Stonewall Jackson: Life of a Leader
Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was born on January 21, 1824 in Clarksburg, VA (Robertson 15). His father and younger sibling had succumbed to typhoid fever when Thomas was young. This left himself, his mother, and a sister. His mother remarried and fell into debt with her more current husband. Because of the immense financial struggles distressing the family, Thomas was forced to go live with his uncle. His uncle paid little or not attention to him. Even when young, Thomas showed an interest in learning (16). As stated in Stonewall Jackson: The Man, The Soldier, The Legend, a childhood friend said that Jackson was “by no meansâÂ?¦brilliant, but was one of those untiring, plain, matter-of-fact-persons who would never give upâÂ?¦until he accomplished his objective”(qtd. in Robertson 17). This character trait will be apparent through the rest of his life.
As a young man, Thomas entered the prestigious West Point (Bowers 54). As aforementioned, his scholastic ability did not come naturally. He worked hard and progressively got satisfactory marks. John Bowers states that Jackson,âÂ?¦”burned knowledge into his brain”(55). He graduated and was sent to Mexico to serve in the Mexican War and was recognized as an excellent fighter. After Mexico, he settled in Lexington, VA and was a professor of optics and artillery at the Virginia Military Institute, or VMI. While he was in Lexington he also found the Presbyterian Church and became a sincere and devout Christian. He was so devout, states James L. Robertson, that even in later years, “he would not speak of war issues or even read the paper on the Sabbath day”(43).
Jackson sides with the South when the war starts brewing. Lexington, VA, which was part of the Confederacy, is his adopted home and he feels strongly about protecting it from northerners who:
“Violate the principles of our Founding Fathers and Christianity by attempting to create a new society that lacks order as well as cohesiveness”(Robertson xii).
Thomas first made a name for himself as a Brigadier General in the battle First Bull Run in 1861 (MacDonald 49).
Otherwise known as the Battle of Manassas, this was a battle in which the Confederates were blocking all routes, including railroads, to Richmond. This was to prevent the Union from overtaking Richmond. Some thought that by the Union overtaking Richmond, the head of the Confederacy, that it would be the end of the Civil War ( MacDonald 12). The Confederate army was steadfast in protecting all routes to Richmond. This is why, where, and when Thomas earned his nickname “Stonewall”. He held off Union troops and had his Confederate peers rallied behind him (19).
One year later, in 1862, “Stonewall” Jackson ultimately proved himself in his Shenandoah Valley campaign. George McClellan, commander of the Union army, formulated a campaign in which his troops were to capture Richmond, the Confederate capital (Brinkley 395). McClellan was not known as the most efficient of commanders, always seeming hesitant to commit his troops to battle (395). When McClellan’s troops were preparing to start their campaign, Stonewall Jackson’s Confederate army charged through the Shenandoah Valley, making it seem as if they were going to attack Washington, the Union’s capital. This campaign that Jackson raged upon lasted from May 4 until June 9, 1862. During this time, “Jackson defeated two union forcesâÂ?¦” (397). This blindsided defeat of the Union proved that Jackson was a relentless and determined military mind.
Jackson’s Shenandoah Valley campaign included battles such as Fort Royal, Winchester, Cross Keys, and Port Republic (VMI Archives). He defeated Union soldiers at all of these battles. Due to Jackson’s success with his Shenandoah Valley campaign, he was ordered to join General Robert E. Lee, famed Confederate general, in the Peninsula, near James River in Virginia (Davis 5). This is where the Seven Days battle took place.
This campaign was one in which McClellan’s Army of the Potomac battled Lee’s Confederate troops six times over the course of seven days. Jackson’s army of 18,000 joined Lee’s army of 72,000 (Bushong). In the beginning of the battle, Lee and Jackson were pushing the Union back, away from Richmond. A few days later, Lee’s men went to push back more Union soldiers at Mechanicsville, however, he was awaiting soldier backup, which made the battle an unsuccessful one. This is the main reason why Jackson’s performance was less than stellar while serving with General Lee. These battles served as disappointments in comparison to his brilliance of the Shenandoah Valley campaign.
Even though Jackson did not perform well at the Seven Days Battle, General Lee still reserved faith in Stonewall. General Lee sent Jackson to fight against a new army, General Pope’s Army of Virginia (MacDonald 52). This was the battle of Second Bull Run. Stonewall had his troops ready to fight Pope’s men when Lee’s men converged with Stonewall’s and they eventually defeated Pope’s army after two days of fighting (55).
In between his battles, Stonewall wrote letters to his friends and family, mostly about his faith and his request for prayers. In a letter penned by Jackson himself on July 3, 1862 he tells his doctor, “It cheers my heart to think that many of God’s people are praying to our very kind Heavenly Father for the success of the army to which I belong”. His faith and belief in God were prevalent in his daily life. He often began each task by offering a blessing and for each completed duty he offered his thanks to God (Robertson 180). Even though he was commanding the attack and killing of the Union enemy, he still held God and religion in high esteem.
His final battles were Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville (MacDonald 49). Antietam was a success, but was the bloodiest day in the entire Civil War (60). Fredericksburg was a win for the Confederates, with Jackson’s Rebel artillery plowing down the Union (72). However, at the battle of Chancellorsville, Stonewall Jackson met his fate. He was fatally wounded by 3 shots fired by his own men. He was shot in the arm and had it amputated as a result. It was initially thought that he would recover, considering that there were many soldiers who had been amputated thus far in the war. Unfortunately, he contracted pneumonia, which rendered him weak and took his life a day later (98).
The funeral of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson represented an important time in the war. One of the south’s most effective commanders was lost. In a local newspaper account of Jackson’s funeral, an unknown author writes, “He has been brought back to sleep among us – a world renowned Christian Hero” (“The Funeral of Stonewall Jackson”). His importance was so evident that after his death, his face appeared on Confederate currency; the most expensive bill, the $500 bill. He was the only dead man to be pictured on Confederate money. Two naval vessels were also named after Jackson. This shows the undying support and respect that the South had for Jackson.
Ultimately, Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson served his Confederacy proud. He earned them many victories in the battlefield. Jackson is still held in high esteem at VMI, his alma mater. VMI has collections of letters written by Jackson, and even his grade reports. His memory lives on at VMI as well as in Confederate history. He was a God-fearing man who took his faith and religion very seriously. He was a Christian, a soldier, a father, a husband, and most importantly, a hero to the Confederate South.
