Andre Bolkonsky Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 To add to the flavor and variety of in-game quotes, we are looking for a few more good ones that may have been overlooked. If you know an excellent quote, please add it below. BTW, quotes from average troops describing the war are preferable to a lofty statement of purpose by a named general or statesman. And, as always, use of colloquial dialects is encouraged. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre Bolkonsky Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 Not to start a competition; or bait you into action by suggesting that Americans are far more literate than those slovenly Canadians or Europeans, or that the Southern literary tradition is far superior to the North. But, so far, the best submission belongs to a Frenchman! Sacre bleu! “It's just like shooting squirrels, only these squirrels have guns" A federal veteran instructing recruits in a musket drill ("America goes to war : The Civil War and it's meaning in American Culture" p.61 by Bruce Catton.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre Bolkonsky Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 Never before in my lifetime did I ever see such a scene as was enacted when Lee pronounced these words. A yell rent the air which must've been heard for miles around. A courier riding by my side with tears coursing down his cheeks exclaimed 'I would charge hell itself for that old man!' John Gregg General Lee had just called a division of Texan Infantry to battle with a shout of "Texans always move them" (Ken Burns) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre Bolkonsky Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 If we were under any other General except Grant, I should expect to retreat. But Grant is not that kind of Soldier. Elisha Hunt Rhodes Recorded after the defeat at the Battle of the Wilderness. (Ken Burns) Sherman will never go to hell. He'll flank the devil and make heaven in spite of the guards. Captured Confederate Soldier (ibid) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre Bolkonsky Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 Stand firm you boys from Maine. For not once in a century are men permitted to bear such responsibilities for freedom and justice, for God and humanity, as are now placed upon you. Private Theodore Gerrish (ibid) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre Bolkonsky Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 Keep them on the horns of a dilemma', William T. Sherman, March to the Sea Basil Liddel-Hart, 'Strategy', p 134 'We're Bill Sherman's raiders, you better git' Union Private during the March to the Sea Basil Liddel-Hart 'Strategy, p 135 'I was too weak to defend, so I attacked', Robert E. Lee, Chancellorsville multiple attributions 'Strike the tent', Lee's last words Bartlett's Quotations 'It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command armies, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers!' Robert E. Lee B.H. Hill in a speech made in 1874, reprinted in 1875 'My duty is to obey orders', Thomas J. 'Stonewall' Jackson favorite aphorism, 'Bartlett's Quotations' 'There is Jackson, standing like a damn stone wall!'. Bernard Bee, right before he was killed at 1st Bull Run Bartlett's Quotatoins 'Let us cross the river and rest under the trees', TJ 'Stonewall' Jackson's last words Bartlett's Quotations 'Do your duty in all things; you can never do more, you should never do less'. Robert E. Lee Bartlett's Quotations 'It is well that war is so terrible, otherwise we should grow too fond of it', Robert E. Lee, Fredricksburg Bartlett's Quotations 'Fix Bayonets'. Joshua Chamberlain, little round top Multiple attributions Damn the Torpedos, full speed ahead. Admiral D.G. Farragut, Mobile Bay Bartletts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Sidney Johnston Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 "All the men and officers, so far as I was able to observe, acted with the most desperate coolness and gallantry. Not one showed any disposition, notwithstanding their terrible loss, to fall back or flinch from the enemy" -a colonel of the 14th Georgia describing Hood's Texas Brigade. My favorite quote about my favorite brigade 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre Bolkonsky Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 1 hour ago, Albert Sidney Johnston said: "All the men and officers, so far as I was able to observe, acted with the most desperate coolness and gallantry. Not one showed any disposition, notwithstanding their terrible loss, to fall back or flinch from the enemy" -a colonel of the 14th Georgia describing Hood's Texas Brigade. My favorite quote about my favorite brigade Go figure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Sidney Johnston Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 6 hours ago, Andre Bolkonsky said: Never before in my lifetime did I ever see such a scene as was enacted when Lee pronounced these words. A yell rent the air which must've been heard for miles around. A courier riding by my side with tears coursing down his cheeks exclaimed 'I would charge hell itself for that old man!' John Gregg General Lee had just called a division of Texan Infantry to battle with a shout of "Texans always move them" (Ken Burns) 6 hours ago, Andre Bolkonsky said: Sherman will never go to hell. He'll flank the devil and make heaven in spite of the guards. Captured Confederate Soldier (ibid) Welp, I have two new favorite quotes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wright29 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 Here are my favorites: Find out where you enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on. -US Grant War means fighting. And fighting means killing. -Nathan Bedford Forrest Vox Populi, Vox Humbug -William Tecumseh Sherman The Army of Northern Virginia was never defeated. It merely wore itself out whipping the enemy. -Jubal Early Smash ‘em up! Smash ‘em up! -Phil Sheridan And though it's way too long to put in the loading screens, I wanted to share the following for the community to enjoy. Here's the opening verse of The Charge of the Mule Brigade. This was made up by soldiers after a night-time mule stampede routed Confederate Troops near Chatanooga. Half a mile, half a mile Half a mile onward, Right through the Georgia troops Broke the two hundred. "Forward the Mule Brigade! Charge for the Rebs," they neighed Straight for the Georgia troops Broke the two hundred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gael Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Andre B, Here is my favorite Stonewall Jackson phrase: "Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy" --Gael Along with this list from: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stonewall_Jackson Quotes The time for war has not yet come, but it will come, and that soon; and when it does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard. Speech to cadets at the Virginia Military Institute (March 1861); as quoted in Mighty Stonewall (1957) by Frank E. Vandiver, p. 131; this has sometimes been paraphrased as "When war does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard." If the general government should persist in the measures now threatened, there must be war. It is painful enough to discover with what unconcern they speak of war and threaten it. They do not know its horrors. I have seen enough of it to make me look upon it as the sum of all evils. Comments to his pastor (April 1861) as quoted in Memoirs of Stonewall Jackson by His Widow Mary Anna Jackson (1895), Ch. IX : War Clouds — 1860 - 1861, p. 141; This has sometimes been paraphrased as "War is the sum of all evils." Before Jackson's application of the term "The sum of all evils" to war, it had also been applied to slavery by abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay in The Writings of Cassius Marcellus Clay : Including Speeches and Addresses (1848), p. 445; to death by Georg Christian Knapp in Lectures on Christian Theology (1845), p. 404; and it had also been used, apparently in relation to arrogance in a translation of "Homily 24" in The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom on the First Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (1839), p. 331 Then, Sir, we will give them the bayonet! Reply to Colonel Barnard E. Bee when he reported that the enemy were beating them back. At the First Battle of Bull Run (21 July 1861); as quoted in Stonewall Jackson As Military Commander (2000) by John Selby, p. 21 Yesterday we fought a great battle and gained a great victory, for which all the glory is due to God alone. Although under a heavy fire for several continuous hours I received only one wound, the breaking of the longest finger of