Silence! ground arms! kneel all! caps off! "Old Blue-Light's" going to pray. Strangle the fool that dares to scoff! Attention! it's his way. Appealing from his native sod, "_In forma pauperis_"[2] to God-- "Lay bare thine arm, stretch forth thy rod! Amen!" That's "'Stonewall's way." [Footnote 2: _In forma pauperis_ is a Latin legal expression, meaning _as a poor man_.] He's in the saddle now--Fall in! Steady! the whole brigade! Hill's[3] at the ford, cut off--we'll win His way out, ball and blade! What matter if our shoes are worn? What matter if our feet are torn? "Quick-step! we're with him before dawn!" That's "'Stonewall' Jackson's way." The sun's bright lances rout the mists Of morning, and, by George! Here's Longstreet[4] struggling in the lists, Hemmed in an ugly gorge. Pope[5] and his Yankees, whipped before,-- "Bay'nets and grape!" hear "Stonewall" roar; "Charge, Stuart![6] Pay off Ashby's[7] score!" In "'Stonewall' Jackson's way." [Footnote 3: Ambrose P. Hill was a prominent Confederate general.] [Footnote 4: James Longstreet was one of the most distinguished of the Confederate generals.] [Footnote 5: John Pope, the Federal general, was badly defeated by Jackson and Robert E. Lee in the second battle of Bull Run, August 29 and 30, 1862.] [Footnote 6: James E. B. Stuart, a cavalry leader in the Confederate army, took a prominent part in the second battle of Bull Run, and was with Jackson in other engagements.] [Footnote 7: Turner Ashby, a Confederate general, had greatly aided Jackson by covering the latter's retreat before General Banks. He was killed in a skirmish in June, 1862.] Ah! maiden, wait and watch and yearn For news of "Stonewall's" band! Ah! widow, read with eyes that burn That ring upon thy hand. Ah! wife, sew on, pray on, hope on! Thy life shall not be all forlorn; The foe had better ne'er been born That gets in "'Stonewall's' way." BARON MUNCHAUSEN INTRODUCTION