The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-26

shoi -at5cTiptION Oh d cnaEaCtcrlEtC
gesture OF the great lender--an up
ward Jerking Of his left hand, and TO
tho apthor's Introduction os profanity
IN the speech of certain Confederate
oficer and of the soldiers. Had Miss
Jonnston seen this letter and had she
anything 10 say in reply?
NO, she had not seen tho letter.
the hostess replied. although In the
brief time glncc her return home from
Europe several Richmond friends had
spoken OF 1t. and--vcry gently spoken
--she did not know that she had any
thing to say in relation to It, Then, as
the letter was handed to her and she
began to read It, her interest in It's
criticism began to kindic and she fell
TO discussing II In its relation to The
Long Roll In a delightfully."- impartial
way-without the slightest vestige of
personal fceling-quite as though she
were discussing IL book written By
some one other than herself.
You see. She said. DIR. Smiths de-
tending q personal ideal OF General
Jackson. ! was presenting u composite
historical picture OF the Confederate
leader revealed to me by two years
hard study of material pertaining 20
tho Civil War The picture drawn IN
The Long Rolf is not any personal
conception OF General Jackson. l never
saw nor knew him. hut have Inter-
preted and described him as he ap-
peared and was known TO the Army OF
Northern Yirginia-not as q .plastcr
saint" Quoting from KipIing)-but 4
human man and great leader. / can
very we'll understand that to Dr. Smith
clergyman and one or the officers OF
his own stan. General Jackson would
talk freely and each would be In SYM
hn nfh
point OF view. Naturally also, I could
scarcely be expected to take quite the
same View. Neither could I know the
side OF General Jackson's character re.
realed to Mrs. Jackson. but what
have essayed to paint IS General Jack
son as he was seen and known to the
Army OF Northern Virginia was
not writing the history OF General
Jackson. but a story OF portion of
the War Between the States. and tie
pictures drawn, both of men and ot
incidents. are based on the testimony.
personal and historic OF those who
have left records OF the war accepted
as authentic. Take for example this
personal description furnished-one OF
many-by Richard Taylor And going
to the bookcase Miss Johnston took
down volume and turned It's pages
until she found the writer's account of
being sent with q message to General
jackson. whom he found sitting upon
fence rail sucking lemon. and III
which he infinitely described tho gen
erals appearance and costume, and
comments upon his eccentric taste in
being never far separated from ] ,m-
on, and his wonderment as TO where
the general could so constantly have
obtained this acid fruit.
The author quoted was Lieutenant
Ganeral Richard Taylor, only son OF
General Zachary Taylor. twelfth Prcsi-
Dated in Jackson's campaign in the
Shenandoah Valley and in the seven
days battle before Richmond, and YVES
later assigned command OF the district
was recommended by Stonewall Jack
son. and he was one OF the most dis
tinguishcd officers of the Confederate
service.
The Long roll is far more his
That had SO constantly to draw
from historical sources was 10 mo n
matter Of regret Take. for example.
the incident Of Jackson hating the
aged country mother to see her boy
and deliver some little gifts to him
received letter this morning from
an old soldier asking whence / had
obtained that Incident, and have re-
IN which i may. be found. ] rarely
jugglc with the truth in presenting
incidents In Action" Miss Johnston
went on; "all tho Incidents wrought
true. If accepted historic sources are
true, Phe facts rccountcd are historic
the color, trust. is my own.
Now, as to the unimportant detail
OF General JnclSson's gesture of Jerk
lns his left handwriting sIgnificant
hangs upon mere gesture. know
General jackson did so Jerk his hand:
perhaps ! have laid top frequent stress
upon so small p detail, nave made IT
appear moro distinctly characteristics
than 1t was. y writer Is often con-
scious afterward of having pressed a
rcdal too often upon 4 certain note
doubtless did ~ here, but readers
must allow fiction writer some little
and then added:
"a personal friend has a personal
impression of ali Individual but &c must
he borne in mind that writer has
seriously and conscientiotisly studied
a personality like the ono under die
cussion upon wider plane. a study
has been made of the personality as
known and reelected by many men and
writers: and assurances received from
many soldiers vino served under Jack
son that have painted tho leader as
they knew him make me certain
have not failed In what was my earnest
Book reviewers, also, with very
few exceptions have expressed appre-
citation of the historic accuracy OF the
work In the North. In England and
In the South among those whose APP
provnl most value. have been made
TO feel that the work was worth white
Much fiction has heep recently written,
with the War Between the States az
the theme, but felt before tho nara
tves of the war were concluded there
was one unheard side OF its story to
be presented at court, and II WAS a
real labor OF love with me to present
:. suppose many OF the Impressions
of thu Virginia campaign and OF Gem
eral Jackson wore CLEANED from your
rather suggs sted the visitor. but the
nuthorcss replied that while her father,
mad talked much with her Of tho war.
his service In the Confederate army
had been In the Gulf States. and not
under .Tacksou's leadership.
After while the tide of talk drift
cd to the subject of swearing among
officers and men of tho Comfadarot-,