USA > New York > Wayne County > Military history of Wayne County, N.Y. : the County in the Civil War > Part 25
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From the Clyde Times, April 24, 1861. THE WAR AND THE PULPIT.
On Sunday, the officiating ministers in most of the churches of Clyde, made patriotic reference to the present state of national affairs.
In the morning, Mr. Brown, at the Methodist church, infused into his prayer considerable well-timed patriotism and prayed to the God of Battles for success to the Admin- istration cause.
Rev. Mr. Bishop, at the Episcopal church, gave a very im- pressive sermon from the text " This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." He said :
" Civil war has broken upon us. The cloud that but lifted its head above the horizon has now reached the zenith and the heavens are being rapidly shut out by portentous war- clouds. A Nation is distracted by internal dissensions. The maddening influences of war are now being nourished by dainty morsels. The black arcana of lies and deception has been opened to arouse the masses. Men, like mere machines, have easily submitted to the dictates of the ambi- tious. Fanaticism with its hydra head has been freely pois- oning the moral atmosphere of all sections of the country and the Great Being who sits on high will punish the whole Nation for its sins. Let us not look abroad at the shortcom- ings of others, but at our own. Let us pluck the beam out of our own eye and then shall we see clearly the faults of our brothers.
" What is our duty as Christians in the present difficulty ? I can see no other way warranted by the teaching of . Holy Writ than to maintain and honor the powers that be as ordained of God, and we have no wrongs to redress. However much we may sympathize with others, the Apostle informs us distinctly and clearly that we are to honor the civil
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authority. Civil governments are manifestly in accordance with Divine Will, and he who turns his hand to defeat their enactment in a lawful manner does wrong, more particularly if he take force for that purpose and cause blood to be shed, then he is certainly guilty of a very great crime."
Rev. Mr. Wilson of the Presbyterian Church said :
" But when a government is a good one ; one that ought to stand ; as good perhaps as the people may be qualified to appreciate and sustain ; then the sword may be legitimately, righteously, and I may say mercifully employed to sustain it against all assailants. God appoints such a government to protect the lives and secure the welfare of the people. Whoever makes a hostile assault upon it strikes a blow at the lives and happiness of multitudes ; he commits one of the greatest crimes and the penalty which human govern- ments inflict for that crime has a Divine sanction.
" It is a crime that seems more especially to forbid all thoughts of mercy towards the criminal. Mercy to one such criminal may be cruelty to a thousand loyal citizens ; and destruction upon a few traitors may be mercy to a whole nation. By striking at the life of the government one becomes a murderer as it were by wholesale.
" The life of a government may be worth more than the lives of ten thousand individuals, and they who abet or encourage by word or deed the perpetration of such a crime participate in its criminality. They forfeit the rights and privileges of citizens and justice looks down upon them as outlaws. They act as enemies of both God and man.
* **
" War on the part of those who fight to sustain a civil government which answers the purpose of such government, is righteous war; and those who fight against them fight against God.
" For a hearty and manly observance of these principles we shall be held responsible by the verdict of the Christian world ; in the judgment of posterity and what is incompar- ably more at the great day of final reckoning.
" All that is true and noble and right ; all that citizens and government need or ought to do, is consistent with Christi- anity ; and Christianity shines with peculiar lustre when in the hour of peril -- in times that try men's souls it takes the form of patriotism as in the case of the immortal Wash- ington."
Rev. Mr. McHarg, of Lyons, delivered an able and patri- otic discourse Sunday morning, April 28th.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Text : "So when all Israel saw that the King hearkened not unto them, the people answered the King saying : what portion have we in David ? neither have we inheritance in the sons of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel-now see to thine own house David. So Israel departed to their tents."
Drawing the inference that the secessionists of the South would suffer the same destruction as their brethren of older time, he was firm in expressing his devotion to the Union and in standing for the right. He did not believe in the new doctrine that slavery was a divine institution. He believed treason and armed rebellion should be put down with firmness ; that treason at home should be dealt with.
Rev. D. D. Buck, of Lyons, made distinct and forcible utterances to the perilous crises and to the duty of the whole people to arouse for the defense of the government. The following passages are, however, from a discourse of much note delivered Sunday evening some months later on the steps of the Court House in Lyons. It was at a memo- rial service in honor of one or more dead soldiers of Com- pany B, Twenty-seventh Infantry. The discourse was repeated at various points and afterwards published and cir- culated extensively. Dr. Buck's theme was:
" The civil ruler as God's minister ; or the duty of the government to suppress and punish treason and the duty of the people to assist in doing so."
