the bayonet) pre-
sented a bold front, until two other batteries came to
their relief ; and after a desperate and determined re-
sistance of an hour or so, the Federals retired.

Notwithstanding the most stubborn and determined
defence of the bridge over the Antietam, it was at
last gained by the Federals, who crossed over in im-
mense numbers and attacked Longstreet's right, which
commanded the approaches. A few hundred yards
advance would have given them possession of the roads
leading from Sharpsburg to the Potomac, which were
saved only by the timely arrival, from Harper's Ferry,
of A. P. Hill and his division, which came at once to
the support of Longstreet, and attacked the Federals
who, flushed with expectant victory, had become dis-
ordered by a too rapid and eager advance. After
crossing the bridge, a triple line of the enemy dashed
forward, captured a battery, and almost gained the
crest of the wave of success, when they were checked
by HUl's batteries and others in different positions.

GENERAL LEE RETREATS ACROSS THE POTOMAC. 343

the effect of whose concentrated fire was to drive the
enemy back across the creek, and the Confederates
recaptured the lost battery. The shadows of night
now gathered over the scene, closing one of the most
desperate and hard-fought battles of the war.

'' During this terrible conflict, General Jackson," so
writes Dr. Dabney, his former chief-of-staff, " exposed
his life vnth his accustomed imperturbable bravery,
riding among his batteries and directing their fire,
and communicating his own indomitable spirit to his
men. Yet he said to a Christian comrade that on no
day of battle had he ever felt so calm an assurance
that he should be preserved from all personal harm
through the protection of his Heavenly Father."

In his report of this battle of Sharpsburg, General
Lee gives the following picture of his army: "The
arduous service in which our troops had been engaged,
their great privations of rest and food, and the long
marches, without shoes, over mountain roads, had
greatly reduced our ranks before the action began.
These causes had compelled thousands of brave men
to absent themselves, and many more had done so
from unworthy motives. This great battle was fought
by less than forty thousand men on our side, all of
whom had undergone the greatest labors and hard-
ships in the field and on the march. Nothing could
surpass the determined valor with which they met
the large army of the enemy, fully supplied and
equipped, and the result reflects the highest credit
on the oflBcers and men engaged."

The 18th was devoted by both armies to burying
their dead and removing their wounded. On that
day General Lee discovered that McClellan was ex-

844 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

pecting a large reinforcement of fresh troops, and, in
view of the exhausted condition of his own forces,
determined not to risk ajiother battle, and therefore
withdrew them to Virginia. He took with him all
his wounded who could bear removal, not leaving be-
hind an efficient man or a single gun. General Jack-
son was intrusted with the, rear-guard, and, sitting on
his horse in the middle of the Potomac, for hours he
watched the passage of the troops across the stream.
Not until he had seen the last man and the last gun
safely upon the Virginia side did he cross over him-
self. He then marched his command four miles, and
encamped near Martinsburg. General Pendleton, with
thirty pieces of artillery, was posted upon an eleva-
tion overlooking the river, in order to prevent the
Federals from crossing in pursuit. Meanwhile the
alertness of the enemy resulted in an advance in con-
siderable force, which planted their guns on the oppo-
site shore. During the night a detachment crossed
the river, and, completely surprising the Confeder-
ates, captured nearly all of their guns. General Pen-
dleton, at midnight, reported to General Jackson
(what he then believed to be true) that they had lost
every gun ! It is said the news of this appalling dis-
aster caused Jackson more anxiety than he had ever
shown before during the war. He immediately gave
orders to eflfect the recovery of the captured guns, and
started alone towards Boteler's Ford, which was a
little below the position lost by Pendleton, having
ordered his troops to follow him without delay. He
was soon found by General Lee's couriers, without
escort, far in advance of his troops, examming the
position of the enemy. The gallant A. P. Hill ar-

FATIGUE OF HIS RAPID MARCHES. 845

rived first upon the ground, and, spreading out his
division into two lines, charged with great spirit, re-
gardless of the storm of shot and shell from the
guns across the river. The enemy resisted by bear-
ing heavily down against Hill's left ; but, rallying his
whole force, he made a second charge, and, sweeping
down the hill, forced the enemy into the river, and,
as he continued to fire upon them, but few reached the
northern shore.

While Jackson was watching this night engage-
ment, a second messenger from General Lee ap-
proached him for information, and the only remark
he made was, " With the blessing of Providence, they
will soon be driven back." In this contest the Con-
federates fought entirely without artillery, employing
only the musket and bayonet. This brilliant aflfair
was known as that of Boteler's Ford.

In this arduous campaign not one of Jackson's sol-
diers in the ranks endured more fatigue than he, and
the mental strain was even more wearing upon him.
In his rapid marches he sometimes was so overpow-
ered by sleep that he could not resist it even when
riding, and members of his staff found it necessary to
support him in the saddle for fear of his falling. Sev-
eral times he dismounted, and, leaning his head on a
fence, and resting his outstretched arms upon it, would
sleep for only five or ten minutes, having asked his
staff to awaken him if he slept longer. He would not
trust himself to lie down, lest his slumber might* prove
so profound as to render it difficult to arouse him.

An incident which occurred about the close of this
campaign illustrates his kindness of heart. An old
woman called at his headquarters, and, to the no

346 I'IFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

small amusement of the young staff-officers, said she
had come to see her son John, who was with " Jack-
son's Company." She was much surprised that they
could not tell her where John was, for he had been
with " Jackson's Company " in all the battles. Her per-
sistency somewhat annoyed the young men ; but when
Jackson came in and heard her simple story, he lis-
tened with as much politeness as if she were a grand
lady, and after gently reproving the young men for
laughing at her, he ordered that every company in his
corps should be searched for ^' John," who was at last
found, to the inexpressible delight of his loving old
mother.
The general's next letter to his wife is dated

" BuNKEB Hill, Oct. 6tb.

" I am glad that you were privileged to keep Thanks-
giving Day. We did not enjoy that blessing, I regret
to say. I trust it was generally observed, and that
rich blessings may flow from it through our ever-kind
Heavenly Father. I also hope that on that day large
contributions were made to our Bible Society. You
and I have, as you say, special reason for gratitude to
God for His goodness and mercy to us. . . . The citi-
zens of Frederick did not present me the horse, as was
published, though a Marylander gave me a fine-look-
ing animal, possessed of great muscle and fine powers
of endurance ; but he was not gentle, and of this the
donor notified me. Notwithstanding the notice, I
mounted and rode him that evening, and he did well.
The next morning, however, when I attempted again
to ride him, he reared up and fell back with me, hurt-
ing me considerably. Miss Osbourn, of Jefferson,

A FEW WEEKS OF REST. 347

sent me some excellent socks, and a beautiful scarf,
which I wish my darling had. Our friend, Mrs. Gra-
ham, of Winchester, sent me two nice sponge-cakes
last week, and a Mr. Yilwig, of the same place, sent
me an excellent arm-chair for camp use. I wish I
could keep it until the close of the war, as I think my
e^posa would enjoy it. You are earnestly remembered
in my prayers."

A cessation of hostilities for a few weeks now gave
the march-worn army of Northern Virginia a needed
and grateful rest. Encamped on the banks of the
Opequon, they literally revelled in their repose, in the
beauties and delights of an unsurpassed autumn, and,
above all, in the opportunity of refreshing the inner
man, which was afforded by the productive farms of
the valley. In the rich meadows and pastures their
horses also luxuriated and recruited strength. Never
were the sweets of rest and plenty more enjoyed by
man and beast. The admiration and devotion of Gen-
eral Jackson's men had greatly intensified during this
arduous campaign, and at his appearance they never
failed to yell forth cheers, which were echoed and re-
echoed by the more distant camps, as they sprang to
their feet, exclaiming, " There comes old Jack !" This
season of repose was not spent by their leader in inac-
tion or idleness. He devoted himself to reorganizing
his shattered troops — supplying them with shoes and
clothing, and encouraging them in every way that he
could minister to body and soul. With all his eflforts,
many of his men were left without shoes ; but such
was the magic of his name that his forces increased
rapidly in numbers and efficiency.

848 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

On the 11th of October General Jackson received
from the Confederate government his last promotion,
which was that of lieutenant-general. October 13th
he wrote to his wife again from Bunker Hill, in the
vicinity of Winchester :

" I am sitting in my tent, about twelve miles from
our ' war-home,' where you and I spent such a happy
winter. The weather is damp, and for the past two
days has been rainy and chilly. Yesterday was com-
munion at Mr. Graham's church, and he invited me to
be present, but I was prevented from enjoying that priv-
ilege. However, I heard an excellent sermon from the
Kev. Dr. Stiles.* His text was 1st Timothy, chap, ii.,
5th and 6th verses. It was a powerful exposition of
the Word of God; and when he came to the word
' himsdf^ he placed an einphasis upon it, and gave it a
force which I had never felt before, and I realized that,
truly, the sinner who does not, under Gospel privi-
leges, turn to God deserves the agonies of perdition.
The doctor several times, in appealing to the sinner,
repeated the 6th verse — ' Who gave himself a ransom
for all, to be testified in due time.' What more could
God do than to give himself a ransom ? Dr. Stiles is
a great revivalist, and is laboring in a work of grace
in General E well's division. It is a glorious thing to
be a minister of the Gospel of the Prince of Peace.
There is no equal position in this world.

♦ Rev. Joseph C. Stiles^ D.D., who had been a pastor in Rich-
mond, from which he was called to New York to the Mercer Street
Church, of which he was the pastor for some years. At the break-
ing-out of the war he went South, and cast in his lot with bis
own people.

NOT ANXIOUS ABOUT HIS REPUTATION. 349

"Colonel Blanton Duncan, of Kentucky, has pre-
sented me with two fine field or marine glasses. He
has apparently taken a special interest in me."

" October 20th. Although I greatly desire to see
our much-prized Winchester friends, it has not been
my privilege to visit the town since last May. . . .
Last night was very cold, but my good friend Dr.
Hunter McGuire secured a camp-stove for me, and in
consequence, to-day, I am comparatively quite com-
fortable. Don't send me any more socks, as the kind
ladies have given me more than I could probably wear
out in two years. God, through kind friends, is show-
ering blessings upon me. . . . Let the soldiers have all
your blankets. [This order was fulfilled, and finally
all his carpets were sent to the army as covering for
the suffering soldiers.]

" Don't trouble yourself about representations that
are made of your husband. These things are earthly
and transitory. There are real and glorious blessings,
I trust, in reserve for us beyond this life. It is best
for us to keep our eyes fixed upon the throne of God
and the realities of a more glorious existence beyond
the verge of time. It is gratifying to be beloved and
to have our conduct approved by our fellow-men, but
this is not worthy to be compared with the glory that
is in reservation for us in the presence of our glorified
Redeemer. Let us endeavor to adorn the doctrine of
Christ our Saviour in all things, knowing that there
awaits us 'a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory.' I would not relinquish the slightest dimi-
nution of that glory for all this world can give.
My prayer is that such may ever be the feeling of

350 LI^ ^^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

my heart. It appears to me that it would be better
for you not to have anything written about me.
Let us follow the teaching of inspiration — *Let an-
other man praise thee, and not thine own mouth : a
stranger, and not thine own lips.' I appreciate the
loving interest that prompted such a desire in my pre-
cious darling. . . . You have not forgotten my little
intimation that we might meet before the end of the
year, but I am afraid now that your espoBo will not be
able to leave his command. However, all this is in
the hands of the Most High, and my prayer is that
He will direct all for His own glory. Should I be
prevented from going to see my precious little wife,
and mother should grow worse, I wish you to remain
with her. In addition to the comfort it would give
her, it would also gratify me to know that she was
comforted by your being with her. She has my pray-
ers that it may please our Heavenly Father to restore
her again to perfect health. Do not send me any more
handkerchiefs, socks, or gloves, as I trust I have enough
to last until peace. You think you can remember the
names of all the ladies who make presents to me, but
you haven't heard near all of them. An old lady in
Tennessee, of about eighty years, sent me a pair of
socks. A few days since a friend in Winchester
presented me with a beautiful bridle and martingale
for a general officer, according to the Army Eegula-
tions. Mr. Porter, of JeflFerson, sent me a roll of gray
cloth for a suit of clothes, and friends are continually
sending things to contribute to my comfort. I men-
tion all this merely to show you how much kindness
has been shown me, and to give you renewed cause
for gratitude. If I only had you with me in my

FRAGMENTS OF LETTER& 351

evenings, it would be such a comfort ! I hope it may
be my privilege to be in Winchester this winter. The
people are so kind, and take a great interest in my
espositay and that gratifies me. ... I am in a Sibley
tent, which is of a beautiful conical shape, and I am
sure you would enjoy being in it for a while."

" November 10th. Colonel A. R. Boteler telegraphs
me from Richmond that arrangements are made for
supplying my command with blankets. Yesterday
about seventeen hundred and fifty were distributed
in Winchester. There has been much suffering in my
command for want of blankets and shoes, especially
the latter."

" November 11th Tell Colonel E that I am

glad to see he has so pleasant a post as Charlotte, and
that / would rather be stationed there [where his
wife then was] than anywhere else in the Confederacy.
Colonel Boteler deserves the lasting gratitude of the
country for having done so much towards clothing
our men."

" November 17th. I am more concerned again about
clothing, especially shoes and blankets, than I expect-
ed to be, from what I heard. Colonel Boteler is doing
much, and has been the means of greatly contributing
to the comfort of our men. . . . Our gracious Heavenly
Father strikingly manifests his kindness to me by dis-
posing people to bestow presents upon me."

He then gives the names of a number who had thus
honored him, and closes by saying :

852 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

" And so God, my exceeding great joy, is continu-
ally showering His blessings upon me, an unworthy
creature."

November 20th he wrote as follows :

"Don't you wish you were here in Winchester?
Our headquarters are about one hundred yards from
Mr. Graham's, in a large white house back of his, and
in full view of our last winter's quarters, where my
e»posa used to come up and talk with me. Wouldn't
it be nice for you to be here again ? but I don't know
how long you could remain. ... I hope to have the
privilege of joining in prayer for peace at the time you
name, and trust that all our Christian people will ; but
peace should not be the chief object of prayer in our
country. It should aim more especially to implore
God's forgiveness of our sins, and make our people a
holy people. If we are but His, all things shall work
together for the good of our country, and no good
thing will He withhold from it."

" Monday. If you had been in Winchester when I
commenced this letter, you would not be there now,
for your husband is no longer there, but his heart is
with his little darling. Write to me at Gordonsville,
as I hope to be there by Thursday."

CHAPTER XVIII.

GLIMPSES OF HOME JOYS.— BIRTH OF A DAUGHTER— 1862.

It will now be a relief to turn aside for a season
from the horrible pictures of war which have been so
long before us to some more restful and attractive
pages in the history of General Jackson's life. In
order to do this, we will begin by going back as far as
the spring of 1862, and glean some extracts from the
letters of Mrs. Graham, of Winchester, in whose hos-
pitable home we spent the first winter of the war;
letters written to me from time to time, which will
show how warm a friendship grew out of this associa-
tion, and of which he was the chief subject.

The correspondence began soon after the first evac-
uation of Winchester by the Confederates, dating from
the 3d of April, 1862.

"My DEAR Friend, — . . . The events of the past few
weeks have been so strange, so new, and so dreadful,
that I almost feel as if I had entered upon a new ex-
istence ; and when I sit and recall the pleasant hours
that we passed together last winter, and the dear gen-
eral's brief but happy visits to us, with all that delight-
ful interchange of Christian and social intercourse, it
seems like a bright dream. ' Oh, could those days but
come again !' I feel as though that would be almost
too much happiness. The occupation of our town by

354 " LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the Federals came upon me like a dreadful shock. I
had never permitted myself to believe for an instant
that they would ever get here. I had a firm convic-
tion that reinforcements were somewhere within reach,
for, of course, we knew that our general, brave and
splendid as he is, could not withstand an overwhelm-
ing force with his little band, but still I believed some-
thing would turn up to keep them away ; and when
he came to tell us good-by, looking so sad (and I
know he felt deeply grieved), I felt stunned, and could
scarcely trust myself to speak, lest I should say some-
thing to add to his troubles. The agony of the next
twenty-four hours, I trust, if it is God's will, may nev-
er be experienced by me again. It was, indeed, a bit-
ter thing to feel that our own army was gone, and
then to see the Yankees in such numbers, the main
body marching to the music of their brass bands, but
some tearing across the fields, up the alleys, and in
every direction — 'monarchs of all they surveyed' — it
was too much for me, and I gave way completely.
But I remembered that God reigns, and is over all !
and I know this has not come upon us by accident.
God has ordered and permitted it, and He has been
better to us than all our fears. His angel has cer-
tainly encamped around our dwelling, and no harm
has happened to us. It is really wonderful how we
have been protected, while others have suffered so
from their depredations. . . . Our ladies have a daily
prayer-meeting, which is very delightful, and serves
to strengthen our faith and help us to bear our trials.
I firmly believe that God will deliver us and drive out
our enemies. Their sojourn among us has greatly in-
creased the secession feeling, and persons who had

LETTERS FROM MRS. GRAHAM. 355

never taken any part before have become violent. In-
deed, the old town has stood up bravely for the South.
This country is becoming completely desolated — the.
farms being stripped of everything, the fences all de-
stroyed, and the farmers not planting any crops. There
is no encouragement for them to do so, as long as the
Yankees are here, for they take possession of every-
thing they want. Their officers threaten to arrest
every secessionist, but we are not intimidated, and I
earnestly hope our general will come back before they
have time. We do long and watch for the day when
he will return at the head of his army, and we will give
him such a welcome as no man ever did receive before.''

" August 9th, 1862. . . . Although our master Pope
does not allow us to write to our 'rebeV friends, I
expect to have an opportunity of sending a letter
through the lines ; but as he is certainly not our right-
fvl master, and if I can so cheat him as to have a pleas-
ant chat with you, my conscience will not be offended.
While you were here, it became so natural for me to go
into your room to communicate to you everything that
was interesting or amusing, that now, when anything
funny happens (for sometimes we do have occasion
to laugh even now), I feel an intense desire to tell
you about it, but have to content myself with im-
agining how we would laugh if we only had a chance.
. . . That threatened oath of allegiance has been so
long delayed that we hope it may not be carried out ;
but you may depend the thought was by no means
agreeable that my dear husband would be picked up
and put through the lines, not knowing whither to
turn his feet, and I left with four little children with-

356 UFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

out protection or support. However, I had the calm
and delightful assurance that our Father would not
forsake us, but would make all things work together
for our good. . . . God has certainly made use of your
noble husband to do great things for his country.
'Them that honor me, I will honor,' is His own
promise, and He has been faithful to His word. I
think our dear general more entirely forgets self in
his desire to glorify God than any one I ever knew —
his humble, confiding trust in the Almighty gives me
more comfort and more confidence than anything else.
His qualities as a splendid general all admit, but the
greatest of men often fail in their efforts; so, far
above everything else do I prize his noble, Christian
character, and I am thankful for the privilege which
I enjoyed in being thrown so intimately with him.
You remember I told you that I asked my Heavenly
Father, if it was right for us to take boarders, to send
me those who would be congenial, and He certainly
more than answered my prayers. I thank Him for
you both, my dear friend.

"How wonderfully God has protected your dear
husband ! Oh ! how I do rejoice with you that ' his
head has been covered in the day of battle !' May
God, in His infinite and tender mercy, spare him
from all harm, and continue to make him the instru-
ment of our deliverance, if it is His wiU. Oh that
He may give us such victories as may compel a peace
— an honorable peace !

" The general's little visit to us was a perfect sun-
beam. I never saw him look so fat and hearty, and
he was as bright and happy as possible. He spent
two evenings with us; the evening he arrived here

FROM MRS. GRAHAM. 357

(which was Sunday) he came around, and said he did
not think it was wrong to come home on Sunday.
This was very gratifying to us. I don't remember
ever experiencing more intense happiness than during
that visit; and when I saw our dear general in his old
place at the table, I could have screamed with delight!
The children were very happy at seeing him. . . .
When the Federal army last retreated, some of the
frightened fugitives reported that the ladies of our
town actually fired on them. Mother was seen to
hiUtwo!''

" October 13th. We watch with jealous and anx-
ious eyes everything which looks like a retrograde
tendency. I cannot help envying you your quiet
home, far removed from the sight of war, but I have
no doubt you would be even willing to exchange
with me if you could have your husband with you.
Well, so it is — * every heart knoweth its own bitter-
ness.' But I assure you, this thing of being on the
border, and subject at any time to be taken captives
again, is indeed dreadful ; every time they come it is
worse than before. In this last retreat they tried to
destroy everything — burned the depot and warehouses,
but I think our troops captured a great deal. The
explosion of their magazine was terrific, our house
heaved, and the glass was broken in almost every
house in town. We poor Winchester people have
a hard time, don't we ?

" I wish the general was near enough for me to
minister to his comfort in many ways, for we do love
him. I hope yet that we may see him. I was quite
amused with Jim, who came to see me the other day.

358 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Tou know you didn't give me a very exalted idea of
Jim's talent in the culinary art, and I said in rather
a commiserating tone, 'Jim, does the General get
anything he wants to eat V ' Oh ! yes, madam, /
cook. I fare very well, and so do the staffs P ... I
wish you could know how your husband is regarded
here. I never saw such admiration as is felt for him
by every one, and his Christian character elicits the
greatest reverence and affection. It would have done
your heart good to hear the prayers that were offered
for him on the day of Thanksgiving."

" November 2l8t, 1862.

" My dear Friend, — I feel as if I cannot sleep to-
night (although it is our bedtime) without writing
a few lines just to tell you of a most delightful visit
we had from your dear husband. He took his head-
quarters in town day before yesterday, but he was
too busy to come to see us. Mr. Graham called upon
him yesterday, and he promised, if he could, to spend
this evening with us ; but this morning we witnessed
the melancholy spectacle of our army moving off
again, and we feared he would have to hurry off,
without giving us the pleasure of seeing him. But
he did not go, and he did come here to tea, and I tell
you we had a pleasant time. It did seem so much
like old times — those good old times of last winter ;
we were all so cosy in our dining-room, and around
the table we did wish for vou in your seat between
us. Indeed, the presence of your dear little self was
all that was wanting to complete the pleasure of the
evening. He is looking in such perfect health — far
handsomer than I ever saw him — and is in such fine

FROM MRS. GRAHAM. 359

spirits, seemed so unreserved and unrestrained in his
intercourse with us, that we did enjoy him to the
full. The children begged to be permitted to sit up
to see ' General Jackson,' and he really seemed over-
joyed to see them, played with and fondled them,
and they were equally pleased. I have no doubt
it was a great recreation to him. He seemed to be
living over la^t winter again, and talked a great deal
about the hope of getting back to spend this winter
with us, in that old room, which I told him I was
keeping for you and him. He expects to leave to-
morrow, but says he may come back yet. This would
be too delightful. He certainly has had adulation
enough to spoil him, but it seems not to affect or
harm him at all. He is the same humble, dependent
Christian, desiring to give God the glory, and looking
to Him alone for a blessing, and not thinking of him-
self. This, I think, is a wonderful and beautiful trait,
and one upon which I delight to dwell in my medi-
tations upon him. The acquaintance that I have
with him as an humble, trusting, and devoted follower
of Christ is a source of the greatest consolation to
me at all times. I always feel assured that he does
everything under the guidance of our Heavenly
Father, and this is the secret of his wonderful success.
" I fixed him a lunch for to-morrow, and we sat and
talked so cosily, and the evening was concluded by
bowing before the family altar again, and imploring
our Father's blessing upon you and all of us, what-
ever may betide. Now, was not this a charming
evening, and don't you wish you had been here ?"

We now approach an event in the life of General

3g0 ^P£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Jackson which gladdened his heart more 'than all
his victories, and filled it with devout gratitude to
the Giver of all good. On the 23d of November,
1862, God blest him with a daughter. To a man of
his extreme domesticity and love for children this
was a crowning happiness; and yet, with his great
modesty and shrinking from publicity, he requested
that he should not receive the announcement by tele-
graph, and when it came to him by letter he kept
the glad tidings all to himself — leaving his staff and
those around him in camp to hear of it through oth-
ers. This was to him a " joy with which a stranger
could not intermeddle," and from which his own
hand could not lift the veil of sanctity.

The first intimation of bis new happiness was a
letter from his little daughter herself ! The amanu-
ensis was her aunt, Mrs. Irwin, at whose house she
was born, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and this was
the letter :

" My own dear Father, — As my mother's letter has
been cut short by my arrival, I think it but justice that
I should continue it. I know that you are rejoiced to
hear of my coming, and I hope that God has sent me
to radiate your pathway through life. I am a very
tiny little thing. I weigh only eight and a half
pounds, and Aunt Harriet says I am the express
image of my darling papa, and so does our kind
friend, Mrs. Osborne, and this greatly delights my
mother. My aunts both say that I am a little beauty.
My hair is dark and long, my eyes are blue, my nose
straight just like papa's, and my complexion not all
red like most young ladies of my age, but a beautiful

THE BIRTH OF A DAUGHTER 361

blending of the lily and the rose. Now, all this
would sound very vain if I were older, but I assure
you I have not a particle of feminine vanity, my
only desire in life being to nestle in close to ray
mamma, to feel her soft caressing touch, and to drink
in the pearly stream provided by a kind Providence
for my support. My mother is very comfortable thU
morning. She is anxious to have ray name decided
upon, and hopes you will write and give me a name,
with your blessing. We look for my grandmother
to-morrow, and expect before long a visit from my
Uttle cousin, Mary Graham Avery, who is one month
my senior. I was born on Sunday, just after the
morning services at church, but I believe my aunt
wrote you all about the first day of my life, and this
being only the second, my history may be comprised
in a little space. But my friends, who are about me
like guardian angels, hope for me a long life of hap-
piness and holiness and a futurity of endless bliss.

" Your dear little wee Daughter."

These lovelv little missives continued to reach the
father until the mother was able once more to resume
her pen, but only this one was ever recovered. In
the meantime, he writes on the 4th of December :

..." Oh ! how thankful I am to our kind Heavenly
Father for having spared my precious wife and given
us a little daughter! I cannot tell you how gratified
I am, nor how much I wish I could be with you and
see my two darlings. But while this pleasure is de-
nied me, I am thankful it is accorded to you to have
the little pet, and I hope it may be a great deal of com-

862 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

pany and comfort to its mother. Now don't exert your-
self to write to me, for to know that you were taxing
yourself to write would give me more pain than the
letter would pleasure, so you mvst not do it. But you
must love your espoao in the meantime. ... I expect
you are just made up now with that baby. Don't you
wish your husband wouldn't claim any part of it, but
let you have the sole ownership ? Don't you regard
it as the most precious little creature in the world ?
Do not spoil it, and don't let anybody tease it.
Don't permit it to have a bad temper. How I would
love to see the darling little thing I Give her many
kisses for her father.

^'At present I am about fifty miles from Bich-
mond, and one mile from Guiney's Station, on the
railroad from Bichmond to Fredericksburg. Should
I remain here, I do hope you and baby can come to
see me before spring, as you can come on the rail-
road. Wherever I go, God gives me kind friends.
The people here show me great kindness. I receive
invitation after invitation to dine out, and spend the
night, and a great many provisions are sent me, in-
cluding nice cakes, tea, loaf-sugar, etc., and the socks
and gloves and handkerchiefs still come !

" I am so thankful to our ever-kind Heavenly Father
for having so improved my eyes as to enable me to
write at night. He continually showers blessings
upon me ; and that you should have been spared,
and our darling little daughter given us, fills my
heart with overflowing gratitude. If I know my un-
worthy self, my desire is to live entirely and unre-
servedly to God's glory. Pray, my darling, that I may
so live."

LOVING THOUGHTS OF HIS CHILD. 868

In response to his baby -daughter's first letter, he

closes by saying : " Thank sister H very kindly,

and give the baby-daughter a shower of kisses from
her father, and tell her that he loves her better than
all the baby -boys in the world, and more than all
the other babies in the world."

This was to reassure his wife, who feared he would
be disappointed at not having a boy. He desired a
son, believing that men had a larger sphere of useful-
ness than women ; but his own will was so entirely in
subjection to that of his Heavenly Father that he
said he preferred having a daughter, since God had
so ordained it.

December 3d he wrote to his sister-in-law, thanking
her for her kindness, and saying : " I fear I am not
grateful enough for unnumbered blessings. ... I
trust God will answer the prayers offered for peace
on last Monday. Not much comfort is to be expected
until this cruel war terminates. I haven't seen my
wife since last March, and, never having seen my child,
you can imagine with what interest I look to North
Carolina."

December 10th, he writes to his wife : " This morn-
ing I received a charming letter from my darling lit-
tle daughter, Julia." He had given her the name of
his mother, whose memory was so dear to him. But
immediately, as if his heart trembled at the very
thought of so much happiness, he adds : " Do not set
your affections upon her, except as a gift from God.
If she absorbs too much of our hearts, God may re-
move her from us."

CHAPTER XIX.

THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG.

From these thoughts of home, it is an abrupt change
to the field of war. But the two armies, while enjoy-
ing a few weeks of rest, had been in preparation for a
renewal of the great struggle. The battle of Sharps-
burg (or Antietam), followed as it was by the with-
drawal of Lee across the Potomac into Virginia, was
regarded in Washington as a great victory, and there
was a loud demand that McClellan, flushed with suc-
cess and strengthened by large reinforcements, should
push his advantage to the utmost. Day after day
came the order from the War Department for an im-
mediate attack, till at last, impatient of delay, he was
relieved from command, and Burnside placed in his
stead, who promptly advanced to Fredericksburg, on
the Rappahannock, behind which Lee, following the
movement, proceeded at once to concentrate his whole
force. To support him Jackson was ordered from
Winchester, and he conveyed his troops to Fredericks-
burg within eight days, having given them a rest of
two days to relieve those who were without shoes,
for, with all his efforts to provide for their necessities,
many still remained barefooted, to whom it was so
painful to march that numbers fell out of the ranks
and had to be left behind. But by the greatest exer-
tions his command was brought to the scene of ac-

JACKSON AS HE COMES ON THE FIELD. 365

tion, and his last message to me before the battle was,
"My headquarters are several miles from Fredericks-
burg, and the cannonading near there has been very
heavy this morning." By the 12th of December the
Federals crossed the Rappahannock, took possession
of Fredericksburg, and prepared to sweep everything
before them.

The next morning (the memorable 13th), as General
Jackson rode^ forth to battle his appearance attracted
unusual attention. He had just received a present
from General Jeb Stuart of an elegant new uniform,
"Which was in such striking contrast with his old
suit (of which he had taken no thought, nor given
any time to replace it during his arduous Valley^ Cam-
paign) that his soldiers scarcely recognized him. Gal-
loping down the lines with his staff, he soon attracted
the attention of the Federal sharp-shooters; but he
safely reached the summit of a hill, where General Lee
was watching the progress of affairs. A Confederate
artilleryman, Wm. Page Carter, gives the following
graphic picture of Jackson as he came on the field :

" A general officer, mounted upon a superb bay horse
and followed by a single courier, rode up through our
guns. Looking neither to the right nor the left, he rode
straight to the front, halted, and seemed gazing intently
on the enemy's line of battle on the old telegraph road.

*' The outfit before me, from top to toe, cap, coat,
pants, top-boots, horse and furniture, were all of the
new order of things. But there was something about
the man that did not look so new, after all. He ap-
peared to be an old-time friend of all this turmoil
around him. As he had done us the honor to make

866 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

an afternoon call on the artillery, I thought it becom-
ing in some one to say something on the occajsion.
No one did, however ; so, although a somewhat bash-
ful and weak-kneed youngster, I plucked up courage
enough to venture the remark that those big guns
over the river had been knocking us about pretty con-
siderably during the dB.y. He quickly turned his head,
and I knew in an instant who it was before me. The
clear-cut, chiselled features ; the thin, compressed, and
determined lips; the neatly trimmed chestnut beard;
the calm, steadfast eye, that could fathom the tide of
battle in a moment ; the countenance to command re-
spect, and, in time of war, to give the soldier that con-
fidence he so much craves from a superior officer, were
ail there. And there was one I had heard so much of
and had longed so much to see, whose battle front I
was then to look upon for the first time, but not, how-
ever, the last. As I said before, he turned his head
quickly, and looking me all over in about two seconds,
he rode up the line and away quietly and as silently
as he came, his little courier hard upon his heels ; and
this was my first sight of Stonewall Jackson."

Dr. Dabney describes the array of armies on the
morning of the battle :

" It was now past nine o'clock, and the sun, mount-
ing up the eastern sky with almost a summer power,
was rapidly exhaling the mist. As the white folds
dissolved and rolled away, disclosing the whole plain
to view, such a spectacle met the eyes of the generals
as the pomps of earth can seldom rival. Marshalled
upon the vast arena between them stood the hundred

THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG. 367

and twenty-five thousand foes, with countless batteries
of field-guns blackening the ground. Long triple lines
of infantry crossed the field from right to left, and
hid their western extreme in the streets of the little
city; while down the valleys, descending from the
Stafford Heights to the bridges, were pouring in vast
avalanches of men, the huge reserves. For once, war
unmasked its terrible proportions to the view with a
distinctness hitherto unknown in the forest-clad land-
scapes of America; and the plain of Fredericksburg
presented a panorama that was dreadful in its gran-
deur. . . . Lee stood upon his chosen hill of observa^
tion, inspiring every spectator by his calm heroism,
with his two great lieutenants beside him, and re-
viewed every quarter of the field with his glass. It
was then that Longstreet, to whose sturdy breast the
approach of battle seemed to bring gayety, said to
Jackson : ' General, do not all these multitudes fright-
en you V He replied: ' We shall see very soon whether
I shall not frighten them.' "

The generals soon sought their respective positions,
and the battle opened with a furious cannonade — two
hundred guns thundering from the heights occupied
by the enemy — and the opposite hills returning the
fire with all the skill and power of which an inferior
force was capable. A vivid description of the conflict
itself is furnished by a young Confederate oflBcer :

" The whole battle-field was the most dramatic and
imposing tableau I ever witnessed. . . . The low grounds
of the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg spread
into a plain of some miles in width, bounded by a

368 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

range of low wooded hills, which terminate on the
lower side in the Massaponax low grounds, and on the
upper in a series of rather high and abrupt bluflFs next
to the river and above the town. At one point in this
line of hills a wooded marsh projects far into the plain.
" Imagine now this long line of wooded hills peopled
with men — every little promontory bristling with ar-
tillery, the whole line of railway at the foot of the
hills and every hedge-row and ditch gleaming with
bayonets, and you have what must have been the
impression of the Yankees of our position. Again,
stand with me upon one of the same little promon-
tories and look out upon their lines, and see what
we saw. Far upon the left the smoke from the
smouldering ruins of the town, and Longstreet's camp-
fires seem to blend together; while in front, and al-
most as far as the eye can reach to the right and left,
you see the blue-coated Federal lines extended, well-
armed, well-equipped, and seemingly assured of suc-
cess. Behind them the hills seem crowded with artil-
lery, which can hurl their missiles to the very foot of
the hills upon which we stand. The word is given to
advance. How gallantly they come on ! Not a sound
is heard from our side except the sharp crack of our
skirmishers as they fall back slowly before the over-
whelming advance. The air seems alive with the
whistling of shot and shell which the enemy send as
precursors to their infantry charge. Suddenly a bat-
tery of thirty guns, from just where we are stand-
ing, opens upon the column of attack. They falter,
and reel, and stagger ; they rally, and break, and ral-
ly again ; but in vain : flesh and blood cannot stand
it ; they retire routed and confused. At that moment

TtJRNING.POINT OF THE DAY. 369

an officer gallops wildly up to General Jackson, and
exclaims, in almost breathless baste : ^ General, tbe en-
emy bave broken tbrougb Arcber's left, and General
Gregg says be must bave belp, or be and General
Arcber will botb lose tbeir position.' Tbe general
turned round as quietly as if notbing extraordinary
bad happened, and ordered up Early's division to sup-
port the centre. Yet every one said afterwards that
this was tbe turning-point of tbe day. In about an
hour tbe footing which the enemy bad gained in tbe
wood was recovered by Trimble and Thomas, and they
were pursued far into the plain. This was ^11 1 saw of
tbe fight."

Longstreet's troops were equally successful in repell-
ing their opponents, and when the day closed tbe vic-
tory was complete.

During tbe battle, while there was a lull in the
fiercest hostilities, General Jackson, desiring to inspect
the positions of tbe enemy, rode to bis extreme right,
dismounted, and, accompanied only by bis aide, Mr.
Smith, walked far out into the plain. They were soon
singled out by a sharp-shooter, who sent a bullet whiz-
zing between tbeir beads, which were not more than
two paces apart. Tbe general turned to his companion
with a humorous smile, and said : " Mr. Smith, had
you not better go to the rear ? They may shoot you !"

At tbe close of this memorable day, General Jack-
son went to bis tent, and there found Colonel Boteler,
who was his right-hand man in carrying despatches
to the government, and in co-operating with him in
every way. Tbe colonel was invited to share bis pallet
with him, but he sat up himself some time longer, writ-
24

370 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ing and sending despatches. Weariness at last com-
pelled him to throw himself down without undressing,
and, after sleeping profoundly for two or three hours,
he rose, lighted his candle, and continued his writing.
In glancing around, he noticed that the light of his
candle shone full in the face of his friend, whom he
supposed to be still sleeping, and with the quick
thoughtfulness of a woman he placed a book upon
his table in front of the candle, so as to shield his face
from the light and not interrupt his slumber.

General Jackson was much concerned at hearing of
the mortal wounding of General Gregg, of South Car-
oUna, on the previous day. About four o'clock on
this morning he sent for Dr. McGuire to learn his
<5ondition, which he was told was beyond hope. The
surgeon was requested to go again and see that the
dying man had everything he could desire, but by
the time he reached his bedside footsteps were heard
behind him, and Jackson appeared in the doorway,
having been impelled by his feelings to follow him-
self, and take a farewell of his brave and heroic sub-
ordinate. The brief interview was tender and touch-
ing, and sad and silent the commander rode back with
Dr. McGuire to his tent.

When he ordered his servant, Jim, to bring his
*' Little Sorrel " for him to ride on this occasion, Jim
protested against his using this horse, which he had
ridden during the whole of the battle of the pre-
vious day, and an amusing war of words passed be-
tween them ; but Jim had it in his power to gain
the victory, and brought out another horse, which the
general mounted, and rode off, attended by a single
aide.

BURXSIDE RETREATS ACROSS THE RIVER. 371

The Confederate generals expected a renewal of
hostilities the next day, and their array was eager for
another attack, but the Federals failed to advance.
On Monday, the 15th, a flag of truce was sent by the
enemy, requesting permission to care for their wound-
ed, who had been left upon the frozen ground ever
since the day of battle. Then under the cover of
night, and while a storm of wind and rain was raging,
they crossed their whole force over the river, con-
ducting their retreat so silently that it was wholly
concealed from the Confederates. They marched in
such silence through the streets of Fredericksburg
that the people generally (who had been shut up in
their homes) did not know that the vast hordes were
pouring out of their town. When a few, hearing the
continuous tramp of men and horses, looked out with
candles in hand, they were startled at finding the
streets packed with multitudes with faces turned
northward, and they were commanded in peremptory
whispers : " Put out that light 1 put out that light I"
— while some of the officers even rushed up to them,
blew out their lights, and thrust them back into the
houses. When the dreary morning dawned, the Con-
federates were surprised to find that the mighty host
which had confronted them for three days had disap-
peared from before Fredericksburg, and were once
more in their camp on the other side of the river.
They admitted a loss of twelve thousand men killed
and wounded, nine thousand small-arms, and about a
thousand prisoners. In repelling the attacks of their
vast army. General Lee had less than twenty-five
thousand men actually engaged, and had lost but four
thousand two hundred. Of these twenty -nine hun-

372 ^^£ O^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX.

dred were killed and wounded in the corps of Jack-
son ; and there were, in addition, five hundred and
twenty -six officers and men captured. This great
battle of Fredericksburg ended the campaign of 1S62,
which to the Confederates was the most brilliant and
successful of the war.

December 16th General Jackson wrote to his wife :

" Yesterday, I regret to say, I did not send you a
letter. I was on the front from before dawn until
after sunset. The enemy, through God's blessing,
was repulsed at all points on Saturday, and I trust
that our Heavenly Father will continue to bless us.
We have renewed reason for gratitude to Him for
my preservation during the last engagement. We
have to mourn the deaths of Generals Maxey Gregg
and Thomas R. R. Cobb. The enemy has recrossed to
the north side of the Rappahannock. ... I was made
very happy at hearing through my baby daughter's
last letter that she had entirely recovered, and that
she ^ no longer saw the doctor's gray whiskers.' 1 was
much gratified to learn that she was beginning to
notice and smile when caressed. I tell you, I would
love to caress her and see her smile. Kiss the little
darling for her father and give my grateful love to
sister H ."

*' December 18th. Our headquarters are now about
twelve miles below Fredericksburg, near the house of
Mr. Richard Corbin, which is one of the most beauti-
ful buildings I have seen in this country. It is said to
have cost sixty thousand dollars. Night before last

CHANGE OF HEADQUARTERS. 373

I was about to spend the night in the woods, but sent
to ask if we could procure our supper at the house.
Mr. Corbin was absent, serving as a private in the
Virginia cavalry, but Mrs. Corbin bountifully supplied
us, and requested me to spend the night at her house,
which invitation was thankfully accepted, and I had a
delightful night's rest. The next morning she urged
me to remain, and offered me a neat building in the
yard for my office, but I declined, and am now about
five hundred yards from the house, encamped in the
woods. She told me that if at any time I needed
house room, she could let me have it. [He afterwards
moved into the office in the yard, and spent most of
the time he was in winter-quarters there.]

" Baby's letters are read with great interest, and it
does her father's heart great good to read them. . . .
I have much work before me, and to-day I expect
to commence in earnest. The reports of the battles
of McDowell, Winchester, Port Republic, llichmond,
Manassas, the Maryland campaign, Harper's Ferry,
and Fredericksburg have all yet to be written. But
something has been done towards several of them by
my staff."

" Christmas, 1862. Yesterday I received the baby's
letter with its beautiful lock of hair. How I do want
to see that precious baby ! and I do earnestly pray for
peace. Oh that our country was such a Christian,
God-fearing people as it should be ! Then might we
very speedily look for peace. Last evening I received
a letter from Dr. Dabney, saying : ' One of the high-
est gratifications both Mrs. Dabney and I could enjoy
would be another visit from Mrs. Jackson when her

874 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON

health is re-established,' and he invites me to meet yoa
there. He and Mrs. Dabney are very kind, but it ap-
pears to me that it is better for me to remain with
my command so long as the war continues, if our
gracious Heavenly Father permits. The army suffers
inmiensely by absentees. If all our troops, officers
and men, were at their posts, we might, through God's
blessing, expect a more speedy termination of the war.
The temporal affairs of some are so deranged as to
make a strong plea for their returning home for a
short time ; but our God has greatly blessed me and
mine during my absence ; and whilst it would be a
great comfort to see you and our darling little daugh-
ter, and others in whom I take special interest, yet
duty appears to require me to remain with my com-
mand. It is important that those at headquarters set
an Example by remaining at the post of duty.

" Dr. Dabney writes : ' Our little prayer-meeting is
still meeting daily to pray for our anny and leaders.'
This prayer-meeting may be the means of accomplish-
ing more than an army. I wish that such existed
everywhere. How it does cheer my heart to hear of
God's people praying for our cause and for me! I
greatly prize the prayers of the pious."

'* December 29th. Yesterday I had the privilege
of attending divine service in a church near General
IlilFs headquarters, and enjoyed the services very
much. Dr. White says in a recent letter that our
pew at home has been constantly occupied by Wheel-
ing refugees. I am gratified to hear it. He also
adds, ^ How we would rejoice to see you and our dear
friend, Mrs. Jackson, again in that pew, and in the

ADVICE TO A YOUNG RELATIVE. 375

lecture -room at prayer -meetings ! We still meet ev-
ery Wednesday afternoon to pray for our army, and
especially for our general/ May every needful bless-
ing rest upon you and our darling child is the earnest
prayer of your devoted husband."

The next two letters were written to a young rela-
tive, a nephew of his mother from West Virginia,
who applied to him for a position in the army :

. . . " In reply to your intention of going into ser-
vice, I am gratified at your determination, and would
recommend you to enter the army under General John
Echols, as it is operating in the western part of the
State, to which climate you are accustomed. I would
like to have you with me if I had a place to which I
could properly assign you ; but you had better join
General Echols at once, and by your attention to
duty I hope you will, through the blessing of God,
render valuable service to our precious cause."

•

In a second letter of April 2d, 1863, he says :

" I am much gratified to hear that you followed my
suggestion, and trust you will have no reason to regret
it. We should always be usefully employed, and if
we are faithful in doing our duty in one position, it
frequently follows that we are advanced to a higher
one. In regard to your question whether our section
of the State will get relief this summer, I am unable
to say. My command is not a separate one. I am
under General Lee, and my corps forms a part of his
army. I hope the Northwest will soon be reclaimed,

376 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

but I do not know what the government designs re-
specting it this summer.

'^ I have a little daughter, and have named her
Julia after my mother. 1 don't suppose you have
any recollection of mother, as she has been dead near-
ly thirty years. In the summer of 1855 I visited her
grave in Fayette County. My wife and child are
with her father in North Carolina.

" I hope you are a Christian. There is no happi-
ness like that experienced by a child of God. You
have an interest in my prayers."

The following incidents are from the pen of the
Rev. James P. Smith, D.D., of Fredericksburg, who
was a member of General Jackson's staff :

" When I was a private soldier, a member of the
Rockbridge Artillery, I went to headquarters with a
written application for leave of absence for one night
to visit a sick relative in a distant camp. The general
kindly recognized me, shook hands, and when I pre-
sented the application he read and returned it, saying,
' I can't approve your leave of absence, Mr. Smith.' I
was greatly disappointed, and felt somewhat hurt at
what seemed to me to be a harsh and arbitrary decision ;
but Mrs. Jackson afterwards told me that he wrote to
her that he regretted that the regulation would not per-
mit him to grant the leave. [Mr. Smith was a friend
of his wife.] While I was still in the artillery, in the
early spring of 1862, and encamped at Rude's Jlill, the
general came to our camp one day in my absence, and
created a great stir by asking for Corporal Smith. Great
expectations were aroused that Corporal Smith was to

INCIDENTS TOLD BY REV. DR. J. P. SMITH. 377

be appointed to some office or special duty, but on my
return it was found he had called to leave me apach-
age of religious tracU for dtHtrihution in the aainp !

" At Frederick City, Maryland, I received a message
to call at General Jackson's headquarters, when he
asked me to accept the position of aide-de-camp on
his staff. It was a great surprise to me, and at first
embaiTassed me. He spoke kindly of his desire to
have me with him, and of the time it would take me
to prepare for his service [in getting a uniform],
saying, ' / home hut one suit myself^ sir,^ He gave me
leave of absence from the army for six days to go
back to Virginia to secure clothing, etc., saying, ' I need
your services as soon as possible.' He was exceeding-
ly gracious and pleasant in manner and word to me.

" One evening, when our headquarters were at Miln-
wood, Clarke County, Virginia, the young men became
convinced that the general and his army would pass
over the mountain gap near by to Eastern Virginia. I
was exceedingly anxious to visit Winchester before we
went east, and went to his tent, saying, ' General, as
we are going across the mountains to-morrow, I wish
to go to Winchester early in the morning.' He smiled
in a peculiar way and said, ' Are you going over the
mountains to-morrow? Then, certainly, Mr. Smith
you can go to Winchester ; but donH tdl any one that
we are going over the mountains,' and he laughed at
my expense. I went to Winchester early in the morn-
ing, and, after an hour or so, was returning on the
Milnwood road, when, at a turn of the road, I sudden-
ly met General Jackson and staff. He laughed as I
rode up, saying, ' Are you going over the mountains,
Mr. Smith V And I found that, instead of going over

378 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the mountains, be was moving bis headquarters to
Winchester, apparently for the winter.

