Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 06.djvu/50

 JACKSON

JACKSON

brigadier-general in the Provisional army of the Confederate States, July 3, 1861. On July 18,

1861, he received orders to reinforce the army of General Beauregard, engaged in repelling a Federal attack at Manassas. He reached the field on July 19, and on July 21, to quote his own words in a letter to his wife, he " fought a great battle and gained a great victory, for which all the glory is due to God alone." In this battle he was wounded in the finger and his horse was shot. It was in this fight that General Bee, witnessing the conduct of Jackson and his bri- gade at a moment wlien defeat stared the Con- federate army in the face, cried out to his own wavering command, " Look at Jackson — there he .stands like a stone wall; rally beliind the Vir- ginians; " and in that baptism of fire " Stonewall " Jackson and the "Stonewall" brigade received the names they were henceforth to bear, and Bee's inspiring order turned the tide of battle in favor of the Confederates. On Nov. 4, 1861, he received promotion to the rank of major-general, with orders to assume command of the Valley district, and in parting with his old brigade he said: "In the Army of the Shenandoah you were the first brigade; in the Army of the Potomac you were the first brigade; in the second corps of the army you were the first brigade; you are the first brigade in the affections of your general, and I hope by your future deeds and bearing that you will be handed down to posterity as the first brigade in this, our second war of independence. Farewell." He made the headquarters of the Army of the Valley at Winchester, the two other armies being commanded by Generals Beaure- gard and Holmes, and the three made up the Department of Northern Virginia, under com- mand of Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. His next movement was the occupation of Romney by General Loring, and when the war department oi'dered Loring's command back to Winchester, General Jackson complied with the order but forwarded his conditional resignation, Jan. 31,

1862, requesting to be ordered to report for duty to the superintendent of the Virginia Military institute at Lexington, or, in case the application should not be granted, that the President should accept his resignation from the army. General Johnston, in forwarding the communication, Feb. 7, 1862, endorsed it, " I don't know how the loss of this officer can be supplied." Protests from all quarters against his resignation, and especially one from Governor Letcher, in which he conveyed an assvirance he had received from the government at Richmond that it did not in- tend to interfere with Jackson's militarj^ plans, caused that officer to yield with soldierly obedi- ence, and Governor Letcher was instructed to withdraw the resignation. After Loring's evac-

uation of Romney the Federal troops took posses- sion, and General Jackson was left at Winchester with not over 4000 effective men, exclusive of militia, and he asked for 9000 men for the imme- diate defence of the place, threatened by both Banks and Lander. As Johnston was j^reparing to retreat before McClellan's advance he could fvirnish no troops, and gave orders to Jackson to watch the advance closely and do what he could to impede it. Jackson proposed to a council of his chief officers to make a night attack on Banks, which was not approved, and on March 11, 1862, he reluctantly withdrew liis army from the town and retreated to Woodstock and Mount Jackson, reaching Strasburg on the 22d in the wake of Sliields's army, which had been ordered to evacuate the place and to intrench at Manassas in order to guard the approach to Washington. This movement led to Jackson's attack at Kernstown on Sundaj', March 23, 1862, when, after three liours' stubborn fighting against more than double his number, he was compelled to retreat. He received the thanks of congress for fighting this battle and its effe(t on the fortune of the Confederate army, by changing the plans of the Federal officers, was acknowledged. On A^iril 28, 1862, he asked General Lee for 20,000 men, with which reinforce- ment he proposed to attack General Banks, but he could be promised only the division of 6000 men of General Ev%-ell, near Gordonsville, and the brigade of Gen. Edward Johnson, comprising 3500 men, seven miles west of Staunton, and with this slight reinforcement he fought the battle of McDowell, May 8, 1862, which compelled the Federal army to retreat to Franklin, where it formed a junction with Fremont. Jackson fol- lowed, and there executed his celebrated flank movement by which he withdrew his entire force from in front of Fremont's army, and after surprising Gen. J. L. Kenly at Front Royal, oblig- ing him to flee to Winchester, he reached Win- chester by daylight, May 25, 1862, to find the Fed- eral lines drawn across the approaches to the place. He ordered a vigorous attack, and after a brave resistance, the Federal lines gave way and Banks retreated through the town, closely pursued by Jackson and Ashby for several miles, when, failing to receive help from the cavalry, who had delayed their advance to pillage the town, Ashby was obliged to give up the pursuit, and Banks escaped across the Potomac. On Jack- son's return from the pursuit he found over 3000 prisoners and $300,000 worth of stores, and the whole populace, with the victorious army, made Mondaj', May 26, the day after the engagement, a day of thanksgiving, according to General Jackson's custom. On the strength of this victory General Jackson again asked for rein-