Stonewall Jackson's Way

"It was the fear of God which made him so fearless of all else."

-Robert Lewis Dabney, 

Biographer of Stonewall Jackson

 General Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson

January 21, 1824-May 10, 1863

Commander of the Confederacy 

Hero of the Mexican-American War

Come, stack arms, men! Pile on the rails,

Stir up the camp-fire bright;

No matter if the canteen fail,

We'll make a rousing night!

Here Shenandoah brawls along,

And burly Blue-Ridge echoes strong,

To swell our brigade's rousing song

 Of "Stonewall  Jackson's way."

We see him now-the old slouched hat

Cocked o'er his eye askew;

The shrewd dry smile-the speech so pat,

So calm, so blunt, so true.

The "Blue-Light Elder," his foe knows well.

Says he, "that's Banks-he don't like shell;

Lord save his soul! we'll give him hell!

In Stonewall Jackson's way.

Silence! ground arms! kneel all! caps off!

Old "Blue Lights" going to pray,

Strangle the fool that dares to scoff!

Attention! its his way.

Appealing from his native sod,

In forma pauperis to God,

Say "tare Thine arm; stretch forth Thy rod,

Amen!" That's Stonewall Jackson's way."

He's in the saddle now, Fall in!

Steady the whole brigade;

Hill's at the ford, cut off, we'll win

His way out, ball and blade!

What matter if our shoes are worn?

What matter if our feet are torn?

Quick-step! we're with him before morn!

That's "Stonewall Jackson's way."

The sun's bright lances, rout the mists,

Of morning, and by George!

Here's Longstreet struggling in the lists,

Hemmed in an ugly gorge.

Pope and his Yankees, fierce before,

"Bay'nets and grape!" hear Stonewall roar,

"Charge, Stuart! Pay off Ashby's score!"

In "Stonewall Jackson's way."

Ah! Maiden, wait and watch and yearn

For news of Jackson's band!

Ah! Widow, read, with eyes that burn,

That ring upon thy hand;

Ah! Wife, sew on, pray on, hope on;

Thy life shall not be all forlorn

The foe had better ne'er been born

That gets in "Stonewall's way."

The Battle of Chancellorsville

May 2-4, 1863

It was during this skirmish that General Stonewall Jackson was

badly wounded in his left arm which was later amputated. In his 

weakened condition after the operation, General Jackson 

contracted pneumonia and died on May 10, 1863 near Richmond, Virginia.

"My religious belief teaches me to feel as safe in battle as in bed.

God has fixed the time for my death.  I do not concern myself about that,

but to be always ready, no matter when it may overtake me...

That is the way all men should live, and then all would be equally brave."

-General Stonewall Jackson

"Stonewall Jackson's Way"

(1862)

Attributed to John Williamson Palmer

(1825-1906)

However, publishers of the song,

Miller and Beacham, claim that the words to

this song were found on the body of a dead

Confederate soldier after the First Battle of Winchester

(Virginia) fought on May 25, 1862 in order to

protect Palmer's sympathy with the Confederacy.