Jacob Schelling

Jacob Schelling, of Elsinore, was born in Schoflhansen, Switzerland, February 25, 1844. His ancestors and parents were Swiss people. The latter came to America and settled in Germantown, Pennsylvania. They had six children, three of whom are now living, When the great war of the rebellion broke out our young hero of thirty-six hard-fought battles was but a boy of seventeen; scarcely large enough to be received; but with his brother Henry was mustered in and did his duty as a soldier in every place where duty called. He belonged to First Battalion, Yates Sharp-shooters, but re-enlisted as a veteran in Company F, Sixty-fourth Regiment Illinois Veteran Volunteers, First Brigade, First Division, Seventeenth Army Corps. At the second battle of Corinth his regiment suffered heavily. At the battle of Atlanta they lost twenty-three commanding officers and their Colonel received two wounds, and at the Kenesaw mountains they lost sixty men. At this place a ball grazed his throat. He was with Sherman on his march to the sea, and marched 100 miles with one shoe. They were six weeks at Savannah, and while there lived principally on rice, which they hulled themselves with the muzzle of their guns. They heard the news of Lee's surrender and of Johnston's surrender, and the soldiers were filled with great happiness. They took part in the grand review at Washing tort, an army of tried victorious veterans ready to lay down their arms and betake themselves to the peaceful avocations of life. He and his brother came out alive and well. His brother still lives and is now in Denver. His father died in Kankakee County, Illinois, at forty years of age, killed accidentally by a bale a hay falling on his head. His younger brother now lives in Kankakee, Illinois. He was five. years in the United States regular army and came out a Sergeant.

While in Illinois Mr. Schelling did not make property, so he came in 1875 to Los Angeles, California, and for nine years worked for prominent men there, and then came to Elsinore, where he homesteaded 120 acres of Government land, on which he has built a house and made other improvements. His property is in full view of Lake Elsinore and the Santa Rosa mountains, and is a nice sight. He has made a large tunnel in the mountain on his land, from which flows a nice spring of water; besides this he has two wells on the place. Mr. Schelling is a horseman and owns a fine Mambrino horse, Monte, a pure-bred animal of fine size and proportions and in color coal black. His sire's record is 2:27, and the whole progeny are noted for speed. Mr. Schelling is a member of the G. A. R., T. B. Stevens Post, No. 103, Elsinore. His record as a soldier entitles him to great respect.

Source: An Illustrated History of Southern California; pub. Chicago: Lewis Pub. Co., 1890.

Related Links:

• California Genealogy and History
• Civil War Records
• Schelling Surname Genealogy

 

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