As he walked in he overheard a civilian comment on the stupidity of the authorities for having massed troops without providing adequate shelter. It was monstrous, the critic said, that the men should be outside in the cold while the officers had the best accommodations in town. The unwary civilian had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Jackson slammed him against the wall with a fiery verbal blast. “You d——d infernal scoundrel,” he cried, “sowing disaffection among the troops. Why, the quartermaster and I have been up all night, making the men comfortable. Let me hear no more such
...more
