The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-07
ABOUT "SToNEWaLL" JACKSON.
His Sister Affirms That Der Brother Was
Opposed to Secession.
Chicago Record.)

Mrs. Louisa Jackson Arnold, only sur
wing sister Of the famous Confederate
officer, Gen. ''Stonewalr' jackson has
been since the close of the war a resident
of the Shepherd watel cure on the out
skirts of Ohio's capital. At this same in
stitution 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 look
ing woman, with strongly marked feat
ures. So we'll preserved is her eyesight
that she reads without glasses. She has a
pleasant voice and is bright converse
tionalist. She is rich in war reminiscent
ces, and her devotion to the memory Of
her famous soldier brother is touching.
A recent autumnal day rode out to
Shepherd 8 and was graciously received
by Mrs. Arnold, who has oil the hospit-
able charm Of manner characteristic Of
Southern women. The water cure is on
the cottage plan. The entrance to Mrs.
Arnold's cottage, which she has occupied
for fifteen years, was screened with ster-
tium 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. q
La NINE. Recainier, in a room redolent
of war souvenirs. She was always an
ardent unionist. From hardships endured
in efforts to relieve wounded soldiers
her health has never recovered. The
Ohio volunteers, in gratitude for her
kindness to them, dubbed her the Flor
ence Nightingale of Virginia. Ostra-
cized for her union sympathy, she natu-
rally sought Ohio after the war, and at
the water cure found congenial home.
STONEWALL JACKSON A UNIONIST.
"You never knew that Thomas Jackson
was Union mans'' said Mrs. Arnold,
with swapping eyes. "No. You never
read of it in history, and you're not like
ly. to. But I tell you there never was a
stronger unionist than Gen. 'Stonewall
Jack son.
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 story:
Previous to the war Mrs. Arnold re-
sided at Beverly, in the western part of
Virginia Thomas, who had been a ma
f,,+ ho a n7nfGScor
af natural philosophy in the military
at Lexington, Va.
NBoth of u.s. said Mrs. Arnold "felt
alike in politics. Loyalty to duty, as he
conceived it, placed Thomas unwillingly
in the Confederate army. A clause in
the State constitution of Virginia was the
primary cause. That clause converted
Virginia into blood-stained battlefield
we reset We, read the clause, the right
to withdraw from this compact if our
rights as free State are trampled upon.
'When the differences that led to &C.
cession arose Virginia elected to remain
neutral. and when the war first broke out
she declared that no army, of whatever
side, should cross her borders. In 1861,
the pl.esbytery convened at Lexington.
The Itev. Enoch Thomas of Beverly, my
home, was in attendance there when
Major Jackson received orders to take
charge of the troops of the military
schoot and march to Barper's Ferry to
protect the arsenal. Although histories
of the Rebellion state that Jackson was
sent there to capture the Federal arsenal,
Mrs. Arnold maintains that her brother
was dispatched to portect the Confeder-
at arsenal.
PREFERRED A QUIET LIFE,
jackson refused to go without orders