Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1863-01-29
INTERVIEW WITH sTONEwALL JACKSON
EXTRACT rRNM A PRIVATE LETTER.)


ancc with your request, to give you an ac-
count of my interview with Stonewall
Jackson while prisoner at his camp and
of my soiourn at Libby prison at Rich
mond. A few days after my capture l
was sent to Jacksons camp at NlneVah'
Warren county, Va. / reached there
Tuesday, Nov. IL, in company with four
others. Gen. Jackson came out Oh hls
tent lust as we were leaving for the guard
house IAN old church near by,) and de-
sired us to wait few minutes, as he would
like to ask us few questions.
when were you taken ?" he inquired.
November T." l replied.
"Have you any New York papers with
you?" he asked.
replied that we had not, but told him
l had read the Herald of the 9Th, which
had reached camp on the day of my cap
ture
"Ah ! did your" said he, 81 wanted
to inquire about the recent elections. DO
you know what majority Seymour re-
ceiveived %
Between ten and fifteen thousand" |
replied.
Do you know how many Congressman
the democrats elected in the state ?"
answered that it was believed they
had elected nineteen out of the thirty-one.
Were the Woods both elected 2"
answered that they were, and that all
the city and river districts were claimed
as democratic.
"Good ' he replied. "New York city
will have more to say in the next session
of Congress than all the rest of the state"
"Their constituents would hardly feel
fattered to hear you" I said.
"Any man who sincerely desires peace"
he said, should certainly rejoice at their
election. If you had such men in power
at Washington to-day, there would be no
more bloodshed, and we could easily come
to an honorable settlement"
l did not dispute that, nor ask him
what he would call an honorable settle
ment. Desiring to continue the converse
ton, I agreed with him.
"But they all claimed to be war demo-
Gratis" | continued, "and in favor of
more vigorous prosecution of the war.
Was that mere political dodge? Your
soldiers would hardly cheer the announce
ment of the election of war democrats,
should think"
30 no p he replied. "They are in ia
vor of prosecuting the war with more Wig
Or. They think that if we are to be con-
quered, it should be done at once, before
spring. If we are not subjugated by that
time, they will demand peace, and force
your government to stop the war. We
can hold out, and when the next Congress
meets thew will all he found to be peace
men and willing to recognize our indepvn.
dence, in preference to a bloody and end
less war When once convinced that they
cannot conquer us by merely gaining one
or two battles, they will cease to be war
democrats. 1t is because we know them
to be more reasonable than the Republi-
cans, that my men cheered the news of
Seymour election. But what other news
was there ?"
New Jersey has gone strongly demo-
cratic, and the party has gained in Ohio"
EYES," said the general. 81 heard
that they had carried Ohio. Did you no.
tice whether Vallandigham was reelected
or not ?"
He was defeated, but another friend of
yours in the West was returned"
"Who was it ?" he inquired.
"Voorhies p
"a good democrat, he said. "vallan.
digham was too outspoken at first; he
would have been reelected if he had
been more moderated
The general was here interrupted, and
as he turned to leave he asked if any of
us had any "grcen backs we would like
to exchange for Confederate paper!
We remained there two days with the
Jackson Foot Cavalry, a brigade of Irish
soldiers. Those with whom ! conversed
said they would give almost anything to