Rollin Valentine Ankeny (May 22, 1830 – December 24, 1901) was an American soldier from Pennsylvania. Raised in Ohio, Ankeny came to Freeport, Illinois, as an adult to farm. Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Ankeny raised eight companies of volunteers before fighting with the

46th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 46th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 46th Illinois Infantry was organized at Camp Butler, Illinois and mustered into Federal service on De ...

. Twice wounded, Ankeny was lauded by his superiors for his topographical maps of battlegrounds and was brevetted a brigadier general. After the war, Ankeny returned to Freeport before purchasing a large farm north of Des Moines, Iowa.

Biography

Rollin Valentine Ankeny was born in Somerset, Pennsylvania, on May 22, 1830. Shortly after his birth, his parents moved the family to Millersburg, Ohio. Ankeny grew up on the family farm and also worked in his father's store. He attended public schools, then moved to Freeport, Illinois in 1854. When the Civil War broke out in 1861, Ankeny helped to raise Company A of the

11th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 11th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment from Illinois that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. In April 1861, it was formed as a three-month volunteer unit, and in July 1861 it was reorganized as ...

and transferred it to Smith D. Atkins. Ankeny then helped to raise seven companies of troops for the next call for volunteers. Ankeny was named first lieutenant of Company B,

. He fought with the regiment, was wounded at the Battle of Fort Donelson and the

Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...

. He was named captain of Company B in 1863. His superiors utilized his skills in drawing topographical maps of battlegrounds. When the

142nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 142nd Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation. In Medieval Europe, the term "regim ...

was raised in June 1864, Ankeny was named its colonel. When the war ended, Ankeny was brevetted a brigadier general. After the war, Ankeny returned to Freeport and continued to farm until 1868. He then moved to Des Moines, Iowa, where he purchased a plot of land north of the city. He moved to Winterset, Iowa after the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad connected to the city and traded in lumber. While there, he was named a deputy United States Marshal. He returned to Des Moines in 1882 but was forced to retire soon after following an injury sustained in a train wreck. After a failed enterprise in the Black Hills of South Dakota, he took a job with the United States Department of the Interior. He retired and returned to Des Moines. Ankeny married Sarah Irvine on August 9, 1851. They had four children: Irvina, Harriet, Rollin, and Mary. Ankeny was a

Mason Mason may refer to: Occupations * Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces * Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cut ...

—a member of the Des Moines Commandery—and attended the

Christian Church In ecclesiology, the Christian Church is what different Christian denominations conceive of as being the true body of Christians or the original institution established by Jesus. "Christian Church" has also been used in academia as a synonym fo ...

. He was also a founding member of the first lodge of the

Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded ...

and post of the Grand Army of the Republic in Des Moines. He died from pneumonia in Des Moines on December 24, 1901, he is interred there in Woodland Cemetery.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ankeny, Rollin V. 1830 births 1901 deaths Burials at Woodland Cemetery (Des Moines, Iowa) People of Illinois in the American Civil War People of Ohio in the American Civil War People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War People from Des Moines, Iowa People from Freeport, Illinois People from Millersburg, Ohio People from Somerset, Pennsylvania People from Winterset, Iowa Union Army colonels Military personnel from Iowa Deaths from pneumonia in Iowa