The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-03
A Curious Incident In the Life Of stone
wall Jackson.
PETERSBURG. Va, January 80.


To the Editors of The Dispatch: -
II was the Great Frederick who In the
midst of his wondrouy military career: TOLD
AN admirer how every battle hung on con
tingencies so seemingly trihDg that they
could neither be foreseen nor provided for;
and the remark has often occurred to me In
connection with an incident in the life Of
General jackson, which has 50 fur escaped
his biographers, aud which illustrates the
equal uncertainty of the destinies OF men anc
armies.
What follows may be relied on as abso
lutely authentic; indeed. If mistake not
Colonel (tben Captain) Wyatt NJ. Elliott ano
Captain Bosseux, Of the Richmond Grays
took part In the episode.
In The spring of 1861 there were stationed
around Norfolk many of the crack volunteer
infantry companies of the State, and these
were formed into the Twelfth regiment by
Governor Letcher, and D. A. Weisiger, O
Petersburg, was commissioned rs the colonel
Shortly afterwards al order was issued from
State headquarters assigning Lieutenant
Colonel T. j. Jackson to this command, anC
directing him to report to Norfolk for duty
This news, being communicated by the colo
mel TO the company officers, was received witt
to determine what should be done to prevent
the execution of the obnoxious order. 1u
the first place, the officers were very teDa
cous of their "vounteer right to select
their own superiors and in the second place
there happened to be in the regiment seve
raj gentlemen who had recently graduated
at the Virginia Military Institute, and who
brought thence The prevalent, and by nc
q, nf .Yapkxnnig /. r.
acter and abilities. Their unfav ora bic report
of him, backed by instances of bis eccentri.
cities and aScetic disposition, confirmed and
in11med the objection first made to a stran.
ger, and the end of the matter was letter
to Governor Letcher protesting against the
assignment aud asking for its revocation.
After some hesitation the Governor com.
piled, and giving Jackson another field of
duty launched him forth on that path of fame
now SO well known OF all men. ~-t
The Twelfth regiment remained at Nor.
folk during vi, and was still inactive In the
following spring, when their rejected lieu-
tenant-colonei entered upon that campaign
in the Valley which has no parallel in Anne
rican warfare for lis briliancc and force. IN
the summer campaign the regiment took eth-
ccnt part; and at Champions gap Fielding
Taylor, the gallant and accomplished officer
who came to lis in place OF the rejected lieu
teuant-colonel, was killed; but ere then
Jackson bad become famous. bad been pro-
NOTED to command Of half the army, had
come to be known as Lees right arm, and
was filling a giants place In the minds OF
friend and foe And often then and after
wards, on the march and around the camp.
fire, was there talk Of the invipcible leader,
and smile that we had once rejected him,
and growing wonder as TO bow different
might have been bis bistory-perhaps, how
varied our eXperience-but for the indie
pendent spirit of q volunteer organization
aud the contagious prejudces OF a few oil
Jackson's old scholars. w. II. G.