This is Angela O'Dell and you are listening to real cool history for kids.

A podcast show featuring history told from a distinctly biblical worldview perspective.

Welcome to an adventure.

Welcome to episode 119 of Real Cool History for Kids.

This episode is for Lucy Francis, who wanted to hear the story of Stonewall Jackson,

and I'm going to add in a story about William T Sherman as well.

Hi Lucy, this one's for you.

This episode for Lucy is also the sixth new episode in our real cool history detective series about the Civil War.

If you haven't been following along through the series there's a link in the

podcast information for that. Now you may be wondering what kind of name is Stonewall Jackson? Who in the world would name their baby that?

Well, Stonewall Jackson was born Thomas Jonathan Jackson on January 21st, 1824 in Clarksburg, Virginia, and it would be a long time before he was known as Stonewall Jackson. Young Thomas did not have an easy life. His father

died when he was really young and he didn't leave much for his family. When his mother

died a short time later young Thomas was sent to live with

relatives and as a child he really didn't have much time or a chance to go to

school. In 1842, Thomas was fortunate to receive an appointment

into the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. At first he really struggled with the studies, but eventually he ended up doing really well and graduated 17th in his class.

After graduation he was commissioned as a second lieutenant who was assigned to artillery

and he was sent to fight in the Mexican-American War.

This is where he first met General Robert E. Lee, who would become the commanding

general of the Confederate Army. Thomas did well as a soldier and he was known for his leadership qualities. He was brave

in battle and had the ability to just stay calm in stressful situations. After that war Thomas resigned his

commission and became a professor of artillery tactics at the Virginia

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