Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-10-31

Miss Mary Johnson's latest novel,
The Long Roll, is getting a lot of val
liable advertising because of the au-
authors alleged ignorant and men,
dacious Misrepresentation OF the
character of Stonewall Jackson.
We have not read Miss john
sons book; but understand that
the row has been raised because the
author has represented the famous
general as a boorish, unbalanced fell
low, fond of display, and dissatisfied
because he did not get the measure
of recognition to which his merits en-
titled him. Although the present edi-
tor of The Enquirer has no first-hand
information to offer, he feels as well
qualified to derry this impression as If
he had served under Jackson himself.
This remark is based partly on the
fact that he has read hundreds of hon.
est pages about this redoubtable SOL
dier, but more particularly on the tes-
timony of the late L. M. Grist, the
writer's father, who was captain OF
Company A, 18th South Carolina vol
unteers, who belonged to Jackson's
command, and who came in personal
contact with him on several occasions.
The first time ever saw General
Jackson" the writer once heard Capt.
Grist say, was on the occasion of the
capture of Manassas Junction in Au-
of supplies belonging to the Yankee
army, and our men were almost fam
ished, not having had a satisfying
meal for days. 1t was very we'll un-
derstood that We were to remain at
the junction but a short time, and 1t
devolved upon me personally to see that
my company got a share of the cap
tured provisions. Under the circum-
stances, the most practical way to get
what was wanted was to find General
Jackson himself l did this, coming
upon the general by the side of long
train Of freight cars. There were
about him, coming and going, large
number of officers in full uniform, and
so far as appearance went he was the
most inconspicuous man in sight. He
did not even have a sword. l saluted
and told him what 1 wanted. Immedi-
ately he pointed to commissary
house a hundred yards away and told
me to go there and get my supplies.
accompanied by a half dozen men l
did as directed, repeated General Jack
sons verbal orders and got everything
that the members of my company
needed. There was plenty for ev-
erybody and to spare; but so far as
the provisions were concerned we did
not get the benefit of more than two
square meals, because almost every
thing had to be thrown away in the
march to Manassas Plains. Jackson
looked to me like very ordinary kind
of a fellow until he spoke, and when
he spoke you not only felt but knew
that you had IT, law. The feeling of
the men was, and 1 shared it to a
greater extent than 1 ever shared
such a feeling with regard to any 9TH
er man had ever seen before or have
ever seen since, that General Jackson
son was the living embodiment Of
righteous duty. There was no selfish
ness in his makeup. He knew no mas
ter except Almighty God, and consid-
cred General Lees orders as coming
from the Master. There was never a
minute that Jackson was unwilling to
take any risk or share any peril that
he required Of the humblest common
soldier, and he never spared himself
any more than he spared his soldiers.
There were thousands who thought
Jackson should have been commander
n-chief of the Confederate forces !;
but there is no good reason to think
that he ever aspired to or desired
such a position. He had absolute con-
fdence in and the highest admiration
for General Lee, and even If the au-
| thorities had desired to place him over
Lee, the probability is that he would
not have been willing to submit to
the change. Had Lee been killed dur
ing Jackson's life time there was no
question as to who would have been
his successor" 1t is not to be expect
ed that the general public will be i'm
pressed by all this as the writer was
| impressed; but so far as we are con-
cerned, that is our estimate of Stone
wall Jackson, and no writer Of novels
or history, living or dead, can change
that impression in the slightest par
| tipular