The other day I was flipping through a calendar and came across a fascinating Virginian holiday. The name given to it sparked complete curiosity and right then and there I decided to discover it’s origins and delve into the originators reason for creating it. Some individuals on this day fly a certain flag representing a lost cause. Some others think of it as politically incorrect and must undergo changes in name and purpose. Some are absolutely excited about the holiday and appreciate it’s existence.

Celebration date: Jan. 16

Year of Origin: 1889

Name: Lee-Jackson Day

Purpose: To remember the lives of Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. Jackson.

Why remember these men? Did they do anything worthy of remembering?

Thomas The other day we as a family listened to a documentary on the life of Jackson: Still Standing. Also, in the near past, we came aRobert E. Leecross another documentary of both Lee and Jackson. To put it simply, we were encouraged by these two Virginians and I can definitely see why� people want to honor them through picking a day of the year to remember what they did and how God used them.

They lived during a fascinating but also dark time in American History. The culmination of political and social dilemmas had slowly made its way and finally appeared by way of a devastating war. Several southern states seceded from the union because they couldn’t come to agreement with their northern friends about the issue of slavery. They saw slavery as a state issue not federal and with fear of losing even one state right to the federal government they ran for supposed safety – secession.

Virginia, the State of Lee and Jackson, did not secede so readily as her sister states. She called for a convention between both the north and south to effect reconciliation or at least a compromise. But it was not to be. Finally President Lincoln declared war on the those states which left the union and commanded the states still in the union to provide troops.

At this point, Virginia seeing her failure and deeming Lincoln’s orders unconstitutional decided to secede and with her came both Lee and Jackson. Lee had been offered the command of the US forces but rejected it, not because of the slavery issue – he hated slavery; but rather, for the love he had for his beloved homestate Virginia. Jackson also hated Slavery but nevertheless thought it his duty to fight for Virginia.

In a very quick period of time both rose to levels of prominence. Lee became commanding general of all Virginian forces and Jackson became a Major general. In the annals of Military history there are few examples of the tactical stratagem united in these two men as they worked together and baffled again and again their numerous and well-supplied enemies. Lee conquered Northern Army after Northern Army that crossed the Potomac. Jackson, at one point in the war,� entered the Shenandoah Valley already harboring three enemy armies each being equal or larger then his forces. In a couple of months all three were routed and his army was alone in the valley.

These two generals, however, did not glory in their prowess or desire the fame which naturally came. They saw themselves as instruments of God which he was using to bring him honor and glory. They impressed upon the southern army the need for repentance of evil and a life dedicated to God. They understood God controlled all events, victory or defeat, and that “…all things work together for good…”

Part way through the war Jackson was shot, which led to giving his life for his state and for what God had directed him to do. His final words were: “Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.” Lee continued on, deeply missing his partner in arms. When the war finally ended Lee encouraged and exhorted the southerners to hold malice towards none but rather humbly accept what God had bestowed upon them.

The remainder of his years were spent in being president of a college preparing the next generation. With tears he would state his desire for all the students to have a real intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Therefore, Let us not forget Jackson and Lee. They were men who rose above the political and social quagmires of their time. They trusted completely in God’s workings, willingly gave their lives for the heritage which those before them had created, and then invested into the next generation.

….and all this just from a calendar’s pages flipping on some staples…..Happy Lee-Jackson Day!

This entry was posted on Friday, January 16th, 2009 at 3:14 pm and is filed under Family News, HIS-story. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.