History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 31

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666

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The disorderly elements of the city took advantage of the absence of so large a portion of the police force at Lexington. Troubles broke out between the Irish and negroes, in which the former were the aggressors; houses were fired, and for a little time there were apprehensions of a serious riot. Several hundred leading property holders met in alarm at the Merchants' Exchange, and took measures for organizing a force of one thousand citizens for special service the ensuing night. For a day or two the excitement was kept up, but there were few additional outbreaks.

While Cincinnati was thus in confusion, and troops were hurrying to the defense of the threatened points, John Morgan was losing no time in idle debates. He had left Knoxville, East Tennessee, on the morning of the fourth of July; on the morning of the ninth he had fallen upon the garrison at Tompkinsville; before one o'clock the next morning he had possession of Glasgow ;

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by the eleventh he had possession of Lebanon. On the Sunday (thirteenth) on which Cincinnati had been so thoroughly aroused, he entered Harrodsburgh. Then, feigning on Frankfort, he made haste toward Lexington, striving to delay reinforcements by sending out parties to burn bridges, and hoping to find the town an easy cap- ture. Monday morning he was within fifteen miles of Frankfort; before nightfall he was at Versailles, having marched between three and four hundred miles in eight days.

Moving thence to Midway, between Frankfort and Lexington, he surprised the telegraph operator, secured his office in good order, took off the dispatches that were flying back and forth; possessed himself of the plans and preparations of the Union officers at Frankfort, Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati; and audaciously sent dispatches in the name of the Midway operator, as- suring the Lexington authorities that Morgan was then driving in the pickets at Frankfort. Then he hastened to Georgetown, twelve miles from Lexington, eighteen from Frankfort, and within easy striking distance of any point in the Blue Grass region. Here, with the union commanders completely mystified as to his whereabouts and purposes, he coolly halted for a couple of days and rested his horses. Then, giving up all thought of at- tacking Lexington, as he found how strongly it was garri- soned, he decided-as Colonel Duke, his second in.com- mand, naively tells us in his History of Morgan's Cav- alry-"to make a dash at Cynthiana, on the Kentucky Central railroad, hoping to induce the impression that he was aiming at Cincinnati, and at the same time thor- oughly bewilder . the officers in command at Lexington regarding his real intentions." Thither, therefore, he went; and to some purpose. The town was garrisoned by a few hundred Kentucky cavalry and some home guards, with Captain Glass' firemen-artillery company from Cincinnati, in all perhaps five hundred men. These were routed after some sharp fighting at the bridge and in the streets; the gun was captured, and four hundred and twenty prisoners were taken, besides abundance of stores, arms, and two or three hundred horses. At one o'clock he was off for Paris, which sent out a deputation of citizens to meet him and surrender. By this time the forces that had been gathering at Lexington had moved against him, under General Green Clay Smith, with nearly double his strength; but the next morning he left Paris unmolested, and marching through Winchester, Richmond, Crab Orchard, and Somerset, crossed the Cumberland again at his leisure. He started with nine hundred men, and returned with one thousand two hun- dred, having captured and paroled nearly as many, and having destroyed all the Government arms and stores in seventeen towns.

Meantime the partially lulled excitement in Cincinnati had risen again. A great meeting had been held in Court street market-space, at which Judge Hugh J. Jewett, who had been the Democratic candidate for gov- ernor, made an earnest appeal for rapid enlistments, to redeem the pledge of the government to assist Kentucky, and to prevent Morgan from recruiting a large army in

that State. Quartermaster-General Wright had followed in a similar strain. The City Council, to silence doubts on the part of some, had taken the oath of allegiance in a body. The Chamber of Commerce had memorialized the council to make an appropriation for bounties to vol- unteers; Colonel Burbank had been appointed .military governor of the city, in response to a dispatch requesting it, from Mayor Hatch and others; and there had been rumors of martial law and a provost marshal. The popu- lar ferment largely took the shape of clamor for bounties as a means of stimulating volunteers. The newspapers called on the governor to "take the responsibility," and offer twenty-five dollars bounty for every recruit. Public- spirited citizens made contributions for such a purpose -- Mr. J. Cleves Short, one thousand dollars, Messrs. Tyler Davidson & Co., one thousand two hundred dollars, Mr. Kugler, two thousand five hundred dollars, Mr. Jacob Elsas, five hundred dollars. Two regiments for service in emergencies were hastily formed, which were known as the Cincinnati Reserves.

