Edward Vollrath (June 28, 1858 – January 21, 1931) was an American attorney and military officer from

Bucyrus, Ohio Bucyrus ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Crawford County, located in northern Ohio approximately 28 miles (45 km) west of Mansfield and southeast of Toledo. The population was 11,684 at the 2020 census. The c ...

. A veteran of the

Spanish–American War , partof = the Philippine Revolution, the decolonization of the Americas, and the Cuban War of Independence , image = Collage infobox for Spanish-American War.jpg , image_size = 300px , caption = (clock ...

, Pancho Villa Expedition,

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and

Occupation of the Rhineland The Occupation of the Rhineland from 1 December 1918 until 30 June 1930 was a consequence of the collapse of the Imperial German Army in 1918, after which Germany's provisional government was obliged to agree to the terms of the 1918 armist ...

, he was most notable for his command of the 8th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in Cuba during the war with Spain and on the Mexican border during the Villa expedition, and his First World War command of the 82nd Infantry Brigade, a unit of the 41st Division. A native and lifelong resident of

, Vollrath attended the local schools and

Wittenberg College Wittenberg University is a private liberal arts college in Springfield, Ohio. It has 1,326 full-time students representing 33 states and 9 foreign countries. Wittenberg University is associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ...

, then graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

with bachelor's (1883) and master's (1886) degrees. He studied law with a Bucyrus attorney, attained admission to the bar in 1885, and practiced in Bucyrus. Vollrath was also active in the Lutheran church and several civic and fraternal organizations, in addition to taking part in several business ventures. Active in politics as a Republican, he was an unsuccessful candidate for offices including prosecuting attorney and city solicitor. From 1904 to 1906 he filled by appointment a seat on Ohio's Third Circuit Court, and he was an unsuccessful candidate for a full term. Vollrath was a longtime member of the

Ohio National Guard The Ohio National Guard comprises the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard. The commander-in-chief of the Ohio Army National Guard is the governor of the U.S. state of Ohio. If the Ohio Army National Guard is called to fede ...

. Beginning his career as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in 1884, he soon received his commission as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, and he advanced through the ranks as he served in the

, Pancho Villa Expedition, and

. During the First World War, he commanded several brigades in the 41st Division as a brigadier general and he acted as division commander on several occasions. After the war, Vollrath maintained his military membership by joining the

Organized Reserve Corps The United States Army Reserve (USAR) is a reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the Army element of the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces. Since July 2020, ...

. Following his wartime service, Vollrath continued to practice law, and he maintained an active caseload until becoming ill just a few days before his death. He died in Bucyrus on January 21, 1931, and was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Bucyrus.

Early life

Charles Edward Vollrath was born in

on June 28, 1858, the son of Charles Franklin Vollrath and Eva Elizabeth (Hocker) Vollrath. Vollrath's parents were German immigrants, and he spoke both English and German. He was educated in the public schools of Bucyrus, and graduated from Bucyrus High School in 1878. Vollrath's father was a master woodworker, and during his high school years, Vollrath trained under him as a

joiner A joiner is an artisan and tradesperson who builds things by Woodworking joints, joining pieces of wood, particularly lighter and more ornamental work than that done by a Carpentry, carpenter, including furniture and the "fittings" of a house, ...

and

cabinetmaker A cabinet is a case or cupboard with shelves and/or drawers for storing or displaying items. Some cabinets are stand alone while others are built in to a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood (so ...

. Vollrath attended

from 1879 to 1881, then transferred to

. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton in 1883, and his Master of Arts in 1886. After receiving his bachelor's degree, Vollrath began to study law in the Bucyrus office of attorney

Ebenezer B. Finley Ebenezer Byron Finley (July 31, 1833 – August 21, 1916) was an American attorney and politician from Ohio. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as a U.S. Representative from 1877 to 1881. A native of Orrville, Ohio, Finley was ...

. He was admitted to the bar in 1885 and began to practice in Bucyrus.

Career

Legal and political career

In addition to practicing law in Bucyrus, Vollrath was active in politics as a Republican. In 1884, he was elected secretary of the Republican committee in

Crawford County Crawford County is the name of eleven counties in the United States: * Crawford County, Arkansas * Crawford County, Georgia * Crawford County, Illinois * Crawford County, Indiana * Crawford County, Iowa * Crawford County, Kansas * Crawford County ...

