Stonewall Jackson: Great tactical commander

Gen. Jackson

It is the birthday of Confederate Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson (1824), who is hailed for his bold leadership in the First Battle of Bull Run, Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and particularly for his Valley Campaign, where his forces enveloped the Union Army at Chancellorsville. He is considered one of the greatest tactical commanders in American history. He started at the bottom of his class academically at West Point, but through hard work and determination graduated in the top half of his class. He served in the Mexican-American War and received two field promotions for his actions. His nickname came after the First Battle of Bull Run, when his brigade stood firm against the onslaught of Union forces, suffering more casualties that day than any other Confederate brigade. Scholars still debate whether another general's exclamation that Jackson's forces stood like a stone wall was meant as praise or a rebuke.