Yet, withal, the alarm never reached the height of the excitement on Sunday, the thirteenth of July, when Morgan was first reported marching on Lexington. The papers said they should not be surprised any morning to see his cavalry on the hills opposite Cincinnati; but the people seemed to entertain less apprehension. They were soon to have greater occasion for fear.

For the invasion of Morgan was only a forerunner. It had served to illustrate to the rebel commanders the ease with which their armies could be planted in Kentucky, and had set before them a tempting vision of the rich supplies of the "Blue Grass."

July and August passed in comparative gloom. Mc- Clellan was recalled from the Peninsula. Pope was driven back from the Rapidan, and after a bewildering series of confused and bloody engagements, was forced to seek refuge under the defences at Washington. On the 'southwest our armies seemed torpid, and the enemy was advancing., In the department in which Ohio was spe- cially interested, there were grave delays in the long- awaited movement on Chattanooga, and finally it ap- peared that Bragg had arrived there before Buell.

Presently vague rumors of a new invasion began to be whispered, and at last, while Bragg and Buell warily watched each the other's maneuvers, Kirby Smith, who had been posted at Knoxville, broke camp and marched straight for the heart of Kentucky, with twelve thousand men and thirty or forty pieces of artillery. With the first rumors of danger, Indiana and Ohio had both made strenuous exertions to throw forward the new levies, and Indiana in particular had hastily put in the field in Ken- tucky a large number of perfectly raw troops, just from the camps at which they had been recruited.

Through Big Creek and Roger's Gap Kirby Smith moved without molestation; passed the National forces at Cumberland Gap without waiting to attempt a reduc- tion of the place ; and absolutely pushed on into Ken- tucky unopposed, till, within fifteen miles of Richmond and less than three times that distance from Lexington

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itself, he fell upon a Kentucky regiment of cavalry under Colonel Metcalf and scattered it in a single charge. The routed cavalrymen bore back to Richmond and Lexing- ton the first authentic news of the rebel advance. The new troops were hastily pushed forward in utter igno- rance of the strength of the enemy, and apparently with- out any well-defined plans, and so, as the victorious in- vaders came up toward Richmond, they found this force opposing them. Smith seems scarcely to have halted, even to concentrate his command; but, precipitating the advance of his column upon the raw line that confronted him, scattered it again at a charge (August 29th). Gen- eral Manson, who commanded the National troops, had been caught before getting his men well in hand. A little farther back he essayed the formation of another line, and the check of the rout; but, while the broken line was steadying, Smith again came charging up, and the disor- derly retreat was speedily renewed. A third and more determined stand was made, almost in the suburbs of the town, and some hard fighting ensued ; but the undisci- plined and ill-handled troops were no match for their en- thusiastic assailants, and when they were this time driven, the rout became complete. The cavalry fell upon the fugitives ; whole regiments were captured, and instantly paroled; those who escaped fled through fields and by- ways and soon poured into Lexington with the story of the disaster.

Thither now went hurrying General H. G. Wright, the commander of the department. A glance at the condi tion of such troops as this battle of Richmond had left him, showed that an effort to hold Lexington would be hopeless. Before Kirby Smith could get up he evacuated the place, and was falling back in all haste on Louisville, while the railroad company was hurrying its stock toward the Cincinnati end of the road ; the banks were sending off their specie; Union men were fleeing, and the pre- dominant rebel element was throwing off all disguise.

On the first of September General Kirby Smith entered Lexington in triumph. Two days later he dispatched Heath with five or six thousand men against Covington and Cincinnati ; the next day he was joined by John Morgan, who had inoved through Glasgow and Danville; and the overjoyed people of the city thronged the streets and shouted from every door and window their welcome to the invaders. Pollard, the Confederate historian, says the bells of the city were rung, and every possible mani- festation of joy was made. A few days later Buell was at Nashville, Bragg was moving into Kentucky, and the "race for Louisville," as it has sometimes been called, was begun. So swift was the rebel rush upon Kentucky and the Ohio border; so sudden the revolution in the aspeet of the war in the Southwest.

