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Jasper County, Iowa
Historical and Genealogical Data Exchange
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J.
R. Zollinger In
a necessarily brief sketch like this if is impossible to enter fully into
detail. The course of most lives is
largely determined by circumstances and environment, a man, as a rule, being
only able to do the best he can in the place where he finds himself. Jeremiah
Rummel Zollinger was born December 7, 1829, near Hagerstown, Maryland, from
which locality he removed in his early childhood with his parents to
Pennsylvania, where he grew up. He
learned the carpenter's trade, becoming a contractor and builder, and in that
capacity came west at the age of twenty-five.
At that time he invested somewhat in Iowa farmland.
He was of a genial disposition, and had many friends.
He was also possessed of sound common sense and good business ability,
and, being thoroughly honest, he had the confidence of those with whom he dealt. In
August 1862, he enlisted as a private in Company K. of the Twenty-eighth Iowa,
under Captain, afterward Colonel, John Meyer.
There would seem to have been a warm friendship always between these two
men. From private, J. R. Zollinger rose to be second lieutenant of his company,
and was known for the thoroughness with which he performed all the duties
falling to him, first as orderly sergeant, and later as second lieutenant.
Like all of the Company K boys, he was a good soldier, always ready to
fight, and never shrinking from any danger.
He was in Hovey's division, and fought in thirteen battles, besides
skirmishes and other fights. In
April 1863, Hovey's division started for Vicksburg.
They did not reach it till the 20th of May, when the city was invested
and its bombardment began. In the
meanwhile were fought the battles of Port Gibson, May 1st, and Champion Hill,
May 16th, in both of which J.R. Zollinger fought, as well as later in
the rifle pits of Vicksburg. Immediately after the surrender of Vicksburg the
Twenty-eighth Iowa was marched off to take part in the siege of Jackson.
Here, on the 7th of July, Lieutenant Zollinger received a wound in the
head which did not at the time seem serious, but which gave him more or less
suffering all through his later life. In
December 1863, he was sent home as a recruiting officer and remained until the
27th of March, 1864, when he rejoined his regiment in Louisiana and saw service
in that state during the spring and summer. On the 22d of July 1864, he was
embarked at Algiers, Louisiana, on the steamship "Arage" and sent
north to Virginia. Here, in the
valley of the Shenandoah, he saw hard service, being engaged in the battles of
Winchester, Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek, besides several skirmishes.
At various times in the absence of a captain he had the command of three
different companies in the regiment besides his own, and led Company D in a
charge in battle. In January 1865, the Twenty-eighth was sent by sea to
Savannah, Georgia. On the 12th of
March they were sent to Newbern, North Carolina.
Here the regiment by companies did guard duty on hospitals, prisons, and
prisoners, and patrolled the town. In
August, Lieutenant Zollinger, having been mustered out, returned to his home. In
January 1868, he was appointed deputy sheriff by William C. Hawk, the newly
elected sheriff of Jasper County. In
this position he served four years. He
was then elected sheriff, and held that office for three successive terms.
In 1879 he was made assignee of a bankrupt stock of goods in Colfax, and
disposed of it satisfactorily to all concerned.
In 1880 he opened a grocery in Newton, and remained a grocer until he
died, on February 24, 1895. The Past and Present of Jasper County, Gen. James B. Weaver, Editor-In-Chief, 1912 B.F. Bowen Co., Indianapolis, IN, p. 522. |
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