Stonewall Jackson (Brothers No More)

Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – December 13, 1889) was a Confederate general and statesman who served as the 3rd President of the Confederate States. He is best remembered for his involvement in winning the Southern War of Independence and the Mexican-Confederate War, and for his infamous visit to the United States on July 4, 1876.

Early Life
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Military Career
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Southern War of Independence
Jackson served under General Robert E. Lee during the Southern War of Independence, mostly fighting in the Eastern theater. He was considered a military genius and won many battles, being integral to the victorious war effort. He played a large part in the victorious battles of Gettysburg and Alexandria, the latter battle being the one that ended the war in a Confederate victory. Like the rest of his military colleagues, he returned home as a war hero.

Mexican-Confederate War
Jackson was called back into service for the Mexican-Confederate War. Robert Lee, now President of the C.S., put General Jackson in charge of the entire war effort. The two men collaborated closely by telegram, discussing strategy at every turn of the war. Jackson personally commanded the Eastern Campaign in Mexico, working his way down the Mexican East Coast and eventually closing in on Mexico City. At the end of the war, the victorious Jackson was personally congratulated by President Lee in a public ceremony at the Confederate White House. Jackson's fame was increased even further, and he began to set his sights on a role in politics.

Presidency
By 1873, Jackson was nearly a mythical figure in Confederate lore. He had helped lead the Confederacy to victory in two major wars, and was more popular than any public figure in the South except Lee and perhaps former president Davis. He now had a desire to make his impact in governance, achieving the highest office available to a Confederate citizen. With the total endorsement of President Lee, Stonewall Jackson announced his candidacy for president in the 1873 election.

Jackson and Lee expected another easy, uncontested campaign. They were surprised when Alexander H. Stephens announced his own candidacy as an "alternative" to the former general. Still, they were certain of victory. Even though it was closer than they foresaw, Jackson did win by a comfortable margin. He took over the presidency from Lee in a grand ceremony in Richmond.

President Jackson's first few years in office were peaceful and uneventful. He continued almost all of Lee's policies and made few headlines. The main issue that was facing the Confederacy at that time, and the main issue he wanted to tackle, was the constant escaping of slaves across the Confederate border into the U.S. His vice president, Albert G. Brown, wanted war in order to force the U.S. to return the fugitive slaves. Jackson, however, knew the effects that another war would have on his country. Instead, he decided to try and negotiate a deal with the Union. He knew that U.S. President Pendleton wanted to make peace with the Confederacy and thought that the two men could make a mutually beneficial deal. A channel of communication was set up, and a deal was struck: in exchange for the return of escaped slaves to the Confederacy, Jackson would visit the U.S. for the American centennial in 1876.

When announced, the deal caused mass outrage in both the Confederacy and the Union. The fugitive slave issue had been controlled, but Jackson's opponents accused him of "kneeling before the North" just a decade after independence was won. The president himself never understood the outrage. Yes, he had fought on the front lines during the war of independence, but he never held true animosity for his opponents. He still retained friends in the U.S. military. To him, it was ridiculous to hold such a large grudge years after the war was over. Even in the face of criticism, Jackson upheld his end of the deal and appeared in public with President Pendleton on July 4, 1876. That image caused even further outrage in the South and directly caused the formation of the Southern Party.

The Southern Party quickly won a majority in Congress and began passing laws to undo the legacy of Jackson, Lee, and Davis, but the president vetoed them all. He spoke out strongly against the formation of political parties in the South- privately he spoke of outlawing them altogether- and became very opposed to the Southern Party. He met with Lee to decide which candidate they would endorse in the 1879 election, with the two men eventually settling on fellow former general James Longstreet. Longstreet went on to lose by a slim margin to Alexander H. Stephens. Shortly after Stephens' inauguration, the Confederate Party was formed to push the ideals established by the first three Confederate presidents. Out of respect for his idea of a party-free Confederacy, Jackson never joined the party formed to uphold his legacy.

Post-Presidency
The disgruntled Jackson returned home to Lexington. He spent his time meeting with old friends, including some that lived in the U.S. The death of Robert E. Lee in 1880 greatly affected him, and he took it upon himself to support Lee's family after his death.

Even though he tried to focus on other things, Jackson found himself unable to keep his mind off politics. His private letters included frequent rantings about the governance of Stephens and the Southern Party. While he never officially joined a political party, he did support and help fund the Confederate Party, especially in the presidential election of 1885. Jackson was greatly relieved when Augustus Hill Garland won the presidency in that year, and he occasionally advised the new president on military matters.

As was the increasing trend in postbellum Virginia, Jackson freed all of his slaves in 1886. He did keep most of them on as paid servants.

Always a man that had numerous health issues, the former president took a turn for the worse in 1888. He experienced a brief period of recovery in the summer of 1889 before finally dying on December 13, only 7 days after the death of Jefferson Davis. Both men were honored throughout the Confederacy and with full state funerals.

Legacy
Stonewall Jackson is remembered as a great figure in Confederate history. He is known as a founder of the C.S. and a great tactician that led the country to victory in two major wars. His time as president is looked upon with less fondness, but most Southerners choose to remember the good things over the bad. He is honored in numerous monuments around the country.