Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 36

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452

USA > Kentucky > Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I > Part 36

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Salaries of state officers,

clerks, judges, &c .. 74,525

44,720

Stationery for public use .. 3,165

467

Public Printer. 14,914

8,100

Public Binder.

8,223 2,702

Red Foxes $57, and Wild

Cats $36.

93 None.

Wolves

1.266

Dec. 4 - Legislature meets. Harrison Taylor again elected speaker of the house of representatives, receiving 57 votes, and Col. Alex. M. Stout 34.

Dec. 8-In the circuit court at Louis- ville, Judge Geo. W. Johnston dismisses the indictment against Gen. John M. Palmer for aiding a slave to escape-upon the ground that, before the indictment, the requisite number of states had adopted the XIIIth amendment to the U. S. Con- stitution, abolishing slavery ; therefore all criminal and penal laws of Ky. relating to slavery are of no effect.

Dec. 1-The remains of Simon Kenton, one of the most daring and useful of Ky. Dec. 9-Gov. Bramlette, by special mes- pioneers, removed and re-interred, with - sage to the legislature, recommends that

1.305

Kentucky sick and wounded

Paper worked by Public Printer

7,779

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ANNALS OF KENTUCKY.

1866.

body [which alone can grant pardon for treason against the state of Ky.] to grant a general pardon of all indicted in the courts of this state for treason by acts of war within Ky. against the U. S. Jan. 13, 1866, a law to that effect is approved, hav- ing passed the senate by 18 to 11, and the house by 57 to 34.

Dec. 15-The court of appeals, in the case of Corbin v8. Marsh, from Nicholas co., affirms the decision of Judge An- drews-that the act of congress of March 3, 1865, setting free the wives and children of negro soldiers, was unconstitutional and void.

Dec. 15-Large fire in Owensboro; ten business houses and contents burned ; loss $230,000.

Dec. 18-Death, at Washington city, of paralysis, of ex-Gov. Thos. Corwin, of Ohio. He was born July 29, 1794, in Bourbon co., Ky.

Dec. 18-Legislature (by 21 to 15 in the senate, and 62 to 33 in the house) repeals the act of Oct 1, 1861-declaring any citi- zen of Ky. who, as a Confederate soldier or officer, invades this state, guilty of felony, to be punished by confinement in the penitentiary from 1 to 10 years ... ... 19-Repeals the Expatriation act of March 11, 1862, (by 22 to 12 in the senate, and 62 to 33 in the house.) .... Repeals (by 24 to 12 in the senate, and 61 to 32 in the house) the act of Aug. 31, 1862, requiring ministers and others to take an [" iron- clad"] oath before solemnizing marriages. .20-Repeals the act of Aug. 22, 1862, requiring an additional [" iron-clad"] oath from jurors ......... Makes confirmed lunacy of three years a ground for divorce.

Dec. 18-Wm. H. Seward, U. S. secre- tary of state, announces by proclamation. that the legislatures of 27 states out of 36 -three-fourths-have ratified the XIIIth Amendment abolishing slavery, and it " has become valid to all intents and pur- poses as a part of the Constitution of the United States." The states are : Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Mary - land, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wis- consin-27. Eight of these belonged to the Southern Confederacy, and are states when necessary to ratify this Constitu- tional amendment ; but treated as not states when claiming a representation in con- gress ; they are still kept out of congress, although the Constitution of the United States provides for and requires their full representation therein.

Dec. 22-A lot of 48 Ky. cattle, mostly fed by Jacoby and Penn in Bourbon co., and taken to New York for a market, sold at 21 to 25 cents per lb. They were nearly all 4 years old, very fine animals, some having drawn prizes ; 4 sold at $350 each, 4 at $300, 4 at $290, 2 at $245, 12 at $215, and the rest at figures between these-all

to first-class butchers, who intend to make a splendid Christmas show of fine beef.

Dec. 26-Assistant commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau, Brevet Maj. Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, by circular No. 10, ex- tends the guardianship of that concern over the negroes of Ky., and announces the establishment of "agencies of the bureau at points easy of access, to fairly adjust the labor question, and to see that contracts are equitable and enforce them."

