Happy Birthday, Stonewall Jackson

Jackson-VMISunset02-smToday is Stonewall Jackson’s birthday—his 192nd. If he were here to witness all this Lee-Jackson hoopla, no doubt he’d say, “Wow, I’m really old.”

We’ve had quite the Lee-Jackson Lovefest this week here at ECW. We’ll round out our week’s coverage with a recap of some of our favorite Stonewall Jackson stories from the ECW archives.

Stonewall’s Birthday (from Jan. 21, 2015)

The Sound of History from the Stonewall Jackson Shrine (from Sept. 21, 2011)

“If Stonewall Jackson Hadn’t Gotten Shot”: Facing the Counterfactual Specter of Stonewall’s Wounding (a two-part piece that started on Sept. 30, 2011)

Stonewall and Lemons: An International Connection (from Jan. 3, 2014)

Statues of Stonewall (a series that ran the last week of 2011 and concluded on Jan. 1, 2012)

Here’s an audiobook excerpt from The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson by Chris Mackowski and Kristopher D. White, read by Chris.



9 Responses to Happy Birthday, Stonewall Jackson

  1. “We’ve had quite the Lee-Jackson Lovefest this week here at ECW.”

    Yes, but I’d hasten to add it’s been counter-balanced with an adequate Hatefest as well. Regardless, I appreciate the fact ECW hosts this forum for open and lively debate and welcomes diverse perspectives and views. Kudos.

    And may I be the first to join you in wishing General Jackson a Happy Birthday!

  2. Should we be celebrating the birthday of one of the greatest butchers of the civil war who famously said “Kill them all!” I understand it was war. Grant, Sherman and Lee were no better. But celebrating Stonewall Jackson strikes me as vile as celebrating the Confederate flag.

  3. “On June 18, 1920, General John J. Pershing, while at Lexington, Va., placed a wreath upon the grave of General Robert E. Lee, and delivered a brief address, during which he said that Lee was one of the world’s greatest generals. Veterans of the Civil War and World War stood at attention during the ceremonies. General Pershing then visited the tomb of General Thomas Jonathan Jackson and declared that “the world looked on him and his accomplishments with admiration and awe.” From “Stonewall Jackson: A Thesaurus of Anecdotes of and Incidents in the Life of Lieut.-General Thomas Jonathan Jackson” (1920), by Elihu S. Riley

    Hat tip to Robert Moore.

      1. True, following in the tradition of other Virginia traitors such as Washington, Jefferson, Madison, etc. Not bad company if you ask me.

        And thank you Richard for pointing out that until relatively recently Americans of all regions respected and often honored Southern soldiers for their accomplishments without feeling the need to qualify their views with statements condemning slavery or worse, being called racist.

    1. Richard:
      While we will never agree about honoring Lee, Jackson, etc., I have found one topic where I’m sure we are like-minded.

      Back in the day, my father took our family many times traipsing through the Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains. (We lived on the East Coast at the time.)

      From your Old Virginia Blog, I infer that you grew up in the Shenandoah and now live in or near the Blue Ridge Mts. Those are some of the most majestic and scenic areas on the East Coast. What beauty!

      By the way, is Skyline Drive still awesome? The last time I rode along it was in the early 1960s.

      1. Bob – yes, born and raised in Waynesboro and Augusta County – always in the Shadow of the Blue Ridge. I’ve never lived more than 10 miles from where I was born, nor do I have any desire to. My home is about 7 miles (as the crow flies) from the Southern entrance to the Drive. Yes, it is a true treasure (despite the fact the Feds used eminent domain to boot the mountain people off ancestral lands). One of my Confederate great-great grandfathers is buried just off the Blue Ridge Parkway on ancestral land – about 4 miles from my home, as the crow flies.

        The Drive and Parkway have changed little since the ’60’s, though the Valley below would look quite different, though it still possesses, in large measure, it’s rural charm.

        You might find this interesting:
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkWH3iqL_gQ

        Best
        RGW

  4. When we look at the image above depicting the statue of Jackson, please consider that not every statue should be removed or every memory banished. Please know that our wonderful Arlington National Cemetery, which was created by the victorious Union government to bury its dead, has a portion designated as Section 16. This section has the remains of hundreds of Confederate soldiers. On that ground is a monument inscribed “to their devotion to duty as they understood it” – a gesture of respect without any concession to their cause.

  5. Yes, yes, yes! Happy 192nd Birthday to General Jackson! Celebrate however you like – more debates, wreath-laying…a sip of lemonade…or – more authentically – eating peaches.

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