" The general and myself rode with orderlies from
Orange Court-House down the plank-road in Decem-
ber, 1862, dining at the Rev. Melzi ChanceUor's, near
the Wilderness church, turning to the right at Salem
church, where we saw many refugees from Fredericks-
burg in the falling snow. We passed Mrs. French's
place, and found General Lee's headquarters after
dark, on the main road, the tent pitched in the pine
woods. General Lee's reception was exceedingly kind
and hospitable. After a little while General Jackson
took me out, and told me to ride to a bouse near by
and ask for lodging during the night. The host was
a vehement old gentleman, who at first refused sharp-
ly to bear me, but when I succeeded in making him
understand that General Jackson wanted entertain-
ment, he was greatly aroused, threw open his door,
and told me to tell General Jackson to come at once
to his house — that all he had was the general's. He
entertained us with great hospitality and quite com-
fortably. The next night our tents were near the resi-
dence of Mrs. French, by whose invitation the general
and two or three of our young men took tea with her.
It was a charming and memorable Sunday evening.
The house was warm and bright, and the society most
agreeable, after a long campaign and hard marching.
The tea-table was more than attractive. I remember
the general as seated on a sofa, between Mrs. French
and old Miss Hetty Lily, and that, at Mrs. French's
request, he took the family Bible and conducted fam-
ily worship, after which we took leave, and went
through the snow to our cheerless tents.

A CHRISTMAS DINNER. 379

" The general suggested to me to prepare for a dinner
on Christmas Dav. He wished to invite General Lee
and others to dine with him. I had the good fortune
to secure a fine turkey ; a bucket of oysters came from
down the river ; a box was received by the general
from some Staunton ladies, containing a variety of
good things ; and our dinner was quite well set forth.
Generals Lee, Stuart, Pendleton, and others were
guests. General Lee rallied us very much on our af-
fectation— a dining-room servant with a white apron
on specially amused him. He often laughed at us for
* playing soldiers,' and said we lived too weU.

" General Jackson always enjoyed the visits of Gen-
eral Stuart, whose gayety and humor charmed him,
and no one thought of being so familiar with our gen-
eral as Stuart. On this occasion he made himself very
merry at finding Jackson in the oflBce of old Mr. Cor-
bin, whose walls were decorated with pictures of
race-horses, fine stock, game-cocks, and a famous ratr
terrier! To the great amusement of Jackson and his
gaests, Stuart pretended to regard these as General
Jackson's own selections^ and as indications of his pri/-
vote tastes — indicating a gi^eat decline in his moral
charaxster^ which would be a grief and disappointment
to the pious old ladies of the South. To add to the
merriment, General Jackson had received among his
presents a cake of butter, with a gallant chanticleer
stamped upon it, and this adorned the table. General
Stuart held it up in his hands, and called the company
to witness that their host actually carried his sport-
ing tastes so far that he had his favorite game-cock
stamped on his butter, as though it were a coat-of-
arms !

B80 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

" During the winter spent at Moss Neck, General
Jackson took me with him to General Lee's head-
quarters on one occasion when a deep snow was fall-
ing. General Lee said he regretted that General
Jackson should come out such a day, whereupon the
latter, smiling pleasantly, said: 'I received your note,
sir, saying you wished to see me.'

" I remember a pleasant visit to Hayfield, the resi-
dence of a Mr. Taylor. Generals Lee, Stuart, Pendle-
ton, and Jackson were present, with Pelham and other
staflF-officers. General Lee was very facetious, and de-
scribed these general officers to old Mrs. Taylor with
much good humor. He told her that ' General Jack-
son, who was smiling so pleasantly near her, was the
most cruel and inhuman man she had ever seen.' She
demurred, saying she had always heard that General
Jackson was 'a good^ Christian man.'' General Lee
said, ' Why, when we had the battle up at Fredericks-
burg, do you know, Mrs. Taylor, it was as much as we
could do to prevent him from taking his men, with
bayonets on their guns, and driving the enemy into
the river V Mrs. Taylor began to see his humor, and
said : ' Well, General Lee, if the Yankees ever cross
here, at our place, I hope you won't prevent him from
driving them into the river.' "

In these pleasant winter-quarters at Moss Xeck, the
residence of Mr. Corbin, General Jackson remained
until spring.

CHAPTER XX.

WINTER-QUARTERS, CHAPLAINS, AND CORRESPONDENCE—

1863.

After the battle of Fredericksburg there was no
other advance of the enemy during the winter; and
General Jackson spent a peaceful, but very industrious,
winter at Moss Neck. The winter-quarters of his
troops extended from near Guiney's Station towards
Port Royal; and after providing them with shelter,
which consisted of huts built by themselves, he de-
voted himself to writing his reports, and to the gen-
eral welfare of his troops, both temporal and spiritual.
Particularly did he bend his energies towards disci-
plining and strengthening his command. The almost
superhuman exertions in marching and fighting had
caused many soldiers to absent themselves from the
army without leave, and this was an evil for which he
had no toleration, and which he made the most stren-
uous efforts to correct. He was also greatly interested
this winter in providing his army with chaplains, and
in trying to infuse more zeal into those who were al-
ready in this service. He encouraged all denomina-
tions to labor in his command, co-operating with each
in every way in his power. All he wished to know of
a man was that he was a true Christian and an earnest
worker in the cause of his Master. Roman Catholics
were granted the same facilities as Protestants for
holding their services. On one occasion a priest ap-

382 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

plied to him for a tent in which to conduct worship with
soldiers of his own faith, and Jackson, after satisfying
himself by inquiry that he was a man of exemplary
character, granted his request, and, with a decision
that restrained all adverse expressions against it, he
added : " He shall have it, I care not what may be
said on the subject." A Presbyterian minister, in de-
scribing a service held in the general's camp, said :
"So we had a Presbyterian sermon, introduced by
Baptist services, under the direction of a Methodist
chaplain, in an Episcopal church! Was not that a
beautiful solution of the vexed problem of Christian
union ?"

Of the religious character of General Jackson this
preacher said : " The sentiment which fills his soul is
his sense of the necessity and power of prayer — prayer
in the army; prayer for the army; prayer by the
whole country. I am sure it makes him glad and
strong to know how many of the best people in the
world pray for him without ceasing." He pictures the
general's "firm and hopeful face," "the placid dili-
gence of his daily toils," and his attendance on the
service in the little loof church built bv his own sol-
diers, " which was already so full upon his arrival that
the men were said to be packed like herrings in a bar-
rel, and he and General Paxton modestly retired, lest
they should displace some already within. One could
not sit in that pulpit and meet the concentrated gaze
of those men without deep emotion. I remembered
that they were the veterans of many a bloody field.
The eyes which looked into mine, waiting for the gos-
pel of peace, had looked as steadfastly upon whatever
is terrible in war. The voices which now poured

OONCERy FOR HIS SOLDIERS* RELIGIOUS WELFARE. 383

forth their strength in singing the songs of Zion had
shouted in the charge and the victory. . . . Their
earnestness of aspect constantly impressed me. . . .
They looked as if they had come on business, and very
important business, and the preacher could scarcely
do otherwise than feel that he, too, had business of
moment there ! "

A chaplain relates that on the eve of the battle of
Fredericksburg he saw an officer, wrapped in his over-
coat so that his marks of rank could not be seen, lying
just in the rear of a battery, quietly reading his Bible.
He approached and entered into conversation on the
prospects of the impending battle, but the officer soon
changed the conversation to religious topics, and the
chaplain was led to ask, " Of what regiment are
you chaplain?" What was his astonishment to find
that the quiet Bible-reader and fluent talker upon re-
ligious subjects was none other than the famous
Stonewall Jackson.

During one of his battles, while he was waiting in
the rear of a part of his command which he had put
in position to engage the attention of the enemy while
another division had been sent to flank them, a young
officer on his staff gave him a copy of the sketch of
" Captain Dabney Carr Harrison," a young Presbyte-
rian minister, widely known and loved in Virginia,
who had been killed at Fort Donelson. He expressed
himself as highly gratified at getting the sketch, and
entered into an earnest conversation on the power of
Christian example. He was interrupted by an officer,
who reported " the enemy advancing," but paused only
long enough to give the laconic order, " Open on them,"
and then resumed the conversation, which he contin-

384 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ued for some time, only pausing now and then to re*
ceive despatches and give necessary orders.

General Jackson's views on the work of the spirit-
ual improvement of his army, which so absorbed his
heart and labors the last winter of his life, are ex-
pressed in a letter to his pastor, in which he says :

" You suggest that I give my views and wishes in
such form and extent as I am willing should be made
public. This I shrink from doing, because it looks like
presumption in me to come before the public and even
intimate what course I think should be pursued by the
people of God. I have had so little experience in
church matters as to make it proper, it seems to me,
to keep quiet beyond the expression of my views to
friends. Whilst I feel that this is the proper course .
for me to pursue, and the one which is congenial to
my feelings, yet if you and Colonel Preston, who have
both had large experience in the church, after prayer-
ful consideration, are of opinion that my name, in con-
nection with my wishes, will be the means of doing
good, I do not desire any sensibility that I may have
to be a drawback in the way. I desire myself and all
that I have to be dedicated to the service of God. . . .
After maturely considering what I write, and after
prayerful consultation between yourself and Colonel
Preston, you can w^ith propriety publish, should you
think best, anything I may have said, wUIiout saying
that fnich \oas my view,

" My views are summed up in these few words :
Each Christian branch of the Church should send
into the army some of its most prominent ministers,
who are distinguished for their piety, talents, and

CHAPLAINS IN THE ARMY. 385

zeal ; and such ministers should labor to produce con-
cert of action among chaplains and Christians in the
army. These ministers should give special attention
to preaching to regiments which are without chap-
lains, and induce them to take steps to get chaplains ;
to let the regiments name the denomination from
which they desire chaplains selected ; and then to see
that suitable chaplains are secured. A bad selection
of a chaplain may prove a curse instead of a blessing.
If a few prominent ministers thus connected with
each army would cordially co-operate, I believe that
glorious fruits would be the result. Denominational
distinctions should be kept out of view, and not
touched upon ; and, as a general rule, I do not think
that a chaplain who would preach denominational
sermons should be in the army. His congregation is
his regiment, and it is composed of persons of various
denominations. I would like to see no questions
asked in the army as to what denomination a chap-
lain belongs ; but let the question be, ' Does he preach
the Gospel V The neglect of spiritual interests in the
army may be partially seen in the fact that not half
of my regiments have chaplains."

General Jackson selected the Kev. Dr. B. T. Lacy
(who was commissioned by the government as a
general chaplain) to begin this plan of labor, and it
proved very successful. His mission was to preach at
headquarters every Sabbath while the troops were
in camp. A temporary pulpit and rough seats were
constructed in an open field, and here all were invited
to come and worship. Dr. Lacy was an able speak-
er, attractive and interesting ; and the constant at-

386 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

tendance of General Jackson and frequent appear-
ance of General Lee and other distinguished officers
soon drew vast crowds of soldiers to the scene, and
many became changed men. General Jackson often
seated himself in the ranks, in the midst of his hum-
blest soldiers, setting them an example by his devout
attention and delight in the services, and, by his per-
sonal interest, leading them to follow the great Cap-
tain of their salvation. He requested all the chaplains
and evangelists in his corps to meet together weekly
for conference over their duties, and to report the
progress of their labors. His sense of delicacy for-
bade his own attendance on these meetings, but be
manifested the liveliest interest in them — always
greeting Dr. Laey upon his return from the meetings
in his accustomed military style, saying to him:
" Now come and report." " The stated meetings of
the chaplains," says Dr. Dabney, " were the means of
awakening them to a greatly increased zeal and fidel-
ity, as well as of adding system and concert to their
labors, so that this service was now thoroughly reno-
vated. Thus the energy of General Jackson's will,
though so modestly exerted, made itself felt among
his chaplains, just as among his staff and field officers,
in communicating efficiency and vigor to all their
performance of duty."

The Stonewall Brigade was the first to build a log
chapel, which was formally dedicated to the service
of God. Others soon followed the example, and, thus
protected against the rigors of winter, the soldiers
frequently met during the week for prayer, praise,
and Bible instruction — the sacred pages being illumi-
nated by pine torches from the forest. General Jack-

WORSHIP IN THE OPEN AIR. 337

son often attended these meetings, and led in humble,
earnest prayer.

Gteneral J. B. Gordon, the late Governor of Georgia,
and now for the second time representing his State
in the United States Senate, testifies to the good
wrought by these services in the army. In a letter
appealing for chaplains to be sent by the churches,
he says : " Daily in the great temple of nature, and
at night by heaven's chandeliers, are audiences of
from one to two thousand men anxious to hear the
way of life. Many of them, neglected, as I must say
they have been by Christians at home, are daily pro-
fessing religion — men grown old in sin, and who
never blanched in the presence of the foe, are made
to tremble under a sense of guilt, and here in the
forests and fields are being converted to God ; young
men, over whose departure from the paternal roof
and from pious influences have been shed so many
bitter tears, have been enabled, under the preaching
of a few faithful ministers, to give parents and friends
at home such assurances as to change those hitter
tears into tears of rejoicing."

General Jackson had one other project for the
spiritual welfare of his country, which was the estab-
lishment of a Christian daily newspaper. His views
on this subject will be seen in the following letter to
his father-in-law :

** Near Freuericksbubo, March 28tb, 1863.

" Rev. Dr. R. H. Morrison :

" Dear Sir, — Knowing that you take a deep interest
in the progress of the church, I write to say that on
yesterday the proclamation of our President for a

388 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

day of humiliation and prayer received in the army
a more general response than I have seen on any
similar occasion since the beginning of the war. . . .
It was arranged among the chaplains that each one
of them should preach twice yesterday — once to their
own troops, and once to other troops, thus giving an
opportunity of having the Gospel preached as exten-
sively as practicable. I trust that yesterday was a
solemn day throughout the Confederacy, and hope
its good fruits will be abundant, and that God in
His mercy will give us a speedy peace, so marked
by His interposing hand that all shall recognize and
acknowledge it as His gift.

^' I feel a deep interest in seeing a Christian daily
paper established. I believe there is not a single daily
paper in the country but which violates the Sabbath
by printing on that holy day for its Monday's issue.
I have thought upon this subject for several years, and
it appears to me that now is a good time to start
such a paper whilst our country is in trouble, and is
looking to God for assistance. How can we consist-
ently ask God to bless us when we continue to en-
courage, for the gratification of curiosity, a disregard
for His holy law ? Such a paper as it appears to me
is demanded would give us as early news as is at
present received at the printing-office on Sunday, as
the paper, which would be mailed on Monday, would
be printed on Saturday instead of Sunday. If such
a paper could be established, it might be the means
of influencing the future course of our country. What
do you think of such an undertaking?

" Very truly yours,

" T. J. Jackson."

LETTER ON PUXDAY MAILS. 389

His increasing solicitude for the spiritual good of his
couiitry is shown in the following letter to Colonel
Boteler on the subject of Sabbath mails. These views
have before been given ; but as this letter was per-
haps his last appeal on the subject, this fact may add
more weight to them :

" I have read the Congressional report of the com-
mittee recommending the repeal of the law requiring
the mails to be carried on the Sabbath ; and I hope
that you will feel it a duty as well as a pleasure to
urge its repeal. I do not see how a nation that thus
arrays itself, by such a law, against God's holy day
can expect to escape His wrath. The punishment of
national sins must be confined to this world, as there
are no nationalities beyond the grave. For fifteen
years I have refused to mail letters on Sunday, or to
take them out of the office on that day, except since
I came into the field ; and, so far from having to
regret my course, it has been a source of true enjoy-
ment. I have never sustained loss in observing what
God enjoins; and I am well satisfied that the law
should be repealed at the earliest practicable moment.
My rule is, to let the Sabbath mails remain unopened,
unless they contain a despatch ; but despatches are
generally sent by couriers or telegraph, or some spe-
cial messenger. I do not recollect a single instance
of any special despatch having reached me, since the
commencement of the war, bv the mails.

"If you desire the repeal of the law, I trust you
will bring all your influence to bear in its accomplish-
ment. Now is the time, it appears to me, to eflFect so
desirable an object. I understand that not only our

890 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

President, but also most of his Cabinet and a ma-
jority of our Congressmen are professing Christians.
God has greatly blessed us, and I trust He will make
us that people whose God is the Lord. Let us look
to God for an illustration in our history that ' right-
eousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to
any people.'

" Very truly your friend,

" T. J. Jackson."

To his friend Colonel Preston, of Lexington, he
wrote with the same zeal, saying :

" I greatly desire to see "p^diC^—hlessed peace. And
I am persuaded that if God's people throughout the
Confederacy will earnestly and perseveringly unite in
imploring His interposition for peace, we may expect
it. Let our government acknowledge the God of
the Bible as its God, and we may expect soon to be
a happy and independent people. It appears to me
that extremes are to be avoided ; and it also appears
to me that the old United States occupied an extreme
position in the means it took to prevent the union of
Church and State. We call ourselves a Christian peo-
ple ; and, in my opinion, our government may be of
the same character, without connecting itself with an
established Church. It does appear to me that as our
President, our Congress, and our people have thanked
God for victories, and prayed to Him for additional
ones, and lie has answered such prayers and gives us
a government, it is gross ingratitude not to acknowl-
edge Him in this gift. Let the framework of our gov-
ernment show that we are not ungrateful to Him."

VISIT OF AN ENGLISH OFFICER. 391

In the beginning of the new year, Winchester was
again occupied by the Federals. An extract from
a letter to his helpful friend, Colonel Boteler, will
show General Jackson's great concern and affection
for his valley friends:

"Though I have been relieved from command
there, and may never again be assigned to that im-
portant trust, yet I feel deeply when I see the patri-
otic people of that region again under the heel of a
hateful military despotism. There are all the homes
of those who have been with me from the commence-
ment of the war in Virginia ; who have repeatedly
left their families and homes in the hands of the
enemy, and braved the dangers of battle and disease ;
and there are those who have so devotedly labored
for the relief of our suffering sick and wounded."

In another letter to the same friend, he says : " It

is but natural that I should feel a deep and abiding

interest in the people of the valley, where are the

homes of so many of my brave soldiers who have

been with me so long, and whose self-sacrificing

patriotism has been so long tested."

During this winter General Jackson received a visit
from a captain in the English army, who wrote an ac-
count of it for an English paper or magazine, from
which the following is a brief extract :

" I brought from Nassau a box of goods for General
Stonewall Jackson, and he asked me when I was at
Richmond to come to his camp and see him. I left
the city one morning about seven o'clock, and about

392 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ten landed at a station, distant some eight or nine
miles from Jackson's (or, as his men call him, ^ Old
Jack's') camp. A heavy fall of snow had covered
the country for some time before to the depth of a
foot, and formed a crust over the Virginia mud, which
is quite as villainous as that of Balaklava. The day
before had been mild and wet, and my journey was
made in a drenching shower, which soon cleared away
the white mantle of snow. You cannot imagine the
slough of despond I had to pass through. Wet to the
skin, I stumbled through mud, I waded through creeks,
I passed through pine woods, and at last got into camp
about" two o'clock. I then made my way to a small
house occupied by the general as his headquarters. I
wrote down my name and gave it to the orderly, and
I was immediately told to walk in.

" The general rose and greeted me warmly. I ex-
pected to see an old, untidy man, and was most agree-
ably surprised and pleased with his appearance. He
is tall, handsome, and powerfully built, but thin. He
has brown hair and a brown beard. His mouth ex-
presses great determination. The lips are thin and
compressed firmly together; his eyes are blue and
dark, w4th keen and searching expression. I was told
that his age was thirty-eight; and he looks forty.
The general, who is indescribably simple and unaf-
fected in all his ways, took off my wet overcoat with
his own hands, made up the fire, brought wood for
me to put my feet on to keep them warm while my
boots were drying, and then began to ask me ques-
tions on various subjects. At the dinner-hour we
went out and joined the members of his staff. At
this meal the general said grace in a fervent, quiet

THE OFHCER'S IMPRESSIONS. 393

manner, which struck me very much. After dinner
I returned to his room, and he again talked for a long
time. The servant came in and took his mattress out
of a cupboard and laid it on the floor.

" As I rose to retire, the general said : ' Captain,
there is plenty of room on my bed ; I hope you will
share it with me.' I thanked him very much for his
courtesy, but said, ' Good-night,' and slept in a tent,
sharing the blankets of one of his aides-de-camp. In
the morning, at breakfast-time, I noticed that the
general said grace before the meal with the same
fervor I had remarked before. An hour or two after-
wards it was time for me to return to the station ; on
this occasion, however, I had a horse, and I returned
up to the general's headquarters to bid him adieu.
His little room was vacant, so I stepped in and stood
before the fire. I then noticed my great-coat stretched
before it on a chair. Shortly afterwards the general
entered the room. He said: 'Captain, I have been
trying to dry your great-coat, but I am afraid I have
not succeeded very well.' That little act illustrates
the man's character. With the care and responsi-
bilities of a vast armv on his shoulders, he finds time
to do little acts of kindness and thoughtfulness, which
make him the darling of his men, who never seem to
tire talking of hira.

" General Jackson is a man of great endurance ; he
drinks nothing stronger than water, and never uses to-
bacco or any stimulant. He has been known to ride for
three days and nights at a time, and if there is any labor
to be undergone he never fails to take his share of it."

During this winter, at Moss Neck, General Jack-

394 UFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

son's Christian activity and spirituality became more
marked than ever before, showing a rich ripening for
the rewards and glories of the heavenly inheritance.
To a friend he expressed his perfect assurance of faith,
and said he had been for a long time a stranger to
fear, " because he knew amd was assured of the love of
Christ to his soul ; he felt not the faintest dread that
he should ever fall under the wrath of God, although
a great sinner; he was forever reconciled by the
righteousness of Christ, and that love for God and
Christ was now the practical spring of all his peni-
tence." He then arose from his seat, and with an
impressive union of humility and solemn elevation
continued, in substance, thus : " Nothing earthly can
mar my happiness. I know that heaven is in store for
me; and I should rejoice in the prospect of going
there to-morrow. Understand me : I am not sick, I
am not sad ; God has greatly blessed me ; I have as
much to love here as any man, and life is very bright
to me. But still I am ready to leave it any day,
without trepidation or regret, for that heaven which
I know awaits me, through the mercy of my Heavenly
Father. And I would not agree to the slightest diminu-
tion of one shade of my glory there — [here he paused,
as though to consider what terrestrial measure he might
best select to express the largeness of his joys] — no,
not for all the fame I have acquired or shall ever win
in this world." With these words he sank into his
chair, and his friend retired, impressed as he had never
been before by the exalted faith and perfect assurance
that God had vouchsafed to this Christian soldier.

All his Christian friends observed this winter how
much his mind dwelt upon spiritual matters, his con-

HIS FONDNESS FOR A CHILD. 895

versation almost invariably drifting into that channel;
and his favorite subjects were steadfastness of faith,
diligent performance of duty, after invoking God's
blessing and committing our cause to Him, and yield-
ing a perfect obedience to His will. He loved to con-
sider the modes by which God reveals His will to man,
and often quoted the maxim, " Duty is ours ; conse-
quences are God's." It was a continued delight to him
to dwell upon the blessedness of perfect acquiescence
in the Divine will. He frequently said that his first
desire was to command a " converted army."

But while thus desiring and striving for the spiritual
good of his men, his diligence was also unremitting in
training and strengthening his corps for active service
in the coming campaign, and it increased in efficiency
and numbers more than at any former period. It was
brought up to number over thirty thousand active sol-
diers, who drew their inspiration from his own spirit
of confidence and determination.

In the family of Mr. Corbin, of Moss Neck, was a
lovely little girl, about six years of age, named Jane,
who became a special pet with General Jackson. Her
pretty face and winsome ways were so charming to
him that he requested her mother as a favor that he
might have a visit from her every afternoon when his
day's labors were over, and her innocent companion-
ship and sweet prattle were a great pleasure and recre-
ation to him. He loved to hold her upon his knee,
and sometimes he played and romped with her, his
hearty laughter mingling merrily with that of the
child. He always had some little treat in store for her
as she came each day — an orange, an apple, candy or
cake; but the supply of such things becoming exhaust-

396 UVE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ed in his scanty quarters, one afternoon he found
he had nothing tempting to offer her, and in glanc-
ing around the room his eye fell upon a new gray
cap which he had just received from his wife, and
which was ornamented with a simple band of gilt
braid — the most modest mark of his rank that a field
oflBicer could wear. Taking up this cap, with his knife
he ripped oflf the band, and encircling it around little
Janie's fair head, he stood off admiringly, and said :
" This shall be your coronet !"

This little one of tender years was destined to pre-
cede her friend to the " land of pure delight." The
very day of his removal from Moss Neck she died.
Ilis aide, Mr. Smith, said: "We learned of Janie^s
death after we reached our new camp, near Terby's,
and when I went in to tell the general, he was much
moved, and wept freely. Afterwards he requested me
to ride back to Moss Neck that night to express his
sympathy, and to remain to be of any service that I
could to the family."

General Jackson himself thus alludes to the death
of his little favorite in one of his letters: "I never
wrote you about the bereavement of my kind friend
Mrs. Corbin. She had an only daughter, probably
about five or six years old, and one of the most at-
tractive, if not the most so, that I ever saw at that
age. A short time before I left there, the little girl
was taken sick with scarlet fever, but appeared to be
doini; well. I called to see Mrs. Corbin the eveninor
before leaving, and talked to her of her little daugh-
ter, whom I supposed to be out of danger, and she too
appeared to think so ; but the next morning she was
taken very ill, and in a few hours died of malignant

DEATH OF HIS LITTLE FAVORITE. 897

scarlet fever. There were two other little children,
cousins of little Janie, who were staying at the same
house, and both of them died of the same disease in a
few days." He was led to speak of these deaths by
hearing of the loss of my sister Mrs. Avery's first-
bom, of which he says : " We can sympathize with
her, and I wish I could comfort her, but no human
comfort can fully meet her case ; only the Redeemer
can, and I trust that she finds Jesus precious, most
precious, in this her sad hour of trial. Give my ten-
derest love and sympathy to her."

About this time his own little daughter had a severe
case of chicken-pox, and his parental anxieties were
greatly awakened. In his desire to render all the aid
he could, even at so great a distance, he consulted his
medical director. Dr. McGuire, that he might write
his wife the advice prescribed. His tender devotion
to the little daughter whom he had never seen was
surprising to the young doctor, and his voice quivered
with agitation as he said on leaving him, " I do wish
that dear child, if it is God's will, to be spared to us."

The following extracts from his letters testify to
this same paternal interest and affection, and also re-
veal his ever-increasing spiritual joy and gratitude :

*' January 5tb, 1868.

. . . " How much I do want to see you and our
darling baby ! But I don't know when I shall have
this happiness, as I am afraid, since hearing so much
about the little one's health, that it would be impru-
dent to bring it upon a journey, so I must just con-
tent myself. Mrs. General Longstreet, Mrs. General
A. P. Hill, and Mrs. General Kodes have all been to

398 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

see their husbands. Yesterday 1 saw Mrs. Bodes
at church, and she looked so happy that it made
me wish I had Mrs. Jackson here too ; but whilst I
cannot see my wife and baby, it is a great comfort
to know that you have a darling little pet to keep
you company in my absence. ... I heard a good ser-
mon at Grace Church (where General Hill has his
headquarters) by an Episcopal minister, Mr. Friend.
Colonel Faulkner is with us again, and I expect him
to take the position of mj'^ senior adjutant-general."

"January 6th. I am very thankful to our kind
Heavenly Father for good tidings from you and baby
— specially that she is restored again to health, and I
trust that we all three may so live as most to glorify
His holy name. ... I have a visor, but I hope I shall
not have to sleep in a tent any more this winter. My
ears are still troubling me, but I am very thankful
that my hearing is as good as usual, and from my ap-
pearance one would suppose that I was perfectly well.
Indeed, my health is essentially good, but I do not
think I shall be able in future to stand what I have
already stood, although, with the exception of the in-
creased sensitiveness of my ears, m}'^ health has im-
proved. I am sorry to hear that dear mother's health
does not improve. . . . We have several cases of small-
pox at Guiney's, and I expect you will have to give up
all idea of coming to see me until spring, as I fear it
would be too much of a risk for you and baby to travel
up here.

''The other day I received from the citizens of
Augusta County a magnificent horse, with an excel-
lent saddle and bridle. It is the most complete riding

LETTER TO HIS WIFE. 399

equipment that I have seen. My kind friends went so
far as to get patent stirrups, constructed so as to open
and throw the foot from the stirrup in the event of
the rider being thrown and the foot hung in the stir-
rups. How kind is God to us ! Oh that I were more
grateful!"

" January 17th. Yesterday I had the pleasure of
receiving a letter from my esposita four days after it
was written. Doesn't it look as if Confederate mails
are better than United States mails? Don't you re-
member how long it took for letters to come from
Charlotte to Lexington under the old regime? I de-
rive an additional pleasure in reading a letter from the
conviction that it has not travelled on the Sabbath.
How delightful will be our heavenly home, where
everything is sanctified ! ... I am gratified at hear-
ing that you have commenced disciplining the baby.
Now be careful, and don't let her conquer ymi. She
must not be permitted to have that will of her own, of
which you speak. How I would love to see the little
darling, whom I love so tenderly, though I have never
seen her ; and if the war were only over, I tell you, I
would hurry down to North Carolina to see my wife
and baby. 1 have much work to do. Lieutenant-
Colonel Faulkner is of great service to me in making
out my reports. Since he is my senior adjutant-gen-
eral, Pendleton is promoted to a majority, and is the
junior adjutant-general. Major Bier, my chief of ord-
nance, has been ordered to Charleston, and Captain
William Allan, of Winchester, is his successor. Colonel
Smeade is my inspector-general, so you must not com-
plain of my not writing to you about my staflf. I re-

400 LIFS of general THOMAS J. JACKSON.

gret to see our Winchester friends again in the hands
of the enemy. I trust that, in answer to prayer, our
country will soon be blessed with peace. If we were
only that obedient people that we should be, I would,
with increased confidence, look for a speedy termina-
tion of hostilities. Let us pray more and live more to
the glory of God. ... I am still thinking and think-
ing about that baby, and do want to see her. Can't
you send her to me by express ? There is an express
line all the way to Guiney's. I am glad to hear that
she sleeps well at night, and doesn't disturb her moth-
er. But it would be better not to call her a cherub; no
earthly being is such. I am also gratified that Hetty
is doing well. Bemember me to her, and tell her that,
as I didn't give her a present last Christmas, I intend
giving her two next. . . . Don't you accuse my baby of
not being hra/ve. I do hope she will get over her fear
of strangers. If, before strangers take her, you would
give them something to please her, and thus make her
have pleasant associations with them, and seeing them
frequently, I trust she would lose her timidity. It is
gratifying that she is growing so well, and I am thank-
ful she is so bright and knowing. I do wish I could
see her funny little ways, and hear her 'squeal out
with delight' at seeing the little chickens. I am some-
times afraid that you will make such an idol of that
baby that God will take her from us. Are you not
afraid of it ? Kiss her for her father.

"I have this morning received two presents — a
pair of gauntlets from near the Potomac, and another
beautiful pair from Mrs. Preston Trotter, of Browns-
burg. A kind gentleman, Mr. Stephens, of Nelson
County, sent me a barrel of select pippins.''

THE STONEWATX BRIGADE BUILDS A LOG CHURCH. 401

"January 31st. Captain Bushby, of the British
Army, called to see me to-day, and presented me
with a water-proof oil-cloth case in which to sleep on
a wet night in summer campaigning. I can encase
myself in it, keep dry, and get a good night's sleep."

" February 3d. In answer to the prayers of God's
people, I trust He will soon give us peace. I haven't
seen my wife for nearly a year — my home in nearly
two years, and have never seen our darling little
daughter; but it is important that I, and those at
headquarters, should set an example of remaining at
the post of duty. Joseph would like very much to
go home, but unless mother gets worse, he had better
not. . . . My old Stonewall Brigade has built a log
church. As yet I have not been in it. I am much
interested in reading Hunter's ' Life of Moses.' It is
a delightful book, and I feel more improved in read-
ing it than by an ordinary sermon. I am thankful
to say that my Sabbaths are passed more in medi.
tation than formerly. Time thus spent is genuine
enjoyment."

'' February 7th. This has been a beautiful spring
day. I have been thinking lately about gardening.
If I were at home, it would be time for me to begin
to prepare the hot-bed. Don't you remember what
interest we used to take in our hot-bed ? If we should
be privileged to return to our old liome, I expect we
would find many changes. An ever-kind Providence
is showering blessings down upon me. Yesterday
Colonel M. G. Harman and Mr. William J. Bell, jun.,
of Staunton, presented me with an excellent horse..
26

402 LITE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

As yet 1 have not mounted him, but I saw another
person ride him, and I hope soon to have that pleasure
myself. . . . Just to think our baby is nearly three
months old. Does she notice and laugh much ? You
have never told me how much she looks like her mother.
I tell you, 1 want to know how she looks. If you could
hear me talking to my espoaa in the mornings and
evenings, it would make you laugh, I'm sure. It is
funny the way I talk to her when she is hundreds of
miles away. . . . Jim has returned from Lexington,
and brought a letter from 'Cy' [a negro servant],
asking permission to take unto himself a wife, to
which I intend to give my consent, provided you or
his mother do not object. ... I am so much con-
cerned about mother's health as to induce me to rec-
ommend a leave of absence for Joseph. I send this
note by him, and also send the baby a silk handker-
chief. I have thought that as it is brightly colored,
it might attract her attention. Eemember, it is her
first present from her father, and let me know if
she notices it." [This handkerchief has ever since
been sacredly preserved as a precious relic]

•

" February 14th. Your delightful letter of six pages
received a welcome reception this evening. I am
thankful to see that our kind Heavenl}'' Father is
again restoring mother to health. I felt uneasy about
her, and thought that Joseph had better make a
visit home. I have made the restoration of mother's
health a subject of prayer ; but then we know that
our dear ones are mortal, and that God does not
always answer prayer according to our erring feel-
ings. I think that if, when we see ourselves in a

LETTER TO HIS WIFE. 403

glass, we should consider that all of us that is visible
must turn to corruption and dust, we would learn
more justly to appreciate the relative importance of
the body that perishes and the soul that is immortal.
. . . Your accounts of baby are very gratifying, and
intensify my desire to see her. If peace is not con-
cluded before next winter, I do hope you can bring
her and spend the winter with me. This would be
very delightful. If we are spared, I trust an ever-
kind Providence will enable us to be together all
winter. I am glad little Julia was pleased with her
present, and wish I could have seen her laugh. . . .
You say you don't see any use of my not taking a
furlough. I think that the army would be much more
efficient if all belonging to it were present. ... I do
trust and pray that our people will religiously ob-
serve the 27th of next month as a day of humiliation,
prayer, and fasting, as our President has designated
in his proclamation. To-morrow is the Sabbath. My
Sabbaths are looked forwaixi to with pleasure. I
don't know that I ever enjoyed Sabbaths as I do this
winter. ... I don't think I have written you about
recent presents. About a week since, I received from
Mr. W. F. De la Rue, of London, a superb English
saddle, bridle, holsters, saddle-cover, blankets, whip,
spurs, etc. — the most complete riding equipage that I
have seen for many a day. Its completeness is re-
markable. This evening I received from Mr. John
Johnson, of London, a box containing two flannel
shirts, two pairs of long woollen stockings extending
above the knees, a buckskin shirt, a pair of boots, a
pair of leather leggings extending about eight inches
above the knees, two pairs of excellent fitting leather

404 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

gloves, and a very superior variegated colored blanket.
Our ever-kind Heavenly Father gives me friends
among strangers. He is the source of every blessing,
and I desire to be more grateful to Him."

'' March 7th. I have just finished my report of the
battle of McDowell. . . . There is a good deal of re-
ligious interest in the army. Rev. Mr. Lacy is with
me now, and I expect will continue with the army
during the war. Rev. William J. Hoge is here, and
has preached several sermons. Rev. Mr. Hopkins is
chaplain of the Second Regiment of Virginia Volun-
teers. If you were here you would find a number
of friends."

*' March 14th. The time has about come for cam-
paigning, and I hope early next week to leave my
room, and go into a tent near Hamilton's Crossing,
which is on the railroad, about five miles from Fred-
ericksburg. It is rather a relief to get where there
will be less comfort than in a room, as I hope thereby
persons will be prevented from encroaching so much
upon my time. I am greatly behind in my reports,
and am very desirous to get through with them before
another campaign commences. Do you remember
w^hen my little wife used to come up to my head-
quarters in Winchester and talk with her esposof
I would love to see her sunny face peering into my
room again. . . . On next Monday there is to be a
meeting of the chaplains of my corps, and I pray
that good may result. ... I am now in camp, but I
do not know of any house near by where you could
be accommodated, should you come ; and, moreover, I

HIS FAVORITE HYMNS. 405

might not be here when you would arrive, as the
season for campaigning has come. Before this time
last year, the campaign had begun, and, so far as we
can see, it may begin again at any time. The move-
ments of the. enemy must influence ours, and we can't
say where we shall be a week hence. '^

" April 10th. I trust that God is going to bless us
with great success, and in such a manner as to show
that it is all His gift ; and I trust and pray that it
will lead our country to acknowledge Him, and to
live in accordance with His will as revealed in the
Bible. There appears to be an increased religious
interest among our troops here. Our chaplains have
weekly meetings on Tuesdays; and the one of this
week was more charming than the preceding one."

After removing his headquarters to Hamilton Cross-
ing, General Jackson established an altar of daily
morning prayer in his military family. He was too
liberal and unobtrusive in his own religion to exact
compulsory attendance on the part of his staff; but
their regard for him prompted them to gratify his
wishes, and he always greeted their presence with a
face of beaming commendation. He appointed his
chaplain to officiate at these services ; but if he was
absent, the general took his place himself, and with
the greatest fervor and humility offered up his tribute
of praise and supplication. Meetings for prayer were
held at his quarters twice a week, on Sunday and
Wednesday evenings, and on Sunday afternoons he
loved to engage the musical members of his staff in
singing sacred songs, to which he listened with genu-

406 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX.

ine delight. He rarely let them stop without calling
for the hymn beginning

**How happy are they
Who the Saviour obey T'

Other favorite hymns with him were :*

^ Come, humble sinner, in whose breast
A thousand thoughts revolve.''

"Tis my happiness below,
Not to live without the crosa''

And,

*^ When gathering clouds around I view,
And days are dark and friends are few.*^

^^ Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God."

[Sung to the tune of Harwell.

CHAPTER XXL

THE LAST HAPPY DAYS.— CHANCE LLORSVILLB— 1868.

As the spring advanced, and the season for cam-
paigning drew nearer, General Jackson grew more
and more anxious to have a visit from his wife and
child. His solicitous consideration for the health and
safety of the little one had led him to advise their not
travelling- until the winter was over ; and now he
showed great eagerness to have a visit before the cam-
paign should open. On the 18th of April he wrote :

... "I am beginning to look for my darling and
my baby. I shouldn't be surprised to hear at any
time that they were coming, and I tell you there would
be one delighted man. Last night I dreamed that my
little wife and I were on opposite sides of a room, in
the centre of which was a table, and the little baby
started from her mother, making her way along under
the table, and finally reached her father. And what
do you think she did when she arrived at her destina-
tion? She just climbed up on her father and kissed
him ! And don't you think he was a happy man ? But
when he awoke he found it all a delusion. I am glad
to hear that she enjoys out-doors, and grows, and coos,
and laughs. How I would love to see her sweet ways !
That her little chi^bby hands have lost their resem-
blance to mine is not regretted by me. . . . Should I

408 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

write to you to have any more pantaloons made for
me, please do not have much gold braid about them.
I became so ashamed of the broad gilt band that was
on the cap you sent as to induce me to take it off. I
like simplicity."

" Saturday. Yesterday I received your letter, but
you did not say a word about coming to see your es-
poBO. I do hope that ere this you have received mine,
saying you could come, and that you at once got an
escort and started. There is no time for hesitation if
you have not started. There is increasing probability
that I may be elsewhere as the season advances. But
don't come unless you get a good escort. I am not
certain that I can get accommodations for you ; but I
don't think there will be any diflBculty about it, as I
hope some kind neighbor would try to make us com-
fortable for the short time that you may remain. I
think that we might get in at Mr. Yerby's, which is
less than a mile from my headquarters."

Little Julia was nearlv five months old now, and
was plump, rosy, and good, and with her nurse, Hetty,
we set out upon this visit, so full of interest and antici-
pated joys. We made the journey safely, stopping in
Eichmond to spend Sunday, and arrived at Guiney's
Station at noon on Monday, the 20th of April. Hetty
and I were all anxiety to have our baby present her
best appearance for her father s first sight of her, and
she could not have better realized our wishes. She
awoke from a long, refreshing sleep just before the
train stopped, and never looked more bright and charm-
ing. When he entered the coach to receive us, his

THE FIRST SIGHT OF HIS CHILD. 409

rubber overcoat was dripping from the rain which
was falling, but his face was all sunshine and glad-
ness ; and, after greeting his wife, it was a picture,
indeed, to see his look of perfect delight and admira-
tion as his eyes fell upon that baby ! She was at the
lovely, smiHng age ; and catching his eager look of su-
preme interest in her, she beamed her brightest and
sweetest smiles upon him in return, so it seemed to be
a mutual fascination. He was afraid to take her in
his arms, with his wet overcoat; but as we drove in
a carriage to Mr. Yerby's, his face reflected all the
happiness and delight that were in his heart, and he
expressed much surprise and gratification at her size
and beauty. Upon our arrival at the house he speed-
ily divested himself of his overcoat, and, taking his
baby in his arms, he caressed her with the tenderest
aflFection, and held her long and lovingly. During
the whole of this short visit, when he was with us, he
rarely had her out of his arms, walking her, and amus-
ing her in every way that he could think of — some-
times holding her up before a mirror and saying, ad-
miringly, " Kow, Miss Jackson, look at j^ourself !"
Then he would turn to an old lady of the family and
say : " Isn't she a litth gem .^" He was frequently
told that she resembled him, but he would say: "No,
she is too pretty to look like me." When she slept in
the day, he would often kneel over her cradle, and
gaze upon her little face with the most rapt admira-
tion, and he said he felt almost as if she were an angel,
in, her innocence and purity. I have often wished
that the picture which was presented to me of that
father kneeling over the cradle of that lovely infant
could have been put upon canvas. And yet with all

410 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

his fondness and devotion to the little lady, he had no
idea of spoiling her, as will be seen by his undertaking
to teach her a lesson in self-control before she was five
months old ! One day she began to cry to be taken
from the bed on which she was lying, and as soon as
her wish was gratified, she ceased to cry. He laid
her back upon the bed, and the crying was renewed
with increased violence. Of course, the mother-heart
wished to stop this by taking her up again, but he ex-
claimed : " This will never do !" and commanded " all
hands oflf" until that little will of her own should
be conquered. So there she lay, kicking and scream-
ing, while he stood over her with as much coolness
and determination as if he were directing a battle; and
he was true to the name of StonewdU^ even in disci-
plining a baby ! When she stopped crying he would
take her up, and if she began to cry again he would
lay her down again, and this he kept up until finally
she was completely conquered, and became perfectly
quiet in his hands.

On the 23d of April (the day she was five months
old) General Jackson had little Julia baptized. He
brought his chaplain, the Rev. Mr. Lacy, to Mr. Yer-
by's, in whose parlor the sacred rite was performed,
in the presence of the family, and a number of the
staff-officers. The child behaved beautifully, and was
the object of great interest to her father's friends and
soldiers. His aide, Mr. Smith, tells how he came to
be present. He says : " I recall the visit to Mr. Yer-
by's to see the baptism of little Julia. For some
reason, Mr. Lacy did not wish me to go, and said I
shouldn't go. Provoked at this, I went to the gen-
eral, who said, ' Certainly, Mr. Smith, you can go ;

THE LAST SOLEMN SERVICE. 411

ask the others to go with you,' and I turned out the
whole party, making quite a cavalcade to ride to Mr.
Yerby's. I remember the general's impatience at some
little delay, and the decided way with which he went
out and brought in the child in his arms."

The next Sabbath was a most memorable one to
me, being the last upon which I was privileged to at-
tend divine service with my husband on earth, and to
worship in camp with such a company of soldiers as
I had never seen together in a religious congregation.
My husband took me in an ambulance to his head-
quarters, where the services were held, and on the
way were seen streams of officers and soldiers, some
riding, some walking, all wending their way to the
place of worship. Arrived there, we found Mr. Lacy
in a tent, in which we were seated, together with Gen-
eral Lee and other distinguished officers. I remember
how reverent and impressive was General Lee's bear-
ing, and how handsome he looked, with his splendid
figure and faultless military attire. In front of the
tent, under the canopy of heaven, were spread out in
dense masses the soldiers, sitting upon benches or
standing. The preaching was earnest and edifying,
the singing one grand volume of song, and the atten-
tion and good behavior of the assembly remarkable.
That Sabbath afternoon my husband spent entirely
with me, and his conversation was more spiritual than
I had ever observed before. lie seemed to be giving
utterance to those religious meditations in which he
so much delighted. He never appeared to be in better
health than at this time, and I never saw him look so
handsome and noble. We had a large, comfortable
room at Mr. Yerby's, which was hospitably furnished

412 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

with three beds. It seems that General Lee had been
an occupant of this room before us, for when he called
on me he facetiously alluded to our capacious accom-
modations, and said he had written to his wife and
daughters that if they would come to see him, he could
entertain them all in this room ! This was the first
time I met him, and when the announcement was
made that " General Lee and his staff had called to see
Mrs. Jackson," I was somewhat awe-struck at the idea
of meeting the commander-in-chief, with a retinue of
oflBcers, and descended to the parlor with considerable
trepidation ; but I was met by a face so kind and fa-
therly^ and a greeting so cordial, that I was at once
reassured and put at ease. The formidable "staff"
consisted of only two or three nice-looking, courteous
gentlemen, and the call was greatly enjoyed.

General Lee was always charming in the society of
ladies, and often indulged in a playful way of teasing
them that was quite amusing. He claimed the privi-
lege of kissing all the pretty young girls, which was
regarded by them as a special honor. A young staff-
officer relates tliat on the occasion of a general review
many ladies turned out in carriages to witness the im-
posing spectacle. lie heard one young lady call out
to another from her carriage : " General Lee kissed me
twice /" The exultant reply came back from another
carriage : " General Lee kissed me four times H

General Jackson did not permit the presence of his
family to interfere in any way with his military du-
ties. The greater part ot each day he spent at his
headquarters, but returned as early as he could get otf
from his labors, and devoted all of his leisure time to
his visitors — little Julia sharing his chief attention and

THE PORTRAIT THAT THE SOLDIERS LOVE. 413

care. His devotion to his child was remarked upon
by all who beheld the happy pair together, for she
soon learned to delight in his caresses as much as he
loved to play with her. An officer's wife who saw
him often during this time wrote to a friend in Rich-
mond that "the general spent all his leisure time in
playing with the baby."

One morning he rode over from headquarters upon
his handsome bay horse, " Superior," wishing to show
me his fine present ; and after bringing him up to the
steps of the house and showing him off, he remounted
him, and galloped away at such a John Gilpin speed
that his cap was soon borne off by the velocity ; but
he did not stop to pick it up, leaving this to his order-
ly behind him, who found great difficulty in keeping
even in sight of him. As far as he could be seen, he
was flying like the wind — the impersonation of fear-
lessness and manly vigor.

It was during these last happy days that he sat for
the last picture that was taken of him — the three-quar-
ters view of his face and head — the favorite picture
with his old soldiers, as it is the most soldierly-look-
ing; but, to my mind, not so pleasing as the full-face
view which was taken in the spring of 1862, at Win-
chester, and which has more of the beaming sunlight
of his home'look. The last picture was taken by an
artist who came to Mr. Yerby's and asked permission
to pliotograpli him, which he at first declined ; but as
he never presented a finer appearance in health and
dress (wearing the handsome suit given him by Gen-
eral Stuart), I persuaded him to sit for his picture.
After arranging his hair myself, which was unusually
long for him, and curled in large ringlets, he sat in

414 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the hall of the house, where a strong wind blew in his
face, causing him to frown, and giving a sternness to
his countenance that was not natural ; but in spite of
this, some fine copies have been produced from the
original. The very best is Elder's grand portrait —
painted for the late Mr. W. W. Corcoran, of Wash-
ington. During a visit of my daughter and myself to
Mr. Corcoran, a few years since, he asked us to walk
with him into his salon, saying he had there some-
thing to show us. Without another word, he led us
up in front of this portrait, and as the child stood
transfixed before the splendid representation of the
father, whose memory she so revered, the dear old
man stepped forward, and, lifting up the pathetic j'^oung
face, tenderly kissed her. This portrait, together with
a companion picture of General Lee, was given by
Mr. Corcoran to the Art Gallery in Washington, which
was founded by him and bears his honored name.

