It may be, then, that Jackson considered the course
he pursued the best adapted to maintain discipline amongst a number
of ambitious young generals, some of whom had been senior to himself
in the old service, and all of whom had been raised suddenly, with
probably some disturbance to their self-possession, to high rank. It
is to be remembered, too, that during the campaigns of 1862 his
pre-eminent ability was only by degrees made clear. It was not
everyone who, like General Lee, discerned the great qualities of the
silent and unassuming instructor of cadets, and other leaders, of
more dashing exterior, with a well-deserved reputation for brilliant
courage, may well have doubted whether his capacity was superior to
their own.
Such soaring spirits possibly needed a tight hand; and, in any case,
Jackson had much cause for irritation. With Wolfe and Sherman he
shared the distinguished honour of being considered crazy by hundreds
of self-sufficient mediocrities. It was impossible that he should
have been ignorant, although not one word of complaint ever passed
his lips, how grossly he was misrepresented, how he was caricatured
in the press, and credited with the most extravagant and foolhardy
ideas of war.
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