Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-18
'l1nL oAOAOUN.
rie,.,.. !, ~. -
'O' n''''
lllt NlhHilllf tlE NIll\EWuI
De Prayed Earnestly to God to Avert
Civil Var and Grant Peace.
JACKSON As A GENTLEMAN.
His Hospitahic. Courteous. Tender. and
knlghtly Character rs Described ny
an English Army Oncer.
written for the Dlspatch)

written for the Dispatch
General u. ~ Hn was. in my cstima-
lion. a great and good man Great. he Ger
tainly was-grcat as a soldier. great as a
Scholar: great rs u phlanthropist And
food In his tender care OF those dependent
Upon him. in his quick and sympathetic
response 70 every human call for help. in
MS Christian principles, in his fortitudo
indcr physical Sufferngs Of the acutest
Kind. In his patient hcfpfuinoss to all who
needed help. A beautiful example was his
life Of Christian manhood and chlvalrous
devotion to duty. Brave to rccklcssness
yet tender M a woman 10 those he loved ;
sans pcur ct sans reproche. ne was true
fouthcrn knight OF The nobest purest
mould. Yet he was follabse. and made
mistakes. mistakes which he himself would
have been glad 10 see rcctided had he lived.
In an article recently published under
rs signature in tho February number Of
fhe Century, IS a historical sketch, entitled,
''The Real Stonewal Jackson" As he
knew jackson for twenty years. one would
expect accuracy in every detail OF his
statements; yet, as some Of these state
ments are ia direct contradiction Of those
OF Jackson himself. I'm obliged TO admit
that they were mistakes. gallant ola sol
der has nohly come forward and refuted
General Hnrs FIRST mistake in the follow
Ing interesting article.
10 the Editor Of the Observer:
write you a few lines 70 set at rest, n
possible. for your readers, the historic
fact of how Jackson got the sobrquet
Of "Stonewau." General II. u. Hi, IN his
article in the Century Magazine Tor this
month. in paragraph quoted by You IN
the Observer Of yesterday. states 'hat
The story OF this name having originated
from a. remark Of General Bee at the
battle Of Bull Run IS "A fabrication Jte
does not profess 20 know anything about
81 personally nor 10 suggest how other
wise II originated, but contents himSelt
with whlstlug that story down the VIVA
because that name does not seem to him
D hitting Characterization of Jackson. Hu-
dlbras says: "No argument like matter or
iact is" and this is purely question oil
fact.
now state positively. Of my own per
sonal knowledge. that In the afternoon OF
July o. 1861, I'm the heat Of the battle Of
Bull Run, General Barnard J.. Bee com
rnanding our brigade. Falopcd up TO the
ment. In which / was then lieutenant
and which had then lost all three Of it's
field officers and one third If its men, In
gliding many OF its line officers. ana
which was 50 cut TO pieces that Bee
seemed not TO recognize US at first, and
he asked the question. What regiment
IL this?" We answered him, THE
Fourth Alabama" At that time the
heaviest masses Of the Federals had 50
inclined to our left a. to leave Us COM
paratively unengaged. with little more
than a skirmsh lire in our immediate
front; but jackson and his brigade, who
were in position on high ground about
G0O yards TO our left, were being assailed
BY mighty masses OF the enemy, who
surged forward like angry waves
AGAINST Jackson's line, which was
holding fast TO It's ground like
an lmmovahle rock, despite the ter
rinc onslaughts. oh! the sublimity of
that scene,-the shouting OF the combat
nnts!-the thunder Of guns that shook the
earth! 1t makes my blood single and my
heart swell 10 think OF e.. II was plainly
abe crisis OF the day. Bee then said 10
as MEN. can you make a charge OF bayo-
Hets?' to which our poor. battered
regiment stlll had the pluck TO respond,
Eyes, General: wen go wherever you lead,
Ind do whatever you say Bee then
polnted 10 the conflict going on upon the
,Yonder stands Jackson like a stone wall;
bets go 20 his assistance" J. myself.
was there and heard the words; and SO
cid the regiment. and many OF them are
net alive To verify the fact. ASK Hon.
James I. Jones. eX-congressman. OF
Narengo county. and Professor w. G.
Ward, OF Dallas county, Ala, and any
pther survivors who were present at that
time.
General Bee at once placed himself at
Our left and led the Fourth Alabamans
towards JacksOu's position. During that
movement OF ours Alburtis's Battery was
compelled TO fail back. and galloped
right through our ranks. producing con-
adorable disorder among US. But Bee
pressed on with that part OF our regi-
ment which could see and keep with him
and Joined Jacksons right and very soon
e. charge forward was made against the
enemy. In which Bee himself fell, NOR
tally wounded leading his Fourth Ala
tamians.
After the battle the story OF what was
taid and done by everybody In II was, or
course. the staple talk throughout the
ramps and so the remark OF Bee about
Jackson was spoken Of and became
known, and famcs trumpet caught the
word proclaimed II TO mankind. ana
made II Immortal.
Bee when ne said II was not thinking
Of making a critical analysis OF Jacksons
character: he was speaking, In fact, or his
brigade as well as himself, and paying "a
deserved compliment both 10 them and
their commander. But II was no mis-
homer Of Jackson. for certainly the
readers Of Hills own article referred to
nbove VIII agree that immovable firm
ness and tenacity of purpose was one OF
bis most notable traits.
WILLIAM VI. ROBBINS.
Statewide February 3. 1891.
As for General Inns assumption that
the story OF Jackson's guarding his camp
tne night 10 let his wearicd soldiers sleep.
Mas "A myth: was he not as liable TO be
mistaken as he has been proven to be
bbout the fact Of his winning his sobr-
uue, OF 'stonewalr?
A SACRED RELIC.
Another mistake which ! cannot attri-
butte TO General Inn. but to some fanciful
narrator. who inspired his credulity ~ the
statement that General Jackson became
so excited ia battle that his hands
trembIed 80 that he could not write and
bis face twltched 30 that the soldiers
would say. "Old Jack was making mouths
nj the Yankees" As refutation OF
This loss OF self-control, the reader IL
referred 10 the last letter OF General
jackson, signed By his own hand and
without the Leaf RIGHTEOUSNESS. and which
was framed and placed in the Capitol. ri
Richmond, Va, as a sacred relic OF Vir-
gfnia's martyrcd hero. and II is now on
exhibition there. IL was written only
few hours before his fall. In the midst
Of the excitement and carnage OF the
battlefield OF Charlottesville. and reads
thus:
.ss..ss'':
n: "NXAR 3 p. NJ, MAY 2. 1868.
81: Generai,--The enemy has made stand
4: At ChanceiIors. which ~ about two miles
Il from chsnceilorsyilie. hope 30 soon as