Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County : embellished by nearly six hundred engravings--portraits of pioneer settlers, prominent citizens, business, official and professional--ancient and modern views, etc.; nine-tenth's of a century of solid local history--pioneer incidents, interesting events--industrial, commercial, financial and educational progress, biographies, etc., Part 48

Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department
Number of Pages: 1228

USA > Ohio > Summit County > Akron > Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County : embellished by nearly six hundred engravings--portraits of pioneer settlers, prominent citizens, business, official and professional--ancient and modern views, etc.; nine-tenth's of a century of solid local history--pioneer incidents, interesting events--industrial, commercial, financial and educational progress, biographies, etc. > Part 48

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The only names, found upon the assessors' returns, accredited to Portage and Middlebury townships, as members of the 115th regiment, were: George Adkins, Edward Buckingham, George E. Buckingham, Simon Bonfield, Lewis M. Carpenter, Michael Doyle, Byron Gifford, Michael Kirwin, William Limric, John McAllister, Vincent A. Malone, Mills B. Purdy, Aaron Pardee, Jacob Randall, Albert Shenkel, Harrison Shaaf, Enoch Thompson, John Jackson 'Tate, John Westerman, Benjamin K. Yerrick.

ORGANIZATION, PROMOTIONS, ETC.

The Hundred and Fifteenth was organized in Camp Massillon, with 985 men, August, 1862, J. A. Lucy, colonel and A. W. Fitch, major, and mustered into the service of the United States, Sep- tember 18, 1862. In the absence of official records we are unable

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

to give the promotions in Companies C, G and I, though we learn from private sources that the changes were comparatively few, during their entire term of service.

October 4, 1862, the 115th was ordered to Cincinnati, not being in time to take part in the " Squirrel Hunters " defense of the city, but on its arrival, was divided by General Wright into two battal- ions of five companies each, one battalion, under Col. Lucy being assigned to provost duty at Cincinnati, and the other battalion, under Lieutenant Col. Boone, was sent to Columbus to guard the rebel prisoners confined in Camp Chase.

Early in November, 1862, Lieutenant Colonel Boone's battalion was ordered from Columbus to Maysville, Ky., and taken charge of by Colonel Lucy, Lieutenant Colonel Boone taking command of the battalion at Cincinnati, a month later proceeding to Covington, Ky., where it performed provost duty until October, 1863, when the entire regiment was ordered to report to General Rosecrans at. Chattanooga, Tenn.

On reaching Murfreesboro, a part of the regiment was mounted and sent out to fight the rebel guerrillas then operating in that portion of the country, the unmounted portion of the regiment, in the Summer of 1864, being stationed in block-houses along the line of the Nashville & Chattanooga Railroad to guard against its. destruction by the guerrillas.

In August, 1864, Block-House No. 4, manned by part of Com- pany B, was captured by the rebels. Block-House No. 5, manned by the balance of Company B, was attacked at the same time but. was successfully defended, with a loss of three men killed and seven wounded out of a total of 40.

THE SULTANA DISASTER.

Soon after the foregoing affair, Company K, (mounted) sur- prised and captured a large squad of guerrillas, with a loss of one man killed and three wounded. In the midst of the Hood demon- strations against Nashville, in December, 1864, the rebel General Forrest, of Fort Pillow notoriety, captured companies C, F and G, respectively in charge of Block-Houses 1, 3 and 4, who were con- fined as prisoners, at Andersonville, Ga., and Meridian, Miss., until the beginning of the following April when, with others, they were- duly exchanged, at Vicksburg, Miss.

On the 25th day of April, 1865, when final victory over the rebels was just perching upon our banners, some 2,000 of these- newly exchanged Union prisoners, and about 200 refugees, were packed on board the steamer Sultana, to be transported to Cincin- nati. Reaching Memphis during the night of the 26th, a few hours were spent in taking on a supply of coal and after proceed- ing on her way some eight or ten miles, between one and two o'clock on the morning of the 27th, an explosion of one of her boilers occurred with terrible havoc to the boat and passengers, the boat also taking fire and burning to the water.

