Sidney D. Jackman
Encyclopedia
Sidney Drake Jackman was an American
farmer, teacher, and soldier. He served as an officer
in the Confederate Army
during the American Civil War
, most noted for his performance in the early part of the Battle of Westport
in 1864.
After the war Jackman fled to Mexico
, then returned to the United States. He again took up farming, served as a state legislator, and later entered law enforcement.
, in the spring of either 1826 or 1828, the son of Thomas Jackman and his wife Mary Drake. Sometime in 1830 the family moved to Howard County, Missouri, where Sidney Jackman was taught some basic schooling. By late in the 1840s he was living in Boone County, Missouri
, where he look up work as a schoolteacher as well as farming. On February 18, 1849, Jackman married his first wife, Martha Rachael Slavin, in Boone County, and they would have two daughters and four sons together.
Soon after getting married Jackman moved his family to Howard County, Missouri, and in 1855 they settled in Papinville, located in Bates County
. In both locales Jackman again was farming and teaching. Jackman organized local militia
s while in Papinville to deal with "Jayhawker
" and other raids from nearby Kansas
, and in 1860 he relocated his family further into Missouri's interior to try to avoid these troubles. By the time of the American Civil War, Jackman was a captain in the Missouri State Militia.
in 1861, and entered the Missouri State Guard
. The next year he was appointed the colonel
of the 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment
, and in May 1862 he led cavalry troops in the raid of Neosho, Missouri
. On August 16 Jackman fought at the Battle of Lone Jack
, where he led troops that helped capture the Union forces occupying Lone Jack, Missouri
, and on August 31 he was given command of the 16th Missouri Infantry.
Jackman would serve in the Western Theater
, mainly participating in irregular
guerilla
style tactics against Union
targets. By the fall and winter of 1862 Jackman had successfully recruited enough troops to aid the regular Confederate Army raids into Missouri. On January 11, 1863, his men entered Union-held Columbia
, hoping to free Confederates in the city's jail, but the attempt failed. On April 23 Jackman and his troopers kidnapped Union Brig. Gen.
Thomas J. Bartholow and then set up camp at Glasgow
. On June 1 Jackman's small command encountered and defeated a group of Federal cavalry, where he reportedly shot the leader of the Union horsemen.
In May 1864 Jackman and his men entered Arkansas
and were based near the Boston Mountains
in the northwest part of the state. By June he had recruited a cavalry regiment that was to be called "Jackman's Missouri Cavalry" which was added to Brig. Gen. Joseph Shelby's cavalry division of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price
's Army of Missouri
in the Trans-Mississippi Department
. That fall Jackman's command (a cavalry brigade consisting of two regiments and two battalions of raw recruits) participated in Price's Raid
. During the first stages of the raid Jackman led the attack and capture of Union-held Glasgow.
Jackman fought in the Union victory at the Battle of Westport
near modern-day Kansas City, Missouri
, on October 22 – 23, 1864, one of the war's largest clash of mounted troops. During the first day of the battle he led the attack that routing the Federals from their initial position, and early on second day his brigade launched a successful attack directly on Westport. When the Confederate rear collapsed during his attack he was ordered to halt and act as rear guard to fend off the Union pursuit.
Two days later in Kansas
at the Battle of Mine Creek
, Jackman's cavalry was ordered to guard Price's supply trains and thus missed the Confederate defeat and resulting rout, though his brigade succeeded in slowing the Federal pursuit.
During his raids and skirmishes Union soldiers had taken his family into custody in 1865, as "retribution for his guerilla activities." At first they were held in St. Louis, Missouri
, later moved to Natchez, Mississippi
, and finally held at Alexandria, Louisiana
, until the end of the war.
On May 10, 1865, Jackman was promoted to the rank of brigadier general by the commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith
; however his appointment was never confirmed by the Confederate Congress
.
