USA > Indiana > Wayne County > Richmond > Memoirs of Wayne County and the city of Richmond, Indiana; from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Wayne County, Volume I Pt. 1 > Part 23
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The streets through which the Americans passed were cov- ered with flowers, and the broad-soled brogan of Uncle Sam stamped its impress in a veritable bed of roses or kicked aside the long palm branches laid in honor of the new arrival. The rarest orchids lay at the feet of this friendly soldier or pelted his gray slouched hat, wreathes were thrown about the sun-burned necks of the men, and strands of flowers were festooned about the necks of the big American horses by the happy women and children.
The tropical sun beat strangely warm on the big fellows from the North, and frequent halts were made to rest them in the sudden and unaccustomed heat; and as they halted and as each time the regimental colors were brought to the Order, the women and children rushed to the flag and, kneeling in the dust, raised the fringe to their lips, while tears of joy ran down their cheeks. Routine began at once after the regiments were established in camp. This consisted of guard and provost duty between the Spanish troops on one side and the Cuban on the other. Probably
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the most interesting affair in the history of the company and regiment was the evacuation of Havana by the Spanish forces.
Camp Columbia, the name given the camp of the Seventh corps, was about seven miles west of Havana, on the hills over- looking the blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and about one mile from the coast. At midnight of Dec. 31. 1898, orders were re- ceived by the company commanders to issue a day's rations and 150 rounds of ammunition, and to be ready to move at 6 o'clock in the morning. There were rumors of expected outbreaks from the house tops on the part of the Cubans during the evacuations ; as the time approached this seemed less probable, and with twenty- five rounds to each man the regiment, at 6 o'clock a. m., began its part of the movement which was to land 10,000 men in Havana at 12 o'clock, to witness the birth of a new nation. Nature had not changed ; she advanced her day as yesterday-the mist hung over the environs of the city and the hundreds of tents beyond. The sun searched out the lurking night and rose in grandeur over the hills and meadows, where all was orderly activity. Bugle calls resounded over a dozen hills, and out of the half-light came the sound of marching men, the pounding of horses hoofs-wheels hurried forward, the ready guns and long lines of blue appeared suddenly out of the mist and merged into one grand stream of adjusted power, which wended its way slowly to the coast, thence along the soft sandy road to Vedado, an aristocratic suburb of Havana, adjoining immediately on the west. At 12 o'clock the army rested on the edge of the city, in view of Morro Castle, across the harbor point, where the yellow and gold of Spain tugged at its accustomed halyards.
It was what would happen when the hour struck that caused the army to stand where it did-silent, ready, powerful. Thou- sands in gala attire waited for what they were not sure-their desires were but half formed and vague, for they were without analogies for comparison ; they waited that somehow, somewhere, someone would bring the thing about-it was racial. There had been thousands of Spanish troops quartered in the forts or biv- ouaced on the roads and billetted in the villages. Where were the soldiers of the boy king? As the army rested, sweat-stained and weary, the first cannon boomed forth the death knell of Spain, from Cabana Fortress adjoining Morro. It was the beginning of the last salute to the Spanish colors. The saluting guns continued to flash and smoke and roar. As the last gun of the first twenty- one was fired, down fell the banner which for centuries, standing
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for blood and gold, had proudly waved over the old fort. Like a rocket, so swiftly did it move, up soared the American, red, white, and blue, and twenty-one loyal guns roared a welcome to Liberty. As the glorious flag tried its new fastenings the regiment moved around the point into a little street. If there had been any ques- tion in the mind of any American soldier as to his reception by the Cubans on that day, it was answered at once. Bells rang out from every tower, and songs and shouting burst from every throat. The streets and flat house tops were massed with people, not to send bullets or stones, but to shower the dusty blue with friendly greetings. They threw their own new flag,-which for the first time had the freedom of the city,-candies and sweetmeats, cigars and cigarettes-anything they had to offer. The bugles com- manded "Forward," the troops swung out of the street into the Prado-the main thoroughfare of Havana-which, throughout its whole length, was a mass of people, flags and flowers.