It was more than surmised that the explosion was caused by a shell, or other deadly missile, placed among the coal by eneniies of the Union, and of the brave boys who had fought and so ter- ribly suffered in its defense. Be this as it may, fully one-half of the passengers on the ill-fated steamer were either blown to atoms by the explosion, burned to death, or drowned, among whom were-

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UNSURPASSED GALLANTRY.

some 80 members of the 115th, at least a score and a half being Summit county men-ten from Cuyahoga Falls, including Cap- tain Lowrey, and Lieutenants John Eadie and John C. Ely-but so far as now remembered no Akron or Middlebury boys were lost on that occasion.

After the capture of Block-Houses 1, 3 and 4 as above stated, by order of General George H. Thomas, the garrisons were trans- ferred from 5 and 6 to Murfreesboro. Number 7 was surrounded and daily assaulted for fifteen days, none of the men daring to appear outside, though no casualities to its defenders were reported. December 9, 1864, Block-House Number 2, was attacked and a con- tinuous fire from three rifled cannon was kept up from early morn- ing till dark, killing two and wounding five men on the inside. That night under cover of darkness, the garrison quietly evacu- ated the Station and reached Nashville in safety.

A desperate attack on Murfreesboro, by General Buford, was successfully repulsed after five hours of the most heroic fighting, in which a battalion of the 115th played a conspicuous part, the rebels sustaining a heavy loss, while the loss upon the Union side was but one killed and three wounded.

C APTAIN JOHN A. MEANS, - born near Pittsburg, Pa., Febru- ary 1, 1811; common school educa- tion; learned trade of tanner and currier ; November, 1833, came to Ohio, teaching school in Springfield; 1834 engaged in farming in North- field; in 1837 was deputy surveyor of Portage county; February 9, 1838, as captain of Northfield Rifle Com- pany, did special guard duty at the execution of David McKisson, at Ravenna, as elsewhere detailed, being afterwards promoted to colonel of the regiment; elected clerk of Sum- mit county in 1860; August, 1862, leaving office in charge of his son Nathan, entered the army, as captain of Company C, 115th Regt., serving till close of the war; detailed as assistant topographical engineer, department of the Cumberland, sur- veying and mapping a large district of Middle Tennessee and fitting up Soldiers' Cemetery, on Stone River battlefield ; signal officer last battle near Murfreesboro, Tenn .; (other mili- tary services detailed elsewhere); 1869, re-elected clerk of courts, serv- ing full term ; 1873-77 Akron's City Clerk. In 1837 Mr. Means was married to Miss Eliza Chapin, who bore him six children, two dying in infancy, William S. drowned while father was in the army ; Rebecca (the first Mrs.

CAPTAIN JOHN A. MEANS.

Sumner Nash), died 1869; Nathan (the eldest), died in Akron 1886; Elvira, the youngest, married to Rev. W. B. Marsh, now of Springfield, Ohio. Mrs. Means dying in 1879, Capt Means subsequently married Mrs. L. C. Walton, with whom, in the 81st year of his age, he is now happily living in Tallmage.

On being relieved from garrison and guard duty at Murfrees- boro, and along the line of the railroad, between Nashville and Tullahoma, at the close of the war, the survivors of the 115th were paid off and mustered out of the service of the United States they

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

had so faithfully served for three full' years, at Camp Taylor, near Cleveland, July 7, 1865, 630 officers and men.

THE VALLANDIGHAM EPISODE.

Captain Edward Buckingham, of Company I, during a con- siderable portion of his term, served as Provost Marshal of Cincin- nati and Murfreesboro, acting in that capacity at Cincinnati during the Vallandigham episode in May 1873, and the John Morgan raid through Ohio, in July of the same year.

