The National tribune., 1906-09-20
sToNEwALL JAcKsoN,s DEATH.
Was He Shot I'm Revenge by His Own
MenS

Editor National Tribune: Quite
great many different accountN of tie in
cident of the fatal wounding of the
Confederate chieftain, Stonewall jack
son, have at various times appeared in
the columns of this as well as othSc
papers, and the honor. if it be an honor,
has been claimed by some commands
upon the Onion side. despite the fact
that the generally accepted version of
the circumstances leading to that Cen
erals death seem to show conclusively
that the fatal shots came from the
Confederate side. While 1 never doubt
ed that such was the case, years ago
had my belief in that account material
ly strengthened.
believe, been in print, and not likely to
be put there from any Southern source,
and though it may be counted sensa-
tional l see many points in it to give
probability and credence. 1t is now
more than Is years since 1 was resi-
dent in an Illinois city of few thou
sand inhabitants, and while there /
made the acquaintance of a veteran, a
comrade of the G. A. r., a merchant of
good repute in all respects, and as little
llkely to invent or retail a story for his
own amusement as any man ! have
ever met, and this he told me one even
ing as we sat alone, in all seriousness
and as though the story had made a
great impression upon him. II am
you Know" he said, "a Virgnian by
birth, though 1 have lived in the North
since l was 10 years old. when my
father removed to Ohio. NY relatives,
cousins. of which 1 had and still have
many, live in the same mountains where.
they and myself We're born, and many
of them were with their neighbors. of
my age or near it, in the rebel army as
~
old schoolmates received me courteous
ly. but at first were inclined to be dis
tant and somewhat cool, but they rapid
ly changed their manner toward me
after few days and became reminis-
cent. 1t must he understood that these
Virginian mountaineers could by no
means be classed with the poor whites
of the South, but We're most of them
owners and tillers of their own small
farms, and while not SO well educated
as many of their class elsewhere the.
were possessed of sterling honesty and
sturdy manhood not easily eXcCllcj:
anywhere. They were jealous of their
rights. and not too forgiving when they
were injured. Many of them had en-
listed in the same command and were
among the most reliable of Jackson's
best"
After they had upon one occasion
consulted among themselves for time
they gave their Yankee cousin their in
side account of the death of their lead
er, which they knew would be news to
him.
They said that the Summer before
Charlottesville there was a case that
very urgently called for the presence of
one of their comrades at his home in
the mountains; that the existence of his
wife and little children for the coming
Winter depended upon the fathers Sc
curing the little crop that otherwise
would be lost. While there ives no i'm
mediate movement of the army in pros
pect the order was that no furlougls
could be granted. 1t was to no PURPOSE
that the man carried his officers recon-
mendations. together with his clean rec
ord as soldier and statement of his
case to the General. 1t could not be
granted. His Colonel and the CAPTAIN
of his company were touched with the
peculiar hardship of the case, anC did
as regimental officers sometimes will do
and that is, give men, to understand
that their absence for few days will
not be officially noticed. and the man
went, attended to the needs of his fam
lily and returned. Some evil messenger
however, took the story of his going TO
the ears of the commander, and instead
Of taking no cogniZance of what was
not officially brought before him, as
many wise and mercifui men in like
circumstances have" done, he had q
court-martial convened, and the man
was shot in the presence of his relatives
and lifelong friends. Their rage and
cannot be imagined by such
as are unfamiliar with the character of
those free-born and never too greatly
restrained mountaineers of the Blue
Ridge. The vendettas OF later years
upon the western slope of the same
mountains give one some ideas of the
fire that the deed kindled. They vowed
among themselves to kill the man re-
sponsible for the wanton death of their
relative and comrade, whenever oppor-
tunity presented.
These men We're upon guard that May
evening when at dusk the rebel chief
tain went down that road, giving the
order as he passed his men to fire upon
anything coming up that road without
challenging. This they say they did
with good will, knowing full well who
it was that they were firing upon. 1t
has always been regarded as mistake
but these men say not. 1t may be ~
they say. We may never know for GER
tain.-C. w. Barnes, Wisconsin Veter-
ans Home.