Something had happened to Jacob Ripley after his capture in Tennessee. Maybe it was anger against those who had taken him prisoner or maybe he had geniune feelings that the cause of the Northern states was the only correct way. Whatever the cause, Jacob set out on foot and ended up in the State of Wisconsin. He had decided to re-enter the war for the Union, not as Jacob Ripley but under an alias of James Rogers. If captured again and his true name was discovered, he would face a Rebel firing squad for violating his oath not to fight again.

James Rogers enlisted as a Private in the 4th Light Artillery Regiment in Wisconsin, on August 23, 1864. His unit went on to fight in several places and Jacobs secret remained secure.

On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee, surrendered his army to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. President Lincoln died on April 15th. Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston surrendered to Sherman on April 18th. John Wilkes Booth is killed on April 26. President Lincoln is buried on May 4 and the last remaining Confederate forces surrender. More than 620,000 Americans have died in the war, but Jacob and his brothers Alfred and Austin make it through. On July 3, 1865, James Rogers, the alias of our Jacob Ripley, was mustered out of the army in Richmond, Virginia, the city that had been the Rebel Capital.

Now, back our story up a bit. Jacob had met his wife to be, Minerva Waters, someplace in Wisconsin, before he re-joined the army under his assumed name. Jacob and Minerva were married on December 3, 1863. After the war was over, Jacob returned to Wisconsin where their first child Herbert C. Ripley was born in October of 1867. There may have been births to Jacob and Minerva before Herbert, because there are three births that Minerva said she had and that they died young.

Shortly after Herbert's birth, Jacob took
his family back to his home state and to
 the county of his own birth. By June of
1870, Jacob who was then 27 years old
 and Minerva who was 22 years old, were
 living in Rives Township, Jackson
County with Herbert who was 3 and
Harvey who was only one month old.
 Also Chloe, Jacob's 17 year old younger
sister was living with them and attending
school.

To the right is Rives Township where
 Jacob was living in 1870. The red star is
 where Jacobs dad was living at the same
time in neighboring Henrietta Township. Jacobs
 uncle, John Ripley lived about 8 miles northeast from Charles Ripley's 40 acre farm, at Bunker Hill in Ingham, County.