USA > New York > Onondaga County > Onondaga's centennial. Gleanings of a century, Vol. II > Part 16
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State tax as certified by comptroller 8247,687 01 Stenographers, Supreme Court. 3,936 08 30,000 00
County bonds due in 1895
Interest and coupons
4,975 00
To pay court orders
30,000 00
Estimated general orders
32,255 29
Contingent fund. 14,000 00 I
1,000 00
Printing journal proceedings
650 00
1 1 Printing abstracts 920 00 I
Printing county canvass 450 00
Fund for sub-committee poor
7,000 00
For superintendent of county poor.
6,228 51
Committeeon county bulding, $3,500, less $2,600 elevator fund
900 00
Heating and lighting State Armory
1,500 00
Syracuse Institution for Feeble Minded Children.
480 00
House of Providence
684 39
German Evangelical Orphan Asylum.
249 22
Shelter for Unprotected Girls
615 69
St. Joseph's Maternity Hospital
539 50
Onondaga County Orphan Asylum
1,451 36
St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum
1,111 76
Mattewan State Hospital. 1,231 61
Society for Protection of Destitute Catholic Children of Buffalo 2,446 97
Mt. Magdalen School of Industry, Troy 2,666 86
Northern New York Institute for Deaf Mutes 390 00
New York Institute for Instruction of Deaf Mutes 60 00
Brunswick Home 892 00
96 06
Western New York Institute for Deaf Mutes
925 23
Central New York Institute for Deaf Mutes, Rome, N. Y 2,099 17
St. Joseph's Hospital and House of Good Shepherd (estimated) 2,500 00
Women's and Children's Hospital 1,200 00
Library appropriation 100 00
Penitentiary loan and interest thereon
10,086 12
SALARIES.
County judge
4,000 00
Surrogate
3,500 00
Surrogate's clerk
1,200 00)
Surrogate clerk's assistant
450 00
Surrogate clerk's recorder 400 00
District attorney
3,000 00
J
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1
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1
1
1
1
1
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New York Institution for the Blind
I
Headstones and burial deceased soldiers.
1079
GENERAL SUMMARY.
District attorney's assistant
1,000 00
District attorney's clerk
800 00
County treasurer. 1,000 00
County treasurer's clerk
500 00
County superintendent of poor
1,200 00
County superintendent of poor's assistant
750 00
City overseer of poor
300 00
Librarian Court of Appeals
1,200 00
Assistant librarian
250 00
Coroner
1,500 00
Janitor Court House and Appeals Library
600 00
Janitor county clerk's building
600 00
Janitor State Armory
939 00
Armorer State Armory
939 00
Chaplains to County House
400 00
Physician to Indians
300 00
School commissioners.
600 00
Total
$137,348 83
RESOURCES.
Balance in County Treasury, February 1, 1896, less receipts
from county clerk's office
$ 15,000 00
Transportation of paupers.
124 57
State appropriation for Onondaga Indians
300 00
District attorney's receipts (estimated).
1,000 00
Dne from school commissioners. 600 00
Returned tax due from city and towns 951 75
In hands of county treasurer from county clerk
6,830 41
Estimated receipts from county clerk for ensuing year
8,000 00
$32,806 73
Total disbursements.
8427,348 83
Less resources
32,806 73
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The rise and fall of the salt industry, dwelt upon at length else- where, is a subject filled with interest of every kind. The salt springs served an excellent purpose from the time of their first production under State inspection of 25,474 bushels, up to their largest annual yield of 9,053,874, and even further on; but at last the competition became too strong and property once valued at $14,000,000 dwindled to a value of less than half a million dollars. The total aggregate pro- duction of the salt works, from 1797 to 1895 inclusive, was not quite 362,000,000 bushels.
Reference is made elsewhere to the fact that in the time of slavery an "underground railroad " passed through the county, the main sta-
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ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.
. tion being at Syracuse. This was a veritable center of real Abolition- ism, into which fugitive slaves could come and be passed on to the freedom of Canada with the greatest safety. There were a number of men who in a way were banded together to help escaped slaves, and curiously enough the names of many of them and their plans of opera- tions were known among many slaves in the Southern States. The line of escape from the South to Canada was so well established and yet so secretly guarded, that it took the name above given to it. Con- spicuous among the men acquainted with its operations were the Rev. Samuel J. May, Gerrit Smith, Wendel Phillips, Beriah Green, Bishop Loguen (colored), and many men of less prominence. The attempt which was made to return the slave "Jerry " to captivity illustrated the strength of the anti-Slavery sentiment which prevailed, for as if out of utter darkness and in a moment came an army of rescuers when the slave was seized by a United States marshal. The government never dared to try a number of men engaged in the rescue and whom it had caused to be indicted, because it feared defeat through the prej- udices of any jury which it might be possible to impanel. Many hundred slaves escaped through this county and city and found homes in Canada beyond the reach of the infamous " Fugitive Slave law," under which it was legal to seize and return to bondage an escaped slave wherever in the United States he might be found. There were slaves in Onondaga county during the first quarter-century, but none of the evils and cruelties of barbarous slavery were practiced, such as are well described in that always interesting book, "Uncle Tom's Cabin," which set the South agog when it appeared, and which deserves to be read by each succeeding generation that the causes which led up to the Civil war may be well understood.
