Virginia, as one of the States still in the Union, was expected to furnish her quota of this force of 75,000 men; and the Commonwealth was called upon immediately to decide whether she would fight against or with the South. Her decision was shown by the passage, on the 17th of April, of an ordinance of secession, and Virginia took her place, for weal or woe, by the side of her Southern sisters.

Having thus cast their lot with the seceding States, the authorities of Virginia proceeded to prepare for war. The Convention entered with vigor upon the work of putting the Commonwealth in a state of defence; volunteers were directed to be enrolled and held in readiness in every part of the State; and Colonel R. E. Lee, who had resigned his commission in the United States cavalry, and repaired to his native State, was appointed Major-General of the Provisional army of Virginia, and placed in command of all her forces.

These steps were not taken too soon. The action of Virginia had been anticipated by the Federal authorities, and they now acted with decision. The passage of the ordinance of secession became known on the 18th, and on the 19th of April Lieutenant Jones, of the United States army, evacuated Harper's Ferry, having first attempted to blow up the public buildings there. On the next day reënforcements were promptly thrown into Fortress Monroe; and the navy yard at Norfolk, together with the war shipping there, was set on fire and abandoned.

War had thus commenced, and with it Jackson appeared upon the scene. He left Lexington on the 21st of April, in command of the corps of cadets, and, proceeding to Camp Lee at Richmond, entered energetically upon the task of drilling the new levies flocking in from every portion of the State. While he was thus engaged, Governor Letcher nominated him for colonel of volunteers, and his name came up before the Convention. Here some objection was shown to the appointment. A strong prejudice had taken hold upon the public mind against the managers of the Military Institute, who were supposed to have betrayed an intention of monopolizing, if possible, for the officers

and graduates of that school, all military appointments in the Virginia forces, and the career of Jackson in Mexico, never very widely known, appeared to have passed from the memories of everybody.

"Who is this Thomas J. Jackson?" was a question asked by many, and one of his friends replied:

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"I can tell you who he is. If you put him in command at Norfolk, he will never leave it alive, unless you order him to do so."

His services in Mexico and at the Institute were dwelt upon by his friends, and his appointment was unanimously confirmed. But he was not sent to Norfolk. He was directed to proceed to Harper's Ferry and take command of the forces assembling there, which he did on the 3d of May, 1861.

We have a personal sketch of Jackson as he appeared at this time, which, if not very complimentary, is at least characteristic, and shows what effect he produced upon strangers.

An army correspondent of one of the Southern papers drew an outline of the newly appointed colonel. The queer apparition of the ex-Professor on the field excited great merriment in this writer. The Old Dominion must be wofully deficient in military men, he feared, if this was the best she could do. The new colonel was not at all like a commanding officer. There was a painful want in him of all the "pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war." His dress was no better than a private soldier's, and there was not a particle of gold lace about his uniform. His air was abstracted; his bearing stiff and awkward; he kept his own counsels; never consulted with his officers, and had very little to say to anybody. On horseback his appearance was even less impressive. Other officers, at that early stage of the war, when the fondness for military insignia and display was greater than afterwards, when the blockade had cut off the supply of gewgaws and decorations, made their appearance before their troops on prancing horses, with splendid trappings, and seemed desirous of showing the admiring spectators how gracefully they could sit in the saddle. The new colo