1995 32c Civil War: Stonewall Jackson
# 2975s - 1995 32c Civil War: Stonewall Jackson
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U.S. #2975s
1995 32¢ “Stonewall” Jackson
Civil War
- Issued for the 130th anniversary of the Civil War
- From the second pane in the Classic Collections Series
- Declared the most popular stamps of 1995 by the USPS
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Civil War 130th Anniversary
Value: 32¢, rate for first-class mail
First Day of Issue: June 29, 1995
First Day City: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Quantity Issued: 15,000,000
Printed by: Stamp Venturers
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 20 in sheets of 120
Perforations: 10.1
Why the stamp was issued: To mark the 130th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.
About the stamp design: The Civil War stamps featured artwork by Mark Hess, who had previously produced the artwork for the Legends of the West sheet. The USPS explained that they liked his painting style because of its “folksy stiffness,” that “emulates people standing uncomfortably in front of daguerreotype cameras.”
Hess pictured Stonewall Jackson atop his horse, Sorrel. He used several photos of the general to capture his features. The horse was stuffed after its death, so Hess was able to base his painting on the actual horse.
First Day City: The official first day ceremony was held at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the site of one of the war’s most famous battles. Because they received a large number of requests, the USPS made the stamps available for sale across the country the same day.
Unusual facts about the Civil War stamps: The Civil War sheet was available by mail order in uncut press sheets of six panes. Of these, 20,000 were signed by stamp artist Mark Hess. The USPS also produced a set of postcards featuring the same images as the stamps (US #UX200-19). Imperforate and partially imperforate error panes have also been found.
About the Civil War Stamps: The Civil War stamp sheet featured 16 individuals – eight from the Union and eight from the Confederacy. The four battles in the corners included one victory for each side and two that are considered draws.
This was the second sheet in the Classic Collections Series following the famed Legends of the West sheet. Stamps in this series follow a similar format – 20 stamps, a decorative header, and information about each stamp printed on its back under the gum.
Plans for the Civil War sheet began while the 1994 Legends of the West sheet was still in its planning stage. The USPS believed that the Civil War was a natural addition to the new series and would be informational for the public. Initially the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee rejected the idea, saying they should wait 20 years for the 50th anniversary of the war. But they were eventually swayed and the Civil War stamps were created. A group of historians were tasked with making a list of protentional subjects and Shelby Foote was hired to make the final selections. Foote was an expert in the Civil War, having written a three-volume history of the war and been featured in Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series on the war.
The USPS wanted the Civil War stamps to have more action to them – so only the two presidents were depicted in traditional portraits. The rest of the individuals were placed in the field or amidst an activity. After the Legends of the West mix-up, in which the Bill Pickett stamp mistakenly pictured his brother Ben, the USPS completely revamped their research process. The release of the 20 Civil War stamps marked the most extensive effort in the history of the USPS to review and verify the historical accuracy of stamp subjects. As Hess completed each version of his paintings, they were sent to a panel of experts who commented on the historical accuracy of everything from the weather to belt buckles.
Some of the people and battles featured in the Civil War sheet had appeared on US stamps before. This was also the second time the Civil War was honored – a set of five stamps (US #1178-82) was issued for the centennial in the 1960s. And from 2011-15, the USPS issued a series of stamps for the war’s 150th anniversary (US #4522/4981).
History the stamp represents: The man considered to be one of the most gifted tactical commanders in the nation’s history began life humbly. His great-grandparents arrived in America on a prison ship, indentured for committing larceny in London.
Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson was born on January 21, 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia (present-day West Virginia). His father and sister died of typhoid fever in 1826, and his mother a few years later. Jackson shuttled between relatives for years, suffering abuse along the way. Jackson educated himself and once taught his uncle’s slave to read in exchange for pine knots. The young slave used his reading skills to escape to Canada. Jackson finished his education at West Point, where classmates recalled he was so poorly trained in social skills he didn’t know which knife or fork to use at a meal. Jackson began at the bottom of his class yet graduated 17th. While serving in the Mexican-American War, he earned more promotions than any other officer.
In 1859, Jackson bought a home in Lexington, where he taught classes for slaves and free blacks. It was the only home he ever owned, and Jackson would live in it for just two years before leaving his pregnant wife for the Civil War. He would never return.
While an instructor at the Virginia Military Institute, Jackson and his artillery were sent to Harper’s Ferry to stand guard at the execution of John Brown. When the Civil War began, Jackson’s decision mirrored that of most Virginians. He remained loyal to his state. A year and a half later, Jackson relentlessly drilled Confederate troops that would become known as the “Stonewall Brigade” at the same location.
When Confederate troops appeared to be losing the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, it was Jackson’s men who reinforced them at Henry House Hill and stopped the Union assault. Another general reportedly urged his overwhelmed men to reform their lines by pointing at Jackson, who was “standing like a stone wall.” Following the Confederate victory, Jackson was promoted to major general and headquartered in Winchester, Virginia, with command of the Valley District.