Dec. 28-The Union Coal and Oil Co., at Maysville, commences the manufacture of paraffine candles, of the richest blue, pink and yellow colors, as well as white, and of 22 per cent. greater illuminating power than those of spermaceti.

Dec. 29-A tornado at Bowling Green blows down part of the brick walls of sev- eral houses, unroofs the Branch Bank of Ky. and other buildings.

1866, Jan. 2-Phil. Tomppert, mayor of Louisville, deposed by the city council ; who unanimously elect James S. Lithgow in his place.

Jan. 2-Northern Bank of Ky. declares a semi-annual dividend of 10 per cent .; and the Central Bank of Ky., at Danville, a 10 per cent. dividend from the profits of the last six months, and 18 per cent. out of its contingent fund. 11 national banks, with $2,200,000 capital, already estab- lished in Ky.

Jan. 9-Mysterious murder, in Louis- ville, of Rev. Thos. J. Fisher, of the Bap- tist church, celebrated for thirty years past by his successful labors on revival occa- sions.

Jan. 10-In the circuit court at Coving- ton, in the two suits of H. Clay White and John J. Macklin against Dr. David B. Miller, John M. Bowen, Thos. Dempsey, and R. G. Mathews-sued as the "board of trade" for the 6th congressional distriet -Judge Jos. Doniphan held that the act of congress purporting to authorize the removal of such cases to the United States circuit court was "unconstitutional, as tending to the utter subversion of the juris- diction of the state courts ;" he refused the motion for removal. The defendants claim that "in taking possession of the business houses of plaintifs and excluding them therefrom, they were acting upon the au- thority of President Lincoln." Damages claimed, $5,000 and $10,000 respectively.

Jan. 10-Gen. Henry Heth, late of the Confederate States army, while on a visit to Cincinnati, examines the earth-works thrown up in the rear of the cities of Cov- ington and Newport, in Sept., 1862, to check the progress of his army. He said he was constantly advised of the accessions to the U. S. forces, and their exact situa- tion, and was abundantly able to capture the three citics. The Cincinnati Commer- cial reports him as saying that "he was fully aware of the absence of veterans, and knew when Gen. Granger came in with his regiments from Corinth. He telegraphed to Gen. Kirby Smith, at Lexington, that. he could take Cincinnati with the loss of

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perhaps a hundred men, and asked for in- structions. Gen. Smith's reply ordered him to take the city. He promptly pre- pared to mass his forces and break the greatly extended and imperfect Federal lines-fixing the time and place to do so. But a second telegraph from Gen. Smith informed him that Gen. Buell's movements made it necessary for Gen. Bragg to con- centrate his whole army ; that a division could not be spared, even to hold Cincin- nati ; and that after Buell was whipped in Ky., the cities on the Ohio river would fall into their hands without further fight- ing. This compelled a countermand of the order to advance upon the Federal intrench- ments, and the Confederate troops moved off rapidly to the center of Ky." [Addi- tional proof of the incompetency of the Confederate general, Braxton Bragg !]

Jan. 11-State farmers' convention at Frankfort ; 40 counties represented.

Jan. 12-Legislature enacts a law to prevent the careless or wanton or malicious use of deadly weapons ; gives to the widow and children action against the slayer, with vindictive damages ..... Makes it a misdemeanor, punishable by fine of from $50 to $500, to sign the name of another to certain petitions, memorials, or remon-

strances ...... .. 19-Increases the salaries of circuit court judges to $2,200, and of court of appeals judges to $2,700.

24-Remonstrates with congress against a tax on leaf tobacco ......... 26-The governor requested to obtain from the U. S. secre- tary of war copies of the rolls of Ky. sol- diers in the Mexican war, there being none now in possession of the state authorities.

Jan. 13-A bill chartering the Grant Deposit Bank of Louisville-all the cor- porators of which are men of color-passes the senate by 22 to 7, but is not acted on in the house.

