NF Capt. Jack Hinson's War

Non-Fiction

Intrepid

Cadet
Joined
Jun 14, 2011
Location
Outside Savannah, GA
Jack Hinson's One Man war - By Tom C. McKenny

A true story, a sniper's story, full of the likes of US Grant, Jessie and Frank, Forrest, and the Earps.

Jack Hinson is in his 50's when war comes to visit his home. He's a southerner who owns slaves but does not believe in secession. He is friends with US Grant, who was reported to have stayed at Jack's home.

Yet in 1863 something happened to change Jack Hinson into a killing machine with over 100 known dead from his gun! 36+ were of Union Blue, mostly officers. And why? because two of his sons were beheaded by a Union Lt. and their heads placed on Jack's Front yard gate post!

Eye for eye, Tooth for tooth, and Blood for blood.

A great read, while looking into the life and times of that era.

BTW the Arther held Jack's gun, it was given to Forrest after the War.
 
Jack Hinson was something! That is a good book, too. I'd recommend it for anybody interested in the war in West Tennessee.

Hinson's gun passed from Forrest to his adjutant and close friend Maj. Charles Anderson. Anderson passed it to his brother-in-law as he had no children himself and it's now in the possession of Anderson's gggg-nephew Judge Ben Hall McFarlin of Murfreesboro.

Hinson was a lot of help to Forrest at Johnsonville in particular and came in and out of Bill Forrest's scouts. Both officers were leery of partisans but when Bill brought Hinson to Forrest, Hinson cradled his amazing rifle and said, "They killed my boys. I aim to kill them until they kill me." Forrest eyed the gun, eyed Hinson and said you got the job!
 
First I've heard of this. You say he lived in Johnsonville?

There is a story of farmer at Lexington, MO, who, when the fighting started, packed a lunch and went up on a hill by himself and started firing away.
 
Hinson lived in Stewart County and mainly operated in the area now known as the Land Between the Lakes, a peninsula between the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. Hinson was of help to John Morton. The creeks around Johnsonville had been flooded and Hinson was able to show Morton where to ford his guns - without which there would have been no raid. Hinson knew the area like the back of his hand.

Oh, I made a goof - it was Anderson who introduced Forrest and Hinson, not Bill! That's why Forrest gave Anderson Hinson's gun.
 
I just recently read this book as well ... downloaded it on my Kindle. I enjoyed it a lot, a good read. What struck me about the story is that once the Union armies defeated the Confederates and moved on to the south, the countryside reverted to bushwacking and being somewhat in control of Rebels once again; a lot of guerrilla warfare. Union garrisons in the towns attempted to hold the population at bay, but were not totally successful. Caused the USA to station thousands of troops away from the front lines. It seems that these guerrillas, like Hinson, prevented the main Union armies from operating at full strength. Did they actually lengthen the war? Perhaps.

It wasn't until the Confederate armies capitulated that this activity stopped.

Hinson was quite an interesting character. I would recommend the book highly.
 
Christmas present last year from my active-duty Marine sergeant nephew. Great story, well told, and the post script regarding Jack's descendants was great as well. Apples well and truly never fall far.
 
Back
Top