Early in the Civil War at the Battle of Manassus, the center of the Union attack was overwhelming Confederate forces.

It appeared that Confederate forces would soon be put to a flight, and the route would be on.

General Jackson was told by General Bernard B.

That all hope was lost, and they must retreat. Before the war, Thomas Jonathan Jackson served as professor of natural and experimental philosophy

and instructor of artillery tactics at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia.

He was an odd eccentric man who struggled to make simple conversation.

He was seen in Church Pugh or in his professor's chair straight back, never letting his spine touch the back of pew or chair.

He would walk to and from class, with his sword on his

sword, he would hold his sword from the middle, as if he were prepared to draw at any moment.

He had a reputation for being the butt of the university and was generally not liked by the students.

During heightened tensions between north and south, the students grew restless and were causing mischief with the Union soldiers.

The university held an assembly with the aim of

calming the growing animosity of the student body against the Union Soldiers.

After several speeches had been made their ensued at long pause.

Perhaps some reply was expected from the cadets.

At last, the painful silence was broken by a cadet crying out.

Major Jackson, the cry was taken up by others until it became general and

continuous.

Aware of Jackson's awkwardness and shyness, many may have called for him the

spirit of mischief, but doubtless the majority of cadets, knowing

his straightforwardness and sense of justice, desired from him some expression of approval

or sympathy.

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