The Opelousas courier., 1892-04-02
LIFE OF sTONEWALL JACKSON.
a Sweet, Inspiring Story of the Re-
vered and Beloved Confed-
crate Leader.


The "Life and Letters of Gen. Thos.
| j. Jackson by his wife, Mary Anna jack
son." has been issued from the press of
Harper & Bros, with an introduction by
Rev. DIR. Henry Field.
Writing from the other side DR.. Field
says, "The time has come when we can
do justice t.. those who were once in
arms against ssus." KIT is only a few
months since Gen. Sherman was borne
through our streets, and among those
who followed sat his bier was his great
adversary, Ges. Johnston, who, by a sin
gullr coincidence, survived him but 8
few weeks. Thus the warriors who once
tto battle rode at the head of hostile
armies, now"faA into line in the great
procession to that .realm of silence in
which all ena.ities are buried"
In this bearAeeg OF, our great soldiers
towards each otE5er, they who were '.irst
in war" were also ''fl@ in peace and
it were we'll that they should remain first
in the hearts of tEleiF e~ountrymen," as
the leaders whom we are to follow in the
work of reunion tWhy, then, recall the
bitter memories OLA war that is ended?
'Let the dead past pury its dead But out
of the dead past comes the living present.
sit is a poor r@obciliation which is OBJ
tanned by only AGREEING never to speak of
the past" "Me, kwho are honest and
brave have nothj.G% to be ashamed of,
and nothing t~ose'conceal." Lessons of
heroism, of patriotism, of patient endur-
rance may be fSsrnsd from illustrious
examples on boihSsides, the blessed fruits
of which are toS b[oaden character, to en-
large sympathy and to teach respect for
a foe who hone$tly and c~ourageously dill
fers from us.
Already ''St9newalln jackson has be-
come a national hero, aud the North
(without the tender love sud hero-wor-
ship for him that inspires every Southern
heart, proudly claims him as the highest
type of an American soldier. DR.. Field
says: "He was the most picturesque
figure of the war. None of the other
leaders had a personality so unique. In
Jackson, there were two men in one that
seemed absolutely incompatible-the
highest military genius, with a religious
fervor that bordcred on fanatacism, a
union of soldier and saint for which we
must go back to the time of Cromwell.
His character is one of the most fascina
ting studies of American history"
The world has heard SO much of jack
son through two previous Biographies,
that it will hardly be prepared for the
revelation that awaits it in the charming
book before US. It's purpose is not to re-
iterate what has already been said by
able and loyal pens, nor to portray i'll
fresh columns the m~atchless Confederate
hero, but to disclose to the public, for
the first time, another phase of his char
acter, not less attractive because SO diff
ferent from the stiron man of war;" as
many have only regarded him. Another
beautiful illustration of the lines that,
''The bravest are the tenderest,
The loving are the daring"
His thinner life known but to few, dis,
closed fully only to her who was united
to him in the closest of human relation
ships, is by her beautifully and delicate
ly unveiled for the wonder and admira.
ton of thousands who never knew him,
and of many who met him in the clash
of arms and on fields of carnage Mrs.
Jackson, in her preface, gracefully and
touchingly gives her reasons for the pub,
LEGATION of these memoirs and letters.
The work was undertaken at the earnest
solicitation of her now sainted daughter,
the lovely Mrs. Julia jackson Christian,
who, especially after she became a moth.
er, felt such a desire that her children
might know more of the
domestic life of their illustrious
grandsire than they could ever learn 9th.
erwise thar through this book. She. too,
had known the father only at second
hand her historian had been the Loyal
mother, from whose lips she daily lis
tened to some sweet Renaissance and
realized, as years passed on, a closer ac
quaintance with, and appreciation Of, thu
the matchless father, whom God .scalled
up higher before she had learned to lisT
his name. She with gentle footsteps
followed him. even as he followed
Christ, into the Upper Sanctuary before
the work was completed. With heart oil
lead, aud hands that seemed to have los
their cunning, Mrs. jackson resumed
her sad but sacred task, inspired by her la
mented daughters wish, aud the prayerfu
hope that the motherless lambs might b,
spared to read, to admire. end emulat.
his grand example. Most worthily ant
ever touchingly has she completed he
tabor of love- Her style is chaste AMI
yivacious, and is peculiarly adapted Ii
biography-a species of composition tina
is so often heavy, even in the hands o
more experienced or ~pretentious writers
Gen. Jackson's life was of course full O
adventure, and Of incidents. All thi
is most attfactiyely aud pleasantly inter
woven by the enthusiastic author. ane
forms an unusually attractive book
Two points OF character strongly impress
the reader. One is the deep tenderness
and affection Of his nature-a q0naanti
love for his wife that never fails or varie
combined with complete unselfishnes
lin fact, entire self abnegation to low
or to duty; the other is, his intense re.
ligious character. 1T was not a profes
sion-H mas b life permeating his being
and entering into every detail of his dali,
life. It was often remarked, during th,
war, that it was hard for a man to be
Christian IN the army, where his tempta
tions were so great and so multiform, bu
here is d marvellous example D fthe Chris
tian soldier-neyer too tired or too hur
ried to pfaY-who, in the heat of action
amid storm OF shot and shell, so otter
raised his eyes in devout supplication tt
the God of battles
This latter characteristic is strikingll
testified to by his colored servant, Jim
who said he could always tell when ther'