CAPT. EDWARD BUCKINGHAM, -born in Watertown, Conn., July 15, 1835; moved with parents to Middlebury in 1844; at 18, engaged as clerk in wholesale house in Cleve- land, afterwards serving three years as clerk in postoffice at Indianapolis, Ind .; in August, 1862, enlisted in 115th O. V. I., entering the service as First Lieutenant, three months later being promoted to Captain, and serving until the end of the war, being for a time Provost Marshal of Cincinnati and of Murfreesboro, and again of Cincinnati during the Morgan raid. Returning to Akron, at the close of the war, he was appointed Collector of Internal Revenue for Summit County, which position he held until 1872 when he entered upon the duties of Auditor of Summit County, to which responsible position he was three times successively elected -- 1871, '74, and .'77, serving in all nine years. In politics, Capt. Buckinghanı was an uncompromising Republican, but extremely tolerant of the opin- ions of others. March 10, 1863, he was married to Miss Frances Johnston, daughter of Hon. John Johnston and Mrs. Elizabeth (Newton) Johnston, of

CAPT. EDWARD BUCKINGHAM.

Akron, who bore him six children, four of whom are living- George E., John S., William J., and Huldah. Capt. Buckingham died August 30, 1881, at the age of 46 years, 1 month. and 15 days.

Captain John A. Means, of Company C, was also a prominent actor and participant in those stirring scenes. Mr. Vallandigham, as the Representative from the Dayton district, had not only vehemently opposed every measure introduced in Congress for the subjugation of the rebels, his motto being: "Not a man, not a dollar for the prosecution of the unholy abolition war," but was, by his private utterances and public speeches, very greatly re- tarding enlistments and encouraging resistance to the draft under the various calls of President Lincoln for troops.

Major General Burnside, commanding in the Department of Ohio, in view of the aid and sympathy that was being extended to the rebels, in various ways, in certain portions of the Department, in General Orders, No. 38, among other things said :

"All persons found within our lines who commit acts for the benefit of the enemies of our country, will be tried as spies, or traitors, and, if convicted, will suffer death. * * * The habit of declaring sympathy for the enemy will not be allowed in this Department. Persons committing such offenses will at once be

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THE MURDER OF LIEUTENANT WATERMAN.

arrested, with a view to being tried, as above stated, or sent beyond our lines into the lines of their friends. It must be distinctly understood that treason, expressed or implied, will not be tolerated in this Department."

Learning that Vallandigham was posted for a public speech at Mount Vernon, Friday, May 1, 1863, Gen. Burnside detailed Capt. Means and Capt. Hill to attend the meeting, in citizens dress, and report the character of the speech. A large crowd was in attendance, both men and women having the lapels of their coats and the bosoms of their dresses ornamented with that rebel- sympathizing emblem, the butternut pin.

Speaking from a platformn, in the open air, Mr. Vallandigham was very bitter in his denunciation of the Administration and the military authorities, and was especially severe in his remarks about Gen. Burnside's order above quoted, saying that he despised and defied it and trampled it under his feet, and if any of Burn- side's minions were present, let them go and tell him so.

Captains Means and Hill, (the latter having taken full notes of the treasonable utterances), having made their report, Capt. Hut- ton, of Gen. Burnside's staff, with a squad of regulars, was sent to Dayton to make the arrest, the larger part of Co. C, 115th O. V. I., accompanying the expedition for patrol duty, though taking no part in the arrest.

The detachment arrived in Dayton between two and three o'clock in the morning, and on arousing Mr. Vallandigham from his slumbers and announcing their errand, that gentleman not only refused to surrender but from his second-story bed-room window, at the top of his voice, shouted, "Asa! Asa! Asa!" which was evidently a pre-concerted signal for advising his friends of impending danger, for presently the fire bells of the city began to ring, and an excited throng of people soon made its appearance upon the streets.

Capt. Hutton, fearful of an attempt at rescue, forced the doors. and taking Mr. Vallandigham into custody, hastened to the station and departed with him for Cincinnati, before the rapidly assembling crowd was large enough to make any effective show of resistance.

COPPERHEAD MOB-MARTIAL LAW .- Mr. Vallandigham's politi- cal organ, the Dayton Empire, the following evening, gave such a bitterly partisan, and highly colored version of the arrest, that early in the evening a copperhead mob assaulted the office of the Dayton Journal, (Republican) not only breaking in and destroying everything accessible, but finally setting fire to the building itself, resulting in the destruction of several other buildings, the mob almost wholly thwarting the efforts of the fire department, by cut- ting hose, crippling the engines and assaulting the firemen.

