USA > Maryland > Washington County > Hagerstown > A history of Washington County, Maryland from the earliest settlements to the present time, including a history of Hagerstown > Part 40
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Many well known people died about this tinie. In October 18, 1839, Captain Casper Snively, a soldier of the Revolution, died at the age of 79 years. About the same time, Daniel Beltzhoover, for many years the best known tavern-keeper in Hagerstown, died of yellow fever in Natehez. Luke Tiernan also died in Baltimore in the same year. He was one of the leading merchants of Hagerstown from 1787 to 1795, when he went to Baltimore. His wife was Ann Owen, a deeendant of Col. Cressap. IIe was a native of Ireland, and a man of marked character and ability, oeeupy- ing a leading positon in Baltimore and in the State. The death of John Van Lear, Sr., took place November 14, 1839, at the age of 70 years. He was a member of a distinguished family which has resided at "Tammany" a beautiful country seat near Williamsport, sinee the close of the Rev- olutionary War. It was Matthew Van Lear who bought a large tract of land near Williamsport and erected the old dwelling house which is still standing. His wife was Mary Irwin of Franklin County, Pa. Mary Irwin's sister married James Findlay of Cincinnati, and Naney, another sister, married Governor Findlay. Matthew Van Lear had twelve children. John and Joseph Van Lear never married. They lived at Tammany, and took care of a large number of nephews and nieces.
Among these were the daughters of the eldest daughter of Matthew Van Loar who had married Col. Jolin Ramsey of Pittsburg. They were of distinguished beauty. One of them met with a French artist, who fell madly in love with her. He made her portrait, which he took with him to France and there an engraving of it was made entitled "The Beautiful American." Several cop- ies of this engraving adorn walls in Washington County, and one of them hangs in the parlor at "Tammany." All of these beautiful girls died at an early age, except the eldest, who married William Irwin, of Cincinnati. Through the Ir- wins the Van Lears are elosely related to the late President Benjamin Harrison. Sophia, the youngest of the twelve children of Matthew Van Lear, married Archibald Irwin Findlay, a lawyer of Chambersburg, Pa., a son of William Findlay, Governor of Pennsylvania and afterwards U. S. Senator from Pennsylvania. Archibald Findlay left three children, James and Miss Nancy I. Findlay who now live at Tammany, and John Van Lear Findlay an ex-member of Congress and a member of the Baltimore Bar. Arehibald Find- lay's sister married Francis R. Shunk, afterwards Governor of Pennsylvania. He was the father of Casper Shunk, of Williamsport in this County. John Van Lear McMahon, the historian and law- yer, was the son of a sister of Matthew Van Lear, who had married William McMahon of Cumber- land. Two of the daughters of Arehibald Irwin, who was a brother of Governor William Findlay's wife, married sons of President William Henry Harrison. One of these sons, John Seott Har- rison, was the father of President Benjamin Har- rison. The father of Major John Van Lear, of Hagerstown, was the son of Dr. William Van Lear, a son of Matthew and a prominent physician of Washington County, who died in 1837.
It was in 1837 that the great movement fromn Washington County to the Roek River country of Northern Illinois began. From that time to the present an uninterrupted stream of emigrants have left their native homes and peopled the sev- eral counties in that State. At present the stream is greatly diminished, but during the spring months in recent years a large party of emigrants could be seen leaving Hagerstown for the West every Tuesday. The major portion of these were bound for Rock River country. But at present, whilst the parties still leave in diminished num- bers, most of them are from the counties adjoin-
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ing Washington and come to Hagerstown to start on their journey. This journey is accomplished now in but little more than a day and is a different undertaking from that of the pioneers who left the County in the early days to make their way through the wilderness to the settlements on the Ohio river in Kentucky, or even from the journey of the hundred families who left Washington County in 1837 and 1838 under the leadership of Samuel M. Hitt to settle in the Rock River Val- ley in Ogle County, Illinois. IIitt, who started this movement, was born in Kentucky, but eame to this County to make his home with an unele. Associated with Hitt in this emigration movement was a man named Swingley.
