Stonewall Jackson Essay, Research Paper

Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born on January 21, 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia (Now known as West Virginia). His education was at the U.S. Military Academy where he learned most of his knowledge he used in the Civil War. After his graduation, which was in 1846 from West Point he was drafted in the Mexican War, until he was allowed to leave in 1848. After he was in the Mexican War, he was an instructor at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) on the recent outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, and he left Virginia Military Institute to go into the Confederate army. He was upgraded into a colenel and within months was given the rank of brigadier general.

General Jackson got the nickname “Stonewall” from the First Battle of Bull Run (1861), where his troops stood against the Union forces “like a stonewall,” as told from Brig. General Barnard E. Bee. While Jackson was commanding, the “Stonewall Brigade,” during a campaign in the Shenandoah Valley in the Spring of 1862, Jackson made a very controversial and remarkable tactical maneuver against three Union armies.

People say Jackson met his “right hand man,” General Robert E. Lee, when they teamed up to defeat of General George McClellan in the Seven Days’ Battle at Richmond.

In August 1862, Jackson defeated once again in the army of General John Pope, ensuring a Confederate victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run. Jackson then crossed to the Potomac into Maryland with General Lee, who ordered him to capture Harpers Ferry. So, he did, and did a good job. His task was completed in September 1862.

Jackson got the unfortunate news about his partner, Lee, to flee to Antietam Creek to aid him. Lee was under attack by an overwhelming Union force. So Jackson was left to command the right wing of the Confederate army, who had a big reputation of being victorious, at Fredericksburg in December 1862.

Little did Jackson know that an attack was planned on him after the Rappahannock campaign in Virginia. The following spring, they were attacked on the rear columns of the Union army. Jackson tried as hard as he could to prevent the threatened encirclement of the Confederate forced by the troops of General Joseph Hooker.

On May 2, 1863, while leading his forced at the Chancellorsville, Jackson was accidentally shot and killed by his own men.

Today, there are still many memorials on “Stonewall” Jackson. Today, many people think of Jackson as one of the best Generals there ever was. I, personally, think out of all the research that I did, that he is the most interesting General who served to our people and helped us to be victorious in most US activities we participated in.

Family life:

Stonewall Jackson was born as the third child in his family. His parents were Julia Beckwith Neale Jackson and his farther was Jonathan Jackson. Both his parents died in poverty while he was still young. He was raised by an uncle, Cummins Jacksons for the remainder of his childhood life. As a young adult, Thomas remembered his late father by taking Jonathan as his middle name. He got married to Anna, who traveled from her parents home in North Carolina for him to see their 5 month old daughter, Julia, for the first time. Jackson was very happy to have a child. He has been orphaned at the age of 7, and spent his youth traveling all over Virginia, living with relatives and wishing he could finally have a place to call “home.” They obviously named his daughter Julia after her late grandmother.

The Jackson family tried to live as normal as a life as possible. It was very hard for them although. They lived a hard life because many people knew who he was even when he dressed in incognito. He was also gone for a lot of Julia’s child hood life, and she was raised mostly by his wife, Anna.