The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-08-28
JACKSON AND ArroMATrox.

louisville Courier-J ournal.
Col. Thomas Ct. Jones, commander of the Sec
ond Regiment Alabama State Guards and former
captain of the Montgomery Grays, who accom-
panies the latter on its drill tour has an extend
ed military experience, and, besides being nat
ural soldier, is a gentleman of the most liberal
views He was cadet at the Virginia Military
Institute in 1861, where Stonewali jackson was
instructor in artillery tactics, from which place
he entered the army and fought till the close OF
the struggle at Appomattox, where he played
prominent part in the closing details He was
great adnirer of Stonewall jackson, both as a
professor and soldier, and during a conversa
ton yesterday he remarked
ut is strange that in those days we never re-
garded jackson great man. and never dis
covered the qualities that afterward gave him
worldwide recognition as great soldier"
HE was regarded as a soldier, was he not2
"Yes; he was essentially soldier and student
in every sense of the word He had will power
and firmness that made 'Stonewalr not an map
proprlate term, even in those college days. and
on one occasion he convinced the students OF his
will-power"
What was the incident you refer tor
TT is very fresh in my mind. In 1861 the
cadets at the Institute were almost without ex-
ception intense secessionists, and frequent
troubles arose between them and some unionists
at Lexington. These issues eliminated one
day in some trouble about Union flag and the
cadets started for town to tear it down. They
were inflamed with passion and excitement and
the whole town was in alarm. The cadets
halted in front of Governor Letcher's house,
where General Francis III. Smith, the superin
tendent of the Institute, appeared in their front
and in dictatorial tones shouted, i
order you to return to your barracks,
and received in reply rude invita-
ton to go to an unmentionable warm place,
athxing to the invitation remarks not at all COM
plimentary to the General who retired in some
disorder. Then another of the professors Major
Calston, fiery man of French descent and de-
cidedly French peculiarities dramatically ar
raigned the cadets with: Will you stain Vir-
ginias arms with Virginia's bloodP This appeal
resulted in the Majors horse being forcibly led
out of the way, ignoring the expostulations of
the driver. Then Major jackson appeared on
the scene Hating in front of the excited mob
of armed cadets, and looking at them with con-
centrated passion and indignation, and pointing
to the thronged streets, he burst out with the
inquiry: Are you pack of foolss Would you
fire down street packed with women and chill
drenP Then there was brief silence, and he
sternly added: If there was any necessity for
it would lead you at the point of the bayonet
myself, but-here he surveyed the mob with
stern eye, and then shouted out with intense
force the order, Right face-marchp And the
silenced cadets obeying will stronger than
their own, marched decorously back to barracks.
They had obeyed will-force that was irresisti-
ble.p
.fYou served in the Army Of Virginia, Colo
uelm
Eyes In a short time after leaving the insti-
tute was commissioned in the regular Confed-
crate States army, and afterward resigned to do
duty on the staff Of Gen. Gordon-a splendid
man and soldier.
''You know something then Of Gen. Jackson's
standing with his troops. Was he not at times
unpopular with them9a
s.At first he was. His merciless marching,
| impetuous fighting and strict dircipline made
the men feel hard toward him at first, but later
on they learned why he was such hard task
master and they respected him. The fact is
Gen. jackson regarded his army as q whole and
had but little thought or consideration for indi-
yiduals. remember one time at Kearnstown,
when we were after Banks, and being marched
at terrific pace Col Nef, who had been
a pupil of Gen. jackson; after watching
his exhausted men falling out on the
roadside until his regiment became "a
skeleton, rode up to General jackson and said:
| General jackson, you are marching my men to
death, sir The General turned to his old pupil,
and, with toss of his chin, said, with his
habitual sternness: Very well, sir. Colonel
Nef, knowing his iron will, looked at him
appealngly, and jackson, catching the look, said,
in a softened tone of voice: Colonel Nef, must
sweat them tonight that | may spare their
blood tomorrow! That was all the explanation
Nef got, and it was enough
ssWhat would have been General Jackson's
career if he had survived the warp
II think he would have gone back to a pro-
fession. He was student and loved a teachers
vocation. He might have gone West
ssWas jackson politicianp
regard it nowadays, but he believed in the right
of secession and he fought for it.
Colonel, see it-stated that you were at the
surrender at Appomattox
Yes I was Gen. Gordon's assistant adiutant-
general and when Gen. Lee desired to commune
cate with the enemy, was ordered to seek Gen.
Sheridan under a flag of truce i remember
it was difficult to establish comm unicatlon, and
two or three flags we're sent out, Gen. Lee had
waited some time without hearing from the first
flag, and Gen. Gordon instructed me to bear one
to Sheridan. / found him in short time, and
in few minutes the officer who preceded me
was conducted to where we were. Gen. Sheri-
dan was riding about somewhat excited, relating
to one of his staff the incidents of a charge our
men had Just made on his lines delivered my
message, and he promptly directed cessation of
hostilities.
ssBy the way, you saw the famous apple-tree
at Appomattox, thenP
Eyes; there was an orchard there instead of
an apple tree, and some rails were brought and
placed under one Of the trees for General Lee to
sit upon awaiting news from General Grant
The terms of surrender were arranged in the
house, but that entire orchard was cut down to
fill the demand for pieces of that one tree
Colonel Jones is conservative, independent,
patriotic gentleman, and ten years ago found
public attention focused on him from the North
on account of a conciliatory speech he made on
Decoration Day at Montgomery, Ala When it
was published in the North he received con
gratulatory communications and more
substantial recognition Of the hearty
reciprocation of the people of the
left him legacy in recognition of his apprecia-
ton; others sent him silver cup. and the peo-
pie Of Marietta, o., invited him to deliver an
address on the occasion of formally decorating
the soldiers, graves in that vicinity. He pre-
pared with great care his speech, and had it
printed, but when he started to speak to the
thousands of appreciative listeners he forgot all
about it, and made an impromptu address,
which he afterward thought was quite as good
is lawyer, and Of course, accustomed to
speaking but he was carried away by the
hearty friendliness of the Marietta people, and
did not regret that he abandoned his ''printed
remarks"
AT CLEvELAND's HOME.