We can only give a few of his propositions drawn out in a logical form :
Ist. Civil government is God's established method of ad- ministering justice among men.
2nd. Duly appointed rulers are God's selected ministers to attend continually upon this very thing.
3rd. An important part of their official duty as God's ministers, is to be revengers, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
4th. Providence puts a sword in the ruler's hand for that very purpose.
5th. There are these two characters in the Common- wealth : he that doeth good and he that doeth evil.
6th. The government should be so adapted and adminis- tered as to meet the proprieties of these two cases : a terror to evil doers ; a praise to them that do well.
7th. The principal methods of government are these two: the law for those who submit to the law ; the sword for them that resist the law.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
8th. As it is the province and duty of the ruler to govern with the law whenever that is sufficient, so it is his province and duty to make use of the sword whenever the sword becomes necessary.
9th. Whosoever resisteth the power thus providentially appointed, resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist incur the sentence of damnation.
His next series of propositions applies these principles :
Ist. We had a government providentially called into exist- ence and established on as wise and as good a basis as any government in the world.
2nd. It was without parallel in the successful accom- plishment of all the legitimate purposes of civil government.
3rd. It was emphatically a government for the good of the people.
4th. No people were ever less burdened, no people ever more benefited by the usual operation of the government.
5th. Our rulers at the beginning of this war by the rebels, were duly elected and were as much entitled to their seats as George Washington himself was.
6th. Least of all had the South any just ground of com- plaint ; they had always shared an undue proportion of all the offices, the emoluments and the honors of all depart- ments of the government.
On the point, whether the Government acted hastily, he said :
" We waited until all hope or possibility of compromise was gone, completely gone. *
"We waited until disloyalty and treason were bold and confident, determined and insolent.
" We waited until perjured traitors, honored by our offices and enriched by our treasures, swarmed through every part of the Government.
" We waited until all the South echoed to the tramp of hostile forces; until every city was a camp for treas- onable military instruction ; until all the manufactories of wood, and iron and leather, were busy day and night, with preparations for insurrectional war.
" We waited until an unarmed Governmet vessel, bearing the national banner, and carrying rations to a starving gar- rison of loyal troops was fired upon and driven back by shot and shell.
"It clearly follows from these scripture teachings thus logically deduced, that to sustain the Government in the war to put down and punish treason, and thereby save itself from destruction, is helping to do a solemn religious duty.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
To jeopardize, to sacrifice, to suffer and to die in the service of God's civil minister, when he is doing his proper official work, is suffering, and doing, and dying in the service of God."
SPIRIT OF THE PEOPLE-ENTHUSIASM FOR THE FLAG.
Before the surrender was announced, or the call to arms had been written, demonstrations of love for the grand old national emblem, the stars and stripes, began to be mani- fested, and when the crisis came, that love was made evident in every village and hamlet in the county.
From the Democratic Press of April 24th. THE STARS AND STRIPES.
"On Saturday evening last, a National flag was placed upon the dome of the Court House, amid the cheering of a large crowd which had assembled to witness it. On Monday morning, mine host, Payne, of the Exchange Hotel, unfurled to the breeze, our National emblem. At the railroad depot, from an elevated staff, is another, placed there by Gray Foster, the baggage-man.
Smelt, of the Lyons Hotel, raised the stars and stripes from his hotel on Monday. Among all classes, of whatever political sentiment, the love of our good old National flag is all-pervading. 'Long may it wave.'"
From the Republican of April 26th. THE GOOD OLD FLAG.
" Amid the cheers of hundreds of citizens, the stars and stripes were placed on the dome of the Court Honse on Saturday evening last. For this act of patriotism, our citi- zens are under obligations to the individuals who contrib- uted their time, their labor, and their money to the object. The example was a good one, and has been very generally followed.
" Every hotel, and nearly every block of buildings, dis- plays the National emblem, and the good old flag waves gracefully from numerous citizens' dwellings.
" There is but one sentiment here-that is honor and love for the star spangled banner. 'Long may it wave.'
" LATER .- We regret to be compelled to add to the above paragraph, the intelligence that the high wind of Wednes- day, snapped the flag-staff upon the Court House, and carried away the flag, but it is consoling to reflect that the
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
damage was not occasioned by a south wind. The flag was recovered and a new and more substantial staff will very soon be founded."