my left hand; but the doctor says the finger may be saved. It was broken about midway between the hand and knuckle, the ball passing on the side next to the forefinger. Had it struck the centre, I should have lost the finger. My horse was wounded, but not killed. Your coat got an ugly wound near the hip, but my servant, who is very handy, has so far repaired it that it doesn't show very much. My preservation was entirely due, as was the glorious victory, to our God, to whom be all the honor, praise, and glory. The battle was the hardest that I have ever been in, but not near so hot in its fire. Letter to his wife after the First Battle of Bull Run (22 July 1861); as quoted in Memoirs of Stonewall Jackson by His Widow Mary Anna Jackson (1895), Ch. XI : The First Battle of Manassas, p. 178 My dear pastor, in my tent last night, after a fatiguing day's service, I remembered that I failed to send a contribution for our colored Sunday school. Enclosed you will find a check for that object, which please acknowledge at your earliest convenience and oblige yours faithfully. Letter to his pastor after the First Battle of Bull Run (22 July 1861); as quoted in The Religious Development of the Negro in Virginia (1914) by Joseph Brummell Earnest, p. 84 Nothing justifies profanity. A wounded Jackson said to Captain John Imboden, after First Manassas (The Oxford Dictionary of Civil War Quotations, 2006) Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. Captain, that is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave. Speaking to Captain John D. Imboden (24 July 1861), as quoted in Stonewall Jackson As Military Commander (2000) by John Selby, p. 25; sometimes quoted as "My religious beliefs teach me..." 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 this Army, you are the First Brigade! You are the First Brigade in the affections of your general, and I hope by your future deeds and bearing you will be handed down the posterity as the First Brigade in this our Second War of Independence. Farewell! Farewell address to his brigade, as he left to receive his promotion to Major General (4 October 1861) Our men fought bravely, but the enemy repulsed me. Many valuable lives were lost. Our God was my shield. His protecting care is an additional cause for gratitude. Letter to his wife from Mt. Jackson after the First Battle of Kernstown (24 March 1862), as quoted in Life and Campaigns of Lieut.-Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, (Stonewall Jackson) (1866) by Robert Lewis Dabney, p. 329 I yield to no man in sympathy for the gallant men under my command; but I am obliged to sweat them tonight, so that I may save their blood tomorrow. The line of hills southwest of Winchester must not be occupied by the enemy's artillery. My own must be there and in position by daylight. … You shall however have two hours rest. To Col. Sam Fulkerson, who reported on the weariness of their troops and suggested that they should be given an hour or so to rest from a forced march in the night. (24 May 1862); as quoted in Mighty Stonewall (1957) by Frank E. Vandiver, p. 250 The only true rule for cavalry is to follow the enemy as long as he retreats. Statement to Colonel Thomas T. Munford (13 June 1862); as quoted in Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (1904) by George Francis Robert Henderson Vol. I, Ch. XI p. 392 Who could not conquer with such troops as these? Remark to his staff (25 August 1862), as quoted in Life of Lieut. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson) (1866) by Robert Lewis Dabney, p. 266 My men have sometimes failed to take a position, but to defend one, never! Statement to Major Heros von Borcke (13 December 1862), as quoted in Memoirs of the Confederate War for Independence (1867) by Heros von Borcke, p. 301; this has been paraphrased as "My troops may fail to take a position, but are never driven from one!" I see from the number of physicians that you think my condition dangerous, but I thank God, if it is His will, that I am ready to go. … It is the Lord's Day; my wish is fulfilled. … I have always desired to die on Sunday. Words on his deathbed (9 - 10 May 1863); as quoted in "Stonewall Jackson's Last Days" by Joe D. Haines, Jr. in America's Civil War Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees. Last words (May 10, 1863); as quoted in "Stonewall Jackson's Last Days" by Joe D. Haines, Jr. in America's Civil War I like liquor — its taste and its effects — and that is just the reason why I never drink it. As quoted in Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1874) by John William Jones, p. 171 I am more afraid of King Alcohol than of all the bullets of the enemy. As quoted in Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1874) by John William Jones, p. 171 Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit so long as your men have strength to follow; for an army routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and can then be destroyed by half their number. The other rule is, never fight against heavy odds, if by any possible maneuvering you can hurl your own force on only a part, and that the weakest part, of your enemy and crush it. Such tactics will win every time, and a small army may thus destroy a large one in detail, and repeated victory will make it invincible. As quoted in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War (1884 - 1888) edited by Robert Underwood Clarence C. Buel, Vol. II, p. 297 War means fighting. The business of the soldier is to fight. Armies are not called out to dig trenches, to throw up breastworks, to live in camps, but to find the enemy and strike him; to invade his country, and do him all possible damage in the shortest possible time. This will involve great destruction of life and property while it lasts; but such a war will of necessity be of brief continuance, and so would be an economy of life and property in the end. To move swiftly, strike vigorously, and secure all the fruits of victory is the secret of successful war. As quoted in Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (1904) by George Francis Robert Henderson, Ch. 25 : The Soldier and the Man, p. 481 Through the broad extent of country over which you have marched by your respect for the rights and property of citizens, you have shown that you were soldiers not only to defend but able and willing to defend and protect. As quoted in Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants : A History of Frederick County, Virginia (illustrated) from its formation in 1738 to 1908 (1989) by T. K. Cartmell, p. 322 Once you get them running, you stay right on top of them, and that way a small force can defeat a large one every time. As quoted in The Civil War : An Illustrated History (1990) by Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns, and Ric Burns, p. 272 The Institute will be heard from today. Referring to the number of Virginia Military Institute alumni among his officers; to Colonel Thomas T. Munford at the Battle of Chancellorsville (2 May 1863), as quoted in Chancellorsville (1996) by Stephen W. Sears, p. 242 Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (1891) Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson) (1891) by Mary Anna Jackson PDF at Google Books My duty is to obey orders. Ch. 4 : The War with Mexico — 1846 - 1848, p. 45 We must make this campaign an exceedingly active one. Only thus can a weaker country cope with a stronger; it must make up in activity what it lacks in strength. A defensive campaign can only be made successful by taking the aggressive at the proper time. Napoleon never waited for his adversary to become fully prepared, but struck him the first blow. Ch. 22 : The Last Happy Days — Chancellorsville — 1863, p. 429 Misattributed Duty is ours; consequences are God's. Though this was a favorite motto of Jackson, and reported as among his last words, it did not originate with him, and was used by others at least as early as in a speech by abolitionist John Jay (8 October 1856) Be content and resigned to God's will. Robert E. Lee, in a letter to his wife (8 May 1861) Easy, Mr. Pendleton. Easy. Good to have your dander up, but it’s discipline that wins the day. These were lines in the film Gods And Generals (2003); they are not actual quotations of Jackson. Jackson's personal book of maxims This was a book of statements by others which Jackson had copied into a small book for his own use; published in Ch. 3 of Memoirs of Stonewall Jackson by His Widow Mary Anna Jackson (1895) they are sometimes quoted as statements by Jackson. You may be whatever you resolve to be. Through life let your principal object be the discharge of duty. Disregard public opinion when it interferes with your duty. Endeavor to be at peace with all men. Sacrifice your life rather than your word. Endeavor to do well with everything you undertake. Never speak disrespectfully of anyone without a cause. Spare no effort to suppress selfishness, unless that effort would entail sorrow. Let your conduct towards men have some uniformity. