William L. "Mudwall" Jackson Highway Historical Marker

William Lowther “Mudwall” Jackson was born on February 3, 1825 in Clarksburg, Harrison County, Virginia (now West Virginia). Orphaned at an early age, he taught himself to read and eventually studied law, gaining admittance to the bar in 1847. Soon after entering private practice, Jackson launched a highly successful political career as a Democrat. He first became commonwealth attorney for Wood County. Then, in the early 1850s, Jackson won two terms in the Virginia House of Delegates. In the late 1850s, he served as the commonwealth’s lieutenant governor in the administration of Governor Henry A. Wise. After his time in Richmond came to an end, Jackson was appointed judge of the Nineteenth Judicial District of Virginia. A dyed-in-the-wool southern loyalist, he often allowed his political views to influence his judicial decisions, a risky thing to let happen in heavily pro-Union northwestern Virginia. In one heated example, Jackson dismissed charges against a few southern guerrillas to the ire of many in attendance, which led to pistols being drawn in the courtroom. 

After the Civil War broke out, Jackson resigned his position on the bench and volunteered to fight, enlisting in the Thirty-First Virginia Infantry. His prewar status and reputation facilitated a quick promotion to colonel of the regiment by the summer. While in command of the regiment, Jackson fought in several small engagements in western Virginia. In the spring of 1862, Jackson left his unit to become a volunteer aide on the staff of his second cousin, Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. A year later, in the spring of 1863, Jackson organized and took command of the Nineteenth Virginia Cavalry. In July of that year, he acquired his unusual nickname. While leading a raid on Beverly, West Virginia, Colonel Jackson managed to evade a numerically-superior pursuing federal force. His ability to elude the enemy—as opposed to his second cousin’s reputation for standing firm and confronting them—earned him the nickname “Mudwall.” Later, in the summer of 1864, Jackson participated in the Second Valley Campaign, during which he received a severe leg wound. By early 1865, he had recovered from his battle wound, received a promotion to the rank of brigadier general, and was in command of a cavalry brigade. 

When the war ended in 1865, Jackson fled to Texas. Soon after, however, he returned to West Virginia. There, Jackson encountered an environment that was unwelcoming at best and hostile at worst to ex-Confederates. For example, the state prohibited former Confederates from practicing law. Finding himself a stranger in his native land, Jackson moved to Louisville, Kentucky and established what would become a highly successful law firm. He then was appointed judge of the Ninth Kentucky Circuit Court and held that position for the final seventeen years of his life. In March 1890, he died of natural causes at the age of sixty-five. His remains are buried in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville. 

In 2016, as part of its Civil War sesquicentennial project, the West Virginia Highway Historical Marker Program of the West Virginia Archives and History installed a marker dedicated to William Lowther “Mudwall” Jackson. It stands along Fort Boreman Drive within Fort Boreman Park in Parkersburg, Wood County. 

Bartlett, Larry. "Mudwall Jackson." e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia. 07 December 2015. Web. 24 September 2020 <https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/946>.

Jones, Terry L. Historical Dictionary of the Civil War. Vol. 1, A-L. 2nd ed. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2011.

Robertson, Jr., James. "'Mudwall' Jackson." WVTF, Virginia Public Radio. 31 July 2019. Web. 24 September 2020 <https://www.wvtf.org/post/mudwall-jackson#stream/0>.