Perhaps the earliest action looking to actual service, was that of the Lyons Light Guard. The proclamation having been read in Lyons, on Monday morning the 15th, on the evening of that same day, the Company took formal action, as shown in the following account from the Lyons Republican :
" Monday night, April 15, the Lyons Light Guard, one of the companies belonging to the Fifty-fourth Regiment, held a meeting at the Armory. Captain Welling received from all but two or three a hearty expression of willingness to accompany the regiment in the event of its being called out. Those declining plead ill health or inability to sustain the fatigues of an active campaign. The Light Guard imme- diately commenced a daily drill for perfection in the manual of arms."
The Guard had been organized early in the year 1858. Its officers were then as follows :
Captain-Joseph Welling.
First Lieutenant-Edward E. Taft.
Second Lieutenant-Nelson R. Mirick.
First Sergeant-Henry R. White. Second Sergeant-Wm. B. Rudd.
Third Sergeant-Heman M. Lillie. Fourth Sergeant-Wells Sprague. First Corporal-George Carver.
Second Corporal-Samuel Brunck.
Third Corporal-Edward C. French.
Fourth Corporal-Wm. H. Rogers.
It has been difficult to prepare a list of the Guard as it was enrolled in the spring of 1861. The muster roll, if found, will be given in the appendix. The names of the following members are given upon the recollections of Colonel Welling and others :
Alexander D. Adams, Melvin W. Goodrich, Charles L. Lyon, Anson S. Wood, Hiram Layton, S. S. Herrick, A. H. Tower, H. H. Tower, David Elphick, Wm. C. Belden, Sebastian D. Holmes, Daniel L. Norton, Charles H. Roys, J. V. D. Westfall, J. N. Arnold, Henry Graham, Wm. Starks, Lucius Kingsley, Hiram Rogers, Clark Bartlett, Jr., W. W. Wheeler, Wm. Agett, - Jewell, Robert Smith.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
It is said that twenty-nine members of the Lyons Light Guard became officers in volunteer regiments during the war.
Corporal E. C. French was then living at Alton. When the stage came in towards night a note was brought to him from Captain Welling, asking his attendance at the Armory that evening. Looking across the street he saw the tobacco wagon of Mr. Yates, the well-known agent, just driving off for Lyons. Securing a ride, Mr. French entered the Armory while the roll was being called.
At Marion a large flag was hung out as "a symbol of strength," and protection to its friends, and of dismay and death to traitors. A large public meeting was held in the Collegiate Institute.
At Macedon Centre, on Monday the 22d, the students and teachers of the Academy came out in a body, seventy-five strong, and gave three cheers for the flag, and three for Messrs. Kennedy and Daggett, two enlisted students.
The issue of the Lyons Republican, the 26th of April, has numerous notices of the enrollment of volunteers, the forma- tion of companies, the choice of officers, etc., etc.
Hundreds of patriotic incidents occurred in all parts of the county which were not recorded in any form whatever. We can only quote such as can be found in authentic form. In Clyde, Lyons and Palmyra, files of newspapers are pre- served from which may be gathered to some extent the spirit of the people. In Newark no files of the Courier for the war period seem to be preserved. The writer has not been able, either by diligent enquiry or public advertisement, to find any. If the early work at Newark attending the en- rollment of Company I, of the Seventeenth, is only briefly given, it must be attributed to that fact.
Accounts of meetings in Ontario are not found in the files of newspapers to which the author has had access ; nor to any great extent of several other towns, but the people were ablaze with enthusiasm equally with those more fully re- ported.
Besides these impromptu flag raisings and editorial utter- ances there were large meetings of citizens held in all parts of the county.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
From the Palmyra Courier, April 19.
PALMYRA AROUSED.
" Thursday evening. April 18, 1861, a large and enthusi- astic meeting was held in Williamson's Hall, which was par- ticipated in by nearly all our citizens irrespective of party. George W. Cuyler Esq., was called to the chair, and in a few brief, well-timed remarks, stated the object of the meeting, after which stirring addresses were made by Messrs. Archer, Peddie, Hutchins, Southwick, Aldrich, Holmes, McLouth, O'Dwyer and others. But one sentiment pre- vailed-that the Union and the Constitution must be preserved at all hazards-that treason must at any cost be suppressed wherever its head was reared !
" It was a demonstration of which the people of Palmyra have reason to be proud. It showed that here as well as elsewhere a spirit of devotion to the stars and stripes, and to the Union of which the glorous old flag is an emblem,'exists, strong enough to override all party prejudice.
