Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 24

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149

USA > Ohio > Butler County > Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio > Part 24

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number of volunteers on the ground would Corwin. The commissioned officers met in have the honor of being taken into the the evening, and elected Captain Joseph Jenkinson major. The command of his company devolved on Lieutenant Gibson. Thus organized, they next day took up their line of march for Urbana, making quite a formidable appear- ance. But before reaching the town of Day- ton. they received the news that Hull and the whole of his army were made prisoners by the enemy, and that the British, with their Indian allies, were rapidly advancing upon the frontier settlement of the state. service and attached to Findlay's regiment. General Findlay acted in the capacity of colonel in the expedition, under General Hull. On account of the great floods caused by the torrents of rains which had fallen the night previous, Captain Collins' regiment was unable to appear, and that of Captain John Robinson, composed prin- cipally of men residing east of the Miami river, received the appointment. Thus a kind providence (though much against his own will) permitted Captain Collins and his men to escape the disaster by which the first army of the North was overtaken. They, however, held themselves in readiness for the next call.

It was determined, in the course of the summer to furnish the army on the northern frontier with an additional number of troops from Ohio. The counties of Hamilton, Clermont, Warren and Butler were to make up one battalion. the counties farther north to make up another, the two to compose one regiment. Early in August Collins received orders to march with his company to Leba- non. in Warren county, the place appointed for the rendezvous of the troops from the counties first named. Accordingly he gave notice to the men composing the rifle com- pany to parade in Hamilton on August 10. 1812, and a company ninety-two strong, including officers, was on the ground that day.

They then marched to Lebanon, where they were joined by three other rifle com- panies, under Captains McMeans, Leonard and Hinkle, a company of artillery, under Captain Joseph Jenkinson, and a company of light infantry, under Captain Matthias

At Urbana they were joined by the Sec- ond Battalion, under the command of Major James Galloway. of Xenia. The commis- sioned officers of these battalions elected Da- vid Sutton, of Warren county, to command the regiment. Colonel Sutton had raised a company, and gone out with the first army as a captain, had been sent into the interior by General Hull, for the purpose of trans- acting some business connected with the army, and was with Jenkinson's battalion on his return, when they received the in- telligence of Hull's surrender.

Governor Meigs gave orders for the troops to spread out for the protection of the frontier. It was deemed proper, in making arrangements, to divide Colonel Sutton's regiment; and Major Jenkinson, with his battalion, was ordered to file to the left, by way of Troy and Piqua, in the direction of Fort Wayne, while the colonel, with Gal- loway's battalion, joined the troops destined to form the center line, and took up his line of march in the direction of Fort Mc- Arthur. Soon after Jenkinson's arrival at Piqua, General Harrison, with two or three regiments from Kentucky, appeared on the left wing. and assumed the command.

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Major Jenkinson called a meeting of his captains, soon after, and informed them that he had orders to send one company as an escort of a train of wagons on their way to Fort Wayne; one company to act as road- cutters, to open a wagon-way along Wayne's old trace from Fort Loramies to St. Mary's; and another company to relieve a company of militia from Ohio, stationed at Loramies; the remainder of the battalion to remain at Piqua for further orders. Major Jenkin- son permitted the captains to decide the mat- ter by lot. as to what company should be assigned to each particular duty. Tickets were accordingly prepared, and placed in a hat. On drawing them out, it fell to the lot of Captain Collins and his company to open the road. They performed that duty in about eight days, and were directed to remain in their last encampment.

From St. Mary's, Captain Collins' com- pany of riflemen were marched to Fort Jen- nings, where they remained in camp for a few weeks and then returned to St. Mary's. where they went into winter quarters and remained until their term of service expired in March. 1813, when they were discharged and returned to their homes. Soon there- after Captain Collins was appointed a cap- tain in the standing army of the United States, and was ordered to proceed to Cin- cinnati and enlist men for service. On March 4. 1814. he was appointed to the command of the force at Sandwich, in Canada, and proceeded to build a fort at that place. He was also for a short time commander at Fort Malden, in Canada. He was afterward ordered back to Detroit, where he took command of the place, and continued in the service until the close of the war in 1815. when he retired from the army with credit and honor to himself.

Captain John Hamilton commanded a company from the neighborhood of Hamil- ton. The colonel of the regiment was James Mills. The lieutenant of Hamilton's com. pany, which was in the First Regiment, Third Brigade and First Division of Ohic Militia, was William Shafor, who survived the war for sixty-five years, at the time of his death being the oldest man in Butler county.

