Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 20.djvu/390

 384 Southern Historical Society Papers.

tactician, which enabled him to take in the situation of a battle-field at a glance, to do the right thing at the right moment, and seize upon and profit by every blunder of his adversary.

With all his fiery zeal, he was ever mindful of the safety of his men, and never exposed them to useless punishment for his own glory. He understood thoroughly the character of the volunteer troops under his command, and accorded them the respect due to citizen-soldiery, but demanded of them the strictest performance of every military duty and tolerated no flagrant breach of discipline. He looked closely after their rights, their safety and their comfort, often visiting the hospitals to see after his sick and wounded, and gave his personal attention to the workings of every department of the ser- vice. He was inexorable in requiring of his staff the strictest atten- tion to their duties. He loved a good soldier, and was his friend, but to the skulker and the coward he was a terror, and the higher the rank of the offender, the more certain and severe the punish- ment. With his own hands he would tear from the uniform of officers the badges of their rank when found skulking on the battle-field.

SOME OF HIS CHARACTERISTICS.

Like Napoleon at Lodi, he would mingle in the ranks like " a little corporal" when the occasion demanded, and with his own hands help man the guns of the batteries. He was affable and readily approached by the humblest private ; but the officer next in rank never forgot when on duty that he was in the presence of his superior.

No commander was ever more considerate of the rights and feel- ings of those under him, or sustained the authority of his subordinate officers with more firmness and tact.

If a deserving officer committed a blunder or was guilty of an unintentional violation of orders or discipline he would speak to him privately and kindly of his fault, but would never let those under his command know that he had censured the offender.

He was quiet in manner, courteous and polite to all when not aroused, but when justly excited to anger was hard to appease, Punctillious in the observance of all the forms of military etiquette in his intercourse with others, he resented any failure to treat him with due courtesy. This led to an unpleasant difference between General Jackson and himself, which came near depriving the Army of Northern Virginia of the services of A. P. Hill.