Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1897-05-22
JACKSON AND LEE.
STORIES or TWO OF THE coNFED-
ERAcYS GREAT GENERALS.

ERAcYiS GREAT GENERALS.
The First Xear OF the War jackson Was
Called Crazy but That Opinion Did
Not Last-Lec's Darby Cook and His
Tlapjacf5s Saved the Union al Gettysburg.
Strange, is 1t not, that Jackson, like
sherman, should have been considered
"crazyn the first year of tho WARP Indeed,
before the war so eccentric was he that he
was called Crazy jack at the Virginia
Military institute. Nobody seemed to I'M
derstand him. But so it has ever been
and ever will be--when we ordinary NOR
tails can't comprehend genius we get
even with him by calling him crazy.
remember well how uneasy some Of the
Confederate generals were when placed
under Jacl1son's command in early 1862.
Ewell didn't like it and Dick Taylor
didn't like it. They were afraid Jackson
would lead them into some awful scrape
or other And when Ewell, with his diyi-
sion, was lying near Gordonsville in late
April, 1862, but subject to Jackson's or
ders, Ewell and Taylor were very anxious
to Joe Johnston at Yorktown, or to have
some general sent TO the valley who would
rank with jackson. So, at Taylors in
stance, he was sent to Richmond by Ewell
to see Mr. Davis, his brother-in-law, and
Air. 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
-. 10
had left in the morning at Swift River
Gap, on the northwest side of the Blue
Ridge, Ewell occupied that night. Jack
son was gone, he knew not where. The
valley campaign had opened. He was max
ing his strategic detour back southwest
over the Blue Ridge toward Charlottes-
vile, hence west by rail past Staunton
to Buffalo Gap and thence northward by
long marches to Mcdowell, where he
struck Milroy. But there we were for
few days at Swift Bun Gap without hear
ing a thing Of jackson. General Ewell
may have known where he was, but I
doubt it.
Meanwhile Taylor returned from Rich
mond to the old camp near GordonsYille
to find that Ewell had gone to jackson in
the valley. Taylor was thunderstruck
One of his commands happened to be lit.
tie way out from camp on the read toward
Gordonsville, when Taylor came rattling
down the mountain side in his ambulance
He asked me what meant General Ewell's
being ordered to the valley / told him l
did not know. He then asked me where
General jackson was. again had to con-
fess my Ignorance and could only say that
he had broken camp on q certain morning,
going with his own division southwest, no
one seemed to know where, and that GEN
eral Ewell occupied his camp that night
and 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 longer. General
LOngstCeet is coming up here to take COM
mand"
1t was too late, however, to change COM
manders. Jackson was then fighting Mil
roy far to the west Of us. He probably
never knew how near he came to missing
his great fame in the valley, and that in
that campaign he not only defeated four
Federal commanders, but "outhanked"
two Of his own best generals and the
folks" back at Richmond.
jackson disturbed his immediate subor-
climates by never telling them his plans or
consulting them. They had simply to fol-
low him blindly. He never explained any
proposed campaign to a subordinate or
called a council OF war or asked advice.
Soon after Ewell joined him in the valley
l remember riding with General Taylor
and coming upon General Ewell Taylor
asked him what the movement meant. In
his curt half distracted way Ewell re-
piled: Il don't know. If General jackson
were shot down, wouldn't know a thing
Of his plans " What" said Taylor. "You
second in command and don't know? If l
were second in command, would know"
You would, would you?" smiled Ewell
in his odd way, holding his head to one
side like sap sucker peeping around a
tree. ''No, you wouldn't know any more
than l do now. You don't yet 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, ad-
mired him and loved him.
Cur great General Lee was the victim of
an Indigestion, and it cost the south dear.
1t lost US the battle Of Gettysburg. The
battle of Gettysburg is a singular excep-
ton to General Lees battles. 1t wasn't
General Lee who fought it, It shouldn't
count against him. His usual skill is
wanting at Gettysburg. There must be
cause for it. He was sick, and not in pos
session Of his usual oquanimity and fine
mental powers. Those near him at the
time tell US this, and from some of them
the story of how it came about has leaked
out.
General Lee was very fond of old Vir-
ginia apjacks-wondrous cakes of African
inyention-thin as a wafer and big nearly
as a cart wheel, and when made of new
-four and served hot, with fresh butter
and maple moIasses and folded and folded,
layers thick, are u feast for the gods. But
General Lee, the best and tenderest of men
as well as the greatest, hadn't it in his
heart to fare well-much as his ample
means would have allowed-when his men
were suffering for food, and if one wanted
q poor dinner he had only to drop in ON
General Lee at that hour. He lived but
little better than his men. This greatly
disturbed his darby cook, and when the
army advanced into Pennsylvania, flowing
with milk and honey and other good things
edible, he said, "Well, I'Ze gwine to git
something good for Marse Robert for once,
if he never gifts none no mo-" So, Skin
mishing around, he got up the necessary
ingredients for the generals favorite cake
The darby, in his pride as chef and zeal
Gus love for his master, outdid himself on
that Both of June The cakes were toe
tempting The general ate too plentifully,
was sick accordingly, and Gettysburg was
lost. The Niger ana the 1iapjacks saved
the Union! Some time ago it was the
craze" to find national flower. Why
not have national cake? I suggest that
at Thanksgiving the flapjack have equal
honor with the pumpkin pie!-New Or
leans Times Democrat