The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1933-02-17


Consider, for instance, these words by re-
cent biographer-Capt John w. Thomson, Jr.,
of the United States marine corps in his "Jeb
Stuart" published by Scribners:
"Jeb Stuart filled the eye. He was strong and
rudy, and in late 1862, commissioned major
general in the Confederate army with a year
and a few months left to live, he was just I'M
der thirty. He had a dark brown flarng beard
and wide mustaches that showed bronze lights
In the sun. He was feet IL inches tall and he
rode at 175 pounds
HE large boned, long in the arms and
the legs and short in the body, and he looked
best a horse. He had a blue and merry
eye, which turned dark and piercing when bat
tie warned him or his temper famed. His
chseled and adventurous, the kind of nose
Napoleon admired In generals.
ALSO, there an elegance about him. He
wore gauntets of white buckskin, and rode in
a gray shell jacket, doube-breasted, buttoned
back to show close gray vest. His sword, a light
French saber-for he never carried, in the Con-
federate army, the United States officers sword
of the old service-was beted over a cavalry
sash of golden silk with tasseled ends.
His gray horsemans cloak was lined with
scarlet; his wife made it. General Lee he wrote
her, admired it; and he deplored to her the bull
let which whipped away it's fur collar at Fred
ericksburg. His horse furniture and equipment
were polished leather and bright metal, and he
liked to a red rose in his jacket when the
roses bloomed, and loveknot of red ribbon when
flowers out of season.
His soft, fawn-colored hat Topped up
the right with gold star and adorned with
a curling ostrich feather His boots sported little
knightly spurs of gold-admiring ladies, even
those who never saw him in their lives. sent
him such things He went conspicuous, all gold
and glitter, in the front of great battles and
in hundred little cavalry fights which killed
men just dead Gettysburg.
"He wore out his horses and he were 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 blooded creatures like Star
of the East from Farquer and Skylark from
Maryland; none of them lasted long under the
service he eXacted.
"He was social type loving people, laughing
much and leading out In song for he had
rich and golden voice He fond of charades
and wrote execrable poetry and affected ana
grams. There was never any sadness where he
was
"'Yessir Ahn tell you one ting says Gen.
eral Lees old camp servant after the war. Tt
mex no Offence how quiet our headquarters
wuz-and I think General Lees headquarters
were usually duiet-'wd'in ten minutes Nv de
time Gineral Stua't ride up to visit us every
body would be a-laffinl And Ah'l tell you an
other thing, sab. Ginerul Stua't de only
one of dem big gneruls whut neveh did tech
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 as apple
jack, sat on stone: Gentlemen. am I to thank
General Stuart or the jug for this fine muster
The remark is close to the point, like every
thing Lee says; Stuart was a strong stimuant
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 were forming into
regiments at the opening of the war; he came
upon Joseph Sweeny, fellow apt upon the BAN
TO- furnished with all the tunes. who sprang to
arms from minstrel troupe. electing to serve
mounted. Sweeny at detailed to the
escort and where Stuart went, he went, with
his banjo and his ditties
"The by-ways of Virginia heard old joyous
snatches ringing above the thudding of the
horses hoofs. Small country towns awoke at
night and the girls turned out in their stored
fnery for impromptu dances, where Sweeny's
banjo pitched the measure and Jeb Stuart led
the rout. But if it CHANGED to be Saturday night,
everything stopped at IL o'clock. Jeb Stuart had
serious ideas about Sunday"
Theatrical as Jeb Stuart was. he was much
more. He was truly great cavaryman. OF him
General Lee once said HE never sent me
piece of false information" and in Civil war
DAYS military leaders had to depend upon their
cavalry for information and accurate informa-