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Virginia Military Institute Archives
Virginia Military Institute Archives© 2001 Virginia Military Institute
Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Processed by: Diane B. Jacob
There are no restrictions.
Researchers are required to use photocopies of the original documents.
Stonewall Jackson Papers, MS 0102, Virginia Military Institute Archives, Lexington, Virginia.
The bulk of the papers in this collection was donated to the VMI Archives by the Lee-Jackson Foundation in 1989. A small number of items in the collection were donated by others.
A significant part of this collection available is available in full-text format on the VMI Archives website at http://www.vmi.edu/archives.aspx?id=4931
Chronology |
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| 1824 January 21 | Thomas Jonathan Jackson was born at Clarksburg, [West] Virginia. Parents: Jonathan Jackson (1790-1826) an attorney, and Julia Beckwith Neale (1798-1831). They were married in September 1817 and had four children: Elizabeth (1819-1826); Warren (1821-1841); Thomas (1824-1863); and Laura Ann (1826-1911). | |
| 1826 March | Jackson's sister Elizabeth (age 6) and his father died of typhoid fever. Julia Jackson gave birth to Laura the day after her husband died. Widowed at age 28, Julia was left with extensive debts and the family was impoverished. | |
| 1830 - 1841 | Julia Jackson remarried. Her new husband, Blake Woodson, disliked his stepchildren and the family had financial difficulties. A short time after the marriage, Thomas and Laura were sent to live with Jackson relatives in Jackson' s Mill [West] Virginia; Warren was sent to Neale relatives. Julia Jackson died, as a result of childbirth complications, on Dec. 4, 1831. She left behind the three Jackson siblings and a newborn son (Thomas's half brother), William Wirt Woodson (1831-1875). Jackson and Laura spent the remaining years of childhood with their paternal uncles. Jackson's brother, Warren, died of tuberculosis in 1841. | |
| 1842 June - 1846 June | Jackson attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. Jackson was not the first choice for his congressional district's appointment, but the top applicant withdrew from the academy after only one day. Jackson graduated in June 1846, standing 17th out of 59 graduates. Jackson began his U.S. Army career as a 2nd Lt., First Artillery Regiment. | |
| 1846 - 1851 | United States Army officer. Served in the Mexican War, 1846-1848; stationed at Carlisle Barracks, PA; Ft. Hamilton, NY; Ft. Meade, FL. | |
| 1851 | Accepted a job as Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and Instructor of Tactics at the Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA. Jackson remained at VMI until the Civil War began in April 1861. | |
| 1853 - 1854 | In August 1853 married Elinor Junkin (1825-1854), daughter of Dr. George Junkin (President of Washington College) and Julia Miller Junkin. Elinor (Ellie) died in childbirth on October 22, 1854. Their child, a son, was stillborn. | |
| 1856 Summer | Jackson toured Europe, visiting Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, England and Scotland. | |
| 1857 July 16 | Jackson married for the second time. His wife was Mary Anna Morrison (1831-1915), daughter of Robert Hall Morrison and Mary Graham Morrison. Mary Anna's family resided in North Carolina; her father was the retired President of Davidson College. | |
| 1858 April 30 | Mary Anna gave birth to a daughter, Mary Graham. The baby died less than a month later, on May 25. | |
| 1859 November | Jackson was one of the VMI officers who accompanied a contingent of VMI cadets to Harper's Ferry, where they stood guard at the execution of abolitionist John Brown. | |
| 1861 April 21 | VMI Corps of Cadets was ordered to Richmond to serve as drillmasters for new army recruits. Jackson was placed in command of the cadets | |
| 1861 April 27 | Gov. John Letcher ordered Col. Jackson to take command at Harper's Ferry, where he organized the troops that would soon comprise the famous " Stonewall Brigade" (2nd, 4th, 5th, 27th and 33rd Virginia Infantry Regiments; Rockbridge Artillery; all were from the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia). | |
| 1861 July | Promoted to Brigadier General. Battle of 1st Manassas, where he acquired the legendary nickname Stonewall. "Look, there stands Jackson like a stone wall." | |
