Lt. Gen. T. Jackson

[Gil R.]

Okay, somehow I managed to get this to the right size. I shortened the Mexico sentence, reworking it and cutting out “...where he was at the siege of Veracruz and battles at Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Molino Del Rey and Chapultepec, gaining promotion to 1st Lieutenant for his gallantry.” I shortened the description of Bee rallying his men. And that Clarksburg is in West Virginia, and that VMI is in Lexington. And, of course, I took out the bit about his arriving by rail – good catch. Sadly, I had to take out my detail about the Harper’s Ferry POW’s being the largest number until Corregidor. (I did add one new detail, about his voracious reading as a youth.)

Lt. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson (b. 1824, d. 1863). One of America’s greatest generals, Jackson had a humble, lonely beginning: born in Clarksburg, Virginia on January 21, 1824, his parents and a sister died when he was young, leaving him to be raised by an uncle at Jackson’s Mill, the family estate. As a youth, he worked at the mill, read voraciously, raced horses and built a raft he would use to cross the river and spend time in the shade of some trees. Admitted to West Point, Jackson saw it as his only chance at a college education and studied with unmatched intensity. After graduating in 1846, he served with distinction in Mexico as a 2nd Lieutenant of the 1st U.S. Artillery, but left the army in 1851 to teach at the Virginia Military Institute for the next ten years. On April 17, 1861, Virginia seceded from the Union, and four days later Jackson led V.M.I.’s corps of cadets to Richmond, organizing and drilling new recruits there. Jackson was made a colonel of the state militia and given command at Harper’s Ferry; he next organized the 1st Virginia Brigade, gaining promotion to brigadier general on July 3. On July 21, Jackson played a crucial roll at 1st Manassas when, with southern forces crumbling, he moved his brigade to Henry House Hill and set a defensive line to stop the Union. At this time, Gen. Bernard E. Bee rallied his brigade by saying, “Look men, there is Jackson standing like a stone wall!” Bee’s exhortation gave both the commander and his brigade the immortal name of “Stonewall.” As more reinforcements arrived, the South routed the Union. On October 7, Jackson was promoted to major general, and subsequently given command of the Shenandoah Valley District. Charged with hampering the Union’s forces there while Gen. George B. McClellan was aiming for Richmond in the Peninsula Campaign, Jackson startled the enemy with a series of bold maneuvers. On March 23 he had his only defeat, at Kernstown, but then deceptively marched his army out of the Valley, boarded trains and returned back into the Valley to surprise and defeat the Union at McDowell. He then marched his men down the Valley, pushing the Union north to Strasburg, where they dug in. Next the army marched over New Market Gap in a flanking maneuver, routing the Union at Front Royal and Winchester, before withdrawing south and closing the campaign at Cross Keys and Port Republic with victories over armies sent to trap them. Jackson was then ordered towards Richmond, and by his unexpected arrival forced McClellan to abandon his attack plans and position. Joining up with Gen. Robert E. Lee for the Seven Days’ Battles of June 25-July 1, the exhausted Jackson performed poorly. He redeemed himself with a brilliant flank march that precipitated the Battle of 2nd Manassas. During September’s Maryland Campaign, Jackson captured Harper’s Ferry before hurrying to Antietam, where his men withstood withering Union attacks. Promoted to lieutenant general and given the II Corps on October 10, Jackson’s men helped repel the Union attack at Fredericksburg. Spring of 1863 brought the Chancellorsville Campaign. On May 2, Lee divided his army and sent Jackson on a daylong flanking march that ended in a crippling attack on the Union right. After dark, Jackson rode out with officers and staff to scout Union positions, but while returning they were fired upon by Jackson’s own men. Jackson was hit in the right hand and left arm. Having lost the arm, he soon developed pneumonia. The profoundly religious Jackson – he always credited his victories to God and, seeing the Civil War as a test of faith, had drawn inspiration from Biblical military heroes like Joshua, Gideon and David – had always desired to die on the Sabbath day, and so he did: he passed on Sunday, May 10, just after uttering his final words, “Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.”

[shenandoah]

The bio looks great. I am heading out for awhile to Baltimore for an art show and some good weather. I will tune in later.