The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1866-05-23

the dignity of the historian and they wi
endure; but this life Of jackson will
read as romance of the war, and fad
away as the impartial pensurveys the erin
soned field and clothes itsheroes in immol
tality In the estimation of the autho
Gen. jackson was always "curt" in his re
plies He answered Bee on Manassas ii
the curt tone habitual with him" agai
on the same field he answered Barlow 81
his brief curt tone;" when theretreat com
menced jackson spoke Gin his curt voice;
in his Romney march he replied to Gar
nett "in his curtest tones )" when censure'
for that march, Gin great wrath jackson
said, in his curtcst tones )" at the battle 0
kcrnstown he ordered the drummer Iii
his curt, quick tones" after the battle o
Mcdowell he commended the gallantry o
his men Gin his habitual curt tone;'' whe1
retreating from Fremont and Banks che
asked CURLY" why certain men were moi
shot; in Mount Crawford he asked the
news in his ''curt and familiar tones )" anG
so on to the end of the book. Pity it is
that the author had not studied more care
fully the style he imputes with such tauto
logical pertinacity to his chief.
The work is intensely partizan. It con-
fesses to no disasters to the rebel arms
A stranger to our history during the last
| five years reading it would infer that the
war during Jackson's participation there
| IN, had been continuous scene Of butch
cry of Northern soldiers by from one-ffth
to one-half their number of rebels; and
the sequel Of Lees surrender and the en-
tire supremacy of the government in all
the insurgent States, would seem ipcredi-
BILE. And so far is this partially carried
in almost every chapter, that Jackson is
made at times ridiculous and again posi-
lively barbarous by the blind efforts Of
his biographer to conceal the truth. If it
it be true, as is recorded, that Jackson de-
sired 25, 900 troops with which to march
upon Pittsburg in the winter Of 1862, ad-
vance from thence to Harrisburg, where
Lee should join him and in the spring
move upon Philadelphia, it only proves
that in planning great campaigns, Jack
son was lunatic; and if he said to Col
Patton, as is represented, relative to some
gallant Union soldiers who had broken
his lines, "shoot them all, [ don't want
them to be brave" then was jackson a
cruel murderer instead of the humane and
chivalrous soldier the world regards him.
Another fatal error Of the biography is the
assumption Of the author that jackson
must not be confessed as ever fairly dis
comftted, or that in his military move
ments he ever blundered The foolish
and fatal march to Bath, Hancock and
Romney in the winter Of 1862 is elabor-
ately defended and the fruitlessness of the
sacrifice is but partially admitted in the
last sentence Of the chapter, where it is
stated that '.in the space Of thirty days a
principally had been won and lost again. :"
The truth is that it was never won and
therefore never lost by Jackson. He
started out, not so much to redeem Har-
dy, Hampshire and Morgan counties, as
to capture stores, and failing to entice
Gen. Kelly from Cumberland, the cam
paign ended in loss of over 1000 Aors de
combat, and the speedy surrender Of all
the poin:s,he occupied A few stores were
captured at Romney, and one-ffth his
army sick or utterly sacrificed. 1t is well
perhaps to place the blunder upon Gen.
Loring, who is charged with insubordina-
ton; but the rebel authorities evidently
censured jackson, as would the impartial
biographer, by ordering Loring away from
Romney without consulting his superior.
With equal earnestness and error does the
author attempt to explain away jackson S
defeat at the battle of Kernstown-be better
known in the North as the battle Of Win
chester-by Gen. Shields. 1t is admitted
that Jackson was deceived into offering
battle; that Capt Ashby, remarkable for
reliability" had been led to believe that
but four regiments Of Union troops were
in Winchester, whereas there were, in
point Of fact, about 1000, but stated by
the author at II 900. Under this impress
sion Jackson returned down the Valley
and delivered battle with about 1900 men.
A prudent commander would have con
fessed his error and saved his men from
sacrifice upon feeling the strength of the
enemy but Jackson is represented as at
lacking in chosen position more than
three times his force, and fighting them
hopelessly until the butchery was stopped
by the exhaustion of his ammunition.
jackson was every where seen under the
hottest fire. we are told, and "led five
distinct charges in person "a most ro-
mantle exhibition Of proves for the com
mander Of an army, and as superlatiye in
folly as it is brilliant in fiction. One rebel
gun double shotted, we learn, drove back
an entire regiment, and the gunner OF that
historic piece discovered when the smoke
cleared away, zone whiting mass Of hui
manity" as the fruits Of their bloody
work At every point, or every trial, In
every charge on either side, the rebel
troops were victorious, but still the econ
federates were to be borne<baek and the
Federal forces were to hold possession Of
the hard fought field" ''Ih he day was
lost" but Jackson's ''stern temper" woulc
s.not yield" He finally ''retreated sui
lenly," and the battle was "not a 5lunaer
or an accident" If. it was not-a blunder
certainly it was not victory, and wha
was it pray? IF the biographer is to b
believed, it was planned under a mlstke
fought against all reason, persisted IL
against all hope, and battallions of his mel
sacrificed in fruitless valor because thu
"stern temper" Of the commander woult
not confess that he had been deceived
IF such was the character Of jackson, thel
does the world esteem him greatly beyon'
his merits. The palpable fault OF tn
writer is the assumption that jackson