David Ziegler
Encyclopedia
David Ziegler was a German immigrant to the United States
who served in the U.S. military and became the first mayor of Cincinnati
, Ohio
.
, Germany
. Little is known of his early life. He became a soldier, and was said to have fought in the Seven Years' War
under Frederick the Great. He served with distinction in the army of Russia
during the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). He became an officer, was wounded in action, and resigned his commission in 1774 with the demobilization of the Russian army.
About 1775 Ziegler emigrated to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
, soon before shooting began in the American Revolutionary War
. He served in the Continental Army
as a lieutenant and adjutant
under Colonel William Thompson
in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment
, a unit with many German immigrants. He was severely wounded at the Battle of Long Island
on August 27, 1776. After recovering, he rejoined General George Washington
's army for the Philadelphia campaign
, seeing action at Brandywine
, Germantown
, Paoli and Monmouth
, and wintering with the army at Valley Forge
.
He was promoted to captain in December 1778, and served as brigade inspector of the Pennsylvania Brigade, his experience making him a good choice for drill instructor. He subsequently served as commissary general under General Arthur St. Clair
, though he preferred to serve in the field with his regiment. His unit, being well-disciplined, did not participate in the mutiny of the Pennsylvania Line
in January 1781. The Pennsylvania troops were reorganized and Ziegler was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown
in October 1781. After Yorktown Ziegler accompanied his regiment to South Carolina
to serve under General Anthony Wayne
. With the end of the war, Ziegler retired from the army on January 1, 1783. Unsure about what he was going to do with his life, he openly wept during the final review of the troops by General Nathanael Greene
.
, and opened a grocery store. He became a member of the Society of the Cincinnati
. Military service again beckoned, and in August 1784 he was commissioned a captain in the United States Army
to serve on the Ohio Valley frontier under Colonel Josiah Harmar
. In 1789 he was promoted to major by President George Washington. That year he commanded the military escort to Native Americans
, including Chief Cornplanter
, at the Treaty of Fort Harmar
near Marietta, Ohio
. While stationed at Fort Harmar
, Ziegler married Lucy Anne Sheffield on February 22, 1789. Sheffield was a native of Rhode Island, and had come to Marietta with her widowed mother, who was a shareholder in the Ohio Company
. The Zieglers did not have any children.
In 1790 Ziegler was a part of Harmar's campaign against the Native American confederacy
in Ohio, which ended in defeat and retreat to Fort Washington
. Ziegler was a witness at Harmar's court of inquiry: he supported his commander and blamed the debacle on undisciplined militia
, inadequate supplies, and poor logistics
.
Commissioned a major in the First American Regiment
on October 22, 1790, the next year Ziegler accompanied General St. Clair in another expedition into the Northwest Territory, which met with even more disastrous results at the Battle of the Wabash
. Ziegler performed well, covering the retreat of the fleeing Americans. Ziegler was placed in command of the western forces when St. Clair was recalled for a court of inquiry. Once again Ziegler was called to testify, and again he supported his commander. Disturbed by disputes and jealousy in the officer corps, he resigned from the army on March 5, 1792.
in the town. In December 1799, after hearing the news of the death of President Washington, Ziegler was a pallbearer
in a mock funeral held for Washington, one of many such ceremonies performed around the country.
After the rapidly growing settlement of Cincinnati was incorporated as a village in 1802, Ziegler was elected as mayor, then known as "President of the Council". He was unanimously reelected for a second term in 1803, but declined to run again in 1804. He was thereafter elected as commander of the local militia and held other public offices, including serving in 1807 as the adjutant general
of the Ohio Militia.
He was a wealthy man when he died in 1811. He was buried in Cincinnati. As the city grew, in 1844 his remains were transferred to another cemetery in the city. Several years later his remains were moved once again to lie with his wife in Woodland Cemetery
in Dayton, Ohio
. Cincinnati's Ziegler Park, at Sycamore Street between 13th and 14th Streets, was named for him by Over-the-Rhine
Germans.
Historian James H. O'Donnell wrote:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
who served in the U.S. military and became the first mayor of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Early life and career
Johann David Ziegler was born in HeidelbergHeidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Little is known of his early life. He became a soldier, and was said to have fought in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
under Frederick the Great. He served with distinction in the army of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
during the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774). He became an officer, was wounded in action, and resigned his commission in 1774 with the demobilization of the Russian army.
