borne back all of the morning, and his little handful
of brave fellows nearly swept away by the blue waves
which threatened to overwhelm everything before
them, rode up to Jackson and exclaimed almost in
despair: "General, they are beating us back." "No,
sir," said Jackson, his eves fairly glittering beneath
the rim of his old cadet cap, "they shall not beat us
back. We will give them the bayonet."
It was then that Bee, about to yield up his noble
life, galloped back to the scattered remnant of his
command and rallied them by exclaiming: "Here
.stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally behind the
Virginians! Let us determine to die here and we
shall conquer!"
And thus was the name of the heroic Bee linked
forever with that of " Stonewall " —
"One of the few immortal names,
That v<*re not born to die."
But thr soubriquet given was as inappropriate as
can be imagined. Jackson was more like a cyclone, a
tornado, a hurricane, than a stone wall.
Jackson was accustomed to keep his plans secret
from his stall' and his higher officers as well as from
the people, ami once said : if I ran deceive our own
people I will be sure to deceive the enemy as to my
plans."
It was a very common remark in his corps: "If
the Yankees are as ignorant of this move as we are
old Jack has them."
His QUICK DECISION M> I uisr ORDERS.
Ja.kson was noted for the quickness with which he
decided what to do, and his short, crisp orders on the
battlefield.
I happened to be sitting on my horse near by, when
Col. A. S. Pendleton, of Jackson's staff, rode up to
Gen. Early, at Cedar Run. and touching his hat quiet-
lv said: "Gen. Jackson sends compliments to Gen.
Early and says advance on the enemy and you will
be supported by Gen. Winder."
"(ien. Early's compliments to (ien. Jackson, and
tell him I will do it." was the laconic reply, and thus
the battle opened.
On the eve of another battle a staff officer rode up
to Jackson and said: "(ien. Ewell sends his compli-
ments anil says he is read v." "(ien. Jackson's com-
pliments to (ien Ewell am! tell him to proceed," was
the quiet reply. And Boon the noise of the conflict
was beard. At Cold Harbor, on the memorable 27th
of June, 1861, after he had gotten his corps in position,
the great chieftain spent a few moments in earnest
prayer, and then said quietly to one of his staff:
"Tell Gen. Ewell to drive the enemy." Soon the ter-
rible shock was joined, and he sat quietly on his sor-
rel sucking a lemon and watching through his glasses
the progress of the fight. Presently a staff officer of
Gen. Ewell galloped up and exclaimed : "(ien. Ewell
says, sir, that it is almost impossible for him to ad-
vance further unless the battery (pointing to it) is
silenced." "Go tell Major Andrews to bring sixteen
pieces of artillery to bear on that battery and silence
it immediately," was the prompt reply.
Soon the battery wa< silenced. " Now," he said,
"tell Gen. Ewell to drive them," and right nobly did
Ewell and his gallant men obey the order. When on
his great flank movement at Chancellorsville, Gen.
Eitz Lee "sent for him to ascend a hill from which he
could view the enemy's position, he merely glanced at
it once, when he formed his plan and said quickly to
an aide: "Tell my column to cross that road."
Just before he was wounded at Chancellorsville he
gave to A. P. Hill the order, "Press them and cut
them off from the United States ford," and as he was
borne off the field bleeding, mangled and fainting, he
roused himself to give, with something of his old fire,
his last order, "Gen. Pendleton, you must hold your
position."
ms Ricin. DISCIPLINE.
He was very stern and rigid in his discipline, and
would not tolerate for a moment the slightest devia-
tion from the letter of his orders. He put Gen. Gar-
nett under arrest for ordering a retreat at Kernstown.
although his ammunition was exhausted and his bri-
gade was about to be surrounded, preferred charges
against him, and was prosecuting them with utmost
rigor when the ( bancellorsville campaign opened. He
insisted that Gen. (iarnett should have held his
position with the bayonet; that the enemy would
have retreated if be had not, and that under no cir-
cumstances should Garnett have fallen back without
orders from him (Jackson) After the death of Jack-
son, (ien. Lee. without further trial of the case, re-
stored (ien. (iarnett to the command of his brigade.
and this brave soldier fell in in the foremost of Pick-
ett's famous charge on the heights of Gettysburg. A.
brigadier once galloped up to Jackson in the midst of
battle, and said : "(ien. Jackson, did you order me to
charge that battery?" pointing to it, "Yes, sir. I did.
Have you obeyed the order ; " " Why, no, general ; I
thought there must be some mistake. My brigade
would lie annihilated, literally annihilated, sir, it we
should move across that field." "Gen. ." said
Jackson, bis eyes flashing tire and his voice and man-
ner betraying excitement and even rage, "I always try
to take care of my wounded and bury my dead. Obey
that order, sir, and do it at once."
I heard one day, on the Valley campaign, a colloquy
between Jackson and a colonel commanding one of
his brigades Jackson said quietly: "1 thought,
Col. , that the orders were tor you to move in the
rear instead of in the front of (ien. Elzcy's brigade
this morning." " Yes, I know that, general ; but my
fellows were ready before Elzey's, and 1 thought it
would be bad to keep them waiting, and that it really
made no difference anyhow." " 1 want you to under-
stand, colonel." was the almost fierce reply," that you
must obey my orders first and reason about them
afterwards". Consider yourself under arrest, sir, and
march to the rear of'your brigade." Jackson put
(ien. A. P. Hill under "arrest (for a cause that was
manifestly unjust) on the second Manassas campaign,
and be probably put more officers under arrest than
all other of our generals combined. There is no doubt
that Jackson was sometimes, too severe, and that he
was not always just, and yet it would have greatly in-
creased the discipline and efficiency of our service if
others of our Confederate leaders had had more of this
sternness and severity towards delinquents.
HIS ATTENTION TO MINI'TK DETAILS.
He was unceasingly active in giving his personal at-
tention to the minutest details. He hail an interview
with his quartermaster, his commissary, his ordinance
and his medical officer every day, and he was at all
times thoroughly familiar with the condition of these
departments. It is a remarkable fact that, despite his
Page:Confederate Veteran volume 01.djvu/25
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CONFEDERATE VETERAN.
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