A Cemetery Association has recently been formed, whose object is to gather data and make a record of the many cemeteries and burial places in the county, of which there are a large number. An effort was made to collect the facts relating to them for these volumes, but it was impossible to complete the work in the time allowed. There are several, to which allusion is made in the Town Histories, which are more than one hundred years old ; their records, to be gleaned only by patient and persistent work here and there, would be very interesting. There are comparatively but few tomb stones to tell even their short stories, for in the early times such marks of respect to the memories of deceased friends were not to be had, and many of those set in later
1081
GENERAL SUMMARY.
years have crumbled and disappeared. The association can perform an act which the dead of all times deserve, by making as complete a record of the inhabitants of these silent cities as it may be possible to compile.
It is noted in the history of the town of Camillus that a meeting was held there in 1852 which became heralded as the first Republican meet- ing preceding the organization of the Second Republican party in 1854. The character of the call for the meeting was spread broadcast, and as information of it traveled, its importance was magnified, and in after years it was referred to as being the real origin of the new party, which was led to defeat by John C. Fremont, "the Pathfinder," in 1856. However this may all be, it is certain that that call for and declarations of that meeting were in singular accord with the platform of principles of the new Republican party.
The local events of the Civil war were so fully dwelt upon in "The Memorial History of the City of Syracuse" that it was not deemed impor- tant to repeat them in these volumes, though ample mention is made in their proper place of the more important incidents and occurrences. It would be impossible under any circumstances to make pen-pictures which would properly represent the stirring scenes of those times, to adequately portray them even to the recollection of those who wit- nessed them, and those who did would almost wish to shun the best sketches which could be made, so horrible are the dreams and remem- brances of those awful years-years which spilled the blood and took the lives of hundreds of Onondaga's noble men ! The county's record is surpassed by none; to but few others returned the remnants of a regiment bearing the proud honor of being classed among the "Fight- ing Three Hundred" regiments of all the great army, the very cream of the army, as were Napoleon's favorites. The 149th bore this envi- able distinction-a credit to itself, a credit to the county. Its total losses were 602. Maj. George K. Collins published a very complete history of the regiment. Maj .- Gen. Edwin V. Sumner, nearly all his life a regular army officer, an able soldier and cultured gentleman of the old school; Maj .- Gen. Henry W. Slocum, of well-earned fame; Maj. Gen. John J. Peck, whose previous distinguished services on the fields of Mexico made his return to duty desirable; Maj. - Gen. Henry A. Barnum, of varied attainments, together with that superior soldier and excellent citizen, Brig .- Gen. Gustavus Sniper, made up the local roll of generals. After them came a long list of field and line officers
136
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ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.
each with his honors well and fully earned. But no more loyal were they, if in rank more exalted, than the men they led to battle.
Almost from the beginning of the war Syracuse was an important recruiting station under the command of a provost marshal, who had military power over the district and to muster volunteers and assign them to camps for organization, the camp most in favor being at El. mira. There was a camp for the temporary care of recruits at the corner of Cortland avenue and South Onondaga street in Syracuse, before their departure for Elmira, where sometimes men enough to constitute a regiment were gathered. There was a multitude of "recruiting agents" appointed by the Bounty Committee and who received commissions on enlistments, and many who acted independently, dealing so far as they might do safely with "bounty jumpers," that is, men who would enlist and desert and enlist again under another name as often as circum- stances might permit them to do so. Every effort was made to detect and punish such men, but not a few succeeded in thus defranding the government and enriching themselves, some of them to the extent of comfortable fortunes. Capt. Alonzo Wood, of Elbridge, was the first provost marshal, but he was removed, and Capt. Anson Evans, of On- ondaga, was appointed to the position. Another vacancy was created by his death, and on the 1st of August, 1864, Col. Webster R. Chamberlin, then of Geddes, was appointed in command of the Twenty-third Congressional district and remained in office until March 1, 1865, when he resigned, after a term of very faithful, efficient, and popular service. Colonel Chamberlin went to the front as captain of Co. B, 122d regiment, in 1862, but was stricken with typhoid fever and was in a hospital for several months; he was discharged from the ser- vice in February, 1863, for disability. While he was provost marshal and during the fall of 1864 the 185th was recruited, and by him mis - tered into service. Capt. A. A. Yates, of Schenectady, was detailed by Major Haddock, of Elmira, as acting provost marshal to succeed Col- onel Chamberlin, and while he was in command the safe was robbed. After his recall Capt. Park Wheeler succeeded him, but only for a short time, for the war was over. The rank of a provost marshal was that of a captain of cavalry. Colonel Chamberlin attained his higher rank through service in the National Guard after the war.
