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| Civil War Flag - First Michigan Cavalry |
Nancy Ann Simmons
Josephine Blanche Martin
Edward Jacob Martin
Nina Wilcox
Jacob Wilcox – 1834-1901
my great-great-grandfather
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| Jacob Wilcox, my great-great-grandfather 23 Feb 1834 - 23 Jun1901 |
I honor my 2nd great-grandfather,
Jacob Wilcox. He served in the Michigan 1st Cavalry during the Civil
War. I have several documents of his Civil War service including 36 years of
evidence to request pension benefits. I am proud to have in my possession his
Grand Army of the Republic medal. The GAR was an organization of Civil War
veterans. Jacob belonged to the Dundee Chapter of the GAR until he died in
1901.
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| Jacob's Grand Army of the Republic Medal |
Jacob was born on February
23, 1834, in Onondaga County, New York. Jacob’s ancestry is a mystery. My first
record of his existence is the 1850 federal census where he is listed as living
with Oliver Frink’s family as a laborer. The next record I have is his July 5,
1862, marriage record to Margaret Smith in Dundee, Michigan. But the mystery is
about his parentage. His death certificate states his father as Isaac Wilcox. But
I have not found this Isaac Wilcox yet.
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| Marriage Certificate of Jacob Wilcox & Margaret Smith 5 July 1861 in Dundee, Michigan |
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| Jacob Wilcox & Margaret (Smith) Wilcox picture taken shortly after their marriage |
Jacob enlisted on Aug 24,
1864, and was 29 years old when he left his wife and a one-year-old son in
Dundee, Michigan, and marched off to war. He joined the 1st Michigan Cavalry Co.
E and the regiment mustered in Jackson, Michigan, in September 1864 where he waited
for orders.
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| Jacob Wilcox Muster Enrollment 27 August 1864 |
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| Margaret and son Hubbard Wilcox picture taken summer of 1864 as Jacob leaves to go to war |
By October 1864 the 1st
Michigan Cavalry was involved in the Battle of Cedar Creek in north-western
Virginia commanded by Union Major General Philip Sheridan. The battle was
fought on October 19 and that was the day Jacob was injured. Jacob suffered a
gunshot wound to the left scapula. The ball passed through the center of the bone
and emerged an inch to the left of the spinal column. The use of his left arm
was slightly impaired. He was transferred to a military hospital in Cumberland,
Maryland where he spent the next 5-6 months.
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| Diagram from Jacob Wilcox's Pension Papers |
Jacob was honorably
discharged on May 30, 1865, and returned home to Dundee where he applied for an
Invalid Pension on September 5, 1865. His pension request was approved, and he
received $2.00 a month. Due to the government’s fear of fraudulent claims,
Jacob had to be examined by a surgeon every three years and request affidavits
from community members to support his claim. All these physicals and affidavits
are included in his pension records that I obtained from the National Archives.
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| Jacob Wilcox's Pension papers Date of injury at Battle of Cedar Creek, Virginia Date of Discharge |
Jacob not only suffered
from the effects of the gunshot wound but also suffered from the conditions and
diseases the soldiers acquired while being hospitalized for months. In Jacob’s
physicals, he continually complains of weakness and the inability to work as a
carpenter as he did before the war. He also suffered from rheumatism, asthma,
and throat ailments. Due to the lobbying efforts of the GAR, military pension
benefits continued to increase and in 1890 all veterans regardless of injury or
illness were able to apply for a pension. Jacob received $4.00 a month by 1880,
$10.00 by 1888, and a huge sum of $12.00 a month by 1890.
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| Jacob Wilcox Michigan Death Certificate Date of Death 23 June 1901 |
In 1894 at the age of 50
Jacob requested an increase in pension benefits and was rejected. He began to
have heart problems and died at the age of 67 on June 23, 1901. His death
certificate stated he died from hemorrhage of the brain and heart
complications.
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| Jacob Wilcox Obituary Notice Published in the Monroe Evening News 4 July 1901 |
His obituary from the
Monroe Democrat on July 4, 1901, states that Jacob was stricken with paralysis
a short time before his death and leaves three sons and three daughters. Jacob
sacrificed like so many of our military veterans and I am deeply proud of my
great-great-grandfather, Jacob Wilcox.
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| Jacob & Margaret Wilcox Family Margaret is in the center sitting in a chair with Jacob behind her Their six children and five grandchildren picture was taken about 1899 |
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Michigan Capital Battle Flag Collection
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