Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-08-05

claimed: General, they are beating c
back" Jackson, calm and collected. bu
his eyes glisteniug beneath the lin of hi
old cadet cap, replied: "Sir, We will nos b
beaten back. We will give them the bayo
net" It was then that Bee, about to yiel'
up his noble life, rushed back to his owl
shattered legions and rallied them by ex
claiming: "Look, there stands jackson lik
a stone wall. Rally behind the Virginians
Let us determine to die here and we shal
conquer" Bee fell few moments later
but he had associated his name with one q
deathless fame, and Thomas Jonathan Jack
son was to be known henceforth as s'Stone
wall'' jackson,
! 'One of the few, the immortal names
That were not born to de-"
| But this soubriquet of "Stonewail," )"
though it has passed into history and will
cling to him forever, is really very inap.
propriate designation for this impetuous sol
der, whose watch word was Forward" OF
| charge" rather than "stand." "Cyclone"
or Tornado" or Hurricane" would more
appropriately index Jackson's character as
| soldier.
There has been . hot dispute bstvesn
General Pope and General Banks as to the
responsibility for the opening of the battle
VA OCuol 1suu \CfduSutoT NluuuGdl0 J, III
Culpeper county, in the beginning of the
Second Manassas campaign, but General J..
A. Early could easily settle the question for
them. I happened to be sitting on nv
horse near by when Colonel Pendletou, of
Jackson's staff, rode up to General Early
and touching his hat quietly said: "Gen-
eral Jackson sends his compliments to Gen.
eral Early, and says advance on the enemy
and you will be supported by General Win
der" General Early's compliments to
General jackson, and tell him will do it, !"
was the laconic reply, and thus the battle
opened. On the eve of another battle a
staff officer rode up to General Jackson, and
said, "General Ewell sends his compliments,
and says he is ready" "General Jackson's
compliments, and tell him to proceed" was
the quiet reply. And soon the voice of the
conflict was heard.
At Cold Harbor on that memorable 9th
of June, 1861, after he had gotten his corps
in position, the great chieftain spent few
moments in earnest prayer, and then said
quietly to one of his staff: "Tell General
Ewell to drive the enemy" Soon the ter
ribie shock of battle was joined, and he sat
quietly on his sorrel sucking lemon and
watching through his glass the progress of
of the fight. Presently staff officer of
General Ewell galloped up and exclaimed,
General Ewell says, sir, that it is almost
impossible for him TO advance further un-
less that battery (pointing to it) is silenced."
go tell Major Andrews to bring sixteen
pieces of artillery to bear on that battery
and silence it itimmediately," was the prompt
reply. Soon the battery was silenced
''Now," said he, ''tell General Ewell to
drive them," and right nobly did General
Ewell and his gallant men obey the order.
In the afternoon of the day at Cold Har-
Dor Jackson became very impatient that the
enemy did not yield his position more
readily, and turning to one of his staff said:
"This thing has hung fire too long. Gal
lop to every brigade com mander in my
corps and tell them that if the enemy in
their front stands at sundown they must
cease firing and sweep the field with the
bayonet."
When on his great flank movement at
Charlottesville General Fitz Lee sent for
him to ascend hill from which he could
view the enemy's position he merely glanced
at it once, when he formed his plan, and
said quickly to an aide: "Tell my column
to cross the road" just before be was
wounded at Charlottesville be gave to Gen.
eral A. P. Hill the order: 'tPress them and
cut them off from the United States Ford"
and as he was borne bisedir g, mapgled and
fainting from the field he reused himself to
give with something of his old fire, his last
order: General Pender, yon must hold
your position"
STERN DIsCIPLINARIAN.
He was very stern and rigid in his discip.
line, and would not tolerate for a moment
the slightest deviation from the letter of bis
orders. He put General Garnett under ar
60
although his ammunition was exhausted
and his brigade was about to be surround
ed, preferred charges against him, and was
prosecuting him with the utmost vigor at
the opening of the Chancellorsville cam.
paign.
He insisted that Garnett should have held
his position with the bayonet, that the enc
my would have retreated if he had not, and
that under no circumstances should Garnett
have fallen back without orders from him
(Jackson).
After the death of jackson, General Lee,
without further trial of the case, restored
General Garnett to the command of a bri-
gade, and this brave soldier fell in the fore
front of Pickett's famous charge on the
heights of Gettysburg.
A br!gadier once galloped up to jackson
in the midst of battle and said: "General
Jackson, did you order me to charge that
batteryW pointing to it. "Yes sir, did.
Have you obeyed the ordel?' "Wby, no
General. l thought there must be some
literally annihilated, sir-if we should
move across that field" ssGeneral -"
said Jackson, his eye flshiog fire and his
voice and manner betraying intense excite
ment, and even rage, 81 always try to
bury my dead and take care of my wound
ed. Obey that order, sir, and do it at once"
heard one day, on the Valley campaign,
a colioquy between Jackson and a colonel
commanding one Of his brigades. jackson
said quietly: 81 thought. Colonel -, that
the orders were for you to move in the rear
instead Of in the front of General Elzey's
brigade this morning." eyes, 1 know
that, General; but my fellows were ready
before Elzey's, and l thought it would be
bad to keep them waiting, and that il real
ly made no difference any way" Il want
you to understand, Colonel" was the al
most fierce reply, shat you must obey my
orders first, and reason about them after
wards. Consider yourself under arrest, sir,
and march at the rear of your brigade" :"
Jackson put General A. P. Hill under ar
rest Qor csuse that was manifestly un-
just) on this Second Manassas campaign,
| duu uo pTOUdUty pub luOEo oLuCbT6 uUu0r d.
rest than all others of our generals COM
bined
| PERSONAL ATTENTION TO DETAILS.
He was increasingly active in giving his
personal attention to the minutest details.
He had an interview with his quartmaster,
his commissary, his ordnance and his medi-
cal officer every day, and he was at all
times thoroughly familiar with the condi
tion of these departments. 1t is a remark.
able fact that, despite his rapid marches,
he rarely ever destroyed any public proper
ty or left left 80 much as a wagon wheel tc
the enemy.
Not content with simply learning wha,
his maps could teach him of the country
and its topography, he was accustomed to
have frequent interviews with citizsns, aud
reconnoitre personally the country through
which he expected to move, as we'll as the
ground on which he expected to fight. Be
ing called to his quarters one day to give
him information concerning region will
Il 7