Historical Marker

Col. John Dils, Jr.

Born in Parkersburg, WV, in 1818, Dils came to Pikeville ca. 1840 and became a merchant. In Oct. 1861, while the area was under Confederate control, he was arrested for Union sympathies. Sent to Libby Prison in Richmond, VA, he was quickly released. In Feb. 1862, he went to Washington, D.C. to meet with President Lincoln.

Upon returning to E. Ky., he raised a regiment that became the 39th Ky. Mounted Inf. (Union), which fought several large engagements in this region during Civil War. Dismissed from the service in 1863, Dils later helped bring education and industry to this area. He died in 1895 and is buried in Dils-Lower Chloe Cem., an early integrated burial ground.

Dedicated September 22, 2017.