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. Speak but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself ; waste nothing. Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off unnecessary actions. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly. Wrong no man by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries as much as you think they deserve. Be not disturbed at trifles, nor at accidents, common or unavoidable. It is man's highest interest not to violate, or attempt to violate, the rules which Infinite Wisdom has laid down. The means by which men are to attain great elevation may be classed in three divisions — physical, mental, and moral. Whatever relates to health, belongs to the first; whatever relates to the improvement of the mind, belongs to the second. The formation of good manners and virtuous habits constitutes the third. A man is known by the company he keeps. Good-breeding, or true politeness, is the art of showing men by external signs the internal regard we have for them. It arises from good sense, improved by good company. It must be acquired by practice and not by books. Be kind, condescending, and affable. Any one who has anything to say to a fellow-being, to say it with kind feelings and sincere desire to please; and this, whenever it is done, will atone for much awkwardness in the manner of expression. Good-breeding is opposed to selfishness, vanity, or pride. Never weary your company by talking too long or too frequently. Always look people in the face when addressing them, and generally when they address you. Never engross the whole conversation to yourself. Say as little of yourself and friends as possible. Make it a rule never to accuse without due consideration any body or association of men. Quotes about Jackson There stands Jackson like a stone wall — rally round the Virginians! General Barnard Bee, during the First Battle of Bull Run, in an exclamation which was the origin of the nickname "Stonewall Jackson", as quoted in Freedom (1987) by William Safire, p. 60 Variants: There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer. Rally behind the Virginians. As quoted in Lee's Lieutenants : A Study in Command (1946) by Douglas S. Freeman, Vol. 1, p. 82 Yonder stands Jackson like a stone wall, let's go to his assistance. As quoted in Stonewall : A Biography of General Thomas J. Jackson (1993) by Byron Farwell, p. 180 Yonder stands Jackson like a stone wall. … Rally round the Virginians. As quoted in What They Didn't Teach You About the Civil War (1998) by Mike Wright There stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally round the Virginians! As quoted in Chancellorsville, 1863: Jackson's Lighting Strike (1998) by Carl Smith, p. 18 Rally around the Virginians, there stands Jackson like a stone wall. As quoted in 25 Best Civil War Sites (2005) by Clint Johnson, Site 6 : Manassas Jackson fought for the constitutional rights of the South, and any one who imagines he fought for slavery knows nothing of Jackson. William C. Chase, in Story of Stonewall Jackson : A Narrative of the Career of Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson (1901), p. 203 It cannot well be denied that Jackson possessed every single attribute which makes for success in war. Morally and physically he was absolutely fearless. He accepted responsibility with the same equanimity that he faced the bullets of the enemy. He permitted no obstacle to turn him aside from his appointed path, and in seizing an opportunity or in following up a victory he was the very incarnation of untiring energy. … A supreme activity, both of brain and body, was a prominent characteristic of his military life. His idea of strategy was to secure the initiative, however inferior his force; to create opportunities and to utilise them; to waste no time, and to give the enemy no rest. ...That he felt to the full the fascination of war's tremendous game we can hardly doubt. Not only did he derive, as all true soldiers must, an intense intellectual pleasure from handling his troops in battle so as to outwit and defeat his adversary, but from the day he first smelt powder in Mexico until he led that astonishing charge through the dark depths of the Wilderness his spirits never rose higher than when danger and death were rife about him. With all his gentleness there was much of the old Berserker about Stonewall Jackson, not indeed the lust for blood, but the longing to do doughtily and die bravely, as best becomes a man. His nature was essentially aggressive. He was never more to be feared than when he was retreating, and where others thought only of strong defensive positions he looked persistently for the opportunity to attack. George Francis Robert Henderson in Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (1904), Ch. 25 : The Soldier and the Man, p. 480 - 481 You are better off than I am, for while you have lost your left, I have lost my right arm. Robert E. Lee, in a letter to Jackson shortly before Jackson died; referring to Jackson as his right arm, as quoted in The Oxford Dictionary of Civil War Quotations (2006) Jackson neither apologized for nor spoke in favor of the practice of slavery. He probably opposed the institution. Yet in his mind the Creator had sanctioned slavery, and man had no moral right to challenge its existence. The good Christian slaveholder was one who treated his servants fairly and humanely at all times. James I. Robertson, Stonewall Jackson : The Man, The Soldier, The Legend (1997) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col_Kelly Posted March 31, 2017 Share Posted March 31, 2017 Post of the month Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre Bolkonsky Posted April 1, 2017 Author Share Posted April 1, 2017 5 hours ago, Gael said: Andre B, Here is my favorite Stonewall Jackson phrase: "Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy" --Gael Along with this list from: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stonewall_Jackson Quotes The time for war has not yet come, but it will come, and that soon; and when it does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard. Speech to cadets at the Virginia Military Institute (March 1861); as quoted in Mighty Stonewall (1957) by Frank E. Vandiver, p. 131; this has sometimes been paraphrased as "When war does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard." If the general government should persist in the measures now threatened, there must be war. It is painful enough to discover with what unconcern they speak of war and threaten it. They do not know its horrors. I have seen enough of it to make me look upon it as the sum of all evils. Comments to his pastor (April 1861) as quoted in Memoirs of Stonewall Jackson by His Widow Mary Anna Jackson (1895), Ch. IX : War Clouds — 1860 - 1861, p. 141; This has sometimes been paraphrased as "War is the sum of all evils." Before Jackson's application of the term "The sum of all evils" to war, it had also been applied to slavery by abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay in The Writings of Cassius Marcellus Clay : Including Speeches and Addresses (1848), p. 445; to death by Georg Christian Knapp in Lectures on Christian Theology (1845), p. 404; and it had also been used, apparently in relation to arrogance in a translation of "Homily 24" in The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom on the First Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (1839), p. 331 Then, Sir, we will give them the bayonet! Reply to Colonel Barnard E. Bee when he reported that the enemy were beating them back. At the First Battle of Bull Run (21 July 1861); as quoted in Stonewall Jackson As Military Commander (2000) by John Selby, p. 21 Yesterday we fought a great battle and gained a great victory, for which all the glory is due to God alone. Although under a heavy fire for several continuous hours I received only one wound, the breaking of the longest finger of my left hand; but the doctor says the finger may be saved. It was broken about midway between the hand and knuckle, the ball passing on the side next to the forefinger. Had it struck the centre, I should have lost the finger. My horse was wounded, but not killed. Your coat got an ugly wound near the hip, but my servant, who is very handy, has so far repaired it that it doesn't show very much. My preservation was entirely due, as was the glorious victory, to our God, to whom be all the honor, praise, and glory. The battle was the hardest that I have ever been in, but not near so hot in its fire. Letter to his wife after the First Battle of Bull Run (22 July 1861); as quoted in Memoirs of Stonewall Jackson by His Widow Mary Anna Jackson (1895), Ch. XI : The First Battle of Manassas, p. 178 My dear pastor, in my tent last night, after a fatiguing day's service, I remembered that I failed to send a contribution for our colored Sunday school. Enclosed you will find a check for that object, which please acknowledge at your earliest convenience and oblige yours faithfully. Letter to his pastor after the First Battle of Bull Run (22 July 1861); as quoted in The Religious Development of the Negro in Virginia (1914) by Joseph Brummell Earnest, p. 84 Nothing justifies profanity. A wounded Jackson said to Captain John Imboden, after First Manassas (The Oxford Dictionary of Civil War Quotations, 2006) Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. Captain, that is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave. Speaking to Captain John D. Imboden (24 July 1861), as quoted in Stonewall Jackson As Military Commander (2000) by John Selby, p. 25; sometimes quoted as "My religious beliefs teach me..." 