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Thomas Jonathan Jackson and his Family
Jackson's parents, Jonathan Jackson and Julia Neale married Sep. 1817 and had four children: Elizabeth (1819-1826), Warren (1821-1841), Thomas "Stonewall" (1824-163), and Laura Ann (1826-1911). -
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Life of Stonewall Jackson
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Death of father and Sister
In 1826, Jonathan and Elizabeth both died due to typhoid fever. The very next day, Julia gave birth to Laura Ann. -
Re-marrige
Julia remarries to Blake Baker Woodsen (1783-1833) and together they had William Wirt Woodsen. -
Bad Health
In 1831, because of health complications of his mother (due to child birth) and because Jackson's new step dad did not like him, along with money issues, he was sent off to live with his uncle, Federal Judge John G. Jackson. -
Jackson becoms an Orphan
In early 1832, Julia dies because of child birth of her last son William. Laura, Warren, and Thomas are now orphans. -
Jackson runs away
At the age of 12, Jackson confronted his Aunt and said "Aunt, Uncle Brake and I don't agree. I have quit him and will never go back anymore." From there he walked 18 miles to the farm of Cummins Jackson, the bachelor half-brother of his father. -
Life of Labor
Jackson lived humbily and honestly under the wing of Cummins Jackson from 1836 to 1842. Thomas saw him as a hero, since he had no father figure in his early part of life. He grew up working hard with his uncles slaves and in a mill. He learned what he could academically but that was very limited; however, nothing could have prepared him more than the life lessons he learned as a working young man. -
Entry into West Point
Jackosn attended the Military Academy of West point only because the top applicant of his congressional district withdrew the day after he arrived at the University because he was appalled at the harshness of military life. He returned home and informed Jackson of this and asked him to hand in his letter of resognation as Jackson applied again. -
Experience at West Point
Because of his lack of education as a child, jackson needed to work extra hard to achive academic success. "We were studying," writes a classmate, "algebra and analytical geometry that winter, and Jackson was very low in his class. Just before the signal lights out he would pile up his grate with anthracite coal, and lying prone before it on the floor, would work away at his lessons by the glare of the fire..." writes a classmate of Jackson's.
