A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I, Part 43

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1262

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Of two million, eight hundred thousand Union soldiers, three hundred thou- sand were killed or died of wounds, one hundred and seventy-five thousand died in prisons; five hundred thousand were maimed and diseased, nine hun- dred and seventy-five thousand total casualties.

These casualties reach a few more than one in three. In Cuyahoga county three thousand, four hundred casualties, in Cleveland, about one thousand, nine hun- dred and fifty casualties, in Cuyahoga county, killed, died of wounds and in prisons, one thousand, seven hundred; crippled and disabled for life, two thousand.

CHAPTER XXXV.

THE CIVIL WAR-THE LADIES' AID SOCIETY OF CLEVELAND.

By Col. J. F. Herrick.

We come here to a pleasant duty. The story of this society is one of the bright- est and most cheering pages of history. If there be those who hesitate to praise too much and therefore never praise at all-if there be those who advise conserva- tism and especial care in speaking kind words, or even of the living, we do not agree with them. The sorrows of life need the perfume of a flower, a little oint- ment, a kind word during life instead of filling the alabaster box full for the funeral rites. From every point of view, praise and praise only is due the Ladies' Aid Society of Cleveland.

This society was voluntarily organized April 20, 1861, five days after the first call for volunteers, and it increased its work, doubled and trebled its usefulness and kept it up until after the war was over and every wounded and sick soldier was comfortable or returned to his home. It disbursed nearly a million dollars in bedding and clothing, hospital furniture and surgeons' supplies, diet and deli- cacies, and never was tainted with graft. Its accounts were audited, and not a

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dollar was found wanting. Men in great numbers stood ready to help them and many did in outside work, but the aid society was wholly governed, managed and rendered thus efficient by the ladies alone. Handling nine hundred and eighty- two thousand, four hundred and eighty-one dollars and twenty-five cents in money and property, in gross, no salaries were paid anybody ; but every lady in it, whether officer or modest assistant, served all the time voluntarily, gratuitously and with- out pay, and the sum handled in gross was the exact amount net disbursed.

In October, 1861, it became a branch of the United States Sanitary commission. It closed its accounts in 1865 without defalcation or peculation, without a word of complaint but only messages of commendation.

The society first addressed itself to relieving want and trouble in the desolate homes of soldiers who had, perhaps too hurriedly, left for the field, leaving sick- ness here, actual want there.

Interrupted in this by a message from Camp Taylor (already established within these few days) that a thousand volunteers were at that moment march- ing into camp; that they were wholly destitute of blankets-the government had not yet had time to furnish anything-the ladies at once hired carriages and started out in twos to visit the wealthy and willing on Euclid avenue and other elegant homes, and by nightfall seven hundred and twenty-nine blankets "delicate rose colored chintz quilts and thick counterpanes" were delivered to the soldiers in camp, and the next morning saw every soldier there well provided for.

While still at this work, the novel noise of a fife and drum called the ladies to the windows to see a company of farmer boys marching by toward camp, with no bundles, half clothed, in shirt sleeves or linen dusters. Instinct at once inspired the ladies to scour their own homes for thick clothing which could be spared; the carriages were used again and before night these recruits were made comfortable. Those who received and those who gave were both blessed.

These are samples of the work done by The Ladies' Aid Society of Cleveland, during more than four years. Wherever want or wounds or worthy destitution were found, they were all ministered unto to the extent of the aid society's re- sources. Money was needed; they raised it themselves and called into existence a corps of honorary members, who contributed from five dollars to one hundred dollars for the honor of membership in such a noble society. Not content with Cleveland's resources, the society established branch aid societies in nearly every township, village and city of northern Ohio; and renamed itself "The Soldiers' Aid Society of Northern Ohio." The contagion of branches spread until this latter society included large parts of Erie and Huron counties on the west, Holmes and Harrison counties on the south, and Beaver Falls and Meadville, Pennsyl- vania, on the east.

Who were these ladies doing all this?

They were the mothers and daughters of the best and wealthiest and most aristocratic families of Cleveland. And these were they who were brought into close relations with camp life, visiting the camps and hospitals daily.

