Class Year
2016
Document Type
Blog Post
Publication Date
8-2-2016
Department 1
Civil War Institute
Abstract
Yonder, he stands, a lone sentinel of stone amidst the fallow fields of Henry Hill. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, his nom de guerre earned here on the fields of First Manassas, rides tall in the saddle of his steed. The statue’s commanding presence on Henry Hill anchors a memory of that battle that emphasizes the triumph of Jackson, his brigade, and the Confederate army in the defense of Southern soil. It is an embodiment of idealized notions of Southern courage, honor, and martial spirit. At the same time, the monument serves to depoliticize Jackson and the Confederate war effort—yet in doing so, specifically projects its own politicized memory of the war that delegitimizes what the conflict meant to so many people.
[excerpt]
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Lavery, Kevin P., "Yonder Stands Jackson Beyond Reproach" (2016). The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History. 205.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/compiler/205
Comments
This blog post originally appeared in The Gettysburg Compiler and was created by students at Gettysburg College.