Jackson at this period of his life. One other which is mentioned by a recent biographer should be noticed the strength of his memory. "In the section room," says "An ex-Cadet," "he would sit perfectly erect and motionless, listening with grave attention, and exhibiting the great powers of his wonderful memory, which was, I think, the most remarkable that ever came under my observation. The course that he taught was the most difficult and complicated known to mathematics, running through at least half a dozen text-books. In listening to a recitation he rarely used a book. He was ready at any moment to refer to any page or line in any of the books, and then to repeat with perfect accuracy the most difficult passages that could be referred to."

Such was Jackson at Lexington; a stiff, earnest, military figure artillery officer turned professor: stern in his bearing, eccentric in his habits, peculiar in many of his views, leading a life of alternate activity in the section room and abstraction in the study, independent, devoted to duty, deeply religious in sentiment, and notable in person, deportment, and character for an undoubted originality.) The eccentric figure was as well known in Lexington as that of the "Iron Duke," raising the finger to his hat, and uttering his curt greeting in the streets of London. As years wore on his character was better understood-his merit more fully recognized. We may doubt Colonel Smith's assertion that at the breaking out of the present war, "the spontaneous sentiment of every cadet and graduate was to serve under him as their leader," but there is good reason to believe that he had strongly impressed great numbers of persons with a conviction of his soldierly qualities-his good judgment, impartiality, perseverance, courage, and knowledge of the profession of arms.

Thus passed the years, almost without incident with Jackson-month following month, with little to distinguish one from another. The death of his first wife; his second marriage; a brief visit which he made to Europe in 1858, and his march to Charlestown, Virginia, in command of the cadet battery, in

1859, during the John Brown agitation, are the only events which seem to have interrupted the monotony of his daily duties. The loss of his wife must have been a heavy blow to a man of so much depth and earnestness of feeling, but we have no private records connected with that event. His tour in Europe is equally a blank. We only know that in 1858 he obtained a furlough of three months from the Board of Visitors, which he spent in European travel. The tour was brief and rapid, and we can trace from it no influences upon his life or character. At the expiration of his leave of absence he was back in his accustomed place, dressed in his accustomed uniform, and calmly pursuing his recitations, his artillery drills, and his scientific studies.

His life had thus flowed on, almost without a ripple on the serene surface. He was a sentinel on duty, whose "beat" was between his study and his recitation-room. The ardent young soldier had settled down into the serious professor, drilling military and scientific knowledge into the minds of youth, and content in this sphere of usefulness to forget all the dreams of ambition. Had not the recent struggle called him to the field once more, it is almost certain that he would have grown gray in his professor's chair, and died unknown.

But such a tranquil life and death was not to be the fate of Jackson. His early manhood had been passed in the hot at mosphere of battle, and amid the roar of artillery and small arms: that stormy music had saluted his youthful ears, and was to thunder round him on many a hard-fought field in a fiercer contest than any of the past; and with the solemn diapason rolling in the distance still, his spirit was to pass away.

3

CHAPTER V.

JACKSON IS APPOINTED COLONEL OF VOLUNTEERS.

THE causes which led to the late war are too well known to require any notice here. Other considerations operate to deter the writer from entering upon the subject. A brief summary would be too little, and a full discussion too much.

South Carolina seceded on the 20th December, 1860, and by the 1st of February, 1861, she had been joined in the order named by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. Military movements had begun at many points, and the formal collision was rapidly approaching. Early in February, Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, was elected President of the Confederate States, and on the 13th of April Fort Sumter surrendered to General Beauregard.

On the next day, April 14, 1861, President Lincoln issued his proclamation calling upon the States for 75,000 men, to enforce obedience to the United States authority in the seceded States.

come.

This proclamation decided the course of Virginia. She had long delayed her decision, from an almost unconquerable repugnance to a dissolution of the Union, and the inauguration of a bloody civil war, which must desolate her own territory more than that of any other State; and, in the Convention, then sitting at Richmond, the advocates of secession had hitherto found themselves opposed by a majority which nothing seemed able to overThis large party were in favor of mediating between the extremes, and believed themselves competent to arrange the differences by Peace Commissioners, and an appeal to the old kindly feeling of both sections. In April, however, it began to be plainly seen that these hopes were illusory. The Commissioners returned from Washington without attaining any results, and the proclamation of the President of the United States calling for troops to act against the South, speedily followed.

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:

"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