History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 32

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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On the fourth of September Governor Tod was able to telegraph General Wright : "I have now sent you for Kentucky twenty regiments. I have twenty-one more in process of organization, two of which I will send you this week, five or six next week, and the rest the week after. · I have no means of knowing what number of gallant men responded to my call (on the militia) for the protection of Cincinnati; but presume they now count by thousands." And the next day he was forced to check the movement :

COLUMBUS, September 5, 1862.

To the Press:

The response to my proclamation asking volunteers for the protection of Cincinnati was most noble and generous. All may feel proud of the gallantry of the people of Ohio. No more volunteers are required for the protection of Cincinnati. Those now there may be expected home in a few days. I advise that the military organizations throughout the State, formed within the past few days, be kept up, and that the mem- bers meet at least once a week for drill. Recruiting for the old regi- ments is progressing quite satisfactorily, and with continued effort there is reason to believe that the requisite number may be obtained by the fifteenth instant. For the want of proper accommodations at this point, recruiting officers are directed to report their men at the camp nearest their locality, where they will remain until provision can be made for their removal. Commanding officers of the several camps will see that every facility is given necessary for the comfort of these recruits.

DAVID TOD, Governor.

"This order, which was hailed by the business community as sensible and timely, and which certainly gave great mitigation to the embarrass- ments caused by the suspension of business, was as follows:

"HEADQUARTERS, DEPARTMENT OF THE OHIO, { "CINCINNATI, September 6, 1862.

"General Order No. 11.

"The resumption of all lawful business in the city of Cincinnati, ex- cept the sale of liquor, is hereby authorized until the hour of four o'clock P. M., daily.

"All druggists, manufacturers of breadstuffs, provision dealers, rail- road, express and transfer companies, persons connected with the public press, and all persons doing business for the Government, will be al- lowed to pursue their vocations without interruption.

"By command of Major General Wright.

"N. H. MOLE.AN,

"Assistant Adjutant General and Chief of Staff."

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The exertions at Cincinnati, however, were not abated. Judge Dickson, a well-known lawyer of the city, of radical Republican politics, organized a negro brigade for labor on the fortifications, which did excellent and zealous service. Full details of white citizens, three thousand per day-judges, lawyers and clerks, merchant- prince and day-laborer, artist and artisan, side by side- were also kept at work with the spade, and to all pay- ment of a dollar per day was promised. The militia organizations were kept up; "regiments of the reserve" were formed; and drilling went on vigorously. The Squirrel Hunters were entertained in rough but hearty fashion, and the ladies continued to furnish bountiful supplies of provisions.

Across the river regular engineers had done their best to give shape to the hasty fortifications. The trenches were manned every night, and after an imperfect fashion a little scouting went on in the front. General Wallace was vigilant and active, and there was no longer a possi- bility that the force under Kirby Smith could take the city.

At last the rebel detachment which had marched northward under General Heath began to move up as if actually intending attack. One or two little skirmishes occurred; and the commander of the department, de- ceived into believing that now was the hour of his greatest peril, appealed hastily to Governor Tod for more militia. The governor's response was prompt:

COLUMBUS, September 10, 1862. [To the Press of Cleveland. ]

To the several Military Committees of Northern Ohio:

By telegram from Major-General Wright, commander-in-chief of western forces, received at two 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 of troops to the exclusion of all other business. DAVID TOD, Governor.

The excitement in the city once more sprang up. Every disposition was made for defence, and the attack was hourly expected. The newspapers of September IIth announced that before they were distributed the sound of artillery might be heard on the heights of Cov- ington ; assured readers of the safety of the city, and ex- horted all to "keep cool." Business was again sus- pended, and the militia companies were under arms. The intrenchments back of Covington were filled; and, lest a sudden concentration might break through the lines at some spot and leave the city at the mercy of the assailants, the roads leading to it were guarded, and only those provided with passes could travel to or fro, while the river was filled with gunboats, improvised from the steamers at the wharves.

But the expected attack did not come. As we now know, Kirby Smith had never been ordered to attack, but only to demonstrate; and about this very time the · advance of Buell seemed to Bragg so menacing that he made haste to order Smith back to his support. General Wallace gradually pushed out his advance a little, and the rebel pickets fell back. By the eleventh all felt that the danger was over. On the twelfth Smith's hasty re- treat was discovered. On the thirteenth Governor Tod

checked the movement of the Squirrel Hunters, an nounced the safety of Cincinnati, and expressed his con- gratulations.

