USA > Indiana > Tipton County > History of Tipton County Indiana > Part 15
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ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THIRD INDIANA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
This regiment was organized at Indianapolis on March 1, 1865, with Oliver H. P. Carey as colonel. The period of enlistment was for one year.
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The regiment was first sent into Kentucky, where certain companies were engaged in fighting guerillas. The regiment was finally returned to Louis- ville, where it remained until September 4, 1865, when it was mustered from service. Like all other regiments, they were accorded a grand reception when they returned to the Indiana capital.
There were fifty-eight Tipton men in this body of troops. William B. Young was a captain; William P. Crowell was a lieutenant.
OTHER REGIMENTS.
In the preceding sketches of the various regiments the bare outline of the movements is all that space will permit. Again it is found necessary to treat only of the regiments which contained at least fifty men from Tipton county. Altogether there were twenty-nine regiments in which were Tip- ton recruits. Besides those mentioned there were four men in the Thirteenth Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry; three men in the Seventeenth; four- teen men in the Twenty-first; two men in the Twenty-second; eleven in the Twenty-third; fourteen in the Fortieth; fourteen in the Forty-second ; twenty- one in the Fifty-first; forty-six in the Fifty-seventh: one in the Fifty-ninth ; six in the Eighty-ninth; eight in the One Hundred and Twenty-fourth; five in the One Hundred and Twenty-sixth: sixteen in the One Hundred and Thirtieth ; three in the One Hundred and Thirty-first; twenty-five in the One Hundred and Thirty-second; two in the One Hundred and Forty-fifth; one in the One Hundred and Forty-seventh, and also one in the One Hundred and . . Forty-eighth; and two in the One Hundred and Fifty-first. Some of the lat- ter regiments listed were but one hundred days' men or one year.
ITEMS.
From all causes the number of men called by death during the Civil war · who were volunteers from Tipton county was two hundred and eleven. Thirty-four men were killed outright in battle; fifty-seven were wounded; one hundred and seventy-seven died of disease: eighteen deserted, and one hundred and forty-four were discharged for disabilities. Six hundred and forty-three men came home at the end of the war.
About one hundred thousand dollars was paid out during the latter years of the war as bounty to volunteers in Tipton county. This amount averaged from one hundred to five hundred dollars each. Seventeen thousand seven hundred and thirty-five dollars in relief for sick soldiers' and soldiers' fam- ilies was also given by the county.
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In the Civil war there were one thousand and seventy-three volunteers from Tipton county. One hundred and four of these were drafted. There are one thousand two hundred and twenty-eight names on the military roster, but one hundred and fifty-five of these had served part of their time, were discharged for disability, regained their health and re-volunteered, thus appearing twice on the rolls.
THE CAPTURE OF THE "GENERAL."
John R. Porter, of Wildcat township, was one of the raiders who cap- tured the engine "General" from the rebels in April, 1862, one of the most daring and hazardous feats of the war. Porter was a member of Company G, Twenty-first Ohio Regiment. An account of this episode follows :
There was a railroad running from Chattanooga to Atlanta and the Union army was sadly in need of a railroad locomotive and the only way to get one was to steal one from the Confederacy, if possible. After the officers had consulted about the matter, they decided that if they could get volunteers to make the attempt they would commission them for the deed. James J. Andrews volunteered to make the attempt and twenty-one others joined him, one of them being the Tipton county man. They stole their way through the rebel camps, over their roads, through their towns and into their houses, until they arrived at Marietta, where there was an engine called the "General," and they bought tickets for the next station and acted like they were Confederate refugees and succeeded in avoiding suspicion. They went in the cars and mingled with the other passengers until they arrived at Big Shanty. Here the conductor called out, "Twenty minutes for breakfast." Trainmen and passengers left the cars and went to the restaurant, a few rods away, and while they were eating, Andrews and his brave men uncoupled the engine from the passenger cars and, with two freight cars, pulled the throttle and away the engine went. The astonished Confederates were dumbfounded. They were at a dead loss to understand how the engine got away from them. There was no telegraph office at Big Shanty. While the Confederates were excitedly trying to find a way out of their dilemma the engine was speeding away with all the steam the brave Union heroes could give her. They would come to a station, make inquiry about the right of way, and then start on, always playing that they were rebels to the station agents. The Confederates finally got another engine and they started after the runaway. They had plenty of steam, knew the road and the advantage of the telegraph wires and knew where the runaway was, and with plenty of soldiers were gaining on the
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raiders. The Andrews force was ready to fight, but water was giving out and there was no more fuel, when they heard the engine of the Confederates com- ing up behind. They threw ties on the track, set fire to bridges and did all in their power to destroy the road behind them, but on came the Confederates.
