The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-02-04

sent for tho reason that so often re
strained him in like cases: he could
not put at so great u risk an army
which the South could not replace.
"That Jackson replaced the second
and third requirements, the genius
to devise and the skill an6 courage
to deliver the blow needed TO defeat
his foes, ls it not amply proved by
the general fact that his own force
in the Valley campaign was never
over 1900, and generally less, and
that for time he was keeping at
bay 10000 Federal soldiers in or
near the great valley, and 10000
at Fredericksburg-soundly thrash
ing in the field, from time to time,
large portions of this groat army ?
Or, taking a wider view, Jackson
and his small force SO influenced tho
whole campaign rs to keep 100000
Federal troops away from Richmond
and compel the Federal Government
to employ larger force than the
entire Confederate army in Virginia,
in order, as Lincoln said, to protect
the Federal Capital while another
superior force operated against Lee
and Richmond.
IL cannot give you any instances
or illustrations Of the mental action
by which he reached his conclusions,
or devised tho combinations which
defeated his enemy; for Jackson
took no counsel save with his "famil-
lar" the Genius of War, and his
God. He did hold one, and only
ono, council of war. In March,
1862, at Winchester, jackson had in
his small army less than 5000 mon.
Gen Banks, who was advancing upon
Winchester FROM Harper's Ferry and
Charlestown, had 10000 soldiers.
Gen. jackson repeatedly offered Gen.
Banks battle, but the latter declined
and on the night Of the 11th Of
March went into camp four miles
from Winchester. Gen. Jackson
sent for his officers and proposed to
make night attack, but the plan
was not approved by the council.
He sent for the officers a second
time, some hours later, and again
urged them to agree to make the
night assault, but they again disap-
proved of the &ttenpt So late in
the afternoon he withdrew from
Winchester and marched to Newton.
| rode with the General as we left
the place, and rs we reached high
point overlooking the town, we both
turned to look at Winchester, Just
evacuated and now left to the mercy
of the Fed ,ral soldiers. 1 think
that a man may sometimes yield to
overwhelming emotion, and / was
utterly overcome by tho fact that 1
was leaving all that I had dear on
earth. But my emotion was arrest
cd by one look at Jackson. His face
was blazing with the fire that was
burning in him, and I felt awed be-
fore him. Presently he cried out
with a manner almost savage: That
is che last council of war l will over
holdp And it was-his first and
last. Thereafter he held council in
the secret chamber of his own heart,
and acted. instantaneous decision,
absolute self reliance, every action,
every word displayed. His voice dis
played it in battle. It WAS not the
peal of tho trumpet, but the sharp
crack of the rihe-sudden, impora-
tive, resolute.
jackson always expected to hold
his lines, but was always most dan
gerously aggressive. I heard him
once say: 'We sometimes fail to
drive the enemy from his position.
Ho always fails to drive u.s. But he
was never content with the defen-
sive, however successful or however
exhausting. In the terrible dostruc-
tive battle of Sharpsburg he was
looking all of that day for a chance
to make the countorstroke.
Gle was always calm and self
controlled. He never lost his bal
ance for one moment. At tho first
Manassas, when we reached the field
and found our mon, under Bee and
Bartow NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. tho con-