" The State had acted promptly. On Monday, the very day of the proclamation, the Legislature passed an act authorizing the Governor to accept the services of 30,000 volunteers, and appropriating $3,000,000 of money for their · equipment. At the meeting above mentioned George W. Cuyler, in taking the chair, said :
"'I return you my thanks for the honor conferred in calling me to preside over so large an assemblage of my fellow citi- zens representing all parties coming together for a common object. We have come together for a no less momentous reason than that our country is in danger. War is upon us. The Government is invaded. The stars and stripes are assaulted. The question we are to answer is, shall the Gov- ernment be sustained ? Let all party differences be buried and let us stand as one man to sustain the Government which has sustained us. I am struck with the closing invocation of the notice, 'God save the Union.' To the supreme disposer of events, national as well as individual, must we look for succor and aid in this hour of our country's emergency.'
" Hon. Martin Butterfield, John A. Holmes, J. D. Rogers, A. G. Myrick, S. B. Jordan, Wm. H. Southwick, Wm. F. Aldrich, C. J. Ferris, C. P. Nottingham, Pomeroy Tucker, D. S. Aldrich, General D. Chase, were named as Vice-Presi- dents ; Charles McLouth, C. C. Finley, James G. O'Dwyer, Secretaries.
" Pomeroy Tucker, as chairman of a committee, presented the following resolutions, drawn in his old time vigorous style :
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
" Resolved, That we are sworn to support the Constitution and to stand by the Union.
" Resolved, That as American citizens we ignore all divid- ing political questions in connection with the defense of our country's flag when imperilled by assault whether from for- eign aggression or domestic rebellion.
" Resolved, That the Government must be maintained ; that it shall have our hearts and hands for that object ; and that we claim the right to look to the administration for the preservation of its integrity.
" Resolved, That we would express our approval of the rigorous measures inaugurated by the States and National Government, for the enforcement of the laws against the menaces of treason and civil war.
"Speeches were made by Ornon Archer, James Peddie, C. M. Hutchins, William H. Southwick, Charles McLouth, Pomeroy Tucker, and James G. O'Dwyer.
" The latter said in substance:
"' ] had a country once-I left it for a better. I found a better. Under the stars and stripes I have lived for nine years. I have done well here. I love this country. It is the freest and best on earth. And now in this hour of our country's calamity, I offer all that I am, all that I have, for the national defense.
"' Let every man stand up to trample on treason. Let every heel be placed on the neck of a traitor. The stars and stripes forever.'"
MARION.
Tuesday evening, April 23d, an immense meeting was held in Marion, filling the spacious hall of the Academy to overflowing. The staunch patriotic town was alive with enthusiasm.
Captain Baker was made chairman. Mr. Archer, from Palmyra ; Lieutenant J. J. White, from Captain Corning's Company ; Revs. Messrs. Williams, Short, and Stanton, of Marion ; Mudge, of Palmyra, all spoke ; their remarks being received with ringing cheers. Mr. Clark, of Marion, also spoke effectively.
Captain Lakey, amid deafening applause, took the stand, and in his Quaker-like style, expressed his patriotism, by stating that he was willing to either fish or cut bait, but as all could not fish nor fight, he proposed to give two dollars apiece to each of fifty volunteers.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
Twelve volunteers signed a muster-roll on the spot, and a subscription was made for support of the families of volun- teers.
LYONS.
Tuesday, April 23d, a large meeting of the citizens of Lyons, was held at the Court House, to take into consider- ation measures proper to be adopted in this crisis.
General William H. Adams was called to preside, and opened the meeting with a stirring address that evoked a tumult of hearty applause.
The Vice-Presidents were: H. Graham, Jr., Caleb Rice. H. G. Dickerson, James Rogers, Judge Sisson, Newell Taft, D. R. Rozell, Lyman Sherwood, M. Brownson, Cullen Fos- ter, D. W. Parshall, J. Welling, W. H. Swan, S. B. Gavitt, S. W. Bottum, J. Knowles, Jr., William Clark, A. B. Will- iams, P. R. Westfall, John Hano, W. F. Ashley, Zebulon Moore, S. H. Klinck, W. D. Perrine, A. Remsen, N. R Mirick, G. W. Ceramer, Henry Graham, Thompson Har- rington, James Bashford, J. M. Pickett. D. H. David, Amos Harrington, M. S. Leach.
Secretaries-Lyman Lyon, W. T. Tinsley, D. L. Norton, A. J. Mirick.
