Birmingham state herald., 1897-05-02

river, he failed to stir. And that was
 not the first time in his career when
 great opportunities were thrown in his
 way and he let them pass. Oppor-
 tunities which. he created for himself
 when he had everything his way and
 no enemy worthy of the name to oppose
 him he seized upon and accomplished much.
 Jaekson's one great weakness as a
 general was his morbid reticence. He
 had no confidants among his colleagues
 or subordinates. This was great mis-
 take in that kind of warfare in which
 he followed and led to his ruin. In none
 of his great enterprises was there a sec ond in command instructed to take up leadership in case of necessity and car
 ry on the work. Such state of affairs could easily result in the loss of an army
 Jackson was wounded at Chancel-
 lorsvile while engaged in duties that
 properly belonged to his staff officers
 CT at the most to one of his brigadiers. It is not the place of the leader of an army in the critical situation of Jack sons forces at that time to go at night
 outside of his picket lines to recon | hotter in the face of the enemy. And
  successful up to that time, was vir tually paralyzed for want of sue 1 cessor to the fallen chieftain.
 still Jackson was 0 great leader and great soldier. His men idolized him, and his superiors trusted him.
 The talents he displayed fitted him for an Independent command, but in small field. They would not have won for him the command of one of the great armies destined to settle the is- sue by hard fighting. It is well to re- call these facts at this time, when young generation is studying the sub ject of war. The military ideals to be looked up to in case of war should be sound ones. A picturesque and thrill
 ing career is not necessarily the most
 serviceable one in war any more than in civil life.
 | Jackson's personality was striking and noble, and the loss of that was more lamentable than the sheathing of his battle sword. He was born at Clarksburg, w. Va, in 1924 and was educated at West Point. When he graduated in 1S46, Scott's army was
 marching upon the City of Mexico, and the young cadet went to the front as a lieutenant of artillery. He received two DfeVetS TOT good conduct III the Me6l- can war. After three years of garri- son service he resigned to take pro- fessorship in the Virginia Military in- stitute in Lexington. His first con- spicuous service in the civil war was at Bull Run, where his brigade check ed the progress of the Federal forces
 at critical time. The broken Confed- crate troops rallied up on his line and
 soon gained a victory In this crisis of the fight General Bernard E. Bee in an effort 10 rally his men pointed to the, firm ranks of Jackson and exclaim- ed: See! There's Jackson standing like stone wall! Rally on the Vir- ginjans!'
 Jackson was noted for faithfulness in the performance of his duties and for his earnest religious life. He was very careful of his soldiers and jealous for their rights. He exacted much from
 them, but at the same time looked after their physical comfort and welfare. In his peculiar warfare in the Shenandoah
 during the first year he at times dis played genius in combating superior numbers, and his campaigns of that period are well worthy of study.