The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1874-07-17
A GUERRILLA CHIEF.
GEN. JEFF. THOMPSON.

WHAT MANNER OF MAN HE Is-HIs MIssIo,
IN wAsHINGToN-I HIS VIEWS OF THE 70
LITiCAL SITUATION AND THE NEGRO
WHY HE JOINED THE REBELLION.
The Pittsburg Ledger contains the fol
lowing account of an interview whicl
Gen. Nj. jeff. Thompson, late of tn,
confederate army. while he was in Wash
ington. In the lobbies of the capita
there was noticeable to-day n tall, gaunt
figure, clothed in black, surmounted b,
n black sombrero, hat of such gigantic
dimensions as to make it impossible fol
more than two such hats 10 march
abreast down the House lobby. Tn,
hat first attracted my attention, and then
the man under it. Turning to a door.
keeper. ! asked him who was the dis.
|tinguished stranger.
''Gcn. jeff. Thompson, late Of the con-
federate service, noted guerrilla, etc"
"Please stop. did not ask for a bio
graphy. ! just wanted to know who il
was
SO this was the once terrible guerrilla
chief who was so merciess in his pros
ecution of the claims OF the lost cause.
Surely TO the casual observer he looks
like mild inoilensive individual. But
you cannot tell much about men by cas-
ual observation. II is in conversation
with men that YOU are enabled, by the
study of their features in action, 10 oh
tain a more correct idea. | confess to
have A sneaking admiration for men who
have been or are notorious. This senti-
ment j. shared by the public in general.
Following out my instincts in delighting
TO talk with men who are more wicked
or great than their average felow-crea-
lures, j followed Gen. JEFF. -as he is
called-out into the rotunca, and there
had a talk with him. A New Orleans
professor, an acquaintance of mine here.
working in the interests of the ship ca
nal at the mouth of the Mississippi, per-
formed the ceremony of introduction
for me, and the next moment | was shak-
ing hands, and looking up into the face
of the great guerilla chieftain lie would
make charming student for sketch.
He is tall-in the neighborhOod of six
feet-and was dressed in the inevitable
black suit that high toned Southern
gentleman Of the old school invariably
wears. His linen was neat. and termin-
ated at the top in huge rolling collar; a
collar that would give modern tailor q
spasm to contemplate. From under this
collar struggled huge black silk tie.
The face of General JEFF. would strike
an ordinary observer at once. Ii was such
LOOK OF FIERCE CUNNING.
ue is lantern -jawed and acquiine-fe -featu-
red. His face is devoid of anything i'm
the shape of beard, except faint suspi-
cion OF "a reddish stu bible upon the upper
lip. His eyes were brown and twink
ling, with a regular nest of crow s-teet
at each corner. They twinkled in talk
ing upon ordinary topics, but took a
sort of wild glare when he became ex-
cited, and convinced you that Gen. jeff
was man of extremely nervous tenn
perament, and would be hardly respon-
sible for his acts in times of great excite
mcnt or anger. His nose was stright
and long, and hooked over his mouth as
il seeking TO stray outside of the limits
assigned TO il by nature, in search of
stray information. His mouth is thin -
a cruel mouth or kind ono, according
to the mood of the owner. lie despses
dentists, and so he has never replaced
his front upper teeth, which are all gone.
Their loss gives his mouth very pecu-
liar expression. In conversation he is as
volublc as an auctioneer and as proianc
as regiment of dragons. In his man
ner he had the simple, child-likc style of
a man who lives far away from the con-
ventionalitics. Half the time he was
talking to me did not hear word he
said. | was so delighted with his per-
sonal appearance. lit is so rare that you
find young man who looks all he
should to satisfy the demands of his
reputation. That cunning. bold head
set upon that long neck, made you place
him in the saddle at once upon long
lauky thoroughbred. Stealing in and
out of the shadows, this watchlul, never
tire, enthusiastic citizen. in search of tn,
enemy is his awful occupation. lie
seems out of place in the peaceful avo
cations of life. In conversation he push
ed up his black sombrero. and at time,
he became so earnest and his voice grew
so sonorous that / started, fully expect
ing was about to charge on my outposti
and shoot me down without giving m,
the honor of drum-hcad court martial
lie was continually surrounded b,
Southern gentlemen, and il was witt
difficulty that had few moments un
interrupted conversation with him.
Said 10 him, at the opening of tn
conversation
Il suppose you have no objection
general, to talking about the general sit
uation in your section of the country /?
i "Bless your heart, no. Matters ar
bad enough down in my state Louis
liana). We have been drowned out, an
are id hard up. However, am nc