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Title: Stonewall Jackson's Slaves
Citation Type: Miscellaneous
Publication Year: 2018
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Abstract: Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson owned at least seven slaves before the Civil War. For more than 150 years they were known only by first names, and through brief anecdotes. Albert, Amy, and Emma were purchased by Jackson. Hetty, and her sons Cyrus and George, and a teenager named Ann, were given to Jackson and his wife, Mary Anna (Anna) Morrison Jackson, by her father as a marriage dowry. Almost nothing was known about their lives after the war, after they gained freedom. The staff and volunteers of the Stonewall Jackson House museum wanted to learn more about them. What last names did they take? Where did they live? What did they do to earn a living? Did they marry and have children? Do they have living descendants? We have no photographs of them, no letters or journals that reflect their perspectives. Their humanity is referred to in passing through the documents and stories about Jackson’s life. They are seen dimly in the background, seemingly frozen in a time of slavery and war. Those of us who research and interpret history have the privilege, and the obligation, to tell the stories about the people who lived it. For these once enslaved people it is especially important for several reasons. To embrace their personal stories provides a better understanding of life in slaveholding Virginia on the eve of war. They were an integral part of Jackson’s life before he became a legend. Five of them lived in the Washington Street house, labored for him there, and worked with him in the garden and his 18 acre “lot” east of town. They had a closer personal connection to him than all but a few people. Learning more about them gives us a richer and fuller understanding of Jackson’s life and personality. Even more importantly, they deserve to have their stories told. Lastly, as Emerson put it, “there is properly no history, only biography.” It is difficult to comprehend the complexity and scope of historical events, especially something as abhorrent as slavery. We can never truly know what enslaved people experienced, but learning more about them as individuals helps us make a human connection. These individuals serve as representatives for the four million people who were enslaved when the war began. They are not special because the man who owned them came to be famous, but because he is famous their stories open a window to better understanding. The quest to learn more about them was sparked by a conversation with Grace Abele, the Site Director for the Stonewall Jackson House museum, in fall 2017. What followed was a genealogical and historical journey that uncovered the post-war lives of Hetty,3 George, and Emma, living close to Anna’s childhood home in North Carolina, 4 where the Jacksons married on July 16, 1857.5 The culmination of that journey was the honor that Grace and I had to meet some of their descendants. 2 The newly-discovered information, and the process for uncovering it, is set out in Section IV. Section II provides an overview of Jackson’s complex relationship with blacks. Section III updates and summarizes what was previously known about the enslaved people owned by Jackson. This paper is a snapshot of what is known at this point, a hopeful beginning to further discovery and understanding. Primary sources are used as much as possible, through both public records and the personal accounts of the Jacksons and their friends and family. It is a one-sided conversation to be sure, lacking the voice of the enslaved people. Some of the characterizations about blacks in these sources are crude and offensive to a modern reader, but using original sources is important to provide a meaningful perspective of that time and place.
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Authors: Spurgeon, Larry
Publisher: Rockbridge Historical Society
Data Collections: IPUMS USA
Topics: Other
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