Brigadier John Wingate, with his brigade major, William Robeson, served a term of six months' duty in the army of the northwestern frontier.

Captain Zachary P. Dewitt. of Oxford township, commanded a company of mounted riflemen, who volunteered to ac- company General McArthur's incursion into the enemy's country, and met and dispersed some of the advanced parties of the enemy engaged in collecting supplies near the cen- ter of the province of Upper Canada, at a place called Ramsour's Mills.

Besides these mentioned above, Thomas Irwin, of Lemon township, served a term of duty of six months in the Ohio militia as a major. Robert Anderson. of Ross township. entered the commissary and pack- horse service at the beginning of the war, but in the early part of 1813 received a com- mission as lieutenant, he being one of the four lieutenants selected from Butler county for the Twenty-sixth Regiment of the United States Infantry. The others were Alexander Delorac. John Hall and Ander- son Spencer.

Dr. Daniel Millikin, John Woods, Rev. Matthew G. Wallace, Colonel Matthew Hueston, among many others volunteered their services and did their duty as soldiers.

The war of 1812 marks an epoch in the annals of Butler county. Settlements had

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been begun in every quarter, and, although the forests covered a much larger extent of the country than the cultivated fields, yet there were farms and cleared patches every- where. Schools were beginning ; there were a dozen church organizations, although but three or four meeting houses, and the main roads were laid out. It would seem to us now very savage; but it was in reality a great advance upon the wilderness. The population of the county was 11, 150.

THE MEXICAN WAR.

During the war with Mexico President Polk called upon the state of Ohio for three regiments of troops as the state's quota, and in response to this call two companies were formed at Hamilton. A public meeting was held at which appeals were made for volun- teers and such was the response that in one day a company was enrolled and went into camp in the "sycamore grove which then skirted the river below the present junction railroad." The first officers of this com- pany were captain, John B. Weller, who had served in congress from 1839 to 1845; first lieutenant, James George, who became colonel of the Second Minnesota Regiment in the war of the Rebellion; second lieuten- ant, Oliver Weatherby. This company was designated Company I and became a part of the First Ohio Regiment. The organiza- tion of this regiment caused some changes in the officiary of Company I. Captain Weller was made lieutenant colonel of the regiment and First Lieutenant George was advanced to the captaincy of the company, while Second Lieutenant Weatherby was made first lieutenant, William Wilson, sec- ond lieutenant, and Jonathan Richmond, third lieutenant. Company I participated in the engagement at Monterey, September

19, 20 and 21, 1846, in which a dozen mem- bers of the company were wounded and three, John Pearson, Oscar Brehme and Samuel Freeman, were killed. Captain George was among the wounded, in con- sequence of which he resigned and Lieu- tenant Ferdinand Vanderveer was elected in his place and commanded the company dur- ing the remainder of its service.

Another company of troops was re- cruited at Hamilton for service in the Mexican war and were known as Butler Boys No. 2. The company was recruited mainly through the efforts of Captain Young and was attached to the Fourth Ohio Regiment, of which Captain Young became major upon its organization. It was con- sidered one of the best companies in the regiment. There are three survivors of this company in Butler county, namely : Jacob Wehr. of Hamilton; A. J. Foster, of Port Union, and John Walters, of McGonigle's Station.

WAR OF THE REBELLION.

When it became a settled fact that the Southern states had determined to disrupt the national union, and emphasized the fact in the assault on Fort Sumter, the patriot- ism of every loyal man in the land was aroused. In no section of the country was this more manifest than in Butler county, and when the President issued his proclama- tion for seventy-five thousand volunteers to assist in suppressing the insurrection, the re- sponse here was both hearty and prompt. Meetings were held, at which speeches were made and resolutions were passed breathing of the deepest patriotism and a determi- nation to support the national government.

