The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-05-19
StoneTall JacksOn-Two Estimates OF
the Great Soldier.

the Great Soldier.
The wonderful career of Stonewall
Jackson illustrates the force and
effect of the exercise of intensity and
integrity of purpose, for these were
certainly prominent qualities in the
character of this great man. Gen.
Robert Z. Lee was superb and grand
in battle, wise in counsel, magnificent
in strategy, bold, accurate and sue,
cessful in execution but, great as
he was, he needed the aid of jackson
to accomplish his purpose.
In 1861 Jackson left a professor,
ship at Lexington, KY, to take ser
vice under the banner of the Confed-
eracy. He won the sobriquet of
"Stonewall' by his courage and firm
ness at Manassas in July, 1861, and
by his campaign in the Valley in 1862
he won imperishable renown.
Mcclellan, with his ponderous army
of over one hundred thousand men,
was steadily hammering his way
toward Richmond. Jackson was sent
to the Valley to confront the armies
of Gems. Shields, Milroy, Banks and
Fremont.
On March % he fought Gen. Shields
at Kernstown ; on the 9th of May he
encountered and signally defeated
Gen. Milroy at Mcdowell. Fifteen
days later he fought the battle Of
Front Royal two days later, or the
25th, be attacked and defeated Gen.
Banks at Winchester, and on June 8
he achieved a brilliant victory over
Gems. Shields and Fremont at Cross
Keys, and the next day, the 9th, he
won the great triumph Of Port Re
public.
These wonderful victories enabled
Gen. Jackson to withdraw his forces
from the Valley and hasten to Rich.
mond, where Mcclellan, after many
engagements, WAS confronting Gen.
Lee with cannon shot Of the Confed'
crate Capital.
Reinforced by Jackson's troops and
strengthened by the courage, counsel
and example Of that officer, Gen. Lee
commenced the great six days cam
paign, beginning with Mechanicsville,
June 26, and followed by Gaines's
Mill or Chickahominy, June 81 and
%, Savage Station and Peach Or
chard, June 29, Frazier's Farm, June
30, and ending July l with the des-
perate battle of Malvern Hill.
On July 10 Jackson was with his
army at Gordonsville, and closely fol-
lowed by Longstreet, Hill and Ewell,
a movement which so alarmed the
Federal authorities that on July 26,
Commander-in-Chie Gen. Halleck
visited Gen. Mcclellan s headquarters
on the James River, near Richmond,
and, after returning to Washington,
he, on August l and 3, ordered the
armies commanded by both Burnside
and Mcclellan to Acqual Greek, not
withstanding McClellan's contention
that with IS, 600 added to his force Of
80, 900 he could capture Richmond,
the Confederate Capital.
Gen. Jackson won great distinction
in the battle of Sharpsburg, Septem:
Der II, and throughout the Maryland
campaign, and at the battle of Freder.
icksburg, December II, his corps sue
cessfully resisted most terrible on
slaughts Of the enemy. At Chancel
lorsville Gen. Jackson turned the Fed
ederal flank and very large contributed
to this great Confederate victory.
He received his death wound on the
evening of May 2, and from chat date
the victories Of the armies Of North
Virginia were not of the decisive ma
ture which characterized them when
this great chieftain was M Of the
principal actors. Certainly in all the
greatest victories of that army Stone,
wall Jackson was Gen. Lees right
arm, and most trusted subordinate,
and I think history will concede that
Jackson's campaign in the Valley in
1862, and his operations during Au-
gust of the same year from Cedar Run
to the second Manassas were most su-
perb examples Of strategy and tactics,
and T am confident these movements
will be studied by military men dur
ing all time and there can be no
question that military historians will
place Stonewall Jackson high in the
roll of the greatest commanders of the
worlds history.
JOSEPH WHEELER,
Senior Cavalry General in the Confcd-
crate Army.