Jacob Henry Doll
Co. K, 101st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry
CAMBRIDGE CITY, Ind., June 27. – Funeral rites for Jacob Henry (Harry) Doll, only surviving Civil war veteran in Jackson township, who died Sunday at his Pershing home at the age of 95 years, will be held Wednesday. Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. in the residence, with Rev. M. L Shidler officiating. Members of the Leroy Tout post of the American Legion will conduct military services.
Born June 15, 1843 at Gettysburg, Pa., he enlisted in the Civil war, serving three years and 11 months in Division 101, and 11 months of that time he was in Andersonville prison.
When the Civil war broke out his father lived on a small tract of ground near Gettysburg, Pa., having a family of eight boys and two girls. Two of the sons had gone south two years before the war and settled in Dallas, Tex. All of the boys but one who was too young, went to war, five enlisted in the Union army and two in Texas were drafted in the Confederate army. No two served in the same company. All saw very hard service and were in the thick of many a battle, but it fell to Harry to serve from ’61 to the close of the war. He enlisted at Gettysburg and was assigned to Company K, 101st Pennsylvania infantry.
William enlisted in the Twelfth Indiana artillery; Cornelius, or better known as "Colonel Doll," long in the service of the Pennsylvania railroad, enlisted in the Eight Indiana; James went in the marines, serving on the Monitor in her struggle with the Merrimac; George, because of age, entered near the close of the war at Gettysburg; John and Howard, by request, were in the quartermaster service in the Confederate army where they might not be compelled to shoot at brothers. They were in charge of supply trains. Theodore, the youngest, who could not enlist because of age, went to see his brothers in the South after the war, to meet with accidental death in the discharge of a gun in his own hands, blowing off the top of his head.
Harry Doll served with General McClellan’s division during all the Virginia campaigns. At Fair Oaks his company lost 28 men. They moved to North Carolina under General Wessel and had a three day’s engagement at Plymouth with the Confederates. After three days fight they surrendered, and Harry, being color bearer, buried the flag to keep it from capture. The body of 1,500 was marched to Andersonville prison in Georgia. Finally Sherman was approaching and many were moved to Wilmington and some to Florence.
After the war he settled in Altoona, Pa., where he married. His wife died, leaving one son, Clarence. He and Clarence came to Wayne county, where he has resided for more than 65 years. He was married again and another son, Arlie, was born, and his second wife died.
Surviving is his third wife, Leora; four sons, Clarence, Rock Island, Ill., Arlie of Milton, Howard of Cambridge City, Ray of Dublin, 11 grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
Obituary and photo courtesy of Nevin A. Doll