A former citizen of the County at this time attracted considerable publie attention. Commo- dore Elliott was tried by Court Martial which he demanded upon certain derogatory statements which had been made of him, concerning his con- duct at the battle of Lake Erie and of his treat- ment of a midshipman at a subsequent time. Elliott claimed that he was unjustly deprived of the testimony of several important witnesses, in consequence of which the judgment of the court was adverse to him, and he was sentenced to a sus- pension of four years and a forfeiture of pay dur- ing a half of that time. This latter portion of the sentence was remitted by President Van Buren -an aet for which he was bitterly assailed by the Whigs, who charged that it was done solely upon political grounds, and in defiance of justice. Dur- ing his suspension, Elliott lived near Carlisle, Pa., and was engaged in farming. He got a rehearing of his ease, and was reinstated in the Navy with the restoration of his rank.
Elliott was an ardent politician and his poli- ties several times got him into trouble. Whilst commander of the Constitution at Boston, he had made at his own expense a bust of his friend, General Jackson, and placed it as a figure head to his vessel. Someone gained access to the ves- sel, and under cover of darkness sawed off the head of the figure. This incident created great commotion and widespread comment. The act was denounced by the Democratie press with the immoderate language of the day, and approved by the Federal papers with delight. The dissevered head was exhibited as a trophy at a dinner given to Daniel Webster in Boston. The figure is now at the Naval Academy at Annapolis.
Elliott's conduct at the Battle of Lake Erie
was a constant subject of criticism by the personal and political enemies of the old sailor. Upon one occasion he demanded an investigation by a Court Martial, which decided that his conduct was brave and highly honorable. But this did not silence detractors. His conduct at Lake Erie was doubt- less intrepid. After Perry reached the Ni- agara, Elliott left him in command and passed nearly through the whole line of battle in an open boat, to bring up the gun boats into action. James Duncan Elliott was the son of Col. Robert Elliott, who was killed by a party of Indians on his way to join General Wayne. He was born in Hagers- town in 1782, in the house on South Potomac street between Baltimore and Antietam which was later occupied by William Bester, florist. He belonged to one of the families from the North of Ireland which sent so many noble representa- tives to this County and to this country.
The Harrison campaign of 1840 was fully equal to the first Jackson eampagin in enthusiasm although it laeked the intense bitterness of that memorable contest. The supporters of Harrison were almost beside themselves with zeal and car- ried everything before them. Nineteen of the twenty-four States gave him their electoral vote. A curious objection urged against Mr. Van Buren was the allegation that he favored negro suffrage. The bare hinting at such a thing filled the minds of people with horror and indignation. The Whig papers asserted that this charge was elearly sus- tained. That he had voted in the New York convention of 1821 to strike out the word "white" in the qualification of voters. The Herald of Freedom was almost paralyzed at the mention of the atrocious design. Monster meetings were held in different parts of the County. The "Buckeye Blacksmith," a wonderfully powerful and effective stump speaker, was imported from Ohio and made specehes at Clearspring and other places, arousing the people to the height of enthusiasm. At all the meetings there were log cabins drawn by six white horses, barrels of hard cider, coons and other insignia. But the great hit was the gigantic ball which eame rolling down the National pike from Cumberland. Among those rolling it was George A. Pearre, then a young lawyer, afterwards on the bench. There was a halt at every village, and speeches wore made. The popular refrain was
"With heart and soul This ball we roll." The campaign was rich in phrases, songs and
4
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refrains. Mercersburg also sent a ball which af- ter being displayed at the monster meeting in Hagerstown was presented to the local Tippecanoe Club of which William Price was the President.
This meeting, which was held September 16, was probably the largest meeting ever held to that time in the County. The number present was estimated at twelve thousand. Delegations came, hot only from every district of the County but from adjoining counties and the neighboring States of Pennsylvania and Virginia. It was proudly said by the Whigs that "no pen could describe, no tongue however eloquent could por- tray the scenes of the day. It was too transcend- ently magnificent for any mere man to realize. Every mountain sent forth its 'torrent, every hill its rivulet, every valley its stream, until a mighty ocean of people was here." Washington County could usually be relied upon for a good majority for the Democrats, or the "Loco Focos" or "Van Burenites" as their opponents never failed to term them. But this year they could not stand up against the hero of Tippecanoe. The State elec- tion came on in October, and the Whigs swept the State. Washington County went the same way, by a majority ranging from 100 to 200. John Newcomer was elected to the Senate over Robert Wason and J. Nesbit, Joseph Weast, Lewis Zeigler and David Claggett were elected to the Assembly over Rench, Garrott, Lyday and Mason, the Dem- ocrats. At the Presidential election in November, the County gave Harrison a majority of 206.
