The Washington bee., 1894-04-07
STONEWAlL JACKSON.
He Had Rigid Notions and wRs Not Pop
ular rs n r -ofeSsor,

He Had Rigid Notions and wRs Not Pop
ular rs r .ofessor.
Jackson was not a popular profes
sor. He had rigid notions of disci-
pline, and was uncompromising in his
enforcement of the rules of the insti-
tute He was unbending, uncongenial,
intolerant Of neglect of duty, inatten-
ton to studies carelessness at drill,
etc. This, combined with his eccen-
tricities, made him a mark for the
witticisms and the mischief of the
cadets. They played tricks upon him.
they made sport Of him, they teased
him, they prosecuted him. ALI In vain
He turned neither to the right nor to
the left, but went straight On in his
own ways. AS he was passing by the
tall institute building one day, vicious
and cowardly cadet, who hated him,
let drop a brick from the third-story
window. 1t fell close by his feet, and
his escape was almost miraculous. He
did not deign to look up, and staIked
on with contemptuOus Indifference.
He brought charges against q cadet
for some misdemeanor, and got him
dismissed. The cadet was a daring
and reckless character, and challenged
him, accompanying the note with the
message that If the professor failed to
give him satisfaction In that way, he
would kill him On sight. Jackson
brought the challenge to me, and asked
my advice in regard to swearing the
peace against the cadet I vehemently
opposed 1t on the grounds that the
cadets would always regard him as
coward, and that he would be annoyed
by their contemptuous treatment. He
heard me through patiently, thanked
me for my advice, went straight to q
magistrate and swore the peace against
the cadet. There was perfect hOot
of derision in the town, in Washington
College and in the institute. A mill
tary man, who had distinguished him
self on the plains Of Mexico, had taken
an oath that he was In bodily fear Of
a mere STRIPPING. But the end was
not yet The officer Of the law was
afraid to serve the writ on the young
desperado, who easily kept out Of his
way. Jackson had rooms in the inSi-
tute building. He went In and out as
usual, both day and night. The dis
missed cadet told his comrades that he
would attack Jackson at a certain hour
one day, but he did not The time was
changed to that night, to the next day,
to the next night. BIT the attack new
er came, and the boys discovered that
the blusterer was afraid Of the man
who had sworn the peace against him,
and they turned their derision from
the professor to their comrade. The
explanation Of his conduct was this:
Jackson had let 1t be known that as
Christian he felt 1t to be his duty to
avoid a difficulty, and therefore had
gone to an officer Of the law for pro
lection. That failing, he had felt 1t to
be a duty to protect himself, and had
prepared himself for personal affray.
The cadet had seen the fash of that
blue eye, and knew that the result of
collision would be fatal to himself.
[ have thought that no incident in the
life Of Jackson was more truly sublime
than this. He was unmarried, a COM
parative stranger, with but few
friends. He was ambitious, covetous
Of distinction, desirous to rise in the
world, sensitive to ridicule, tenacious
Of honor-yet, from a high sense of
Christian duty, he sacrificed the good
opinion Of his associates, brought con-
tempt upon his character as soldier
and a gentleman, and ran the risk Of
blighting his prospects in life forever.
The heroism Of the battlefield, yea,
the martyr courage Of the stake, are
nothing to this.-'"The Real Stonewall
Jackson" by Gen. D. 81. Hill, in the