Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson is just one of many representatives of the greatness of the Old South. Unlike Robert E. Lee, who was considered by many to be of American aristocracy. Stonewall Jackson was descended from the plain folks of the South. Of Scots-Irish and English lineage, Jackson represented the virtues, ingenuity and solid citizenship of the original agrarians of Dixieland. Allen Tate, John Crowe Ransom, Donald Davidson, Andrew Lytle and a host of other Southern agrarians have written extensively about Stonewall Jackson. They have cast him as a wonderful example of the under-appreciated and often discriminated against rural people of the South.
Stonewall Jackson never suffered a significant military defeat despite being outnumbered in most battles. Jackson’s natural ability to move troops quickly was brilliant and decisive. He also possessed the naturally instinctive ability to know when and where to attack the enemy. His philosophy was: “Always mystify, mislead, and surprise the enemy; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit. Never fight against heavy odds if you can hurl you own force on only a part of your enemy and crush it. A small army may thus destroy a large one and repeated victory will make you invincible.” In the history of warfare, it is unlikely there had ever been a commander under more control in the heat of battle. A devout Presbyterian, Jackson said: “My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed. God has fixed the time for my death. I do not concern myself about that, but to always be ready, no matter when it may overtake me.”
