The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-07-12
.Stonewall Jackssn.


chieftain who has given our Eastern Generals
more trouble than all the other rebel command.
ers combined: ..-.r..-.- ..a
Thomas Jefferson Jackson was born in Lewis
county, Virginia, in 1925. He is, therefore, irst
thirty-seven years old-the fatal age for men of
geniss-an argument against me. His family
though by no means wealthy, was one of e1ten.
sive and influential ram6cations; socially And
politically their status has always been high.
even in aristocratic Virginia, and it was this ad.
vantage, perhaps, which saved our hero from
neglect when he was turned upon the world a
very poor young orphan for it was by fam;Iv
and moral promise, that he was made a We..
Point cadet at the age of seventeen. TWAS b;s
own cousin, Judge Jackson, of the United
States Court who skedadded from W;nobests.
last month on the approach of the scamn IT,.
Jefferson, recently petri6ed into StonevaIs
His pertinacity in procuring his cadetsbin sbo:,
the man. Being then a resident of CIsrLsh h'
in Western Virginia, he walked from tb,t ~. =,
to Washington, bearing with him letter, IS ~
commentator to the Congressional Renrasents
tive OF bis district, urging the claims of yscl"s".
to cadetship at West Point Academy Af,a.
some delay at the capital, his application ws.
successful, and with his commission in b;s nocL
e'' ne traveled on foot all the way from the
capltai 10 west Point, there to receive the rud;.
ments OF the science of "StonewalI.n
He was graduated with high hooors IN tho
same class with Mcclellan, lust az the Me,;c.o
war broke out, Immediately entered service v;th
Gen. Scott as Brevet Lieutenant, and va,
made full Lieutenant for gallant conduct in the
memorable campaign from Vera Cruz to Mexico.
For the same suthcing reason he received a Can
talns shoulder-straps at Cerro Gordo. and vsa
hreveted Major at Chapultepec "for distingu;sb-
ed services" On his return home With impaired
health after the war, he resigned his Commission
and was elected Professor Of Natural and eIneri,
mental Philosophy in the Military Institute of
Virginia. ''
In connection with his Mexican career. by.the.
by, recall an anecdote, characteristic of tho
man, which I first heard in Winchester hnt
which find well reproduced in the Philadepbi.
Inquirer of late date:
During the battle of Chapultepec, where he
commanded section of Magruder's battery at.
tached to Pillows division, he was ordered hv
that ptiful commander, to withdraw bis section
as, according to Pillows craven idea, it was too
much exposed. Giving no heed whatever n
the Generals order, he rapidly limbered up and
moved his section hundred yards nearer the
enemys works. where he did great execution.
From the tranquility of his professorship he
was called by Governor Letcher, When this in.
fernal rebellion broke out, to the head of repi
ment, and was assigned the command at Har.
per's Ferry, "by the unanimous recommendatio,
Of the Council, and the unanimous confirmation
Of the convention"
jackson, who had superseded several Virginia
militia Generals there, was in turn superseded
BY General Jo Johnston. He was then made a
Brigadier by JEFF. Davis, and it was at the battle
Of Manassas in command of the StonevalI
RriuaHp
'tonewall country, that he acquired his now IA
NOUS sobriquet.
The rebel account of Jackson's ea1y onera.
lions at Winchester, fnot veracious enough for
history, will at least not fatigue you: it has not
been reproduced in this section, believe.
In March, they say, Winchester was again
threatened by such overwhelming forces, under
ien. Banks, that every arrangement was made
Tor an evacuation. The government stores and
hospitals were removed; the various clothing
md cooking societies we're disbanded, and moth.
ng left pertaining to an army but the men COM
posing 1t. Jackson's whole force, including
cavalry and militia, did not amount to 5000
men; nevertheless, be twice offered battle to the
Union troops, on the It'll and 18th of March
On the night of the lth he withdrew without
an engagement, and on the morning of the 18th
the enemy marched into Winchester, a squadron
Of Ashby's cavalry slowly retiring about one
sgaare in advance of them. According to Gen.
Shields account there was Union force of
$4,000 in the town at the time of the battle
fought on the 23d of March, Jackson with only
$500 men returned to Winchester from New
Market, and fought the battle of Kearnstown-
Union loss not less than 1000, Confederate loss
4l5. Barring the imaginative element in this
account, it is not without interest.
Stonewall jackson is everywhere described az
q "slow man" intellectually even dull Some
say he was tedious professor, and all agree
that he has creeping look. And yet, if YOU
ask them now what they mean by that, they saw
they do not know; all they 60 know is, that he
Is obstinate as mule, and plucky as a bull dog,
which means just nothing of man whose prime
quality is CELEBRITY; who, as soldier, is as rapid
Is he ls wary, Astounding in surprises, brave al.
most to rsshness, and inventive almost to ro-
nance.
As for his outward man. he looks at least seven
Years older than he ls-his height about FIVE feet
ZEN inches; his figure thick set square shoulder
I'd, and decidedly clumsy; his gait very swk-
ward, STOPPING, and with long stridec He often
walks with his head somewhat on one side, and
lis eyes fixed upon the ground, imparting to his
whole appearance that distracted quality which
7oung ladies describe as "absent-minded"
ady who has known him long and we'll has told
ne that she never saw him on horseback with
but laughing-short stirrupe, knees cramped up,
reels stuck out behind. and chin on his breast
"a most unmilitary phenomenon. In society
he is quiet, but cheerful, not loquacious, but in
ell'gent and shrewd; in religion, the buest kind
u Presbyterian, and extremely strict in his
church observances. In Winchester he took
!ery active part in revivas, and habituaily led
he "union'' prayer meetings.
TO illustrate the popularity of the man FOR
ome reason, which has never been made public,
he expediency of removing him from his COM
nand was at one time freely discussed in the
Confederate Cabinet, and all but two members
avored the motion, these two arguing that
nan of such exemplary modesty, and yet of such
intense religious enthusiasm and indomitable
irmness, must possess those moral elements
Which, It combined with his military education
nd experience, should constitute great Gen
raj. Their opposition served to postpone a de-
ision, and the motion was held under consider
ton. Meantime, the people OF the Valley gos
lind OF the affair, and, with great outcry Of
nd OotS ~