Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-01-08
stonewall jackson.



About daylight upon the Sunday
of his death Mrs. jackson informed
him that his recovery was very doubt
full, and that it was better that he
should prepare for the worst.
lie was silent for moment and
then said: at will be Infinite gain
to be translated to Heaven" lie ad-
vised his wife, in the event of his
death, TO return to her fathers house,
and added: "You have kind and
good father, but there is no one so
kind and good as your Heavenly Fa-
Their"
lie still expressed a hope that he
would recover, but requested his wife,
in case he should die, to have him
buriedin Lexington, in the valley of
Virginia. His exhaustion increased
so rapidly that at ii o'clock Mrs.
jackson knelt by his bed and told
him that before the sun went down
he would be with his Savior.
lie replied: 80, mol You are
frightened, my child. Death is not
so near. l may yet get WELL"
She fell upon the bed weeping b!t-
terly, and again told him, amid her
tears and sobs, that the physicians
declared that there was no longer
any hope of his recovery. After a
moments pause he asked her to call
the family physician.
'Doctor," he said, as the physician
entered the room, "Anna informed
me that you have told her l am to
die to-day. Is it so p
When he was answered in the af-
firmative, he turned his sunken eyes
toward the ceiling and gazed for a
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 de-
sired to tell her but that he was too
weak for the undertaking.
Col. Pendleton, one of the officers
of his staff, came into the room about
l o'clock. Gen. Jackson asked him:
"Who is preaching at the head
quarters to-day"
When told in reply that the whole
army was praying for him, he re-
piled:
''Thank God they are very kind"
Then he added: at is the Lords
day; my wish is fulfilled. have
always desired to die OH Sunday"
Slowly his mind began to fail and
wander, and he frequently talked in
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 conversation with members of his
staff; now with his wife and child;
now at prayers with his military
family. Occasional intervals of a
return of mind would appear, and
during one of them the physician of
fered the dying man some brandy
and water, but he declined 1t saying:
at will only delay my departure
and do no good; l want to preserve
my mind till the last, if possible" =
A few moments before the end ar
rived the dying warrior cried out in
his delirium:
"Order A. P. Hill to prepare for
actionw "Pass the infantry to the
front rapidly p "Tell Maj. Hawks"
then his voice was silent and the SEN
tence remained unfinished.
An instant later smile of ineffa-
BILE sweetness and purity spread it.
self over his calm, pale face, and then
looking upward and, slightly raising
his hands, he said quietly and with
an expression of relief:
"Let us cross over the river and
rest under the shade of the trees"
And then without sign of struggle
or of pain his spirit passed away.
Was death ever so sweet and peace
full? Was ever rest so anticipated or
Heaven so revealed?