Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1875-04-16
hlislella
sTONEW ALL JACKSON.

A correspondent of the Richmond
Dispatch writes as follows: It wal
Great Frederick who in the midst of bis
wonderous military career told an admir-
how every battle hung on contingencies
so seemingly trifing 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
Gen. jackson, which has so far escaped
his biographers, and which illustrates
the equal uncertainty Of the destinies Of
men and armies
What follows may be relied on as
absolutely authentic; indeed, if | mis-
take not Colonel, Chen Captain Wyatt
M. Elliot and Captain Bossieux, of the
Richmond Grays, took part in the cpl
sode.
In die spring Of 1861 there were sta
toned around Norfolk many of the crack
volunteer infantry companies Of the State,
and these were formed into the Twelfth
Regiment BY Gov Letcher, and D. A.
Weisiger, of Petersburg, was commission
ed as the colonel Shortly afterwards an
order was issued from State headquarters
assigning Lieutenant Colonel T. j.
jackson to this command, and directing
him to report to Norfolk for duty. This
news, being communicated by the colo
mel to the company officers, was received
with great Indignation, and consulta-
ton was held to determine what should
be done to prevent the execution of the
obnoxious order. In the first place, the
officers were very tenacious of their
volunteer" right to select their own
superiors; and in the second place, there
happened to be in the regiment several
gentlemen who had recently graduated
at the Virginia Military Institute and
who brought from thence the prevalent,
and by no means Hattering, estimate of
Jackson's character and abilities. Their
anfavorable report of him, backed by in-
stances Of his eccentrlcities and ascetc
disposition, confirmed and infamed the
objection first made to stranger, and the
end of the matter was letter to Govern
or Letchcr protesting against the assign
ment and asking for its revocation.
After some hesitation the Governor
complied, and giving jackson another
field of duty, launched him forth on
that path of fame now so well known of
all men,
The Twelfth regiment remained at
Norfolk during 81, and was still mac
tive in the following spring. when their
rejected aforementioned entered upon
that campaign in the Valley which has
no parallel in American warfare for its
brilliance and force In the summer
the regiment took efficient
part, and at Champions gap, Fielding
Taylor the gallant and accomplished Of
fcer who came to us in the place of the
rejected lieutenant-colonel was killed;
but ere then jackson had become ia
nous, had been promoted to command
Of half the army, had come to be known
as Lees right arm. and filing a giants
place in the minds Of friend and foe.
And often. then and afterwards, on the
march and around the campfire was the
talk of the invincible leader, and a smile
that we had once rejected him, and
growing wonder as to how different
night have been his history perhaps,
how varied our experience for the
spirit Of a volunteer orga-
nizaton and the contagious prejudices
IF few Of Jackson's old scholars.