The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1911-06-17
MEMOIR OF
STONEWALL JACKSON
An Incident in the Younger Days
of the Great Soldier.
HERETOFORE UNwRITTtN HISTORY


"Stonewall" Jackson is any mention
made OF the Confederate Chieftain
ever having soiourned in Jefferson
county. and yet there are many old
residents of the town OF Henderson
few miles southeast of this city,
still living who remember when Maj
Thomas J. Jackson of the United
States army was a guest for sew
eral weeks about four years after
his return from the plains Of Mexi-
co. in the home of the celebrated
old physician. DR.. Laury Barney OF
the above town, and patient of his
host, who cured him from dyspepsia,
with which he had suffered from the
time of the Mexican campaign. Miss
Eva Barney. daughter OF DR.. Bar
ney, who is still living at the old
Barney Homestead in Henderson. has
u distinct recollection OF the tall
and austere Southern officer who
was an inmate of her fathers home
for six weeks during the summer Of
1851 or lS52,she is uncertain which
having been young girl at the
time.
"StOnewall' Jackson after his
graduation from West Point. went
Immediately in 1S47 as a second
lieutenant with Scott's invading
army to Vera Cruz, and was in all
the battles that followed during
Scott's march TO the capital at Ger
70 Gordo. at Contreras and at Cher
ubusco. where for gallantry in TAX
ing the place of a lieutenant of ar
tillery that had been killed at his
gun Jackson was brevetted captain.
At the assault on the castle of Chap
ultepec Jackson was in the column
led by Jefferson Davis. afterwards
chief of the Confederacy. and clam
bered up the rocky height side by
side with Davis. and so distinguish
cd himself as to win the rank Of
major, while Davis received sew
eral swords and medals. the thanks
of Congress and the rank of brig
adler general for his gallantry. the
successful storming of Chapuitepec,
deemed by the Mexicans impregnable.
having forced the capitulation Of
the Mexican capital.
II was probably in the summer OF
1851, and while Jackson was sta
toned at Fort Hamilton. y. Y, just
before his resignation from the army
to accept the professorship of artil-
lery tactics in the Virginia Military
Institute at Lexington. that he met
DR.. Laury Barney. of Henderson, In
New York city during one OF the
s.gs 90 A1A IIanHnrOnn
physician to his daughter in that
city, who occupied the cottage where
Edgar Allen Poe wrote the poems.
The Bells and The Raven.
Jackson's devotion to study at
West Point and the hardships of the
Mexican campaign had undermined
his health, as it had that OF his fel-
low officer and future Confederate
chief. jefferson Davis. the latter
being from the time of the Mexican
campaign to the day OF his death a
sufferer from nervous dyspepsia.
Jackson was so severe a sufferer
from a dyspepsia at this time that
it is gaid he believed himself a vic
tim OF cancer of the stomach. He
met DR.. Barney at a New York Ho-
tel breakfast table, it is reported.
and in conversation with the old
physician became satisfied that the
Henderson doctor could cure him
if anyone could. He had just been
granted a leave of absence. and In
stead Of going to Virginia he pro-
posed to accompany DR.. Barney to
the latter's Northern home and
place himself in his medical care.
DR. Barney. it is stated, told Major
Jackson that his home was an hum
BILE one, that he had not the accom-
modations to which the Southerner
was undoubtedly accustomed. but
Jackson is said to have replied that
he had been left fatherless when 3
years old, that he had been accus-
toned to penury during his early
days and to the life of a soldier
since, and that the doctors home
would be luxurious to what he had
known. He urged that his health
was the only thing OF consequence
to him at that time.
Arrival at Henderson.
DR.. Barney, who was to return
by steamboat from New York to AL
bany and thence to Henderson by
rail, apprised Jackson of the time
of his proposed departure, and on
the morning set found Jackson wait
ing on the deck. with baggage. ready
to accompany him. They arrived
In due time at Bishop street. now
little country four corners in the
town of Henderson that has not
heard the snort OF the iron horse
in nearly half a century, but at
that time a station on the "Sackets
Harbor Railroad long since aban-
doned. two and a half miles from
Henderson. Here they found the
doctors carriage awaiting them.
For the next six weeks Major Jack
son was an inmate Of the Barney
home and followed most faithfully
the regimen as regards diet and
medicine laid out for him by Dr.
Laury Barney with such good re-
suit that at the end Of the month
and a half he was almost complete
/ ly cured.
1t is probable that at that time
nc Hdu DCNOihC NDcD'~~N -
the religious reflection which caus-
ed him to soon after Join the Pres
byterian church. and which gave him
the nickname at Lexington among
the students of the Military Acad-
emy of the blue Light Elder" and
caused him TO insist in camp on his
famous light brigade all kneeling
morning and evening while he made
one Of his short but fervid supplica-
tions for the aid of the God
of Hosts; for II is said by old resi-
dents of Henderson that he was Civ
en- to wandering about the fields
and was often seen standing upon
some hillside for hours in apparent
ly deep reflection. There was al
ready mutterings OF the approach
ing conflict between the North and
South, and while Jackson said but
little of the matter. II Is related
that In conversation once. upon be-
ing pressed, he said that his first
allegiance was to his State and that
in the event of war between sec
tions OF the nation, which he pray