Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1863-01-20
Biography of stonewall jackson.
The New York Sunday Mercury publishes
humorous biography Of ofStonewail Jackson. We
make the following extracts

| The New York Sunday Mercury publishes
humorous biography ofStonewail Jackson. W
make the following extracts
| Your correspondent has seen many biographi
| cal sketches of the renowned ssStoneWall,'' - bu
| they all ab0unded in Inconsistencies, untruth
and inaccuracies. In the hands of some histo
rians his life is like the short India rubber blan
ket Of long soldier is stretched to suit the sub
lJect. To others this eventful history has been 8
lump of clay in the hands of child-capable o
any degree of plastic distortion or beauty from
Hindoo idol to a winged statuette of Appollyon
the Lovely. Some there be who declare him a
myth, will-o-the- -wisp, dancing jack OF the
wilderness, the creation of mind or any a.
mount of minds-disordered but they err, Mr..
Editor. StonewaIl Jackson is fixed fact; a
melancholy fact, a stubborn fact; and that his
life may not go down into darkness, that his
deeds of daring may not be wiped out forever
like sum in simpleedlyision on schoolboy' IS
slate, historian is needed--one that is faithful,
capable and unbiased like those, for instance,
who do the biographical sketches for the New
York morning dailies- one thatis wholly compe-
tent ard that careth not apin for Northern praise
or Southern commendatiOn; in brief, one like
those who write the biographical histories for
the papers aforesaid. Such an one is Ammo
Domini, and he herewith presents history which
he is willing to take his affidavit is as reliable
those immaculate sheets-the New York dallies
Stonewall Jackson was born very early in life
lin fact so young was he at that interesting Pc
riod of his history. that the date thereof urketh
not in his own memory, nor yet IN that OF MS
present biographer. Sufficient be it to say, he
was BORN. The ancestry of 5. J. has hitherto
been shrouded in doubt Some have asserted
that he is descended from Jack surnamed the
Giant Killer, and that the ssseven-league boots''
of the aforesaid j. the e. K, are yet in his pos
session, which accounts for the celebrity of his
movements. Others declare him to be an off
shoot ofthe Jacobin family, the founder OF which
was Jackaloe the Chinese Pirate. They are all
wrong, Mr.. Editor. Stonewall Jackson is des-
ceaded in curved line from the Wandering Jew.
In early time the Jew family was rich. but one
evil day the head of it went down into Egypt,
ssbuckedo against Pharoah, and came back with
nary shekel, having lost all in that interesting
game. From that time till the discovery OF Mis-
sissippi river, the family was too poor to have q
name. Stonewall's grandfather ran fatboat on
aforesaid river, and was extravagantly fond of
the classic game of cold sledge.o He married,
and in the course of time had four sons, whom
he named-to commemorate his favorite game
High, Low, Jack, and the Game. Jack follow
ed the example of his father, married, and had
one son, the subject of this sketch, who was nat
urally called jack IS son, and in course OF time,
Jackson. A family trait turks IN Stonewall, for
at any critical stage of the game he is sure to
ssturn'' up and become the trump Fa
Young Jackson in his youth gave great prom
ise Of his future usefulness, so much so, that
when he was sent to school he invariably ran
away to play sstag'' and ssleap frog, to the con-
slant study of which he owes his agility. One day
Jacksons pere, learning OF his sons truancy, de-
to chastise it out OF him, and so col
Jared the incipient hero and bent him over his
knee, thus throwing prominent part of the
youth into bold relief. Mrs. jackson (the moth
cry then seized a shirt board with both hands,
and proceeded to bring the youngster to sense
of his duty by divers onlerous blows. Young
Jackson squirmed like a ishworm but with that
Spartan firmnesS that has ever distinguished him,
shed not a tear. At about the fortieth blow the
old lady paused while the old gent eased on his
hold, and inquired, sMy son; wilst thou go TO-
school in future r. The young hero raised his
head, wiped his sleeve across his nose, and look
ing up into his fathers face, said: s.I say, old
gentleman, why am like a cabin passenger on
canal boat ?'' ssMy son, knows not, sage
ly observed Jackson, senior HWhy,' said the
young incorrgible. with knowing wink, .tits
because am boarded astern." The poor out
ragged father could only calculate, aboard him
again old lady, board him again. stNot !, ~
said the mother, dropping the shirt board. s.You
might as we'll larrup Stonemalt ''afsii
From that day to this the hero has gone by the
name of Stonewall Jackson. .sBut, mother, :
SAID the father as the released youth skedaddled
from the room to finish his game of tag. "W hat
shall we do with the boy ?'' ssDo why send
him to West Pint, he amt good for nothin else. ,.