Our military leaders had diligently employed the
winter months in preparing their troops for the great-
est efficiency in the approaching campaign. When
the spring opened, General Lee found himself at the
head of an army unsurpassed in discipline and all the
hardy virtues of the soldier, strengthened by the addi-
tions of the winter, reinvigorated by the compactness
and order which had been given to its organization,
with an enthusiasm acquired by a long series of vic-
tories, and ready to add to that series a triumph more
remarkable and illustrious than any of its predeces-
sors. . . . General Jackson's corps grew in three months
from twenty -five to thirty -three thousand muskets.
. . . The splendid morale of this army did not need
improvement, but it enabled it to bear, without in-

HOOKER'S ARMY CROSSING THE RIVER. 415

jury, the privations and hardships of the winter. In-
sufficient clothing and scanty rations produced no
effect upon it."

Their leader manifested less reserve than formerly
in expressing his opinion of the general principles
which should govern the Confederate side in the
continuance of the war. With great decision and
emphasis he said : " We must make this campaign an
exceedingly active one. Only thus can a weaker
country cope with a stronger ; it must make up in
activity what it lacks in strength. A defensive cam-
paign can only be made successful by taking the ag-
gressive at the proper time. Napoleon never wait-
ed for'his adversary to become fully prepared, but
struck him the fll^t blow."

But as the campaign drew on apace, my delightful
visit was destined to come to an end. My husband
had loved to dwell with devout thankfulness upon
the happy winter we had spent together in Winches-
ter ; but this last visit exceeded that in happiness, for
it had the additional charm and the attraction of the
lovely child that God had given us, and this greatly
intensified his delight and enjoyment.

My visit had lasted only nine days, when early on
the morning of the 29th of April we were aroused
by a messenger at our door saying, " General Early's
adjutant wishes to see General Jackson." As he
arose, he said, " That looks as if Hooker were cross-
ing." He hurried down-stairs, and, soon returning,
told me that his surmise was correct — Hooker was
crossing the river, and that he must go immediately
to the scene of action. From the indications he
thought a battle was imminent, and under the cir-

416 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

cumstances he was unwilling for us to remain in so
exposed a situation as Mr. Yerby's. He therefore
directed me to prepare to start for Richmond at a
moment's notice, promising to return himself to see
us off if possible, and if not, he would send my broth-
er Joseph. After a tender and hasty good-by, ho
hurried off without breakfast. Scarcely had he gone,
when the roar of cannons began — volley after volley
following in quick succession — the house shaking and
windows rattling from the reverberations, throwing
the family into great panic, and causing the wildest
excitement among all the occupants of the place. My
hasty preparations for leaving were hardly completed
when Mr. Lacy, the chaplain, came with an ambu-
lance, saying he had been sent by General Jackson to
convey his family to the raiboad station as speedily
as possible, in order to catch the morning train to
Richmond. My brother Joseph, seeing General Jack-
son's need of his services, had requested that Mr.
Lacy should be sent in his stead as my escort. He
brought a cheerful note from my husband, explaining
why he could not leave his post, and invoking God's
care and blessing upon us in our sudden departure,
and especially was he tender and loving in his men-
tion of the baby.

A rapid and continuous rattle of musketry showed
that the battle was now under wav, and before we
left Mr. Yerby's yard we saw several wounded sol-
diers brought in and placed in the out-houses, which
the surgeons were arranging as temporary hospitals.
This was my nearest and only glimpse of tlie actual
horroi's of the battle-fi<*ld, and tlie reader can imagine
how sad and harrowing was my drive to the station

HIS WIFE RETURNS TO RICHMOND. 41 7

on that terrible morning ! The distance was several
miles, and as we journeyed along over a newly cut
road, filled with stumps and roots, we could hear the
sounds of battle, and my heart was heavy with fore-
boding and dread. We were in good time for the.
train, and but few passengers were aboard — only two
that made any impression upon me, and these were a
pretty, young Creole mother and a little boy from
New Orleans, who, like myself, had been paying a
visit to a soldier husband and father, and were now flee-
ing for safety. In a few hours we were in Richmond,
among kind friends, for all Southern hearts were
bound by a strong tie in the common cause for which
so many brave hearts were battling.

But we must now return to General Jackson.
Hastening to his command, his first order was to de-
spatch one of his aides to inform General Lee of the
movements of the enemy. The commander-in-chief
was found sitting in his tent, and replied with his ac-
customed pleasantry to the message, saying : " Well,
I heard firing, and I was beginning to think it was
time some of you lazy young fellows were coming to
tell me what it was all about. Say to General Jack-
son that he knows just as well what to do With the
enemy as I do."

Thus left to his own responsibility, Jackson had
his corps under arms as speedily as possible, but soon
ascertained from the cavalry pickets of General Stuart
that the crossing of the enemy below Fredericksburg,
which was now engaging his attention, was only a
feint to cover the movements of stiU larger forces,
which were effecting passages higher up the Rappa-
hannock, and some miles west of Fredericksburg..
27

418 LIFE OF OENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

These forces marched down towards Chancellorsville,
fifteen miles west of Fredericksburg, where General
Hooker was himself in command, and was massing
his vast army.

On the opening of this campaign, when Greneral
Jackson broke up his quarters, it was observed that
a wondrous change came over him. From the quiet,
patient, but arduous laborer over his daily tasks, he
seemed transformed into a thunder-bolt of war. So
instinct with animation, energy, and indomitable will
did he appear that even his figure assumed more
^rectness, his step a quicker firmness, and his whole
bearing realized the ideal of a soldier, as one inspired
by the consciousness of power. His mind was clear
And his action prompt : nothing did he overlook or
neglect which could add to the efficiency of his corps.

Before ordering his tents to be struck, his last act
was to dismount from his horse and seek the privacy
of his own tent. His servant Jim, to whom he had
thrown the reins, raised his hand to the bustling crowd
around, as a warning gesture, and in a loud whisper
said : " Hush ! . . . The general is praying !" Silence
immediately fell upon the camp, and was maintained
until the curtain was withdrawn and the Christian
warrior came forth from his closet, where he had drunk
of the inspiration that comes only from above, which
makes a man " strong in the Lord, and in the power
of His might."

Proceeding to the field. General Jackson managed,
with his usual skill, to escape the notice of the enemy,
and put his column in motion at three o'clock on the
morning of the 30th, in obedience to General Lee's
order to go to the support of two divisions which had

POSITION OF THE FEDERAL ARMY. 419

already been sent to arrest the advance of the enemy,
which he accomplished by threatening their flank, upon
which they fell back to Chancellorsville, where, accord-
ing to the report of General Lee, they " had assumed
a position of great natural strength, surrounded on
all sides by a dense forest, filled with a tangled under-
growth, in the midst of which breastworks of logs had
been constructed, with trees felled in front, so as to
form an almost impenetrable abatis. Their artillery
swept the few narrow roads by which the position
could be approached from the front, and commanded
the adjacent woods."

To attack this stronghold would cost a fruitless
waste of life, and the Confederates attempted nothing
that day beyond some skirmishing along the lines.
That night, the 1st of May, Generals Lee and Jackson
bivouacked upon a knoll covered with pine-trees, the
fallen leaves affording them the only means of repose ;
but little did they think of sleep, and long and earnest
were their consultations, for the situation of affairs
was of the gravest and most serious aspect.

Longstreet, with a part of his corps, was absent ;
Early had been left at Fredericksburg to conceal Jack-
son's departure, and to dispute the heights of that
place with Sedgwick ; and Lee's army, thus diminished,
was left with only forty-three thousand men to battle
against Hooker with sixty thousand. The Federal
cavalry, in large force, had also broken through the
Confederate lines, and was making a raid southward,
with the object of cutting off General Lee's commu-
nications with Richmond. General Stuart now joined
them, and reported that, while Hooker's situation was
seemingly impregnable, with his whole force massed

420 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

around Chancellorsville, yet his encampments were
open upon the west and northwest, and the greater
part of his cavaby were absent on the southern raid.
Long and anxiously did the two Confederate leaders
consult on that memorable night, and they both agreed
that Hooker must be attacked at once, or all would
be lost. Finally they laid themselves down upon the
pine leaves to take a few hours of much-needed repose.
Jackson's mind seemed to have been upon everything
more than himself, and he had neglected to provide
a covering or wrap of any kind. He was urged by
young Pendleton of his staflf to accept his overcoat,
but was unwilling to deprive him of it, and declined.
The thoughtful young man then detached the large
cape of the garment and spread it over his general ;
but as soon as Pendleton fell asleep, Jackson rose
and carefully placed the cape over him, preferring to
endure the cold himself to depriving a friend of his
comfort. The next morning he awoke with a cold,
but he did not speak of it. In the gray light of dawn
his chaplain found him sitting on a cracker-box, and
shivering over a little fire. He invited Mr. Lacy to
take a seat by him, and asked him to give him all the
information he could about the by-roads of that region
— the minister being acquainted with the country, as
he once had a charge in that vicinity. He took a pen-
cil and an outline map out of his pocket, and requested
Mr. Lacy to mark down all the roads for him. He also
sent his topographical engineer, Major Jed. Hotchkiss,
now of Staunton, Virginia, to inspect the country, and
procured the services of a guide from the neighborhood
to find out some avenue by which he might pass swiftly
and unobserved around the flank of Hooker's army.

THE FLANK MOVEMENT. 421

The needed information was soon obtained. Seat-
ed upon two cracker-boxes, the debris of an issue
of Federal rations .the day before, the Confederate
leaders held their consultation. With a map before
him, Jackson suggested making a long circuit, sweep-
ing clear round Hooker's right, and so making the
attack on his rear. Lee inquired with what force he
would do this ? Jackson replied, " With my whole
corps present." Lee then asked what would be left
to him with which to resist an advance of the enemy
towards Fredericksburg? " The divisions of Anderson
and McLaws," said Jackson. For a moment Lee re-
flected on the audacity of this plan in the face of
Hooker's superior numbers. To divide his army into
two parts and place the whole Federal force between
them was extremely hazardous. But it was impos-
sible to attack their position in front without terrible
loss. The very boldness of the proposed movement,
if executed with secrecy and despatch, was an earnest
of success. Jackson was directed to carry out the
plan.

Soon after the dawn of day he began the march
with his corps, who, comprehending intuitively that
their leader was engaged in one of his masterly flank
movements, and catching their inspiration from his
own eagerness and enthusiasm, pressed rapidly for-
ward, over the narrow country roads. This move-
ment was not altogether unperceived by the Federals,
but they interpreted so early a march southward as
a retreat towards Richmond. Some slight skirmish-
ing of artillery and riflemen was attempted, but did
not last long, and Hooker seemed to be awaiting fur-
ther developments. By three o'clock in the afternoon

422 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Jackson had marched fifteen miles, and was six miles
west of Chancellorsville, occupying precisely the op-
posite side of the enemy to that held by General Lee.
It was here that he addressed his last official note to
his commander, which was as follows :

" Near 8 p.m., May 2d, 1868.

" General, — The enemy has made a stand at Chan-
cellor's, which is about two miles from Chancellors-
ville. I hope, so soon as practicable, to attack.

" I trust that an ever-kind Providence will bless us
with success.

" Respectfully,

" T. J. Jackson, Lieutenant-General.
" General Robert E. Lee.

" P. S. — The leading division is up, and the next
two appear to be well closed. T. J. J."

Stuart was covering this flank movement with his
vigilant cavalry, and from his outposts Jackson
was able to gain a glimpse of the enemy's position,
which satisfied him that he had obtained the desired
vantage-ground from which to attack.

The country around Chancellorsville is densely
wooded with scrub oak and pine, which, with tan-
gled undergrowth, form almost impenetrable depths
from which it is appropriately called " The Wilder-
ness." But in the open fields near the old Wilder-
ness Tavern, General Jackson found space in which
to draw up his troops. He formed them in three par-
allel lines, and selected two picked batteries to move
down the turnpike, which marked the centre of his
lines — the thick forests into which he was about to

CHARGING THROUGH THE FOREST. 423

plunge affording no possible position for the rest of
his artillery. By six o'clock all was in readiness for
the advance, and at the word of command the three
lines charged forward, rushing with all the speed it
was possible to make through the forests and dense
brushwood, which almost tore the clothing of the
soldiers from their bodies, and compelled them to
creep through many places; but still they pressed
on, as best they could. The following description of
what followed is taken from "The Battle-Fields of
Virginia :"

" The forest was full of game, which, startled from
their hiding-places by the unusual presence of man,
ran in numbers to and over the Federal lines. Deer
leaped over the works at Talley's, and dashed into
the wood behind. The Federal troops had in most
cases their arms stacked, and were eating supper.
All danger was thought to be over for the night.
The startled game gave the first intimation of Jack-
son's approach. But so little was it suspected or
believed that the suggestion was treated as a jest.
Presently the bugles were heard through which
orders were passed along the Confederate lines. This
excited still more remark. Ere it had been long
discussed, however, there came the sound of a few
straggling shots from the skirmishers, then a mighty
cheer, and in a moment more Jackson was upon them.
A terrible volley from his line of battle poured among
the Union troops ere they could recover from their
surprise. Those in line returned a scattered fire;
others seized their arms and attempted to form.
Ofiicers tried to steadv their men and lead them to

424 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

meet the attack. All was in vain. . . . Like a tor-
nado the Confederate lines pass over the ground,
breaking, crashing, crumbling Howard's corps. ArtU-
lery, wagons, ambulances, are driven in frantic panic
to the rear, and double the confusion. The rout is
utter and hopeless. The mass of pursuers and pur-
sued roll on until the position of Melzi Chancellor's
is reached. Here a strong line of works had been
constructed across the road, which, having a shal-
low ditch, could be made to face in either direction.
. . . Some of Schurz's men rally on Buschbeck,
and for a short time the Confederate advance is ar-
rested. But Jackson cannot long be held back. Col-
ston's division has eagerly pressed on, and is already
commingled with Kodes's. Together they charge
with a yell; and in a few moments the works are
taken. Pell-mell now rush the Eleventh Corps, the
last semblance of organization gone, through the
forest, towards Chancellorsville. Onward sweep the
Confederates in hot pursuit. The arms, knapsacks,
and accoutrements of the fugitives fill the woods.
Artillery carriages are to be seen overturned in the
narrow roads, or hopelessly jammed in the impene-
trable jungle. The wounded and dying, with their
groans, fill the forest on every side. The day is rap-
idly drawing to a close ; night comes to add confu-
sion to the scene. It had been impossible in the broad
daylight, owing to the intricacy of the forest, to pre-
vent a commingling of regiments and brigades along
the Confederate lines. The confusion thus produced
is greatly increased by the darkness. In a brush-
wood so dense that it is impossible, under favorable
circumstances, to see thirty yards in any direction,

THE TROOPS BECOME CONFUSED. 425

companies, regiments, brigades, become inextricably
intermixed. Colston's division, forming the second
line, has already become merged with Bodes's. Both
move on in one confused mass. The right of the
Confederate line soon reaches an abatis which has
been felled to protect the approach to some woods
on the opposite heights. The troops, already disor-
dered, become still more so among the felled timber.
Behind this abatis some troops and artillery have
been gathered to make a stand. Eodes finds it im-
possible to push farther until the lines can be re-
formed. The right is first halted, and then the whole
Confederate line. Rodes sends word at once to Jack-
son, requesting that the third line (A. P. Hill's divi-
sion) be sent forward to take the advance until the
first and second can be reformed.

" While this was being done, there was a lull in the
storm of battle. Jackson had paused for a time in
his pursuit; Hooker was attempting to stop and
reform his flying legions."

During this splendid charge Jackson was the im-
personation of military enthusiasm, dashing on at the
head of his men, with the words of command, " For-
ward!" "Press on!" continually ringing from his
lips. He leaned forward upon his horse, and waved
his hand, as though by its single strength he were
trying to impel his men onward. As cheer after
cheer rose from the Confederate line, announcing
new successes, his flashing eyes and glowing cheeks
showed how deeply he was moved, and he was ob-
served frequently to look upwards and lift his right
hand to heaven in prayer and thanksgiving.

426 LUiT OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Thus far his most sanguine hopes had been real-
ized. His flank movement was a brilliant success —
the enemy had been surprised, and their right flank
been driven back in confusion. But he knew that
much had yet to be done before the victory could be
complete. The first blow must be followed by others.
He therefore deeply regretted the disorder in which
his own lines had fallen. After marching twenty
miles, and fighting over three miles of difficult ground,
it was no wonder that the men, feeling assured of
victory, halted from weariness and broke ranks, as
though the day's work were done. But though the
enemy had been driven from an important defence,
which might be reoccupied at any moment if the Con-
federates failed to seize it, Jackson saw that every-
thing depended on immediately reforming his lines.
He despatched his staff in every direction to order
the officers to get the men back into ranks and press
forward. Dashing along the lines himself, almost
unattended, he kept saying: " Men, get into line! get
into line! Whose regiment is this? Colonel, get
your men instantly into line." Turning to an officer
who came up to report, he said : " Find General
Rodes, and tell him to occupy that barricade at once
with his troops." He then added: " I need your help
for a time ; this disorder must be corrected. As you
go along the right, tell the troops, from me, to get
into line, and preserve their order."

After this strenuous effort to restore order to his
hues, he rode forward to make a reconnoissance him-
self, and found that Hooker was indeed advancing a
powerful body of fresh troops in his direction. Being
pressed in front by General Lee, the Federal com-

WOUNDED BY HIS OWN MEN. 427

mander tamed upon the foe in the rear, and endeav-
ored to recapture the all-important barricade. General
Jackson, accompanied by a part of his staff and sev-
eral couriers, advanced on the turnpike in the direc-
tion of the enemy about a hundred yards, when he
was fired upon by a volley of musketry from his
right front. The bullets whistled among the party,
and struck several horses. This fire was evidently
from the enemy, and one of his men caught his bridle-
rein and said to him : " General Jackson, you should
not expose yourself so much." " There is no danger,"
he replied, " the enemy is routed. Go back and tell
General Hill to press on." But in order to screen
himself from the flying bullets, he rode from the road
to the left and rear. The small trees and brushwood
being very dense, it was difficult to effect a passage
on horseback. While riding as rapidly as possible to
the rear, he came in front of his own line of battle,
who, having no idea that he, or any one but the enemy,
was in their front, and mistaking the party for a body
of Federal cavalry, opened a sharp fire upon them.
From this volley General Jackson received his mortal
wounds. His right hand was pierced by a bullet, his
left arm was shattered by two balls, one above and
one below the elbow, breaking the bones and sever-
ing the main artery. His horse, " Little Sorrel," ter-
rified by the nearness and suddenness of the fire,
dashed off in the direction of the enemy, and it was
with great difficulty that he could control him — his
bridle hand being helpless, and the tangled brush-
wood, through which he was borne, almost drag-
ging him from his seat. But he seized the reins with
his right hand, and, arresting the flight of his horse,

428 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSOX.

brought him back into his own lines, where, almost
fainting, he was assisted to the ground by Captain
Wilboume, his signal oflBcer. B}^ this fire several of
his escort were killed and wounded, among the former
was the gallant Captain Boswell, and every horse
which was not shot down wheeled back in terror,
bearing his rider towards the advancing enemy. The
firing was arrested by Lieutenant Morrison, who,
after his horse was killed under him, ran to the front
of the firing line, and with much difliculty in making
himself heard, told them they were firing into their
own men. As soon as this was effected, he returned
to find his general lying prostrate upon the ground,
with Captain Wilboume and Mr. Winn by his side.
He was wearing at the time an india-rubber over-
coat over his uniform, as a protection from the damp-
ness of the night. This Wilbourne was ripping up
with a penknife to get at the wounded arm and
stanch its bleeding. General A. P. Hill, who was
near by, was speedily informed of the disaster and
came at once. Dismounting from his horse, he bent
down and asked, " General, are you much hurt ?" He
replied, "Yes, general, I think I am; and all my
wounds were from my own men. I believe my arm
is broken ; it gives me severe pain." " Are you hurt
elsewhere, general ?" he was asked. " Yes, in my right
hand." But when asked afterwards if it should be
bound up, he said : " No, never mind ; it is a trifle."
And yet two of the bones were broken, and the palm
was almost pierced through! Amidst all his suffer-
ings he uttered no complaint, and answered all ques-
tions in a perfectly calm and self-possessed tone. He
asked for Dr. McGuire, but when told that he was

CARRIED OFF THE FIELD. 429

engaged in his duties far in the rear, he said to Cap-
tain Wilbourne : " Then I wish you to get me a skil-
ful surgeon." General Hill stated that a Dr. Barr
was near at hand, and he was immediately summoned.
Upon his arrival, General Jackson whispered to Gen-
eral Hill : " Is he a skilful surgeon ?" The answer
was that he stood high in his brigade, and all that
would be required of him would be to take precau-
tionary measures until Dr McGuire could arrive. To
this General Jackson answered, '^Very good." His
field-glass and haversack were removed from his per-
son, and the latter was found to contain only a few
official papers and two religious tracts. While the
sufferer was still lying prostrate, with a circle of
his ministering attendants around him, two Federal
soldiers, with muskets cocked, walked out from the
brushwood, and approached within a few feet of the
group. General Hill, in a perfectly quiet tone and
manlier, turned and said : " Take charge of those men."
In an instant two orderlies sprang forward and seized
their guns, which the astonished soldiers yielded with-
out any resistance. Lieutenant Morrison, hearing
voices in the direction of the enemy, stepped to the
edge of the wood to reconnoitre, and in the moon-
light saw a section of artillery being unlimbered not
over a hundred yards distant. Ketuming with all
' haste, he reported the fact, when General Hill gave
orders that General Jackson should immediately be
carried to the rear, and that no one should tell the
troops that he was wounded. Remounting his
horse, he returned to his own command, and was
soon afterwards himself disabled by a wound. Lieu-
tenants Smith and Morrison, Captain Leigh, of Qen-

430 I'l^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

eral Hill's staff, with a courier, now took General
Jackson up in their arms, but after bearing him a
short distance, he told them that he suffered so much
pain from being carried that he would try to walk,
and after they assisted him to his feet, he did walk
as far as the turnpike.

Just as they reached the road, the battery which
had been seen to unlimber swept over them a volley
of canister-shot— the balls hissing through the air,
and crashing through the trees, but fortunately pass-
ing over their heads. The whole party then lay down
on the side of the road, shielding the general, as far
as possible, by placing him on the lowest ground.
While lying here, the earth around them was torn
up by shot, covering them with dust, and a hurricane
of lead and canister dashed against the flinty gravel
and stones of the road, making it literally glow with
flashes and streaks of fire. So furious and deadly
was the tempest, that the escape of any of the party
seemed miraculous. Once General Jackson attempted
to rise, but was restrained by his attendants, who
sought to protect him with their own bodies. Lieu-
tenant Smith threw his arm over him, holding him
down and saying : " General, you must be still ; it will
cost you your life if you rise." With such fidelity
did these young soldiers stand over the prostrate form
of their beloved chief, trying to save his life, though
it should be by the sacrifice of their own.

The enemy soon changed from canister to shell and
elevated their range, when the young men renewed
their efforts to get General Jackson to the rear, sup-
porting him with their strong arms, as he slowly and
painfully dragged himself along. As the Confederate

"DONT TELL THEM WHO IT IS.*' 431

troops were hurrying to the front, they met the party,
and the question came from the lips of almost every
passer-by, " Whom have you there ?" The general,
not wishing his troops to recognize him, gave orders
to leave the road and diverge into the woods. He
said to his attendants : " Don't tell them who it is,
but simply say it is a Confederate officer." Despite
these precautions, he did not escape recognition by
some of his men, who exclaimed with grief and dis-
may : " Great God ! it is General Jackson !" General
Pender, of North Carolina, was one of those who rec-
ognized him, and after approaching and expressing
his deep regret at his wounding, said to him : " The
troops have suffered severely from the enemy's artQ-
lery, and are somewhat disorganized ; I fear we can-
not maintain our position." Faint and exhausted as
he was, a gleam of the old battle-fire flashed from his
eyes, and instantly he replied : " You must hold your
ground. General Pender ; you must hold your ground,
sir." This was the last order given by the hero of so
many battle-fields.

Growing more faint after this, he asked to be per-
mitted to sit down and rest, but the dangers from the
enemy's fire and from capture were too imminent,
and a litter having now been procured from an ambu-
lance corps, he was placed upon it, and the bearers
hurried forward, still keeping out of the road to
avoid the fire of the enemy. As they struggled
through the dense thickets, his face was scratched
and his clothing torn ; but this was nothing in com-
parison with the agony caused by a fall from the
litter. One of the bearers was shot in the arm,
and, letting go his hold, the general fell violently

4»2

LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

to the ground, upon bis wonnded side, cansing sach
pain that for the first time he was heard to utt«r
a groan. His attendants quickly raised him ap,
and, finding the blood again Sowing, and a look of
deathly pallor upon his face, feared he might be expir-
ing. Lieutenant Smith cried out, " Oh, general, are
you seriously hurt !" " No, Mr. Smith, don't trouble
yourself about me," he replied, and presently added
Bomething about winning the battle first, and attend-
ing to the wounded afterwards. He was again placed
upon the litter, and carried a few hundred yards,
under a continuous fire, when the party was met by
Dr. McGuire with an ambulance. We will let him
tell the rest of the harrowing story, until my arrival
at his bedside.

XOimUSKT WHERE

FELL, AT CHANCELLOBSTILLE.

CHAPTER XXn.

m THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW.— AT REST— 1868.

On meeting the wounded general, says Dr. Mo-
Guire : " I knelt down by him and said, ' I hope you
are not badly hurt, general V He replied very calmly,
but feebly, ' I am badly injured, doctor ; I fear I am
dying.' After a pause he continued, ' I am glad you
have come. I think the wound in my shoulder is still
bleeding.' His clothes were saturated with blood, and
hemorrhage was still going on from the wound. Com-
pression of the artery with the finger arrested it, until,
lights being procured from the ambulance, the hand-
kerchief, which had slipped a little, was readjusted.
His calmness amid the dangers that surrounded him,
and at the supposed presence of death, and his uni-
form politeness did not forsake him even ^under these
most trying circumstances. His complete control, too,
over his mind, enfeebled as it was by loss of blood
and pain, was wonderful. His suflFering at this time
was intense ; his hands were cold, his skin clammy,
his face pale, and his lips compressed and bloodless ;
not a groan escaped him — not a sign of suffering,
except the slight corrugation of his brow, the fixed,
rigid face, and the thin lips, so tightly compressed
that the impression of the teeth could be seen
through them. ' Except these, he controlled by his

iron will all evidences of emotion, and, more difficult

484 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

than this even, he controlled that disposition to rest-
lessness, which many of us have observed upon the
field of battle, attending great loss of blood. Some
whiskey and morphia were administered to him, and,
placing him in the ambulance, it was started for the
Oorps Field Infirmary, at the Wilderness Tavern.
Colonel Crutchfield, his chief of artillery, was also in
the ambulance. He had been wounded very seriously
in the leg, and was suflfering intensely. .The general
expressed very feelingly his sympathy for Crutchfield,
and once, when the latter groaned aloud, he directed
the ambulance to stop, and requested me to see if
something could not be done for his relief. Torches
had been provided, and every means taken to carry
them to the hospital as safely and easily as possible.
I sat in the front part of the ambulance, with my fin-
ger resting upon the artery above the wound to arrest
bleeding if it should occur. When I was recognized
by acquaintances and asked who was wounded, the
general would tell me to say, ' A Confederate officer'
At one time he put his hand upon my head, and, pull-
ing me down to him, asked if Crutchfield was seriously
wounded. When answered, ' No, only painfully hurt>'
he replied, ' I am glad it is no worse.' In a few min-
utes afterwards Crutchfield did the same thing, and
when told that the general was very seriously wound-
ed, he groaned out, ^ Oh, my God !' It was for this
that the general directed the ambulance to be halted,
and requested that something should be done for
Crutchfiekrs relief.

" After reaching the hospital he was placed in bed,
covered with blankets, and another drink of whiskey
and water given him. Two hours and a half elapsed

HIS LEFT ARM IS AMPUTATED. 435

before sufficient reaction took place to warrant an
examination.

"At two o'clock Sunday morning, Surgeons Black,
Walls, and Coleman being present, I informed him
that chloroform would be given him, and his wounds
examined. I told him that amputation would proba-
bly be required, and asked, if it was found necessary,
whether it should be done at once. He replied prompt-
ly, ' Yes, certainly. Dr. McGuire, do for me whatever
yoti think best.' Chloroform was then administered,
and as he began to feel its effects and its relief to
the pain he was suffering, he exclaimed, 'What an
infinite blessing!' and continued to repeat the word
* blessing' until he became insensible. The round ball
(such as is used in a* smooth-bore Springfield musket),
which had lodged under the skin, upon the back of
the right hand, was first extracted. It had entered
the palm about the middle of the hand, and fractured
two bones. The left arm was then amputated about
two inches below the shoulder, very rapidly, and with
slight loss of blood, the ordinary circular operation
having been made. There were two wounds in this
arm, the first and most serious was about three inches
below the shoulder- joint, the ball dividing the mam
artery, and fracturing the bone. The second was sev-
eral inches in length — a ball having entered the out-
side of the forearm, an inch below the elbow, came
out upon the opposite side, just above the wrist.
Throughout the whole of the operation, and until all
the dressings were applied, he continued insensible.
Two or three slight wounds of the skin of his face,
received from the branches of trees, when his horse
dashed through the woods, were dressed simply with

436 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

isinglass plaster. About half-past three o'clock Colo-
nel (then Major) Pendleton, the assistant adjutant-gen-
eral, arrived at the hospital and asked to see General
Jackson. He stated that General Hill had been wound-
ed, and that the troops were in great disorder. Gen-
eral Stuart was in command, and had sent him to see
the general. At first I declined to permit the inter-
view, but the colonel urged that the safety of the army
and the success of the cause depended upon his seeing
him. When he entered the tent the general said:
' Well, major, I am glad to see you, I thought you
were killed.' Pendleton briefly explained the condi-
tion of affairs, gave Stuart's message, and asked what
should be done ? General Jackson was at once inter-
ested, and asked, in his quick, rapid way, several ques-
tions. When they were answered, he remained silent
for a moment, evidently trying to think ; he contract-
ed his brow, set his mouth, and for some moments was
evidently trying to concentrate his thoughts. For a
moment it was believed he had succeeded, for his nos-
trils dilated, and his eye flashed its old fire, but it was
only for a moment ; his face relaxed again, and pres-
ently he answered, very feebly and sadly, 'I don't
know, I can't tell ; say to General Stuart he must do
what he thinks best.' Soon after this he slept for sev-
eral hours and seemed to be doing well. The next
morning he was free from pain, and expressed himself
sanguine of recovery. He sent his aide-de-camp, Mor-
rison, to inform his wife of his injuries, and to bring
her at once to him. The following note from General
Lee was read to him that morning by Lieutenant
Smith : ' I have just received your note, informing me
that you were wounded. I cannot express my regret •

ASKS FOR REPORTS OF THE BATTLE. 437

at the occurrence. Could I have directed events, I
should have chosen, for the good of the country, to
have been disabled in your stead. I congratulate you
upon the victory which is due to your skill and ener-
gy.' He replied, ' General Lee should give the praise
to God.' About ten o'clock his right side began to
pain hira so much that he asked me to examine it. He
said he had injured it in falling from the litter the
night before, and believed he had struck it against a
stump or a stone or a sapling. No evidence of injury
could be discovered by examination ; the skin was not
broken or bruised, and the lung performed, so far as I
could tell, its proper function. Some simple appli-
cation was recommended in the belief that the pain
would soon disappear.

" At this time the battle was raging fearfully, and
the sound of the cannon and musketry could be dis-
tinctly heard at the hospital. The general's attention
was attracted to it from the first, and when the noise
was at its height, and indicated how fiercely the con-
flict was being carried on, he directed all of his attend-
ants, except Lieutenant Smith to return to the battle-
field, and attend to their diflFerent duties. By eight
o'clock, Sunday night, the pain in his side had disap-
peared, and in all respects he seemed to be doing well.
He inquired minutely about the battle and the diflFer-
ent troops engaged, and his face would light up with
enthusiasm and interest when told how this brigade
acted, or that oflBcer displayed conspicuous courage,
and his head gave the peculiar shake from side to side,
and he uttered his usual ' Good, good !' with unwonted
energy when the gallant behavior of the StonewaU
Brigade was alluded to. He said : ' The men of the

438 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

brigade will be, some day, proud to say to their chil-
dren, " I was one of the Stonewall Brigade." ' He
disclaimed any right of his own to the name Stone-
wall ' It belongs to the brigade, and not to me, for
it was their steadfast heroism which earned it at First
Manassas. They are a noble body of men.' This
night he slept well, and was free from pain. A mes-
sage was received from General Lee the next morn-
ing, directing me to remove the general to Guiney's
Station as soon as his condition should justify it, as
there was danger of capture by the Federals, who were
threatening to cross Ely's Ford. In the meantime, to
protect the hospital, some troops were sent to this
point. The general objected to being moved, if, in my
opinion, it would do him any injury. He said he had
no objection to staying in the tent, and would prefer
it, if his wife, when she came, could find lodging in a
neighboring house. 'And if the enemy does come,'
he added, ' I am not afraid of them ; I have always
been kind to their wounded, aftd I am sure they will
be kind to me.' General Lee sent word again, late
that evening, that he must be moved, if possible, and
preparations were made to leave the next morning.
I was directed to accompany and remain with him,
and my duties with the corps, as medical director,
were turned over to the surgeon next in rank. Gen-
eral Jackson had previously declined to permit me to
go with him to Guiney's, because complaints had been
so frequently made of general officers, when wounded,
carrying off with them the surgeons belonging to their
commands. When informed of this order of the com-
manding general, he said, ' General Lee has always
been very kind to me, and I thank him.' Very early

CONVEYED TO GUINEY'S STATION. 489

Tuesday morning he was placed in the ambulance, and
started for Guiney's Station, and about eight o'clock
that evening we arrived at the Chandler House, where
we remained till he died. Captain Hotchkiss, with a
party of engineers, was sent in front to clear the road
of weed and stone, etc., and to order the wagons out
of the track to let the ambulance pass. The rough
teamsters sometimes refused to move their loaded
wagons out of the way for an ambulance, until told
that it contained Jackson, and then, with all possible
speed, they gave the Avay, and stood with their hats
off, and weeping, as he went by. At Spottsylvania
Court -House, and along the whole route, men and
women rushed to the ambulance, bringing all the poor
delicacies they had, and with tearful eyes they blessed
him, and prayed for his recovery. He bore the jour-
ney well, and was cheerful throughout the day. He
talked freely about the late battle, and among other
things said that he had intended to endeavor to cut
the Fedemls off from the United States Ford, and,
taking a position between them and the river, oblige
them to attack him ; and he added, with a smile, ' My
men sometimes fail to drive the enemy from their posi-
tion, but they always fail to drive us away.' He spoke
of Rodes, and alluded in high terms to his magnificent
behavior on the field Saturday evening. He hoped he
would be promoted. He thought promotions for gal-
lantry should be made at once, upon the field, and they
would be great incentives to gallantry in others. He
spoke of Colonel Willis, who commanded the skirmish-
ers of Rodes's Division, and praised him very highly,
and referred to the deaths of Paxton and Boswell
very feelingly. He alluded to them as officers of great

440 ^^^ ^^ GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

merit and promise. The day was quite warm, and at
one time he suifered with slight nausea. At his sug-
gestion I placed over his stomach a wet towel, and he
expressed great relief from it. After he arrived at
the Chandler House, he ate some bread and tea with
evident relish, and slept well throughout the entire
night. Wednesday he was thought to be doing re-
nmrkably well. He ate heartily for one in his condi-
tion, and was uniformly cheerful.

" I found his wounds to be doing very well to-day.
Union by the first intention had taken place, to some
extent in the stump, and the rest of the surface of the
wound was covered with healthy granulations. The
wound in his hand gave him little pain, and the dis-
charge was healthy. ... He expressed great satis-
faction when told that his wounds were healing, and
asked if I could tell from their appearance how long
he would probably be kept from the field. Convers-
ing with Lieutenant Smith a few moments afterwards,
he alluded to his injuries, and said, ' Many would re-
gard them as a great misfortune, but I regard them
as one of the blessings of my life.' Smith replied,
' All things work together for the good of them that
love God.' ' Yes,' he answered, ' that's it, that's it.'

" About one o'clock Thursday morning, while I was
asleep upon a lounge in his room, he directed his ser-
vant, Jim, to apply a wet towel to his stomach, to
relieve an attack of nausea, with which he was again
troubled. The servant asked permission to first con-
sult me, but the general, knowing that I had slept
none for nearly three nights, refused to allow me to
be disturbed, and demanded the towel. About day-
light I was aroused, and found him suffering great

EXAMINATION OF THE WOUND. 441

pain. An examination disclosed pleuro-pneumonia of
the right side. I believed, and the consulting physi-
cians concurred in the opinion, that it was attributable
to the fall from the litter the night he Avas wounded.
The general himself referred to this accident. I think
the disease came on too soon after the application of
the wet cloths to admit of the supposition, once be-
lieved, that it was induced by them. The nausea, for
which the cloths were applied that night, may have
been the result of inflammation already begun. Con-
tusion of the lung with extravasation of blood in his
chest was probably produced by the fall referred to,
and shock and loss of blood prevented any ill eflFects
until reaction had been weU established, and then
inflammation ensued. . . . Towards the evening he
became better, and hopes were again entertained of
his recovery.

" Mrs. Jackson arrived to-day, and nursed him faith-
fully to the end. . . . The general's joy at the presence
of his wife and child was very great, and for him
unusually demonstrative."

After recovering from the effects of chloroform, Gen-
eral Jackson asked Lieutenant Smith whether he said
anything when under its power, and he continued : " I
have always thought it wrong to administer chloroform
where there is a probability of immediate death. But
it was, I think, the most delightful physical sensation
I ever enjoyed. I had enough consciousness to know
what Avas doing ; and at one time thought I heard the
most delightful music that ever greeted my ears. I
believe it was the sawing of the bone. But I should
dislike, above all things, to enter eternity in such a con-

442 LIF£ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

dition." He afterwards said to other friends, " What
an inestimable blessing is chloroform to the sufferer !"

After the operation, when Mr. Lacy was admitted
to the tent, he exclaimed with deep feeling, "Oh,
general, what a calamity!" General Jackson, with
his accustomed politeness, first thanked him for his
sympathy, and then said: "You see me severely
wounded, but not depressed ; not unhappy. I believe
it has been done according to God's holy will, and I
acquiesce entirely in it. You may think it strange ;
but you never saw me more perfectly contented than
I am to-day ; for I am sure that my Heavenly Father
designs this affliction for my good. I am perfectly
satisfied that, either in this life, or in that which is
to come, I shall discover that what is now regarded
as a calamity is a blessing. And if it appears a great
calamity, as it surely will be a great inconvenience,
to be deprived of my arm, it will result in a great
blessing. I can wait until God, in His own time,
shall make known to me the object He has in thus
afflicting me. But why should I not rather rejoice
in it as a blessing, and not look on it as a calamity
at all ? If it were in my power to replace my arm, I
would not dare to do it, unless I could know it was
the will of my Heavenly Father."

In the course of this conversation he stated that,
when he fell from the litter, he thought he should die
upon the field, and gave himself up into the hands of
God, without a fear, and in the possession of perfect
peace. " It has been," he said, " a precious experience
to me, that I was brought face to face with death,
and found all was well. I then learned an important
lesson, that one who has been the subject of convert-

OPINION OP HOOKER'S PLAN OF CAMPAIGN. 443

ing grace, and is the child of God, can, in the midst
of the severest sufferings, fix the thoughts upon Qod
and heavenly things, and derive great comfort and
peace ; but that one who had never made his peace
with God would be unable to control his mind, under
such sufferings, so as to understand properly the way
of salvation, and repent and believe on Christ. I felt
that if I had neglected the salvation of my soul be-
fore, it would have been too late then."

When General Lee was first informed of the vic-
tory gained by General Jackson's flank movement,
and almost in the same breath the great catastrophe
of the fall of his lieutenant was announced to him, he
exclaimed with deep emotion, "Ah, any victory is
des/rly bought which deprives us of the services of
Jackson, even for a short time." He was then told
that Jackson had said, " The enemy should be pressed
in the morning." "Those people shall be immedi-
ately pressed," he replied, and forthwith addressed
himself to the work.

General Stuart was placed in command of Jack-
son's corps, and as he led them to battle he gave the
order, "Charge! and remember Jackson!" an ap-
peal which was answered by their courage on the
second day of the battle of Chancellorsville.

Jackson was asked what he thought of Hooker's
plan of campaign, and his reply was : " It was, in the
main, a good conception, sir ; an excellent plan. But
he should not have sent away his cavalry ; that was
his great blunder. It was that which enabled me to
turn him without his being aware of it, and to take
hira by his rear. Had he kept his cavalry with him,
his plan would have been a very good one." In speak-

444 LI^S OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ing of this flank movement, he said : " Our movement
yesterday was a great success ; I think the most suc-
cessful military movement of my life. But I expect
to receive far more credit for it than I deserve. Most
men will think that I had planned it all from the first;
but it was not so. I simply took advantage of cir-
cumstances as they were presented to me in the provi-
dence of God. I feel that His hand led me — let us
give Him all the glory."

On Tuesday he was told that Hooker was in-
trenched north of Chancellorsville, when he said,
" That is bad ; very bad." Afterwards, upon awaken-
ing from a disturbed sleep from the influence of opi-
ates, he exclaimed, ^' Major Pendleton, send in and
see if there is higher ground back of Chancellorsville."

During the few days succeeding his fall, when he
and his friends were buoyed up by the hope of his
recovery, he conversed freely and cheerfully, and ex-
pressed a desire to be taken, as soon as he was able,
to his beloved home at Lexington, where, he said,
the pure, bracing mountain air would soon heal his
wounds and renew his strength and health.

He requested Mr. Lacy to come every morning at
ten o'clock and read the Bible, and have prayers at
his bedside. During these morning hours he greatly
enjoyed religious conversation, and expressed his un-
varying and steadfast love and hope in his Redeemer.
Although he had avowed his perfect willingness to
die whenever God called him, he believed that his
time was not yet come, and that God still had a work
for him to do in defence of his country.

" He delighted to enlarge on his favorite topics of

RELIGION TO BE CARRIED INTO EVERYTHING. 445

practical religion, which were such as these: The
Christian should carry his religion into everything.
Christianity makes a man better in any lawful call-
ing; it makes the general a better commander, and
the shoemaker a better workman. In the case of a
cobbler, or the tailor, for instance, religion will pro-
duce more care in promising work, more punctuality,
and more fidelity in executing it, from conscientious
motives ; and these homely examples were fair illus-
trations of its value in more exalted functions. So,
prayer aids any man, in any lawful business, not only
by bringing down the divine blessing, which is its
direct and primary object, but by harmonizing his
own mind and heart. In the commander of an army
at the critical hour, it calms his perplexities, moder-
ates his anxieties, steadies the scales of judgment,
and thus preserves him from exaggerated and rash
conclusions. Again he urged that every act of man's
life should be a religious act. He recited with much
pleasure the ideas of Doddridge, where he pictured
himself as spiritualizing every act of his daily life;
as thinking, when he washed himself, of the cleans-
ing blood of Calvary ; as praying, while he put on his
garments, that he might be clothed with the robe of
Christ's righteousness ; as endeavoring, while he was
eating, to feed upon the Bread of Heaven. So Jack-
son was wont to say that the Bible furnished men
with rules for everything. If they would search, he
said, they would find a precept, an example, or a gen-
eral principle, applicable to every possible emergency
of duty, no matter what was a man's calling. There
the military man might find guidance for every
exigency. Then, turning to Lieutenant Smith, he

446 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

asked him, smiling: 'Can you tell me where the
Bible gives generals a model for their official reports
of battles V The lieutenant answered, laughing, that
it never entered his mind to think of looking for such
a thing in the Scriptures. 'Nevertheless,' said the
general, 'there are such; and excellent models, too.
Look, for instance, at the narrative of Joshua's bat-
tle with the Amalekites; there you have one. It
has clearness, brevity, fairness, modesty ; and it traces
the victory to its right source — the blessing of God."

One day he asked Dr. McGuire whether he sup-
posed the diseased persons healed by the miraculous
touch of the Saviour ever suffered again from the
same malady. He did not believe they did ; that the
healing virtue of Christ was too potent, and that the
poor paralytic to whom He had once said, " I will :
be thou healed," never shook again with palsy. And
then, as though invoking the same aid, he exclaimed :
"Oh for infinite power!" After quietly reflecting
awhile, he inquired of Mr. Smith: ''What were the
headquarters of Christianity after the crucifixion?"
He replied that Jerusalem was at first the chief scat ;
but after the dispersion of the disciples thence by
persecution, there was none for a time, until Antioch,
Iconium, Rome, and Alexandria, were finally estab-
lished as centres of influence. The general inter-
rupted him : "Why do you say 'centres of influence f
is not headquarters a better term ?" After some fur-
ther explanations by Mr. Smith (who was a theo-
logical student), in which General Jackson was much
interested, he said : " Mr. Smith, I wish vou would
get the map, and show me precisely where Iconium

HIS WIFE UNABLE TO REACH HIM. 447

was." He replied that he did not think he could find
a map, when the general said, " Yes, sir ; you will
find an atlas in my old trunk." After a fruitless
search, Mr. Smith suggested that it was probably left
in his portable desk. He said, " Yes, you are right, I
left it in my desk " (naming the shelf). Then after con-
sidering a moment, he added : " Mr. Smith, I wish you
would examine into that matter, and report to meP

After the bright promise of his recovery began to
diminish, and his physicians were trying every known
remedy, one of them aroused him from a troubled
sleep to administer some draught, saying, " Will you
take this, general ?" He looked up steadily into his
face, and resolutely said, "Do your duty." He re-
peated the command, " Do your duty " — his mind
evidently wandering back to the camps and battle-
fields, on which he had so often and so faithfully urged
this injunction.

In resuming my sad story it will be explained why
I was not able to reach my husband for five days
after he was wounded, but no tongue or pen can
express the torturing suspense and distress of mind
which I endured during this period of enforced ab-
sence from him. As I have before stated, kind friends
took me to their hospitable homes in Richmond.
After spending a few days with Mrs. Letcher in the
governor's mansion, I was invited by Mrs. Hoge and
Mrs. William Brown (who lived together) to the resi-
dence of the Rev. Dr. Moses D. Hoge, who was at
that time in Europe, on ai mission from the Confeder-
ate States government, to procure Bibles for the sol-
diers. These two ladies were lovely and pleasant in
their lives, which were redolent with Christian graces

448 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

and usefulness, and much of their time was devoted to
ministering to the soldiers. For five days I heard not
one word directly from ray husband, but despatches
from the battle-field were constantly received by the
government, representing all as going well, and victory
was confidently expected.

