Leaders
Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born on January 21, 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia. His father, a lawyer named Jonathan Jackson, and his mother, Julia Beckwith Neale, had four children. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson was the third born. When Jackson was just 2 years old, his father and his older sister, Elizabeth, were killed by typhoid fever. As a young widow, Stonewall Jackson’s mother struggled to make ends meet. In 1830 his mother remarried to Blake Woodson. Jackson and his siblings butted heads with their new stepfather, so they were sent to live with relatives in Jackson’s Mill, Virginia. In 1831, Jackson lost his mother during childbirth. The infant, Jackson’s half-brother William Wirt Woodson, survived, but would later die of tuberculosis in 1841. Jackson spent the rest of his childhood living with his father’s brothers. In 1842 Jackson enrolled in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. Although he was older than most of his classmates, Jackson at first struggled terribly with his course load. Fortunately, Jackson pushed through the adversity and in 1846, he graduated from West Point, 17th in a class of 59 students. During the Mexican-American War, Jackson quickly proved his skills. After the Mexican-American war Jackson retired from the military and began a normal civilian life as a professor. During these years he married and remarried after his first wife died. Jackson became reengaged with military after the John Brown’s revolt at Harper’s Ferry. He now serves as a leading General in the Confederate army. He is best known for the Battle of Bull Run, which is where he got the nickname Stonewall Jackson.
course load. Fortunately, Jackson pushed through the adversity and in 1846, he graduated from West Point, 17th in a class of 59 students. During the Mexican-American War, Jackson quickly proved his skills. After the Mexican-American war Jackson retired from the military and began a normal civilian life as a professor. During these years he married and remarried after his first wife died. Jackson became reengaged with military after the John Brown’s revolt at Harper’s Ferry. He now serves as a leading General in the Confederate army. He is best known for the Battle of Bull Run, which is where he got the nickname Stonewall Jackson.
James
Longstreet
Sonewall Jackson
On January 8, 1821, James Longstreet was born in the Edgefield district of South Carolina. He spent most of his childhood in Georgia and Alabama. His uncle helped him gain admittance to West Point. After graduating from West Point in 1842, Longstreet first saw action in the Mexican-American War. He next served on the frontier. In 1861, Longstreet left the U.S. Army to join the Confederate forces. Initially a brigadier general, Longstreet became a major general in October 1861. In 1862, he performed well at the Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas) and at Antietam, and was made a lieutenant general. He demonstrated his tactical abilities once more with successful defensive maneuvers at Fredericksburg that same year.
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