USA > Ohio > Miami County > Troy > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 28
USA > Ohio > Miami County > Piqua > Centennial history. Troy, Piqua and Miami county, Ohio > Part 28
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At the October election of 1828 Miami County cast 1,318 votes. Of these Trim- ble. who was a candidate for governor, re- ceived 753. The editor of the Troy Re- porter in that year voices his disappoint- ment and prates loudly about "political chicanery." He says in his tirade :
"The continual negligence of the Republican party has subjected us to a partial defeat, and the great eleetion (the Presidential one) is just at hand. The dearest in- terests of our beloved country are at stake and our mis- taken neighbors are following a set of more deluded
and more guilty leaders, in the road to ruin. Surely they will stop before they reach the end of their race. But alas! alas! many of our hearty Republicans are following Andrew Jackson and think him the greatest patriot in the country. Their efforts are zealous and persevering beyond a parallel. Que from New York in the form of a preacher of the Gospel, and another from Cincinnati in the more undisguised form of a po- litical party, have traversed this district with an un- tiring assiduity worthy of the best cause. If they sue- ceed through our apathy we shall deserve to share with them the evils that threaten us."
In another paragraph the editor of the Reporter exclaims :
"Shall we place such a man as Andrew Jackson in the Presidential chair? I appeal to you, my fellow citizens, a poor man far from the loaves and fishes of office. General Jaekson is a slave holder of Tennessee, and is thoroughly imbued with all the corrupt and tyrannical habits of a Southern nabob and, as such, is selected by these petty tyrants of the South to sus- tain their interests. Mr. Adams and his adherents will as certainly support our country and our country's friends. You may, by possibility, obtain a victory, but it will be a victory over yourselves as well as your op- ponents; you will have to bear a full share of the evil you bring upon your country. Hurl, then, if you will, a firebrand into the magazine of our political fortress. You are in equal danger of perishing by the explosion. And whatever may be the result I promise to bear my portion of the calamity with due meekness and submis- siou."
What effect the foregoing appeal had upon its readers I do not know. Probably Editor Fairfield had reason to think that his words would not fall upon stony ground and flattered himself that he had caused "Old Hickory" at least a few sleep- less nights.
The Presidential campaign of 1828 was the first of the many exciting ones waged in the county. Partisanship became very bitter. One faction held up Jackson as the embodiment of goodness, while the other cried him down as a monster of evil, a slave holder, an aristocrat and dema- gogue. His victory at New Orleans went as nothing with the supporters of Adams. On the other hand, the Jacksonians threw all manner of mud at Adams, whom they berated as a "lord of Massachusetts," the son of his father (which certainly was no
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MAIN STREET, TROY, LOOKING WEST
HOTEL TROY, TROY
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PUBLIC SQUARE, TROY
PUBLIC SQUARE BY ELECTRIC LIGHT, TROY
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disgrace), and they boldly proclaimed that if Adams were placed in the White House the whole country would proceed at once to the bow wows with a rapidity that could not be checked short of the abyss of ruin. There were Jackson and Adams meetings everywhere, every schoolhouse resounded with praise and defamation, and before this memorable campaign closed there were not a few bloody noses and blackened optics.
The vox populi was not for a moment still. It was pretty hard to convince the people of the county that Jackson was not a hero, despite the speeches of the Adams faction. The glamor of New Orleans had not faded. Everybody turned out to the political meetings and the whole country was turned topsy turvy by the excitement of the huskings. When the election was over and Adams was found to be defeated the Jacksonians of the county poked all manner of fun at their opponents, and Edi- tor Fairfield of the Reporter put on saek- cloth and ashes and incidentally primed his editorial musket for the next campaign. There was a great turning out of officials when "Old Hickory" assumed the reins of government, for his motto was "To the victor belong the spoils," and the Adams men retired from the publie erib, an event, however, which did not have much bearing upon our own county.
