Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-03-17
STONEWAlL JACKSON.


He Had Rigid N"ti",s and was >"l Pop
ular ~ IL I'rofcs ,nr
Jackson was not Il popular DruGrs.
sor. He had rigid notions OF disri-
plinC, and WAS uncompromiSing in his
enforcement of the rules of the inSti,
tutr He WAS unhending. unrongrnal.
int"lrrant of neglect of duty. inattrn-
tiun Ia studies carrIcSSncSS at drill,
etc This, combined with his vcccn
trciticS. mad, him Il mark for the
WitticiSmS and the mischief of the
cadets. They played tricks upon him.
they made sport of him, thoy traScd
him, they prosecuted him. All in vain.
He turned neither To the right nor To
the left, but went straight on in his
own ways. As he was passing 10y III"
tall institute building one day, Il vicious
and CoWardly cadet, who hH1ci him.
let drop Il brick from the thirl-Sturv
window. 1t fell close by his feet. and
his escape WAS almost miraculous. He
did not drtgn to look up, and Stllk"d
ON with cuntrmptuouS Indifference.
IL" brought charges against u cadet
for som" nisdrmcanor, and got him
dismissed. The cadet was Il daring
and reckless character. and challenged
him, accompanying the note with tha
message thar if the professor failed lo
give him satisfaction in that way. he
would kill him on sight. jackson
brought the challenge to me- and asked
my adyic" in regard To swearing tn"
pcac" against the cadet. | Vrhrmrmily
opposed ii ON the grounds that the
cadets would always regard him rs II
coward. and that h" would be annoyed
10y their cont"mptuouS treatment. He
heard IN" through patiently. thanked
HIu Tor my advice. went straight Ia II
magistrate and SWUrr the peace against
the cadet. There was IL perfect hoot
of d"riSiOn in the town. in Washington
College and in til" institute. \ mill
tHlN man. who had distinguished hinl-
self ON the plains of Mexico. had taken
an oath that he was in bodily fear of
II mere slriplin~ But the end was
moi yet Tn" officer of the law WAS
afraid to serve the writ ON the Young
desperate, Wh" easily kept out of his
way. Jackson had rooms in the inSi-
tut" building. lie went in and out us
usual. both day aud night. The dis
missed cadet told his comrades that lr
would attack Jackson ut Il certain hour
on" day. hul he did not. Th" time WAS
changed to that night, To the next day,
to liIj next night. But the attack nrv-
"r came. and the boys discovered that
the hluStcrrr WAS afraid of the man
Wh" had sworn the peace against him,
and they turned their drriSiun from
In" professor to their comratlr. The
explanation of his conduct WAS This:
jackson had let 1t be known lhal rs Il
Christian he felt ii To be his duty to
avoid Il difficulty. and therefore had
gone to Hu officer of the law for pro
I"'tiun. That failing. he had felt ii To
hr n duty To. protect himself. and had
prepared himself for Il personal alfrly.
The cadet had seen the flash of that
biuc eye. and knew that The result OF
Il collision would be fatal tO himself
| have thought that no incident in the
life of jackson was more truly sublime
thHn This. IL" WAS unmarried, Il com
paraljNr stranger, with bul few
friends. He was ambitious. covctnlls
If distinction. lrSiruuS To rise in rh,
world. sensitive To ridiculr tenacious
of honor yet, from Il high sens" of
christian duty, he sacrificed the good
pp,n ON of his associates. brought com
'tmIpI upon his character as II soldier
and Il gentleman. and ran the risk uI
bIi%hling his prospects in life forever.
The hrrniSm of the battlefield. yea.
Ih" martyr courage of the stake. are
nothing To thiS.-"The Real SluncWall
IarkSUn," by Gen. ID. III. Hill, in th"
Century.