Two regiments were recruited and or- ganized in Hamilton, known respectively as

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the Thirty-fifth and the Sixty-ninth, in ad- H. Murray endeavored to recruit a cavalry dition to which quite a number of citizens of company. It will thus be seen that the mili- tary spirit became general among the people of Butler county and there was a universal desire to express in tangible manner the loyal spirit which filled the hearts of the people. In all enlistments during the war Butler county furnished 3,750 recruits. this county joined or were assigned to other commands. The first separate company was organized on the 18th of April, 1861, and. was known as the Jackson Guards. It was under the command of Captain J. P. Bruck, and was assigned to the First Ohio Regi- ment, being designated as Company K. The Hamilton Guards, which, under the com- THE THIRTY-FIFTH O. V. I. mand of Captain Rossman, reported at Co- The first entire regiment that went out from Butler county was the Thirty-fifth, which was composed almost entirely of citizens of this county. The regiment was organized and mustered in at Hamilton on the 7th of August. 1861, and on the 26th of the following month the regiment broke camp and started for Kentucky, going into camp at Cynthiana. A pleasing incident of the regiment's stay at Cynthiana was the presentation to it of a handsome national flag of regulation size, the gift of the ladies of that town and made at the house of Mrs. George Morrison, the daughter of Dr. Robert Breckenridge. lumbus on the 21st of the same month, be- came Company F, of the Third Ohio Regi- ment. The company known as the Uni- versity Rifles were composed largely of students of Miami University and were en- listed for the three-months service. They were commanded by Captain Ozoro J. Dodds. Among the other companies which were rapidly recruited from this county and sent to the front were the Hamilton Rifles, under Captain Wm. H. Miller, the Butler County Pioneers. under Captain William Smith, and an infantry company under Cap- tain Humbach. A large number of German citizens of Hamilton enlisted in Company The officers of the Thirty-fifth Regi- ment were as follows: Colonel, Ferdinand Van Derveer; lieutenant colonels, Charles L. H. Long, Henry V. N. Boynton; major, Joseph L. Budd; adjutants, George B. Wright, John Vanderveer, James E. Har- ris; surgeon, Perkins A. Gordon; assistant surgeons, Francis D. Morris, Charles A. Wright, A. H. Landis; chaplain, John Woods. The regiment saw much arduous service, as is indicated in the following record: Battle of Corinth, siege of Perry- ville, Tullahoma campaign, battles of Chickamauga. Mission Ridge, Buzzard Roost, Atlanta campaign, Kenesaw Moun- tain, Pine Mountain. Pine Knob and Peach Tree Creek. B. Ninth Ohio Regiment, under the com- mand of W. C. Margedant. A cavalry com- pany was also raised at Hamilton through the efforts of Minor Millikin, who subsequently became colonel of the First Regiment Ohio Volunteer Cavalry. Com- panies were formed by Capt. John I. Ear- hart and W. H. Russell, and also an or- ganization known as the Young Guards, formed entirely of young men between the ages of fifteen and eighteen years. Another organization with the same age limit was the Reeder Cadets, which was formed by Captain Nathaniel Reeder. Dr. Mallory se- cured the names of forty-two men for the formation of a new company and Charles

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THE SIXTY-NINTH O. V. I.

The Sixty-ninth Regiment Ohio Volun- teer Infantry was recruited in the fair grounds at Hamilton. in the autumn of 1861. The regiment was not com- posed entirely of Butler county men, as upon its roll were the names of a number of men from Fairfield, Darke, Harrison, Montgomery and Preble counties. The regiment remained in camp at Hamilton until February 19, 1862, when it was or- dered to Camp Chase, Columbus, where it remained guarding rebel prisoners and pre- paring for the field. On April 19th the Sixty-ninth left Columbus for Nashville, Tennessee, where it arrived on the 22d and went into camp on the grounds of Major Lewis. Here the regiment was reviewed by Andrew Johnson, a warm personal friend of the colonel, and who was then military governor of Tennessee and afterward Presi- dent of the United States.

The first colonel of the Sixty-ninth was Lewis D. Campbell, who resigned in August, 1862, and was succeeded successively by Colonels W. B. Cassilly. M. F. Moore and J. H. Brigham. The other officers of the regiment were as follows: Lieutenant col- onels, Charles L. Gano. George F. Elliott, J. H. Brigham; majors, Eli J. Hickox, James L. Hanna, Lewis E. Hicks; adjutants, Richard H. Cunningham, W. S. Mead, Thomas B. Hoffman, Joseph W. Boynton; quartermasters, Fred B. Landis, Levi E. Chenoweth. The first commissioned cap- tains of the respective companies of this regiment were as follows: Company A, J. H. Brigham: Company B, C. N. Gibbs; Company C, G. F. Elliott; Company D, E. Hickox; Company E, David Putnam; Com- pany F, Robert Clements ; Company G, Wil-

liam Patton; Company H, L. C. Counsellor; Company I, J. V. Heslip; Company K, J. J. Hanna. The regiment took part in the following battles: Gallatin, Stone River, Mission Ridge, Resaca, Pumpkin Vine Creek, Kenesaw Mountain, Marietta. Chat- tahoochie River, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, siege of Jonesboro, Bentonville, and Sher- man's march to the sea.

