Civil War Gen Lee & Gen Jackson Gravesites - Lexington, VA

And that five-pointed star indicates about where Richmond would be located. And that dot to the left of that star indicates about where Lexington would be located. Lexington, Virginia was our destination point. We wanted to visit the gravesites of the famous Confederate generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson. Our first stop in Lexington was at the Washington and Lee University and the Lee Chapel. This is a real treat for any Civil War enthusiast. And here I am standing on the steps of Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Washington College was established here way back in 1780. And after the Civil War, General Robert E. Lee became the president of this college. And now it's called Washington and Lee University. And if you turn the camera around from where I'm standing right now and look back the other direction about 50 yards, you'll see the Lee Chapel. General Robert E. Lee had this chapel built in 1868. And he helped design this chapel also. General Lee died on October the 12th, 1870. And he's buried in a crypt in the basement of this chapel. General Lee owned several horses during his lifetime. But his most favorite horse was a horse that he called Traveler. And Traveler is buried right here next to the Lee Chapel. We also visited the inside of the Lee Chapel. This was a real unique experience for me being a Civil War buff. The Lee Chapel is not actually consecrated, meaning it's not actually a church. But nevertheless, when you're on the inside of the chapel, it still has a strange feeling of reverence about it. What this is is a wood coffin. And it's a carved out life size likeness of General Robert E. Lee. This wood coffin was made especially for the general, but his family did not want him buried in it. So this empty wooden coffin is on permanent display inside the chapel. We really enjoyed our visit at the Robert E. Lee Chapel. And it was an experience that I will never forget. After leaving the Lee Chapel, we drove a short distance, just a few blocks, to the Stonewall Jackson House, where we took a guided tour of the house and the garden area. They wouldn't let us take any pictures inside of the house. But the house is furnished with authentic 19th century furniture and chandeliers. This is the only house that Stonewall Jackson ever owned. And this is a picture of the back of the house. This is a picture of the carriage shed. And this is a picture of the garden area. Jackson graduated from West Point in 1846, and he went on to serve in the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848. In 1851, Jackson accepted a job as a teacher at VMI, Virginia Military Institute, in Lexington, Virginia. Jackson was a professor of natural and experimental philosophy and military artillery. Jackson was also very religious, and he taught Bible studies during his spare time. Jackson bought this house, married, and it settled down in Lexington several years before the Civil War. The last time Colonel Jackson ever saw this house was when he left in 1861 for the Civil War. And after we left the Jackson house, we drove a few blocks to the Jackson Cemetery. And here he is, the famous Confederate general himself, General Thomas Stonewall Jackson. Actually, he didn't get his nickname Stonewall until the Battle of the First Bull Run in July of 1861. It was during the heat of the battle when Jackson refused to fall back or retreat, and one of the other generals made a comment, look, there stands Jackson like a stone wall. And forever after, he's always been known as the great General Stonewall Jackson. Jackson was always greatly admired and respected by all of his men and all of the other generals. Most historians agree that Stonewall Jackson was probably the most gifted tactical military commander in United States history. Even today, Jackson's methods and tactics are still taught in artillery schools. It was on May the 2nd, 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville when Jackson was accidentally shot by his own men. They moved General Jackson to a field hospital where the doctors had to amputate his left arm. And several days later, General Stonewall Jackson died. When General Robert E. Lee heard the news, he said, General Jackson may have lost his left arm, but I have now lost my right arm. After we left Stonewall Jackson's gravesite, we were walking back to our car when I suddenly remembered a story that I'd once heard. I told Joanne, I said, we have to go back to his grave, and she didn't want to go. She said, do we have to walk all the way back? And I said, yeah, we do. I said, we'll probably never be back here again. And I need to check out a story to see if it's true or not. Anyway, I had heard that visitors would sometimes throw lemons on Stonewall Jackson's grave. It's always been a popular belief that lemons was the general's favorite fruit. Anyway, historians will tell you that Jackson's favorite fruit was actually a peach. That myth about lemons was started during the Civil War because Jackson was seen eating lemons on several occasions. But the reason he was eating lemons is because it was the only thing available at the time. Anyway, all these many years later, many people still believe that Jackson's favorite fruit is a lemon. So people still to this day will throw lemons on his grave. Anyway, we got back to the gravesite, and sure enough, we counted three lemons laying right there in front of the Confederate flag, laying right there on his grave, just as plain as day. I don't know why I didn't notice that before. If I would have had a lemon with me, then I'd have left one there too. And here I am getting my picture with the famous old Confederate himself, General Stonewall Jackson. General Stonewall Jackson died on May the 10th of 1863. He was only 39 years old. It was eight days after his arm had been amputated. But that's not what killed him. He actually died of pneumonia. Laying on his deathbed, General Stonewall Jackson's last words were, let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees. And then he died.