Eva Wampler was born in Botetourt County, Virginia, in 1738. Her parents being of the early Holland settlers who migrated to Virginia in 1710, and located on the frontier of the said state. The indians were very troublesome. At the early age of seven her parents left her in the house to care for the younger children while they went to the field to work. A band of roving indians came to the house one day, ransacked it, and destroyed everything they could. They then took the featherbeds and ripped them open and poured molasses over them, not daring to burn them for fear of detection. Then they carried the little girl off with them. She was inconsolable and refused to eat anything, when the indians would take their tomahawks and chop into the trees and make motions to her that they would treat her the same if she would not eat. But finding that they could not force her to eat by threats they set her to feeding the Indian pappooses and gaaave her sweet cakes to feed them; and in chewing the cake to give the pappooses, her hunger overcame her and she ate the cakes and in that way broke her fast. The chief of the tribe became interested in her and she became his favorite, and at the age of fourteen was his promised bride. About that time, peace was declared and a reward was offered by the United States Government for the return of all whites stolen by the Indians. Eva was then soon stolen away from her tribe and returned to her parents.

Upon her return she was not able to understand a word of English. Her parents made agreat effort to have her speak or understand, but they could not arrest her attention. Finally they all gathered in a circle around her and began singing a familiar hymn, which she recognized and began to sing. But she could not speak a word for a long time. One day she went out in the field with her father, who was making a fence. He had just brought a rail and started for another. She stood watching him, and all at once she exclaimed: "I will fetch that rail". Her father was so overcome with joy that he took her home at once to tell the family the glad news that she had spoken.

At about the age of twenty-three she was married to Henry Kinsey. They raised a family of six children, some of whom married and settled in Virginia. About the year 1800 she with her husband and family emigrated to Ohio and took up a section of land of six hundred and forty acres, now included in the Dayton National Military Home. They left behind them two married daughters, one of whom was married to Jacob Wolf. The parents anxious to have their daughter Hannah near them wrote often to them to come to Ohio and that they would give them land. Finally Jacob Wolf, husband of Hannah, wrote to the parents saying that if they could find him a good spring of running water that they would come. They found the spring which now bears the name of "The Grotto Spring". The wolf family then moved to Ohio, arriving in 1805, and settled in the old log house which stood on the top of the hill at the "Grotto Spring" , which afterwards became the first headquarters of the National Soldier's Home, and the old red barn became the first dining room which the veterans had, while the sugar grove nearby, which for years had furnished the supplysugar, cast its ample shade on hot summer days for the soldiers to enjoy.

Jacob Wolf served in the War of 1812 as a teamster, hauling supplies for the army between Dayton and Fort Wayne, furnishing his own team of four horses. He was protected by only one bodyguard on this long and dangerous drive. One night while in a dense forest, they stopped to cook coffee and attempted to start the fire by placing powder in the pit of the flint musket. The fire flashed into the lock, causing a load report. They were terribly frightened, thinking that the Indians would find them. But they were not disturbed. He was as honorably discharged soldier and his wife received a pension after his death. While a teamster and upon arriving at Fort Wayne with his supplies, the officers would mess with him, and he would make chocolate for the mess as they were very fond of it. He served for three years in the army, and one night after his return from a trip to Dayton his horses were stolen at Fort Wayne. He was then allowed to return to his home.

Eva Kinsey closed an eventful career in the year of 1812, at the age of eighty-three, and was laid to rest in the knoll near the "Old Deer Lodge" at the National Soldiers Home, which spot also marks the resting place of her husband, Henry Kinsey, who passed away several years prior to her death. Some years later the daughter Hannah died; and afterward Jacob Wolf in 1849.

Seventy-eight years have passed; and what to this early pioneer family and vetern soldier in the days of the tomahawk and scalp was an almost unbroken wilderness and cherished by them as their home, has become the home and retreat for veterans of the late wars. And in the march of civilization the cooling spring for which the vetern while yet in Virginia had asked, has been transformed from the spring at the milk house to the beautiful romantic spot, the "Grotto Spring", where thousands have been refreshed by its cooling waters; and the old farm has become the historic spot that gives rest and shelter to the brave boys of 1861.

The above sory has been questioned by some due to apparent errors. One of these is the widow of Jacob Wolf receiving a pension when Hannah died before him. This is clarified in the Pension records as it was Jacob's second wife who received his pension. The records of the V.A.F.,Dayton, Ohio show that the first deed for land on which the old soldiers home was located was one on February 24,1815 by Henry Kinsey and wife to Jacob Wolf, re 80 acres, pages 27-28. These records also show other land transactions involving other Kinsey's and also dower rights transfers from Jacob Wolf to his second wife Elizabeth Wolf.

The issue of parents coming from Holland is still one that has not been proven. The Wampflers did sail from Holland but were from Alsace. The date must be wrong because Mr. Fred Wampler has done extensive research and the family came in two sets about 1741 and 1747.