Thomas Jackson was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia on January 21, 1824. His whole name was Thomas Jonathon Jackson. Jackson was of Scottish-Irish descent. His dad, Jonathon Jackson, was an attorney, he lived from 1790-1826. His mom was Julia Beckwith, she lived from 1798-1831. "His parents were married in September 1817 and had four children: Elizabeth, Warren, Thomas, and Laura Ann"( Jackson 75 ). Out of all of the children, Thomas lived the longest.
Jackson sailed to America from London on boat with very few people on board, included a nice young lady that he soon married. After Jackson's death, his widow married his
brother-in-law.
Thomas Jackson attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. "Jackson graduated in June 1846, standing 17th out of 59 graduates"(Sifakis 1). Jackson began his U.S. Army career as a 2nd Lieutenant, First Artillery Regiment. Jackson started teaching at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia.
English: Confederate Lt. Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" J...
digital graphic of Stonewall
Stonewall Jackson (between 1861 and 1863).A short while after he started teaching, he resigned from the army.
Thomas Jackson was an American Soldier, considered by military authorities an outstanding leader, a skilled tactician, and one of the ablest Confederate commanders. He was a United States Army Officer. Jackson served in the Mexican War from 1846 to 1848. "During the Mexican War, he was stationed at Carlisle Barracks, PA; Ft. Hamilton, NY; Ft. Meade, FL" (Sifakis 2). In November 1859, Jackson was one of the VMI officers who accompanied a contingent of VMI cadets to Harper's Ferry, where that stood guard at the execution site of abolitionist John Brown.
Governor John Letcher ordered Col. Jackson to take command at Harper's Ferry, where he organized the troops that would soon comprise the famous "Stonewall Brigade." Jackson was promoted to Brigadier General. At the Battle of Manassas, he acquired the legendary nickname, Stonewall. He got...