Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-11-09
THE GAZETTE.
THURSDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 8.

Srovrw.11 JACKSON. The ordinance OF
the VIRGINIA Convention removing the militia
of;cers Shove the rank of captain had gwen
oreot offnnse TO our volunteers, who, therefore,
p old American Democratic style: had elected
al tbo;r officers. either directly or through
1ba;r representatives aud the idea vi having
these popu:r favorites superseded was abhor-
rent 70 the rank ard file. 1t must be reuleul.
bered that our volunteer companies, sort OF
holiday soldiery up to that time, were made
up of our best young men, who telt they had
certain inalienable rights, among which was
the right to elect their own officers: an! glorl,
Gus good fellows were these othcers IN tunes OF
reace, and many of them rose to high positions
'lurinr the war---but there were some unfit for
their places in tiulc of war. aud t" get rid OF
these the Convention had to make Il clean
sweep Of all.
Up to this time our little army at Harper
Ferry was curiosity. We had about one
thousand rank and ile There was one major
general in command with three brigadlers ul,
der him. and corresponding number OF held
and staff officers; all were magnlhcenty attlrcd
and epauletted- splcndidly mounted, and sur
rounded with gorgeous retinucs Troops were
scarce, but as for officers We were simply mag
niticent in numbers and display. When, there
fore, Colonel Jackson. quiet and tacIturn
gentleman, appeared upon the scene, with
only IN adutant, who was also from the
Institutc, and both clad i'll old thrcadbare
undress uniforms, and took little room at
the village hotel, and issued short simple
order assuming the command, and dismiss
ing all cur generals, and colonies, and lieu,
nant-colonels and majors, and Il multitude OF
staff officers like unto the sands upon the sea-
Shore" there was great commotlor, consterna-
ton, and indignation, all of that night, and the
next day L mass meeting was called Ut the
troops and dcposcd officers to consider what
was going on, but jackson kept quietly IN his
quarters awaiting orders from Richmond. These
were brought by ne from General Lee, and were
the fruit of Gen Hurpcr's dispatches which
had taken to Richmond | delivered them to
CO... Jackson and repaired to my camp. My
men were not much excited, because my bat
terry WAS independent. and was not affected by
the decapitation Of officers But the indigna-
ton meeting was in full blast hard by, and
detunct officers were denounclng the action oi
the Convention. Among the orders | had
brought to Colonel jackson was one directing
him to muster all the companies into service Tor
year or during the war, at their option. l
called my men together and explained this
order, and they unanimously decided to muster
in for the war. On reporting this to Colonel
Jackson half an hour later, he was much
gratiicd, and had the company mustered in
that evening. He then gave the first exhibit
ton of his qualities us Il commander BY issuing
i peremptory order to captains to muster their
companies by ten clock next day, and never
was the moral powcrol determined will more
certainly manifest than in the result Of this or,
der. The mass meeting had adjourned until
next day. 1t never met again. for there was
not an officer or man who dared resist the Col.
oncl's ORDER "Reminiscences of Ice and
Jackson" by Gen. I. D. lmholen, i'll N"vem-
Der Galaxy.