Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-05-06
ALOsT LEAF
From the Life Of StoHewaIl lacksgn...
How He Thrashed a West Point
BoOhy---A Young Man Wko
Stuck TO His Books.

There is a lost leaf or unwritt,
page of the life of Stonewall Jacks,
which it is the purpose of this pap,
to supply.
The odd jackson house and mills.
situated On the west fork Of the NJ,
~nongalia river, four miles north {
Weston, where Stonewall Jaokso
lived and worked, and then so littI
known TO the outside world, have. b
association with his name, beeom
historic.
Cummins f. jackson. the uncle {
StOnewall, and owner Of the house.
mills and adjoining farm. took hin
after the death of his father, Jonatha
Jackson, when about twelve years o
age, to live with him, who taught hin
TO work in the mills and on the farm
Thomas Jonathan jackson, title,
in the conflict of arms "Stonewal
I Jackson, who was we'll known to tn,
writer, was a youth of exemplary
habits, of a melancholy temperament
of indomitable will and undoubteC
courage. He possessed an eminen.
degree Of talent for mathematics. anC
was unwilling while at school t,
acknowledge his i~ncapaeity, give hin
time, to solve any proposition.
He was by no means what is nova.
days termed brilliant, but was enc O.
those untiring, plain, matter of fac
persons who would never give III
when he was engaged in an undertak.
ing until he accomplished his object
He learned slowly, but when he col
learning in his head he never forgot
it, He was not quick to decide, ex.
cept when excited, and then when he
made up his mind to do a thing he did
it on short notice and in quick time.
As an evidence of his most extraordi.
nary decision Of purpose. a Mr.. Mills
taught school in the neighborhood.
He was a pupil, and while on his way
to the school an overgrown rustic be-
haved rudely toward two of the school
girls. He was fred at his eowardly
conduct and told him he must apollo
gize to them at once, or he would
thrash him. The big rustic, suppos-
ing he was an Overmateh for him. de-
elined to do so; ~whereupon he pitched
into him and gave him a severe pound
ing.
When the vacancy occurred in the
eadetship to West Point from this
congressional district, by the failure
OF the appOintee to report himself at
the academy, he decided to try for the
place, and left here neal sundown on
horseback, three hundred miles from
Washington, poorly clad and lily quail
fed, to see Judge Spencer, the secre-
tary Of war, and ask him for the posi-
tiOn. Arrived in Washington, he
went straightWay to the war depart
ment, and the parley which took place
between the secretary aud him, said
an eyewitness, was gruff and
heroic. Young Jackson had sand in
the craw-sOme of the gift Of "0ld
HickOry-and would neither be
blufed nor driven from his purpose.
The secretary was much ~aggrieved
about that time on account of the ex-
ecution of his son ION the high seas
by order of Commodore Mckenzie.
and consequently was not much in a
giving humor. He claimed that the
appointment should be given to the
son of some soldier or seaman who had
lost his life in the service Of his coun-
try. Young jackson was an orphan.
and a descendant of the early settlers
and Indian fighters of Northwest Vir-
GINA, and consequently had but little
difficulty in overcoming his objections
to his appointment.
The secretary Of war, in giving him
the place. said "Sir, you have a good
name. Go to West Point. and the
first one who insults you knock him
down and charge it to my account.
obeyed orders, and although green
raw and seedy, and a good subject for
the cadets TO put through, he de-
clded to go through himself, or die in
the effort.
As is usual, the boys soon began to
their plans to introduce him into
what wa then known as the mysteries
OF a West Pointer, and 40 unbearable
did their conduct become that he was
forced, out of self-respect, to give the
charged with the performance
OF that duty a fearful bruising. The
result was he was brought to trial. 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 twenty four. He
made it a rule to sit with his back to
the door, with his book before him.
and to speak to no one who entered
his room during study. At the end
OF the first two years it was thought
he would not be able to 20 through.
and some Of the professors advised
him to resign. His pride was
touched, and he indignantly replied
he would not do so, but would Ed
through or die" About the middle
Of the third year, to use his own
words, the scales fell from his ewes.
and he saw through things at a glance
which required him weeks to soc
through a year before. After that
time he seemed to have had no
trouble in any Of his classes. and
to have taken high rank. His de.
merits were fewand of no consequence
lie graduated at the end of the
fourth year with distinguished honors.
Young jackson, as a horseback
rider on the race, had no superiors
His uncle, Cummins y. Jackson. kent
a number Of blooded horses. ana bdJ
a four-mile track on bis farm iraU
Thomas, as he always called him
was his trainer, and 50 well was h.
taught to ride that he was never
thrown from his horse, and rarely ave,
H.s1-I a wv