Stonewall Jackson's Most Dreaded Foe
. - This statement was Written by a citizen of Norfolk, Va., once a Confederate soldier, and was first published in the Christian Observer, of Louisville, Ky., oa
November 20, 1895 :
"About daylight of the day before the second battle of Manassas,
I was ordered to report to General T. J. Jackson, with a detail of one
hundred men for special duty. Upon arrival at the headquarters and
making myself known by presenting the order of General J. E. B.
Stuart, General Jackson told me to come with him, and rode some fifty
or one hundred yards from his staff, turned towards me and halted.
Then he said, 'Captain, do you ever use liquors?' I replied, 'No, sir.'
He then said : 'I sent to General Stuart to send me a special detail of
one hundred men under command of an officer who never used spirit-
uous liquors. Are you that man ?' I said : 'Yes, sir, I was detailed on
that account.'
" 'Well, sir, I have an order to give, upon the full and exact execution
of which depends the success of the present movement, and the result
of the battle soon to be fought. Can I trust you to execute it ?'
"I replied, that if to keep sober was all that was needful he could
rely upon my obedience.
"He said, 'No, that is not all, but unless you can resist temptation to
drink you cannot carry out my orders ; but I will explain.' He then
pointed to a large frame depot or warehouse and said: 'Take your
command up to that warehouse, have a large number of barrels of
bread rolled out and sent down the railroad to a point about five
hundred yards from the warehouse, so that the men may get all the
bread they want as they pass, and then take some picked men into the
building and spill all the liquors there ; don't spare a drop, nor let any
man taste it under any circumstances. I expect you to execute this
order at any cost.'
"He pulled down his cap and was about to ride back to his staff, when
I said to him : 'General, suppose an officer of superior rank should
order me under arrest and then gain possession of the warehouse?'
"He said with an air of solemnity I shall never forget, coming close
to me and looking as if he would look me through: 'Until I relieve
you in person you are exempt from arrest except upon my order in
writing.' He then said : 'I fear that liquor more than General Pope's
Army,' and rode off.
"I took my men to the warehouse, now so important in my eyes, and
threw a guard around it, placing five men at each entrance, with orders
neither to allow any one to enter, nor to enter themselves. I then put
some prisoners under guard to roll out the bread nearest the doors.
In a little while this was done, and to guard was apparently all that
was required. But in a little while I was called to one entrance to find
a general officer with his staff demanding that the guards should either
allow him to enter or bring out some liquor. Upon my refusal to
comply with his request, he ordered his adjutant to place me under
arrest.
*"I told him that I was put there by General Jackson in person, and
exempted from liability of arrest. He gave his staff an order to dis-
mount and enter the warehouse, and I gave my men the order to level
their guns, and 'make ready.' This made the thirsty General halt, and
hold a consultation with his officers, who concluded to try persuasion.
But they found no liquor could be had. They then asked my name,
and to what command I belonged, and threatened to report me for diso-
bedience of orders to a superior officer.
"Just then General A. P. Hill came galloping up with his stall.
I explained the situation to him, and soon saw that he took in the
situation, as he ordered the thirsty squad off. Then he said : 'Have
you orders to burn this building?' On my replying that I had not, he
went off. Within an hour General Jackson sent me an order to burn
the building. This I did. No man got a drink that day. And the
foe that Stonewall Jackson most dreaded was powerless for evil."
"STONEWALL JACKSON"
A THESAURUS OF ANECDOTES OF AND INCIDENTS
IN THE LIFE OF LIEUT-GENERAL THOMAS
JONATHAN JACKSON, C. S. A.
BY ELIHU S. RILEY, I . H. D. 1920, page.164-165.
November 20, 1895 :
"About daylight of the day before the second battle of Manassas,
I was ordered to report to General T. J. Jackson, with a detail of one
hundred men for special duty. Upon arrival at the headquarters and
making myself known by presenting the order of General J. E. B.
Stuart, General Jackson told me to come with him, and rode some fifty
or one hundred yards from his staff, turned towards me and halted.
Then he said, 'Captain, do you ever use liquors?' I replied, 'No, sir.'
He then said : 'I sent to General Stuart to send me a special detail of
one hundred men under command of an officer who never used spirit-
uous liquors. Are you that man ?' I said : 'Yes, sir, I was detailed on
that account.'
" 'Well, sir, I have an order to give, upon the full and exact execution
of which depends the success of the present movement, and the result
of the battle soon to be fought. Can I trust you to execute it ?'
"I replied, that if to keep sober was all that was needful he could
rely upon my obedience.
"He said, 'No, that is not all, but unless you can resist temptation to
drink you cannot carry out my orders ; but I will explain.' He then
pointed to a large frame depot or warehouse and said: 'Take your
command up to that warehouse, have a large number of barrels of
bread rolled out and sent down the railroad to a point about five
hundred yards from the warehouse, so that the men may get all the
bread they want as they pass, and then take some picked men into the
building and spill all the liquors there ; don't spare a drop, nor let any
man taste it under any circumstances. I expect you to execute this
order at any cost.'
"He pulled down his cap and was about to ride back to his staff, when
I said to him : 'General, suppose an officer of superior rank should
order me under arrest and then gain possession of the warehouse?'
"He said with an air of solemnity I shall never forget, coming close
to me and looking as if he would look me through: 'Until I relieve
you in person you are exempt from arrest except upon my order in
writing.' He then said : 'I fear that liquor more than General Pope's
Army,' and rode off.
"I took my men to the warehouse, now so important in my eyes, and
threw a guard around it, placing five men at each entrance, with orders
neither to allow any one to enter, nor to enter themselves. I then put
some prisoners under guard to roll out the bread nearest the doors.
In a little while this was done, and to guard was apparently all that
was required. But in a little while I was called to one entrance to find
a general officer with his staff demanding that the guards should either
allow him to enter or bring out some liquor. Upon my refusal to
comply with his request, he ordered his adjutant to place me under
arrest.
*"I told him that I was put there by General Jackson in person, and
exempted from liability of arrest. He gave his staff an order to dis-
mount and enter the warehouse, and I gave my men the order to level
their guns, and 'make ready.' This made the thirsty General halt, and
hold a consultation with his officers, who concluded to try persuasion.
But they found no liquor could be had. They then asked my name,
and to what command I belonged, and threatened to report me for diso-
bedience of orders to a superior officer.
"Just then General A. P. Hill came galloping up with his stall.
I explained the situation to him, and soon saw that he took in the
situation, as he ordered the thirsty squad off. Then he said : 'Have
you orders to burn this building?' On my replying that I had not, he
went off. Within an hour General Jackson sent me an order to burn
the building. This I did. No man got a drink that day. And the
foe that Stonewall Jackson most dreaded was powerless for evil."
"STONEWALL JACKSON"
A THESAURUS OF ANECDOTES OF AND INCIDENTS
IN THE LIFE OF LIEUT-GENERAL THOMAS
JONATHAN JACKSON, C. S. A.
BY ELIHU S. RILEY, I . H. D. 1920, page.164-165.