Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1865-11-08

nifty, mingled with certain gray
s ard serious pride, aroused rather ae
I niration than Affection Jackson
D appearance and manner, on 10
y contrary, were such as eeheiiiat
D g familiar. humorous liking. IA
r dingy old coat than which scarce q pfi
4 Yates IN his command was more faded
. his dilapidafed and discOlored cap; TN
( absence of decorations and all show il
Z his dress: his odd ways his Kindly, sim
e pie, familiar manner; his habit Of sittinl
I down and eating with his men his in
y difference whether his bed were in n com
\ Portable hcadquarter tent, on a caml
} couch, or in a fence corner with no shell
I ter from the rain but his cloak; his ab
stemiOUsness, fairness, honesty, simpl
! city; his never falling regard for the
comfort and the feelings Of the private
soldier; his oddities, eccentricities and
0riginaiities-all were an unfailng pro-
vOcative 10 fun, and endeared him o his
men. IrOOps are charmed when there is
anything in the personal character Of a
great leader to .'make fun Of of''-admira-
tiOn Of his genius then becomes enthusi-
asm for his person. jackson had aroused
this enthusiasm in his men-and il was a
weapon with which he struck hard.
Jackson was the strange fashion he had
of raising his right hand al0ft and then
letting ii fall suddenly to his side. 1t Is
impossible, perhaps, to determine the
meaning Of this singular gesture. II Is
said that he had some physical ailment
which he thus relieved-Others believed
that n such moments he was praying.
Either may be the fact. Certain u is
that he often held his hand, sometimes
both hands, thus alOft in battle and that
his lips were then seen to move, evidently
in prayer. Not once, but many times
has the singular spectacle been presented
of a Lieutenant-CiCueral commanding sit
ting his horse silently rs his column
moves before him-his hands raised TO
Heaven; his eye5 closed; bis iiss moving
in prayer. One officer told md That at
ChancellOrsvLle, IS Le recognized the
c0rpses of any Of his old veterans, he
would check his horse, raise his hands to
Heaven, and utter prayer over the dead
body
There are those who said that all this
indicated partial species Of insanity
that JacHsOn's mind was not sound
Other stories are told of him which aim
TO show that his ecceu tricities amounted
TO craZiness. Upon this point the PHI
losOphers and Psychologists must decide.
The present writer can only say thGy
jackson appeared TO him TO be an emf
nently rational, judicious and sensible
person in comversatiOn-aud the world
must decide whether there was any craze,
any flaw or crack, or error in the terribly
logical processes Of his brain as a fighter
of armies. The old iucredulity of Fred
eriek viii obtrude itself upon the mind.
If Jackson was crazy, tits a pity he didn't
bite somebody and InOculate them with
a small lamOuntof his insanity as q soldier.
Unqueationablv the most striking trait Of
Jackson as leader was his unerring
Judgment and accuracy OF calculation.
The present writer is familiar with every
detail of his career, and does not recall
one bluuder KernstOwn was FOUGHT
upon information furnished by Gen.
Ashby, most accomplished and reliable
partisan, which turned CuJ to be inacCU-
rate; but even in defeat Jackson there
accomplished the very important object
Of returning a large Eederal force in the
valley, which Mcclellan needed on the
Chickah0miny. For instances Of the
b0ldness, fertility and originality Of his
conceptions, take the campaigns against
Gen. Pope, the surprise Of Harper's Ferry, .
The great flank atLackat Charlottesville, .
and the marvellous success Of every step
taken IN the campaign Of the valley. This
Is not jhe occasion for an analysis Of these .
campaigns; but IL may be safely declared .
that they are magnificent Illustrations OF
the mathematics of war; that the brain
which conceived and executed designs
so bold and splendid must have possessed .
% sanity for all practical purposes difficult .
20 dispute.
Jacks0n's religious opinions are Un-
known to the present writer. He has
fasF| s HHI 81 4 . .|.I#
men are i3t3listS ia one sense, ia posses .
sing strong conviction that " what VIII
Ue VIII be- But men Of deep piety, like
Jackson, are not Oriental in their views.
