Jacob Gellert Frick | |
---|---|
Born |
Northumberland County, Pennsylvania |
January 23, 1825
Died | March 5, 1902 Pottsville, Pennsylvania |
(aged 77)
Place of burial | Presbyterian Cemetery, Pottsville, Pennsylvania |
Allegiance |
United States of America Union |
Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
Years of service | 1846 - 1865 |
Rank | Colonel |
Unit | Army of the Potomac |
Commands held |
129th Pennsylvania Infantry 27th Pennsylvania Emergency Militia |
Battles/wars |
Mexican American War American Civil War |
Awards | Medal of Honor |
Other work | businessman |
Jacob Gellert Frick (January 23, 1825 – March 5, 1902) was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was a recipient of the Medal of Honor for his gallantry in action while serving as the colonel of the 129th Pennsylvania Infantry at the battles of Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville.
Frick was born in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, a fourth-generation descendant of Swiss immigrants. In June 1846, following the outbreak of the Mexican-American War, he was commissioned a Third Lieutenant in the 3rd Ohio Infantry Regiment. When the war ended, he received a regular army commission in the 11th US Infantry Regiment. He served as an instructor at Fort McHenry, and was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention.
Eighteen soldiers were awarded Medals of Honor for their heroism during the heavy fighting at Fredericksburg, Virginia, on December 13, 1862. In action against the Confederate forces, Frick seized the colors and led his command through a terrible fire of enemy cannon and musketry. On May 3, 1863, at Chancellorsville, Virginia, Frick recovered the colors of his regiment in a hand-to-hand engagement, after the flag had been taken by Confederate forces.
Frick later led the 27th Pennsylvania Emergency Militia during the Gettysburg Campaign. His men successfully burned the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge to prevent its capture by Confederate infantry under Brig. Gen. John B. Gordon. Later, he consulted with Col. Henry Pleasants regarding digging a mine under Confederate entrenchments during the 1864 Siege of Petersburg that resulted in the Battle of the Crater. After the war, Frick returned to Pottsville, Pennsylvania.