Person:Eugene Zimmerman (1)

Railroad Tycoon, Union Civil War Naval Officer. Born on an estate in Vicksburg, Mississippi, he was the son of an Ohio native, Solomon Zimmerman. Solomon removed to Mississippi to acquire an inheritance of property that consisted of a foundry and several slaves. Eugene grew up at the family's business and was sent to Cincinnati in 1859 to attend Farmers' College. In the spring of 1861, he went to the Gambier Academy, a preparatory school, with the intention of attending Kenyon College.

When the Civil War began, Zimmerman abandoned his studies and volunteered to serve with his colleagues. He tried to join the U.S. Navy but was refused because of his age. Still, he persisted and with a few adjustments, he was accepted. He became a master's mate and was assigned to the Mississippi River Squadron. He narrowly escaped death when his ship struck a torpedo and exploded, killing several seamen and throwing Zimmerman into the Yazoo River. He served with distinction in the successful charge and capture of Arkansas Post. Zimmerman was promoted to Ensign. He then participated in engagements at St. Charles and Duvall's Bluffs. The Navy's next target was the Campaign at Vicksburg, his hometown. Placed in charge of a mortar boat, he was sent up the Yazoo River, and later made a successful run against the blockade at Vicksburg in April 1863. He was involved in several missions during the campaign and was promoted to Acting Master and Officer of the U.S.S. Ouachita after the surrender of Vicksburg. His former home and his father's business was destroyed during the siege. During the remainder of the war, he was eventually made a Lieutenant and given command of a ship at the age of nineteen. He was the youngest officer at his rank in the entire U.S. Navy. He resigned his commission after the war, was honorably discharged, and returned to Ohio as a war hero.

A few years later he was engaged in the railroad business. He was a director at the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad Company and eventually became vice president of the company. He was also a large stockholder in the Standard Oil Company and several coal yards. In his later years, he traveled through Europe and Africa. He died at his residence in Mount Auburn near Cincinnati in 1914.

1. ↑ MacColl, Gail, and Carol McD. Wallace. To Marry an English Lord. (New York: Workman Publishing, 1989).
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Find A Grave.

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