Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1872-12-03

"hlosby men, who dropped In were nowhere
And that Q NJ. will never forget till his dyip
day The little black eyed beauty he danced with
nor the lies he told her and the things he prom
ised her from the fruits of his next scout int
the Yankee lines. where he spoke of going a
common people did of walking down stairs o
up street Hoop skirts, she blushiDgly said
did he ever get them and ribbons, and dres
ses, &C.. Lots, he replied, moi hing easie
and she should be decked as queen. if sh
were only true to hin. &C." Now iu for it, h'
and the sergt. slapped at nothing. and prom
ised " ankee 6xipgs," yankee scalps," anc
Yankees fried, s,eWed and sca!loped, as freely
as any Home Ranger" Who ranged galantly
around home at the beginning of the war.
| But good things cant last forever, and the
sun o'er the bill-tops q shining warned that
scouting party it was time to go Into the
| Yankee lines, as ''old Jack" was waiting foI
information upon which he intended to as.onish
the world with If INK niovement tha. would
throw his previous fame farin 'he shade. and
at The least make his scouts" Brigadirr-Gen.
erals The lat fond words were spoken; nor
ses mounted, and the ladies' were waving thei,
good wishes aud admiration High In their
stirrups rose that Q. NJ. and Sergt, TO execute
grand flourish at parting. but the best laid
schemes o mice an men, gang aft sgleeo wa>
tor upon the scene, IN the shape of dirty, un-
comhed coperas-clothed waeon-master, whom
the q NJ had long since given ~ az lost or q
prisoner, and who, nought abashed by frawns
or winkS. yelled - [ say, Cap hold on aohur'
the train q We leave the reader to imagine
The 6erdi-h yell Of delight given by those 10 IL
ers who had been buied 50. at their d,>comf-
ture; The shane of the inS,ilted ladies', and
the ireffable and inde>cribabie whipped cur
look those scouts took galloping out of the
place ,he last sound that reached their ears
being the Internal voice of that wagon-maser,
as be yelled 10 vaiD-"Cap, whar's the train?
Ii may be consoIing to the reader to know that
he was sent back to his company 10 double
quick, where he served faithfully through the
war but he revenged himself by blowing on
the scouts" and it was many day before
the last was heard of Gap, whar s the train?''
A LITTLE Too EARLY-In old militia times,
Middebrook was the rendezvous where the
militia OF this county assembled annually for
drill LIZ Was caslOn that drew together
young and old for many miles around, aud It's
parades, personal encounters. drinking and up-
roarnusness made "Middebrook Muster" a
familiar name to all who dwelt within mapy
miles Of the village. Very early in the morn
ing OF one Of those eventtul days an aged cou-
ple, living some miles away, started on foot for
the parade ground To shorten the distance
they took short cut through the old burial
grouod at St. Johns, from which they emerged
as Sam. W was passing along the highway. -
Sam was bouad for the big MUSTER and had
taken an early start SO as to lose zone of the
fun Arriving near the graveyard Sam looked
toward Ii and saw the old man and wife coming
out. La the eaiiy dawn he could distinguish
just enough to see that they we're very old, and
concluded at once that they were inh abitants OF
the silent tomb. awakened by the unusual stir.
80, waving them from him with both hands,
be shouted: Go back, cid man, 90 backl-
This i>n't the general resurrection ita only the
Mlddebrook rlus.er!'
What Valley man d ,es not rem ember Jack
sons FIST evacuation of Winchester? He was
much oeusured b. home patriots for it, ct the
time, but he was right, as the result proved. -
He was crazy" a fool and what not, bur
be needed neither the home people nor bis
gambling soldiers Who jelied like mad, as he
passed ihem even in their cussing, and woe un.
to the citizen who dared ia their presence, To
impeaoh ''old Jack. As we moved out of old
Winchester that gioomy March night 10 1862,
two prvates, from Frederick, wero overheard
bemoauing their hard fate, in having TO leave
their sgeethearsS aud homes behind. La the
intensity of bis feelings, 'Johny H." said
do Banks and his yaukees-I wish they
we're all in HI" Hold hard there now. i
you cusSed fool, said bis companion" take
that back, for If they we're there ''old Jack
would have the Sonewail charging the gates
In less than ten minutes"
Gen Stonewal Jackson possessed the thre,
principal points which go toward making
grear General Faith and boldness, intuitiv,
qu'ckness of perception, and secrecy. His al
rack upon Shields at K4rnStown, in March
1862 with only 2 500 men Of all arms, while
Shields aud Banks had II 900, illustrates hi
faith and boldness; bis marches and faux
movements, his quickness aud perc Aption ano
that he knew how to keep secret i we'll illus.
trated BY his answer to a staff-ofhear's enquiry
| 10 regard TO his movements. M -jr," ht
said, Can you keep secret p Yes, that
can, eagerly responded the Maj ,r. So Gu,
l. grimly replied ''old ack, " and to hi. death
he proved his faith in his maxim, Mystery
mystery Is the secret OF success"
A sad story is told OF Judge Rice lately. A
| bout he commencement of he var he made
| speech 10 North Alabama in which he said tha
the Southern soldiers could whip the yankee
with pop-guns. Since the war he chanced e
make another speech at The same place.
big double joined fellow was present who heart
and remembered the former speech. and bein.
IN 10 amiable frame of miud, concluded to q
!, or Sam. Rolling up his sleeves and poDpin,
his fist in the palm Of his hand, he propoundet
the fearful question:
Sam Rice, didn't you make speech her
10 1861 p
Il did" said Sam
Aud didn't you say that We could whip tn
yankees with pop-guns?'
| Certainly | did, bat the id rascal
@oudn't fight Us that way u
At Centreville 10 1861, while jackson wa
moulding the Stouewan Brigade into the terri
ble machine it became, he one day asked one G
his staff, how far he thought men could marc
aud hght?' From Is to Is miles was tn
reply. Napoleon marched them forty, sill
and fought and won great battles too. Wha
has been done my men can do, said Jackso
even then looking forward to greater deed
and separate command. Being told once b
marched his men too hard, he quietly settle
'he question With Legs are cheaper than live:
sir. -
Gen. r. e. Lee said Duty is the sublimes
word in our language" but his right arm,
Stonewall jackson, also expressed the sam
idea, with equal force, to an officer who objee
ted TO certain linc of duty when be said ID
your duty, sir. God Will attend TO the rest -
Both are ''apples of gold 10 pictures Of silver
and worthy OF the greatest military leaders an
most Christian gentlemen OF m dern times
Let them De engraven upon the hearts an
| character of Our npOnIn forever