, and proceeded with them toward Texas and the border. Near the end of 1865 they arrived in the city of San Marcos
, located in Hays County, Texas
. Jackman entered northern Mexico, leaving his family in Texas while he ascertained whether to relocate there. Deciding against it, he crossed back into the United States and surrendered to Federal authorities in San Antonio
. Taken to New Orleans, Louisiana
, took the loyalty oath to the U.S. Government, and was subsequently paroled.
During 1867 Jackman bought a ranch near Kyle, Texas
, and settled his family there, farming and raising cattle. He and his wife helped found the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, and he later was a Blanco Chapel Free School trustee. His wife of 21 years, Martha, died in 1870. In 1873 Jackman won election as representative to the Fourteenth Texas Legislature
. Jackman remarried in 1875 to Cass (Kyle) Gains, a widow, and they would have two sons and two daughters together.
On March 17, 1885, Jackman was appointed the U.S. Marshal
for western Texas by U.S. President
Grover Cleveland
. He held this post until his death at his home in Kyle in June 1886. He is buried in the town's Kyle Cemetery.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
farmer, teacher, and soldier. He served as an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the Confederate Army
Confederate States Army
The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, most noted for his performance in the early part of the Battle of Westport
Battle of Westport
The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West," was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumbered Confederate force under Major General...
in 1864.
After the war Jackman fled to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, then returned to the United States. He again took up farming, served as a state legislator, and later entered law enforcement.
Early life and career
Jackman was born in Jessamine County, KentuckyJessamine County, Kentucky
Jessamine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is within the Inner Blue Grass region, which was the center of farming and blooded stock raising, including thoroughbred horses. It was formed in 1799. The population was 48,586 in the 2010 Census...
, in the spring of either 1826 or 1828, the son of Thomas Jackman and his wife Mary Drake. Sometime in 1830 the family moved to Howard County, Missouri, where Sidney Jackman was taught some basic schooling. By late in the 1840s he was living in Boone County, Missouri
Boone County, Missouri
Boone County is a county centrally located in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is the eighth most populous county in Missouri. In 2010, the population was 162,642. Its county seat, Columbia, is the fifth largest city in Missouri and the anchor city of the Columbia Metropolitan Area.-History:Boone...
, where he look up work as a schoolteacher as well as farming. On February 18, 1849, Jackman married his first wife, Martha Rachael Slavin, in Boone County, and they would have two daughters and four sons together.
Soon after getting married Jackman moved his family to Howard County, Missouri, and in 1855 they settled in Papinville, located in Bates County
Bates County, Missouri
Bates County is a county located in the U.S. state of Missouri. As of 2000, the population is 16,653. Its county seat is Butler. The county was organized in 1833 and named after Frederick Bates, the second governor of Missouri....
. In both locales Jackman again was farming and teaching. Jackman organized local militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
s while in Papinville to deal with "Jayhawker
Jayhawker
Jayhawkers is a term that came to prominence just before the American Civil War in Bleeding Kansas, where it was adopted by militant bands affiliated with the free-state cause. These bands, known as "Jayhawkers", were guerrilla fighters who often clashed with pro-slavery groups from Missouri known...
" and other raids from nearby Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and in 1860 he relocated his family further into Missouri's interior to try to avoid these troubles. By the time of the American Civil War, Jackman was a captain in the Missouri State Militia.
Civil War service
Jackman chose to follow the Confederate causeConfederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
in 1861, and entered the Missouri State Guard
Missouri State Guard
The Missouri State Guard was a state militia organized in the state of Missouri during the early days of the American Civil War. While not initially a formal part of the Confederate States Army, the State Guard fought alongside Confederate troops and, at times, under regular Confederate...
. The next year he was appointed the colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
of the 7th Missouri Infantry Regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
, and in May 1862 he led cavalry troops in the raid of Neosho, Missouri
Neosho, Missouri
Neosho is the most populous city in and the county seat of Newton County, Missouri, United States. Neosho is an integral part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area....
. On August 16 Jackman fought at the Battle of Lone Jack
Battle of Lone Jack
The Battle of Lone Jack was a battle of the American Civil War, occurring on August 15 – August 16, 1862 in Jackson County, Missouri. The battle was part of the Confederate guerrilla and recruiting campaign in Missouri in 1862.-Background:...
