The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-05-13
BODIES Badly for Imboden.

/ ems 10 protect ther names anu reputd-
ton, as they used TO fight for Freedom
Family, and Firesides Now here i
Daniel Harvey Hill, one ofthe three sur
vivipe Lieutenant Generals Of the Con
federacy, forced to vindicate himself tor
the sake Of his iamily) in such wise as
this
MACON. GA, May 4, lss5.-Eator Of
TeLegrpph and WesseHqer.-In the Cen
tury. Magazine for May, there is a sensa-
tional story by Gen. J. ID. Imboden, that
Gen. Stonewall Jackson arrested me at
Edwards Ferry on our crossing into
Maryland, on account of my indifference
to the obstruction of the ford by my
wagon train. | am inclined to think that
this alleged incident Is myth, for the fol
lowing reasons
!. My troops and myself crossed the
Potomac at Toole's Ford some five or six
miles above Edwards's Ferry. Not one
Of US saw General Jackson or knew where
he crossed.
, | saw Gen. Jackson the next morn
ing for the first time in thirty days. He
met with an accident then by his horse
falling upOn him, and he put me in com
mand OF his corps to move on and seize
Frederick. Gen. Jackson would not be
likely so to treat an arrested man. He
did not himself 90 on to Frederick, and
the Barbara Fritchie story Is a. mythical
as Gen. Imboden's.
B. | was no arrested or reproved by
any one during the civil war.
/. Gen. jackson never spoke an un-
kind word to me, publicly or privately,
at any time or IN any place.
These few reasons satisfy my mind,
and | hope hat will satisfy the minds of
Others that Gen. Imboden has made a
mistake. Respectfully and truly,
ID. Ii. HILL.
Gen. Imboden's memory is also at fault
in bother particulars. La describing the
Battle at Bull Run, DULY q, l86l) he
says =
General Jackson's wound became very
serious when inflammation set in. On
hearing, three days after the fight, that
he was suffering with it, | rode to his
quar- ers in a little farm house near Cen
t~reviIle. Although it was barely sunrise
he was out under the trees bathing the
hand with spring water. 1t was much
swollen and very painful, but he bore
himself stoicaily. His wife and baby had
arrived the night before. His little
daughter Julia was still in long dresses,
and | remember tossing her, to her great
delight, while breakfast was being made
ready on a rude table under the trees.
OF course the battle was the only topic
discussed at breakfast. | remarked In
MIR. Jackson's hearing General, how is
it that you can keep so cool and appear
so utterly insensible to danger in such a
storm Of shell and bullets as rained about
you when your hand was hit? He in
stantly became grave and r%eycrential In
his manner and answered In a low tone
OF great earneStness Captain, my re
ligious belief teaches me to feel as safe
in battle as in bed. God has fixed the
time for my death. | do not concern
myself about that, but to be always ready,
no matter when it may overtake me-
He added after a pause, looking me tUU
IN the face Captain, that Is the way all
men should live, and then all men would
be equally drace.'"
This was a singular, and not very deli
cate remark to a guest who was not him.
self religious though possibly quite as
brave as it he had been. But Gen. I'm
boden caunot have a very distinct re-
collection of the language, when he is
so decidedly in error about the child.
Gen. Jackson's first child died in infan-
cy and as Miss Julia was not born un-
til November 1868, it seems clear
that the Generals memory is not so
clear as the bright eyes Of the young
lady-(soon to become Mrs. Christian
upon whose head he piles two or three
years more than the law allows.
1t is really astonishing how many his
torical Incidents become misrepresented.
and distorted until they seem to verify
the w~ell-known remark that-'All II s.
tory is Half-lie! While casually turn
ing the leaves OF a recent publication on
North Carolina matters We noticed u
merOus incorrect statements. For eX-
ampleit was stated that eX-Goy. Thomas
Bragg last public appearance was at the
Holden Impeachment Trial; whereas
he was a leading and volunteer counsel
II the defence of the so-called ku kluX
prisoners more than two years later :;
and his death was doubtless fastened by
his sympathy for our harrassed and out
ragged people in that era, when U. S.
Grant was using the whole power Of his
army, and his Judges, to carry the South
for a Second Term"
Another incident 10 the editorial COR
respondence of the New York World,
we notice the following
An aged and bent gentleman. As be
was being shown through the rooms stated
that the White House was a very familiar
place to him. He had lived in it when
a boy, and one of the incidents alleged to
have occurred within its walls he amour
cediuo haze occurred to hjs personal ka0lCi-
edge. Being pressed for the story, he
SAID that he was sitting upon President
Jackson's knee when Randolph tweaked
the Chief Magistrates nose, and to his
diving day he will never forget the scene
that ensued. He Was pushed violently
aside by the irate Old Hickory, who
wanted to iufict immediate chastisement
upon his assailant, but was prevented by
friends of the principals from making the
affair mole dlsgraceful.'
That is very silly! The affair did not
occur in the White House at all. 1t was
on a steamer in the Potomac River, near
Mt. Vernon. Jackson, who was bitter,
preiudiced, and brutal in any ease which
rufied his temper, had acted very unjust
ly towards Lieut.. Randolph, of the Navy;
causing him to resign in apparent dis
grace, without any hope Of rectitication.
Randolph being a gentleman by birth
brooded over his iil-treatmtnt until al
most crazed: and accidentally seeing his
enemy, marched up to him and gave his
nose a pull that was never forgotten while
life lasted.
Randolph was much abused by the
Government organs, and history has Gems
Sured him but that was to be expected.
The power of office is so great that wen
the lewduess of jackson, the vulgarity Of
Lincoln. the brutality of Grant, the adul-
terry of Thad Stevers, and many other
cases, not to be mentioned were winked
at while living: and are conloned and de-