The regiments marched past the Inglaterra Hotel in columns of platoons and were reviewed by Generals Brook and Lee. Near them stood Castellanos, the last and most humane of Spain's cap- tains-general, and his staff. While yet the troops were filing by, a Spanish girl appeared upon the balcony near Castellanos, dis- playing the Spanish flag. "Tivi Espania! Vivi el Capitan Generale!" she cried. In an instant the General and his staff were in tears- Spain no longer lived in the Antilles. In Reina street another halt was made and the men did away with their rations in short order. There was still much to be done and many miles to march-the sun was low over the water when the day's work was ended. On Jan. 9. Lieutenant Comstock was placed in command of the company, owing to the sickness of Captain Smith, who was con- fined in the Second Division hospital. Early in February smallpox attacked the regiment and several men succumbed, but the magnif- icent work of the surgeons limited it to a few.
Charles F. Trimble died on Feb. 17. He was the third and last man to die, and he was buried in Cuba. The work of the regiment continued much the same until March 29, when at 3 o'clock a. m. it broke camp preparatory to returning home. At 6 o'clock it marched past the headquarters of the corps commander. General Lee had risen early to greet the departing troops and the regiment, drawn up in line of masses, presented arms, but the old commander could only salute, and with tears streaming down his cheeks turned about and re-entered his tent. Once on the road to Hlavana the regimental band was allowed to play, "Home,
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Sweet Home," a thing never permitted while in camp. It was rather hard on those who had not yet received orders to return to the States, but, with the same quality of grit which always char- acterizes the American soldier, unashamed of their tears, they lined the road and cheered these homeward bound. By an unprecedented record in embarking, the regiment on board the transport Logan cleared the harbor at 4 o'clock p. m . and was spoken at Tybee, at the mouth of the Savannah river, on the night of the 3ist, thus escaping a five-days' quarantine on the Dry Tortugas, the quaran- tine going into effect April 1. The regiment was detained a few hours at Fort Pulaski, in the Savannah river, where the equipage was fumigated, and was then lightered up the river to the old site of Camp Onward.
Lieutenant Comstock was commissioned captain, E. E. Kim- mel, first lieutenant, and William H. Drapier, Jr., of Indianapolis, second lieutenant, on April 1, 1899. The regiment was mustered out of the service. April 30, 1899, and Company F reached Rich- mond, May 3, after an absence of about ten months. A great con- course of people, relatives and friends of the men, the local Grand Army of the Republic Post, the Sons of Veterans, and the High School Cadets, met the company and escorted it to the corner of Fifth and Main streets, where a short address of welcome was delivered by Hon. Henry C. Fox, judge of the Wayne Circuit Court. In the afternoon of the same day another welcome was held at the court house and at night a feast was spread in the Gaar Building, on West Main street. The day and night passed, the uniforms disappeared, and the men dropped back into civil life. All through the service Company F received substantial assurance that the hearts of those at home were with them. The Woman's Relief Corps and the Penny Club helped in many ways by sending delicacies and fresh linen for the sick at Jacksonville. The mem- bers of the company had opportunity of observing many people and things of interest. General Gomez, the commander-in-chief of the Cuban army, was a well known figure to them ; and Admiral Sampson, Generals Alger, Brook, Ludlow and Chaffee, were well known to them. Castellanos they saw, and General Lee they ad- mired and respected to a man.
It being an honor to serve one's country at any time, it is a source of satisfaction to those who went from Richmond and Wayne county to have served in the Spanish-American war, and it is probably of some moment to the locality that it had represen- tatives in that bit of National history.
CHAPTER XV.
SOCIAL HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
ELEMENTS OF THE POPULATION-FIRST SETTLERS IN THE DIFFERENT TOWNSHIPS-PREDOMINANT CHARACTERISTICS-SOCIAL PROBLEMS- POPULATION OF VILLAGES IN 1910-SLAVE QUESTION-CARE OF SOL- DIERS-CARING FOR THE POOR-SECRET SOCIETIES-CHARITABLE IN- STITUTIONS-SOCIAL CLUBS-THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
EARLY SOCIAL CONDITIONS.
The study of social conditions of any community must neces- sarily be accompanied by some difficulties. It is a study of facts, more or less hidden. Tendencies rather than events form the sub- stance of such a study. It is necessary to consider, not only the concrete organizations which are the embodiment of the social efforts of the people, but also the causes which produce these social efforts. This demands a consideration of the stock from which the people of the community have sprung and their char- acteristics. The term "social" has a wide variety of meaning. In its broadest sense it may mean the relations of the people in all their various inter-relations and activities. In its narrowest sense it may mean the relations of a certain class, commonly known as polite society. In fact, no very definite ideas are conveyed to the average mind by the term "society." Thus, to determinate what should be treated in a social study of a given community is one of the difficulties which confronts a writer on this subject. The field is practically unlimited. It is, however, the object of this sketch to consider the facts and tendencies which show the relations and temper of the people outside the sterner and more earnest paths of business, politics, and religion.