Jan. 13-Death, in Boyle co., of John Spears, sen., aged nearly 95 years. Al- though a boy of ten years at the time, he was with the patriot army as an assistant in charge of a wagon, and witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, Va.

Jan. 15-The public buildings-court house or clerks' offices-in each of 28 coun- ties were destroyed, or more or less injured, during the war; as appears from a bill introduced in the legislature to restore them.

Jan. 15-"Ashland"-so long the home of Henry Clay, near Lexington, embracing 325 acres of the best land in the bluegrass region-purchased at $90,000 by the trus- tees of Ky. University, as the site for one of its departments, the new Agricultural College.

Jan. 17-Gold in New York 1397g.

Jan. 18-The senate, by 21 to 14, re- jects the nomination, made Dec. 15, 1865, of Wm. L. Neale as treasurer of Ky., for the vacancy caused by the death of Jas. H. Garrard - to commence Jan. 1, 1866. Next day, Capt. Wm. L. Neale having tendered his resignation of the commis- sion he now holds as treasurer of Ky., the

governor nominates, and the senate by 35 for to 1 against, confirms Gen. Thos. L. Crittenden to be treasurer.

Jan. 20-The house of representatives rescinds a resolution of that body, adopted Jan. 19, 1864, which dispensed for the re- mainder of that session, with the services of Rev. Jas. M. Lancaster and Rev. Jno. N. Norton, (one of whom, or of the other resident ministers of Frankfort, had for years opened with prayer the sessions of each branch of the legislature,) " because they would not or did not take a certain oath prescribed by law." The rescission now is because "it appears that said resolution and the report accompanying it was an improper and unjust reflection upon their private and ministerial character."

Jan. 22-Convention of amateur fisher- men at Frankfort; stock-books opened for the Ky. Piscatorial Co., and the legisla- ture memorialized to protect the fishing interest of the state.

Jan. 23-Hog cholera quite prevalent in several counties.

Jan. 23-Gen. Abraham Buford receives at his farm near Versailles, Woodford co., the celebrated English stallion Leaming- ton, which cost $22,000, and two mares, Jerusalem and Lady Moments, which were valued at $2,500 each in England.

Jan. 24- Alarming prevalence of the small-pox among the negroes in Louis- ville.

Jan. 25-The house unanimously, and the senate with a slight amendment, adopted the following joint resolution :

" Whereas, it is represented in the public journals that Maj. Gen. Clinton B. Fisk, the head of the Freedmen's Bureau in Ky., did, on the 18th inst., deliver an address in the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, in which he made, amongst others, these state- ments :

"Only the day before yesterday, in Lex- ington, thirteen discharged colored sol- diers stood in the streets, in full sight of Henry Clay's monument, with their bodies lacerated, their backs bleeding from the cruel lash, their heads cut to the scalp, and one or two of them with their eyes put out! And what for, do you suppose ? Simply for going to their former masters and asking for their wives and children. I appealed to the civil authorities in their behalf, and was told there was no law in Ky. to help them. I heard there of a slave to be sold on a certain day ; I made an arrangement with the master commis- sioner to buy him myself-as the last slave to be sold in Ky !"

" And whereas, it is believed that those statements have no foundation in fact, and are calculated to place the people of Ky. in a false light before the country ; therefore, be it Resolved, that a committee be ap- pointed, of two from the house and one from the senate, to proceed immediately to Lexington, and ascertain the truth or falsity of the statements," &c. Wm. A. Dudley, from the senate, and Benj. F. Buckner and John M. Armstrong, from

