The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1876-01-30
"PROE" STONEWALL JACKSON
"REMINISCENCES OF THE GENERALS CoNNECTIo
WITH THE VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE.

"REMINISCENCES OF TIN GENERALS CONNECTION
WITH THE VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE.
TGreenville Is. C.) Correspondence OF the Rich
mond Dispatch
Stonewall jackson as lieutenant durinl
the Mexican war, and as "Bellonas bride
groom" in Confederate times. il reasonably
we'll kuo n to the world. The "Life" by Dr.
Dabney is in many respects worthy of the il
lustrious subject and Of the able and accom-
plished author. But this g. Life and all tn
other "lives," are mainly devoted to the tasl
of depicting the Christian warrior. and o.
this is the character in which Jackson figured
mot coDspicuously, and in which he wa
most fully himself, it was natural and proper
that the biographers should concern them.
selves most especially with this manifestation
Of the man.
Still, as q matter of faot it is known that
jackson spent considerable portion of his
life in the position Of professor of Natural
Philosophy and Artillery" in the Virginia
Military Institute ct Lexington; and it must
be manifest to the observant reader that this
portion of his life has been but soantily treated
by the biographers.
This, however, is not due to any neglect on
the part Of those writer's, for they well knew
that all intelligent readers would desire to
know how Professor Jackson lived; how he
taught his GLASSES; what WAS his method of
instruction; what no said and did in the leo.
ture room; indeed, almost anything which
would throw any light upon the character and
conduct of the man who said 30 little and did
80 much.
But the truth is that there was precious
little to tell about this period ofAGen. Jack.
sons life. A biography of q great literary
man is apt to be little more than review OF
his works; the biography Of . thinker must
often be simply an account of his thinking
and its results, and the biography of tesch-
err even though he be prince in his profess
sion, will not often present much that Is very
new or very striking to the non-professional
reader.
But Jacksons life ~ q teacher was singular
ly and exceptionally monotonou4 He had his
textbooks and he prescribed the lessons, and
at the appointed time he heard" them, and
this was about ell Of it Discussions in the
classroom we're almost unknown, and even
"explanations" were verv infrequent The
text was the one great thing which he came to
shear" and We came to ''ssy"-if We could;
and most Of as commonly couldn't when the
said text was Bartletts Course of Natural
Philosophy.
Poor Allen. He was my room mate the
first year, and with Williams and Patton. and
Slaughter. and myself made up Room No.
49," Where are they now2 Allen, Patton
lawyers, all colonies of Virginia regiments, oil
Of the same class Q855) : and Slaughter had
been disabled for life before the sad day on
which our room. mates fell.
When was in the "third Glass; used to
see Allen tugging over "Old jacks terrible
lesson in Bartletts Optics; and one day l
opened the book, and on the fy.leaf found
the following stanzas, which l suspect was
Aliens own:
"'Tis said that Optics treats OF light,
But oh believe it not, my lark
I've studied it with al my might.
And still its left me in the DARK"
Major jackson seemed to be perfectly ct |
,ome in the long and intricate equations and |
,ther mathematical formulp which make up
% large proportion of Bartlettis "Mechan-
cs," "Optics and Acoustics" and Spherical
!" and many of his pupils often
wondered if there was in tho three volumes
N equation OF formula which "Old Jack
ould not repeat by heart
And yet, with all his accurate and minnie
of the course, there Was very little
saching done in that department, unless
nd hearing Of lessons. The truth is, that
,aching, in the modern sense of the term,
az not Jsckson's forte. He was 0 man OF
few words had no turn of ex-
Isnation seemed to have no talent for put
ng things in various points Of view SO as to
lapt them to the various mental conditions :
bis pupils.
Though drilled under him for some three !
airs. and recited to him daily for year and I
II. / never saw him laugh outright A very
liet. subdued sort of smile was the nearest
ma to laughter that ever saw him indulge 1
!. sod these Smiles were very infrequent,
eererplly occurred sh.n uucom monly v