George Jackson
Old George Jackson Web page for reference.
George Jackson was a Captain in the American Revolution and active in the politics of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“George Jackson served with George Rogers Clark; was a prominent member of the Virginia Assembly, 1786-1790; was a member of the Virginia Constitutional Convention in 1788; and was a member of the Ohio legislature after his move westward to Zanesville, Ohio. He was influential enough to have the state capital moved from Chillicothe to Zanesville.”[N1]
George Jackson “was commissioned captain in 1781 and joined General Clark’s expedition against the British and Indians.”[N2]
Depositions describing George Jackson’s Participation in George Rogers Clark Expedition.
“JACKSON, George (father of John George Jackson and Edward Brake Jackson), a Representative from Virginia; born in Cecil County, Md., January 9, 1757; moved with his parents to Moorefield, Va. (now West Virginia), and in 1769 to Jacksons Fort, Va. (now Buckhannon, W. Va.); served in the Revolution, attaining the rank of colonel; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1784 and commenced practice in Clarksburg, Va. (now West Virginia); justice of the peace in 1784; member of the State house of delegates 1785-1791 and again in 1794; member of the State convention which ratified the United States Constitution in 1788; elected to the Fourth Congress (March 4, 1795-March 3, 1797); elected to the Sixth and Seventh Congresses (March 4, 1799-March 3, 1803); was not a candidate for reelection; moved to Zanesville, Ohio, about 1806 and engaged in agricultural pursuits; member of the State house of representatives 1809-1812; member of the State senate 1817-1819; died in Zanesville, Ohio, May 17, 1831; interment on an estate once owned by him in Fails Township, near Zanesville.” Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1949 Biographies J page 1362 (http://politicalgraveyard.com).
George Jackson was active in the fighting of the Indians on the western Virginia frontier. McWhorter’s book on Border Settlers of Western Virginia contains many thrilling episodes surrounding George Jackson and his relatives.
“The first military company at Buckhannon [now Upshur County, West Virginia] was a band of Indian spies [scouts], organized in 1779. George Jackson was Captain of this body.” [N4]
“While John Jackson and his son, George were returning to the Buckhannon Fort, within one half mile of the town, the Indians fired on them, but fortunately missing both. George discovered the smoke from the Indian’s gun rising from behind a forked tree, prepared himself and as the Indian peeked through the crotch of the tree, Jackson fired at him. The ball struck too low in the crotch and thus glancing perhaps over the savage’s head. The Jacksons then made their way with all speed to the fort, not knowing but what there were more Indians near. The horse on which George Jackson was riding took fright and ran to the fort. The horse passed out of his girth [strap around horse’s body holding saddle broke] and left Jackson and his saddle lying on the ground. Fortunately, he landed safely at the fort’s gate.” [N5]
On the 8th of March, 1782, William White in sight of Fort Buckhannon, was shot from his horse, tomahawked, scalped and lacerated in the most frightful manner by the Indians. White’s companions Timothy Dorman and his wife were captured. After the killing of White and capture of the Dormans, it was resolved to abandon Fort Buckhannon. A few days after the evacuation of the fort, some of its former inmates went from Clarksburg to Buckhannon for grain which had been left there. When they came in sight, they beheld a heap of ashes where the fort had been. When attacked by Indians, the group barricaded themselves in an outhouse, near where the fort had stood. “At night, Captain George Jackson went privately forth from the house, and at great hazard of being discovered by the waylaying savages, proceeded to Clarksburg, where he obtained such a reinforcement as enabled him to return openly and escort his former companions in danger, from the places of its existence.” [N6]
McWhorter has high praise for George Jackson.
“He [George Jackson] is mentioned by Withers [Withers’ Border Warfare] on several occasions, and his memorable night run from Buckhannon to Clarksburg [more that twenty miles one way!] for assistance when some of the settlers were besieged in an out-house in 1782, was characteristic of the energy and daring courage that made him a leader among men.” [N7]
It was not all Indian fighting for George. There was plenty of time for leisurely pursuits. Below is McWhorter’s account of the famous Skin Creek hunt which named the creek and the village of that name — both in Lewis County, West Virginia.
“While out, the scouts [Jesse Hughes and Alexander West] had noted that the beech mast in the bottoms and the low hills about the head of Fench Creek was heavy, and that the region was full of bear. A hunt was planned by the two scouts and the colonels [Colonel George Jackson and Colonel William Lowther]. …. The first night they stayed at an old Indian camp, known to Hughes only, who had been there on previous occasions. Here they saw an abundance of deer, which at that time held no attraction for them. The next morning they crossed the divide to French Creek, where they found all the bear sign reported by the scouts. The ground had been scratched over for miles, such as they had never seen before; but the sign was all old, and not a bear could be found. They had evidently gone to the rough mountainous regions of the Kanawha, the Holly, and the Buckhannon for winter quarters, as very few bear wintered in the more open hills of the West Fork.
