History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 30

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912

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Now, indeed, was there "mustering of armed men and marching to and fro" in Ohio. The cavalry troops, under Hobson and Judah, and the militia of the State, were after Mor- gan in good earnest; now giving the flying band hardly as much time as they required for burning and destroying public and private

property, but many a farmer in the wake of their march will testify they never lost an op- portunity to impress a fine horse into the ser- vice of John Morgan and the Confederacy. Fifty thousand Ohio militia took the field, but the ridiculous misapprehension of where Mor- gan was and what he was after continued. It was gravely announced that he was marching to seize Columbus and steal the State treasury ; it was feared he would reach the lake shore at Cleveland, though no one could guess what he could want with the lake. In the meantime, marching from Clermont County through Warren, Clinton, Fayette, Ross, Brown, High- land, Adams, Pike, Vinton, Jackson and Gal- lia counties, and again concentrating in Meigs County, Morgan made for liis objective point -- the ford of the Ohio River at Buffington Isl- and.

The flying column had not proceeded thus far without difficulty. There had been daily skirmishing, and the militia companies had harassed its flanks with good effect. As Mor- gan neared the river he was not unaware that in addition to the militia the cavalry under Hob- son was in his rear, and Judah, with fresh cav- alry, was near at hand; Colonel Runkle, with the militia that had forced him to stand and fight in Jackson County, was north of him, and the local militia, ahead of him through Meigs. County, felled trees across the road and tore up bridges to retard his progress. At I P. M. July 18th, he rode into Cliester, Meigs County. Only a few hours ride further was the ford, which crossed, he would be in Jackson County, West Virginia, and among secret sympathizers upon whose aid he could count. But he rested an hour and a half in Chester, and when he reached Portland, a little village on the river bank, and opposite Buffington Island, it was dark. Some earthworks had been thrown up, at the ford, and behind them stood some 300. militiamien ready to delay his progress. Again Morgan made a delay, knowing the exliausted state of his men and horses, and not knowing the force or position of his enemy. Nor would he abandon his wagon train and wounded, and seek to cross elsewhere at unguarded points. He would "save all or lose all," lie is said to.

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have declared. At daybreak July 19th. Duke with two regiments advanced to storm the breastworks, but found them abandoned. Then the cavalry under Judah attacked him, and a short, sharp engagement followed in which the daring invaders took a number of prisoners. and held the Union cavalry in check. Then up the Chester and Pomeroy road came Hobson's cavalry, which had followed Morgan from the Cumberland. The "tin" gunboats steamed up the river and opened fire, and the raiders were surrounded by three times their number. Mor- gan attempted to withdraw, but his ranks were broken and his column soon in rout. Twelve hundred men and Morgan himself escaped, but Colonels Duke, Ward and Huffman were made prisoners. These prisoners were sent down the river to Cincinnati, and the chase after Morgan and his now demoralized troops was resumed.

Twenty miles above Buffington they again reached the river, and about 300 crossed into West Virginia, but the gunboats coming up prevented the rest from following, Morgan himself remaining on Ohio soil. Then he struck for the Muskingum, and, met by the militia under Colonel Runkle, turned back for Blennerhassett Island. The pursuers closed about them; but while they were asleep he again stole away, and at last found an in- guarded crossing of the Muskingum at Eagle- port, above McConnellsville, where he crossed : and with open country before him once more attempted to reach the Ohio. At Wellsville. Columbiana County, about 30 men turned out armed with pistols, squirrel guns, and two small cannon, one of them owned by the Ful- ton Foundry & Machine Works boys, and the other by the boys of the C. & P. R. R. shops. Believing that the mouth of Yellow Creek would be selected by the Rebels as a crossing point, the small body of volunteer militia loaded their artillery on a railroad truck, and pushed it over the rails three miles to the mouth of the creek. Arrived there, they were in- formed by the landlady of the public house, Mrs. McElvaney, that two of Morgan's men had been to supper and had just left. This in- telligence looked like business, and the men proceeded to elect their officers, Charles R.

Boyce being chosen captain and John Cullom, second in command. The guns were planted covering the road leading to the river bar at the mouth of the creek ; the bridge torn up ; pic- kets posted and the approach of the enemy awaited. About I A. M. Sunday they were re- lieved by General Brooks with a detachment of Pennsylvania militia. That evening the captured Morgan and his men were brought to Wellsville, where he stated that it had been his intention to cross the shoals at the mouth of Yellow Creek, but that he was warned by scouts that the point was guarded by 500 men with cannon. He accordingly decided to make for Bab's Island, or Smith's Ferry, just across the Pennsylvania line.

