William H. Jacobs

William H. Jacobs
William H. Jacobs
Member of the Wisconsin Senate; from the 3rd district
	In office; January 4, 1875 – January 1, 1877
Preceded by	Frederick W. Cotzhausen
Succeeded by	Thomas A. Bones
Personal details
Born	November 26, 1831; Holzen, Duchy of Brunswick, German Confederation
Died	September 11, 1882 (aged 50); Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting place	Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Caroline Schmidt (m. 1857⁠–⁠1882)
Children	9
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Volunteers; Union Army
Years of service	1862–1864
Rank	Colonel, USV
Commands	26th Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Chancellorsville;

William Heinrich Jacobs (November 26, 1831 – September 11, 1882) was a German American immigrant, banker, and Democratic politician. He served two years in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing the southern half of Milwaukee County. During the American Civil War, he served as colonel of the 26th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment (a German regiment) in the Union Army. He is the namesake of the town of Jacobs, Wisconsin. His name is sometimes anglicized as William Henry Jacobs.

Early life

Wilhelm Heinrich Jacobs was born on November 26, 1831, in the municipality of Holzen, in what was then the Duchy of Brunswick in central Germany. He was the only son of Christian Jacobs and Christiana Koch. Jacobs emigrated to the United States in 1850, settling first at St. Louis, Missouri, then moving to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1851. In Milwaukee, he worked as a court clerk, purchased land, and established the Second Ward Savings Bank (1855). On November 11, 1857, he married Caroline Schmidt; they had nine children, though only six survived to adulthood—five daughters and one son.^[1]

American Civil War

During the American Civil War, Jacobs was an appointed colonel of the 26th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment on August 17, 1862. He was wounded while in command of his regiment at its first engagement, the Battle of Chancellorsville, on May 2, 1863. Jacobs then left the regiment on a leave of absence before resigning due to his wounds on January 11, 1864.^[1]

Later life

In 1874 Jacobs was elected as a Democrat to the Wisconsin State Senate, where he served from 1875 to 1877.^[2] He died on September 11, 1882, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.^[3]^[4]

Legacy

The Town of Jacobs in Ashland County, Wisconsin, was named in his honor. The Second Ward Savings Bank, established by Jacobs in 1855, is now home to the Milwaukee County Historical Society.^[5]

References

^ ^a ^b Usher, Ellis Baker (1914). Wisconsin: Its Story and Biography, 1848-1913. Vol. 7. Chicago: Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 1983–1986. Retrieved June 1, 2016.
^ 'The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin 1876,' Biographical Sketch of William H. Jacobs, pg. 451
^ [1] archived at [2]
^ "Colonel William H. Jacobs". Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
^ Adams, Katie (4 February 2013). "The Second Ward Savings Bank: One-Hundred Years of History". MKEMEMOIRS. Retrieved 1 June 2016.

External links

William Henry Jacobs at Find a Grave

Military offices
Regiment established	Command of the 26th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment September 17, 1862 – May 2, 1863	Succeeded by Lt. Col. Hans Boebal
Wisconsin Senate
Preceded by Frederick W. Cotzhausen	Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 3rd district January 4, 1875 – January 1, 1877	Succeeded by Thomas A. Bones