“Hughes and West desired to follow the bear, but it was necessary for Colonel Jackson to return home, and reluctantly they decided to accompany him. They recrossed the mountain and spent the night at their former camp. The deer, so unattractive the evening before, now engaged their attention, and they determined to spend the day shooting. They divided their party: Hughes and West were pitted against the two colonels. They were to hunt for a wager, the prize being all the deer skins taken. No fawns were to be counted, and if a shot failed to bring down the game it was to deduct one from the party who fired it. All bullets in the shot-pouches were counted, and these the hunter must account at the close of day. It was agreed that the two officers were to hunt below, while the scouts were to hunt above the camp.
“Everything arranged, the hunt began, and in the evening when the game was tallied and the bullets all accounted for, the score stood nineteen for Hughes and West , and twenty-one for the colonels. The next morning the game was skinned, such venison selected as was desired, and the camp broken. It was then suggested that the stream, on a branch of which they were encamped, was yet unnamed, and it was unanimously agreed that it should be called “Skin Creek,” in commemoration of their remarkable hunt. As Jesse Hughes had piloted them to the camp, and to him alone was known the sylvan retreat, they called this tributary “Hughes Fork.” These names they still bear.” [N7]
While in Buckhannon, Col. George Jackson built a mill on the river about two hundred and seventy-five paces from the fort. This mill was evidently destroyed at an early day, probably immediately after the fort was burned, or as soon as the whites completely abandoned the settlement, after Capt. White was killed in 1782. [N8]
Where George Jackson and his family moved after the Buckhannon Fort burned is unknown, probably Nutter’s Fort near Clarksburg. After the Indian Treaty of Greenville in 1795 which restored peace with the Indians, Col. George Jackson was the first to settle in the upper part of the West Fork Valley. He secured a large boundary of land where Jacksonville (named for him) now stands in Lewis County, West Virginia. He also secured a smaller tract at the forks of the river. [N9]
Compiled by Dan Hyde with updates by Linda B. Meyers.
Notes
N1. The Genealogies of the Jackson, Junkin & Morrison Families complied by Michael I. Shoop, 1981, published by the Garland Gray Memorial Research Center, Stonewall Jackson House, Historic Lexington Foundation, Lexington, VA., page 155.
N2. Daughters of the American Revolution (D. A. R.) Lineage Book Vol. 67, 66501, page 187.
N3. Colonel Edward Jackson 1759-1828 Revolutionary Soldier, by Nancy Ann Jackson and Linda Brake Meyers, Genealogy Publishing Service, Franklin, NC, 1995, page 14.
N4. Border Settlers of Northwestern Virginia 1768 to 1785, by Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, 1915, reprinted by Jim Comstock, Richwood, West Virginia, 1974, as part of The West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia, page 177.
N5. This paragraph was cleaned up for punctuation and spelling and slightly altered for the modern reader. It is from a letter by Henry F. Westfall, dated February 24, 1849. In McWhorter, page 360.
N6. Chronicles of Border Warfare or a History of the Settlement by the Whites of North-Western Virginia: and of the Indian Wars and Massacres, Alexander Scott Withers, 1831, later edition 1895 by Steward and Kidd Publishers, Cincinnati, quoted in McWhorter, page 498.
N7. McWhorter, page 180.
N8. McWhorter, page 170.
N9. McWhorter, page 183.
Generation No. 1
1. George2 Jackson (John1) was born 09 January 1757 in Cecil County, Maryland, and died 17 May 1831 in Zanesvile, Muskingum County, Ohio. He married (1) Elizabeth Brake 13 November 1776 in Moorefield, Hampshire/Hardy County, (West) Virginia1, daughter of Johan Brake and Maria Cooper. She was born 22 February 1757 in probably Frederick County, Virginia, and died 22 March 1812 in Muskingum County, Ohio2.
Quote from typed copy of Bible record found at DAR library: “George Jackson married 13 Nov. 1776 to Elizabeth Brake, in the 20th year of their age, and had 11 children together, to wit: six sons and five daughters”
He married (2) Nancy Richardson Adams 06 November 1814 in Muskingum County, Ohio3. She was born 18 April 1780, and died 11 October 1841 in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio. She was the widow of Armisted Adams, who legend says was killed by the Indians. Nancy escaped the burning cabin with babe in arms and returned to Virginia. They were married by Rev. Joseph Tharp and both bride and groom residing in Falls Township, Muskingum County, Ohio. There is a legal record on file where George provided for a financial settlement on his proposed wife prior to her acceptance of the marriage. George speculated in land, owning an extensive farm as well as property in Zanesville, where he lived his final years. His church affiliation was Episcopal; his wife Nancy was Methodist.
All are buried on Family farm, Falls Township, Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio. The family farm was known as “Happy Hollow” and is now the Snyder farm, located west of Zanesville on Rt. 146, Box 2429, before the Dillon Dam.
