Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1877-08-25
From the Philadelphia Weekly Times.
STONEyVALL JACKSON.

SOME COMMENTS ON MAJOR DOUGLAS Pa
PER-JACKsoN's RELIGIOUS CONVICTIONS.
To the Editor of The Times-The
undersigned is subscriber to your
Weekly, and highly esteem it for its in
dependence, fairness, impartiallty and
marked ability. The we'll written sketch
es upon the "Annals of the War are
valuable contributions to the materials
of history. have read them with great
interest. The graphic and admirably
written sketch of the remarkable man
whose name stands at the head OF this
article, written by Major Douglas, is
rare piece Of historical delineation,truth-
tul and apprcciative but there are two
or three points in which the major is
slightly in error, and in regard TO which
know he will be glad to be corrected
by one who, as a near connection, had
more definite information. They are
not very important but sufficiently so to
be worthy of correction. They relate
to the "religious side" of General Jack
sons character. 1t is due to Maj. Doug
las to say that no writer who has at
tempted to portray Jacksous religious
character has done it so well, and in so
few words In one or two things his
information has been incorrect:
First-He says: 'The fact is, this
Presbyterian Elder, as he is sometimes
called, became such by marriage. This
is a mistake. He became a Presbyte-
rian from conuiction, and that before his
marriage. His wife, the niece of the
present writer, conld not and ,0o"ld not
have controlled or even decidedly intlu-
epced his decision of so important a
question. | was on intimate terms
with him-was taken, perhaps, more
closely into his religious confidence than
any other Individual, and l know that
he did his own thinking, under Divine
guidance, as much in religion as in
planning battles.
JACKSON IN MEXICO.
Second-"When in Mexico, he was
nearly persuaded to be Romanist,
There was a story to this effect among
his young army intimates, but it was
only piece of pleasantly. We had
from his own lips an account OF the ORR
gin of this story, and it is simply as fol-
lows: ga number of the officers went
on a Sunday, while in Puebla, to attend
the Roman Catholic service III the Ca
thedral of that city. They were shown
to a seat on bench well forward TO-
ward the main alter. Candles were, ac-
cording to a custom, handed to some of
the officers, the one seated at the end of
the bench passing it to the next, he TO
the next, and so on, until it came to
Jackson, who was seated on the extreme
of the bench he held it in bis hands for
a short time-the others declining to
pass it back-and he of course looked
awkward and embarrassed by this un-
willing participation in ceremony the
meaning of which he did not compre-
hend." This was all, and he never was
"nearly persuaded to be Roman:st "
1t is true, as the major says, he was no
narrow minded bigot, and when in
place Of worship would respect the usa-
ges of the worshipers.
On that very day similar incident
occurred in the same church to General
Scott, and out of it the generals politi-
cal opponents, in 1852, manufactured,
as you may recollect, the story that he
was inclined 10 Romanism; and no
doubt it lost him mary votes i'll the can
vass for the Presidency. The writer of
these lines was informed by General
Scott himself of the incident. Said that
grand old chief: "When conducting the
in vasion of Mexico, l felt it my duty to
make the impression, as far as | might,
that our war was not against their re-
Hgion, but against their government (;
and |, therefore, on several occasions,
repaired to their churches, and encour-
aged my staff to do so. On that occa-
sion large candle was placed in my
hand; l took it before noticing what
il was, held it but moment, and pass
ed it to the officer who sat next me.
This was the whole of it.
JACKSON CoNsCIENTIoUsNEss.
Third-If General Jackson was ever
a member of the Episcopal Church, the
fact never came to my knowledge. BE
may have attended the Episcopal servi-
ces occasionally, aud this may have CIV
ell grounds for the impression that he
was member cannot say positively
that he was not-but such is my impress
sion. He was a devout man, and one
of the most Conscientious | ever met.
As illustrative of this, take single in
cident, if you have space for it. In 1856,
more than ten years after the battle of
Chepultepec, l was alone with Major
Jackson in his room at Lexington. AT
ter some miscellaneous conversation,
the major said to me. in substance,
''There is personal matter of casuistry,
in regard to which I would like to have
opinion. 1t has troubled me no little in |
the past, and l do not feel yet quite
satisfied about it." "Well, state it, aud
if can aid you will be happy to do
it" "In the battle of Chepultepec,
continued he, 81 was in command of a
field battery, and member of General
Worth's staff came up and delivered an
order, directing me to advance up the
slope and silence a Mexican battery that
was severely enflading our lines. l
proceeded at once to obey the order;
but, in advancing to the spot indicated,