f
all Southerners to stand shoulder to shoulder, and there ought to be no
such thing as ill-feeling among ourselves."

Vincent was not previously aware that Jackson had obtained a commission.
He now learned that he had been chosen by his comrades to fill a vacancy
caused by the death of an officer in a skirmish just before Pope fell
back from the Rappahannock, and that he had been made prisoner a few
days afterward in a charge against a greatly superior body of Federal
cavalry.

The great majority of the officers on both sides were at the
commencement of the war chosen by their comrades, the elections at first
taking place once a year. This, however, was found to act very badly. In
some cases the best men in the regiment were chosen; but too often the
men who had the command of money, and could afford to stand treat and
get in supplies of food and spirits, were elected. The evils of the
system were found so great, indeed, that it was gradually abandoned; but
in cases of vacancies occurring in the field, and there being a
necessity for at once filling them up, the colonels of the regiments had
power to make appointments, and if the choice of the men was considered
to be satisfactory, their nominee would be generally chosen.

In the case of Jackson, the colonel had hesitated in confirming the
choice of the men. He did not for a moment suspect him to be wanting in
courage; but he regarded him as one who shirked his work, and who won
the votes of the men rather by a fluent tongue and by the violence of
his expressions of hatred against the North than by any soldierly
qualities.

Some of the officers had been months in prison, and they were highly
indignant at the delays that had occurred in effecting their exchange.
The South, indeed, would have been only too glad to get rid of some of
their numerous prisoners, who were simply an expense and trouble to
them, and to get their own men back into their ranks. They could ill
spare the soldiers required to guard so large a number of prisoners, and
a supply of food was in itself a serious matter.

Thus it was at Harper's Ferry, and upon a good many other occasions,
they released vast numbers of prisoners on their simple paroles not to
serve again. The North, however, were in no hurry to make exchange; and
moreover, their hands were so full with their enormous preparations that
they put aside all matters which had not the claim of urgency.

CHAPTER X.

THE ESCAPE.