USA > Indiana > Cass County > History of Cass County, Indiana, from its earliest settlement to the present time; with Biographical Sketches and Reference to Biographies, Volume I > Part 26
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COMPANY A, ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTIETH REGIMENT
Kirkpatrick, Henry; died at Atlanta, October 25, 1864. Baker, Irvin; killed by guerrillas in Tennessee, November 27, 1864. Maines, Christopher; killed by guerrillas in Tennessee, November 27, 1864.
Thomas, Albert; died at Knoxville, Tennessee, July 18, 1864. House, David; died at Chattanooga, November 10, 1864. Reeder, James W .; died at Walton, September 1, 1865.
COMPANY K, ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT
Eicholbarger, August; died at Tullahoma, Tennessee, September 18, 1864.
COMPANY B, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT Shannon, James; died at Nashville, Tennessee, February 15, 1865.
COMPANY I, ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-SECOND REGIMENT
Kennedy, James B .; died at Nashville, Tennessee, April 3, 1865. Kemp, Wilkinson; died at Nashville, Tennessee, January 30, 1865. Kemp, Andrew J .; died at Nashville, Tennessee, January 31, 1865.
COMPANY D, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT Bell, John C .; died near Nashville, Tennessee, January 24, 1865.
COMPANY F, ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIRST REGIMENT Cary, Calvin P .; died at Nashville, Tennessee, July 22, 1865. Farrel, Edward; died at Nashville, Tennessee, July 15, 1865. St. Clair, Reuben; died at Nashville, Tennessee, July 15, 1865. Taylor, Edward; died at Tullahoma, Tennessee April 14, 1865.
LOCAL INCIDENTS OF WAR TIMES
Whilst Cass county citizens were practically unanimous in sustain- ing President Lincoln in the prosecution of the war for the Union, yet there were a few ultra partisans, who were in sympathy with the South and especially bitter against Mr. Lincoln's method of enlisting the
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negroes as soldiers. Mr. Gordon, in the northern part of Bethlehem township, was an exemplary man and a good citizen, but an extreme partisan and to show his bitterness against the conduct of the war, he erected a tall pole in front of his house, on the Michigan road, and ran up a Confederate flag. This fact was soon known to the Union men of Bethlehem and the following day a posse of supporters of the Union cause proceeded to cut down the pole and trail the rebel banner in the dust. Exasperated at the boldness of the Union men, some of the sympathizers of the lost cause stealthily in the night time cut the rope and pulled down the stars and stripes from a 75-foot flag pole erected in front of the Metea postoffice for the purpose of announcing victories of the Union armies to the people of Bethlehem; the perpetrator of the deed, however, was never known.
BUTTER-NUT BREAST PINS
During the Rebellion the women in sympathy with the South made open manifestation of the same by wearing what was termed butter-nut breast pins as emblematic of the southern soldiers, who were uniformed in goods dyed brown with butter-nut hulls. So the women would saw a cross section of a butter-nut, polish the same, attach a pin and wear it as an ornamental pin. This overt act of sympathy for the South ex- asperated the sisters and mothers of the boys in blue, who were sacri- ficing their life and limb that the Union might be preserved, and the writer has witnessed numerous instances where women would snatch the butter-nut pin from the collar or coat of those wearing such Con- federate emblems at church and public places, thus precipitating a fight among the fair sex. But the Union cause was largely predominant and the emblems of the lost cause soon went into hiding, not, however, without some bitterness engendered on both sides of the conflict as well as some disheveling of female hair and wearing apparel. Thus was the term butter-nut applied to those who were in sympathy with the South during the Civil war.
A FIGHTING PARSON
During the war feeling ran high in Logansport and many personal encounters occurred. On one occasion a southern sympathizer made some exultant remark over a victory of the Confederate army. Capt. John T. Powell hearing the remark engaged him in a fistic fight and gave the fellow a good trouncing. Powell was a devout Methodist and the friends of the vanquished cause brought charges against him and endeavored to have him expelled from the church. Rev. McMullen was the pastor before whom the case was tried and he was a very ardent Union man and after hearing the evidence he deprecated fighting among the brethren without good cause, but where they did fight for cause he wanted his brethren to whip their antagonists; with this statement he dismissed the charge.
