What If, General Jackson

[Matt McKeon]

Quoted from the great blog "emerging civil war"

What if Bernard Bee had shouted at Bull Run, "There stands Jackson, like a brick shithouse!"

 

[diane]

He did have cousin Mudwall to help out!

It's hard to know what Bee meant when he said what he said. Was Jackson being a Spartan, brilliantly holding the line he was told to hold...or was he an immovable object for no other reason than he had been parked there and no one had given him other orders? Jackson was known to do both, unpredictably!

 

[jgoodguy]

Quoted from the great blog "emerging civil war"

What if Bernard Bee had shouted at Bull Run, "There stands Jackson, like a brick shithouse!"

For what it is worth that would have been the first recorded use of the phase in history, it does not show up until the 1950s otherwise.

He did have cousin Mudwall to help out!

It's hard to know what Bee meant when he said what he said. Was Jackson being a Spartan, brilliantly holding the line he was told to hold...or was he an immovable object for no other reason than he had been parked there and no one had given him other orders? Jackson was known to do both, unpredictably!

I agree.
Bee might simply be looking for anything to rally the Confederates. Bee ironically died from wounds he received that day.

Jackson, had military training, experience and taught military stuff at VMI. He was on a hill, which was a good spot to be in. A retreat would be more dangerous than staying.

 

[diane]

It looked different from another's perspective but Jackson had an amazing eye for terrain plus a photographic memory. He could see what was going on but he saw it as Bee's responsibility to rally his men - Jackson's was to hold the hill. "A little help here" must have crossed Bee's mind! Whether he saw it as fortitude or dumb obstinance is arguable, but I take it as Bee got it. He knew what Jackson was thinking, and that made Jackson solid. Indeed, Bee did die of injuries that day - he is another of those 'generals with potential' who died very early in the war before they could prove whether or not they did have potential. As for Jackson, Bee wasn't the only officer who came to him for help and got none. Another officer scampered up to the general and breathlessly said the day was lost, it was over, there was no point in wasting more lives. Jackson quietly told the officer, "Well, sir, if that is what you think you had better not say anything about it!"

 

[O' Be Joyful]

Quoted from the great blog "emerging civil war"

What if Bernard Bee had shouted at Bull Run, "There stands Jackson, like a brick shithouse!"

A premonition of the "What if Stone-dead had been at G-burg?" The stinkin' Truth is out there.

 

[jgoodguy]

It looked different from another's perspective but Jackson had an amazing eye for terrain plus a photographic memory. He could see what was going on but he saw it as Bee's responsibility to rally his men - Jackson's was to hold the hill. "A little help here" must have crossed Bee's mind! Whether he saw it as fortitude or dumb obstinance is arguable, but I take it as Bee got it. He knew what Jackson was thinking, and that made Jackson solid. Indeed, Bee did die of injuries that day - he is another of those 'generals with potential' who died very early in the war before they could prove whether or not they did have potential. As for Jackson, Bee wasn't the only officer who came to him for help and got none. Another officer scampered up to the general and breathlessly said the day was lost, it was over, there was no point in wasting more lives. Jackson quietly told the officer, "Well, sir, if that is what you think you had better not say anything about it!"

It was the first real battle of the Civil War, and both men made a good decision however they came about it.

 

[diane]

Jackson was not a person to scare easily, because of his unwavering belief that he was in charge of nothing, God was in charge of everything. So, when the scared young officer appeared Jackson simply dismissed him - which is why Bee himself came up. He was not of Jackson's belief and was getting his can kicked down the road. However, once he got where Jackson actually was, he understood and so told his men to rally behind the Virginians.

First Bull Run was one of those battles where everybody who was going to be anybody in the eastern theater got their big toe in the water. (Jackson, however got his shot off - he had a tendency to raise a hand to pray while riding and got a finger shot. After the battle he visited the doctor, who said it had to be amputated immediately - he turned to get his tools and when he turned back the room was empty. All he heard was distant hoofbeats!)