On his way to Washington to enter upon the duties of the exalted office for which he had been chosen, General Harrison arrived in Hagerstown on the 4th day of February 1841, at 8 o'clock in the evening and took lodgings at Mellhenny's Tavern on N. Potomac street. Although his ar- rival was not expected until the next day, yet large numbers were ready to wait upon him promptly. Manv had gathered from the surround- ing country and some came from Virginia and Pennsylvania. Altogether they formed a con- course of enthusiastic friends who shouted theni- selves hoarse. But the next day the old soldier had to undergo the ordeal of receiving thousands. In one respect his reception was different from that accorded to General Jackson in Hagerstown- he was greeted with warmth by his political oppo- nents who mingled with the Whigs in paying honor to the new President. A feature of the reception
was the slicing and distribution of a cake weighing a hundred and twelve pounds, which the people of the Town and County made for the occasion. It was surmounted by a pyramid two and a half feet in height, was iced, inscribed with appropri- ate mottoes and decorated with flowers. The President addressed a large concourse in the Square and then went, "walking with a firm step," to the Hotel of Mr. William Cline on W. Wash- ington street, where a great number of ladies had gathered filling the handsome parlors. Here he spent an hour and then returned to his tavern where he dined and afterwards set out for Wash- ington surrounded by a large escort. In describ- ing the incident of this visit the Herald of Free- dom said "the General is in excellent health, speaks with the fluency and vigor of youth-liis countenance is grave and contemplative and he converses with great ease in that republican style which never fails to be pleasing." Nine weeks later he was in his grave.
The candidates for Congress in 1841 were John Thompson Mason, Democrat, and Edward A. Lynch, Whig. Mason carried the County by a vote of 2107 to 2034 for Lynch. Mason was elect- ed. But the greatest interest was centered in the Gubernatorial election which occurred later in the year. The Democratic leader was Francis Thomas the "War Horse" and opposed to him was William Cost Johnson, of Frederick County, the "Catoctin Sprout." The contest was intensely exciting and resulted in a victory for the Democrats in the County by a majority for Thomas of a hundred and fifty votes and the election of the Democratie candidates for the Assembly-Jervis Spencer, Jos. Hollman, Jacob H. Grove and Samuel Lyday. The defeated Whigs were David Zeller, Charles A. Fletcher, C. H. Orr and Samuel Claggett.
Nowhere was the indignation of Whigs against President Tyler for his defection more bit- ter than in Washington County. Nowhere had the fight for Harrison and Tyler been more carn- est and vigorous and nowhere had the shout of victory been louder. Tyler's action in repudiating his party was therefore especially bitter, and found expression not only in the newspapers, but a meet- ing was held on "Federal Hill" at Clearspring, when the President was burnt in effigy.
But during this campaign the Whig party in Washington County lost its chief and most able champion, who had stood in the forefront of
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the battle and waged war upon the Demoerats for twenty-nine years. This champion was Wm. D. Bell, editor of the Torch Light.
William Duflield Bell was born Friday, Sep- tember 20, 1:93, near Uiniontown, Fayette County, Pa., where his father, Samuel Bell, temporarily resided. His mother was Susan Duffield, a native of Welsh Run, Franklin County, Pa., intimately related to the Duffields of Pennsylvania, and the Rev. George Duffield, of Detroit, Michigan. In 1818, Mr. Bell married Susan Harry, of Hagers- town. She was a member of the "Harry" or "Harrie" family, which settled early in the Coun- tv. Their ancestors, for a long time, resided in Northwestern or Northern Franee. During the religious persecution of the Protestants, they re- moved to Holland, and afterwards part of the family came to Maryland. Mrs. Bell's mother was a Miss Sailor, whose father, among the early settlers of Western Maryland, took up a large tract on Antietam Creek, near where it is crossed by the road from Hagerstown to Cavetown.
