Exploring Flickr this evening, I came across this statue of Stonewall Jackson, the Confederate hero. This statue stands in Manassas Battlefield Park and it piques my curiosity, because I heard a myth about it not too long ago.

     Observe the statue momentarily. The man features a broad chest and bulging biceps; the horse ripples with muscles and strength. Except, compare it with the real Stonewall Jackson.

     OK, first off, I am aware this is not a real picture. But this is a portrait of Stonewall Jackson, who is clearly not built like the Hulk. So here is the myth.

     The statue in Manassas Battlefield is not actually Stonewall Jackson. It’s some golem with Stonewall’s face on it.

     The contributors to the park wanted to build a statue of Stonewall Jackson, but couldn’t afford to have one built. Conveniently, Mussolini statues go for pretty cheap since the results of WWII (and his subsequent torture). So they bought a Mussolini on a horse, cut his head off, and slapped on a bust of Stonewall Jackson (early attempts at Photoshop!).

     So is it true? Who knows! It’s just something I could investigate when I visit the park this summer.