There can be no absolute separation between the various lines of activity pursued by the people of a community. They are all interwoven in that wonderful fabric of civilization. Almost every event has a social, a political, an educational, and an industrial
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meaning. With this understanding, we will undertake a study of the early social conditions of Wayne county. To begin where the historians of this section usually begin, we will consider the social effects of the organic law under which the country was settled-the Ordinance of 1787. In this we find two provisions which have left their impress upon the social history of Wayne county. The first was the exclusion of slavery north of the Ohio river. This en- couraged the settlement of people opposed to slavery, and thus pledged Wayne county as free soil. The second provision was the encouragement of education, by setting apart one section in every township for the support of schools. The effect of this was to pledge the inhabitants to the maintenance of schools and to set before them the value of education. The social effect of education in a community is immeasurably great. Crime, intemperance, dis- honesty, and stagnation, all decline before educational efforts; while on the other hand, social purity, sobriety, morality, and prog- ress follow in its wake. We will now examine the elements of population among the early settlers of the county. It is manifestly necessary to do this, since upon the character of the early settlers depends largely the temper of the future population.
The early settlers of Wayne county came here to find homes, and nearly all brought their families. The first settlement was made in 1805. In that year, Richard Rue and George Holman, both Kentuckians, came north and built cabins about two miles south of where Richmond now stands. Both had previously been captured by the Indians and held for three and a half years. On their return, with their own families, they brought along two other settlers with their families, named McCoy and Blount, who set- tled in the neighborhood. Thus was begun the first settlement in Wayne county. In the same year, a little later, came the Endsleys and Coxes, with their families, who settled on the Elkhorn. In March, 1806, David Hoover and four others followed a section line west, eight or ten miles north of Dayton, and explored the land north of Richmond. Ile returned and reported very favorably to his family, who were Friends, and in May or June of that year, he and his father, Andrew Hoover, Sr., entered several quarter sections of land north of Richmond. Jeremiah Cox, about this time, took up land north of Main street, while John Smith settled south of the present site of Main street. Other families of Friends soon followed these and we find the following families settled west of Richmond: Jacob Meck, in 1806; Elijah Wright, in 1806; Jesse Bond, 1807; John Burgess, 1808; Valentine Pegg, in 1809.
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North of the city, on the West Fork, settled, besides the Hoovers, already mentioned, Cornelius Ratliff, and Joshua Pickett, in 1810. Next, above these, was the Addington settlement. Further up were the Starbucks, Swains, Harrisons and Turners.
On Middle Fork, William Bulla settled near the mouth of the stream. Near the Hoover settlement we find Jesse Clark, Ralph Wright, Alexander Moore and Amos and Abner Clawson. Further up the stream, the Staffords, Bonds, Bunkers, Swallows, Ashbys, and Andrews, settled. A little further up. Jeremiah Cox, Jr., settled and built a grist mill. On the East Fork, the first settlers were Joseph Wasson, in 1806, and Peter Fleming, in 1807. They entered the first land in Wayne county in the winter of 1804. Among others who early settled on this stream were, Benjamin and Robert Hill, in 1806; Ralph Wright, in 1807; John Hawkins, in 1807; John Morrow, in 1808; John Charles, in 1809; and James and Peter Ireland. With the exceptions of the Wassons, Irelands, and Flemings, who were Kentucky Presbyterians, the majority of the settlers in and about Richmond were North Carolina Quakers, from Guilford county, near Clemen's Store, Beard's Hatter Shop, Deep River Settlement of Friends, or Dobson's Crossroads.
