General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson was as committed a Christian as he was a soldier. One writer described him as living by the New Testament and fighting by the Old.
Orphaned at six years old, Jackson grew up poor and uneducated in foster homes. When he entered West Point, he was ranked near the bottom of his class. At graduation, however, he was ranked seventeenth in his class. Leaving as a second lieutenant , he served in the Mexican-American War.
While serving in the occupation forces, after the war, a superior challenged him to study the Christian faith. He did so, all the while struggling with severe intestinal problems. In a letter to his sister, Jackson wrote that he intestinal problems were decreed by the Lord and they were a punishment for offending the law of God and were the means used to turn him from the path of eternal death to that of eternal life. Jackson was baptized at the age of 25.
When he was thirty, his young wife and unborn child died. Although stricken with grief, the deaths ultimately served to strengthen his faith in Christ. He married his second wife, Mary Anna Morrison, in 1857. They were married until Jackson's death in 1863.
Though baptized as an Episcopalian, Jackson became a Presbyterian, and was known as a large tither at his home church. The Jacksons had morning prayers at 7 am. General Jackson required the entire household to be in attendance. Jackson never waited for anyone, not even is wife, to begin the morning prayers. After breakfast, he would leave for his teaching duties at Virgina Military Institute. Upon arriving home, Jackson threw himself into Bible study.
In April 1861, after praying with his wife and cadets, Jackson left for Richmond to assume his command. During the Battle of Manassas in July 1861, he took an inexperienced infantry brigade and turned the tide of the battle. During the battle, Brigadier General Barnard Bee instructed his men: "There stands Jackson like a stone wall. Rally behind the Virginians!" The nickname stuck, and General Jackson became General Lee's right-hand man in battle. He was daring and often moved large numbers of men quickly. In sixty days, his troops marched over six hundred miles and fought five major battles.
His military prowess earned him the fear of Northerners, and the admiration of Southerners. However, Jackson never lost sight of where his abilities came from. After Lee commended him for his performance in the Battle of Chancellorsville, Jackson replied: "General Lee is very kind, but he should give the praise to God."
Even on the battlefield, Jackson maintained an active prayer life. According to historian John W. Schildt, "His men saw him stumbling and falling over trees and rocks. They almost thought he had had too much to drink. That was not the problem. He was praying with his eyes closed while he walked."
Jackson was rigid and stern, and he fought intensely with his subordinates. Some thought he was insane. But despite the way some writers have portrayed him, Jackson was not a fanatic. It's simply that, in one historian's words, his "primary interests" were "Biblical theology and Christian discipleship."
Because of this, he could declare: "My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time of my death." After being accidentally shot by his own forces, he died on Sunday, May 10, 1863. "I always wanted to die on a Sunday," he said.
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