STONEWALL1

Although General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson only lived for forty years, it was long enough for him to display in full measure the highest qualities of citizen, scholar, and soldier. His life was characterized by his being a courageous and self-reliant man, and in spite of the difficulties he faced, he constantly walked in a gentle simplicity, with honor. Always obedient to the voice of God, he was firm in his adherence to principle and unswerving in his devotion to his beliefs.

The childhood years of Jackson were often strained and uncertain. His parents possessed many fine qualities, but they faced great hardships during their lives. Thomas' father, Jonathan Jackson, was born on September 25, 1790 in Randolph County, Virginia, and was educated at a Clarksburg male academy. After his schooling, he studied law under the direction of his uncle, Judge John G. Jackson. He worked as a lawyer and was said to be a gentleman of good mind and a kind heart, but Jackson's business skills were not very notable. He was a generous man who co-signed several notes for his friends and clients and later ended up paying the debts himself. This was, of course, one of the contributing factors of his financial demise.

Julia Beckwith Neale Jackson, Thomas Jackson's mother, was born on February 28, 1798. She was the daughter of Thomas and Margaret Winn Neale. Her father had achieved high prosperity as a merchant in the town of Parkersburg on the Ohio River. It was stated that she was very intelligent, a devout Christian, and a belle in society with gentle and positive traits.

Julia sold everything she had to pay the debts and refused charity from her family. After the loss of her house, however, she accepted an offer from the Masonic Order to use a one-room house about twelve feet square. From this location, she took in sewing and taught school until 1830, when she married Mr. Blake W. Woodson. Woodson was a lawyer who had moved from Cumberland County, Virginia to Clarksburg. After this event, the life of Thomas Jackson grew more difficult.

Mr. Woodson was a poor provider and the family soon found themselves in financial problems again. Ill health forced Julia Woodson to make the decision to send her children to live with other family members. Ten-year-old Warren was sent to Parkersburg to live with his uncle, Alfred Neale. Thomas and Laura went to Jackson's Mill in Lewis County to live with the Jackson family, which consisted of their step-grandmother Elizabeth Brake Jackson, two aunts, and six uncles. This situation helped to bring stability to their lives.

A few months later, Jackson and his sister were taken back to see their mother as she lay dying. She had given birth to their half brother, William Wirt Woodson. The pregnancy had taken its toll on her already weakened body, and with lingering fever, dysentery and tuberculosis, there was no hope of her survival. On December 4, 1831, with her children at her side, Julia Woodson died. Less than a year later, Jackson's stepfather also passed away. Afterwards, there was a strong disagreement between the Jackson and Neale families concerning the custody of the three children. Eventually, the Jackson family won this fight, and Thomas and his sister remained at Jackson's Mill.

After the death of his step-grandmother a few years later, Thomas Jackson and his sister Laura were again sent away. Laura went to join the Neale family, and Thomas moved to Parkersburg to live with his Aunt Polly, who was his father's sister, and her husband, Isaac Brake. After a horrible year of verbal abuse and one severe beating, Thomas ran away to once again live with his uncle at Jackson's Mill. He remained there until 1836, just after his twelfth birthday, when his sixteen-year-old brother Warren came to see him, suggesting they visit their sister Laura.

The two boys traveled over eighty miles to the home of Alfred Neale, where their sister lived. Mr. Neale had a farm of over one hundred acres, and he sold firewood and other items to the riverboats on the Ohio River. Warren was a successful school teacher in Upshar County, but he thought that he and Thomas could be just as prosperous as their uncle by selling wood to the steamboats. The boys built a raft and floated down the Ohio River and into the Mississippi River, where they found a deserted house on an island off the Kentucky shore. They spent the next few months cutting wood for sale, but the work was hard and the income was not what they had anticipated. With little money, limited food, and poor living conditions, illness soon overcame them. Both of the boys eventually contacted malaria, and they decided to try to get back to their family in Virginia. A kind steamboat captain offered them transportation, and in February of 1837, they finally reached the home of the Neale family. Thomas soon returned to Jackson's Mill, and Warren, who never fully recuperated, returned to teaching, but he died three years later.

By now, Thomas knew he needed an education to achieve a successful life, and he persuaded his uncle, Cummins Jackson, to allow him to attend school. The schools in the area proved to be inadequate at best. Cummins persuaded a well-educated gentleman of the area, Mr. Robert P. Rhea, to open a school for boys at the mill, and Thomas began his studies. He also spent time in Wesson where he was taught by Mr. Phillip Cox Jr.