General William Henry Harrison was a great favorite among the Whig's of the county. His name was sufficient to rouse the most intense enthusiasm. In fact he was the idol of the party which in after years was to lose itself in the new Repub- lican party. General Harrison visited this county twice. He first came to Troy July 4th, 1837. The Whig county ticket
of the previous year was as follows: Au- ditor, Jacob Knoop; commissioner, Sam- uel Pierce; coroner, N. W. Tullis; asses- sor, John Webb. General Harrison came up from Dayton to take part in the Fourth of July celebration which had been planned at Troy. A great crowd turned out to greet him, the people flocking into town from every part of the county and the en- thusiasm was unbounded. On this occa- sion Hon. R. S. Hart delivered an appro- priate oration and D. H. Morris read the Declaration of Independence. A number of Revolutionary soldiers were yet living in the county and their presence at the celebration added greatly to the pleasures of the day. There was a banquet in the General's honor and many patriotic toasts were responded to by prominent citizens.
In the fall of 1840 General Harrison again passed through the county and was accorded another enthusiastic welcome. As before, he journeyed northward from Dayton. The carriage in which he trav- eled was furnished by a Mr. Hunter of Piqua. When it was known that this dis- tinguislied citizen was to pass through the county a committee of Whigs was sent to Dayton to invite him to stop at Troy and accept the hospitalities of its citizens. The letter of invitation prepared on this ocea- sion follows :
To General William Henry Harrison:
Sir: The Whigs of Miami County. learning you are to journey through their county town, have deputed the undersigned committee to anticipate your arrival and press your acceptance of the hospitalities of its citizens. The Committee on this occasion are proud to say in behalf of their Whig brethren of Miami County that they are no worshipers of men, they bow not the neck nor bend the knee to human individuality, but freely surrender their hearts to great, good and glorious ac- tions, therefore we pray you to regard this as a tribute of deferential respect for your ebaracter as a faithful public servant, a distinguished military leader, a frank politician and an honest man.
But this homage contemplates a still higher object,
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as connected with the integrity of our political insti- tutions. Through you, sir, as a type of all their bright hopes for this country, the Whigs of Miami County con- fidently expect to realize one of the greatest moral revo- lutions embraced in the history of man, a revolution that is to restore to our abused people their legitimate sov- ereignty, their rights and prosperity, which are now dlespoiled and trodden under foot by a dishonest, im- perious and reckless faction.
LEVI HART, ASA COLEMAN, WILLIAM BARBEE, TH. M. BOSSON, Committee.
The county did not see another great campaign till that of 1860, which, as all know, resulted in the election of Lincoln and the inauguration of the Civil War. The Fremont campaign of 1856 was a spir- ited affair, but it was as nothing compared to the one which followed it. The threats of the South that Lincoln's election would bring about disunion were either laughed at by the Republicans of this county or treated with contempt. The political club came into vogue with the campaign of 1860-the Wide Awakes, the Rail Split- ters, and kindred organizations. These were formed by men of all ages, but large- ly by the young men, many of whom were soon to lay down their lives in battle. There were barbecues, torchlight proces- sions, turpentine balls, and what not. There was an ox-roast at Troy, but the weather turned cold and the undone car- cass was distributed among a great crowd of enthusiastic Republicans. Miami County at this time had drifted away from what- ever Democratic moorings she had had and was for Lincoln. The old Whig fam- ilies had become Republican and the near- ness of war had caused many Democrats to desert Douglas; men who afterward became famous in both civil and military life stumped the county and excitement ran high. Uniformed clubs marched day and night. It was the day of the brass
band and the night of the turpentine ball and the skyrocket. When a farmer went to a Lincoln meeting at Troy or Piqua he took the whole family along and did not refuse to array himself in all the Repub- lican paraphernalia in sight. It was also the day-birth of the political song and singing clubs rendered the air melodious. Following is a stanza of one of the cam- paign songs that were heard throughout the length and breadth of the country in this never-to-be-forgotten campaign:
"Then hurrah for Honest Abe, the old Kentucky babe, We're going to make him president this fall,
He'll swing the country baek on its old accustomed track
Just as easy as he used to swing his maul."
The Lincoln campaign was at white heat throughout the country from its inception. The split in the Democratic party gave the members of that organization in Miami but little hope of electing Douglas, and not a few of them voted for Breckinridge and Lane and some pronounced Union men for Bell and Everett. The election of Lincoln was celebrated by bonfires and other manifestations of joy and this mem- orable campaign was over.
