The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-10-14
STONEWALL JACKSON.
"reminiscences Of a Conspicuous
Rebel.
His Simplicity, Piety, and Great
Qualities as Soldier.
Rr the Rev. Florence Mccarthy. Of Chiesgo.

ing 90 preach, ] was the pastor OF the Bap-
tiSt church in the village OF Lexington, in
the valley OF Virginia. the seat Of the Nir-
ginia Military Institute, and OF what il
now called Washington and Lee Universe
II. Major T. J. jackson was, and for sew
eral years had been, professor in the Mil
itary Institute. What his department was
/ never knew, but he was not the principal
of the institution, and by no means the
most prominent teacher. ] was not person.
ally acquainted with him, but he was
sometimes In my congregation. L saw him
constantly, and / remember distinctly his
reputation in the town about the time the
war broke out and his marvellous career
commenced.
Most people at the North would be some
what surprised TO know what the personal
appearance of this great man was. Jac.s-
son was about six feet tall, very lank and
long-limbed.
When he walked it was with a long,
methodical stride, and accompanied with a
leisurely, pendulum-like swaying of the
arms. He wore military cap, the visor
OF which nearly touched his nose, and his
eyes seemed always fixed on the ground
When j knew him he always wore short
whiskers and moustache, which concealed
. the lower part OF his face. But remember
distinctly meeting him one day on the frs,
Bull Run battlefield, the day after the bat
tie, and getting a view of his mouth. The
mouth is usually great index OF charac-
ter; but any one would search Jackson's
mouth in vain for any sign of greatness
His lips were thin and red, his upper Iii,
short and the corners of his mouth slightly
upturned; the whole mouth expressing in
n most unmis taxable way a vast amount OF
sweetness and gentleness, but giving nc
hint OF courage, endurance, perseverance, OF
any sort OF genius. Jackson's voice wa:
like his mouth, very soft, kindly, and mar.
iicuiaie, sometimes like FAINT jabber
His forehead, nose land chin were promi
neIt, and corresponded more with his char
acter. 1t is pretty safe 10 say that while
his appearance and carriage were some
what eccentric, his looks were entirely des
titute Of anything diaiague, and that he
passed for an ordinary-looking man.
The most prominent trait in Jackson
character WAS
His PIETY.
He was a member OF the PRESBYTERIAN
Church in the village, and was well known
as an humble, conscientious, devoted and
consistent Christian man. He was not On.
ly a constant attendant on preaching, but a
consecrated teacher of class of negro chill.
dren in the Sunday school, an exhorter in
the prayer meeting, and a systematic and
munifcent giyer 10 every benevolent oh,
icet. Ia illustration Of this point il is re.
lated that a dav or two after the first battle
al Bull Run the whole village collected at
the stage stand in a storm OF excitement
awaiting the news. When the stage arriy-
ed and the mail was opened ii was an.
nOunced that Dr. White, the venerable
pastor OF the Presbyterian Chuch, who wa.
present, had received letter from Gen
Jackson. The doctor mounted the stand
arranged his spectacle-, broke the envelope
anu proceeded to read the anxious crowd
the mOmentuHs document. 1t ran some
what As follows Dear PaStur-We had a
battle yesterday. Enclosed please find
check tor SlUO, being my subscription for
foreign missions now due" And the fer
vent piety seemed to deepen during his life
in the army. His hours OF prayer while
in the tented field were observed with sim
gular faithfdlness. The old negro who
WAS his body servant liz the field declared
that he could tell when there was going to
be any heavy fighting by the constancy
with which his master gave himself TO hi.
dev"ti"ns. And Jacksun'S humble faith in
God shone forth the brightest in his diving
moment. For after receiving his death
wound, when all about him were over.
whelmed with grief, lac PLAYED the part oi
comforter, and constantly exclaimed, at is
all right, it is all right -
Ii was said and believed in yackson's
corps Thai the General Wis always
ENGAGED IN FRAZER
whenever he was fighting, and that, as h,
rode along the lines in the Ieaden hail, hi.
right hand was ALWAYS raised beseechingly
10 heaven. This had a wonderfully inspir-
ing effect on his Nirginians, who were all in.
teIsely religious men; but, unfortunately
Tor poetry and romance, the impression was
afterward discovered 10 be unfounded
jackson, early in the war. had received q
wound in the sight hand, which must not
omit 10 say, parenthetically, he refused
Sydney-like, TO let the surgeon dress until
some private soldiers had been waited on
This wound always interlered with the cir
culation OF the blood in THAI hand, 50 that
lac felt more comfortable when il was held
upright, rs il he was under the influence OF
strong emotion. And As he was ALWAYS
sleepy looking man, and appeared all the
time IL ii 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
furthest astray concerning jackson is his
intellect. Almost every one at the North
who remembers his brilliant achievements
takes il for granted that he was brilliant
scholar. But the truth is Gen. Jackson was
remarkable for his lack of what Is called
intellectual acumen. He graduated about
third in his class from West Point, but it is
universally conceded that it was the result
of his extraordinary determination and
perseverance, and no brightness of mind.
lie never cut any figure a professor, and
was generally regarded as a very dull, OBJ
fuse sort OF a person. have heard gradu-
ate of the military institute ridiculing
Jacksons weakness as teacher Of mathe-
MATES. He said he had known Jackson to
pass as satisfactory, a problem which one of
the class had worked out on the blackboard.
and afterward, as the boys learned by
PEEPING THROUGH THE KEYHoLE
spend the whole afternoon trying TO under
stand what was on the board himself.
And yet on other accounts, Jackson was
very much beloved by the cadets. He was
extraordinary kind and gentle. The gradu-
ate above referred 10 told me that once he
became angry with jackson in the class
room, and made some demonstration of
hatred, and that Jackson's own reply was
in faint, iabbering, but benevolent tone of
voice, Now, now, MIR. Patton. do you lust
put all that hatred against your lesson in
stead OF against me, and you will have no
difficulty" The cadets were fond of him
for his singular courage also. 1t was said
that on one occasion number of them
mounted the barracks at the hour when
Jackson had to walk under the caves of the
house, and dropped brickbats in front of
him as he walked along, endeayoring to see
how near they could come to his head with.
out hitting il. As this trick was PLAYED AT
the immediate risk of killing the innocent.
Professor, ii would hardly be believed that
the cadets would practice it, unless the
reader was first informed that these cadets
were generally reckless, riotous, irrpesousi
bic, and inscriptions desperadoes. Ii is
said that they succeeded admirably in max
ing all the bricks Craze Prof Jackson's nose
But TO their utter surprise the Major did
not look up, nor around, nor quicken his
pace at all. lie possessed such extraordip-
airy nerve and determination that he treated
the whole performance with icy contempt.
From that time he was greatly admired and