One of the most outstanding commanders of the Civil War in America was General T J ‘Stonewall’ Jackson. Like so many brilliant military figures, he was an eccentric with many idiosyncrasies. What were some of these?

Answer: He believed that if he had pepper in his food it would make his left leg ache. He would never mail a letter that would be in transit on a Sunday. He was a strict observer of the Sabbath, yet many of his battles were fought on a Sunday. He believed that only by keeping one hand in the air could he stop himself from going ‘out of balance’. He sucked constantly on lemons, even in the midst of battle.

Source: The Civil War by Ken Burns; The Civil War by Shelby Foote.

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