About 1775 Ziegler emigrated to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, soon before shooting began in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. He served in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
as a lieutenant and adjutant
Adjutant
Adjutant is a military rank or appointment. In some armies, including most English-speaking ones, it is an officer who assists a more senior officer, while in other armies, especially Francophone ones, it is an NCO , normally corresponding roughly to a Staff Sergeant or Warrant Officer.An Adjutant...
under Colonel William Thompson
William Thompson (general)
William Thompson was a soldier from Pennsylvania and a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.Thompson was born in Ireland and emigrated to Carlisle, Pennsylvania...
in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment
1st Pennsylvania Regiment
The 1st Pennsylvania Regiment, also known as the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment and 1st Continental Regiment, was raised under the command of Colonel William Thompson for service in the Continental Army.-History:...
, a unit with many German immigrants. He was severely wounded at the Battle of Long Island
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
on August 27, 1776. After recovering, he rejoined General George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
's army for the Philadelphia campaign
Philadelphia campaign
The Philadelphia campaign was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War to gain control of Philadelphia, which was then the seat of the Second Continental Congress...
, seeing action at Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
, Germantown
Battle of Germantown
The Battle of Germantown, a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War, was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania between the British army led by Sir William Howe and the American army under George Washington...
, Paoli and Monmouth
Battle of Monmouth
The Battle of Monmouth was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on June 28, 1778 in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The Continental Army under General George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army column commanded by Lieutenant General Sir Henry Clinton as they left Monmouth Court...
, and wintering with the army at Valley Forge
Valley Forge
Valley Forge in Pennsylvania was the site of the military camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War.-History:...
.
He was promoted to captain in December 1778, and served as brigade inspector of the Pennsylvania Brigade, his experience making him a good choice for drill instructor. He subsequently served as commissary general under General Arthur St. Clair
Arthur St. Clair
Arthur St. Clair was an American soldier and politician. Born in Scotland, he served in the British Army during the French and Indian War before settling in Pennsylvania, where he held local office...
, though he preferred to serve in the field with his regiment. His unit, being well-disciplined, did not participate in the mutiny of the Pennsylvania Line
Pennsylvania Line
Pennsylvania, like many other colonies, was involved with the war and developing problem of the American Revolution.-History:Philadelphia was the site of the Constitutional Convention. It also served as the capital city for a while. Threats from Britain caused the country to relocate to...
in January 1781. The Pennsylvania troops were reorganized and Ziegler was present at the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown
Siege of Yorktown
The Siege of Yorktown, Battle of Yorktown, or Surrender of Yorktown in 1781 was a decisive victory by a combined assault of American forces led by General George Washington and French forces led by the Comte de Rochambeau over a British Army commanded by Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis...
in October 1781. After Yorktown Ziegler accompanied his regiment to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
to serve under General Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
. With the end of the war, Ziegler retired from the army on January 1, 1783. Unsure about what he was going to do with his life, he openly wept during the final review of the troops by General Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
.
Frontier soldier
After the war he settled in Carlisle, PennsylvaniaCarlisle, Pennsylvania
Carlisle is a borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The name is traditionally pronounced with emphasis on the second syllable. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2010 census, the borough...
, and opened a grocery store. He became a member of the Society of the Cincinnati
Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a historical organization with branches in the United States and France founded in 1783 to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the American Revolutionary War officers and to pressure the government to honor pledges it had made to officers who fought for American...
. Military service again beckoned, and in August 1784 he was commissioned a captain in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
to serve on the Ohio Valley frontier under Colonel Josiah Harmar
Josiah Harmar
Josiah Harmar was an officer in the United States Army during the American Revolution and the Northwest Indian War. He was the senior officer in the Army for seven years....
. In 1789 he was promoted to major by President George Washington. That year he commanded the military escort to Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, including Chief Cornplanter
Cornplanter
Gaiänt'wakê was a Seneca war-chief. He was the son of a Seneca mother, Aliquipiso, and a Dutch father, Johannes Abeel. He also carried the name John Abeel after his fur trader father...
, at the Treaty of Fort Harmar
Treaty of Fort Harmar
The Treaty of Fort Harmar was an agreement between the United States government and numerous Native American tribes with claims to the Ohio Country. it was signed at Fort Harmar, near present-day Marietta, Ohio, on January 9, 1789. Representatives of the Six Nations and other groups including the...
near Marietta, Ohio
Marietta, Ohio
Marietta is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Ohio, United States. During 1788, pioneers to the Ohio Country established Marietta as the first permanent American settlement of the new United States in the Northwest Territory. Marietta is located in southeastern Ohio at the mouth...