We have told the simple story of the rebel progress. It would need more vivid colors to give an adequate picture of the state into which Cincinnati and the sur- rounding eountry were thereby thrown.

News of the disaster at Richmond was not received in Cineinnati until a late hour Saturday night, August 30th. It produced great excitement, but the full extent of its consequenees was not realized. There were soldiers in

plenty to drive back the invaders, it was argued; only a few experienced officers were needed. The sanitary commission hastened its shipments of stores towards the battle-field, and the State authorities began preparations for sending relief to the wounded; while the newspapers gave vent to the general dissatisfaction in severe criti- cisms on the management of the battle, and in wonders as to what Buell could be doing. Thus Sunday passed. Monday afternoon rumors began to fly about that the troops were in no condition to make any sufficient oppo- sition, that Lexington and Frankfort might have to be abandoned. Great crowds flocked about the newspaper offices and army headquarters to ask the particulars; but all still thought that in any event there were plenty of troops between the invaders and themselves. By dusk it was known that, instead of falling back upon Cincin- nati, the troops were retreating through Frankfort to Louisville-that between Kirby Smith's flushed regiments and the banks and warehouses of the Queen City stood no obstacle more formidable than a few unmanned siege guns back of Covington, and the easily crossed Ohio river.

The shock was profound. But none thought of any- thing, save to seek what might be the most efficient means of defence. The city council at once met in extra session, pledged the faith of the city to meet any expen- ses the military authorities might require in the emer- gency ; authorized the mayor to suspend all business and summon every man, alien or citizen, who lived under the protection of the Government, to unite in military organizations for its defence; assured the general com- manding the department (General Wright) of their entire confidence, and requested him to call for men and means to any extent desired, no limit being proposed save the entire capacity of the community.

While the municipal authorities were thus tendering the whole resources of the city of a quarter of a million people, the commander of the department was sending them a general. Lewis Wallace was a dashing young officer of volunteers, who had been among the first from Indiana to enter the field at the outbreak of the war, and had risen to the highest promotion then attainable in the army. He was notably quick to take responsibili- ties, full of energy and enthusiasm, abundantly confident in his own resources, capable of bold plans. When the first indications of danger appeared he had waived his rank and led one of the raw regiments from his State into the field. Then, after being for a short time in charge of the troops about Lexington, he had, on being relieved by General Nelson, returned to Cincinnati. Here the commander of the department seized upon him for service in the sudden emergency, summoning him first to Lexington for consultation; then, when him- self hastening to Louisville, ordered Wallace back to Cincinnati, to assume command and defend the town, with its Kentucky suburbs.

He arrived at nine o'clock in the evening. The mayor waited upon him at once with notice of the action of the city council. The mayors of Newport and Covington soon came hurrying over. The few army officers on

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

duty in the three towns also reported; and a few hours were spent in consultation.

Then, at 2 A. M., the decisive step was taken, a procla- mation of martial law was sent to the newspapers. Next morning the citizens read at their breakfast tables-before yet any one knew that the rebels were advancing on Cin- cinnati, two days in fact before the advance began-that all business must be suspended at nine o'clock ; that they must assemble within an hour thereafter and await orders for work; that the ferry-boats should cease plying, save under military direction; that for the present the city po- lice should enforce martial law; that in all this the princi- ple to be adopted was: "Citizens for labor, soldiers for bat- tle." It was the boldest and most vigorous order in the history of Cincinnati or of the war along the border .*

"If the enemy should not come after all this fuss," said one of the general's friends, "you will be ruined." "Very well," was the reply; "but they will come, or, if they do not, it will be because this same fuss has caused them to think better of it."

