Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-07-07
StOneWall Jackson.
THE LAST HOURS OF THE FAMOUS CoNFEp
ERATE COMMANDER,


THE LAST HOURS OF THE FAMOUS coNFED.
ERATE COMMANDER.
About daylight upon the Sunday of his
death Mrs. jackson informed him that his
recovery was very doubtful, and that it was
better that he be prepared for the worst.l
He was silent a moment, and then said:
ss1t will be infinite gain to be translated
to heaven" He advised his wife, in the
event OF his death, to return to her fathers
house, and added: 'sYou have a Kind and
good father, but there is no one so kind and
good as your Heavenly Father"
He still expressed hope that he would
recover, but requested his wife, in case he
should die, to have him buried in Lexing-
ton, in the Valley of Virginia. His exhaus-
ton increased SO rapidly that at II o'clock
Mrs. jackson knelt by his bed and told him
that before tne sun went down he would be
with his Saviour.
He replied: ooh, mol You are frighten-
ed, my child. Death is not SO near. may
yet get WELL"
She fell upon the bed weeping bitterly,
Snd again told him, amid her tears and
sobs, that the physicians declared that there
After moments pause he asked her to
call the family physician.
''Doctor," he said, as the physician en-
tered the ROOM" Gamma informed me that
you have told her that am to die to-day.
Is it so?''
When he was answered in the affirmative
he turned his sunken eyes toward the cell
ing and gazed for moment or two as if in
intense thought, then looked at the friends
about him and said softly:
every good, very good; it is all right"
Then turning to his heart broken wife he
tried to comfort her. He told her that there
was much he desired to tell her, but that
he was too weak for the undertaking.
Col. PendletOn. one of the officers of the
staff, came into the room about 1 o'clock.
Gen. Jackson asked him:
'sWho is preaching at the headquarters
to-day ?"
When told in reply that the whole army
was praying for him, he replied:
"Thank God! they are very kind. Then
he added: '1t is the Lords day; my wish is
fulfilled. have always desired to die on
Sunday"
Slowly his mind began to fail and wander,
and he frequently talked in his delirium as
if in command of his army on the field of
battle. He would give orders to his aides
in his old way, and then the scene was
changed. He was at the mess table in con-
versation with members of his staff; now
with his wife and child now at prayers with
his military family. Occasional intervals
of return of his mind would appear, and on
one of them the physician offered the dying
man some brandy and water, but he declin-
ed it, saying:
sit will only delay my departure and do
no good; l want to preserve my mind to the
last, if possible"
A few moments before the end arrived
the dying warrior cried out in his delirium
"Order A. P. Hill to prepare for actionW
ssPass the infantry to the front rapidly v'-
"Tell Major Hawks" then his voice was
silent and the sentence remained unfinished
An instant later smile of ineffable
sweetness and purity spread itself over his
calm, pale face, and then looking upward,
and slightly raising his lands, he said quiet
ly and with an expression of relief:
"Let us cross over the river and rest un-
der the shade of the trees.''
And then without sign of struggle or Of
pain his spirit passed away.-Detroit Free
Press.