, where he led troops that helped capture the Union forces occupying Lone Jack, Missouri
Lone Jack, Missouri
Lone Jack is a city in Jackson County, Missouri, United States. The population was 528 at the 2000 census.-History:On August 16, 1862 Federal troops were defeated in the Battle of Lone Jack by a much larger Confederate force. The fighting literally occurred on the main street and raged for five...
, and on August 31 he was given command of the 16th Missouri Infantry.
Jackman would serve in the Western Theater
Western Theater of the American Civil War
This article presents an overview of major military and naval operations in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.-Theater of operations:...
, mainly participating in irregular
Irregular warfare
Irregular warfare is warfare in which one or more combatants are irregular military rather than regular forces. Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare, and so is asymmetric warfare....
guerilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
style tactics against Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
targets. By the fall and winter of 1862 Jackman had successfully recruited enough troops to aid the regular Confederate Army raids into Missouri. On January 11, 1863, his men entered Union-held Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
, hoping to free Confederates in the city's jail, but the attempt failed. On April 23 Jackman and his troopers kidnapped Union Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Thomas J. Bartholow and then set up camp at Glasgow
Glasgow, Missouri
Glasgow is a city in Chariton and Howard counties in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 1,263 at the 2000 census.The Howard County portion of Glasgow is part of the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
. On June 1 Jackman's small command encountered and defeated a group of Federal cavalry, where he reportedly shot the leader of the Union horsemen.
In May 1864 Jackman and his men entered Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and were based near the Boston Mountains
Boston Mountains
The Boston Mountains area is a high and deeply dissected plateau located in northern Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. The Oklahoma portion of the range is locally referred to as the Cookson Hills. The rocks of the region are essentially little disturbed, flat-lying sedimentary layers of the Paleozoic...
in the northwest part of the state. By June he had recruited a cavalry regiment that was to be called "Jackman's Missouri Cavalry" which was added to Brig. Gen. Joseph Shelby's cavalry division of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price
Sterling Price
Sterling Price was a lawyer, planter, and politician from the U.S. state of Missouri, who served as the 11th Governor of the state from 1853 to 1857. He also served as a United States Army brigadier general during the Mexican-American War, and a Confederate Army major general in the American Civil...
's Army of Missouri
Army of Missouri
The Army of Missouri was an independent military formation during the American Civil War within the Confederate States Army, created in the fall of 1864 under the command of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price to invade Missouri. Price's Raid was unsuccessful, and his army retreated to Arkansas, where it was...
in the Trans-Mississippi Department
Trans-Mississippi Department
The Trans-Mississippi Department was an administrative subdivision of the Confederate States of America west of the Mississippi, consisting of Texas, Arkansas, Missouri, Indian Territories recognized by the CSA, and parts of Western Louisiana...
. That fall Jackman's command (a cavalry brigade consisting of two regiments and two battalions of raw recruits) participated in Price's Raid
Price's Raid
Price's Missouri Expedition, also known as Price's Raid, was an 1864 Confederate cavalry raid through the states of Missouri and Kansas during the American Civil War. While Confederate Major General Sterling Price enjoyed some successes during this campaign, he was decisively beaten at the Battle...
. During the first stages of the raid Jackman led the attack and capture of Union-held Glasgow.
Westport
Battle of Westport
The Battle of Westport, sometimes referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West," was fought on October 23, 1864, in modern Kansas City, Missouri, during the American Civil War. Union forces under Major General Samuel R. Curtis decisively defeated an outnumbered Confederate force under Major General...
near modern-day Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, on October 22 – 23, 1864, one of the war's largest clash of mounted troops. During the first day of the battle he led the attack that routing the Federals from their initial position, and early on second day his brigade launched a successful attack directly on Westport. When the Confederate rear collapsed during his attack he was ordered to halt and act as rear guard to fend off the Union pursuit.