Gen. Burnside immediately proclaimed martial law in Mont- gomery county, and appointed Major Keith, of the 117th O. V. I., as provost marshal, with an adequate military force to secure order, and conformity to law, among them being a portion of Capt. Means' command, Company C.

A DASTARDLY OUTRAGE .- While on duty, as provost guard at Dayton, the "copperhead" element there was very vindictive and as criminally annoying as it dared to be, one of its mnost dastardly acts being the shooting of Lieutenant George L. Waterman, of Peninsula, from the effects of which he died, September 9, 1863. Of

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

Lieutenant Waterman Captain Means writes: "I want to say of Lieutenant Waterman that he was one of the brightest young men in our regiment; had the confidence of all who knew him, and was a favorite in the company-his death being the result of just such sentiments as Vallandigham & Co., taught to all who would listen to them."

Capt. Means adds: "Gen. Burnsides' Order, No. 38, did much to stop the treasonable course pursued by Northern sympathizers with treason, and the conviction of Vallandigham was the means of bringing those people to respect and have a little fear of the law."

THE "SQIRREL HUNTERS."

In the Summer of 1862, the fame of John Morgan and Kirby Smith, as rebel raiders, began to manifest itself in bold and success- ful dashes into Kentucky, with the evident design of attacking and capturing Cincinnati. So portentous had become the menace, that not only was Cincinnati placed under martial law, and every able- bodied male citizen required to aid in building and manning defenses, and all newly formed and forming regiments in Ohio ordered to the point of danger, (see history of 104th, O. V. I. above), but Gov. David Tod also called for "minute men" from the border counties to aid in repelling the invaders, saying: "The soil of Ohio must not be invaded by the enemies of our glorious Government."

A few days later, Gov. Tod, through the press, appealed to the patriotism of Northern-Ohio, as follows:

COLUMBUS, September 10, 1862.

To the several Military Committees in Northern Ohio:

By telegramn from Major-General Wright, Commander-in-Chief of Western forces, received at 2 o'clock this morning, I am directed to send all armed men that can be raised, immediately to Cincinnati. You will at once exert yourselves to execute this order. The men should be armed, each furnished with a blanket and at least two days' rations. Railroad companies are requested to furnish transportation for troops to the exclusion of all other business.

DAVID TOD, Governor.

A WONDERFUL UPRISING .- To this appeal thousands of farmers, mechanics and business and professional men in the northern part of the State as promptly responded as those in the southern part of the State had already done, the writer saying editorially, in the BEACON of September 16, 1832: "Among the two hundred, or more 'sharp-shooters,' who left Akron and vicinity for Cincinnati, on Wednesday last, was a fine squad from Tallmadge, among whom we noticed Dr. Amos Wright and Hon. Sidney Edgerton," the residence of the latter-then member of Congress from the Eigh- teenth District-being at that time in Tallmadge.

Continuing the BEACON said: "Other towns in this neighbor- hood, and indeed throughout the county, responded to the call of the Governor, and although their services were happily not required upon the 'bloody field of battle,' the expedition will have taught the rebels the salutary lesson that after the '600,000 more' have been mustered into the service and assigned to duty, there are, as the razor-strop man would say, 'a few more left of the same sort,' ready to take a hand in, if necessary."

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THE "SQUIRREL HUNTERS" OF 1862.

A portion of the boys from here, were armed with the old-style Harper's Ferry muskets, the property of the State, then in posses- sion of the local militia, others preferring to trust to their squirrel rifles; added to which some of the boys buckled on the old-fash- ioned sheath, or "cheese" knife furnished by the State to the volunteer militia, in those "good old days."

