The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-10-30

was never UNDERSTOOD. w Hcll He Ihaue
the celebrated forced march to Romney,
Virginia, in the winter of 1862, there was
howl all along the line for his removal
rs fanatical incompetent, but Governor
Letcher knew his man, and refused to
revoke his commission. Again, before
the war, in 1860 he had gathered together
some 500 negro children and taught
them in Sunday school in Lexington,
Virginia, and this raised terrible storm
throughout the State. But he kept the
even tenor of his way undisturbed. He
was rs firm as adamant where he thought
his duty was concerned.
1t was only during the seven days
fight that the main body of the army
came to recognize Jackson in person.
Ills photographs do not give an adequate
idea of the man. They do not mark him
apart as leader of men, and show that
inherent fitness for high participation in
the events of that epoch which the
chances Of war had brought to light.
Says one of his men: ut would have
been easy to have mistaken him for the
courier of one Of his brigadicrs, for all
external tokens to the contrary; his
single breasted coat of rusty gray, sun
scorched about the shoulders, until it was
almost yellow, ard his plain cadet cap,
of the same hue, tilted forward until the
vasor rested almost upon his nose, were
mcancr in appearance than the makeup
of many smart fellow whose musket
was the badge of his station, and not a
quartermaster in the corps but would
have con.idered Jackson's gaunt old sor-
rel bad swap for his own nag. But the
bright and piercing look of his steel.bue
eyes, when one could get a glimpse at
them under the cap brim, the firm set of
his lips, and the impatient jerking of his
arms from time to time told of the eager
working of the energetic soul within"
And the description is a true one to the
letter.
After the seven days battle, whenever
there was great cheering on any part of
the line, it used to be said by the listen.
ers: "It's either Jackson or rabbit"
Now the meaning of this was that when
ever rabbit was started in the bivouac
of brigade the entire complement of
officers and men would turn out TO pursue
bunny, and, by heading him off here and
turning him there, poor bunny, who in
the end would become bewildered by the
diabolical yells and cheers which met
him at every turn, was generally captured.
Now General Jackson stunned, if he
could, the demonstrations which greeted
him whenever he passed camp of his
own corps or Of Longstreets. The men
would gather on the roadside waving
their hats and yelling like demons, the
yells being taken up from camp to camp,
as "Old Jack" went skurrying along on
his old sorrel as fast as he could lay feet
to the ground. There was spice of mis-.
chievousness in this, for soldiers are like
school boys, and they knew how badly
Jackson hated notoriety, but their admi.
ration aud enthusiasm for him we're such
that they would have charged the very
gates of hades at bis bidding Never
were more genuinely snrrowful tears shed
than those that fell from the eyes of his
army on Jackson's bier.
l recollect that just before the battle
of Fredericksburg (Burnside's) General
j. L. b. Stuart presented Jackson with
bran new uniform, covered with gold
lace and stars. and as gaudy as q pea
cocks train. Jackson had never worn
it, but on the morning of the grand
assault Stuart had persuaded him to put
it on. Accompanied by Stuart and some
of his staff he rode slowly in front of the
Confederate lines from right to left but
he was not recognized until lie reached
Picketts division, then placed in the
centre of the line. Stuart mischievously
pointed out the gorgeous. looking individ.
ual to some officer of the division, and it
ran down the line like wildire, "Old
Jacks got a new uniform y Instantly
the men leaped upon the breastworks,
yelling wildly and swinging their
hats, until Jackson could bear itno long
ger, but, turning reproachfal look upon
Stuart, he clapped spurs to old sorrcl and
galloped off to his own command.
Suffice it to say, he pulled his new duds
off as soon as he had an opportunity.
Now, who can explain the philosophy
of it? Neither Johnston, nor Beaure'
gard, nor Longstreet, nor Hill, nor
Early, nor even Jeb Stuart were ever
looked upon by the army in the same
light as Lee and Jackson. And yet all
these officers were worthy of enthusias-
tic admiration and unflinching support.
1t is one of the mysteries that make Us
believe that actions and events are
largely beyond the ken of the pure reas-
oning faculties.