Jacob Ferdinand Wickerham diaries

Jacob Ferdinand Wickerham (JFW) was born in 1843, around Highland County Ohio. He died in 1927 and is buried in Locust Grove Cemetery, Franklin Township, Adams County, Ohio. He was the son of Jacob and Eve Amen Wickerham. JFW married Annabel Cannon in 1865 and had eight children. JFW's participation in the United States Civil war was as follows: he enlisted as a private in the 60th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) Company K on August 18, 1862, for the unexpired term of the regiment. The only battle he participated in was at Harpers Ferry where he was captured. He was soon paroled, returned to the North, and sent to Chicago. JFW then joined the 4th Independent Battalion of the Ohio Volunteer Calvary, Company D as a quartermaster sergeant on August 1, 1863, and mustered out with the Company on March 14, 1864. This unit spent most of its time in Eastern Kentucky protecting against guerillas, but also participated in the actions against Morgan's Raid. Finally, JFW joined the 179th OVI, Company E as a 1st Lieutenant on August 23, 1864, and mustered out with the Company on June 17, 1865. Much of his time with this unit was spent at Cuberland Cap, Chattanooga, and Nashville. In 1885 JFW was admitted to the Athens Lunatic Asylum as a result of shooting J.R. Ervin on July 14, 1885, and was judged insane. He attempted suicide in 1876 by taking gum opium. It was noted in his admission papers that his mother was insane at the time of his birth. His brother Joseph and Erastus had been judged insane (the latter committing suicide in 1862), as had been his sister Anna M. It was also noted that his business relations worried him considerably and he suffered from religious excitement.