The most exciting political battle ever waged in the county took place in 1864. This is known as the Brough-Vallandi- gham Campaign and for bitterness it ex- ceeded anything ever witnessed among our people. It was the prelude to the Lincoln- McClellan election, as at that time Ohio was an October state and the eyes of the Nation were centered upon her. At this period the war was at its height. Sher- man was investing Atlanta and Grant was thundering at the gates of Petersburg. Vallandigham had made himself odious by his vituperative speeches against the war policy of the Government. He had been
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arrested and sent through the rebel lines and found refuge in Canada. The Demo- crats had selected him for their Guberna- torial candidate, while the Republicans had nominated Jolın Brough, a war Dem- ocrat, who was in favor of a vigorous prosecution of the war.
The campaign as carried on in the battle summer of 1864 was the most spectacular one ever seen in the county. It was the day of the butternut breastpin and the display of one of these emblems was pretty sure to provoke a fight. The two great parties within the county faced one an- other like confronting armies on the field of battle. Meetings were held day and night. The highways were almost always thronged with political processions, gaily decorated wagons drawn by four, six and eight horses and loaded to the guards with men and women ; girls dressed to represent Columbia and the various states of the Union rode in these wagons and filled the air with political songs. Among these songs was one the chorus of which ran as follows :
"Long live, long live, long live Brough Long live. long live, long live Brough, Long live Brough, long live Brough, Long live Johnny Brongh!"
Hundreds of young girls, grandmothers now, rent the air with this famous song and were cheered to the echo. Personal encounters were numerous everywhere, and in some instances the participants were seriously injured. One man was killed just across the borders of the county. A great many soldiers who were home on furlough at the time added to the intensity of the campaign and some rabid Vallan- digham men were forced by them to take the oath of allegiance to the general gov- ernment. At one time a mob was narrow-
ly averted in Troy. On the 13th of Au- gust, Brough addressed a great crowd on the old Troy fair grounds. He was accom- panied by the renowned and eloquent Sam- uel Galloway and this meeting was the erowning feature of the campaign.
In order to give the reader an idea of the state of the times in the county during the Brough-Vallandigham episode I tran- scribe a paragraph from an article by the late Captain Williams, since one of the main actors in the seene was Frank Mc- Kinney, of Piqua, who represented Miami County in Congress.
" When Mckinney and C. L. Vallandi- gham were advertised to address a Demo- cratic meeting at Sidney, Shelby County excitement was at fever heat. Thousands of her citizens gathered in Sidney to hear the speaking. By a singular coincidence a regiment of soldiers were in the town awaiting transportation to their homes in Michigan. They had encamped on the street leading from the depot to the hotel. Perhaps some of the Republican leaders who were desirons of preventing the meet- ing took advantage of the bitter feeling among the soldiers against Mr. Vallandi- gham to create a disturbanee. When the carriage containing Mr. Vallandigham and Mr. Mckinney passed by the soldiers they commenced yelling and shooting their guns over the top of the carriage and frightened the horses, eausing them to run down a bank and almost upset the vehicle. However, the carriage reached the hotel. Mr. Vallandigham entered the hotel and the doors were closed. Mr. MeKinney re- mained on the sidewalk and soon a squad of soldiers in their uniforms, and carrying guns, came to the hotel door and recogniz- ing Mr. Mckinney as the gentleman in
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the carriage with Vallandigham, demanded the surrender of Vallandigham and at- tempted to enter the hotel. Mr. Mckinney placed himself between the soldiers and the hotel and refused to allow them to en- ter. A riot was imminent.
"More than two thousand Democrats, each armed with a revolver, surrounded the hotel waiting for the soldiers to make an attack. Mr. McKinney's cool, deter- mined manner and his firmness caused the soldiers to hesitate and prevented what would have been a scene of bloodshed and a terrible riot. A message was sent to the mayor of Sidney, S. B. Walker, and he and the leading Republicans were in- formed by Mr. Mckinney that if blood was shed and property destroyed they would be held responsible. The mayor was wise and cool-headed and persuaded the sol- diers to return to camp. This was done and the meeting was held."
Frank McKinney, though a bitter par- tisan, was a loyal man, yet he did not yield one jot or tittle of his political convic- tions to the storm of partisanship that then prevailed. At the October election of this memorable year Miami County gave a tremendous majority for Brough, who carried the state by a majority of 101,000. The Republicans elected within the county that year were: Jonathan H. Randall, representative : Moses G. Mitchell, treas- urer; Samuel Davis, probate judge; Cor- nelius T. Baer, sheriff ; James T. Janvier, prosecuting attorney; A. G. Conover, sur- veyor; Jonathan C. Coate, commissioner ; John D. DeWeese, infirmary director; J. C. Horton, coroner. All these men have passed away.
