The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-03-15
sroNEwAIL JACKSON.
A scnool.Boy's ResetIecttons or the
Hero OF the Con fcsieracy.
correspondence of the wheeling RcsI.,er.l

MY UFst FtCnitCttOu vi StoDtNNt orSe-
son Is when was collegc.boy NJ Lex
ington, Va, In the fall OF 1860. en- not
able TO say whether il was the peculiar
carriage OF the stiff, military-locking In
stitutc professor who daily passed the col
lcge-grounds that was Of chief interest
TO the students Of Washington College, or
whether the stories told OF daring and
reckless courage in his early military lie
Invested him with a halo OF romance and
made him an object OF hero-worship In
their youthful minds. Whatever the cause,
the solid tramp Ct Msior Jackson on the.
plank walk would be. the signal TO stop AL
games or mirth that may have been IN pro
cress on the college campus until he had
passed. The stiff stolid looking man would
pass on, turning his head neither to the
/ right nor left, bat single touch OF his cap
was The silent recognition given OF the de-
/ ferential sspcct shown by the boys.
"Oid Jack as he was familarly' called
/ bv cadets and students, WAS so plain IN man
ner and attire, there was so little effort at
show, his feet were so large and bis arms
and hands fastened 10 his body in such an
awkward shape, that the cadets didn't take
much pride in him as professor. They
feared him in the lecture-room, they paid
the stricteSt Difference 10 him on parade.
but in showing a stranger the sights about
tie Institute a cadet was never known 10
point out "Old Jack" as one OF The orna-
/ ments OF the institution. lie was more
popular with the college students, who did
not have The same reasons for fearing the
ausierity o. his manner, bat who knew hm
as The son-in-llw Of their college president,
Rev. George Junkn.
IN THE SOCIAL CIRCLE.
My fr.t meeting with General Jackson
! in the social circle was one evening, when
he called 10 see a friend at our boarding.
house. / shall never FORGET the impression
his manner and appearance made upon me.
Boy as | was, 1 looked upon him with 4
revereniial awe. ! had beard the stories Of
his struggles in early life; OF how be had
walked from bis house in Lewis county TO
Washington TO receive his appointment as
a cadet TO West Point; OF his being i'll
piepared. and The difficulty he had in keep
inc 10 with his classes; and then ! had
heard OF his brilliant career in Mexico, OF
bis mounting the walls OF CherubuSco with
the American ftg in his hands; and here
now was the hero Of my youthful enthuSi-
asm before me. He was so different from
what thought hero ought to be! There
was 80 little animation, no grace. no enthu-
Sia>m. All was stiffness and aWkWafdne-s.
He sat perfectly erect, his back touching the
back OF the chair now here; the large hands
were spread out, one on each knee, while
The large feet, sticking ont ut an exact right
angle to the leg (the angle seeming to have
been determined with mathematical preci-
sion), occupied IN uDwarranted space. The
figure recalled to ms boy>b mind what |
bad once sccG-a rude Egyptiln-caIved
figure Intended TO represent one OF Inc
Pharoahs.
But when the conversation commenced |
lost sight OF the notwithstanding hgure. l
even lost the reverental awe when had so
deeply impressed me at first. only saw
the mild eyes emitting gentle beams, ana
only heard a soft. melodious yoice-speaK-
ing. il il true. in short, crisp senteDcos-b
withal us mild and winning as a woman's.
| then understood why it was that Major
jackson could be a hero. Underlying that
rough, uncomely exterior was vein Of the
most exquisite sentiment. In the soul OF
the man was th1t magnetism which attracted
and tha; power which controlled and made
him the master Of his iellowmen. In aiier
DAYS, when saw the uplifting Of bis dusty
can excite the widest enthusiasm among his
ve.eran legionS, knew whence the power
emanated.
JACKSON A BRECKENRIDGE DEMOCRAT.
The next time heard Jackson talk was
i'm political meeting one night in the town
OF Lexington. 1t was during the memoir
able presidential canvass of 1860. Rock
bridge county was said old Wing COM
munity. The majorty Of Democrats. IN
DER the leadership OF Governor Letcher,
supported Douglass. The Breckinridge
men had small force. The leading
spirits OF this faction called meeting
one evening at the courthouse. 1t was
q small gathering, and when the two
leaders. Colonel MasSic and Frank Pax
ton, had reported their resolutions,
\ voice from the rea" part OF the
building, in a quick, decisive tone. was
heard to call out, "Mr. Chairman" All
ewes were Instantly turned toward the
speaker and beheld the stili-0oking hgure
Of Major Jackson. No one suspected him
OF being politician, and Il general aDXlciy
was manifested to know what he was going
to say, aud consequently the Strictest attcn-
tlon was paid. In speech OF fifteen
minutes he reviewed the resolutions, en-
dorsed them, spoke Of the dangers threaen
ing the South, the duty OF taking a firm
stand. and then sat down. He display ed
one quality al ar orator not always eX-
hibited by political speakers; when he was
done, he quit.
The Frank Paxton spoken OF in this con-
nectjon went out the next spring as
lieutenant in the Rockbridge Riflemen, and
when he was killed at Charlottesville held
the position OF brIgadier-general, ana TEL
n. the head OF JacksOn's old "Sionewall> -
brigade. His was as daUntlesS spirlt as
that OF his old commander, and they arc
quietly sleeping together in the Lexington
cemetery.
SUPERINTENDENT OF MICRO SUNDAY
school.
At the request OF young friend IN the
town of Lexington, who expected 10 be
absent several weeks, agreed TO supply his
place temporarily as teacher IN the
colored Sunday school. Accordingly on
the next Sabbath afternoon ] repaired to
the lecture-room OF the Presbyterian
church. found the room well filled with
colored children, whose clean clothes and
shining ebony faces eyinced their apprecla-
non Of the interest taken in them by the
white folks. | found present dozen or
more Young white ladies and gentlemen
who acted rs teachers, and standing by a
table on the inside OF the railing surround
Ing the pulpit was the superintendent OF
the school.
THOMAS JONATHAN JACKSON.
doubt whether in after days, during The
great historical events in which he was the
Chief factor, General Jackson felt more sem
sibly the responsibility OF his position than
be did that afternoon a the commander OF