As noted, William was born to Anselm S. Jackson and Daisy/Dovie/Dory Combs on June 17, 1845 in Oglethorpe County, GA. It appears that he spent most of his youth in and around the town of Lexington, GA.
William's name can be found in a list of students that attended the Meson Academy in downtown Lexington. [1] This school was located next to the original location of what is now the Columbia Theological Seminary (now located in Decatur, GA - where the author grew up). Across the street stands the old Lexington Presbyterian Church where William's parents are buried and possibly his brother.[2] It is interesting that a child from a poor family attended this school of higher learning. Trustees of the school included William H. Crawford, (Gov.) George R. Gilmer and Joseph Henry Lumpkin. Incidentally, Crawford W. Long , the famous Georgia physician, was named after William H. Crawford. Gov. Gilmer is also buried in the small Lexington Presbyterian Church (where William B. Jackson's parents are buried). The first rector of the school also happened to be involved with the Lexington Presbyterian Church - his name was Rev. Francis Cummins who was an ardent Revolutionary War Patriot who was present when the Mecklenburg Declaration was formed.
Meson Academy, Lexington, GA
(GA Historical Society; David Seibert)
Oglethorpe Echo, 1893
William B. Jackson and his brother A.A. Jackson listed as past students
On Feb . 16, 1863 at age 17, he enlisted in the Confederate Army at Atlanta. One might wonder if he traveled to Atlanta and enlisted without the consent of his parents since he was not yet 18 years old and his parents had already lost one son in the war.
His initial enlistment was as a Private in Captain D. C. Smith's Company, Evan's Regiment, 64th GA Infantry. The 64th initially went to Florida where in participated in the Olustee, FL campaign but then it moved to Petersburg, VA in 1864 where it is shown to have been used as Provost Guards (Military Police) and then later it participated in the heavy fighting around Petersburg and Richmond. On August 16, 1864 he was captured in the 2nd Deep Bottom battle (south of Richmond) - this was the battle where Brig. General John R. Chambliss was killed. William was then sent to the Point Lookout POW Camp in Maryland. His rank is listed as 3rd Corporal. He spent almost 7 months at Point Lookout before he was in a prisoner exchange on March 17, 1865. He was not quite 20 years old at this time. He was released not far from where he was captured (near the James River south of Richmond) and he appears to have gone directly to the Jackson Hospital in Richmond, VA where he was received on March 19 and was treated for chronic diarrhea - his rank is shown as "Corporal". It appears that he may have been released on March 25th but there are no further records to indicate where he went once released. Lee surrendered on April 9th so he may have simply remained in the Richmond area never rejoining his unit. [3] For more on the 64th and the 38th, see HERE and HERE. The 64th surrendered at Appomattox with only 9 officers and 93 men but there is no listing for a WB Barnett in the Appomattox Roster - presumably he was still sick from his POW incarceration period or never made it to Appomattox in time for the official surrender.
The Point Lookout POW camp is now a Maryland State Park that is carefully maintained by the state and there are several memorial areas dedicated to the confederate soldiers that were incarcerated there. A very large monument rests atop the graves of several thousand soldiers who died there, Luckily for us, William B. Jackson survived. The day that the author visited the site in 2017, there was a lone Confederate Flag flying near the monument - a flag that is not often displayed today.
(Author photo, 2017)
1864 drawing of Point Lookout POW Camp
(Unknown artist)
The author found a 1900 Indigent Soldiers Pension Application and 1910-1911 Pension Roll document from Rockdale County, GA where W.B. Jackson filed for a pension due to "Blindness and Poverty". One of the witnesses was a Francis M. Bowen [4] who was also in the 64th and also a POW at Point Lookout. This document indicates that W.B. Jackson did surrender at Appomattox C.H. in 1865. He lists no assets and depends on the income received from "several farms" owned by his wife. Francis Bowen states that W.B. Jackson is a "physical wreck caused by exposure during the war". "Exposure" can be defined as having been sick with any number of diseases and disorders. In W.B. Jackson's case, this exposure presumably caused the poor eyesight, rheumatism and kidney disorders reported on the pension app.
William Barnett Jackson, Confederate Soldier, at about age 17-19
Judging by his stature in the photo, he was likely well over 6 feet tall.
(Family photo courtesy Will Jackson)
William was active in Confederate organizations
Oglethorpe Echo, 1890
William states his occupation as "House Carpenter"
Frank & Margaret Jenkins are Laura's parents - William's in-laws
Sometime between the 1870 and 1880 censuses, tragedy struck the family when the twin boys, Hiram and Eddie died. It is unknown when or how the deaths occurred or where they are buried. The most likely burial location would be either the Lexington Presbyterian cemetery or the Ogden cemetery (see below).
Oglethorpe Echo, Jan, 22, 1875
Probably additional proof that his parents are buried in this church's cemetery, although he may have been under contract to do the repair. And with his brother possibly buried there, one might come to the conclusion that he had an interest in the church and its cemetery outside of any possible contract for building the fence. Note that he also attended Meson Academy. The J.R. Boggs that donated the gate might be the Joseph R. Boggs that was also a Confederate soldier. Boggs' brother James was in the GA 38th - a unit that had several Jackson men from Oglethorpe and Wilkes. James died at the Wilderness battle in 1864.
