Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1916-05-09
Grave Of StoneWaII Jackson's Mother
Marked By Native Of Charles
Town.


The News recently copied from
another State psper an article stating
that the grave of Mrs Woodson, moth
er of Stonewall Jackson, was unkept
and neglected and rarely visited by visi-
tors,
The following letter from Capt Thos
d. Ransom corrects this statement and
gives some interesting facts about the
last resting place of the mother of the
immortal Jackson:
Editor Daily News,
Stanton. Va:
Dear Sir In your issue of Monday
you refer to the grave of the mother of
General Thomas j. Jackson at Ansted
in Fayette county, West Virginia, as
secluded spot of the village cemetery
rarely visited and only marked by two
homemade stones.
This is misstatement which has
been strangely persisted in even by the
press of that state occasioning an or
gapized movement several years ago in
Kanawha county for erection by ladies
association of some memorial to rescue
the grave in question from oblivion.
The facts are simply that on a bust
ness visit many years ago to the mining
village of Ansted my attention was cali
ed by Major N. Page manager of the
Gauley-Kanawha Colliery, to her grave
aa then fallen in and distinguishable
only by piece of broken fence rail.
1t happened that several of the Oldest
citizens of the place were yet living
who had been present at Mrs Woodson's
burial and by their help the spot was
fully identified.
On my return home / had suitable
marble headetone made and carved with
simple Inscription by Captain j. e.
| Marquis. good old Confederate of this
city and with the kind assistance of
another of the same sort Col George w
Imboden of Fayette County. 1t was
erected and the ground mounded and
tufted. Perhaps there are few of the
many visitors to Ansted who do not
visit it, for there is not lovelier out
look in the two Virginias than from the
immediate locality of this .grave.
By strange coincidence on the day
your article appeared l received from
an old friend copy of the Fayette
Democrat with leading editorial ans
wering doubts raised by Thomas ].
Arnold. nephew of Stonewall Jackson
as to the exact location of this grave, l
send it to you for such use as you may
think worth while.
Yours very truly.
THOS. d. RANSOM.
The "Fayette Democrat" the paper
referred to by Capt Ransom in the above
letter gives details proving beyond
doubt that the grave in question is that
of the mother of General Jackson.
Two neighbors of Mrs. Woodson
while she was alive were present at her
death and saw her body placed in the
grave near Ansted, w. Va. and later
positively Unidentified the grave as that
of Mrs Woodson. The paper has the
following TO say about the visit of
Captain Ransom and the stone he placed
at the grave;
'Some years later when Capt Thomas
D. Ransom of StauLton who was mem
Der of the Stonewall Brigade, desired
to erect monument to the memory of
the mother of this great leader the
was pointed out by Mrs. Hamilton and
Mr.. Martin the former neighbors of
Mrs Woodson.) The stone which Capt.
Ransom had erected bears the following
inscription:
Here Lies
Julia Beckwith Neale
Born Feb. %, 1898
in Loudon County, Va.
Married First
Jonathan Jackson
Second,
Blake B. Woodson
Died September, 1881
To the Mother of
"STONEWALL" JACKSON
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