She was never far from his thoughts. General Thomas J. Jackson – mighty Stonewall – pondered most of his military strategy privately. Ardently concerned about security, he spoke little of his plans to anyone until he began to unleash them in hammer-like strikes against the enemy. To ensure success, he constantly oversaw preparations in person. He rode his lines on horseback, checked on his troops, and mentally rehearsed his plans and options to perfection.

Even so, his thoughts were often with his wife. Mary Anna Morrison Jackson, a minister’s daughter, shared an extraordinary love with her husband that was founded and flourished on a shared faith in God.

In the winter of 1861-62, Mary Anna left their Lexington, Virginia home and joined Jackson at his Winchester headquarters, from where he conducted his famed Valley Campaign. As he routinely moved through his army, leaving nothing unchecked, he had ample opportunity to spend time with his beloved Mary Anna. Without question, the interlude in Winchester brought Jackson some of his dearest moments of the war. In early 1862, more accomplishments, more fame, more glory awaited him.

Jackson savored the blessings of his relationship with his beloved wife. To the end, Stonewall and Mary Anna Jackson would be bound by a deep and abiding commitment — a commitment shaped by the Biblical love that “never fails.”