Kentucky: A History of the State, Battle, Perrin, & Kniffin, 6th ed., 1887,
Oldham Co.

RICHARD TAYLOR JACOB was born on the 13th of March, 1825, on the farm of
Commodore Richard Taylor, north of Goshen, Oldham County, Ky.  His
great-grandfather was Commodore Taylor, of the Virginian navy during the
Revolutionary war, and was wounded severely in a sea fight with the
British.  His father was John J. Jacob, who, through advances in real
estate, became wealthy, and was noted for his business qualifications,
judgment and probity.  Richard T.'s mother's maiden name was Lucy Donald
Robertson, a descendant, on the father's side, of the Scotch historian, and
related to some of the most prominent people of Virginia.  Richard Taylor
Jacob has every advantage of education, but bad health drove him first to
Brazil, where he was ordered by his physician for the benefits of a long
sea voyage. After he returned home he studied for the law, but bad health
again drove him to California, in 1846, in company with a party of
emigrants.  After going over a hundred miles he heard of the battles Gen.
Taylor had with the Mexicans, but they went ahead.  WIthout solicitation he
was elected captain of one of the divisions, and afterward elected second
in command, and kept the entire confidence of the emigrants until he left
them, to go ahead with eight others on mules.  They passed the great Salt
Lake in July, 1846, a few months ahead of the Mormon pioneers.  They
suffered much from hardships and want of food, at one time subsisting on
grasshoppers, which they obtained from the Digger Indians, who had dried
them for food; one time they were nineteen hours in the saddle from water
to water.  He, on this occasion, and on another, by promptitude and
decision, and rejecting the advice of much older men, took what he felt
to be the wisest course, and saved the party from wreck.  They got to the
top of the Sierra Nevada in September, within a few days of being four
months on the trip.  They found when they arrived that the United States
was at war with Mexico; that the Californians had tried to drive Fremont
and the American settlers from the valley, were defeated and a new State
erected, and that the country had been taken possession of by the navy and
Fremont just in the nick of time to prevent its being seized by Great
Britain for debt.  Afterward the Californians revolted, and a party of
gentlemen proposed that a battalion of men should be enlisted from the
incoming immigration, of which Capt. Jacob was named as commander.  The
immigration was delayed, a company of only forty-six was raised, and Jacob
was made captain.  Fremont, in the meantime, had been stopped by want of
horses, but Capt. Jacob joined him with sufficient horses to enable him to
proceed with his expedition.  Capt. Jacob's duty was scouting, and he was
generally absent seven or eight days at a time, and permitted to stay in
camp to rest one night.  There was little or no fighting, but the men
endured great hardships.  On one occasion he was sent forward with twelve
men by Fremont, five miles ahead to a mountain, and there await him.  Don
Andres Pieco, who defeated Gen. Kearney at San Pasqual, was drawn off to
the right with about 150 men on superb horses.  After the company of
twelve men had passed he came with the speed of the wind to cut them off
from Fremont.  As all the horses of Fremont's battalion were broken down
by lone marches, it looked very much as if not a single man of the little
band would escape, and the massacre of San Pasqual would be renewed. Capt.
Jacob saw at a glance that their only salvation was to go on as if nothing
unusual was taking place; they did not hasten their pace, but jogged on
slowly.  Pieco came swiftly up, but seeing their deliberation, when about
200 yards off, dropped his pace until the Americans got to the mountain,
and, after climbing up a short distance, fired on their pursuers.
Fremont, coming up, drove them away.  Pieco was evidently impressed by
the cool manner in which the little band proceeded that there was some
plot.  One day they came to a certain pass, and Capt. Jacob was selected
by Fremont to go up the road with other commands to charge Pieco.  They
climbed the heights, and descended as an avalanche.  They enemy fled, but
that afternoon capitulated to Fremont, and thus was California saved.  At
Los Angeles was found Commodore Stockton and Gen. Kearney with a body of
men, mostly sailors.  Here Capt. Jacob, finding that the war was over in
California, and wishing to offer his services to his country, obtained
permission from Col. Fremont to go home on a Government vessel.  At St.
Diego he received a letter from Col. Fremont, recommending him as a
gentleman and an officer.  Failing to get a position in the army, when the
Government called on Kentucky for twenty companies, he raised one, but as
thirty-two companies were raised he had to draw lots, and lost.  Soon after
he was called to Washington as a witness on the Fremont court martial.
Before he left for home he married Sarah, the third daughter of Col. Thomas
H. Benton; by her he had two children, a boy, Richard T., and a girl,
Sally Benton.  In 1859 Mr. Jacob was elected by the Democratic party for
the Legislature.  Afterward he was made assistant elector for Breckinridge.
