“Stonewall” Jackson

Jessie Rupert: “Though Surrounded By Enemies”

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / Leave a comment
Jessie Rupert (New Market Historical Society)

She taught African Americans to read and write when that was against the law. She burned a Confederate flag. She insisted on flying a Union flag in pro-Confederate town. She was the woman who stood in a muddy street and appealed to a Confederate officer’s humanity to provide aid for suffering Union soldiers.

Yes, everyone in the town of New Market, Virginia, knew about Jessie Hainning Rupert. Brave, irrepressible, educated, and feminine – she rocked the traditional, racist, and political views of her town during the Civil War.

Continue reading →

Stop Here! Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 1 Comment

Cemeteries. I think they are interesting places to explore, but I know that’s not everyone’s opinion. I’ve refrained from dragging you through all the wonderful old cemeteries on this virtual road trip until today.

The Presbyterian Cemetery – renamed Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery – in Lexington, Virginia, is a good one to visit. It has wonderful, old headstones to read, is well maintained, and doesn’t have the dark, gloomy feeling that sometimes hangs around old burial grounds even in the day. Let’s stop and take a look… Continue reading →

Stop Here! Stonewall Jackson House

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 1 Comment

Lexington, Virginia, was the first destination in the Old Dominion on our family trip when I was fourteen. So it started as a special place to me and has continued through the years. Whether I arrive for research or am just passing through, it’s always good to be back in this wonderful town.

This month I want to take to you some of my favorite historical sites through photos and tour notes in our Wednesday blog posts. We’ll start at the Stonewall Jackson House…

So let’s stop and take a look! Continue reading →

Stop Here! Ashby Monument

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 1 Comment

If you’re a cavalry fan, then today’s stop is one site you won’t want to miss in the Shenandoah Valley. Or if you’re learning about Civil War history in the Valley, it’s also a significant spot.

Ever heard of Turner Ashby? He commanded Confederate cavalry for Stonewall Jackson  and created quite a name and reputation for himself. However, he didn’t live to see the end of the war, dying in battle in 1862 near Harrisonburg, Virginia. Today, a large granite marker memorializes his fall. Let’s stop and take a look… Continue reading →

Stop Here! Stonewall Jackson’s Headquarters

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 6 Comments

While I love the colonial and early American history found in Winchester, Virginia, I learned about this town through Civil War studies. The first time I remember reading about Winchester was in a children’s biography of “Stonewall” Jackson, and in later years, I started researching about families in the town and that general’s time in the area.

It’s only fitting then that one of the very first historic sites I visited on my very first trip to Winchester was connected to Jackson’s history and time in the community. Let’s stop and take a look… Continue reading →

One Huge Map, One Historic Campaign

/ Sarah Kay Bierle / 2 Comments

“I want you to make me a map of the valley, from Harpers Ferry to Lexington, showing all the points of offense and defense in those places.” Simple, but now legendary words which started the partnership of Jed Hotchkiss and Thomas J. Jackson, leading to the 1862 Confederate military triumph in the Shenandoah Valley.

Today, we’ll talk about the history of this extraordinary mapmaker and how his HUGE map became part of Civil War legends and a major campaign success… Continue reading →