Jackson was one of the most widely good known leaders in the American Civil War. He was 2nd best merely to the celebrated General Lee, who besides greatly admired him. His tactics are still studied today in Military Institutes around the universe. On January 21, 1824, Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born in Clarksburg, Virginia to Jonathan Jackson, an lawyer and Julia Beckwith Neale. They had three other kids ; Elizabeth, Warren, and Laura Ann. When Jackson was two old ages old his male parent and his sister, Elizabeth died of enteric fever febrility. Julia gave birth to Laura the following twenty-four hours.
In 1830 Julia was remarried to Blake Woodson. He disliked his new stepchildren and was financially unstable. A small while after the matrimony, Thomas and Laura were sent to populate with their Uncle Cummins Jackson at Jackson Mill. While there he helped around his uncle’s farm, be givening sheep with aid from a shepherd dog, driving squads of cattle and helped reap the Fieldss of wheat and maize. ( Gilchrist-Internet ) Most of Jackson’s instruction was self-taught. He would sit up at dark reading by the flickering visible radiation of firing pine knots.
There is a narrative that says Thomas one time made a trade with one of his uncle? s slaves to supply him with pine knots in exchange for reading lessons. This was in misdemeanor of a Virginian jurisprudence at the clip that forbade learning a slave to read or compose. Jackson taught the slave as promised and the slave wrote himself a going base on balls and escaped to freedom in the North. Jackson attended school whenever possible.
In 1837 he attended categories in the community of Westfield for merely 39 yearss. Two old ages subsequently he attended a school in the assembly room of the first Lewis County courthouse in Weston. Thomas lived at his uncle’s house until the summer of 1842 when he was appointed to the United States Military Academy at Westpoint. Jackson graduated in June 1846 standing 17th out of 59 alumnuss. ( VMI- Internet ) While at Jackson Mill, Thomas served as a school teacher for four months during the winter of 1840- 1841 so he was elected a Lewis County constable. He was merely 17 at the clip, a twelvemonth to immature of the legal age of 18 necessary to keep the place. It is believed that his uncle’s influence in the county helped flex the age demand.
After functioning in the Mexican War, Jackson resigned from the ground forces to take a teaching occupation at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington to go a professor of N atural and Experimental Doctrine and Artillery Tactics. ( Gilchrist-internet ) Jackson was a atrocious instructor. He merely couldn? t acquire the thoughts he was seeking to learn into the caputs of his pupils. His pupils ridiculed and disliked him really much.
In 1856, members of the VMI Society of Alumni presented to the board of visitants a request to hold Jackson removed from office, which was unsuccessful. Jackson was unaware of the contention until a full twelvemonth subsequently. He was besides the topic to many plebe buffooneries such as throwing spitballs, doing noises when his dorsum was turned, dropping a brick as he passed underneath a barracks window ( ouch ) , and drawing anchors from canon wheels during heavy weapon drills. ( VMI- Internet ) After his graduation from Westpoint, Jackson served as a lieutenant in the Mexican War. He was commended twice for courage and received more publicities than any other officer during the war. He so took the teaching occupation at VMI for 10 old ages before returning to the ground forces one time once more as general to contend on the Confederate side in the Civil War. ( VMI-internet )
On July 21, 1861, Jackson was in bid of a brigade during the Battle of Bull Run, when Confederate General Bernard Bee was seeking to beat up his ain military personnels and he saw Jackson keeping his ain brigade so he shouted, There stands Jackson’s brigade like a stonewall! Rally behind the Virginians! From so on Jackson was known worldwide as Stonewall Jackson. During the Shenandoah Valley run in 1862, Jackson with no more than 16000 military personnels defeated 60,000 Union Cavalrymans in a series of Marches and conflicts. Then Jackson raced to the assistance of General Robert E Lee at Capital of virginia. He besides fought in the seven yearss conflicts and at Cedar Mountain, the 2nd Battle of Bull Run, Antietan, and Fredrcksburg.
In May1863, Jackson and his military personnels struck from behind and drove the enemy back near Chancellorsville. At twilight Jackson scouted in front and some of his ain military personnels shooting him erroneously. Doctors amputated his left arm and eight yearss subsequently, May 10 1863 General Thomas J ( Stonewall ) Jackson died of pneumonia. His last words were? Let us traverse over the river, and remainder under the shadiness of the trees. ( World Book- Enclycopedia )
In decision, General Stonewall Jackson is the one of the most celebrated Confederate generals because of his skilled tactics. ( Collier s- Encyclopedia ) He is still an graven image all throughout the South, and he will be remembered everlastingly as the legendary Stonewall Jackson.
