Stonewall Jackson: The Black Man's Friend
Richard G. Williams Jr.
Many historians have touched on Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson's relationship with African Americans in light of his Christian faith. Stonewall Jackson: The Black Man's Friend explores an aspect of his life that is both intriguing and enlightening: his conversion to Christianity and how it affected his relationship with Southern blacks. Covering the origin of Jackson's awakening to faith, the book challenges some widely held beliefs, including the assumption that his spiritual journey did not begin until his adulthood. Furthermore, Richard G. Williams Jr. examines a paradox of Jackson's life: his conversion to Christianity was encouraged by Southern slaves. That faith would one day lead Jackson to minister to other slaves through his Sunday school class.
Exploring in depth Jackson's now famous "Colored Sabbath School," Williams reveals — for the first time — the influence his efforts had on subsequent generations of African Americans. Using original documents, interviews, historical resources, and heretofore unpublished letters and photographs, Williams confirms the veneration with which blacks from Virginia esteemed Jackson, even years after his death — and some to this day. An interview with and photographs of two spiritual descendants of Jackson's black Sunday school class adds a real-life connection to this fascinating dimension of the famed general's life.
The book also examines Jackson's documented youthful pangs of conscience regarding the illiteracy of American slaves — and how Providence ultimately came to use him to have a lasting and positive impact on Southern blacks.
| RICHARD G. WILLIAMS JR. is an award-winning author and speaker on subjects related to the Civil War. A regular contributor to the Washington Times' Civil War column, Williams also frequently contributes articles about the War Between the States to newspapers and history and homeschooling magazines. The descendant of three Confederate soldiers and a 9th generation grandson of the Reverend Roger Williams, he has lectured at Liberty University's annual Civil War Seminar and is the author of The Maxims of Robert E. Lee for Young Gentlemen. Williams is active in a number of historical preservationist organizations and lives in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. |
$20.95, Hardcover
ISBN-10: 1-58182-565-5 (Hardcover)
ISBN-13: 978-1-58182-565-7 (Hardcover)
Hardcover Currently Available
