Born in Athens, Georgia, on June 24, 1820, Henry Rootes Jackson is best known for his military endeavors during the Atlanta Campaign of the Civil War. Graduating from Yale University in 1839, Jackson passed the Georgia bar in 1840 and was appointed a U.S. district attorney of Georgia. The entirety of his career was not focused on the law but saw a variety of activities including military combat in the Mexican War in  the United States Army, private business endeavors, and diplomacy. In 1885 U.S. President Grover Cleveland appointed Jackson as minister to Mexico, but he resigned over a disagreement regarding U.S. government policy. He was director of the Central Rail Road and Banking Company from 1893 to 1898. Within this varied career, Jackson also served as president of the Georgia Historical Society from 1875-1898 pursuing his passion for preserving Georgia history. He died in Savannah on May 23, 1898, and is buried in Savannah’s Bonaventure Cemetery.,

Source:

• Copeland, Susan. "Henry Rootes Jackson." New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Sep 29, 2020. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/government-politics/henry-rootes-jackson-1820-1898/