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR
Cuban revolutions against Spanish rule and struggles for inde- pendence had become so numerous and formidable for many years that it was a serious menace to the commerce of the United States and greatly injured American interests, so much so that the United States congress acknowledged the independence of Cuba which precipitated the war with Spain and President Mckinley issued a call for 125,000 men on
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April 23, 1898. Indiana's quota was four regiments and two batteries of artillery. On April 25, 1898, Governor Mount issued a proclamation calling for volunteers to meet Indiana's quota.
In the Civil war Indiana furnished 26 batteries and 156 regiments, so in the war with Spain the numbering began at 27 for the batteries and 157 for regiments of infantry. Later on the president issued a call for 75,000 additional men and Indiana furnished another regiment, the One Hundred and Sixty-first. Cass county recruited one entire company for the Spanish-American war, which was known as Company M, One Hundred and Sixtieth Regiment. David S. Bender, a veteran of the Civil war, recruited this company in Logansport and on April 26, 1898, proceeded to Camp Mount, located on the state fair grounds at Indian- apolis. Mustered into service on May 12, 1898. Left for Camp Thomas, Chickamauga Park, Georgia, May 16th. Left for Newport News on July 28th, expecting to proceed to Porto Rico, but orders were counter- manded and on August 21st went to Camp Hamilton, Lexington, Ken- tucky. November 9th, proceeded to Columbus, Georgia, and on Janu- ary 15, 1899, ordered to Matanzas, Cuba, where they remained until March 27th, when they left for Savannah, Georgia, where they were mustered out April 25, 1899, without engaging the enemy and with the loss of only one man by disease, Orestes Rizer, who died at Lexington, Kentucky, November 8, 1898.
The following is the muster roll of the officers and men:
COMPANY M, ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTIETH REGIMENT
Captain : David S. Bender.
First Lieutenant : Wm. C. Dunn.
Second Lieutenant: Leroy Fitch.
Sergeants : Behmer, Walter . J .; Burkitt, Frank; Johnson, James; Richardson, Charles; Huckleberry, Wm. G .; Booth, Edwin B.
Corporals: Crooks, Alva A .; Johnson, Clarence W .; Souders, Chas.
G .; Gemmell, Robt. B .; Gipe, Isaac N .; Osborn, Harry.
Musician : McElheny, Thos J.
Artificer: Holman, James W.
Wagoner: Cory, Harry.
Privates : Albert, Anthony ; Ayers, Wise; Asmus, Gust; Albert, Wm. H .; Banta, Chas .; Bear, Chas .; Bruner, Chas .; Carroll, Owen; Castle, Kirk; Catterlin, Fenton; Cramer, Fred A .; Crawford, Thos. H .; Cripe, John W .; Crockett, Chas .; DeLawter, Jesse B .; Denbo, Robt. J .; Dolan, James W .; Deyer, Gustave; Elliott, James W .; Fickle, Harry; Fisher, Oscar B .; Freshoure, Francis; Fox, Emanuel A .; Gates, Wm. R. L .; Geiger, Frank E .; Gemmill, Thos. B .; Gibson, Arthur F .; Granger, Wm. R .; Griffin, Wm .; Griffin, John A .; Hager, Matthew; Hewlett, Leroy ; Henkle, Jonathan; Hutton, Edwin L .; Izor, Emmett; Jackson, Ernest; Jackson, Ira T .; Kerns, Chas. W .; Kearns, Frank C .; Leamle, Dan W .; Ludwig, Samuel; McGinley, John; Meden, Albert; Merritt, Elmer; Myers, Rollings H .; Newby, John A .; O'Riley, John; Peck, Chas. A .; Powell, John W .; Putnam, John; Ray, Clare M .; Ray, John F .; Ren- nells, Benj .; Robertson, Rennie; Rollings, Wm .; Rupp, Jacob; Schmer -. ber, Wm .; Shewman, Jos .; Smith, Leroy; Snyder, Mahlon; Stoughton, Arthur; Voll, Robt .; Viney, Hal T .; Wetsel, Geo. H .; Banta, Beaufort; Barron, Leon L .; Boyer, Alex B .; Castle, Bert; Commons, Alex C .; Fournier, Lucian; Gall, Edward; Hanna, Thos. J .; Hartman, Henry ; Houser, Calvin E .; Moore, Wm .; Patterson, Albert; Patton, Jesse B .; Powell, Anson B .; Rizer, Orestes D .; Rollings, Lee J .; Runyon, Alden
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C .; Swigart, John F .; Tosler, Wm .; Wallrath, Wm .; White, Fred; Wil- liams, Chas. S.