From pages 249 to 254, both inclusive, some of the incidents or con- sequences of the war having special relation to this county are related ; but mention of the committees who had the disbursement of the large
1083
GENERAL SUMMARY.
sums of bounty money in charge were inadvertently omitted. The first " Bounty Committee," as it was called, was appointed under a resolution of the Board of Supervisors adopted December 12, 1863, and consisted of Supervisors John Munro of Elbridge, Hamilton Burdick of the Seventh ward, Jacobus Bruyn of the Third ward, Daniel Becker of Cicero, and Luke Wells of Otisco. It was organized by the appoint- ment of Mr. Munro, chairman, and Milton HI. Northrup, clerk of the board, secretary. This committee organized the work entrusted to it, not altogether satisfactorily, and was continued only until March 29th fol- lowing, the political complexion of the board having meantime changed from Democratic to Republican. At a special meeting of the board the committee was discharged and another and smaller one appointed, consisting of Supervisors John Munro of Elbridge, Norman Hine of the Sixth ward, and Jared C. Williams of Tully. Mr. Hine was ap- pointed chairman, and with no secretary to aid him took upon himself quite all the work, both general and detail. At the conclusion of the work of the committee he submitted a very voluminous report in much detail, and was not only complimented by the board but also by County Treasurer Dudley P. Phelps. The detail which attended the administration of the affairs of these committees cannot at this time be measured or appreciated. Their duties were of the most important character, necessitating much planning and travel to procure recruits in near and distant places, for the bounties did not stimulate volunteering to the extent of easily filling the several quotas levied from time to time. At the time when $1,000 in bounty was being paid, about one- sixth of the total population of the loyal States had already been en- listed, so that while there was no abatement of patriotism there was really getting to be a scarcity of available population to draw from. Then, too, it was a very dark period of the war; there were many who feared that the Union cause was almost hopeless. The government was beset with parasites more desirous of acquiring fortunes than saving the Union, so that fraud and corruption prevailed to an alarming ex- tent, and the resources of the government were severely taxed to meet its expenses of about $3,000,000 a day. Defeats and disasters in the field had done much toward discouraging the people, and it seemed to be quite impossible that order could ever be brought out of the almost appalling situation. But it was only the night before the day, for a little later Grant began to win victories everywhere, and with his tri- umphs, hope and confidence were restored and maintained until the
1084
ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.
end, which at last came somewhat suddenly and while the second draft had been executed in some places and was pending in others. Nearly all of the men who were drafted under the first order paid the commu- tation fee of $300 or procured substitutes; very few drafted men went to the front, and those who did go were made very unhappy by the contempt in which they were held. Those who were chosen by the second draft were never called upon for service, for the war closed shortly after it was made. It was amazing to witness the transforma- tion wrought by the news of the surrender of Lee; the clouds of war had passed, the sun of peace shone once more; all that belonged to war was put away. The night following the receipt of the news of the sur- render will never be forgotten by the citizens of Syracuse, for there was scarcely one who was not celebrating the event.