The Grant and Colfax (1868) and the Grant and Wilson (1872) and the Hayes
and Tilden (1876) campaigns witnessed the last days of torchlight politics in the county. The Hayes and Tilden campaign was attended with more or less excitement, owing to the long uncertainty that fol- lowed it, but the Lincoln and Vallandi- gham episodes were the high water marks of political excitement among our people.
There have been some noted Congres- sional battles in the county, notably those of 1886 and 1890, when Captain Williams led the Republicans in the former year and W. P. Orr in the latter. A good many ex- citing county conventions have been held. The old court room, now the I. O. O. F. Hall in Troy, witnessed a number of these. It was seldom that Troy and Piqua could agree on a ticket in the early days. It seemed to be regarded as the religious duty of one town to blight the political am- bition of the other. For a long time Piqua came down to Troy with her candidates and went home shorn. In not a few in- stances the partisans adjourned to the outside of the Convention hall and indulged in more than vocal arguments. It was the day of the mass and the delegate conven- tions. The outside townships were labored with industriously and more than once the mere fraction of a vote secured a political triumph.
A good many humorous incidents punc- tuated the past campaigns and conven- tions. Some years ago a certain candidate for state senator addressed a Republican meeting in one of the smaller towns of the county. In the midst of his eloquent argument he asserted that the Civil War had cost the Government "the enormous sum of two hundred thousand dollars." "Aren't you a little low, Mr. G -? " in- terrupted one of the listeners. "Don't
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you mean two billion?" The speaker turned to his interrupter and with a look of withering scorn exclaimed, "No, sir, I won't lower it one dollar! I said two hun- dred thousand and I stick to it." Another local stumper in defining a particularly obnoxious epithet, said that he quoted cor- rectly from Daniel Webster's dictionary and when reminded that the renowned Massachusetts senator was not the author of that noted book, he said that "Noah was Daniel's brother, anyhow, so it was written in the Webster family."
The older political lights of the county have passed away. The Roes, the two Mckinneys, the Johnstons, the Pearsons, the Albaughs, the Sloans, the Cables, the Ullerys, the Pickerings, the Clarks, the Millers,-all these have "wrapped the drap- ery of their couch about them and lain down to pleasant dreams." A newer gen- eration of politicians has arisen where the "elder Romans" fought the exciting bat- tles of partisanship.
While Miami County is strongly Repub- lican, members of the opposite party have frequently been elected to local offices. In some instances Republicans have been elected by meager majorities. S. N. Todd was elected treasurer by a majority of two votes, and S. B. Segner commissioner by the narrow margin of eight. Dr. G. Volney Dorsey and F. B. MeNeal and William Cruikshanks, residents of the county, have filled state offices and Robert Furnas, also
a Miami County man, became Governor of Nebraska.
The mutations of county politics old and new, have been varied and interesting. The introduction of the Australian ballot, an innovation of late years, has done away with the free-hand system of voting. Dur- ing the Civil War tickets were sometimes printed on colored paper, a plan intended to keep track of the slippery wielder of the franchise, but after the war this detec- tive system fell into disuse. It was too inquisitorial for the masses. There are but two great parties in the county today. Greenbackism had its flurry a few years ago, but died with that hobby. The Pro- hibitionists have ceased to put out a county ticket, though now and then the Labor Party nominate a few candidates. The great Greenback leader of the county a few years ago was the late George W. Hafer.
A number of national leaders have ad- dressed political meetings within the county, among them William McKinley, Thomas B. Reed, Rutherford B. Hayes and James S. Sherman. William Jennings Bryan has spoken in the county during his presidential canvass. All these men have been accorded large audiences and a re- spectful hearing. The citizens of Miami keep abreast of politics and, though they are frequently engaged in warm political battles, they never lose sight of one thing, -the good of their country.
CHAPTER XXI.
SOME COUNTY HISTORY NOT GENERALLY KNOWN
The General Harrison Land-The Randolph Slaves-Last Indian in Elizabeth Toun- ship-Revolutionary Pensioners-The July Fourth Celebration of 1827 at Troy -Prominent Miami County Lady-John Morgan's Raiders-A Lincoln Letter.