After a most exciting chase for many miles it began to be seen that it would be impossible to make their escape and it was a question to know what to do. When the engine died in its tracks the Confederates were so close that they began firing and Andrews gave the command to every one to take care of himself and make his escape. They reversed the engine, but it was so near dead that it could barely move, and the Confederates soon had possession of it. Then the soldiers took after the fleeing raiders and succeeded in capturing every one of them. While they had scattered into small parties and each fellow was running for dear life, a gun would bring them to a halt and they were prisoners of war.
Before giving up the engine, Andrews ran his train in under a covered bridge and cut loose one of the freight cars, filled with timber and set on fire, but before it got to burning very briskly the Confederates arrived and pushed the car out and extinguished the fire.
After the capture of the raiders a court martial was held and Andrews and seven others hanged, six were exchanged from the Confederate prison at Atlanta and eight made their escape.
The eight, with their leader, lie beneath the quiet sod in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Above them is a massive tribute in bronze and granite, a minia- ture "General" standing on its heavy pedestal. The monument is the queerest and quaintest in the world.
Upon the sides of the tribute are graven the names of the men who participated in the novel raid. They are :
James J. Andrews, of Flemingsburg, Kentucky; William H. Campbell, of Kentucky ; John A. Porter, now of Windfall, Indiana; Marion A. Ross, William Pittenger, Robert Buffman, Martin J. Hawkins, William H. Red- dick, Daniel Dorsey, John Wollam, Samuel Slavens, Samuel Robertson and Jacob Parrott, all of Ohio.
Medals of honor were issued by the government to the survivors, those who escaped and those who were exchanged. Medals were also presented to the relatives of those eight men ( where they could be found) who were exe- cuted as spies.
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BELLE BOYD.
Everyone has heard or read of Belle Boyd, that versatile and beautiful Confederate spy. This notorious woman spy was at one time captured by Marcellus Racobs, a resident of Tipton county.
Squire Racobs was but a boy about eighteen years of age and he was a member of the Sixtieth Ohio Regiment. During the year 1862 he was doing picket duty near Winchester, Virginia. By some means while performing this service he became separated from his regiment and was thrown in with a regiment from Massachusetts. Early in the morning, just at the break of day, he heard a carriage coming down the road and as it approached him he discovered that it was a closed carriage with two fine horses hitched to it and being driven by a negro .. When it came up to him he drew his gun and called a halt. The negro stopped the horses and Mr. Racobs went to the carriage, when he found that the occupant was a lonely lady. He asked her who she was, where she was going and what authority she had for driving through the lines. She became very indignant, said that it was an outrage that a lady should be so humiliated, but Mr. Racobs was persistent and compelled her to show her authority. She produced a pass, signed by a Federal officer, which was evidence enough that she had a right to pass through the lines, but Mr. Racobs became more suspicious, owing to the early hour in the morning, for it seemed strange to him that a woman would venture out at such an hour when there was danger of travel even in daylight. To be on the safe side, he called for a corporal, who came up and both looked in upon the woman. She was a perfect picture of beauty, apparently about eighteen years of age, with large brown eyes, long golden hair and a complexion of ivory. She was so beautiful, so refined and smiled upon them so sweetly that they were very much embarrassed, but there was a duty to perform and in the face of her winsome ways, her voice that of an angel and her pleadings that of an Evan- geline, they demanded that she get out of the carriage and permit a search to be made. Finally, when she saw that it was hopeless, she indignantly un- fastened her skirt from around the waist and pulled it off and threw it to them. Upon examination they found sewed up in the folds of the skirt letters, orders, communications, plans, maps, charts, messages and informa- tion of the condition of the Federal army and its movements, its plans and ob- jects, that she was taking from Winchester to General "Stonewall" Jackson.
Upon this discovery it developed that she was a rebel spy and was trying to smuggle through the Federal lines into the Rebel camp valuable informa-
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tion, and she was detained and taken to Washington, where she was held as a prisoner of war.