1880 census, Oglethorpe County, GA, District 229
William states his occupation as "Farmer"
Sometime in the 1880s, William moved his family to the city of Atlanta where he continued his occupations of farmer and carpenter. While in Atlanta, he appears to have lived in the present day area of Mechanicsville (southwest of the I-20/I-85 intersection). After only a few years in Atlanta, tragedy again struck his family when his wife and newborn baby died: She died on June 13, 1889 and the baby died two weeks later. She was 40 years old. According to an obituary found in the Oglethorpe Echo (June 21, 1889), she was "..a lady of many accomplishments, and one of the most devoted Christian workers Atlanta has ever known. To the earnest and tireless exertions of this most excellent lady is due the success of the Marietta Street Mission. Five years ago she became a teacher at the mission, and since that time, until her health failed, worked for the success of the mission". The mission appears to have been a Methodist outreach center located near the present day site of the Centennial Olympic Park.
Atlanta Constitution, July 13, 1890
Laura Emma Jenkins Jackson and her newborn baby are both buried in the Ogden family plot near Lexington, Oglethorpe County, GA. The author has attempted to locate this cemetery and grave but he has only been able to determine its general location. Per the newspaper obituary of the child of Mr. Henry Rains, the Ogden burial site is located near the old homeplace (1902) of George B. Lumpkin. The author found an old map that shows that George B. Lumpkin's home was located off of present day Wesley Chapel Road just east of the old Wesley Chapel church location. The 1880 census shows William and his family living close to his in-laws in District 229 (Lexington) and close neighbors are James P. Dorrough, Harrisons, Rains and Appling - all names found on the 1894 map (See below). Anyone attempting to locate this cemetery would likely need more accurate bearings to narrow down the search area even further.
All of the above are from the Oglethorpe Echo, 1890
The Oglethorpe Echo, June 21, 1889
Atlanta Journal, June 18, 1889
Oglethorpe Echo, July 4, 1902
Ogden burial ground near George B. Lumpkin home place
Note that Mallorysville Road is now Wesley Chapel Road
(Map by Thomas Moss, 1894)
(Click to enlarge)
William and Fannie were married on February 6, 1890 in Wilkes County. He was 44 and she was 25.
William Barnett Jackson and Frances Esther Colley
Photo taken in Atlanta, probably shortly after they were married in 1890.
Marriage of William Barnett Jackson and Frances Esther Colley
The ME minister A.J. Hughes was likely affiliated with the Rock UMC which is the church where Frances and her family were affiliated and which church cemetery contains several members of this Colley family.
Oglethorpe Echo, 1890
William returned to Atlanta with Fannie for a short period where they started a family. Their firstborn child in 1891 was named Zettie, the author's grandmother. He continued his work as a carpenter/general contractor and became partners with a man named Thomas Walter Pitt, an immigrant from England.
Atlanta Journal, March 27, 1893
Note that the Sam Noble mentioned in the newspaper article above is likely the Sam Noble that was the founder of Anniston, Alabama. He was another English immigrant like William B. Jackson's partner Thomas Walter Pitt. Sam Noble's ironworks supplied materials for the Confederate Army during the Civil War - destroyed by the Union Army in 1864.
At some point in the 1890s, William and Fannie moved from Atlanta to Conyers where they can be found on the 1900 & 1910 censuses living in the Honey Creek area. Between 1891 and 1904, they had eight known children that survived to adulthood.
1900 census, Rockdale County, Honey Creek District
1910 census, Rockdale County, Honey Creek District 0153
Based on the author's research, the likely location of their Rockdale County farm is now well developed with homes and some of it is part of the present day Honey Creek Golf Course near Conyers. Note that this land is only about 2.5 miles south of the Ebenezer Methodist Church where William and his family are said to have been members and the cemetery of the church is where several of William B. Jackson's children are buried.
Present day location of William Barnett Jackson's farm near Conyers, GA
Little is known of his activities prior to his death in 1917. His Confederate Pension application stated that he was mostly blind and disabled and unable to work.
The author found William's newspaper obituaries that state that he died at his home in Athens or at the home of his brother in Athens but the family told the author that he died near Commerce, GA on a business trip. The newspaper obit correctly lists a surviving wife (Frances) but it does not list the names of all of his living children. He is buried in an unmarked grave in Westview Cemetery in Atlanta, GA. The small family plot at Westview consists of himself, his son Marvin B., his son James N. and his daughter-in-law Grace and her infant son (wife and son of William's son Howard).
Atlanta Journal, September 10, 1917
The Conyers Times, September 14, 1917
1920 census, Rockdale County, Honey Creek District
Fannie Esther Colley Jackson gravesite
Douglasville City cemetery
(Author photo, 2014)
Fannie and her daughter (Zettie) and son-in-law (Thomas P.)
(Author photo, 2014)
NEXT:
THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM BARNETT JACKSON AND HIS 1st WIFE LAURA JENKINS
THE DESCENDANTS OF WILLIAM BARNETT JACKSON AND HIS 2nd WIFE FRANCES COLLEY
1. All Oglethorpe Echo clips are as transcribed by Elizabeth Evans Kilbourne and published in book form. The author found these books at the UGA Special Collections library - they might also be found at the GA Archives and Atlanta History Center.
Footnotes:
This page was created on 2/23/2025