

Stonewall Jackson Statue

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In Manassas, Virginia, this bronze statue of General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson astride his horse "Little Sorrel" commemorates the Civil War Battle of Bull Run (First Battle of Manassas) at the point when the Confederate commander stood "like a stone wall" against Union fighting and inspired his troops to victory.

It was here that General Jackson earned his nickname "Stonewall" when he and his troops held their position as Union soldiers advanced. At one point during the battle, Confederate General Bernard E. Bee shouted to his wavering men, "Look, there is Jackson standing like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!" Bee died moments later, but Jackson's new moniker stuck.

In 1938 the state of Virginia appropriated $25,000 and chose Italian-born sculptor Joseph Pollia to create the statue. The monument was placed on the same commanding ridge where Jackson was believed to have stood while directing his brigade's tactical maneuvers; the statue faces toward the Union position near the Henry House. It was unveiled on August 31, 1940.

The Manassas National Battlefield Park maintains the statue and other memorials, as well as the Bull Run battlefields and significant historical structures.