Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1921-05-10
WHAT HAPPENED AT
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA.


Idlewhile, Shepherdstown, w. Va.
May 2, 1921.
Mr. Editor-Fifty-eight years ago
today, (2nd of May 1859 Gen.
Thomas j. Jackson was mortally
wounded on the old Blank Road near
Charlottesville, dying on May 10th
in the house of Mr.. Chandler, near
Guinea Station, Va. 1t has been my
privilege to visit this house and bat
tlefield and to study with unbounded
interest the varied positions occupied
by this Giant in military strategy,
"The Hero of the South" 1t has al
so been my privilege to visit the town
of his maturity (Lexington) where |
learned many things not generally
known of this wonderful character,
who within two years his genius had
famed and the infections had reach
ed the civilized world. He stood a
Napolean with a soul. Easily the
greatest military strategist in thou
sand years. He stood Napolen's peer
as a General and his vast superior as
a man.
Fifty-eight years ago today Gen.
Stonewall Jackson's Star had reached
its ascendency, and hung over old
Charlottesville Battlefield in scintill-
liant glory. He had won for the Con-
federate Army the greatest victory
of the whole war and most beyond
doubt he would within an hour begin
a movement that would annihilate his
stricken and disorganized enemy
He was giving the first orders to this
end when the<rifie fire of whole bri-
gade crashed across the road and sent
himself and his aids, Gen. A. P. Hill
and his staff dead or wounded to the
ground. And to my mind Mr.. Editor
in commenoration of this August
Providential event every Confederate
veteran and their posterity should
with pride and solemnity on the End
of May wear the badge of mourning.
the greatest hero and military strate-
gist in battling for principles he be-
heved to be just and honest, that ever
lived since the dawn of human his
tory. Nothing but magnificent will
and an all ebracing faith in his God
made him the military wonder of the
world of his time. He had genius, he
saw battlefields as others see maps
and he was clairvoiant in his knowl-
edge of what others would do.
But Mr.. Editor this giant in intel
lect whose biography we so delight in
studying, had to march to his success
through the most dreadful fire, SEN
sitive, earnest, dedicated man may
face, barrage of laughter and ridi-
Guile, Lexington made fun of him.
His ODDITIES We're subject of thous-
and jokes, old school teacher, his
students when once free of his class
mimicked him and turned practical
jokes upon him. Citizens and Pro-
fessors alike found Old Tom Jackson
the source of much laughter But
Gov. Letcher saw something else I'M
der that old SLOUGH hat and on May 2,
1861 made him Col. of volunteers and
sent him to Harper's Ferry when the
whole of Lexington laughed again.
So unmilitary was the new Col. that
a newspaper correspondent singled
him out. They said the South must
be in woeful want of military mater
ial to choose Jackson.
After all this persecution at home
by his own people we find this man
whom Gen. Lee called his right Arm
at Charlottesville, Va, on May LIST
in command of $4,000 men facing
Gen. Hooker with 10000 from whom
he captured $4,000 rifles and 1000
men in first days battle. This is the
man that had fanked the army, that
had flanked Lees army and had
caught Gen. Hooker in the jaws of
the pinchers as Hooker had meant to
catch Lee. This is the man who was
commissioned in the army on the End
day of May, 81 and shot down on
End day of May '63, two years to the
very day under the Stars and Bars
and never lost victory This is the
Gen. of whom the Loudon Times said
that mixture of daring and judg-
ment which is the mark of Heaven
Born generals, distinguished him be-
yond any man of his time This is
the man whom Lexington sneered at
as a fool. This is the man whose
basic structure of action is theory
that man can always accomplish
what he wills to perform. This is
the man whom all Europe proclaim
the hero of the South and whose re-
mains are resting a short distance
from the streets he had walked an &C.
centric and pathetic figure. This is
the man that could not be subdued by
human ingenuiety and necessitated
an act of Providence that the Union
might be saved. This is the man
whose indomitable spirit and courage
will live in the hearts and minds of
Generations to come and will walk
the avenues of Lexington for all
time. J. v. BELL.