Jackson emerged as one of the most charismatic generals of the Confederacy – a force of nature that bedeviled Union leaders and struck fear in the nation’s capital. Said Jackson, “Always mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit. Never fight against heavy odds if you can hurl your own force on only a part of your enemy and crush it. A small army may thus destroy a large one, and repeated victory will make you invincible.”
With Stonewall in command, his men defeated the Union Army single-handedly in three different battles even though they were outnumbered 4 to 1. His aggressive strategy kept McDowell guessing throughout the Valley Campaign. Never confident where Jackson might strike – or even where his army was – McDowell was forced to detach significant numbers of troops to guard Washington and other strategic locations.
Unaware Jackson’s orders were only to guard Richmond, Lincoln made his defeat a priority. McDowell and John C. Frémont were ordered to converge forces at Strasburg and cut off his escape route in the Shenandoah Valley. Moving with remarkable speed, the 17,000-member Stonewall Brigade traveled 646 miles in 48 days and won five stunning victories against a combined Union force of 60,000 men.
Jackson’s fame grew in proportion to his stunning successes. At the Second Battle of Bull Run, he captured all the supplies in the Union Army depot. At Fredericksburg, his men held off a strong Union assault that helped lead to Confederate victory. At Chancellorsville, Lee sent Jackson’s men on one of the most daring missions of the war, ending with a significant Confederate victory against a Union army twice its size.
Then, on the night of May 2, as Jackson and his staff were returning to camp, the 18th North Carolina Infantry mistook them for a Union Cavalry force. The North Carolina troops shouted “Halt, who goes there?” To which Jackson’s staff frantically shouted numerous replies. They weren’t convinced, believing it to be a “Yankee trick,” and fired on Jackson and his men. Jackson was hit three times and several of his men and their horses were killed. In the ensuing confusion, Jackson was dropped from his stretcher while his men came under artillery fire. After his arm was amputated, Thomas C. Chandler offered his plantation as a recovery site, but Jackson suggested using his office instead. While his doctors believed he would recover, Jackson had developed pneumonia and eventually died on May 10.
Jackson’s last words were, “Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.” While Robert E. Lee had won his most stunning victory of the war at Chancellorsville, he lost the man he described as his “right arm.” With his death, the South lost its best hope for winning the war.
U.S. #2975s
1995 32¢ “Stonewall” Jackson
Civil War
- Issued for the 130th anniversary of the Civil War
- From the second pane in the Classic Collections Series
- Declared the most popular stamps of 1995 by the USPS
Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Civil War 130th Anniversary
Value: 32¢, rate for first-class mail
First Day of Issue: June 29, 1995
First Day City: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Quantity Issued: 15,000,000
Printed by: Stamp Venturers
Printing Method: Photogravure
Format: Panes of 20 in sheets of 120
Perforations: 10.1
Why the stamp was issued: To mark the 130th anniversary of the end of the Civil War.
About the stamp design: The Civil War stamps featured artwork by Mark Hess, who had previously produced the artwork for the Legends of the West sheet. The USPS explained that they liked his painting style because of its “folksy stiffness,” that “emulates people standing uncomfortably in front of daguerreotype cameras.”
Hess pictured Stonewall Jackson atop his horse, Sorrel. He used several photos of the general to capture his features. The horse was stuffed after its death, so Hess was able to base his painting on the actual horse.
First Day City: The official first day ceremony was held at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, the site of one of the war’s most famous battles. Because they received a large number of requests, the USPS made the stamps available for sale across the country the same day.
Unusual facts about the Civil War stamps: The Civil War sheet was available by mail order in uncut press sheets of six panes. Of these, 20,000 were signed by stamp artist Mark Hess. The USPS also produced a set of postcards featuring the same images as the stamps (US #UX200-19). Imperforate and partially imperforate error panes have also been found.
About the Civil War Stamps: The Civil War stamp sheet featured 16 individuals – eight from the Union and eight from the Confederacy. The four battles in the corners included one victory for each side and two that are considered draws.
This was the second sheet in the Classic Collections Series following the famed Legends of the West sheet. Stamps in this series follow a similar format – 20 stamps, a decorative header, and information about each stamp printed on its back under the gum.
Plans for the Civil War sheet began while the 1994 Legends of the West sheet was still in its planning stage. The USPS believed that the Civil War was a natural addition to the new series and would be informational for the public. Initially the Citizens Stamp Advisory Committee rejected the idea, saying they should wait 20 years for the 50th anniversary of the war. But they were eventually swayed and the Civil War stamps were created. A group of historians were tasked with making a list of protentional subjects and Shelby Foote was hired to make the final selections. Foote was an expert in the Civil War, having written a three-volume history of the war and been featured in Ken Burns’ PBS documentary series on the war.
