Biography of Col. J.T.L. Preston unfolds the life of a teacher, soldier, husband, and father, who defined the school as it exists today, served Stonewall Jackson as his first adjutant general, married the Poetess of the confederacy, and fathered a family whose members proudly bore the stamp of their father's inviolable character in both civilian and military life.
The Virginia Military Institute launched an educational revolution when it became the first school in the American South to combine classical and practical courses under an effective system of military discipline. It pioneered free schooling for the poor and exemption from tuition and board in exchange for two years of teaching. It has furnished fully qualified citizen-soldiers for both civilian and military life since before the Civil War.
Who first conceived of VMI has been the subject of multiple claims since the school's founding in 1839. Attempting to answer that problem, this biography of Col. J.T.L. Preston unfolds the life of a teacher and soldier, husband and father, who defined the school as it exists today, served Stonewall Jackson as his first adjutant general, married the Poetess of the Confederacy and sired a family whose members bore the stamp of their father's character. Preston is revealed as a man of faith who suffered "anguish beyond remedy" under "the bloody, remorseless hand of war," which "tore from his heart what, to him, was more precious than liberty, home, or anything but heaven."
“"highly recommended"-- Midwest Book Review ; "highly recommended"-- Civil War News ; "well documented...a thorough biography of a complex man, but the author tells Preston's story in a very readable manner"-- Army History ; "impressive...an important contribution to our outstanding of this significant nineteenth-century Virginian. The author does a commendable job of weaving together the many facets and contributions of his subject"-- The Journal of Southern History ; "exceptionally written...a commendable and much overdue analysis of one of nineteenth-century Virginia's most influential intellects and under appreciated educational pioneers"-- Virginia Magazine ; "A fascinating, well-researched and long overdue biography of the Virginia Military Institute's most unheralded founder and underappreciated champion of educational reform."--Dr. Bradford A. Wineman, Marine Corps University; "Shaffner's biography, the result of extensive research, has many fine qualities...quite literate and readable...Shaffner has provided readers with an admirable and worthy biography of the father of VMI."--Dr. Thomas W. Davis, VMI Emeritus Professor of History.”
“highly recommended”—Midwest Book Review; “highly recommended”—Civil War News; “well documented...a thorough biography of a complex man, but the author tells Preston’s story in a very readable manner”—Army History; “impressive...an important contribution to our outstanding of this significant nineteenth-century Virginian. The author does a commendable job of weaving together the many facets and contributions of his subject”—The Journal of Southern History; “exceptionally written...a commendable and much overdue analysis of one of nineteenth-century Virginia’s most influential intellects and under appreciated educational pioneers”—Virginia Magazine; “A fascinating, well-researched and long overdue biography of the Virginia Military Institute’s most unheralded founder and underappreciated champion of educational reform.”—Dr. Bradford A. Wineman, Marine Corps University; “Shaffner’s biography, the result of extensive research, has many fine qualities...quite literate and readable...Shaffner has provided readers with an admirable and worthy biography of the father of VMI.”—Dr. Thomas W. Davis, VMI Emeritus Professor of History.
Randolph P. Shaffner is a retired professor of English and comparative literature and author of several books and articles on a variety of historical subjects. He is archivist for the Highlands Historical Society in the mountains of western North Carolina.
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