Jack Hinson
Encyclopedia
John W. "Jack" Hinson, "Old Jack" (1807–1874) was a farmer in Stewart County, Tennessee who operated as a Confederate
partisan
sniper
against Union forces in the Between-the-Rivers
region of Tennessee
and Kentucky
during the American Civil War
.
Hinson, a prosperous plantation owner (who freed all of his slaves), of Scotch-Irish descent, was neutral at the outbreak of the war but took up arms after two of his sons were executed as suspected bushwhackers by Federal troops; their heads were cut off and stuck on the gate-posts to Hinson's home. Hinson used a one of a kind custom made 50 caliber long-range 41-inch barrel Kentucky Long Rifle
that weighed 18 pounds to target Union soldiers more than a half-mile away on land, transports, and gunboats along the Tennessee River
and the Cumberland River
, killing as many as a hundred. Hinson also served as a guide for Nathan Bedford Forrest
in his assault on the Union supply center at Johnsonville
, Tennessee in November 1864. He was the father of Robert Hinson, who served as the leader of a highly effective partisan band in the Between-the-Rivers region until his death in combat on September 18, 1863. Jack Hinson was never apprehended despite the commitment of elements of four Union regiments to pursue him, and survived the war, dying in 1874.
He is commemorated in a roadside marker in Kentucky, and his story has been told in two books by Tom McKenney;
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
partisan
Partisan (military)
A partisan is a member of an irregular military force formed to oppose control of an area by a foreign power or by an army of occupation by some kind of insurgent activity...
sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
against Union forces in the Between-the-Rivers
Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area
The Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area is a United States National Recreation Area located in Kentucky and Tennessee between Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. The area was designated a national recreation area by President John F. Kennedy in 1963...
region of Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Hinson, a prosperous plantation owner (who freed all of his slaves), of Scotch-Irish descent, was neutral at the outbreak of the war but took up arms after two of his sons were executed as suspected bushwhackers by Federal troops; their heads were cut off and stuck on the gate-posts to Hinson's home. Hinson used a one of a kind custom made 50 caliber long-range 41-inch barrel Kentucky Long Rifle
Long rifle
The American longrifle , better known as the Kentucky rifle was described best by Captain John G. W. Dillin in the dedication to his seminal 1924 book, The Kentucky Rifle:...
that weighed 18 pounds to target Union soldiers more than a half-mile away on land, transports, and gunboats along the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
and the Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
, killing as many as a hundred. Hinson also served as a guide for Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a lieutenant general in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He is remembered both as a self-educated, innovative cavalry leader during the war and as a leading southern advocate in the postwar years...
in his assault on the Union supply center at Johnsonville
Johnsonville
-Geography:United States*Johnsonville, California, former name of Bear Valley, Mariposa County, California*Johnsonville, Illinois*Johnsonville, Indiana*Johnsonville, New York*Johnsonville, South Carolina*Johnsonville, Wisconsin, an incorporated village...
, Tennessee in November 1864. He was the father of Robert Hinson, who served as the leader of a highly effective partisan band in the Between-the-Rivers region until his death in combat on September 18, 1863. Jack Hinson was never apprehended despite the commitment of elements of four Union regiments to pursue him, and survived the war, dying in 1874.
He is commemorated in a roadside marker in Kentucky, and his story has been told in two books by Tom McKenney;
- Battlefield Sniper: Over 100 Civil War Kills, Tom C. Lt. Col. McKenney
- Jack Hinson's One Man War.,