This 126 page biography by Mary L. Williamson provides readers with a lively account of the exploits of Thomas Jackson, both prior to and during the War Between the States. Individuals who read this text will learn why Stonewall Jackson was respected and honored by Americans in both the North and the South. Book, 220 pages Grade: 6th and above"
Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the epic New York Times bestselling account of how Civil War general Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson became a great and tragic national hero. Stonewall Jackson has long been a figure of legend and romance. As much as any person in the Confederate pantheon—even Robert E. Lee—he embodies the romantic Southern notion of the virtuous lost cause. Jackson is also considered, without argument, one of our country’s greatest military figures. In April 1862, however, he was merely another Confederate general in an army fighting what seemed to be a losing cause. But by June he had engineered perhaps the greatest military campaign in American history and was one of the most famous men in the Western world. Jackson’s strategic innovations shattered the conventional wisdom of how war was waged; he was so far ahead of his time that his techniques would be studied generations into the future. In his “magnificent Rebel Yell…S.C. Gwynne brings Jackson ferociously to life” (New York Newsday) in a swiftly vivid narrative that is rich with battle lore, biographical detail, and intense conflict among historical figures. Gwynne delves deep into Jackson’s private life and traces Jackson’s brilliant twenty-four-month career in the Civil War, the period that encompasses his rise from obscurity to fame and legend; his stunning effect on the course of the war itself; and his tragic death, which caused both North and South to grieve the loss of a remarkable American hero.
In the first major biography of Stonewall Jackson in more than 30 years, Farwell reveals the quirky, obsessive, dark personality behind the legendary Confederate general who died at Chancellorsville. Despite many limitations, Jackson's genius was unquestionable, as revealed in this meticulously researched narrative. Photos.
There stands Jackson like a stone wall -- rally round the Virginians! It was at the First Battle of Bull Run that General Barnard Bee made this statement and gave Thomas J. Jackson his famous nickname. During the course of this battle, which occurred in July 1861, Jackson had led his brigade to face the oncoming Union troops at the crest of Henry Hill. There he made his stand and with tenacity and bravery as he turned the tide in the battle in the Confederacy's favor. Within months since the war had begun Jackson had cemented his reputation as a tactically brilliant general who fearlessly led his brigade into the heart of the action. He would remain a terror of Union troops for the next two years until his death as a result of friendly fire during the chaos of the Battle of Chancellorsville. John Esten Cooke's brilliant biography of this legendary Confederate general separates fact from fiction and provides the reader with a vivid depiction of what Thomas J. Jackson was actually like. Cooke draws his evidence from official papers, contemporary narratives as well as from his personal acquaintance with Jackson to create an extremely thorough and readable account. This biography covers all aspects of Jackson's life, from his early years to the beginning of his military career in Mexico, right through to all of his actions in the famous campaigns of the civil war. As a military man himself who saw action in the American Civil War Cooke is able to provide fascinating insight into the campaigns and battles that Jackson fought in, from the Seven Days Battles to the Northern Virginia Campaign as well as Antietam, Fredericksburg along with Jackson's last actions at Chancellorsville. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in the life of one of the most important figures of the American Civil War and the impact that he made through the course of that conflict. John Esten Cooke was an American author and soldier. During the American Civil War he had served as staff officer for J. E. B. Stuart and William N. Pendleton. His biography of Stonewall Jackson was published shortly after Jackson's death in 1863. Cooke passed away in 1886.