, The One Hundred and Sixtieth Regiment, to which the Cass county boys belonged, was commanded by Col. Geo. W. Gunder, of Marion.
U. S. SIGNAL CORPS
The following Cass county men served in the Spanish-American war as part of the Fourteenth United States Signal Corps :
First lieutenant: Williamson S. Wright.
Sergeant: Claude R. Bebee.
Privates: Hall, Walter A .; Keiser, Wm. N .; Massena, Chas .; Nel- son, J. V. D .; Young, Dell W.
The results of the Spanish-American war are facts of history unnec- essary to repeat here except to say that the United States was an easy victor, on land and sea, and that the U. S. fleets at Santiago and Manila did honor to our country, as did also our land forces at San Juan Hill and peace was soon proclaimed with Cuban independence, and Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands relinquished by Spain to the United States. The United States, however, always magnanimous in defeat or victory, in order to appease the wounded pride of the Spanish govern- ment, paid her $20,000,000 for the islands.
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
Logansport Post, No. 14, of the G. A. R., was organized February 26, 1880, under the charter bearing the same date with the following charter members :
Thomas C. Haire, Thos. H. McKee, James C. Chiddester, David Laing, John T. Powell, D. H. Mull, J. Y. Ballou, Frank Swigart, John W. Griggs, Alex Hardy, J. W. F. Liston, D. B. McConnell, B. B. Powell, Samuel D. Meck, Geo. P. McKee, Harvey H. Miller, R. R. Car- son, O. B. Sargent, John R. Moore, D. L. Bender, Chas. E. Hale, W. F. Hensley, John Higley, Fred Fitch, John Sanford, Jos. T. McNary, J. L. Herand, John R. Greggs, John C. Cole, Wm. M. DeHart, M. E. Griswold, Jasper A. Paugh, Henry Tucker, T. H. Bringhurst, Chas. H. Barron, J. A. Mowry, Lee H. Dagget, T. H. Ijams, W. H. H. Ward, Geo. K. Marshall, A. W. Stevens, A. Miller, Jos. R. Hays, James W. Lesh, W. Dunn, S. A. Vaughn, A. H. Landis, A. M. Chord, W. A. Bigler, Sol Smith, James Brosier, F. E. West, John Goring, Peter Keller, James H. Vigus, O. J. Stouffer.
The first officers were: Joseph G. Barron, commander; Joseph Y. Ballou, senior vice-commander; John T. Powell, junior vice-commander ; O. B. Sargent, quartermaster; T. H. McKee, chaplain; Thomas Haire, inner guard; Geo. P. McKee, outer guard; Frank E. West, adjutant.
The present officers are A. C. Walters, commander; John Ensfield, S. V. C .; W. H. Ward, J. V. C .; John Moore, chaplain; Henry Tucker, quartermaster ; J. E. Crain, adjutant.
The present membership is 117.
Soon after the organization was perfected the post leased the hall at No. 424-6 Market street, and it has ever since been known as G. A. R. hall ..
G. A. R. QUARTET
This music club organized in the winter of 1879 was composed of the following members of Logansport Post, G. A. R .: J. E. Crain, Company F, One Hundred and Fifty-first Indiana Infantry; H. C.