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the house, were appointed the committee. Feb. 15-The committee reported an out- line of the testimony taken, with the tes- timony in full, and a letter of Feb. 2 from Gen. Fisk; and came to the conclusion- " that the charges made by Gen. Fisk are false and slanderous ; they are but a con- tinuation of the system of misrepresenta- tion to which the people of this state have been exposed for several years-a system introduced and persevered in by office- holders of the general government, in order to extend and continue their own profits and powers ; and but too much encouraged by certain citizens of the state itself, in the hope of recommending themselves thereby to the patronage of the party in power at Washington." Mr. Armstrong filed a minority report-saying "he had not arrived at the conclusion that the al- leged statements of Gen. Fisk are false and slanderous," and arguing in favor of further time for a more full investigation. Gen. Fisk's letter spoke of being denounced as a "liar and slanderer," and said he would " retract before the world if it should appear that he had in the least misrepre- sented the people" of Ky. On motion of Mr. Armstrong, amended by others, Feb. 17, the committee was directed to sit dur- ing the recess and make the investigation at an early day, giving Gen. Fisk notice to attend, cross-examine and introduce witnesses ; when finished, to furnish a full report of the testimony, with their decision thereon, to the governor, who "is hereby directed to furnish the same to the presi- dent of the United States."

Jan. 26-Great storm in Logan co., at midnight ; a number of tobacco barns and stables blown down, horses and mules killed, fencing for miles blown away, and much other damage done.

Jan. 27-Jno. H. Harney elected public printer, by the legislature, receiving 78 votes, Albert G. Hodges 42, Geo. D. Pren- tice 3, Thos. M. Green 1. In the caucus of the Conservative members of the legis- lature, previously, the 2d ballot stood Green 41, Harney 26, Samuel I. M. Major 8 ; but on the 3d ballot, Harney was nom- inated.

Jan. 27-The house, by 68 to 21, resolved that the speaker appoint a committee to inquire into certain charges against Judge Wm. C. Goodloe-that he "had been guilty of a high misdemeanor in requiring, of his own will and without authority of law, the clerk of the Fayette circuit court to enter an order dismissing indictments for crimes found against David S. Goodloe. Hiram Shaw, and others, at the appearance term and immediately after the grand jury had returned the same into court; and also that he had been guilty of other malprac- tices in office ; with power in said commit- tee to sit at any place in this state, to suin- mon, swear, and examine witnesses, and report in writing at as early a day as prac- ticable." Jos. W. Davis, Geo. W. Carlisle. and Wm. L. Conklin were appointed the special committee. Feb. 1-The commit-

tee were "instructed to give to Judge Goodloe notice of their sitting-that he may introduce testimony before them, and cross-examine witnesses introduced to tes- tify against him ; provided that, in the ab- sence of the witnesses, said depositions shall be read as evidence on the final trial, if said Goodloe shall be impeached" before the senate of Ky. This proviso, that the depositions should be read on the trial, was repealed, Feb. 6, and afterwards. on same day, a communication from Judge Goodloe, dated Feb. 5, was read-which strongly protested against being deprived of the Constitutional right to meet the witnesses face to face. The select com- mittee were then discharged from the fur- ther consideration of the same, and the whole matter referred to the committee on the judiciary-who, Feb. 14, werc directed to sit during the recess, "with power to send for persons and papers, to swear wit- nesses, and do any other act necessary to the proper investigation of the alleged malpractices of said Goodloc."

Jan. 30-Explosion of splendid steamer Missouri, in Ohio river, near the mouth of Green river ; boat wrecked, and nearly 100 lives lost.

Feb. 1-24 counties report 8,138 sheep, of value $20,273, killed by dogs, in 1865.

Feb. 3-While Jas. W. Poore, late a Fed- eral soldier-who, on yesterday, when in a state of intoxication, killed a negro man without provocation-was undergoing his examining trial before Judge Thomas Ed- wards, at Harrodsburg, Capt. Wm. Good- loe, of the Freedmen's Bureau, makes his appearance with a detachment of negro soldiers, and presents an order from Gen. Clinton B. Fisk for the custody of the prisoner ; the civil authorities are com- pelled to submit, and the prisoner is taken to Camp Nelson. Feb. 10 -- The legisla- ture-by a vote of 76 to 2 in the house, and unanimous in the senate-appoints committees to "present the matter to the governor, and request him to call on the president to remove instantly from office and command Clinton B. Fisk and Win. Good- loe, and deliver them to the civil authori- ties of this state to be tried for their viola- tion of the laws ; and that the prisoner be remanded back to the civil authorities for trial." Such prompt and decided action and unanimity had its (partial) effect. Feb. 14-The governor sent to the house a despatch from Gen. Fisk, then at St. Louis, saying he "had ordered that Poore, the murderer, be returned to the civil author- ities for trial. Officials of the Bureau are directed to adjudicate difficulties only in such cases as the testimony of colored per- sons is excluded by the civil code."

