History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 37

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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tensive hospitality, which his means permitted, a great deal to the elevation and animation of the social life of Cincinnati. He continued to carry on his vocation with great zeal, and published the results of his investigations and experience in several pamphlets, and wrote also about the cultivation of the vine and botany. He be- came a member of the Association of Natural Sciences of the United States, and during a convention of the most eminent physicists of America, which was held in Cincinnati, his country mansion stood hospitably open to its members. Agassiz and Professor Henry were his

guests. The revolution of 1848 could not but fill a man like Rehfuss with enthusiasm. He gave to it his warm- est sympathy, and was especially one of the most active speakers in favor of the subscription started by Gottfried Kinkel, in aid of fresh revolutions in Germany. In politics he maintained always a certain independence. He died July 31, 1855, not yet fifty years old.

The Lafayette guard, which was mentioned before, was the cause of the formation of other German town militia companies. Soon after were formed a chasseur company and a turner company, as also companies of Steuben, Kosziusko, and Jackson guards. A few years later several of these companies formed themselves into a battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel August Moor.

AUGUST MOOR

was born March 28, 1814, in Leipzig. He became a pupil of the Koniglich-sachsische Forstakademic, which was con- ducted on military principles; and probably there his mili- tary inclinations were awakened. By some means or other he became involved in the September troubles of 1830, in Leipzig or Dresden, was arrested, and sentenced to an im- prisonment for eight months. The only thing for him to do, after his discharge, seemed to be to try his luck in the free States of America. He landed in Baltimore in No- vember, 1833, found occupation in Philadelphia, became a lieutenant of the Washington Guard of that city, un- der Captain Koseritz, and during the Seminole war in 1836 he enlisted in a volunteer dragoon company, in which he became lieutenant colonel. After the expira- tion of the appointed time of service of that company it was dissolved, and we find Moor in the year 1838 at Cincinnati, where he conducted a bakery successfully for several years. The Mexican war of 1846 exercised nat- urally a great attraction upon him. He became captain of one of the companies of an Ohio volunteer infantry regiment, and distinguished himself in several battles and skirmishes by his prudence and valor, so that he soon advanced to the positions of major, lieutenant col- onel, and colonel of the regiment. A few years after his return he became major general of the First division of Ohio militia, but resigned this position after a few years, as the militia organization was very imperfect; it consist- ed more of staff officers than of soldiers. At the breaking out of the War of Secession Moor was one of the first who enlisted under the flag of the Union. He became colonel of the Twenty-eighth Ohio volunteer regiment (the Second German regiment). Incorporated with Gen- eral Rosecrans' army, he distinguished himself glorious-

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ly in West Virginia-fought under Hunter in the Valley of the Shenandoah, and was considered one of the best and bravest officers of the army. He led a brigade du- ring the whole of his three years' service, but was not until his discharge appointed Brevet Brigadier General. His open and honest character, his rebellion against all favoritisms, which, unfortunately, were very prevalent in the army during the civil war, his want of submissiveness, and the jealousy which existed in the higher military cir- cles against foreigners, though the President himself was free from such prejudices, caused probably the hinder- ance to his advancement. Soon after the first evidences of his military qualifications he ought have been made brigadier general, and later he ought have been advanced to the position of major general. He was highly appre- ciated by the generals above him, as Rosecrans, Averill, Burnside, and Hunter; and by them his advancement was several times proposed. In the paper Sonst und Jetzt, edited by Armin Tenner, Cincinnati, in 1878, we read of General Moor:

Being modest, as all those are who are aware of their inner worth and their true merit, he did not seek the capricious favoritism of the people nor the approbation of the multitude; his name takes in the annals of the Union a well-deserved rank. His earnest military char- acter, which also in private life he can shake off, is often taken for pride and haughtiness; but his numerous friends know how to value him, and to acknowledge the noble kernel hidden by a rough outside shell, and know how to distinguish a dignified manner from vulgar haughtiness.

