Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-10-22
IDOLS OF THE ARMY.


IDOLS OF THE ARMY.
R. E. LEE AND STONEWALL
JACKSON.
THE DIFFERENT MANNER IN WHICH THE
LOVE OF THE SOLDIERS FOR THE TWO
GREAT COMMANDERS MANIFESTED
ITSELF.
The difference in the manner in which
Generals R. E. Lee and T. J. Jackson were
regarded by the Confederate army of North.
ern Virginia is one of the curious features
of the war. Both Generals were recognized
as men of genius, of piety, and of kindness
of heart; both were courteous and dig
nified in their intercourse with others, al
though jackson was very abrupt and curt
in speech and action, and yet they were
looked upon and treated by the troops in a
directly contrary manner. For Gen. Lee
the men had an explicit trust and reverent
affection that never faltered from the time
he took command of the army until they
crowded around him in fearful silence to bid
him last farewell on the hill near Ap-
pomattox courthouse, where the battle flags
were unfurled for the last time before being
piled upon the surrendered stacks of arms
TO tell the truth, he was half deifed in the
thoughts of his troops, and they never doubt.
ed the issue of a campaign under his lead
ership, not even in the beginning the cam
paign of 1865, when defeat was pressing all
other sections of the Confederacy, had not
"the bottom of the bucket so suddenly fallen
out" it is more than likely that dictator
ship would have been thrust upon him as
last resort to beat back the Overwhelming
numbers of the federals.
Gen. Lee was a fine figure, when mount.
ed on his iron gray horse, Traveller, and
even when on hot and dusty march looked
always neat His dress then was simple
gray sack coat, with the star of General
on the rundown collar, dark SLOUGH hat
Topped up on the left side, gray pants and
long riding boots. I never saw him with
either sword or pistol buekled on him. AS
he rode along beside the marching ranks al
the head of the staff, he always had his hat
pulled down over his brow, with his chin
lifted as if gazing intently inGo the distance.
He was always considerable for the health
and comfort of his men. One of the most
provoking things to regiment Of infantry
on hot, dusty, and wearisome march was
for some mounted officers or men to come
dashing along kicking up more dust, OF
attempting to make way along the road
Which JIG ihiantly Always ciallneo as theii
rigat Oh way. oome 0enerais ana t4eil
eoea ,n NJ - us ~ =. '.o' s GuI o0n nee
u - 10 a4mays .oun w In0 n5ius. Asaln
Al was ~. Iuiaenvly Iep?r'ea anu oeiieVeu lna'
WIZ VIC s was ~ s.,ai.S iul iaI1ons nt
- az eieuu " nm use ~ .ns ueiieacLe =:
49, una a", is VIZ w sohu W nl'
d th. 4 GaS h0i. tnei1 ~ ue Culn
re e w SI 10 -. 80 4i al, 1on oooa
ad aud 800 fa1io, os 'l 1911; anu I W. Il;
ohaar;nor ,1 pU md sr,",~athn All th n,s
th;,a. mTt TO- an Fly ~ suest
ia od ~ H., '. 90 III ~ n "a,
.oa o,o,, tba Ganarars rs oroopo. ~ tiie
noIr,ns nos scarca11 nat;ooJ oSoo a tls+ ~. .ht
t;red i;n,hs rvere hraced nv and H. 'n@;
ISL CO.. f,rther afut p %nb Ur 10 'pnlaoI
ID oIonn tho roads ioa ID Aen n no pass aS
T;uo %,os on M o .u"uS th" "mun tnt
o,,'daJ ~ o ~ o ds;a ono inon nisaiiaciy
o,H tt' 1919 W umo s,1oao +b Hnu eeIeu nil
mon orbos thon H. ora; ;,1 mas iIoao eio
H H. d",,tt Pc 'n ,,1aa ~ mtIuoss omoeis
tb;s s;1ant bo, ma Tot he a1.o1s 90
- oaunl,- les Iat ~ -;.tS''t pt
~ S'otanoroo Tho aU -; MaSnou 49, |" onan
1ectS ~ bava GOO, Ganorai 100 faoo 80 80
11;Sa tIo-, ser;o,,s ond NO lsoo o'n'i
rTwo ovano,IoS ,,,ov he rr;ro,i ~ sh ~,
estimation in which Gem Lee ,vos hold 90 'S
70 ilInst,.te the heIief +bot AZ s,ao a.,su
of tbe canse w.s .bsolnteIv donandant ~,
bi,,, A. tbo hott1a IF ant;a+a,,. ~ an
aftarnoon General Rnrnsids forced ra 'ne
ono ,f 80 tr;doa anS asso;Iod e""o a pas.
y r Une i;, n 90 "n'a .,, n1aoy Sne
ILL hoeoro d Uni,s d;n ~? .iIso LIN
was oSAOtO 49, AAiAA u vi ioiOAi hoU OOA10
o "p Io1r;o, ~ So,tS CaroI;;, NV 81,
Saht;nas Rrouo1u 600 oa' ~ i@n, aieei
iasu ;s Sa,ro,o, go oo, a. +ha 1;un. ;
tha aa1 sao,,eJ aho,f lost ON +ha r;o.b+ 'A AZ
AZ 49, ;,,,,at,,ro conro1 - So ~
- than, 81 so;n;ro ~ A. t u
ssWbati NV man are Won on;pn ~ daSor.
,,o,,r oo,,,+yx, IN IL 49, of AL O. ,
yo,,r Conaro, viii 1aod ,o,ipi III, 1oo ~,
yalI;ed ;n,n,ad;.talv snd roforr,od H. ~
1T ,of,,sod ~, o,,ay ,,,,+;I O., ~
ra+;red He consanted and tl,az, 80 L. :,
,,l1nged INTO tha figbt and hold thoSir CO.,
until General A. p Hill came IN
AGAIN, at Snottsvlvania court honse yhen
Hancock,s men had swent over the salient
canturino the entire division and onns of
GeneraI Edward Johnston and tbrestanino,
to break tbe Confederate army in two anS
wben the hattie seemed Iost to +be ConfaJ
crates General Lee. who never bes;tatad 70
exnose himself at the point of dancer dash
ed up to Gen. J. B. Gordon's division and
announced his intention to lead them ner.
sonallv to the rescue. When he nlaced
himself in front instantly cries arose from
the ranks, sLee to the rearp' sLee to the
rearp' General Gordon seized the bride rein
of g eneral Lee, and assuring him that the
division would not bulge if he did not re-
tire, Lee reluctantly rode back, whereupon
the division swept forward in gallant style
and re-established the broken lines.
I venture to assert that no such regard
would have been shown for the safety of
any other Confederate commander, whether
Johnston, Beauregard, or even jackson him
self. If this deep veneration was not in
spired by elevation of character and by
what is indefinitely styled personal magnet
ism," then l am at loss to account for the
fact in the case.
And now as to General jackson. Before
the war he had been plodding professor at
the Virginia Military Institute, and had