We will now consider the elements of the early population by townships. One of the first settlements was that of what is now Boston township. Here we find families from Pennsylvania, Ken- tucky, North Carolina, and Virginia. Among the early settlers were Thomas Bulla, Jacob Foutz, and Jesse Davenport, who came out in 1806; John Collins, in 1807; James Lamb and Abraham Gaar, in 1807; Aaron Martin, in 1807; Jackson Rambo and Wright Lancaster, in 1808; Christopher Roddy, Joshua Meek and Isaac Beeson, who came from North Carolina in 1807; Robert Grimes, in 18OS; and Abraham Esteb, Jacob Keesling, Armstrong Grimes, and William Parson, who arrived in 1809. Adam Zeck settled in the northeastern part of the township in 1810. David Shaffer and Simon Draper, from Virginia, settled in the same neighborhood in 1810. James Sulser and Lazarus Whitehead, an English preacher, and William Burke and Isaac Beeson, all settled in the valley of the Elkhorn. In the southern part of the township we find the following early settlers: Joshua Benton, Jeremiah Girton, James Holman, Absalom Rambo, Joseph Cravens, Thomas Hiatt, Isaac Conley, John Miller, Thomas Ward, Peter Mellender, and . John Rife. From these names it is evident that a large part of the popu- lation of this locality is of German descent.
Probably the first settler in Center township was Daniel No-
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land, after whom one fork of the west branch of the White Water river was named. He and his three sons settled on the west bank of that stream. In 1812, this land was sold by the Government, and being unable to pay for his quarter section it was taken off his hands by Thomas McCoy for a sum equal to the improvements made. The majority of the early settlers of this township were from North Carolina and were Quakers. Among the pioneer names we find the following: Henry Bryan, the first county surveyor and a native of Delaware; William Crawford, William Conner and James Haynes, all of whom lived on Noland's Fork; Caleb Jack- son, who lived west of that stream; Greensburg Cornelius, William and John Harvey, James Townsend, Exum Elliott, Robert Gal- braith, Edward Benbow, Joseph Overman, John Stiggleman, Michael Harvey, John Elwood, Jacob Griffin, John Maxwell, John King, Jehu Wickersham, John Garrett, William Hosier, Robert Harvey, James Junkins, Robert Black, John Hill, Ezekiel Com- mons, Daniel Stone, Francis Coffin, John Woodward, Samuel Par- ker. James Martin, Charles Canady, Joseph Overman, William and Thomas Culbertson, Vumedge Russell, Richard Pedrick, James E. Bryant, Isaac Miller, and Isaac Julian. The majority of these were North Carolina Quakers.
The first settlers of Clay township were James Martindale and Jonas Hatfield, Sr., who settled in 1812. Both lived on Green's Fork, the former one-half mile above and the latter southeast of the present village of Green's Fork. In 1813, came Jesse Bond and William Fox; in 1814 and 1815, Miles Murphy, Moses Martindale, William Young, Benjamin Angell, John Pierson, Martin Martin- dale, William Bell, Henry Garrett, and Abraham Elliott. Prior to 1816 came also Benjamin Albertson, Benjamin Hall, John Fo- land, Stephen Horney, Moses Coffin, Absalom Williams, and Isaac Mendenhall, all from North Carolina. Here, too, we find a large part of the early population Quakers.
Franklin township was settled almost exclusively by North Carolina Quakers. The first settler was probably Isaac Commons, who came in 1809. The northern part of the township was set- tled by James Harlan and his sons from Kentucky, in 1817, and has since been known as the "Harlan Settlement." Probably the first settlers in Webster township were Joseph and Rachael Bond, who moved from North Carolina in 1811. This region was soon after settled by immigrants from Virginia, Kentucky, New Jersey, and North Carolina, those from the last named State predominat- ing Probably the earliest settlers in New Garden township were
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John Turner and Jonathan Marine, who settled there in 1809 or 1810. This became a Quaker settlement, many of the settlers coming from the New Garden Meeting House, Guilford county, North Carolina. They established a Friends Meeting, which they named for that from which they came, and it still exists under the same name, about one-half mile south of Fountain City. The sentiment of these people has continued to rule the community ever since, and as a result the morals of the community have been of a high order. Green township was first settled by a North Carolinian. Ilis name was John Lewis and he came in 1810. Among the early settlers there were several families from New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. At the close of the year 1814, but five families were to be found in what is now Perry township. They were those of James Warren and Richard Williams, of Ten- nessee; Thomas Lamb, of South Carolina; William Blount, from Kentucky, though originally from Pennsylvania; and John Bailey. As in most of the settlements yet noticed this section was invaded by a large number of Quakers. We also find several South Caro- linians who drifted up through Tennessee.