During all debates he expressed undying allegiance to the Union.  When
the great crisis came, he, with R. A. Burton, another Breckinridge
Democrat, overcame party allegiance, and gave one majority in the Lower
House to the Union men.  After a hard fight of over four months in all,
overcame a call for a convention for "Armed Neutrality" and the secession
of the State.  In their great emergency, the Union men having no power
to actively aid the Government, were forced by necessity to take the
position of mediatorship.  During this long struggle Representative
Jacob was credited with the saying, when they spoke of closing the doors,
"that if any one dared to shut the doors on the people he would tear them
from their hinges."  He was re-elected by a large majority in 1861, and
was in that body during all the exciting times of the Buckner, Polk and
Zollicoffer invasion of the State.  After adjournment, not wishing to ask
men to go to the battlefield without doing so himself, he started to
raise a regiment of infantry.  The very day his men commenced coming into
camp consolidation was ordered, which virtually killed his efforts, but
he cheerfully submitted.  In July, 1862, Gen. John Morgan dashed into the
State.  Thinking that he was not properly met, Jacob issued a card,
calling on 1,500 to 2,000 young men to meet him with arms, horses and
provisions to repel Morgan, and if possible capture him.  A hearty response
followed, but, as Morgan had gone, the project fell through.  Shortly after
Gen. Boyle called on Jacob to raise a regiment of cavalry for one year.  In
less than ten days the regiment was full to overflowing, with probably
another regiment of men enlisted for him.  In three weeks from the time
they came in they were in one night mustered in, clothes, equipped, horses
shod, and by daylight marched to meet the invasion of Kirby Smith.  In the
meantime President Lincoln's proclamation against slavery was issued. Col.
Jacob told his men that that was the Executive's act, and that all they
as soldiers had to do was to meet the enemy.  The regiment marched to meet
Gen. Nelson the day of the battle of Richmond, but got there after the
battle was over and Nelson defeated, and had to retreat all night and the
next day to Louisville, and then advanced with Gen. Buell.  Col. Jacob
was ordered to take half of his regiment, then at Taylorsville, and report
to Gen. Sill at Shelbyville.  The next day he was ordered to attack
Scott's brigade, which he did with impetuosity, though having only 200
men with him.  Finding he was running on to a much larger force in front,
and that another large force was trying to get to his rear, and thus
crush him, he gave orders to retreat to a certain point and then rally.
It was a neck and neck race, who was to get there first, but the Union
men got there, rallied, and when the enemy came around the point into
sight, they were received with a heavy volley and driven back with great
precipitation, leaving Col. Jacob and his men a mile and a half ahead
of the infantry and artillery support.  This fight drove Gov. Hawse and
his new government for Kentucky into flight just after he was inaugurated.
The Union commanded then marched to Frankfort, and from there to
Lawrenceburg.  Gen. Sill heard here that Kirby Smith, with 30,000 men and
sixty-four pieces of artillery, was on his front waiting for him.  He
determined to go to the right of the hills, but was suddenly confronted
with a cavalry force.  Col. Jacob was ordered to attack, which he did, and
dispersed them with artillery.  He was then ordered to go a mile and pick
up stragglers.  This was against his judgment; he was ambushed, and had a
terrific hand-to-hand fight with the enemy, in which the pistol and saber
were freely used.  Col. Jacob had a hand fight with Col. Alston, of
Georgia.  He shot Col. Alston, who fell from his horse.  Col. Jacob turned
to encourage his men, and found he was cut off from them.  Some one had
given the men an order to fall back, and the men, thinking it was from him,
obeyed.  This placed him in great peril, as the enemy was between him and
his men.  A place in the fence being down, he galloped through and shouted
to his men to fight up, which they did with great gallantry.  In the
meantime he was surrounded by nine of the enemy, who attempted to seize
him; he attempted to fire at them, but the pistol snapped.  Just at this
moment his horse gave a sudden jump forward, which carried him and his
rider out of the circle with a slight contusion of the head, from a blow
with a musket.  With the assistance of two of his wounded men, who threw
down part of a fence, he sprang his horse over, and galloped toward his
men.  While doing so he received two wounds, one over the region of his
heart, ant the other through the muscle of his left arm.  The man who shot
called on him to surrender, but he refused, and, jumping a ditch, turned
to fight, and found his opponent on his face.  Eleven of the Fourteenth
Ohio Infantry, seeing Col. Jacob's great danger, ran to a fence and fired
at once, wounding the enemy in many places.  The next day Gen. Sill was
attacked by the enemy, but he defeated them.  At the end of four day Col.
Jacob was peremptorily ordered to Louisville to have his wounds attended
to. When his wounds were healed, he rejoined his men, who received him with
great joy.  In the meantime his wife died early in January.  In March Col.
