Stonewall Say What Saturday: General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson Quips Quite the Quote

DBF

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This story is told by Major Henry Kyd Douglas and it happened at General Jackson headquarters at Bunker Hill. General JEB Stuart had ridden into camp along with Captain John Pelham. Pelham went off the get some sleep in Douglas’s tent while Stuart went into the tent of Stonewall Jackson.

General Jackson was already asleep and as General Stuart was exhausted, he only removed his saber, keeping on the remainder of his clothes and threw himself down by Jackson’s side and immediately fell asleep. The night was chilly, so Stuart began to tug for the blanket for warmth. When morning came, Stuart arises and joins Jackson by a blazing fire before the tent where he spent the night.

“Good Morning”, he calls to General Jackson. After inquiring how he was doing Stonewall dragged his hands through his uncombed hair and with his “Jacksonian humor” said:

“General Stuart, I’m always glad to see you here. You might select better hours sometimes, but I’m always glad to have you. But, General, you must not get into my bed with your boots and spurs on and ride me around like a cavalry horse all night!”

* * *
Sadly for both General Jackson and Stuart they would not survive the war. On May 10, 1863, Jackson died from the wound he received from friendly fire on May 2nd and almost to the same day a year later Stuart died on May 12. The jovial mood on that day by the blazing fire, would pass away in tears and sorrows for their fellow soldiers and the grief that fell upon the Confederacy at their demise. No one would feel the sorrow as painfully or deeply as their beloved spouses and young children: Mary Ann and 5-month old Julia Jackson; Flora Stuart a mother with an almost 4 year old sonn, a month shy of 4 years old James Ewell Brown the II and 7-month old Virginia Stuart.

John Rueben Thompson (1823-1873) wrote a poem entitled “Obsequies of Stuart” dated May 12, 1864. I have included excerpts below in which he mentions the deaths of these 2 beloved generals.

The smoke, above the glimmering woodland wide
That skirts our southward border in its beauty,
Marked where our heroes stood and fought and died
For love and faith and duty.

With dirge and bell and minute-gun, we paid
Some few poor rites--an inexpressive token
Of a great people's pain--to Jackson's shade,
In agony unspoken.

No wailing trumpet and no tolling bell,
No cannon, save the battle's boom receding,
When Stuart to the grave we bore, might tell,
With hearts all crushed and bleeding.

And sometimes, when the silver bugles blow
That ghostly form, in battle reappearing,
Shall lead his horsemen headlong on the foe,

In victory careering!


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Sources
1. “I Rode with Stonewall” - by Henry Kyd Douglas - page 196 (Link)
2. “South Songs: From the Lays of Later Days”, edited by Thomas Cooper De Leon, pages 133-136
3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/536/thomas-jonathan-jackson#view-photo=157192501
4.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/986/james-ewell_brown-stuart#view-photo=145164364
 

This story is told by Major Henry Kyd Douglas and it happened at General Jackson headquarters at Bunker Hill. General JEB Stuart had ridden into camp along with Captain John Pelham. Pelham went off the get some sleep in Douglas’s tent while Stuart went into the tent of Stonewall Jackson.

General Jackson was already asleep and as General Stuart was exhausted, he only removed his saber, keeping on the remainder of his clothes and threw himself down by Jackson’s side and immediately fell asleep. The night was chilly, so Stuart began to tug for the blanket for warmth. When morning came, Stuart arises and joins Jackson by a blazing fire before the tent where he spent the night.

“Good Morning”, he calls to General Jackson. After inquiring how he was doing Stonewall dragged his hands through his uncombed hair and with his “Jacksonian humor” said:

“General Stuart, I’m always glad to see you here. You might select better hours sometimes, but I’m always glad to have you. But, General, you must not get into my bed with your boots and spurs on and ride me around like a cavalry horse all night!”

* * *
Sadly for both General Jackson and Stuart they would not survive the war. On May 10, 1863, Jackson died from the wound he received from friendly fire on May 2nd and almost to the same day a year later Stuart died on May 12. The jovial mood on that day by the blazing fire, would pass away in tears and sorrows for their fellow soldiers and the grief that fell upon the Confederacy at their demise. No one would feel the sorrow as painfully or deeply as their beloved spouses and young children: Mary Ann and 5-month old Julia Jackson; Flora Stuart a mother with an almost 4 year old sonn, a month shy of 4 years old James Ewell Brown the II and 7-month old Virginia Stuart.

John Rueben Thompson (1823-1873) wrote a poem entitled “Obsequies of Stuart” dated May 12, 1864. I have included excerpts below in which he mentions the deaths of these 2 beloved generals.

The smoke, above the glimmering woodland wide
That skirts our southward border in its beauty,
Marked where our heroes stood and fought and died
For love and faith and duty.

With dirge and bell and minute-gun, we paid
Some few poor rites--an inexpressive token
Of a great people's pain--to Jackson's shade,
In agony unspoken.

No wailing trumpet and no tolling bell,
No cannon, save the battle's boom receding,
When Stuart to the grave we bore, might tell,
With hearts all crushed and bleeding.

And sometimes, when the silver bugles blow
That ghostly form, in battle reappearing,
Shall lead his horsemen headlong on the foe,

In victory careering!


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Sources
1. “I Rode with Stonewall” - by Henry Kyd Douglas - page 196 (Link)
2. “South Songs: From the Lays of Later Days”, edited by Thomas Cooper De Leon, pages 133-136
3. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/536/thomas-jonathan-jackson#view-photo=157192501
4.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/986/james-ewell_brown-stuart#view-photo=145164364
I’d be willing to bet Stuart was the only one who could possibly crawl in bed with Jackson let alone draw a rare glimpse of humor from the man the next morning. The two men had a very odd relationship that had to have the men of the Stonewall Brigade scratching their heads.
 
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A very nice post. I really like Thompson's poem in tribute to two great men.
I was so thankful to find the poem and could not help but to include it. A fitting tribute.

The two men had a very odd relationship
Do you know if Stuart was a drinker? Somehow I thought he wasn't at least much of one - but I don't know for sure. I would have loved to have been sitting near that fire to watch Jackson say the quote - and wonder if anyone laughed (or smiled?).
 
I was so thankful to find the poem and could not help but to include it. A fitting tribute.


Do you know if Stuart was a drinker? Somehow I thought he wasn't at least much of one - but I don't know for sure. I would have loved to have been sitting near that fire to watch Jackson say the quote - and wonder if anyone laughed (or smiled?).
Alcohol never touched Stuart’s lips. His upbringing and religious conviction would not allow it. Jackson on the other hand also did not drink but he had in the past and found he was to fond of it. He feared it and swore it off.
 
Perhaps that was the " tie that binds them" in their friendship.
I believe it went much deeper than that. Both men shared several commonalities.

A. Neither man drank
B. Both men drove their commands to their limits
C. Both men drove themselves to and at times beyond their limits.
D. Both men were staunch disciplinarians.
E. Both men had a faith in God the exceeded the average believer.
F. Both men believed wholeheartedly in the cause

The only real difference between the two were their outward personalities.

Stuart was flamboyant, jovial and had an eye for the ladies

Jackson was reserved and modest. Jackson also shared a liking for the ladies but his modesty would never allow it to appear inappropriate.

So with the exception of their outward personalities they were two peas in a pod.
 
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That's what I love about some of these quotes - the way they allow us to explore the interactions between some of these men. It's like a secret glimpse into their relationships. Thanks for sharing this one @DBF :thumbsup:
 
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