Two days later in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
at the Battle of Mine Creek
Battle of Mine Creek
The Battle of Mine Creek, also known as the Battle of the Osage, was a battle that occurred on October 25, 1864 in Kansas as part of Price's Raid during the American Civil War...
, Jackman's cavalry was ordered to guard Price's supply trains and thus missed the Confederate defeat and resulting rout, though his brigade succeeded in slowing the Federal pursuit.
During his raids and skirmishes Union soldiers had taken his family into custody in 1865, as "retribution for his guerilla activities." At first they were held in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, later moved to Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Natchez is the county seat of Adams County, Mississippi, United States. With a total population of 18,464 , it is the largest community and the only incorporated municipality within Adams County...
, and finally held at Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria, Louisiana
Alexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, until the end of the war.
On May 10, 1865, Jackman was promoted to the rank of brigadier general by the commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith
Edmund Kirby Smith was a career United States Army officer and educator. He served as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War, notable for his command of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy after the fall of Vicksburg.After the conflict ended Smith...
; however his appointment was never confirmed by the Confederate Congress
Congress of the Confederate States
The Congress of the Confederate States was the legislative body of the Confederate States of America, existing during the American Civil War between 1861 and 1865...
.
Postbellum
With the collapse of the Confederate States in 1865, Jackman and some of his men decided not to surrender and headed for Mexico. Along the way Jackman reunited with his now-released family in Shreveport, LouisianaShreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, and proceeded with them toward Texas and the border. Near the end of 1865 they arrived in the city of San Marcos
San Marcos, Texas
San Marcos is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, and is the seat of Hays County. Located within the metropolitan area, the city is located on the Interstate 35 corridor—between Austin and San Antonio....
, located in Hays County, Texas
Hays County, Texas
Hays County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its official population had reached 157,107. It is named for John Coffee Hays, a Texas Ranger and Mexican-American War officer. The seat of the county is San Marcos....
. Jackman entered northern Mexico, leaving his family in Texas while he ascertained whether to relocate there. Deciding against it, he crossed back into the United States and surrendered to Federal authorities in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. Taken to New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, took the loyalty oath to the U.S. Government, and was subsequently paroled.
During 1867 Jackman bought a ranch near Kyle, Texas
Kyle, Texas
Kyle is a town in Hays County, Texas, United States. The population was 5,314 at the 2000 census; it was 26,103 in the 2008 census estimate, making Kyle one of the fastest growing cities in Texas.-Geography:...
, and settled his family there, farming and raising cattle. He and his wife helped found the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, and he later was a Blanco Chapel Free School trustee. His wife of 21 years, Martha, died in 1870. In 1873 Jackman won election as representative to the Fourteenth Texas Legislature
Texas Legislature
The Legislature of the state of Texas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Texas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The Legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin...
. Jackman remarried in 1875 to Cass (Kyle) Gains, a widow, and they would have two sons and two daughters together.
On March 17, 1885, Jackman was appointed the U.S. Marshal
United States Marshals Service
The United States Marshals Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice . The office of U.S. Marshal is the oldest federal law enforcement office in the United States; it was created by the Judiciary Act of 1789...
for western Texas by U.S. President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
. He held this post until his death at his home in Kyle in June 1886. He is buried in the town's Kyle Cemetery.
Further reading
- Hearn, Jo Ann Elam, and Kerbow, Dorothy Wimberley, comps., Hays County, Texas Cemetery Inscriptions, Hays County Historical Commission, 1990.
- Jackman, Sidney D. and Norton, Richard L., editor, Behind Enemy Lines: The Memoirs and Writings of Brigadier General Sidney Drake Jackman, Oak Hills Publishing, 1997.
- Mundie, James A. Jr., with Allardice, Bruce S., Letzring, Dean E., and Luckey, John H., Texas Burial Sites of Civil War Notables College Press, 2002.
- Stovall, Frances, et al., Clear Springs and Limestone Ledges: A History of San Marcos and Hays County, Hays County Historical Commission, 1986.