Jacob Wilson Aderhold was the son of German immigrant John George Aderhold and Margareth Hasselberger, of North Carolina.  He was the youngest of their nine children, and was born on November 28, 1825, in Georgia. Aderhold spent his early years in and around Macon,, GA.  Under the name of Wilson J. Aderhold, he enlisted, at the age of 20, as a Private in the Georgia regiment of Volunteers for the Mexican War, his service in the company earned him a fine military record.