Thomas Jackson was born in Clarksburg, Virginia (present day West Virginia) on January 21, 1824. His parents were Johnathon Jackson, an attorney, and Julia Beckwith Neale. Thomas was the third child of the family. His siblings were Elizabeth; born in 1831, Warren; born in 1821, and Laura Ann; born in 1826.

Jackson's oldest sister Elizabeth and his father died of typhoid fever a day prior to the berth of Jackson's youngest sister, Laura Ann. Widowed at the age of 28, Julia Jackson was left with extensive debts to pay off, and the family fell to poverty.

A few years later, Julia remarried a man named Blake Woodson. Woodson disliked his stepchildren from the start of the marriage. Because of the family's continuing financial difficulties, Thomas and Laura were sent to live with relatives in Jackson Mill, Virginia.

Julia Jackson died due to child berth complications on December 4, 1831. She left behind the Jackson siblings and the newborn William Wirt Woodson. Thomas and Laura spent their remaining years of childhood living with their paternal uncle.

In June of 1842, Jackson attended the United States Military Academy at West Point because it was his only chance for a higher education. Jackson was academically unprepared for the prestigious college, and he barely passed his entrance exams. Jackson was only admitted because one of the more qualified applicants dropped out of the school after the first day of classes.

Jackson had to claw and work his way to graduate from the academy ranked 17 of 59 graduates in his class. He chose artillery as his branch of the military and began his first United States Army assignment as a brevet second lieutenant in Company K. Jackson

served in the Mexican War from 1846-1848 at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania, Fort Hamilton in New York, and Fort Meade in Florida. In 1851, Jackson also served at Fort Columbus Later in 1851, Jackson resigned from the army to pursue a teaching career at the Virginia Military Institute as a professor of natural and experimental philosophy,which today includes physics and other sciences. While teaching at the academy, Jackson met Elinore Junkin. Junkin was the daughter of Dr. George Junkin, the president of Washington College, and Julia Miller Junkin. Thomas and Elinore married on August 4, 1853. Elinore, tragically, died in childbirth on October 22, 1854. The child died immediately following the berth.

During the summer of 1856, Jackson toured Europe, visiting Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, England, and Scotland. During this trip, on July 16, Thomas married for a second time. The bride's name was Mary Anna Morrison. Mary Anna's family originally

came from North Carolina, and Mary Anna's father was a retired president of Davidson College. Mary Anna gave berth to Mary Graham on April 30, 1858, but the baby died less than a month later on May 25.

Mary Anna Morrison
In April of 1861, when Virginia seceded from the union, Jackson was Jackson’s home in Lexington, Virginia reinstated and sent to Harpers Ferry. There, he became a drill master of new army recruits, and he was eventually given command of a brigade. On April 27, 1861, Governor John Letcher ordered Colonel Jackson to take command at Harpers Ferry where he would comprise the famous "Stonewall Brigade." The fabled brigade was made up of 2nd, 4th, 5th, 27th, and 33rd Virginia infantry units. All of the units were from the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.

Jackson was a brigade commander during the First Bull Run. During the famous battle, Jackson moved his troops in to reinforce the Confederate left to stop the Union's advancing attack. To rally his men, General Bernard E. Bee gave a brief speech in which he pointed to Jackson yelling, "There is Jackson, standing like a stone wall." The nickname caught on and now one rarely uses Thomas Jackson's name without using the nickname "Stonewall."

In October of 1861, Jackson was promoted to major general and received the Shenandoah Valley district of Virginia to command. On March 23, 1862, Jackson attacked a Union army at Kernstown which forced off troops intended to reinforce thearmy at Richmond. Jackson attacked later in May of 1662, striking another large Union army at Front Royal. The Union army was driven back to the Potomac River. Jackson had successfully diverted 60,000 men with his own 16,000.

During the Seven Days Battles from June 15 to July 1 of 1862, Jackson showed poor leadership which stood in contrast to his briiliance in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Scholars still debate over the cause of his uncharacteristic military failure.

The Second Bull Run took place in July of 1862. Jackson's troops met with those of General John Pope in Northern Virginia. On August 9, Jackson's brigade defeated a portion of the Union command. He proceeded to lead his own forces around the Union right flank and destroyed its supply base at Manassas. He then withdrew to Groveton, and waited for General Robert E. Lee's reinforcements. When General Lee arrived with fresh men, the Union army was quickly driven away on August 30.

On May 2, 1863, the Battle of Chancellorsville began. While returning from a scouting party with members of his staff, Jackson was mistakenly fired upon by his own troops. The 18th

North Carolina Infantry Regiment was held responsible for the incident. Jackson was hit by three '57 caliber bullets in the left arm. He was taken to a field hospital near the battlefield where the arm was amputated.

On May 4, Jackson was taken to a field hospital at the home of Thomas and Mary Chandler, near Guiney Station, approximately 30 miles from the battlefield. On May 10, 1863, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson died at 3:15 in the afternoon. His final words were "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of trees." Jackson's funeral took place on May 15, 1863 in Lexington, Virginia. Lexington was his home during his teaching career at the Virginia Military Institute.

Military cadets around Jackson's grave

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