Richard Taylor Jacob (March 13, 1825 – September 13, 1903) was an American attorney and politician, elected as 17th Lieutenant Governor of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

(1863–64). Although a slaveholder, he was loyal to the Union during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, raising the 9th Kentucky Cavalry for its defense. Due to his supporting the Democratic Party candidacy of

George B. McClellan George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was an American soldier, Civil War Union general, civil engineer, railroad executive, and politician who served as the 24th governor of New Jersey. A graduate of West Point, McCl ...

for the presidency in 1864, in addition to other differences, Kentucky Governor Thomas Bramlette ordered Jacob arrested by the Union commander and expelled from the state during the war, sending him to Richmond, Virginia. Jacob appealed to President

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

and was allowed to return to Kentucky.

Background and early life

Richard Taylor Jacob was born in

Oldham County, Kentucky Oldham County is a county located in the north central part of the U.S. state and commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 67,607. Its county seat is La Grange. The county is named for Colonel William Oldham. Oldha ...

, to an influential family. His father, John J. Jacob (1770–1852), was a well-known businessman and real estate speculator; his brother,

Charles Donald Jacob Charles Donald Jacob (June 1, 1838 – December 25, 1898) was an American politician who served four terms as mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, two consecutively in 1873-78, then later in 1882-84 and 1888-90. He also served as the U.S. minister to ...

, eventually served three terms as mayor of

Louisville Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border. ...

; and his sister, Susan, married

James Brown Clay James Brown Clay (November 9, 1817 – January 26, 1864) was an American politician and diplomat who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives for Kentucky's 8th congressional district from 1857 to 1859. Early life and ed ...

, son of statesman Henry Clay. James Clay later was elected as a U.S. Representative from Kentucky. Richard Jacob studied law in 1825 and visited

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...

. He happened to be in

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

when the Bear Flag Revolt broke out. He joined the cavalry forces of General John C. Fremont and served as a captain. When Fremont was on trial in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

for his actions in California, Jacob appeared as a witness on the general's behalf. At that time, Jacob met Fremont's sister-in-law, Sarah Benton, a daughter of Senator Thomas Hart Benton; the couple married in January 1848. For a few years Jacob farmed in

Missouri Missouri is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

, his wife's home state. In 1855 Jacob bought a farm called "Woodland" on the Ohio River in

, and moved there with his family. He called the farm 'Clifton' while living there.

Civil War

In 1859 Jacob was elected as a Democrat to Kentucky's state legislature. In 1860, Jacob supported John C. Breckinridge for president. But when the

broke out, he remained loyal to the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

and worked to prevent Kentucky from seceding and joining the Confederacy. In 1862, he raised the 9th Kentucky Cavalry, a regiment of 1,244 men. Over the next year, he took part in several skirmishes and battles, including resisting

Morgan's Raid Morgan's Raid was a diversionary incursion by Confederate cavalry into the Union states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia during the American Civil War. The raid took place from June 11 to July 26, 1863, and is named for the command ...

in 1863. That year, Jacob was elected Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, as the running mate of Thomas E. Bramlette. The partnership between the two men did not last long. Jacob attacked the Emancipation Proclamation, issued in 1863, considering it unfair to those Kentucky slave-holders who remained loyal to the Union as it did not provide compensation for freeing slaves. Adding to Jacob's troubles, his wife Sarah died that year. In 1864 Jacob supported General

's candidacy for the presidency. General Stephen G. Burbridge, the Union commander of the district of Kentucky, had caused much controversy and opposition in the state for his heavy-handed tactics, including execution of suspected spies on flimsy evidence. Trying to ensure a Lincoln win in the state, Burbridge arrested Jacob for his attacks on the Lincoln administration and sent him through the Confederate lines to Richmond, Virginia. He also arrested Judge Bullitt. Jacob denied that he ever spoke against the Union and appealed to President Lincoln. Apparently, Lincoln believed Jacob, or at least sought to placate Jacob's supporters in Kentucky. The president allowed Jacob to visit Washington, D.C. and gave him a letter securing his release. Jacob returned to his home state. In 1865 he married again, to Laura Wilson.

Later years

Later, Jacob ran for

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

(1867) and for an appellate clerkship, but he lost both elections. In 1876 he was elected judge of the Oldham County court, but declined to run for a second term. At about this time, Jacob joined the Republican Party. From 1895 to 1899, he served as park commissioner of Louisville.

Trivia

* Richard Taylor Jacob's father, John Jeremiah Jacob (1770–1852), should not be confused with Richard's distant cousin, also named John J. Jacob (1829–1893), who served as Governor of

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

. * In 1996 Jacob's former farm, "Clifton," became the site of a commercial bison farm.

References

External links