On Sunday morning, May 3d, as we arose from
family worship in Dr. Hoge's parlor. Dr. Brown very
sadly and feelingly informed me that the news had
come that General Jackson had been wounded — se-
verely, but it was hoped not dangerously. This pain-
ful shock can be better imagined than described.
Although I had never for one moment since the war
began lost my solicitude for his safety, still God had
so often covered his head in the day of battle, had
brought him through so many dangers, that I felt
that his precious life would still be spared. With all
my agonizing distress now, I could not entertain any
other thought or belief than this. Despatches were
sent at once inquiring into his condition, and asking
if I could go to him. lie was reported as doing well,
but the way was not open for me to come yet. The
raiding -parties of the enemy were operating all
through the intervening country — all passenger trains
were stopped, and to go through the country in pri-
vate conveyance exposed travellers to capture. So
great was my impatience to go that I was willing to
risk this danger, but the railroad authorities were so
confident of opening the way from day to day that
friends urged me to wait until this could be done.
On Tuesday my brother Joseph arrived, to my great
rehef, to take rae to my husband, but my disappoint-
ment was only increased by his report that it had

AT LAST ABLE TO GET THROUGH. 449

taken him nearly three days to ride through the coun-
try and elude the raiding enemy, and this confirmed
the conviction of my friends that I should await the
opening of the railroad. From Joseph were learned
the particulars of the wounds of General Jackson and
the amputation of his arm, but he was thought to be
doing as well as possible under the circumstances, and
was brave and cheerful in spirit. Everything was
said and done to cheer and encourage me, but oh the
harrowing agony of that long waiting, day after day I
for it was not until Thursday morning that the block-
ade was broken, and we went up on an armed train
prepared to fight its way through. During all this
long period of anxiety and suspense, my unconscious
httle nestling was all sweetness and sunshine, shed-
ding the only brightness and comfort over my dark-
ened pathway.

A few hours of unmolested travel brought us to
Guiney's Station, and we were taken at once to the
residence of Mr. Chandler, which was a large country-
house, and very near it, in the yard, was a small,
humble abode, in which lay my precious, suflFering
husband. The Chandlers were extremely kind — the
good hostess expressing great regret that General
Jackson was not in her own dwelling, and receiving
the very best of everything she had to give ; but the
house was occupied by sick and wounded soldiers,
some of whom were suffering with erysipelas, and it
was the surgeons who had selected the out-house for
the general's own safety. Upon my arrival I Avas
met by a member of his staff, who, in answer to my
anxious inquiry, said the general was doing " pretty
well ;" but from his tone and manner I knew some-
29

460 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

thing was wrong, and my heart sank like lead. He
said the doctor was then engaged in dressing his
wounds, and I could not be admitted to his room un-
til this was over. The time could not have been long,
but it seemed to me hours^ so sorely had I already
been tried by " hope deferred that maketh the heart
sick." While I was walking oflf my impatience on
the piazza, my attention was attracted by a party of
soldiers within a stone's-throw of the house, digging
a grave, but soon I was horrified to see them exhum-
ing a coffin, and placing it above the ground. Upon
inquiry it proved to be that of General E. F. Paxton,
of Lexington, who had fallen in the late battle, whose
body was to be taken to his former home for its final
interment. My husband's own neighbor and friend !
and I knew the young wife, and remembered how I
had seen her weeping bitterly as she watched his de-
parture from her in those first days of the war, when
all our hearts were well-nigh bursting with foreboding
and dread. Now the cruel war had done its worst
for her^ and she was left endowed, and her children
fatherless !

My own heart almost stood still under the weight
of horror and apprehension which then oppressed
me. This ghastly spectacle was a most unfitting
preparation for my entrance into the presence of my
stricken husband; but when I was soon afterwards
summoned to his chamber, the sight which there
met my eyes was far more appalling, and sent such
a thrill of agony and heart-sinking through me as I
had never known before I Oh, the fearful change
since last I had seen him ! It required the strongest
effort of which I was capable to maintain my self -con-

AT HIS BEDSIDE. 451

trol. When he left me. on the morning of the 29th,
going forth so cheerfully and bravely to the call of
duty, he was in the full flush of vigorous manhood,
and during that last, blessed visit, I never saw him
look so handsome, so happy, and so noble. iVW, his
fearful wounds, his mutilated arm, the scratches
upon his face, and, above all, the desperate pneumo-
nia, which was flushing his cheeks, oppressing his
breathing, and benumbing his senses, wrung my soul
with such grief and anguish as it had never before ex-
perienced. He had to be aroused to speak to me, and
expressed much joy and thankfulness at seeing me;
but he was too much affected by morphia to resist
stupor, and soon seemed to lose the consciousness of
my presence, except when I spoke or ministered to
him. From the time I reached him he was too ill to
notice or talk much, and he lay most of the time in a
semi-conscious state ; but when aroused, he recognized
those about him and consciousness would return.
Soon after I entered his room he was impressed by
the wof ul anxiety and sadness betrayed in my face,
and said : " My darling, you must cheer up, and not
wear a long face. I love cheerfulness and brightness
in a sick-room." And he requested me to speak dis-
tinctly, as he wished to hear every word I said.
Whenever he awakened from his stupor, he always
had some endearing words to say to me, such as, *' My
darling, you are very much loved ;" " You are one of
the most precious little wives in the world." He told
me he knew I would be glad to take his place, but
God knew what was best for us. Thinking it would
cheer him more than anything else to see the baby in
whom he had so delighted, I proposed several times

452 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

to bring her to his bedside, but he always said, " Not
yet ; wait till I feel better." He was invariably par
tient, never uttering a murmur or complaint. Some-
times, in slight delirium, he talked, and his mind was
then generally upon his military duties — caring for
his soldiers, and giving such directions as these :
" Tell Major Hawkes to send forward provisions to
the men ;" " Order A. P. Hill to prepare for action ;"
" Pass the infantry to the front," etc. Our friends
around us, seeing how critical was his condition, and
how my whole time was given up to him, determined
to send to Richmond for Mrs. Hoge to come to my re-
lief, and assist in taking care of my baby. Hetty had
been faithful to her little charge, but the presence of
Mrs. Hoge, who was of a singularly bright, affection-
ate, and sympathetic nature, and her loving ministra-
tions in this time of sorest trial, were of inestimable
value and comfort.

Friday and Saturday passed in much the same way
— bringing no favorable change to the dear sufferer ;
indeed, his fever and restlessness increased, and, al-
thouofh evervthino: was done for his relief and benefit,
he was growing perceptibly weaker. On Saturday
evening, in the hope of soothing him, I proposed read-
ing some selections from the Psalms. At first he re-
plied that he was suffering too much to listen, but
very soon he added : " Yes, we must never refuse
that. Get the Bible and read them."

As night approached, and he grew more wearied,
he requested me to sing to him — asking that the songs
should be the most spiritual that could be selected.
My brother Joseph assisted me in singing a few
hymns, and at my husband's request we concluded
with the 51st Psalm in verse :

THE END DRAWING NEAR 453

*' Show pity, Lord ; O Lord, forgive."

The singing had a quieting effect, and he seemed
to rest in perfect peace.

Dr. S. B. Morrison, a relative of mine, and Dr.
David Tucker, of Richmond, had both been called in
consultation by Dr. McGuire. As Dr. Morrison was
examining the patient, he looked up pleasantly at
him, and said, " That's an old familiar face."

On Saturday afternoon he asked to see his chaplain,
Mr. Lacy, but his respiration being now very difBcult,
it was not thought prudent for him to converse, and
an attempt was made to dissuade him. But he was
so persistent that it was deemed best to gratify him.
When Mr. Lacy entered he inquired of him if he was
trying to further those views of Sabbath observance
of which he had spoken to him. Upon being assured
that this was being done, he expressed much gratifica-
tion, and talked for some time upon that subject — his
last care and effort for the church of Christ being to
secure the sanctification of the Lord's day.

Apprehending the nearness of his end, Mr. Lacy
wished to remain with him on Sundav, but he insisted
that he should go, as usual, and preach to the soldiers.
When Major Pendleton came to his bedside about
noon, he inquired of him, "Who is preaching at
headquarters to-day ?" When told that Mr. Lacy
was, and that the whole army was praying for him,
he said, " Thank God ; they are very kind." As soon
as the chaplain appeared at headquarters that morn-
ing, General Lee anxiously inquired after General
Jackson's condition, and upon hearing how hopeless
it was, he exclaimed, with deep feeling : " Surely
General Jackson must recover. God will not take him

454 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

from US, now that we need him so much. Surely he
will be spared to us, in answer to the many prayers
which are offered for him." And upon Mr. Lacy's
leaving, he said : " When you return, I trust you
will find him better. When a suitable occasion offers,
give him my love, and tell him that I wrestled in
prayer for him last night as I never prayed, I believe,
for myself." Here his voice became choked with emo-
tion, and he turned away to hide his intense feeling.

Shortly after the general's fall, and before his situa-
tion had grown so critical, General Lee sent him, by
a friend, the following message : " Give him my af-
fectionate regards, and tell him to make haste and get
well, and come back to me as soon as he can. He has
lost his left arm, but I have lost my right arm."

Mr. Lacy was truly a spiritual comforter and help
to me in those dark and agonizing days. Often when
I was called out of the sick-chamber to my little nurs-
ling, before returning we would meet together, and,
bowing down before the throne of grace, pour out
our hearts to (toJ to spare that precious, useful life,
if consistent ^oith Ills icill ; for without this condi-
tion, which the Saviour himself enjoins, we dared not
plead for that life, infinitely dearer, as it was, than
my own.

In order to stimulate his fast -failing powers, he
was offered some brandy and water, but he showed
great repugnance to it, saying excitedly, **It tastes
like fire, and cannot do me any good." Early on
Sunday morning, the 10th of May, I was called out
of the sick-room by Dr. Morrison, who told me that
the doctors, having done everything that human skill
could devise to stay the hand of death, had lost all

SINKING INTO UNCONSCIOUSNESa 456

hope, and that my precious, brave, noble husband
could not live I Indeed, life was fast ebbing away, and
they felt that they must prepare me for the inevi-
table event, which was now a question of only a few
short hours. As soon as I could arise from this stun-
ning blow, I told Dr. Morrison that my husband must
be informed of his condition. I well knew that death
to him was but the opening of the gates of pearl into
the inneflfable glories of heaven ; but I had heard him
say that, although he was willing and ready to die at
any moment that God might call him, still he would
prefer to have a few hours' preparation before entering
into the presence of his Maker and Redeemer.

I therefore felt it to be my duty to gratify his
desire. He now appeared to be fast sinking into un-
consciousness, but he heard my voice and understood
me better than others, and God gave me the strength
and composure to hold a last sacred interview with
hira, in which I tried to impress upon him his situa-
tion, and learn his dying wishes. This was all the
harder, because he had never, from the time that he
first rallied from his wounds, thought he would die,
and had expressed the belief that God still had
work for him to do, and would raise him up to do
it. When I told him the doctors thought he would
soon be in heaven, he did not seem to comprehend
it, and showed no surprise or concern. But upon
repeating it, and asking hira if he was willing for
God to do with him according to His own will, he
looked at me calmly and intelligently, and said,
" Yes, I prefer it, I prefer UP I then told him that
before that day was over he would be with the
blessed Saviour in His glory. With perfect distinct-

456 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ness and intelligence, he said, " I will be an infinite
gainer to be translated." I then asked him if it was
his wish that I should return, with our infant, to
my father's home in North Carolina. He answered,
" Yes, you have a kind, good father ; but no one is
so kind and good as your Heavenly Father." He
said he had many things to say to me, but he was
then too weak. Preferring to know his own desire
as to the place of his burial, I asked him the ques-
tion, but his mind was now growing clouded again,
and at first he replied, "Charlotte," and afterwards
"Charlottesville." I then asked him if he did not
wish to be buried in Lexington, and he answered at
once, " Yes, Lexington, and in my own plot?^ He
had bought this plot himself, when our first child
died, as a burial place for his family.

Mrs. Hoge now came in, bearing little Julia in her
arms, with Hetty following, and although he had al-
most ceased to notice anything, as soon as they entered
the door he looked up, his countenance brightened
with delight, and he never smiled more sweetly as he
exclaimed, " Little darling ! sweet one !" She was
seated on the bed by his side, and after watching her
intently, with radiant smiles, for a few moments, he
closed his eyes, as if in prayer. Though she was suf-
fering the pangs of extreme hunger, from long absence
from her mother, she seemed to forget her discomfort
in the joy of seeing that loving face beam on her once
more, and she looked at him and smiled as long as he
continued to notice her. Tears were shed over that
dying bed by strong men who were unused to weep,
and it was touching to see the genuine grief of his
servant, Jim, who nursed him faithfully to the end.

"LET US CROSS OVER THE KIVER."

457

He now sank rapidly into unconsciousness, murmur-
ing disconnected words occasionally, but all at once
he spoke out very cheerfully and distinctly the beau-
tiful sentence which has become immortal as his last :
" Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade
of the trees."

"Was his soul wandering back in dreams to the
river of his beloved Valley, the Shenandoah (the ' river
of sparkling waters '), whose verdant meads and groves
he had redeemed from the invader, and across whose
floods he had so often won his passage through the
toils of battle? Or was he reaching forward across
the River of Death, to the golden streets of the Celes-
tial City, and the trees whose leaves are for the heal-
ing of the nations ? It was to these that God was bring-
ing him, through his last battle and victory ; and un-
der their shade he walks, with the blessed company of
the redeemed."

General Jackson had expressed the desire, when in
health, that he might enter into the rest that remains
for God's people on the Lord's day. His wish was
now gratified, and his Heavenly Father translated him
from the toils and trials of earth, soon after the noon
of as beautiful and perfect a May day as ever shed its
splendor upon this world, to those realms of everlast-
ing rest and bliss where

'* Sabbaths have no end,
And the noontide of glory eternally reigns."

Never shall I forget Mr. Lacy's ministrations of con-
solation to my bleeding heart on that holiest of Sab-
bath afternoons. Seated by my bedside, he talked so
of Heaven, giving such glowing descriptions of its

458 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

blessedness, and following in imagination the ran-
somed, glorified spirit, through the gates into the city,
that at last peace, the " peace of God," came into my
soul, and I felt that it was selfish to wish to bring
back to this sorrowful earth, for mij happiness, one
who had made such a bUssful exchange. But this
frame of mind did not last, and many were the sub-
sequent conflicts to attain and keep this spirit.

The remains were carefully prepared by the loving
hands of the staff-officers, the body being embalmed
and clothed in an ordinary dress, and then wrapped
in a dark-blue military overcoat. His Confederate
uniform had been cut almost to pieces by his attend-
ants, in their endeavor to reach and bind up his wounds,
on the night of his fall. Late in the evening I went
into Mr. Chandler's parlor to see all that was left of
the one who had been to me the truest, tenderest, and
dearest of all the relations of earth — the husband of
whom I had been so proud, and for whom I thought
no honors or distinctions too great ; but above all this
I prized and revered his exalted Christian character,
and knew that God had now given him *' a crown of
righteousness."

Yet how unspeakable and incalculable was his loss
to me and that fatherless baby ! Dead ! in the merid-
ian of his grand life, before he had attained the age
of forty years ! But " alive in ChrisU^^ for evermore !

All traces of suffering had disappeared from the
noble face, and, although somewhat emaciated, the *
expression was serene and elevated, and he looked far
more natural than I had dared to hope.

That night, after a few hours' sleep from sheer ex-
haustion, I awoke, when all in my chamber was per-

TH£ MOURNFUL RETURN TO RICHMOND. 459

feet Stillness, and the full moon poured a flood of light
through the windows, glorious enough to lift my soul
heavenwards ; but oh ! the agony and anguish of those
silent midnight hours, when the terrible reality of my
loss and the desolation of widowhood forced itself
upon me, and took possession of my whole being 1
My unconscious little one lay sweetly sleeping by my
side, and my kind friend, Mrs. Hoge, was near ; but I
strove not to awaken them, and all alone I stemmed
the torrent of grief which seemed insupportable, until
prayer to Him, who alone can comfort, again brought
peace and quietness to my heart.

The next morning I went once more to see the re-
mains, which were now in the casket, and were cov-
ered with spring flowers. His dear face was wreathed
with the lovely lily of the valley — the emblem of hvr
mility — his own predominating grace, and it seemed to
me no flowers could have been so appropriate for him.
Since then, I never see a lily of the valley without its
recalling the tenderest and most sacred associations.

On Monday morning began the sad journey to
Richmond. A special car had been set apart for us, in
which were Mr. Lacy and the staff-officers, while Mrs.
Hoge and Mrs. Chandler were ray attendants, and
proved themselves the kindest of friends and comfort-
ers. Upon reaching the suburbs of the city, the train
stopped, and we were met by Mrs. Governor Letcher
and other ladies, with several carriages, and driven
through the most retirecl streets to the governor's
mansion. Kind friends had also in readiness for me
a mourning outfit. These were indeed most thought-
ful considerations on their part, and could not have
been more gratefully appreciated.

460 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The funeral cortege then proceeded on its way into
the city, and was followed for two miles by throngs
of people.

" Business had been suspended, and the whole city
came forth to meet the dead chieftain. Amidst a sol-
emn silence, only broken by the boom of the minute-
guns and the wails of a military dirge, the coffin was
borne into the governor's gates, and hidden for a time
from the eyes of the multitude, that were wet with
tears."

The casket, enveloped in the Confederate flag, and
laden with spring flowers, was placed in the centre of
the reception-room in the Executive Mansion. It was
here that I looked upon the face of my husband for
the last time. No change had taken place, but, the
coffin having been sealed, the beloved face could only
be seen through the glass plate, which was disappoint-
ing and unsatisfactory. In honor of the dead, the
next day a great civic and military procession took
place. The body was carried through the main streets
of the city, the pall-bearers being six major and brig-
adier generals, dressed in full uniform. The hearse,
draped in mourning, and drawn by four white horses,
was followed by his horse, led by a groom ; next by
his staff-officers ; regiments of infantry and artillery ;
then a vast array of officials — the President, Cabinet,
and all the general officers in Richmond — after whom
came a multitude of dignitaries and citizens ; and then
all returned to the Capitol.

" Every place of business was closed, and every ave-
nue thronged with solemn and tearful spectators, while
a silence more impressive than that of the Sabbath
brooded over the whole town. When the hearse

LAID IN STATE IN THE CAPITOL. 461

reached the steps of the Capitol, the pall-bearers,
headed by General Longstreet, the great comrade of
the departed, bore the corpse into the lower house of
the Congress, where it was placed on a kind of altar,
draped with snowy white, before the speaker's chair.
The coflSn was still enfolded with the white, blue, and
red of the Confederate flag.

" The Congress of the Confederate States had a short
time before adopted a design for their flag, and a large
and elegant model had just been completed, the first
ever made, which was intended to be unfurled from
the roof of the Capitol. This flag the President had
sent, as the gift of the country, to be the winding-
sheet of General Jackson."

During the remainder of the day the body lay in
state, and was visited by fully twenty thousand per-
sons— the women bringing flowers, until not only the
bier was covered, but the table on which it rested over-
flowed with piles of these numerous tributes of affec-
tion.

At the hour appointed for closing the doors the
multitude was still streaming in, and an old wounded
soldier was seen pressing forward to take his last look
at the face of his loved commander. He was told that
he was too late — the casket was then being closed for
the last time, and the order had been given to clear
the hall. He still endeavored to advance, when one
of the marshals threatened to arrest him if he did not
obey orders. The old soldier hereupon lifted up the
stump of his mutilated arm, and with tears streaming
from his eyes, exclaimed : " By this arm which I lost
for my country, I demand the privilege of seeing
my general once more." The kind heart of Governor

462 Lll^fi OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Letcher was so touched by this appeal that at his
intercession the old soldier's petition was granted.

The tears which were dropped over his bier by strong
men and gentle women were the most true and hon-
orable tributes that could be paid him, and even little
children were held up by their parents that they might
reverently behold his face and stamp his name upon
their memories.

While all these public demonstrations were taking
place in the Capitol, how different was the scene in
my darkened chamber, near by I A few loving friends
came to mingle their tears with mine, among whom
was my motherly friend, Mrs. William N. Page, and
my eldest brother, Major W. W. Morrison, arrived
that day from North Carolina. Both of these dear
ones accompanied me on the remainder of the sad pil-
grimage to Lexington. I also received a precious visit
from the Kev. Dr. T. V. Moore, whom I had never
met before, but his winning gentleness of face, his
selections of the most comforting passages of Script-
ure— such as the 14th chapter of John, beginning,
" Let not your heart be troubled ; ye believe in God,
believe also in me " — and his fervent, touching prayer
could not have been more grateful and soothing —
proving balm, indeed, to my wounded, crushed heart.
I never saw him again, but he, too, has long since
joined that " army of the living God,"

" Part of whose host have crossed the flood,
And part are crossing now."

Little Julia was an object of great interest to her
father's friends and admirers, and so numerous were
the requests to see her that Hetty, finding the child

FUNERAL JOURNEY TO LEXINGTON. 468

growing worried at so much notice and handling,
sought a refuge beyond the reach of the crowd. She
ensconced herself, with her little charge, close to the
wall of the house, underneath my window in the back
yard, and there I heard her crooning, and bewailing
that " people would give her baby no rest."

On Wednesday morning we again set out on our
protracted funeral journey, going by the way of
Gordonsville to Lynchburg, and all along the route,
at every station at which a stop was made, were as-
sembled crowds of people, and many were the floral
offerings handed in for the bier. His child was often
called for, and, on several occasions, was handed in
and out of the car windows to be kissed.

No stop was made at Lynchburg, but a vast throng
was there to attest their interest and affection, and to
present flowers. Here we took the canal-boat which
was to convey us to Lexington, and on Thursday even-
ing, with our precious burden, we reached the little
village which had been so dear to him, and where his
body was now to repose until " the last trump shall
sound " and " this mortal shall have put on immortal-
ity."

At Lexington our pastor. Dr. White, and our
friends and neighbors met us in tears and sorrow.
The remains were taken in charge by the corps of
cadets of the Virginia Military Institute, and carried
to the lecture -room where General Jackson, while
professor, had taught for ten years, and were guarded
during the night by his former pupils.

On Friday, May 15th, the body was again escorted
by the officers and cadets of the Institute, together
with the citizens, to the Presbvterian Church, in

464 LI^ OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JAGKSOX.

which he had so loved to worship, where the services
were conducted in the simplest manner by the pas-
tor and other visiting ministers. Conspicuous among
these was General Jackson's valued friend, Dr. Ram-
sey, of Lynchburg, who offered a prayer of wonder-
ful pathos. The hymn "How blest the righteous
when he dies !" was sung, after which Dr. White read
the 15th chapter of I. Corinthians — that sublime
description of the resurrection of Christ and of the
believer; and then delivered an address, which was
as just and appropriate as it was heartfelt and affect-
ing. The casket, followed by a long procession of
people, from far and near, was borne to the cemetery,
and, with military honors, was at last committed to
the grave.

The spot whei'e he rests is "beautiful for situa-
tion " — the gentle eminence commanding the loveliest
views of peaceful, picturesque valleys, beyond which,
like faithful sentinels, rise the everlasting hills.

My pastor took me to his own home, and never
could the loving-kindness and sympathy of true
hearts be exceeded by that of himself, his family,
and the good people of Lexington to me, in this hour
of deepest affliction and bereavement. When the
time came for my sad departure from my once happy,
married home, the noble people of Virginia extended
to me every kindness. I was provided with two
escorts to convey me to my father's home in North
Carolina ; one of General Jackson's staff being de-
tailed by the military authorities to attend me; and
the Virginia Military Institute, wishing to do honor
to the name of its late professor, also sent one of his
colleagues upon the same mission. I mention these

WHERE HE SLEEPS AT LAST.

466

facts simply in token of gratitude, and realizing that
these and all the tributes paid to my bero-hosband
are but evidences of the love and veneration in which
his name and memory are enshrined in the hearte of
his countrymen, and of the good and noble of all
lands.

IB, LBXINOTON, VIBQINIA.

A CHAPLAIN'S RECOLLECTIONS

"STONEWALL" JACKSON.

By Chaplain J. Wm. Jones.

(Tormerlj Chaplain of the Thirteenth Yiri^nia Beffiment, Kwell'i Diriaion,

Jackson*! Corps, A. N. Y., now Assistant Chaplain-Ctoneral

United Confederate Yeteranit.)

I BBMBMBBR that soldiers at Harper's Ferry when
he was sent to command us asked, "WAo is this
Colonel Jackson ? " but that before he had been in
command forty-eight hours we felt his strong hand,
recognized the difference between him and certain
militia officers who had previously had charge of
the post, and realized that we were now under the
command of a real soldier and a rigid disciplinarian.

I saw him frequently at Harper's Ferry ; and as
" high private in the rear rank " of the Thirteenth
Virginia Regiment it was sometimes my duty to
pace the sentinel's beat in front of his headquarters.

But the first time I ever had an opportunity of
seeing him closely and talking with him was at
Darksville, near Martinsburg, in the lower Shenan-
doah Valley, on the 4th day of July, 1861, when
the army under General J. E. Johnston was drawn
up in line of battle to meet an expected attack from
General Patterson.

The skill and tact with which he had reduced the
high-spirited rabble, which rushed to Harper's Ferry

jaokson's appearance. 467

at the first tap of the drum, into the respectable
" Army of the Shenandoah," which he turned over
to General J. E. Johnston the last of May, and his
successful skirmish at Falling Waters (which we then
exaggerated into an important victory) had won for
him some reputation, and I was anxious to see him
again. I have a vivid recollection of his appear-
ance that day, and how he impressed me.

Dreseed in a simple Virginia uniform, apparently
about thirty-five years old, six feet high, medium
size, gray eyes that seemed to look through you,
dark brown hair and a countenance in which deep
benevolence seemed to mingle with uncompromising
sternness, he had about him nothing of " the pomp
and circumstance " of war, but every element which
enters into the skilful leader and the indomitable,
energetic soldier, who was always ready for the
fight.

But his appearance a year later is still more
vividly impressed upon me.

Just before the battle of Fredericksburg his in-
timate personal friend, the chivalric knight, " Jeb "
Stuart, presented him with a beautiful "regula-
tion " Confederate uniform, and when he appeared
in it for the first time on that historic 13th day of
December, 1862, his men did not recognize him at
first ; but soon the word ran down the line " It is
* old Jack ' with new clothes on," and they cheered
him as usual.

Jackson was a bom soldiery and it would be for me
a pleasant task to sketch fully his military career,
which has been the marvel of the world, and shall
be the study of military critics in the years to come.

468 LIPE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

THE RAPIBITT OF HIS MARCHES.

Jackson was noted for the rapidity of his move-
ments and the long marches he made. An able
Northern writer has said of him : " He moved
infantry with the celerity of cavalry," and some of
his marches have scarcely a parallel in history.

After his march to Cumberland and Romney in
the winter of '61-'62, when by a sudden change in
the weather many of his men were frost-bitten and
some of them perished from the intense cold, he
had scarcely rested his weary legions when he began
his famous "Valley campaign " which won for his
men the sobriquet of " Jackson's foot cavalry,"
and for himself world-wide fame.

When General Banks, supposing that Jackson
was in full retreat up the Valley, started a column
across the mountains to strike Johnston's army
which was then falling back from Manassas, Jack-
son suddenly turned, marched thirty miles that
afternoon and eighteen early the next morning, and
struck a blow at Kernstown which, while he suf-
fered the only defeat he ever sustained, recalled the
column that was moving on Johnston's flank and
disconcerted McClellan's whole plan of campaign.
Pursuit was utterly futile until Jackson took a
strong position in Swift Run Gap, whence he
emerged to make some of the most rapid marches
on record, as he defeated Milroy at McDowell,
flanked Banks at Front Royal, cut his retreating
column at Middletown, routed him at Winchester,
and pushed him pell-mell across the Potomac.

" John Paul " wrote from Saratoga to the New

CONFRONTING THE INVADER. 469

York Tribune some years ago : " T met General
Banks here, and it grieved me that the general does
not remember how we traveled in company once,
but the circumstances were not very favorable for
photography, perhaps. We were traveling out of
the Shenandoah Valley, and manoeuvring very suc-
cessfully to draw Stonewall Jackson along in our
rear. Not a man of us but swore that the rebel
general should not get to Massachusetts before we
did — ^that the foul invader should not set foot on
the frontier of our native State without finding us
sternly confronting him in the interior. And it
was only necessary to gaze once into each soldier's
face to see that the hated enemy could not capture
us without stepping over the boundary lines, and
violating the territory of Maine. I wished several
times during the recent races that I had the gray
mare I rode through that campaign here to enter
for some of the purses. The bursts of speed which
that faithful steed showed on several occasions
would pass belief if you did not know just how
near the detested foe got to us at times. It may
not be that I won any spurs in the Shenandoah
Valley, but I had a pair to start in with, and I used
them well coming out. I am confident that none
of our people won any spurs down there, though
we played straight poker for most everything else,
and I lost my blankets once to a cavalry captain,
who subsequently had no use for them."

Whether Jackson intended to " violate the terri-
tory of Maine" or not he was about to cross the
Potomac in pursuit of the fleeing enemy when he
learned that Shields and Fremont (in response to

470 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

that famous dispatch of Mr. Lincoln to General
McDowell) were hastening to form a junction in
his rear at Strasburg. He immediately wheeled,
marched sixty miles in a day and a half (one of his
brigades marched fifty-two miles in one day), held
Shields back with one hand and Fremont with the
other until all of his troops, prisoners and trains
had passed the point of danger, and then moved
quietly up the valley pursued by three armies, until
at Cross Keys and Port Republic he suffered him-
self to be " caught,** and proved beyond all contro-
versy that he who "caught" Stonewall Jackson,
had indeed ^'caught a Tartar"

One of his biographers well puts it : " In thirty-
two days he had marched nearly four hundred
miles, skirmishing almost daily,'; fought five battles;
defeated three armies, two of which were com-
pletely routed ; captured about twenty pieces of
artillery, some four thousand prisoners, and im-
mense quantities of stores of all kinds ; and had
done all this with a loss of less than one thou-
sand men in killed, wounded and missing."

The march from the Valley to " seven days around
Richmond;" that to Pope's rear at Second Man-
assas; the march to the capture of Harpers Ferry,
and thence to Sharpsburg (Antietam); the march
from the Valley to first Fredericksburg, and that
to Hooker's rear at Chaucellorsville were all famous
for their rapidity. Though always having superior
forces opposed to him, his quick movements and
able strategy gave him great advantage at the point
of attack.

His men used to say : " Old Jack always moves

HIS SB0REG7. 471

^at early dawn' except when he starts the day
before/' and it was a glorious sight to witness the
cheerful alacrity with which the "foot cavalry,'*
often with bare and blistered feet, responded to every
call of their iron chief, and marched with him to an
immortality of fame. The simple command," Press
forward," or the assurance of staff officers, " Gen-
eral Jackson has important reasons for an extra
long march to-day," would silence every murmur
and give seemingly fresh strength to his weary men.

HIS SBCRECT.

The secrecy with which Jackson formed and exe-
cuted his plans was a most important element of his
success.

After the defeat of Fremont at Cross Keys, and
Shields at Port Republic, he was largely reinforced
by General Lee, who took pains to have the fact
made known to the enemy, and Jackson was not
slow to confirm the impression that with these
reinforcements he would sweep down the Valley
again.

He took into his confidence Colonel T. T. Mun-
ford, who commanded the advance of his cavalry,
and he detailed for special duty Mr. William Gilmer,
of Albemarle County, who was widely known in
Virginia as a political speaker and in the army as a
gallant soldier. A number of Federal surgeons,
who had come, under flag of truce, to look after
Banks' wounded, were quartered in a room adjoin-
ing Colonel Munford's when Mr. Gilmer ["Billy
Gilmer" was his popular sobriquet] stalked in, with
rattling sabre and jingling spurs, and in loud tones

472 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

announced, ^^ Despatches for General Jackson."
"What is the news?" he was asked, loud enough
to be heard by the surgeons in the next room, who
pressed their ears to the keyholes and cracks, eager
to catch every word. "Great news!" was the
loud response. "Great news! The whole road
from here to Staunton is full of gray people
coming to reinforce us There are General Whiting
and General Lawton and General Hill, and I don't
know who else, at the head of at least thirty thou-
sand men. They will all be up by to-morrow after-
noon, and then won't we clean out this Valley
and make the Yankees skedaddle again across
the Potomac! Hurrah for old Stonewall and
his ' foot cavalry,' as well as his ' crittur companies,'
say I!!"

It is needless to add that when the surgeons were
sent back to their own lines, early the next morning,
they hastened to carry " the news " to headquarters.
A hasty retreat of the Federal army followed, and
Jackson so skilfully manoeuvred his forces, using
his cavalry as a curtain across the Valley, and so
secretly conducted his march to Richmond, that at
the very time he was thundering on McClellan's
flank at Cold Harbor, Banks was fortifying at
Strasburg against an expected attack from him.

I well remember how profoundly ignorant the
men and even the higher officers on that march
were as to our destination. At Charlottesville we
expected to march into Madison County to meet a
reported move of Banks across the mountains. At
Gordonsville the Presbyterian pastor. Rev. Dr.
Ewing, told me (as a profound secret, "which he had

MOVING AT DAYLIGHT. 473

gotten from headquarters ") that we would " move at
daylight the next morning toward Orange Court-
House and Culpeper to threaten Washington."

We did " move at daylight " (we generally did),
but in an altogether different direction, toward
Louisa Court-House. There and at Frederick's
Hall and at Hanover Junction we expected to move
on Fredericksburg to meet McDowell, and it was
only when we heard A. P. Hill's guns at Mechan-
icsville on the evening of June 26th that we took
in the full situation, and there rang along our
moving column for miles shouts of anticipated
victory, as the " foot cavalry " hurried forward
" to take their place in the picture near the flashing
of the guns."

The evening that Jackson spent at Frederick's
Hall Mrs. Nat Harris sent him an invitation to
take breakfast with her the next morning, and he
courteously thanked her and said : " If I can I will
be happy to do so."

But when the good lady sent to summon him to
breakfast, his famous body servant, Jim, met the
messenger with a look of astonishment and said :
" Lor', you surely didn't spec' to find the Qinerul
here at dis hour, did you? You don't know him
den. Why he left here at one o'clock dis mornin',
and I spec' he is whippin' de Yankees in de Valley
agin by now." The truth was that he had ridden
into Richmond — a distance of fifty miles — to have
an interview with General Lee, and receive his final
instructions as to the part he was to take in the
great battle that was impending, and he did it so
pecretly that the army knew nothing of his absence.

474 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

and Richmond nothing of his presence within her
walls.

It was on this ride that a characteristic inci-
dent occurred. Before day Mr. Matthew Hope, a
respected citizen living in the lower part of Louisa
County, was awakened by the clatter of horses' hoofs
and a call in front of his house. Asking, " Who is
there?'* he received for answer: "Two Confed-
erate officers who are on important business, and
want two fresh horses to ride. Have you two good
horses?" "Yes! I always keep good horses," was
Mr. Hope's reply, " but I can not lend them to every
straggler who claims to be a Confederate officer on
important business. You can not have my horses."
" But our business is very urgent. We must, and
will, have them, and you had as well saddle them
at once. We will leave our horses in their places."
" I do not saddle my own horses," was the indignant
reply. " I keep negroes for that purpose, and I shall
certainly not saddle them for you, especially as I have
no assurance that you will ever bring them back."

The officers soon got the horses and galloped off
with them, and Mr. Hope was very much aston-
ished when several days afterward they were
returned in good condition, "with the thanks and
compliments of General Jackson," and exclaimed,
" Why did he not tell me that he was Stonewall
Jackson? If I had known who he was I would
have cheerfully given him all of the horses on the
place, and have saddled them for him, tool "

It is related that on this march Jackson met one
of Hood's Texans straggling from his command,
when the following conversation occurred :

HIS OWN COUNSELOR. 475

"Where are you going, sir? "

"I don't know."

" What command do you belong to ? *'

" Don't know, sir.**

" What State are you from ? '*

" I can not tell."

" What do you know, then, sir ? "

"Nothing at all at this time, sir," replied the
Texaii ; " old Stonewall says that we are to be know-
nothings until after the next light, and you shall
not make me violate his orders."

Jackson smiled and passed on.

Jackson's stafi' and his higher officers were fre-
quently in as profound ignorance of his plans as the
private soldiers. General Ewell, his second in com-
mand, remarked to his chief of staff in my hearing
several days before we started from Port Republic
on the march to Richmond : " We are being largely
reinforced, and after resting here for a few days we
will proceed to beat up Banks' quarters again down
about Strasburg and Winchester."

I was present one day in the summer of '62, when
General Ewell rode up to the house of Dr. Jas. L.
Jones near Gordonsville, Va., and asked: " Doctor,
will you please tell me where we are going? " " No,
general," was the reply, "but I should like to ask
you that question if it were proper." " It is a per-
fectly proper question to ask," replied the grim old
soldier, " but I should like to see you get an answer.
I pledge you my word that I do not know whether
we are to march north, south, east or west, or
whether we are to march at all. General Jackson
ordered me to have my division ready to march at

476 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

early dawn ; they have been lying in the turnpike
there ever siuce, and I have had no further orders.
And that is about, as much as I ever know of Gen-
eral Jackson's movements."

If I had space I might illustrate this point at
great length but it must suffice now to say that
Jackson kept his plans so secret from his own people
that the enemy could not detect them, and that in
some of his most brilliantly successful movements,
such as his march against Fremont and then against
Banks, his march to " seven days around Richmond,"
to Pope's rear at Second Manassas and to Hooker's
flank and rear at Chancellorsville, the element of
secrecy entered largely into his success.

PERSONAL ATTENTION TO DETAILS.

He was unceasingly active in giving his personal
attention to the minutest details. He had an inter-
view with his quartermaster, his commissary, Jiis
ordnance and his medical officer ev^ery day, and he
was at all times thoroughly familiar with the con-
dition of these departments. It is a remarkable
fact that, despite his rapid marches, he rarely ever
destroyed any public property or left so much as a
wagon wheel to the enemy.

Not content with simply learning what his maps
could teach him of the country and its topography,
he was accustomed to have frequent interviews with
citizens and reconnoitre personally the country
through which he expected to move, as well as the
ground on which he expected to fight. Being called
to his quarters one day to give him information con-
cerning a region with which I had been familiar

SUDDEN FAME. 477

from my boyhood, I soon found that he knew more
about the topography of the section than I did, and
I was constrained to say : " Excuse me, general, I
have known this region all my life and thought that
I knew all about it, but it is evident that you are
more familiar with it than I am, and that I can give
you no information about it." Often at night, when
the army was wrapped in sleep, he would ride alone
to inspect the roads by which, on the morrow, he
expected to move to strike the enemy in flank or
rear.

The world's history lias probably no other instance
of a soldier who won so much fame in so brief a
period, and what might have been if God had spared
him it is useless now to speculate.

I once heard General Lee say, with far more feel-
ing than he was accustomed to exhibit: "If I had
had Jackson at Gettysburg, I should have won that
battle, and a complete victory there would have
resulted in the establishment of the independence of
the South." No close, impartial student of that
great battle can fail to indorse this opinion of the
Confederate chief or to recognize that the absence
of Jackson was the most potent factor in the loss of
that great battle and golden opportunity by the
Confederates.

I have it from an authentic source that if Jackson
had not been killed at Chancellorsville, he would
have been sent to command the Army of Tennessee.
TIow it would have resulted I may not now discuss,
but it is safe to sav that if " Stonewall " Jackson
had been in command of those heroic veterans there
mould have been less retreating and more fighting. At

478 LIFE OF GENERAL THOliAS J. JACKSON.

all events, as his old veterans in their intercourse
with each other '^shoulder their crutches and tell
how battles were fought and won," they heartily
indorse the sentiment of brave old "Father Hubert/*
of Hays's Louisiana brigade, who, in his prayer at
the unvailing of the Jackson monument in New
Orleans, said as his climax : " And Thou knowest,
0 Lord, that when Thou didst decide that the Con-
federacy should not succeed, Thou kadst first to
remove Thy servant^ Stonewall Jacksonr

HIS CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.

The Christian character of Stonewall Jackson is
as historic as his great military achievements, and
has been fully brought out in many publications, and
especially in the simple and beautiful delineation of
his private character which his devoted wife has
given in this volume.

But I deem it eminently fitting that in closing
"A Chaplain's Becollections," 1 should give at
least a few salient points of that religious life which
shone out so conspicuously in the daily walk of the
stern soldier, exerted so potent an influence upon
all who came in contact with him, and which still
lives on to bless the world.

During the six years I resided in Lexington I
found that the negroes held in highest esteem the
memory of Jackson, and always spoke with grate-
ful affection of his work among them. It is a very
pleasing incident that the first contribution towards
the erection of the beautiful bronze statue, which
now decks the hero's grave, was from the negro
Baptist Church of Lexington, whose pastor and

RELIGIOUS FERVOR. 479

some of whose prominent members belonged once
to Jackson's negro Sunday-school.

A MAN OF PRATER.

Jackson was equally scrupulous in attending to
all of his religious duties. " Lord, what wilt Thou
have me to do?" seemed the motto of his life.
Regular in meeting all of his religious obligations,
he walked straight along the path of duty, doing
with his might whatever his hands found to do. In
the army his piety, despite all obstacles, seemed to
brighten as the pure gold is refined by the furnace.
He beautifuUv illustrated in his life the lesson of the
great Apostle : "Not slothful in business, fervent in
spirit, serving the Lord." He was a man of prayer.

He had in the army his regular " family worship,"
and frequent prayer-meetings at his headquarters,
and allowed no stress of circumstances to deprive
him of the privilege of secret prayer.

HIS ACTIVITY FOR THE SALVATION OF OTHERS.

From the beginning of the war Jackson mani-
fested the deepest interest in, and made active efforts
to promote, the religious welfare of his men. The
first interview I had with him, mentioned in the
first part of this paper, was to secure a permit for a
colporteur, good brother C. F. Fry, of Staunton, to
enter his lines. He replied to my application :
" Certainly, sir, it will give me great pleasure to
grant all such permits, and when the colporteur
comes I should be glad to see him. Perhaps I can
help him in his important work."

Afterwards, introducing my friend, Jackson gave

480 LIFE OF QBNERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

him a most gracious reception, saying: ^^Yoa are
more than welcome to my camp, and I shall be
delighted to do what I can to promote your work.
I am more anxious than I can tell that my men
shall be good soldiers of the cross as well as good
soldiers of their country."

In further conversation he gave the colporteur
some very valuable hints about his work, made him
a very liberal contribution to buy Bibles, tracts and
books, and gave him the names of a number of
Christian officers who might be relied on to help
him.

Our Chaplains' Association, which exerted so happy
an influence in our army work, was organized
largely through Jackson's influence, and he always
took the deepest interest in its meetings. One day
I had started from our camp near Hamilton's cross-
ing to walk down to old Round Oak Church to
attend a meeting, when, hearing the clatter of
horse's hoofs behind me, I turned and recognized
and saluted General Jackson riding alone as he fre-
quently did. I expected, of coarse, that he would
ride on, but, asking me if I was on my way to the
Chaplains* Association, he dismounted, threw his
reins over his arm and walked with me about three
miles to the point where our paths diverged. I
shall never forget that walk of the humble chaplain
with the great soldier, and could give full details of
our talk. The burden of it was the religious needs
of the army and how best to supply them, how to
fill the vacant regiments with chaplains, how to
make the chaplains more efficient, how to secure mis-
sionaries and colporteurs, and how to induce some

I I

■9
1

COURTESY TO PRBACHERS. 481

of the ablest preachers of the different denominations
to come to the army for short periods if they could
not come as permanent chaplains.

He mentioned by name a number of leading
preachers and asked me to write to them, saying :
" Tell them for me that they must come, and that
they will never find a grander field of usefulness
than right here among these noble men, these
patriot heroes of our Southland."

And then he began to talk on his favorite theme,
growth in grace, the obstacles to it in the army and
how to overcome them, and I confess that I had, for
the time, to lay aside my office of " teacher in
Israel,*' and be content to sit at the feet of the stern
warrior, and learn of him lessons in the divine life.

Upon another occasion when Rev. B. T. Lacy
(chaplain at Jackson's headquarters and missionary
chaplain to the corps), Rev. W. C. Power, of South
Carolina, and myself were in Mr. Lacy's tent at
work, as a committee of the Chaplains' Association,
on an address to the churches of the South, General
Jackson came to the tent door, and, declining our
earnest invitation to come in, said that he would ex-
pect us to dine with him that day. The average Con-
federate soldier always accepted an invitation to din-
ner, and this invitation to dine with Stonewall
Jackson was promptly and eagerly accepted.

I do not remember much about the dinner — could
not give the bill of fare, though I remember that it
was very simple and would have been sneered at by
any Federal officer and many of our Confederate
officers of lower rank — but the table talk, and the
hour or two after dinner when we persuaded the
31

482 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

general to go into the tent and hear our statement
of the religious condition of the army and appeal
to the churches for more preachers in the camps^
are so indelibly impressed upon my memory that I
could quote verbatim much of the simple, earnest,
evangelical talk of the great leader but devout
Christian.

I went upon several occasions to preaching at
Jackson's headquarters, and the scene is vividly
■engraved on my memory and heart.

That devout listener, dressed in simple gray, orna-
mented only with three stars, which any Confederate
•colonel was entitled to wear, is our great commander,
Robert Edward Lee. That dashing-looking cavalry-
man, with " fighting jacket," plumed hat, jingling
spurs and gay decorations, but solemn, devout aspect
during the services, is " Jeb" Stuart, "the flower
of cavaliers" — and all through the vast crowd the
"wreaths" and "stars" of rank mingle with the
" bars " of subordinate oflicers and the rough garb
of the private soldier. But perhaps the most
supremely happy man of the gathered thousands is
General Jackson as he plays usher in seating the
men, or drinks in with kindling eye the simple
truths of the old Gospel he loved so well.

Several days before the battle of Chancellorsville
I called at headquarters to see Mr. Lacy, and met
General Jackson on his way to the prayer-meeting.
He told me that Mr. Lacy was absent, and courte-
ously invited me to lead the meeting. I promptly
declined to act as leader, for I knew that he was
accustomed to lead in Mr. Lacy's absence, and it
was, I trust, something more than idle curiosity that

QLORIOUS DEATH. 488

made me desire to attend a prayer-meeting led by
Stonewall Jackson. I shall never forget that meet-
ing— the reading of the Scriptures, the sweet songs
of praise, the siitiple, earnest, practical talk, and the
tender, appropriate, fervent prayer of the great sol-
dier will linger in my memory through life, and will
be recalled, I doubt not, when I meet him on the
brighter shore.

HIS GLORIOUS DEATH.

Stonewall Jackson died as he lived — an humble,
trusting Christian. Nay! he did not die. The
weary, worn marcher simply "crossed over the
river and rested under the shade of the trees." The
battle-scarred warrior fought his last battle, won his
last victory, and went to wear his bright " crown of
rejoicing," his fadeless laurels of honor, and to
receive from earth and from Heaven the plaudit :

" Servant of God, well done I
Rest from Thy loved employ ;
The battle fought, the victory won ;
Enter thy Master's joy."

Veterans of the old corps. Confederate soldiers
generally, admirers of true greatness everywhere,
owe Mrs. Jackson a lasting debt of gratitude for
giving them in this volume so vivid a picture of the
inner life of her noble husband, showing so truly
that

'* The bravest are the tenderest,
The loving are the daring."

God grant that, as our Confederate veterans and

484

LIES OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

their children read this touchiug record of our
glorioas and glorified leader, they may hear his
voice calling in trumpet tones, above the din of
this busy, noisy age in which we live, and saying in
tender tones that shall reach every heart : ^* Be yb

FOLLOWERS OF ME, EVEN AS I ALSO AM OF ChRIST ! ! "

Millbb'8 School, Cbozbt, Ya., October 16, 1S96.

REMIKISCENCES

GEN. T. J. ("STONEWALL") JACKSON.

By Rby. Jamss R. Graham, D. D., of Winchester, Va.

