Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-08-09

| had smile and pleasant word for every
acquaintance. His whole manner was so
gentle and unobtruslve, his punctlllous re-
| gard for the feelings OF others SO lnVarl-
| able, his unselfishness so striking. that II
| his reputation in the Mexican war had not
| been known, do not think that the rough
soldier would have been thought OF in con-
nection with him. My friends OF both
| sexes concur with me in these views
This is exquisite. Here are two pictures
| very unlike, and yet not Incompatible: for
they are the pendants of each other. The
same man, who was Shy even to bashful-
ness in general society and among strang-
ers, might among his intimate friends lay
aside all constraint and reserve, and be as
simple and natural and delightful as he
was in his own home.
But whatever lack Of grace OF manner
there might be in him, one thing was al
ways conspicuous-his prompt response to
any call of duty, For his pastor, the late
host). he had respect amounting to rev
erence, looking up to him as superior, to
whom he was to report, and from whom
he was to receive 'forders." Once, when
this faiteful shepherd of the flock had
dwelt Oh the duty of taking part in prayer
meetings, jackson called to ask if the OBJ
legation rested upon him, alleging his own
great diffidence; but being answered in the
affirmative, soon made known that he was
''ready for duty" But when it came to
the point, he was so hesitating and cOnfus
ed as to produce the utmost embarrassment
in all present; and from that time forth
the pastor would gladly have excused him;
but the intrepid soldier would not be eX
cused; he was determined ''to fight it out
Oh that line" and by the grace OF perse-
verence finally acquired degree of free
dom in prayer, that, if not very eloquent.
was deeply impressive, as the utterance of
great, manly, Christian heart.
Crystal streams issue out of the hardest
rocks, and so under this rugged exterior
there was vein of tender feeling, half
poetical and half religious. In writing to
his wife he said: 81 love to stroll abroad
after the labors of the day are over, and
indulge feelings of gratitude to God for
all the sources of natural beauty with
which He has adorned the earth. Some time
since my morning walks were rendered
very delightful by the singing of the birds.
The morning carolling of the birds, and
their notes in the evening, awaken in me
devotional feelings OF praise and gratitude,
though very different in their nature. In
the morning all animated nature appears
to join in expressions of gratitude to God.
In the evening, all is hushing into silent
slumber, and thus disposeS the mind to
meditation. How delightful it is to asso
ciate every pleasure and enjoyment with
God the giver!'
tmay seem little in disaccord with
this deeply religious feeling, that Jackson
often fell asleep under the most faithful
preaching. Perhaps it was because he had
such unbounded confidence in his pastor:
he "knew that it was all right" Or the
explanation might be the same as that of
another celebrated man, Horace Greeley,
who once told me that it was impossible
for him to keep awake during sermon;
and knowing him as we'll as | did, l could
understand the reason. He was always
overworked, and though his vitality was
prodigious, and would keep him up so
long as there was anything to be done, yet
the vital force was going out OF him at
such rate that it left him exhausted; and
the moment the pressure ceased, there came
reaction; and Gas soon as he began to
hear the droning from the pulpit these
were his very words, though he listened
to one of the most eloquent preachers in
New York, the late Dr.. Chapin), he could
not resist the drowsinesS that came over
him; indeed he did not try to resist it, for
the feeling was delicious to his tired frame,
and he sank into blissful unconscious
ness. Jackson, therefore, had good COM
pany. Yet out of this ''sleepy head, as
some might call it, was to come the thun-
derbolt of war!
The first indication that he gave of what
was in him, except that in Mexico, was at
Bull RIM, where his command, though
they had never been in battle before, stood
firm as rock, OF in the phrase OF the camp
cas- stone WALL" from which it was
thenceforth known as the StOnewan Bri-
gade, and its commander as Stonewall
jackson.
Here begins tale which it would take
long to tell of the military career that
commenced at Bull Ruu and ended at
Charlottesville. 1t was all comprised
in less than two years, but they were years
of incessant activity. If l had the intimate
Jed. Hotchkiss of Staunton, Va, who was
with him almost daily during these two
years, could tell a story that would be
| worth the hearing, He was as near to jack
| son as any man could be. Not only was
he on his staff, but in the very responsible
| position of typographical engineer, whose
| duty it was to keep his chief informed of the
| whole field of operations. mapping out the
| cOuntry-nOt only giving its great features,
its mountains and valleys and rivers, but
the minutest details. to every country road
and every gap IN the mountains by which
| perchance he might execute flank move
ment and by a rapid night march appear
in the morning in the rear of the enemy.
| Thus the engineer sometimes virtually des-
ignated the fields in which the general was
to fight his battles.
This old companion of the great Confed-
crate leader, gave up day to accompany
me down the Shenandoah Valley, part of
the Valley of Virginia The object of our
4 excursion was to visit the wonderful Grot-
toes of the Shenandoah, but in our way we
passed over the ground, which was the
scene of all those campaigns in 'sThe Val
lay" of which we heard so constantly in
the war-events which | was to hear de-
Scribed by one who was an actor in them,
Indeed, L hope my readers Will appreciate
mig opportunities as second only to those of
an eye witness, for if the Major rode by the
side of Stonewall jackson, [ rode BIZ the
side OF the Major, and listened to the mar
vellous story. True, between his ride and
| mine twenty-five years had come and gone
but as the memory was fresh in his mind
and he fought the battles over again, some
faint reflection of his own vivid impress
sions fell upon me, and | felt that to hear
him describe Stonewall Jackson, was next
to seeing the old hero himself.
From the outbreak of the war, Jackson
had attached supreme Importance to keep
ing possession of the Valley, as a barrier
against invasion from the North. He said,
eff the Valley is lost, Virginia is lost. u
But how to hold it against much greater
forces, was the problem. With his quick
military eye, he saw that it could only be
done by What is known in war as an
Observation-Disclosures campaign, in which the
weaker side makes the attack, in order to
prevent being closed in upon and crushed
BY overwhelming numbers:
HIhe Valley Campaign" of 1869, which
was entirely Jackson's own, the MAJ ol
looks upon as the most brilliant of the
whole war. AS we We're riding in the
carriage, he took out pad, and drew a
sketch of the country, showing the posi-
ton of the several armies (for there were
tHq, az three operating at once against
Jacks0n1, III OEqer 10 illustrate the latter's
sEmoxes' in this great game 81 wax Jack
son had made study of the campaigns OF
Napoleon, whose s'secret of victory he
fGHnd TO be in his marvellous combina.
ti9Is, ana in q rapidity Of increment OF
Which there had been Hq e&fa,mlple before
in mechanics that tie momentum ST bali
depends On its weight and its oolocay; and
Sometimes What is wanting iq weight can
be made up by Increasing velacits, Rea
soning, from This principle, Jackson was
sure that what the French had done
Americans could do. He believed that al
army could be marched twenty-five miles
a day, and still retain strength to fight {
hatttel indeed he once marched his Stone
must needs make the day a long one b,
Starting with the first stfeak Of light il
tbs east This was his habit, so that thu
boys used to say, lille always marches a
early dawn, except achen he starts tile NAH