The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1875-11-09
THE SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY.
Tuesday, November o. 1875.
stonewall Jackson at West Point.

A letter to the Richmond Wing says
In June, 1872, "a. p Hill, George +.
Pickett, B d. Fry and the writer, hav-
ing passed our first week at the Military
Academy, were standing together on the
south side of the old South Barracks at
West Point, when cadet sergeant came
by US conducting newly arrived cadet
1te his quarters. This newcomer at
tracted our attention at once. He was
apparently about twenty years of age,
&c, was weli grown; his figure was an
gular and clumsy; his gate was awk-
ward. He was clad in old fashioned
Virginia homespun wooden cloth; he
lore across his shoulders a pair of
weather stained saddle bags, and his hat
was one OF those teavy, low-crowned,
broad -blimmed wool hats usually worn
in those days by overseers, county con.
stables, wagoners, &c. He tramped
along by the side of the sergeant with
an air of resolution, and his stolid look
added to the infexibIe determination of
his whole aspect, so that one of US re.
marked, '.that fellow has come here to
stay His name was Thomas j. Jack
son.
He had a rough time in the Academy
OF first, for his want of previous train
ing placed him at disadvantage, and
1t was all he could do to pass his first
examination. We were Studying alge-
bra, and may be analytical geometry.
that winter, and jackson was very low
in his class standing, All lights were
put out at staps;" but just before the
signal he would pile his CRATE up with
anthracite coal, aud, lying prone before
1T on the floor, would work away at his
lessons by the glare of the fire, which
scorched his very brain, till late hour
in the night. This evident determine
tion to succeed not only aided his own
efforts directly, but impressed his in.
structors in his favor, and he rose
steadily year by year till we used to say,
IF we had to stay here another year,
:0ld Jack would be al the head of, the
class"; #
By the fourth year he attained a posi-.
ton in thesfrst section, but his lower
standing during the early year Of the
suoarse, and in drawing, French and
some other studies of a lighter and
more ornamental character, brought his
average below the point to which he
had actually attained by the end of our
course @
~ In the riding-hall I think his suffer.
ing must have been great be hada very
rough horse-and when the order came
TO s'erosss stirrops" and "trot,' "Old
Jack" swayed about and struggled hard
to keep nn his horse When he had
advanced to riding at the heads, leaping
the bars, DC, his equitation was truly
fearful but he persevered through the
most perilous trials, and no man in the
riding house would take more risk than
he, and certainly no one had our good
wishes for success and safety more than
he.
I believe he went through the very
trying ordeal of the four years at West
Point without ever having hard word
or hard feeling for or from cadet or
professor. Aud while there were many
who seemed to surpass him in the gra
ces of intellect, in geniality and in good
fellowship, there was no one of our
class who more absolutely possessed the
respect and confidence of all than he
did.