. . . No man has lived in this generation, if in
any that has preceded it, whose personality has
awakened such profound and widespread interest,
or into the minutest incidents of whose history
such careful and persistent search has heen made,
as Stonewall Jackson. Without derogating in the
least from what is due to the other great actors in
the recent conflict between the States, it is but
simple truth to say that, in some important aspects,
he WQBy facile princepSj the most conspicuous figure
it produced. No other man approached him in the
enthusiasm which his career excited, or in the
admiration which his achievements called forth.
In our own country. South and North alike, arid in
all countries which the fame of the great struggle
reached, he was the hero around whom the romance
of the war principally gathered and in whom the
interest of the great masses centred. Nor did
that interest die with the ending of the struggle.
Twenty years after his death, as I can testify from
personal knowledge, both in Great Britain and on
the continent, when our war was the subject of con-
versation with the people whom I met, his name

486 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

was the first to be spoken and his career the one
with which they were the most familiar. The noble
character, and splendid genius, and matchless gen-
eralship of his great commander, who surrendered
at Appomattox, without the suspicion of a stain
upon his escutcheon, were duly recognized and
praised, but somehow the unique character and
brilliant achievements of Jackson had taken the
most prominent hold upon the imagination and the
memory of perhaps all with whom I conversed . . .
In speaking of him I must explain that I am dis-
tinctly limited to the presentation of such facts as
transpired during the short and not very eventful
period when the general, with his wife, was an
inmate of my house in Winchester, and virtually a
member of my family. . . . The fact is, I never
knew there was such a man in existence till about
the time hostilities commenced. One evening, late
in April, I dropped into Mr. Logan's store and
found him unusually excited, which he explained
by saying that he had just had a call from Rev. Dr.
George Junkin, late president of Washington Col-
lege, Lexington, Va. The old doctor had been
the able and distinguished president of that college
for about a dozen years, and was the father of
General Jackson's first wife. In the stormy dis-
cussion which preceded the war, he, with most of
the prominent men of Lexington, including Gen-
eral Jackson himself, warmly espoused the cause of
the Union ; and when the rupture came, while
almost, if not all, of the others cast in their fortunes
with the Confederacy, he adhered to his position as
a loyal citizen, resigned his presidency, and returned

BAPTISM OF EIRE. 487

to the North, driving down the Valley in his car-
riage. While resting his horses here he called on
Mr. Logan, and in answer to inquiries as to why
and where he was traveling, he said with character-
istic vehemence, "I am escaping from a set of
lunatics. Lexington is one vast mad-house. There
is not a sane man there, nor woman either. They
are bedlamites, every one. I am compelled to leave
the best friends a man ever had, I leave most of my
children, too, and my son-in-law. Major Jackson,
who is the best and bravest man I ever knew, but
he is as crazy as the rest. Yet if there is to be a
war, as I fear, I tell you now, that Major Jackson,
if his life be spared, will be among it« most distin-
guished heroes." This prediction from one who
knew him so well, yet differed from him so widely,
made a deep impression upon me, though I had not
heard even the major's name before.

We soon heard of Colonel Jackson at Harper's
Ferry ; and afterwards as a prominent officer under
General Johnston with the troops near Winchester;
and a little later at Manassas where the old historic
First Brigade received its " baptism of fire," and its
distinctive name — a name that will go down in
history inseparably linked with that of its great
commander, and will be honored wherever homage
is paid to intrepid courage, or chivalrous devotion
to duty is admired. Early in November he re-
turned to Winchester as " General Commanding
the Valley District."

The next Sabbath I saw him in company with his
adjutant. Colonel J. T. L. Preston, at my church ; and
from that time, when near enough, he was a regular

488 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

attendant upon our services. I soon made his
acquaintance, though my personal knowledge of him
was slight till he came to live with us. This came
about as follows : Mrs. Jackson joined him in Win-
chester just before Christmas, 1861, and apartments
were provided for her at headquarters. On the
morning of January 1st, 1862, after the troops had
started on the Bath campaign, he came to our house
and asked, as a great favor, to receive Mrs. Jackson
and take care of her for a few days while he would
be absent from town — urging the facts that she was
a stranger here, the daughter of a minister, and the
special kindness it would be to her and to him. A
request placed on such grounds and urged so per-
suasively was not to be denied. Within an hour he
had brought her to us, taken his leave, and with his
staff was following his army to Bath. On his return
from this memorable expedition he declared ^hat it
would be cruel to turn Mrs. Jackson out of her
homey and if Mrs. Graham would allow her to
remain he would stay and helj) to take care of her.
And so he was installed as a member of our house-
hold. ... It is an old proverb that "you must
live with a man to know him thoroughly." I lived
with him. For about two months he slept every
night under my roof and sat every day at my table,
and bowed with us every morning and evening at
our family altar. lie called my house his home. He
was with us in all the unreserved intimacy which
characterizes the family relation, and under circum-
stances which could not fail to bring into clear light
his real character as a man and a Christian. And
it is due to him to declare that in my intercourse with

DIGNIFIED AND REFINED. 489

him during all that period I can not recall a single
act or word that I could have wished were difter-
ent, or which the most censorious could construe to
his disadvantage. His conversation and his bearing
were invariably those of a dignified and refined gen-
tleman, thoroughly familiar with all the require-
ments of social life ; and, while carefully observing
amenities and courtesies which true politeness
exacts, he largely contributed, by his uniform cheer-
fulness and thoughtful consideration, to the comfort
and happiness of all about him. During the time
he was with us nothing occurred to disturb, but
everything to increase, even to the last, his cordial
relations with every member of the household —
parents, children and servants.

While there was never anything of levity or
frivolity in his spirit or demeanor, neither was there
of moposeness or austerity. As might be expected
of one who realized, as he did, the nature and mag-
nitude of that struggle in which all his energies
were embarked, his prevailing disposition was grave
and serious. And sometimes, it is fair to say, the
natural gravity of his temperament was tinged with
something of that sternness of expression which
deep convictions will always impart. And this
sternness may sometimes have been mistaken, by
those who knew him only in his official character,
for severity of personal disposition. But in the
domestic circle no such mistake could be made.
Those nearest to him could not fail to see under-
neath his grave earnestness the brighter and more
attractive elements of his nature, which even his
habitual gravity could not always restrain from

4^0 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

breaking forth — sometimes, which the world would
hardly suspect, in a keen sense of humor; but
ofbener in expressions of warm affection and a
strong sensibility to the value of friendship and the
charms of home.

As an inmate of our family no man could have
been more considerate or more congenial. Always
solicitous to avoid giving trouble, his constant aim
was to accommodate himself, so far as official duties
would allow, to existing domestic arrangements. It
was not without some misgivings that we acceded
to his proposal to come to us. Such reports were
rife of his peculiarities as to make it a step of ques-
tionable expediency. After he had been with us a
few days, and remembering these reports, I won-
dered that I had failed to observe anything peculiar,
and I began to watch more closely for the oddities
that were alleged to him. But, somehow, my powers
of discernment were never sufficient to detect what
was so patent to others. I never did discover the
remarkable peculiarities of which so much has been
said and written. The fact is, they did not exist to
any observable extent. Whatever peculiarities he
had were just those individual characteristics which
we all in a greater or less degree possess. . . .
He was just a simple gentleman, such as we meet in
large numbers every day upon our streets, and
whom we salute without once thinking whether
there is anything peculiar about them or not.

I have seen him often in social gatherings, and
always without any appearance of embarrassment
beyond what any modest and unobtrusive man
might sometimes exhibit in the company of those to

8TRICTLT METHOBIOAL. 491

whom he was more or less a stranger. Instead of
that reticence or bluntness with which he is charged,
he had a pleasant word for every acquaintance,
spoken in a tone of voice that was very gentle and
with an expression of countenance peculiarly win-
ning. He met at my table and fireside a great
many people of different conditions and rank and of
both sexes, and to all of them he was uniformly
cordial, even exerting himself for their entertain-
ment, if circumstances seemed to require it. Some-
times a young friend from the army, who had called
and was detained for a meal, would be visibly abashed
at the presence of his general, which the general
was quick to perceive, and by a kind inquiry or
pleasant word addressed to him would soon set the
young man at his ease. He was invariably courteous
and affable to a]l, and to ladies especially he was
scrupulously polite.

Among the personal traits that distinguished the
general, it will surprise no one to learn that he was
strictly methodical in his manner of life, that he was
regular in all his habits and punctual in all his
engagements. When in my house, he invariably
rose at a certain hour, which was an early one, and
went at once to headquarters where he received his
mail and issued the general orders for the day. A
few minutes before eight o'clock he returned, and
always escorted his wife to breakfast and indeed to
every meal. She knew just when to expect him,
for the clock was not more regular in its movements
than he was, and she would wait in her room till he
arrived. And in not a single instance, I believe,
was the meal delayed so much as one minute by his

492 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

failure to appear on time — save in a few cases when
he had given notice that he might be detained.

It was to me a fact of no little interest that
apparently he brought with him to the table none
of the cares or concerns of his office, and, so far as
I ever knew, he brought none of them to the house.
The conversation, which he often started but never
absorbed, took a wide range and was habitually
cheerful. When in the mood for it, he was a good
talker, sensible and to the point. Generally he
preferred to hear the opinions of others rather than
to express his own. He was a good listener. It
soon came to be understood, however, that the
affairs of his army and indeed all military matters,
BO far at least as they pertained to the movements
of his troops and the plans and progress of cam-
paigns, were prohibited topics.

Facts accomplished and news of the enemy he
would freely tell and discuss, but nothing that bore
even remotely upon the condition and movements
of his own or other Confederate troops ever passed
his lips. At first this was not fully understood;
and as he received his mail very early, and of course
was in possession of the news when he appeared at
breakfast, he was often greeted with the question,
" Well, general, what news this morning? " Know-
ing that it was army news mainly that was desired,
his answers would be evasive and unsatisfactory.
One morning a lady, who was present, undertook to
secure more direct and positive information, when
turning to her with a quizzical look and a smile in
which humor and seriousness were strangely
blended, and in tones which precluded the possibility

9 io eaiiBS anOH

SIMPLY INVINCIBLE. 493

of oft'ence being taken, he said : " Mrs. , I'll

have to say to yon as the school boys sometimes say,
" Ask me no questions, and I'll tell you no lies."
From that hour a thorough understanding was
established as to what topics were to be avoided.

It was a fixed rule with him that no official busi-
ness should, under any circumstances, be transacted
at my house. If a courier came with a despatch or
an orderly with a message, as was sometimes done,
he was directed to go with it at once to head-
quarters, where he would receive it. If an
officer or any one came on military business, though
it might have been transacted in one minute at the
door, he invariably, if urgency was pleaded, went
with him to his office. When I remonstrated once
against this as unnecessary and told him my study
was at his s^vice, he promptly answered : " No, sir,
this is a private house, and my men must learn that
no official intrusion can be allowed."

When he had leisure to do so, which was not
often, he would remain a little while for an after-
dinner talk. On such occasions his views of men
and things were freely expressed, and many of them
were both entertaining and striking. Of the Fed-
eral leaders, many of whom he knew personally, he
had much to say, and what he said was, for the
most part, conceived in a friendly spirit. He placed
a high estimate upon the capacity of McClellan as
an organizer and strategist, and once he said of
him : " If he can handle his troops in the field with
the same ability with which he organizes them in
the camp, he will be simply invincible." Major
Doubleday, " the hero of Fort Sumter," as he was

494 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

called, was with Jackson at West Point. He was
pleased when he heard of his promotion as brigadier,
and said : " Doubleday always was a good fellow,
though among the cadets he went by the name of
* forty-eight hours.' "

His views of the true method of conducting the
war were characteristic. " War," he said, ** means
fighting. The business of a soldier is to fight.
Armies are not called to dig trenches, to throw up
breastworks and lie in camps, but to find the enemy
and strike him, to invade his country and do him
all possible damage in the shortest possible time.
But this would involve great destruction both of-
life and property. Yes, while it lasted ; but such a
war would of necessity be of brief continuance, and so
would be an economy of life and property in the end.
To move swiftly, strike vigorously and secure all the
fruits of victory, was the secret of successful war."

I sometimes tried to sound him as to the con-
duct of affairs after the First Manassas. He never
would utter an adverse criticism of any one of our
generals. But notwithstanding my failure to draw
from him an opinion in the case, the conviction
which even that failure left upon me was that if
Jackson had been in command there the Stonewall
brigade would have bivouacked in the grounds of
the capitol before many suns had risen.

His firmness of principle is well known, but only
those nearest to him knew how closely his firmness
was allied to tenderness. A stern sense of duty
obliged him sometimes to do things that others con-
sidered harsh and even cruel, but there were few
who knew what intense pain such duty cost him.

TBNDERBD HIS RESIGNATION. 495

Another characteristic for which the general was f

eminently distinguished was his marvelous self-con- ''

troL Whether this was natural to him or the result
of careful discipline, does not matter. He possessed
it in a degree I have never seen equaled in any
other man. Almost every man who knew him at
all can give some instance of his perfect mastery of
himself under circumstances of greatest trial. Let
me relate an instance that came largely under my
own observation. The incident that gave occasion
for it has passed into history and is known to all
the world. I refer to the tender of his resignation
because of officious interference with his work.

At the close of his Bath campaign, January, 1862,
he left General Loring with his troops at Romney.
With this arrangement Loring and many of his
officers were greatly dissatisfied, and, obtaining fur-
loughs, went to Richmond and besieged the Depart-
ment of War with their complaints. Soon an order
from that department came to recall General Loring.
In issuing this order General Johnston, the com-
mander-in-chief, was not consulted, and for its exe-
cution no discretion was allowed to Jackson. On
the morning of the Slst, going early to his office
as usual, he found this order, which he immediately
obeyed, and instantly wrote his request to be ordered
for duty to Lexington, and if that were not granted,
then his resignation from the army be accepted.
This done, he returned to my house perhaps an hour
earlier than usual, but appeared at breakfast at the
appointed time, with his accustomed serenity of
manner. In a little while he informed us, in a
perfectly calm tone, that he and Mrs. Jackson

496 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

expected soon to return to their home in Lexington.
Almost immediately he mentioned, as an ordinary
thing, the fact that Loring's command had been
recalled and would soon be in Winchester.

To my hesitating inquiry if this was made neces-
sary by the advance of a superior Federal force he
replied, " Oh, no; there are no Federal troops in my
district." I was puzzled. But soon the whole case
was fully stated and freely discussed. And while
my indignation fairly boiled when the true nature
and eftect of the affront to him were apprehended, his
own spirit did not appear to be ruffled in the least.
His tones were just as even, his words as calm, his
language as free from asperity, and his whole
manner as thoroughly composed as I had ever
known them. While perfectly sensible of the
unprofessional and unmilitary character of that
order, and keenly alive to the outrage and insult
implied in it to himself personally, he would allow
no censure to be visited upon those who had issued
the order. My own hasty and not very compliment-
ary utterances he checked, saying: "The depart-
ment has indeed made a serious mistake, but, no
doubt, they made it through inadvertence and with
the best intentions. They have to consider the
interests of the whole Confederacy, and no man
should be allowed to stand in the way of* its safety.
If they have not confidence in my ability to admin-
ister wisely the affairs of this district, it is their
privilege and duty to try and repair the damage they
believe I am doing." And this meek, unselfish
spirit prevailed with him to the last.

There is no day in all my acquaintance with him

EFFECT OF RESIQNATION. 497

the incidents of which, in all their details, are bo
distinctly impressed upon my memory as that last
day in January, 1862. He seemed to have unbur-
dened himself of the cares of office, and spent nearly
the whole day at my house, and no small part of
it in my company. Laying aside his accustomed
reticence, he spoke freely of almost everything con-
nected with the war, the country and the church.
Events of interest in his own life were related, and
scenes he had witnessed and places he had visited
during his tour in Europe were described. While
the household was in sore distress, and the troops in
a state of exasperation, and the whole town in a
ferment, he was himself perfectly self-collected and
serene. Not only did he seem to be the calmest
man in town and the freest from excitement, but,
so far aa I knew, he was the only calm and unex-
citcd man among us. There was no severity of
temper, no acrimony of language, no suspicion of
anger. The tender of his resignation was not made
in the heat of passionate resentment to satisfy a
personal pique for an aiFront received, but in the
loftiest spirit of self-sacrifice and as his most em-
phatic protest against a system of interference with
the responsibilities of commanders in the field. And
as I recall, after a third of a century almost, the
spirit and bearing of Jackson on that memorable
day, I am more and more inclined to say that the
real grandeur of the man never appeared to greater
advantage than it did in that most trying ordeal.

Not at Manassas, where he and his brigade, stand-
ing like a stone wallj withstood the onset of the
triumphant foe, and wrested victory from defeat;
32

498 LIFE OF GBNERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

not in the famous "Valley campaign," than which
there was nothing more brilliant in the Italian cam-
paigns of the first Napoleon; not in the seven days
before Richmond; not at Cedar Mountain; not at
the Second Manassas; not at Harper's Ferry, nor
Sharpsburg, nor Fredericksburg; not even at Chan-
cellorsville, where all his previous achievements
were eclipsed by the brilliancy of his strategy and
the force of his blow ; not on any of those hard-
fought fields, where he delivered battle like a thun-
derbolt, and achieved such splendid victories over
his enemies, does he appear to me so truly great as
in that quiet home, where, under provocations the
most bitter, he maintained this wonderful mastery
over himself, for "he that is slow to anger is
better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit
than he that taketh a city."

The general was not lacking in a sense of humors as
I have said, though with some this statement might
excite surprise. His habitual gravity, it has been
thought, excluded from his mental constitution
everything like merriment. But the fact is, he
enjoyed a jest as much as most of us, and would
now and then indulge in one himself. I have seen
him enter with surprising relish into the innocent
pleasantries of the young.

It is a delicate theme even to touch, yet no account
of the private life of this extraordinary man would
be complete that did not at least hint that one of
his most conspicuous traits at home was his fond and
absorbing devotion to his wife. Those who know
him only as a soldier, and amid the stern realities of
the camp and the march and the battle-field, will

AN INCIDENT. 499

hardly be prepared to believe that in the sacred
precincts of home and in the privacy of domestic
life this sturdy warrior and hard fighter exhibited
all the softness and tenderness almost of a woman.
His chivalrous deference to Mrs. Jackson, his unfail-
ing gentleness towards her, his delicate attentions, in
which there was nothing of connubial dotage, were
something beautiful to see. It is true, she was a
woman eminently worthy of all that wealth of
affection which he lavished upon her — possessing
all the qualities that could attract the love of this
noble man and lead him to enshrine her in his heart
of hearts.

Perhaps no man was ever fonder of the delights of
home than he. When he resigned his commission,
and while he was arranging to resume his tranquil
life at Lexington, it was surprising to me, and yet
beautiful to witness, the intense pleasure with which
he anticipated his speedy return to his quiet
home. . . .

On the day our troops evacuated Winchester,
March 11th, '62, an incident occurred which deserves
to be mentioned, as perhaps the only instance in
which the general ever revealed to an outsider any
of his military plans. The enemy, in overwhelm-
ing force, were approaching, and arrangements were
evidently making for the falling back of our troops.
The, array stores were all removed, and the troops
themselves were under arms on the Martinsburg
Tike.

At dinner we thought it doubtful if we would
see the general again ; but he came to supper and,
to our surprise, all aglow with pleasant excitement,

500 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

because of the splendid behavior of his troops and
their eagerness to meet the enemy who had been
seen^ but, without offering battle, had gone into
camp at the Washington Spring. Some ladies had
come in and were in the depth of gloom, because, as
they understood, the army was to leave us that
night. To this view the general gave no assent,
but, as if to dispel it, showed an unusual cheerful-
ness. After our evening worship, which he con-
ducted in his usual impressive and delightful way,
he still sat with us, manifesting no hurry to leave,
and by the tone of his conversation trying to direct
the minds of all from the gloom they were in. When
he did go, in answer to some tears which he prob-
ably saw, he said to us, who thought we were bid-
ding him " good-bye," " Oh, I'll see you again," and
then, suddenly, as if not meaning to say so much, he
added : " I don't expect to leave." Returning, how-
ever, within an hour, and finding us out, he des-
patched a servant after us with a message that he
wanted to see me at once at his office. Hurrying
there, I found him walking the floor under more
excitement than I had ever seen him exhibit before.
He had undergone in the brief space of time a sur-
prising change. His countenance betrayed deep
dejection, and his spirit was burdened with an inex-
j)re8sible weight of sadness. At first he did not
seem to know what to say, but collecting himself
at length, he said he did not mean to deceive us by
giving the impression that he would not abandon
the town. He had intended to»lead out his troops
that night, and hurl them on the camp of the enemy,
and drive such as were not captured and might

IN THE SADDLE AQAIN. 501

survive back across the Potomac. He had just laid
this plan before his officers, who exhibited so much
opposition to it, or at least so much reluctance to
concur in it, as to forbid him to hope for its success-
ful execution. Yet he was bitterly distressed and
mortified at the necessity of leaving the people
whom he loved so dearly. Again he paced the
room for a minute or two, in painful indecision;
then, suddenly, pausing before me, with hi& hand
grasping the hilt of his sword, as if he would crush
it, and his face fairly blazing with the fire that was
burning in his soul, he said: **I may execute my
purpose still ; I have ordered my officers to return
at half past nine." His appearance, as he stood
there and uttered those words, I can never forget.
I was completely awed before him. But the hope-
lessness of securing the concurrence of his officers
again possessed him, and, with an air of grief, he
proposed to return with me and take leave of my
family. Before reaching my home he had recovered
his composure, though not his cheerfulness ; and
expressing the hope that a good Providence would
permit him soon to return and bring deliverance to
the town, he bade us a touching farewell.

One other point remains to be noticed, and that is
the strong religious element in Jackson's character.
To the glory of a soldier, always invincible in battle,
he added the higher moral glory of a servant of
the Lord, who never swerved from the line of duty.
While eminent for many things he was pre-eminent
for his trust in God. It was no ordinary faith that
produced such a man. It penetrated his entire
being and had him in thorough possession. And

502 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

yet it is probable that in respect to nothing else has
he been so utterly misunderstood and misrepre-
sented. The impression given of him by many is
that he was a religious fanatic. He has been likened
to an '^ ancient crusader, who had an absolute assur-
ance that he was simply an agent of Divine Will,
commissioned to execute the divine decrees, and
that a human being could no more stand in his way
than in the path of one of his own cannon balls."
Others have found in him a likeness to the fanatical
enthusiasm of one of CromwelTs Roundheads, burst-
ing out in a kind of holy frenzy, and exclaiming :
"Oh, how good it is to pray and fight ! " But the
fact is that many of those who have written or
spoken about this man not only have had scant
opportunity to judge of his religious character, but
were wholly incapable of judging it correctly, had
their opportunities been ever so good. "The
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God, for they are foolishness to him ; neither can
he know them, for they are spiritually discerned."
As well might a blind man presume to judge of
colors, or a deaf man discourse of the harmony of
sound, as for a mere worldly man to pronounce upon
the things of God. Accordingly, many of tlie
descriptions that are given of Jackson's religion
are simply unconscious confessions on the part of
the writers of their utter ignorance of that about
which they presume to write. And I here solemnly
protest that every attempt to associate fanaticism
in any degree with the religious life of Stonewall
Jackson is a foul caricature of that earnest, simple
Scripture faith in God which dominated his whole

SOLDIER AND SAINT. 503

being and made him the great man he was. If I
know anything at all, I know the character of
Jackson's religion through and through, and I
know it to have been free from any and every ele-
ment that could have made it that oftensive and
absurd thing which some have represented it to be.
He was simply an humble, earnest, devout, conse-
crated Christian man. Whatever was remarkable
about his religion was due to its absolute possession
of him — its thorough power over him. He was a
man of God first, last and always. He feared God
and tried to serve Him. He loved his Saviour and
tried to glorify Him. He believed the Scriptures to
be the Word of God, inspired, and therefore infal-
lible. And yet, earnest Christian that he was, no
man ever knew him to thrust his religion oftensively
upon another. He was incapable of doing it. Much
as he desired the salvation of all men, he was never
guilty of the folly of " giving that which is holy
unto dogs," or of " casting his pearls before swine."
It is true that when the occasion required it the
soldier was almost, if not altogether, as conspicuous
in him as the saint. Indeed, there was a strange
union in him of soldier and saint. It may have
been meant for ajest^ but it was no slander ^ when it
was said of him, in the current language of the
camp, that " he was always praying when he was
not fighting." He was praying when he was fight-
ing. Those who rode or walked beside him on the
march have told me that they often saw his lips
moving as if in silent prayer. Before he went into
battle he might be found upon his knees, in an
agony of supplication. And when the battle was

504 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

won, he always recognized it as not by his own skill
or valor, but by the favor of that Almighty Ruler
of whom he had asked the victory, and to whom he
bowed again in humble thanksgiving for the victory
that had been granted.

Of the character of his secret intercourse with
God, of course, I know nothing; but whether at the
family altar, or in the social or public assembly, no
man ever evinced more of the spirit of prayer, and
not many have had such gifts in prayer.

And here again I must protest against that mis-
representation of Jackson's praying which has
gained currency, I apprehend, through that famous
ballad, " Stonewall Jackson's Way," which claims
to show how he acquired the power over his troops
which made his little brigade greater and stronger
than a host. It represents that on the march, per-
haps, or at some unexpected moment, the order
would suddenly ring out to the whole army :

"Silence! Ground arms! Kneel all! Caps off!

Old Blue Light's going to pray ;
Stranijle the fool that dares to scoff:

Attention ! It's his way —
Appealing from his native sc>d,
In forma pauperis, to God :
* Lav bare Thine arm! stretch forth Thv rod I

Amen ! ' That's Stonewall's wav."

Well, that ?^a5?i7 "Stonewall Jackson's way" at
all. There never was anvthins: that savored in the
slightest degree of irreverence, or flourish, or parade,
or impropriety, in any act of devotion performed or
ordered by liim. On the contrary, there was always

HIS WAT. 505

a decent regard for the proprieties of worship and a
solemnity in keeping with the veneration due to
God.

Here is an incident that more correctly illustrates
his "way." The 15th of November, 1861, was
appointed as a day of fasting, humiliation and
prayer throughout the Confederacy. Recognizing
the eminent propriety of the appointment, I held
service in my church. . . . During the singing of
the first hymn I had observed an officer quietly
enter and take a seat which a soldier gave him
near the door. It was the general commanding
this district. When the hymn following the first
prayer was concluded, I rose and, with some mis-
givings as to its expediency, asked, " Will General
Jackson lead us in prayer?" The request was an
evident surprise both to him and to the congrega-
tion. But after a somewhat embarrassing pause of
a moment or two he arose, and, with the manner of
one who was on familiar ground and engaged in a
familiar exercise, he led us at once into the presence
of God and to the throne of grace. Beginning with
words of adoring reverence, which immediately
impressed and subdued every heart, he asked to be
heard for the sake of our divine Redeemer; and
then, as if pouring out his soul before God, in the
most simple manner, yet with deep fervor, he made
confession of our utter unworthiness as sinners and
of our absolute dependence on divine mercy. In
words borrowed from Scripture, and uttered in most
earnest tones, he besought God to bless our afflicted
country and give success to our arms. In the whole
course of his prayer he did not forget for one

506 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

moment that he wa^ one of a company of sinners
deserving nothing of God, yet pleading with Him,
for Christ's sake, to be merciful to us and bless us.
Not a single word did he utter inconsistent with the
command to love our enemies. Not once did he ven-
ture to tell God what He ought to do in that great
crisis of our country. But while he did importu-
nately ask that our arms might be crowned with
victory and our country obtain its independence, he
was careful to ask it in humble deference to divine
wisdom, and only if it would be for God's glory and
our good.

I have reason to remember that prayer. Not only
was its impression left upon the remainder of the
meeting — which from that time to its close was one
of the most solemn ^nd spiritual I ever attended —
but its influence was marked in the community. It
seemed to teach men how to pray in those troublous
times. If General Jackson, who had "jeopardized
his life in the high places of the field," and whose
loyalty was beyond suspicion, could pray for the
success of the army and the independence of the
Confederacy, without airing his patriotism or abus-
ing the foe, others might be calm in their utterances,
too. Men learned that even in time of war it was
not necessary to berate the enemy while pleading
with God for his defeat. And it was this manner of
praying, including, of course, all that was involved
in it, that was the real secret of Jackson's greatness.
His heroism and success were derived from God.
The deepest conviction of his heart, as w^ell as the
invariable confession of his lips, w^as that he owed
all that he had ever done or attained to God alone.

GOD OF BATTLES. 507

He was distinguished from other renowned warriors
in many things, but most in this, that he attributed
all the glory of his victories to the God of battles,
who is also the God of grace. Unlike other great
generals, who trusted in the strength of their sword
and, in the pride of conscious genius, boasted
that destiny was their own, he trusted in "the liv-
ing God" alone. He " taught his hands to war and
his fingers to fight." And this strong confidence
was at last the secret of his extraordinary skill in
counsel and his invincible powers in war.

ylSL^ etyi4^<^

SOME PERSONAL REMINISCENCES

LT.-GEN. THOS. J. (STONEWALL) JACKSON.

Bt Major-General Wm. B. Taliaterro.

(Commanded Brigade under General Jackson.)

My acquaintance with General Jackson com-
menced shortly after the Mexican War, when, as one
of the members of the Visitorial Board of the Vir-
ginia Military Institute, I found him the newly
appointed professor of natural philosophy and
instructor of artillery in that institution. The im-
pression he produced upon me at that time was
that he was a man of peculiarities, quite distinctly
marked from other people — reserved, yet polite;
reticent of opinions, but fixed in the ideas he had
formed ; essentially averse to obtruding them upon
others, but determined and unflinching in their
advocacy, when pressed to any expression of them.

The striking characteristic then, as it remained
(only intensified) in after life, was his strict sense of
dutv.

He had been a lieutenant of artillery in Mexico,
in the famous battery of *' El Capitan Colorado/'
John Bankhead Magruder, who gained that sobri-
quet from tlie flashy uniform which he wore, which
rivaled that of Murat in the ffold lace and red
stripes with which it was decorated.

ARTILLERY HIS FAVORITE. 509

Jackson was by no means, however, the counter-
part of his commander, for more antithetical char-
acters I never knew.

The artillery arm of his profession was always
Jackson's favorite.

I never knew him to ignore or decline the use of
artillery but twice, in my service with him. The
battle of McDowell (Sitlington's Hill in the Federal
reports) was fought without artillery on the Con-
federate side. It was rough ground, almost as rough
as Cerro Gordo; but still guns might have been
dragged up the heights. He was urged to send
them, but declined — why, nobody knows. He rarely
gave reasons ; he gave orders, that was all — short,
sharp, quick, decisive. The tone and manner
stopped inquiry.

When we laid along the Rappahannock, from
Fredericksburg to Port Royal, after the battle with
Burnside's army, the pickets in front of our lines,
which were well drawn back from the river, were
necessarily heavy. Riding with my chief of artillery
to his headquarters, I suggested the propriety of
reinforcing the regiments on picket in my front
with a few guns. He curtly replied, " No, I had
rather rely upon the infantry," to the surprise of
the officers of artillery, who, although saved a dis-
agreeable duty, were mortified at the implied aflTront
to their arm of the service. Xothing of the sort,
however, was intended; he believed in their efficacy
and efficiency, but he was satisfied that Burnside
had no intention to renew the attack.

I reported to Jackson as colonel, with a brigade
of troops from Georgia, Arkansas and Virginia, in

510 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

December, 1861, at Winchester. We had crossed
the Alleghanies with Garnett, participated in his
Northwest Virginia campaign, and had suffered the
terrible hardships of his retreat before McClellan,
and afterwards of the rugged service of the Alle-
ghany and Cheat Mountain country, with Qenerals
Loring and Henry R. Jackson.

Jackson, at Winchester, disclosed to me a trait
which had not struck me before. There is a great
difierence, however, in looking at a brevet major
and a full major-general. I had not noticed the
saliency of his character — I will not say restlessness,
but the desire to do, to be moving, to make and
to embrace opportunity. At the Institute he was
more than ordinarily passive. The fire was there,
but he was a soldier ingrain, and he believed it to
be his duty, in his subordinate place, to execute, not
to suggest.

His command was greatly augmented by the
troops of General Loring, and the combined forces
were known as the Army of the Valley. I will not
describe our march, in January, 1862, to Hancock
and Romney, nor notice the campaign more than to
say that it illustrated the go-aheaditivenesa of
Jackson's character. It was in the depth of winter,
in a harsh climate and over mountain roads which
would have appalled and deterred most men, yet
Jackson was apparently unconscious of either cold
or suffering. He had his object in view and saw
nothing else. His orders were to go, and we had to
go. The hills were glaciers — neither horses nor
mules could gain a foothold. What then? A corps
of pioneers was organized, with pickaxes, and the

SNOWBALLED BT THB ENEMY. 511

steep declivities were literally trenched from top to
bottom, to enable the animals to stick their feet upon
an unyielding surface. In this way we made, one
day, only two miles; but that much had been accom-
plished. Jackson had a lively horror of the impedi-
menta of an army. We were ordered to leave the
wagons behind. The guns, of course, had to go —
prolongs and pickaxes did it. When we reached
the river opposite Hancock there was neither tent
nor camp equipage. No houses were there, hardly
a tree. The weather was intense, and a hard, crisp
snow sheeted the landscape. It is a fact that the
enemy literally snowballed us, for the missiles from
their guns scattered the hard snow and hurled the
fragments upon us, almost as uncomfortable to us
as the splinters from their shells. Days and nights
we were there without shelter of any kind. One
officer sent his servant back for his camp bed, and
the next morning, covered with snow, it was an
antique tomb, with the effigy of an ancient knight
carved upon it. Fortunately for us, the fences of
that country were not all of stone, and knew how
to burn.

That Jackson was not popular with his officers
and men, even of his old brigade, at that time, is
undeniable ; for the true secret of the power of the
American soldier is his individuality — the natural
result of American citizenship; and Jackson's men
thought, and, thinking, did not think that the ends
accomplished by the Romney campaign justified the
sacrifices which were made.

It was their later common baptism of fire in the
battles which were not long after fought, and his

512 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

absolute fearlessness, if not unconsciousness, of dan-
ger, which endeared him to his men, and gave rise
to the saying, when a shout was heard on the march
or in camp, " Pshaw ! It is only Jackson or a rabbit."

When Jackson followed Milroy, after the battle
of McDowell, down the valley of the South Branch
of the Potomac, he had with him several regiments
of Garnett's old command, who had been cha«ed up
the same valley by those they were now pursuing.
He fully entered into the feelings of these men, and
grimly enjoyed the joke of their turning the tables
upon their former pursuers.

At Staunton, on this march, he had picked up the
Institute cadets. The boys seemed to enjoy the
idea of serving with their old professor and taking
part in real warfare. One night, returning from the
front in the darkness, I hailed the sentinel and
asked whose command I was passing. He replied,
with a chuckle which I did not understand, " Smith's
division, sir." "Ah," I rejoined, "General G.W.
Smith's division has reinforced us — is that pos-
sible ? " He burst out with a loud laugh, as he cried,
" No, sir; Brevet Major-General Francis 11. Smith's
division, corps of cadets." I pardoned his impu-
dence for his wit, and left him convulsed with
laughter at the idea of "selling" a general officer.

With Milroy out of his way, owing to his mas-
terly concentration of troops west of Staunton, who
but the day before had crossed the mountain into
East Virginia, "en route," as they supposed, for
Richmond, and his junction with General Edward
Johnson, and by the unrivaled celerity of his move-
ments, Jackson returned to the Valley proper to

PUZZLING THE ENEMY. 513

operate against General Banks. He had driven
that officer to the Potomac after the brilliant affairs
in the Luray Valley and at Winchester, and was
returning up the Valley, when, after a short illness,
I reported to him again for duty. His headquarters
were at a comfortable mansion, not far below Stras-
burg. He insisted that I should rest myself upon
his bed ; and as he assured me that he had no imme-
diate expectation of collision with the enemy, I con-
sented, and he carefully, with his own hands, threw
his blanket over me. I mention this little incident
to show the genuine kind-heartedness of his nature.
I had not long indulged in this unusual luxury for
an officer of the **foot cavalry" when the not very
distant boom of artillery aroused me, and Jackson,
hurrying in, directed me to hasten to the menaced
front, on the Capon Spring Road, and with my own
and Scott's brigade hold the enemy in check. It
was the advance (a comparatively small force) of
Fremont's army.

At no time in his career was Jackson in a more
hazardous situation. Behind him he had Banks,
largely reinforced ; on his right flank Fremont, and
on his left flank Shields, the whole three armies
converging upon Strasburg, which Jackson, encum-
l)ered with prisoners and captured stores of all kinds,
had not yet passed when he was struck by the
enemy. But his invincible push and pluck saved
him, with all his spoil. We marched and skirmished
all that day and the whole of the succeeding night
until nine o'clock the following morning. It seemed
a miracle, his escape from dangers which other men
would have avoided, but which he seemed to delight
33

514 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

to push himself into. The result proved that what
his officers often thought rashness was close calcula-
tion, based upon factors which they did not possess.
But certainly we had some nice shaves, which kept
us pretty generally in a state of anxiety and sus-
pense.

Jackson sought advice and counsel, as far as I
knew, of none. He never called a council of war,
to my knowledge, but acted solely on his own
responsibility ; and, unadvised as he was, it is a fact
that he always went farther in advance and retired
later in retreat than any commander I ever knew.

Jackson was a wonderful gatherer of supplies.
He had a pet commissary. General Banks. He
would leave behind nothing that he had captured.
After the battle of Port Republic, when we had pur-
sued the command of Shields miles down the Luray
Valley, we retraced our steps, marching in full view
of the foiled army of Fremont, on the opposite side
of the river, barred from approaching us because of
burned bridges, and ensconced ourselves in Brown's
Gap of the Blue Ridge. Late at night Jackson sent
an officer to inquire if I had brought off the capt-
ured artillery. The reply was, " Everything except
an unserviceable caisson," and that only for the want
of horses; the weather was wretched, the roads
intolerable; but the order came, back, post-haste,
that, if it took every horse in the command, that
caisson must be brought up before daylight. It was
ten miles off. The officer who had to fetch it was
very much of the opinion of the soldier who, when
his company was ordered to bring in a gun which
had been left outside the skirmish line, proposed to

ESCAPED CAPTURE. 515

his captain to " take up a subscription to pay for the
thing, and let it be;" but he hardly ventured to
make the suggestion to General Jackson, and
accordingly the caisson was " on time." It was just
before the battle of Port Republic that Jackson so
narrowly escaped capture, and the famous adventure
of " the bridge " occurred. The day before the battle
of Cross Keys, which preceded that of Port Repub-
lic by one day, Jackson, retreating before the com-
bined forces of Banks, Fremont, Milroy and Schenck
in his rear, and Shields on his left flank, marching
up the Luray Valley, reached the Shenandoah at the
village of Port Republic. His trains of all kinds,
quartermaster, commissary and ordnance, were
thrown across the bridge into the town on the south
bank, but, never in a hurry on a retreat, he halted
his whole army on the opposite or north side of the
river. His own headquarters were established in
the town, which was not occupied by more than a
single company of soldiers. My own brigade was
lying on the north side, next the town, in the hills,
back from the river; General Winder's (Stonewall)
brigade next back of me, and Ewell's Division some
distance still in the rear, confronting the enemy.

On the next morning the chaplains were directed
to hold services in their several regiments, and the
serenity of the atmosphere and the loveliness of the
day betokened anything but the sanguinary strife
which was to break the quiet of that Sabbath day.

Believing that " cleanliness is next to godliness,"
and in the conservative eftect of the army regulations
which, founded upon that idea, required Sunday
inspections, I ordered my regiments and batteries to

516 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

assemble for inspection, instead of for church. It
was a fortunate circumstance, if I may not be per-
mitted to call it a providential one. Just as the
regiments were formed the sound of guns and the
scattering fire of small arms was heard in the town.
Without an instant's delav I rushed my command
by regiments towards the river, which was hidden
from us by the intervening hills, aiming for the
covered bridge which spanned the river. The
Thirty -seventh Virginia Regiment, Colonel Fulker-
son, from its position, had the good fortune to be
much in the advance of the others. Half way to
the bridge I met General Jackson spurring up the
road. He was not excited — he never was, and never,
under any circumstances that I am aware of, lost
his presence of mind or yielded to panicky influences.
I remember receiving no order from him, unless to
hasten on ; there was no time for orders. I do not
recollect his turning back with us, as some writers
have asserted ; I do not believe he did ; I think he
pushed on to forward reinforcements. Throwing
one company from the rear of the regiment to
deliver its fire upon the opposite bridge-head, with-
out halting a moment, we rushed, by file, into the
covered bridge. A gun was planted at its mouth
on the other side, and the lanyard was in the hand
of the Federal gunner ; but the impetus and shock
of our advance were so sudden that he threw it
down without firing and took to flight. The other
regiments wore close bciiind the Thirty-seventh, and
of course we soon regained the town. Mr. John
Esten Cooke, in his life of Jackson, tells the story
of Jackson's personating a Federal officer, ordering

PRAYER BEFORE BATTLE. 517

the gun away from the bridge, and then, before the
mistake was discovered, escaping. I have no reason
to doubt the correctness of the incident ; it would
have been in keeping with the quiet coolness of the
man under the circumstances ; but it is certain that
a whole brigade was double-quicking to the bridge
before he had crossed it.

The battle of Port Republic was fought next day.
About twelve o'clock at night I was sent for by Qen-
eral Jackson. He was pacing the floor of a small
bedroom* He explained that Captain Mason, the
famous bridge builder, would improvise a means of
crossing the north fork of the river, and that he
wished me to cross, with my brigade, "at__early
jtetrrr" — his favorite expression — for the purpose of
attacking Shields. He then informed me that he
would walk a while in the garden attached to the
dwelling-house, and invited me to lie upon his bed
and sleep until his return. His object in seeking
the seclusion of the garden was to engage in prayer,
unseen by any eye. He was, without doubt, a
genuinely devout man.

I do not think his religious belief, save and except
his abiding confidence in the providence of God,
had any influence or effect in causing him to expose
his person to the extent to which he did. He was
simply impelled by a conviction, which often carried
him too far, that his duty required him to go to the
front and see for himself, and he was certainly as
unconscious of fear as any man I ever met.

At Cedar Run, or Slaughter's Mountain, the escape
of Jackson from death was miraculous. The enemy
had turned our left flank, and we were surrounded

518 LIFE OF OBNBRAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

and forced back. He was in the thickest of the
combat, at very short range. I rode up to him and
insisted that he should retire, plainly and emphat-
ically telling him it was no place for the commander
of an army. He looked, perhaps, a little surprised,
but the logic of the situation forced itself upon his
mind, and with his invariable ejaculation of '^ Gk>odj
good." he rode to the rear.

This battle was fought with an intensity of bitter
feeling on the part of the Confederates, which was
not often, if ever, exhibited. It was due to the
obnoxious and outrageous orders issued by General
Pope (General Orders No. 11), which intensely
inflamed our soldiers and called forth retaliatory
measures on the part of the Confederate govern-
ment.

After our lines were re-established and advanced,
just after the gallant charge of General Bayard's
cavalry upon us, rising a hill, the Twenty-third Vir-
ginia Eegiment encountered part of General Prince'^
brigade, who, taken unawares, were forced to sur-
render. A dozen muskets were leveled at their
commander, when a sergeant saved his life by call-
ing out, "Don't shoot him, boys, save him to hang."

Jackson's movements were always shrouded in
mystery. None of his division commanders were
informed of his intentions, and it was a source of
much annoyance to them to be ordered blindly to
move, without knowing whither or to what purpose.

Lying near Gordonsville, after our return from
the battles around Richmond, I received an order to
have my wagons packed and have my command
stretched out on the turnpike by " early dawn " the

UNCONSCIOUS OF DANGEB. 519

next morning. The order was obeyed to the letter.
We were standing under arms at the first gleam of
day. There we stood ; the sun rose, and we were
there still. An hour passed, bringing with it the
heat of a July day, and yet no intimation of a move-
ment. I rode to the general's headquarters, found
him at breakfast, declined his invitation to join him,
and, apologizing for the liberty which I ventured to
take, begged to be allowed to march my troops any-
where. He smiled, asked if I knew the road to the
Green Spring country in Louisa County, and if so, I
might proceed. He merely wished to change his
camp. It was fifteen miles off, but before three o'clock
the men were comfortably in bivouac, and I had
received half a dozen invitations to dinner from the
hospitable gentlemen of that beautiful region.

About ten o'clock at night Ewell's troops joined
us. They had received no orders to march until
midday. On another occasion I was ordered to
have my camp well policed and to issue orders for
regimental and brigade drills. It was significant of
a long stay, but I did not so interpret it. I gave
the orders, but also quiet directions to have rations
cooked and wagons packed. Before sunrise we
were marching in the direction of Fredericksburg,
to meet a force which had ventured up the Rapidan.
The orders to drill were intended, and properly so,
for a blind, to prevent his contemplated movement
being suspected or communicated by visitors to his
camp.

I have mentioned Jackson's affection for artillery
and his unconsciousness of danger. At Cunning-
ham's Ford, on the Rappahannock, in the campaign

620 LIFE OF OENBRAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

against Pope, Jackson's old division, commanded by
himself, was in advance, with orders to cross the
river at that point. These orders were counter-
manded by General Lee, and the whole army halted.
The enemy were showing themselves in considerable
numbers on the opposite bank, whereupon I ran up
several field-pieces to the front, bringing on a lively
artillery duel.

Our guns were moved from time to time to
diflferent positions to divert the range of the oppos-
ing pieces, whose practice was excellent. Jackson
rode up, approved of my disposition of the troops,
which had been retired to the woods in the rear, and
proposed to me to ride with him to the batteries.
Seeing no particular necessity for exposing my
staff, I sent them back and accompanied him. He
took his station close beside the guns, and soon
seemed to become fascinated by the work in hand
and utterly unconscious of the peril to himself. He
was out of place undoubtedly, but he seemed to have
forgotten himself in his eagerness to see the guns
served, leaning forward on his horse to watch the
effect of the discharges, and now and then exclaim-
ing in his quick, sharp way, when a shot told,
" Grp-Oii^ood." Men and horses were killed around
mm, among them one of his couriers, but he did not
seem to observe it or to realize the situation. All at
once, however, he turned to nie and asked, as
quietly as if he had been sitting in his tent, " General,
are,^ou_a_jDaau of family?" "Yes," I replied, "I
have a wife and five children at home, and mv im-
pression is that in less than five minutes there will
be a widow and five orphans there." '' Good, good,"

CLASH OF THE ARMIES. 521

aud then suddenly, to the relief of all who were
with him, it appeared to flash upon him that, how-
ever exoiting the role of battery commander might
be, it was not altogether consistent with the position
and responsibilities of the chief of a corps, and,
giving orders to have the battery moved, he galloped
to the rear, in which retrograde movement I felt it
to be my duty to accompany him. I have always
had a sort of suspicion, however, that his own life
was saved on that occasion by his sympathy for my
wife and children.

The march of the two opposing armies the next
day presented a novel spectacle. Each was seeking
the upper fords of the Rappahannock, and on either
bank of the river they moved, on nearly parallel
lines, separated by a space so narrow that not only
could their trains and artillery be seen by one
another, but at times the lines of infantry and their
distinctive flags be recognized. It was a reproduc-
tion of the scene presented by the armies of Well-
ington andMassenain Spain, so graphically described
by the historians of the peninsular campaign.

The star of Jackson seemed for a time the succeed-
ing day to be dimmed, and, indeed, part of his corps
was in great peril. Early's brigade and one regi-
ment of Lawton's had been thrown to the north
bank of the river by a bridge at Warrenton Springs,
when a rain storm of unusual severity raged through-
out the night, and every mountain tributary poured
the volume of its accumulated waters into the torrent
of the Rappahannock.

Early's situation was one of imminent danger;
he was beyond the hope of succor and enveloped

522 LIFE OF QENEKAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

by the enemy. The anxiety and solicitude felt for
him by Jackson and his whole command were
intense. Early's self-reliance and the vigor and skill
with which he mastered the situation were wonder-
fuly and Jackson's efforts to extricate him untiring.
He personally superintended the construction of the
bridge over which relief was to be afforded, and over
which Early ultimately returned, urging by his
presence and encouragement the Herculean efforts of
the men who were struggling in the water to fasten
the timbers of a new and improvised bridge. His
anxiety was great, but it was not manifested by
speech or look. He was as impassive as when, the
day before, he sat by the sulphur spring and asked
questions about the properties of the water.