On this bright Saturday afternoon the "regiments of the reserve" came marching across the pontoon bridge, with their dashing commander at the head of the column. Joyfully these young professional and business men traced their way through Front, Broadway, and Fourth streets to the points where they were relieved from the restraints of military service, and permitted to seek the pleasures and rest of home. An examination of the dockets and daybooks of that eventful fortnight will show that the citizens of Cincinnati were absent from their usual vocations; but Monday, the fifteenth, brought again to the counting-rooms and workshops the busy hum of labor.

General Wallace took his leave of the city he had so efficiently served in a graceful and manly address :

To the people of Cincinnati, Newport, and Covington:

For the present, at least, the enemy has fallen back, and your cities are safe. It is the time for acknowledgments: I beg leave to make you mine. When I assumed command, there was nothing to defend you with, except a few half-finished works and some dismounted guns; yet I was confident. The energies of a great city are boundless; they have only to be aroused, united and directed. You were appealed to. The answer will never be forgotten.

Paris may have seen something like it in her revolutionary days, but the cities of America never did. Be proud that you have given them an example so splendid. The most commercial of people, you sub- mitted to a total suspension of business, and without a murmur adopted my principle, "citizens for labor, soldiers for battle."

In coming time strangers, viewing the works on the hills of Newport and Covington, will ask, "Who built these intrenchments?" You can answer, "We built them." If they ask, "Who guarded them?" you can reply, "We helped in thousands." If they inquire the result, your answer will be, "The enemy came and looked at them, and stole away in the night."

You have won much honor. Keep your organizations ready to win more. Hereafter be always prepared to defend yourselves.

LEWIS WALLACE, Major General Commanding.

He had done some things not wholly wise, and had brought upon the people much inconvenience not wholly necessary. But these were the inevitable necessities of the haste, lack of preparation, and the pressure of the emergency. He took grave responsibilities, adopted a vigorous and needful policy, was prompt and peremptory when these qualities were the only salvation of the city. He will be held in grateful remembrance so long as Cin- cinnati continues to cherish the memory of those who do her service.

As the regiments from the city were relieved from duty, so the Squirrel Hunters were disbanded and sought the routes of travel homeward, carrying with them the thanks of a grateful populace.

While the attack was expected, there were many in Cincinnati who thought that the enemy might really be amusing the force on the front while preparing to cross the river at Maysville, above, and so swoop down on the city on the undefended side. To the extent of making a raid into Ohio at least, such an action was actually en- tertained, and was subsequently undertaken by Colonel Basil W. Duke, of John Morgan's command, who was left to occupy the forces near Cincinnati as long as possi- ble after Kirby Smith's withdrawal. He went so far as

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to enter Augusta, on the river above Cincinnati, where he was encountered by a determined party of home guards, and given so bloody a reception that after a desperate little street-fight he was glad to abandon his movement and fall back in haste to Falmouth, and thence, soon after, toward the rest of the retreating forces.

Work on the fortifications was prudently continued, and some little time passed before the city lapsed into its accustomed ways; but the " siege of Cincinnati" was over. The enemy was before it about eight days-at no time twelve thousand strong.

As most of those who were in charge of the operations during the siege were Cincinnatians, a list of the whole is subjoined :

On the staff of Governor Wallace .- Chief of Staff, Colonel J. C. Elston, jr .; Chief of Artillery, Major C. M. Willard; Aid-de-camps, Captains James M. Rose, A. J. Ware, jr., James F. Troth, A. G. Sloo, G. P. Edgar, E. T. Wallace; Volunteer Aid-de-camps, Colonel J. V. Guthrie, Lieutenant Colonel G. W. Neff, Majors Malcolm McDowell, E. B. Dennison, Captains James Thompson, A. S. Burt, Thomas Buchanan Read, S. C. Erwin, J. J. Henderson, J. C. Belman.

Negro Brigade, Camp Shaler .- Commander, Judge Dickson; Com- missary, Hugh McBirney; Quartermaster, J. S. Hill.

Fatigue Forces,-In charge, Colonel J. V. Guthrie; Commissary, Captain Williamson; Quartermaster, Captain George B. Cassilly.

Camp Mitchell .- Under Captain Titus.