GENERAL AUGUST V. KAUTZ

is another distinguished military character ; he is at pres- ent brigadier-general of the United States army. He was born at Pforzheim, Baden, in the year 1828, and came with his parents to the United States when yet very young. They settled in Ripley, Brown county, Ohio, where they still lived in 1846, the year of the breaking out of the war with Mexico. Kautz, then eighteen years old, enlisted as private in the First volunteer regiment of Ohio. He fought in the battle of Monterey and in sev- eral skirmishes, and became soon after the war a lieuten- ant in the regular army of the United States. At the outbreak of the war of secession he was captain in the cavalry, but commanded his regiment in those notable days before Richmond in 1862 under McClellan. He proved himself there an exceptionally fine horseman and officer, and was made soon after colonel of the Second Ohio cavalry regiment, and later commanding general of the cavalry of the Twenty-third corps of the army. His bold riding excited general surprise. He became brevet major-general as well in the volunteer as in the regular army. After the close of the war he returned to the reg- ular army as lieutenant-colonel of the Fifteenth infantry regiment. He is the author of several small military treatises, which have especial reference to the service.

GENERAL WEITZEL.

With him we may worthily rank General Gottfried Weitzel, who, though he is claimed by the Americans as one of them, was born in Germany, but came to America in his early youth. He was born November 1, 1835, at Winzlen, Rheinpfalz. His parents settled in Cincinnati. In his seventeenth year he was sent as a cadet to West

Point, and left this institution in 1855, after having passed an excellent examination, when he was made sec- ond lieutenant of the engineer corps, which position is only given to the best graduates. At the outbreak of the war he was already a captain, and became attached to General Butler's staff when that general besieged New Orleans, and after his promotion received the command of a brigade in the army corps of General Banks, when that general undertook his unfortunate expedition up the Red river. Assigned to the Potomac army, under Gen- eral Grant, he received the command of a division, and distinguished himself, especially in the operations against Petersburgh, the taking of which led to the fall of Rich- mond. He was the first one who, at the head of his command, entered the city of Richmond at the side of President Lincoln. Strange coincidence! The German General Schimmelpfenning was the first who led his brigade into Charleston, and another German general was the first who carried the flag of the Union into the long-besieged, strongest fort of the confederates. Weitzel is at present major in the engineer corps of the United States army, with the brevet rank of a major general. That Weitzel is a German by birth is proved by the fact that he is a member of the German Pioneer society of Cincinnati, to which only German natives are admitted.

THE GERMAN IN POLITICS.

By our short description of the press in Cincinnati, one can already draw some conclusion as to the interest with which the Germans have taken hold of politics. But it was not till 1840 that the German vote became of great importance. It had grown immensely since 1836. By far the larger number of Germans here then be- longed, as in most of the older States (especially the western), to the Democratic party .. It was hardly possi- ble for this to be otherwise. Already before the Native movement had lifted its threatening head in 1836, the National Democratic party had secured the adherence of the immigration. The liberal naturalization laws were already due to them, under the presidency of Jefferson. About the year 1820 the Democrats had succeeded in Congress in lowering the price of public land and in hav- ing the lands sold in smaller lots (forty acres) to real set- tlers. About the year 1830, after long and vehement contests, very liberal pre-emption laws were adopted, which enabled the settler to pay for his land with the re- ceipts of a moderate harvest. All these laws were passed after very obstinate contests with the Congressmen from the east, who had principally belonged to the former party of Federalists, and later to the Whig party. Espe- cially Henry Clay, the most important leader of the Whigs, spoke very zealously against allowing the right of pre-emption to those settlers who were not yet citizens; that is, who had not yet lived five years in the United States.

It has often been said that the Germans and the im- migrants of other nations had been enticed into the Democratic party simply by the charm of the word " Democracy," and general phrases about liberity and equality, much in the mouth of Democrats. Grant that

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a great many allowed themselves to be won over by glittering phrases, yet it is certain that the general mass of the Germans and the Irish knew how to appreciate the real advantages of the Democratic measures. They would not have been able to buy large tracts of land from the Government with their usually scant means, but would have fallen into the hands of land speculators. Now they could, without any means, settle down and be- gin to cultivate their land, because they enjoyed as settlers the pre-emption right. Neither could the tariff, intro- duced and favored by the Whig party for the benefit of a few manufacturers in the east, be approved by the new immigrants to the west.