Meanwhile Governor Todd had taken meas- ures to ship troops by rail to Bellaire, on the river, in Belmont County; and. Major Way. of the Ninth Michigan Cavalry, was soon in pur- suit of the remnant of Morgan's command. "Morgan is making for Hammondsville" (five miles from the mouth of Yellow Creek) he telegraphed General Burnside on the 25th, "and will attempt to cross the Ohio at Wellsville. I have my section of battery and will follow him closely." He kept his word and gave the finishing stroke. "Morgan was attacked with the remnant of his command at 8 o'clock this morning," announced General Burnside the next day. "at Salineville, by Major Way, who after a severe fight routed the enemy, killed about 30, wounded some 50 and took some 200 prisoners." About six hours later, and the long race had ended. "I captured John Mor- gan to-day at 2 o'clock P. M.," telegraphed Major Rue, of the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry, on the evening of the 26th. "taking 336 pris- oners, 400 horses and arms."

WHERE MORGAN SURRENDERED.

There has been some controversy as to the exact place and manner of the capture of Mor- gan and the handful of men who were with him to the last. The editor of this work is fortunate in having an account of Morgan's movements in detail from the time he left Salineville until the end of his daring raid, with all the circum-

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stances of his surrender, from the eminently re- liable eye-witness already referred to, who was still living in East Liverpool in 1905.

After the fight with Major Way at Saline- ville and the loss of more than one-third of his men, Morgan with the worn-out, jaded and now demoralized remnant of a fine cavalry bri- gade, which started with him from Tennessee just 29 days before, turned in his flight directly north, until he struck the main road down the west fork of Beaver Creek near Gavers. Then he turned down the valley and again headed toward the Ohio River, which he hoped to ford at Bab's Island, just above East Liverpool. But the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry under Major Rue was, pressing him so hard that, soon after striking south on the Steubenville road, he realized the impossibility of reaching the river. So, turning to Capt. James Burbeck, of New Lisbon, who had been in command of a de- tachment of the Ohio National Guard, and whom Morgan, having captured a short time previous, compelled to ride beside him, he pro- posed to surrender his command to him. Bur- beck in surprise accepted the proposition; but Morgan did not halt to carry out his proposed surrender. They kept steadily on at as good a pace as the worn-out men and jaded horses could make through the heat and dust of that intensely hot July day, Morgan be- lieving that only Home Guards were in his front. However, the Union Cav- alry had borne to their right a few miles out from Salineville, and so came down to Beaver Creek and crossed that stream at Dobson's Mill. Leaving the road here, they turned directly down the creek bottoni for about a mile, expecting to come out on the Wellsville road near West Beaver Church; but being told of a bridle-path up a gulch opposite the barn of David Crubaugh, which would bring them by a short cut into the very road which they knew Morgan was advancing over, they left the creek bottom and advanced due north, single file, up the gulch; and as soon as they reached the road they discovered a cloud of dust rising less than a mile to their left. Major Rue formed his line about 100 yards from the point at which he struck the road. The

men were formed in two ranks, his center on the road, the right behind a stretch of wood and the left in the Crubaugh orchard, behind a high rail fence. The stragglers were not yet all in line when Morgan's command appeared over the brow of the hill ; but thinking the force in his front was made of farmers and Home Guards he pressed on to the summit of the next small elevation near David Burbeck's residence. There his lines were deployed right and left along a lane that crossed the main road, Mor- gan's left being protected by the same strip of wood which shielded the Union right. So there was just the width of a 10-acre field be- tween the forces, Morgan having the choice po- sition. However, before one-fourth of Mor- gan's men were in line, Major Rue had given the command, "Ready! Aim !- But ere the command "Fire!" could be given, a white flag went up in Morgan's center. Three of Morgan's men at once advanced down the road with the flag of truce, and were met half way by three men from the Union command, and the formal surrender to Major Rue followed.

Morgan's men at once broke ranks and sought the long-desired rest in the shade of orchard and wood. This was between 2 and 3 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, July 26, 1863. Some time was spent in gathering up Mor- gan's stragglers, receiving their arms, etc. It was found they were almost out of ammuni- tion, and what they had was not properly dis -. tributed. The men and horses were so worn out that it was near dark when the Union force with their prisoners, between 350 and 360 in number, resumed the march for the railroad. At Wellsville the prisoners were fed and al- lowed to rest before being given passage to Col- umbus.

The eye-witness to the event already quoted speaking of the exact location of the surrender, says further : "The place where the head of Morgan's column formed, and consequently where he surrendered, is not where the Hepner road intersected the main road, as has been often stated, but almost a half mile farther, or down the road where a cross-road that run from the New Lisbon road intersected the main road ; and this road was on the line dividing

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Wayne and Madison townships. I am sure of this, for I saw the lines as they were drawn up Just previous to the surrender. Morgan's forces were in Wayne, forming along the town- ship line, it so happened, while the Union forces were in Madison township."

