Stonewall Jackson

6 Pages 1529 Words

If you ask the average American student “who was Stonewall Jackson? The vast majority would answer “a famous Civil War solider.” Thomas Jackson is famous in the South for being one of the most famous and influential leaders of the Southern Confederate Army during The War Between the States.
Thomas Jackson was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia, on January 21, 1824. His father, Johnathon ,was a very distinguished lawyer. He was the third to be born of four children. His youngest sister, Elizabeth, was born in 1819, Warren, 1821, and Laura Ann, 1826. Of these family members, one could assume that the deaths of his sister, at age six, followed by his father, at thirty-six, were psychologically significant in his life, and perhaps they contributed greatly to his overwhelmingly precautious decisions and “odd” behavior throughout his life. This is more clearly suggested by witnesses and friends who labeled him as a hypochondriac because of his unusual posture. His posture was, at least, described by him as unnatural and he would always sit up straight because he didn’t want to bend his internal organs or “innards” as he would call them. When he first enrolled at West Point he was very shy, keeping to his self initially along with having a personality that was hard to label. In early childhood, he developed both an interest in the principles of Christianity and became inspired through military history.
Jackson rose through the ranks to become General in a serious of assignments, which started, in May of 1863, and ended in May 10, 1863. The most famous accomplishment was seen in his defeat of Grant's Union Army under Freemont in the winter with his 1st Brigade and 2nd Corps division of the Shenandoah Valley. This campaign was to hold the Northern Virginia Line which was so successful, that it granted him the title of [L.T.] General. "Stonewall" Jackson that we know of today. Jackson’s sense of loyalty and obligation ...