William A. Jackson
by Staff EditorA slave employed as Confederate President Jefferson Davis' personal coachman, Jackson first provided information in 1862 when he crossed Union lines near Fredericksburg, Virginia. As a servant in Davis' White House, Jackson was privy to all the military goings-on between Davis and his confidantes. The records of exactly what sort of intelligence Jackson provided to the Union is unknown but it apparently was significant enough for Union General McDowell to telegraph it immediately to the War Department in Washington.
