The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-06-26
sToNEwALL JAcKsoN's WAY.
Prof Dabney's Statement Of the Views O
Jackson on the Conduct Of the War.

| Prof Dabney's Statement Of the Views Of
Jackson on the Conduct Of the War.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AUSTIN, June
ID was greatly pleased to learn that
Mrs. Anna Jackson proposes to give the
public biography of her husband, Gen
eral T. J. Jackson. This eStimable and
accomplished lady will doubtless give a
portraiture of that good mans private
character and life of the greatest cor
rectness and value. We hope that her
readers will be numerous.
The Chronicle of Charlotte n. c., in
Inmates, on the authority Of Gen. Rufus
Barringer, that one cause DeceSsitating
another biography is the obscurity or
ignorance or misconception of my life of
Jackson upon two important points
General JackSor's preferred plan for
the war and his views concerning pris-
oners of war. To,the Chronicle and to
the public have a few words to say on
these two points.
During the Valley campaign and that
around Richmond, in 1862, | was Gen.
JackSonS chief of staff. His prudent
reserve was noted; it was such that be
never disclosed anything of his OWL.
military designs except the necessary
orders to his chief of staff, or even to
his Major General next in command,
and he was chary of expressing to them
his thoughts on the general conduct OF
the war. Col. Alex. R. Boteler, an ac-
complished scholar and statesman and
honorary aid to the General, was the
foremost civic representative of the peo-
pie in Gen. Jackson'S military district.
He seems TO have employed him as such
occasionally as Il medium of commnni-
cation with the government. The state
ment of his views for the subsequent
campaign of 1862, chapter Is, Ce,iar
Mountain, was given on the express au-
thoritv OF Col. Boteler, and, indeed,
almost in his words. | believe he is yet
alive and will attest his own facts. They
may be relied on as perfectly accurate
and intelligent as far as they 60.
was selected, not by myself not hay
ing taken up the faintest idea of such
au attempt-but by Gen, JackSon's fam
i1y to write his biography. I sought the
help Of all suitable documents which
the family possessed. All which were
allowed me employed diligently aud
faithfully 1t scarcely need be said that
was not responsible for such as were
withheld.
General Barringer shows that Jackson
was thinking out, in addition to an i'm
mediate threat upon Washington with
1000 men, a permanent plan for the
future conduct Of the war The details
given are full of interest. l am forced
| to believe that the types here played
trick upon General Barringer in describ-
ing General Jackson as planning four
or more eight columns of $4,000 men
each. General Jackson was certainly
aware that General Lees heacieSt masses
would hardly exceed $4,000 men and
would usually be under that number, as
General Johnston's always were. Such
being the real size of the two grand
armies of the Confederacy, four or more
Eight columns" of $4,000 men appear
entirely improbable; the numbers should
have been probably 5000.
Upon the other point-General Jack
sons view Of taking prisoners-he prob
ably spoke as fully to me as to any one.
If am asked why, then, l did not ex-
plicate these views in the biography,
the simple answer is that General Jack
| son gave them to me in confidential
conversation, the privacy of which he
did not give me the right to disclose.
Now that the Charlotte Chronicle asserts
the authority of his family for revealing
this point, l may do so without impio-
priety.
On the 18th day of May, 1852, (be-
tween the battles of Mcdowell and Win
chester,) was riding alone with the
General along the Valley of Messy
Greek, in Angus County, to visit the
bivouac of the famous Twelfth Georgia
Regiment, in s. He was. what
SvaS rare WIN nm, a Ss|hood # ceG'4ar=
verse with me. Our thoughts travelled
naturally upon the prospectof our Strug-
gle. Encouraged by him, l expressed
my own conclusions with the unreserve
(perhaps the indiscretion) of one of
those citizen-soldiers whom General
Jackson thought so well of. said that
the manner adopted by the Confederate
government for conducting the war
filled me with apprehensions. The gov
erpment, dominated by the technicalitieS
of West Point, and OF professional sol
diering, seemed to forget what was
needed in a revolutionary war such as
ours. They were relying upon the rou-
tine methods, good for mercenary
standing armies, but inappropriate to
our circumstances In this species of
tactics the enemy's superior numbers
and riches, backed by Europe, would in
the end beat US. The longer the catas-
tropbe of the wan was delayed the
more We should lose of that splendid ad-
vantage We now possessed in the martial
spirit Of our gentry and yeomanry, for
mere drill carried to completeness would
replace their elan; that defensive war
would be sure to wear US out and crush
Us in the end. The supineness of the
authorities in failing to reach out after
the fruits of our victory at First Manas
sas had especially discouraged me. I
seemed to hear the voice Of history and
of God at once demanding, in view of
that fatal omission, 'How can We escape
who neglect so great salvation!" This
inaction at First Manassas the General
pronounced "a terrible blunder," empha-
sizing the phrase with stern frown and
a forcible geSture.)