Thomas
Jonathan Jackson was born in Clarksburg, Virginia on January 21, 1824.
(Clarksburg is now West Virginia) His parents were Jonathan Jackson and
Julia Beckwith Neale. His father died of typhoid fever in 1826, Julia remarried
in 1830 to Blake Woodson. The family fell into deep debt and could not
provide for the children. Thomas and his sister, Laura, were sent to live
with Jackson relatives. His mother died in 1831.
He was left an orphan at an early age and received sketchy schooling in country schools. He was a determined young man and worked hard. This hard work paid off, he received an appointment to the United States Military Academy in 1842.
His career there was due to sheer will power. Because of his inadequate education, he had to work harder than most of the other cadets to understand the lessons. But this determined young man dug in and applied himself to the task at hand. Upon graduation he had climbed to the point of graduation third in his class. This was quite an accomplishment for a young man with such sketchy education. The story went around school that had he had just one more year at the academy, he would have graduated at the top of his class.
He received his commission as a Lieutenant of artillery and was assigned to the war zone in Mexico. This was to change the course of his life and form a friendship that would last until his death. In the war with Mexico, he met another young military man destined for greatness, Robert Edward Lee.
Jackson served gallantly at Veracriz, Contreras, and Chapultepee. His military ability was quickly recognized and with that came his reward, rising to the rank of Major in less than a year.
After the Mexican war, Jackson served at several different forts. In 1850, his company was sent to Florida to fight the Seminole Indians. In 1851, Jackson left the army and joined the faculty of the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington. He taught there until 1861. It is reported, he was not a popular teacher, and his students mocked his stern, religious nature. Jackson was a shy man and this worked against him. Only a few students recognized and appreciated his goodness and his ability.
On August 4, 1853, in the Washington College president's home, Thomas Jonathan Jackson married Ellie Junkin. An event that almost did not take place due to the objections of Ellie's sister, Maggie. The engagement was broken for several months, in which Thomas was so distraught that it worried his friends. When Ellie realized her love for him was too great to dismiss, they secretly became engaged again. The town and Maggie, did not learn of the marriage until the couple was on their honeymoon. The happiness that the newly formed family enjoyed was short lived. On October 22, 1854, Ellie gave birth to a still born son, within an hour she too had died. She and the child were buried together in the Junkin family cemetery. Jackson was thrown into a deep depression, his every waking moment was filled with his loss of his dear Ellie. In this dark hour, Jackson never blamed God, only drew closer to Him. It was from an unlikely source that Jackson began to reclaim his life. Ellie's sister, Maggie, wrote to Jackson expressing her support and the two began a friendship and a healing spirit.
After two years of mourning, Jackson married Anna Morrison on July 16, 1857. In April, 1858 Anna gave birth to a daughter, they named Mary. Again tragedy was to strike, little Mary died on May 25, 1858 of liver disease. They had one other child, a daughter, Julia, born in 1863. She too died at a young age, she was only 26.
With the War Between the States approaching in 1861, Jackson voiced his strong opposition to scission. But when his home state of Virginia seceded, Jackson followed, joining the newly form Confederate Army. He was an unknown when the war started but he was soon known as a man of great military ability. In 1862 at the battle in the Shenandoah Valley, he gained international fame. With only 17,000 men in his command, he defeated 60,000 Union troops in a series of lightning marches and brilliantly lead battles. After this campaign ended in June, he was sent to Richmond. There he was to come face to face with a friend from long ago, General Robert Edward Lee.
Serving under Lee, they became even closer friends and comrades in arms. Both men were strong religious men, and of high moral character. He paid careful attention to military details, firm in discipline and he had a knack of obtaining the best from his men. His men loved him and they completely trusted his ability to lead them. This was said of Jackson's relationship with his men, that they would "meet death for his sake, and bless him when dying. "A man who could receive such devotion and trust from his men, is truly a man of honor. Jackson was a man who depended upon God's leadership in all his decisions. He became known as the "Praying General" because he would pray for hours before a battle and would lead his men in prayer before each battle. One can certainly understand why these General Lee formed such a close bond and held such respect for Jackson. The two men understood each other, they were cut from the same cloth, and they worked well together.
Jackson fought in the Seven Days' Battles, and at Cedar Mountain, and the battle of Bull Run, Antietam and Fredericksburg. At the first Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas) Jackson's men faced overwhelming odds but formed a strong line and held their ground. When General Barnard E. Bee saw Jackson's line of defence, he shouted "There is Jackson standing like a stone wall. Let us determine to die here, and we will conquer." From that very moment, Jackson was known as "Stonewall" Jackson and his brigade became known as the "Stonewall Brigade."
Stonewall Jackson fought his last fight and greatest battle in May, 1863. He had taken his Second Corps around General Joseph Hooker's Union troops near Chancellorsville, Virginia. They struck Hooker from behind and drove them back. At nightfall, Jackson went ahead of his line to scout. In the darkness, some of his own men mistook him for the enemy and shot him. The doctors had to amputate his left arm.
General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson died on May 10, 1863, eight days after he was shot. As General Lee heard of this tragic happening, he remarked "He lost his left arm; but I have lost my right arm." The Confederate Army won the battle in which Jackson was killed, but General Lee could not find a man capable of replacing Jackson. The South and Lee had lost a great man and a dear friend.
Jackson is buried at Lexington, Virginia, beside his first daughter and not far from his first wife Ellie and their stillborn son. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1955. Anna Morrison Jackson died March 24, 1915 and is buried beside her husband.