Now every soldier and sailor knows that his vernacular in camp and always in the service is not the language of polite society, not what he would use if he knew ladies were within hearing. Of course these ladies heard more or less of the profanity and coarseness used in camp. Did it dampen their ardor? Not for

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FLORAL HALL

Sanitary fair, given by the ladies of Cleveland for the benefit of the Sanitary commission. The buildings covered the entire square.

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HISTORY OF CLEVELAND

a moment. Through all this tinsel they recognized the man and the soldier, and the blessed ladies toiled on. They were wedded to their work, and those who lived here at that time and saw the smiles through every tear, saw the best living exemplification of the adage "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

They applied to no court of equity or public opinion or criticism for divorce from the objects of their devotion. Society might well take one lesson on marriage and divorce from this society in gross.

Another matter which could have brought them only trouble and anxiety, not all their sanitary supplies ever reached their true destination. Many a delicacy sent to the sick and wounded in hospitals or on the battle scarred field, were diverted, we are sorry to record, to the mess table of many an officer, who "didn't like the ladies dabbling in war," or declared these tidbits of diet of more use to active soldiers than those going home, etc. The devil is said to furnish plenty of excuses for wrongdoing. Many excuses were given, but alas! many a dainty for the sick was pilfered and appropriated by those who were afterwards ashamed of it.

But the ladies who sent them, bless them, they tried to remedy these difficulties, and pressed right forward in raising and making and forwarding more and still more.

More details are proper and necessary in a historical sketch, and credit should here be given to the book "Our Acre and Its Harvest," by Mary Clark Brayton and Ellen F. Terry, respectively secretary and treasurer of The Soldiers' 'Aid Society of Northern Ohio, for the main facts.

There are also contemporary histories, and the writer had the advantage of somewhat closely observing the facts here told, of participating in some of them and of a personal acquaintance with most of the members of this society. The reader may also find a summary of these facts and eloquent general comment on the work of this society in Whitelaw Reid's "Ohio in the War," page 256, etc.

The question of finances in handling a million dollars worth of property was, of course, a serious one. All this property must be shipped, most of it twice. But the railroads centering in Cleveland were all generous and patriotic, to the extent of carrying stores and packages for soldiers, gratis. General James Bar- nett, Amasa Stone and members of the military committee and other citizens were directors in these railroads, and the ladies did not hesitate to apply for their aid.

The Cincinnati, Columbus & Cleveland, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, Cleveland & Pittsburg, Cleveland & Toledo, Pennsylvania Central, Louisville & Nashville, Chicago & Alton, Little Miami, Cincinnati & Lexington, Ilinois Central and others, the express companies half rates or free, and the Western Union Telegraph Company charged the society nothing for their service. The Baltimore & Ohio at half price courteously accommodated these ladies to every point.

The society was almost constantly carrying on concerts, balls, lectures, amateur theatricals, tableaux, and many other schemes for raising money. Its climax was the big Sanitary Fair, February 22, 1864, for sixteen days, in a building erected in the center of the Public Square, which netted the society seventy-eight thou-

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sand dollars. This building was described as: "In form of a Greek cross, the four arms being respectively a bazaar, bright and bewildering in its gay orna- mentation and profusion of costly ingenious, fanciful and useful wares; a me- chanic's or power hall, filled with inventions of machinery or fabrics of their manufacture; a vast dining hall, where scores of pretty girls, in bewitching cap and coquettish apron, served their visitors to a feast of fat things; a grand audience room, with seats for three thousand persons, where evening entertain- ments of varied character were given." The central building, connecting all these, was an octogon, seventy-six feet in diameter and rising in a dome, was the crowning attraction of the fair-"a marvel of taste and skill."

This venture furnished sufficient funds to last the balance of the war. But another source of revenue before this fair was to be found in the patriotic gen- erosity of the citizens. If by any hint or observation, the men found money needed in an emergency, there were a thousand men of means in the city who came forward with yclept loans or anonymous notes with the required funds enclosed.

It is not too much to record, that after this wonderful charity was fully or- ganized, the ladies of it, while sustaining all efforts of their own, felt little anxiety for the future as to any failure.

In all, this society organized five hundred and twenty-five branches in eighteen counties of Ohio, a few in Pennsylvania and Michigan, with large memberships in all these towns. The membership in Cleveland was very large, and every mem- ber of all these may feel proud of their share in it. They were all laying up treasures in heaven, and we hear their children now boasting of these mem- berships.