The movement of Jackson, with his corps, in the
rear of the army of General Pope is well known.
No achievement of the war was effected with greater
secrecy, if not with more absolute mystery to the
enemy, than " Jackson's raid," as it was called, and
no one of his exploits was planned and executed
with more skill, a more consummate exhibition of
the principles of strategy and grand tactics, or with
greater celerity of movement, than this. Although
cut off from the rest of General Lee's array, although
miles removed from his supplies, although much
nearer to the Federal capital than was the Federal
army itself, he was as confident and self-reliant as
if he had been where the Federal government and
General Pope supposed him to be — across the
mountains, in the Valley of Virginia.

I was ordered to hold mv division in and around
Manassas Junction, take charge of the immense stores

CAPTURE OF COMMISSART STORES. 528

which we bad captured, and, after providing for the
wants of the troops, to destroy what remained.
Among the prisoners was the post commissary,
a major, whose name I can not recall. He was a
conscientious officer, whatever his name might be, for
he begged to be allowed to save his papers, in order
to settle with his government, and was no little con-
cerned when I suggested that the easiest way to
square his accounts would be to report them
" destroyed by the enemy," and I would take pleas-
ure in summarily auditing and passing them in that
manner. I then requested him to point out to ine
the barrels of whisky and other liquors which were
in store, that I might have them destroyed before
the men could get access to them. This was done,
but he commended to my own use a rundlet of
cognac, as being much too good to be staved. At
this moment General Jackson and General Stuart
entered the room, and I proposed to them to share
with me this spoil and to test at once the com-
missary's judgment. This they both declined to do,
and I was obliged to drink " better luck next time "
to mv unfortunate host without their assistance.

Only on this one occasion, in my service with Jack-
son, did he communicate to me, and, as far as I know,
to any of his officers, the plans he had formed. To
General Stuart and myself, in that commissary office
at Manassas Junction, he explained the movement
he intended to make that night and the next day,
and the manner in which he would reunite his corps
with that of Longstreet, if that general should be
unable to push his corps through Thoroughfare
Gap. His idea was simply to place himself, by

524 LIFE 09 GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

retiring to a point west of the Warrenton Turnpike,
nearer to the Bull Run Mountains, and thus nearer
to Longstreet, on the flank of the enemy, in the
neighborhood of Aldie Gap, and thus to provide tlie
avenue of retreat in the event of the failure of
Longstreet to join him.

In moving my division that night Jackson's habit
of pushing to the front led to a ludicrous and, to
me, rather unpleasant incident. Parties of our
cavalry every now and then straggled past us, to the
great annoyance of the infantry, who had much dif-
ficulty in getting out of their way. This irritated
me so much that I was not very choice in the lan-
guage that I applied to them. At last, one party,
rather more numerous than their predecessors,
passed by me, crowding the men off the side of the
road, and breaking into the imperfect organization
which the darkness only permitted. I called to this
party to halt, and ordered the infantry to stop their
further progress, threatening to have them taken
from their horses, if not well trampled besides, by
my men, as a punishment for their reckless behavior.
I was very angry, and hardly know w^hat expletives
I used, when one of the party called out, *' This is
General Jackson and his staff, sir." I made the
best apologies I could, and frankly told General
Jackson he was out of place, that I was too far to
the front myself; we were near the leading regi-
ment, and we had better halt and allow a brigade or
two to pass before he ventured further. To this he
willingly consented, and we remained together until
the troops were halted, at daybreak.

At the battle of Fredericksburg Jackson again

WINTER QUARTERS. 525

unnecessarily exposed himself. The morning of the
second day, when the contending armies were con-
fronting each other, he rode with me along the front
line from Taylor's quarters towards our right, to
verify the position of my division. We rode
between the line of battle and the line of pickets,
and while the practice of firing from the picket line
had been to a great extent abandoned, the fact,
which was quite plainly manifest, that our party
contained at least one general officer afforded a
great temptation to sharpshooters to pick him off,
and, in fact, it proved too great to be resisted, for a
scattering fire was kept upon us, the balls passing
uncomfortably near our heads. However, no one
was hurt.

The winter of 1862 afforded Jackson more rest
and quiet than any other period of his military
career. His corps occupied the country near the
south bank of the Rappahannock, from the neigh-
borhood of Fredericksburg to the town of Port
Royal. Intermediate between these places is Moss
Neck, one of the seats of the ancient Virginia
family of Corbin. This old and handsome resi-
dence was oft'ered to Jackson for his headquarters.
He was induced to visit it, and was received by the
ladies of the family with their accustomed hospi-
tality and with those evidences of admiration for
his services which were accorded him wherever he
went, coupled with an urgent invitation that he
would establish himself there for the winter. On
leaving the house, the courier who held his horse
modestly inquired how he liked the establishment,
and if he would not consent to occupy it. "Yes,"

526 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

said JacksoDy ^^ I think I will select this place for
my headquarters." "I am very much pleased/'
was the reply of the courier; "I shall feel honored
that you do so. I am Mr. Corbin, the owner of the
property."

I mention this circumstance to show the character
of the material of which the Southern soldiery was
composed. The wealth, the refinement, the learning
and the best blood were in the army, and much or
most of it in the ranks. Our men were born to
command, and knew how to obey.

At Moss Neck Jackson declined to occupy the
mansion, but modestly contented himself with an
ofiice on the lawn. There he received a number of
visitors, attracted by his reputation. Among them,
I believe, the present Lord Wolseley. His recep-
tion of them and his general officers was marked by
a modest but genuine politeness.

In the early spring of 1863 I was ordered to the
Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida,
and my connection with General Jackson ceased. I
never saw him afterwards, as he died two months
later.

m
m

•1

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS

"STONEWALL" JACKSON.

By BrioadirrtGenebal Bradley T. Johnson.

(Commanding Maryland Line under General Jackson.)

I CAN add nothing to the grand record of achieve-
ments made by General Jackson's biographers, bnt
I am glad to be asked to light a farthing rnshlight
that may fairly illuminate some quaint mark of
characteristic which has escaped the glare of general
observation.

I must excuse myself in advance for the predom-
inance of the personal pronoun, for I can add noth-
ing about Jackson that is not derived from personal
knowledge.

I first knew him in May, 1861. I had a company
at Frederick, Md., and went to Harper's Ferry to
see what arrangements I could make about get-
ting myself and my men taken into the service of
the Confederacy.

I went at once to headquarters at Barbour's house,
and asked to see Colonel Jackson. Colonel Angus
McDonald came out to find out my business, and
without delay took me in to Colonel Jackson's room.
I explained my business, that I had one company of
which I was captain, and that I had no doubt of
soon getting a regiment if I had a point where

528 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

I could rendezvous and feed them, and that the
Point of Rocks on the Virginia side was the best
point for that operation.

Colonel Jackson said to Colonel Marshall McDon-
ald, " Give Captain Johnson an order to report to
Captain Ashby, at the Point of Rocks." And that
was the way I got into the Confederate army.

Colonel Angus McDonald then examined me at
length about the movements of the Federals at Cham-
bersburg, some forty miles north of Frederick, and
whose movements, in fact, were the incentive to my
movement to Virginia. He wanted me to establish
a chain of communication from farm house to farm
house from Chambersburg to Frederick, whereby
word could be passed to me as to what was going on
in the Federal camps.

I thought the scheme an utterly wild one, but
Colonel Jackson sat by and never opened his lips, in
a conversation which lasted certainly an hour. I
was not impressed by him or his silence. I thought
that was the way soldiers did, and that it was part
of the play. But I went about my business without
spending much time in cogitating over the manners
or the ways of my commanding officer.

This was on May 6th, 1861, and on May 8th I
moved to Virginia. While I was at Point of Rocks
General J. R. Trimble came to me and we went to-
gether to call on Colonel Jackson. Trimble was a
West Point man, an old soldier and a man of ability.
He afterwards became Major-Gencral Trimble. I
was as ignorant of military affairs, tactics or etiquette
as the simplest country boy from the mountains. But
I had too much respect for authority to presume to

" WE NEVER TELL THAT." 529

ask curious questions of my superiors. Trimble had
no such reticence. He was as inquisitive as could
be and he carried Jackson all over the hills and
valleys, rivers and mountains of the neighborhood,
discussing their relative value for defence.

Colonel Jackson sat perfectly silent and erect
during all this overflow of talk, and never made a
sign of approval, disapproval or anything else.
Trimble had been an engineer on the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad and knew what he was talking
about, and his conversation was very interesting
and instructive to me. At last he said, as the point
and consequence of his dissertation on the defensive
lines of Harper's Ferry, " How many men have you
here present for duty?" Jackson said, without a
modulation of his voice, as if he were answering
the most commonplace instead of the most astound-
ing question ever put to a commanding officer by
an outsider, "We never tell that!" That was all.
It was not as deep as a well nor as wide as a barn-
door but it was sufficient, and the conversation
stopped there and we left.

General Jackson had, when he pleased, as much
tact as the most adroit diplomatist. In September,
1862, happening to be in Richmond, Mr. Seddon,
the Secretary of War, asked me to escort to the
army, then around and north of Winchester, three
English gentlemen of consequence, who had brought
letters of introduction to President Davis, General
Lee and the Confederate government. The govern-
ment desired to show them some particular atten-
tion, and therefore I was requested to take them up

to General Lee's headquarters, which I did. They
34

680 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

were Mr. Lawley, correspondent of the London
Times J Mr. Vizatelliy correspondent of the Illustrated
NewSj and M^jor Garnet Wolseley, on furlough
from his regiment in Canada.

He has now become Sir Garnet Wolseley, Field
Marshal Lord Wolseley of Cairo, commander-in-
chief of the British army.

Mr. Lawley was the youngest son of a peer and
represented the greatest paper in the world. Mr.
Yizatelli was a Bohemian of the Bohemians. Had
been everywhere, with all sorts of people. His last
adventure had been with Ghtribaldi in Sicily. He
was lost in the English advance to Khartoum to
the relief of "Chinese" Gordon.

I took my party to Staunton, to Winchester, to
general headquarters, where the letters to General
Lee were presented. After that call was made we
all rode over to General Jackson's, to whom I intro-
duced them, by order of General Lee.

We were all seated in front of General Jackson's
tent and he took up the conversation. He had been
to England and had been greatly impressed with
the architecture of the Cathedral of Durham and
with the history of the Bishopric of Durham.
The Bishops of Durham had been Palatines from
the date of the Conquest and exercised semi-royal
authority over their bishopric, which was a bul-
wark against the Kelts on the one side and the
pirates of the North Sea on the other.

There is a fair history of the Palatinate of Dur-
ham in Blackstone and Coke, but I can hardly think
that General Jackson derived his information from
those two fountains of the law. Anyhow he exam-

A NEW CHARACTER. 581

ined and crose-examined the Englishmen in detail
aboat the cathedral and the close and the rights of
the bishop, etc., etc. He gave them no chance to
talk, and kept them bnsy answering questions, for he
knew more about the Durham question than they did.

As we four rode away I said, " Gentlemen, you
have disclosed Jackson in a new character to me,
and Tve been carefully observing him for a year and
a half. You have made him exhibit finesscy for he
did all the talking to keep you from asking too
curious or embarrassing questions. He did not want
to say anything, so he did all the talking. I never
saw anything like it in him before." We all laughed
and agreed that the general had been too much for
the interviewers.

I never saw General Jackson laugh or deviate
from an intense earnestness of deportment and
demeanor, I would call it " seriousness." But occa-
sionally his eye would twinkle for a flash, and you
could not always tell. what he was thinking about.

One evening he sent for me to come to his quar-
ters and I rode over to Bunker Hill to see him. He
wanted to talk to me about my promotion, to secure
which he greatly interested himself, and said I
should stay there all night and in the morning we
would lay the subject before General Lee. I slipped
out after this very dry conversation, and Hunter
McGuire, his medical director, and I "sampled"
some very new and very fiery apple-jack which
Hunter had hid under his blankets in the mess
tent. At the supper table — we had three turkeys for
supper, I remember; the women of that neighbor-
hood lavished good things to eat on " their Stone-

532 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

wall" for he was " theirs" — McGuire and I, moved
and seduced by the spirit of mischief and possibly
also by the spirit of apple-jack, started a learned
discussion on the discovery, use and effects of alco-
hol on the human physiology, its effect on the
heart and circulation, and on the brain and the
nerves. We concluded that it was an unmitigated
evil and that we did not like either the taste or the
eftect of it. Drinking, we concluded, was the great
curse of modern civilization ; we had the grace not to
pretend that we did not drink but to deplore the abuse
and extended use of alcohol and its bad effects.

So far the discussion had been confined to the
two young braggarts, who were showing off their
knowledge to hide their offenses.

The general sat straight, never looked to the
right nor to the left, and let the cockerels crow them-
selves out. Then said he, " I like the taste and the
effect both, that's the reason I never touch it." To
this day I don't know whether he smelled a rat,
from the odor of the apple-jack in the tent or the
loquacity of the disquisition on the evil of drinking.
But he shut us up.

The next morning we all three rode over to
General Lee's, and on the way to Winchester after
that call, at McGuire's instigation, I got at the gen-
eral to have his photograph taken, on the ground
that it would gratify so many people with so little
trouble to himself.

He put me off and rather pooh-poohed the notion,
as rather weak for a man to have his photograph
taken. However, in the town he went off with
McGuire, and I went about my business. Returning

AT THE PHOTOGRAPHER S. 583

to camp in the afternoon, we fell in together on the
Berryviile Pike.

McGuire said to me aside, " The general had his
photograph taken, sure enough. At the dinner
table my little sister [a girl of fourteen or there-
abouts, I think] got to teasing him about it and he
agreed, and he and she and I went down to Rant-
zahu's and had it taken. He had his hair trimmed
first, however."

Of course I claimed a copy from the general, and
he said I should have one, which McGuire afterward
gave me, one of the few copies from this original
negative at Winchester. It is the portrait frontis-
piece to this volume. I like the one taken by Minnis,
J f Richmond, the photographer who went to Guiney's
► Hamilton's in the spring of 1863, on my motion,
to get his photograph. The Winchester one was
always a flat one. The profile view of Minnis'
shows him to the best advantage. After death his
face and profile were perfectly handsome.

All that was thirty-three years ago just this season,
the fall of 1862. But three hundred years from
now the people of Virginia will recall the grand
figure, the close-shut lips, the bright eyes shining
beneath the low visor, and in all the world those
who love patriotism, justice, truth, honor, chivalry
and devotion to duty will turn to him as among the
noblest and highest types that Virginia has ever
given to humanity.

November 1, 1896.

GENERAL JACKSON.

Bt BaiQADixBr^ENKiux Jamxs H. Lakb.

(Commanded Brigade Army of Morthem Tirginia.)

General T. J. Jackson and I entered the Virginia
Military Institute the same year, 1851, he as a pro-
fessor and I as a cadet. That quiet, polite and
dignified new professor, twice brevetted for gallantry
in the Mexican War, soon impressed that corps of
high-toned but mischievous young Virginians as
being a man of intense individuality of character.
He was conscientious and fearless in the discharge
of every duty and strictly just in all his intentions.

In his class room and at artillery drill he always,
in a few but polite words accompanied with that
well-known military salute, turned the laugh on all
cadets who ventured a joke at his expense, and no
excuses were ever rendered for the reports subse-
quently read at parade, the result of their youthful
indiscretion.

While in camp I wiis visited by my sister, and
during her stay at the Rockbridge Alum Professor
Jackson was exceedingly polite and deferential.
She was deeply impressed by his delicate and gentle-
manly attention and kindness to her — a young girl
just from school — and it was through her that I first
learned to honor the then unknown hero for his
chivalrous bearing in the presence of women.

ON THB BATTLB-FIELD. 585

The outbreak of hostilities brought to this modest
professor his opportunity to show the world that he
was a very great soldier — ^that he possessed an
instinctive genius for war of an amazing brilliancy
that could not long be concealed. His conclusions,
and their tremendous results when reduced to
practice, never appeared to be reached through
ordinary intellectual processes, but by instantaneous
inspiration.

He knew that his ragged and oft^n starving soldiers
idolized him and had most implicit confidence in
him, and yet he never courted public demonstrations
of any kind. However, his presence on the march
and on the battle-field always created the greatest
enthusiasm. I often noticed that when cheered on
the march he would simply lift his cap in recognition
of the shout and immediately spur his Old Sorrel to
get by as soon as possible. At Cedar Run, when he
appeared in my front after we had driven the enemy,
my men greeted him with one of their wild rebel
yells, and when it had subsided many called out:
"Let General Jackson tell us what he wishes done
and we will do it." In recognition of such great
enthusiasm on the battle-field he simply bared his
head and said not a word.

This great soldier was pure and clean as ever man
was ; he was both a lover and doer of truth. Of the
slightest equivocation or of any conscious indirec-
tion he was absolutely incapable. In this respect
he measured others by his own standard and, as I
well know, he expected every man, and more
especially every officer, to perform his whole duty
witliout evasion or neglect or failure.

586 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JAOKSON.

When in camp at Bunker Hill, after the battle of
Sharpsburg, where the gallant Branch was killed, I,
as colonel commanding the brigade, was directed by
General A. P. Hill to hold my command in readiness,
with three days' rations, for detached service, and to
report to General Jackson for further orders. That
was all the information that Hill could give me. I
had been in Jackson's corps since the battles around
Richmond, and had been very derelict in not pay-
ing my respects to my old professor. As I rode to
his headquarters I wondered if he would recognize
me. I certainly expected to receive his orders in a
few terse sentences and to be promptly dismissed
with a military salute. He knew me as soon as I
entered his tent, though we had not met for years.
He rose quickly, with a smile on his face, took my
hand in both of his in the warmest manner, expressed
his pleasure at seeing me, chided me for not having
been to see him and bade me be seated. His kind
words, the tones of his voice, his familiarly calling
me Lane, whereas it had always been Mr. Lane at
the Institute, put me completely at my ease. Then,
for the first time, I began to love that reserved man
whom I had always honored and respected as my pro-
fessor, and whom I greatly admired as my general.

After a very pleasant and somewhat protracted
conversation, he ordered me to move at once, and as
rapidly as possible, to North Mountain Depot, tear
up the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and put myself
in communication with General Hampton, who
would cover my operations. The cavalry outposts
then did not extend beyond that point. While we
were there burning the ties, bending the rails and

lane's brigade. 537

tying "iron cravats" around some of the trees,
General Jackson sent a member of his staff to see
how we were progressing. That night as I, my
staff, and other young oflScers of my command were
about to attend an entertainment given us by some
of the patriotic ladies of Hedgesville, I received
orders to move at once and quickly to Martinsburg,
as there had been heavy skirmishing near Kerneys-
ville. Next morning when I reported to General
Jackson he received me in the same cordial, warm-
hearted manner, complimented me on the thorough-
ness of my work, told me that he had recommended
me for promotion to take permanent charge of
Branch's brigade, and that as I was the only person
recommended for the position through military
channels, I would be appointed in spite of the two
aspirants who were trying to bring political influ-
ence to bear in Richmond in their behalf. When I
rose to go he took my hand in both of his, looked
me steadily in the eye, and, in words and tones of
friendly warmth which can never be forgotten, again
expressed his confidence in my promotion, and bade
me good-bye, with a " God bless you, Lane."

When I had reported back to General Hill and
was about to begin to destroy the railroad near Ker-
neysville, a courier rode up with orders from General
Jackson "that Lane's brigade be sent back to
Bunker Hill to select a new camp and rest, as it had
done its share of the work." This is one of the
many instances to show that Jackson, while watch-
ing the enemy and planning great battles, was never
forgetful of details, and that he always looked after
the comfort of his men to the best of his ability.

538 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

My last social chat with General Jackson was on
Hamilton's Heights, near Fredericksburg. When I
remarked that our being ordered up from Moss
Neck was a great surprise to me, he asked " Why
so?" And when I laughingly told him it was
because he had Mrs. Jackson with him, and I
thought him too gallant a soldier to allow his wife
to be at the front in the hour of danger, he replied,
with a smile: ^^Ah, Lane, you must not trust
always to appearances." Little did I dream then
that he was to fall so soon before the unerring rifles
of my brave men.

After that brilliant flank movement at Chancellors-
ville my brigade was formed across the plank road
for a night attack. " Push right ahead, Lane ! " was
General Jackson's last order. He rode directly to
the front, and I to the right to put my line in
motion. Suddenly there was a skirmish fire in my
front, from right to left; then the sound of horse-
men; next, the cry of cavalry, and then those
deadly volleys from the Eighteenth North Carolina.
The gallant Pender, whose line had not been formed,
dashed through the dark woods on the right of the
road, calling for *'Lane," to whom he made the sad
announcement that our illustrious leader and Gen-
eral A. P. Hill had been wounded, through a misap-
prehension by their own devoted followers, and
advised rae not to advance.

There are periods in every man's life when all the
concentrated sorrow and bitterness of years seem
gathered in one short day or night. Such was
the case with myself, as I lay under an oak the
second night, black with smut and smoke, and

JACKSON'S DEATH. 539

reckoned the frightful cost of that complete victory,
and reflected that in less than thirty-six hours one-
third of my command had been swept away ; one
field officer only left for duty out of the thirteen
carried into action — the rest all killed or wounded,
and most of them my warmest friends; my boy
brother, who had been on my staff, lay dead on the
field, and Stonewall Jackson, my old professor,
whom I, as a boy, had honored and respected, and
whom, as my general, I then loved, was lying
wounded, and probably dying, shot by my own
gallant brigade, those brave North Carolina veterans,
whom I had so often heard wildly cheering him as
he appeared on many a hard-fought battle-field.

Jackson died, but his memory lived in the hearts
of his soldiers, and on many a subsequent hard-
fought field I heard them exclaim : " Oh, for another
Jackson ! "

i.^^i^ (v^fee^^i-z? -

Extract from the " War of the Rebellion," Series
I, Vol. XIX, Part II, page 689 :

** Headquarters Army of Northern Virginia.

October 80th, 1862.

" Major-General Gustavus W. Smith, Command-
ing, etc., Richmond, Va.:

" General, — I have received your letter of the
26th ultimo. "When I applied for Brigadier-General
Pettigrew I did not know that he was assigned to

540 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the command of a brigade. I do not desire that he
shall be disturbed. I think it better that General
(T. L.) Clingman should remain in North Carolina,
where he could probably be of more service than
here. Under the circumstances I consider it just and
proper that the colonel^ of Branch's brigade^ who ha3
been recommended for promotion ^ be assigned to the

command

",Most respectfully and truly yours,

«R. E. Lbb, General."

• General Lane was colonel of Branch's brigade referred to above.

OBNRBAI. THOMAS J. JACK BOX.

BATTLE OP CHANCELLOBSVILLB, VA.

A TRIBUTE TO

GENERAL JACKSON.

Bt Augustus Choats Haiclik.

(Lata Lleatenant-Colonel United Stattt Army.)

During the past five years earnest attempts have
been made to decipher the varied and the vague
accounts of the events occurring at the battle of
Ohancellorsville on the first day, or May 2d, 1863.
On one of the three personal visits to the battle-field
General Lane and Colonel W. H. Palmer, Colonel
Blackford, Captain Randolph Barton and others of
the Confederate army. General Pennock Huey, Gen-
eral J. T. Lockman, Captain Herbert Dilger of the
Federal army, all of whom had been engaged in the
battle, accompanied me, and it is to them that the
clear solution of many of the obscure and ambigu-
ous accounts have been made possible, and to the
proper and just credit of either army.

At half past five p. m., May 2d, 1863, Jackson and
his army, after passing in broad daylight directly in
front of the Federal army entrenched on the plateau
of Chancellorsville, had successfully reached its
right flank and rear, and with two and three lines of
battle concealed in the dense woods, and with a front
of two miles in length, was about to overwhelm the
almost unsuspecting foe. Jackson's objective point

A FATAL DBLAY. 543

was the open space in rear of the Chancellor House,
the vital center of the Federal position, and but
three miles distant. Sickles had taken twenty
thousand men from the right center of the fortified
line and had gone southward, past the Welford
furnace, and at a distance of two miles was vainly
seeking the whereabouts of Jackson and his men
who had been seen in the vicinity in the early morn-
ing, and at this moment there was absolutely no
obstacle in Jackson's path but the nine thousand
men of the Eleventh Corps extended on a line of
over a mile in length and nearly all facing south
and unprepared for a vigorous attack on their right
flank and rear.

Jackson's first orders were to advance without
halting and seize the position at the Doudal farm,
and it is clearly evident, that if his commands had
been implicitly obeyed, the two divisions of Devens
and Schurz would have been destroyed at the first
blow, But the error of a subordinate kept seventeen
regiments on Jackson's extreme- right from march-
ing at the same time up and along the plank road
and enveloping the left of the Eleventh Corps. For
forty to sixty minutes this great force of seventeen
regiments was detained, and the delay was fatal. In
half an hour Devens's division of nearly four thou-
sand men, attacked in flank and rear, was crushed ;
in twenty minutes more Schurz's division was forced
back to Bushbeck's line across the Doudal farm. At
seven p. m. the battered wrecks of the Federal corps
were driven from the Bushbeck line into the woods,
and the way to the White House was open to the
victorious Confederates. For an hour and a half the

544 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

nine thousand men of the Eleventh Corps, attacked
in flank and in rear, without any assistance from tbe
other corps, had endeavored to stay the impetuous
march of Jackson's determined battalions, but had
been hurled back into the forest with a loss of eight
or nine guns, fifteen hundred killed and wounded
men and about a thousand prisoners. The Federal
army was now in extreme peril, and the single ave-
nue to the important point near the White House
was only about two thous^ind yards distant, and no
force to oppose the advancing Confederates except
the twelve or fifteen hundred men of Schurz's retreat-
ing upon it. Sickles and his twenty thousand men
were still far below in the depths of the forest and
as yet unconscious of the fact that Jackson's army
had been pulverizing the Eleventh Corps in his rear
for an hour and. a half, and that his chances of
escape were exceedingly small ; in fact, Hooker did
not learn of Jackson's attack until almost half past
six in the evening, as ho heard none of the sounds
of the ])attle and no couriers came to him.

When Jackson's men drove the Federals into the
woods, at seven o'clock in the evening, there seemed
to be no escape for the Federal army from a serious, if
not a fatal, disaster, but at this moment Generals Cols-
ton and Rodes, who had commanded the two front
lines of battle, urged Jackson to call a halt to allow
some of their tired and broken battalions to reform.
Jackson chafed at the delay and reluctantly gave
the order to halt and reform the broken parts of the
two divisions; in the meantime, as he had nine
unbroken brigades close at hand, he ordered Hill,
with his powerful and fresh division, to push up the

STAMPEDE OF ARTILLERY. 545

road, cover the front and prepare for further attack.
Nearly all of Jackson's army obeyed the order to
halt, and halted at or near the Doudal Tavern, but
desultory groups, numbering from one to two thou-
sand men, not heeding or hearing the order to halt,
drifted slowly half a mile up the road to the log
works of Williams' division of the Twelfth Corps,
where they captured then, or shortly after, two hun-
dred or more of the Federal soldiers of the Twelfth
Corps returning through the woods in search of
their former positions, and they then returned with
their prisoners to their respective regiments, reform-
, ing at or near the Doudal House. About two hun-
dred more foragers from Doles's brigade, in search
of adventure or booty, went forward in the woods
as far as Hazel Grove, about a mile south of the
plank road, where they stampeded the Federal trains
and artillery resting along the entrance to Hazel
Grove field, and soon frightened Pleasanton out of
his wits, but took to their heels as soon as the ter-
rific artillery fire from the twenty-two Federal can-
non permitted them to rise from the cover they
found in the deserted Third Corps redoubts.

The battle Pleasanton describes belongs to the
pages of Baron Munchausen.

General A. P. Hill ordered his division forward, and
General James II. Lane took the lead with his brigade
of North Carolinians, preceded by a battery of three
guns. The battery, arriving at the entrance of the
Hazel Grove road, unlimbered and tested the Fed-
eral line, supposed to be about twelve hundred
yards distant and obscured in the evening haze.
The first shot was fired at eight p. m., and found the
35

546 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Federal artillery ready for action, and who promptly
replied with a rapid fire from eight or ten ^ns,
which raked Lane's men, then coming up the plank
road in close column. The fire was so severe that
Lane ordered his men to deflect to the left of the
road and in the woods, out of the direct range of
the enemy's guns.

The artillery duel continued for about fifteen
minutes, and then Hill ordered Lane to deploy his
men in line of battle and prepare for a night attack.
The Thirty-third North Carolina Regiment was
thrown out as a line of skirmishers and deployed
near Van Wert's cabin, about two hundred and fifty
or three hundred yards in front of the picket guns
or the log works of the Twelfth Corps. On the
right of the road, and in front of the abatis of these
abandoned works. Lane placed a line of battle, the
Thirty-seventh and the Seventh, while on the left of
the road the Eighteenth and Twenty-eighth were
drawn up, a little in advance of the line on the
right of the road, and as soon as this was accom-
plished Lane rode back to the road for his final
orders, as he understood Hill that he was to prepare
for action. When Lane reached the road it was too
dark to distinguish persons, and he called out for
General Hill, but the reply he got came from Gen-
eral Jackson, who recognized the voice of his old
pupil and called him to his side. He found Jackson
at or near the meeting of the Hazel Grove and the
Bullock road and in rear of the three guns placed
on picket. Jackson was at that time alone; neither
Hill nor any of his stafl* was visible.

Lane reported for final orders, and Jackson, rais-

CAPTURB OF COLONBL SMITH. 547

ing his arm in the direction of the enemy, exclaimed
briefly, "Push right ahead, Lane, right ahead!"
Lane knew his old instructor too well to ask for any
further instructions, and at once rode along his line
to prepare for the advance, and he had reached the
extreme right of his position and was about to give
the signal when Lieutenant-Colonel Hill, one of his
bravest officers, came to him and begged him not to
give the order until he could ascertain what forces
were moving on his right and rear, whether they
belonged to the army of Lee or Hooker. At this
time distinct sounds of troops and trains could be
heard in the woods, both in front and on the right
flank, which was totally unprotected. In fact,
neither Jackson, Hill nor Lane had heard of the
conflict at Hazel Grove, as described by Pleasanton
and Sickles, and they were not aware of any danger
impending from that quarter. Lane was so ignorant
of the presence of the enemy in that direction that
he had not placed a single picket on the right of the
log works, behind which his men were then stand-
ing, nor on the Hazel Grove road ; neither was he
aware of the cannon and caissons and wagons of
the Third Corps, left in that road in the stampede
caused by the Georgia foragers, an hour or more
previously.

While Lane and Hill were discussing the causes of
the sounds on their right, a Federal officer came up
along the log works, waving a handkerchief and
demanding to know what troops were in front of
him. The officer proved to be Colonel Smith of
the One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania
Regiment, which had come up from the expedition

548 LIFE OF G£N£RAL THOMAS J. JAOKSON.

towards the Furnace, and were trying to find their
baggage and former place of the regiment in the
log works; he was promptly seized by some of the
men of the Seventli Jiorth Carolina and brought
before General Lane, who then ordered Colonel Hill
to send a squad of soldiers and ascertain how much
of a force was threatening their right flank and con-
cealed by the wood and darkness of the night.
Lieutenant Eniack, of the Seventh North Carolina,
was detailed with four men to reconnoitre the wood
from which Colonel Smith had emerged. About
this time a Federal oflicer [probably General Kneip]
rode up in the woods in front and called for General
Williams of the Twelfth Corps. One of the skir-
mishers of the Thirty-third North Carolina fired at
the Federal oflicer, and the fire was returned by the
Federal pickets not far distant, and a part of the
Seventh North Carolina fired a volley in the direction
of the Federal officer and into the rear of a portion
of the skirmish line of the Thirty-third North Car-
olina. The picket fire became more animated and
rolled along both picket lines to the northward, past
the plank road, and was increaHed by volleys from
one of the Federal regiments stationed near the
plank road. This desultory firing occurred shortly
after nine p. m., and is the cause of the accident to
General Jackson. When Lane left Jackson he was
in the road near where the Bullock road comes into
the plank road, and he was alone, and such was the
distribution of his troops at this moment that a
Federal scouting party could have come up the
Hazel Grove road and seized him as prisoner of war.
Even as late as nine p. m. it was totally unguarded.

MAP or BATTLS OF CHAN CELLO R8V1LLE. 549

550 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

and Major Jed Hotchkiss, of Jackson's staff, rode
down the road to the Hazel Grove field at this hour
without meeting a solitary soldier of either army,
and, ill fact, he did not know that Lane's men were
deployed between him and Chancellor's, perhaps
a hundred yards distant. General Hill and some of
his staff soon joined Jackson, and then Jackson
gave to Hill his orders in the brief sentence, " Press
them, cut them off from the United States Ford,
Hill, press them ! " A. P. Hill replied that none of
his staff were familiar with the country, thereupon
Jackson turned to Boswell, who was well acquainted
with all roads and paths, and ordered him to report
to Hill. Soon after the party turned to the left to
the space in the forest where the Bullock and
Mountain roads came into the plank road, and were
passing up the Mountain road when a courier from
General Stuart, who had gone to Ely Ford with his
cavalry, rode up to Jackson and delivered a message.
Jackson ordered tl)e courier to wait for a reply.
This cavalrvman, named Dav Kyle, was born at the
White House, in rear of Chancellorsville, and was
perfectly aequainted with every path and road on
the plateau of Chancellorsville, and it is to him that
we are able to trace every footstep from this time
until the fatal event.

The Mountain road is an old road which comes
out of the plank road about half a mile from Chan-
cellorsville, and runs parallel with it, and north of
it, sixty to eighty yards distant, and again eomes
into it, together with the Bullock road, opposite the
road from Hazel Grove. Although long out of use,
it is still distinctly visible to-day. It is certain that

JACKSON IN DANGER. 561

Jackson and his party passed along the mountain
path and not up the plank road, past the guns
placed in battery. Furthermore, the two oflScers of
the Eighteenth North Carolina Regiment, stationed
on the plank road, have declared that Jackson did
not pass by them but turned off to the left of their
rear and passed out of view in the forest. Jackson
was well aware that the plank road was swept by
the lire of the Federal cannon at Fairview, and that
the batteries were ready to open fire at the first sign
of a movement by the enemy. Moreover, there
was nothing to call him on the plank road, for Fair-
view was not his objective point, but the White
House, and the path that he was upon led directly
to it.

For the first one hundred yards the Bullock and
Mountain roads are blended together, and up this
roadway, about nine o'clock in the evening, the
party of Confederate oflicers passed along, with
their chieftain riding in advance. About one hun-
dred yards from the entrance of the pass into the
plank road the party passed quietly through the ranks
of the Eighteenth North Carolina Regiment, then
drawn up in line of battle, extending to the north
for some distance, and waiting for the signal of
advance from General Lane. They passed so
quietly through the Eighteenth Regiment that
Major Barry, stationed on the left wing of the regi-
ment, did not notice them, and was not informed of
their passage. They continued slowly along the
Mountain road toward the Thirtv-third North Caro-
lina Regiment, then drawn up in a strong skirmish
line extending across the plank road into the forest,

552 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

some distance north of it, and from two to three
hundred yards in front of the Eighteenth North
Carolina Regiment. They passed on almost to the
hne of the Thirty-third North Carolina skirmishers
and halted. Jackson listened for a moment to the
sounds coming from the Federal lines — the ringing
of the axes in building the fortifications, the words
of command being distinctly audible — and then
turned his horse in silence and slowly retraced Iiis
steps back to the place where the Mountain, Bullock
and the Hunting roads or paths come together, and
about sixty to eighty yards from where the
Eighteenth North Carolina Regiment was standing
in the woods, and about sixty to seventy yards from
where the monument now stands, on the plank road.
Jackson then stopped and again turned his horse
towards the Federal lines, and was apparently listen-
ing to the sounds from the front, and for Lane's sig-
nal for the advance. General A. P. Hill and his
adjutant, Colonel W. H. Palmer, again joined him.
Tlie group of horsemen respectfully gathered
together in his rear; all were standing still and in
silence, when suddenly a single rifle shot rang out
distinctly in the evening air, and at some distance
south of the plank road. The fatal shot was that
fired by the skirmisher of the Thirty-third North
Carolina, at the call of General Kneip: it was
instantly replied to, and as the firing rolled along
the line of the skirmishers of both armies and was
increased in volume by the volleys of the Seventy-
third New York and a part of the Seventh North
Carolina, both lines of battle became keenly on the
alert.

JACKSON MORTALLY WOUNDED. 553

At this moment Colonel Purdie and the adju-
tant of the Eighteenth North Carolina had gone
forward on the plank road about two hundred
yards, to consult with Colonel Avery, of the Thirty-
third North Carolina, near the old Van Wert cabin,
about the approach of the enemy on the right flank
and rear, and while engaged in this conversation
the picket firing broke out in their front. Purdie
and his adjutant instantly turned and rushed with
all their speed down the plank road towards their
position at the head of the Eighteenth North Caro-
lina Regiment. The sounds of their footsteps
startled the Confederate soldiers already aroused by
the roar of musketry in front, and as Major Barry,
on the left of the Eighteenth, some distance in the
woods, heard these sounds of rapid approach from
the front and suddenly saw a group of strange
horsemen moving about among the shadows of the
trees eighty yards in his front and to his right, he
instantly gave the order to fire and repeat the
firing.

The fire of the rifles of the North Carolina
mountaineers was fearfully effective, and every one
of that group of horsemen went down or disap-
peared before its fatal aim, except Jackson. The
chieftain, although grievously wounded, kept his seat
in the saddle, even when Old Sorrel, startled by the
confusion around him, dashed across the path into
an oak tree, whose branches nearly swept him to the
ground, and then continued on towards the plank
road, but finally stopped a few yards from the road,
where some of the officers who had escaped the
destructive fire found him, and tenderly lifting him

554 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

from the saddle laid the wounded chieftain under a
pine tree. Soon after, General A. P. Hill came to his
side and sent for aid, but as Jackson could walk, he
was assisted to his feet and taken to the plank road
and turned towards the Doudal House. As the
party walked down the road the number was
increased by the officers, who desired to ofter some
assistance, and the enlarged group of men, both on
horse and on foot, attracted the notice of Captain
Osborn, who had charge of the two Federal guns
placed at the foot of the hill on picket, and about
seven hundred or eight hundred yards distant. It
was then bright moonlight, and objects could be
seen a long distance on the broad road. Osborn at
once opened fire, and it was regarded by the batteries
in the rear, at Fairview, as a signal that the enemy
were advancing in force, and in a moment after half
past nine forty -three guns in all were directing a ter-
rific fire down the plank road. At this time the
entire road below the Hazel Grove road was filled
with biittalions of Confederate artillery and troops
marching up to take part in the advance movement.
The Federal fire raked tlie road with fearful eifect,
and Jackson's bearers were struck down twice, and
it w^as in the midst of this tempest of bursting shell
that. Jackson delivered his last order to his army,
and it was to General Pender, whose column was
being torn to pieces by the Federal sliot and shell,
*' You must hold your ground, General Pender."
The wounded general was at last conveyed in safety
to the Doudal Tavern, and Stuart was sent for to
take charge of the command. In the meantime
General Lane, at the extreme right of his brigade,

FEDERALS MADE PRISONERS. 565

was anxiously awaiting the return of the scouting
party sent into the forest on his flank.

In a few moments Lieutenant Emack, with his
four North Carolinian soldiers, returned with one
hundred and fifty or more Federal soldiers of the
One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania
Regiment, who had become bewildered in the dark
forest and yielded to the summons of the Confed-
erate oflScer. As the party came up to the log works
where General Lane was standing, Colonel Smith
refused to submit to the surrender of his men, as a
violation of the handkerchief of truce, and an
earnest discussion arose over the question of right,
when suddenly the artillery fire of the Federal bat-
teries burst upon them, and to escape the tempest of
destruction both Federals and Confederates instantly
sprang over to the shady side of the log works and
lay side by side in temporary brotherly love. But as
soon as the Federal fire ceased General Lane ordered
the Federal soldiers to be conducted to the rear as
prisoners of war. Shortly after. General Pender
went to General Lane, still in the forest, and informed
him of the accident to General Jackson, and also of
the wounding of General Hill by the Federal artil-
lery fire, and advised General Lane not to advance.

About ten p. m. General Lane withdrew his left
wing from the north of the road, and prolonged his
right, deflecting it to the Hazel Grove road, while
Pender marched his brigade to take the place of
Lane's left wing removed. All operations then
ceased pending the arrival of General Stuart, who
did not reach the field until nearly midnight.

At the hour of nine p. m. Jackson must have felt

556 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

sure of success, for the field at the White House
was about one thousand yards distant, with only
the feeble remnants of the beaten Eleventh Corps
and a regiment of Barry's division to oppose him on
the direct avenue of approach. It is in evidence
that while Lane's strong brigade was to engage
the attention of the enemy at Fairview, Jackson
intended to slip up the Bullock road with Pender's,
McGowan's, Heth's and other brigades, which were
then in readiness to march. And this explains why
Jackson and Hill were at the junction of the
Bullock and Mountain roads instead of being on the
plank road. The broad plank road was crowded for
a long distance with battalions of Confederate
artillery and their ammunition trains, all ready to
advance. Williams at this time had returned to
strengthen the Federal position at Fairview with his
division, but the most of Sickles's force was at or
below Hazel Grove, and Barlow's stout brigade
was far below and lost in the w^oods and darkness.

When we consider the position of the Federal
army at Chaneellorsville at this moment, and how
many important battles have been won by trivial
flank attacks, how Richepense, with a single brigade,
ruined the Austrian armv at Hohenlinden, and how
the charge of a handful of horsemen under Keller-
man n won the great battle at Marengo, etc., we must
admit that the Federal army was in great peril

when Jackson arrived within one thousand vards of

its vital point, with more than twenty thousand men
and a hundred cannon, and the only obstacle a hand-
ful of beaten soldiers of the wrecked Eleventh Corps
and a regiment of the Third.

FEARFUL ERROR. 557

The fatal shots came from the left wing of the
Eighteenth North Carolina, and the whole brigade
has been blended in the severe denunciations hurled
upon them in this unfortunate affair. When
Mahone's brigade of Virginians, in broad daylight,
on the 6th of May, 1864, fired repeatedly into their
own corps, killing General Jenkins and his aide,
Doby, and wounding General Longstreet and many
others, nothing was said about it. The mistake in
daylight was more inexcusable than the error in
the darkness of night. Major Barry ordered his
men to fire, for he was not aware of any one passing
in his front, excepting the pickets, and they were
not mounted. Major Barry was an officer cool and
brave, and neither Jackson, Hill nor Lane ever
blamed him for his fearful error. As to the charge
of being panic-stricken, there is no evidence of it to
be deduced from the particulars ; on the contrary,
there is much to be admired in the conduct of
Lane's brigade on this unfortunate night. The
entire brigade had been warned by its commander
to be on the alert, keenly on the alert, as they were
in front of the Federal army and without imme-
diate support. The charge that there was no
picket line established is completely untrue, for the
entire Thirty-third North Carolina Regiment was
stretched across the plank road, above and below it,
and far in advance of where Jackson stood when
fired upon. This brigade faced the Federal front
in line of battle, and although twice exposed to the
fire of fortv-three cannon, it never faltered or called
for help until its flank and rear were threatened,
about midnight.

558 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

The history of this command under its dauntless
leader throughout the war, ending at Appomattox,
will always be admired and respected by those who
believe in American manhood. And the student
who seeks to discover a higher degree of courage
and hardihood among the military organizations of
either army will look over the true records of the
war for a long time, if not in vain.

It may perhaps be said that the battle of Chan-
cellorsville, with all its glory to the Southern arms,
was a fatal day to the vitality of the Army of
Northern Virginia. The gain in cannon, in prison-
ers and in morale was great, it is true, but the loss
of Jackson — ^the right arm of Lee — was irreparable,
and the hosts of dauntless men who went down in
the bloody struggle of that day the South could not
replace.

Jackson's hold upon his followers was quite
remarkable, and much of it was due to his military
success, for nothing like victory gives rise to the
strong attachment of our nature. "Silence is
golden," says the old proverb, and Jackson was a
good example, for he was as reticent as Von
Moltke. Moreover, he seemed to take no one into
his close confidence except General Lee; not for
want of faith in the men around him, but because it
was a cardinal tenet with him that secrecy was one
of the strongest military axioms.

The smile of fortune bad so often attended his
daring and reckless movements that his followers
obeyed his commands with implicit confidence.
His earnest religious nature also had a marked
eftect upon the disposition of his soldiers. Both

CONSTANTLY ON THE OFFENSIVE. 559

Jackson and Lee endeavored to impress upon the
Southern soldier a sense of moral duty and a belief
in Divine protection, and it certainly added hope,
strength and steadiness to their efforts and their
bearing, as it did to the followers of Cromwell,
Gustavus and Marlborough. Generally, the North*
ern soldier and the Northern mind willingly accord
to Jackson military qualities of the highest rank,
and they will admit that he had the intuitive genius
of war, courage and endurance, qualities eminently
requisite m a soldier.

It was Jackson's nature to be constantly on the
offensive, and he often supplied the deficiency of
military strength by his skill and combination.
Often the Federal soldier might have repeated to
himself the remark of the Hungarian veteran con-
cerning Napoleon in the Italian campaigns : " He
knows nothing of the regular rules of war; he is
sometimes on our front, sometimes on the flank,
sometimes in the rear. There is no supporting such
gross violation of rules."

Between Jackson and his illustrious commander,
General Lee, there was much of that steady friend-
ship, that sincere and mutual regard, that admirable
adjustment and harmony, which throw an immortal
lustre around the names and the actions of the great
Marlborough and the Prince Eugene, less than two
centuries ago.

As the mists of prejudice clear away and the true
ideas of a national sentiment prevail, the wish to
accord to the Southern soldier the full measure of
his merits in the Civil War grows stronger with the
Northern mind, and there is, moreover, a genuine

660 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

desire to claim as national treasure the fame of
some of the soldiers who fought for secession. It is
natural that such a generous feeling should arise
and prosper, and it may come to pass in the not far
distant future that an intelligent and enlightened
nation will erect common monuments to some of the
leaders of our great Civil War. A few years ago the
best of England's men erected a common monu-
ment to the memory of the leaders of the civil war
which desolated England in the seventeenth century,
and the poet laureate of England composed its noble
inscription :

** Art thou a patriot, traveler? On this field

Did Falkland fall, the hlameless and the brave,

Beneath a tyrant's banner. Dost thou boast

Of loyal ardor? Hampden perished here,

The rebel Hampden, at whose glorious name

The heart of every honest Englishman

Beats high with conscious pride. Both uncorrupt,

Friends to their common country both, they fought,

They died in adverse armies. Traveler,

If with thy neighbor thou shouldst nut accord,

In charity remember these good men,

And quell all angry and injurious thoughts."

Late Lieutenant-Colonel, U. S. A.

Bangor, Mb., Oct. 10th, 1895.

: 8

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CO ^

O ?

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2: 8

TRIBUTE

GENERAL JACKSON.

Bt BrigadisbpGxksbal Basil Duke.

(Oommanded Morgan*! OftTalry ForcM.)

Ant opinion I can offer of General Jackson's mil-
itary character and of the services he rendered in the
field has been formed solely from a study of reports
of his campaigns and from conversations with those
who were near him during his remarkable career,
for I was not so fortunate as to know him person-
ally or to serve under him at any time. It is with
great diffidence that such an opinion is submitted.
So much has been written about the military opera-
tions in which he was so conspicuous and, in all
that he personally undertook, so successful, that any
contribution to such literature may well appear
superfluous, or even presumptuous, unless made by
one able to mention something not heretofore con-
sidered, or at least present in a new light and with
the authority of a witness facts and incidents which
have been already often told.

I can not, therefore, attempt any narration, much
less anything in the nature of criticism, of matters
with which every reader of military history is
familiar, but shall simply furnish that tribute due
his genius and heroism which his every countryman

A GREAT STRATEGIST. 568

and comrade has the right to render, in terms
which, however trite they may seem, are cordial and
sincere.

