Jacob Zeilin
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| Jacob Zeilin | |
|---|---|
| July 16, 1806 – November 18, 1880 | |
 7th Commandant of the Marine Corps (1864-1876) |
|
| Place of birth | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Place of death | Washington, D.C. |
| Allegiance | USMC |
| Years of service | 1831-1876 |
| Rank | Brigadier General |
| Commands | Commandant of the Marine Corps |
| Battles/wars | Mexican-American War San Gabriel River First Battle of Manassas |
Brigadier General Jacob A. Zeilin (July 16, 1806 - November 18, 1880) was the first United States Marine Corps general. He served as the seventh Commandant of the United States Marine Corps from 1864 to 1876.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Zeilin entered the Marine Corps as a Second Lieutenant on October 1, 1831 after several years of study at the United States Military Academy. By 1836, he reached the rank of First Lieutenant. Between 1845 and 1848, 1st Lt Zeilin cruised on the Columbus and Congress. During the Mexican-American War, he commanded the Marine detachment embarked in Congress, which ship was attached to Commodore Robert F. Stockton's force. He took part in the conquest of California and was brevetted to the rank of major for gallantry during the action at the San Gabriel River crossing on January 9, 1847. Later, he took part in the capture of Los Angeles and in the Battle of La Mesa. In 1847, Zeilin served as military commandant at San Diego and, in September, served with the forces that captured Guaymas and those that met the enemy at San Jose on the 30th. For the remainder of the war, Mazatlán was his center of activity, and he fought in several skirmishes with the Mexicans in that area.
After the Mexican War, Zeilin served with the Marine detachment in Mississippi in which ship he cruised to Japan with Commodore Matthew C. Perry's expedition. Following that duty, various assignments ashore occupied his time until the outbreak of the American Civil War. On July 21, 1861, Zeilin commanded a company of Marines during the First Battle of Manassas and received a slight wound. Later, he went to sea again, serving with the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron under Rear Admiral John Dahlgren. In 1864, Zeilin assumed command of the Marine Barracks at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. That June, he was appointed Commandant of the Marine Corps in the rank of colonel. In 1874, Zeilin became the Marine Corps' first general officer when he was promoted to brigadier general.
Brigadier General Zeilin retired from the Marine Corps on November 1, 1876. Four years later, on 18 November 1880, he died in Washington, D.C. He is buried in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Two ships in the United States Navy have been named USS Zeilin in his honor.
[edit] References
- This article includes text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
- United States Marine Corps official biography.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Col John Harris |
Commandant of the United States Marine Corps 1864–1876 |
Succeeded by Col Charles G. McCawley |
Categories: Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships | 1806 births | 1880 deaths | People from Philadelphia | Union Marines | United States Marine Corps generals | United States Marine Corps Commandants | Non-graduate alumni of West Point | People of the Mexican-American War | People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War
