The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-07-27
WITH ST0NEWALL JACKSON.
Organization of His Brigade and it's Part at
Bull Run-Under Fire for the First
Time.
Ncs0 York Euent,,g Post.

When, in May, 1861, Gen. Joseph
E.. Johnston arrived at Harper's Ferry
to command the uniformed, disorgan-
lied mass of men and muskets there
assembled, he found five Virginia
regiments and two or three from
Alabama and Mississippi, all in nomi-
nal control of Col. Jackson, Of the
ssVirginia army Soon order grew
out Of chaos, and we Of the "Virginia
army found ourselves one May day
on Bolivar Heights, five regiments in
all, thereafter called tie "Virginia
brigade composed Of the I'd, 33d,
9Th, 9th and 4th.
Our senior colonel was man who
never spoke unless spoken to, never
seemed to sleep, had his headquarters
under tree, and the only tent he
used was that Of his adjutant. He
walked about alone, the projecting
visor of his blue cap concealing his
features; a bad-ftting, single-breasted
blue coat, and high boots, covering
the eilargest feet ever seen, completed
the picture. Cadets from the Vir-
ginia Military Institute called him
"Old jack told us that he had been
in the United States army in the
Mexican war and had resigned, theu
was chosen professor Of mathematics,
and had married a professor s daughter.
he was as exact in the performance of
his duties as mathematical propo-
sition, his only pleasure being daily
walk at the same hour, for his health:
strict, grim and reticent, he imagined
that the halves of his body did not
work and act in accord. He followed
hydroyathy for dyspepsia, and after a
pack Of wet sheets every Sunday
morning. he attended the Presbyterian
church, leading the choir and the
prayer meetings every night during
the week. he ate the queerest food,
and he sucked lemons constantly
where he got them during the war, for
we were many miles from lemon, no
one could find out, but he always had
one. In fact, no one knew or under
stood him. No man ever saw him
smile, and but one woman, his wife.
But he stood very high in the estima-
ton Of allfor his rigid conduct and
the absolute faith reposed in his word
and deeds.
Soon it was observed that every
night there was singing andspraying
under that tree and every Sunday
morning and evening Col. Jackson
held prayer meetings, which, 1 regret
to say, were attended by only few,
always, howeva-, by his staff, who
seemed to have been chosen or elected
because they were Of his way Of life.
He was uniformly courteous to all,
and always kept his eyes half closed
as.if thinking, which he invariably
did before answering, but his replies
were short and 20 the point. Not
many days elapsed before our officers
found out that when he gave or wrote
one Of his short orders it was always
to be obeyed or suspension at once
followed neglect.
One Sunday evening in early June
the sslong roll'' was beaten, and we
were soon in line, marching out be-
tween the high hills toward Shepherds
town bridge on the "upper Potomac
accompanied by long procession Of
carriages filed with our mothers and
sisters, and escorted by our middle
aged, portly fathers on horseback; for,
as we could not go to them, they daily
visited US in our camp, and that
evening, for the first time in our
lives, life looked and felt to us like
war. For were we not on our way to
keep the Yankees out Of Virginia?
This was the feeling and belief of all
of US, and the narrow country road
winding around the many hills was
filled by our long line of bright bayo-
nets, our FIVE full regiments number
ing nearly four thousand five hundred
Of the brightest and most joyous Of
Virginia youth. 1t was my first and |
most vivid sight of what war might
be. AS darkness fell apace all were
left behind but the soldiers; it was
our first night march, and by 2 o'clock
we were "dead-beat.' Many fell
asleep by the. roadside, and were only
aroused by the rafting Of muskets, as
the foremost regiment fred volley
without orders, and swept across the
bridge, only to be sternly ordered
back by cold Jack, the sleepless,
who reprimanded its colonel, and then