The Red Cloud chief., 1881-01-20
Anecdotes Of Stonewall Jackson.

As is well known, Jackson was care
less in dress, in gait, and when astride
a horse he was just as apt 10 have mis-
No. 9s dangling out of the stirrups as
i'm them. A thoughtful man, with OBJ
long features, kindly gray eyes. somber
in looks. with a mind never at rest. he
appeared often in what may not inap-
prOpriately be termed fits of abstrac-
ton" and apparently oblivious To every
thing passing around him. but at the
whistle of a mimic ball. or the boom of
a cannon. how his whole face lit up
with expectancy. He vas suddenly
alive to looming events" OF Jack
sons rigid discipline | will here put on
record an instance. While a boy | was
coming out of the p~ost-office in Lexing-
ton, Va. n morning, and. as | came
out, n youth Of some seventeen sum-
mers passed i'll, clad in a black suit.
| stopped for q minute on the pave
ment at the post-ofiice door. with my
face toward the Virginia Military lnsti-
tute, of which Jackson was then a pro-
fessor. Jackson was coming up the
street at the time, and only a few yards
from the door. The cadet was in citi-
zen's dress, and had run the block
ader to get n letter from Ibis girl
and had thus violated two rules-come
To town i'm citizens dress. and without
leave. He was coming out, uncon-
sciously. into the "snare of the fowler
but he CHANGED to spy Jackson within n
few wards of the office. and instantly
sprang back. jumped over the counter.
flew past the postmaster and leaped out
of the window. cat style. on "all fours."
jackson took in 1.-The situation" at a
glance, for, as the cats heels were dis
appearing out of the back window,
Jackson's stern countenance darkened
the door. and he cried out in a stento-
rian voice: Il recognize you. sir. Go
to the barracks and report yourself IN
der arrest!' Many a mentor would have
been blind tn the ~escapade. would have
tried not to have seen his pupil. would
have .'winked Mt it." but not so with
jackson; on the contrary, he q%uickened
his pace and was an interested spectator
to the lively movements of his pupils
heels. But it has been a mystery To me
ever since, how in the world jackson
recognized that cadet by his No. . boots
as his heels were disappearing out OF
the window. When L saw jackson
again he Law dead on the field OF
Charlottesville.
To show Jackson's listlessness on
important occasions, l will record
another incident. 1t is well known
that .~.Stouewalr' was not q mere map
fighter. or attacked the enemy on
scientific principles. He made war as
Claiborne Mason made his tJacksOn's)
bridges. by intuitiye knowledge and
common sense principles And when
many q General was planning n
battle on maps, jackson a fought
and won them by the celebrity Of
his movements But TO the point: On
a certain night, near the banks OF the
Rappahanock. q council of war was be-
ing held. at which. as 3 matter Of course,
General Robert E. Lee presided. Jack
son was the last To enter the Command
er.in-Chiefs tent He sat down. crossed
his iank legs. folded his arn.s, and was
lost in thought in 3 few minutes The
subject nd manner of attack was elab-
orately discussed in all its detail for
nearly an hour. on the maps and pan
of battle, and . conclusion nearly ar
rived 1t, when General Lee. wishing to
hear J~ackson's opinion he had not
opened his mouth during the entire dis
cussion-asked him for his views; but,
mirabile dictu, Jackson Was sound
asleep, and. when reused up. his an
swer to Lees question was without so
much as opening his eyesl: "Oh- run
them into the river,r' His suggestion
was adopted. and 3 bold, stand-up At
tack was made. and the enemy was not
only run into the river" but clear
across it-AMsriean Queen.