The Coolidge examiner., 1933-02-10

are conjured up by that name!
Consider for instance. these words by re-
cent biographer-Capt John w. Thomason Jr.
of the United States marine corps in his "Jeb
Stuart" published by Scribners:
"Jeb Stuart filed the eye. He was strong and
ruddy. and in late 1862 commissioned major
general in the Confederate army with a year
and a few months left TO hve he was just un-
der thirty. He had a dark brown fiaring beard
and wide mustaches that showed bronze lights
In the sun. He was feet IL inches tall and he
rode at 175 pounds.
'He was large boned. long In the arms and
the legs and short in the body, and he looked
best a horse. He had blue and merry
eye, which turned dark and piercing when bat
tie warned him or his temper famed. His nose
was chseled and adventurous, the kind of nose
Napoleon admired In generals.
"AlsO. there was elegance about him. He
wore gauntlets of white buckskin, and rode in
a gray shell jacket. double-breasted, buttoned
back to show a close gray vest. His sword. light
French saber-for he never carried, in the Con-
federate army. the United States officers sword
of the old service-was belted over a cavalry
sash of golden silk with tasseled ends
"His gray horsemans cloak was lined with
scarlet his wife made 1t. General Lee, he wrote
her. admired 1t; and he deplored to her the bull
let which whipped away its fur collar at Fred.
ercksburg. His horse furniture and equipment
were polished leather and bright metal. and he
liked to wear a red rose in his jacket when the
roses bOomed. and lOveknot of red ribbon when
flowers were out of season.
His soft. fawn-colored hat loOped up
on the right with a gold star, and adorned with
a curling ostrich feather His boots sported little
knighty spurs of gOld-admiring ladies' even
those who never saw him in their lives sent
Such Ua ant SDia a1l GOLD
and glitter, in the front of great battles and
in hundred little cavalry fights which killed
men just as dead as Gettysburg.
"He wore out his horses and he wore out his
men, He rode big animals of the hunter type,
blood bays with black points for choice, and
his brother, William Alexander, was kept on
the lookout for such mounts. Admirers gave
him horses. splendid booded creatures like Star
of the East from Farquier and Skylark from
Maryland; none of them lasted long under the
service he eXacted.
"He was a social type, loving people laughing
much and leading out in song: for he had a
rich and golden voice. He was fond of charades
and wrote execrable poetry and affected ana
grams. There was never any sadness where he
was
"YesSr, Ahll tell you one ting says Gen.
eral Lees old camp servant after the war. IT
mex no Offence how quiet our headquarters
wuz'-and | think General Lees headquarters
were usually quet-wid'in ten minutes de
time Gineral Stuat ride up to visit us every
body would he a-laf1nl And Ah1l tell you an
other thing, sab. Ginerul Stuat wuz de only
one of dem big gineruls whut neveh did tech a
drapr
And Lee says. coming out of his tent to the
campfire where the young officers of his staff
and some of the old ones too, sat singing with
Stuart. and large stone jug, such apple
Jack, sat on a stone: Gentlemen. am to thank
General Stuart or the jug for this fine music?
The remark is close to the point. like every
thing Lee says Stuart was a strong stimulant
to all who tasted of his quality. and not stimu-
lus that died out and let you down.
"He gathered to himself train of oddities
When the cavalry commands forming into
regiments at the opening of the war, he came
upon Joseph Sweeny fellow apt upon the ban
10, furnished with all the tunes, who sprang ia
arms from a minstrel troupe electing to serve
mounted. Sweeny was at once detailed to the