Jacob Shively And Mary E. Wright Who Lived In Ross County, Ohio

 

Jacob Shively/Mary E. Wright Marriage

 Jacob Shively was born 1-Jun-1833 in Ross County, OH and died on 18-Jul-1910 in Ross County, OH (per death certificat). He was the son on Jacob Shively and Ellen "Nellie" Fernandes. Jacob Shively was married on 22-Aug-1855 in Ross County, OH to Mary Ellen Wright. Mary was born on 16-Apr-1835 and died on 13-Jan-1910 in Ross County, OH.   She was the daughter of Alexander Wright and Elizabeth Beaver. For more information on the Shively family in Ross County, OH see information found in the State Centennial History of the County of Ross (OHIO) Volume II, Reprint Edition, A  Limited Reprint of the 1902 Edition, Henry Holcomb Bennett, Editor.

Located on the 1850 Union Township, Ross County, OH census is Jacob Shiveley age 54, wife Eleanor age 54, daughter Phebe age 18 and son Jacob age 17. On the 1860 Ross County, OH census listed are Jacob Shively, Jr age 27, wife Mary age 26, son Martin age 2 and farm laborer Martin Treece age 23. Listed on the 1880 Union Township, Ross County, OH census is the family of Jacob Shively age 37, wife Mary age 26, son Isaac age 12, daughter Martha age 9, daughter Mary age 3, daughter Ellen age 1, farm laborer Harvey Wright age 52 and farm laborer William Jenkins age 19. On the 1880 Union Township, Ross County, OH census is the family of Jacob Shibely, Jr. age 47, wife Mary age 46, son Martin age 23, daughter Lizzie age 18, daughter Mary age 13, daughter Ellie age 11, daughter Etter age 9 and daughter Marie age 7. On the 1900 South Union, Ross County, OH census are Jacob Shively born May-1833 age 67, wife Mary born Apr-1834 age 66, daughter Elizabeth born Mar-1861 age 39, daughter Etta F. born Apr-1871 age 29, and daughter Marie born Mar-1872 age 27. On the 1910 S. Union Township, Ross County, OH census is Jacob Shively age 76, wife Mary age 75, daughter Martha E. age 49, daughter Marie age 37 and servant George Pyles age 29. 

The following was extracted from the Chillicothe Gazette, Chillicothe, Ohio, Wednesday, April 25, 2001, Page 10, Columns 1-2:  

                               The Civil War Through The Eyes Of A Ross Countian

                                                                           by Pat Medert

An archivist for the Ross County Historical Society, I have just completed transcribing and editing the Civil war letters and Journal of Jacob Shively, who served in the 89th Regiment O. V. 1. The Society has published them under the title of "Dear Companion - Yours until death."

Shively, leaving behind a wife and two children to manage the farm in Union Township in Ross County, enlisted in August 1862 at the time of the organization of the 89th at Camp Dennison. He was promoted to corporal in April 1863 and to sergeant shortly thereafter. In January 1864, Jacob was appointed the color sergeant of the regiment.

Shively's letters are written to his wife Mary, whom he usually addressed, "Dear Companion: and often closed with "Yours until death." They are full of details about the regiment's movements, camp life, battles, hardships, and descriptions of the towns and countryside through which he passed. Jacob had a good grasp of the English language and expressed himself well; however, he lacked spelling and grammar skills. The manuscripts have been transcribed for the most part as he wrote them.

The 89th served first in western Virginia. In January 1863, it was sent to Nashville (Tenn.) to join Gen. William Rosecrans, who commanded the Army of the Cumberland. Among the battles in which the regiment fought were Hoover's Gap,, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Mission Ridge, Resaca,Dallas, Kenesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Jonesboro, Savannah and Bentonville. It took part in the Tullahoma Campaign, the 89th lost half its men - killed, wounded or captured. Shively received a slight wound near his left eye in that battle, but he fortunately escaped captivity.

The deprivations and horrors of war, as well as the incidents of courage and expressions of patriotism are especially evident in the letters written during the summer and fall of 1864 as the troops fought their way east to lay siege to Atlanta. On July 2, Jacob wrote from Marietta, Ga., "We have been out from Ringgold 57 days, marching part of the time day and night, through dust and scorching heat or through mud and rain, lying, on damp ground or mud. Fighting or fortifying day and night. Loosing a great deal of sleep and we have been living on much less rations than we usually get in camp....we do not get any sope. I never felt the nead of a thorough good washing in my life before. My clothes are sour and dirty. I have about two shirts and one pair of pants. I shift my shirts as often as I can and try to wash them in branches or rivers as I get a chance but to wash in cold water without soap it amounts to but little."

In the same letter, he described how the advancing army positioned itself and erected its earthworks. "We have three lines of works. The first and second in front are about 100 yds apart. The 3d is about 300 to 400 yds in the rear. The line we occupy is built as follow. We first put up a wall of logs about six feet high by placeing one upon another and braceing them up well. We then threw up dirt on the outer or front side until it was as high as the logs and from 6 to 7 feet wide on top and on the top of this we have placed a heavy log just high enough for use to shoot under it. This is the kind of works we have been building all along the rout from Ringgold to here."

On July 21, Jacob wrote following a skirmish with the rebels, saying it ended with "the painful result of getting one man killed and Lieut Scott and one man slightly wounded. Scott has since had his left hand amputatedd. He is as fine and as promisceing a young man as our regt had. He was taken prisoner at Chickamauga and escaped from Libby with Capt Adams, and yesterday he was on the line at his post. He first had a shot through his hat, and afterwards was wounded in the face but did not attempt to leave until got a shot through his wrist."

Jacob had great confidence in Gen. Sherman. He wrote, "He (Sherman) has conducted his campaign so far on such a shure principle and with so small a loss that it tells plain enough what he is. His plan is a slow one but he has never retrace a stop since he started but he moves on after Reb Jonson like a couple of chain carryers measuring a line crying out Stick, Stuck, substituting breastworks for pins and shots for words. After Atlanta was taken, Jacob related, "... it would have been almost impossible for any force to have taken it by storm and we all think that too much honor and praise cannot be given to Gen. W. T. Sherman for the skill and injunuity displayed at the same time almost anihilating the rebel army."

Shively never had any doubts in the cause for which he fought. On Aug. 1, he noted he still had a year to serve of this three-year enlistment and the chances of his returning home were not good - there was only 19 of his company left present for duty. He said, "Perhaps it would have been worse for me and you also if I had stayed at home not volunteered as I did. I might have been drafted and if I had escaped entirely I always would have had a guilty conscience. I would have felt as if I had not done my duty and been looked upon in the future as being no better than a traitor."

This book is available at the museum and Book World. 

(Medert is a local historian and author of "Chillicothe's Publick Ground" and "Raw Recruits and Bullish Prisoners)