The Valentine Democrat. [volume] (Valentine, Cherry Co., Neb.) 1896-1898, 1897-07-08
Called "Crazy I-ck."

Called "Crazv .J~ck."
Strange, is it not, that Jackson. like
Sherman. should have been considered
"crazy'' the first year Of the war? IN
deed. before the war so eccentric was
he that he was called Cray Jack" at
the Virginia Military Institute. No
body seemed to understand MIN. But
SO it has ever been and ever viii be,
when we ordinary mortaIs can't com
prehend a genius. we get even with
him by calling him crazy, say the New
York Evening Tele&ram.
[ remember well how uneasy some of
the Confederate generals We're when
placed under Jackson's command early
in 1862. Ewell didn't like it, and
Dick" Taylor didn't like It. They
were afraid Jackson would lead them
into some dreadful scrape or other.
And when Ewell, with his division, was
lying near Gordonsville n late April,
1862, but subject to Jackson'S orders.
Eweli and Taylor were anxious to get
from under him-either to &C down to
Joe Johnston at Yorktown, or to
have some general sent to the valley
who would rank with Jackson, SO,
at TaylOr'S instance, he was sent to
Richmond by Ewell to see Mr.. Davis,
his brother-in-law, and Mr. Benjamin,
then Secretary of State. but recently
Secretary of War. about getting away
from Jackson. But while Taylor was
| gone Jackson ordered Ewell to come
a-running'' to the valley. The camp
he had left in the morning at Swift
! River GAP. on the northwest side of the
| Blue Ridge, Ewell occupied that night.
Jackson was gone. he knew not where.
The valley campaign had opened. he.
was making his strategic detOur back
southwest over to Blue Ridge tOWard
Charlottesville: thence west by raj!
past Staunton to Buffalo gap; thence
| northwest by long marcIles to Mellow
ell. where he struck AIilrOy. But there
we were for a few days at Swift Run
Gap without hearing a thing OF jack
son. General Ewell may have known
where he was. but | doubt it.
Meanwhile Taylor returned from
Richmond to the old camp near Cor
louisville, to find that EWell had gone
to Jackson in the valley. Taylor was
thunderstruck. One OF his commands
happened to be a little way out from
camp on the road toward ~GOrdonSyille,
| when Taylor came rafting down the
| mountain side in his ambulance. He
asked me what meant Gen. EWelIS
being ordered to the valley. told him
| did not know. He then asked me
where Gen. Jackson was. | again had
to confess my ignorance. and could
only say that he had broken camp on a
| certain morning. going with his OWn di-
vision southwest, no Il seemed to
know where. and that Gen. Ewell Occu-
pied his camp that night, end had been
| there ever since.
Well" said Taylor, this is strange.
Nobody at Richmond knows anything
about it. But" he added. there is
| one consolation. We won't be under
this id old crazy fool long. General
Longstreet is coming to take COM
mand.'
1t was too late. however. to change
| commanders. Jackson was then fight
ing Milroy far to the west Of us. He
! probably never knew how nea he
came to missing his great fame in the
valley. and that in that campaign he
| not ONLY defeated four Federal COM
manders. but "~outfankel two of his
| own best generals ana the folks"
back at Richmond.
Jackson disturbed his immediate sub
! orlinates by telling them his
| ulans nor consulting them. He Never
explained any proposed campaign to a
subordinate. nor called Il council of
war. ror asked advice. Soon after
Ewell Joined him in the valley. | re-
member riding with Gen. Taylor and
coming upon Gen. Ewell. Taylor asked
him what the movement meant. In
bis curt. ha!f-abStracted way EWell re-
| rIfnG: II don't know. If Gen. Jackson
were shot down | wouldn't know Il
thing OF his plans What" said Tay-
lnr. You second in command and
| CON | NLIpN . L l J. N'i' ~ 'li'I INK ''4Ii
mand | would know You would.
would you:" smiled Ewell. in his odd
WAY. holding his head to one side like Il
s~ap-sucker peeping around q tree. NO.
YOU wouldn't know any more than /
do now. You don't know the man" But
Ewell and Taylor found their ''crazy,"
reticent commander to have more war
sense than all of them put together.
so they ever pinned their faith to him,
admired him, and loved him.
No Mans L~"d.
Jones County. Mississippi. a COM
munity that is now being terroriZed by
= lawless band. has Il history. Until
within the past ten years it was re-
mote from railroads and sparsely set
tied. The natives We're Of an ignorant