Blog-article on Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson  by Tom Roten & Melanie Asbury.  With an interview with award-winning author and Southern historian Lochlainn Seabrook regarding his book: The Quotable Stonewall Jackson (2012, Sea Raven Press).  The following information (and some of the actual text) is paraphrased from Mr. Seabrook’s book The Quotable Stonewall Jackson.

Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, born January 21, 1824 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, VA, (now WV) was a very eccentric, peculiar man who, often times, was the butt of many jokes by his men, who, on the battlefield, were in awe of the man.  Every evening, Jackson was known to have stood, alone, in his study, from 6 to 9 pm, with a green silk shade over his head, yet, no one asked him why.  He refused to wear the gold braids of an officer and wore regular army clothes that became more ragged with every battle.  Old Jack, as his admirers called him, was rumored to have very sensitive eyes as he wore his cadet hat low.  Often times, his eyes would be completely covered and rode with his head held high, all you could see were his nose and chin.

Q: Did he really have a light sensitivity or was it just another eccentric thing?

A: Yes, Jackson did appear to have extreme sensitivity to light, especially sunlight, always maintaining that he had inherently “weak eyes.”  From reading
his personal letters, one might be forgiven for thinking that he actually had a
peculiar obsession with eyes, as he mentions so often—not only his own, but
those of others.  It must be said though that his habit of pulling his hat down low over his forehead (allegedly to “protect” his eyes) may have merely been an eccentricity of his, since, according to his wife, he often wore his hat this way even at night.

Throughout the book, you mentioned several places where he visited mineral waters, such as Rockbridge Alum Springs, VA, White Sulpher Springs, VA, and enjoyed “surf bathing” in Cape May, NJ.

Q: Was he in bad health or did he just enjoy the water?

A: For most of his life Jackson was never in seriously bad health, but instead suffered from a number of ongoing minor ailments.  He did seem to be something of a hypochondriac.  But it remains true that his real illnesses were often “cured” by “taking the waters” at various Victorian resorts.  Please keep in mind that Jackson was a deeply empathetic and tender person, far beyond the ordinary.  This made him extra sensitive, not only to the needs of his body, mind, and spirit, but to the feelings and needs of others, as well.  Nowhere is this sensitivity more evident than in his letters to family members.

In 1830, Jackson and his older brother, Warren and four year old sister, Laura Anne were orphaned due to extreme poverty of his mother and step father and were sent to live with relatives.  Jackson didn’t get along with his Uncle Brake and he and his brother Warren ran away from home and swore they would never go back.  They made there way along the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers’ cutting wood to get by and lived in a little cabin, in horrible conditions, and within a year they returned home, filthy and starving.  Soon after, Warren died. 

At age 17, Jackson was appointed constable of Lewis Co., Va, now WV.  In 1842, at age 18, he received a cadetship at West Point.  In 1846, at the age of 22, he graduated receiving brevet rank of second lieutenant of artillery.  He heads to New Orleans to join with the U. S. First Regiment of Artillery, where he sets sail for Mexico and participates in the Mexican American War.  After the end of the war, he stays in Mexico City for a time and learns the language and love for the people and their culture.  It is there he is introduced to formalized Christianity by his commander Colonel Francis Taylor.  This begins his study of the various denominations of Christianity.

Q: Was it due to these teachings that he kept his camps non-denominational, with chaplains of all faiths ministering to his men?  It is said that he was always respectful of his men who were agnostic and atheist.

A: From birth Jackson had what I would call a cosmic approach rather than a dogmatic approach to religion in general and to Christianity specifically.  This he had in common with many of our greatest philosophers, religious leaders, and mystics throughout history.  Thus he was never bothered by one’s religious designation, or even utter lack of religiosity.  He accepted all men and women as fellow spiritual brothers and sisters “in Christ,” whatever their personal beliefs, race, or nationality. 

Jackson, a devout Christian, in 1855, at age 31, he and his wife opened a Sunday School for some 100 African Americans in Lexington, Va. He spoke French and Spanish. 

Throughout his life he was surrounded by death: his 7 year old sister, his father at age 36, mother at 32, brother Warren at age 17, his 29 year old first wife dies while giving birth to their stillborn son, his four month old son by his second wife. When asked by a fellow Confederate officer asked the General how he kept his composure under even the most 
violent enemy fire, to which he said, “ Captain, my religious beliefs teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time of my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to always be ready, no matter when it may overtake me.  That is the way
all men should live, and then all would be equally brave.

Q: How do you think so much death affected him?

A: I believe death had a profound effect on Jackson.  It not only shaped his
personality and habits and even his approach to fighting battles, it also
deepened his spirituality, increasing—in my opinion—his desire to “return home”
(to the Afterlife) before his time.

He wrote many letters to his wife and sister and looked forward to the days that he received correspondence back.  He wrote often of church services that he attended, by many different chaplains, in several different camps and how forward he looked to seeing his wife’s face again.  His daughter was five months old before he saw her for the first time. 

In 1861 Jackson is appointed Confederate Colonel of the Virginia forces and sent to Harpers Ferry to defend the region and begin his command. In 1862 he receives another promotion from the Confederate government: lieutenant general.  It was his last.

In 1863, on May 2, Jackson is misidentified by his own men and
hit by friendly fire.  When being carried from the battlefield, one of the men helping to carry his stretcher is hit and drops the General who falls on his side, onto a rock or big log, which at the time seemed to be no big deal.  On May 3, Jackson’s arm was amputated.  He healed rapidly and in a few days was back on the battlefield.  On May 7, he complained of pain in his side and it was found that due to being dropped on his side he had contracted pleuro pneumonia. On May 10, surrounded by his family, staff and servants, pneumonia overtook him and he passed away at age 39.

He had no sons to pass on his surname, though his direct family line continues on into present day through his granddaughter Julia Jackson Christian and his grandson Thomas Jonathan Jackson Christian.

Big thanks to my producer Melanie Asbury and to everyone at Sea Raven Press!  Click here to buy the book or learn more!

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