The Committee on Resolutions were : E. P. Taft, C. L. Lyon, R. W. Ashley, G. H. Arnold, William VanCamp.
The meeting was addressed by Hon. William J. Bacon, of Utica ; J. D. Husbands, Esq., of Rochester, and J. P. Faurot, Esq., of Canandaigua.
The principal resolution was as follows :
" Resolved, That for the sake of the common defense and general welfare of our country, and in obedience to the call that the Government may rightfully make upon all its loyal citizens, we will rally to its support with all the moral and material forces at our command ; that although we deplore violence, and shrink instinctively from civil war; yet, if come it must, as the measure of our civil duty, and without stopping to discuss the past or forebode the future, we are for our country and its legally organized Government, first, last and forever."
At this meeting of April 23d, 1861, a committee was ap- pointed to raise funds in aid of the families of volunteers, consisting of B.VanAlstine, Ensign Bennett, Saxon B. Gavitt.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
The following subscriptions were received :
C. Rice & Co., A. Remsen, L. Lyon, A. Snedaker, P. R. Westfall, C. Croul, D. W. Parshall, Wm. Sisson, Newell Taft, D. Chapman, Thompson Harrington, Saxon B. Gavitt, $100 each; W. D. P. Perrine, L. Sherwood, Wm. Van Marter, John Hano, Wm. Clark, R. H. Murdock, $50 each : John Butler, Ensign Bennett, John Munn, H. Graham, Jr., W. H. Adams, Wm. Smelt, George Ennis, J. T. Mackenzie, G. R. Rudd & Son, Daniel Jemison, H. W. Putney, $25 each ; E. W. Bottum, W. T. Tinsley, B. Van Alstine, E. C. Cosart J. McKeoun, Jesse Smith, Strong & Guild, $20 each ; E. B. Price, J. McCall, S. J. Cole, Nelson Peck, O. K. Klinck, S. D. Van Wickle, J. B. Pierce, J. Wesley, L. A. Rogers, Luke Agett, J. Greene, $10 each ; Isidor Rosenfeld, L. R. Bennett, George Carver, George Hartnagle, N. D. Southard, Rohr- bacher & Co., R. W. Ashley, A. M. Medberry & Co., A. Hays, Job Travis, $5 each ; E. B. Reynolds, W. R. Rooke, each $2.
Subsequently there was added James McElwain, $10; John D. Westfall, David Griffith, each $25 ; D. McDonald, John Adams, each $20, and various smaller sums, carrying the total to the amount of $2,213.50.
Contributions continued to be received and there were subsequently reported Jacob Mitchell, $20; Rev. W. N. Mc- Harg, $25, making the total $2,258.50.
Further subscriptions are not reported in the newspapers, but it is understood that others were made and considerably increased this aggregate.
SOUTH BUTLER.
At South Butler a meeting was held in the Disciple Church, Speeches were made by Messrs. Wood and Arnold, of Lyons; Wheeler, Parsons and others, of Butler.
CLYDE.
On Wednesday evening, April 24th, an enthusiastic meet- ing was held at Perkins' Hall, Clyde.
J. E. Tremper was called to the chair and J. E. Paine ap- pointed Secretary ; Isaac Miller, Aaron Griswold and C. D. Lawton, Vice-Presidents.
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MILITARY HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY.
A United States Flag was brought into the room and received with three cheers. Wells' cornet band played " Hail Columbia " and other patriotic pieces.
C. D. Lawton said : “ The American spirit was one given to swelling and bursting for expansion ; but however it might expand, it would never be destroyed. The seceders had rebelled against our Government, formed an independ- ent one for themselves, raised armies, taken forts, vessels and arms, and now are threatening to march upon the Capital. Now is the time to do something ; something to save the Union, and to do that we must now fight."
G. W. Cowles said: “ To arms, men of Clyde, and stand up manly for the defense of your country. There is noth- ing discouraging to us in what the rebels have done, nor in the success which has attended their nefarious designs. Though they have succeeded at first, we shall by and by see rolling down the Valley of the Mississippi from the great West and the Atlantic shores a vast army of men who will wipe out treachery from the face of our country and place our Government on a more solid foundation than it has yet rested upon. We must succeed, on account of the justice of our cause; on account of the vast numbers we can call to arms ; on account of the liberal and almost illimitable supplies of money. We must succeed, for we place our trust in the God of Battles, who never yet deserted a holy cause."
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