The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-07-04
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r. L. Dabney, professor Of philos-
ophy In the University Of Texas, has
written q remarkable letter 10 the
Baltimore Sun, giving Stonewall
yackson's views on the conduct Of
the Civil war. Prof. Dabney wae
Gen. ysckson's chief Of staff. and
writes % one who knew his ground.
He r. the author Of o life Of Gen.
Jackson. Extracts from the letter
follow.
During the valley campaign and
that around Richmond, In 1852,
was Gen. Jaekson's chief Of staff.
His prudent reserve was noted; IL
wAs such that he never disclosed any
thing Of his own military designs
except the necessary orders to bis
chief Of staff, or even 10 his major
general next In command, and he
was chary Of expressing to them his
thoughts on the general conduct OF
the war.
On the 18th Of May, 1852, between
the battles Of Mcdowell and Win
chester. I was riding alone with
the general along the valley Of
Messy creek, In Augusta county, TO
visit the blvouscs Of the famous 18th
Georgia regiment In our front. He
was, what was rare with him, In the
mood to converse with me. Our
thoughts travelled naturally upon
the prospect Of our struggle.
The conversation turned upon
some recent threat Of bloody retalia-
ton which Mr.. Davis had been COM
PEELED TO make by some one OF the
numerous outIages. The general
said, In words TO this effect, that
such an emergency would not now
appear had the war been begun on
that plan which commended itself
10 his Judgment. i exclaimed with
much interest that . rnmoF bad
fitted through his army that he
would have begun the war under the
black flag, and that was curious to
know from him whether it had any
foundation, or what. He replied
squarely; Yes, he believed We
should not have begun to take any
prisoners 10 this war, aud that he
should have adopted this plan dis
.
Because he felt sure the war would
effusion OF blood. He added that
this could not be, like other diplO-
matte wars, o struggle for . bound
airy or q province, but for OuI people,
q struggle for life and death, aud Il
would have been best for the people
TO have Its true character unmasked
to them from the fret. This war,
before It's end, will certainly disclose
Its piratical character. Thus Mr..
Lincoln 10 reported ~ now declaring
that IL IL not . war OF abolition.
But, whether he knows ID or not, Il
10 surely destined to become such.
Then they will proceed TO arm our
own slaves against US. Then, said
he, when these Uutrages are perpe-
trated OF cou rise u will he absurd aud
impossible for US 10 treat that war
rs civilized war. To do so will be
peTditlOn to our cause. IL will be
the practical admission Of claims
damnable to our pretensiOns Of right
and ruinous TO the morale and self
respect OF our people. Thus, before
this war II ended, Mr.. Davis IL going
to find himself I'm this dilemma:
The enemy will adopt means such
that he will be obliged TO meet them
with extensive bloody retaliation or
be ruined. But then these enemies
will have In their hands, iI may be,
thousands Of our friends, 30 that Il
will he attended with the fearful
consequence of thereby consigninR
our soldiers to massacres. Now, he
added, fOrseelng these things, ]
would have advised taking no prisO-
ners, and te aching our volunteers at
the outset that when they went into
action Il must be victory or desth
literally for them, as IL is going to
be for their country. Since the Ad-
ministratlOn had adopted other
ideas, he oLeyed. He had all along
been as careful and scTupulOus to
preserve the lives and health OF his
prisoners as Mr.. Davis himself could
have been. Such were unquestion-
ably Gen. JacksOn's thoughts at
that time. How prophetic they
were any well-infOrmed man must
Judge for himself.
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