Soon after the close of the Revolutionary war a number of organiza- tions came into existence to perpetuate the comradeship of the battle- field and to preserve the memories of those who participated in the great conflict. Among such were the Society of the Cincinnati, Sons of the Revolution, Sons of the American Revolution, and much later the Daughters of the Revolution. After the Civil war, and for purposes similar to those for which their predecessors were formed, there came the Loyal Legion, the Comrades of the Battlefield, Union Veteran Legion, Grand Army of the Republic, the Woman's Relief Corps, Sons of Veterans, etc. The Grand Army and the Relief Corps organizations, however, reached the highest degree of prominence, the former hav- ing a total membership in 1895 of 357,639, and the latter of 140,305. There are in the county (1896) eighteen posts of the Grand Army, named for some soldier, with numbers, locations, and commanders, as follows:
Allen, No. 54, at Fabius, commander, O. H. Sisson; Ben H. Porter, 164, Skane- ateles, Edson H. Gilbert; R. S. Parks, 172, Cardiff, H. Case; Moses Summers, 278, Baldwinsville, Sanford F. Weeks; E. A. Knapp, 340, South Onondaga, Oliver Nich- ols; Joseph Jones, 358, Marcellus Falls, C. L. Rich; M. Seager, 405, Jordan, William M. Spinning; Saunders, 457, Cicero, John H. Eggleston; Goodelle, 593, Tully, W. L. Earle ; William Pullen, 595, Brewerton, Frederick Platto, sr. ; George H. Balster, 608, Manlius, G. W. Armstrong; Anthony Stacey, 647, Elbridge, George Stacey ; Colonel Randall, 648, Liverpool, John R. Young; R. D. Pettit, 663, Lysander, R. Terpening; R. B. Hayes, 667, Fayetteville, A. Goodfellow; Benjamin L. Higgins, 670, East Syracuse, David Stryker; Lilly, 66, Syracuse, Adam Smith; Root, 151, Syracuse, John G. Butler.
The Woman's Relief Corps, and the Thomas Merriam and Gustavus
1085
GENERAL SUMMARY.
Sniper Camps of Sons of Veterans are associated organizations in this city.
It is not possible to ascertain the number of enlistments made in Syracuse; neither can the number of citizens of the county at large who joined home and other regiments be obtained; it ,is a matter of still deeper regret that it is impossible to ascertain the number of On- ondaga's sons who loyally laid down their lives that the Union of States might live!
A most influential ally to the Union army during most of the Civil war was the Union League of America. It existed throughout the loyal States, and its membership was numbered by hundreds of thou- sands. Its object, as stated in its ritual, was "to preserve liberty; to perpetuate the union of the United States of America; to maintain the supremacy of the laws and the Constitution thereof against all enemies, foreign and domestic; to secure the ascendancy of American institu- tions on this continent; to protect, defend, and strengthen all loyal men and members of the Union League of America in all their rights of person and property ; to demand the elevation, and aid in the educa- tion, of the labor and laboring men of the whole country; to make our councils [lodges] schools for the prompt and proper instruction of all men in the duties of American citizenship; and for the inculcation of sentiments of true charity and brotherly affection among the members of our order." It was a secret, oath-bound order, ad- mission to the councils being had by signs and pass-words. It was of a semi-military character, and there were many councils which had regular military organizations, fitting them for service to quell riots or political disturbances. There were councils in every town in the county; there was one in the city, with headquarters in Myers Hall, which had a membership of more than 3,000. It had a regimental or- ganization, with weekly drills, and at the court house several hundred rifles were stored for its use when necessary, warnings for a speedy as sembling to be given by a certain number of strokes on the city hall bell. There were at one time more than 6,000 members in the county. The usefulness of the League was ended with the war. It was one of the very strong forces which supported the army in the field, by the moral influences it exerted everywhere, and saved the State to Lincoln at the time of his second election. The Union League Club of New York was organized from members of the order and has flourished from that time until the present.
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ONONDAGA'S CENTENNIAL.
There have been recruiting stations for the regular army in Syracuse at various times, when peace prevailed; but it is related that at the time of the Mexican war unusual effort was made to procure recruits here; that the station was in West Water street, in what was later the Smith "dye house," and that Capt. John C. Robinson, of the 8th In- fantry, afterwards brigadier-general, and later lieutenant-governor, was in command. It is also related that Gen. Christopher C. Auger, Gen- eral Russell, Colonel Kirby Smith, while of subordinate rank were also recruiting officers at the same place. 1
In early times post offices, like grist mills, were few and much scat- tered, while the means for transportation of mails were meager and uncertain. But people in those days were not given to much corre- spondence, and then, too, the postal rates were high and money was scarce. Up to 1816, from the time when Benjamin Franklin organized the post-office department, these were the rates: For a single sheet of paper (foolscap, in those days), under 40 miles, 8 cents; under 90, 10 cents; under 150, 1212 cents ; under 300, 17 cents ; under 500, 20 cents; over 500, 25 cents. In 1816 these rates were somewhat modified: For 30 miles, 614 cents; under 80, 10 cents; under 150, 1212 cents; under 400, 1834 cents; over 400, 25 cents, and additional rates for every additional piece of paper, and if weighing more than one ounce, four times these rates. In 1845 and 1849 further slight reductions were made, also in 1851 and 1855, and again in 1863 and 1868, and in 1842-75 the present rates were established. Prepayment of postage was not required under the earlier laws, but it was subsequently. Stamps were introduced in 1847, the example having been set by Eng- land in 1840. In 1789 there were 45 post-offices in the United States, seven being in New York State, at Albany, Claverack, Fishkill, Kinder- hook, New York, Poughkeepsie, and Rhinebeck. In 1793 there were 209 in the United States and 20 in this State. An effort was made to obtain some information in relation to the post-offices of the county .in the early period of the post-office department, to which request this unique answer was made, which deserves a place in history, for in 1794 there was but one office, if there was any :
SIR :- In reply to your communication of the 23d instant, requesting to be in- formed as to the names of postmasters in Onondaga county, N. Y., in 1794, and names of offices at said date, you are informed that, in consequence of the insuffi-
