HISTORY: JACOBS, Enoch 1881 HAMILTON COUNTY OHIO *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Submitter: Tina Hursh Email: frog158@juno.com Date:21 March 2000 *********************************************************************** Enoch Jacobs History of Hamilton County, OH; published in 1881 by Ford pg 309 Transcribed by Patti Graman Enoch Jacobs was born in the town of Marlborough, State of Vermont, June 30, 1809, and was married to Electa Whitney, of said town, June 22, 1831. His father, Nathan Jacobs, was born in Connecticut in 1762, and emigrated to Vermont in 1799. He was a soldier in the War of the Revolution. He married Sarah, the daughter of Captain John Clark, of revolutionary fame, about the year 1784. She was a native of Old Hadley, Massachusetts. The subject of this sketch emigrated to Brooklyn, New York, in 1827, where he engaged in mechanical pursuits till 1843, when he removed with his family to Cincinnati. Between that time and the breaking out of the civil war in 1861, he was engaged in the manufacture of iron work, being junior partner in the firm of Vallean & Jacobs. The people of the south being their largest customers, financial ruin followed. His oldest son, Enoch George, enlisted in the Second Ohio volunteer infantry, three months' service, and was in the battle of Bull Run. He afterwards enlisted in the Twelfth Kentucky volunteer infantry, Federal regiment, where he was commissioned first lieutenant, and was in the battle at Mill Spring and the siege of Knoxville. He re-enlisted as a veteran and served till the army reached Jonesborough, when his health failed, and he resigned his commission. His second son, Henry C., enlisted in the Fifth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served till his death. His third son, Nathan, enlisted in the Twelfth Kentucky volunteer infantry, and was commissioned first lieutenant in company I Of Third regiment. He was a brave and gallant young officer, While temporarily absent from his regiment he was waylaid and murdered by a bushwhacker, near Somerset, Kentucky, about the twentieth of February, 1863. The elder Jacobs was for a time with the First and Second Ohio infantry regiments, comprising Schenck's brigade, and took part in the battle at Vienna, where occurred the first bloodshed in the war south of the Potomac. He afterwards identified himself with the Twelfth Kentucky, commanded by Colonel W. A. Hoskins, and recruited men for it, in which two of his sons hold commissions. He took part in the battle of Mill Spring, and wrote the first published account of that battle. It appeared in the Cincinnati Commercial, and was copied by papers all over the country, and in Europe. A month later he took part in the battle at Fort Donelson, having obtained a position on the staff of Colonel Bausenwein, commanding the brigade on the left of the right wing under General Mc Clernand, and with a detail of twelve men Mr. Jacobs accepted the surrender of two rebel batteries. About a month later while on his way to join the Twelfth Kentucky en route from Nashville to Pittsburgh Landing, a railroad accident occurred at Green river bridge, Kentucky, in which he permanently lost the use of his right arm. In 1863 he was elected justice of the peace in Mill Creek township, and served till he removed with what was left of his family to Waynesville, Warren county, in 1865. He resided at Walnut Hills from 1847 till 1865, and took a leading part in organizing in that place the first free school in the State under the school law of 1849 and its amendment in 1850. He served nine years as trustee and secretary of the board with the late Dr. Alien of Lane seminary as president. In the winter of 1870-71 he accompanied the Government commission, on the United States steamer Tennessee, to Santo Domingo as the special correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial. He traveled extensively over the island, and no correspondent went where he did not. The following winter, 1871-72, he returned to Santo Domingo, in the interests of the Cincinnati Commercial and New York Tribune. During that winter he gathered much testimony as to the alleged complicity of high officials in a scheme of speculation in connection with a proposition of our Government to purchase the island. This has been hitherto withheld from the public. In January, 1873, he was appointed United States Consul to Montevideo, in the republic of Uruguay, South America. The United States Minister, Mr. Stevens, being absent, the work of the legislation devolved upon him in addition to the duties of the consulate. As the country was cursed with constant revolutions, it required all his energies in extending protection to American citizens; but the work was faithfully done. In 1874 he came home for his family (wife and daughter) by way of Europe, and with them returned by the same route to his post of duty. His health failing he resigned his commission and came home by way of Europe in June, 1876. In October or that year he removed to Mount Airy, and finished his official life with six months' service as mayor of that village. --------OHFOOTSTEPS Mailing List--------