Stonewall Jackson was a hard taskmaster, known for the speed at which he moved his troops from place to place as well as for the secrecy with which he did it. During Jackson's Shenandoah Valley campaign of 1862, his infantrymen were often referred to as "foot cavalry" in recognition of the phenomenal distances they could cover in a single day. No wonder footwear was a subject much on their minds!

The author of this poem, who chose to refer to himself only as "Hard-Cracker" (a much-despised staple of the foot soldier's diet), was clearly one of Jackson's men.

This poem was found in Lizzie Cary Daniel's Confederate Scrapbook, published for the benefit of a Richmond memorial bazaar in 1893.

"Jackson's Foot-Cavalry"

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Last modified 18-April-2001