Its organization consisted only of paying a membership fee and twenty-five cents monthly and a verbal pledge to work while the war should last. Nothing else held the society together, but its cohesion and harmony were perfect.

Many of its officers visited Washington, Chattanooga, Louisville, Nashville and many battlefields to observe what the actual needs were, and these excursions were made at their private expense. No traveling expenses were ever paid by the society.

A Soldier's home was erected near the Union depot, where many soldiers found entertainment and returning regiments, met substantial greetings. It served one hundred and twelve thousand meals, gave thirty thousand lodgings, and its register showed fifty-six thousand, six hundred and forty-five names.

The list of articles sent to the front is too long to give. Under the heads of bedding and clothing, hospital furniture and surgeons' supplies (the larger list) articles of diet and delicacies, and miscellaneous, three hundred and seventy-two articles are enumerated and the number of each.

They established and maintained a commodious military hospital near the Union depot in which "nearly one thousand men had been fed, lodged, clothed and attended, and these society ladies gave a Christmas dinner to all the sick and con- valescents in the hospital, including the smallpox and erysipelas wards, serving all with their own hands, and then served "more than eight hundred of the guard" and then all the paroled prisoners.

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The clothing being constantly made and forwarded to hospitals and battlefields when and where needed, made by the needlework of these indus- trious ladies amounted to immense quantities in the aggregate.

To sustain the Ohio State Soldiers' home at Columbus, after completion Octo- ber 17, 1865, but before an appropriation could be made and paid, the ladies so- ciety gave it five thousand dollars.

In distributing supplies state lines were ignored; the supplies were sent wher- ever most surely needed, through ten states or more. At the end of 1862 its stores had reached fifty-seven camps, regimental hospitals and recruiting stations, forty general and post hospitals, eighteen depots of the sanitary commission, besides floating hospitals and store boats. 1

The territory contributory to this Cleveland branch was very limited as com- pared with other large branches. And yet Whitelaw Reid says of it: 2 "Indeed it may be questioned if, considering its location and opportunities, it was not the first in efficiency in the west. On another account it deserves honorable distinc- tion and a cheerful award of preeminence. It was the first general organization in the United States for the relief of soldiers in this war .* * For the quick charity of her generous women let Cleveland bear the palm she fairly merits, and Ohio-proud in so many great achievements-be proud also in this."

The New York society was organized on April 25, the Cleveland society April 20, 1861.

CHAPTER XXXVI.

"AFTER THE WAR." By Col. J. F. Herrick.

After 1865, time was measured by the war, either "since the war" or "be- fore the war." The country entered upon an unexampled period of prosperity. Veterans of the war enjoyed a rest from their labors and hardships. Generous pensions for disabled soldiers and sailors were very soon paid under pension laws, which in time became service pensions. The expenses of the pension bureau became enormous, red tape of the bureau became expensive and oner- ous and finally in 1907, a sensible service pension was passed to aid the needy veterans according to his merits and his needs. Grand Army posts arose all over the north, then died down and again revived soon after 1880. The prin- ciple of starting and increasing pension laws proved insufficient to cement to- gether in fraternity the various elements of the soldiery. But the "fraternity, charity and loyalty," particularly the fraternal features of the Grand Army of the Republic, did cement together a comradeship, which has proved lasting, al- though never yet in any locality, has it been possible to unite all veterans in these posts.

1 Most of the facts and statistics are obtained from Miss Brayton's admirable "History of the Soldiers Aid Society of Northern Ohio."

2 "Ohio in the War," p. 257.

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Cleveland has eight Grand Army of the Republic posts, and Cuyahoga county has five more in the townships. In the city are :

CLEVELAND GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC POSTS.

No. 141, Memorial post, 447 members, Colonel W. S. Rodgers, commander; No. 187, Army and Navy post, 120 members, Colonel C. C. Dewstoe, comman- der; No. 359, Brough post, 35 members, Colonel J. F. Herrick, commander ; No. 368, Brooklyn post, 73 members, Colonel Andrew Sausman, commander ; No. 399, J. B. Steedman post, 66 members, Colonel Joseph Frazier, commander ; No. 403, Cleveland City post, 40 members, Colonel J. W. Francisco, comman- der; No. 556, Forest City post, 78 members, Colonel N. A. McClintock, com- mander; No. 350, Commodore Perry post, 27 members, Colonel Philo S. Beakel, commander ; eight city posts 886 .*

COUNTY POSTS.

