US Researchโ€บConflictsโ€บCivil Warโ€บTennesseeโ€บJackson
Civil War

Jackson

1862
Tennessee
Era
Civil War
Year
1862
Location
Tennessee
Status
Historical record
Part ofWestern Theater โ€บThe Civil War โ€บ
The Battle

History & Significance

Jackson was a Civil War engagement fought in Tennessee, 1862. It was a Confederate victory.

The engagement at Jackson occurred during Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's Expedition into West Tennessee, between December 11, 1862, and January 1, 1863. Forrest wished to interrupt the rail supply line to Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's army, campaigning down the Mississippi Central Railroad. If he could destroy the Mobile & Ohio Railroad running south from Columbus, Kentucky, through Jackson, Grant would have to curtail or halt his operations. Forrest's 2,100-man cavalry brigade crossed the Tennessee River on December 15-17, heading west. Maj. Gen. Grant ordered a troop concentration at Jackson under Brig. Gen. Jeremiah C. Sullivan and sent a cavalry force out under Col. Robert G. Ingersoll, to confront Forrest. Forrest, however, smashed the Union cavalry at Lexington on December 18. As Forrest continued his advance the next day, Sullivan ordered Col. Adolph Englemann to take a small force northeast of Jackson. At Old Salem Cemetery, acting on the defensive, Englemann's two infantry regiments repulsed a Confederate mounted attack and then withdrew a mile closer to town. To Forrest, the fight amounted to no more than a feint and show of force intended to hold Jackson's Union defenders in place while two mounted columns destroyed railroad track north and south of the town and returned. This accomplished, Forrest withdrew from the Jackson area to attack Trenton and Humboldt. Thus, although the Federals had checked a demonstration by a portion of Forrest's force, a major accomplishment, other Confederates had fulfilled an element of the expedition's mission.

Result
Confederate victory
Forces engaged
Two regiments from the Jackson Garrison [US]; Detachment of Forrest's Cavalry (approx. 400) [CS]
Casualties
Total unknown (US 6; CS unknown)
Around this battlefield

Nearby Civil War engagements

Skirmish near Jackson
1863 ยท 0 mi away
Expedition from Jackson to Trenton
1863 ยท 0 mi away
Expedition from Jackson to Hatchie River and Skirmishes
1863 ยท 0 mi away
Engagement, Salem Cemetery, near Jackson
1862 ยท 0 mi away
Capture of Jackson
1862 ยท 0 mi away
Skirmish, Cotton Grove
1863 ยท 5 mi away
Affair, Spring Creek
1862 ยท 10 mi away
Skirmish, Mifflin
1864 ยท 12 mi away
Action, Medon
1862 ยท 13 mi away
Action, Britton's Lane, near Denmark
1862 ยท 15 mi away
Action, Humboldt
1862 ยท 16 mi away
Skirmish, Burnt Bridge, near Humboldt
1862 ยท 16 mi away
Affair near Humboldt
1862 ยท 16 mi away
Skirmish, Denmark
1863 ยท 16 mi away
Skirmish, Jack's Creek
1863 ยท 17 mi away
Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

When did Jackson take place?
Jackson took place in 1862.
Where was Jackson fought?
Jackson was fought in Tennessee, United States.
What was the significance of Jackson?
The engagement at Jackson occurred during Brig. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's Expedition into West Tennessee, between December 11, 1862, and January 1, 1863. Forrest wished to interrupt the rail supply line to Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's army, campaigning down the Mississippi Central Railroad. If h
Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Jackson

This page covers Jackson. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside historic sites, land records, and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Jackson report
Or see a real report first
Protected heritage nearby

Historic Sites near Jackson

Lane College Historic District (Boundary Increase)
Industrial ยท 2.4 mi
Lane College Historic District
Listed ยท 2.6 mi
All battles in Tennesseeโ€บCivil Warconflicts โ€บHistoric sites in Tennesseeโ€บ
Source

The account on this page is written by Aubrey Research from cited sources. Wikipedia is cited as a reference; its text is not reproduced.

Aubrey Research

Explore the history around Tennessee

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the US, drawing on NRHP records, battlefield archives, census history and geological data to tell the full story of a place.

Research a location near TennesseeView a free sample report
All Civil War Battles