The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-11-28
AN ANSWER TO
"THE LONG ROLL"
View of StOnewall Jackson in
Miss JOhnstOn's Book a
Caricature
Caricaure
tBy His Wife, MARY ANNA JACK.
SONY

SOM
Being strenuously opposed to pub
Iicity myself, as to newspaper con-
troy ersy, I have remained silent con-
ce1ning all that has been written pro
and con about Miss Mary Johnston's
novel, 1.-The Long ROLL" This being
a work Of fiction, it would seem USE
less to undertake to controvert its
misrepresentation; but since Miss
Johnston herself in an interview with
a reporter of The Baltimore Sun,
AYERS that she is absolutely correct"
in all her characterizations of Stone
wall Jackson and refutes the Rev. DR..
Smiths defense as "a personal ideal
of General Jackson" L can no longer
remain silent. Pity it's, but true that
fiction is more cad by the young
thar history, and it would De a great
Injustice to General Jackson that
such q delineation of his character
and personality should go down to fu-
ture generations.
Miss Johnston acknowledges that
she never saw or knew General Jack
son. which fact is very evident from
the hideOuS caricature she uses as her
froEtispiece representing him and his
little sorrel, and which alone is
oAAooS w An 'oOAe 49,
quote from a protest against "The
Lorg Roll" many Of which I have
received, an old follower Of General
Jackson says: Her frontispiece Of
this great soldier is utterly feature
less and is more the LIKENESS of some
brutal p~rize-fighter, Of physical figure
and countenance, all animal, without
one spark Of mental illumination; and
while this is simply and solely beast
~. Miss Johnston's miserably unjust
and unlikeness-like portrayal Of his
character and mental qualities is at
one, Or in close unity, with the mon
strous physical likeness" IN attempt
ing to paint a historical picture Of
General Jackson, which Miss Johnston
asserts is a true portrait" it was
but just that she obtain correct pic
lures Of the general and his war
horse. These I would have been only
too glad to give her or they could
have been obtained from books Of
Confederate history.
Passing Strange 1t Is.
1t is passing strange where the au-
thor obtained all her information
concerning the wonderful peculiari-
ties and eccentricities Of this man,
who won honor and fame in spite Of
them all. or how she could keep her
mind and pen In such constant exer.
else exploiting his "Old forage ZAP"
9Th, jerking OF his hand" and his
everlasting sucking OF The
two last peculiar habits which she
airs in such excessive detail were un-
known to me. but ] can tell a story
of that old grey cap, around which
a halo OF sanctity will ever finger and
which perhaps Miss Johnston b
never heard.
During the last winter Of his life,
General Jackson was in winter quar-
tiers at Moss Neck, the home Of a Mr.
r,.1>:o noo -aaorso3xoh11r The
host and hostess insisted on giving
him quarters in their residence, but
he was afraid his military family
might be too much OF an Gun
brance, SO he accepted an Office In the
yard. In the family was a lovely lit
tie girl named Jane, who became q
Snecial pet with the General. Her
pretty face and~winSome ways were
SO charming to him that he request
ed her mother as a favor that ne
might have a visit from the I1ttle g1.l
every afternoon when his days labors
were over. and her innocent COM
partnership and sweet prattie became
a source of great 10 n1m'
He loved to hold her upon his
and sometimes he played and ro1npeo
with her, his hearty laughter ming
ling with that of the child. he al
ways had some treat in store for her
as she came each day-an apple. AN
DIV or cake, but the supply OF such
things in his scanty quarters oecom-
ing exhausted one afternoon ne nao
nothing to offer her, n glancine
around The room his eye fell upon a
new grey cap which he had just re-
ce:ved from his wife and which was
ornamented with a simple band OF
gilt braid-the most modest marx
that a field officer could wear. Iak-
ing up his knife he ripped Off n
braid and encircling it around little
James fair head he stood of ad-
mirably and said: This shall be you1
coronet!" The little girl died just a
few weeks before General Jackson
himself was translated, SO their hap
DIV spirits were soon reunited In the
Land Of the Living.
Mind Was Occupied.
General Jackson realized as re"
men did the desperateness OF
cause The South had undertaken, buc