In the summer of 1856 a professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy at Virginia Military Institute, Thomas James Jackson, was the object of some criticism for his teaching style. Nothing ever came of this episode, and Jackson was given an even larger classroom when it was all over. Jackson, who would later be better known as General Stonewall Jackson, was not aware of any of this at the time, he sailed for Europe early in July 1856. While in Europe he visited England, Scotland, France, Belgium, Germany and Italy. While there he mostly studied the art and architecture of Europe rather than military history, but he did visit the Waterloo battlefield. He previously had planned to spend the summer traveling west to buy some land, but he feared if the Union was dissolved his land in the north would be confiscated.
Robertson, James I., Jr. “Stonewall Jackson, the Man, the Soldier, the Legend.” New York: Macmillan, 1997. Print. pp. 170-172
So - Jackson is touring Europe. While Lincoln is campaigning for John C. Fremont’s presidential bid, U.S. Grant is trying to eke out a living in St. Louis, Robert E. Lee is scouting Comanche territory in Texas and Jefferson Davis is running the War Department in Washington. I think William T. Sherman is in the banking business in San Francisco, but that is just from skimming some pages. I should have details and a book report to share next month.