. While stationed at Fort Harmar
Fort Harmar
Fort Harmar was an early United States frontier military fort, built in pentagonal shape during 1785 at the confluence of the Ohio and Muskingum Rivers, on the west side of the mouth of the Muskingum River. It was built under the orders of Josiah Harmar and took his name...
, Ziegler married Lucy Anne Sheffield on February 22, 1789. Sheffield was a native of Rhode Island, and had come to Marietta with her widowed mother, who was a shareholder in the Ohio Company
Ohio Company of Associates
The Ohio Company of Associates, also known as the Ohio Company, was a land company which is today credited with becoming the first non-American Indian group to settle in the present-day state of Ohio...
. The Zieglers did not have any children.
In 1790 Ziegler was a part of Harmar's campaign against the Native American confederacy
Western Confederacy
The Western Confederacy, also known as Western Indian Confederacy, was a loose confederacy of North American Natives in the Great Lakes region following the American Revolutionary War...
in Ohio, which ended in defeat and retreat to Fort Washington
Fort Washington
Fort Washington may refer to:In the United States:* In California:** Fort Washington, California, census-designated place* In Maryland:** Fort Washington, Maryland, census-designated place...
. Ziegler was a witness at Harmar's court of inquiry: he supported his commander and blamed the debacle on undisciplined militia
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
, inadequate supplies, and poor logistics
Military logistics
Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with:...
.
Commissioned a major in the First American Regiment
First American Regiment
The First American Regiment was the first peacetime regular army force authorized by United States Congress after the American Revolutionary War...
on October 22, 1790, the next year Ziegler accompanied General St. Clair in another expedition into the Northwest Territory, which met with even more disastrous results at the Battle of the Wabash
St. Clair's Defeat
St. Clair's Defeat also known as the Battle of the Wabash, the Battle of Wabash River or the Battle of a Thousand Slain, was fought on November 4, 1791 in the Northwest Territory between the United States and the Western Confederacy of American Indians, as part of the Northwest Indian War...
. Ziegler performed well, covering the retreat of the fleeing Americans. Ziegler was placed in command of the western forces when St. Clair was recalled for a court of inquiry. Once again Ziegler was called to testify, and again he supported his commander. Disturbed by disputes and jealousy in the officer corps, he resigned from the army on March 5, 1792.
Cincinnati
Ziegler settled near Cincinnati, trying his hand at farming before opening a general storeGeneral store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
in the town. In December 1799, after hearing the news of the death of President Washington, Ziegler was a pallbearer
Pallbearer
A pall-bearer is one of several funeral participants who helps carry the casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or viewing either directly to a cemetery or mausoleum, or to and from the hearse which carries the coffin....
in a mock funeral held for Washington, one of many such ceremonies performed around the country.
After the rapidly growing settlement of Cincinnati was incorporated as a village in 1802, Ziegler was elected as mayor, then known as "President of the Council". He was unanimously reelected for a second term in 1803, but declined to run again in 1804. He was thereafter elected as commander of the local militia and held other public offices, including serving in 1807 as the adjutant general
Adjutant general
An Adjutant General is a military chief administrative officer.-Imperial Russia:In Imperial Russia, the General-Adjutant was a Court officer, who was usually an army general. He served as a personal aide to the Tsar and hence was a member of the H. I. M. Retinue...
of the Ohio Militia.
He was a wealthy man when he died in 1811. He was buried in Cincinnati. As the city grew, in 1844 his remains were transferred to another cemetery in the city. Several years later his remains were moved once again to lie with his wife in Woodland Cemetery
Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio
Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum , located at 118 Woodland Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, is one of the oldest "garden" cemeteries in the United States....
in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. Cincinnati's Ziegler Park, at Sycamore Street between 13th and 14th Streets, was named for him by Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine
Over-the-Rhine, sometimes shortened to OTR, is a neighborhood in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is believed to be the largest, most intact urban historic district in the United States. Over-the-Rhine was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 with 943 contributing buildings...
Germans.
Historian James H. O'Donnell wrote:
Ziegler was one of those absolutely dependable soldiers and public servants to whom the new country owed a great debt. Throughout his career, he had fulfilled responsibility in the most exemplary manner. Whether escorting ammunition to General Washington, carrying a flag of truce to enemy lines, guarding Native American diplomats, or standing fast in the face of enemy fire amid hysterical militia in retreat, Ziegler was ever the calm, loyal professional.