The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-12-25

WEDNEsDA % cEMBsEsR ,slsss'
-, xnesea Of the Early Atfo OF stone.
walF jackson.
3 ssY wIIIrAM q. ARNOLD.
Matv Of the Incidents which connect
4shesnseires with the lie and character or Q
wrsa, md good man may become OF such
snnnrtar,ce as TO mike II necessary Tor the
truth Of history that they be given to pos
tersty. Z.
There is a lost leaf or unwrittcn page OF.
she; iife OF Stonewa,l Jackson. which It IS the
purpose OF this paper to supply. =, !,
The SO old jackson house and nils,
sisaiated ON the west fork VI the Mononsa-
hefa rYeer four miles north OF Weston,
where Stanewall jackson lived and worked.
and was then so little known to the outside
world, have. by association with his name,
become historic.
q Cunmins e. Jackson, the uncle OF stone.
wall and owner of the house, mills, ana
adjoining farm, took him after the death OF
his father, Jonathan Jackson, when ABOUT
twelve wears OF age. to live with MIN, VINO
taught him to work in the mills and on the
farm.
Thomas Jonathan Jackson, titled in the
conflict OF arms - Stouewall JACKSON
who was well known to the writer, was q
youth Of exemplary habits, OF me'ahchoiy
temperament, OF indomitable will, ana un-
doubted courage. He possessed in an Gun,
nent degree talent for mathematics, and
was unwilling whilst nc school to acknow-
ledge his incapaci,y, "giye him time," 70
solve any proposition. .
He was by no means what Is nowadays
termed brilliant, but was one OF those un-
firing, plain, matter-of-fact persons who
would never give up when be engaged
In an undertaking until he accomplished
his object. he learned slowly, but when
he got learning in his bead he never forgot
it. He was not quick to decide, except
when excited, and then when he made up
his mind 10 do thing he did 1t on snort
notice and in quick time. AS an evidence
OF his most extraordinary decision OF pur-
nose, Mfr. Mills taught school In the
neighborhood. He was pupil, and whilst
on his way to school no overgrown rustic
behaved rudy towards two Of the school
girls. He was fired at bis cowardly conduct,
and told him he must apologize to them at
once, or he would thrash him. The big
rustic. supposing he was an over-match for
him, declined to do so, Whereupon jack
son pitched into him and gave him severe
pounding.
when the vacancy occurred in the cadet
ship to West Point from this congressional
district by the failure OF the appointee to
report himself at the Academy, be decided
to try for the place, and left here near sun
down on horseback, three hundred miles
from Washington, poorly clad ana lily
qualified, to see Judge Spencer, the Secre-
rary Of War, and ask him for the position.
Arrived in Washington, he went straight.
way to the War Department. and the parley
ot, l. 6atrr fhfhS
him, said IN eyewitness, "WaS gru1f and
heroicn Young Jackson had sand in the
craw-some OF the grit of ~ old Hickory"-
and would neither be blutfed or driven from
his purpose. The Secretary was much ag-
grieved about that time on account OF the
execution of his son ''on the high seas y
BY order OF Commodore Mckenzie, and
consequently was not much in giving
humor. He claimed that disappointment
should be given to the son OF some soldier
or seaman who bad lost bis life in the
service OF his country, and that there were
then many applicants. Young Jackson
was an orphan aud descendant OF the
early settlers and IDdian-fghters OF North
west Virginia, and consequently had but
little difficulty in overcoming his objections
to bis appointment
The Secretary Of Var in giving him the
place said: 'Sir. you have q good name.
Go to West Point, and the first one who
insults you knock him down and have it
charged to my account" He obeyed
orders, and although green, raw andseedy,
and good subject for the cadets "to put
through" lie decided to go through him
self or die in the effort.
As is usual, the boys soon began to lay
their plans to introduce him into what was
then known rs the mysteries OF q West
Pointer, and so unbearable did their con-
duct become that he was forced out Of
sef-respect to give the officer charged with
The performance OF that duty afearful 6,uis-
ing. The result was, Ike was brought to trial, 4
and only saved himself from expulsion by
pleading the order OF the Secretary Of War.
he was one Of the hardest students ever
at West Point, and for the first two years
studied as much as sixteen hours out OF the
twentE-four. He made it rule to sit with
his bae;Z to the door, with bis book before
him. and to speak to no one who entered
bis room during study. at the end Of the
first two years it was thought that he
would not be able to go through. and some
of the professors advised him to resign.
His pride was touched and be Indignantly
replied he woulG not dc SO. but -'Would
60 through or die" About the middle OF
the third year, to use his own words, the
scales fell from his eyes and he saw through
things at q glance which required him
weeks to see through year before. After
that tine he seemed to have no trouble in
any OF his classes, and to have taken high
rank. His dement's were few and Of no
consequence. He graduated ut the end OF
the fourth year with distinguished honors.
Young Jackson as a horseback-rider on
the race had no superiors. His uncle,
Cummins E. Jackson, kept a number OF
blooded horses and had four.mile track Oh
his farm. Thomas" as he always called
him, was his trainer, and so we'll was he
taught to ride that he was never thrown
from his horse, and rarely ever failed
to win the race. He looked awkward on
horseback, and cut rather poor figure,
from the fact that he rode with short stir
rups aud leaned forward-a position bis
uncle required Of him when on his fastest
steeds running for big pile"-and the
habit he then contracted he never after
wards abandoned. And just here, an ele-
ment in him never failed to show itself,
the mention whereof must not be omit
ted. Notwithstanding lie rode his uncIe's
race-horses, and won for him money, lie
was moralist in its fullest meaning. He
observed the Sabbath, read good books,
abstained from all intemperance, and was
lad