The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-11-10
stonewall jackson Assumes Conmand.

The ordinance of the Virginia Con-
vention removing tho militia ,ilicers
above the rank of captain had ;-iven
great offence to our voluntears, who
heretofore, In old American democrat
ic style had elected all their officers,
either directly or through their repre-
sontatives and the idea of having
these popular favorites superseded was
abhorrent to the rank and file. 1t must
be remembered that our volunteer uni
formed companies, sort of holiday
soldlery up to that time, were made up
of our best young men, who felt they
had certain iralienable rights, among
which was the right to elect their own
officers ; and glorious good fellows were
these officers in times of peace, and
many of them rose to high positions
during the war-but there w,re some
unfit for their places in time Of war,
and to get rid of these the Convention
had to mako clean sweepof all.
Up to this timc our little army at
lIarpers's Ferry was IL curiosity. We
had about one thousand rank aud file.
There was ono major. general IN com.
mand, with three brigsdiers under him,
and corresponding number pr field
and staff officers all We're magniiicently
attired AMI cpaulettcd sploudidiy
mounted, and surrounded with gorge
as for officers we were simply magnin-
cent in numbers and display. When,
therefore, Colonel Jackson, quiet and
taciturn gentleman, appeared upon the
scene, with only an adjutant, who was
also from the Institute, and both clad
in old threadbaro undress uniforms,
and took little room at the village
hotel, and issued short simple order
assuming thecomnand, and diminishing
all our generals and colonies, and lieu.
tenant colonies, and majors, and null
titude of staff. officers "like unto the
sands upon the seashore," there was
great cOmmotion, CONSERVATION and in
| dignation, all of that night and the
| next day mass meeting was called of
the troops and deposed officers 10 con-
slider what was best to be done. Jack
son knew what was going on. but kept
quietly in his quarters awaiting orders
from Richmond. These were brought
by me from General Lee, and were the
fruit of General Harper's dispatches
which l had taken to Richmond. 1
delivered them to Colonel Jackson and
repaired to my camp. My men were
not much excited, because my battery
was Independent, and was not effected
by the decapitation of officers. But the
Indignation meeting was in full blast
hard by, and defunct officers were de-
nouncing the action of the Convention.
Among the orders l had brought to
Colonel jackson was one directing him
to muster all the companies into service
for year or during the war, at their
option. l called my men together and
explained this order, and they unani-
mously decided to muster in for the
war. On reporting this to Colonel
Jackson half hour later, he was much
gratifed, and had the company muster
ed in that evening. He then gave the
first exhibition of his qualities as a
commander by issuing a peremptory
order to captains to muster in their
companies by ten O'Clock next day, and
never was the moral power of deter
mined will more clearly manifested
than in the result of this order. The
mass meeting had adjourned until next
day. 1t never met again, for there was
not an officer or man who dared resist
the ColOnel's order.-"R "reminiscences Of
Lee and Jackson" Jy j. ID. InidOden, in
Nouem6er Calaay.