After Stonewall Jackson was wounded and his arm amputated, he was taken via wagon to the Chandler Farm (also known as Fairfield). The farm was very near the railroad and many Confederates were brought to this site, to later be transported to Richmond by train. (You can read a previous post about one of those soldiers here.) Jackson was placed in a room
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| Chandler Office (NPS) |
in the office building on the farm, with plans to transport him to Richmond for better care. Of course, Jackson died in the Chandler office building on May 10, 1863. A story emerged in the page of Confederate Veteran in 1897 of another famous visitor to the site. It was May 1864, and the visitor was U.S. Grant.
“While our people
were putting up the tents and making preparations for supper, Gen. Grant
strolled over to a house near by, owned by a Mr. Chandler, and sat down on the
porch. . . In a few minutes a lady came to the door, and was surprised to find
that the visitor was the general-in-chief. He was always particularly civil to
ladies, and he rose to his feet at once, took off his hat, and made a courteous
bow. She was ladylike and polite in her behavior, and she and the General soon
became engaged in a pleasant talk. Her conversation was exceedingly
entertaining. She said, among other things: ‘This house has witnessed some sad
scenes. One of our greatest generals died here just a year ago: Gen. Jackson,
Stonewall Jackson, of blessed memory.’”
“Indeed?” Remarked
Gen. Grant. “He and I were at West Point together for a year, and we served in the
same army in Mexico.”
“Then you must have
known how good and great he was,” said the lady.
“O yes,” replied the
General. “He was a sterling, manly cadet, and enjoyed the respect of everyone
who knew him. He was always of a religious turn of mind and a plodding,
hard-working, student. His standing was at first very low in his class, but by
his indomitable energy he managed to graduate quite high. He was a gallant
soldier and a Christian gentleman and I can understand fully the admiration
your people have for him.”
The soldier making
the observation was Brig. Gen. Horace Porter, personal secretary to Grant, and
the article originally appeared in an the article “Campaigning with Grant,”
published in Century magazine, now what we call Battles and Leaders.
2 comments:
We often forget that these men knew each other pre war and were in some cases even friends. Thank you sir for reminding us of this overlooked fact. Chris Baumgardner
We often forget that these men knew each other pre war. In some cases they were friends and had a mutual respect for each other. This is a civility that we sometimes lack in this age. Thank you sir for reminding us.
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