3. Stonewall Jackson was obsessed with his health, refusing to sit and always sucking on a lemon, even in the heat of battle
According to some biographers, Thomas Jonathan ‘Stonewall’ Jackson became convinced that evil spirits had inhabited his body. As a young man, he became obsessed with his own well-being. And his eccentricities were only too obvious to students at the Virginia Military institute, where he worked as an instructor before the Civil War. He tried to avoid sitting down, preferring to stay standing, his back straight so as to redress a perceived lack of internal balance. That’s why he rode into battle with one hand held high above his head, much to the confusion of his own men.
Jackson’s health obsession translated into a strict daily routine. His diet consisted of plain bread, milk and fruits. Above all, he believed sucking on lemons would rid him of ongoing stomach problems, plus he would regularly cover his stomach with wet towels to ease his discomfort. Notably, some biographers believe that this might have been his downfall. Jackson survived being shot several times by his own men (by accident). He also survived having his arm amputated. Could it be that ordering his servant to drape wet towels over his wounds caused the infection that killed the ultimate man of action?