No. 40, N. L. Norris post, Chagrin Falls, 34 members, Colonel Geo. Hender- son, commander; No. 177, Royal Dunham post, Bedford, 31 members, Colonel E. A. Wilcox, commander ; No. 8, E. N. Hollowell post (colored), Cleveland, 22 members, Colonel Henry Brock, commander; No. 499, J. B. Hampson post, N. Royalton, 14 members, Colonel W. M. Carter, commander; No. 543, Berea post, Berea, 28 members, Colonel E. M. Reublin, commander.

Again, in the post bellum days, must we record the efficiency and military activity of the Cleveland women. The veterans of the war organized Grand Army posts under the motto of "fraternity, charity and loyalty," and soon to each post became attached an auxiliary organization, known as "The Women's Relief Corps." With the same motto, fraternity was supported by the fast departing veterans, charity became the specialty of the corps, and loyalty was maintained by both.

The women's corps took charge of all the beautiful charities in the re- pective jurisdiction of each, tenderly caring for the dying veteran, his widow and orphans. These charities were twice blessed to those who gave; for they learned new lessons of love, they learned how to obtain as well as give, they learned the elevating, educating and moral good in associations organized in the name of charity. So efficient did these corps become, that in many locali- ties the whole of the works of charity were turned over to them. Corps No. 221, Auxiliary to Brough post, in Collinwood, has an especially heroic, efficient and honorable record.

The military order of the Loyal legion of the United States has one comman- dery only in the state. Its headquarters for Ohio are in Cincinnati, but Cleve- land has a chapter of about one hundred local members, which hold meetings here as occasion requires, Major F. A. Kendall, of the United States army, re- tired, being its permanent secretary.

* These were the officers in 1908.

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The soldiers' monument and enclosed memorial room, standing on the south- east corner of the public square, was built in 1893, by the county by taxation, under a law of the general assembly establishing a commission for its erec- tion and maintenance. Major Gleason is president of the commission. The monument was dedicated July 4, 1894, with imposing ceremonies and the fol- lowing poem was read by Rev. Levi Gilbert, D. D .:

"It all comes back-the mother's kiss and sigh, I

The swearing in, the drill, the last good-bye,

The uniform, the arms, accoutrements.

The sentry's challenge, bugler's call, the tents,

The long, hard tramp, the skirmish, opening round,

The hurrying troops, the field guns, quaking ground,

The bayonets' gleam, the polished muskets' flash,

The sweating horse, the thundering wheels, the crash

Of cannon, shrieking grape, the grime, the heat,

The brandished swords, the shouts, th' attacks, retreat,

The whizzing bullets, bursting bombs, the smoke, The dense brigades, the orders, furious stroke,

The flapping flag, the wounded dripping red, The falling, mangled, dying and the dead,

The faces ghastly, arms tossed wide, the sob

Of dirge, the wail of fife, the drum's deep throb!

O friends, 'twas this they suffered and endured That our sweet liberties might be secured !"

The veterans of the Civil war have also a county fund, provided by taxa- tion for the aid of needy old soldiers and their widows, under the charge and custody of three veterans of the county, appointed by the Common Pleas court, and ward and townships committees of three to aid in this work serving with- out pay. So that Cuyahoga county is remembering and looking after their Civil war heroes. We are proud of it. After all, it was the rank and file of the Union army who mainly won the great victory in 1865.

Meantime, the Cleveland Grays erected for themselves in 1893 a commodious armory on Huron road, capable of accommodating five thousand people, used popularly for concerts and so forth. The county erected the Central Armory on Bond and Lake streets for use of the militia and National guard, with a ca- pacity of twelve thousand people, and large enough for two or three companies to drill in at the same time.

Full lists of the members of the Ladies' Aid society are found in "Our Acre" by Mary Clark Brayton and Ellen F. Terry, and in Gleason's "History of the Monument."

