Stonewall Jackson

General Thomas J. "STONEWALL" Jackson

Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born January 21, 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia. While he was a child both of his parents were laid to rest. He was raised by his uncle, and moved to what is now, Jackson's Mill, West Virginia. When he turned 18 years old, he was appointed to attend West Point. During the Mexican War, he was appointed to order the First Regular Artillery.

At this time, Jackson started to become religious. He started to study the Bible, and joined the Presbyterian Church.

In 1851 he accepted a teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, Virginia. He made this home for nearly 10 years. While he was there, he married Eleanor Junkin. She pasted away a little more than a year after they were married. He then married in 1857 to Mary Anna Morrison.

He led the V.M.I. Corps to the witness of the John Brown hanging. When Virginia seceded from the union, the Governor ordered him to the field of battle. In the early days of the war, he was stationed around Harper's Ferry. He then traveled to the battle of First Manassas, this is where he got the name "STONEWALL" because his troops stood like a stone wall and repulsed all Federal assaults.

He was then commissioned to brigadier general in June of 1861, then in the following months was promoted to major general. He was assigned to the Shennandoah Valley district in November. While in the position of major general, he won some battles, and stood his ground. After the battle of Antietam, which was the bloodiest of all battles fought, he was promoted once again to lieutenant general, and in command of 2nd Corps.

At the battle of Chancellorsvile in May of 1863, he lunched his troops in an attack on federal troops. This was the best maneuver done up to this point in the war