Stonewall Jackson (1824-1863)

He was born 'Thomas Jonathan Jackson' in Clarksburg in what is now West Virginia. Orphaned by the age seven, he was raised in difficult circumstances by various relatives. He was accepted to and graduated (1846) from West Point Military Academy and served with distinction in the Mexican-American War (1846-48), earning the brevet rank of Major for gallantry. In 1851, he resigned from the army and became Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy, or Physics, and Instructor of Artillery at the Virginia Military Institute. He gained a reputation as an eccentric, deeply religious man, and although devoted to his duties he was deemed just a mediocre teacher.

When the Civil War erupted in 1861, he joined the Confederate Army as a Colonel. That July, at the First Battle of Bull Run, he earned his famous nickname when another officer rallied his troops by pointing to Jackson's brigade, "standing like a stone wall." Promoted to Major-General, he became one of the Confederacy's most brilliant commanders. He led the successful Shenandoah Valley Campaign in 1862, demonstrating tactical genius through rapid movement and aggressive attacks. He served as Robert E. Lee's most trusted lieutenant, playing crucial roles at the Seven Days Battles, Second Bull Run, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. His career ended tragically at Chancellorsville in May 1863. After leading a devastating flanking attack, he was accidentally shot by his own men while scouting at night. His left arm was amputated, but he developed pneumonia and died eight days later on May 10, 1863. His death was considered an irreplaceable loss for the Confederacy. He married twice and was survived by one daughter, Mrs. Julia Christian, by his second wife.