Camp Anderson .- Under Captain Storms.

Camp Shaler, back of Newport .- Under Major Winters.

River Defence .- In charge, R. M. Corwine; Aid, William Wiswell, jr. Men in Mill Creek, Green, Storrs, Delhi, Whitewater, Miami, Co- lumbia, Spencer, and Anderson townships subject to orders of above.

Collection of Provisions .- Committee appointed by General Wal- lace: William Chidsey, T. F. Rogers, T. Horton, T. F. Shaw, and A. D. Rogers.

In command of Cincinnati .- Military Commander, Lieutenant Col- onel S. Burbank, U. S. A .; Aid, John B. Caldwell; Provost Marshal, A. E. Jones.

Employment of Laborers for Fortifications .- Hon. A. F. Perry, assisted by Hon. Benjamin Eggleston, Charles Thomas, and Thomas Gilpin.

CHAPTER XVIII.

CINCINNATI'S NINTH DECADE-1880.

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY.

January was the eventful month of this year. On the fifteenth a stone wall at the corner of Third and Elm streets fell with destructive effect, crushing buildings and burying one or two persons in the ruins. On the seven- teenth a remarkably curious storm of thunder and light- ning occurred. On the thirtieth Colonel John Riddle, of the old Cincinnati family, departed this life, followed May 2d by Mr. Adam N. Riddle.

February 19, the Kentucky legislature was given a banquet in Cincinnati, to prepossess the members in fa- vor of legislation in behalf of the Southern railroad. On the twentieth Cavagna's dairy, with valuable blooded stock, was burned.

April 8th, l'oliceman Sears lost his life by violence, at the hands of George Lynch.

July 9th, George Jaques was killed by a fall from the spire of the new St. Paul's Methodist church.

June 16, the new Sængerfest hall was opened, and in the same, September 6th, the first great industrial exposi- tion was formally opened.

The census of the year developed a population of two hundred and sixteen thousand two hundred and thirty- nine. Families, forty-four thousand nine hundred and thirty-seven; average number in each family, five and four-hundredths persons; dwellings, twenty-four thousand five hundred and fifty; persons in each dwelling, aver- age, eight and eighty-one hundredths; new structures in the county, one thousand and thirty-four; valuation of them, two million four hundred thousand five hundred and ninety dollars; churches in the county, two hundred and twenty-five; church buildings, two hundred and fourteen; valuation, five million one hundred and eight thousand eight hundred and seventy-nine. The vast majority of new structures and churches, of course, belonged to the city.

The annexations of the year to the corporation of Cin- cinnati aggregated twelve and three-fourths square miles.

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-ONE.

Down to and including this year, we have been in- debted for many items in these annals to the enterprise of the Cincinnati Daily Commercial, which, in its issue of January 1, 1872, comprised several columns of notes of events in the city, from the beginnings to that date. For our annals of the decade we acknowledge indebted- ness almost exclusively to such of the local papers as have published, at the close of a year or the beginning of the next, chronological statements of the leading events of the twelve-month.

This year was constructed the fine Odd Fellows' hall, on Fourth street, at the northeast corner of Home, built at a cost of seventy thousand dollars, exclusive of the ground on which it stands.

Cincinnati was declared a port of entry.

January 6th, died Dr. Wesley Smead, a leading founder of the widows' home and one of the old bankers of the city. On the twenty-second the Central Christian church, on Ninth street, is dedicated. On the thirtieth, the Cin- cinnati Firemen's Relief society is organized.

February 4th, there was a grand jubilee of the Ger- mans throughout the city, over the unification of the Fatherland; fifth, the Evangelical Lutheran church, on Race street, is dedicated; twenty-first, fire at the Bethel -damage fifteen thousand dollars.

March 17th, death of Colonel William Schillinger, an old resident, aged eighty-nine.

April : 3th, the new bicameral city council holds its first meeting, with a board of aldermen and a board of coun- cilmen.

May 3d, the United States Distillers' association meets at the Burnet house; fifth, fire in Blymyer, Norton & Company's factory-loss forty thousand dollars ; fifteenth, great fire on Sycamore street; Mills, Johnson & Compa- ny's whiskey establishment burned out-loss two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, insurance one hundred and twenty-one thousand five hundred dollars.

June 5th, the extensive picnic riot at Parlor Grove;

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twenty-fifth, demonstration by the Catholics, in celebra- tion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of Pius Ninth's pon- tificate.