Feb. 3-Legislature passes an act author- izing married women and minorsto deposite in banks and check out . .... .. 5-Estab- lishes a criminal court in the 9th district, Bracken, Campbell, Harrison, Kenton, and Pendleton counties ......... Repeals the act authorizing Ky. soldiers to vote for U. S. president, if out of the state ...... .10-

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Loans $20,000 to the Agricultural College, upon special terms ......... Exempts from execution or attachment for debts a home- stead of $1,000, of white house-keepers, with a family .14-$37,000 appropri- ated to complete building of Western Lu- natic Asylum and furnish same ......... Rail- roads shall transport coal mined in the state at not exceeding 212 cents per ton of 2,000 pounds per mile, or if in shippers' cars at not over 134 cents .. .15-Chil- dren going to and from school exempt from turnpike tolls Made finable to hunt or shoot on the Sabbath 17-Bounty allowed for killing wolf $212, wildcat $11/2, red fox $2, and grey fox $1 .. ..... . Military interference shall make any election in- valid.

Feb. 4-Death, at Bethany, near Wheel- ing, West Virginia, aged 77, of Elder Alex. Campbell, one of the founders of the Re- formed Baptist or Christian church.

Feb. 5-Death, at Glasgow, of William Sampson, chief justice of Ky. Gov. Bram- lette appoints ex-chief justice Thomas A. Marshall to fill the vacancy.

Feb. 6- Death, at Ashland, aged 78 years, of Aaron Dupee, the faithful serv- ant of Henry Clay-who accompanied him in all his travels in Europe, and during his residence in public life in Washington city.

Feb. 6-Jno. Lucas, as executor of Wm. Garth, dec'd, notifies the public that he is ready to pay over the sum of $42,612 for the endowment of a professorship of math- ematics in a college to be located at Paris, Bourbon co., so soon as $100,000 additional is secured to establish such college.

Feb. 6-A. W. Lawwill, superintendent of Freedmen's Bureau in Mason co., ad- dresses to Thos. Daulton, mayor of Mays- ville and also a justice of the peace, two communications "proposing that he shall aet a's agent of said Bureau in the admin- istration of justice, and in such case admit the testimony of colored men in his courts." Daulton replies indignantly to some of Lawwill's suggestions, then adds : " While not recognizing your right in the premises, it is respectful to say, that in all cases where the laws of Ky. allow negroes to testify, they are freely heard in my courts and never denicd the privilege."

Feb. 7-In the U. S. house of represen- tatives, Mr. Sterens' proposition in refer- ence to the Freedmen's Bureau-which involved giving of homesteads to the freedmen, from forfeited lands of the Southern white people-was voted down, ayes 37, nays 126. Of the Ky. delegation, Green Clay Smith, Wm. H. Randall, and Samuel McKee voted for it, and Lovell H. Rousseau, Burwell C. Ritter, Aaron Hard- ing, Geo. S. Shanklin, Henry Grider, and Lawrence S. Trimble against it.

Feb. 10-A petition, signed by 70 mem- bers of the Ky. legislature, asking the pardon of Gen. John C. Breckinridge, sent to President Johnson.

Feb. 10-" One-arın" Berry, the noted guerrilla, tried by a military commission

at Louisville, found guilty of 11 separate murders, and condemned to be hung on March 3d. Subsequently, Gen. Palmer commutes the sentence to 10 years impris- onment in the penitentiary at Albany, N. Y.