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 this Army, you are the First Brigade! You are the First Brigade in the affections of your general, and I hope by your future deeds and bearing you will be handed down the posterity as the First Brigade in this our Second War of Independence. Farewell! Farewell address to his brigade, as he left to receive his promotion to Major General (4 October 1861) Our men fought bravely, but the enemy repulsed me. Many valuable lives were lost. Our God was my shield. His protecting care is an additional cause for gratitude. Letter to his wife from Mt. Jackson after the First Battle of Kernstown (24 March 1862), as quoted in Life and Campaigns of Lieut.-Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, (Stonewall Jackson) (1866) by Robert Lewis Dabney, p. 329 I yield to no man in sympathy for the gallant men under my command; but I am obliged to sweat them tonight, so that I may save their blood tomorrow. The line of hills southwest of Winchester must not be occupied by the enemy's artillery. My own must be there and in position by daylight. … You shall however have two hours rest. To Col. Sam Fulkerson, who reported on the weariness of their troops and suggested that they should be given an hour or so to rest from a forced march in the night. (24 May 1862); as quoted in Mighty Stonewall (1957) by Frank E. Vandiver, p. 250 The only true rule for cavalry is to follow the enemy as long as he retreats. Statement to Colonel Thomas T. Munford (13 June 1862); as quoted in Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (1904) by George Francis Robert Henderson Vol. I, Ch. XI p. 392 Who could not conquer with such troops as these? Remark to his staff (25 August 1862), as quoted in Life of Lieut. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson) (1866) by Robert Lewis Dabney, p. 266 My men have sometimes failed to take a position, but to defend one, never! Statement to Major Heros von Borcke (13 December 1862), as quoted in Memoirs of the Confederate War for Independence (1867) by Heros von Borcke, p. 301; this has been paraphrased as "My troops may fail to take a position, but are never driven from one!" I see from the number of physicians that you think my condition dangerous, but I thank God, if it is His will, that I am ready to go. … It is the Lord's Day; my wish is fulfilled. … I have always desired to die on Sunday. Words on his deathbed (9 - 10 May 1863); as quoted in "Stonewall Jackson's Last Days" by Joe D. Haines, Jr. in America's Civil War Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees. Last words (May 10, 1863); as quoted in "Stonewall Jackson's Last Days" by Joe D. Haines, Jr. in America's Civil War I like liquor — its taste and its effects — and that is just the reason why I never drink it. As quoted in Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1874) by John William Jones, p. 171 I am more afraid of King Alcohol than of all the bullets of the enemy. As quoted in Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1874) by John William Jones, p. 171 Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit so long as your men have strength to follow; for an army routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and can then be destroyed by half their number. The other rule is, never fight against heavy odds, if by any possible maneuvering you can hurl your own force on only a part, and that the weakest part, of your enemy and crush it. Such tactics will win every time, and a small army may thus destroy a large one in detail, and repeated victory will make it invincible. As quoted in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War (1884 - 1888) edited by Robert Underwood Clarence C. Buel, Vol. II, p. 297 War means fighting. The business of the soldier is to fight. Armies are not called out to dig trenches, to throw up breastworks, to live in camps, but to find the enemy and strike him; to invade his country, and do him all possible damage in the shortest possible time. This will involve great destruction of life and property while it lasts; but such a war will of necessity be of brief continuance, and so would be an economy of life and property in the end. To move swiftly, strike vigorously, and secure all the fruits of victory is the secret of successful war. As quoted in Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (1904) by George Francis Robert Henderson, Ch. 25 : The Soldier and the Man, p. 481 Through the broad extent of country over which you have marched by your respect for the rights and property of citizens, you have shown that you were soldiers not only to defend but able and willing to defend and protect. As quoted in Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants : A History of Frederick County, Virginia (illustrated) from its formation in 1738 to 1908 (1989) by T. K. Cartmell, p. 322 Once you get them running, you stay right on top of them, and that way a small force can defeat a large one every time. As quoted in The Civil War : An Illustrated History (1990) by Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns, and Ric Burns, p. 272 The Institute will be heard from today. Referring to the number of Virginia Military Institute alumni among his officers; to Colonel Thomas T. Munford at the Battle of Chancellorsville (2 May 1863), as quoted in Chancellorsville (1996) by Stephen W. Sears, p. 242 Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (1891) Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson) (1891) by Mary Anna Jackson PDF at Google Books My duty is to obey orders. Ch. 4 : The War with Mexico — 1846 - 1848, p. 45 We must make this campaign an exceedingly active one. Only thus can a weaker country cope with a stronger; it must make up in activity what it lacks in strength. A defensive campaign can only be made successful by taking the aggressive at the proper time. Napoleon never waited for his adversary to become fully prepared, but struck him the first blow. Ch. 22 : The Last Happy Days — Chancellorsville — 1863, p. 429 Misattributed Duty is ours; consequences are God's. Though this was a favorite motto of Jackson, and reported as among his last words, it did not originate with him, and was used by others at least as early as in a speech by abolitionist John Jay (8 October 1856) Be content and resigned to God's will. Robert E. Lee, in a letter to his wife (8 May 1861) Easy, Mr. Pendleton. Easy. Good to have your dander up, but it’s discipline that wins the day. These were lines in the film Gods And Generals (2003); they are not actual quotations of Jackson. Jackson's personal book of maxims This was a book of statements by others which Jackson had copied into a small book for his own use; published in Ch. 3 of Memoirs of Stonewall Jackson by His Widow Mary Anna Jackson (1895) they are sometimes quoted as statements by Jackson. You may be whatever you resolve to be. Through life let your principal object be the discharge of duty. Disregard public opinion when it interferes with your duty. Endeavor to be at peace with all men. Sacrifice your life rather than your word. Endeavor to do well with everything you undertake. Never speak disrespectfully of anyone without a cause. Spare no effort to suppress selfishness, unless that effort would entail sorrow. Let your conduct towards men have some uniformity. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. Speak but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself ; waste nothing. Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off unnecessary actions. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly. Wrong no man by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries as much as you think they deserve. Be not disturbed at trifles, nor at accidents, common or unavoidable. It is man's highest interest not to violate, or attempt to violate, the rules which Infinite Wisdom has laid down. The means by which men are to attain great elevation may be classed in three divisions — physical, mental, and moral. Whatever relates to health, belongs to the first; whatever relates to the improvement of the mind, belongs to the second. The formation of good manners and virtuous habits constitutes the third. A man is known by the company he keeps. Good-breeding, or true politeness, is the art of showing men by external signs the internal regard we have for them. It arises from good sense, improved by good company. It must be acquired by practice and not by books. Be kind, condescending, and affable. Any one who has anything to say to a fellow-being, to say it with kind feelings and sincere desire to please; and this, whenever it is done, will atone for much awkwardness in the manner of expression. Good-breeding is opposed to selfishness, vanity, or pride. Never weary your company by talking too long or too frequently. Always look people in the face when addressing them, and generally when they address you. Never engross the whole conversation to yourself. Say as little of yourself and friends as possible. Make it a rule never to accuse without due consideration any body or association of men. Quotes about Jackson There stands Jackson like a stone wall — rally round the Virginians! General Barnard Bee, during the First Battle of Bull Run, in an exclamation which was the origin of the nickname "Stonewall Jackson", as quoted in Freedom (1987) by William Safire, p. 60 Variants: There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer. Rally behind the Virginians. As quoted in Lee's Lieutenants : A Study in Command (1946) by Douglas S. Freeman, Vol. 1, p. 82 Yonder stands Jackson like a stone wall, let's go to his assistance. As quoted in Stonewall : A Biography of General Thomas J. Jackson (1993) by Byron Farwell, p. 180 Yonder stands Jackson like a stone wall. … Rally round the Virginians. As quoted in What They Didn't Teach You About the Civil War (1998) by Mike Wright There stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally round the Virginians! As quoted in Chancellorsville, 1863: Jackson's Lighting Strike (1998) by Carl Smith, p. 18 Rally around the Virginians, there stands Jackson like a stone wall. As quoted in 25 Best Civil War Sites (2005) by Clint Johnson, Site 6 : Manassas Jackson fought for the constitutional rights of the South, and any one who imagines he fought for slavery knows nothing of Jackson. William C. Chase, in Story of Stonewall Jackson : A Narrative of the Career of Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson (1901), p. 203 It cannot well be denied that Jackson possessed every single attribute which makes for success in war. Morally and physically he was absolutely fearless. He accepted responsibility with the same equanimity that he faced the bullets of the enemy. He permitted no obstacle to turn him aside from his appointed path, and in seizing an opportunity or in following up a victory he was the very incarnation of untiring energy. … A supreme activity, both of brain and body, was a prominent characteristic of his military life. His idea of strategy was to secure the initiative, however inferior his force; to create opportunities and to utilise them; to waste no time, and to give the enemy no rest. ...That he felt to the full the fascination of war's tremendous game we can hardly doubt. Not only did he derive, as all true soldiers must, an intense intellectual pleasure from handling his troops in battle so as to outwit and defeat his adversary, but from the day he first smelt powder in Mexico until he led that astonishing charge through the dark depths of the Wilderness his spirits never rose higher than when danger and death were rife about him. With all his gentleness there was much of the old Berserker about Stonewall Jackson, not indeed the lust for blood, but the longing to do doughtily and die bravely, as best becomes a man. His nature was essentially aggressive. He was never more to be feared than when he was retreating, and where others thought only of strong defensive positions he looked persistently for the opportunity to attack. George Francis Robert Henderson in Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (1904), Ch. 25 : The Soldier and the Man, p. 480 - 481 You are better off than I am, for while you have lost your left, I have lost my right arm. Robert E. Lee, in a letter to Jackson shortly before Jackson died; referring to Jackson as his right arm, as quoted in The Oxford Dictionary of Civil War Quotations (2006) Jackson neither apologized for nor spoke in favor of the practice of slavery. He probably opposed the institution. Yet in his mind the Creator had sanctioned slavery, and man had no moral right to challenge its existence. The good Christian slaveholder was one who treated his servants fairly and humanely at all times. James I. Robertson, Stonewall Jackson : The Man, The Soldier, The Legend (1997) However, the actual Stonewall Jackson quote should read - as I best understand it - 'There stands Jackson on that damn hill like some stone wall.' - because he wouldn't come down and join the engagement and waited, logically, for it to come back up to him. Perhaps we should invoke the Law of Liberty Valence - when fact conflicts with the legend, print the legend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gael Posted April 1, 2017 Share Posted April 1, 2017 The myth around the legend and hero is often sweeter than fact. --Gael Be that as it may, having lived in Manassas, VA, between 1987 and 1991, I tromped thru the fields of the Manassas Battlefield National Park over a hundred times. Two batlefields - one on top of the other - what is there not to see? Then, south of town is the Bristoe Station battlefield location, and east of town on Interstate-66 is Fairfax Shopping Center with the tiny little park next to it with two large rocks marking the locations where the Federal division commanders, Kearney and Stevens, were killed during the Battle of Chantilly/Ox-Hill. Go west from Manassas on I-66 and one runs thru Thoroughfare Gap (on the way to Front Royal) where Lee and Longstreet had to punch thru the Federal cavalry to join Jackson during the 2nd Battle of Manassas. Fortunately one of the troops from the local neighborhood knew of a pig trail across the ridge about 6 miles to the north, so a flanking force was marched up there to get behind the cavalry and force them out. With no major defensive geography or position, Evans, Bee, and Bartow could only fight a delaying action around Matthews Hill, and thru the valley of the Stone House along route 29 there also is no geographic feature that helps with the defense ... until you come upon that three to five foot dip in the ground along the ridge-line beyond the Henry house where Jackson placed his troops behind and low, and ordered them to lie down. His thirteen cannon were in line in front of, and thus higher than, the troops lying behind and below in the dip. He was able to preserve his fighting force and their morale by taking minimal casualties against the larger Federal force. This is the lone defensive defilade position of value and Jackson saw and used it, being the West Point grad (Civil Engineer) and artilleryman that he was. It doesn't matter if BG Bee did describe Jackson in a negative way, as he likely never saw the invaluable terrain feature that helped stem the up-til-then-victorious Yankee horde. To me, the most intriguing and fascinating part of the Southern delaying action occurred when Evans placed his 6-700 infantry lying down behind a fence line perpendicular to Sudley Road and waited for the Northern artillery to drive forward and take position along the ridge in front of the fence-line. When driving the guns and placing them in position in front of the deploying Yankee infantry, Evans charged his men into the guns and teams when they were basically defenseless except for the cannoneers' personal weapons and caused a big melee until driven back by nearby infantry. By understanding the tactics and formations that were used at that time, Evans caused a big fracas and loss within the opponent's artillery units, interjected the element of surprise into the Federal force, and delayed their movement until Bee and Bartow came up to help slow them down. Evans was out there on the extreme left all by his lonesome self, and it was fortunate that MAJ Alexander (one of the developers of the US Army's flag-waving signals prior to the war) when stationed on the platform on top of Signal Hill (one of my friends now has a home on the hill), saw the sun's reflection