Jacob David Vertz/Verse

[54th Virginia Reb]

Jacob was born on June 10, 1817 in La Prairie, Roussillon, Quebec, Canada, to a Swiss mercenary and ex-British soldier during the War of 1812, Jacob Wertz, and his wife, Archange Boley. Jacob moved to the states in 1847, first in Ellis Island, and then to Egg Harbor, WI. He married his wife ten years prior, and had four children, Charles (b. 1840), David (b. 1842), Andrew (b. 1845), and Jacob Jr. (b. 1847). The reason Jacob didn't take the title "Jr." himself is because of his name anglicization after emigrating. Jacob was a Democrat and often listed as a campaigner in the Wisconsin Democrat newspaper. Jacob and his sons had different views on many topics, and Jacob, who had family down in Louisiana, was loyal to the rebels over any American force, as his father despised America after his service against them during the earlier war in 1812. When war tensions arose, Jacob left home, famously saying to his four sons, "My duty takes me elsewhere, you take care of your mother while I'm gone." Jacob rode down the Mississippi on a buckboard and met up with a Louisiana Regiment called the Chalmette Regiment, that was stationed in New Orleans as Fort Sumter had recently been attacked, starting the war. Jacob enlisted in Co. C of the regiment as a Private. His company was called the Plauche Rebels, that was commanded by Captain Chaery, who Jacob was older than. While this was happening his son Charles enlisted in Co. H of the 4th Wisconsin Cavalry, his other sons David, Andrew, and Jacob Jr. all enlisted in the 14th Wisconsin Infantry, David and Andrew in Co. F, and Jacob Jr. in Co. E, Andrew passed away from disease received at the Battle of Shiloh. Jacob was captured at the Occupation of New Orleans (1862), and was sent to a military prison also occupied by soldiers of the 36th Virginia Infantry, and was a part of a military prisoner exchange along with the 36th, and later that year enlisted in the 36th, first in Co. D as a Private, where he served at Cloyd's Mountain, Piedmont, and the Valley Campaigns of 1864. After this he received a discharge, only to reenlist in Company K early 1865, here he served at the Battle of Waynesborough, and in late March of 1865, after Waynesborough, his company merged with the Army of Northern Virginia, and was present at their last military engagement, at Five Forks on April 1st. Jacob was discharged again in mid-April of 1865, and returned first to Louisiana, only to be captured by a Union patrol, he was later paroled, along with every other Confederate soldier who served between 1861 - 1865, besides Henry Wirz and Champ Ferguson, the only two men tried, convicted, and executed for war crimes committed while in the act of the American Civil War. Jacob returned to Wisconsin after being paroled in 1866 and returned to his family, and when he learned of his son Andrew's death, he was heartbroken, and that is why he refused to talk about the war with his Union children. Jacob died on December 23, 1899 at the age of 82, just nine days before the start of the year 1900.

This image is Jacob Vertz enlistment in Co. C of the Chalmette Regiment

This image is Jacob Vertz enlistment in the 36th Virginia, he used his first two initials J, Jacob, and D, David, and Verse, which is a spelling of Vertz seen in his sons enlistment as well.

This image is Charles Vertz enlistment in the 4th Wisconsin Cavalry, if you notice, he also spells his last name as Verce, which sometimes has an "s", or is spelt normally, Vertz.

This image shows from left to right, Charles (b. 1840), Jacob Jr. (b. 1847), and the youngest son, Solomon Vertz (b. 1855).

This image shows Jacob's son Charles.

The enlistment and regiments and companies of Jacob Jr., David, and Andrew can be found on nps.gov. This story stems through my family and I thought other people would like to hear my civil war soldier biography. Hope you enjoy.

Austin

 

[major bill]

Thank you for posting this. Jacob David Vertz/Verse sounds like an interesting person. If his father so hated the United States one would wonder why Jacob decided to move to the United States.

 

[54th Virginia Reb]

Thank you for posting this. Jacob David Vertz/Verse sounds like an interesting person. If his father so hated the United States one would wonder why Jacob decided to move to the United States.

That has always been a question of mine, maybe because of the booming industries and agricultural growth the country perceived after the War of 1812, just my idea. We will never know fully.