In early life Mr. Bell resided, after his fatlı- er's death, with his grandfather at Welsh Run. He subsequently lived in Chambersburg, Pa., and was a resident of Baltimore and a member of the State militia at the attack on the eity by the British in 1814. IIe removed to Hagerstown in 1814. He was connected in the newspaper busi- ness with Mrs. Stewart Herbert, O. H. W. Stull and others in the establishment of the "Torch Light and Public Advertiser." He had also yery heavy business interests in the western part of the County. Mr. Bell was a free, expressive and attractive writer, and often engaged in miscel- laneous contributions for publication. His politi- cal affinities were very strong and decided; he was an uncompromising Whig and a great admirer of the prominent achievements and influential men of that party. He never sought a public of- fice where it was the gift of his party alone. For many years he was "moderator" of the town of Hagerstown, connected with its town works and took part in all public matters that advanced its prosperity. During the prevalence of the cholera in 1832. he was zealous, untiring and devoted to charitable duties. He was one of the oldest and most active members of the Masonic fraternity in the town, and during his entire manhood was con- no ted with the Presbyterian Church, the greater part of such time, as an elder. He was a man of strong impulse, slowly roused, but prompt to
control his feelings, an exeellent conversationist and a person of unyielding attachments. He had many warm and devoted friends. He died in the prime of his manhood, October 7, 1841, mueh lamented. His wife survived him nineteen years. His eldest son, Edwin Bell, succeeded him in the editorship of the "Torch Light," and pub- lished the paper and studied law with William Price until his removal to California in 1849. His eldest daughter married the Hon. William Motter, of Hagerstown, Maryland, long a member . of the Bar of this County and one of the purest members of the Judiciary in the State. His sec- ond son, living at his death, George, was appoint- ed to the United States Military Academy, New York, by the member of Congress for his District -Hon. James Dixon Roman. He graduated in 1853. He served in garrison at Fort Hamilton, N. Y .; on frontier duty at Fort MeIntosh, Texas, and scouting in Florida hostilities against the Seminole Indians ; on frontier duty at Fort Brown, Texas; on commissary duty and in charge of the ordnance department at San Antonio, Texas; in garrison at Fort McHenry, Maryland; on march to Fort Worth, Tex., and on Coast Survey duty. During the Civil War he served as bearer of dis- patches from the General-in-chief to the Com- manding Officer, Indianola, Tex. ; with Light Bat- tery of Artillery in defense of Washington, D. C .; on Commissary and Quarter-Master duty at An- napolis Junction, Maryland; as assistant in the organization of the Sub. Dept. for, and serving in, the Manassas campaign and in many important stations.
. He received the following brevets for war services :
Brev .- Maj. U. S. A., March 13, 1865.
Brev. Lt .- Col. U. S. A., March 13, 1865. Brev. Col. U. S. A., March 13, 1865.
All the above "for faithful and meritorious services during the Rebellion."
Brev. Brig .- Gen. U. S. A., April 9, 1865, for "faithful and meritorious services in the Sub. Dept. during the Rebellion."
One month after the death of the founder of the Torch Light, the founder of the Mail, James Maxwell, died. After editing the Mail for a short time. Maxwell disagreed with the owners of that paper and was deposed from the editorship. He then started the "Courier and Inquirer," and in partnership with Ringer the "Herald of Freedom" in June 1839. The following year Mittag &
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OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, MARYLAND.
Sneary bought the Herald. In December, 1844, Judge Abraham Shriver retired from the bench, after a judicial career of forty years.
For many years the newspapers of the Slate contained frequent indignant denunciations of the banks and banking system. There was ample cause for this, and when old Benjamin Galloway, in a speech at the Market House, pronounced the prevailing system of banking a legalized public swindling, he was not far wrong. The only thing necessary to complete success in swindling was to obtain a charter from the State. This was hiedged abont with some restrictions, but these obstacles could be evaded and then the banks were free to put their notes broadcast over the land. The ob- ject and aim .of the schemers was to float these notes as far away from home as possible, so as to prolong the time before they would return for redemption.