1 S. Guerney Strong's " Early Landmarks of Syracuse."
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GENERAL SUMMARY.
ciency of the present clerical force in this office, it will be impossible to comply with your request.
Very respectfully,
R. A. MAXWELL, Fourth Assistant Postmaster General.
Post-offices were established as rapidly as the public needs demanded them, so that in 1824, when the progress of the county was continued under the better organized form of government established about that time, there were post-offices at these places :
Amber, Baldwinsville, Borodino, Camillus, Cicero, Clintonville, Delphi, Eagle Village, Elbridge, Fabius, Fayetteville, Geddes, Ionia, Jamesville, Liverpool, Ly- sander, Manlius, Marcellus, Onondaga (Hill), Onondaga Hollow, Oran, Orville, Otisco, Pompey, Pompey West Hill, Salina, Skaneateles, Spafford, Syracuse, Tully.
The list of post-offices and names of postmasters in 1835, sixty years ago, is as follows:
Amber, Albert Niles; Apulia, F. J. Higbee; Baldwinsville, Otis Bigelow; Belle Isle, George Kimberly; Borodino, John Baxter; Brewerton, William Bailey; Camil- lus, Grove Lawrence; Canal (in Van Buren, later discontinued), Job Nichols; Car- diff, John Spencer; Cicero, Hezekiah Joslyn, jr .; Clay, Nathaniel Teall; Delphi, Elisha Litchfield; De Witt, George S. Lewis; Elbridge, Elijah Kendrick; Euclid, Nathan Soule; Fabius, George Pettit; Fayetteville, Henry Edwards; Geddes, Elijalı W. Curtis; Hartsville (discontinued), Elisha Raymond; Howlett Hill, B. H. Case ; Jack's Reef, Zera Shepard; Jamesville, Isaac W. Brewster; Jordan, Frederick Ben- son; Kirkville, Clark Hebbard; La Fayette, Johnson Hall; Liverpool, Joseph Ja- queth; Lysander, C. C. Hubbard; Mandana, Tunis Van Houghton ; Manlius, D. D). Beckford; Manlius Center, John Mabie; Marcellus, Sanford C. Parker; Marietta, Thaddeus Thompson : Mottville, Leonard Mason; Navarino, Oren Hall; Onondaga, Hezekiah Strong; Onondaga Hollow, Robert Hamilton; Oran, Daniel Denison ; Otisco, Henry K. Graves; Plainville, John Buck; Pompey, Victory Birdseye; Pom- pey Center, James Dunning ; Rhodes (in Skaneateles, discontinued), John Adams; Salina, Erasmus Stone; Skancateles, Charles J. Burnett; South Marcellus, Caleb N. Potter; South Onondaga, Samuel Kingsley ; Spafford, Zerah Berry; Syracuse, John Wilkinson; Tully, Henry F. King; Tully Valley (established 1836), John Henderson ; Van Buren, Adonijah White; Vesper, Samuel Ashley; Watervale, Ira Curtiss; Wellington (in Camillus, discontinued), William M. Canfield.
The list for 1850, eleven years before the beginning of the Civil war, is as follows:
Amber, Alanson Adams; Apulia, Edwin Miles; Brewerton, Asa U. Emmons; Baldwinsville, Lucius B. Hale; Belle Isle, E. Shead; Borodino, Eleazer Fulton ; Camillus, G. N. Sherwood; Canal, Abel H. Toll; Cardiff, Isaac Garfield; Cicero, Judson Gage; Clay, Philander Childs; Delphi, W. A. Bates; Dewitt, Henry C. Goodell; Elbridge, John D. Rhoades; Elliston, F. B. North; Euclid, William Coon ; Fabius, William P. Jones; Fairmount, Wheeler Truesdell ; Fayetteville, James Mead ; Geddes, Simeon Spalding; Hartsville, Pe Thompson; Howlett Hill, Leonard Carter ; Jack's Reef, Harvey Hall; Jamesville, Samuel Hill; Jordan, Justus Hough; Kirk-
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