The city took courage from the bold course of its gen- eral; instead of a panic there was universal congratula- tion. "From the appearance of our streets," said one of the newspapers the next day, in describing the operations of martial law, "a stranger would imagine that some pop- ular holiday was being celebrated. Indeed, were the millenium suddenly inaugurated, the populace could hardly seem better pleased." All cheerfully obeyed the order, though there was not military force enough present to have enforced it along a single street. Every business house was closed; in the unexpectedly scrupulous obe- dience to the letter of the proclamation, even the street- cars stopped running, and the teachers, closing their schools, reported for duty. But few hacks or wagons were to be seen, save those on Government service. Work- ing parties of citizens had been ordered to report to Col- onel J. V. Guthrie; companies of citizen soldiers to Major Malcolm McDowell. Meetings assembled in every ward; great numbers of military organizations were

* The following is the text of this remarkable order, which practically saved Cincinnati:

PROCLAMATION.

The undersigned, by order of Major-General Wright, assumes com- mand of Cincinnati, Covington, and Newport.

It is but fair to inform the citizens that an active, daring, and power- ful enemy threatens them with every consequence of war; yet the cities must be defended, and their inhabitants must assist in preparations. Patriotism, duty, honor, self-preservation, call them to the labor, and it must be performed equally by all citizens.

First. All business must be suspended. At nine o'clock to-day every business house must be closed.

Second. Under the direction of the Mayor, the citizens must, within an hour after the suspension of business (ten o'clock A. M.), assemble in convenient public places ready for orders. As soon as possible they will then be assigned to their work. This labor ought to be that of love, and the undersigned trusts and believes it will be so. Anyhow, it must be done. The willing shall be properly credited, the unwilling prompt- ly visited. The principle adopted is, citizens for the labor, soldiers for the battle.

Third. The ferry-boats will cease plying the river after four o'clock A. M., until further orders.

Martial law is hereby proclaimed in the three cities; but until they can be relieved by the military, the injunctions of this proclamation will be executed by the police.

LEWIS WALLACE,

Major General Commanding.

formed; by noon thousands of citizens in fully organized companies were industriously drilling. Meanwhile, back of Newport and Covington, breastworks, rifle-pits, and redoubts had been hastily traced, guns had been mounted, pickets thrown out. Toward evening a sound of ham- mers and saws arose from the landing; by daybreak a pontoon bridge stretched from Cincinnati to Covington, and wagons loaded with lumber for barracks and material for fortifications were passing over.

In such spirit did Cincinnati herself confront the sud- den danger. Not less vigorous was the action of the governor. While Wallace was writing his proclamation of martial law, and ordering the suspension of business, Tod was hurrying down to the scene of danger for con- sultation. Presently he was telegraphing from Cincinnati to his adjutant-general to send whatever troops were ac- cessible without a moment's delay. "Do not wait," he added, "to have them mustered or paid-that can be done here-they should be armed and furnished ammuni- tion." To his quartermaster he telegraphed: "Send five thousand stand of arms for the militia of the city, with fifty rounds of ammunition. Send also forty rounds for fifteen hundred guns (sixty-nine calibre)." To the peo- ple along the border, through the press and the military committees, he said :

Our southern border is threatened with invasion. I have therefore to recommend that all the loyal men of your counties at once form themselves into military companies and regiments to beat back the en- emy at any and all points he may attempt to invade our State. Gather up all the arms in the county, and furnish yourselves with ammunition for the same. The service will be of but few days' duration. The soil of Ohio must not be invaded by the enemies of our glorious Govern- ment.

To Secretary Stanton he telegraphed that he had no doubt a large rebel force was moving against Cincinnati, but it would be successfully met. The commander at Camp Dennison he directed to guard the track of the Little Miami railroad against apprehended dangers, as far up as Xenia.

The rural districts were meanwhile hastening to the rescue. Early in the day-within an hour or two after the arrival of the Cincinnati papers with news of the danger-Preble and Butler counties telegraphed offers of large numbers of men. Warren, Greene, Franklin, and half a score of others, rapidly followed. Before night the governor had sent a general answer in this proclamation :

CINCINNATI, September 2, 1862.

In response to several communications tendering companies and squads of men for the protection of Cincinnati, I announce that all such bodies of men who are armed will be received. They will repair at once to Cincinnati, and report to General Lew Wallace, who will com- plete their further organization. None but armed men will be received, and such only until the fifth instant. Railroad companies will pass all such bodies of men at the expense of the State. It is not desired that any troops residing in any of the river counties leave their counties. All such are requested to organize and remain for the protection of their own counties. DAVID TOD, Governor.

