Stonewall Jackson: The great general of the American Civil War

I’M an incurable romantic when it comes to the heroic exploits of the famous American generals who figured prominently in the US Civil War in 1861 to 1865. When I was in high school, I would spend my Saturdays at the public library reading about the military campaigns waged by the two sides distinguished by the color of their uniforms—blue for the Union soldiers and gray for the Confederates. I never missed every movie featuring the memorable battles during the civil war. My favorites include Gettysburg, Glory, Horse Soldiers and Shenandoah. Of course, the classic film of epic length is the ultimate movie about the civil war, Gone With the Wind, which depicts the life and culture of the South just before and after the Civil War.

General Ulysses Grant, the supreme commander of the Union Army, and his subordinate generals like George Mcclellan, William Tecumseh Sherman and George Meade and their counterparts from the Confederate Army led by Generals Robert Lee, Stonewall Jackson, James Longstreet and Nathan Forrest were the figures larger than life who populated my dreams. At the outbreak of the war, Lee was the commander of the army of Northern Virginia, his native state, and was considered as one of the finest generals to wear the uniform in the US. He was offered the command of the entire Union armies but he opted to be loyal to his home state, which was a part of the Confederacy. These generals were household names during the Civil War and their victories and defeats in battles changed the fortunes of the war and the destiny of the country.

Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson was the most popular and beloved general of the Confederate Army. The Americans, particularly those from the South, are celebrating his 198th birthday anniversary today. Jackson was the most celebrated general because of his many victories in significant battles and his military achievements were eclipsed only by General Robert E. Lee after Jackson’s death in 1863. He was twice wounded in action as he led his troops against overwhelming forces of the North. The pro-abolition Union armies backed up by wealthier, more powerful and heavily industrialized states in the North enjoyed tremendous advantage over the pro-slavery states of the South. Jackson was a native of Virginia, which became the seat of the Confederacy during the civil war. He attended the West Point Military Academy and took part in the Mexican-american War after his graduation. With his distinguished service against the Mexicans, he was taken in as an instructor at the famed Virginia Military Institute. When Virginia seceded from the Union, he commanded a brigade of the Confederate Army and boldly led his troops in the first battle of Bull Run where he fiercely defended their fort and turned back the massive Union forces. For this heroic feat, both allies and foes dubbed him “stonewall”, which stuck with him forever. Jackson was outstanding in battles and was a feared and respected commander. He was the Confederate Armies’ hero of the campaigns in the Shenandoah Valley in 1862. He vanquished three Union armies commanded by different generals and successfully repulsed General Mcclellan’s troops in its assault of Richmond. He then reinforced the beleaguered Northern Virginia Army under General Lee, which was tasked mainly to defend Richmond. He captured the supply depot of General John Pope and repelled the advance of the Union forces during the 2nd battle of Bull Run. In the subsequent Maryland campaign, he led the capture of Harpers Ferry, a critical post controlled by the Union Army and strategic to the defense of the Confederate forces in Antietam. Before 1862 ended, he initially backed out in the battle of Fredericksburg but eventually beat back the Union forces of General Ambrose Burnside. But a tragic battle awaited him in April and May 1863, which proved to be the last conflict for this invincible warrior. This was the battle at Chancellorsville where the Union Army of the Potomac had successfully crossed the river undetected to gather at Chancellorsville in order to prepare for a massive attack on Fredericksburg. Jackson made a surprise assault on the right plank of the enemy forces and successfully led his 30,000 troops in driving back for a couple of miles the larger Union army under General Joseph Hooker. At that point, Hooker erroneously thought that he was confronting overwhelming enemy forces of General Lee. That evening, Jackson wearily returned to his camp, accompanied by his closein security forces. As they traversed the friendly territory under cover of darkness, friendly forces ambushed Jackson. Before they could establish their identity, he and his companions were accidentally shot by fellow Southerners on their way back from the battle. The next day, General Lee and his troops continued the attack and this time against the entire plank and the panic-driven Union forces withdrew back across the river counting thousands of casualties and surrenderees left behind. It was one of the last major battles won by the Confederate armies during the final stretch of the war.

Due to severe injury caused by gunshot wounds, Jackson’s left arm was amputated but he died eight days later from pneumonia. His death was mourned deeply by the Confederate armies and the people from the South. His comrades-in-arms did to him what his enemies failed to achieve. This had greatly affected the morale of the secessionists who hardly recovered from his irreplaceable loss. The movie flick Gods and Glory featured the extraordinary lives of Stonewall Jackson, and his nemesis, General Joshua Chamberlain, the hero of Gettysburg, until Jackson’s untimely demise during a misencounter with his fellow confederate soldiers.

Stonewall Jackson is regarded up to now as one of the “most gifted tactical commanders in US history. His tactics are studied even today.” Undoubtedly his death had contributed to the defeat of the Confederate armies by the Union. Although all hopes of winning the civil war had vanished after the Confederate Army lost the Battle of Gettysburg, Stonewall Jackson’s freak death was an ominous episode that led to the Confederacy’s inevitable defeat. It was a setback from which the South had not recovered, shattering its hope of a military victory and ideological triumph of pro-slavery over abolition.

On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant. Following President Abraham Lincoln’s instruction, that “there must be no French revolution here”, meaning no hanging, no bloodshed, and no guillotining of the defeated opposition, Grant treated Lee with honor, respect and dignity. For his part, Lee wore his finest uniform and shiny boots. When asked about it, Lee humbly answered, “Now I must become General Grant’s prisoner.” It’s one of the most poignant moments in US history. Stonewall Jackson must be proudly beaming in his grave.