Obit: Mrs. Elizabeth Jackson, age 56, wife of Col. George Jackson of Zanesville, died on Sunday morning 22 March 1812, leaves 9 children, 4 sons and 5 daughters. 2
Image and text of George Jackson’s gravestone. Will of George Jackson (25 January 1831)
Children of George Jackson and Elizabeth Brake are:
2 i. John George Jackson, born 22 September 1777 in Hardy County, (West) Virginia; died 28 March 1825 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia. He married (1) Mary Payne October 1800 in probably Montpelier; born 1781 in Virginia; died 13 February 1808 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia of T.B. He married (2) Mary Sophia Meigs, dau. of Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. and Sophia Wright, 19 July 1810 in Marietta, Ohio; born 01 January 1793 in Marietta, Ohio; died 04 February 1863 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia. All buried Historic Jackson Cemetery, Clarksburg, Harrison County, West Virginia. Image of John George Jackson.
3 ii. Elizabeth “Eliza” Jackson, born 06 October 1779 in probably Harrison County, (West) Virginia; died Bef. 1831 in probably Muskingum County, Ohio. She married (1) William Jacob Means 04 July 1798 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia4; died Bef. 1817 in Muskingum County, Ohio. She married (2) Chauncey B. Stephens 14 July 1817 in Muskingum County, Ohio; died Abt. 1836 in probably Muskingum County, Ohio.
4 iii. Catharine “Katrana” Jackson, born Bet. 13 September – December 1781 in (West) Virginia; died Bef. 14 February 1860 in probably Harrison County, (West) Virginia. She married Dr. William Williams 26 August 1800 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia; born 26 March 1765 in Reading, Pennsylvania; died 27 April 1850 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia.
5 iv. Jacob Jackson, born 25 January 1783 in (West) Virginia; died August 1810 in Muskingum County, Ohio. Jacob was a second lieutenant in the Army as an artillery man. He was a key player in the Aaron Burr Controversy.
6 v. Sarah “Sally” Jackson, born 30 November 1786 in (West) Virginia; died Bet. 1830 – 1836 in probably Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia. She married Daniel Kincheloe 20 November 1806 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia5; born July 1778 in Williams County, Maryland; died 25 October 1855 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia.
7 vi. Prudence Jackson, born 25 January 1789 in (West) Virginia; died 21 January 1855 in Weston, Lewis County, (West) Virginia. She married Elijah Arnold 13 March 1814 in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio; born 1771 in Fauquier County, Virginia; died 08 December 1849 in Weston, Lewis County, West Virginia.
8 vii. George Washington Jackson, born 09 February 1791 in (West) Virginia; died 20 August 1876 in Weston, Lewis County, (West) Virginia. He married Hester “Hettie” Taylor 10 October 1816 in Muskingum County, Ohio; born Bet. 1799 – 1800 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania; died 21 June 1852 in Weston, Lewis County, West Virginia; both bur. Machpelah Cemetery in Weston. Article on Bennett Family which mentions George W. Jackson and his daughter Margaret Elizabeth Jackson who married Jonathan McCally Bennett.
9 viii. Edward Brake Jackson, born 25 January 1793 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia; died 08 September 1826 in Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania. He married (1) Anna Todd Abt. 1812. He married (2) Elizabeth E. Gibson, dau. of William Gibson, Abt. 23 June 1817 in Fauquier County, Virginia.
10 ix. J. Mary Webster Jackson, born 13 August 1796 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia; died 27 March 1878 in Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio. She married Dr. Sylvanus Seely 20 February 1817 in Zanesville, Muskingum County, Ohio; born Bet. 1794 – 1799 in Pennsylvania; died Bet. 04 April 1847 – 04 April 1849 in Warren, Trumbull County, Ohio.
11 x. William Lowther Jackson, born 11 August 1798 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia; died 03 May 1836 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia6. He married Harriet Blackburn Wilson, dau. of Benjamin Wilson, Jr. of Clarksburg, (West) Virginia, 14 September 1820 in Harrison County, (West) Virginia7; born 22 February 1805 in (West) Virginia; died 11 October 1889 in Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia8. After his death, Harriett m. Thomas Stinchcomb.
12 xi. Thomas Jefferson Jackson, born 15 April 1800 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia; died 11 January 1801 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, (West) Virginia. He is probably buried beside his grandfather in the Orchard Place, now the Historic Jackson Cemetery.
After Elizabeth’s death in 1812, George married 6 Nov 1814 in Muskingum Co., OH, Nancy Richardson Adams, widow of Armisted Adams, b. 18 Apr. 1780; d. 11 Oct. 1841 Zanesville, OH.
Note: There is a legal record on file where he provided for a financial settlement on his proposed wife prior to her acceptance of the marriage. George speculated in land, owning an extensive farm as well as property in Zanesville, where he lived his final years. His church affiliation was Episcopal; his wife, Nancy, was Methodist.
Descendants of George Jackson and Nancy Richardson Adams
Submitted by Linda Meyers, January, 2007. Old material merged in by Dan January 2007.