Maryland free press., 1866-07-19
rallY como I'M for a large Share ot public admir,,.

er he added the virtues of an active, humble con
sstent Christian, restraining profanity in hi
camp, welcoming army colporteurs, distributing
tracts, and anxious to have every regiment in hi
army supplied with chaplain. Prayer meeting
and ''revivals'' were common occurrences in hi
camp, and in these he was quite as active ant
conspicuous as in the storm and action of battle
1t was said that he treated the itinerant preach
ers and "circuit-riders'' who focked to his CAM
with much more distinction than any other visi
tors and the story is told how, on one occasion
when the horse driven by one of these initerant
| baked at a hill, jackson himself insisted npoI
| leading and assisting the animaiup the ACTIVITY
in the astonished sight of his whole army.
His nature was epicene. We but seldom see {
combination Of feminine tenderness with really
strong will but when we DOVE see masked iror
in the man, and discover the rarest and lotties
type of greatness. Such a combustion was mos
sincere and striking in jackson. An authentic
anecdote is told of him illustrating his extreme
tenderness to whatever was weak or helpless
Stopping at the house of friend one winter night
he showed much concern for little delicate girl
of the family, and couuselled them TO see that her
bed was comfortable. After the family had re-
tired, Jackson was seen to leave his chamber and
approach the bedside of the little GIRL where for
some moments he busted himselftucking the bed
clothes around her, ane making the little crea-
ture as snug as possible. The large, rough hand
that did this gentle task was the same that WELD
GU tnS OI Ddltle, tuttt ClSit Llht
flaming lightning the hosts of the Wilderness.
Jackson's habits in the field were those o. al
most superhuman endurance. Neither heat nor
cold appeared to make the slightest impression
upon him. He cared nothing for good quarters
aud daint fare. lie often slept upon the groun nd
wrapped in his blanket. His vigilance was mar
velousi he never seemed to sleep; he let nothing
pass without his personal scrutiny. His active
determination and grim energy in the field were
scarcely to be expected from one who in proceed
ing years had been quiet professor in a college
of youths. As for the rapidity of his marches,
that was something portentous.
The London Times, a journal whose judgments
OF men were taken in the cotemporary world nj
most as the sentences ofhistory, frequently COM
pared Jackson to Napoleon. ''Ile was said this
great organ ofEuropean opinion, ''one of the most
duced.
That mixture of daring and Judgment which is
tie mark of' Heaven-born' Generals, distinguish
ed him beyond any man of his time. Although
the yonng Confederacy has been illustrated by q
number Of eminent soldiers, yet the applause and
devotion of his countrymen, confirmed by the
Judgment Of European nations, have given the
hrs place to General jackson. The military feats
he accomplished moved the minds Of the people
with astonishment, which it Is only given to the
highest genius TO produce. The blows he struck
OF the enemy were as terrible and decisive as
tnoSe Vi DOHapafte himself.
There can be no doubt in history of the militia
ry genius of jackson. There is certain ignor-
ant idea of genius as thoughtess and careless
disposition of mind, which gets It's Inspirations
without trouble, and never descends 10 actual
labor. Such was not the genius of jackson; and
such is not true genius. He was an intense, Ia
borious thinker; he wrestled with great thoughts,
he had his silent calculations but having once
apprehended the true thought and got to point
in his meditatons, he acted with rapidity, a
decision, and confidence that sCorned hesitation,
refused longer 10 think, and look the appearance
of impetuous inspiration.
Danger, in a certain sense, intoxicated him.
But 1t did not produce that intoxication which
strings the nerve, stimulates the brain, concen-
trates the faculties and gives consciousness OF
power that is for the moment irresistible. In
battle he was not much in motion but his eyes
glowed; his face blazoned with the fire of con-
iilct; his massive jaw stiffened; his voice rang
out sharp and clear; every order and remark was
quick and pertinent as ifit had been studied for
hours. One could scarcely recognize in this fig
ure of intense activity, all alive, with every fac
ulty at play, the man who used to occupy himself
with rambling soliloquies in the rear of his tent
who presented the appearance of an inanimate
tigure-head in his pew at the Presbyterian church
in Lexington; and who often got up out of his
camp-bcd at night to spend hours in silent pray
cr and meditation.
1t may be readily imagined that the wonderful
career OF jackson and his personal eccentricides
drew upon him a crowd of apocryphal anecdotes
i'll the newspapers. Some OF these were very alb
surb. His person was as variously represented
in newspaper paragraphs as it, instead of being
familiar to thousands, he inhabited the dim out
! lines OF another century. One journal described
him as an absurdly ugly man, with red hair
another gave his portrait as that of an immense
| brain, and features on which naturehad stamped
1 NNf
dent declared that he always wore the brm OF his
cap on the middle of his nose. Another declared
that he was an execrable rider, and looked like
| loose jumping-jack on horseback.
| There is q popular disposition to discover
something curious or grotesque in great men,
But there was really but little of this sort to- b
discovered in jackson and scarcely anything tina
could be pointed out as objects of vulgar curiosi
| ty. 1t is true, his figure was queer and clumsy
but the features ofhis face were moulded i'll form
Of simple grandeur, and its expression was a!
unaffected as that of Lee himself. He was no
an ugly man. The vulgar might call him such
and the newspaper passion for caricature did 81
represent him. Nor did he have in face or figur,
| those marks which the silly admiration ofwomeI
expects to find in military heroes. He did no
wear long greasy hair falling over his shoulders
he did not stand in dramatic attitudes; he dix
not keep his eyes unnaturally stretched he di'
not thrust out his chest as if determined to i'm
pose himself upon public attention. His feature
were singularly simple and noble. A broad fore
head, rising prominently over his eyes, and re
;, treating at that easy angle which gives certai
majesty to the face, covered q massive brain hi
nostris were unuaually large; his jaw heavy an
well set, and although his features were coarse
they were combined in that expression of digni
ty and power, which to the intelligent and apprC
ciatc, even among women, is the greatest charr
of the masculine fate.
The death of Jackson cast shadow on th
fortunes ofthe Conlederacy that reached ta th
catastrophe Of the war. 1t was not only loss
his country; it was q calamity to the world;
substraction from the living generation of genius
the extinction of a great light in the temples
Christianity. The proposition was eagerly mad
9 in the South to erect to his memory statel
f monument. The State of Virginia sent an art
i to Europe to execute his statue. Thousands 70
lowed him to the grave and consecrated it wi,
the tributes of affection and the testimonies of d
r votion. Who, then, regarding this fervour ofa'
I miration and gratitude, could have supposed th
/ the Southern mind could ever become so chile
in any change of events, or in any mutation
fortune as to forget, alike, its debts of gratituC
and its objects of pride in the glorious past; at
= that the time could ever come when the hous
hold effects of'Stonewall jackson would he so
under the hammer of an auctioneer, and the far
t lily Ct this man committed to the trials and cha
cac IF