Stonewall Jackson

Stonewall Jackson
Portrait by Nathaniel Routzahn, 1862
Birth name	Thomas Jonathan Jackson
Nickname(s)	Stonewall Old Jack Old Blue Light Tom Fool
Born	(1824-01-21)January 21, 1824[1] Clarksburg, Virginia (now West Virginia), U.S.
Died	May 10, 1863(1863-05-10) (aged 39) Guinea Station, Virginia
Buried	Oak Grove Cemetery Lexington, Virginia
Allegiance	United States Confederate States
Service / branch	United States Army (USA) Confederate States Army (CSA)
Years of service	1846–1852 (USA) 1861–1863 (CSA)
Rank	First Lieutenant (USA) Brevet Major (USA) Lieutenant General (CSA)
Commands	Stonewall Brigade Second Corps, Army of Northern Virginia
Battles / wars	See battles Mexican–American War American Civil War Great Train Raid of 1861 Battle of Falling Waters First Battle of Bull Run (First Manassas)  (WIA) Romney Expedition Battle of Hancock Jackson's Valley Campaign First Battle of Kernstown Battle of Front Royal First Battle of Winchester Battle of Port Republic Seven Days Battles Battle of Gaines's Mill Battle of Savage's Station Battle of White Oak Swamp Battle of Malvern Hill Northern Virginia Campaign Battle of Cedar Mountain First Battle of Rappahannock Station Manassas Station Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas) Battle of Chantilly Maryland Campaign Battle of Harpers Ferry Battle of Antietam Battle of Fredericksburg Battle of Chancellorsville  (DOW)
Alma mater	United States Military Academy
Spouse(s)	Elinor Jackson ​ ​ (m. 1853; died 1854)​ Mary Anna Jackson ​ (m. 1857)​
Children	2
Signature

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general and military officer who served during the American Civil War. He played a prominent role in nearly all military engagements in the eastern theater of the war until his death. Military historians regard him as one of the most gifted tactical commanders in U.S. history.^[2]

Born in what was then part of Virginia (now in West Virginia), Jackson received an appointment to the United States Military Academy, graduating in the class of 1846. He served in the United States Army during the Mexican–American War, distinguishing himself at the Battle of Chapultepec. From 1851 to 1861, he taught at the Virginia Military Institute.

When Virginia seceded from the United States in May 1861 after the Battle of Fort Sumter, Jackson joined the Confederate States Army. He distinguished himself commanding a brigade at the First Battle of Bull Run in July, providing crucial reinforcements and beating back a fierce Union assault. Thus Barnard Elliott Bee Jr. compared him to a "stone wall", which became his enduring nickname.^[3]

Jackson performed exceptionally well in various campaigns over the next two years. On May 2, 1863, he was accidentally shot by Confederate pickets.^[4] He lost his left arm to amputation. Weakened by his wounds, he died of pneumonia eight days later. Jackson's death proved a severe setback for the Confederacy. After his death, his military exploits developed a legendary quality, becoming an important element of the pseudohistorical ideology of the "Lost Cause".^[5]