American Historical Ephemera and Photography Featuring the Civil War and American Militaria Collection of Bruce B. Hermann

33 1/4 in. wooden cane with ornate 3 1/8 in. gold-plate floral scroll handle and 1 1/8 in. ferrule. Handle inscribed "W.B. Palmer" in unadorned portion of design, and at bottom of handle "Genl. W.H. Jackson."

General William Hicks Jackson (1835-1903) was an 1856 West Point graduate who resigned from the US Army at the outbreak of the Civil War. HDS indicates he enlisted as a captain on 6/1/1861 and was commissioned into CS General & Staff. He served first as a captain of artillery, then as aide-de-camp to Gen. Gideon Pillow before being appointed colonel of the 7th Tennessee Cavalry. Jackson continued to rise through the ranks becoming chief of cavalry and in December 1862 receiving a promotion to brigadier general. Jackson participated in the Vicksburg Campaign, Atlanta Campaign, and Nashville and Murfreesboro Campaign. His cavalry division formed part of Forrest's corps in Hood's Tennessee campaign. After the war he served as commissioner for the parole of Confederate soldiers.

The cane offered here was likely gifted by Jackson to "W.B. Palmer" in the post-war period.  HDS does not locate a W.B. Palmer in the 7th TN Cavalry, though a William Palmer is identified in the TN 12th Battalion Cavalry. The intended recipient of the presentation cane may, however, have been unaffiliated with the CSA.