Dalton township was not settled until 1818, when Aquilla West settled near the present town of Dalton. It was not until the Government sale of land, in 1822, that any great number of settlers moved in. Those who came about this time were from North Carolina, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania. The majority were Quakers. Jefferson township was also not fully settled until after 1822. The earliest settlers are unknown, but some probably arrived about 1815. Here we find a new element of population, not yet noticed-the German Baptists or Dunkards. They located a church which has been maintained by their descendants. Immigrants from Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Kentucky, took up homes in this township. Among them but few Quakers were to be found. Harrison township was first settled by Samuel Boyd, who came from Tennessee in the spring of 1811. John Beard was probably the next settler, arriving in October, 1811. The subsequent early inhabitants came from various States. A large number were Germans, from Maryland and Pennsylvania. Several families came from New Jersey, Kentucky, and Virginia.
John Shortridge is said to have been the first settler of Jack- son township. Hle settled south of Germantown, in 1809. Caro- lina Quakers and Pennsylvania Germans were the principal early inhabitants. The Quakers came first, the German element begin- ning to arrive about 1820. A few families also came from Ken-
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tucky and Virginia. The territory now forming Washington town- ship was first settled by Thomas Symons, of North Carolina, 1811. He was followed by many families from the same State. We also find Pennsylvania Germans mixed with the early popula- tion. Among the earliest settlers of Abington township were the Endsleys and the Hunts, who came, respectively, from South and North Carolina. David Railsback settled in this neighbor- hood in 1807. The majority of the early settlers were North Caro- linians. From this brief review of the population of the county, it is evident that the most numerous and widely scattered element was the Carolina Quakers. Next in number were the Germans from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. It will be noticed that the Carolinians predominated in the east and north, while the Germans were strongest in the west and south. Such is the stock from which the population of Wayne county has sprung. Although people from various States, religions, and nationalities, have since taken up their abode here, they have not changed the general character of the population. Another striking feature of the early settlement of the county is that few New Englanders found their way hither. The greater part came from south of Mason and Dixon's line. Those from north of that line came mainly from the Middle States.
The predominant characteristics of the people can be directly traced to the elements of this early population. The strong aboli- tion sentiments held by the people when the slavery question was stirring the public mind can be traced to the North Carolinians and their descendants, who forsook their former homes because of their opposition to the institution of slavery. The honesty, piety, and moral purity of the people may be traced to both the Quaker and German Baptist element. Both make excellent citizens. While they are both conservative classes of people, they are not non-progressive. While they have not the quick-wittedness of the Yankee, they have a plodding determination which has produced a wealthy and highly prosperous community. The early settlers of Wayne county were a peaceable and a just class of citizens. These traits were soon displayed in their dealings with the Indians. The red man was often fed by the early settlers, and by some he was made welcome at the fireside during the long cold winters. Many stories are told of the fairness with which the Quakers dealt with the Indians.
A spirit of mutual helpfulness and friendliness existed among them and it is yet to be found among their descendants, where the
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conventionalism and the commercial spirit of the city has not choked it out. Neither the Carolina Quakers nor the Germans were opposed to honest toil. These pioneers were Chewers of wood and drawers of water," and before the lusty strokes of their axes and their firm grasp of the plough handle forests fell and were superseded by waving fields of grain and fruitful orchards. The appreciation of learning and culture was keen among these people. The erection of the cabin was closely followed by that of the log school-house. The first school-house was erected by the Holman and Rue families, who first settled Wayne county. In general we may say that the early settlers of the county were an earnest, serions, sober, home-loving people. Purity and thrift are the rich legacy they have bequeathed their descendants.
Having discovered some of their traits, we will next inquire into their manner of settlement and living. The first settlers of Wayne county settled mainly along the streams. Land being cheap, at $1.25 per acre, most settlers entered a quarter-section or more. The first thing, of course, was to erect their cabin. It was an unwritten law that all the neighbors should help a newcomer or a bridegroom raise his cabin. Teams, labor, and tools, were put at his disposal and willing hands cut the logs, hauled them to place. notched the ends which were to form the corners, and placed them in position. Meanwhile others cut poles for the roof and rived huge blocks of straightgrained timber for clapboards. The fireplace was then built in one end, of sticks, stones, and clay, a piece of oiled paper was placed in the window for light, the door was hung on wooden hinges and fastened with a wooden lock, and the cabin was ready for occupancy. In the same way all turned out at harvest time.
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