Sheridan R. Barringer

Cadet Thomas Munford recalled the day he first met new VMI professor Thomas J. Jackson:
 

            Munford remembered the morning of Jackson’s arrival, "While engaged in marching in the new Guard, the usual crowd had assembled to hear the music of the band in front of the camp on the parade ground."[1] Jackson had just arrived in Lexington one day before the August 14 review of cadets and was not yet known by them. Jackson slipped in among the spectators unnoticed. Munford was in charge of the encampment that day. A ruckus occurred during the daily morning parade review when a cadet yelled at the unbeknownst substitute commandant, "Come out of them boots, they are not allowed in this camp." Munford heard this and to his horror realized that the remark was aimed at Jackson, who was standing among the spectators. Almost panic-stricken, Munford turned over command to the Officer of the Day, Capt. Thomas R. Thornton, and rushed over to salute Jackson, apologizing for the insolent cadet. Munford couldn't help but notice the enormous size of Jackson's feet in those worn and well-blackened artillery boots. Later he recalled of the contrast between Jackson and Gilham, "one stride of (Jackson's) would equal two of Gilham's; his foot occupied double the space."

            To Munford's great relief, he saw that Jackson had paid no attention to the cadet’s   murmurings. The new professor had not intended to formally review the cadets during the exercise, but preferred just to watch to see how things were done. He stated he was glad matters worked out the way they did, but Munford was left shaken by the experience. Munford had been charged by Gilham to be Jackson's aide and assist him in getting established with the cadet corps, and as far as he was concerned, things were not off to a very good start.

 

Reference: Unhonored Service: The Life of Lee's Senior Cavalry Commander Colonel Thomas Taylor Munford, CSA.

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While a senior at VMI, Munford came to be closely associated with Major Thomas Jonathan Jackson, the new professor of natural and experimental philosophy (physics) and artillery. Munford had been charged by Superintendent Gilham to be Jackson's aide and assist him in getting established with the cadet corps. Munford took his new assignment very seriously. He later explained to Jackson at the corps office that Jackson was expected to give daily orders to the corps, plan its activities, and establish the drill and instruction routine. Jackson carefully looked over the order book and asked for a copy of the cadet regulations. He soon had a thorough knowledge of them.

Jackson told Munford, "Adjutant, I am here amid new men, strange faces, other minds, companionless. I shall have to rely upon you for much assistance until I can familiarize myself with the routine duties, and the facilities for executing them; there is a great similarity I see to West Point, where I was educated. I trust ere long to master all difficulties."

The young adjutant learned quickly that discipline was Jackson's byword. He was "painfully exacting in details," Munford recalled. "Yet there was an earnestness in his manner and precision in his commands that indicated unmistakably what he meant." Munford would exhibit the same characteristic of being a man of few, but well-chosen words, when he became Jackson's cavalry chief in the 1862 Shenandoah Valley campaign.

Munford also described Jackson as "a wonder of contradiction and full of eccentricities or idiosyncrasies, but of exalted character as to right and justice, but he was intolerant if he ever became prejudiced." Jackson was "slow in making up his mind, but when he had arrived at a conclusion, he was generally immovable in his opinions about men."

Munford was instantly sympathetic with Jackson's plight, and within a few weeks became a devoted and loyal fan, remembering, "I will give my impression of this grand, gloomy and peculiarly good man and great soldier as he then appeared to me, to grow on me, and I flatter myself to have had the extraordinary advantages to learn to honor and to respect and to love him."