The USPS wanted the Civil War stamps to have more action to them – so only the two presidents were depicted in traditional portraits. The rest of the individuals were placed in the field or amidst an activity. After the Legends of the West mix-up, in which the Bill Pickett stamp mistakenly pictured his brother Ben, the USPS completely revamped their research process. The release of the 20 Civil War stamps marked the most extensive effort in the history of the USPS to review and verify the historical accuracy of stamp subjects. As Hess completed each version of his paintings, they were sent to a panel of experts who commented on the historical accuracy of everything from the weather to belt buckles.
Some of the people and battles featured in the Civil War sheet had appeared on US stamps before. This was also the second time the Civil War was honored – a set of five stamps (US #1178-82) was issued for the centennial in the 1960s. And from 2011-15, the USPS issued a series of stamps for the war’s 150th anniversary (US #4522/4981).
History the stamp represents: The man considered to be one of the most gifted tactical commanders in the nation’s history began life humbly. His great-grandparents arrived in America on a prison ship, indentured for committing larceny in London.
Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson was born on January 21, 1824, in Clarksburg, Virginia (present-day West Virginia). His father and sister died of typhoid fever in 1826, and his mother a few years later. Jackson shuttled between relatives for years, suffering abuse along the way. Jackson educated himself and once taught his uncle’s slave to read in exchange for pine knots. The young slave used his reading skills to escape to Canada. Jackson finished his education at West Point, where classmates recalled he was so poorly trained in social skills he didn’t know which knife or fork to use at a meal. Jackson began at the bottom of his class yet graduated 17th. While serving in the Mexican-American War, he earned more promotions than any other officer.
In 1859, Jackson bought a home in Lexington, where he taught classes for slaves and free blacks. It was the only home he ever owned, and Jackson would live in it for just two years before leaving his pregnant wife for the Civil War. He would never return.
While an instructor at the Virginia Military Institute, Jackson and his artillery were sent to Harper’s Ferry to stand guard at the execution of John Brown. When the Civil War began, Jackson’s decision mirrored that of most Virginians. He remained loyal to his state. A year and a half later, Jackson relentlessly drilled Confederate troops that would become known as the “Stonewall Brigade” at the same location.
When Confederate troops appeared to be losing the First Battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861, it was Jackson’s men who reinforced them at Henry House Hill and stopped the Union assault. Another general reportedly urged his overwhelmed men to reform their lines by pointing at Jackson, who was “standing like a stone wall.” Following the Confederate victory, Jackson was promoted to major general and headquartered in Winchester, Virginia, with command of the Valley District.
Jackson emerged as one of the most charismatic generals of the Confederacy – a force of nature that bedeviled Union leaders and struck fear in the nation’s capital. Said Jackson, “Always mystify, mislead and surprise the enemy; and when you strike and overcome him, never let up in the pursuit. Never fight against heavy odds if you can hurl your own force on only a part of your enemy and crush it. A small army may thus destroy a large one, and repeated victory will make you invincible.”
With Stonewall in command, his men defeated the Union Army single-handedly in three different battles even though they were outnumbered 4 to 1. His aggressive strategy kept McDowell guessing throughout the Valley Campaign. Never confident where Jackson might strike – or even where his army was – McDowell was forced to detach significant numbers of troops to guard Washington and other strategic locations.
Unaware Jackson’s orders were only to guard Richmond, Lincoln made his defeat a priority. McDowell and John C. Frémont were ordered to converge forces at Strasburg and cut off his escape route in the Shenandoah Valley. Moving with remarkable speed, the 17,000-member Stonewall Brigade traveled 646 miles in 48 days and won five stunning victories against a combined Union force of 60,000 men.
Jackson’s fame grew in proportion to his stunning successes. At the Second Battle of Bull Run, he captured all the supplies in the Union Army depot. At Fredericksburg, his men held off a strong Union assault that helped lead to Confederate victory. At Chancellorsville, Lee sent Jackson’s men on one of the most daring missions of the war, ending with a significant Confederate victory against a Union army twice its size.
Then, on the night of May 2, as Jackson and his staff were returning to camp, the 18th North Carolina Infantry mistook them for a Union Cavalry force. The North Carolina troops shouted “Halt, who goes there?” To which Jackson’s staff frantically shouted numerous replies. They weren’t convinced, believing it to be a “Yankee trick,” and fired on Jackson and his men. Jackson was hit three times and several of his men and their horses were killed. In the ensuing confusion, Jackson was dropped from his stretcher while his men came under artillery fire. After his arm was amputated, Thomas C. Chandler offered his plantation as a recovery site, but Jackson suggested using his office instead. While his doctors believed he would recover, Jackson had developed pneumonia and eventually died on May 10.
Jackson’s last words were, “Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of the trees.” While Robert E. Lee had won his most stunning victory of the war at Chancellorsville, he lost the man he described as his “right arm.” With his death, the South lost its best hope for winning the war.