Jacob Diehm was born in Baden-Baden, Germany on Aug 29, 1829. Looking for a new life and beginning he immigrated to the United States in 1853 and made his way to the city of Chicago, Illinois. As with many immigrants during this time he was exposed and contracted Cholera in the Chicago Cholera outbreak of 1854, and survived. The outbreak cost the lives of 1,424 others. Jacob and Mary were married on Aug 10, 1856 and with the promises of new government land grants in the Kansas Territory moved to Mound Likins. Jacob started his family, and developed his new farm homestead having many children and worked hard to preserve what they had during the time of “Bleeding Kansas”. Times were once again very rough, it wasn’t long before the “Call to Arms” came in 1861 and Jacob, volunteered for the Grand Old Army (GAR) Company D, Kansas 10th Infantry Regiment, which were organized in Paola. The 10th Infantry Regiment saw action in exploration of the Indian Territory, which resulted in the Battle of Locust Grove, Cherokee Nation on July 3, 1862. They went on to encounter many other Campaigns and Battles in Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois. The regiment lost a total of 146 men during service; 2 officers and 26 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded, 4 officers and 114 enlisted men died of disease before Jacob mustered out on 19 Aug 1864. He returned home to his Miami County, Kansas, farm to his wife Mary and continued to build on his successful farm and family until his death on May 10, 1902. Jacob Diehm headstone reads “J.F. Diehm” and sits only a few miles from his small farm where he returned after the war. Jacob Diehm is a true survivor of many obstacles and hardships in his life and a testimony of dreams do come true with hard work, and perseverance. A lesson for us all ….
Behind every headstone is a story and with a little research one can find some amazing facts about the past which formed our history of today.
Congratulations to Love Cachers for the First to Find!