Dual Civil War Service for my Ancestor, Jackson C. Simmons

Jackson Simmons was born abt 1842. He was married to Sarah Jane Ratliff whose family migrated to East Tennessee from Southwest Virginia probably in the 1850s. He joined the Confederate Army on 21 April 1862 at Jonesboro,Tn ( oldest town in Tenn. ) The unusual thing about this is he became a member of the 3rd Maryland Battery. They had been ordered to Knoxville,Tennessee, assigned to Reynold's brigade, and recruited some East Tennesseeans to help man their guns. He is shown " on the rolls and listed as a corporal, 1 May,1862- 1 Nov.1862." They " practiced " with the big guns at Ciinton, ( Roane County ) Tn. in the summer of 1862. From Oct 1862- Feb. 1863 he is listed as " sick at home in East Tennessee. "  He had returned to duty at Vicksburg, Mississippi by May 1863. Jackson was paroled with the surrendered Rebel garrision on 4 July, 1863 under the name JACKSON SCIENOUSE. Apparently disenchanted with the Southern Confederacy like many East Tennessans by this time, he returned home under the name ISAIAH GAMMONS a comrade who served in Co. B, 60th Tenn and because of the similarity of their last names the Rebels may have already had the two men's records confused. He went into hiding from the Confederates and 31 Oct 1863 he was declared " AWOL " 15,Dec.1863 the Confederate authorities declared him " deserted. " On 4,July 1864 He came out of hiding and enlisted in Co. F 3rd Tenn. Mounted Inf. U.S. Volunteers where he faithfully served till wars end.  Grant and Lee shook hands on 9, April 1865 but the war would continue for many years afterward for Jackson and Sarah. Jackson received a pension from the Federal Government for his service in the 3rd Tenn. This brought on the ire of fomer Confederate neighbors and fellow church members at the Double Springs Baptist Church ( 2nd oldest active Missionary Baptist Church in Tennessee. ) Several conspired to have his pension taken away, informing authorities that Jackson's disability ( slow loss of hearing ) was the result of his service in the Southern Army as a gunner in the Artillery. Jackson claimed it was the result of "standing picket in rain,sleet, and snow while with the Yankees.   Jackson’s Union Civil War Service :  He served in Company F of the 3rd Tn. Mounted Volunteer Infantry. Joined the Union army on 4 Jul 1864, enrolled by Joseph R. Bowers. Deafness “occurred at Mossy Creek on or about 3 Nov 1864 after standing picket for two nights straight in the snow, rain and cold. He took a cold in his head, which affected his hearing. G. W. Irwin stated that the members of Company F of “said regiment were regarded by both sides as a band of robbers”. Mr. Irwin, like Jackson was a Confederate at Vicksburg, a member of the 60th Tenn.Inf. Unlike Jackson, he refused parole and ended the war a POW at Camp Douglass, Ill. ( many consider the northern equivalent to Andersonville.) he would have been understandably angry and bitter. This same George W. Irwin was the paternal grandfather of my great aunt, Mary Irwin Land, wife of my great uncle, Charles Cleveland Land. After the Bulls Gap Stampede (13 and 14 Nov 1864) the unit went to Mossy Creek and Strawberry Plains, where they left a wounded James Simmons in the hospital at Knoxville. William Waller said that all the men called Jackson “Sims”.   Seveal affidavits were filed both for and against him. Some examples from the actual records follow:    In the matter of Pension claim of Jackson Simmons, Co. F, 3rd Regiment Tenn Mounted Infantry.       On this 26th day of May, A. D. 1897 , personally appeared before me, Justice of the Peace, in and for the aforesaid County, duly authorized to administer oaths, G. W. Brown, aged 67 years, a resident of Kendricks Creek, in the County of Sullivan , and State of Tennessee, well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit, and who, being duly sworn, declared in relation to aforesaid case as follows:       I was with claimant during about one year of the war. While at or near Clinton Tennessee and in the Rebel army claimant was firing a cannon he received a jar and I saw him throw his hand up to the side of his head. I never heard him complain with his head or hearing afterwards until recently. Haws X Roads Tenn       Sept 20th 1883 Hon Wm. W. Dudley, Commisioners of Pension                               