Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-08-07
from the London Times.l
FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.
RICHMOND. May II.

lt1CAMoNO, =
| AS every incident in relation to .'Stonec
wall" jackson cannot fail at this nsoment to
be interesting wherever the English tongue
lis spoken, / will briefly add to nsy former
letter the following gleanings, gathered in
anticipation Of a forthcoming Life" which
the public expects from competent hand.
Thomas Jefferson Jackson was born in
Western Virginia in January 1884. His
great grandfather and great grandmother
were both English. His father. who. had
been in comfortable circumstances, became
involved towards the end of his life, and
left four or FIVE children, Of whom. our hero
was the eldest, In straitcnea circumstances.
|"StohewaT' jackson received the plain and
limited English education which may be
supposed to be within the reach Of the sparse
agricultural population Of Western Virginia,
land which cannot have amounted to much
more than Instructions in reading and wri-
ting. The great event of this life was his
appointment, at the age Of nearly 10 years,
to the United States Military Academy, at
West Point, through the interest of the
member Of Congress representing his dis
trict. It is customarysfor students to enter
West Point at the age Of l6, so that Jack
son was nearly three years senior to most
Of his associates He is described to me by
a classmate as haviog journeyed mostofthe
way from Western Virginia to West Point
On foot, in . suit ofthe coarsest homespun
cloth and in the toughest of country shoes.
aud as having been simple and modest, but,
at the same time, one Of the most uncouth
and ungainly boys that ever entered the
academy. His restricted opportunities and
lifelong residence 10 remote country dis
trict placed hin, at great disadvantage in
comparison with the sons, of weather. faith
ers, forced in the hotbeds of large to.ns,
and to whom jackson was at FIRST an unfail-
ling source Of jest and amusement. But it
was otlong before his patient, self-deny-
J ing, and indomiable perseverance extoEted
admiration from his compeers as we'll as
from his masters, and it was found that be
would never leave one lesson or recitation
until ne had thoroughly mastered it, nor
even feign to possess knowledge which be
bad not entirely acquired Again andagain,
| when called upon to answer questions in the
recitation of the day, he would reply, 4
have not as yet looked at it; have been
engaged in mastering the recitation Of yes
terday or the-day before" The result was
that he graduated 18th in class Of 70, at
the head of which class graduated, believe,
Gen Mcclellan. There was probably. in
the whole class, not boy to whom Jackson
at the outset was not inferior in knowledge
and attainments; at the end Of the race he
had only sixteen before him, and had out
stripped No less than So. Itused constant
y to be laughingly said by his contempt
)raries that if the course had been for ter
years, instead Of four, Jackson woald hav,
graduated at tbe head Of his class. 1t wa:
lin speaking of q pupil Of this character tina
DR.. Arnold once said f would stand t
that boy hat in hand" It would be diff.
cult for Mr. Smiles to find more appropri
ate addition to the gallery which he has
thrown open tothe public by his work emit
tied Self Help than the portrait Of sStone-
wall'' Jackson.
It is not necessary that I should follow
him through the Mexican war, of which the
endless stories and details Of American sol
diers fail TO inspire interest for the Europe
an I believe that in that war he gained
as many steps as any Of his brother officers.
and was favorably noticed as an excellent
artillcrist He quilted the United States
army upon receiving the appointment Of
Professor of CHEMISTRY in the Military Acad-
Jenny ofthe State of Virginia at Lexington
To this academy he became ardently attach
ed, and here be passed fen years Of bis
modest and unobstrusive life, taking great
Interest in the pursuits Of his professorshir
and in the natural sciences, though never
becoming. in the European sense, deeply
read or scientific man His health was bot
strong, and, according to the general idea,
i he was fanciful about !. himselfs After the
death Of his first wife be visited Europe
running through it, apparently in the ho
haste which is so characteristic Of Ameri
cans, and deyoting to the task of sight see
Ling in London the same energy which he
| subsequently, carried into the field agains
the Federals He told me that it was hi
/ habit to give IS hours day to doing
! London" commencing at in the morning
and keeping it up until 8 at night Blu
his chief delight was IN the cathredtals O.
j England, and notably in Westminster Alb
|.bey and York Minister. He was neyel
tired Of talking about them, or listening t,
details about the cLapels and cloisters OF Ok
ford.
1 Upon the outbreak of this gigantic wal
he Immediately offered his services TO tht
State ofVirginia, aud received his first com
mission from his friend ard fellow towns
mans, Gov. Letcher. There were man,
other professors and magnates Of Lexington
! Academy from whom great things were Ell
pectedj few people, if any thought that til,
silent, shy, reserved Jackson would fill Eu
rope no less than America with his fame
and that while none of his Lexington rivals
would gain name which has survived fol
| two years, his would be prominent il sons
and story for two centuries. This is not
the place to review his military career, Of
to recapitulate his brilliant cam paigns tn,
/ Valley, when he fought ,and@worsted almos
simultaneously three Federal armies unde
Generals Shields, Fremont, and Banks eacl
Of these armies being larger and infinitely
better equipped than the Confederate fore
, under Jackson Neither is this the plac
to dwell upon his march intothe Valley an
his rapid descent upon the bewildered Nc
Clelland's flank, which initiated the battle,
around Richmond; his passage throug