Maryland free press., 1866-06-14
VOLUME I.

brigade, TO 60 from Manassas TO the val
ley, when, after few words of a merely
formal character, he suddenly fred up, and
dropping the rains on the neck of his horse
raised both his hands and exclaimed
Soldiers, in the army of the Shenandoah
you were the first brigade; you were the
first brigade in the army of the Potomac;
in the second corps of the army you were
the first brigade, and I hope that you will
ever retain that in the affections of your
General, and that in the history ofthis war
you will ever be handed down to posterity
as the first brigade" Great applause.
Jackson was modest, supplemented
man, in whom it could truly be said there
was no guile, Whilst at Lexington, his
health was not good, and he suffered from
dyspepsia, and resorted to all sorts of con-
trivances to gain health, some of which
undoubtedly did much to gain him his rep
utation for eccentricities. 1t was gener-
ally said that jackson could never see q
joke but there was one he used to relate
with much pleasure, which l will repeat
here Captain Vodges, afterwarde :, General
Vodges, HAD been for long time assistant
professor of Mathematics at West Point,
and being afterwards ordered to Florida,
while engaged in digging, brother Off
Ger came across him and said, "Well,
Vodges what are you doing there?" in
rather serious tone. Vodges, said, Il
am at my old trade, extracting roots" That
having an evident professional relish, was
the only joke Jackson ever seemed to ap-
prcciate.
On another occasion on hearing that the
enemy were advancing in large force,
Jackson quietly asked if they had any cat
tie with them, remarking that "his men
were hungry enoug h to whip any army
that had drove of cattle with them!"-
The lecturer, in his conversation with Gen.
jackson, had often adverted to Jackson's
conduct in Mexico, but all the account
that he could ever get out of him was an
account of an action at Chapultepec, in,
which he was engaged. When being Or
dered to advance along causeway with
his battery, it was opened on by Mexi-
can battery at short range, the very first
fire killing horse at every gun; notwith-
standing they unlimbered and opened fire,
when the Mexican's fed. He ordered the
men to level the Mexican works, and
by the time the guns were in this new po-
sition the Mexicans were crowding the
causeway to retreat, and opening fire upon
them he cut lanes through them for about
two miles 'and," added e,with sudden ami
nation and glow of his features, "it was
splendid"
On another occasion, the lecturer stated
that he was at his headquarters, near
Hamilton's crossing, on the Rappahannock
and as they sat together, General Colston
turned the conversation on the campaign
of the proceeding year, and on General
Jackson's glorious triumph at the capture
of Harper's Ferry, and upon the splendid
picture he had presented, receiving the
surrender of seventy pieces of cannon and
twelve thousand Federal soldiers, drawn
up in line to surrender to the ragged Con-
federates and said to him, General you
must have felt intense exultation when you
beheld the results of that great success?'
and he never should forget his manner and
reply as Jackson uttered the simple words
sit was great mercy that God granted
us that day. In another man this might
have been cant, but in Jackson it was but
the natural expression of deeply religious
nature.
THE ENTHUSIASM Ills APPEARANCE CREATED
AMONGST THE SOLDIERS.
Jackson's appearance amongst his men
always elicted their shouts, and also, when
ever anything like rabbit was seen, ii
was sure to be pursued by some of the
half-starved men with loud yells aud shouts,
so that whenever shouting was heard a
mongst the soldiers, it was customary &c
say "that it was either Jackson or a rab.
bit" Yet, whenever the men uttered
these loud hurrah, Jackson always blush
ed, and clapping spurs to his horse would
get away from the ovation. ...
HIS soDRIoUEr AT THE INSTITUTE Ills POP
., ULAR1TY WITH SOLDIERS.
il At the institute, where it was the custom
for tie cadets'to apply the term 'old in
: Discriminatory to all the professors, Jack
SON was known as ''Old Jack, though thi
name was applied from no disrespect en-
tertained for him; but some of the youni
/ gentlemen would often divert themselve
, by drawing upon the blackboard in tn
r classroom representation of his large fee