The Character and Influence of Stonewall Jackson

A prominent edition in my little home library is a book I purchased many years ago titled George Washington, The Character and Influence of One Man, compiled and published by F.A.C.E. (Foundation for American Christian Education). It is a handsome, blue vellum, gold embossed, hard-bound volume consisting of roughly 450 pages (medium print, bibliography inclusive); “pricey” when I purchased it (mid-’90s), and has ever been one of the most cherished volumes to grace my humble collection. Indeed, only death, and/or (God forbid!) some unforeseen disaster preceding that inescapable fate of us all, will ever part us – me and the book.

The main inspiration for this article derives from a recent phone conversation between my eldest son and I. Our conversation was rather lengthy, as some time had elapsed since we last talked and we therefore had some catching up to do. A fair number of the subjects broached were, in a manner of speaking, deeper than a puddle and broader in scope. At least for a couple of backwoods Okie rednecks like us, that is to say. Christian and Southern Nationalism were among the topics discussed. Christian Apologetics and biblical hermeneutics seem always, somehow, to find their way into such lengthy phone conversations between us, and this was no exception to the rule. More to the point, one subject that naturally came up on the heels of those just mentioned was specific to Robert Lewis Dabney and a couple of his written works I have named and embedded links to below.

The thing to understand about our conversations when they involve Dr. Dabney is that my son and I are both great admirers of the man and students of his work(s). You can readily understand, therefore, how it is that whenever Dabney’s name comes up in conversations between us, whatever the specific context, our dialogue is almost always enhanced and enlivened to some extent thereby. Such was the case in our recent conversation of which I write. But I should explain more specifically the context in which that sage’s name arose.

My son was telling me about an Idaho-based Christian ministry, headed by a self-styled Christian Nationalist who is himself an apparent and enthusiastic admirer of Dr. Dabney and his works. Proof of my son’s claim lies in the fact that, according to him, Dabney’s teachings through his writings, which we’re both more or less intimately familiar with, are often found liberally interspersed, with attribution, throughout this minister’s own writings, sermons and speeches. It seems our Idaho-based minister hosts a podcast wherein Dr. Dabney is audibly cited from time to time to boot. This all second-hand information via my son.

As part and parcel of our conversation on this head, my son mentioned to me that he has yet to fully read Dabney’s A Defense of Virginia and the South, adding that that defect is one he intends to correct in short order, due in no small part to the influence of the Idaho ministry above-mentioned. My son’s stated resolve to expedite that process came as welcome news to yours truly, since I have gently nudged him in that direction a number of times in the not-too-distant past, while strictly avoiding becoming overbearing in the issue (generally not my style, even with my own offspring).

More importantly still, our son also revealed to me that nor has he begun to read Dr. Dabney’s Stonewall Jackson biography, and that, moreover, all he really *thinks* he knows of that famous General and of his character therefore derive from impressions formed from having watched the movie Gods and Generals on several occasions over the years. This is where the conversation got “fun” for yours truly. It became fun for me at this point because I happen to know a great deal more about the subject and subject matter than your average Gods-and-Generals-educated Joe knows, and it presented me with a “golden opportunity” to encourage his reading the same by way of sharing some important pieces of that knowledge with my son.

I know e.g. that whoever wrote and/or directed Gods and Generals most assuredly read and internalized much of Dr. Dabney’s Stonewall Jackson biography prior to making the movie. Since I’ve committed a number of passages from the book to memory (one of my things, make of it what you will), and since I’ve also seen the movie, I was enabled to recall several of these upon command and in connection with certain scenes from the movie my son accurately verbalized in our conversation. To paraphrase my son, ‘if Stonewall Jackson was anything like the depiction of him in Gods and Generals, I am a big fan!’

A revelation evident throughout the book which came unexpectedly to our son consists in the fact that Dr. Dabney was at least as great an admirer of Stonewall Jackson and his character as Stonewall was of Dr. Dabney and his. I don’t mean to minimize General Jackson’s admiration for Dr. Dabney personality or character-wise, nor his deference to him in his role as God’s minister of the gospel in so saying, but am merely relating what I consider to be an accurate assessment as derived from my having read and studied the book. Individual persons are left to form their own conclusions on such questions upon reading the book, of course.

Judging by my son’s reaction, these were insights into General Jackson’s personality and character that he was as surprised as he was impressed to learn. And here I come to the purpose of this short article by way of bringing it to a close. I mentioned at the outset that the volume I own detailing the character and influence of our first president is one of the most prized of my personal possessions as relates to books. On a level with that volume, and in some ways on a higher level still, albeit not in physical form as of yet, is the Life and Campaigns of Stonewall Jackson, by R. L. Dabney.

All of the foregoing to say, in short, read the book; and develop, thereby, a fuller, deeper, more accurate understanding of the character and influence of one man affectionately known and recognized to history as “Stonewall Jackson.” Gods and Generals is accurate as far as it goes, but it only goes so far due to the limits inherent to theatrical productions. My son obviously understands this; and he also understands that both written and theatrical depictions of certain historical figures are often far from accurate. Take, for instance, the depiction of Capt. Wirz in the movie Andersonville. But that is a separate matter I’ve addressed elsewhere.

God save the Southland!