Fate was a mere word with Jackson,
with no meaning, his " STAR was FrOyi-
dence. Love for and trust il that Proyi-
deuce dWelt and beat in every vein and
pulse of his nature. His whole soul was .
absorbed IA his religioI-ss- much as
merchants is I'm his business, OF q state
mans i'm public affairs. He believed
that life meant intensely, ana meant
gOOa.' ~ To find its meaning was '' hIs
meat and drink" His religion was his
life. and the real world a mere phautas-
mag0ria. He seems 10 have died reioic-
ing preferriug death 90 life. Strange
u5dncss, This religious dreamer was
the stern, practical, mathematical calcu-
GJ0r of chances; the obstinate, myie,d-
ing fighter; the most prosaic cf reaiists
n all the commonplace OF the dreGdfully
trade Of war.
The world knocks down many people
with that cry Of " eccentric by which
Is really meant " insane ANY diverg-
auCc from the conventional IS an evi-
ieuCe Of mental Uns0Undnlss. Jackson
was seen, once in Lexington, walking up
and down IN heavy rain before the SUI
Deriutgudents quarters, waiting for the
clock TO strike ten, before he delivered
his report. He wore woolen clothes
the summer. He wOD'd
never mail a letter which 20 reach ] "a
destination mus. 'rav.l on : nday. All
these things made him laughed 10, and
vet the good sense seems all on his side,
the folly on that Of the lauglers. The 1
institute was military school military .
obedience was the great important lesson .
tG the -tudent-rigid, understanding Obc- .
dience. Jackson set them the example. .
He was ordered 10 hand in his report az .
ten, sud did not feel himself at liberty 10 .
present it before ten, in consequence Of I
the rain. He was ordered TO don wool /
en- uniform in the winter, and having re- (
ceiyed 40 order prescribing or permitting
another, continued 10 wear it. He con- I.
sidered is wrong 70 travel or carry mails /.
the commission of wrong. This appears +
logical at least, however eccentric.
In truth, Jackson was an altogether
earnest man, with little genius for the
trivial pursuits Of life or its more trivial
processes Of thought and opinion. His
temper was matter Of fact; his logic
straightforward "nOnsensen could not
live in his presence. The lighter graces
were denied him, but not the abiding
charm. He had no eve for the flower
OF peas, no palate for the bubble on the
champagne of life; but be was true, kind,
brave, and simple. Life with him was q
hard, earnest struggle-duty seemed to
have been his watchword. Ii is hard TO
find in his character any actual blot-he
was so true and honest.
Jackson has probably excited more adj
miration i'm Europe than any other per-
soma ge in the late revolution. His oppO-
nents even are said 10 have acknowledged
the purity of his motives-tO have recog-
nized the greatness Of his character and
the splendOr Of - achievements. This
sentiment springs naturally from re-
view Of his life. II is no part Of my de-
sign 20 present a critical analysis Of Jack
sons military movements. This must
sooner OF later be done, but al present The
atmosphere is not clear Of the battle
smoke, and figures indistincuy. The
tune will come when the campaigns Of
Jackson win become the study OF mili-
tary men ia the Old world and the new
hemasterly advances End retreats Of the
Valley the descent "a 4inst Mcclellan
expedition TO Pope's rear which terni-
mated nI the second battle Of Manassas
and the great flank movement at Chan
cellorsville, which has made the tangled
brakes of the Spottsylvauia wilderness
famous forever.
Under the grave exterior, the reserved
5elneanor, the old faded costume Of the
Northern soldier, the penetrating student
Of human nature might discern one Of
the unmortalsn Oh may fancy that
the man who holds sioft his hand in
PRAYER while his veteran battali0ns move
by steadily to the charge that this is
Cromwell, steTnest Of IrOnsides, going
forth to conquer IN the name Of the
Lord in the man who led ais 0roGen
lines back 70 the conflict, and charged in
front Of them on many fields, there was
all the dash and impetus Of kupers The
inscutable decree Of Providenee sllack
Gown tais gfeat soldiet in the prime Of
I life and the bloom Of bis facDlit..eess. Us
( career covered but two years, and be
T lives only in memory. But history can
not avoid her landmarks; the great pro-
5 portions Of StoneWall Jackson viii sooner
or later be deliDeated.