Julia Neale Jackson (1789-1831) was the mother of Confederate General Thomas Jonathon "Stonewall" Jackson.
Short and tragic life
Julia Beckwith Neale was born near Aldie in Loudoun County, Virginia. She was daughter of Thomas and Margaret Winn Neale. Her father, Thomas Neale, had achieved high prosperity as a merchant in the town of Parkersburg on the Ohio River. Julia was very intelligent, a devout Christian, and a belle in society, but her life became full of tragedies.
In 1817, she married Jonathan Jackson (1790-1826) of Randolph County, an attorney. They were living in Clarksburg and already had two young children when, on January 21, 1824, their second son, Thomas Jonathon Jackson was born. Then tragedy struck the young family. When when young Thomas was only 2 years old, both his father and sister Elizabeth, aged 6, died of typhoid fever. Julia gave birth to Thomas' sister Laura Anne the next day.
The young widow of 28 was left with debts and sold everything to pay them. She declined family charity, and moved into a small one-room house. Julia took in sewing and taught school to support herself and her 3 young children for about 4 years.
In 1830, she married another attorney, Blake Baker Woodson, who was appointed clerk of Fayette County. Woodson disliked his stepchildren and the family had financial problems. Julia's children were sent to live with her relatives. Young Thomas (and sister Laura) were sent to live with Jackson relatives at Jackson's Mill. The other child, her son Warren, went to live with Neale relatives, and died of tuberculosis in 1841 at the age of 20.
Julia gave birth to another son, William Wirt Woodson, but she died at the age of 33 from childbirth complications on December 4, 1831. The family lived in and around what is now Ansted, West Virginia, where she was buried without a marker in Westlake Cemetery. A historian wrote later that neighbors wrapped her wasted body in a homemade coffin.
Heritage
Julia Neale Jackson's short and tragic life is best remembered because of the accomplishments of her young son Thomas, whose remarkable character was probably formed through those difficult early years. Thomas was only seven years old when his mother died.
After being raised by his paternal uncle, Cummins Jackson at Jackson's Mill, Julia's son Thomas was appointed to the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1842. He was one of the hardest working people in the academy and graduated 17th out of 59 students in the Class of 1846. He served in the Mexican War from 1846 to 1848. In the spring of 1851, Thomas Jackson was offered and accepted to teach at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), in Lexington, Virginia. He taught Natural Physics and his teachings are still used today. The reason they are still used today is because the things he taught can be interconnected with a battle and can be used very effectively if done right.
While an instructor at VMI, Thomas Jackson married a woman named Elinor Junkin in 1853. Their son was born but unfortunately his wife died during childbirth and the child died immediately following the birth. He married again in 1856, to a woman named Mary Anna Morrison. They had a daughter named Mary Graham on April 30, 1858, but the baby died less than a month later. Another daughter was bron in 1862, and they named her Julia Laura, after Thomas' mother and sister.
In 1861, as the American Civil War broke out, the Confederate Army had a lot of new recruits and he became a drill master of new army recruits. He was eventually given command of a brigade. On April 27, 1861, Virginia Governor John Letcher ordered Colonel Jackson to take command at Harper's Ferry where he would comprise the famous "Stonewall Brigade." The fabled brigade was made up of 2nd, 4th, 5th, 27th, and 33rd Virginia infantry units. All of the units were from the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia.
During the charge that took place at Harper’s Ferry, Colonel Jackson jumped in front of a soldier who was about to be killed by a sword thrust and killed the attacker. Jackson did this many times to save his men. After the battle of Harper’s Ferry, because of his bravery, he was promoted to brigadier general. At the battle of First Manassas he was put in charge of the entire Shenandoah Valley army. During the battle, a soldier saw Jackson standing in the midst of the battle not even flinching, and remarked, "There stands Jackson like a stone wall."
From that point forward, he became known as "Stonewall Jackson". He went through many subsequent battles winning and earning his name effectively. At one point Confederate General Robert E. Lee said, "Jackson is my right hand." On May 2, 1862, during the Battle of Chancellorsville, Jackson was accidentally fired upon by his own men and was wounded mortally. Jackson was taken to a field hospital where his left arm was amputated, but it was not enough to save him. He died the next day. It was a great loss for the Confederate army. Robert E. Lee was most upset of all because Jackson was one of his best friends and greatest generals. When Lee heard of the passing of Jackson he said, "Jackson lost his left arm, but I have lost my right."
Remembering Stonewall's mother
After the War, Stonewall Jackson was one of the best remembered and beloved of the war heroes. One of his former soldiers who admired Jackson, Captain Thomas R. Ranson of Staunton, Virginia, remembered the tragic life of Jackson's mother. Ranson went to Ansted, West Virginia and had a marble marker placed over the unmarked grave of Julia Neale Jackson in Westlake Cemetery, to make sure that the site was not lost forever.
In modern times, community groups continue to make sure the cemetery is kept clean and that remarkable Americans like Julia Neale Jackson and her son Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson are properly memorialized.
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Last updated: 10-25-2005 12:01:36