The most ardent speeches of the Democratic politi- cians could not have held the Germans for thirty years to their party, if their material interests had not led them the same way. The obnoxious native movement, so profoundly mortifying to man's pride, which showed itself first during the years 1835-37, and then renewed its attacks in 1842-44, by slaughter and incendiarism, and which seemed to be rather favored here and there by the Whig party, while the Democrats opposed it decidedly in all its public demonstrations and promised to guard the rights of the foreigners energetically, was sufficient to drive all the Germans, who were still undecided, by neces- sity into the arms of Democracy.

As in other large communities, the Germans of Ohio organized themselves also into a compact party, and in 1843 the association called Deutscher demokratischer Verein of Hamilton county, was founded in Cincinnati. The society issued a manifesto, by which it retained its independence even towards its own party, in declaring that the Germans would abandon the Democratic party as soon as it was seen that the liberal principles avowed by that party were not sincerely held. And if the mania for office and the odious prejudices towards the foreign- ers should also show themselves in the Democracy, the Germans were to take up the fight against such unworthy members of their party. In this programme the associa- tion declares itself for the maintenance of the first prin- ciple of Democracy: "The same rights and entire justice for all men, without distinction of their religious or politi- cal belief;" and opposes the spirit of the native movement with the utmost severity.

The directorship of the association was given to thirty members, and we find among the officers the names of Stephan Molitor, Nikolaus Hofer and Heinrich Rodter. The society was active in many directions. It obtained for the Germans general recognition, assured them a full representation at the party conventions, and protected in the public schools the German instruction, so often threatened. But it was especially efficacious during the Presidential election in 1844, when the Democrats elected their candidate, Mr. Polk. German electoral assemblies were held; political clubs and singing societies were founded; and from this time on, the German vote in Ohio fell very heavily into the scale.

The news of the victory won by the Native party in the city of New York, in April, 1844, and of the incen- diary actions of a mob of the Native Americans, who

burned Roman Catholic churches in Philadelphia, was received by the Germans of Cincinnati with deep solici- tude. The executive committee of the German Demo- cratic association called at once a meeting for April 29th, in the hall of Landfried's Napoleon tavern, in which the position of the immigrant citizens of the country was taken into very serious consideration. The speeches which were delivered against the revolting actions of the Natives in the eastern cities displayed a spirit of deter- mination which always goes hand and hand with the side of right. The Germans were recommended to hold together for united action, and were called upon to meet the dark Native movements with boldness. A commit- tee, with George Walker at its head, handed in resolutions which recommended the appointment of a committee, who were to inquire from the different candidates for President, Vice President, governor, and other public offices, if they approved of the principles and measures of the so-called American Republicans (Natives), or if they, under all conditions and in all cases, would oppose them through official and private influence; the appoint- ment of a committee to prepare an address to the Ger- mans of the Union and one to the American people, to be delivered at a public convention, which was to be combined, on the first day of the May following, with a spring festival; and the question of holding a general convention of the Germans of Ohio on the Fourth of July, 1844, was to be laid before this convention for de- cision. Moreover, the quarrels and contentions which prevailed among the German newspapers at the time were taken by this meeting into consideration. The res- olution in reference to them reads:

Resolved, That we, the Germans of Cincinnati, have watched for some time with great displeasure the personal quarrels of the German papers of this city, and that we hereby declare positively that we shall in future look upon every editor of a paper, who shall again excite such personal quarrel, as a common enemy of the immigrants; for, to be able to conquer the common enemy, we need more than ever to be united.

The chairman of the meeting was Molitor, the editor of the Volksblatt; Dr. C. F. Schmidt, the editor of the Republikaner, and Walker, editor of the Volksbuhne, were secretaries.

