We saw this sign along I95 on the way to Richmond, VA., “Stonewall Jackson Death Site”. Seems like peculiar wording and got us wondering how Stonewall Jackson did die. Did he die in battle during the Civil War? Apparently, he was accidentally fired upon by his own troops, the 18th North Carolina Infantry Regiment, while reconnoitering with members of his staff. He lost his left arm to amputation. Weakened by his wounds, he died of pneumonia eight days later. Jackson’s death proved a severe setback for the Confederacy

Another interesting story (I can’t attest to the truth of it) is that Union Troops dug up his arm during the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864.  Another story suggests that U.S. Marines visiting the area in 1921 also dug up and reburied the arm. While these stories are difficult to substantiate, they confirm that Jackson’s arm has become a point of curiosity over time. In 1998, archaeologists working for the National Park Service investigated the area but did not find a specific burial site. 

Not sure why there is such interest in Stonewall Jackson’s arm. Maybe we will have to visit this national park site to find out more.