Stonewall Jackson

Thomas Jonathan 'Stonewall' Jackson was the great-grandson of indentured servants from Ireland who were sentenced to serve time in America for larceny. He began his career in the U.S. Army fighting in the Mexican-American War and later became a teacher. He and his wife owned slaves, and he saw slavery as ordained by God, although he also considered it the slave master's duty to treat servants fairly and humanely at all times. His reputation as a kind slave master meant several slaves asked to be purchased by him at auction.