Stonewall went to West Point. Many interest
ing events occurred during his pupilage there,
but following the example of the New York pa
pers-I condense. 7eatsa te ~sse
Stonewall Jackson passed creditable exami-
nation, and graduated number two {froms the
foot1 of his class, and the rebellion having just
commenced, was Immediately appointed Brig
adler General by the Southern Confederacy-
the United States Government paying his livery
stable at West Point and his passage to the rebel
lines. While passing through our army he STOP
ped to make sketch Of our Notifications, when
an inconsderate sentinel demanded his pass
The sentinel was immediate ~ sentenced to De
hung but was afterwards allowed to resign.
The New York papers have given such an &C.
curate account of Stonewalfs military exploits
that / need no more than give brief epltome,
taken from the same reliable source.
His first battle was at Bull Run, in 1861, where
be slew whole division of the Federal army
with mis- own hand. and then got slowed himself.
| In this battle both armies were defeated; but,
unfortunately, neither of them found it out in
time to take advantage of it. The Y Mon army
was greatly outnumbered, but gained a mate.
rial advantage'' (see McD's dspatches.)
In June, 1862, he took command OF 500, ,0OC
men, (see Northern papers OF that dase) ana
turned his attention to the political economy OF
l.O1 the Sn0nanQ0au " lN " iiNtoS Suo ooA'>
OF the currency there, he determined to abolish
Banks; in doing which several desperate battles
were fought, in all of which, though outnumber
| ed, our troops ssgained material advantage
(see B--k's dispatches) but our cavalry horses
! becoming thirsty, the army fell back to the 70
tomac to water them.
| Jackson's horse, also being dry, he pushed OF
for the same watering place, but learning tha
Fremont had cut loose, fell back. Fremont fol
lowing, desperate engagement took place al
Front Royal, in which Stonewall would have
| been annihilaed had not. the u. S. Government
stopped the battle, On. Y. Tribune) to hold 8
court of inquiry, to see if Fremont had not paid
three postage stamps too much for bushel o.
oats furnished through California friend, to {
horse of his body guard. While the court wal
/ in session Stonewall skedaddled. Fremont fol
lowed, however, and wonld have bagged him, i
he had not taken the wrong road, IN. 7. Herald
and travelled North while Jackson was goins
i South. Getting safe back to Richmond, Stone
wall bore leading part in the battles in from
of that ssdoomed'' (see ali the papers) city.
According to the Northern prints, jackson
suffered terribly in person in these battles. al
lost his right leg at Hanover Court House, ant
his left at Gainesville. The next day, whil
leading his corps into battle at Savage's his hors
| baked in front of a barrel of beans, which hat
been abandoned by our army, and was compel
ed to dismount and go it on foot, in doing whic
he lost his right arm. The succeeding day b
lost mis- left arm at Peach Orchard.
Two days after, at the battle of Malvern Hill
| he stopped down to fasten his shoe, and Will
in that position his head was blown off by I03
600 pound she'll. This was the unkindest cut Q
! ali but the old veteran merely raised his mate
j rial form erect, and said: ssMy bleeding coun
try, cheerfully make the, sacrifice. Old head