Cyrus Walker Jackson

As printed in 1910

CYRUS WALKER JACKSON.

One of the venerable and highly honored citizens of Lafayette county is Cyrus Walker Jackson, veteran of the Mexican war and a man whose long and interesting career has been productive of much good to his fellow men. He was born March 30, 1829, in Monroe county, Kentucky. He was brought to Missouri in 1832 by his parents, Abner J. and Polly (Fitzgerald) Jackson, who located in Clinton county. They were both natives of Virginia and were married in Kentucky. Abner J. Jackson served as sheriff of Monroe county, Kentucky, and was the first justice of the peace in Clinton county, Missouri, holding that office several terms. His death occurred in 1852 in Clinton county. His wife died in 1852, at the age of forty-three years. They left a family of fourteen children, thirteen of whom reached maturity, eleven of them still living in 19 10, Cyrus W., of this review, being the only one in Lafayette county.

When only seventeen years of age the subject enlisted for service in the Mexican war, in Colonel Doniphan's regiment, which had a few volunteers from Clinton county. He served fourteen months with this regiment and returned to Missouri with his company, having been on the long and memorable marches to and from Mexico through the great plains of the Southwest. He saw some hard service and had one of his little fingers shot off by a rifle ball. He reached home in October and in March following (1848) re-enlisted under General Price at Columbia, Missouri, as a recruit to Price's army, which he joined at Santa Fe where Price was in command, and in the following fall this army marched back to Missouri over the famous Santa Fe trail to Independence, where Mr. Jackson was paid off and discharged. He was the only one of the Clinton county boys who re-enlisted. Soon after his discharge he came to Lafayette county and was overseer for William Shelby, the younger brother of Gen. Joe Shelby, on a farm in Dover township, growing hemp and operating about twenty slaves. He worked as overseer for a period of six years, then for Le Grand Buford, Captain Webb and others for six years. He received three hundred dollars for a year's service, and his work was hard, for he had to be in constant touch with the workers.

Mr. Jackson was one of that brave band who crossed the plains in 1850 to California in the gold excitement days, making the trip with an ox team, in company with his father, brother and an uncle and cousin, and they were ninety-four days on the road. He at once began prospecting and the first day made ninety-six dollars, but for the next two weeks he toiled away in the same spot, not making "six bits" a day. He and his father spent two months on the return trip, which was made by ship to the Isthmus of Panama, and by way of New Orleans and up the Mississippi river. Reaching St. Louis, he secured a horse and, although it was winter time, made the long trip home on horseback. He had much experience and had learned and seen much, but had no money left when he reached home. After working as overseer for four years more, he began farming for himself, growing hemp and corn, hiring many hands to work his crops, continuing in this way until the Civil war. He endeavored to remain at home with his wife and five small children, but in 1862 he joined the Confederate forces under Joe Shelby at Cane Hill, Arkansas, and in 1863 he began to recruit a company under a captain's commission His company was made up of Missouri, Arkansas and Texas men, and out of the eighty-lour men composing the company but one was married. It was a splendid company and would fight anything. They were attached to Jackman's brigade, Shelby's division. They spent several months in the vicinity of Batesville, Arkansas, and were with Price on his raid into Missouri in 1864, and in the march through Lafayette county, Mr. Jackson spent three days at his home, then continued on 'with Price, until the close of the war, circling Little Rock, and going to Shreveport, Louisiana. The last fight he was in was at the Big Blue near Kansas City. They surrendered at Shreveport and soon afterward came home. Mr. Jackson was in many battles and lost about one-fourth of his men, mostly in mounted service, scouting and skirmishing ahead of the main army. He was badly wounded at the Big Blue by a mine ball and three buckshot. Although told that he would die, he rode on to Arkansas and thence to Texas, finally recovering. Thus Captain Jackson served in two Wars with distinction and was in close relationship with his general, He had great admiration for Price and Shelby. After his second experience as a soldier he returned home and resumed farming, which he continued until 1882, his farm lying in Davis township, six miles east of Higginsville. Since 1882 he has lived in Higginsville and for a period of six years was city marshal, and for a year and a half was guard at the penitentiary under Marmaduke, brother to the general. He was then re-elected marshal of Higginsville for two years, also served as deputy sheriff for two years, and he was the first police judge of Higginsville, holding that position for two years, or until his eyesight failed, and for a period of seven years he was not able to read. ♦

Captain Jackson was married in 1849 to Evelyn A. Harrison, of Lafayette county. She died in Higginsville in 1885, at the age of fifty-six years. To this union five children were born, namely: Mary S., wife of Alfred Roberts, a veteran of the Mexican war, living near Higginsville; William R., of Kansas City, is in the employ of the Singer Sewing Machine Company; Cornelia F. married John Kinzie, of Higginsville; Sarah P., who married James Wiley, now lives in Kansas City, Missouri; Drusilla married Robert Corder, of Lafayette county.

Captain Jackson's second marriage was to Mattie P. Gaines, on March 7, 1886. Her home was in Lafayette county, and she was the daughter of Philip Gaines, late of this county, and a former overseer for Joe Shelby. She was born in Virginia and came to Missouri when a child. She and Mr. Jackson are both members of the Christian church.

As printed in Young's history of Lafayette County, Missouri (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.