In July of 1861 Jacob enlisted with Company E of the 40th Pennsylvania Volunteers, 11th Reserves. He served as a private. He was wounded at Gaines' Mill and at South Mountain and taken prisoner. He was held on Belle Isle and also at Libby prison. He was honorably discharged at Pittsburgh Pennsylvania on 13 June 1864.

He received a pension of $4 per month for "gun shot wound back, knee" His obituary says that he carried a rebel bullet in his back with him to the grave. After the war, Jacob returned to Pennsylvania and married Mary Jane McGregor. He farmed near Smicksburg in West Mahoning Twp., Indiana Co. Pennsylvania. Three of his five children died while he was living in the area. His only son George died 30 Oct., 1877 at the age of 6. Fifteen days later his daughter, Mary died. Another daughter, Roxy Beatrice died in 1889. All 3 children are buried in the Smicksburg Methodist Church Cemetery, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania.

In 1890 he moved his family to Allerton, Wayne Co., Iowa joining his brother Philip and sisters Martha and Elizabeth and their families His brother George had also lived there until he died in 1866. Jacob's wife, Jane, died in 1899. She had been an invalid for 28 years. In 1905, Jacob Kimple or "Jake" has he was called, sold his home in Allerton and bought a farm from his cousin, Lemuel Kimple, located between Allerton and Corydon, Iowa.

In 1908 he married Charity Hancock and they lived in Parker, Kansas which is south of Olathe. Charity had been married twice before to William Hetzer and Joseph R. Lewis. Jacob's 2 daughters, Minnie Hancock and Mabel Burgy lived nearby; Minnie in Ottawa and Mabel in Emporia, Kansas. In 1909 he applied for an Invalid Pension stating that he was wholly unable to work due to old age. Jacob died in 1924 at the age of 90.