Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-05-08
STONEWALL JACKSON.


student at Lexington, and afterward
when he was commander and l an
officer of the Army of Virginia. He
was one of the grandest men it has
been my good fortune to claim as
The speaker was Col. George H.
Moffat, gentleman of wealth and leis-
ure, writes Buckingham, w. ", cor
respondent to the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Continuing, he said:
During the years which l spent at
college in Lexington. Va. made my
home with Mrs. DR.. Estelle. She was
a warm-hearted and cultured southern
woman and close friend of jackson,
who was then professor of mathemat-
les at the state military institute. He
called often at her house, and it was
there that came to know him, in the
autumn of 1859. 1 shall never forget
the first time met him. As boy |
heard of his heroic struggles as a cadet
at West Point, and his dashing and
gallant services with Gen. Scott in
Mexico. In Imagination l had created
an ideal, which made MY first meeting
with him keen disappointment.
'lnstead of the handsome, polished
gentleman had pictured, found him
awkward in appearance, severely plain
in dress, and stiff and constrained in
bearing. But when he began to talk
my momentary disappointment passed
away. His voice was soft, musical,
and expressive, and in conversation
his eyes of gray would light up in a
way which showed that through the
mans nature ran vein Of sentiment
as tender as that of woman. As !
listened to his terse and well-rounded
sentences, always instructive and full
of meaning, boy though | was. felt
that he possessed power which, in
stirring times. would make him lead
er among his fellows When in later
years l saw his appearance on the bat
tle-field gave renewed courage to vet
erans who had faced death in thou5-
and forms, knew that my conviction
was not mistaken one.
Zone thing which made me sincere
ly respect jackson was that he was
profoundly devout man. He believed
implicitly in divine power, and labor
ed constantly to bring himself and
those to whom he held the relation of
teacher to the highest ideal of man
hood. An incident which comes TO
my mind now will illustrate this phase
of his character:
jackson was the superintendent of
a Sunday school in Lexington made up
of colored children. My college chum
was a teacher in this school, and one
day during his absence | took charge
of his class. 1t was Sunday in sum-
mer, and the room was filled with
children ranging from & to Is years of
age. Scattered among them were sew
eral white ladies and gentlemen who
acted as teachers. Just as the clock
was striking the superintendent call
ed the school to order with prayer,
earnest and full of feeling, which went
straight to the hearts of all who heard
it. And then the manner in which he
handled the lesson of the day, touching
upon all the points that would interest
his little hearers, was admirable. His
way of stating old truths was also
charming in its freshness and simple
ity. Some of the aristocra:ic people of
the town looked with disfavor upon
this undertaking of Jackson's, but his
heart was in his work, and then, as
ever, needing not what others said, he
did what he believed to be his duty.
The success of the school was always
dear to him, and even after the war
had broken out and he had left Lex
ington his letters always expressed the
desire that it should be kept up as Of
old.
"Jackson's first wife was the daugh-
ter of Rev. George jenkins, the presi-
dent of Washington and jefferson col.
lege. 1t was one of the striking anom-
allies of the war that, while Jackson
was the idol of the southern cause. his
father-in-law was an extreme unionist,
and at the beginning of the war, on
account Of his decided views, rendered
his resignation and went north. Jack
sons second wife. by whom he had
one child, q daughter, is still living,
and often visits Parkersburg. this state.
where the relatives of her husband 5
mother, the Meals, reside. Both OF
Jackson's wives were noble women, and
to both he was warmly attached.
Though, as | have said, Jackson
was reserved and austere in his ear
ing, he was one Of the most popular
men in Lexington. Modest, and al
ways unwilling to make showing of
his powers, everyone, sooner or later,
came to regard him as remarkable
man, and even il they did not claim
him as friend they respected him
sincerely, and were prompt to show
him that they did. In the classroom
he was impartial and strict, but not
A Htsll ltnlapf a., 4
the kindliest encouragement from him,
while q lazy one was just as sure Of a
reprmand. There are scores Of men
who owe the education they possess to
the thorough grounding received dur
ing the years spent under Prof Jack
son.
When in April, 1861, news reached
Lexington that the ordinance of Sc
cession bad been passed, the sleepy old
town seemed suddenly changed to q
military camp, and on every side were
seen the preparations for war. 1t was
decided that the older cadets at the
military institute should be sent to the
various recruiting stations to drill the
volunteers And so one day in May,
with Jackson at their head, they march
ed away. Poor lads! too many of then
far too many--that morning was onl,
the bright opening Of q career soon t
end in suffering and death. The tim,
set for their departure was a still, sun
ny Sunday morning, and all the peopl,
OF the town, several thousand in mum
Der, had gathered to see them of. Th'
cadets. numbering two hundred. wer,
drawn up In front Of the gate Of the
fortress-like institute building. waitin,