Before daybreak the advance of the men that were thenceforward to be known in the history of the State as the "Squirrel Hunters," were filing through the streets. Next morning, throughout the interior, church and fire- bells rang; mounted men galloped through neighbor- hoods to spread the alarm; there was a hasty cleaning of

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

rifles and moulding of bullets and filling of powder-horns and mustering at the villages; and every city-bound train ran burdened with the gathering host.

While these preparations were in progress, perhaps Cincinnati might have been taken by a vigorous dash of Kirby Smith's entire force, and held long enough for pillage. But the inaction for a day or two at Lexington was fatal to such hopes. Within two days after the proc- lamation of martial law the city was safe beyond per- adventure. Then, as men saw the vast preparations for an enemy that had not come, they began, not unnaturally, to wonder if the need for such measures had been im- perative. A few business men complained. Some Ger- mans began tearing up a street-railroad track, in revenge for the invidious distinction which, in spite of the danger, had adjudged the street-cars indispensable, but not the lager-beer shops. The schools had unintentionally been closed by the operation of the first sweeping proclama- tion, and fresh orders had to be issued to open them; bake-shops had been closed, and the people seemed in danger of getting no bread; the drug-stores had been closed, and the sick could get no medicines. Such over- sights were speedily corrected, but they left irritation .*

The Evening Times newspaper, giving voice to a senti- ment that undoubtedly began to find expression among some classes, published a communication which pro- nounced the whole movement "a big scare," and ridiculed the efforts to place the city in a posture of defense.

To at least a slight extent the commander of the De- partment would seem to have entertained the same opin- ion. After two days of martial law and mustering for the defense of the city, he directed, on his return from Louis- ville, a relaxation of the stringency of the first orders, and notified Governor Tod that no more men from the in- terior were wanted. The next day he relieved General Wallace of the command in Cincinnati and sent him across the river to take charge of the defences; permitted the resumption of all business save liquor selling, only re- quiring that it should be suspended each afternoon at

* The following order, issued by the mayor, with the sanction of General Wallace, obviated the difficulties involved in the literal suspen- sion of all business in a great city :

First. The banks and bankers of this city will be permitted to open their offices from one to two P. M.

Second. Bakers are allowed to pursue their business.

Third. Physicians are allowed to attend their patients.

Fourth. Employes of newspapers are allowed to pursue their busi- ness.

Fifth. Funerals are permitted, but only mourners are allowed to leave the city.

Sixth. All coffee-houses and places where intoxicating liquors are sold, are to be closed and kept closed.

Seventh. Eating and drinking-houses are to close and keep closed. Eighth. All places of amusement are to close and keep closed.

Ninth. All drug-stores and apothecaries are permitted to keep open and do their ordinary business.

GEORGE HATCHI, Mayor of Cincinnati.

+ Within an hour or two after this publication, General Wallace sup- pressed the Times; for this article, as was generally supposed, although it was subsequently stated that the offensive matter was an editorial re- viewing the military management on the l'otomac. The zealous loyalty of the paper had always been so marked that General Wallace was soon made to feel the popular conviction of his having made a grave mistake, and the next day the Times was permitted to appear again as usual.

four o'clock, and that the evenings should be spent in drill; systematized the drain upon the city for labor on the fortifications, by directing that requisitions be made each evening for the number to be employed the next day, and that these be equitably apportioned among the several wards. *

The day before the issue of this order had witnessed the most picturesque and inspiring sight ever seen in Cincinnati. From morning till night the streets re- sounded with the tramp of armed men marching to the defence of the city. From every quarter of the State they came, in every form of organization, with every species of arms. The "Squirrel Hunters," in their home- spun, with powder-horn and buckskin pouch; half-organ- ized regiments, some in uniform and some without it, some having waited long enough to draw their equip- ments and some having marched without them; cavalry and infantry ;- all poured out from the railroad depots and down toward the pontoon bridge. The ladies of the city furnished provisions by the wagon-load; the Fifth- street market-house was converted into a vast free eating saloon for the Squirrel Hunters; halls and warehouses were used as barracks.

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History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 31

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co. Number of Pages: 666

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666