The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-02-01

yancing upon Winchester from Har-
perss Ferry and Chariestown. had 30.-
900 soldiers, General Jackson repeated
iy offered General Banks battle, but
the latter declined, and on the night OF
the 18th CT March went into camp four
miles from Winchester. General Jack
sent for his officers and proposed 20
make a night attack, but the plan was
not approved by the councii. He sent
for h officers a second time. some
hours later. and again urged them 20
agree to make the night but
they again disapproyed Of the attempt
So. late in the afternoon, we withdrew
from Winchester and marched to New
ton. I rode with the general as we left
the place, and as we reached a ,higsh
point overlooking the town, we both
turned to hook at Winchester, just
evacuated and now left to the mercy
of federal soldiers. / think hat
a man may sometimes yield TO over
whelming emotion. and / was utterly
overcome by the fact that I was leav-
ing all that / held dear on earth. But
my emotion was arrested by one look
at jackson. His face was fairly blazing
with the fire that was burning in him,
and 1 felt awed before him. Presently
he cried out with a manns~ almost
c1f ~ AS IL ldo( La III wal
/ will ever hold And it was-his first
and asst. Thereafter he held council in
the secret chamber OF his own heart,
and acted. instantaneous decision, alb
Solute self-reliance. every actin, every
word displayed. His voice displayed
the sharp crack of the ~yifie-Sudden,
imperative, resolute.
jackson always expected to hold has
lines, but was always most dangerous
1y aggressive. 1 heard him once say:
We sometimes fail to drive the enemy
from his position. He always fails TO
| drive us But he was never content
with the defensive, however successful
or however exhausting. In the terribly
destructive battle of S~harpsburg ne
was looking all of hat day for a
chance to make the counter stroke.
H was always calm and self-con-
trolled. He never lost his balance for
n moment. At the First Manassas,
when we cached the field and oun
our men under Bee and Barlow falling
back-when the confusion was great
est-and Bee, in despair, cried out:
They are driving us back'-there was
not the slightest emotion apparent
about him. His thin lips were COM
pressed n his eyes were ablaze, when
he CURLY said, Then, sir, wv will give
them the bayonet.'
I'm the very severe engagement at
Chantilly, fought during a heavy
thunder storm, when the voice of he
artillery Of HEAVIER could scarcely be
distinguished from that of the enemy,
an aide came UP with a message from
A. p. Hill that his ammunition was
wet and that he asked leave to retire.
Give my compliments tt General Hill
n tell 1rfm that the yankee ammuni-
ton is as wet as his; to stay where he
is There was always danger and
blood when he began his terse SEN
fences with Give my compliments
jackson knew the value of the
southern volunteer better and sooner
Gas I b~elieve) than any other of our
great leaders. On this subject. I once
heard him say, The patriot volunteer
fighting for country and his rights
makes the most reliable soldier on
earth
''The first time I was under fire, the
attempt to diagnose my feelings did not
discover to me anything hat 1 recogn-
nized as positive enjoyment. 1 told
General Jackson frankly what my feel
ings were, and asked him how he felt
h first time he experienced lit.
afraid the fire would not be hot
enough for me to distinguish myself,
he promptly replied.
81 have seen General Jackson stop
while the army was on the march to
help a poor simple woman find her son,
when she only knew that this son was
in 'Jackson's company There is no
measuring the intensity with which
the very sou of Jackson burned i'm
battle. Out of it he Yves very gentle.
After the battle of the Second Manas-
sas we were sitting 10y 1he fire drinking
coffee out Of our tin cups when I said
we nav won this battle by the hard.
est kline of fighting and he answered
me gently and softly, NO, no; we have
won it by the blessing of Almighty
Cod
'%The story of Jackson's death is 81
familiar to you all, that, though init
mately associated with it's scenes,
will not narrate ut. 1 will only declar,
hat The met this great enemy as HI
had met all others, calmly and steadi
10. expecting, as always, to conquer"
II don't know, there may be others,
he said, but I have used Parker,
Tolu Cough Syrup in my family 70