Jacob Vollmer

As printed in 1908

JACOB VOLLMER, one of Harmony Township's leading citizens, the owner of forty-eight acres of excellent land near Harmony and also of town property, has been engaged in farming and wagon-making in this vicinity since the close of the Civil War, in which he earned the title of veteran soldier. Mr. Vollmer was born December 11, 1840, and is a son of John and Susanna (Eberle) Vollmer.

The grandparents of Mr. Vollmer lived out their lives in Germany. His father, John Vollmer, was born in Germany in 1800 and died in Clark County, Ohio, in 1876. He eam_e to America in 1828 and resided in Pennsylvania until 1835. when he settled in Springfield, Ohio. Here he remained a few years and then moved to ZanesviHe, Ohio, and resided there until 1851, when he returned to Clark County, where he died. A brother, Andrew, and a sister, Maria, came also to America, but after staying a short time, returned to their native land. In 1830, John Vollmer married Susanna Eberle, who lived in the city of Reading, Pennsylvania, and they had nine children bora to them, the earlier ones dying in infancy. Those who survived were the following: John, born in 1833, resides in Clark County; George, born in 1837, died in 1864; Jacob, subject of this sketch; Mary, born in 1844, married Sigmond Kember, residing in Clark County, and they have four children; and Amelia, born in 1849, married Frederick Fiosel, residing in Clark County and they have six children.

Jacob Vollmer was a sturdy young man of twenty-two years when he entered the army in 1862 and was broken down in health, with a body racked with pain when he escaped the tortures of the southern prisons, and, a mere shadow of himself, crept back to those who loved him. From these hardships he has never entirely recovered. In 1862, at Springfield, Ohio, he enlisted in Company A, Ninety-fourth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and took his part in all the battles and marches of his regiment, courageously performing all the duties of a soldier. In September. 1863, at the terrible battle of Chickamauga, he was captured by the Confederates and from that time until April 28, 1865, he remained a prisoner of war. He was taken first to Belle Isle, where he was confined for two weeks, being transferred from there to Libby

Prison, Richmond, where he was introduced to hardships and to surroundings that the young man had never imagined in all his free young life before. In spite of the chill weather, the prisoners slept unprotected on the ground, with scarcely any food provided, and from there they were taken to quarters just as bad at Danville, Virginia. In the dungeon where the Federal prisoners were herded, some of the Germans had been ingenious enough to discover the possibility of making a tunnel by which they could hope to reach liberty. Only German prisoners had the confidence of the workers and Mr. Vollmer was made a guard for the work. Of its difficulties and dangers no one could have a conception unless he was permitted to hear the story from the lips of a participant, but it may be here briefly stated that the tunnel was successfully bored and through it sixty-two imprisoned men escaped. It is sad to have to relate that very few of them succeeded in reaching liberty and Mr. Vollmer, with three companions, were recaptured two weeks later. They had been succored by the negroes, but in spite of this, and their own efforts, in their exhausted condition they were unable to escape their enemies and they were recaptured and taken back to prison to Richmond. In the latter part of February, they were introduced to the kind of treatment accorded the unfortunates who were sent to Andersonville, which celebrated prison was not entirely completed when Mr. Vollmer and his comrades were placed within its stockade. "WTien General Sherman was on his vic-, torious march to the sea, in the following Septem.ber, Mr. Vollmer and his unfortunate companions were taken to

Savannah and kept in a stockade there until December, when he was removed to Camp, Lawton, farther in the interior where he was kept for a short time. When General Sherman's forces had approached that point, the prisoners were sumed to Thomasville, Georgia, near the present fashionable winter resort, and were concealed in the woods for a few weeks, after which they were marched fifty-six miles to a railroad that ran to Andersonville and they arrived there on Christmas day, 1864. In that place Mr. Vollmer was confined until the following April. All the prisoners who were left, were then taken to Florida, and there turned loose. During the larger part of this time of hardships, Mr. Vollmer was sick and it is no wonder that he still feels the effects of those dreadful years. After finding themselves free, the Federal soldiers hastened as fast as their enfeebled condition would permit, to the nearest Union forces at Jacksonville. There they shipped on a steamer that conveyed them to Annapolis, Maryland, and from there Mr. Vollmer soon reached Columbus, where he was discharged.

After the close of his military service Mr. Vollmer returned to his home in Clark County and in 1866 he located on his present property. By trade he is a wagonmaker and this industry he continues to be engaged in together with general farming. He is considered one of the township's substantial citizens. He has always taken considerable interest in public matters since permanently locating in Harmony Township and has been elected to office on numerous occasions — on the Democratic ticket to the office of township trustee — and has a record of being the only member of that political party to serve three terms in that office. Mr. Vollmer would make a good public official under any party's wing and at present he is identified with the Prohibition party. He has served also as a school director and has been liberal in his contributions 10 public-spirited enterprises in his section.

In 1870 Mr. Vollmer was married to Olive (Laybourn) Stevens, who was the widow of Henry Stevens and a daughter of Joseph and Anna (Kirkley) Laybourn. Mrs. Stevens had one daughter, Hattie, who was born in 1864. She married Frank Mark and they have one son, Maurice. Mr. and Mrs. Vollmer have had four children: George, Charles, John and Daisy. The eldest son, George, was born in 1872, was well educated and now occupies the responsible position of cashier of the Germania Bank, at Minneapolis, Minnesota. Charles, the second son, was born in 1874 and died in 1894. This brilliant young man was a student at Wittenberg College, at Springfield, and was preparing for the medical profession. John, the third son, was born in 1878, married Lida Baird, and they have two children, Paul and John H. Daisy, who was born in 1879, remains at home with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. VoUmer are members of the Methodist Protestant Church, of which he is one of the trustees.

Christian Laybourn, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Vollmer, was born in England in 1745. He was there married in 1777 to Margaret Newlove, who was born in 1758. They came to the United States in 1794, bringing with them six children. They remained in New York state for a period of eighteen years, during which time he served as mayor of New York city two years. In 1812 they came to Ohio and settled in Harmony Township. He died in 1842 on the farm now owned by his son Amos and grandson Joseph Laybourn, the father of Mrs. Vollmer. Joseph Laybourn continued to reside on the old home place until his death, which occurred in January, 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Laybourn had seven children, five of whom are still living, Mrs. Vollmer being the second in order of birth.

As printed in 20th century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens (1908). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.