You Know of " Old Stonewall " Meet " Old Mudwall " Jackson

Joined
Dec 31, 2010
Location
Kingsport, Tennessee
Two Confederate generals referred to at times in a derogatory way as " old mudwall. " General Alfred E. Jackson ( on the right ) who served in my native East Tennessee was known this way to the numerous Unionists in my end of the State. General William L. Jackson ( on the left ) was called " old mudwall " ( behind his back, I assume ) by the men he commanded. He was actually Stonewall's second cousin.



Brigadier-General Alfred E. Jackson, in 1861, was
quartermaster of Zollicoffer's brigade, and very active in
collecting supplies for the soldiers and whatever things
needed for their full equipment, in which duty he was very
efficient. During 1862 he served in the department of East
Tennessee under Gen. E. Kirby Smith, and proved himself so
capable that he was commissioned brigadier-general, and on
February 9, 1863, was assigned to the military department of
East Tennessee, then commanded by General Donelson.

In this region he had command of a brigade under Donelson and
Maury, and was kept on the alert against raiding parties of
the enemy. In September, 1863, when most of the Confederate
troops had been ordered to Bragg at Chattanooga, and Burnside
with a Federal army corps had occupied Knoxville, Jackson,
with his own small command and that of Colonel Giltner,
advanced to Telford's depot, and there defeated a Federal
advance force, capturing 350 prisoners.

On the theater of Jackson's operations there was a good deal
of this sort of detachment work in which there was plenty of
marching and fighting, but very little chance for renown,
because the great battles so obscured the small affairs that
in many parts of the country they were never even heard of.

In October, under Gen. John S. Williams, he took a gallant
part in the victory at Greeneville, east Tennessee. His
command was included in Ransom's division during Longstreet's
operations in east Tennessee. On November 23, 1864, being
unfit for active service in the field, he was ordered to
report temporarily to General Breckinridge.

After the war had ended, General Jackson, like the thousands
of other citizen-soldiers, returned quietly to the pursuits of
peace. On October 30, 1889, he died at Jonesboro, Tenn.

Source: Confederate Military History, vol. X, p. 315

William Lowther Jackson

  • Confederate General William L. Jackson.jpgConfederate General Alfred E. Jackson.jpg



Birth: Feb. 3, 1825
Death: Mar. 26, 1890

Civil War Confederate Brigadier General. He was born in Clarksburg, western Virginia. In his antebellum career he was a lawyer, judge, state legislator, and Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. When the war began, he resigned as judge of the 19th judicial circuit, enlisting in the Confederate army with the rank of Private. He soon received a commission as a Colonel of the 31st Virginia and led the regiment in the summer and fall 1861 campaigning of Brigadier General Robert S. Garnett in western Virginia. Following this disastrous Confederate operation, he joined the staff of his second cousin, Major General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, serving in the Shenandoah Valley, Seven Days', Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, Antietam, and Fredericksburg campaigns. In February 1863, he received authorization to recruit a regiment for operations within the Union lines in western Virginia. In April of that year he was elected Colonel of a new command, the 19th Virginia Cavalry. He and his unit then joined the brigade of Brigadier General Albert G. Jenkins. During 1863 Jenkins' brigade rode on several raids, with Jackson commanding his regiment and acting as the brigade's adjutant general. He saw considerable duty in the various campaigns of 1864. He fought at Cloyd's Mountain in early May, assisted in the defense of Lynchburg in June, and commanded a brigade during Lieutenant General Jubal A. Early's July raid on Washington D.C. His performance as a cavalry officer earned him the, justifiably or not, the nickname of "Mudwall" in reference to his cousin. During the late summer and fall his brigade fought at Winchester, Fisher's Hill, Tom's Brook, and Cedar Creek. On December 19, 1964, he received his promotion to Brigadier General. When the war ended in Virginia, he refused to surrender. He headed west, finally receiving a parole in Brownsville, Texas, on July 26, 1865. He temporarily emigrated to Mexico, returning to what had become West Virginia, where he learned that ex-Confederates were prohibited from practicing law. He moved to Kentucky and gained appointment as a jurist, remaining on the bench until his death in Louisville. (bio by: Ugaalltheway)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
General William L. Jackson ( on the left ) was called " old mudwall " ( behind his back, I assume ) by the men he commanded. He was actually Stonewall's second cousin.

Do you plan to post the a bio or info on the other Mudwall?
He had a direct impact on my ancestor's regiment and brigade----Walthall's brigade---at the Battle of Lookout Mountain.
 
Didn't know about the "other Mudwall. Was it William H. ????

I had read McDonough's book on Chattanooga that Brig. Gen. John K. Jackson was given that name.
Quote from Wikipedia:

The 8,726 Confederate defenders at the Battle of Lookout Mountain were commanded by Maj. Gen. Carter L. Stevenson. Stevenson had two brigades from his own division of Breckinridge's Corps, as well as Brig. Gen. John K. Jackson, temporarily commanding Cheatham's division of Hardee's Corps, with two of his brigades:
  • Brig. Gen. Edward C. Walthall (Cheatham's Division)
  • Brig. Gen. John C. Moore (Cheatham's Division)
  • Brig. Gen. John C. Brown (Stevenson's Division)
  • Brig. Gen. Edmund Pettus (Stevenson's Division)


I guess the name Mudwall has been applied to different generals. It was discussed in a Blue and Gray article that asks "Will the real Mudwall please standup?"

http://www.bluegraymagazine.com/Files/mudwall jackson.pdf
 
Back
Top