The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1877-05-04
MRS. sToHEwALL JACKSON.

!"
n Vist to the Confederate Hero's Wido,o- Whey
She Lives and What She is Doing Domest,
Life Of the Greet Conimander-Miss Julia Jack
l learned that Mrs. jackson was living a
the Presbyterian Institute, where she wa
experimenting the education of her daugh
ter, Miss julia y annuy haired little girl o
fourteen years. Presenting my card at tn,
door l was carried to cosy reception room
chat has been set apart for Mrs. Jacksont
use. found there fair. pleasant facet
lady, running agreeably to to@embompoint
awaiting my arrival. The widow's weeds
no more than the touching Dir of saduess
throughswhich her smiles struggled to light
told me that tho wife of the South's match
less hero stood before me-, With charming
grace she bade me be- seated and we were
dget - petes(o (olpns
mutual friend having endorsed me to Mrs
jackson.
II declare" said she, 81 am engaged on
work that completely unneryes me. You
know have always refrained from writing
one word concerning my husbands home
life. Although importuned again and again
to do so, [ have felt that could not. His
public record belongs to the world. His
home history is mine. have felt that the
possession was sacred. A few days since
received a very kind letter from Colonel
Mcclure, of the Philadelphia Times, asking
me to contribute an article to his paper con.
corning my husbands life. His letter was
followed by letters from General Imboden
and others, endorsing his request. He of:
fered to pay me one hundred dollars col
umn for whatever might write. This,
am sure, must be an exceedingly liberal of.
Ter, and, L must confess, had much to do
with my acceptance of the proposition.
am very anxious to build home for myself
and my daughter in this city, and feel that
IT L can earn what money need with my
len, will be doing work that my husband
would advise me to were he living
"Besides this, have felt that it was my
duty to write something that would give the
world true idea of my husbands charac-
ter. No man has been more misunderstood
than he. He is represented as having been
stern, inexerable and hard natured. He
was Just, the opposite. He was as denou-,
strative,, as affectionatc and yielding as a
woman. At home he was tender, playftl
and loving The dignity, stcrnness aud re-
serve that he wore in public, was thrown off
the moment he was out of sight of the'pub-
lie, and he became natural, spontaneous and
happy. You can never know how irksomc
at was to Keep his real nature bound down
Sbepeath this habit Of reserye.4. 1t was
mask, and he wore it as martyrdom.
"His whole life hung around his home.
He had no ambition-no love of power
no thought of place or pomp. His horror
OF blOOdshcd was instructive and powerful
He served his country from sense of duty
AS | said to some one the other day, the
happest moment Of his life during the war
was, i'll my opinion, when he had sent I'M his
resignation to- the Confederate Government
and contemplated returning to our little
home in Lexington. The differences be-.
tween him and the government were such
that he did not believe he could be of further
service. Hence, his sense of duty was re-
conciled to his laying down his sword
ellis love for his daughter gave an instance
Of the misapprehenson that prevailed con-
corning him. He was passionatcly devoted
to children. Our first child died. and my
daughter was born only few weeks before
his death. lie never took days fur!ough
during the war; not even to come to see Az
child. Just before the bassla of Chancel-
lorsville l took the little baby and went to
see him. You should have seen what rap
lures he went into over that little girls era
die. l have seen him kncel by her cradle
for hours at time, just gazing into her
sleeping face. Those who had known him
only in public were astonshed at the appa-
rent transformation of his character.
"lt is partly that [ may put his true char
acter before the world that have deer
mined to write sketch of him for the
Times. l am now at work on it, and it will
be ready in very short time. can give
certain facts that can be obtained from no
other source; shall give them in plain
and simple manner"
suggested that the letters to her, during
the war, would give her many interesting
points. ooh, nc" she said, charming
blush stealing over her face, while soft re-
membranes put a new light in ncr express
sive eyes, "they were all real love letters
He had little room for anything else in his
letters home. And then he was a very
prudent man and never talked of his plans
to any one. | only gathered from them
some general facts, rs follows: He was alb.
solutel y confident of the final triumph Of the
Southern arms, and of the permanent cstab-
lishment Of the Southern Contcderacy. He
felt all the time that the war was being
wagcd on wrong plan. He felt that the
South would be worn out if the struggle
was protracted. He even complained that
General Lee was too slow, although he had
great admiration and love for him.
at has been said that he was a sort of
laughing stock at Lexington. This was
surely q mistake. From the very BEGIN