At the time the incident occurred Mr. Racobs did not know that it was the notorious Belle Boyd, the most vivacious and venturesome girl in all America, and when he found it out it excited him very much, for Belle Boyd was a hated woman among the Union soldiers and her achievements as a spy were the terror of the Union army. She could come and go, pass and repass, get into the Union ranks, gather information and make her escape and give information to the Confederate army that was of the greatest value to them.
A number of years ago Belle Boyd was in Tipton and she met Mr. Racobs and they had a long talk of their experience. She could not remem- ber this particular incident, but it was so similar to so many others that there can be little doubt about it being the same woman. Her home was in Win- chester, Virginia, and it was from there she operated. She was a great pedes- trian and horseback rider, she could climb a tree, shoot a gun, and stand all kinds of physical exposure. While in Tipton she told many incidents of the war, how often she had been captured and by her beauty and winning ways would make her escape. She told of one incident where a lieutenant was de- tailed to deliver an important message to a certain officer, and that absolute secrecy must be kept and none but the officer to whom it was addressed must see or know that he was in possession of it. Belle Boyd found out that this young lieutenant had an important order and she must get it. She managed to waylay and fell into conversation with him. She smiled so sweetly on him until he was completely within her power. She threw back her head and pouched out her lips in such a way that he yielded to temptation and he asked ' permission to kiss her. She granted it and he threw his arms around her and planted a great, big hearty kiss upon her red and rosy lips. While he was kissing her, she slipped her fingers in his vest pocket, stole the message, bade him good-bye and flew to the headquarters of General Beauregard, who im- mediately ordered the bugle sound and in a few minutes his men were in line, a battle was fought and the Union arms suffered severely. This noted spy paid several visits to Tipton before her death, which occurred in 1907.
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
The events leading up to the outbreak of hostilities between the United States of America and the Spanish kingdom are a matter of recent history. The principal dates and moves, however, follow :
On April 19, 1898, after war had seemed imminent for some months,
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Congress passed resolutions of intervention on the island of Cuba. On the 23d the President called for one hundred and twenty-five thousand volun- teers to serve in the army for two years. On the 25th war was declared with Spain, and the quota for Indiana was fixed at four regiments of infantry and two light batteries of artillery. Governor Mount accordingly ordered the militia to report at Indianapolis. The first company arrived early on the morning of April 26th and was encamped at the fair grounds. Among the regiments there were several vacancies to be filled by new companies, the regiments having been depleted since the close of the Civil war. Tipton's company was among these accepted, to be known as Company I of the Fourth Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
In numbering the regiments after being mustered into service, it was determined to begin the numbers where the war of the Rebellion left off. The Third, being the first ready to be mustered, was designated as the One Hundred and Fifty-eighth, and so on. The Fourth, of which the Tipton company was a part, became the One Hundred and Sixtieth. Besides Tipton, this latter regiment had companies from Marion, Decatur, Lafayette, Wa- bash, Bluffton, Ossian, Columbia City, Warsaw, Huntington, Anderson and Logansport.
The regiment arrived at Camp Mount in Indianapolis on April 26, 1898, and, after a most rigid physical examination of both officers and men, was mustered into the volunteer service of the United States on May 12, 1898. They left Camp Mount on May 16th, and proceeded by rail to Camp Thomas, Chickamauga Park, Georgia, arriving there on the 18th. Under orders to proceed to Porto Rico, the regiment left Camp Thomas on July 28th and arrived at Newport News, Virginia, on July 30th. The orders in regard to Porto Rico were countermanded, the regiment left Newport News on August 2Ist and went to Camp Hamilton, Lexington, Kentucky, where it arrived on August 23d. On November 9th the regiment left there, and were taken to Columbus, Georgia, arriving there November 11th. On January 15, 1899, the regiment was ordered to Matanzas, Cuba, in three sections, uniting there in camp on the 27th. Until March 27th the men remained in Cuba, when they were ordered to proceed to Savannah, Georgia. At that place they were mustered out on April 25, 1899.
