Howard Koslow (American, 1924 - 2016) "Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson" Signed lower left. Original oil painting on Cold Press Illustration Board. Provenance: Collection of James A. Helzer (1946-2008), Founder of Unicover Corporation. This painting is the original painting which was published on the Fleetwood Commemorative Proofcard for America's Greatest Military Heroes series, postmarked January 21, 1993. In the heat of a losing battle at Bull Run, Confederate General Barnard E. Bee despaired at the sight of his men falling back. He cried out, "Look, there is Jackson, standing like a stone wall." And so he was, General Thomas Jackson, his troops standing firm despite the raging Union attack. His unwavering stance turned the tide of the battle forcing the Union Army to retreat. From then on, he was known as "Stonewall Jackson," a strict, but skilled leader who pushed his men to the limits of their endurance. But their admiration for him won out and they called him "Old Jack," cheering whenever he appeared. A gallant figure of a man, Jackson led his troops boldly planning their movements with great precision. A master of the surprise attack, he repeatedly defeated attempts by the Union Army to join its forces for a march on Richmond; then he drove his opponents back to the Maryland border. Against odds of nearly two to one, Jackson defeated the Union armies, guessing their strategy and moving his troops quickly. Later, working with General Robert E. Lee, Jackson was able to win substantial victories for the South. But, during the battle of Chancellorsville, Jackson was mistaken for a Union Cavalryman and accidentally shot by his own men. On May 10, 1863, he spoke his last words: "Let us cross over the river and rest in the shade of the trees." Thus, the man who once termed war the "sum of all evils" died a tragic hero in the midst of war. Image Size: 13.75 x 12 in. Overall Size: 20.25 x 18 in. Unframed. (B09301)