Before the outbreak of the Civil War, Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson had already accomplished a successful military career. But it wasn’t until the Battle of Bull Run until he got his infamous nickname.

From an early age, Jackson knew he wanted to be a soldier. He graduated from the prestigious US Military Academy at West Point in 1846. He was seventeenth in his class. After graduation, Jackson entered the cavalry and served in various duties in Mexico, Florida and New York. By 1851, Jackson landed a job teaching military tactics at Virginia Military Institute. He retired from the Army in 1852 to (more…)