A Portrait and Biographical Record of Hendricks County (Chicago: A.W. Bowen & Co., 1895)--pages 939-940
Jacob E. Couch, of Marion Township, Hendricks County, Ind., is one of the soldiers of the Civil War, a land-holder and respected citizen. He springs from Scotch ancestry on his paternal side and from English on his maternal. Jacob Couch, father of our subject, was a farmer of Fanning County, Ga., and married Tama Mentor, and to them were born nine children: George, Mary, Katie, John, Moses, Angelina, Humphrey, Martha and Jacob. Mr. Couch moved to and settled in Tennessee, on a farm, when his son Jacob, our subject, was eleven years of age; this farm he later sold and moved to North Carolina, and engaged in the mining business for two years. He then settled on land in Alabama, where he remained until the breaking out of the war, and, being a Unionist, went back to Tennessee, and when that state seceded he went back to Kentucky. He was a Missionary Baptist preacher, and too old to take part in the war, and so remained in Kentucky during hostilities, but had four sons in the Union Army. Mr. Couch was not a believer in slavery, but at one time owned two slaves, was in good circumstances, but was ruined by the war. His sons, John and Humphrey, were in the Twelfth Kentucky infantry, and served three years; George and Jacob E. were both in the Eighth Kentucky cavalry. After the war Jacob Couch returned to Tennessee, where he died in 1869, at the advanced age of about ninety years. He had been a preacher in the Missionary Baptist Church for many years, was also a physician and practiced for at least thirty-five years.
Jacob E. Couch, our subject, was born June 12, 1841, in Georgia, and received a common education. He enlisted in September, 1862, in Kentucky, in Company B, Eighth Kentucky cavalry, and served one year and one month, and was honorably discharged at Lebanon, Ky., in October, 1863. He was in the battles of Giger Lake, Ky., Bowling Green, Ky., Lookout Mountain, on the raid through Indiana and Ohio, and present at the capture of John Morgan. He was one of the escorts of Gen. Shackleford, and heard the conversation between him and Gen. Morgan, in which Gen. Shackleford said: “Colonel, I am glad to meet you;” Morgan replied: “I suppose you are, by the way you have pursued me.” Our young soldier returned with the colonel, and was taken sick with lung-fever at Lebanon, and while he was sick his time expired. He was always an active soldier, and was present in all the battles, raids, skirmishes and marches in which his regiment participated. He was never wounded nor a prisoner, and his sickness ocurred just one month before his time expired. Four brothers out of one family with such records would be a splendid example of loyalty for any northern family, but for a family southern born and reared, it is as remarkable as rare. During the war our subject was married, August 9, 1864, in Pulaski County, Ky., to Nancy E. (born November 1, 1841), daughter of James and Polly (Harden) McFall. James McFall was born in Virginia, of Scotch-Irish stock. He moved to Pulaski County, Ky., as a pioneer, and to himself and wife were born ten children: Elizabeth, John, Eliza J., Polly A., Martha L., James D., Adeline, Nancy E., Andrew J. and Fountain T.
Mr. McFall was a prosperous farmer and also was a strong Union man. Andrew J. was a soldier in the Civil War, in the Second Kentucky cavalry, enlisting in June, 1862, and died of sickness six months after. James McFall lived to be about seventy-eight years old. After marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Couch lived three years in Pulaski County, and then moved to Hendricks County, Ind., in 1868, and settled in Marion Township. In 1871, Mr. Couch bought residence property in New Winchester for a homestead. He receives from the government a pension of eight dollars per month, having been greatly disabled while in the army by exposure, causing lung fever, from the consequences of which he has never recovered. His father, being a doctor, took him home and saved his life. Mr. Couch joined the Missionary Baptist Church when but twelve years of age, and has been a devout member ever since. Mrs. Couch joined the same church at the age of fourteen years, has always adhered to the faith of her youth, and they have both contributed liberally to its support. In politics Mr. Couch is stanch Republican. Mr. Couch was a good soldier, is an honorable citizen and respected man. He did his part to save the Union.