The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-05
STONEWALL JACK SON.
His Sister Afirms That He Was n
UniOnist and Bitterly Opposed to
Secession

Secession.
From the Louisville Courier-JournaI.
Columbus, O., Jan. 8-Mrs. Louisa
jackson Arnold, only surviving sister Of
the famous Confederate officer. Gen.
"Stonewall" Jackson has been. since the
close of the war, a resident of the Shep-
herd water cure, on the outskirts of Ohos
capital. AT this same institution died in
1860, the only sister of the first President
Harrison, the hero of Tippecanoe.
Mrs. Arnold is in her I'D year. She is
two years younger than the General. Per-
sonally, she is large, distinguished
looking woman, with strongly marked
features. So well preserved is her eye
sight that she reads without glasses. She
has pleasant voice, and Is a bright con-
versationalist. She is rich in war recni-
niscences, and her devotion to the memory
of her famous soldier brother Is touching.
"a recent autumnal day L rode out to
Shepherds, and was gracefully received
by Mrs. Arnold, who has all the hospitable
charm of manner characteristic of South
ern women. The water cure is OH the cot
tage plan. The entrance to Mrs. Arnold's
cottage, which she has occupied for fif-
teen years, was screened with sterrium
vines, her especial pride and care
On the portico, guarding the entrance
was an old house dog. His leg was in
jured and bandaged by his devoted mis-
treSs, he lay blinking in the mellow sun
shine, Mrs. Arnold reclined on bed a
la Nine. Recamier, in a room redolent of
war souvenirs. She was always an ardent
Unlonist. From hardshiDs endured in eff
forts to relieve wounded soldiers, her
health has never recovered. The Ohio
Volunteers, in gratitude for her kindness
to them, dubbed her the Florence Night
-, IL - 49, o.
Union sympathy, she naturally sought
Ohio after the war, and at the water cure
found a congenial home.
You never knew that Thomas Jackson
was Union man?' said Mr.. Arnold with
swapping eyes. mo? You never read of
it in history and you're not likely to. But
tell you there was never stronger I'm
ionist than Gen. 'Stonewalr Jackson"
When we had recovered from this SEEM
ing sweeping historical contradiction, Mrs.
Arnold, in response to the query why
brother and sister espoused different sides
in the war told this tory:
Previous to the war Mrs. Arnold resided
at Beverly, in the western part of Vir-
ginia. Thomas, who had been a Major in
the Mexican war, was professor of natu-
raj philosophy in the military academy at
Lexington, Va.
Both of u.s. said Mrs Arnold, "felt
alike in policies. Loyalty to duty, as he
conceived it, placed Thomas unwillingly in
the Confederate army A clause in the
state constitution of Virginia was the pri-
mary cause. That clause converted Vir-
ginia into a blood-tained battlefield. 1--WE
reserve" read the clause, the right to
withdraw from this compact If our rights
as a free state are trampled upon"
When the differences that led to seces-
sion arose, Virginia elected to remain neu-
trail and when the war first broke out
she declared that no army, of whatever
side, should cross her borders. In 1851 the
presbytery convened at Lexington. Rev
Enoch Thomas of Beverly, my home. was
in attendance there when Mai Jackson
received orders to take charge of the
troops of the military school and march to
Harper's Ferry to protect the arsenal.
Despite histories of the rebellion state that
Jackson was sent there to capture the
Federal arsenal, Mrs. Arnold maintains
that her brother was dispatched to pro-
tect the Confederate arsenal
Jackson refused to go without orders
from Gov. Letcher. When officially or
dered he led the troops to Harper's Ferry
where he qusrtered them, and then pro-
ceeded to Richmond, where be sought the
Governors consent to his resignation in IA
vor of Maj. Preston, his brother-in-law.
who was anxious to take command NV
brother desired to return to his duties at
the academy. He had the tastes of the
scholar, and student life was more con-
genial to him than carnage.
Gov. Letcher declined to accept his les
ignation. You are the only man." said
he, that has seen service, and we can't
spare YOU
A convention was held at Richmond in
1861, for the purpose of taking q vote 10
see whether the state should secede or re-
main for the union. l had many letters
from Thomas at that time, said Mrs. Ar
mold, urging me to persuade my husband
and neighbors to exert their influence in
favor of union. l kept this correspond
ence for many years in an iron box. To
my dismay, one day in opening the box. I
found that the letters had disappeared. I
have never been able to recover them. In
one letter he wrote: IF Western Vir-
ginia stands firm to the union 1t may
save the eastern part of the state The
Richmond convention was controlled bv a