“Such officers need not apprehend loss of respect resulting from inserting in a written pass the words ‘on duty,’ or ’on private business,’ should they have occasion to pass the pickets.”

Even the Stonewall Brigade had yet much to learn.

At this time Jackson was besieged with numerous applications for service on his staff.  The majority of these were from persons without experience, and they were made to the wrong man.  “My desire,” he wrote, “is to get a staff specially qualified for their specific duties.  I know Mr. ——­ personally, and was favourably impressed by him.  But if a person desires office in these times, the best thing for him to do is to pitch into service somewhere, and work with such energy, skill, and success as to impress those round him with the conviction that such are his merits that he must be advanced, or the interests of the service must suffer...My desire is to make merit the basis of my recommendations.”

Social claims had no weight with him whatever.  He felt that the interests at stake were too great to be sacrificed to favouritism or friendship, and he had seen enough of war to know the importance of staff work.  Nor was he in the unfortunate position of being compelled to accept the nominees of his superiors.  The Confederate authorities were wise enough to permit their generals to choose for themselves the instruments on which they would have to rely for the execution of their designs.  Wellington, in 1815, had forced on him by the Horse Guards, in the teeth of his indignant remonstrances, incompetent officers whom he did not know and whom he could not trust.  Jackson, in a country which knew little of war, was allowed to please himself.  He need appoint no one without learning all about him, and his inquiries were searching.  Was he intelligent?  Was he trustworthy?  Was he industrious?  Did he get up early?  If a man was wanting in any one of these qualifications he would reject him, however highly recommended.  That his strict investigations and his insistence on the possession of certain essential characteristics bore good fruit it is impossible to gainsay.  The absence of mishaps and errors in his often complicated manoeuvres is sufficient proof that he was exceedingly well served by his subordinates.  The influence of a good staff is seldom apparent except to the initiated.  If a combination succeeds, the general gets all the credit.  If it fails, he gets all the blame; and while no agents, however efficient, can compensate by their own efforts for the weakness of a conception that is radically unsound, many a brilliant plan has failed in execution through the inefficiency of the staff.  In his selection of such capable men as his assistants must needs have been Jackson gave proof that he possessed one at least of the attributes of a great leader.  He was not only a judge of character, but he could place men in the positions to which they were best suited.  His personal predilections