General Jackson's fame as a strategist, great as it
is, will perhaps increase as his campaigns are more
closely studied and more perfectly understood from
a comparison of the data furnished by those who
participated in them on both sides. His expedition
into the Shenandoah Valley in May, 1862 — which
has been so frequently and aptly compared to Napo-
leon's first campaign in Italy — has rarely been
equaled for boldness of initiative and celerity of
movement, and for the accuracy with which the
enemy's situation at the moment of advance was
surmised and his subsequent movements anticipated.
Calculating with marvelous precision where and
when to strike, timing the swift movements of his
little column with a skill as perfect as was the judg-
ment with which he handled his detachments, he
succeeded, with an army insignificant in numbers, in
not only baffling but defeating and driving before
him in confusion an immense host of the enemy,
neutralizing all the forces under Fremont, Banks
and Shields at a period vitally critical to the Con-
federate cause. His march immediately afterward
with his entire command from the Valley to Rich-
mond, to take part in the battles with McClellan,
was a fitting strategic conclusion to a prelude so
brilliant.

Scarcely less indicative of strategical ability were
his movements just preceding the second battle of
Manassas and those before the capture of Harper's
Ferry, and no criticism will ever be thought extrava-

664 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

gant which gives unqualified commeudation to both
the conception and the execution of that masterly
movement by which Hooker's right flank was
turned and crushed at Chancellorsville.

His reputation as a tactician will be little, if any,
less than that of a strategist ; for while opportunity
was never afforded him to demonstrate a capacity
for handling large masses of men in the presence of
the enemy, it would be difficult to cite the name of
any general famous in modern warfare who could
more perfectly utilize all tactical advantages with
small bodies of men, and supplement lack of num-
bers by promptness, celerity and decision in ma-
noeuvring. That he was entitled to full credit as a
daring and stubborn fighter was incontestably dem-
onstrated by his conduct in every battle wherein he
was engaged, as either commander or subordinate.
General Jackson certainly possessed in very marked
degree the moral and intellectual qualities most
essential to success in war. His energy seemed tire-
less, his will always active and unyielding, and his
capacity for prompt decision and adherence to the
judgments lie formed very remarkable. He had the
facnlty of acquiring the implicit confidence of the
men he led, and of inspiring them with extreme
enthusiasm, while himself never losing any particle
of self-control or the coolest and clearest under-
standing of every situation. All great soldiers have
had these characteristics.

General Jackson had also that rare combination
of caution and audacity in which each is fully elfi-
cicnt and neither unduly predominates. He never
Buttered himself to be attacked that the event did

A GRBAT COMMANDER. 565

not show his ability to repulse the enemy — he never
failed to deliver attack when, for any reason, his
enemy was vulnerable ; and although constantly
oflfering or receiving battle with forces so inferior
numerically to those opposed to him, that, in this
regard, to risk encounter seemed a reckless tempt-
ing of fortune, it must be admitted that not only
the result, but a fair criticism of all the conditions
on which his action was predicated, in almost every
instance, vindicated his judgment. Such were the
qualities which made General Jackson a great com-
mander. In addition to these, he possessed higher
and rarer attributes — a clear and exalted conception
of duty and firm, unselfish resolution to perform
it, which reinforced the courage and skill of the
soldier with the influence which grandeur of soul
and the noblest patriotism could exert.

"^^x. Jt <^^t^

JACKSON, " THE HERO."

By Major-Gsneral S. G. French.

(Commanded Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia.)

. . . "Stonewall" Jackson was endowed with
those great and harmoniously balanced powers of
mind that nature occasionally bestows on one of her
favorite children, and which Avhen directed to the
art of war gives to the world an organizer, strategist
and tactician, and makes him master of all its details
and manifold requirements. He possessed a mag-
netic influence that gave to his soldiers an individu-
ality that was returned by an abiding confidence in
his judgment and ability.

He was resolute, enduring, patient and reticent.
His ambition — however vailed — was boundless, and
his reliance on his own abilities as wonderful as his
success. Instance his reply to the authorities,
"Give me more men and fewer orders," and his
remarks when the boy Pelham with one gun
checked Burnside's advance at Fredericksburg —
" Give me fifty thousand Pol hams and I will subju-
gate the world.*'

Although, with humility, he disclaimed them, his
deeds were all liis own.

In his Valley campaign against Freemont and
Shields his combinations, strategy and tactics were
not unlike those of Napoleon atRivoli, when Alvinczy
debouched from the Tyrol, by the Adige and the
Brenta, with sixty thousand men to relieve Wurm-

HIS LAST BATTLE. 567

ser whom Napoleon was besieging in Mantua. Like
Bonaparte struck Quasdonovich at Bivoli, Jackson
struck Fremont at Cross Keys, just hard enough to
paralyze him; then, leaving a small force in his
front, he withdrew Ewell and quickly crossed the
Shenandoah at Port Republic and routed Shields;
thus preventing their junction, although in sight
of each other. He defeated each in quick succession.

But it was at Chancellorsville, where he fought
his last battle, that the star of his destiny shone
resplendent in glory, and there he showed himself
the great captain.

Sent by Lee (whose tactics in this battle for
audacity is unparalleled) with his three divisions to
attack the enemy on his left and rear, he sped to his
object, like an arrow to the mark, from which
nothing could- divert him.

Told, when riding at the head of his troops,
that the enemy had attacked the rear train, he said,
" Tell the rear guard to whip them off." Again a
courier came and announced some of his wagons
captured ; moving on, he asked, " Did they get any
of the ordnance wagons?" "No." "Ah! tell the
guard not to lose any ammunition wagons," and on
he pressed to the mark ; and therein he showed the
great captain that he was. It was six p. m. before
the line of battle was formed. But when it moved —

** Roncesvallcsl RoncesvanesI I saw men ever such a sight I "

Like the tidal wave of the monsoon the tide of
battle rolled on, overthrowing everything before it
till lost in darkness, shaking the Chancellor mansion,
where the Federal commander had his headquarters,
to its foundation.

668 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Retumiug from the front of the enemy, crowned
by victory, filled with hope for the morrow, in the
meridian of his fame, this great man fell — fell by the
fire of his own men who loved him but too w6ll !
Providence denied the enemy to make the sacrificial
ofiering that was that day required to be made as
the price of victory. And so his spirit, on invisible
wings, sailed over the river to Valhalla ; and if it be
that kindred souls attract each other in that vale,
then the shades of Havelock, " Stonewall " Jack-
son and "Chinese" Gordon rest under a tree
alone— the three great Christian heroes of the age.

WiNTXB Pabk, Fla., September 2i, 1896.

PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS

GENERAL JACKSON.

By Majob-Gkneral Lafatktte McLaws.

(Commanded Dirision Army of Northern Virginia.)

Wb had realized, at the [commencement of the
war, that General Jackson's very brilliant and daring
achievements in the Valley of Virginia, during the
period when the combination of United States
armies, under direction of General McClellan, was
culminating against Richmond, resulted in such a
menace to the Federal capital, Washington, that the
advance of the forces under General McDowell on
our left was withdrawn in order to protect that
capital from Jackson's forces, thus relieving the
Confederate army, under General J. E. Johnston, of
very embarrassing conditions.

Although at that time he was personally unknown
to most of us, the conclusions of all who read the
details of that campaign were that General Jackson
was a man, calm, cool, with a mind serious and con-
centrated and adventurous, bringing the most prac-
tical ideas to bear on the most daring undertakings,
a man of few words but essentially one of action.
Give him his orders and his impulse was to obey,
and in the execution he halted not for precise
instructions, nor made excuses for non-action by
asking for more men, but dared everything and

570 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

made his assaults regardless of the superiority of
the force opposed to him.

If he had been at Gettysburg on the evening of
July 1st, when the enemy were in full retreat and in
confusion upon the hill and ridge on which the
battles of the 2d of July occurred, there would have
been no delay in the onward march of his then
victorious troops ; he would not have hesitated, when
he saw the chance of success offered by the evident
confusion of the retreating foe, but have gone for-
ward, with his characteristic dash and daring, and
those important positions would doubtless have
been ours, and the battle of Gettysburg of the 3d
would not have occurred. This was the reputation
he had made for himself, to last forever.

I met him for the first time, and had conversation
with him, after the surrender of Harper's Ferry. I
was on the Maryland side of the Potomac with my
command, a portion upon Maryland Heights, which
had been captured by them, and the rest in other
positions, offering battle to the forces under General
Franklin. When my aide-de-camp, returning to
me after carrying a message to General Jackson
then in Harper's Ferry, informed me that General
Jackson wished to see me, I turned over the com-
mand temporarily to General R. H. Anderson, and,
crossing the V)ridgo over the Potomac, reported to
him. But few words passed between us. He in-
formed me that he intended to move with a part of
his command to Sharpsburg that evening, but gave
me no special instructions as to my movements.
The captured garrison was being sent across the
river upon the only bridge, the pontoon one just

DESTITUTE TROOPS. 571

mentioned, and were marched along the river bank
and along the front of my troops, and, passing around
the ridge on the left or east of the Valley, through
Weverton Pass at its foot, were free to go wher-
ever they wished; and as Franklin's corps and com-
mand of Federal troops were but a few miles
distant above, information as to the status of my
force was doubtless communicated to him ; so that
my force was held in line ready to resist any attack
that might be made upon it.

I thus waited until the way was clear, and was
therefore unable to cross to the Maryland shore
until the next day about eleven or twelve a. m.

Many of my men were without shoes and the
entire command without provisions, and had been
so for several days, except such as could be obtained
by spasmodic eftbrts of individuals and regimental
officials; all that had been captured in Harper's
Ferry had been otherwise disposed of. I made
strenuous efforts to get something, but with very
little results. My destitute troops nevertheless went
forward cheerfully towards Sharpsburg and, cross-
ing the Potomac before daylight, were halted near
Sharpsburg, by special order of General Lee given
to myself in person, within one-quarter of a mile
from the headquarters of General Lee who at the
same time directed me to rest my men and to obey
no orders except such as came direct from himself —
this before sunrise on that day.

So soon as halted, I myself, who had not slept for
three nights, and nearly all of my command, which
had been marching all night, went to sleep in the
high grass alongside of the road.

572 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

About nine o'clock, as I judged by the sun, I was
awakened by a stafi* officer and told that my division
was wanted, and had been formed and was march-
ing to the front, as I could not be found at the time,
being concealed by the high grass in which I slept.
Mounting my horse, which had been grazing close
by, I was soon at the head of my men; and being
met by a staff* officer of General Jackson and one of
General D. H. Hill, the direction in which I was to
attack was pointed out. At the proper time my
line was formed to make it. General Jackson came
to me then and directed that I send one brigade to
the support of Early, which was done at once, and
as our men, of whose command I do not know,
were seen retiring in my immediate front, my force
(three brigades) was ordered forward rapidly, and
moving in order, in splendid style met the advance
of the conquering enemy and drove them 1:)ack in
confusion.

When the lines were reformed along the crest
of the small elevation, whieli had been won from
the enemy, a tremendous cannonade, hurling shot
and shell and grape and canister at us from a very
short range, was then going on. The enemy, having
failed in the direct charge to drive our troops, were
attempting to make us give way by this means.
General Jackson then came to where I was sitting
on my horse, and we stood, he also on horseback,
facing each other; and although from our stand-
point we could not see the batteries of the enemy,
yet it seemed as if our position was known to them,
for while there ten or more shells were burst over
our heads, and the sound of the shrapnel shot

GRAPE SHOT AND SHELLS. 578

could be heard as it crashed through the branches
of a tree not over five steps beyond us. One shell
passed between General Jackson and myself, and
one struck a courier and, I think, broke his leg, not
ten feet from us, and fell between our horses. Gen-
eral Jackson looked at it and so did I, but it did
not explode. General Jackson then remarked, " The
enemy, it seems, are getting our range," and rode
away, much to my gratification.

He remarked two or three times when with me
that " God had been very kind to us to-day," and
directed me to " press the enemy on the left ! " But
as my division was about the center of the line and
the enemy were in force directly in my front, not
over a quarter of a mile distant, and my command
in a half starved and exhausted condition, having
already lost forty per cent in killed, wounded and
missing, I had no force with which to do anything
but watch and guard my own front, especially as
the enemy continued their terrific and concentrated
fire from their batteries upon it — the grape shot
and shells cutting down limbs of trees which fell
among my men, and the fragments of the shells and
the shrapnel injuring many who were lying down
or sheltering themselves as they best could while
waiting for the charge which this concentrated
fire led me to expect would come every moment.

As our lines did not give way, the cannonade
gradually ceased and both sides in my front became
quiet. During this, General Jackson sent me word,
or came himself, requesting me to make a recon-
noissance on the left. General J. E. B. Stuart was
near me at the time, and at my request he rode with

574 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

me, passing through Jackson's command on to the
left, where we ascended a little hill from which
we saw a battery of eight to sixteen guns, not over
six hundred yards away, having a large number of
men aboard it ; but before we could make a more
minute inspection with our glasses, the battery
opened fire upon us, firing a number of guns at
once, the shells going a little beyond us. We
retired precipitately without further examination,
it seeming to me that this action by the enemy
evidenced an apprehension on their part that we
were reconnoitring to attack them, rather than
that they were preparing to attack us on our left,
and I so reported. Whatever fighting of conse-
quence that took place after this was done elsewhere
than in my front, and we remained quiet in position.

From the opportunities I had to form a concep-
tion of the character of General Jackson I was
convinced that he deserved all of the great confi-
dence in which he was held by General Lee, and
that was a high honor for any one. There was no
other such character in our army, for in addition to
the qualities I have stated, in which he stood pre-
eminent, he had a sublime faith in the justness
of our cause, and often acted as if he was, on special
and desperate occasions, asking God's aid for suc-
cess; and as he was so often successful, even in the
most desperate enterprises, the impression prevailed
that he was favored by the Almighty, and this added
confidence to the brave hearts under him, giving
additional dash and determination in their charge.

He had close to his heart the verv essence of our
cause, as stated by President Davis, believing and

RIGHTS OF OUR SIRES. 575

feeling that he was fighting for "the rights of our
sires, won in the War of the Revolution, the State
sovereignty, freedom and independence, which were
left to us as an inheritance for their posterity for-
ever," and no man could have done more to main-
tain them.

Major-General C. 8. A.

GENERAL STONEWALL JACKSON.

Bt Major-General Hbnrt Heth.

(Gommanded Division under General Jackson at Battle of Chancellors Title.)

I WAS three years at West Point with General
Stonewall Jackson ; he Avas graduated in the class
of 1846, I in the class of 1847. We never met
when officers of the United States Army. It was
my fortune to have been in but one battle with
General Jackson ; that battle was his last, the battle
of Chancellorsville.

I consider General Stonewall Jackson the most
extraordinary man as a soldier that I ever met. It
appeared to me, and I can find but one word to
express my idea, that on the battle-field he was an
inspired man. To appreciate General Jackson's
wonderful ability as a soldier he must have been
seen on the field of battle. Quick as lightning to
take in the situation confronting him, he knew
exactly when, where and how to strike, and when
he (lid strike he was as irresistible as a tornado — he
swept all l)efore him. Never excited, he was as cool
under fire as he would liave been if attending to his
devotions in his church. Had he been spared to the
Confederacy during the years of 1863, '64 and '65,
it is my belief that matters would have resulted dif-
ferently.

FIRST SIGHT OF JACKSON.

By Briqadiek-Genkral Samuel G. McGk)WAN.

(Commanding Brigade under General Jackson.)

... I REMEMBER the occasioD on which I first saw
General Jackson — on the eve of the battle of Manas-
sas (July 21st, 1861). The Federals were encamped
at or near Centreville, on the north side of Bull Run.
The Confederates occupied the south side and
guarded the fords of that stream from the Stone
Bridge to the Union Mills — a distance of eight miles.
They had reason to believe that the impending
struggle would be forced on their right, and had
made arrangements accordingly. But some short
time after midnight, before the battle, it was
reported to General Bonham, who guarded the
approaches to Mitchell's Ford, that the Federals
were moving in large force towards the Stone
Bridge — that is to say, to our left instead of to our
right, as had been expected. After taking the pre-
caution to verify the report, General Bonham de-
spatched one of his staft* officers (who happened to
be myself) to gallop down to Manassas Junction
and report this information to General Beauregard.
That was done, and he (Beauregard) ordered me to
find General Jackson, who, as understood, had just
arrived from the Valley, and was somewhere near
McLean's Ford, and to direct him, in the name of
Beauregard, to move at once with his command to
87

578 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the Lewis House, in the neighborhood of the Stone
Bridge. By inquiring, the bivouac of General Jack-
son was found in a clump of pines, the general
himself being already up, by a little blaze of fire,
before the gray dawn of that eventful day ! After
•explanations as to authority and the urgency of the
■case the order of General Beauregard was given to
Jackson, who, with the promptness and energy
which were his distinguishing characteristics, put
his troops on the march, and with his usual celerity
traversed the whole distance from the right to the
left of our lines, where he arrived just in time to
arrest the further progress of the Federal turning
column, then elated with the prospect of certain
success, and to contribute his full share to the
achievement of a great victory and, at the same
time, to win for himself that immortal name^ — ^better
than a title of nobility — proclaimed in the very
crisis of the battle by the gallant Bee, borne down
by overwhelming numbers, " There stands Jackson
like a stone wall ! " . . .

J 4^iyL --^j^/^

STONEWALL JACKSON'S PLACE IN

HISTORY.

By Colonsl G. F. R. Hkndxrson.

(ProfesBor in the Britiah Staff College, Camberly, Surrey, England.)

The echoes of the Civil War have not yet died
away. The survivors of the greatconflict still keep
its memories green; and we are still privileged to
hear, from the lips of those who shared in them, the
conversations around the fire of the bivouac, and to
learn the opinions of the rank and file on the
subjects in which the soldier takes special interest.
Foremost among the most absorbing topics of the
camp was, undoubtedly, the character of the dif-
ferent generals, whether friend or foe. When one
man holds in his hand the lives of thousands, when
one word means victory or defeat, the minds of those
thousands, even hardened as they may be, must
scan with something more than curiosity the indi-
vidual who rules their fate. The soldier in the
ranks tests his commander from two points of view:
first, from his achievements, second, from his person-
ality; and than the men who carry the musket there
are no shrewder judges. They may be ignorant of
the scope of the campaign, of the purpose of the
manoeuvres, but they have much to do with their
execution. Better than all the historians, better
than the higher leaders, they appreciate the diffi-
culties which attend the operations. In their own

580 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

limbs they have realized the length and labor of the
marches; with their own eyes they have seen the
strength of the enemy's positions and the numbers
that manned them ; and their intelligence, rate their
military knowledge as you will, is more than suf-
ficient to enable them to recognize a hazardous
situation, and to appreciate the exact measure of
ability which was brought to bear upon it. They
know — and none better — whether the orders of the
general were decided and to the point, whether the
opportunity was utilized, whether the attack was
pressed with resolution, or defence maintained to
the utmost limit of endurance. They judge by
results. They have seen the enemy driven in panic
flight by inferior numbers, his detachments sur-
prised, and his masses outmanoeuvred; and though
the victories thus won may have been relatively
unimportant, the strength of the opposing forces
insignificant, the lists of casualties and prisoners
comparatively small, yet the soldiers are not deceived.
The world at large recks little of minor engage-
ments, and is miicli too apt to measure military
capacity by the '* butcher's bills;" but the instinct
of the soldier tells him, and tells him truly, that
genius of the highest order may display itself in the
defeat of ten thousand men as clearly as in the defeat
of ten times that number. When he finds that
genius he resigns his individuality, and absolute
trust takes the place of speculation. The general in
whose soldierly abilities his veterans have im{>li('it
confidence, no matter what the scale of his victo-
ries, is, without doubt, a leader of men; for that
confidence is not easily given, it is only to be won

" WAE INTO AFRICA." 581

on the perilous edge of many battles, and it is only
accorded to consummate skill.

Amongst the echoes of the Civil War there is
none of clearer tone than the soldier's estimate of
Stonewall Jackson. It never fell to Jackson's lot
to lead a great army or to plan the strategy of a
great campaign. The operations in the Valley, al-
though far-reaching in their results, were insignifi-
cant both in respect of the numbers employed and
of the extent of their theatre. Nor was Jackson
wholly independent. His was but a secondary role,
and throughout the campaign he had to weigh at
every turn the instructions or suggestions of his
superior officers. His hand was never absolutely
free. His authority did not reach beyond certain
limits, and his operations were confined to one
locality. He was never permitted to " carry the
war into Africa. " Nor when he joined Lee at
Richmond was the restraint removed. In the
campaign against Pope, and in the march into
Maryland, he was certainly intrusted with tasks
which led to a complete severance from the main
army ; but that severance was merely temporary.
He was the most trusted of Lee's lieutenants, but
he was only a lieutenant after all. He had never
the same liberty of action as Johnston, or Bragg, or
Hood ; and consequently he had never a real oppor-
tunity for revealing the height and breadth of his
military genius. What would have been the issue
of the war if Jackson had been placed in command
of the Western armies of the Confederacy, whilst Lee
held fast in Virginia, must remain a matter of spec-
ulation. One thing is absolutely certain, Lee would

582 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

never have beeu able to replace him. As a subor-
dinate he was incomparable. " General Lee, " he
said, " is a phenomenon, I would follow him blind-
fold, " applying, with his wonderful insight into
character, exactly the same words that his own men
had come to apply to himself.

It seems that Lee was slower to learn his com-
rade's worth. Even the Valley campaign, with its
long roll of victories, did not at once enlighten him.
After Sharpsburg, perhaps with the memory of
Jackson's untoward delay on June 27th and again
at Frayser's farm on the 29th still fresh in his
memory, he writes : " My opinion of the merits of
General Jackson has been greatly enhanced dur-
ing this expedition. He is true, honest and brave,
has an eye single to the good of the service, and
spares no exertion to accomplish his object. " How
different and how significant was his generous cry,
not ten months later, when the glories of Chancel-
lorsville were obscured by Jackson's wound :
"Could I have directed events, I should have chosen,
for the good of the country, to have been disabled
in your stead. " Yet even after the " Seven Days "
to Jackson was committed every enterprise that
necessitated a detachment from the army. It was
Jackson, with plenary powers, who was sent to
check Pope's advance on Gordonsville, to cut his
communications at Bristoe Station, to capture Har-
per's Ferry, to hold the Valley when McClellan
advanced after Antietani, and to fall on Hooker's
flank at Chancellorsville. The records of the war
show abundantly, in the letters which passed be-
tween them, how the confidence of the commander-

WILL OF IRON. 588

in-chief in his subordinate increased, until, when
the news of Hooker's advance on Chancellorsville
was. reported, Lee could say to one of Jackson's aides-
de-camp : " Tell your good general that I am sure
he knows what to do. " Nevertheless, the fact that
Jackson never held an independent command, and,
more than this, his very excellence as a subordinate,
have served to diminish his reputation. Swinton, the
accomplished historian, speaks of him as follows :
" Jackson was essentially an executive officer, and
in that sphere he was incomparable, but he was
devoid of high mental parts, and destitute of that
power of planning a combination and of that calm,
broad military intelligence which distinguished
General Lee." And Swinton's verdict has been very
generally accepted. Because Jackson knew so well
how to obey, it is assumed that he was not well
fitted for independent command. Because he could
carry out orders to the letter, it is implied that he
was no master of strategy. Because his will was of
iron, and that his purpose, once fixed, never wavered
for a moment, we are asked to believe that his
mental scope was narrow. Because he was silent in
council, not eager in pressing his ideas, and averse
to argument, it is implied that his opinions on mat-
ters of great moment were hardly worth hearing.
Because his simplicity and honesty were so trans-
parent, because he betrayed neither in face nor
bearing any unusual power or consciousness of
power, it is hastily concluded that he was deficient
in the imagination, the breadth and the penetration
which are the distinguishing characteristics of great
generals.

584 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Yet look at the portraits of Jacksou, and aak if
the following description is not exactly applicable ?
" Strength is the most striking attribute of the coun-
tenance, displayed alike in the broad forehead, the
masculine nose, the firm lips, the heavy jaw and wide
chin. The look is grave and stern almost to grim-
ness. There is neither weakness nor failure here.
It is the image of the strong fortress, of a strong
soul buttressed on conscience and impregnable will."
And the face limned here with such power of pen is
not the face of a great conqueror or a great ruler, of
a Cromwell or a Wellington, but of Dante. The
truth is that his quiet demeanor concealed not only
a vivid imagination, but an almost romantic enthusi-
asm for all that was great or pure or true. Nor was
Swinton's verdict the verdict of the soldiers of the
Civil War. It was not the verdict of Lee — witness
his letter already quoted. It was not the verdict of
the Southern people and it was not the verdict of
their foes. It can hardly be questioned, I think, by
those familiar with the records of the war, with
the ephemeral literature of the time, with the letters
and biographies of the actors, that, at the time of
his death, Jackson was the leader most trusted by
the Confederates and most dreaded by the Federals.
Lee was his only rival, but I much doubt whether
at the date of Chancellorsville the news of Lee's
death would have been received with so much regret
in Richmond, or with as much relief at Washington,
as was Stonewall Jacksoirs. Nevertheless, the
instinct of the soldiers is hardly sufficient evidence
on which to claim for Jackson a place amongst the
most famous generals; and for the reason that his

MILITARY CAREER. 585

theatre of action was limited, it is difficult to assign
the rauk which he ought to hold. The rank, how-
ever, which, had his power been unfettered as that
wielded by Lee or Grant, he could in all probability
have attained may be inferred from his achievements
in a subordinate capacity. Moreover, Jackson was
not always inarticulate. To his intimates he con-
fided his own views on the conduct of the war.
His active brain, even whilst he was no more than a
brigadier, not only anticipated in what manner vic-
tories might be best improved, but, maintaining a
comprehensive grasp of the whole theatre of events,
determined by what means the ultimate triumph of
the Confederacy might be secured. These thoughts
took shape in definite proposals. And although
they were never, I believe, brought to the notice of
the supreme authorities, and whilst it is true that it is
much simpler to plan than to execute, much easier
to advise than to bear responsibility, these proposals
at least reveal the breadth of Jackson's mind, his
quick perception of the capital object which should
have been held in view by the Confederates, and of
the weak joint in the Northern harness. To these,
as I pass in review the chief events of Jackson's
military career, I may be permitted to refer.

The first year of the war gave the Lexington pro-
fessor but small opportunity. All he was intrusted
with ho did well, and his tactical abilitv was cor-
dially recognized by his superiors. Falling Waters,
his first essay in arms before the enemy, was an
insignificant affair. At Bull Run his brigade dis-
played a conspicuous part. The quic'k perception
of the advantages of the position on the eastern rim

586 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

of the Henry Hill had much to do with the Confed-
erate victory. Had the brigade been pushed for-
ward to the western rim, it would have been
exposed to the full force of the powerful Federal
artillery; as it was, placed on the further edge
of the plateau, it secured a certain amount of cover,
and rendered the attempt of the Northern batteries
to establish themselves on the plateau a disastrous
failure. Again, although it is hardly alluded to in
the official reports, there can be little doubt, at least
in the minds of those who have seen the ground
and read the narratives, but that the well-timed
charge of the Stonewall Brigade was decisive of the
issue. Nor can I omit to mention the ready initia-
tive with which the Stonewall Brigade, ordered up
to support the troops at the Stone Bridge, was
diverted on the march towards the heavy cannonade
on the left flank, or the determined bearing which
inspired his defeated colleagues with renewed confi-
dence. If two opinions exist as to the eflfect of
Jackson's charge there can be no question that, but
for his ready intervention and skilful choice of a
position, the key-point of the battle-field would have
been lost to the Confederates. Why the Southern
generals did not follow up their success is a question
round which controversy has raged for many a
year. The disorganization of the victorious volun-
teers, the difficulties of a direct attack on Washing-
ton, deficiencies of supply and transport, have all
been pressed into service as excuses. "Give nie ten
thousand fresh troops,'' said Jackson, as the surgeon
dressed his wounds after the battle, "and I would be
in Washington -to-morrow." Within twenty-four

AFTER BULL RUN. 587

hours the ten thousand had arrived. There were
supplies, too, along the railway in the rear, and if
means for their distribution and carriage were want-
ing, the counties adjoining the Potomac were rich
and fertile. It was not a long supply train that was
wanting, not a trained staflF, nor well-disciplined
battalions, but a general who grasped the full mean-
ing of victory, who understood how a defeated army,
more especially one of raw troops, yields at a touch,
who knew " that war must support war," and who,
above all, realized the necessity of giving the North
no leisure to develop her immense resources. That
Jackson was such a general may be inferred from
his after career. His daring judgment never failed
to discern the strategical requirements of a situa-
tion, and no obstacle ever deterred him from aiming
at the true objective. Whilst in camp after Bull
Run he said nothing. Afterwards, to his intimates,
he condemned the inaction of his superiors with
unusual warmth and emphasis. Of the accuracy of
his insight the letters of General McClellan, hurried
from West Virginia to command at Washington, are
the best evidence. On July 26th, the fifth day after
the battle, McClellan "found no preparations for
defence. All was chaos. . . . There was nothing to
prevent a small force of cavalry riding into the
city. ... If the Secessionists attached any value to
Washington, they committed their greatest error in
not following up the victory of Bull Run."

Jackson's removal in the late autumn to the
Shenandoah Valley was unmarked for some months
by any striking incident. The Romney expedition
did little more than frighten the Federals and reveal

588 LIFE OF GBNERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

the defects of the raw Confederate soldiers. But
during this time Jackson's brain was alive to more
momentous questions than the retention of a few
counties. The importance of the northwestern
districts of Virginia as a recruiting ground, the
necessity of an active offensive on the part of the
Confederate government, of anticipating the vast
preparations of the North, and of bringing the hor-
rors of war home to the citizens of the United
States — such questions constantly occupied his mind.
But the young brigadier had no voice in the coun-
cils of the South. At the end of February began
that series of operations which are combined under
the title of " The Valley Campaign ; " and this cam-
paign, on which Jackson's fame as a master of
strategy chiefly rests, was the most brilliant exhibi-
tion of generalship throughout the war. As regards
this campaign, however, a certain amount of mis-
conception exists. Its success is not to be attributed
wholly and solely to Jackson. It was due to John-
ston that Jackson was retained in the Valley when
McClellan moved to the Peninsula, and his, too,
was the fundamental idea pf the campaign, that the
Federals should be retained in the Valley. It was
Lee who at the end of April urged Jackson to
strike a blow at Banks, reinforcing the Army of the
Valley with Ewell's division for that purpose. It
was Lee who saw the diversion that might be
effected if Jackson threatened Washington, and it
was Lee who exactly at the right moment ordered
the Valley troops to Richmond. But it was none
the less true that Jackson realized the situation just
as clearly as Lee or Johnston. He saw from the

LEFT TO JACKSON. 689

very first the weak point in McClellan's plan of
campaign, and the probable effect of a threat against
Washington. When Lee urged him to strike Banks
at Harrisonburg he was already looking for an
opportunity. When Ewell arrived it was in re-
sponse to his own request for reinforcements, and it
may be remembered that Lee made no suggestion
whatever as to the manner in which his ideas were
to be carried out. Everything was left to Jackson.
The swift manoeuvres, which surprised in succession
his various enemies, emanated from him alone. It
was his brain that conceived the march by way of
Mechum's River Station to McDowell, the march
that surprised Fremont and bewildered Banks. It
was his brain that conceived the sudden transfer of
the Valley army from one side of Massanutton to
the other, the march that surprised Kenly and drove
Banks in confusion across the Potomac. It was his
brain that worked out the design of threatening
Washington with such extraordinary results. To
him, and to him only, was due the double victory
of Cross Keys and Port Republic. If Lee's strategy
was brilliant, that displayed by Jackson on the
minor theatre of war was no less masterly.

In March, 1862, 200,000 Federals were prepared
to invade Virginia. McClellan, before McDowell
was withheld, reckoned on placing 150,000 men at
West Point; there were 20,000 in West Virginia,
and Banks had 30,000 in the Valley. At no time
did the army opposed to them exceed 80,000, yet at
the end of June where are the "big battalions?"
One hundred thousand men are retreating to their
??hips on the James. But where are the rest?

690 LIVB OF GINBRAL THOMAS J. JACKSOK.

Where are the 40,000 men that should have r^»-
forced McOlellan ? How comes it that the colmnns
of Fremont and Banks are no farther south than
thej were in March ; that the Shenandoah Valley
still pours its produce into Bichmond; that Mc-
Dowell has not yet crossed the Rappahannock?
What mysterious power has compelled Lincoln to
retain a force larger than the whole Confederate
army '^ to protect the national capital from danger? "
Let Eemstown and McDowell, Windiester, Croes
£eys and Port Republic speak. The brains of two
great leaders had done more for the Confederacy
than 200,000 soldiers had done for the Union.
Without quitting his desk, and leaving the execu-
tion of his plans to Jackson, Lee had relieved Bich-
mond of 100,000 Federals. Jackson, with a force
of never more than 17,000, had ueutnUized and
demoralized this enormous force, and, finally join-
ing the main army, had aided Lee- to drive the
remaining 100,000 away from Bichmond.

Nor was this result due to hard fighting alone.
The Valley campaign lost the Federals no more than
seven thousand men, and, with the exception of
Cross Keys, the battles were well contested. It was
not due to inferior leading on the battle-field, for at
Kernstown, McDowell, Winchester and Port Repub-
lic the Federal troops were undeniably well handled.
Nor was it due to the want of will on the part of
the Northern government. It was simply due to the
splendid strategy of Lee and Jackson. Jackson^s
long and rapid marches were doubtless a factor of
much importance ; but more important still was the
skill that enabled him to effect surprise after sur-

1!'

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AS A STRATEGIST. 591

prise, to use the mountains to screen his movements,
and on every single battle-field, except Kernstown
and Cross Keys, despite the overwhelming superior-
ity of his opponent on the whole theatre, to concen-
trate a force greater than that immediately opposed
to him. "As a strategist," says Dabney, "the first
Kapoleon was undoubtedly Jackson's model. He
had studied his campaigns diligently, and he was
accustomed to remark with enthusiasm on the evi-
dences of his genius." "Napoleon," he said, "was
the first to show what an army could be made to
accomplish. He had shown what was the value of
time as a strategic combination, and that good
troops, if well cared for, could be made to march
twenty-five miles daily and win battles besides."
And he had remarked more than this. " We must
make this campaign," he said at the beginning of
1868, " an exceedingly active one. Only thus can a
weaker country cope with a stronger; it must make
up in activity what it lacks in strength. A defen-
sive campaign can only be made successful by tak-
ing the aggressive at the proper time. Napoleon
never waited for his adversary to become fully pre-
pared, but struck him the first blow." It would be
perhaps difficult in the writings of Napoleon him-
self to find a passage which embodies his concep-
tion of war in terms as definite as these, but no
words could convey it more clearly. It is such
strategy as this that " gains the aid of States and
makes men heroes." Napoleon did not discover it.
Every single general who deserves to be entitled
great has used it. It was on the lines here laid
down that Lee and Jackson apted. Lee, in compel-

592 LIFB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

ling the Federals to keep their columns separated,
manoeuvred with a skill which has seldom been sur-
passed. Jackson, falling as it were from the skies
into the midst of his astonished foes, struck right
and left with extraordinary swiftness, and with
seventeen thousand men paralyzed, practically
speaking, the whole Federal host. It is when
regarded in connection with the operations of the
main armies that the Valley campaign stands out in
its true colors ; but at the same time, as an isolated
incident, it is a campaign than which few can show
more extraordinary results. It has been compared,
and not inaptly, with the Italian campaign of 1796 ;
in some of its features it resembles that of 1814 ;
and in the secrecy of movement, celerity of march,
the skilful use of topographical features, in the
concentration of inferior force at the critical point,
it bears strong traces of the Napoleonic methods.
Above all, it reveals a most perfect appreciation of
the best means of dealing with superior numbers.
The emperor could hardly have applied his own
principles with more decisive effect.

Moreover, like that of 1796, the Valley campaign
was carried through by an officer who had but scant
experience of command. Like Napoleon when he
dashed through the passes of the Apennines, driv-
ing Austrian and Sardinian before him, Jackson in
1862 bad served no long apprenticeship to war, and
yet his first important enterprise, involving most
delicate questions of strategy and supply, was carried
to a successful conclusion *in the face of an enemy
who at one time was trebly superior, and takes
rank as a masterpiece of leadership. It is possible

VALLET CAMPAIGN. 598

that Jackson, in one characteristic, even excelled
Napoleon. With all his daring he was pre-emi-
nently cautious. He was neither intoxicated by
victory nor carried away by the gaudia certaminis.
His self-restraint was as strong as Wellington's.
Like the great Englishman, he knew as well when
to decline a battle as when to fight one ; he was
never inveigled into a useless conflict, and his tri-
umphs were never barren. The whole Valley cam-
paign— from Kernstown to Port Republic — cost the
Confederacy no more than twenty-five hundred men;
and this economy of life was due as much to Jack-
son's prudence as to his skilful strategy. He never
forgot that his was but a secondary role; that the
decisive act of the campaign must be played before
Richmond, and that every available musket would
be needed to overwhelm McClellan. It is easy to
imagine how his patience must have been tried when
Fremont, after Port Republic, fell back on Harri-
sonburg; how every impulse of his being must have
urged instant pursuit ; how every soldierly instinct
must have told him that the prey was before him
and that it needed but a few swift marches to crown
the campaign by a victory more complete than any
he had already won.

The Valley campaign may be said to have been
Jackson's only opportunity for showing his strate-
gical ability. In the movements (July 19th to
August 14th) against Pope, culminating in the bat-
tle of Cedar Run, although he completely achieved
his object, the situation demanded no pre-eminent
abilities. The Federal commander, in pushing
Banks forward without support, committed a mis-
38

5M LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

take> and Jackson, with his usnal promptness, took
swiftest advantage of it. The second phase of the
<^ampaign, however, gave a more brilliant opening.
Thrust with his single corps astride the enemy's
•communications, with his back to the Bull Run
Mountains, the remainder of the Confederate army
still beyond the passes of that outlying range, and
Pope's masses rapidly converging on his isolated
troops, he had to face a situation that few would
have faced unmoved. The manoeuvres by which he
baffled his adversaries, slipped from between their
fingers, and regained his connection with Lee at
exactly the right moment, were even more skilfiil
than those in which he escaped the converging col-
umns of Fremont and McDowell at the end of May.
Had the worst come to the worst he could always
have retired through Aldie Gap ; but Lee's object —
the immediate overthrow of Pope before he could
be reinforced by McClellan — forbade retreat, and
•Jackson's brains and energy were equal to the task.
A month later Lee imposed on him the capture of
Harper's Ferry. It was carried out, as were all of
Jackson's operations, in a manner which defies crit-
icism, and throughout, the requirements of the gen-
<3ral situation, the danger which menaced the main
army, were foremost in his mind. With the fall of
Harpers Ferry the tale of Jackson's detached enter-
prises came to an end.

This is hardly the place to discuss his views on
the military policy of the Confederate government.
He was an ardent and consistent advocate of inva-
sion, and I have already quoted his conviction as to
the only sound course which can be pursued by the

NEVER BLUNDERED. 595

weaker side. On this point opinions will probably
differ, but it may be said that it is a course which
has the sanction of many precedents, and has been
the invariable practice of the great masters of war.
Nor can I do more than refer to the methods by
which JackBon proposed to bring the North to its
knees. They are fully explained in Mrs. Jackson's
pages, and to examine their merits and to weigh
their probable chances of success would be to write
a treatise on the war.

So far I have confined myself to Jackson's con-
ception and application of strategic principles.
That both conception and application could hardly
have been improved upon is my firm conviction.
It is difficult to point out even the shadow of a mis-
take. Nor was Jackson the tactician inferior to
Jackson the strategist. Space forbids me examin-
ing the salient features of his many battles; but
from Kernstown to Chancellorsville the same char-
acteristics almost invariably reappear. Concentra-
tion of force against the enemy's weakest point, the
employment at that point of every available man
and gun, a close combination of the three arms,
infantry, cavalry and artillery, relentless energy in
attack, constant counterstroke on the defensive,
were the leading principles on which he acted ; and
here again he was Napoleonic to the core. It has
been said that the leaders of the Army of the Poto-
mac, as Lincoln's native shrewdness detected, never
"put in all their troops." Even Grant, in the cam-
paign of 1864, failed, except at Cold Harbor, in this
respect, and at Cold Harbor the troops were not
put in at the enemy's weak point. Here Jackson

596 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

never blundered, and we may compare the strength
of the three lines which crushed Hooker's left at
Chancellorsville * with the comparative weakness
of the assault at Gettysburg; and yet the Federal
army at Chancellorsville was stronger and the Con-
federate weaker than on July 3d. It is true that
Jackson was not invariably tactically successful.
He was beaten at Kernstown, although that action
was a strategic success; his advanced guard was
roughly handled at McDowell; Port Republic
might well have been a less costly victory, and at
Frayser's farm his delay was disastrous.

To my mind, however, the action with Gibbon at
Gainesville, although the troops behaved magnifi-
cently, was the only occasion on which Jackson
showed less than his wonted skill. His delay at
Frayser's farm is explained by his letter to Mrs.
Jackson (page 303). Constant rain and unhealthy
bivouac had brought on an attack of fever ; but at
Gainesville the tactical disposition of the Confeder-
ate forces was not such as we should have looked
for. It was purely "a hammer and tongs" fight,
carried through with extraordinary gallantry by the
men, but with no manoeuvring whatever on the part
of the Confederate general.

Napoleon, however, wrote, " I have made so many
mistakes that I have learned to blush for them,"
and the specks on Jackson's fame as a tactician are
not only few and far between, but may generally be

* I have not entered into the vexed question of whether Lee or
Jackson designed this movement, and I am convinced in my own
mind that both saw the weak point in the Federal dispositions, just
as they had both seen the weak point in 1862.

CONFEDERATE CAVALRY. 597

attributed to th6 shortcomings of his subordinates
or to the unavoidable accidents of war. One point
as regards Jackson's tactical skill has hardly
received sufficient attention. Although his whole
knowledge of cavalry was purely theoretical, he
handled his squadrons with an ability which no
other general up to the date of his death had yet
displayed. I am not alluding merely to the well-
timed charge which captured Kenly's retreating
infantry after the engagement at Front Royal,
although that in itself was a brilliant piece of
leadership, but to the use made of the cavalry in
the Yalley campaign. It is true that Stuart had
already done good work in 1861, but as a general
commanding a force of all arms Jackson was the
first to draw the full benefit from his cavalry.

" The manner," says Lord Wolseley, " in which ho
mystified his enemies is a masterpiece." It was not,
however, his secrecy regarding his plans on which
he principally relied to keep his enemy in the dark.
Ashby's squadrons were the instrument. Not only
was a screen established which perfectly concealed
the movements of the Valley army, but constant
demonstrations at far distant points confused and
bewildered the Federal commanders. In his employ-
ment of cavalry Jackson was in advance of his age.
Such tactics had not been seen since the davs of
Napoleon. The Confederate horsemen in the Valley
were far better handled than those of France or
Austria in 1859, of Prussia or Austria in 1866, of
France in 1870, of the Allies or the Russians in the
Crimea. In Europe the teachings of Napoleon had
been forgotten. The great cloud of horsemen which

598 LIFE OF OENRRAL THOMAS J. J.

veiled the marches of the Grand Am
from memory; the great importance
emperor to procuriog early infoi
enemy and hiding hia own moven
overlooked; and it was left to an A
to revive his inethodB. Nor was Ja
by the specious advantages of the so
Iq hardly a single instance did su
inflict more than temporary discc
enemy, and more than once an
stranded and was led into false '
want of the information which the
have supplied.

Hooker at Chancellorsville, Lee
Grant at Spottsylvania, owed defeat
ure, to the absence of their mounted
Valley, on the contrary, success waf
because the cavalry was kept to its
that is, to procure information, to b
ments, and to take part in battle
moment.

Jackson was certainly fortunati
came under his command. That dai
free lances was a most valuable col
much to have a cavalry leader whc
fight and reconnoitre, but who had c
to divine the enemy's intentions. Bi
governed the employment of cavalry
alone. He it was who, at the end
the squadrons across Fremont's road
ville, who ordered the demonstration
and those which caused Fremont i
Port Republic. More admirable stil

REMARKABLE CAMPAIGNS. 599

ness with which he recognized the use of cavahy
that could fight dismounted. From the Potomac to
Port Republic his horsemen covered his retreat,
lining every stream and the borders of every wood,
holding on to every crest of rising ground, check-
ing the pursuers with their fire, compelling them to
deploy, and then withdrawing rapidly to the next
position. Day after day was Fremont's advanced
guard held at bay, his columns delayed, and his gen-
erals irritated by their slippery foe. Meanwhile the
Confederate infantry, falling back at their leisure,
were relieved of all annoyance. And if the cavalry
were suddenly driven in, support was invariably at
hand, and a compact brigade of infantry, supported
by artillery, quickly sent the pursuers to the right-
about. The retreat of the Valley army was man-
aged with the same skill as its advance, and the
rear-guard tactics of the campaign are no less
remarkable than those of the attack.

I have said nothing about Jackson's marches, and,
as a matter of fact, while he managed to get more
out of his men than any other commander of his
time his marches can hardly be classed as extraordi-
nary. They certainly do not exceed those made
elsewhere ; and if it be asserted that the Virginian
roads are bad, they could hardly have been more
infamous than those travelled by both the French
and English troops in Spain and Portugal; and yet
the marches in the Peninsula, on very many occa-
sions, were longer and more rapid than those of
"the foot cavalry."

When Jackson fell at Chancellorsville, his mili-
tary career had only just begun, and the question,

MO uxE m ouwuL tbomab 4r. ucKsom.

aa the qiMfrtioii^ what place ha 0(mld.lia^ tak^n had
he baen spared. So £E^r aa bia oppartniiitiaa had p«v
mitted^ he had ehowa hixaaelf in no wagr ioftfior
to the greatest generak of the eeatoxy, to W^liiig-
ton^to S^apoleon or to Lee. That Jaekaoa waa equal
tfi the highert demaoda of strategy hia deada and
conoeptiona show j that he waa equal to the taak of
handUng a large wmy on tl^e field of hafeda mMb
be IdEt to conjecture ; but throughoDt the wh<da of
lus Boldier'a Ufe he waa never intrusted widi any
detached mianon which he fidled to ezeeat^ wfth
complete auccoBs. No general made fewer miatalrea
No general ao peraiatently outwitted hia ^pgommMB.
No general hetter understood the use of gfouiid or.
the value of time. No generid waa mote higUy
endowed with courage, both phyaical and nimal,
and none ever aecured to a greater degree the trust
and affection of hia troopa. And yet, ao uprigto
waa hia life, so profound hia &ith, ao ezquiaite hia
tenderness, that Jackson's many victories are almost
his least claim to be ranked amongst the world's
true heroes.

-^y.n/^k^^o^

KoTB. — On page 596 I excused Jackson's inaction at the battle
of Frayser's Farm by saying that he had fever at the time. Since
writing this I have studied the Battles of the Seven Days, and the
difficulties and circumstances in Jackson's report in greater detail,
and have come to the conclusion that Jackson could not have Joined
in the battle, and that he was perfectly right in not attempting to
throw his infantry over White Oak Swamp in the face of Frank-
lin's troops.

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GENERAL STONEWALL JACKSON.

Ah Autogsaph Letter from Viscount (General) Wolsblet,

Commander-in-Chief of the Armies

OF Great Britain.

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602

LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

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BXAMPLX OF STRATEOT.

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604

LIFB OF GBNBKAL THOMAS J. JAOKSON.

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INCIDENTS

IN THE

LIFE OF STONEWALL JACKSON

Bt Major-Obnxral M. C. Butlxb.

(Commanded DiTision of Cavalry Army of Northern Virginia.)

Some years ago, dining with a brother senator
in Washington, a distinguished officer of high rank
in the United States Army sat on my left. He
turned and asked me if I had ever met Stonewall
Jackson. Replying in the affirmative, he said : " I
regard it one of the misfortunes of my life never to
have met him. He was easily the greatest military
genius on either side in our late war."

Coming from a soldier distinguished himself in
the United States Army and connected with one of
the most distinguished of the Federal generals, I
could not avoid surprise, and, at the same time, felt
gratified to find so competent a judge coinciding
with my own opinion.

I thereupon related an incident which came with-
in my personal knowledge, illustrative of General
Jackson's character.

In one of the great battles in Virginia, General
Jackson had ordered two brigade commanders,
brigadiers of infantry, to attack a very strong posi-
tion indicated by him. To one unacquainted ^vith
his plans and purposes it did look like desperation

606

LI7I OF GBNBBAL THOMAS J. ;

and slaughter to the attacking cc
two general offieere rode ap to iiei
protest.

