Stonewall Jackson- Murray Manley

I have visited the cemetery several times on various occasions, usually on walks during the day and once when I was dressed up for Halloween. As a child, my parents once took us to a graveyard in Savannah and had us do grave etchings (which sounds morbid now that I'm writing it out),  and I think that was the only other time in the past 10 years that I have paid so much attention to a graveyard besides today. As we walked around, I noticed that Stonewall Jackson's memorial was in a circular plot, while most others were in rectangular ones. The surrounding grass had been freshly mowed, juxtaposing it with the overgrown nature of the rest of the cemetery. Today, no offerings had been given, although as we discussed in class, sometimes secular pilgrims toss in a lemon or lime. Like many of the other memorials nearby, he is enshrined with his family members- his daughter in particular.

I thought it was interesting that we discussed his outfit, and I wish I had paid more close attention, or had a closer look at what he was wearing. Seeing the memorial makes me wonder who chose his attire for the memorial? Was his family involved in the process? How would they have portrayed him? Often memorials only depict a single side of a story, a single facet of a person's life. Although he is most remembered for his involvement in the Civil War, I am sure that Stonewall Jackson had many other qualities that his loved ones would have wanted to celebrate in addition to his bravery as a soldier.

However, what I will most remember from today is the orientation of Stonewall Jackson's memorial. Although most of the other graves face East for some unknown and long-forgotten reason, Jackson faces South, faithfully never turning his back on his beloved South. I wish I knew a little bit more about his biography, and I think in the coming weeks I will take the time to visit his house in Lexington and read a few things about him when I have time. This questions may be ignorant, but was Jackson a Lexington native? Does he still have family here? How does the surrounding community feel about their once-presbyterian graveyard transformed into a pilgrimage site for Stonewall Jackson's fans?

I liked these graves in particular because of the daisies growing in a line right in front of them.