The Dillon tribune., 1885-05-23
STONEWALL JACKSON.
Interesting Facts About the Dis.inS Suisi,ed
Con. 'teratc Gcncral-an ECcen-
trc but PiOus Man.

when he was a commander and l an
officer of the Army of Virginia. He
was one of the 1randest men it has
been my good fortune to claim as q
fricnd.''
The speaker was Col. George II.
Motat, a gentleman OF wealth and leis-
ure. writes a Buckingham, w. ", COR
respondent to the Pittsburg Dispatch.
Continuing, he said:
During the years which | spent ut
college in Lexington. Va. made my
home with Mrs. DR.. Estclle. She was
a warnl-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. shall never forget
the first time met him. As boy /
heard of his heroic struggles as cadet
at West Point, and his dashing and
gallant services with Gen. Scott in
Mexico. In Imagination had created
an ideal, which made my first meeting
with him keen disappointment.
''Instead 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 rs that of woman. As /
listened to his terSc and wcll-rounded
sentences, always instructive and full
of meaning, boy though l was. l felt
that he possessed power which. in
stirring times, would make him a lead
er among his fellows. When in later
years | saw his appearance on the bat
tlc-tield gave renewed courage to vet
erans who had faced death in thous-
and forms, knew that my conviction
was not a mistaken one.
Zone thing which made me sincere
ly respect Jackson was that he was a
profoundly dcvout 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 teacher in this school, and one
day during his absence l took charge
of his class. 1t was Sunday in sum-
mer, and the room was filled with
children ranging from 6 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 3 tho superintendent call
cd the school to order with a prayer,
earnest and full Of feeling, which went
straight to the hearts OF all who heard
it. And then tho manner in which he
handled the lesson of the day, touching
upon all tho points that would interest
his little hearers, was admirable. His
way Of stating old truths was also
charming in its freshness aud simple.
ity. Some of the aristocratic 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 dauyh-
fnp nf Raw (xnnVfro Io~l.;.,, a.
dent Of Washington and jefferson col
lege. 1t was one Of the striking auom-
allies of the war that, while jackson
was the idol Of tho 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. a daughter. is still living,
and often visits Parkersburg, this state,
where the relatives of her husbands
mother. the Meals, reside. Both Of
jackson 8 wives were noble women, and
to both he was warmly attached.
''ihough. as have said. Jackson
was reserved and austere in his lear
ing. he was one of the most popular
men in Lexington. Modest, and al
ways unwilling to make II showing of
his powers. everyone, sooner or later,
came to regard him rs remarkable
man. and even ii 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
severe. A dull student always received
the kindliest encouragement from him,
while = lazy one was just as sure of a
reprlmand. There are scores of men
who owe the education they possess to
the thorough grounding received dur
ing tho years spent under Prot. Jack
son.
when in April. 1861. news reached