Of Company I, George Dyer was captain; Robert M. VanBuskirk, first lieutenant; George Knee, Jr., second lieutenant; Jesse H. Barlow, first ser- geant ; Edward Burns, quartermaster sergeant; Joseph Partlow, Horace S. Matthews, Harry Mitchell and Allan Gifford, sergeants; Dillon Alexander of
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Elwood, Willard N. Wolverton, Cleo Mount, Harry Phares, Edwin Grishaw of Sharpsville and George Lane, corporals; Elmer L. Brook and Elmer L. Hassel, musicians; James W. Russell, artificer : Otho Mckay, wagoner. There were sixty-one recruits from Tipton county, out of eighty-eight total. The recruits who served in this company from this county were Morton Basey, Theodore Cox, Artie Walter Cook, Elbert Eaton, Clem Furry, Estes Fields, Charles B. Franklin, George Grishaw, James Gillian, Robert Haskett, Harry Herman, Jasper Henry, Frank Hoback, Harry Justus, Fred Jarrett, LeRoy Long, Frank Logan, Charles Leach, Clarence Law, William McCreary, David McNew, James A. Midkiff, Jesse Norris, John Norris, Monroe Partlow, Oliver Pickerel, Fred Recobs, Alphos O. Smith, Jerry Spaulding, Dilver Seright, Elmer Taylor, Jacob J. Tennyson, William Tobin, Howard Umph- reys, George Vawter, Claude Wilson, Charles Zauss, William Dailey, Carl M. Campbell, William Day, Hiram Dever, Edward Franklin, Henry Hedrick, Dan Honeas, George Kennedy, Otto Matthews, George Mossman, William Nelson, Albert W. Pickett, Theodore Philpott, Antoine Redd, Frank Rice, Carl Rubush, Isaac Russell, Otto Snyder, Clarence Woodruff.
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CHAPTER VIII.
POLITICAL HISTORY.
ANTE-BELLUM POLITICS.
The year of 1844 was the first presidential year in the history of Tip- ton county. In 1840 Tipton county was yet a part of Hamilton county, the citizens casting their votes at Noblesville, voting for the Whig presi- dential candidate, Harrison, or the Democratic, Van Buren.
The principal issue of the 1844 campaign was the probable future ap- plication of Texas for admission into the Union. The Democrats were in favor of admission, mainly upon the ground that it would add more slave territory ; the Whigs violently opposed the Democrats. The Whigs were defeated, and in the spring of 1845 the state of Texas became a part of the Union. Tipton county also went Democratic by a small majority.
In 1846 David Wilmot, a Pennsylvanian, introduced a bill into Con- gress for the prohibition of slavery in the new state of Texas. Debates of long and fiery nature followed, and the partisan spirit of the whole country was stirred to the depths. A Free Soil party was organized, and, although the bill was finally defeated, the issues which it incited were · carried into the campaign of 1848, and the new party placed a ticket in the field. No attempt had been made to organize a Free Soil party in Tip- . ton county, though a number of citizens, principally the Quakers, had de- clared in favor of the new party. The partisan spirit in Congress and throughout the country continued with unabated intensity. California adopt- ed a constitution prohibiting slavery, and asked for admission into the Union. The measure, however, was promptly opposed by the Southerners in Congress, who insisted that, as a part of the state, at least, was south of the Mason and Dixon line, it should be admitted as a slave state. In 1850 Henry Clay introduced into Congress the "Omnibus Bill," which provided, among other clauses, that California should be admitted as a free state, that Texas should be divided into not more than four states, with or without slavery, as the citizens might decide; that a more stringent fugitive slave law should be adopted, and that slavery in the District of Columbia should
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be abolished. After passing through many storms, this bill was finally adopted. However, this simply postponed the issue and in the election of 1852 the questions involved in the bill were again presented. The Free Soil party had become stronger, and maintained that slavery should be ban- ished from all territories.
In January, 1854, Stephen A. Douglas introduced into Congress his famous "Kansas-Nebraska bill," which provided for the formation of those states, and for the adoption or rejection of slavery, as the citizens should determine at the polls. This bill aroused the Northerners, as in case of its adoption the Missouri Compromise and the compromise of 1850 would be virtually repealed, as both new states lay north of the Mason and Dixon line. The bill was adopted, in spite of the hot and violent debates against it in Congress and elsewhere. The soil of Kansas was immediately in- vaded by pro-slavery and anti-slavery partisans, to decide the question of bondage. This state of affairs led to open war and bloodshed there. This excitement continued to such an extent that it was soon impossible to say which was the stronger party in that state, whereupon President Pierce appointed John W. Greary as governor of Kansas, and order was restored in a measure. The new Republican party then was organized, and drew its strength from that sentiment in all parties opposing slavery.
