Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1877-08-04
IErom tie Philadelphia Weekly Times. ]
Annals Of hs War.
Chapters of Unwritten History.
StOne1C0W JackSOR
Ind His Men.
by MAI. II KYD DOUGLAS,
OF Jackson's staff.
Chapters of Unwritten History.


by MAI. KYD DOUGLAS,
OF Jackson's staff.
He never called a council of war; when
called into council by General Lee, with Long
street and Stuart and the Hills, he let the o.
theirs DO the talking. II lie made suggestions
he did it briefly, and never attempted to sus-
tain them by argument. He advised the flank
movement at Charlottesville, which resulted
in the defeat of Hooter and his own death (;
when il was vigorously opposed he did not de-
fend it. Gen. Lee adopted it, and, as at other
times when hazardous movement was to be
undertaken, he ordered jackson to execute it,.
question whether he could have disccssei his
plans satisfactorily if he had desired, or per-
suaaed any oue Of the wisdom of those unp:e-
cedented aud eccentric movements of bis,
which violated all the rules of war and always
ended so brilliantly His reticencc, his mystic
~ were necessities of his nature, as much as
the fesalt Of bis unparalleled self-reliance a
self-reliance which can only be appreciated by
those who know that the courage necessary TO
60 through a battle is not compared with that
necessary to inaugurate IT, "Audaci,y, au-
dacity, always audacity," was the motto of
Danton. SO thought jackson too. After the
defeat OF Banks at Winchester, and before he
moved forward TO Harper's Ferry, he knew
that Mcdowell and Fremont We're moring a.
cainst his rear and what their design was and
vet he marched boldly into the trap prepared
for him, and then broke it into pieces and es-
caped But rs a soldier he was guided 10y ano-
ther principle which he once terseiy expressed
thus Mystery, mystery is the secret Of sue
cess" This mystery was not an a0'ectation +;
it was a policy, a conviction. He was COM
PEELED to take his staff and his general officers
into his confidence, and VIXEN be did so he did
it without reluctance or distrust. But they
never attempted to force his conf,lcnce aud
once he ordered one Of his body-guard to be
dismounted and "put under arrest as a spy,
for repeating to him an ll-timed question a.
bout the movements OF a division.
SwitrYEss ~ ExEcCtto$.
His most popular virtue was swiltness Of
execution. With him action kept pace with
design. lie was the rapidest mover in the
South, and from the very outstart Of the war,
his old brigade and division were known as
Jackson's foot cavalry" "What sort Of
man is your Stonewall anyway ?' said one of
Popes men are his soldiers made Of gutta-
percha, or DO they run on wheels And
when the raid once began or the battle had
been ioined ne never hesitated, aud rarely
changed his first plans lie sometimes went
at bis object with such appar Mt recklessness,
that he marched into battle by the flank and
commenced the fight with the first file of four.
l.. 8 J.,
test Of military criticism, but it always sue
ceeded The fate of battle is the result Of
a moment, Of thought" said Napoleon. The
dcplorable weakness Of indecis!on which has
wrecked so many military regulations, was un-
known to Jackson Golden opportunities lost
have ch;nged many shout Of victory into a
cry Of defeat and from Carrick's Ford to Get
tvsbnrg the track Of war is lined with the
graves Of brave men who died while their gen.
erals were celebrating. In absolute freedom
from this weakness Stonewall Jackson deserves
4 place by the side of Napoleon, the Archdukc
Charles and Frederick the Great
General Jackson was never eate1 by victo-
ry, nor depressed by disaster. 1t might be said
of him, As it was OF Masscna, He was endow-
Ell with that extraordinary frmness and cour-
age which seemed to increase in excess Of dan
ger. When conquered he was rs ready to fight
again as if he had been conqueror." Always
victorious, with one exception, General jack
son was not often called upon 20 illustrate this
virtue. But at Strasburg, when be determin-
ed to wait lor Winder, as Napoleon did lor
Ney in Russia, while Fremont and Shields
were closing in on both fanks, and escape
seemed almost impossible, his face as pale aud
firm as marble, his thin lips shut, his brow
thoughtful aud bard or at second Manassas
where his little corps struggled for hours and
days against the army Of Pope, and Longstreet
did not come; when the sun seemed to stand
still, and night would not fall, Jackson spoke
not a word Of hope nor fear. Ifhe sought
counsel Of heaven, he asked none Of man, and
20 man dared offer IT, Such confidence and
faith were contagious. His soldiers believed
he could do anything he wished, and be be-
lieved they could do anything he commanded
Jackson's men will follow him to the devil
and he knows it, said a Federal prisoner, and
that was the philosophy Of his success.
JACKscN's PIETY.
I General jackson was the wonder Of the press
] Il. L &