Although some people believe that Thomas Jackson was negatively influenced by growing up with his bachelor uncle Cummins Jackson, this unusual background ultimately made Stonewall Jackson the great US military figure he is today . Cummins Jackson had a strong work ethic, which was imposed on the young Stonewall Jackson. Stonewall Jackson's father died when Jackson was very young, leaving Jackson without a father figure to mold him into a respectable man. Jean Fritz tells a compelling story of Thomas Stonewall Jackson. It describes the humble beginnings of this great military figure. The reader gets a sense of General Jackson's passions and feelings. It not only reflects on Stonewall Jackson as a military leader, but also as a person. Fritz takes us through the timeline of Stonewall's life, from his battles to his death. Cummins Jackson had a strong work ethic, which was passed on to the young Stonewall Jackson. Cummins was known for his partying and drinking habits. Because of this, many people believe that Stonewall was negatively affected. In fact, Cummins pushed a strong work ethic on Stonewall. Cummins led Stonewall into a difficult and hard-nosed agricultural life. As Stonewall grew up, the work ethic he previously taught played a key role in his life. Because of this strong work ethic, we now know Stonewall Jackson as an outstanding military leader who gave military leadership to the Confederacy during the American Civil War. On July 21, 1861, one of the first major battles of the Civil War was fought in Manassas, Virginia. the first battle of Bull Run. Both sides, Union and Confederate, had weak numbers of untrained soldiers with approximately 18,000 soldiers on each side. On this day General Irvin McDowell led his Union troops in the company of another relative. It was under Cummins' leadership that Thomas Jackson regained a father figure. Cummins' blue-collar, hard-nosed attitude shaped Jackson into a rugged, respectable young man. Without Cummins, Thomas could easily have grown up with three girls. This would draw out the strong work ethic that ultimately made Stonewall Jackson a great military leader. In conclusion, although some people believe that Thomas Jackson was negatively influenced by growing up with his bachelor uncle Cummins Jackson, this unusual background ultimately made Stonewall Jackson the great American military man. Imagine it's today. Cummins Jackson had a strong work ethic, which was imposed on the young Stonewall Jackson. Stonewall Jackson's father died when Jackson was very young, leaving Jackson without a father figure to mold him into a respectable man.