The history of one of these kiting institutions will give some insight to the general practice. The Farmers" and Millers' Bank of Hagerstown was incorporated in 1835 with a capital stock of $300,- 000. Under the law, no notes could be issued until $75,000 in gold and silver was in possession of the bank as a part of its capital stock. In 1840 the Treasurer of the Western Shore appoint- ed a committee to investigate the affairs of the bank and ascertain whether this provision of the charter had been complied with. The committee reported that the law had been observed and that the bank was in condition to embark in business. The notes were then issued and put in circulation. In 1843, a petition was sent to the Legislature charging fraud and asking for an investigation of the affairs of the bank. A select committee com- posed of J. M. Buchanan, J. S. Owens, J. H. Grove, P. W. Crain and William H. Tuck was ap- pointed. After investigation a report was sub- mitted to the Legislature that the Treasurer had been misinformed by the committe which he had appointed to report to him and that in point of fact the $75,000 had not been paid in as required by law ; that the bank was a fraudulent device to plunder the unwary and credulous portion of the community; that it was often sustained by bor- rowing from individuals ; that its total assets were but $1700 and that at one time it had been so re- duced that its entire available funds were only $4 and a few coppers. The report concluded by calling upon the Attorney General to institute pro- eeedings to foree a forfeiture of the eharter. This
report of course created a run on the bank and $5000 of its notes were brought in and promptly redeemed. This was claimed by the officers of the bank as a complete refutation of the charge that the assets of the bank were only $1700. The pres- ident of the bank was Andrew Kershner ; J. Eyster was the cashier, and the Board of Directors was composed of George Fechtig, Jolmn Welty, James R. Jones, Robert Logan, F. S. Stumbaugh and Samuel Yeakle. These gentlemen happened to be Whigs, and the Democratic newspapers did not hesitate to hint that the methods of the bank were in strict accord with the general principles of Whiggery. The Whigs upon their part declared that the legislative committee was solely influ- enced by party malignity. Pending the troubles Kershner and Eyster both resigned. J. S. Pol- lard became president, and M. C. Clarkson, easlı- ier. There can be no doubt that the directors of the bank as well as the public were the dupes of an adroit professional bank smasher. When the whole history of the affair came out it appeared that the agents for the establishing of the bank were William Weed and J. T. Guthrie. The lat- ter was indicted in 1843 by the Grand Jury of Washington County for embezzling the funds of the bank. Weed was the president of an obscure bank at Millington, Md. The Farmers and Mil- lers was the successor to this bankrupt concern. The Millington Bank issued two certificates of deposit, amounting to $60,000 and then failed and moved his furniture and fixings to Hagers- town for the Farmers and Millers. The failure had not taken place. however, until the certifi- cates of deposit had been counted as a portion of the assets of the bank in Hagerstown by the com- mittee. The gentlemen composing the committee were severely criticised for reporting these certifi- cates as cash, but the Treasurer of the State said that it was the common practice to take such cer- tificates of deposit as actual cash, and at the time the count was made the bank which issued them was, so far as the public knew, certainly solvent.
As soon as the certificates had served their purpose of embarking the new bank upon its career of fraud. they were cast into the waste basket. Mr. M. V. Heard was for a time teller of the bank and he went before the Legislative committee and made a complete exposure of Guthrie's methods. The statement of the bank made to the Treasurer of the Western Shore in January 1842, was upon the faith of a sum of money placed in the bank
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
by one A. J. Jones of Harrisburg, and withdrawn the same day. The first operations of the bank were in a house which stood where the building of the First National now stands, and was pulled down a few years ago to make room for the pres- ent building. It was subsequently removed to the basement of John Thompson Mason's residence on Washington street, the present residence of Mrs. William T. Hamilton. In the same house, a few years later, the Valley Bank was started. The subscription books were opened June 12, 1848. It ran a short and inglorious eareer, and failed, after having flooded the State of New York with its notes. A large bundle of these notes is now lying in the vault at the Hagerstown Bank. The stoek of this bank was almost entirely owned by Major Leland of the Metropolitan Hotel of New York. After the failure of the bank he invested $106,000 in a Texas Ranch. There had been some trouble about the original subscription. The books were opened in June 1854 and the whole amount of stock, $100,000, was at once taken. The State retained $5,000, and nearly all the rest was taken by Shoup & Co. of Dayton, O., in the name of Mr. Dusang who was to have been cashier. But the charter required that one-half of the stock should be taken in Washington County, and Dusang was not deemed a citizen. Shoup's sub- scription was therefore rejected and the books were reopened.
In October 1839 the Williamsport Bank sus- pended specie payments. Our people lost heavily by the failure of the Mineral Bank in Cumberland in 1858.
Through all this banking excitement and ras- cality the old IIagerstown Bank maintained its high place in the confidence of the people. In 1837 it had $126,127 on deposit, $45,500 of which was in specie; its real estate was valued at $11,- 500 and its discounts amounted to $457,636. Its capital stoek at that time was $250,000 and it had $214,400 of notes in circulation. The venerable Eli Beatty was still the cashier-a position he had filled since 1807. He resigned April 23, 1859, and died on the fifth of the following month. He was succeeded as cashier by William M. Marshall. John H. Kausler, began his career in 1856 as as- sistant teller. Ile was succeeded by Edward W. Mealey. he by John L. Bikle who died in office in 1904, and then John Kieffer the present eashier was elected.
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