Stonewall Jackson
by: Nathan Settelmaier
Stonewall Jackson's effect on the civil war
What did he do before the civil war?
- He was elected constable of his county at 17.
- He served as a Brevet Major in the Mexican-American war (Brevet- given the position for a commendable action but does not receive the pay or authority of the position).
- He taught as an artillery instructor at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI).
- He had 2 wives, the first died during childbirth complications, so he remarried and had 1 girl, whom he named Julia after his mother.
What was his family life like?
- His father and older sister died of Typhoid Fever.
- His mother remarried and he often disagreed with his stepfather.
- His mother tried to send him to live with his uncle because he had problems with his dad, but he ran away from home because he wanted to stay with his mother.
- She eventually convinced him to leave, and she died several years later of childbirth complications.
why did he enlist?
- He graduated from west point #17 out of a class of 59 people.
- He fought in the Mexican-American war and received high marks an promotions.
- He fought to defend his homeland, not to preserve slavery.
- He retired from military life for a while after the Mexican-American war, but returned to military life after being an Officer at rebellious John Brown's hanging.
- He was commissioned as a Colonel to help recruit soldiers at Harper's Ferry for the evident civil war.
interesting facts
- He had Hypochondria, which means he had a false belief that something was physically wrong with him.
- This disease earned him the name "Tom Fool Jackson" because of the various things he did to try to fix the problems he thought he had.
- He was very religious, and when he was a child he traded one of his artillery books for a bible.
- His beliefs were Calvinistic, which means he believed that god had a predetermined path for him and therefore there was no good or bad because everything had already been decided.
- This also meant that god had already decided when and where he was to die. this made him a fearless leader because he believed that he would die whenever god planned for him to die and not until then.
- He also accredited all victories to god and losses as chastisement.
- His last words were: “Let us cross the river and rest under the shade of the trees.”
life facts
- He was born January 21, 1824 in Clarkson, Virginia (now West Virginia).
- He died on May 10, 1863 in Guinea Virginia.
- He died of Pneumonia after his arm was accidentally shot by friendly fire.
- He did not drink, in fact, he said, "I am more afraid of alcohol than of all the bullets of the enemy."
- His full name was Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson.
military career
- He served as a Brevet Major in the Mexican-American war.
- He served as a Lieutenant General in the Confederacy, led the "Stonewall Brigade".
- Although he was an outstanding general, he made several major mistakes such as his late arrival and confused efforts and attacks at the Seven Days Battle.
- He is most well known for his role at the battle of bull run (Manassas) in which he turned the tide of the battle by rallying his troops.
- He successfully held off 60,000 federal troops with a confederate force of 16,000 at Front Royal.
- His arm was shot off by his own soldiers. it was amputated and he survived, but he died abut a week later of Pneumonia, ending all future careers.
Summary
Stonewall Jackson was a major key figure in the civil war for the south, and his death lowered morale across the confederacy. I believe if he had survived, the Civil War might have gone a completely, and his survival might have even changed the outcome of the war.