.jpg)
The 25th annual Lee-Jackson Day events this Friday and Saturday, Jan. 12-13, will feature a symposium, parade, memorial services, luncheon, memorial brick-laying, and a gala to honor Stonewall Jackson’s 200th birthday.
The purpose of the event, say organizers, is to commemorate the lives of two of the area’s most influential historical figures, Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson, both of whom are buried in Lexington.
The activities are sponsored by the Lee & Jackson Memorial Committee of the Stonewall Jackson Brigade of the Sons of Confederate Veterans 1296.
Events will kick off with a private tour of the Jackson House at 10 a.m. on Friday. The Lee-Jackson Symposium will follow at Hampton Inn-Col Alto with doors opening at noon.
Symposium speakers and topics will include historian Chris Mackowski on “The Last Days of Stonewall Jackson,” author Philip Leigh on “Causes of the Civil War,” and historian Bill Potter on “General Robert E. Lee and the Verdict of History.”
A silent auction will also begin at noon and refreshments will be served by the Mary Anna Jackson Chapter, Order of Confederate Rose.
Memorial ceremonies will be held on Saturday. Attendees will begin arriving at 10 a.m. at Jackson Circle in the city cemetery for a tribute to Stonewall Jackson. The Lee-Jackson Parade will follow at 11:15 a.m. from the cemetery through downtown Lexington. The parade will feature reenactors in Civil War uniforms and period attire.
At noon, the annual memorial program and address will be held at the Hampton Inn-Col Alto featuring a speech by Ann McLean, Ph.D., on the state of politics in the preservation of history. A luncheon will follow for reserved guests with limited seating at the door. Following the luncheon, a private brick laying ceremony will be held at the new Lee-Jackson Memorial Park in Fairfield for individuals who purchased a memorial brick engraved for their veteran ancestor or unit.
The Virginia Horse Center mezzanine will be the site of the Stonewall Jackson 200th Birthday Gala at 6 p.m. which will feature a meal with author and speaker J. Ronald Kennedy, SCV chief-of-heritage operations, followed by a period ball featuring the music of the Susquehanna Travelers with dance caller Tom Mack of the Shenandoah Civil War Era Dancers.
All events are free and open to the public with the exception of the Jackson House tour, luncheon, and gala. More information is available at leejacksonpark.com/lee-jackson- day.
