Jackson was given the nickname “Stonewall” at the battle of Bull Run in Virginia in July 1861 after it was said of him: “This is Jackson, standing like a stone wall”.The highly significant role that he played for the Confederates in this decisive battle earned him promotion to Major General.

John Jackson’s family were lowland Presbyterian, Scots who settled in the north of Ireland during the 17th century Scottish Plantation years and defended Londonderry during the Siege of 1688-89. Residents in the Birhces-Tartaraghan area of County Armagh close to the shores of Lough Neagh in the centre of Ulster are adamant that John Jackson was one of their Kin. Their belief is reinforced by a plaque unveiled on July 22, 1968 which states that this was the reputed birthplace of John Jackson. The Civil War Hero was the great-grandson of an Ulsterman John Jackson, who at the age of 33, emigrated to American in 1748 as “a respectable and prosperous tradesman”, settled in Maryland, and then putting down roots in the Shenandoah Valley after passing through West Virginia.

The Jacksons were scattered across Ulster, some located in north-west of the Province around Londonderry and Coleraine. While others lived in counties Armagh, Down and Antrim and to date there are reportedly more Jacksons living in Co. Armagh than in any other region of Northern Ireland.

Tags: civil war, confederates, stonewall jackson

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