Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1875-10-02

and appeared all the time as if he had
the smoke of the camp fire blowing in
his eyes. it is easy to see how natural
it was for the men to get the idea that
he was praying all the time he was
chasing Banks.
But the point in which the public
is the farthcst astray concerning Jack
son is his intellect. Almost every
one at the north who remembers his
brilliant achievements takes it for
granted that he was brilliant schol-
AZ. But the truth is, Gen. Jackson
was remarkable for his lack of what
is called intellectual accumem. He
graduated about third in his class
ly conceded that it was the result of
his extraordinary determination and
perseverance and no brightness of
mind. lie never cut any figure as a
professor, and was generally regard
ed as a very dull, obtusc sort Of a
person. l have heard a graduate of
the military institute ridiculing
Jackson's weakness rs teacher OF
mathematics. He said he had known |
Jackson to pass, as satisfactory, a |
problem which one Of his class had
worked out on the blackboard, and
afterwards, as the boys learned by
PEEPING THROUGH THE KEY-HoLE,
spend the whole afternoon trying to
understand what was on the board
| himself.
And yet. on other accounts. Jack
SON was very much beloved by the
cadets. He was extraordinarily kind
and gentle. The graduate above re-
fsrred to told me that once he became
| angry with Jackson in the class
room, and made some demonstration
of hatred, aud that Jackson's only re-
ply was in his faint, jabbering, but
benevolent tone OF voice: "NOw,now,
Mr.. Patton, do you just put all that
hatred against your lesson Instead OF
against me. aud you will have no dit
ficulty." The cadets were fond of
him tor his singular courage also. 1t
was said that on one occasion q NUM-
ber of them mounted the barracks at
the hour when jackson had to walk
under the caves of the house, and
dropped brickbut in front of him as
he walked along, endeayOring to see
how near they could come 10 his
head without hitting it. AS this
trick was played at the immediate
RISK OF killing the Innocent prOfes-
) sor, it would hardly he believed that
the cadets would practice it, unless
the reader was first informed that
these cadets were generally reckless,
riotous, irresponsible and unscrupu-
lous desperadoes. IC is said that they
succeeded admirably in making all
the bricks Craze Prof Jackson's nose.
| But to their litter surprise the major
: did not look up, nor around, nor
2 quicken his pace at all. tie possess
ed such extraordinary nerve and de-
t termination that he treated the
: whole performance with icy CON
e tempt. From that time he was
!. greatly admired and beloved for his
: physical courage. He was also re-
, markable for his spunctuality. Though
: a very solemn, taclturn, sluggish auC
rather dignitied man, he was ofte'
l seen to strike a trot on the stree
v when he was minute behind time il
3 going to meet his class.
I One comical popularity Of Jackson
+ was his talent for going 20 sleep
When lived in Lexington it was
D well known fact there that the major
Notwithstanding his punctillious a.
tendance at church, had never hear,
!, DIR. White preach. About the tim'
y that the second hymn was sung b
y invariably went to the land of Nod
whence he returned only when arOus
=, cd by the last hymn. 1t was SAT-
= that this habit was the effect of dis
" casn, and could not be helped. 1t tOl
, lowed him all through life, and SD,
- him yield to it once III the army.
~ On OEc Sunday, somewhere i
;, eastern Virginia, L remember attcnd
-. ing Il preaching service i'll front &
10 Gen. JacksOm's headquarters. Th
:, general sat at the preachers rigl
- hand OH Il backlcss camp stool. A
" y, the sun was very hot aud there Wa
10 no shade, he held his cap ia his rigt
- hand between his head and the su,
!, his reverence not permitting him
h place it on his head, as many Other
- E.did theirs. With his hand elevate
n in that way he peacefully glided .
~ into dreamland and slept withol
-. moving his arm or noddiny once, III
70 til the noise of the closing exercise
!, startled him into consciousness again
', The truth is, Gen. Jackson alwal
- looked rs if he were asleep; and eve
ri when walking he had the appearanC
=, of a sOmuambulist.
Jackson, while he was gentle
=. benevolent man, and all eXtremel
i urbane and polite man, was also
NJ very grave man. And it was said
,~ Lexington that the only time anyoi
q ever saw him laugh was when the W;
l. broke out. But this story was prob
bly, apochryphal, for | was infOrme
on good authority that he viewed Il
commencement OF hostilities wit
i griei and horror. lie had seen Sc
III vice in Mexico, and he assured Il
a. people ot the village, vino were boi
an ing over with the war spirit, tn
IT, they did not know what war was, I
a their rejoicing would be ,urucd
H. wailing.
T. 1t is a singular thing i'll the retro
s. pcct, that the southern people we
" so we'll aware that Jackson was
OF A STUPID OUNCE OF A FELLOW !;
m that even his brilliant successes d
he not entirely convince them that
#. could be trusted. lie was made
70 colonel, aud acquitted himself
{ handsomely that they made him
he brigadier; but the OplniOm of h
IN friends was that he was advanced /,
W quickly, aud that he would prove
ne failure and the very same opiuio
I'd were reiterated when he was made
&c, major general and lieutenant ycner,
us Aud notwithstanding all of the ado
1t ing admiration with which tile sout
s. ern people cherish his memory t
n day, they still think he never cou
e. have taken Lees place. 1t is II
s. opinion, however-and | think h
u whole career bears me out in it'll
fe he would have been far more success
er full as commander-i,l-chicf than
b. was rs lieutenant general, and mo
S. SO by far than Lee was. His abili1
r. never had field wide enough to e
he crt itself in.
o. Jackson's military character was
he very strange one, totally unlike th
We of amy OF the great generals of mo-
X ern times. Its peculiaritics lay in j
Til simplicity. Jackson was never know
1t. to devise complicated campaig
Il, Gen. Lees plans consisted of Il hu
II. drcd parts, aud, although they we
of concOcted with cOnsummatc abilit
d: some OF them always broke down {
the day of battle. But jackson