Jacob was nominated for lieutenant-governor.  He informed the convention
that he would not accept the nomination unless he was permitted to stay
with his men.  The was agreed to, and he became the nominee.  That night
he joined his regiment.  He was then ordered to the Cumberland River with
the Twentieth Regiment of Michigan Infantry, two pieces of the
Twenty-fourth Indiana Artillery, his own regiment, the Ninth Kentucky
Cavalry, and the Eleventh and Twelfth Kentucky cavalries.  He was left
entirely to his own judgment except to keep Gen. Manson thoroughly posted.
On the 10th of May, 1863, being in advance with 290 of the Twentieth
Michigan, one company of the Twelfth Kentucky Cavalry under Capt. Wilson,
and 175 of the Twelfth Artillery of that regiment, in reserve, being under
Col. Holman, early in the morning his pickets were fired into.  Col. Jacob
at first thought they were guerrillas, and told his men to simply fire into
the woods.  Changing his mind, he sent for a piece of artillery.  It did
not arrive until 4:15 P.M.  He immediately ran it up and opened fire.  He
then ordered a charge of the Michigans and Capt. Wilson's company under
Col. Holman, which was executed gallantly.  Two regiments were about to
surrender, having run out of ammunition, when Gen. John Morgan with ten
regiments appeared on the scene.  The small band being overlapped fell
back to the woods.  Col. Jacob then ordered the lieutenant commanding the
cannon to break the column of attack, which was done.  Col. Jacob then
asked the lieutenant to use grape, but unfortunately he had none.  He
has always believed that if he had had, he would have won the fight.  His
men having fallen back into the woods, he ordered the piece of cannon to
the river, where his main force was, four miles off.  He then left the
175 in reserve, under Lieut.-Col. Boyle and Holman, and took the men who
had borne the fatigue to the river.  He had crossed the best part of his
force over, when Col. Holman informed him that a flag of truce was with the
reserve, demanding and unconditional surrender.  His answer was to "come
and get him; that he did not believe in surrendering".  He then told Col.
Holman to go back with that message, and tell his command when the flag
of truce left to fall back.  He was accused of improperly using the flag
of truce to escape, which is not true, for he never saw the flag, which
was gone when Col. Holman got back.  The moral effect of this fight was
with Col. Jacob; though outnumbered six to one he got all of his men
safely back, with the exception of those who fell in battle, and also
saved his gun.  Though the enemy had two hours to dusk to pursue they never
interrupted him.  He was ordered the next day to fall back to Columbia, in
the meantime being heavily re-enforced.  He was then placed in command of
the Ninth, Eleventh and Twelfth Kentucky Cavalries, Second, Eighth,
Seventeenth and Twentieth Michigan, and Seventy-ninth Highland Regiment of
New York.  For six weeks he kept the infantry in camp as a nucleus, and
used the cavalry as scouts on all the roads.  They were fighting every day,
taking prisoners, and killing men, and lost not one.  Gen. Hobson took
command at the end of six weeks.  Morgan invaded the State in July, drove
back 160 of Col. Jacob's men, until he came to where Col. Jacob, with
seventy-five men, awaited his retreating force and Morgan.  He kept Morgan
in check until Gen. Hobson ordered the artillery to open, when Morgan
retreated.  Now commenced the pursuit which continued to the 21st of July,
day and night.  Gen. Hobson overtook the enemy at Horseshoe end on the
Ohio River.  Here, Col. Jacob, being in front, had the first fight, and
took many prisoners, after they had fallen back from Judah.  Gen.
Shackelford then ordered a charge, and forced a large number to surrender.