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Cushman, first lieutenant, Company A, Ninety-fourth Ohio; I. N. Watkins, Company F, Seventh Indiana Infantry; W. S. Richardson, Company F, Forty-sixth Indiana Infantry, and Miss Sallie Horn, accompanist, the latter a daughter of Geo. C. Horn, a veteran of two wars.
This quartet has been called on to sing at many G. A. R. encamp- ments and at various patriotic celebrations, and has been known far and wide as a most excellent male quartet for the past third of a cen- tury, and although their combined ages at this writing is two hundred and eighty, yet they can excite the cheers of their comrades by their musical voices as they used to do while marching through Georgia.
LINCOLN CIRCLE NO. 1 OF THE LADIES OF THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
This organization had its inception and beginning in Logansport, Jasper A. Paugh being the prime mover, but unfortunately before it
G. A. R. QUARTETTE
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT : J. E. CRAIN, H. C. CUSHMAN ; MISS SALLIE HORN, ACCOMPANIST; I. N. WATKINS; W. S. RICHARDSON, (DIED FEB. 12, 1913)
was completely organized he died, but his wife, Martha A. Paugh, took up the work and pushed it to completion.
This society is an independent organization and not auxiliary to or dependent upon the G. A. R. or any other order. It is composed of the wives, mothers, daughters and granddaughters or blood descend- ants of the soldiers of the Civil war, and stands in the same relation to the soldiers of the war for the Union as the Daughters of the Revolu- tion sustain to the soldiers of that war. The first society of this order was organized March 10, 1890, in Hall's Business College, then located at the northwest corner of Pearl and Market street. Rodney Strain, commander of the G. A. R., officiated as organizer and installed the following officers of the first society of the Ladies of the G. A. R. ever organized in America :
Mrs. Martha A. Paugh, president; Mrs. G. G. Curtis, senior vice- president; Mrs. H. H. Moon, junior vice-president; Mrs. Jennie Corn- well, treasurer; Mrs. Irene Kreider, chaplain; Mrs. J. E. Parker, con- ductress; Mrs. Frances Hagenbuck, guard; Mrs. J. B. Toby, secretary.
In addition to the above, the following ladies were enrolled as charter members: Nellie Hall, Elizabeth Frink, Mary E. Moon. E. L. Fergu- son, J. S. Kreider, Mrs. Stephen Parker, Emma Gordon, Frances Carew,
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Margaret Swigart, E. E. Hale, J. C. Parker, Elmira Bell, F. H. Shultz, J. Sebastian.
The objects of the order are to assist the G. A. R. in the work to extend needful aid to all sick or unfortunate soldiers and their families; to teach patriotism, love of country, love of the flag and its defenders. Their motto is fraternity, charity and loyalty. The Grand Army of the Republic will ere long cease, for its depleted ranks will soon have vanished, but the ladies of the G. A. R., as descendants of the gallant boys in blue will perpetuate their name and fame forever.
From this small beginning in a little hall in Logansport in 1890, this organization has extended its work and influence until every city in our land has a society of the "Ladies of the G. A. R." The local society meets regularly in the G. A. R. hall and has a membership of 124, officered in 1912, as follows:
Margaret G. Garver, president; Nellie Sample, senior vice-president ; Anna Kennedy, junior vice-president; Pearl Wright, treasurer; Nellie Hanke, secretary; Jennie Shafer, chaplain; Hattie Fury, conductress; Lucinda Crocket, guard; Katherine Enyart, instructor.
The Ladies of the G. A. R. have secured a large lot in Mt. Hope Cemetery, improved the same and erected a handsome monument upon it; the purpose of which is to furnish respectable sepulcher to,any poor or unfortunate soldiers.
WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS, No. 30
This is a national organization, auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic. The charter for the local society bears date of Septem- ber 17, 1874. The following names appear as charter members: Emma Gordon, Marion Reynolds, Carrie Winters, Sarah Mull, Esther Mc- Allister, Clara Scott, Martha Paugh, Anna Kloenne, Elizabeth Bring- hurst, Sarah Douglass, Mary Harris, Minerva Craig, Tillie Louthain, Fannie Parks, Anna Clark, Margaret Justice, Mattie Mellinger.