A second squad of men, who left a day later, only proceeded as far as Columbus, where they were ordered to "about face," and. return home until further orders, Gov. Tod, telegraphing to Secretary of War Stanton, under date of September 13, as follows: "The minute-men, or squirrel hunters, responded gloriously to the call for the defense of Cincinnati. Thousands reached the city, and thousands more were, en route for it. The enemy having retreated all have been ordered back. This uprising of the people is the cause of the retreat. You should acknowledge, publicly, this gallant conduct. Please order Quartermaster Burr to pay all transportation bills, upon my approval.

"DAVID TOD, Governor."

ORGANIZATION, ROSTER, ETC .- It is to be regretted that the muster roll of the Summit County "Squirrel Hunters," has not been preserved. The names of the Tallmadge contingent, thirteen in all (including our present well-known citizen, Hon. Sidney Edgerton), is published in connection with the military history of that township. But in the absence of authentic record, the memory of certain of the "squirrels" themselves-treacherous at the best-will have to be relied upon for the reproduction of the few others that can here be given.

So sudden was the departure, that there was no opportunity for organization before leaving home. But on the cars, between Orrville and Crestline, officers were elected as follows: Daniel W. Storer, captain; Charles R. Howe, first lieutenant; Wilbur F. Sanders, second lieutenant; and J. Alexander Lantz, orderly sergeant-other non-commissioned officers not remembered.

Among the Akron members of the "rank and file" were: J. Park Alexander, Henry E. Abbey, Milton Abbey, John W. Baker, William Bell, Mills H. Beardsley, Williams. P. Babcock, William E. Beardsley, Ohio C. Barber, Norman H. Barber, David Chambers, George A. Collins, David Dressler, Henry C. Howard, Henry Hine, Jacob Koch, Hiram A. Kepler, George W. Marriner, William B. Raymond, James Rinehart, John K. Robinson, Major Erhard Steinbacher, John H. K. Sorrick, George S. Storer, Charles Starr, William Seiberling, George C. Weiner, Harvey Wells, Jolin Zwisler, Charles W. Huse, Delos Hart, William H. H. Welton, Henry L. Montenyohl, Arthur F. Bartges. A number of persons from neighboring towns responding as soon as the exigency was niade known to them, did not reach Akron until the order was countermanded among them being Mr. Edward H. Viers of Norton.

LEGISLATIVE TESTIMONIAL .- At the following session of the Legislature the appended resolution was unanimously adopted:

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Ohio, That the Governor be and is hereby authorized and directed to appropriate out of his contingent fund, a sufficient sum to pay for litho- graphing and printing discharges for the patriotic men of the State who

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

responded to the call of the Governor, and went to the Southern border to repel the invader, and who will be known in history as the ' Squirrel Hunters.'

JAMES R. HUBBELL,

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

PETER HITCHCOCK,

President pro tem of the Senate.

Pursuant to this resolution, a handsome lithographed dis- charge, eight by ten inches in size, was prepared, bearing upon the upper right-hand corner a portrait of Gov. David Tod, and upon the upper left-hand corner, a portrait of Adjutant General Charles W. Hill, while upon the right-hand lower corner is the figure of a hunter, with blanket strapped across his shoulders, and powder horn on his right side, in the act of loading his gun to shoot at a squirrel perched upon the limb of a tree in the left- hand lower corner, the intermediate space showing the Great seal of Ohio resting upon the National Flag. The document reads as follows:

THE SQUIRREL HUNTER'S DISCHARGE.

Cincinnati was menaced by the enemies of our Union. DAVID TOD, Governor of Ohio, called on the Minute-inen of the State, and the Squirrel Hunters came by thousands to the rescue. You, J. Park Alexander, were- one of them, and this is your HONORABLE DISCHARGE.

September, 1862.

CHARLES W. HILL, Adj. Gen. of Ohio.

Approved by DAVID TOD, Governor. MALCOLM MCDOWELL, Major & A. D. C.

Taxing to the utmost the thinking powers of some eight or ten of those above named, only recalls about one-third of Captain Storer's company, as above given, which is much to be regretted, for the Squirrel Hunters of Ohio are entitled to high honors for the prompt and prominent, though happily bloodless, part they took-if not subduing the Great Rebellion itself, at least pre- venting the rebels from subduing the Great State of Ohio.