He drew himself up and said :
when I receive orders it is my hahi
and when I give orders I expect the:
This ended the interview.

The two officers put their coronn
moved to the attack, and carried tht
General Jackson was aiming. The
were to play a certain part in a g
they did so hrilliantly and snccessful
great loss.

There was a charm about Q«nera1
inspired all private soldiers under hi
a sublime, unquestioned confidence i
an indescribable something, amonnti
cination on the part of bis soldiers, ti
to do uncomplainingly whatever h
It was not the inspiration of fear,
abiding devotion to his person, to
hie matchless and unerring lcad(
sacrifice.

It is therefore not surprising i
Grand Army of Northern Virginii
he bad done so much to immortaliz
mortal wound and death, a gloom o
and grief sank deep into our bearti
of bis grim veterans, bo accustomi
carnage and death, melted into the 1
over the loss of their great and peei
and comrade.

U(. . a . <

GENERAL JACKSON

ONE OF THE

WORLD'S GREATEST SOLDIERS.

By Major-general Fitzhuoh Lee.

(Oommanded th« CaTalry Corpi Army of Northern VirgiDia, Ex-OoTeruor of

Virginia.)

Thomas J. Jackson's name has been enrolled
upon the pages of history as one of the greatest
soldiers the world has produced. His fame, fanned
rapidly into existence by the fierce fires of battle,
sufiers no diminution by the revolution of the hands
on the clock of time, or by comparison with the
records made by other military heroes.

A singular boyhood developed into a wonderful
manhood. Nature richly endowed him with pluck,
pertinacity, stubbornness of purpose, determination,
vast energy, and great faith in himself. These
original foundation stones being securely laid, upon
them he, and he alone, constructed a famous super-
structure.

Great soldiers have been molded into shape by
the watchful care of noble mothers. Jackson when
seven years old had no mother, when three no
father. His future career was sustained by the
dying prayers of the mother. Whether as a little
boy of nine attempting to cut firewood on an island

608 LIF^ OF OENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

on the Mississippi, or whether occupied with his
uncle in agricultural lahor, or during his West Point
cadet life, or on the burning sands of old Mexico,
or amid the showers of shot and shell in the " War
between the States," his strong native tendencies
were ever greatly strengthened by this mother's
supplications.

From a youth thus sustained came a remarkable
man and a bold, active, vigilant soldier. The in-
born genius slept in the early days of labor ; the
capacity was there, but obscured during the orphan's
trials.

He started at the bottom of the West Point
ladder, and, though weighted with disadvantages,
climbed higher and higher each year, until at the
end of his four years' course he was near the position
occupied by those foremost in his class.

Wearing the red shoulder straps of a young officer
of artillery, he rapidly distinguished himself in the
Mexican War, and by his coolness, sagacity and
services came out of the war with a brilliant repu-
tation as a subaltern.

Owing to these qualifications, three years after-
wards the Board of Visitors of the Virginia Military
Institute offered him a professorship over such pro-
posed names as McClellan, Rosecrans and G. W.
Smith.

From 1851 to 1861, ten years, his life was not
eventful ; but in the three years thereafter the
renown of a comparatively unknown professor ex-
tended to the limits of the civilized world. War
quickly developed his latent talent. The echoes of
almost the first gun were filled with his achieve-

SAVED MANASSAS. 609

ments. General R. E. Lee, as early as the 8d of
July, 1861, wrote :

''BlCHMOKD, Va.

" My Dear General, — I have the pleasure of send-
ing you a commission of Brigadier-General in the
Provisional Army; and to feel that you merit it.
May your advancement increase your usefulness to
the State. Very truly,

" R. E. Lee."

Scarcely two weeks elapsed before Lee's wishes
were confirmed ; the first battle of Manassas had
been fought, and in its fiery furnace Thomas J.
Jackson was forever christened Stonewall.

The march of his brigade in that contest towards
the point of contact, and the selection of a new
line of battle at right angles to the former one, on
which the shattered troops which first encountered
McDowell's victorious turning columns could rally,
and upon which fresh troops could form, gave the
battle to the Southern troops.

Jackson changed his position with military sagac-
ity, but xoithout oflicial orders. He saved Manassas.

His wonderful campaign in the Valley, when four
hostile armies were converging to overthrow him,
is in itself a marvellous exhibition of military genius.

McDowell, who was advancing from Fredericks-
burg to unite with McClellan, was ordered to
countermarch because Washington was thought to
be in danger. The absence of some twenty thou-
sand men who might have been thrown by the Fed-
eral commander on his right flank at Richmond,
enveloping the Confederate left, was due to the brill-
39

6310,, IiIVB OF GraBRAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

iant Vail^ tactics of ** StonewalL'^ Jackson saTed
Richmond.

At the second Manassas, when he was plaoed by
Lee's orders twenty-six miles in rear of Pope's line
of battle, he displayed a masterly ability in defeating
Pope's efforts to concentrate his army on him onti]
be was in position to unite with Lougstreet, who
bad been ordered to march through ThoroughfiEune

•Gap- .

His capture of Harper's Ferry and his services at

Sharpsburg largely added to his fame. At Freder-
icksburg he commanded the right wing of the army,
and easily repulsed Franklin's attack at Hamilton's
Crossing ; and at his last great battle at Chancel-
lorsville his successful flank march has gone into
history as the greatest of his splendid achievements.
The commanding general's loss was irreparable,
and he was never able to wholly fill the vacant
commission. Three corps, under Longstreet, Ewell
and Hill, replaced the two formerly commanded by
Longstreet and Jackson.

There were many who thought J. E. B. Stuart,
the Confederate cavalry commander, could have
best wielded the dead warrior's sword. Stuart had
personal courage, great endurance, ceaseless activity,
never failing vigilance, dash, was pugnacious and
eombative, quick to conceive and prompt to exe-
cute. But there could never be but one Stonewall
Jackson. When he was lost Lee's right arm was
broken forever.

The vigor of his blows, the faith of his men, his
own belief in the star of his destiny, the Napoleonic
audacity, the celerity of movement, the sublimity of

HBAVBN-BORN GENERAL. 611

his hope in God and his cause, never reappeared in
another.

" Had I had Stonewall Jackson at Gettysburg,"
said Lee, "I would have won a great victory;"
and a decisive victorj^ there would have made what
Jackson was fighting for — two republics grow in
America where only one grew before.

K he had commanded Lee's right corps in that
struggle, the "Round Tops" and adjoining ridge
would have been seized at a very early hour on the
second day, for there were no Federal troops then
there to make resistance. It was simply a question
of rapid marching from camp, which was " Stone-
wall Jackson's way." If he had commanded Lee's
left corps at Gettysburg, it is most probable the
heights in front of the town would have been oc-
cupied in the afternoon of the first day's encounter.
The great battle would have been fought on another
field. Jackson could have saved Gettysburg.

It has been said that Stonewall Jackson could
not have commanded mighty armies involving the
possession of great strategic skill, or plan a great
campaign, but the ready reply comes, the greater
his command the greater his success; and like
Napoleon, it may be said of him, that if his enemies
"would beat him they must imitate him."

The crisis of greatness has been defined as
" that nice line in the career of genius when doubt
and envy cease and the popular admiration becomes
irresistible." Jackson may have " marked time "
before it, but the command forward was early given
and he crossed it. The English called him a
" Heaven-born General ; " and in Scotland the car

612

LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

conductors opening the doors of the compartments
announced to the passengers his death. People
everywhere, in every clime, are familiar with his
exploits.

In the American republic Thomas J. Jackson
securely stands in the front rank, side by side with
her greatest soldiers.

HARPER'S FERRY.

Bt Captain Joseph G. Morrison.

(Alde-de-Camp on General Jackson'i Htaff.)

Thb veterans of the Army of Northern Virginia
will always remember Harper's Ferry. It was a
salient point during the war, and before the war it
was chosen by the anarchist, John Brown, as a
strategic point ; a point where the first blood of the
impending conflict should flow. Brown's object in
selecting this unpretentious village was its being the
seat of the United States Arsenal. Here were man-
ufactured and stored the government's supply of
arms ; and the fanatical idea was, that " Uncle Sam "
should furnish the implements and the slaves of
old Virginia the sinews of war; and they had only
to flock to his standard and receive the implements
of death. As is well remembered, Brown and
his accomplices were hung ; but Harper's Ferry, thus
made conspicuous, was ever afterwards prominent
in the annals of the war. It was here " Stonewall"
Jackson first came to the front. As Major Jackson,
of the Virginia Military Institute, he took the corps
of cadets to Harper's Ferry to put down the insur-
rection, and remained until after Brown's execution.
Again, on the 19th of April, 1861, when the war
was inaugurated, Jackson arrived at Harper's Ferry,
with a commission of colonel from the Governor of

614 LIFE OF OBNBRAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

Virginia, and took command of the forces of volun-
teer troops assembled there.

Before proceeding to narrate some of the events
that occurred here, a description of the place might
be interesting. The village is triangular in shape
and is located at the juncture of the Potomac and
the Shenandoah rivers. These rivers, on uniting,
force their way through a precipitous gorge in the
Blue Ridge Mountains. On the north of the village
and across the Potomac is a cliff several hundred
feet high, jutting close up to the town, known as
Maryland Heights. On the south and across the
Shenandoah is a similar cliff, not quite so high or
grand in appearance as its vis-a-vis^ known as Lou-
doun Heights.

On the west, stretching from the Potomac to
the Shenandoah, is a rolling ridge known as
Bolivar Heights. The Baltimore and Ohio Rail-
road passes down the right bank of the Potomac
to the village, where, near the mouth of the Shenan-
doah, it crosses to the left bank, j)assing through the
gorge to Washington. The Chesapeake and Ohio
Canal also passes down the left bank of the Potomac.
On these two great thoroughfares Washington* and
Baltimore depend in a great measure for their sup-
plies. When Jackson took command at Harper's
Ferry, his force consisted of about twenty-five
hundred infantry, a few companies of cavalry and
fifteen pieces of artillery.

This force had been hastily gotten together from
the volunteer companies of the State and partly
from other States. They were citizen soldiery, with-
out drill or discipline, and armed partly with what

STONEWALL BRIOADB FORMED. 615

arms were found in the government arsenal ; but as
most of the arms of value had been removed to
Washington, many of the troops had shot-guns and
sporting rifles. Jackson realized fully the work
that was before him. With this volunteer militia
he would soon have to meet the United States Reg-
ular Army, well-armed and equipped soldiers. And
it was here, more if possible than subsequently, that
Jackson proved himself to be a genius in war, an or-
ganizer and a disciplinarian. Here the "Stonewall "
Brigade was formed. It was then called the First
Brigade and was formed and drilled by Jackson in
person. Whilst drilling was constantly going on, a
force of men were engaged in removing the valua-
ble machinery for manufacturing arms to Rich-
mond. After this was accomplished the place was
no longer valuable to the Confederacy, and on the
19th of June, being threatened on the left and rear
by General Patterson, it was evacuated, Jackson
retiring to Winchester, thirty miles distant. The
Federals now took possession and strongly forti-
fied Bolivar Heights, and for over a year they held
the place.

During this time Jackson had fought and defeated,
in succession, the commands of Milroy, Banks,
Shields, Fremont and Pope, and the invasion of
Maryland was on. Jackson's command crossed the
Potomac into Maryland, near Leesburg, on the 5th
of September, 1862, and on the 10th of September
was encamped near Frederick City. It was here
that General Lee and General Jackson had a "coun-
cil of war," and Harper^s Ferry was the subject of
discussion.

616 MSf OF GBNB&AL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

It was then occupied by Generals White and Miles
of the Federal Arm/ with 11,000 men, who were
strongly fortified and were in such location in
General Lee's rear and flank that they could annoy
his communications with Richmond and the Shen.
andoah Valley. The result of the conference was
that a bold attempt should be made to capture or
destroy the garrison at Harper's Ferry. With Lee
and Jackson no sooner was a plan formed than it
was executed. McLaws, Anderson and J. G. Walker
were detailed to act in concert with Jackson, who
was to command the expedition. General Lee, with
J). H. Hill and the balance of his army, was to hold
off McClellan. McLaws and Anderson marched
via Burkittsville and Pleasant Valley to Maryland
Heights, and drove the Federal pickets from the
heights into the town on the 18th of September.

Walker was to recross the Potomac and occupy
Loudoun Heights, which he did ; attempting first to
cross at Cheek's Ford, but meeting with resistance,
crossed at the Point of Rocks and reached Loudoun
Heights on the 13th. Jackson, with his own corps,
consisting of the divisions of Ewell, A. P. Hill and
Taliaferro, marched from Frederick via Boones-
boro, and crossed the Potomac at Light's Ford, near
Williamsport, and struck the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad at North Mountain depot; pushing down
the railroad to Martinsburg, where General White
was encamped with a brigade of infantry.

White, seeing Jackson's approach in force from
the west, retired to Bolivar Heights, and Jackson
arrived opposite their fortified camp by noon of the
13th.

MARYLAND HEIGHTS. 617

Immediately on arriving Jackson threw out sig-
nals for McLaws and Walker, and finding them both
in position began preparations for attack. Their
position on Bolivar was very strong and to attack
directly from the front would entail a fearful loss of
life, even if successful. The evening of the 13th
and all of thel4th was spent in reconnoitring and
massing the troops in the best positions. McLaws
and Walker were ready for the fray, but they could
fight only with artillery. McLaws had hauled by
hand two Parrott guns to the top of Maryland
Heights and Walker had pulled also by hand a
whole battery to the top of Loudoun.

In front of Bolivar Jackson had placed in posi-
tion the batteries of Poague, Carpenter, Latimer,
Mcintosh, Davidson, Braxton and Crenshaw. It
was not until the night of the 14th that his plans
were fully formed. During that night he sent his
chief of artillery, Colonel S. Crutchfield, with ten
guns of Ewell's division, across the Shenandoah to
take position on the western slopes of Loudoun
Heights. The position taken by these guns, while
not taken until the last moment, was the key to the
situation. They took the place of Jackson's usual
flank movement. They were not only just the right
height to throw shot eflTectually, but completely en-
filaded the enemy's breastworks and trenches.

At daylight of the 15th, aft soon as the lifting fog
revealed the dark lines of the enemy, a sharp ring
of a rifled cannon from the top of Maryland Heights,
followed as by an echo from Loudoun and taken up
by Crutchfield, told that the work had begun. The
enemy replied with spirit. They had seventy-three

618 LIPB OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

pieces of artillery, one battery being siege guns or
thirty-pounder Parrotts, but the elevated position of
McLaws and Walker gave them decidedly the drop,
not only on the big guns but on the whole Federal
line.

Crutchfield's guns, taking the enemy in reverse,
did terrific execution. It now was only a question
of time and ammunition for these guns to do the
work. Nearly every shot told and they came thick
and fast. The enemy shifted to take every possible
advantage of such ground as would shield them,
and if they could only hold out until evening, Mc-
Clellan would come to the rescue ; he was even then
threatening McLaws' rear. D. H. Hill had heroic-
ally held him in check at the South Mountain Pass
on the previous evening ; but Hill could not hold at
bay McClellan's whole army, and retired at night-
fall before it. Through his signal corps Jackson
received hourly messages of McClellan's approach
and position.

At 10 A. M., when the artillery had seemed to ac-
complish as much as desired, or McClellan's advance
was getting hazardous, Jackson rode to A. P. Hill,
who commanded his leading division, and said :
"General Hill, charge and give them the bayonet."
Hill was a soldier of few words. He merely bowed
and turned towards his command. Before riding a
dozen paces, he motioned to a trooper in his escort,
and from the trooper's bugle rang out " the ad-
vance! " Now, for it! The men sprang forward
with wonderful alacrity. They expected nothing
but shot and canister. The enemy seemed more in
commotion, doubtless anticipating the work before

FBDERAL8 CHEERED LUSTILT. 619

them. Suddenly a white flag was seen on their
works. What could it mean ? Surelv not surrender !
That flag was looked at with distrust.

About this, time the officer in command of the
garrison received a death wound. Some claimed
that the shot which killed him was fired after the
white flag was hoisted, but if this were so it was
because the smoke before some of the guns was so
dense that the flag was not seen.

Jackson and A. P. Hill moved forward to receive
the surrender. They had been watching the effect
of the shot and probably anticipated it more than
the line. The Federals stacked their arms and took
position in line a few paces to the rear of their
guns. As General Jackson rode with his staflT
through the Federal lines they gazed with curiosity,
then began to lift their caps, and finally cheered
lustily. Jackson raised his old gray cap and gal-
loped down into the village, directing A. P. Hill to
receive the surrender.

This was probably the largest capture made by
the Confederates during the war. Eleven thousand
prisoners, thirteen thousand stand of arms, seventy-
three pieces of artillery, besides abundant supplies
of ordnance, medical and commissary stores, were
the fruits of this victory.

Two days later, daring the battle of Sharpsburg,
Jackson's men were using these same guns and
ammunition against McClellan, and whilst fighting
that battle were living upon their rations and using
their medical stores for the relief of the wounded.
More than once during Jackson's Valley campaigns
did this occur.

620 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

After the battle of Sharpsburg, Harper's Ferry
was again occupied by the Federals, and from then
until the close of the war they were permitted to
study the beauties of nature and to meditate upon
what was and what might have been.

THa|HASJ.JAC<:SC»i.

-*rst^

"STONEWALL" JACKSON.

By Colonel P. "W. M. Hollidat. *

(Ex-OoYernor of Yirglnfa.)

Most of the actors in the world's drama are those
who come and go and perform their work without
enchaining our highest attention and admiration.
Now and then an individual appears marking his
advent and stay with evidences of marvellous
superiority to his contemporaries in some high
sphere of human action. We can not always define
by name his splendid traits and, for want of a bet-
ter term, we say he is gifted among mortals with
genius. Such was " Stonewall " Jackson ; he was
conspicuously and start! ingly the very genius of
war.

Save his experience in Mexico, where he gave
promise of his coming greatness, he led a retired
and unobtrusive life of peace ; but whilst thus un-
obtrusive and seemingly unaspiring, his vigorous
and incisive intellect did not rest, nor his towering
ambition to achieve things good and great slumber.

• Colonel P. W. M. Holliday commanded the Thirty-third Vir-
ginia Infantry, was assigned to General Jackson's brigade and was
with him on every march and in every fight, without the loss of a
single day, until he lost his right arm at the battle of ' ' Cedar Run "
or "Slaughter Mountain." Unfitted on the field by this loss and
sickness, he was elected to the Second Confederate Congress and was
a member at the time of the surrender; was Oovemor of Virginia
1878-1882.

622 LIFB 07 GHNBRAL THOMAS J. JAOKSOXT.

He made no display of either, but poraued the even
tenor of Ms way, modestly but faithfully perform-
ing all things that were given him to do, his lofty
qualities being known only to those who knew
him well.

Bat the opportunity in due time came with the
coming of the Confederate War. Carrying the
cause in his mind and upon his heart, he went
among the earliest into the army to vindicate it.
Fortunately for both, he was assigned to a brigade
composed of the elite of the young men in every
walk and sphere in the Valley of Ybginia, from
Harper's Ferry to Bristol. He and his men seemed,
like kindred spirits, to qrmpathize from the be^n-
ning, and in the first great battle, by their heroic
courage and fortitude, conferred upon him the name
which he ever after bore, and which he, in turn,
lifted to an immortality of fame.

It was my fortune and fate to have been a mem-
ber of that brigade. I was thrown much with its
commander and knew him in the privacy of his
tent and by his side upon the march and in the fury
of the fight. In the former, he was ever the intelli-
gent, self-contained and earnest gentleman, spend-
ing no idle time, studying the field of his operations
and mastering the details of his work ; in the lat-
ter he was the same, his faculties not excited, only
exalted, by the imminence of the position or of the
crisis and in perfect self-possession commanding the
situation.

In the quiet of his headquarters his plans were
formed, slowly perhaps, but with intense study.
When formed, he was ready ; ordering his tent to

STBUCK WITH SWIPTNBSS. 628

be struck and putting himself at the head of his
columns, with unbounded confidence in himself and
his men, who reciprocated that confidence, he
moved and struck with the swiftness and fierceness
of an eagle upon his quarry. And victory always
followed.

In two years* time he rose from comparative
obscurity into world-wide renown, and his fame
girdled the earth. So modest and retiring and self-
denying had been his life, that with each promotion
apprehension prevailed that he might not be equal
to a higher and more enlarged arena ; but his abili-
ties showed themselves greater than his field of
action, and he rose from station to station, adding
fresh laurels to his crown of victory till reliance in
him became supreme and men's heads grew dizzy
as they tried to follow " the bright track of his fiery
car."

True greatness never ceases to command admira-
tion. It grows with the lapse of years, which scru-
tinizes its elements and, sifting its adventitious, pre-
serves its real, qualities. Nearly a century has gone
since Washington and Napoleon acted their part,
but the longing to know them increases, and data
are gathered from every quarter to learn the sources
of their power. The latter, in the contemplation of
their respective careers, said the fame of his illus-
trious contemporary would wax, whilst his would
wane. Time has proven that he was right. No
one disputes the amazing intellectual genius of
Napoleon, whilst deploring his moral weakness; all
bow with spontaneous admiration before the colos-
sal character of Washington, blending the Intel-

624 LIFE OF GENERAL THOMAS J. JACKSON.

lectual and the moral in almost sublime propor-
tions.

"Stonewall" Jackson, like the truly great, will
likewise grow greater with the centuries. He had
all the brilliant military genius of Napoleon, and,
considering the brief duration of his career,
achieved more marvels in the field of arms. He
had the moral qualities of Washington. His life
was stainless even of a suspicion, while it was
full of the sweetest and gentlest charities, and his
burning patriotism was swallowed up in his relig-
ious faith.

History will be full to bursting of his public work
and his name will widen with the ages. His deeds
will become a school, in which the science of war
will be studied, and volumes will be written upon
his methods and his character.

But the profounder student will want to know,
and the world at large, whose common sentiment is
at last more searching than the learned, what was
the private life of this martial wonder? How
often genius alone fails to stand the turning on of
that keen light!

His wife alone, most competent to know, has told
us this with beautiful and winning simplicity and
grace, in the story of that inner life ; how true, how
modest, how devoted he was, how the fierce thun-
derbolt of war was interwoven through and through
with the tenderest Christian virtues.

This new edition of her book will, doubtless,
after awhile, be followed by others in quick succes-
sion, by wide demand. The scholar will take inter-
est in the study of the elements of his renown and

GREATNESS GREATER. 625

the central forces of his success ; the masses will be
elevated by viewing the unpretending and self-for-
getting character of the man who carried by storm
all hearts, as well as all opposition in the battle;
parents will put this story in the hands of their
children, that they may learn how goodness makes
all greatness greater.

I. (" BTOMKWALL ") JACKSON.
D In lbs poiHailen of Hn. JukMn.

APPENDIX.

In adding an appendix, my desire is to place upon
the same lasting basis as this book a record of two
great statues which.have been erected to the memory
of General Jackson. These expressions have voiced
the feeling, both in England and in this land, that
he was worthy to stand alongside the heroes of the
past, whose statues have been such an inspiration
to the men of our country since the Revolution.

In my description of these statues, I have copied
largely from the newspaper accounts of the celebra-
tion of the unveiling ceremonies — when Southern
loyalty and devotion culminated in these lasting
memorials of their beloved chieftain.

But these memorials are not confined alone to
General Jackson's mother State, Virginia, to whom
he was so true and devoted a son. The Louisiana
Division of the Army of Northern Virginia testi-
fied their love for him by erecting an imposing
statue in Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans, in 1881.

In Augusta, Qa., also, upon a handsome Confed-
erate monument one figure represents General Jack-
son ; and there may be other statues in the South I
have not seen, but to which I would give just and
grateful recognition.

No tribute that has ever been paid to the memory
of General Jackson is fraught with more magna-
nimity and sympathetic admiration of his character
than that of the presentation of the English statue

628 APPENDIX.

of him, which stands in the Oapitol Square at Bich-
mond, Ya.

The Hon. A. J. B. Beresford Hope, M. P., was
the representative of his countrymen in making this
grand offering to the State of Virginia, as the fol-
lowing interesting letter from him to Governor
Kemper will show:

"Abklow Hoitbb, Conkauqht Placb,
LoN]M>N, March 2, 1S76.

'^^Snt, — ^When the news reached England of the
death of General T. J. Jackson (so well known as
^Stonewall' Jackson), a subscription was spon-
taneously organized in this country, among persons
who admired the character of that truly great man,
to procure a statue of him which they might pre-
sent to his native country as a tribute of English
sympathy and admiration. The work was intrusted
to a most distinguished artist (the late Mr. J. H.
Foley, R. A.), and although its progress was delayed
by the ill health of the sculptor and by his conBcien-
tious desire for the accuracy of the portrait, and,
latterly, by his death, it has been brought to a suc-
cessful conclusion in the form of a standing statue
of heroic size, east in bronze. It is a very noble
work of art and, it is hoped and believed, a faithful
likeness.

" As representing the subscribers, it is now my
pleasurable duty to ask you whether the State of
Virginia will accept this memorial of its distin-
guished son, and tribute of English sympathy, and
would guarantee its erection in some conspicuous
spot in Richmond. If the answer is favorable, I
would take the necessary steps to forward the statue

APPENDIX. 629

to its destination. It is the privilege of members of
our Royal Academy of Arts that the works of a
deceased Academician may be contributed to the
exhibition immediately succeeding his death. It is
considered due alike to the artist and the subject
that the English people should have the opportunity
of seeing the statue before it leaves this country
forever.

" The annual exhibition of the Academy closes
about the beginning of August, after which date
no delay need take place in forwarding the statue
to Virginia. I have the honor to remain, sir,
"Your faithful and obedient servant,

"A.J. B. Beresford Hope,
"M. P. for University of Cambridge.*'

From the message of Governor Kemper (who was
himself a gallant, wounded Confederate soldier),
communicating Mr. Hope's letter to the General
Assembly, the following extract is worthy of
preservation :

" It revives no animosities of the past, it wounds
the sensibilities of no good man of whatever party
or section, to honor and revere the name of Jackson.
All the world knows that the earth beneath which
his body lies covers the ashes of a patriot and hero,
whose greatness shed lustre on the age in which he
lived. His example belongs to mankind, and his
deeds and virtues will be cherished by all the coming
generations of the great American republic as among
the proudest memories of a common glory. Many
others are now the objects of higher honors and
louder praises. But when the accidents of fortune
and success shall no longer determine the value of

680 APPENDIX.

principles and achievements, when the names of
others now more applauded shall have been swept
into oblivion by the hand of time, the memory of
Stonewall Jackson, like that of his great commander,
Lee^ will continue to grow brighter as the centuries
pass into history."

The unveiling of the statue took place on the 26th
of October, 1876. The day was one of autumn's
richest splendor, and the city was beautifully and
appropriately decorated. The flags of Great Britain
and the United States waved together — pennants,
evergreens and flowers expressed in emblematic and
figurative designs the crowning sentiment of the
occasion : " England's Tribute to Virginia Valor."
From all parts of the country (but chiefly from the
South) came such a multitude as hnd not assembled
in Richmond since the close of the war.

The procession was immense and imposing —
General Jo8ei»h E. Johnston, as chief marshal,
with his staff, leading; then General Jackson's stalf,
without a loadcM* ; the Stonewall Brigade ; a lon^
line of old offi(*ors and soldiers of the Confederate
Army, including infantry and cavalry ; the digni-
taries of the State, citizens and visitors. Bands of
music wore interspersed and the whole pageant was
as grand as love and veneration for the dead could
make it. The ceremonies of unveiling were opened
with jjrayer by Bishop DoL^gett, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, South. Governor Kemper then
made a cordial and graceful speech of welcome, in
which he said : '* With a mother's tears and love,
with ceremonies to be chronicled in her archives
and transmitted to the latest posterity, the Common-

APPENDIX. 681

wealth this day emblazons the virtues and conse-
crates in enduring bronze the image of her mighty
dead. Not for herself alone, but for the sister States
whose sons he led in war, Virginia accepts and she
will proudly preserve the sacred trust now consigned
to her perpetual custody. Not for the Southern
people only, but for every citizen of whatever section
of the American Republic, this tribute to illustrious
virtue and genius is transmitted to the coming ages,
to be cherished, as it will be, with national pride as
one of the noblest memorials of a common heritage
of glory. Nay, in every country and for all man-
kind, Stonewall Jackson's career of unconscious
heroism will go down as an inspiration, teaching
the power of courage, and conscience, and faith,
directed to the glory of God."

The Governor closed his brief address by present-
ing the orator of the day, as '' the companion and
friend of Jackson, the reverend man of God — Moses
D. Iloge."

Dr. Hoge has long been known as the great pul-
pit power of Richmond. His address held the vast
audience spell-bound for over an hour — his burning
eloquence and magnetism deeply moving the hearts
of the people and eliciting the warmest enthusiasm
and applause.

At the close of the oration, the statue was
unveiled amid thunders of artillery, music and the
most enthusiastic applause.

A touching incident of the occasion was a call
from the old soldiers to see little Julia, the only
living representative of General Jackson, then twelve
years of age. She was accordingly led upon the

682 APPENDIX.

platform by Governor Kemper, who introduced her
thus : " Soldiers, I present to you, Julia, the only
child of * Stonewall * Jackson ! " Hats were lifted,
and no louder or more heartfelt cheers went up that
day than those which greeted the trembling child,
and many a tear moistened the eyes of the bronzed
veterans who had followed her soldier father.

In the evening a reception was held at the gov-
ernor's mansion to give the old soldiers an oppor-
tunity to pay their respects to their general's wife
and daughter, and such an affecting scene as it was
is seldom witnessed in this land. Nothing could
have been more different from the conventional
dress reception. The dear old soldiers came march-
ing in — many in their plain country garbs; some
stumping on wooden legs, others offering the left
hand because the right had been lost upon the field
of battle; many of them (instead of the formal
hand-shake) taking my band and that of my child
in their big, rough hands, and shaking and shaking,
while the tears rolled down their cheeks. " This
scene," said one who was present, '' gave me an
insight into the marvellous hold Jackson had upon
the affections of his men, as nothing had ever done."

The celebration was concluded by a magnificent
display of fireworks upon the Capitol Square.

The statue is a figure of heroic size, seven feet
and three inches in height, erect and noble ; head
uncovered; the right hand, grasping a gauntlet, rests
naturally upon the hip ; on the left arm hangs a
military cloak, while the left hand holds the hilt of
a sword, whose point, without bearing any weight,
is resting lightly upon the top of a low stove wall

APPENDIX. 633

that symbolizes the heroic name. The bared head,
which is turned a little to the right, is looking
keenly but calmly into the distance, as if he were
watching, with confidence in his subordinates, for
the fulfilment of an order already given. The atti-
tude combines case, dignity and endurance. The
costume is that of a Confederate general, with
military boots, and in every detail the effect is
graceful and true to life. It is the face, however,
that is worthiest of study and admiration. A coun-
tenance not only expressing earnestness, resolution,
tenderness and goodness, but enormous will power,
and that self-control which forms such an important
element in the power of controlling others.

The statue will stand among statues as Jackson
stood among men — simple, heroic and sublime.

The pedestal is of Virginia granite, and is mod-
elled from the designs of the sculptor, Foley. It is
perfectly proportioned, forming a fitting base for
the statue, and bears this inscription :

PRESENTED BY ENGLISH GENTLEMEN

AS A

Tribute of Admiration for tue Soldier

AND Patriot

THOMAS J. JACKSON,

And Gratekilly Accepted by Virginia in

THE Name of the Southern People.

Done A. D. 1875,

in the Hundredth Year of the
Commonwealth.

"look! there is JACKSON STANDING
LIKE A STONE WALL! '"

6S4 APPBNBIZ.

In connection with the account of English love
and liberality, as expressed by this statue, it may not
be inappropriate to add several expressions of the
same feeUng from other sources, yet still English.

FBOM THE LONDON TIMSS, MAT 26tH.

^^The Confederate laurels won on the field of
Chancellorsville must be twined with the cypress.
• . • Even on this side of the ocean the gallant
soldieif s fate will everywhere be heard of with pity
and sympathy. Not only as a brave man fighting
for his country's independence, but as one of the
most consummate generals that this century has
produced, * Stonewall ' Jackson will carry with him
to his early grave the regrets of all who can admire
greatnesB and genius. From the earliest days of
the . war he has been conspicuous for the most re-
markable military qualities. That mixture of dar-
ing and judgment, which is the mark of ^ Heaven-
born ' generals, distinguished him beyond any man
of his time. Although the young Confederacy has
been illustrated by a number of eminent soldiers,
yet the applause and devotion of his countrymen,
confirmed by the judgment of European nations,
have given the first place to General Jackson. The
military feats he accomplished moved the minds of
people with astonishment, which it is only given to
the highest genius to produce. The blows he struck
at the enemy were as terrible and decisive as those
of Bonaparte himself. The march by which he
surprised the army of Pope last year would be
enough in itself to give him a high place in military
history. But, perhaps, the crowning glory of his

APPENDIX. 636

life was the great battle in which he fell. When
the Federal commander, by crossing the river twelve
miles above his camp and pressing on, as he thought,
to the rear of the Confederates, had placed them
between two bodies of his army, he was so confi-
dent of success as to boast that the enemy was the
property of the Army of the Potomac. It was
reserved to Jackson, by a swift and secret march, to
fall upon his right wing, crush it, and by an attack
unsurpassed in fierceness and pertinacity, to drive
his very superior forces back into a position from
which he could not extricate himself except by flight
across the river."

FROM THE LONDON TELEGRAPH, MAY 27tH.

..." Add to the splendid valor of a Murat the
fervid faith of a Cromwell and the unbroken suc-
cess of a Havelock, and we have a captain whose
waving sword and fearless voice the Southern
whites would have followed * to the pit.'

" That he never lived to exchange a division for an
army, a flying corps for the massed columns of the
field of battle, may, perhaps, have been good for his
fame, but the leader who could find the weak i)lace
in Hooker's line at Chancellorsville, and hurl his
twenty-five thousand troops upon it so soon as found,
as Jackson did, would surelj' have ripened into a
renowned general. Assuredly the most fatal shot of
the war to the Confederates, whether fired by friend
or foe, was that which struck down the life of
* Stonewall* Jackson — a soldier, every inch of him,
for whatever cause he contended."

Soon after the death of General Jackson, the

686 APPENDIX.

soldiers of the Stonewall Brigade sent to me the
request that they might be permitted to erect a
monument over the grave of their late commander.

As the war lasted two years after his decease,
and as the brave old brigade was diminished by
death, and finally impoverished by defeat, it was
necessarily a long time before a monument could
be raised. However, ^^A Jackson Memorial Asso-
ciation " was organized soon after the close of the
war, and by dint of perseverance and patriotic
loyalty, the object was crowni^d with success, after
the lapse of thirty years. In the meantime the
grave looked so neglected, and the turf around it
was so trodden down by many visitors, that I had
the plot enclosed with an iron railing, and a simple
marble headstone, inscribed with his name only, and
a footstone bearing his initials, placed at the grave.
This unpretentious monument marked his resting
place for nearly thirty years, and was frequently
commented upon as being singularly appropriate
for a man of General Jackson's simplicity and
humility of character.

When, however, the bronze statue was ready for
erection, this plot was not large enough for it,
and the remains of General Jackson and his two
children (one an infant, and the other his daughter,
Julia, who died a wife and mother) were removed
to a larger and more commanding lot, near by, in
the same cemetery.

This handsome monument now stands over the
dust of the hero, as a testimonial of the love and
veneration of his soldiers and friends throughout
the South. To the ladies of Lexington great credit

APPENDIX. 637

is due for their noble eftbrts in collecting funds for
this monument. They worked long and faithfully,
not only with their own hands, but in holding
bazaars and entertainments that yielded large re-
turns, which, with true patriotism, they poured into
the treasury of the association.

The monument was unveiled on the 2l8t of July,
1891, which was the thirtieth anniversary of the
first battle of Manassas, in which General Jackson
won his first laurels as a warrior of immortal fame.
In describing the statue and the scenes of its un-
veiling, extracts have been culled from the news-
papers of that date :

" The bronze statue is of heroic size and repre-
sents the commander in uniform, standing, with a
pair of field-glasses in his right hand, which he has
just lowered, and his left hand placed on the top of
his sword hilt, his weight resting upon the left leg
and sword point. The figure is eight feet high, and
rests upon a granite pedestal ten feet and six inches
high, giving it from the ground to the top of the
figure a height of nineteen feet and two inches.
The pedestal is noble for its simplicity, chasteness
of style and fit adaptation to the rest of the work.
From foundation to cap-stone it is devoid of artistic
ornamentation. The north face of the middle stone
bears the word, * STONEWALL' and the opposite
face the name, * JACKSON' and the dates of
birth and death, * 1824-1863.' The other two
sides are blank. The conception of the whole figure
is life-like and natural. The commanding posture
and the keen and steady gaze impress the beholder
with the idea that Jackson is watching a charge or

^88 APPBHDIZ.

8om^ important movement of his troops, and hia
expresrion indicates that things are progressing
satisfactorily/'

The scalptor was Yirginia's gifted son^Iklward
V. Yalenline.

^Natnre seemed to smile upon the day of the
nnveilingy which was celebrated amid tiie glad
acclaim of thousands. It was the tribute of a brave
and intelligent people to a man whom they regarded
as representing the highest type of their civilization,
a man of rare genius and of a sturdy virtue hardly
less astounding/'

** The bright uniform of th^ soldiers mingled with
the sober garb of the citizens. Strains of music
from many bands awakened the echoes about the
usually quiet town. The tread of a vast multitude
was heard upon its streets. Old veteran soldiers
gathered in groups and discuse^ed incidents of life
around the camp-fire and on the battle-field when
with their old commander, and when the jest and
laugh went round younger men wondered whether
war was, after all, so terrible as it seemed.

" The decorations of the streets and buildings were
in keeping with Jackson's views — simple and plain,
yet beautiful ; the designs showed the taste and the
feeling of the people as well as the sentiment they
wished to express — * Welcome to all !*

"At the Virginia Military Institute bunting and
flags of all descriptions floated from every conspicu-
ous place. But the section-room on the second floor,
once used by Jackson, was the place of beauty. En-
tering the room, on one side there was a pyramid of
potted flowers three feet high, near the chair occu-

APPENDIX. 689

pied by General Jackson aa an instructor, the chair
being garlanded with flowers, in front of a simple
pine table once used by him. To the left, a black-
board bearing the inscription, *He fought a good
fight.* To the front, a stand of guns, with the
marker's flag of the regiment. On another black-
board was the inscription : * Lieutenant-General
Jackson's body lay in state in this tower, May 14th,
1868.' Next to this was the printed order of his
funeral at that time. On another blackboard was
inscribed : * Elected to the chair of experimental phi-
losophy and military tactics, 1851.' To the right of
the professor's chair were three rows of plain bench
seats, suggestive of a recitation. The whole waa
simple, but exceedingly impressive."

"The streets of the town were spanned with
triumphal arches, which were very handsome and
striking. Upon one was written, in immense letters,
at the top the name of Stonewall Jackson, and
upon its columns the battles fought by him.

" Five other arches had inscribed upon them the
five following beautiful couplets, composed by Mrs.
Margaret J. Preston :

" * Faith that could not yield
Was the legend of his shield.'

" * Welcome for all who live,
Tears for all who die.'

" * From the fields of death and fame
Borne upon his shield he came.'

" * From the land for which he bled
Honor to the warrior dead.'

*' * In the valley let me lie,
Underneath Gk>d's open sky.'

640 AFFBHDIZ.

"On the arch over the cemetery gate was the
quotation :

" ' Nor \aKnt Mod far brightir land*."

"The exercises were held apoa the campus of
Washington antl Lee UDiTersitj, and were opened

with music by the Old Rockbri<Ige Artillery Band.
" Rev. Dr. A. C. Hopkins, of Ciiarleaton, W. Va.,
known as ' the Fighting Chaplain' of the Stonewall
Brigade, then offered an eloquent prayer."

APPENDIX. 641

• General Wade HamptoD next introdaced General
Juhal A. Early, who, after being greeted with great
enthueiaem, delivered an address on the military life
of General Jackson. General Early had been an

T. J. JACKBON CHKIBTIAK AT THHEU VKAHH.

able and tmeted lieutenant to hie old ooiuraander,
and wae conspicuona as long as he lived for his nn-
swerving devotion and loyalty to the Confederate
caoBe.

" After the address the assemblage marched

642 APPENDIX.

through the beautifully decorated streets up to the
cemetery, which was too small to hold a twentieth of
the crowd. The military procession took their stand
in a field adjoining the cemetery, in full view of the
statue, and formed a phalanx of veterans as brave as
those who stood invincible on the historic fields of
Oreece.

^^ Beside the statue was erected a little platform,
•covered with white, upon which those who were to
unveil it should stand. A few minutes before the
last of the soldiers had filed in, Mrs. Jackson, the
wife, and little Julia Jackson Christian, aged four
years, and Thomas J. Jackson Christian, aged three
years, the grandchildren of ^ Stonewall ' Jackson,
mounted the steps of the platform.

^'When the signal gun sounded, the two little
children, with united hands, pulled the cord, letting
the veil fall, and th^ statue of the great Jackson
stood revealed to the admiring gaze of the thousands
around it. The cannoneers of the old Rockbridge
Artillery at the foot of the hill announced the event
with fifteen guns, frOm the cannon which they used
at First Manassas, and a shout such as these quiet
precincts never before heard rent the air. It was
answered by the veterans on the other side with an
old-fashioned ' rebel yell.' The reverberating hills
took it up and echo carried it into the deep recesses
of the blue mountains, where it died away into
sweet musical cadences, and was lost in the distance.
The armed infantry fired volleys until it sounded as
if a real battle was in progress.

" Heart saluted unto heart and was silent. Such
a scene had never been witnessed in this land.

APPENDIX. 648

'Behold how they loved him !' said one, and it was
spoken with deepest reverence. Two well-known
officers who served under Jackson, both well scar-
red, were sitting near each other on their horses.
Each remarked the silence of the other and, casting
side glances, each saw the other in tears. ^I'm
not ashamed of it, Snowden ! ' ' Nor I, old boy,*
responded the other, as he tried to smile.

^^When, after the unveiling, the column was
marched past the monument, the old fellows looked
up and then bowed their uncovered heads and
passed on. But this silent parting was too much
for one tall, gaunt soldier of the old brigade, who,
as he passed out of the cemetery, stopped, and
looked back for a moment at the life-like figure of
his general, and then waving his old gray hat
towards it, cried out: * Good-bye, old man, good-bye;
we've done all we could for you, good-bye ! '

The New York Herald, in commenting on the
occasion, said: ^^ Judged by the criterion of success
on the field, and especially by his celebrated Valley
campaign, which he alone conducted, and which
good military critics have compared with the most
brilliant of Napoleon's campaigns, no general of
the Southern armies, Lee excepted, was his superior
either in tactical or strategical ability. With his
fall at Chancellorsville, in the hour of his greatest
victory, the sun of the Army of Northern Virginia
began to set.

"But with all his genius for war Jackson com-
bined a unique character for moral heroism and
devotion to what he deemed his duty, which is
justly the admiration of the best men of every sec-

644 APPENDIX.

tion of the Union. The demonstration at Lexing-
ton, therefore, can not be regarded as an attempt
to fan the fires of sectional feeling. It was a
-spontaneous tribute to a great warrior and a great
man."

Mr. George R. Wendling, a Northern man, in a
magnificent lecture on this Southern hero, said:

. . . ^' A personality so unique, a force so tremea-
dous as Stonewall Jackson, is not projected into
human affairs by chance. There must be for us a
deep lesson, for our weal 6r woe as a nation, some-
where in the history of a man whose career bore
with immeasurable weight upon our national exist-
ence. . . . The purpose of the war, apparently from
the divine standpoint, was to select this man, in
whose veins flowed no drop of Puritan blood, but
only the purest strain of the cavalier, to which was
joined the most rigid Puritanic religious convic-
tions— and of a man so blended to make the fusing
together the cavalier and Puritan of South and
North, in the white crucible of war, and so to
cement as never before those diverse and divergent
elements and make the American nation."

WORDS FROM JEFFERSON DAVIS.

"To-day Jackson stands in the opinion of
Europeans, so far as I know it, the highest chief-
tain of the Confederate cause. This great acade-
mician, this silent professor, constantly rose like a
meteor in brightness, for his light was steady as
the orb of day, growing in power, increasing in
brilliancy, and in the trust which the people reposed
upon it."

APPENDIX. 645

]>aring his captivity Mr. Davis also said :

** For glory Jackson had lived long enough, and
if the result had to come, it was the divine mercy
that removed him. He fell like the eagle, his own
feather on the shaft that was dripping \vith his own
life-hlood.

** In his death the Confederacy lost an eye and an
arm, our only consolation being that his summons
could have reached no soldier more prepared to
accept it joyfully."

Hon. William Porcher Miles, LL. D., president
of the South Carolina College, in an address to
young men, said :

*'The deep religious enthusiasm of Jackson doubt-
less had much to do with the impression he made
upon the Northern mind, especially in New En-
gland, where the stamp of the old Puritans remains
indelible. There was, too, something of Cromwell
about him, though with none of Cromwell's intrigue
and personal ambition. His own exalted ideal of
duty made him sternly exacting in requiring its
discharge by others. He could not easily make
allowances for the shortcomings of his subordinates ;
and indolence and inefficiency he held in lofty con-
tempt. In one of his letters written to me as chair-
man of the Military Committee of the Confederate
House of Representatives, urging the necessity of
ridding the army of incompetent officers (and which,
I may add, gave rise to what was called ' the army
purging bill'), he used the following language :

"* Merit should be the only basis for promotion.
A true patriot will not desire an office for which he
is incompetent, and none but true patriots should

646 APPENDIX.

have office. Officers should be ready to ignore
every idea of personal ease and comfort and to place
our cause above every earthly consideration.^

^^ Noble words! How characteristic of the man!
How unceasingly did his own example illustrate
their precepts I Next to his duty to his God stood
his duty to his country. In her cause he was will-
ing to spend and be spent. No dangers could daunt,
no perils dishearten, no odds dismay, no toil or
fatigue subdue the indomitable soul of this Christian
soldier. The physical strength, the sinews and
muscles of his men and horses could not keep pace
with his fiery ardor. He never seemed to feel the
necessity of repose. He had a testimony in life to
deliver, a mission to accomplish, and could not rest
until the goal was attained. ^Rest!' he would
have exclaimed in the words of John Wesley,* Will
I not have all eternity to rest in?'

** And he has gone to that rest. Across the broad
and silent river he calmly passed, while victory
etill hovered over his banners, hopeful, trustful,
happily unconscious of the impending ruin of that
cause which he placed 'above every earthly con-
Bideration,' and for which he was ever ready to lay
down his life. Truly he might have said: *I have
fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I
have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up
for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord,
the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day.' "

APPENDIX. 647

STONEWALL JACKSON'S DYING WORDS.

Bt Mm. Maioaiit J^ Piutok.

"What are the thoughts that are stirring his breast?
What is the mystical vision he sees?
— *Let ua pass aver the river, and rest

Under the shade of the trees."

** Has he grown siok of his toils and his tasks?
Sighs the worn spirit for respite or ease?
Is it a moment's cool halt that he asks,

Under the shade of the trees?

'* Is it the far Shenandoah, whose rush

Ofttime had come to him, borne on the breeze.
Over his tent, as he lay in the hush.

Under the shade of the trees?

" Nay — though the rasp of the flesh was so soro,

Faith, that had yearnings far keener than these,
Saw the soft sheen of the Thitherward Shore.

Under the shade of the trees : —

"Caught the high psalms of ecstatic delight,—

Heard the harps harping like soundings of seas,-
Saw earth's pure-hearted ones, walking in white.

Under the shade of the trees.

** Surely for him it was well, — it was best, —

War-worn, yet asking no furlough of eas**,
There to pass over the river and rest

Under the shade of the trees!"

iiiiiiiiiiiiiin

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Cambridge, MA 021 38 (61 7) 495-241 3

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