Wilder B. Jacobs Biography - Grant County Wisconsin ***************************************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ***************************************************************************** Submitted by David W. Taft, dtaft @ cowtown.net Commemorative Biographical Record of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette Counties, Wisconsin J. H. Beers, 1901 Pages 723-724 WILDER B. JACOBS, of Avoca, Iowa county, is one of the most highly esteemed citizens, and an honored survivor of years of dangerous service in the war of the Rebellion. Worthily has he been placed in the position of commander of the Henry Lawton Post, No. 279, G. A. R., at Muscoda, Wisconsin. Mr. Jacobs was born in the town of Dansville, Livingston Co., N. Y., in November, 1843, a son of Gustavus and Harriet (Perkins) Jacobs, both of whom were born in the town of Rutland, Rutland Co., Vt. Gustavus Jacobs was a sergeant in the war of 1812, and his father, the grandfather of Wilder B., was a captain in the war of the Revolution, and perhaps the patriotic blood of his forefathers flowed with vigor in the veins of our subject, and produced the results which won for him such a record for gallantry. By trade Gustavus Jacobs was a ship carpenter, and his assistance was required in the building of the fleet by which Commodore Perry gained the victory of Lake Erie. For many years he followed his trade, and at the time of the birth of our subject he was engaged in boat building on the Genesee Valley canal at Mt. Morris, N. Y., but later removed to Angelica, Allegany county, but in 1855 the family, comprising the parents and three sons, came to Wisconsin and settled in Sauk county, the children being: Palmedus P., Burley A., and Wilder B. In the fall of 1855 another son, Henry, with his family, also came to Wisconsin, these being all who located in this State. The present survivors of the family are: Gustavus Jr., Palmedus, Wilder B. and Hannah. The parents removed from Sauk county to Platteville, Wis., about 1869, where they died in 1875, the father surviving the mother by a few months. They were far advanced in life, the father aged ninety- four, and the mother but a few years younger. Both were highly esteemed and consistent members of the M. E. Church. Mr. Jacobs was a powerful man physically and intellectually, and was a profound student of the Bible, his knowledge of that Book being remarkable. Wilder B. Jacobs passed his young manhood on the farm in Sauk county until his enlistment at Prairie du Sac, on Sept. 23, 1861, in the 6th Battery, Wis. Light Artillery, as a private, and remained in the service until July 3, 1865. This battery served in Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama and Georgia, and Mr. Jacobs participated, with his command, in these battles, which are enrolled upon the pages of American history as examples of bravery for which a nation must ever be proud: Island No. 10; siege of Corinth, in the spring of 1862; battle of Corinth, on Oct. 3-4, 1862; Port Gibson: Willow Springs: battle of Raymond; battle of Jackson; Champion Hills; siege of Vicksburg; Missionary Ridge; and battle of Nashville, and other minor engagements. This battery lost a large number of men at the battle of Corinth alone it lost eighteen brave men, while twenty-three were wounded. As worthy of mention, Mr. Jacobs took part in all these battles, and was never absent from the battery when even a skirmish took place. After the close of the war Mr. Jacobs was engaged by the Prairie du Chien division of the Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad as a conductor, and in this position he remained for seventeen years. In 1879 he went to Minnesota and South Dakota, running in the same capacity from St. James, Minn., to Sioux Falls, S. Dak., for the following three years, and was then employed on the St. Paul system, running from Sanborn, Iowa. to Mitchell, S. Dak. In the fall of 1896 he came to Avoca, where he has since resided. His long and exhausting army service told upon his health, and it has never been satisfactory since, although he did not allow it to prevent a busy life. His brother, Henry Jacobs, was a member of Company K, 23rd Reg. Wis. Vols., and died on the steamer “John H. Dickey,” from a wound received at Arkansas Post, while his brother-in-law, Philander S. May, served in the same company, and also gave up his life. Wilder B. Jacobs was married Sept. 1, 1865, to Miss Mary V. Parish, a native of the town of Muscoda, who has the distinction of being the oldest white native living in that place. Her father was a lieutenant in Company F, 44th Wis. V. I., and was honorably discharged in August, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs have an adopted daughter, Lila C., who is the wife of Norman J. Luther, train dispatcher for the Great Northern railroad at Larimore, N. Dak., and they have two children, Mary E. and Norman W. Mr. Jacobs assisted in the organization of Henry W. Lawton Post, G. A. R., in 1899, since which year he has held the post of commander, and is regarded with the highest esteem by his comrades, and is serving on the Department staff. He also assisted in organizing Henry W. Lawton, W. R. C., No. 34, in January, 1900. In his pleasant home in Avoca this brave soldier enjoys the rest “his valor won.” Both he and wife are consistent members of the M. E. Church and most respected citizens.