SECOND OHIO CAVALRY.

This regiment was one of Summit county's favorites, Company A being wholly, and one or two other companies partially, made up of Summit county boys. The regiment was organized, under special authority of Secretary of War Simon Cameron, in the Fall of 1861, at Camp Wade, near Cleveland, being mustered in October 10th of that year, with Charles Doubleday as colonel, and was purely a Western Reserve regiment.

Company A was officered as follows: George A. Purington, of Akron, captain; Dudley Seward, of Akron, first lieutenant; Miles J. Collier, of Peninsula, second lieutenant; Henry O. Hamp- son, of Akron, orderly sergeant; Augustus N. Bernard, then of Middlebury, sergeant. These officers were subsequently promoted, on merit, as follows: Captain Purington promoted to major Sep- tember 24, 1861, to lieutenant colonel June 25, 1863, and to colonel, but not mustered as such, retiring from the volunteer service at the end of the three years, to take a captaincy in the Regular

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THE SECOND OHIO CAVALRY.

Army, being now major of the Third U. S. Cavalry, and after extensive service in the Indian Territory, stationed at Fort Clark, Texas, and one of the most efficient and highly honored officers in that branch of the service.

C OL. DUDLEY SEWARD,-born in Utica, N. Y., Jan. 14, 1819; edu- cated in common schools; in 1835 en- tered general store in Manchester, N. Y., clerking four years ; then worked on farm Summers and taught school Winters till 1842, when he came to Ohio, first locating in Middlebury, then Wadsworth, then Tallmadge and finally in Akron. In Fall of 1847, was appointed Deputy by Sher- iff Lewis M. Janes, continuing also through the two succeeding terms of Sheriff William L. Clarke, and in 1852 he was elected Sheriff, serving two terins ; in April, 1861, enlisted in Co. G, 19th O. V. I., of which he was sergeant. At end of three months' terin of service, with Geo. A. Puring- ton recruited Co. A., 2d O. V. C., with Mr. P. as Captain and Mr. S. as First Lieutenant. He remained in the ser- vice until October, 1865, being pro- moted by regular gradation to col- onel of the regiment, sharing in all its marches and engagements, as elsewhere fully detailed. Two years after his discharge from the volun- teer service-meanwhile serving as assistant clerk of the Ohio State Sen- ate one term-he was appointed cap- tain in the 8th U. S. Cavalry, serving four years in the regular army, in California, Oregon and the Territo- ries. In 1873 was elected Justice of

COL. DUDLEY SEWARD.

the Peace, which office he held until his death May 24, 1882. Mr. Seward was married Nov. 2. 1848, to Miss Lois Clarke, daughter of Sheriff William L. Clarke, who bore him three chil- dren, two of whom are living-Louis D., now practicing law in Akron, and Mary C., now Mrs. John L. Taplin, of Circleville.

First Lieutenant Dudley Seward was promoted to captain September 30, 1861, to major September 18, 1862, to lieutenant colonel May 9, 1864, to colonel June 20, 1865. Second lieutenant Miles J. Collier was promoted to first lieutenant May 10, 1862, afterwards mustered out, on consolidation, and commissioned as major of the Twelfth Ohio Cavalry. Orderly Sergeant Henry O. Hampson was promoted to second lieutenant July 22, 1862, and resigned July 23, 1863. Sergeant A. N. Bernard was promoted to second lieutenant December 20, 1861, to first lieutenant July 15, 1862, to captain February 17, 1863, transferred to Company K, and mustered out November 29, 1864. Levi J. McMurray, then of Frank- lin township, afterwards sheriff of Summit county, and a resident of Akron, appointed sergeant on organization of the company; was promoted to second lieutenant May 9, 1863, and mustered out of the service at the end of three years, September 6, 1864. The first three months of the war, Messrs. Purington and Seward were members of the Nineteenth O. V. I., the former as orderly sergeant and promoted to second lieutenant and the latter as third sergeant.

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Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905 Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department Number of Pages: 1228

Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department
Number of Pages: 1228