The first officers were: President, Margaret Justice; senior vice-presi- dent, Mattie McConnell; junior vice-president, Mrs. M. Swigart; chap- lain, Mrs. I. N. Crawford; secretary, Esther McAllister; treasurer, Eliza- beth Bringhurst; conductress, Carrie Winters.
The present officers are: President, Madge Wall; senior vice-presi- dent, Jennie Carr; junior vice-president, June Terrell; treasurer, Maime Billman; secretary, Maria L. Schlater; conductress, Susie Castle; guard, Harriet Keiser.
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CHAPTER XIV TRANSPORTATION AND ROADS
INDIAN TRAILS-FIRST ROADS-MICHIGAN ROAD-STATE ROADS-PLANK ROAD-GRAVEL ROADS-TOLL ROADS-STAGE COACHES-WABASH AND ERIE CANAL-STEAMBOATS TO LOGANSPORT RAILROADS-STREET CARS- INTERURBAN ROADS-FIRST TELEGRAPH-FIRST BICYCLE-FIRST AU- TOMOBILE-FLYING MACHINES-MILES OF ROAD AND COST.
"As the old Roman roads were both a mark and a measure of the development and extent of civilization of the empire, so the roads of any people play an important part in its history. This recondite fact lends both interest and importance to this subject."
The old Cumberland road built in 1806-1825 on the ruins of Wash- ington and Braddock trail, from the Potomac to the Ohio river and its extension, later, to Indianapolis, and generally known as the National road, played an important part in the development of Indiana. It car- ried thousands of people and millions of wealth into the wilderness of the west.
Nothing has a greater suggestion of the charm of human occupa- tion than the network of roads which overspread a country. But this network of roads with which our county and state is blessed did not spring up, like "Jonas' gourd," in one night's time, but was of gradual development, from the Indian trail, requiring years of patient toil on the part of the pioneers. It will be interesting to note the primitive roads and some of the steps taken, and the difficulties encountered, by those who cut out and improved our highways and brought them up to the present state of perfection. In 1824 when the white man first erected a cabin in Cass county the land was covered with a dense forest and not a road existed. The missionaries and Indian traders, the only parties that had invaded this territory at this time, came up the Mau- mee and by pirogue down the Wabash river or on horseback or afoot along Indian trails.
These Indian trails led, in various directions, over the nearest and best routes, from point to point and were the only roads along which the pioneers found their way on horseback, as it was impossible to drive a wheeled vehicle over the narrow trails. These Indian trails ran through the country regardless of section lines, as no surveys had yet been made and the pioneers soon learned to follow these trails and marked the same by "barking" or "blazing" the trees, known "as the trace" over which they came on foot or on horseback.
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The "trace" soon became a roadway, over which wagons made their tiresome journey. The streams were yet unbridged, and had to be forded in shallow places or crossed by swimming. The first roads in the county were along these trails, the most direct routes between the new scattered settlements. After the county had been laid out into townships, a more advanced system was adopted along township and
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section lines, but this was a slow and gradual process, requiring years to fully complete. In fact the straightening of roads, and changing them from the old diagonal Indian trails, along which they were origin- ally constructed, is not entirely completed, and we still find a few roads in Cass county thus running diagonally through farms, along these old Indian trails, instead of on the section lines. Much time and money have been expended on these transient roads. They were not permanently located, and when the farmer cleared out .his land he changed the road to the section line, and the labor expended on the old Indian trail road was lost. This has been one cause for the bad roads in the early history of the county. Prior to 1830 the pioneers came to Cass county along Indian trails or by boat on the Wabash river. The first petition for opening a public road in the county was that of Jordan Vigus, at the August session of the board of commissioners, 1830. This petition was for a road commencing one and a half miles south of the Wabash river, on what was afterwards the Michigan road, and running through the town of Logansport to Eel river, along what is now known as Burlington avenue and Third street. The viewers appointed were Wm. Scott, Silas Atchison and Daniel Bell. This was the beginning of the road system in Cass county and the line of this first road then lay in the midst of a dense forest. The second road to be opened was to "run from opposite the town of Logansport, on Eel river, on the nearest and best ground, to Samuel Ward's lane, in sec- tion 16." (See rec. 1, page 32.) In December, 1830, Gen. John Tipton was appointed road supervisor south of the Wabash. He had pre- viously purchased Alex Chamberlain's log cabin, the first erected in the county, on the south bank of the Wabash, opposite the mouth of Eel river, and lived there at this time.
