Jackson

1881; National Mag., Oct. 1896; Atlantic Monthly,
Nov. 1896.] G.P.M.

J.F.F.

JACKSON, CLAIBORNE FOX (Apr. 4,
i8o6-Dec. 6, 1862), governor of Missouri, the
son of Dempsey and Mary (Pickett) Jackson,
was born in Fleming County, Ky. Before he
was twenty he emigrated to Old Franklin, Mo.,
where he w'orked in a store and later took a part-
nership in the business. About 1830 he moved
across the Missouri River into Saline County,
where he was proprietor of a store until 1836.
Here he married in succession three sisters,
daughters of Dr. John Sappington [g.v.]. Al-
though his schooling in Kentucky had been
meager, he obtained a good practical education
through association with his father-in-law and
others. His public papers show that he was able
to express himself clearly and forcefully.

Jackson entered politics when he was elected
to the General Assembly in 1836. Thereafter he
was for four years cashier of the State Bank of
Missouri at Fayette. In 1842 he was again
elected to the legislature, and was speaker of
the House in 1844 and in 1846. Up to this time
he had been an active supporter of Senator
Thomas Hart Benton [q.vf\, During the next
three years, however, he and the "Central
Clique" of pro-slavery men in the Democratic
party turned against Benton; and when Ben-
ton's influence prevented Jackson's nomination
for governor in 1848, the latter became openly
hostile to "Old Bullion." The "Central Clique"
opposed Benton not only because of his attitude
on slavery but also because as younger men they
resented his overweening domination of the
Democratic party in Missouri. The anti-Benton
policy was powerfully formulated in the famous
"Jackson Resolutions" passed by the Assembly
in 1848, which constituted a set of instructions
from the "Central Clique" to Missouri's sena-
tors, aimed especially at Benton. Although Ben-
ton defied this injunction and as a result was
defeated for reelection to the Senate, his influ-
ence was nevertheless sufficient to prevent Jack-
son's nomination for Congress both in 1853 and
1855. In 1860, however, he was nominated and
elected governor.

His inaugural address did not call for seces-
sion, although he asserted that should the Union
be dissolved, Missouri must go with the South.
His recommendations to the legislature were
that a state convention be called, and that the
militia be reorganized. The one proposal was
approved, the other was dropped. When the con-
vention met, in February 1861, it was found that
not on$ of Its ninety-nine members favored im-

Jackson

mediate secession, though a majority bitterly op-
posed coercion. Going on record as favoring
any workable compromise, it adjourned in
March. Governor Jackson, too, favored com-
promise, but was bent on arming the militia, as
was shown by his attempts, frustrated by Fran-
cis P. Blair and Nathaniel Lyon [<?#.#.], to get
control of the United States arsenal at St.
Louis. Lincoln's call for volunteers brought to
Jackson additional support in his opposition to
coercion, and gave him the opportunity to write
his defiant message to Secretary Cameron, re-
fusing to furnish a single man for such an "un-
holy crusade." After Lyon broke up the encamp-
ment of state troops at Camp Jackson, the re-
assembled legislature voted Jackson's militia
bill; and upon the failure of the compromise
between Sterling Price, commander of the state
troops, and the federal general William Selby
Harney [#.z>.], the Governor called for 50,000
volunteers to defend the state. He and many
members of the legislature withdrew to Neosho,
and in November 1861, this remnant of the As-
sembly passed the ordinance of secession. Jack-
son did not play a prominent part in the actual
fighting of the Civil War. He died of cancer
near Little Rock, Ark., in December 1862.

[Sketch by Jonas Viles, in The Messages and Procla-
mations of the Govs. of the State of Missouri, vol. Ill
(1922), which contains all of Jackson's important pub-
lic papers; P. O. Ray, The Repeal of the Mo. Compro-
mise (1909); T. L. Snead, The Fight for Mo. (1886);
T. H. Benton, Thirty Years' View (2 vols., 1854-56);
W. B. Napton, Past and Present of Saline County, Mo.
(1910); R. J. Rombauer, The Union Cause in St. Louis
in 1861 (1909) ; A. J. D. Stewart, The Hist, of the
Bench and Bar in Mo. (1898) ; Journals of Senate and
House of Mo.; "Missouri Troops in Service During the
Civil War," Sen. Doc. 412, 57 Cong., i Sess.]

H.E.N.

JACKSON, DAVID (i747?-Sept. 17, 1801),
physician, apothecary, patriot, the son of Sam-
uel Jackson, was born in Oxford, Chester Coun-
ty, Pa., and received his early education in an
academy near his home. Subsequently he enter-
ed the medical department of the College of Phil-
adelphia, later the University of Pennsylvania,
from which he was graduated with the degree
of B.M. in the class of 1768, the first to complete
the course in the new school. After practising
his profession in Chester County for several
years he w'ent to Philadelphia, where he settled
prior to the Revolution. He entered into the so-
cial, scientific, and political life of the city and
upon the outbreak of the Revolution took an ac-
tive part both as a patriot and as a surgeon in
the cause of the colonies. On Nov. 26,1776, the
Continental Congress appointed him manager of
the lottery "for defraying the expenses of the
next campaign." Having become senior physi-
cian and surgeon of the General Hospital in

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