| Jackson, born in what is today West Virginia | | | | properly aligned. He was also deeply |
| in 1824 became an orphan as a boy and was | | | | religious, following the rules of the Bible |
| raised by his uncle. Although his education | | | | as if they were a set of military |
| was scanty, he obtained an appointment to | | | | regulations. He established a Sunday school |
| West Point, but because of his rudimentary | | | | for slave children in town.He married twice, |
| education, found that he had to apply himself | | | | his first wife dying in childbirth - not an |
| mightily to pass his courses. Here he gained | | | | uncommon occurrence in nineteenth century |
| a reputation as a quiet, almost withdrawn, | | | | America. He remarried and bought a house in |
| young man who had within him a deep resolve | | | | Lexington and was very happy with his |
| to make something of himself.Jackson was | | | | situation. Jackson and the VMI corps |
| commissioned as an office in the artillery | | | | provided a military presence for the |
| and soon found himself in a war. The United | | | | execution of John Brown. John Brown was not |
| States was involved in a war with Mexico, | | | | the end, but only the beginning of sectional |
| where many prominent Civil War officers | | | | strife that would lead to war. When the war |
| learned about fighting firsthand. Jackson | | | | came, Jackson, like so many others living |
| certainly did. In several important | | | | quiet, contented lives, joined the colors |
| engagements in and around Mexico City, the | | | | when his home was threatened. Taking a |
| young officer distinguished himself while | | | | detachment of cadets to Richmond to assist |
| expertly and courageously employing his | | | | with drilling new recruits, Jackson was |
| cannon against the enemy. General Winfield | | | | dispatched to Harper's Ferry to train new |
| Scott, the commanding general himself, made | | | | soldiers there.Jackson had no time for the |
| note of Jackson's accomplishments.Jackson | | | | relaxed atmosphere of sunshine soldiers. He |
| stayed in Mexico for a while and served in | | | | drilled the men hard and established firm |
| various Army posts, including Florida, where | | | | discipline. Jackson had a full beard and |
| his exacting sense of duty and strict | | | | piercing blue eyes. He was awkward in his |
| adherence to regulations and orders brought | | | | manner, careless in his dress, wearing the |
| down the wrath of his lackadaisical post | | | | military coat he wore in Mexico and he wore a |
| commander. This experience soured Jackson on | | | | battered cap pulled low over his eyes. He |
| the peacetime army and he accepted an | | | | had no interest in the pomp and circumstance |
| appointment as a college professor of natural | | | | of the parade ground or the privileges of |
| philosophy (physics) and artillery tactics at | | | | rank that some officers sought. Quiet, |
| the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington. | | | | serious, seemingly preoccupied, Jackson |
| Lexington was a small, tidy town at the end | | | | always put his duty as a soldier first above |
| of the Shenandoah Valley.As an instructor, | | | | everything else and was uncomprehending when |
| Jackson earned the cadets' respect over time, | | | | others did not do the same.Although |
| but his methods and personality were hard to | | | | thoroughly disliked by his new trainees, |
| get used to. Each night after supper, | | | | Jackson cared not a whit. War was serious |
| Jackson would laboriously memorize his lesson | | | | business and called for stern measures. He |
| for the next day. In class, he would repeat | | | | would follow his orders and do his duty. |
| the lesson verbatim. If interrupted by a | | | | Jackson did his job well. The same unit he |
| cadet's question, he would simply repeat word | | | | trained at Harpers Ferry he led on the |
| for word the last section he had just spoken. | | | | Manassas battlefield in the first major |
| Needless to say, he became a legend. Cadets | | | | action of the war. The brigade stood out as |
| called him "Tom Fool" Jackson.He was also a | | | | calm and ordered amid the confusion and |
| hypochondriac, always imagining some | | | | terror of battle - a direct result of |
| imbalance in his body. As a result, he ate | | | | Jackson's stern and demanding discipline. As |
| only milk and corn or whole wheat bread to | | | | a reward for his exceptional performance at |
| assist his digestion and sat bolt upright in | | | | the Battle of Manassas, Jackson was given |
| his chair, like a sculpture of an Egyptian | | | | command of a small army of 4,200 men with the |
| pharaoh, to ensure his internal organs were | | | | mission of defending the Shenandoah Valley. |