Thomas
J. (Stonewall) Jackson
"There
stands Jackson like a stone wall".........
-
General Bernard Bee at the First Battle of Bull
Run
Thomas
J. Jackson was born January 21, 1824 in Clarksburg,
Virginia (now Clarksburg, West Virginia). He graduated
from the U.S. Military Academy in 1846 and earned
two brevets serving in the Mexican War. After his
service in Mexico, he became a professor at the
Virginia Military Academy where he earned the nickname
"Old Blue Light".
When
the Civil War began, he was dispatched to Harper's
Ferry where he was in charge of recruiting soldiers
to the Confederate army. After Harper's Ferry, Jackson's
brigade moved to Manassas with General Johnson's
forces to meet General P.T. Beauregard. It was in
the first battle of Bull Run that Jackson earned
the nickname "Stonewall". "There
stands Jackson like a stone wall", were the
words of General Bernard Bee as his retreating Alabama
forces were reinforced by Jackson. After the Confederate
victory at Bull Run, Jackson was promoted to Major
General. After faulty intelligence resulted in defeat
at Kernstown, Jackson won battles at Winchester,
Front Royal, Cross Keys and Port Republic.
After
helping Lee at Richmond, Jackson and his army detached
and headed north to face Union General John Pope's
army. Jackson captured Pope's supply base at Manassas
Junction, and held off Pope's army at the 2nd Battle
of Bull Run before Confederate General James Longstreet
launched a decisive attack on Union forces, causing
them to retreat.
After
Bull Run, Jackson captured Harper's Ferry and rejoined
Lee's Army of Northern Virginia at Antietam Despite
heavy casualties, and an uncertain result, Jackson
was honored and promoted to Commander of the 2nd
Corps. After defeating Union forces at Fredericksburg,
Jackson and his forces routed Union troops at Chancellorsville
- his greatest victory. That night, however, Jackson
was mortally wounded on accident by his own troops.
Jackson had his left arm amputated, but died of
pneumonia eight days layer - on May 10, 1863. Southern
sympathizers were devastated. Robert E. Lee said,
"He has lost his left arm; but I have lost
my right arm". Stonewall Jackson is buried
in Lexington, Virginia.
