Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-14
STONEWALL JACKSON
HlS Old Schoolmaster Tells Of His Boy.
hood Days In Weston.
SLOW BUT STUDIoUS SCHOLAR
Awkward as n Youth, Successful ~ .
Teacher. and Finally Ono OF the
Great Generals OF the Age.
Baltimore Herald)


jackson. To that county one OF the
Jacksons emigrated from old virginia ""
years ago. and became the head OF
family which has numbered among It's
members many distinguished men. All
the Jacksons have been men noted for
their honesty. integrity, and force OF cha
racter. Recolcctions OF the older mem
berg of the family stll linger among the
people there. and many a tlme-worn man
delights To talk Of Jonathan and Cum
minis jackson, and the traits Of character
which made them known for miles around.
but the one OF whom they are most
proud is Stonewall Jackson, who was
born there. trudged as boy over the
hills to school. and at IS went out into
the world to become the leader OF his
class at West Point. q brilliant officer In
the war with Mexico, a successful teacher,
and finally one of the great generals OF
the age.
There are old men about Weston who
remember an awkward boy. clad In blue
corduroy. who used to ride the horses Of
his sport loving uncle on courses where
large prizes were at stake. and rarely
failed bringing the horse through as the
son their old schoolfellow. as "A boy fond
of sport, and prompt to go TO the defence
of q wronged schOolmate. There are
women mothers Of families and many OF
them grandmOthers. who remember the
young officer. who. after his services IN
the Mexican war came back 10 his OLD
home for "A few months of rest and quiet,
to become for a time the coveted prize OF
all the country bellies. There Is nothing
81 which these people love better to talk
than OF StOnewall Jackson, and until a
few years ago, when torn down to make
room for improvements, the first thing
pointed out to a stranger visiting Clarks-
burg was the old house In which he was
born.
HIS SCHOOLMASTER.
In Weston lives William e. Arnold. an
old-time gentleman and lawyer stone
wall Jackson's first schoolmaster, ana
his close and lifelong friend. lie, per-
beps. more intimately than any other
knew jackson during his early years.
In his law Office jfor though more than
So years Of age, he still practices law
found Mr Arnold a few days ago ana
told Inn my GRAND. a long and inter
estinC chat followed. and then the Oh
gentleman kindly volunteered TO go WIN
me 10 the farm where Jackson spent MS
boyhood. ride Of four miles over a
p. ~ An- ''"'i'F '''' 80
o'd Jackson houeo ana mills on the west
b,uk Of the Mono ngaheia river. Inc
lrlsa. long vacant, IS now iaiiIlg mo
dncsy ia q few years only mass OF
cr-lni.lir, ruins viii remain. We stroile1
over i.e feds and along the rivers edge,
arr lnrn 4.' "'"" ~ 49, ,.,,la H., ,tn
o. O." 3ln non -. Hti Wv NV DF ~.
aHs ne OF iNe D'is"' u Ii.o' ', ,.,h-'h
ann '+ ID. 'l'-I ~ "'''-"'' -, 80,
81
-4--- N'.' ID" ",'' va - b..
.Li.J,a,i"@ 'ndt / give IL ~ l""' GU ~
= a.. son WEI -. HS'" M @i,ar
ls.ct. ''n'iH''' Ni'' - ~ -.
Car W.. W"fre u. Pi"vT
n a' "'n''- "a lar,
".'' I'D. '"f" VS. TIA 49, '.,,
' ''.N l''t DOW ''9 49, ." 49,
ID -n'I..ti "'" ~ ''' = ''''' lf,,,
"4 f....i "i" '''. '' "' ,,,
r.'a "'' T. W. '''f S' no. t .t,,''r",,
samoa N'''''' an - ,,,',o,
~ " ~ ,,rl.bor
'. ' 80 ,'.,.. -,
80 ', '''i 4 .'' vi 9, -,
Nr g. '' ''''' a'l.' '"' ~ NV
''' i'''''''''' VI "'-
.- '''-
=! ,.i't''|N'
'.'..rr-tps Jackson vas intemperd'e'
..I r..l.iqs. betting. and horse
.,.. hst .tI a rnsn o. honesty ana n
~ lie N8. tr.nN "tl"'Aod 10 rs
70. and t,'N are that me n"E
" 0'i become adHc.ei 10 MS own
.e uuc.c. who always o"ht1
...- a. bl10dll horses ana hal on
., . io4r-la rtce-cJnrac, early
l.f, -,' ncrl"" 80 rioe' ana ~ - the
..f.i., or t. apuo IS a fast and
.,. DIR. ...tal.. &C., was never thrown
...-. .s. ..-.c. ar. seldom failed to win
r,.. Y,r.. ia = or uecamc one Of
nv .h,'.I- q. &C.. ago Of Il. In school
b.. We 1l-n. untir'ng. matter-of-fact
l.r v.7 lD.raeI slowly. hUt never g9Va
30. .,.. ..t,..,ce when once begun, and
.... f,..0t 1ovthirg when once h had
-r.l g.. re vas especially fond Of
80 ..,.,,,. ON the playground ne was
..i,,, ,e.,~ir.. ouI took a lively in
49, 80. ,.,.tfn,es % his ulay-fellows
l,v 10 WAS known for his
'+f'' 49,, ,...ot,,ta will aud though
cur rE' "". - I,n, ovcitad ,vould
ih'h'' so" t.,., - thino Quickly
""Nt az .,o.,.r ,,.fs, tho odds
IN" me" oo II, ~, ht,, r.cou an dncident
"t."f en- ''' ''''' ~ .,. 80 Ne ch,r.c-
W." "iN''' -, 49,, ,ho ,.av "a school
ttT. IN ,d, 800 tocbeon
h'F nu"E, ,',. ,on,ard enc ~ the
hfhlF'' very ""'' - ,.. rrncop,
schoolgirls JACKSON WIZ wa ~ -
told the oIehhti III 'il"N' "lo'"et~
he would thrdsh MN ne o"i'S 1870.
himself an OVermatch TOT HIS ANA
declined TO d" 80, whereupoh IAo"So,
pluckuy attacked MN, ana iohs ""u
bloody fight followed. Jackson IN inc emu
GENE off victorious and forced the puIiy,
rluch against his viii. TO apoioglze LOT
his behavior.
THE military instinct In Jackson as
serted Itself early. WINE yst out pos
h became c'oSe s'uuen y. hoI,'.S, ~,
the laws OF Wdr' anu "Seu 70
long winter evenings 10 u'SouaS ~ . III
the qualities OF the woilo nl"i si''l Nv Wv,
and the treaties maue pe'WecI' !lIe ne
tions. Famiilar WIN d'CIe't 49,, ,o', ~, a..
lives OF the great coIiiha"iela p',"N M, i,'''
most. Looking pack now Oh ,n ~ u"s
] can easily see what houl 's'.u ',e spni
which inspired the uash'ils' '"plu ma
and wonderful success VI es,'e.,,| ,'
paign IN the Naiey oi tiIe 49,. 80 a.
lie hau, 700, Ioi' "ar n,,on ha wonId
ai'er me ,is ,ong ta,ks ~ which /
cIose onI ,h' ranark Il have but one
sP,an va va iii, na,,ar he ANYTHING but
u'''"', O." -, ,,,,,o,a ,ho Ir,,,ed states en-
io'h oa0hs -, T.. ,s,o ~ codetsbin
sase III wal ca - a. ao,-or"ss,o,ai ais
at West JIM io' '"' 80 .,S'.s, a. "a