Independence Daily Reporter, Wednesday Evening, August 15, 1900, Pg. 5:

Joseph Jackson Dead

Mr. Joseph Jackson died at about 7 p.m. yesterday from paralysis, resulting from the injury that he received in a runaway in the latter part of March, last.

Mr. Jackson was an old soldier, having served three years in Company D, 124th Illinois infantry. Deceased was born in Durham county, England, and emigrated to the United States in 1840. He has been for many years a resident of this county and has four sons and two daughters living in this vicinity, all of whom were at his bedside yesterday. Another daughter, Mrs. Mary J. Ennis, of Colchester, Ill., was here, but was called home last Saturday by the illness of her husband. Mr. Jackson was about 69 years of age.

The funeral will take place at 2 p.m. tomorrow from the Methodist church, conducted by Elder Jones, and will be under the auspices of McPherson Post G. A. R., which held a meeting at 4 p.m. today to make the necessary arrangements.

From History of Montgomery County, Kansas, By Its Own People, Published by L. Wallace Duncan, Iola, Kansas, 1903, Pg. 509-511:

Jackson, Joseph Bio

The late pioneer, whose name is announced at the opening of this article, was a man of substantial business traits, was favorably known over a wide area of Montgomery county and, as a farmer, did an important work toward the reduction and improvement of his locality. His rise in the county was from a primitive beginning and when he died, August 14, 1900, his estate was one of the valuable ones of the county, growing out of efforts on the farm.

Joseph Jackson began life in the United States under somewhat embarrassing conditions. He was a foreigner, unacquainted with our ways and customs, and will little knowledge of our institutions. The first prospect that confronted him, on reaching America, was that of hard work, in a coal mine in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, but he did not shirk. His life was ahead of him and he was ready to make the most of his lot. Such men deserve to succeed and most of them do. Out of the coal shaft, into the ranks of the Federal army, he helped fight the great battles for the preservation of the Union and the integrity of the flag. Back to the coal business, for a brief period, and then, to Kansas, recites in brief, the career of our subject, before his advent to Montgomery county.

A native of Northumberland county, England, Mr. Jackson was born April 24, 1831. His parents were William and Mary (Truby) Jackson, who brought their family to Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, about 1850. The father was a sailor in early life and when he reached the coal fields of the “Keystone State”, he went to work in a mine. His wife was a French lady and a daughter of a captain in the French army. They both died during the Civil war—one day apart—at about sixty years of age, and are buried at Timoqua, Pennsylvania, in the M. E. churchyard. They left a family of five children, three sons and two daughters, namely: Henry, Robert, Joseph, Elizabeth, widow of John Airy, and Catherine, widow of Jabez Phillips, of Pennsylvania.

Joseph Jackson was united in marriage, at the home of his parents, December 3, 1851, with Jane Bell, a daughter of Van and Jane Bell. Mrs. Bell died at thirty-eight years of age, while her husband passed away at the age of seventy-seven. Mr. Jackson enlisted in 1862, August 8, in the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth Illinois Volunteers, to which state he had migrated five years before. His enlistment occurred at Colchester and his regiment formed a part of the First Brigade, Third Division of the Seventeenth Corps. He participated in the battles of Raymond, Champion Hills, siege and capture of Vicksburg, battle at Jackson, and then his command was transferred to southern Alabama, where he aided in the assault on “Spanish Fort” and the capture of Mobile. He was at Vicksburg when the mine was exploded and was himself wounded at Champion Hills. The ball passed through his haversack and was checked to almost a spent ball, by penetrating through his plate and cap, which latter has been preserved to the family, as a relic of war days and a memento of the service of its worthy head. His wound was a serious matter with Mr. Jackson, for it penned him up in the hospital, out of which, upon his pleading, on one occasion, he was taken on an ambulance march, in order to keep along with his command. Although it healed, in time, the wound left is permanent effect with its victim. An incident occurred at Vicksburg, in which Mr. Jackson was a participant, which showed his courage and utter lack of fear. On one occasion, a Confederate pulled his pistol and made boasts of what he would do to the “Yanks”, but before he put his threats into execution, Joe Jackson had relieved him of the weapon and told him to call the next morning, but he failed to call and Mr. Jackson brought the pistol home. August 15, 1965, the military life of our subject ceased. He was discharged in Chicago, as a sergeant, and at once rejoined his family in Colchester, Illinois.

Taking up civil pursuits again, Mr. Jackson bought a tract of coal land, upon which he sank a shaft and began the mining of coal. He employed a small force of men and did quite a business, shipping his product to Quincy, Illinois. In 1870 he gathered his substance, his family and his effects together and brought them to Montgomery county, where he purchased a wild tract of eighty acres of land on Onion Creek. As a farmer, he was pronouncedly successful. His management of his affairs seemed to keep them on the upward tendency and, as his circumstances warranted, he added tract after tract, until his estate embraced five hundred and sixty-four acres. This together with valuable residence property in Independence and a deposit in one of the city banks, constituted his estate at his death.

To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson were born the following children, namely: Mary J. wife of Walter Enness, of Colchester, Illinois; Van William, of Colorado, who married Effie Cox and has children: Joseph, Jennie, and William, and Mattie and Arthur, deceased; Margaret, deceased, married Charles Redwood and left: May, Joseph, Albert and Eldred; Robert A. and Joseph H., both died in babyhood; Joseph, 2d, of Independence, Kansas, married August 14, 1883, and has children: Lillie M., Joseph, Jennie, Lizzie, John, Robert, Ethel, Floyd and Kate; Samuel C. H. (Champion Hills), was born the day his father was in that fight, married Hannah Gillard and has three children: Nellie, Stella and Flora; Lizzie, wife of Edward Woody of Independence township, has the following children: Calvin, Morrill and May; James, born November 30, 1869 married Rose Bailey, now deceased, himself died, in November 1900, leaving children: Jennie, Eddie, Van, deceased; Walter, Maggie, Deceased; Rose, deceased, and Mollie; and Belle, wife of Frank Hamblin, of Independence, has a son Elmer.

Joseph Jackson and his wife brought their children up to believe in the sacredness of the Christian religion. They were both members of the Methodist church and lived consistent and upright lives. Mr. Jackson was a member of the Grand Army, was a Republican in politics, and, as a citizen and a man, his life is worthy of emulation.

Contributed by Mrs. Maryann Johnson a Civil war researcher and a volunteer in the Kansas Room of the Independence Public Library, Independence, Kansas.