Person:S Unknown (17)

The following Notes provided by Bob Mitchell: "Elizabeth and James Holden Jackson were separated by 10 Nov 1860 based upon a letter from Richard A. Jackson to their mother, Rebecca. James was living in Mobile, Alabama training to work on the river. The first child, John Franklin Jackson, was born in October of 1860, just a month before the letter mentioned above was written. James along with wife S. E. and one year old John Franklin were enumerated on the 1860 Decatur Co., Tennessee Census on July 1860. Rebecca Jackson, mother of James, was living in the household and James was shown as head of family. James apparently left Decatur Co. between July and November of 1860 for Mobile, Alabama with the intent to train for a river job and to leave his wife and child behind with his mother. According to Richard, in the same letter mentioned above, James was wondering what became of his wife, "not that he is any ways anxious to see her."

"It is not clear at this time if James and Elizabeth got back together when James returned to DecaturCo. in the spring of 1861. Elizabeth had another child, Mary E., in August 1861. She would have been pregnant when James returned from Mobile if the dates are corrected. According to another letter from Richard to his mother Rebecca, dated 20 Feb1861, James was to leave Mobile on the 26th of February to return to Decatur Co., Tennessee. Elizabeth apparently consorted with another man while James was in Mobile and the second and third children were not his natural children. Elizabeth and her children are living near Lexington in Dist10, Henderson County in 1870. Harrison Jones, a black male age 33 and John Houston a white male age 22 are living with Elizabeth in 1870 and working as farm laborers. Elizabeth left Tennessee for Texas after 1870 with her daughters and son. John Franklin was in Texas by 1878, per his stories of being with the Sam Bass Gang in 1878."

1.   United States. 1860 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M653)
   Dist 4, Decatur Co., Tennessee.
2.   United States. 1870 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publications M593 and T132)
   Dist 10, Henderson Co., Tennessee.