Military officer; born in
Cumberland, England, March 9, 1759; was taken to
Charleston, S. C., an orphan, at an early age; at the breaking out of the
Revolutionary War he entered the military service.
He finally became aide to
General Lincoln, and was made a prisoner at
Charleston in 1780.
He was secretary to
Col. John Laurens,
special minister to
France, and was in
Washington's military family as aide, with the rank of major.
Jackson was assistant
Secretary of War under
Washington, and was secretary to the convention that framed the national Constitution in 1787.
From 1789 to 1792 he was aide and private secretary to
President Washington; from 1796 to 1801 was surveyor of the port of
Philadelphia, and was secretary to the
General Society of the
Cincinnati.
He died in
Philadelphia, Dec. 17, 1828.