Tipton was to supervise the opening of a road from his home, near Tipton's ford, to the Carroll county line, and all hands were ordered to aid him in opening and improving this road.
Thus began the opening of roads in pioneer days, but as yet no system was followed and roads followed Indian trails or angling through the forest over the easiest and best routes to accommodate the settlers, regardless of township or section lines.
MICHIGAN ROAD
The United States government encouraged the building of roads and granted to the state a certain per cent of all public lands sold for the purpose of opening and improving roads. This fund was known as the three per cent fund, and the state gave to each county its propor- tion, and local commissioners were appointed to take charge of and expend this money for the building of roads within the county. In. addition to this the state opened up certain main roads in different directions, connecting important points, to encourage and aid the set- tlers. The Michigan road was one of these and was the first main road opened up to and through Logansport, and extended from the Ohio river to Michigan City.
On January 21, 1828, the state legislature passed an act directing a survey of this road and appointing John McDonald, of Daviess county, and Chester Elliott, of Warrick county, to superintend the survey. The road was surveyed and the work of cutting down the forest trees was soon after begun by the state. A lane through the forest was opened up, one hundred feet wide, and in 1832 the work had reached Logans- port and the two following years was extended on north to Rochester and finally to Lake Michigan. The Michigan road, however, when first
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opened, was simply a lane, cut through the forests, with stumps left standing, but little or no grading and only the swamps and low places filled with logs and brush and covered over with dirt, making fine speci- mens of the celebrated "corduroy" road, so common in pioneer days. Although the Michigan road was not an easy road to travel, yet it was passable for wheeled vehicles, while the Indian trails were not, and as a general business thoroughfare it was one of the most valuable im- provements of its day, opening up a line of trade that tended, perhaps, most largely to populate and develop Cass county. This road was not only of local interest, but its reputation was nation wide. It extended to the Ohio river and also connected with the Cumberland and its ex- tension, the National road, at Indianapolis. Emigrants from the east came down the Ohio river, then took the Michigan road to all points in Indiana and the northwest. Others traveling in wagons, drawn by oxen as a rule, came over the National road to Indianapolis, then north over the Michigan road to Logansport or northern points.
OTHER STATE ROADS
Many other roads were opened up and improved by state aid through Cass county, to-wit: A road from Lafayette to Ft. Wayne in 1836; from Logansport up Eel river to Mexico and Squirrel Village in 1835-7. In 1845 the state road to Kokomo and Marion was established by Benjamin Spader and Theopholus Brogan, appointed by the legislature.
The Chicago road through Royal Center was opened in 1837 or 1838 and the Perrysburg road to Twelve Mile about the same time.
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Up to 1852, when the new constitution was adopted, the roads were looked after almost entirely by the county. At that time, however, the caring for the roads was practically surrendered to the townships, to- gether with the care of the poor and the schools. But the people met in mass meetings to instruct and direct the trustees how and what they should do. In 1859, however, the legislature abolished the board of three township trustees and gave the one trustee greater and exclusive authority to direct the township affairs. Since then great advance- ment has been made in road building. The old, diagonal Indian trail roads have nearly all been straightened, and placed on section lines, new roads laid out, until today roads cross each other on nearly every section line in the county and on many half-section lines, so that nearly every farmer has a public road running in front of his house.
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