"Stonewall Jackson's Way" is a poem penned during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

that later became a well-known patriotic song of the

Confederate States The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

and the

Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. It became very popular, but its authorship was unknown until almost 25 years later. The poem honors the famed

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighti ...

officer

Lieutenant General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, and was written by John Williamson Palmer (1825–1906), who stated that he had written the ballad on September 16, 1862; however, Miller & Beacham, who published the song in 1862, stated that the song was found on the body of a Confederate sergeant after the

First Battle of Winchester The First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, in and around Frederick County, Virginia, and Winchester, Virginia, was a major victory in Confederate Army Maj. Gen. Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson's Campaign through the Shenandoah Valley ...

, May 25, 1862. It is possible this alternative origin story was concocted to prevent Palmer, from Baltimore, from being arrested as a Confederate sympathizer.Stonewall Jackson's Way
The Ballad Index The title ''Stonewall Jackson's Way'' was used for

Stonewall Jackson's Way "Stonewall Jackson's Way" is a poem penned during the American Civil War that later became a well-known patriotic song of the Confederate States and the Southern United States. It became very popular, but its authorship was unknown until almost 25 ...

, a board

wargame A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...

published by

Avalon Hill Avalon Hill Games Inc. is a game company that publishes wargames and strategic board games. It has also published miniature wargaming rules, role-playing games and sports simulations. It is a subsidiary of Hasbro, and operates under the compan ...

in 1992.

Poem

Come, stack arms, men! Pile on the rails, Stir up the camp-fire bright; No matter if the canteen fails, 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 Light's" going to pray. Strangle the fool that dares to scoff! Attention! it's 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."

Historical references

In addition to the titular

Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...

(also referenced by another nickname, “Old

Blue Light Blue Light or Blue light may refer to: Science and technology * Portion of the visible spectrum related to the blue color ** Blue laser ** Blue LED * Cherenkov radiation, the physical phenomenon responsible for the characteristic blue glow in nuc ...

“), the poem mentions, only by surname, several other famous officers on both sides of the

—in sequential order: *

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

Nathaniel P. Banks Nathaniel Prentice (or Prentiss) Banks (January 30, 1816 – September 1, 1894) was an American politician from Massachusetts and a Union general during the Civil War. A millworker by background, Banks was prominent in local debating societies, ...

* Confederate

A. P. Hill Ambrose Powell Hill Jr. (November 9, 1825April 2, 1865) was a Confederate general who was killed in the American Civil War. He is usually referred to as A. P. Hill to differentiate him from another, unrelated Confederate general, Daniel Harve ...

* Confederate

James Longstreet James Longstreet (January 8, 1821January 2, 1904) was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse". He served under Lee as a corps c ...

John Pope * Confederate

J. E. B. Stuart * Confederate

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

Turner Ashby Turner Ashby Jr. (October 23, 1828 – June 6, 1862) was an American officer. He was a Confederate cavalry commander in the American Civil War. In his youth, he organized an informal cavalry company known as the Mountain Rangers, which bec ...

References

Bibliography

*Anonymous. "Stonewall Jackson's Way" (Sheet music). Baltimore: Miller & Beacham (1862). *Holland, Rupert S. (ed.). ''Historic Poems and Ballads''. Philadelphia: George W. Jacobs & Co. (1912). *Miles, Dudley H., Ph.D. (ed.). ''The Photographic History of The Civil War In Ten Volumes, Vol 9''. New York: The Review of Reviews Co. (1911). {{Authority control 1862 songs Songs based on poems Songs of the American Civil War Stonewall Brigade