Birmingham state herald., 1897-05-02

General Thomas Jonathan Jackson (StonewalD died May 10, 1863, of in- juries received at Charlottesville the night of May 2. The southern people have always insisted that the fatal shots were from the muskets of Jacksons own men, delivered, of course. under a nisapprehension. They dislike to ad- nit that Federal bullets could kill the hero whom they almost Worshiped. His loss was mourned in the army and throughout the south, and his people profess to believe that his death was the beginning of the end of the Con federates and that had he lived their cause might have triumphed. History will doubtless take a different view of the matter. It was quite evident that Jackson had had his day. It was not in the nature of things that he could have continued those exploits which have made him famous. It would be a very grave indictment of the generals opposed to him to assume that he e could have Kept on surprising their camps by sudden strokes.
 The greatest of all blows delivered by Jackson was at Charlottesville, and 1t is to be doubted that there was another general in the Army of the Potomac besides Hooker who would have given Stonewau his opportunity at that tiine Jackson's thesis, often express ed, was, "Mystffy the enemy" but the conmonest soldier in the Federal army in. Virginia had come to understand Jacksons movements. It was a fre- quent saying in the camps when en- -couraging news was disseminated from army headquarters about the military situation, Now look out for Stone wall Jackson on our flank" Every body understood that Jackson had to be reckoned with, and it could have been only a question of time when he would have been reckoned with.
 For another thing Jackson's methods 4 could only succeed in the absence of ,.. 8, strong cavalry force opposed to him. Such force he had never encountered, but the day of his good luck in that respect had passed when he was killed. Hooker in his blindness had sent the new and splendid cavalry corps of the Army of the Potomac on a wild raid around the rear Of Lee. Nothing was gained by it, but his army lost the strong, mounted vanguard that should have preceded it on its own fianking movements around the rear of Lees strong position on the Rappahannock
 Had that cavalry corps been in it., place, masking Rockers march and guarding it's flank, Stonewalls scheme of mystifying would have failed His . march would have been detected, as, in fact, it, was detected, but a force would have been at hand to check it and to give Hooker warning so as to ena- ble him to prepare for any onslaught.
 In the=Yery next campaign, that at Gettysburg, it fell to Jeb Stuart's cav Airy to try to repeat the Stonewar tac- ! ties and fall upon the flank and rear Of Meade's army on Cemetery ridge. Had he. carried out his plans and orders ! Gettysburg would have different his tory. But Pleasonton's cavalry corps 4 was on hand. and when Stuart struck >his blow it fell upon the strong steel t ltof Custer, Gregg and Mcintosh It wes t1,flways so after that in the Army of the Potomac, and whenever the Hanks were endangered by Jacksonlike move 1 sfnbtts it was when the cavalry was s absent on other duty, and then the in- ~ fdptry was alert.
 Then another thing, Jackson's field had been changed. Longstreet says z that the newspapers made Jacksons