Tag: Stonewall Jackson

Justice Has No Plans to Remove Jackson Statue

Gov. Jim Justice is denouncing violence by white supremacists and neo-Nazis in neighboring Virginia but indicates he has no immediate plans to act on requests to remove a statue of Confederate Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson from the Capitol grounds in Charleston.

At a Monday press conference, Justice calls what happened in Charlottesville “despicable,” and says he’s “sympathetic” to people who feel harmed by things that recall the past.

However, he says it’s “a complex situation” and removing the statue could lead to other groups asking to remove other historical markers.

“Let’s just be respectful and find the right pathways that are the right way that makes things fit for everyone, before we off and take off and do something that’s just going to start spiraling and cause a lot of problems,” he said at the press conference.

Justice, who recently switched to Republican, says there’s no place in our society for “neo-Nazi groups and white supremacy.”

The white nationalist rally over the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville left one woman dead.

June 29, 1919: West Virginia State Police Established

The West Virginia State Police was established on June 29, 1919. Governor John Jacob Cornwell had pushed to form the unit in response to the mine wars, which were rocking southern West Virginia. Cornwell had grown frustrated with ineffective sheriffs and constables who had to face reelection and, at the same time, tended to take sides in labor struggles. Also, coal companies were hiring some deputies to serve as private security guards, and coal company guards were being sworn in as deputies—all of which angered miners. The state police came into existence with vocal opposition from labor leaders.

The first state police superintendent was Jackson Arnold, the grand-nephew of ‘‘Stonewall’’ Jackson. Company B was soon dispatched to Williamson—located in the heart of the mine wars. Troopers also helped defend Logan County against armed miners during the Battle of Blair Mountain.

The West Virginia State Police later expanded to include rural law enforcement, traffic safety, a Criminal Investigation Bureau, and a training academy. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover once lauded the West Virginia State Police as being one of the nation’s four leading law enforcement agencies.

January 20, 1824: Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson Born

Thomas Jackson was born in Clarksburg around midnight on the evening of January 20, 1824. He was raised by an uncle at Jackson’s Mill in Lewis County and then attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

He fought gallantly during the Mexican War but resigned from the army after the war.

He spent the next 10 years teaching philosophy and artillery at the Virginia Military Institute.

At the beginning of the Civil War, Virginia seceded from the Union, and Jackson was appointed a Confederate brigadier general. At Harpers Ferry, he oversaw the transfer of equipment from the former U.S. armory to the South. Weeks later, he earned the nickname “Stonewall” for his valor during the Battle of First Manassas. The next year, his lightning-quick troop movements in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign made military history. As Robert E. Lee’s top general, he also played key roles in Confederate victories at Cedar Mountain, Second Manassas, and Fredericksburg.

His brilliant military career ended abruptly at the Battle of Chancellorsville, when he was accidentally shot by his own troops. “Stonewall” Jackson died on May 10, 1863, at the age of 39.

Petition Seeks to Change Name of Stonewall Middle

An online petition seeking to change the name of Stonewall Jackson Middle School in Charleston is generating some discussion.

The school is named in memory of the Confederate military leader who was born in Clarksburg. The deadly shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, has started a national debate about the Confederate battle flag and public memorials dedicated to leaders of the Confederacy.

The man suspected in the church killings had posed in photographs with the Confederate flag.

The Charleston Daily Mail reports that the petition drive regarding the school’s name has sparked debate among alumni and residents.

The school’s enrollment of 554 pupils includes 220 black students.

The petition drive has not only driven debate, but it has given rise to another petition seeking to keep the school name.

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