The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-29

sibility resting upon them seemed 10 make
them grave. but they, too. had their moments
OF humorous enjoyment. With the famous
! General Stonewal the bumor was quiet but
genuine, rs on the occasion OF his capture
OF Harper's Ferry In September, 1862. As
he entered the town a man on horseback
approached at full gallop and announced
TO him with breathess excitement that
General Mcclellan was near with an I'M
mense army, when Jackson asked. in n
matter-of-fact tone, il the Federal COM
mander had many beef cattle with him
The reply was that he had countless num-
bers; and Jackson said, with his dry smile !:
"Well, / can whip any army that comes
well supplied with beef cattle !"
AT JAcKsoN's EXPENSE.
Jackson and Stuart were warm friends,
and often visited each other at their quar-
tiers, when i was much amused by Stuart's
humorous extravaganza and his guests
! quiet enjoyment OF IT, When Jackson was
at "Nloss Neck,v the Corbin house, be-
low Fredericksburg, he took for his quar-
ters an apartment decorated with pictures
of race-horses, game cocks, ard terriers
destroying rats. The selection OF these
surroundings by the grave Presbyterian
elder struck Stuart as irreslstby comic,
and one day on visit he suggested to
Jackson that the loom ought to be photo
graphed. When Jackson innocently asked
why, Stuart replied with his rich laugh !:
As view Of the winter-quarters OF Gem
eral StonewaIl Jackson, alording an in
sight into the tastes and character OF the
individual"
WHEN LEE HEARD FIRING.
| General Lees position as communicating
chief was much too onerous and full OF
anxiety to permit much indulgence in hui
NOR. He was also Of a cOnsttutionally
quiet and reserved disposition, given to
gentle and alectionate expansion in his
| family circle, but not 10 eXuberant spirits
on any occasion. He smiled frequently,
but rarely laughed, and yet there was cer-
tainly under this grave exterior quiet
endowment OF the comic side OF things,
which displayed itself on unexpected occa-
siOns. A mere word or turn OF praise often
! indicated the great leaders mood, rs when
General Sedgwick opened hot fire at
Fredericksburg in the Charlottesville
campaign. The moment was Il very criti-
cal one, as Lee was enormously outnum-
bcred, and General Hooker was advancing
TO turn both his flanks. a young officer
came at full speed, and in hot haste in-
formed the General Of Sedgwick's attack,
when Lee, smiling serenely, said: We'll,
! | heard firing, and | was beginning to
think it was time some OF you lazy young
fellows were coming to tell ne what it was
all about"
A CHAIR WITH WHICH TO NOU,T.
have rarely seen General Lee really
amused but recall one occasion when he
| - 81
Orange Courthouse. He was riding an
immensely tall horse, and said, as he was
going to mount. "My horse is so big that
| think | ought to have a chair to mount"
one OF the staff thcreupon ran and brought
a chair. which he deposited beside the ami
nal, when General Lees face relaxed into
a broad smile. "No, thank you, Cap
tain" he said gravely. mounting without
the chair and still smiling, no doubt mt the
idea that the best horseman i'm the United
states and Confederate States armies should
have been offered chair to reach his sad
dlel
TIE KNIGHT OF THE VALLEY.
The name Cross Keys recalls Ashby and
his adventure before alluded to-that with
Sir Percy Wyndham, who announced to a
New York newspaper-correspO his
in his rear and captured the Colonel. Ny
personal knowledge Of this chiyalric sol
der. "the knight OF the Valley" pro-
duced tie impression that he was a
man OF great sweetness OF temperament
rather than OF humor. in the broad
sense. He would sit among his men
beside the campfire ard enjoy their
gay stories or join in their lifting cho-
ruses: but the death OF his brother Rich
ard had saddened him. / never saw q
sweeter smile on the human face than his,
or gentlcr manner. He rarely laughed.
but the smile was generally there, as |
fancy il was when some northern ladies ut
Winchester offered to have their trunks
and persons searched for anything contra
band. "Nirginia gentlemen do not search
ladies' trunks or persons, madam he SAID.
"You are at liberty to CO."
LAUGHING AT SHELLS.
The "heart OF hope" was probably as
common in the northern forces as in ours,
but it certainly was seen at all times and
places in the southern army. The humor-
Gus side OF things always seemed TO be the
first to present itself. At Petersburg.
when General Grant had broken through
the lines and was surging forward to over
whclm the handful in Lees inner works,
the men burst into laughter and greeted
every shell with a loud hurrah. They were
more like 4 party Of school-boys than griZ-
Zlcd men, and seemed unaware Of the peril
of their situation. To the last they met the
dire trials OF the retreat with the same care
lessnesS-a spectacle so singular that those
onlv who witnessed it can realize 1t fully.
TIE uORsE.ARTILLERY.
II is impossible to even enter on the
subject of camp humor in general in this
place. The topic is ineXhaustible, and
would fill a volume. All thoughtful OBJ
servers must have been struck by it, and
wondered at the complete apparent forget
iulncss OF the horrors OF war by the rank
and file. Perhaps the most striking Illus
trafion Of this was found i'm the batteries
OF the "Stuart IIorse-Artillery.' attached
10 the cavalry. and recently spoken OF. To
mipele with this nondcscript crowd OF
barG.fightIng men and listen to their songs
land laughtcr was treat to the student oi
human nature. The songs especially were
full of rich or caustic humor. Now, il
was the quartermaster who had
Grown mighty tail;
He starved our horses to give ball.
Then it was an unpopular commander
who said at the approach OF the enemy:
Wen have some fun
Take ND the road and hide the gunl
And from these comic ditties the men, O
number of whom had served under Ashby,
passed TO tile saddest OF strains with the
chorus:
Strike! freemen, for your country.
Ashby Is no mOrel
LIKE plTTI.Es WITH sNOw-BALLs.