| 1861 October | Promoted to Major General. Placed in command of the Valley of Virginia (Shenandoah Valley) | |
| 1862 May - June | Shenandoah Valley Campaign; victories at Front Royal, Winchester, Cross Keys and Port Republic. Following the successful campaign, Jackson was ordered to join Gen. Lee in the Peninsula (Eastern Virginia). | |
| 1862 June 15 - July 1 | Seven Days Battles. | |
| 1862 June - September | Battles of Cedar Mountain, Clark's Mt., 2nd Manassas (July 21), Antietam (September 17). | |
| 1862 October | Lee reorganized his army into two corps. Jackson was promoted to Lt. General and given command of the new Second Corps. Jackson was now in charge of half of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. | |
| 1862 November | Jackson's daughter, Julia Laura, was born. She was the only Jackson child to survive infancy. | |
| 1862 December 13 | Battle of Fredericksburg | |
| 1862 December - 1863 March | In quarters at Moss Neck, 10 miles south of Fredericksburg. The estate was owned by the Corbin family, who offered their home as winter headquarters. | |
| 1863 May 1 | Battle of Chancellorsville begins | |
| 1863 May 2, 9:00 p.m. | While reconnoitering with members of his staff, Jackson was accidentally fired upon by his own troops. The 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment was responsible for the "friendly fire" incident. Jackson was struck by three .57 caliber bullets. He was taken to a field hospital near the battlefield, where his left arm was amputated. | |
| 1863 May 4 | Jackson was moved to a field hospital at the home of Thomas and Mary Chandler, near Guiney Station, approximately 30 miles from the battlefield. | |
| 1863 May 10 | Jackson died at 3:15 p.m. His last words were "Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees." | |
| 1863 May 15 | The funeral and burial was took place in Lexington, Virginia, Jackson's home during his years as a Professor at VMI. | |
The collection consists primarily of the personal papers of Civil War General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (b. 1824 d. 1863). The bulk of the letters date from the pre-Civil War period and concern professional, personal and domestic matters, including many in which Jackson writes about his religious faith, his concerns about health and diet, and his family. The collection provides insight into Jackson's personality and philosophy, and presents a portrait of the man as he was in the years before he gained national fame as a wartime military leader. A small percentage of the documents date from the Civil War period and are directly related to Jackson's Confederate Army service.
The collection includes ca. 160 items of Jackson's outgoing correspondence, 1844-1863, spanning his cadetship at West Point; his service in the United States Army (1846-1851) including his participation in the Mexican War; his years as a faculty member at the Virginia Military Institute (1851-1861); and his career in the Confederate States Army. The bulk of the correspondence is addressed to his sister, Laura Ann (Jackson) Arnold. Other correspondents include Margaret Junkin Preston, and CSA Generals Joseph E. Johnston and Daniel Harvey Hill. Other series include miscellaneous incoming correspondence; miscellaneous Civil War reports, orders and dispatches; and documents associated with Jackson.
In addition to Jackson's personal papers, the collection contains the allied papers of Jackson's second wife, Mary Anna (Morrison) Jackson (ca. 143 items); his daughter Julia Jackson Christian (ca. 10 items); and his sister Laura Ann Jackson Arnold (ca. 115 items).
All are original letters (ALS) written by Jackson unless noted otherwise.
Includes portion written by Elinor Junkin Jackson
This series contains miscellaneous incoming correspondence and consists of 13 items.
This series consists primarily of VMI paychecks endorsed on reverse by Jackson. It also contains a bankshare certificate (1858) and an estate document (1863 June 5).
This series consists primarily of incoming and outgoing correspondence from the post-Civil War era.
Miscellaneous documents relating to Jackson's daughter, Julia.
This series includes correspondence to and from Laura Jackson Arnold, Stark W. Arnold, Jonathan Arnold, and others.