 Jackson never returned to his home.In November 1859, at the request of the governor of Virginia, Major William Gilham led a contingent of the VMI Cadet Corps to Charles Town to provide an additional military presence at the hanging of militant abolitionist John Brown on December 2, following his raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry on October 16.Major Jackson was placed in command of the artillery, consisting of two howitzers manned by twenty-one cadets.