Other resolutions referred to the taking part of the German military companies in the festival-including in- vitations to such organizations in Louisville and Colum- bus-and to other arrangements for the festival.

The details of this May festival, which is described as one of the most imposing public demonstrations ever held in Cincinnati, do not belong within our province. Pastor August Kroll delivered the oration, which is said to have been a masterpiece of eloquence. The com- mittee, to which the composition of the addresses before mentioned had been assigned, delivered their report. It was, however, resolved to postpone the same until the next public meeting May 11th, so as not to disturb the festive joy of the day by the sad reminiscences of the cruelties suffered by our countrymen in the east.

'The address, "To the Germans of the Union," calls attention in the commencement of the political crisis, so dangerous to the country and its freedom, through the

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rise of a party founded on Native principles or national distinction, and upon religious and political fanaticism; represents it to be the duty of every well-meaning citizen of the country to meet these disturbances earnestly, but with dignity; reminds the Germans not to allow their own national feeling, but the preservation of the free institutions of their adopted country, to be their guiding star, so as to win the respect of the well-meaning Ameri- cans, and with that the assurance of success. It asks further of them to join the Democratic party, which al- ready, forty years ago, without expecting at the time any advantages, had carried the repeal of the laws against foreigners, had adhered to those principles faithfully ever since, and had taken the immigrants and their rights al- ways under their protective shield. It points out that there are among the German countrymen also members of the Whig party, and recommends these to consult with their conscience and their patriotism, if party mo- tives ought to be stronger with them than the welfare and claims of the coming generation of Americans. "Let them remain with their party," continues the address, "if they can do so; but we retain the pleasant hope that these our countrymen will very soon acknowledge that the love for their new- fatherland is greater than the love for Cæsar."

If we consider that Molitor was the author of the other address, "To the People of Ohio," we need not be astonished that, besides the most convincing thorough- ness with which the address treats the questions from the standpoint of natural and legal rights, it represents also a thorough knowledge of the political history of America, and is controlled by a spirit of thoughtfulness and mod- eration which characterized Molitor in all his actions. The address closes with the words :

We shall watch quietly and without passion the direction this move- ment is taking, and, as before, so shall also be in future, the welfare cf our adopted Fatherland, and the preservation of its free and glorious institutions, our first and only aimn.

To give the German element a representation in the legislature, it was resolved in the meeting of the Demo- cratic Association of the twentieth of July, 1844, to pro- pose Karl Rumelin at the next Democratic convention as a candidate for the House of Representatives of Ohio. The convention agreed to the proposition, and Rumelin was elected in the fall by a considerable majority of votes. The Association made also the request, somewhat similar to the demand made before in Pennsylvania, to have all the public documents which are printed by the State for the use of the citizens, also printed in the German lan- guage; which request has ever since been heeded by the authorities of the State. Furthermore, the candidates for the legislature of the State of Ohio and for Congress were questioned as to whether they were in favor of or against the interference of the legislature in the matter of the temperance movements, and if they would, when elected, oppose the aims and intrigues of the Native American party in their political and religious tendencies.

HOFER.

We have mentioned several times the name of Nikolaus Hofer as one of the most prominent leaders of the Ger-

mans of Ohio. He was born at Ruizheim, Rheinpfalz, in the year 1810, and came to Cincinnati in 1832, and carried on gardening principally. He became finally a real estate agent and administrator of General Findlay's extensive lands. He took an active part in all mutual efforts of the Germans, filled the office of a city commis- sioner, and worked earnestly for the founding of German schools. He was the first vice-president of the Demo- cratic Association, repeatedly a delegate in the State and local conventions of that party, and exercised a great in- fluence, as well upon the Germans as upon the Ameri- cans. The genial and zealous Rodter used to say that Nikolaus Hofer was his right hand in all political affairs. He died in January, 1875, and the conjoint press of the city published extensive and honorable obituary notices of him. Mr. H. A. Rattermann says in his sketch of Hofer's life (Deutscher Pioneer, volume six, page four hundred and nineteen):

Among the old pioneers who have been active in our city on the field of German-American efforts at civilization, he stands out prominently like a large oak tree among its surrounding underbrush, by virtue of his clear insight into the social and political situations of life. Although he has not enjoyed the highest school education, he was, on account of his sound judgment in political matters, for a number of years looked upon as a leader of the Germans in the upper part of the city, and to a certain extent in the whole city. If Hofer had enjoyed a fine educa- tion in addition to his natural talents, he would have been one of the most prominent leaders of the American-German population.

