The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1865-08-30
StonewaIl Jackson.

Among the most prominent actors in the great dra.
"a of the late revolution, there was one whose GU ious
rgure- riveted every eye. He was a man between
airty-fve and forty, erect, stiff, clad ~ dingy gray,
With The measured carriage, and brief curt voice ol the
older on duty. When he smiled, 1t u true, hI3 face
as charming, and when his piercing look grew soft,
il eve WAS full Of the kindlrSt sweetness, but his lips
a.pre habitually compressed, his glance keen, pcnetra-
liz and inuuisitiye under the rim OF the faded cadet
to,drawp low upon the forehead. He rode ungracefully,
.lough not badly. appearing 10 manage his horse with
he an effort Of volitioa. In manner he was absent,
-p0ccupied and absorbed, carried away apparently by
lme possessing thought, which rendered him obliviOus
time and place. lie would raise bis hand, some
lnes both hands, alott in the hottest hoars Of the bat
Ne, and with closed eyes utter halt-gudl3lc prayers
#is walk was a stride, which the most ardent OF big
Imirers would not have ventured u call graceful. he
ut stGlv erect upon his camp-stool, or his pew at
lurch, refusing to enjoy the luxury ofreclinirg in the
last degree. He was silent, Shy, awkward, hOmely in
-ress and appearance and constrained in manner, with
ut any apparent endowment distinguishing him from
ne dulIest and most commonplace OF his species
nd VET this curinus parsonage had very powerfully
zcitcd the admiration aud atfecuoa, not only OF his
.wn people, but of many Of his advefsayie5; who in
re homely person of Stonewall jackson saw the en-
adiineut Of goodness, military genius, and almost un-
roken victory.
Jackson was so commonplace an individual, except
, his profession, that those who knew him best never
.aSed to wonder at his success. With the single ex-
.ption Of the obstinate courage with which he fought
j. guns at Churubusco and ChapTltepec, he had dis
HLlyed, up TO his thirty-seventh year, 40 unusual ability
f any description whatever. He wssa common place
lcturer, a mediocre writer, O thinker without apparent
originalily, and in all the lesser endo. ments Of the
IAN Of society, was s~trikingiy deficient. lie seemed
OF to know what men meant by Imagination and fam
1y: he was without wit, utterly destitute of all sppre-
cation Of mirth or huinor; aud seems to have regarded
1eIleslrttres, aud what is called good company" as
perfectly frivolous. His most intimate friends had
lever heard him utter 4 profound or striking sentence;
Liz writings were innocent Of anything like force or
originality. A fair and impartial judgment Of the man,
rom anything which he had ever said, written or per-
urnrd, would have been that he was merely a plod-
sing professor.
When the common place professor, who seemed TO
emerge from his dullness to do something absurd, WIS
p aced in command of a brigade, people began 10 laugh
md sIrug their shoulders. Instead of an imposing
gIeyalter, on a prancing stccd, in splendid tFappings,
aud breathing beautcous battle, they saw before them
El eccentric figure in a dinEy gray coat, on a peaceful
alb, his knees drawn up, his body bent forward, a
leather stock Saving his ears, and his appearance, IN
.ery point Of view, nngainly. They hnKhcd-soon
cv became quiet. When he fell at charlottesville,
t.ere was not a man in the army who had not known
wiat was in him from the first"
Underlying Al! was a supreme spirit Of combatiTe-
-rss. 1t H. q fancy that lie did not love fighting. He
Veled in it. war was horrible in his eYes, ii is true,
I'm the enormous public and private misery which it
.asiJned; but he uone the less loved the conflict of
posing forces. In battle, under bis calm exterior,
y. had the gaudiu01 c~eyta@'inis You could see that
g WAC a fghGing anIHial, from lis pohderousJ w. We
eay animal, y because at such moments j tckson the
aampas-iOuate ehristitn became jackson the verttable
llldog. His conIbativeIlees when thus aroused, was
OBSTINATE, enormous. 70 fight to the death was his
raiall eTing resolve; and his own iaViuci5le resolution