, and he later served as chairman. Vollrath was a delegate to numerous local, county, and state party conventions, and was frequently selected for leadership roles including secretary and credentials committee member. In 1886, he was the Republican nominee for city solicitor. In 1887, he was the party's candidate for prosecuting attorney of Crawford County. In 1891, Vollrath was the Republican nominee judge of the court of common pleas. In 1899, he was again the Republican nominee for county prosecutor. In 1902 he was his party's nominee for city solicitor. In 1904, he was the Republican nominee for common pleas court judge. In December 1904, Governor

Myron T. Herrick Myron Timothy Herrick (October 9, 1854March 31, 1929) was an American banker, diplomat and Republican politician from Ohio. He served as the 42nd governor of Ohio and United States Ambassador to France on two occasions. Biography Herrick was bor ...

appointed Vollrath to fill a vacancy as Judge of the Ohio Circuit Court for the Third Circuit. According to Lieutenant Governor Warren G. Harding, Herrick made the appointment because he was favorably impressed with Vollrath's conduct as judge advocate (prosecutor) during the courts-martial of several Ohio National Guard members following the

Springfield, Ohio Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northe ...

riots that took place after the

Lynching of Richard Dickerson The Richard Dickerson lynching took place in Springfield, Ohio, on 7 March 1904. Dickerson was an African American man arrested for the fatal shooting of a white police officer, Charles B. Collis. A mob broke into the jail and seized and lynched ...

earlier in 1904. He was an unsuccessful candidate to complete the term in November 1905, losing to Michael Donnelly, and served until February 1906. In 1906, he was the Republican nominee for a full term, and lost again to Donnelly. In 1912, Vollrath was his party's nominee for county prosecuting attorney. In 1920, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican nomination for Chief Justice of the

Ohio Supreme Court The Ohio Supreme Court, Officially known as The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio is the highest court in the U.S. state of Ohio, with final authority over interpretations of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. The court has seven members, a ...

. Vollrath was an alternate delegate to the 1924 Republican National Convention.

Business career

Vollrath was also active in several business ventures, including serving as secretary and a member of the board of directors for the Bucyrus Silver Plate Company. In addition, he served on the board of directors of the Peoples' Savings, Building, and Loan Company. With his brothers, he was the owner and operator of a lumber mill that specialized in the manufacture of red cedar shingles. Vollrath also became one of the owners of the ''Bucyrus Telegraph'' newspaper, and served as its corporate secretary and treasurer. In addition, he dealt in real estate, including building lots, homes, and commercial buildings.

Civic and fraternal career

Throughout his life, Vollrath was active in civic and fraternal organizations. In the 1880s, he was one of the managers of the city's

opera house An opera house is a theater (structure), theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a Stage (theatre), stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets. While some venu ...

. He served as secretary of the

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Circle in Bucyrus, as well as taking a leading role in the city's

Chautauqua Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua bro ...

Circle. He was also a longtime member of the

Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was found ...

, American Legion,

Military Order of Foreign Wars The Military Order of Foreign Wars of the United States (MOFW) is one of the oldest veterans' and hereditary associations in the nation with a membership that includes officers and their hereditary descendants from all of the Armed Services. Memb ...

, and Reserve Officers Association. Following his service in Cuba, Vollrath became active in the United Spanish War Veterans. Vollrath was also a member of the

Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba Society of the Army of Santiago de Cuba was an organization, the purpose of which was to record the history and conserve the memory of the events of the campaign which resulted in the surrender, on July 17, 1898, of the Spanish army, the city of ...

, and authored for the organization a history of the 8th Ohio's Spanish–American War service. Vollrath was a devout

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, and held leadership positions in the Bucyrus church throughout his life, including Sunday school superintendent, elder, and deacon. He was an active member of the National Guard Association of Ohio, and held leadership roles including first vice president and president. In 1902, Vollrath was elected to the Wittenberg College board of directors. In 1902, he was elected president of the Bucyrus

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

Military career

Early career

In April 1884, Vollrath joined the Ohio National Guard's Company A, 8th Infantry Regiment as a

. In June, he was promoted to regimental

sergeant major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in t ...

. In June 1886, he received his commission as a

when he was appointed to command the regiment's Company A. In March 1888, he was a candidate for the regiment's junior major position and was defeated by Charles W. F. Dick. In June 1892, he was again a candidate for a vacant major's position, and he was easily elected. After his promotion, Vollrath was assigned to command the 8th Regiment's 2nd Battalion. Vollrath was called to active duty at the start of the

and was appointed as assistant

adjutant general An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the

. He was subsequently assigned as provost marshal on the staff of the Second Army Corps at Camp Alger,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography an ...

. He rejoined his regiment shortly before it departed for

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, and he took part in combat including the Siege of Santiago. At the end of hostilities, the 8th Ohio Infantry was transported to Camp Wickoff, New York for demobilizing. The regiment traveled to

Wooster, Ohio Wooster ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Wayne County. Located in northeastern Ohio, the city lies approximately south-southwest of Cleveland, southwest of Akron and west of Canton. The population was 27,232 at ...

in October, and was mustered out in November. In July 1899, Dick was elected commander of the 8th Ohio with the rank of

colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

, and Vollrath was elected to succeed him as the regiment's lieutenant colonel and second-in-command.

