Richard Henry Jackson
Richard Henry Jackson was a native of Ireland, born July 14, 1830, at Kinnegad, Westmeath County. He emigrated to the United States as a young man, and on December 12, 1851, he enlisted in the 4th U. S. Artillery, serving successively as private, corporal, sergeant, and first sergeant of "L" company, in Florida and against the plains Indians. In 1859 he passed the promotional examinations and was commissioned a brevet second lieutenant of his regiment; when the Civil War broke out he was a first lieutenant. He engaged in the defense of Fort Pickens and in the capture of Pensacola, Florida, in 1861, and thereafter served with the X Corps in the Department of the South. During the operations against Fort Sumter he was stationed on Folly Island in Charleston Harbor. His highest rank during hostilities was that of lieutenant colonel and assistant inspector general in the volunteer forces. For several months he was chief of artillery of the X Corps; when it was transported to the Army of the James to take part in the final operations against Petersburg, Jackson was assigned to direct the 2nd Division of Weitzel's XXV Corps, which he led until the close of the war. He was tardily rewarded with the grade of brigadier general of volunteers on May 19, together with the brevets of brigadier in the Regular Army and major general of volunteers. Following his muster-out in February, he reverted to his regular rank of captain, 4th Artillery, to which he had been appointed in 1862. This regular captaincy and his fine war record did not result in his promotion to major until 1880, and to lieutenant colonel until 1888—the grade which he occupied at the time of his death at Fort McPherson, Atlanta, Georgia, on November 28, 1892. General Jackson was buried in the National Cemetery at West Point next to his son, who had died there during his cadetship four years before.
Reference: Generals in Blue. Lives of the Union Commanders by Ezra J. Warner. Louisiana State University Press. Baton Rouge.