July 2d, rededication of St. John's Methodist Episcopal church, corner Longworth and Park streets; during the month generally, and for some time before and after, much agitation on both sides about the observance of Sunday.

August 8th, corner stone of new Odd Fellows' hall, cor- ner of Fourth and Home streets, laid with imposing cer- emonies.

September 6th, opening of the Second Industrial ex- position with great eclat; eighteenth, President Grant visits the city; twenty-second, purchase of the Markley farm, for water works purposes, voted by the board of aldermen; twenty-fourth, laying of corner stone of Church of the Atonement (Catholic), on Third street; thirtieth, one death from yellow fever.

October 5th, dedication of the Tyler-Davidson foun- tain; ninth, contribution of one hundred thousand dol- lars by the city, and fifty-five thousand one hundred and eighty-five by citizens, for relief of sufferers by the Chicago fire; twenty-fourth, the board of councilmen ratify the purchase of the Markley farm.

November 26th, dedication of McLean chapel, on Ninth street, near Freeman. -

December 23d, first meeting of the "Reunion and Re- form" organization, in the college building; twenty-sixth, the park commissioners recommend the purchase of Bur- net woods for a park.

The city has a notable visitor this year in Sir James Macaulay, M. A., M. D., of Edinburgh, the editor of the Leisure Hour. He gives two interesting and frank, but agreeable chapters to Cincinnati, in his book of travels, Across the Ferry, subsequently published. We make only the following extracts :

To a traveler going westward, Cincinnati may appear a half-grown, half-settled, recent city ; but, coming back upon it as I did from Chi- cago, it had a staid, compact, and almost venerable look. Smoke has helped to impart this aspect of premature antiquity. It is one of the smokiest and "Auld Reekie" like cities in America. The brick-built streets have a sombre appearance in the older districts.

Forty years ago, when Chicago was beginning its existence, Cincin- nati had its court house, gaol, college, medical school, museum, public library, five classical schools, forty-seven common schools, and twenty- five churches, and was a place of great trade and extensive manufac- tures.

I consider Cincinnati at the present time one of the most "represent- ative" and fairly average of the great cities of the States. It is equally removed from the condition of the older cities of the east and the south, and of the newer cities of the west, such as Chicago or San Francisco. Boston and Philadelphia, Charleston and New Orleans, date from old British times, and, with Republican institutions, retain the continuity of social life and historical tradition from before the War of Independence. Cincinnati has sprung up since American nationality began, but has existed long enough to acquire all the distinctive features of American life and character, both social and political. The foreign or immigrant element, both Irish and continental, in its population, is larger, and in- fluences the affairs of the city in the same ways, and much in the eame proportion, as they do the whole Union. The difficulties which Ameri- can statesmen have to encounter, in political and social life, from di- versities of nationality and of religion, here present themselves in a marked manner. Observing this, I saw that in Cincinnati I could study the present position and future prospects of the American republic better than in most other cities, and therefore prolonged my stay beyond the proportion of time required for mere sight-seeing ; in which, indeed, there is not much to attract the traveler.

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-TWO.

The total mortality of the city this year was singularly large, being five thousand two hundred and nineteen, or one in every forty-one and thirty-five hundredths of the population. This was due largely, however, to the terri- ble devastations of small-pox, which swept off one thou- sand one hundred and seventy-nine of the inhabitants.

Robinson's opera house was built this year, at the northwest corner of Ninth and Plum streets, by John Robinson, the veteran circus manager. The extensive cellar underneath was constructed for the purpose mainly of wintering his menagerie.

February Ist, the national convention for the amend- ment of the constitution so as to recognize Christianity, met in Cincinnati; on the eleventh, the Christian church on Ninth street was dedicated; on the twentieth, the Merrell drug mill, on Third street, was burned, with a loss of fifty thousand dollars.

March 3d, the board of trade rooms, at No. 122 Vine street, were opened; on the sixth, six steamers burned at the public landing-loss two hundred and fifty thou- sand dollars; on the eighteenth, terrible boiler explosion at Woods & Conahan's soap-factory, on Central avenue, killing two men and three children, and injuring others.