Continued career

In December 1899, Dick was promoted to

brigadier general Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

as commander of the Ohio National Guard's 2nd Brigade, and Vollrath was promoted to colonel and commander of the 8th Ohio Infantry. In the summer of 1900, Vollrath volunteered his regiment for federal service during the U.S. response to the

Boxer Rebellion The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-foreign, anti-colonial, and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, b ...

. The 8th Ohio was not called up, and attended its August summer encampment as scheduled. The 8th Ohio was nicknamed "McKinley's Own" because it included units from President

William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until his assassination in 1901. As a politician he led a realignment that made his Republican Party largely dominant in t ...

's hometown of

Canton, Ohio Canton () is a city in and the county seat of Stark County, Ohio. It is located approximately south of Cleveland and south of Akron in Northeast Ohio. The city lies on the edge of Ohio's extensive Amish country, particularly in Holmes ...

and surrounding communities. In March 1901, the regiment traveled to Washington, D.C. under Vollrath's command so it could participate in the Second inauguration of William McKinley. The regiment participated in the inauguration at its own expense, but in 1902, the Ohio legislature passed a law to reimburse members who had contributed to the effort. Vollrath continued to command the 8th Ohio, and became Ohio's senior regimental commander. His regiment was called out several times in response to violence during labor strikes, including

Bridgeport Bridgeport is the List of municipalities in Connecticut, most populous city and a major port in the U.S. state of Connecticut. With a population of 148,654 in 2020, it is also the List of cities by population in New England, fifth-most populous ...

in December 1909. In March 1913, Vollrath was in command when his regiment was called to active service as part of the state's response to flooding in and around

Dayton Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Da ...

. In June 1916, he led his command when it was mobilized for service on the Mexican border during the Pancho Villa Expedition. In the fall of 1916, the 8th Ohio traveled to Texas, where it was assigned to Camp Pershing near

El Paso El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the ...

. The regiment continued to be based at Camp Pershing while soldiers performed guard and patrol duties along the border with Mexico. In October, Vollrath suffered a broken arm in an auto accident, but he continued in command. The 8th Ohio completed its federal service in March 1917 and returned to Ohio.

Later career

In August 1917, units of the Ohio National Guard, including the 8th Ohio Infantry Regiment, were mobilized for

, and Vollrath was promoted to

. He was subsequently assigned to command the 66th Depot Brigade at Camp Fremont, California, a unit of the 41st Division, which was responsible for the mobilization and training of soldiers activated for wartime service. In September he was assigned to command the division's 66th Artillery Brigade. He was subsequently appointed to command the 41st Division's 82nd Infantry Brigade, which he led in France. Vollrath also acted as commander of the 41st Division on several occasions, including August 3 to 19, 1918, October 24 to 29, 1918, and December 27 to 29, 1918. The 41st Division did not enter combat as a unit, instead providing replacement soldiers for other divisions, and Vollrath oversaw the training of numerous soldiers subsequently sent to the front lines. After the end of the war in November 1918, Vollrath remained in Europe as part of the U.S.

, and he returned to the United States in February 1919. In August 1919, he transferred his military membership to the

, in which he was commissioned as a brigadier general. In March 1920, the government of France awarded him the Order of the Black Star (Commander) to recognize his wartime service and achievements. In August 1929, Vollrath was commissioned as a brigadier general in the Auxiliary Reserve.

Death and burial

Vollrath continued to practice law until he became ill with pneumonia a few days before his death. He died at his home in Bucyrus on January 21, 1931. Vollrath was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Bucyrus.

Family

In 1888, Vollrath married Permilla Kate "Millie" Wise (1861–1910) of Bucyrus. They remained married until her death and were the parents of five children: Jeanne, Edna, Carroll, Victor, and Edward Jr.

Dates of rank

The effective dates of Vollrath's promotions were: * Private, April 30, 1884 *

Sergeant Major Sergeant major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's infantry, and ranked about third in t ...

, June 24, 1884 *

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

, June 30, 1886 * Major, July 5, 1892 * Lieutenant Colonel, August 14, 1899 *

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

, December 23, 1899 *

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...

, August 5, 1917

Notes

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vollrath, Edward 1858 births 1931 deaths People from Bucyrus, Ohio Princeton University alumni National Guard (United States) generals American military personnel of the Spanish–American War United States Army generals United States Army generals of World War I Ohio Republicans Ohio state court judges Burials in Ohio Military personnel from Ohio Ohio National Guard personnel 19th-century United States Army personnel