Stonewall Jackson

Stonewall Jackson

Next to Robert E. Lee himself, Thomas J. Jackson is the most revered of all Confederate commanders. A graduate of West Point, he had served in the artillery in the Mexican War, earning two brevets, before resigning to accept a professorship at the Virginia Military Institute. Thought strange by the cadets, he earned "Tom Fool Jackson" and Old Blue Light" as nicknames

Thomas Jonathon Jackson was born on January 21st, 1824. He was orphaned at age 7 and had to move in with his uncle Cummins Jackson, at Jackson's Mill Virginia. His uncle never treated him like a son, and Thomas didn't treat him like a father. Cummins was more like an older brother. Cummins only had two loves at the time, and sadly enough Thomas wasn't one of them. They were money and Jackson's Mill. Jackson's Mill, at that time was a thriving saw and grain mill, it also had a general store on the grounds. Cummins treated Thomas as much older than he was, because Thomas didn't have time to do the carefree things that most kids do. His favorite thing to do in his spare time was to cross the West Fork River, with his sister in a raft that he had made. After they would cross the river he would go and sit under the trees and think about life.

His uncle wasn't a religious man, but Thomas discovered an interest in religion. He would attend church near his home. And in future years he became so religious that he carried a bible around with him at all times. He kept his body spiritually clean, He didn't use tobacco, coffee, or alcoholic drinks; he would go all winter without cloak or overcoat in the mountains of Virginia, giving no other reason than that he "did not wish to give way to cold." So he was quite a stubborn man.

His chance for higher education wasn't very good, because it wasn't offered in the local area where he lived, finally after several petitions he was granted entrance into West Point Academy. At first it was really hard because he didn't have the formal education that the rest of the students possessed, and so he had low grades. But he did have self-determination, and by the time those four years were up, he graduated in the top of his class. Some people said that if he had had one more year to study, then he would have graduated at the number one spot in his class. Since he was older than most of the students at WestPoint he gained the nickname of "old Jack", which stuck with him for many years after.

After his graduation he immediately became a quartermaster for the First Artillery's Company K, under the command of Captain Taylor, if you visited Captain Taylor he would always ask, "Do you know Lieutenant Jackson? He will make his mark in this war." Then he would say, " I taught him at West Point; he came there badly prepared, but ...