The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-06-12
STONEWALLL
Personal Traits of the General Recalle,
by Congressman Oates.

Personal Traits of the General Recalled
by Congressman oates.
Congressman Oates, OF Alabama,
writes to General Alpheus Baker, of
Louisville, Ky, a%letter containing some
interesting personal reminiscences of
Stoncwall jackson. Ho says: l first
saw him the fall Of 1851, in front of
Manassas, soon after he was sent with
his division to the valley Of Virginia. l
next saw him early in the spring of '62,
when Ewell's division left the Kappa
hammock and joined jackson in the upper
valley OF the Shenandoah. His achieve
ments | need not relate. lie looked
awkward on horseback, because no rode
with short stirrups; but on foot he was
full six feet high, square shouldered,
slightly round, would have weighed
about 10 pounds; had a full, brown
beard, straight nose, high forehead,
black hair, thin, nearly to badness on
the top, with dark grey eyes, full of
strength and depth of expression. They
seemed to look through a man and dis
corn his thoughts at a glance. On foot
he was really a handsome man; ] thought
lllill ltllldl hiblN 81. Illb NOlCt as tlitll-
inatc and cracked like an old woman's.
for instance, he would say: II can't ex-
cusc you, sir, can't excuse you" He al
ways spoke politely, but firmly and to
tho point. At the close Of tho valley
campaign, in June, 81, he assembled a
general court martial and appointed
me Judge Advocate of it. This brought
m" in personal contact with him, and
had the advantage of personal inter-
views with him on two occasions. He
decided very quickly on every question,
and the reasons for it, and did not seem
impatient, but a good listener and as
soon as the point was fully presented he
would decide the matter calmly, but
with such determination and repetition
as at one struck the petitioner with the
idea of its finality; and from it there
was no appeal. lie refused a request, il
at all, politely, but very quickly and
with such impressivcness that no man
ever had the temcrity to ask him tc
ovcrrule his decision; a look came from
his penetrating eyes which showed you
Enthusiastically that tho answer CAM
from his very soul and was irreversible
During tho sitting of this court martha
for two or three days, which was all tn,
time it ever had, | walked out in tn,
woods one day, and not dreaming tina
he was near, | heard q man and turneC
to look, and about forty steps distan
was General jackson on his knees, alon,
and praying aloud.
When he marched his corps aroun,
1p,..', l.F4 ,;-- l. -.-. fnN -. ID-.a
low station | had my third conversation
with him which was about removing tn
wreck of cars on the road. After eH
planning to him the impossibility G
doing it, he replied, Have you trie
Sir" responded, Il have and it is in
possible to remove the wreck unless
had the proper tools to work with" II
said, "Then set it on fire and march /
the direction of Manassas Junctio
along the railroad, where you will joi
your brigade" 1t was then after s o
clock at night and we had marched sixt
miles in the two preceding days upo
half r%ations, green corn and half rip
apples, 1t was four miles further t
Manassas; but we reached the brigad
in the limo of battle and participated i
the capture of the place that night.
Two days after this he had his corr
IN limo on the old battlefield, in tn
shape of a half moon, with the concav
side parallel with the pike, along whic
the enemy came. When they wer
squarely in his front, 60, 900 strong
while he had but 20, 900 and Longstree
twenty miles away, he pointed his finge
at them and quick as thought, said to h!
Lieutenant, who was near him: "Ewel
advanced. and dashed off on his horse i
the direction of A. p. Hills division
During the battle of the next day, who
Company A. Fifteenth Alabama, ha
killed a Federal Major, who, leading hi
regiment, tried to charge his horse int
their ranks, General jackson came up t
that spot, and when he heard the Capital
rcbuke his men, saying: you shoul
have captured him, he was too brave
man to have been killed" the grea
Jackson reversed what "Old Hickory
said in rebuke of his men for ~proposin
to kill Bill Weatherford, by sayin.
mo, Captain, your men are right; XII
the brave ones, they lead on the others.
One day when we were on the marc
, going to Maryland he was riding frol
the rear forward and passed a regimen
from which the men we're ~stragglin
and dcpredating on the orchards, he rod
alongside the Major in command and az
dressing him very politely inquired
Major, are you in command Of tn.
regiment" The response came with
low bow, "Yes, General" "Well, NJ;
jor,do You know the position of an Office
in arrest?" 81 think l do, General.
"Well, just take that position, Major.
lie stuck spurs to his horse and weI
through the woods in a swift gallop, til
mon along the line whooping and vel
ing, which they invariably did whenev,
he appeared, in memory of the glory
his achievements.
No one could estimate his depths; ar
he always appeared to his own mon ar
tho enemy at times and places whe
they least expected him. He was
combination of Cromwell and Napoleo
and had he ever been an army or d
partment commander there is no tellir
what he would have accomplished. II
boys called him "Old Stonewall," b,
in fact he was only th~irty-nine years O.
1T his death.
CoMnADER. A. ALGEB, Commander-i
chief of the Grand Army, has, during Il
past four months, visited nearly all IL
departments OF the order. at a cost
him Of ab6lt $40, 900.