One of my all time favorite American historical figures is Stonewall Jackson. I’ve read numerous biographies and watched “Gods and Generals” so many times I can almost quote every line. Also, back in 2016, I took my family to Lexington, Virginia where Stonewall lived, taught at VMI, went to church, and is buried. I wrote about that visit and shared plenty of pictures. To read my reflections and view the pictures I took, click here.
Today, I needed to meet with some pastors in Fort Meade, Florida, about 45 minutes south of where I live. But before meeting with those pastors, I wanted to stop by Heritage Park to take a few pictures.
An obvious conclusion is that the city of Fort Meade is named after a fort that was once located here. It was called … wait for it … Fort Meade.
However, a much lesser known fact is that Thomas Jonathan Jackson, who would be known as “Stonewall” a few years later, was stationed here. He had recently fought in the Mexican-American war but was at Fort Meade for about a year. After his stint at Fort Meade, he would move to Lexington, Virginia where he would teach at the Virginia Military Institute in the city of Lexington for 10 years. At the conclusion of those 10 years, he would be called up to serve in the American Civil war where his competence and bravery on the battlefield won the respect of soldiers and officers in the Confederacy as well as in the Union.
It’s not much but I wanted to share the pictures I took of the plaque and monument in Fort Meade today.
Matt’s Musings 