Stonewall’s Lieutenant
The Life of General Elisha Franklin Paxton, Commander of the Stonewall Brigade

Gerald L. Maatman, Jr.

Schiffer Military History - November 28, 2026

Advance Reviews

“The best biographies, if thoroughly researched and engagingly written, can offer more than a glimpse into a person’s life; they can provide important insight into the times in which they lived and the people with whom they interacted. Gerald Maatman’s biography of Elisha Franklin Paxton is such a biography. Maatman’s diligently researched and cogently crafted volume offers valuable insights into the Army of Northern Virginia until the time of Paxton’s death in the spring of 1863, Stonewall Jackson’s character and decision-making, and the complexities of life in the United States during the Civil War era. This thoughtful biography is essential for any student of the Civil War in the Old Dominion.” -- Jonathan Noyalas, Professor of History at Shenandoah College and the Director of the McCormick Civil War Institute, and Author of Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign of 1862 and General Philip H. Sheridan: Life, War, and Memory

“Stonewall Jackson's Lieutenant [Stonewall's Lieutenant] is a prodigiously researched, detailed biography of an overlooked Confederate general. It adds greatly to our understanding of the storied Stonewall Brigade in particular, and of the inner workings of the Army of Northern Virginia in general.” -- Peter Cozzens, Author of Shenandoah 1862, Jackson’s Valley Campaign

“Elisha Franklin Paxton: Stonewall Jackson’s Lieutenant - The Life and Times of the Stonewall Brigade Commander” [Stonewall's Lieutenant] by Gerald Maatman is a magnificent job of research and puts to shame the countless number of Civil War historians who never go deep into the archival mines as Maatman has done. The case study of Paxton and his troubles with Taliaferro offer important angles on the justice system in Lee's army, the role of Southern honor, the politics of command in the Army of Northern Virginia without ever losing track of Paxton and his story.” -- The Late Peter Carmichael, Robert C. Fluhrer Professor of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg College and Author of The War for the Common Soldier

“Jerry Maatman has written one of the best microhistories of the Army of the Army of Northern Virginia, and especially the Stonewall Brigade, ever published. Years of careful archival research yield an engaging narrative, scrupulously supported by primary sources, that offers fascinating new insights into the Brigade's administration and leadership, the justice system in Lee's army, and the personal and professional life not only of Paxton himself but also Stonewall Jackson. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in the history of the Confederacy's premier army and the first two years of the war in the East.” -- Christian B. Keller, Professor of History, U.S. Army War College, and author of The Great Partnership: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and the Fate of the Confederacy

“An outstanding achievement in historical research, Stonewall Jackson’s Lieutenant is much more than the detailed biography of an important yet long-overlooked Civil War officer. Rather, Gerald Maatman has also provided us with a fascinating window into secessionist politics, the inner workings of the Confederate officers’ corps, and the mad, singular genius of Jackson himself." -- Scott Ellsworth, Professor of History at the University of Michigan and Author of Midnight on the Potomac: The Last Year of the Civil War, the Lincoln Assassination, and the Rebirth of America