The Stonewall Brigade

by James I. Robertson Jr.

This history paints a colorful portrait of the men who served their beloved commander, Stonewall Jackson. Rich in anecdotes and interwoven with lively narrative, this will be of interest to students of strategy and those interested in pure Civil War drama.

Genres: History, Civil War, American Civil War, Army Of Northern Virginia, Civil War Eastern Theater, War

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1963

About the author

James I. Robertson Jr. is an Alumni Distinguished Professor of History at Virginia Tech. He published the definitive adult biography of Stonewall Jackson, Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend, and also wrote Standing Like a Stone Wall for young adults. He lives in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Reviews

[Paul Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a Confederate combat unit originally trained by Stonewall Jackson that distinguished itself in the first Bull Run and then campaigned mostly in Virginia for nearly the rest of the war. You'll feel the towns along I-81 in Virginia (Staunton, Winchester, New Market...) come alive as the men of that region band together to defend their homes. You're given a sense of what it was like to be a common soldier - the impossible physical demands and being totally clueless what was going on - easy to imagine why men put their faiths so strongly in leaders like Jackson and Lee You need SOMETHING to believe it to cope w/the stress. This book was written in 1963 and is the seminal work of one of the preeminent scholars on the Confederacy and a lifelong Virginian. Still highly readable, probably even more than if the topic was covered today. Classic historians accepted that we're all products of our time so don't waste cycles trying to project today's values on those who came from 150+ years before.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

James I. Robertson Jr. provided an excellent read. This book was one of the best I have read and the personal accounts referenced in the book are on point. The Stonewall Brigade clearly had a storied history in the profession of arms and I hope that people read this and understand that they may have fought for a cause not worthy of today’s standard, but they provided an example of the American Infantryman and the fighting spirit that has carried on for decades.

[Tyler E Hughes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no idea how to discuss this. I think that it props up the idea of the brigade and this identity of the best the south had to offer - it could be true but to me it was another southern apologist who looked at the ‘glory’ of an army and the man who led them. An interesting perspective that makes me want to learn more about the Civil War yet one that I don’t think I need to read again.

[Michael C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. A passionate narrative of the most notable confederate brigade that followed the legendary Stonewall Jackson

[Rachel Shaw · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Robertson is such a great writer. Here he provides a great look at what was going on with the men in the Stonewall Brigade throughout the entire Civil War, including the time following Jackson's death. I decided to read this out of curiosity. What happened to the Stonewall Brigade after Jackson died? Robertson covered those years very well.

I enjoyed seeing the war in the way that the soldiers did, and hearing the incidents that occurred in the troops was usually very funny or gruesome. For example, one man wrote that after a shell exploded near him, he heard a man cry, "Oh Lord! Have mercy upon me! have mercy upon me!" The man lying beside him yelled, "Me, too, Lord! Me, too, Lord!"

I did my English 9 Honors project on Stonewall Jackson, so I read Robertson's biography on him before reading this. That gave me a ton of necessary background information so that this could make more sense, although this book that focused specifically on the Stonewall Brigade helped me to see more what the Stonewall Brigade did rather than the divisions that Jackson commanded. Though this was great, I do not think it could stand alone. I would recommend a general reading of the different battles in which the Stonewall Brigade participated, because without understanding what was happening in other areas, it is hard to know what exactly was going on in the battle as a whole. For this purpose for me, I was satisfied that the Stonewall Brigade was the focus of each battle, since that is the purpose of the book. Just be expecting that if you decide to read!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good over view of a memorable fighting Unit. I was very familiar with the story and learned little that was new but this book would be a very good resource to the new Student of the American Civil War.

[Joe Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great history of the famous Stonewall Brigade that served in the Army Of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. Written by DR.
Robertson, this is a great read of those famous Virginia Regiments.