My Genealogy Hound

W. N. JACKSON. A man of good personal record as a citizen, of exceptionally good record as an old soldier, and withal, one of the old settlers of his locality, is W. N. Jackson, of Gibbon township, Buffalo county. Mr. Jackson settled in Buffalo county in the spring of 1871 — the date, it will be remembered, that the Soldiers’ Free Homestead Colony was located at Gibbon and the settlement of the county properly begun. He filed a soldiers’ homestead claim on the northeast quarter of section 28, township 9, range 14 west, lying three miles west and south of the village of Gibbon. There he located, and there he has continued to reside since, except during temporary absence at intervals. He improved his homestead in accordance with the law and secured a patent for it. One hundred acres of it are now under cultivation, and the remainder in hay-land, pastures and groves. It is provided with comfortable and commodious buildings for man and beast, and in every respect gives evidence of the industry, thrift and good management that have prevailed there. The land lies well, being every foot susceptible of cultivation, is in a good neighborhood, has at hand good school and church facilities, and is convenient to market. The place is richly worth $50 an acre, and probably could not be bought for that. Mr. Jackson has been farming since coming to Buffalo county, and is recognized as one of the prosperous, well-to-do agriculturists of his locality.

Mr. Jackson came from Elmira, N. Y., to Nebraska, having been a resident of New York state some years prior to moving west in 1871. He is a native of Canada, having been born in the province of Ontario, in March, 1838, and was reared there to the age of twenty. He then came to the States, locating in New York. His parents were both Canadians by birth — his father of English extraction and his mother of German. These are still living in Canada, and are named David and Debby (Huffman) Jackson.

Mr. Jackson passed his youth and part of his maturer years in York state, and it was there that he met and married the lady who has borne him companionship for nearly twenty-five years. This lady’s maiden name was Susan Ann Davis, a daughter of Henry E. and Jane (Corruthers) Davis, of Elmira, N. Y. Mrs. Jackson is a native of Ulster county, N. Y., and is a descendant of an old York state family. Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were married in August, 1863. They have but one child, William E. Jackson, born in Bradford county. Pa., July 9th, 1866.

When the country was torn asunder with civil discord, and the hydra-headed monster, treason, was threatening the destruction of our institutions, Mr. Jackson was one of the men who shouldered his musket and patriotically marched to the front in defense of the common good. He enlisted for two years in the service, in April, 1861, entering Company K, Thirty-fifth (Jefferson county) New York volunteers. His command served with the Army of the Potomac. Mr. Jackson was present and participated in the following engagements — The second Bull Run; Fredericksburg; second Manassas; Fairfax court house; Culpeper court house; Cedar mountain and Rappahannock station, besides numerous smaller ones. After the expiration of his term of enlistment in the Thirty-fifth New York, he re-enlisted, entering the Fifth New Jersey independent battery of light artillery in September, 1863. This command had six light twelve-pound guns and one hundred horses. It participated in the following engagements — Howlett’s house, May 9, 1864; Clover Hill station, May 14, 1864; Drury’s bluff, May 15, 1864; Petersburg, June 8, 1864; Bermuda Hundred, June 16, 1864; Deep Bottom, July 16, 1864; Dutch gap, August 13, 1864; Harehouse battery, near Petersburg, September 2 and 10, 1864, and Darbytown road, October 7, 1864.

Mr. Jackson entered this command as a private, was promoted to corporal December 4, 1863, and to sergeant, August 23, 1864. During his first term of service he was twice wounded — once in the left side and once in the right leg. These wounds were received at the second Bull Run. He lost the hearing of his right ear in the battery service at Drury’s bluff. He was mustered out of the service in June, 1865. Comment on these facts is unnecessary. They speak for themselves. They show how faithfully Mr. Jackson discharged his duty to his country in its time of need. He bears on his person the marks of his heroic efforts and patient endurance.

With such a record, and the mental constitution which Mr. Jackson has, it would be next to impossible for him to be anything but a republican in politics. At any rate, he is a stanch supporter of the republican party, and has been a firm adherent of that party since the date of its organization. He cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln when he was a candidate the first time for the presidency, and he has voted the straight ticket since.

Mr. Jackson is a man of plain manners, and has led an unassuming life. He is hard-working, frugal in habits, and strictly attentive to his own personal concerns. He is progressive in his ideas, public-spirited and generous with his means, possessing a kind and benevolent disposition.