On May 12, 2007, the Lynchburg Historical Foundation, in cooperation with the City of Lynchburg and local sponsors, commemorated the May 13, 1863 funeral procession in Lynchburg for Confederate General Thomas J "Stonewall" Jackson. The event was the culmination of four years of planning, commitment and fund raising to preserve for future generations, the historic relic of the Packet Boat Marshall in Lynchburg. The Marshall carried Stonewall Jackson's body from Lynchburg to Lexington for its final resting place.

The Packet Boat Marshall was commissioned in 1861 to replace the John Marshall, named for Chief Justice John Marshall. The Marshall operated out of Richmond and was at that time, the newest and grandest of the packet boats to ply the James — a main cabin of Dominican mahogany paneling, state rooms for both men and women and a main dining salon that converted to canvas sleeping berths that were hung at night — thus she was dubbed "the Queen of the James." The Marshall was an impressive vessel; 90 feet long, 14 feet wide, with a hand formed iron hull that was three sixteenths of an inch thick. The Marshall could transport up to 60 passengers, being pulled by three matched horses or mules, which were exchanged every 12 hours. The crew consisted of the captain and his mate, porter and stewards (for both men and women) and a cook, who always prepared good Southern cooking.

It was difficult to get a good nights rest while traveling on the Marshall because of the blare of the boat horn blown as they approached each lock' snoring passengers and the ever-present bedbugs. Nonetheless, there was typically much merriment on the Marshall as passengers would gather on the roof of the cabin, and someone would play a guitar and softly sing songs. A trip on the Marshall was, in many respects, a Southern social event.

However, no such merriment was to be had on the Marshall's most historic trip on May 13, 1863. On that evening, the body of General "Stonewall" Jackson arrived in Lynchburg from Richmond via train, in route to his home and final resting place in Lexington. His body was placed on a hearse and was processed through downtown Lynchburg, escorted by dignitaries and family — the streets lined with the citizenry of Lynchburg. As darkness fell and the procession ended, General Jackson's body was placed on the Packet Boat Marshall to continue the journey to Lexington. In typical fashion, the deck of the Marshall was full of people — but they were on this night solemn as they stood over the coffin containing the body of native son, "Stonewall" Jackson. Among those solemn passengers on the Marshall's historic journey were Governor John Letcher; General Scott Ship, Commandant of Cadets of VMI; and Mrs. Jackson and her baby daughter. A civil escort from Lynchburg including Lynchburg Mayor Branch also accompanied the body to Lexington. General Jackson was buried in a cemetery in Lexington not far from the Virginia Military Institute where he had once served as a military professor instructing the VMI cadets.

The Marshall continued service on the James until, in 1864, it was partially burned by Union General Hunter. It was repaired in 1865 and returned to service until 1880 when the canal went out of business and its right of way was converted to railroad tracks. In 1913 a flood buried the Marshall in sand and mud in the James River where it remained until 1936. In 1936 what remained of the iron hull was excavated from the mud as part of Lynchburg's Sesquicentennial celebration — and it was placed in Riverside Park, where it resides today. Philip Lightfoot Scruggs, editor of The News, wrote about the state of the Marshall, describing it as "one of the few, if pitiful, relics of the canal and of the War Between the States, in Lynchburg."

In 2003 the Lynchburg Historical Foundation (LHF) decided something needed to be done to preserve and protect what remained of the Marshall. Many years of weather and neglect had taken its toll on this historic relic. A dedicated committee was formed and with several years of hard work and untiring determination in September 2006 the preservation of the iron hull and the construction of the protective building was completed and celebrated with a grand ribbon cutting ceremony. At the same time, another committee was working on the plan to sponsor and orchestrated the re-enactment of that historic funeral procession that took place in Lynchburg on May 13, 1863. On May 12, 2007, the "Stonewall Procession: From Rail to Water — Lynchburg's Tribute to a Fallen Hero" was held — the culmination of the efforts of many citizens and organizations throughout Lynchburg and the adjoining counties. The event was the commemoration of that final and historic journey of General "Stonewall" Jackson.

The weekend was packed with Civil War history and experiences for one and all as Lynchburg remembered the 144th anniversary of the death of Stonewall Jackson. Lee's Lieutenants and the 11th Virginia set up a living history encampment at Riverfront Park on Thursday. On Friday night supporters of LHF and the National Civil War Chaplains Museum enjoyed dinner with nationally renowned Civil War artist Mort Künstler and author and Civil War expert Rod Gragg. Mr. Künstler unveiled his commemorative print, Going Home, The Stonewall Procession, Lynchburg VA, May 13, 1863.

Saturday was full of events. Mort Künstler spent most of his day signing prints and books at Lynchburg's Depot Plaza along the James River. At 11:00 AM Lynchburg Mayor Joan Foster read a Proclamation commemorating the event and laid a wreath at the Confederate Monument at the top of the city's historic Monument Terrace. At 1:30 p.m. the grand finale memorial procession got under way. Randy Parr, portraying Lynchburg's Mayor Branch, started the procession by reading the 1863 Proclamation that closed the city for the arrival of the body of General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson. Uniformed Re-enactors, the United Daughters of the Confederacy and civilians alike, gathered on Jefferson Street to follow the winding 1863 procession route through the "Hill City", passing hundreds of spectators along the way. The procession stopped on Main Street, at Bailey-Spencer Hardware, formerly the site of the First Presbyterian Church, where General Jackson's funeral service was held. Excerpts from the actual sermon were read. The procession then proceeded down Main Street, ending at the bottom of 9th Street where the pall bearers removed the casket from the hearse and laid it on a platform in the canal to depict the setting of the casket on the Packet Boat Marshall to prepare for the journey to Lexington — the scene so wonderfully depicted in Mort Künstler's commemorative painting, Going Home. Three volleys of cannon fire and a twenty-one gun salute ended the momentous event.

The weekend's activities concluded Sunday morning with a church service at the encampment led by the Re-enactors Mission for Jesus Christ, the Reverend Alan Farley officiating. It was a very historic and fun-filled weekend, with approximately 1,500 to 2,000 people participating at the various events.

Proceeds from this historic weekend and the sale of Mort Künstler's commemorative print at selected retail sites in Lynchburg benefit the Lynchburg Historical Foundation's efforts to preserve the Packet Boat Marshall and historically enhance the newly dedicated display. Proceeds also benefit the National Civil War Chaplains Museum and Research Center. A limited number of "Marshall-benefiting" prints are available at Dixie Outfitters, Madison Heights VA and The Framery, Lynchburg VA. The Lynchburg Historical Foundation also has "Stonewall Procession" commemorative pins and ribbons available.