The officers were: president, Mrs. B. Rouse; vice presidents, Mrs. Wm. Melhnich, Mrs. John Shelley, Mrs. Lewis Burton and Mrs. J. A. Harris; sec- retary, Miss Mary Clark Brayton; treasurer, Miss Ellen F. Terry.

A panel within the memorial room of the Soldier's monument contains ten figures of these patriotic ladies.

Looking back since the war, Cleveland lays claim to a large interest in three presidents of the United States, because of their being northern Ohio men and

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identified with Cleveland soldiers. They are Hayes, Garfield and Mckinley. President Garfield was born in Cuyahoga county, and the other two on the Western Reserve. President Grant also was born in Ohio, Point Pleasant, Clere- mont county, April 27, 1822.

The military spirit after the war was dormant, a feeling of satisfaction with the results of the war, but a hope that all wars are forever over. Military dis- play was somewhat distasteful to us. Yet a feeling arose that a more healthful condition of patriotism should be cultivated, to utilize our victory and keep pa- triotism alive against the possible dangers of the future. Hence schools were turned into part military training drills and instruction under regular army officers. Captain F. A. Kendall (later Major), became the instructor here of Brooks Academy under which splendid results were achieved and a new military impetus imparted. This was early in the '80s.

An innovation in gunnery arose after the war, in the Gatling gun, a rapid fire machine gun. A battery was organized here, which is now under the control of the Naval reserve. For the handling of riots and mobs, it seems the most effective weapon we have, and may be used hereafter with light artillery in actual warfare.

It took another declaration of war to arouse the military spirit in Cleveland. That came April 21, 1898, against Spain. The old militia law of Ohio, requiring the enrollment of all able bodied men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five, was amended and modernized, to provide for active membership of about ten to fifteen thousand of the militia called the "Ohio National Guard." The latter may include not more than one hundred and two companies of infantry, two bat- teries of artillery and two troops of cavalry, besides a corps of engineers of four companies and two divisions of naval reserves. The National guard shall be drilled, officered and instructed in the duties of their respective branches of the service-shall be liable to call for military duty by the governor-shall be always mustered in, and while on duty at annual drill shall be paid-officers and men-the same wages as that paid in the United States army.

Our regular enrolled militia is our reserve military strength; the Ohio National Guard is our reliance in any sudden emergency ; like mobs, riots, lawless- ness, or an invasion by a foreign foe. And under this system they are always ready, drilled in the same tactics, using the same arms and uniforms, under the same pay and allowances. The governor may also accept volunteers; and during the late Spanish war the national guards were all volunteers organized into regiments, batteries and companies.

Our volunteers from Cleveland in the Spanish war were represented by the officers, found in the list hereinafter given, and represented a little more than a thousand men. This refers to the Cuban war only. Our Cleveland volunteers saw little or no fighting, but the service in marches and camps, drills and learn- ing obedience to orders, were of great value to our government and our national guard.

Cleveland also had enlistments for service in the Philippines, in different regi- ments recruited here, including some officers. But no military organization wholly or mostly from Cleveland was embraced in the Philippine army.

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Since the Cuban war, in 1903 and 1908, congress has passed a very important "National Guard" or organized militia law, applying to all states of the Union.

The Ohio National Guard law now substantially applies everywhere. Under this law, a force, liable to variation, but approximately of half a million, consti- tutes a drilled and armed reserve to the regular army, always ready to respond to order almost as quickly as the regulars.

Our regular army seems adequate for daily use, our national guard is sufficient until foreign war is declared and our great volunteer army is mobilized, and then our fears will be lulled. This system is certainly a very great improvement over anything military heretofore obtaining here. Another advance is the provi- sion in this law for instruction in all military branches, in schools and drills, with appropriations of money to secure it. Engineering instruction at encampments all over the country is certainly a step forward, while naval militia instruction, along the lakes, is looking in the direction of a decided need.

CHAPTER XXXVII.

PRESENT MILITARY ORGANIZATION OF CLEVELAND.

By Col. J. F. Herrick.

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A history of Cleveland, Ohio, Volume I, Part 43

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company Publication date: 1910 Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1262

Author: Orth, Samuel Peter, 1873-1922; Clarke, S.J., publishing company
Publication date: 1910
Publisher: Chicago-Cleveland : The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1262