The Washington bee., 1894-03-24
STONEWAlL JACKSON.
He Had Rigid Notions and was Not Pop
u1ar As q frofes sOr.

He Had Rigid Notions and wss Not Pop
ular as q i-rofes SOr.
Jackson was not 4 popular profess
sor. He had rigid notions of diSci-
pline, and was uncompromising i'll his
enforcement OF the rules of the inSti
tute. He was unbending, uncongenial
intolerant of neglect Of duty, inatCen-
ton to studies carelesSneSS ut 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. 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 by the
tall institute building one day, vicious
and cowardly cadet, who hated him,
let drop Il brick from the third story
window. 1t fell close by his feet, and
his escape was almost miraculous. lie
did not deign to look up, and stalked
on with contemptuouS Indifference
He brought charges against 4 cadet
for some misdemeanor, and got him
dismissed. The cadet was Il 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. l vehemently
opposed it on the grounds that the
cadets would always regard him as a
coward, and that he would be annoyed
by their contemptuous treatment He
heard me through patiently, thanked
me for my advice, went straight to Il
magistrate and swore the peace against
the cadet. There was a 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
desperate, who easily kept out Of his
way. Jackson had rooms in the inSG-
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 certain hour
one day, but he did not. The time was
changed to that night, to the next day.
to the next night. But 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 it be known that as q
| Christian he felt it 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 it to
be duty to protect himself, and had
prepared himself for personal affray.
i The cadet had seen the fash of that
blue eye, and knew that the result OF
a collision would be fatal TO himself.
1 have thought that no incident in the
life of Jackson was more truly sublime
! than this. He was unmarried, q COM
parative stranger, with but few
| friends. He was ambitious. covetOus
of distinction, desirous to rise in the
world, sensitive to ridicuie, tenacious
of honor-yet, from high sense OF
Christian duty, he sacrificed the good
opinion Of his associates, brought con
| tempt upon his character as q 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. III. Hill, in the
Century