off one of the Northern column's brass cannon and notified Evans to look to his left as he was flanked, and notified Beauregard and the command staff of the fact so their forces could be re-positioned. --Gael 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andre Bolkonsky Posted April 1, 2017 Author Share Posted April 1, 2017 22 minutes ago, Gael said: The myth around the legend and hero is often sweeter than fact. --Gael Be that as it may, having lived in Manassas, VA, between 1987 and 1991, I tromped thru the fields of the Manassas Battlefield National Park over a hundred times. Two batlefields - one on top of the other - what is there not to see? Then, south of town is the Bristoe Station battlefield location, and east of town on Interstate-66 is Fairfax Shopping Center with the tiny little park next to it with two large rocks marking the locations where the Federal division commanders, Kearney and Stevens, were killed during the Battle of Chantilly/Ox-Hill. Go west from Manassas on I-66 and one runs thru Thoroughfare Gap (on the way to Front Royal) where Lee and Longstreet had to punch thru the Federal cavalry to join Jackson during the 2nd Battle of Manassas. Fortunately one of the troops from the local neighborhood knew of a pig trail across the ridge about 6 miles to the north, so a flanking force was marched up there to get behind the cavalry and force them out. With no major defensive geography or position, Evans, Bee, and Bartow could only fight a delaying action around Matthews Hill, and thru the valley of the Stone House along route 29 there also is no geographic feature that helps with the defense ... until you come upon that three to five foot dip in the ground along the ridge-line beyond the Henry house where Jackson placed his troops behind and low, and ordered them to lie down. His thirteen cannon were in line in front of, and thus higher than, the troops lying behind and below in the dip. He was able to preserve his fighting force and their morale by taking minimal casualties against the larger Federal force. This is the lone defensive defilade position of value and Jackson saw and used it, being the West Point grad (Civil Engineer) and artilleryman that he was. It doesn't matter if BG Bee did describe Jackson in a negative way, as he likely never saw the invaluable terrain feature that helped stem the up-til-then-victorious Yankee horde. To me, the most intriguing and fascinating part of the Southern delaying action occurred when Evans placed his 6-700 infantry lying down behind a fence line perpendicular to Sudley Road and waited for the Northern artillery to drive forward and take position along the ridge in front of the fence-line. When driving the guns and placing them in position in front of the deploying Yankee infantry, Evans charged his men into the guns and teams when they were basically defenseless except for the cannoneers' personal weapons and caused a big melee until driven back by nearby infantry. By understanding the tactics and formations that were used at that time, Evans caused a big fracas and loss within the opponent's artillery units, interjected the element of surprise into the Federal force, and delayed their movement until Bee and Bartow came up to help slow them down. Evans was out there on the extreme left all by his lonesome self, and it was fortunate that MAJ Alexander (one of the developers of the US Army's flag-waving signals prior to the war) when stationed on the platform on top of Signal Hill (one of my friends now has a home on the hill), saw the sun's reflection off one of the Northern column's brass cannon and notified Evans to look to his left as he was flanked, and notified Beauregard and the command staff of the fact so their forces could be re-positioned. --Gael An interesting perspective. I am very fond of Stonewall Jackson, for anyone not already aware of that fact. Of the legendary generals in this war, few legends loom larger. I enjoyed the bit about Evans infantry; I always enjoy tales of small units overwhelming and disrupting larger ones through sheer audacity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Mercanto Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 Some of these quotes aren't exact as I am doing them from memory: "30 minutes of shelling is nothing to 30 seconds of rifle fire." James A. Wright, Sgt Company F, 1st Minnesota "I feel that I have partly avenged my brother's death." Henry Taylor [after the 1st Minnesota aided in the repulse of Armistead's brigade on July 3rd, 1863), Sgt, Company E, 1st Minnesota "No useless coffin enclosed his breast,/Nor in sheet nor in shroud we bound him,/But he lay like a warrior taking his rest,/With his shelter tent around him." Inscription on the grave of Issac Taylor, Lieutenant, Company E, 1st Minnesota, July 3rd, 1863. Inscription written by his brother, Henry. "We heard stories that the entire regiment had been destroyed...surely it could not have been as bad as that." James A. Wright, Sgt Company F, 1st Minnesota"We advanced down the slope till we neared the ravine, and "Charge" rung along the line, and with a rush and a yell we went. Bullets whistled past us; shells screached over us; canister and grape fell about us; comrade after comrade dropped from the ranks; but on the line went. No one took a second look at his fallen companion. "We had no time to weep." Corporal Alfred Carpenter describing the charge of the regiment on the second day of Gettysburg, Company E, 1st Minnesota. Letter dated July 30, 1863. "If I do re-enlist, I will join the artillery. I am tired of carrying a pack." For the life of me I can't remember the name of this private, I think it was James Knight, but he was in the 1st Minnesota. Also, he ended up deciding to work on the railroad instead of re-enlisting, because back packs can shove it. "September 17, 1862: Fought the Battle of Antietam." Amos Berry, 1st Minnesota Infantry in the most boring Civil War diary I have ever read. (This was the entire entry) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Mercanto Posted April 2, 2017 Share Posted April 2, 2017 On 31/03/2017 at 4:50 PM, Gael said: Andre B, Here is my favorite Stonewall Jackson phrase: "Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy" --Gael Along with this list from: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stonewall_Jackson Quotes The time for war has not yet come, but it will come, and that soon; and when it does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard. Speech to cadets at the Virginia Military Institute (March 1861); as quoted in Mighty Stonewall (1957) by Frank E. Vandiver, p. 131; this has sometimes been paraphrased as "When war does come, my advice is to draw the sword and throw away the scabbard." If the general government should persist in the measures now threatened, there must be war. It is painful enough to discover with what unconcern they speak of war and threaten it. They do not know its horrors. I have seen enough of it to make me look upon it as the sum of all evils. Comments to his pastor (April 1861) as quoted in Memoirs of Stonewall Jackson by His Widow Mary Anna Jackson (1895), Ch. IX : War Clouds — 1860 - 1861, p. 141; This has sometimes been paraphrased as "War is the sum of all evils." Before Jackson's application of the term "The sum of all evils" to war, it had also been applied to slavery by abolitionist Cassius Marcellus Clay in The Writings of Cassius Marcellus Clay : Including Speeches and Addresses (1848), p. 445; to death by Georg Christian Knapp in Lectures on Christian Theology (1845), p. 404; and it had also been used, apparently in relation to arrogance in a translation of "Homily 24" in The Homilies of S. John Chrysostom on the First Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians (1839), p. 331 Then, Sir, we will give them the bayonet! Reply to Colonel Barnard E. Bee when he reported that the enemy were beating them back. At the First Battle of Bull Run (21 July 1861); as quoted in Stonewall Jackson As Military Commander (2000) by John Selby, p. 21 Yesterday we fought a great battle and gained a great victory, for which all the glory is due to God alone. Although under a heavy fire for several continuous hours I received only one wound, the breaking of the longest finger of my left hand; but the doctor says the finger may be saved. It was broken about midway between the hand and knuckle, the ball passing on the side next to the forefinger. Had it struck the centre, I should have lost the finger. My horse was wounded, but not killed. Your coat got an ugly wound near the hip, but my servant, who is very handy, has so far repaired it that it doesn't show very much. My preservation was entirely due, as was the glorious victory, to our God, to whom be all the honor, praise, and glory. The battle was the hardest that I have ever been in, but not near so hot in its fire. Letter to his wife after the First Battle of Bull Run (22 July 1861); as quoted in Memoirs of Stonewall Jackson by His Widow Mary Anna Jackson (1895), Ch. XI : The First Battle of Manassas, p. 178 My dear pastor, in my tent last night, after a fatiguing day's service, I remembered that I failed to send a contribution for our colored Sunday school. Enclosed you will find a check for that object, which please acknowledge at your earliest convenience and oblige yours faithfully. Letter to his pastor after the First Battle of Bull Run (22 July 1861); as quoted in The Religious Development of the Negro in Virginia (1914) by Joseph Brummell Earnest, p. 84 Nothing justifies profanity. A wounded Jackson said to Captain John Imboden, after First Manassas (The Oxford Dictionary of Civil War Quotations, 2006) Captain, my religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me. Captain, that is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave. Speaking to Captain John D. Imboden (24 July 1861), as quoted in Stonewall Jackson As Military Commander (2000) by John Selby, p. 25; sometimes quoted as "My religious beliefs teach me..." 