The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1865-08-31
From the JohnstotDn Tribune.
Colonel Jacob M. CampbeIl.

hlled this year by general ticket, naturally
call for more than a brief reference to the
| antecedents and characteristics of our
| standard-bearers. X
Jacob M. Campbell is native of that
old Wing stronghold, Somerset county,
where he was born just forty-fou ago
When mere youth, his parents removed
to Allegheny city, where he went to school
until 1888. In that year, being fourteen
years old, he became an apprentice in the
| office OF the somerset Whiy, Democratic
newspaper, In which he remained until he
had mastered as much ot the printing
business as could be learned in a country
office of that day. In 1910 he left Som
| erset and worked for some time tsat CASE
in the Office of the Literary Eaaminer, a
| monthly magazine of considerable merit
published in Pjttsburg. From here our
'jour printer" found his way to New Or
leans anc into another printing Office
But his active nature was not satisfied
The steamboat trade on the lower Missis-
| sippi presented in 1910, as does the oil
business In 1865, tempting inducements
to enterprising spirits who care less tor
hard knocks than for the substantial ben
efits which they sometimes produce
Laying down his composing stick, the
boy of nineteen became q steamboatman,
and for several subsequent years filed
successfully the positions Of clerk, mate
and part owner of a vessel, always, how
ever, making Pennsylvania his home,
which he frequently visited. In 1917
the iron business of our State attracted
his attention, and he embarked in it al
Brady's Bend. In the same year be mar
ried. In 1851 he followed the course of
empire to California, bat did not long re-
main there, and in 1858 we find him in
Johnstown, assisting in the construction
of our mammoth rolling mill. With this
splendid enterprise he remained connected
up to the breaking out of the war, holding
all the time an important and responsible
position. He was one of the few men
who knea0 ho,o to build and manage sue
cessfully the greatest iron establishment
in the Union.
In April, 1861, Fort Sumter was bonn
barded and the first call appeared for
volunteers to orally round the flag" At
the time Dir. Campbell was first lieutenant
o. volunteer company in Johnstown, and
this company at once rendered its services
to the Governor. 1t iCds the first company
to enter Camp Curtin. Upon the organi-
zation of the Third regiment Of PennsyI-
vania Volunteers, Lieutenant Campbell
was appointed Quartermaster, a position
which he filled with great acceptability
until the regiment was discharged On
the 2Sth of July he was mustered out of
service, and on the Both was commission
ed to recruit a regiment. In due time
h.o al.
composing it having been mainly recruit
ed through Col. CampbelPs individual
exertions. Eight of the companies were
recruited In Cambria and Somerset coun-
ties, and two in Leh;gh and Northampton
counties. The regiment was designated |
the Fifty Fourth.
For two years this regiment performed |
the arduous duty of guarding sixty miles |
Of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and |
while thus engaged really protected the
Maryland and Pennsylvania border from
Rebe! invasion and guerilla outrages 1t
is fact which may not be generally |
known to Pennsylvanians that to the Fif- |
ty-fourth regiment they owe much of the |
security they enjoyed in their persons and |
property during 1862 and 1868, the two |
most critical years of the war. The posi- |
tion of the Fifty-fourth was, at all times, |
an exceedingly trying and dangerous one,
requiring the exercise of tie utmost vigi- |
lance and the souniest discretion. Dur
ing its guardianship Of the railroad, it |
was frequently engaged in skirmishes
with the enemy, and upon more than one |
occasion gave timely and valuable infor- |
nation of bis movements and designs In |
addition to his ordinary duties as com
mander of the regiment, Col Campbell |
was almost daily called upon during this
period to decide disputes between Rebels |
and Uuionists residing along the line of |
the railroad, and it is no exaggeration to |
say that In no Instance was justice cheated |
vr rascality rewarded 1t is not our as
sertion merely but the testimony of all
who are cognizant of the facts, that the
commander of the Fifty-Fourth mani
tested on all occasions the possession of
judicial talent of high order OF his
purely executive ability, the successful
and always satisfactory manner in which
the regiment guarded those sixty mics of
railroad in hostile territory is the only
proof that we need to cite. We had al
most omitted to mention that from March,
1868, until March, 1864. Col Campbell
was in command of the Fourth brigade,
First division, Eighth army corps, in
which was his own regiment.
Early In 1864, Gen. Sigel took COM
mand of the Department of West Virgin
ia, and moved with all his available troops
to Martinsburg, preparatory to movement
up the Shenandoah Valley. In reorgan-
Al Il |