The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-11-03

Jonatnan JACKSON, after winning the
battle OF Charlottesville by re-
markabiy planned and executed flank
movement, was accidentally shot In
the darkness by his own men. E ght
days later he died. IL he had lived.
Carl Schurx admitted. Hooker's army
would have probably been crushed
entirely. If he had lived. wrote James
NJ. Garnet. In The Dial, few years
ago. Meade would never have won
the battle OF Gettysburg. II he had
lived, Northern as well as Southern
sympath GERS have repeated again and
again. the final defeat of the South
ern armies might have been iong de-
iayed. When the jackson monument
In New Orleans was dedicated. Faith
er Hubert prayed: God. when thou
d DIST decree that the Confederacy
shout not succeed, thou hadst FIRST to
take thy servant. General Jackson"
Lee said Of him: Such an executive
officer the sun never shone on" And
when Jackson lost an arm. his COM
mander- In chief mourned that his
own loss was greater than Jaekson's.
for that general had lost only his left
arm. while he (Lee) had lost the
right arm OF his army. But II Is not
by the giorification of the exploits Of
br liant general that we would COM
rlemorate this fiftieth anniversary OF
his death; 1t Is by recalling thu beau
tiful character OF the most profound
ly religious and most gidly ccnsci-
entious holder OF high rank on either
de during the terrible struggle.
Shortly after entering upon the du-
ties of his professorship in the Vir-
ginia NJ lttary academy at Lexington,
In 1851, the young Mexican war hero
joined the Presbyterian church. He
at once began to take very active
part N church affairs. and was for
some years In charge OF a negro Sun
day school when certain pupils and
even a teacher or two in his Sunday
school were a little careless In heed
ing his warning that the exercises be-
gan at a certain hour and not mo-
ment later. he had the door locked on
them. and had no more trouble in this
regard. He was so careful about Sab
bath observance that he avoided.
wherever possible, ma ling letter ut
such time that II would make any
part OF its journey on Sunday. He
found 1t absolutely necessary 4 con-
tinue one of his forced marches
through the Lords day: but when
the march ended in a victory. and his
army enjoyed a breath ug space, he
made an extra Sunday out of half
weekday to atone for his involuntary
sin, and ordered general religious SER
ices.
He was just as CONSCIENTIOUS about
what he regarded as his duty In secu-
lar matters. One of his pupils at the
military academy Is authority .or the
story that one afternoon, when the
cadets were drilling. heavy rain
storm broke. Jackson ordered them
under cover hut hiynaatf stnoA ,,~1ar
tree on the drill ground, drenched
to the skin. unit the storm had
abated sufficiently TO allow the arill to
continue. The state OF the weather,
in his opinion. did not affect his obli-
cation to remain on the DIR II ground
during drill hourA Conce wing some
doubts about the propriety of de ncimg.
he absolutely refused to engage in
that amusement. and when press ed
Tor reason, he answered very sensi-
bly, that he was not sure whether IL
was or was not sin to dance. where
as he was absolutely certain that 1t
was not sin not to dance.
He never hesitated an Instant 10
answer what he regarded as the call
OF duty. no matter how difficult or un-
pleasant the work he believed HIM
self called to do. A fr end once ask
ed him what he should do IL God
summoned him to the heart of Africa.
There Is no question that he meant
every word he said when he answer
ed: Il would go without my hat"
Such man could scarcely be trou-
bled by qualms of conscience, and
might very naturally. n spite of his
austerity. be as a friend termed IN,
the happiest man | ever saw"
When the pros pect CT a conetct be-
tween the States became imminent.
Jackson made an effort to bring about
a concert OF prayer" among the PEG.
pie of both North and South, that the
war might be averted. But when he
saw the impossibility of prev enting
the struggle. he threw himself INTO it
W tn all the intensity Of his nature.
Perhaps the great secret of his
strength was that he was not, like
many OF the Confederate leaders,
hating between two opinions. He
believed implicitly In State rights; he
bel eyed that sllvery was divinely or
dained; ana he never struck blow
that did not have. ne was sure, Gods
approval. fl dispatches are fun of
such phrases as God made my bril-
gade more in srumental than any
other: God blessed our arms with
victory" Unto his holy name be all
the PRAISE
He was ,ts Jealous as two other
great commanders. Cromwell and
Gustavus Adolphus. in encouraging
religion among his troops. but showed
no Incl nation to impose hts own par
oular religious Views or practices
upon them. He tried T. organize the
cha plains sarvice on such a basis that
every soldier could receive the sort OF
religious instruction lie preferred. He
AUTHORIZED Roman Catholic services
as readily as those cf the Protestant