.As infused into his troops; they became inspired By
.s ardOr, and we're more than q match tor two or three
mes their number, fighting without the stimulus
18th Jackson leading them in person, on fire with the
eat of battle, the s ouewall brigade and other troops
hich had served under him long, telt themselves able
s9 achieve impossibhities. But conhativRncss and
military ardor do not make a great commander;
=ithout them ne officer can accomplish much, but
more is needed to achieve the glories of arms. Enter
prise il necessary; and this word for want OF 2 better,
must express z quality of Jackson's mind which more
E an all else gave him his astonishing suecees. His
le was never to allow an enemy u rest; TO attack
lerevcr it was possible, and TO press on until all OPP
iSition was broken down. and the day Eaiaed. The
n markable activity shown in his campaigns il an evil
ance that he possessed this trait as Il general, in a
u ore eminent degree perhaps than any OF mis- cotem-
IS oraries. A sluggish or unwarYadv rsarT vac doomed
read, when he least expected it; Jackson vac before
in, attacking with all the advantage OF a surprise =
{ was said that he marched his men nearly to death,
nd il was true. But these excessive drains upon their
shvsical strength were compensated by victories, BY
polls and an immense accession to the moral strength
+ his command. Nor did he fail to preserve, thus,
thousands Of lives, which would have been lost By
lore deliberate and conventional warfare, He always
referred to arrive by forced marches in the face OF an
n]prcpared enemy and drive them before him with
.3mparatiyelv small loss, to a more leisurely advance
hiCh would find them prepared TO meet him. He
med to succeed rather by sweat than blood. His
NOUS flank moveme Is proved a terrible TAX ON the
geng;h Of his troop; but after their eXtlatstfng march,
Tile men flushed the work without blood-shed, almost,
I'd soon forgot their WEAKNESS il tie sweet sleep
hich follows toll and victory. Aggressive warfare
las the fundamental principle OF his military system.
e preserved the unyarying conviction, throughout his
hole career, that the true policy Of the ConiedeFaey
aR one OF Invasion. SO far did he carry this, that
aer the battle of Port Republic, he was pessonmtely
eut on adya eng into Pennsylvania, though Gen.
lcClcllan was knocking at the doors OF Eichnlo' d with
Hu army OF 10000 men. After the battles OF the
hickahominY, he rose from his camp-couch, one night,
here he was lying, talking with a friend, and violently
riking the pillow with his clenched hand, exclaimed;
Way don't we 90 to Pennsylvania nov? The Scipio
ficuuus policy is the best" To march, to manGu-
re, to flank, to strike-to advance, retreat, keep his
eleny in constant tear-such was his system. lie
ever rested, and took no account OF hours pr seasons.
fTsccms to have considered all weather good to fight
and to have discarded the general conviction OF
jlitary men that night attacks are hazardous. The
sth e~Spedition was undertaken in the dead OF winter
I'D Al Fred rick,burg he projected and attempted to
kecute a final assault upon the Federal army, which
as TO begin precisely at suaset." At Charlottesville,
9-o'clock at night, WHEN he fell, he was preparing
Ar that movement Of his left wing, which Was to en-
Flop Gen. Hooker, and decide the fate Of the Fed
raj army. No other general living would have ven
rrd upon s. dangerous an undertaking; but jackson
al d, clded upon II, without hesitation.
1t is not to be wondered at that unwary Or indolent
pponcnts became the victims Of II strategy 80 bold aud
asgressive. The T. pidity OF Jackson marches IN the
aIey campaign, and the expedition to the rear OF
ian, Pc 9 was nav l,uS; ut there was something > il
rore striking il tile enterprise which suggested these
.ayemcnts. 70 a soldier SO fertile in resources, so
-rgld. daring and unhesitating, victory was almost q
-rrgone conclusion.
The difference between enterprise aDdfool-haFdiness
that between calculation and chance. Jackson's
Hilary movements were always based upon close cal
Ilation, AID he was certainly not wanting in foresight