Jackson vs. Mcclellan

General Lee said, to be a good soldier you must love the army, to be a good general you must be prepared to order the death of the thing you love, and therein lies the great trap of soldiering. When you attack you must hold nothing back." Thomas J. Jackson was both a good soldier and a good general. In the Mexican War he fought with all his heart for his country. When the Civil War came, he was a general. He never hesitated to send his men forward. He held nothing back. George McClellan also fought with all his heart for his country in the Mexican War. When the time came to send his men forward in the Civil War, he couldn’t do it. He loved the army to much to order its death.




Even though McClellan wasn’t very good at letting his men go and making decisions, he was great at bringing the men’s spirits up when they were down. Every man under his command loved and cherished George B. McClellan. Stonewall was also respected by his men but not loved like McClellan. The name Stonewall Jackson put fear into the hearts of the Union soldiers, and he was respected for that.




Jackson was always ready to fight for his country. When he was young he went to train at West Point to become a soldier and leader. He wasn’t as bright as some of the other students, but he worked hard pushing to succeed. In the end he ended up 17th in his class, giving him the chance to become 2nd Lieutenant of Artillery in the Mexican War. He lived through the war with no problems. He was admired by the army for his courage, he never backed down. After the Mexican War he went to VMI (Virginia Military Institute) to teach. He had two classes, Natural & Experimental Philosophy and Artillery tactics. He was no professor but a great artillery instructor.




When the time came for the Civil War Jackson was ready. He left VMI to become a colonel and lead a brigade of men in the Battle of Bull Run. This is the battle where he received his...