ONE HUNDRED SIXTY-SEVENTH O. V. I.

The One Hundred and Sixty-seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry was organized in Hamilton in the spring of 1864. being mustered into the United States service on the 14th of May. On the 18th it started for West Virginia, reaching Charleston, that state, on the 21st, and going into camp. Sub- sequently the regiment was marched twenty- five miles farther up the Kanawha river to Loupe creek, and there four companies were detached, being sent to Gauley Bridge. The One Hundred and Sixty-seventh relieved the Second. Third and Seventh West Vir- ginia Cavalry Regiments and was engaged mainly in transporting supplies to Generals Hunter, Cook and Averill and in guarding government stores. The regiment returned to Hamilton and was mustered out of service September 8, 1864. The officers of this regiment were as follows: Colonel. Thomas Moore; lieutenant colonel, J. E. Newton; major, John F. Bender; adjutant, LaFayette Traber : quartermaster, Henry P. Dove; surgeon, Moses H. Haynes; assistant surgeon, J. S. Ferguson ; chaplain, Jeremiah Geiger.

It is worthy of note in this connection that the honor of the capture of the no- torious General Morgan undoubtedly be- longs to a citizen of Hamilton, Major W.

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Rue, of the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry Regi- ment. The downfall of the southern re- bellion was celebrated in Hamilton in a be- fitting manner, the people giving expression to their joy that the national honor had been maintained and the perpetuity of the union preserved.

THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.

The news of the destruction of the United States battleship "Maine" in the har- bor of Havana, in 1898, aroused a spirit of definite and determined protest throughout the United States and when a call was made for volunteers the response was prompt and general. One of the first commands to re- spond was Company E, of the National Guards, and on the 26th of April the troops were ordered to report at the National Guard armory at Cincinnati. Their de- parture from Hamilton was marked by a great demonstration, the streets being crowded by friends and well-wishers of the boys in blue. From Cincinnati the Hamil- ton troops were sent to Columbus, where they were located at Camp Bushnell. The company was a part of the First Ohio Regi- ment and on May 16th the regiment was ordered to leave for Chattanooga, Ten- nessee, where they arrived the following day and went into camp at Camp Thomas, on the old Chickamauga battlefield. Later the

command was sent to Tampa, where a num- ber of weeks were spent, and from there they were sent to Fernandina. The boys were not sent to the front and therefore did not engage in active field service.

The commissioned officers of Company E. were as follows : Captain, A. W. Marge- dant; first lieutenant, George Ayers, re- signed July 18, 1898; first lieutenant, Oliver P. Branch; second lieutenant, Charles A. Cox. Non-commissioned officers : First ser- geant, Arthur M. Sims; quartermaster ser- geant, Jacob M. Roll; sergeant, Thomas R. Carroll; sergeant, Charles E. Ross; ser- geant. Linus H. French; musician, Albert F. Elkins; musician, Amasa McDonald; wagoner. Allen Cornelius; artificer, Charles E. Castator. Aside from Com- pany E, there were several Butler county boys who experienced real warfare, among them being Captain Robert B. Huston, who saw service at Santi- ago and who died in the service of his coun- try; G. Enyeart Hoovan, who was in the Philippines ; Fred L. Drummons, in the Porto Rican campaign; John Curran, in the same campaign; Charles Stillmacher; while at the battle of San Juan hill were William Conlin, Isaac W. Green, Michael P. Con- aughton, Augustus Kinsley and Jacob Mor- ton, who were members of the Sixth United States Infantry.

SOLDIERS. SAILORS AND PIONEERS' MEMORIAL MONUMENT.

The initial step toward erecting a suit- able memorial to the soldiers, sailors and pioneers of Butler county was taken on July 20, 1897. At a meeting of Wetzel-Comp- ton Post, No. 96, Grand Army of the Re- public, in that year, Commander William

Cordes appointed a committee of three to select a committee of fifteen, whose duty it should be to devise some plan whereby to commemorate the illustrious gallant services of Butler county men in the army and navy in their country's defense, and also the

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MEMORIAL BUILDING

REPUBLICAN PUB. CO. HAM O

SOLDIERS, SAILORS AND PIONEERS' MONUMENT, HAMILTON.

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names and prowess of the makers of the D. H. Hensley, Aaron Wesco, James Fit- West, the pioneers of western civilization.

The project had been discussed and in quiet contemplation for some time, but it remained for Wetzel-Compton Post to take it up and place it upon an active and suc- cessful basis.