In 1857 the bitterness dividing the North and the South continued to increase, and the United States supreme court decided in the Dred Scott case that the negro could not become a citizen under the constitution. This decision was followed by indignant mass meetings in the North, the adoption of resolutions of indignation and the so-called "personal liberty bills." In 1859 John Brown endeavored to incite an insurrection of slaves in Virginia, but was captured and, with his followers, hung. The fugitive slave law was openly violated in the North, and prosecutions failed to stop it. The South witnessed with dread the growing population of the North and, realizing that it would mean the election of a Republican President, they favored im- mediate secession.
Tipton county voted in favor of the Democrats in 1860, the ticket headed by Douglas receiving the largest vote. However, Lincoln and Hamlin were elected to the highest offices in the land, and very shortly the Southern states began to revolt and secede from the Union. The rest is written in a trail of fire and blood, but the spectre of death is overshadowed by the goddess of victory proclaiming a whole and united country and freedom to the slaves.
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ELECTION LAWS.
Prior to and during the years of the Civil war and up until 1888 there was no adequate nor efficient system of voting in Indiana. Ballots were colored according to the party, and in this way a voter would proclaim his doctrine when he selected his ballot, whether it was yellow, pink or blue. In after years this system was modified to some extent, but not sufficiently to remedy all defects. The Australian ballot system, which still exists, was established in the year 1889. This system is secret, safe and efficient, and it promises to stand, even with the introduction of the voting machines. The fairness of this method is unquestioned.
In 1912, for the first time in the history of Indiana, the voters of the state were called upon to register their names in order to be eligible to vote in the November elections. Under the new law, three chances were given to register before the day of election. According to the provisions of the statute. a man must declare that he has been a resident of the state one year, of the county six months, has lived in the township sixty days, and at the October registration he must state that he has been in the precinct for thirty days. At the first registration in 1912 many voters failed to register, but on the two succeeding dates practically all, or ninety per cent. enrolled their names. In all there were five thousand and sixty voters registered in 1912 in Tipton county.
COUNTY OFFICERS.
The following is a register of the officials of Tipton county from its organization to the present time :
AUDITORS.
N. J. Jackson. 1844; A. M. Young, 1850; William Stivers, 1854; B. R. Groom, 1862: W. S. Armstrong, 1866; R. W. Wright, 1874; A. E. Small, 1878; R. L. Porter, 1882; William J. Miner, 1886; George C. Wood, 1890; Francis M. Price, 1894; Elijah Perry. 1898; Thomas W. Longfellow. 1902; John F. Barlow, 1906: John H. Tranbarger, 1910-1914.
RECORDERS.
Sylvester Turpen, 1844: John S. Ressler. 1854; M. E. Clark, 1864; A. E. Small, 1872; John Long, 1878; Newton W. Cooper, 1886; Archibald E.
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Small, 1890; John B .. Reeder, 1892; Luther Welshons, 1896; James N. Rich- ards, 1900; James Hammell, 1904; James M. Graham, 1908; Solomon D. Adams, 1912-1916.
CLERKS.
N. J. Jackson, 1844; A. M. Young, 1850; W. N. Brady, 1850; Syl- vester Turpen. 1854 : Ellison C. Hill, 1860; J. V. Cox, 1864 ; E. A. Overman, 1870: J. A. Moore, 1874; A. B. Pitzer, 1878: L. T. Bunch, 1882; Henry H. Thomas, 1886; William L. Berryman, 1890; Andrew T. Fielding, 1894; Ira M. O'Banion, 1898; David H. Kemp, 1902; William E. Wells, 1906; James C. Groves, 1910-1914.
TREASURERS.
Jacob Whisler, 1844; John S. Ressler, 1848: J. E. Rumsey, 1854; John W. Chambers, 1858; J. C. Vandevender, 1860: John Pickens, 1862; J. P. Foster, 1864: Hugh Dickey, appointed 1868: D. A. Fish, 1870; William M. Grishaw, 1872; Robert P. Kimberlin, 1874-6; Jesse Alexander, 1878; John H. Zehner, 1880; Drury Vice, 1882: George W. McGee, 1884; John M. Foster, 1886; James K. Armstrong, 1888; George WV. Myerly, 1892; Martin M. Hobbs, 1894; Lemuel Darrow, 1896; John C. Holman, 1898; Luton L. Cook, 1902; Leonard Compton, 1906; Thomas J. Reese, 1908; Henry C. Haskett, 1912-1914.
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