Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-11
sTONEWALL JACKsON's DEATH.
BIZ PAUL VI. RUSSELL.

The lightning flashed across the heaven, the dis
tant thunder rolled,
And, swayed ty gusts of angry winds, the far-on
church bell tolled:
The pillows crashed against the rocks that kiss the
oceans foam,
And eager pilots trimmed their sails and turned
their skffs Tor home.
AS darkness fell across the earth, and we were
gathered round
Our blazing hearth and listening to the storms
We all looked up to Uncle Tom, who sat beside the
fire,
A-dreaming of the by-gone days and of disaster
dire;
For mem'ry brought him back again TO times of
darkest woe.
When strong in hand and Light in heart he fought
the Northern foe.
He often spoke of 46-the fight on Mexic plain,
How Buena Vista heights were reached while bull
lets fell like rain;
How Shields had gained chepultepec, how Santa
Anna fed,
And how the sisters labored even where the bullets
sped;
And oft he spoke of later times, but always with
sigh,
When South and North rose up en- naasse to fight
for cause or die.
And beside the fire he sat and piped his meer-
schaum well,
We asked, to pass the time away, that he a tale
would tell
He paused moment then he laid his good old
pipe aside,
And said. "Ill tell you boys, tonight how Stone
wall Jackson died.
We retreating from the foe, for Fredericks-
burg was lost,
And flank, still threatening, appeared the
Union host.
Down By the RappahaDnock in our dismal tents we
lay
And the highest heart was heavy with our grave
defeat that day;
For it's better for soldier like Montgomery to
Than live to see his comrades from hated foeman
fly.
But reverses often come upon defenders of the
right
And justice seldom conquers, boys when nations
go 70 fight.
with heavy hearts we laid us down, but, mind
Nor did we turn aside to sigh, or turn aside to
weep.
But pondered DER our griefs sudden moan
heard,
Far louder than the willows moan, when by tho
wind tits stirred.
SIT woke the camp from reverie, it woke the camp
And louder, louder grew the wall. most dreadful
then to hear.
And nearer came the weeping crowd, and something
Was borne, we knew not what it was, but followed
with will.
At last within our Genrals tent the precious load
And then pallid soldier turned unto us all and
said:
We thought it hard, my comrades brave, to lose
But harder will our labor be to struggle in the
fray;
For he is gone. our gallant chief, who could our
hopes restore,
And rout and ruin is our fate, since stonewau is
no more.'
Il cannot tell you how we felt or how we acted
then,
For words are weak to tell tale when grief has
mastered men;
But this know, pulled the cloth from off brave
Jackson's face,
And almost jumped with joy to see him gaze around
the place.
"But, boys, it was heehng dream, vacant stare
he cast
He did not see the canvas shaken by the sudden
blast:
He did not see us weeping as we stanched the flow
ing blood,
But again in battle fighting, he was where the foe
men stood.
-'Order Central Hill to action loud he cried, ashe
was wont:
And then he quickly added: Bring the infantry
AS he saw the corps pass by him-as it were
in duty'5 CALL
Suddenly he shouted: 'Drive them-charge upon
them, one and all
"Then he turned aside and smiling said, with voice
of one in ease
*'Let the foaming river; let us rest be-
meath the trees
Then we waited, boys, and watched him. but no
other word he said;
For adown the foaming river had our leaders
spirit sped"
G*Jackson's last words were @Let us cross over
the river and rest under the shade of the trees"1