The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1876-05-03
sTONEwALL JACKSON.
His Letter OF Resignation TO the
Governor Of virginin-Charac

| HIS Letter Oh hesuBuetIOu 10 Tue
Governor Of virginia-Character.
To the Editor of Gin. Commercial.
The military circles of the Confederacy
at Richmond, in January, 1852, thought
Stonewall Jackson crazy, and the Score
tary of War, without consulting him, Or
dered his subordinate officer. one-armed
Loring, from Romney, in Hampshire
| County, to Winchester, Virginia, to SUI
persede him, and Jackson at once deter
mined to rebuke such intermeddllng, and
forthwith forwarded his resignation. His
celebrated letter, now deposited in the
Virginia State Library at Richmond,
reads rs follows:
WINCHESTER Va.
January 81, 1862 !
"GovERNoR-Thls morning l received
an order from the Secretary Of War to
order General Loring and his command
to fall back from RomRey to this place
Immediately. The order was promptly
complied with; but as the order was CIV
en- without consulting me, and is aban.
donipg to the enemy what has cost much
preparation. expense and exposure to Sc
cure, and is in direct conflict with my
military plans, and implies want OF
confidence in my capacity toJudge when
General Loring's troops should fall back,
and is an attempt to control military
operations in detail from the Secretary's
desk at q distance, / have for the reason
set forth in the accompanying paper re-
auested to be ordered back t. the lnsti-
tute, and if this is denied me, then to have
nv resignation accepted. l ask as a
special favor that you will have me Oh
dered back 10 the Institute. AS simple
order like that of the Secretary's may de-
stroy the entire fruits of campaign, l
can not reasonably expect if my opera
tions are thus to be Interfered with to be
of much service in the field. A sense OF
duty brought me into the field, and has
thus far kept me. 1t now appears to be
my duty to return to the Institute, and l
hope that you will leave no stone unturn-
ed to get me there. If have ever ac-
quired, through the blessing of Provi-
denee, any influence over troops, this I'M
doing my work by the Secretary may
greatly diminish that influence, l regard
the recent expedition as great success.
Before our troops left here on the lst inst.
there was not, so far as 1 have been able
to ascertain, a single loyal man in Nor
gan County who could remain at home
in safety. In four days that county was
entirely evacuated by the enemy. Rom
ney and the most valuable portion OF
Hampshire County was recovered without
firing a gun, and before we had even en-
tered the county. l desire to say moth
ing against the Secretary of War. / take
it for granted that he has done what he
believes to be best, but regard such a
policy as ruinous.
Very truly your friend.
r. j. JACKSON.
"His excellency JOHN LETCHER, Gov
erner of Virginia"
The night after his resignation was for
| warded, one on familiar terms with him
entered into conversation with him on
the subject o. his action in the premises,
and thus chronicles, in an editorial to the
Richnol Wing, the result of the inter-
view:
jackson, toe, possessed this same mod
est estimate of himself, and left the same
anxious solicitude for the welfare of our
suffering people. Never can we forget
an interview held with him the night
that he forwarded his resignation.
When urged to withhold it, upon the
ground that the country could not spare
| his services, that his name was alike a
terror to our enemies and tower OF
strength to our cause, inspiring conf
dence and arousing enthusiasm, even
amongst the doubtful and wavering, NO,
no., he said, you greatly overestimate
nv capacity for usefulness. A better
man will soon be sent to fill my place.
The Governor has no confidence IN my
capacity, or they would not thus counter
msnd my orders and throw away tie
fruits OF victory that have been secured
at such sacrifice Of the comfort OF my
noble troops in their hurried march
through the storm of snow and sleet. No,
sir: must resign, and give place 70 some
one in whom they have more confidence.
When urged that perhaps the Govern
ment had been misiniormed as 10 tne
facts, he responded: Certainly they
have; but they must be taught not to act
thus hastily without full knowledge oil
the facts. | can teach them this lesson
now. by my resignation; and the country
will be no loser by it. If l fail TO do so
anirreparable loss may hereafter be sus-
tsined. when the lesson might have to oe
taught by Lee or Johnston" This was
nearly his exact language, as We we'll re-
member it. But little he knew that when
his services were lost TO the cause, or u:
General Lee afterwsrd expressed 1t, thai
he had lost his right arm, the whole army
would be psralyzed and the cause itseil
lost But our far-seeing and sagaciou:
Governor knew the worth Of our Stone e,
| wall, and it was through his prompt and
energetic action that the fearless mere
was preserved to his command, and LEFT
TO carve his name upon the very summit
of the pinnacle of fame"
This invincible hero possessed In the
highest degree the talents which form
consummate general, and TO these talent
he L. tied the zeal and duty Of soldier
From the day he first marched f:om hi
home. in 1861, to enter the service, TIL
the day of his death, in 1863, be nevel
again recrossed his domestic affairs, MOI
did he during his whole military lille
even for single night sleep outside o
his military camp. Of him it may trul!
be said, rs was said by the historian Rob
ertson OF the chevaher Bayard
who though 50 much
stranger to the arts Of q cour
that he never rose to the chief Command
vas always called in times Of real DANCE
to the post OF greatest difficulty and i'm
portance." How on these occasions b
sustained himself will ever remain in To
archives of the country the recorded eyl
dence of his invincibls proves, hard,
hood and strength. He was in BATH
. without an equal or superior. To ID