JACKSON AT HARPER’S FERRY IN 1861. 121

Massie, major and assistant adjutant-general, who arrived during the firstweek of May.

This was “ Stonewall” Jackson ’s first appearance on the theater of the war.I spent one day and night in Richmond, and then returned to camp, arriv-ing about 2 i\ m. What a revolution three or four days had wrought! I couldscarcely realize the change. The militia generals were all gone, and the staffhad vanished. The commanding colonel and his adjutant had arrived, andwere occupying a small room in the little wayside hotel near the railroadbridge. Knowing them both, I immediately sought an interview, and deliv-ered a letter and some papers I had brought from General Lee. Jackson and hisadjutant were at a little pine table figuringupon the rolls of the troops present. Theywere dressed in well-worn, dingy uniformsof professors in the Virginia Military Insti-tute , where both had recently occupied chairs.

Colonel Jackson had issued and sent to thecamps a short, simple order assuming thecommand, but had had no intercourse withthe troops. The deposed officers had nearlyall left for home or for Richmond in a highstate of indignation. After an interview ofperhaps a half hour I proceeded to my campon the hill, and found the men of the 5th Vir-ginia regiment, from my own county, inassembly, and greatly excited. They weredeeply attached to their field-officers, and re-garded the ordinance of the convention as anoutrage on freemen and volunteers, and werediscussing the propriety of passing denunci-atory resolutions. On seeing me they calledfor a speech. As I did not belong to the regiment, I declined to say any-thing, but ordered the men of the Staunton Artillery to fall into line. Then Ibriefly told them that we were required to muster into service either for twelvemonths or during the war, at our option, and urged them to go in for the fullperiod of the war, as such action would be most creditable to them, and a goodexample to others. They unanimously shouted, “ For the war! For the war!”Before they were dismissed the ceremony of mustering in was completed, andI proudly took the roll down to Colonel Jackson with the remark, “ There,colonel, is the roll of your first company mustered in for the war.” He lookedit over, and, rising, shook my hand, saying, “Thank you, captain—thank you;and please thank your men for me.” He had heard that there was dissatisfac-tion in the camps, and asked me to act as mustering officer for two other artil-lery companies present. Before sunset the rolls were returned. This promptaction of the batteries was emulated the next day by the other troops, and allwere mustered in. Within a week Governor Letcher wisely appointedMajor-General Harper colonel of the 5th Virginia , Brigadier-General Har-

iptv,

GENERAL THOMAS J. (“STONEWALL”)JACKSON. FROM A PHOTOGRAPH.