PASTOR KROLL.

When speaking before about the May festival, we men- tioned that Pastor August Kroll delivered the oration. Born at Rohrback, in the Grand Dukedom of Hessen, July 22, 1806, he was destined by his parents for the clerical profession. He attended the gymnasium at Bud- ingen, studied afterwards theology at the university of Giessen, and became then assistant parson in the parish at Eckardtshausen. On the one hand his poorly paid vicarship and on the other the extravagant statements of Duden about the American wonderland, which appeared at that time in print in Germany, induced Kroll to join the Follenius Emigration society in the spring of 1833, with which he emigrated to America in the following year. In company with Dr. Bruhl, who was the physi- cian of the society, Kroll went to Cape Girardeau county, Missouri, where they jointly rented some land and culti- vated it. In the year 1838, however, Kroll obeyed a call as pastor of a German Evangelical church at Louis- ville, which position he exchanged in 1841 for the par- sonage of the Protestant Johannis church, the oldest German parish of Cincinnati. He worked in this parish with great success up to the time of his death, which ac- curred November 25, 1874. Besides fulfilling his cleri- cal duties, Kroll was also, together with the pastor Friedrich Botticher (born at Mackerock, Preussen, in 1800, died at Newport, Kentucky, in 1849), the principal founder of the Protestantische Zeitblatter, a periodical which represented liberal Protestantism in the United States.

BOTTICHER,

educated at the university of Halle for a theologian, after- wards a teacher in the gymnasium at Nordhausen, and

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later a pastor in Habernegen, had come already in 1832 to America. He may be considered here the founder of rational Christianity, which was represented by him, and with him, and after his death especially, by Kroll. Kroll conducted the Protestantische Zeitblatter until his death, with great ability and great zeal.

THE TUTOR OF POWERS.

In the history of American art the name of Hiram Powers, the sculptor of the Greek slave and of Eve at the fountain, fills one of the most prominent places. But it is hardly known to many that this son of a Connecticut farmer was the apprentice of a watchmaker, and that his artistic career is due to a German sculptor, whose pupil he was. Friedrich Eckstein, born at Berlin about the year 1787, attended the Academy of Arts of his native town, and studied art under Johann Gottfried Schadow, the founder of the academy. He came to Cincinnati in the year 1825 or 1826, and founded during the last named year an Academy of Fine Arts, of which he remained the director until his early death in 1832. He died here of cholera; and with him died also the flourishing academy. But few of his own works are known, besides the busts of Governor Morrow and President William H. Harrison. These are, however, of great artistic value; the first named is at present to be found in the State library at Colum- bus, and the other is in the possession of General Harri- son's descendants. His great reputation has, however, now another representative in his before named pupil, who, without doubt, holds the precedence among Ameri- can sculptors.

THE FRANKENSTEINS.

About the same time the two brothers, Johann Peter and Gottfried N. Frankenstein, made their appearance as painters, of whom especially the last named made a great reputation. His large landscape painting of Niagara falls has been multiplied by engravers and lithographers, and a bust of the Hon. John McLean, judge of the Uni- ted States supreme court, executed by him in marble, adorns the Federal court-room in Cincinnati.

Mr. Rattermann says about him, in a lecture upon Art and Artists in Cincinnati, delivered before the Cin- cinnati Literary club: "His paintings show individuality in their conception, combined with a bright coloring, which later has been surpassed only by his genial pupil Wilhelm Sonntag."

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History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 37

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