Feb. - The seats of the following sen- ators were contested, declared vacant, and new elections ordered : 1. Dr. A. Sidney. Allan, of Clark co., by Harrison Thomp- son ; 2. R. Tarvin Baker, of Campbell co., by Geo. R. Fearons ; 3. Mortimer M. Ben- ton, of Kenton co., by John G. Carlisle ; 4. Lucien B. Goggin, of Mason co., by Wm. C. Halbert. Mr. Baker was again elected, and Messrs. Thompson, Carlisle, and Hal- bert.

In the house, the seats were contested and declared vacant of the following : 1. Geo. W. Ballew, of Madison co., by A. J. Mershon ; 2. Lander Barber, of Bath co., by Basil D. Lacy ; 3. Ulysses Pelham Degman and Jacob Hawthorn, of Camp- bell co., by John C. Beck and Jas. White ; 4. Richard Gregory, of Hopkins co., by Wm. A. Morton ; 5. Dr. James Wilson, of Pendleton co., by Wm. A. Brann ; 6. John Stroube, of Bracken co., by Wm. H. Rey- nolds ; 7. Daniel Murphy, of Garrard co., by W. J. Lusk. Messrs. Degman and Hawthorn were again elected, and Messrs. Mershon, Lacy, Brann, Reynolds, and Lusk ; Chas. S. Green was elected in place of R. Gregory.

These seats were declared vacant because the election in each case was " neither free nor equal in the sense required in the Con- stitution," or was "controlled by force and violence," or was "regulated, con- trolled, and unduly influenced by armed soldiers in the service of the United States, in utter disregard of the law." The testi- mony proved that soldiers, armed with guns and bayonets, in some cases took possession of the polls, so far as to arrest some and threaten to arrest others who were accused of having Southern sym- pathy, and prevent them from voting. At the Cold Spring precinct, in Campbell co., several witnesses swore that Capt. Jas. W. Read, 53d Ky., arrested seven voters, sep- arately, and put them under guard in a pen, 15 steps from the polls, and in full view of the turnpike ; that he grossly in- sulted, abused, and cursed one, threatened to shoot, and threatened to gag him ; that he tied two of them with ropes, their backs to a tree, their arms drawn behind them and tied-in which position they were kept from about 8 A. M. until 712 P. M. Capt. John F. Herbert, of Gen. Palmer's staff, was there, released several from the pen, but refused to release others. Many similar outrages, only less violent, were proved.

Feb. 13-A committee, of John B. Bru- ner and Milton J. Cook in the senate, and Dr. John F. McMillan, John Draffin, and Jno. M. Armstrong in the house, appointed to receive propositions from Louisville and other places for the removal of the seat of government from Frankfort.

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Feb. 14-Legislature passes seven acts concerning negroes ; conferring certain civil rights, relieving them from most of their legal disabilities as slaves, making them subject to the same punishments for crime and misconduct as whites (except for rape on white women), authorizing schools and appropriating to the education of their children all taxes collected from the colored raee, except so much, not over one-half, as may be necessary to support their paupers ; besides other provisions.

Feb. 15 -Gen. Henry E. Read of La- rue co., Col. Jaek Allen of Shelby co., Col. John D. Morris of Hopkinsville, (former "provisional treasurer of Ky."), Lewis Garth, Messrs. Bell, and a number of others -ex-Confederate military and civil officers-arrested for treason, by diree- tion of Judge Bland Ballard, of the U. S. district court for Ky., and released on parole to answer at the ensuing term of the court.

Feb. 17-Legislature, claiming "to have enacted laws for the colored population- characterized by justice and humanity, suited to their present condition, and nee- essary and proper for their welfare"-by resolution "requests the president of the U. S. to cause a removal of the Freed- men's Bureau from this state ;" and also to revoke his order suspending the writ of habeas corpus.

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Collins historical sketches of Kentucky. History of Kentucky: Vol. I, Part 36

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn Publication date: 1874 Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co. Number of Pages: 1452

Author: Collins, Lewis, 1797-1870. cn; Collins, Richard H., 1824-1889. cn
Publication date: 1874
Publisher: Covington, Ky., Collins & Co.
Number of Pages: 1452