Dear Sir:       Jackson Simmns is such a notorious scamp I hardly know what to say. I have nown Jackson Simmons for the last 16 years He has bin a little hard of hearing all scince I new him. He was only with the 100 days pretended Federls but he was more a 100 days Rogue than soldier, and the Bal of his time was with the Confederates He simons was more noted for his Theft then for soldier        Strictly Confidential                                                 Yours Truly                                                 W. W. Epps PM                                                 Haws X Road                                                 Washington Co                                                 E. Tenn   In the matter of Pension of Jackson Simmons, Co. F, Regiment 3rd Tenn M. I. On this 23rd day of Sept., A. D. 1897 personally appeared before me, Clerk of a court, in and for the aforesaid County, duly authorized to administer oaths, John J. Kincheloe, aged 29 years, a resident of Meadow Brook, in the County of ______________ , and State of _________, well known to me to be reputable and entitled to credit, and who, being duly sworn, declared in relation to aforesaid case as follows: I have known the above named Jackson Scimmons all my life. Some time ago Mr. Simmons had one Geo. Irwin brought up in the Double Springs Baptist Church of this Co., in charges of willfully swearing falsely against him to the Special Examiner of the Bureau of Pensions, in his claim for pension. Mr. Simmons, my self and Irwin all are members of said church above named. I among others was on the committee to try to reconcile the matter between Mr. Irvin, & Simmons very recently Mr. Irvin, came before this committee and made his acknowledgements, asking Mr. Simmons, & the church and Mrs. Simmons to forgive him for the way he had treated Mr. Simmons. He said to us, the committee, that (he) had treated Mr. Scimmons willfully wrong, that he had made a statement against him, that he had stated things against him that he knew nothing about and that he was mistaken about it and thus he was sorry for it. In the opinion of affiant, Mr. Irvin made a malicious & willful statement against Mr. Scimmons, and this is the opinion of the church at said place and we believe that the affidavit that said Irvin made to the Special Examiner of the Examiner of Pensions in the claim of said Scimmons, Should not be given any credit as it was willfull because Irvin has not like Scimmons Since he left the Confederate Army and went into the Federal Army. I have no interest in this claim. His Postoffice address is Meadow Brook. He further declares that he has no interest in said case, and is not concerned in its prosecution. -- John J. Kincheloe A Thomas L. Hale wrote: " I became acquainted with Jackson Simmons while he was keeping out of the way of the Rebels he would come by my fathers home off and on " A John H. Cox Wrote : "I am 70 years old; and a farmer and my post office is Meadowbrook, Tenn.              I have known this Jackson Simmons all his life.  I saw him once during the war while he was in the Union Army.  He was on Lick Creek; that was in the fall of 1864.  I just passed through and stopped and ate dinner with him.  He appeared to be in very good health then.  He had no defness then that I could see or hear."  It is signed, John H. Cox.  He also states that he is no relation to Jackson. This John H. Cox was my maternal gr,gr, grandfather. Jackson's daughter Mary would later marry John Harvey Cox's youngest son Melvin Cox. their yougest, Richard Carl Cox was my maternal grandfather the father of my mom, Ruby Cox Land. Jackson Simmons died in 1904 as a result of being hit by a train he obviously didn't hear !!! He is buried in the Double Springs Baptist Church Cemetery next to his daughter and son-in-law, my great-grandparents, Melvin Perry Cox and Mary Simmons Cox.   By Glenn Land

Image # 1 Jackson's grave marker in Double Springs Baptist Cemetery, Washington County, Tenn. Buried next to his Daughter and Son-in-law, my great grandparents, Melvin and Mary Simmons Cox.

Image # 2 Index Card to Jackson's Federal Pension for Civil War Service in the Union 3rd Tenn. Mtd. Inf. While his pension was temporally stopped by former Confederate " neighbors," it was eventually reinstated by the Government