I shall devote the present chapter to cer- tain phases of our county's history that are not generally known. In the history of every community there are many facts and incidents that have escaped the eye of the general reader. Many of these have escaped notice so long that they have passed into the traditionary age, there- fore I cull a few for the reader's infor- mation.
THE GENERAL HARRISON LAND.
William Henry Harrison, ninth Presi- dent of the United States, was at one time a Miami County land owner, having title from the government to the east half and northwest quarter of Section 21 in north Staunton Township. He came into pos- session of this land in 1816 and in 1818 he sold the southeast quarter to Henry Orbison, who is well remembered in the county and who resided at the time of his death at the corner of Main and Oxford Streets in Troy.
Mr. Orbison paid General Harrison $480 for this quarter and John Gilmore paid $520 for the northeast quarter. David
Orbison, son of Henry Orbison, came into possession of this land and discovered that Harrison's wife had never signed the deed, so he rode horseback to North Bend, Ham- ilton County, during the summer of 1851 and secured a quit claim deed from Anna Harrison, widow of the General. The deed bearing her signature is still in possession of the Orbison family.
THE RANDOLPH SLAVES.
The celebrated John Randolph, of Vir- ginia, although a slave holder, was not a believer in slavery. What slaves he held lie inherited from his father, never pur- chasing or selling any himself. He was a bachelor and at his death in 1833 it was found that his will provided that his slaves should be set free and conducted to Ohio, where each should have a tract of land to be bought for them by the Randolph estate. The will was contested, but in 1846 the ex- ecutor was able to carry out its provisions. It was a long journey from Roanoke, Va., to the Miami country, but the ex-slaves freed by the linmanity of their master willingly undertook it. The band of blacks
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set out on their long journey, crossed the mountains and reached Cincinnati. Then four boats were chartered, the party trav- eling upward through Dayton, Piqua, Sid- ney, or into Mercer County. They were not well received in Mercer County, in fact, were driven therefrom, after which they turned southward and left some of their number in this county. The larger number located at and about Piqua, where some acquired homes and the conveniences of life. The number of the Randolph slaves that left Virginia was 380, and while perhaps none of these are yet living in the county, they have many descendants who are still here. The full list of negroes and mulattoes liberated by the Randolphs will is recorded in the clerk's office at Char- lotte County, Va., and the court records of our own county contain descriptions of the persons thus emancipated.
Each adult child so liberated was desig- nated by a number, but few of them hay- ing more than one name. I transcribe for the curious reader the following descrip- tions of several of the Randolph slaves :
"No. 215-Frank. dark complexion. 5 feet 11 inches high, 25 years old, small scar on forehead, whitish ap- pearance on the hands.
"No. 218-Sylvia, dark, 5 feet 5, 25 years old.
"No. 221-Sally, mulatto, 5 feet 2, 28 years old, her two children, Craddock aged 7, Jim aged 4."
For several years the Randolph negroes tried to get back their Mercer County lands, but all their efforts have proved futile, for the latest court decisions have been against them. The value of this land is now estimated at $250,000 and the de- scendants of these ex-slaves now number about 4,000 people, residing mostly in Ohio and Indiana.
LAST INDIAN IN ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP.
The last Indian to inhabit Elizabeth Township and in fact one of the last red- men to ocenpy any part of the county was Wanger. He lived in that particular sec- tion till 1820, when he left for the far west, in the heart of which he died. For some years a young Indian, probably his son, lived with him, the young buck occupying his time in loafing and hunting. Captain Williams in his sketch of Wauger says: "He built a rude hut close by a spring on a farm afterwards owned by Isaac Sheets. That spring, together with a brooklet from a spring on the farm of A. D. Sayers, that was settled by Christopher Knoop, formed a stream that ever since has been known as Wauger Creek, which flows through Sections 32 and 31 and emp- ties into Honey Creek on the old Daniel Babb farm, not far from the old mill that once stood on the Troy and Dayton Road east of the Miami River. The land along Wauger Creek was low and marshy, and on the farm near the homestead of James M. Dye, now owned by Mark Knoop, there was a large beaver dam, the remains of which were found a few years ago in the construction of the Knoop ditch which con- verts the swampy land along Wanger's Creek into fertile fields for corn and wheat.
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