The next day they had a running fight of sixty miles, and forced, 1,050
men to surrender.  They next day, Gen. Shackelford went in pursuit of
Morgan and his remnant, leaving Col. Jacob in command of all the forces
left, and the prisoners.  Gen. Judah came and took the prisoners to
Cincinnati.  Col. Jacob then joined Gen. Hobson at Gallipolis, where he
was ordered by the General to stay, and send all the force there and the
public property to Cincinnati.  The time of his regiment having expired,
they were mustered out at Eminence, Ky., where they were mustered in.  If
he had not lost his wife, and his duty required him to take care of his
children, he would have re-entered, but he was forced to leave the service
on that account.  His men offered to enlist in a body if he would, but with
no one else as an organization; thus his life as a military man closed. As
a soldier he bore all the hardships with his men, often refusing meals
offered, though sorely pressed by hunger, because his men could not have
theirs.  His men said of him that it was "come on boys and not go on" when
a fight came on, and hence they loved him as a father.  He had been elected
lieutenant-governor, and was inaugurated.  In March, 1864, he was called on
to make the opening speech for Gen. McClellan (then candidate for the
presidency), in New York City.  He was immediately denounced by over
zealous friends of the administration, but he did not cease, as he believed
that a loyal man had the undoubted right of free speech in criticizing the
administration, and voting for whom he pleased for the presidency.  His
words were twisted and entirely changed from their meaning and import.  In
his last speech, the day before Mr. Lincoln's re-election, he said, in
Louisville, "that to show the falsity of the declaration that he was
disloyal to the country, he was for the last man and dollar to put down the
Rebellion.  He called upon the people never to despair, no matter how dark
and gloomy the clouds looked, to be true to the Union, the Constitution and
the enforcement of the laws, and as sure as the calm followed the storm,
just so sure would their country emerge from its difficulties, and once
more to be a united, grand country, marching on to unparalleled
prosperity."  Col. Jacob claims that he is not responsible for words put
into his mouth, and which he never used, by irresponsible designing, or by
men carried away by passion and miscomprehending the clear import of his
words.  That his writings will testify that he never said a word against
the Union or Constitution of his country, and only advocated the change of
administration by the peaceful and lawful ballot vote.  A few days after
Mr. Lincoln's re-election he was seized, and sent among the men he had
fought.  He was never confronted with any open charges.  Affidavits in
secret were obtained without his having the power to bring in testimony
that would undoubtedly have proven the falsity of what was charged against
him.  He went through the Confederacy, never denying his Unionism, but
always standing by his loyalty, and when suggested by some of the young men
that he could get a good command if he wished it, he would answer, "That
though in his own opinion, he was treated badly, it would not justify him
to be a traitor to a cause that be believed to be right and just."  When
he arrived in Richmond he asked permission to write to Mr. Lincoln; they
said he might if he exhibited what he should write; he did, and they not
liking it, he tore the letter up, in their presence, saying that he could
not be dictated to in this manner, that he had always claimed to be a Union
man.  In the privacy of his room he wrote another letter to President
Lincoln, in which he announced his seizure, and his only crime was that he
was for a change of administration by the peaceful method of the ballot
vote; that he demanded a return to his home and duties, not as a favor,
but as a right due a loyal American citizen, who was as true to his
country as he, the President, was.  The letter he gave to George D.
Prentice, of the Louisville Journal, when he was leaving Richmond for
Washington City, to present it to the President.  Mr. Prentice said, "What
if they demand something of you before they will let you come home."  He
immediately wrote on a piece of paper, that he would submit to nothing but
an unconditional release, as he had always been loyal, and had been
wounded in the service of his country; that he would perish in exile first.
The President sent a letter in answer, which called on Gen. Grant and
other Union officers to aid Col. Jacob to Washington City.  The difficulty
was then to get away from the Confederacy.  He was told that if he had
once given the idea that he was rebellious he would have been kept.  He
called on the President, when he arrived in Washington, who gave him a
letter of unconditional release.  Col. Jacob was cordially received by
the mass of the people of his own State, and served out his term as
lieutenant-governor.  He was married the second time, soon after his
return from exile, to Miss Laura Wilson, of Lexington, by whom he has five
children, viz.: John, William, Donald, Laura and Brent.  He was among the
first to try and get all the obnoxious laws removed against those in
rebellion against the State, after the collapse of the Rebellion.  When
this was done he was equally opposed to the effort, which was successful,
to punish the man who fought in the Union Army.  He believed that the
true interests of the State required that a perfect and mutual amnesty
should be required and given, that a man should be rewarded, not because
he was either in the Union or Confederate Army, but for honesty, capacity
and valuable statesmanship.  He made a race for Congress, and then for
the appellate clerkship, but was defeated both times.  In the last he
received three times as many votes as he expected at the start, carrying
his own county, Louisville, and Frankfort, and other points.  This time
he will oppose Buckner, because he believes that he has no claim on the
Democratic party, having been but a Confederate soldier; that he was solely
nominated for that fact.  On the other hand he will support three
Confederate soldiers on the ticket, not because they had been in the
Confederate Army, but because they had made good civil officers.  Col.
Jacob believes that a man should be true to his convictions no matter where
those convictions lead him.  He believes that a public man has no right to
be a coward; that whether a question is popular or not, he should boldly
advocate it, if he believed it right.  He believes if his party is wrong
on a public question, that it should be attacked and righted if possible;
if it cannot be, then oppose, not condone it.  In 1876 he was elected
without solicitation to be judge of the county court of Oldham, but
refused a re-election.

Jacob Taylor Robertson Benton Wilson Prentice
=
VA CA Brazil

http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/oldham/jacob.rt.txt