San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1879-01-25
ed that the appointment should be Civ
en- to the son Of some soldier or seaman

ed that the appointment should be Civ
en- to the son Of some soldier or seaman
who had lost his life in the service Of
his country, and that there were then
many applicants. Young Jackson was
an orphan and descendant Of the ear
ly settlers and Indian fighters of north
west Virginia, 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 good
name. Go to West Point, and the first
ono who insults you knock him down
and have it charged to my account"
He obeyed orders, and although green,
raw and .seedy, and good subject for
the cadets ito put through" he decided
to 60 through himself or die in the Of.
fort.
Asis usual, the boys soon began to
lay their plans to introduce him into
what was then known as the mysteries
of o West Pointer, and SO unbearable
did their conduct become that he was
forced, out of self-respect, to give the
officer charged with the performance Of
that duty Q fearful bruising. The result
was he was brought to trial, and only
saved himself from expulsion by plead
ing the order Of the secretary of war.
Z He vas one of the hardest students
ever al West Point, and for the first
two years studied as much as sixteen
hours out of the twenty-four. He made
it 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
go 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 go 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 time he seemed to have had
no trouble in any Of his classes, and to
have taken high rank, His dement's
were few and of no consequence. He
graduated ct the end of the fourth year
with distinguished honors.
/ Young Jackson, as horseback rider
on the race, had no superiors. His I'M
Gle, Cummins E. Jackson, kept num-
Der of blooded horses and had four
mile track on his farm. "Thomas, as
he always called him, was his trainer
and so well 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 a poor figure, from the fact
that he rode with short stirrups and
leaned forward-a position his uncle
required of him when on his fastest
steeds running for "big pile"-and
the habit he then contracted he never
afterwards abandoned. And just here
an element in him never failed to show
itself. the mention whereof must not be
omitted. Notwithstanding he rode his
uncle's race-horses, and won for him
money, he was a moralist in it's fullest
meaning. He observed the Sabbath
read good books, abstained from all in
temperance and was kind to the poor
He early espoused the doctrine of fore
ordination, and cultivated the BELLE
that men never died till their time comes
-an error which may have prematurely
led to his untimely death.
After leaving West Point he entered
the United States army and fought
through the Mexican war. How he
bore himself in that war the dispatches
of Gen. Scott to Mr.. Marcy best tell
At its close he was placed in command
of body of United States soldiers at
Fort Hamilton, and subsequently al
Tampa Bay, and after remaining al
these two places some two years, his
health giving way, he resigned his place
in the army and returned to his old
home at Jackson's mills. His uncle, @