Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1863-02-16
miscellaneous
sTONEWALL JAC KsoN,
OLD STONEWALL BRIGADE.

NicaCcsI Vi bcHCIdiS is OeucTdI OIouo-
wall JscksoH.
Or, it that thought be extravaganza
great among the great is the man of
kernstown, Port Republic, and Cedar
Mountain-tbe hero of the Shenandoah
Valley.
He bad made his great fame before
ever saw him-made it in that garden
spot of all this land of lands, the Valley
OF Virginia-and | had followed his mag
ni6cent campaigns in the region SO well
known aud dear to me, with deepest sym
patty and admiration.
l never knew him by any other name
than that which the brave and noble Bee
bestowed on him when he said, 'Yonder
stands Jackson like a stone wall" That
name of "Stonewall" thenceforth chung
to him, and never will leave him, while
the grass grows and the water runs. 1t
represents his character and genius in the
popular mind, and will descend npon the
pages of history, and to children's chill
dren, as the name by which be was bap-
tized, in fire and blood, upon the hard
fought feId OF Manassas.
And now let me tell you where | saw
him FIRST how he impressed ne, and what
an humble soldier of the great Southern
army thinks of the famous General.
! write in no hero-worshipping spirit
here or elsewhere, | assure you for | am
constitutionalIy incapable of worshiping
any human being--cvcn though he be \
hero of the most approved description,
and the utmost celebrity. My father told
me once, with a smile, that he did not
like great men, and always avoided
them His meaning doubtless was, that
the native bent of bis temperament not
only made it impossible for him to
Crook the pregnant hinges of the knee,
That thrift might follow fawning."-
not only rendered it repugnant to his self
rcspectao seek out and pay court to any
one, bW even to appear to act the cour-
tier, by joining the ~obsequious throng.
l think | was born with the same IN
fortunate trait. | never could court any
body. 1 never could stand hat in hand,
awaiting the Olympian nod-or bend the
back, or make profound ~obsequious obci-
sance before his Lordship or Celebrity. In
fact | bate the courtier, and the hero-wor-
shipper, in all his ways: He and myself are
alien to each other, and sworn enemies.
And yet l have the faculty of reverence
for real worth, largely developed. | never
worshiped a hero yet-but l take my hat
off and bow low to a great and noble soul
like Jackson. He is a " true soldier Of
the Cross no less than the valiant leader
of our armies-and in his person centre
the most conspicuous virtues the most Of
the patriot and the Christian. They
speak of his awkwardness, his shy ode
ways, and many sipgularities. Let these
be granted There is beneath all this II
the soul Of the man, a grandeur and no.
bility, a childlike purity and graciou
sweetness, mingled with the indomitabl'
will. which make him what l call Kim
: real hero.
/ have often pressed his honest hand
conversed with him in those tranquil unen
numbered hours, when neither the annoy
ances of command, or the breath of bat
tie touched his serene brow. He wa
more than ever great and noble, then
when laying aside bis public bearing, s
to speak, with his sword, he appeared /
all the native and enforced simplicity {
his real character.
But to my sketch of hat first meetiu
which l have referred to.
1t was on the battle field of Cold Ha
Dor, June 27, 1862 SO much had
thought and fought and suffered-and
often triumphed-be!ore | saw him!
| looked at him %intently with siugul
4 interest-such as | have felt in few hum'
beings-and with much curiosity,
The appearance Of the famous Gener
Stouewall was not imposing. He wo
that old sun-cmbrowned uniform, on
gray, which his men are SO familiar wit
and which has now become historic.
call it sun-embrowned is scarcely to d
scribe, however, the extent of its dlscol
alton. 1t was positively scorched by s
had that dingy hue, the product Of s
and rain, aud contact with the grou
which is so sunmistakable. A sold
from Franklin street, in his fine NJ
braided uniform, would have scare
deigncd to glance at the wearer of 81
a coat, and Woulo h"Nc sHoo".u
possessor from the pavement with
IRENE disdaiu but the men of the
S~tonewall Brigade, loved that coat; q
admired it, and its owner, more than
the holiday uniforms and holiday warri
in the world. The cap of the gem
matched the coat-if ANYTHING was
more faded. The sun had turned it q
$50. " ii - t,I,ad nvor the w