This committee of three consisted of W. Hamilton passed the following ordinance : C. Margedant, Joseph W. Myers and N. B. Tubbs and on July 26, 1897, they reported AN ORDINANCE to the post the following names as the com- mittee they had selected: W. C. Marge- dant, D. W. Fitton, James E. Campbell, J. J. McMaken, S. S. Wintersteen, Martin Betz, George T. Earhart, D. H. Hensley, N. B. Tubbs, L. P. Hueston, J. H. Roll. M. D .. James Nutt, and James Fitton. James Nutt and Martin Betz having resigned from the committee as first appointed, Joseph W. Myers and John R. Woods were selected to fill these vacancies and thus were among the incorporators.

The above committee met August 9, 1897, in the G. A. R. hall, Captain W. C. Margedant presiding and Aaron Wesco act- ing as secretary. The organization of the committee as perfected at this meeting was as follows: President, W. C. Margedant ; secretary, John R. Woods; financial secre- tary. Joseph W. Myers: treasurer, N. B. Tubbs.

In the succeeding month, September 25. 1897, the "Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers' Permanent Monument Committee of Butler County" was incorporated at Columbus. Ohio. The object as given was "to acquire title to real estate within the city of Hamil- ton, Butler county, Ohio: and to provide means to construct thereon a monument to perpetuate the memory of the soldiers, sail- ors and pioneers of Butler county, Ohio." The incorporators were W. C. Margedant, 12

ton, Joseph W. Myers, N. B. Tubbs, J. H. Roll, James E. Campbell, George T. Ear- hart, D. W. Fitton, Dr. C. Markt, L. P. Hueston, S. S. Wintersteen, J. J. McMa- ken, John R. Woods.

On January 18, 1898, the city council of

To dedicate a portion of High street in the city of Hamilton, for the erection thereon of a monument, dedicated to the memory of the sol- diers, sailors and pioneers of Butler County, Ohio.

SECTION I. Be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Hamilton, Ohio, that all of High street that lies west of a continued line of the west side of Water street when intersecting High street, in the City of Hamilton, be and the same is hereby dedicated to the Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers' Monument Committee, to erect thereon a suitable monument to perpetuate the memory of the sol- ulers, sailors and pioneers of Butler County, Ohio.

SECTION II. Said Committee, the said Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers' Monument Committee of Butler County, Ohio, is hereby authorized to take immediate possession of said part of High street, dedicated as aforesaid, and is hereafter to have the sole and exclusive control thereof. And it is authorized and empowered to erect thereon a suit- able monument to perpetuate the memory of the soldiers, sailors and pioneers of Butler county, Ohio. And it is also authorized to construct walks, carriage ways and erect fountains, plant orna- mental plants, make flower beds, and make all such improvements thereon as in the judgment of said Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers, Monument Committee of Butler County, Ohio, would beautify and adorn said part of High street and make it a suitable place for the erection and maintenance of said monument.

SECTION III. And be it further ordained by the said City Council of the City of Hamilton, that the said part of High street dedicated as aforesaid, shall be known and designated as "Monument Place" forever.

SECTION IV. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law. JOHN J. HELVEY, President Passed January 18, 1898.

Attest M. O. BURNS, City Clerk.

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On April 25. 1898, the general assembly of Ohio passed an act, through the efforts of Hon. Bert S. Bartlow, to create a monu- ment committee, to be called the Soldiers. Sailors and Pioneers' Permanent Monu- ment Committee of Butler County, Ohio, to be composed of ten persons "who shall be resident electors of said county, to be ap- pointed by the governor of Ohio, and shall serve for a term of five years, or until the monument shall be completed."

To this committee of ten was given the power to select a place or places for the pro- posed monuments and to have models and designs prepared therefor.

The committee was authorized, if it so determined, to erect the monument on Monu- ment Place, the name given by the city coun- cil, January 18, 1898, to that plat of ground that lies west of the continued line of the west side of South Water street where it in- tersects High street and which was formerly occupied by old Fort Hamilton.

The committee was empowered to adopt plans, to contract with lowest and best bid- der, and to make use of any unoccupied, public property of Butler county, if neces- sary, to aid and hasten the completion of the monuments.

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Centennial History of Butler County, Ohio, Part 24

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1149

Author: Bert S. Bartlow, W. H. Todhunter, Stephen D. Cone, Joseph J. Pater, Frederick Schneider, and others
Publication date: 1905
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1149