Historic Dils Cemetery

Col. John Dils Jr.: Pioneer, Patriot, and Controversial Figure in Pike County’s History

Colonel John Dils Jr. was born on September 15, 1818, in Parkersburg, Wood County, West Virginia, into a family deeply rooted in the frontier spirit of the early 19th century. In November 1842, he married Ann Ratliff, daughter of General William Ratliff of Pike County, Kentucky. This marriage connected Dils to a well-known local family and set the stage for his lifelong involvement in the business, politics, and military affairs of Eastern Kentucky.

Merchant and Community Builder

Shortly after his marriage, Dils entered the mercantile business in Pikeville, forming the firm John Dils, Jr. & Co. with partners R.D. Callihan and John N. Richardson. As a successful businessman, Dils played a key role in the economic development of the region, establishing one of the leading commercial enterprises in Pikeville. His tannery and general store became crucial resources for the growing community, supplying goods and employment to countless local families.

The Call to Arms: Service in the Civil War

Dils’s leadership extended beyond business. In 1846, during the Mexican War, he was elected Captain of a volunteer company, but because of Pike County’s remote location, the unit was never called into action. This experience foreshadowed his more consequential role during the Civil War.

When the Civil War erupted, Dils was a prominent merchant and known Unionist in a region fraught with divided loyalties. In October 1861, Confederate Colonel John S. Williams ordered his arrest, and Dils was sent as a prisoner of war to Richmond, Virginia. After securing his release, Dils returned to Pikeville with renewed determination and began recruiting for the Union Army. He successfully raised the 39th Kentucky Mounted Infantry Regiment, promising recruits that they would serve close to home—a promise later overruled by higher command.

During the regiment’s formation at Peach Orchard in 1862, Dils personally financed food and shelter for his men. His unwavering commitment to the Union cause came at a steep price, as his store and tannery were plundered by local Confederate sympathizers.

Controversy and Dismissal

However, Dils’s military career would end in controversy. On December 10, 1863, he was dishonorably dismissed from service by Special Order 548, signed by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. The charges against him were grave: selling captured property for personal gain, misuse of government resources, mistreatment of a non-commissioned officer, and incompetence. Dils was dismissed without a formal trial, a cloud that would hang over his legacy for years to come.

Family tradition holds that Dils traveled to Washington, D.C., to clear his name and seek an audience with President Abraham Lincoln, but the assassination of Lincoln ended that hope.

A Partisan and Survivor

Undeterred, Dils continued to support the Union cause as a partisan leader—what some would call a bushwhacker—possibly alongside figures like Alf Killen and Joel Long. In November 1864, he was captured again by Confederate forces, but he survived, likely negotiating his release to avoid further imprisonment or execution.

After the war, Dils took legal action against those who had robbed his store during the 1862 Confederate raids, creating a paper trail that historians have since used to piece together the turbulent era. Rumors even swirled that he was targeted by outlaws such as the James and Younger brothers—though these claims remain speculative, they add to the mythos surrounding his name.

A Complex Legacy

Beyond his military and business pursuits, Dils played a significant role in the cultural and industrial life of Pike County. He was a founding figure in the establishment of Pikeville College, a philanthropic endeavor that has enriched the region’s educational landscape. His efforts also included industrial projects that laid the groundwork for future economic growth.

Dils’s legacy is further intertwined with local lore, particularly in the context of the Hatfield-McCoy feud. As a respected figure in Pikeville, he moved in circles that often overlapped with the power brokers and feuding families of the day. Whether seen as a hero or a controversial figure, Dils left an indelible mark on his community.

The First Integrated Cemetery in Eastern Kentucky

One of his most enduring legacies is the Dils-Lower Chloe Cemetery, which he established on the property he owned in Pikeville. It is widely regarded as the first racially integrated cemetery in Eastern Kentucky—a reflection of Dils’s willingness to embrace inclusion in an era of profound division. Here, Black and white individuals, Union soldiers, and Confederate sympathizers lie side by side, their resting places a quiet testament to the complexities of a community and its history.

Final Days and Enduring Memory

Col. John Dils Jr. died on August 11, 1895, and was buried in the very cemetery he founded. Today, visitors to the Dils-Lower Chloe Cemetery walk among the graves of men and women whose lives shaped the story of Pike County—and in the midst of them, the grave of a man who was at once a businessman, a soldier, a community leader, and a figure of controversy.

Through his trials and triumphs, Dils’s story is a window into the fraught and fascinating history of the Appalachian region—a reminder that even amid conflict and hardship, legacies can be forged that transcend the divisions of the day.