April 7th, deaths of George Shillito and Colonel 'Henry W. Burdsal; ninth, a sixteen-foot rise in the Ohio in twenty-four hours-heavy loss of coal in barges; four- teenth, funeral services at Wesley chapel of Rev. M. P. Gaddis, and consecration services at St. Peter's of the Catholic bishops Dwenger and Gilmour; seventeenth, strike and riotous demonstrations of coal shovelers and cart drivers; twenty-second, coal exchange organized; twenty-sixth, new Odd Fellows' temple on Fourth street dedicated.

In May the National Liberal Convention meets at Exposition hall, and on the third nominates Horace Greeley for President and B. Gratz Brown for Vice Pres- ident; nineteenth, robbery and riot at the East End; twenty-second, terrible tornado in the eastern suburbs.

June 4th, reception of the musical composer, Franz Abt.

July Ioth, meeting of the National Society of stove manufacturers at College hall; fourth, death of Mr. Wil- liam Smith, ex-superintendent of the Chamber of Com- merce, and editor of the Price Current.

August 16th, first prosecutions in the city under the Adair liquor law, creating great sensation among the liquor dealers.

September 2d, death of Mr. Henry J. Miller, ex-pres- ident of the Cincinnati Gas and Coke company, at Niag- ara Falls; fourth, opening of the Third Industrial Exposi- tion; eighth, organization of the Newsboys' and Boot- blacks' association; twentieth, visit of Horace Greeley to the city, and enthusiastic reception.

October 5th and 7th, attacks on political processions and small riots; eighteenth, Burnet Woods leased by the city.

November 8th, the epizootic appears among the horses, and thirteenth and fourteenth, the citizens organize to drag the fire-engines.

Ag Mily MD.

二

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

December 9th, the Bethel fair opened in Exposition Hall ; four men killed and others injured by the fall of a scaffold at the water works ; twentieth and twenty-sec- ond, intensely cold weather-a drunken man freezes to death, and several kitchen-range pipes explode, with seri- ous results ; twenty-eighth, one million two hundred and fifty thousand dollars voted to aid the construction of the Chesapeake & Cincinnati railroad.

EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE.

The annexations of suburban tracts to the city were substantially completed this year by the admission of Columbia February 1, 1873, of Cumminsville March 18th, and Woodburn June 9th, all together amounting to four and one-fourth square miles, and increasing the area of the city to fifteen thousand, two hundred and sixty acres, or twenty-four square miles. In 1870 it had but seven square miles, or four thousand, four hundred and eighty acres, on which dwelt over two hundred thou- sand people, making Cincinnati the most densely-erowded city in America, and almost in the world.

The new Ohio & Mississippi railroad depot, on the corner of Mill and Front streets, was erected this year.

This was the year of the great financial panic follow- ing the suspension of the banking-house of Jay Cooke & Company, at Philadelphia, in September. Cincinnati met the storm bravely, although much suffering was ex- pected, especially during the winter, among the families of operatives and others thrown out of . employment. But Mayor Johnston, in his next succeeding message, was enabled to present this encouraging view:

There was a stagnation of business; a large number of publie and private improvements were suspended. Laborers were thrown out of employment, and that expressive term called "hard times" was every- where in vogue. From this state of things, Cincinnati was a sufferer, but probably in a less degree than almost any other eity. The panie, in faet, brought into strong relief the solid capital and comparatively small liabilities of our citizens, and we were thus enabled better to weather the storm, which was so destructive to other communities that were not in our favorable condition. Not only was our wealth tried and vindicated, but there was a similar triumphant result on the side of charity and humanity. While many of our wealthy citizens were eon- tributing to relieve, so far as they eould, the unfortunate, the municipal authorities also took prompt and energetie action. Soup and lodging houses were established and placed in charge of a committee of Coun- eil, and thereby a large amount of suffering and destitution was relieved or prevented. It was also properly deemed advisable that such publie works as were of an indispensable character should be pushed vigor- ously forward, in order to afford the largest amount of employment to our laboring population. By these means the winter, which providen- tially was a very mild one, was passed without bringing with it that misery which was so generally feared and anticipated. With the open- ing of spring there is no disagreeable change. Not in several years have there been so many building permits applied for as at the present time; and this is one of the best signs of returning prosperity. The future has a more promising appearance than was deemed possible a few months ago, and I think the indications are not to be mistaken that the progress of Cincinnati, in the inerease of its wealth and in its gen- eral prosperity, will be more marked in the decade now nearly half through than at any previous period of its history.

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History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 32

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