Year: 1866

iHclN, N"ni P'''"'' =,


ambitious man in the Southern Con-
fedcracy than "Stonewall' Jackson
The vulgar mind thinks it easily
discovers those who are the ambl-
tiousmen in community. 1t roadi-
" designates as such those who as
pire to offices and public positions,
who seek sensations, court notorle-
ty in newspapers, and hold up their
hands for the applause of the mul-
titudc. But ambition, in its true
and noble sense, is very different
from these coarse bids for popular
favor. There is a class Of appa-
rently quiet minds which, choosing
seclusion and mystery, and wearing
an air of absence and even misan-
thropy, moving in their daily walks
with an appearance of profound un-
concern, are yet living for history,
and are daily and nightly consum-
ed with the fires of ambition. 1t
is this sort of ambition which cher
ishes and attempts ideals; which
is founded on deep and unconquer-
able self. esteem, and which is often
haughtily and even grimly SILENT
from consciousness of its own
powers, and an ever-present belief
in its destiny.


Of such an order Of ambition,
those who knew Gen. Jackson best,
declare that he was singularly pos
sessed. He believed in his destiny,
whatever religious name he chose
to attach to that transcendental and
ravishing sentiment; he was fond
of repeating to his intimate friends
that 0mystery was the secret Of sue
cess :" and because he went about
his work with silent and stern
manner, that was no proof of the op-
inion of the populace that he was
simply a machine of conscientious
motives, with no sentiment in his
composition but that Of duty.


1t is not unfrequently the expe-
rience of truly great men that they
have to live through period of ut
ter misapprehension of their worth,
and often of intense ridicule. Such
was the painful experience of Gen.
Jackson. AT the Virginia military
school at Lexington, where he was
a professor before the war, he was
thought to be stupid and harmless,
and he was often the butt Of the
academic wit Of that institution.
Col. Gillian, who taught tactics
there, was taken to be the military
genius of the place, and afterwards
gave evidence Of the correctness OF
this appreciation by actually losing
during the war in the mountains OF
North western Virginia, the only
regiment that he was ever trusted
to command.


At the battle of Manassas, despite
the critical and splendid service
which Jackson did there, for he
stayed the retreat in the rear Of the
Robinson House, and in the subse-
quent charge pierced the enemy's
centre,) his stiff and odd figure
drew upon him the squibs of all the
newspaper correspondents on the
field. His habit of twisting his
head and interpolating "sir" in all
his remarks, was humorously des-
cribed in the Charleston Mercury.
At later period of his military
career, when he made his terrible
wintry march in 1862 from Win
chester to Bath and Romney, and
became involved in differences with
General Loring, it was actually re-
ported that he was insane. A Col.
came to Richmond with the report
that Jackson had gone mad that
his mania was that familiar spirit
had taken possession of his body ;
and that he was in the habit of
walking by himself, and hold audi
BILE conversations with a mysteri-
Gus being.


II was about this time that
General Jackson came under the
fitful cloud of President Davis dis
pleasure and he was so much af-
fected by the course of the Rich
mond authorities towards him, in
his affair with Loring, that at one
time he determined to resign.-The
extreme sensibility of his nature,
and his evident ambition were un-
masked in the letters he wrote his
wife, alluding to the then probable
close of his military career, and
submitting to what he supposed
"the will Of God" in the abrupt ter
mination of his hopes. But it was
not decreed by Providence that
the Confederate cause should then
lose the services of Jackson, and
its chief ornament be plucked from
it and its great pillar of strength
cast down, through a paltry official
embodiment in Richmond. By the
earnest persuasions of Governor
Betcher and others, Gen. jackson
was induced to withdraw his letter
ofresignation and the sword which
might have been dropped in an OBJ
scure quarrel was yet 10 carve out
the most brilliant name in the war.