Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-01-10
WORKED HIS WAY THROUGH.
How Poor Orphan Boy Be-
came One of the Immortals.

1 y
came One of the Immortals.
CHAPLAIN j. wM. JONES IN CoNPED.
ERATE VETERAN.
la the picturesque and beautiful
region of what was then called
Northwest Virginia, in the little
town of Clarksburg. there was born
on January 21, 1924, a boy who
was destined to win for himself
great fame and widespread renown,
to perform mighty deeds, and to
write his name on the brightest
pages of the worlds history; to be-
come, indeed,
One of the few immortal names
That were not bern to die.
OF intelligent, honorable parents,
ne had received the rudiments of a
common school education, when the
death of both father and mother left
him at the age of seven, penuiless,
helpless orphan boy.
Cared for by an uncle, he showed
an indomitable purpose to help him
self, and at the age of twelve went
off with brother of fourteen to
the famous "Blennerhasset island"
IN tie Ohio river, which the grace
ful pen of William Writ has i'm
mortalized, and supported himself
by cutting cord wood for steam
boats, and learned to endure other
hardships until sickness forced him
to "work his passage" back to the
home of his kind uncle.
Leading in all manly sports at
school, an accomplished rider of
wild horses, famous driver of
teams of oxen, and manager of
hands who prepared the immense
logs that were hauled to mis- uncle's
sswmill, faithful in every duty, he
was made, at the age of sixteen,
constable for the northern half of
Lewis county, Va, his district being
so large in extent that five counties
have been since carved out of the
territory over which this youth dis
charged his duties with a persever-
ing energy, pluck, and, when occa-
sion demanded, manly courage which
were the prophecy of the coming
hero.
At the age of eighteen years,
learning that there was vacancy
from his district at the Military
Academy at West Point Caused by
the resignation of youth who was
unwilling to endure the hardships
and work necessary TO success there),
the orphan boy sought the position,
made journey to Washington to
obtain the appointment, was intro
duced to the Secretary of War by
the Congressman from his district,
Hon. Mr.. Hays, and, although he
appeared before that august official
in q suit of homespun, and was SUBJ
lected to the most rigid examina-
tion, his manly bearing, quiet ambi-
tion and emphatic expression of a
purpose to succeed SO impressed the
Secretary that he ordered the. ap-
pointment to be made oat for him
at once. Declining the invitation of
Mr.. Hays to remain in Washington,
and contenting himself with pam
oramic view from the dome of the
Capitol, he left that evening for
West Point, barely passed the en-
trance examination, and in July,
1S42, was enrolled at the famous
Military Academy as Thomas Jona-
than Jackson, of Virginia.
His previous preparation was SO
defective that he took at first low
stand in his class; but by hard study
and indomitable perseverance, he
gradually worked himself up until
he graduated number seventeen, and
it was said of him that if the course
had been two years longer he would
have graduated at the head of a
class that had in it such brilliant
men as Gems. Mcclellan, Foster,
Reno. Stoneman, Couch and Gibbon,
of the Federal army, and Gems. A.
P. Hill, Pickett, Maury, ID. II. Jones,
g. w. Smith and Wilcox, of the
Confederate army.
/ cannot, of course, enter into any
details of Jackson's life at West
Point, nor of his subsequent brilliant
career in the Mexican war and in
the war between the States. For
these ] refer the reader to DR.. r. L.
Dabney's able and admirable "Life
of Stonewall Jackson" John Esten
Cookies popular memoir, the very
able military biography of him by
Col. Henderson, OF the British army,
and especially to that charming
book, "Life and Letters of Stone
wall jackson by His Wife;" but do
not hesitate to insist that all of our
young people, especially our boys
and young men, ought to read these
books. But desire simply to bring
ont what seems to have been the
secret of the wonderful anccass of