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 this Army, you are the First Brigade! You are the First Brigade in the affections of your general, and I hope by your future deeds and bearing you will be handed down the posterity as the First Brigade in this our Second War of Independence. Farewell! Farewell address to his brigade, as he left to receive his promotion to Major General (4 October 1861) Our men fought bravely, but the enemy repulsed me. Many valuable lives were lost. Our God was my shield. His protecting care is an additional cause for gratitude. Letter to his wife from Mt. Jackson after the First Battle of Kernstown (24 March 1862), as quoted in Life and Campaigns of Lieut.-Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, (Stonewall Jackson) (1866) by Robert Lewis Dabney, p. 329 I yield to no man in sympathy for the gallant men under my command; but I am obliged to sweat them tonight, so that I may save their blood tomorrow. The line of hills southwest of Winchester must not be occupied by the enemy's artillery. My own must be there and in position by daylight. … You shall however have two hours rest. To Col. Sam Fulkerson, who reported on the weariness of their troops and suggested that they should be given an hour or so to rest from a forced march in the night. (24 May 1862); as quoted in Mighty Stonewall (1957) by Frank E. Vandiver, p. 250 The only true rule for cavalry is to follow the enemy as long as he retreats. Statement to Colonel Thomas T. Munford (13 June 1862); as quoted in Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (1904) by George Francis Robert Henderson Vol. I, Ch. XI p. 392 Who could not conquer with such troops as these? Remark to his staff (25 August 1862), as quoted in Life of Lieut. Gen. Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson) (1866) by Robert Lewis Dabney, p. 266 My men have sometimes failed to take a position, but to defend one, never! Statement to Major Heros von Borcke (13 December 1862), as quoted in Memoirs of the Confederate War for Independence (1867) by Heros von Borcke, p. 301; this has been paraphrased as "My troops may fail to take a position, but are never driven from one!" I see from the number of physicians that you think my condition dangerous, but I thank God, if it is His will, that I am ready to go. … It is the Lord's Day; my wish is fulfilled. … I have always desired to die on Sunday. Words on his deathbed (9 - 10 May 1863); as quoted in "Stonewall Jackson's Last Days" by Joe D. Haines, Jr. in America's Civil War Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees. Last words (May 10, 1863); as quoted in "Stonewall Jackson's Last Days" by Joe D. Haines, Jr. in America's Civil War I like liquor — its taste and its effects — and that is just the reason why I never drink it. As quoted in Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1874) by John William Jones, p. 171 I am more afraid of King Alcohol than of all the bullets of the enemy. As quoted in Personal Reminiscences, Anecdotes, and Letters of Gen. Robert E. Lee (1874) by John William Jones, p. 171 Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy, if possible; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit so long as your men have strength to follow; for an army routed, if hotly pursued, becomes panic-stricken, and can then be destroyed by half their number. The other rule is, never fight against heavy odds, if by any possible maneuvering you can hurl your own force on only a part, and that the weakest part, of your enemy and crush it. Such tactics will win every time, and a small army may thus destroy a large one in detail, and repeated victory will make it invincible. As quoted in Battles and Leaders of the Civil War (1884 - 1888) edited by Robert Underwood Clarence C. Buel, Vol. II, p. 297 War means fighting. The business of the soldier is to fight. Armies are not called out to dig trenches, to throw up breastworks, to live in camps, but to find the enemy and strike him; to invade his country, and do him all possible damage in the shortest possible time. This will involve great destruction of life and property while it lasts; but such a war will of necessity be of brief continuance, and so would be an economy of life and property in the end. To move swiftly, strike vigorously, and secure all the fruits of victory is the secret of successful war. As quoted in Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (1904) by George Francis Robert Henderson, Ch. 25 : The Soldier and the Man, p. 481 Through the broad extent of country over which you have marched by your respect for the rights and property of citizens, you have shown that you were soldiers not only to defend but able and willing to defend and protect. As quoted in Shenandoah Valley Pioneers and Their Descendants : A History of Frederick County, Virginia (illustrated) from its formation in 1738 to 1908 (1989) by T. K. Cartmell, p. 322 Once you get them running, you stay right on top of them, and that way a small force can defeat a large one every time. As quoted in The Civil War : An Illustrated History (1990) by Geoffrey C. Ward, Ken Burns, and Ric Burns, p. 272 The Institute will be heard from today. Referring to the number of Virginia Military Institute alumni among his officers; to Colonel Thomas T. Munford at the Battle of Chancellorsville (2 May 1863), as quoted in Chancellorsville (1996) by Stephen W. Sears, p. 242 Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (1891) Life and Letters of General Thomas J. Jackson (Stonewall Jackson) (1891) by Mary Anna Jackson PDF at Google Books My duty is to obey orders. Ch. 4 : The War with Mexico — 1846 - 1848, p. 45 We must make this campaign an exceedingly active one. Only thus can a weaker country cope with a stronger; it must make up in activity what it lacks in strength. A defensive campaign can only be made successful by taking the aggressive at the proper time. Napoleon never waited for his adversary to become fully prepared, but struck him the first blow. Ch. 22 : The Last Happy Days — Chancellorsville — 1863, p. 429 Misattributed Duty is ours; consequences are God's. Though this was a favorite motto of Jackson, and reported as among his last words, it did not originate with him, and was used by others at least as early as in a speech by abolitionist John Jay (8 October 1856) Be content and resigned to God's will. Robert E. Lee, in a letter to his wife (8 May 1861) Easy, Mr. Pendleton. Easy. Good to have your dander up, but it’s discipline that wins the day. These were lines in the film Gods And Generals (2003); they are not actual quotations of Jackson. Jackson's personal book of maxims This was a book of statements by others which Jackson had copied into a small book for his own use; published in Ch. 3 of Memoirs of Stonewall Jackson by His Widow Mary Anna Jackson (1895) they are sometimes quoted as statements by Jackson. You may be whatever you resolve to be. Through life let your principal object be the discharge of duty. Disregard public opinion when it interferes with your duty. Endeavor to be at peace with all men. Sacrifice your life rather than your word. Endeavor to do well with everything you undertake. Never speak disrespectfully of anyone without a cause. Spare no effort to suppress selfishness, unless that effort would entail sorrow. Let your conduct towards men have some uniformity. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. Speak but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself ; waste nothing. Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off unnecessary actions. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and if you speak, speak accordingly. Wrong no man by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries as much as you think they deserve. Be not disturbed at trifles, nor at accidents, common or unavoidable. It is man's highest interest not to violate, or attempt to violate, the rules which Infinite Wisdom has laid down. The means by which men are to attain great elevation may be classed in three divisions — physical, mental, and moral. Whatever relates to health, belongs to the first; whatever relates to the improvement of the mind, belongs to the second. The formation of good manners and virtuous habits constitutes the third. A man is known by the company he keeps. Good-breeding, or true politeness, is the art of showing men by external signs the internal regard we have for them. It arises from good sense, improved by good company. It must be acquired by practice and not by books. Be kind, condescending, and affable. Any one who has anything to say to a fellow-being, to say it with kind feelings and sincere desire to please; and this, whenever it is done, will atone for much awkwardness in the manner of expression. Good-breeding is opposed to selfishness, vanity, or pride. Never weary your company by talking too long or too frequently. Always look people in the face when addressing them, and generally when they address you. Never engross the whole conversation to yourself. Say as little of yourself and friends as possible. Make it a rule never to accuse without due consideration any body or association of men. Quotes about Jackson There stands Jackson like a stone wall — rally round the Virginians! General Barnard Bee, during the First Battle of Bull Run, in an exclamation which was the origin of the nickname "Stonewall Jackson", as quoted in Freedom (1987) by William Safire, p. 60 Variants: There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer. Rally behind the Virginians. As quoted in Lee's Lieutenants : A Study in Command (1946) by Douglas S. Freeman, Vol. 1, p. 82 Yonder stands Jackson like a stone wall, let's go to his assistance. As quoted in Stonewall : A Biography of General Thomas J. Jackson (1993) by Byron Farwell, p. 180 Yonder stands Jackson like a stone wall. … Rally round the Virginians. As quoted in What They Didn't Teach You About the Civil War (1998) by Mike Wright There stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally round the Virginians! As quoted in Chancellorsville, 1863: Jackson's Lighting Strike (1998) by Carl Smith, p. 18 Rally around the Virginians, there stands Jackson like a stone wall. As quoted in 25 Best Civil War Sites (2005) by Clint Johnson, Site 6 : Manassas Jackson fought for the constitutional rights of the South, and any one who imagines he fought for slavery knows nothing of Jackson. William C. Chase, in Story of Stonewall Jackson : A Narrative of the Career of Thomas Jonathan (Stonewall) Jackson (1901), p. 203 It cannot well be denied that Jackson possessed every single attribute which makes for success in war. Morally and physically he was absolutely fearless. He accepted responsibility with the same equanimity that he faced the bullets of the enemy. He permitted no obstacle to turn him aside from his appointed path, and in seizing an opportunity or in following up a victory he was the very incarnation of untiring energy. … A supreme activity, both of brain and body, was a prominent characteristic of his military life. His idea of strategy was to secure the initiative, however inferior his force; to create opportunities and to utilise them; to waste no time, and to give the enemy no rest. ...That he felt to the full the fascination of war's tremendous game we can hardly doubt. Not only did he derive, as all true soldiers must, an intense intellectual pleasure from handling his troops in battle so as to outwit and defeat his adversary, but from the day he first smelt powder in Mexico until he led that astonishing charge through the dark depths of the Wilderness his spirits never rose higher than when danger and death were rife about him. With all his gentleness there was much of the old Berserker about Stonewall Jackson, not indeed the lust for blood, but the longing to do doughtily and die bravely, as best becomes a man. His nature was essentially aggressive. He was never more to be feared than when he was retreating, and where others thought only of strong defensive positions he looked persistently for the opportunity to attack. George Francis Robert Henderson in Stonewall Jackson and the American Civil War (1904), Ch. 25 : The Soldier and the Man, p. 480 - 481 You are better off than I am, for while you have lost your left, I have lost my right arm. Robert E. Lee, in a letter to Jackson shortly before Jackson died; referring to Jackson as his right arm, as quoted in The Oxford Dictionary of Civil War Quotations (2006) Jackson neither apologized for nor spoke in favor of the practice of slavery. He probably opposed the institution. Yet in his mind the Creator had sanctioned slavery, and man had no moral right to challenge its existence. The good Christian slaveholder was one who treated his servants fairly and humanely at all times. James I. Robertson, Stonewall Jackson : The Man, The Soldier, The Legend (1997) Hmmmm....not bad. ;P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buford Protege Posted April 4, 2017 Share Posted April 4, 2017 "Colonel, do you see those colors? Take them!" ~Winfield Scott Hancock to William Colvill, July 2nd 1863 Cemetery Ridge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. P. Hill Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 Days before June 10th 1862 J.E.B. Stuart wrote of Gen'l Robert E. Lee, "... with profound personal regard for General Lee, he has disappointed me as a general." General Joseph E. Johnston commenting on President Davis' choice of R.E. Lee after Johnston was wounded at Fair Oaks, "The shot that struck me down is the very best that has been fired in the Southern cause yet. For I possess in no degree the confidence of our government, and now they have in my place one who does posses it!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. P. Hill Posted April 6, 2017 Share Posted April 6, 2017 June 26th 1862, around 15:00 hours ... "Three O'clock having arrived and no intelligence from Jackson or Branch, I determined to cross at once, rather than hazard the failure of the whole plan by deferring it ... It was never contemplated that my division alone should have sustained the shock of the battle." A.P. Hill as he crossed Meadow bridge north of Mechanicsville VA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gael Posted April 12, 2017 Share Posted April 12, 2017 “Governor, if I had foreseen the use these people desired to make of their victory, there would have been no surrender at Appomattox, no, sir, not by me. Had I foreseen these results of subjugation, I would have preferred to die at Appomattox with my brave men, my sword in this right hand.” --Robert E. Lee -- told to Governor Fletcher S. Stockdale, September 1870, and relayed to Dr. Robert Lewis Dabney source: http://www.confederatecolonel.com/challenges-to-the-quotes/ A near statement was made to Colonel T. M. R. Talcott who said Lee stated he would never have surrendered the army if he had known how the South would have been treated. Mr. Smythe stated that Colonel Talcott replied, “Well, General, you have only to blow the bugle,” whereupon Lee is alleged to have answered, “It is too late now” (29 Confederate Veteran, 7). --recorded by H. Gerald Smythe source: http://www.confederatecolonel.com/challenges-to-the-quotes/ --Gael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maturin Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 Get in touch with 1stVermont *hides* 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Fiasco Posted April 13, 2017 Share Posted April 13, 2017 "...in our youth our hearts were touched with fire" -Oliver Wendell Holmes 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. P. Hill Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 During the battle of Trevilian Station, after Custer captures Wade Hampton's wagon train and artillery train, The officer responsible for the wagons asked Custer if he could take his prize to the rear. The distracted Boy General said, "Yes, by all means." Relieved, the officer left to lead the wagons to safety. As he rode off, one member of the 7th Michigan heard Custer inquire, "Where in hell is the rear?" 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Mercanto Posted April 30, 2017 Share Posted April 30, 2017 "Its nip and tuck out there; and damned if I ain't afraid its mostly tuck." -Unnamed US infantrymen at the battle of Chickamauga 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now