The daring and almost successful attempt to pass from Tennessee into Virginia, over soil of three loyal States, with from 2,000 to 3,000 armed men, thus ended in disaster, only about 300 men reaching Virginia-those escaping across the Ohio above Buffington Island. Mor- gan and the officers captured with him were dealt with as horse-thieves rather than pris -; oners of war, being confined in the penitentiary at Columbus, with sheared heads, though not put to hard labor. On the night of November 26, 1863, Morgan and six of his companions dug their way out and escaped, separating as soon as they were free. Morgan and one of his captains named Hines took the train for Cincinnati at the Union Depot at I A. M., and when near that city put on the brakes, "slowed up the train," and jumped off, easily making their way into Covington, where help awaited them. Morgan visited Richmond and was feted there, later returning to service in East- ern Tennessee, where he was killed in the fol- lowing year.

WHAT THE MORGAN RAID COST OHIO.

Governor Todd called upon 38 counties for militia, and the response was made by 587 com- panies, aggregating 49,357 men. One-half of those assembled at Camp Chase were dismis- sed two days after Mogan entered the State. Those of Southwestern Ohio were discharged early in the raid, and the remainder soon after the engagement at Buffington Island. The ex- pense of the raid in round numbers may be stated as: $250.000 for payment of militia, $200,000 for subsisting and transporting them: damage done by Union troops, $150,- 000; damage by the enemy, $490,000; a total expense of more than $1,000,000. But it had resulted in the words of Governor Todd's ad- dress to the people, in "the capture and destruc- tion of one of the most formidable cavalry

forces of the Rebels; a force that had been a terror to the friends of the Union in Tennes- see and Kentucky for about two years.". Of the regular force of Ohio in the field the 45th Infantry and Second and Seventh Cavalry par- ticipated in the pursuit of Morgan.' The first named lost one killed and several wounded. The cavalry regiments rode for 26 days, 18 or 20 hours out of 24, and through three States, and both were participants in the engagement at Buffington Island.

IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.

When war was declared with Spain by the United States in the spring of 1898, Colum- biana County was ready to do her part toward sustaining the national honor, as she has ever. been in similar emergencies. Company E, of the Eighth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, was stationed at East Liverpool; and when the call was made, the company enlisted to a man. The officers of the company were : Captain, M. W. Hill; Ist lieutenant, George O. Anderson ; 2nd lieutenant, Robert T. Hall; sergeants -- W. F. Hanley, F. L. Trump, C. A. Puriton, W. H. Kinsey, T. C. Smith and George T. Blake; corporals-J. C. Davis. V. P. Weaver, W. J. Miller, G. E. Wyman, W: R. McCord, W. G. Hackworth H. G. Kerr, R. A. Woods, W. S. Cook, L. E. Heddleson, T. C. Beatty and E. S. Morley.

The company left East Liverpool for the regimental headquarters at Wooster on April 25th, and were mustered into the United States service at Columbus May 13, 1898. With all the Ohio troops the regiment rendezvoused at Camp Alger, Virginia, May 15th. On July 7th Company E with the regiment left New York on the transport "St. Paul" for Cuba,. and were landed at Siboney, near Santiago, on the roth. The regiment reporting to Gen- eral Shafter, the boys were ordered into the trenches and on guard duty, instead of being put forward to the "firing line" as they had de- sired. It was the rainy season; the country was reeking with miasma, Cuban fever and even the yellow fever was becoming prevalent. After the fall of Santiago, the men were stili

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held in camp, under the incessant rains, for days and weeks longer. Little wonder that the young soldiers, fresh from the North, almost all sickened and a number died of the pestil- ence which could scarcely have been thrown off by acclimated veterans. Finally the atten- tion of the government was called to the con- dition of the men, and tardy relief came to them. August 18th those of the command who were able to travel were taken on a trans- port and started for "God's country," being landed at Montauk Point, Long Island, August 24th; and, having been kept in hospital and detention camp, those who were still able to be transported on September 26th took train for Wooster, Ohio, where they were mustered out

November 21st. Two-thirds of those who sur- vived were left to a greater or less degree physi- cal wrecks, a number having been left to lan- guish in the hospitals in Cuba and at Mon- tauk Point. The death roll of the company was as follows : Francis Smith, died at Siboney, Cuba, August 20, 1898; O. J. Eddy, died at sea, August 22, 1898; Charles Sweitzer, died in East Liverpool from disease contracted in Cuba, September 3, 1898; Michael Eck, died at Montauk Point, September 1I, 1898; Ed- win Holloway, died at Montauk Point, Sep- tember 13, 1898; Arthur Burrows, re-en- listed, and killed in action in the Philippines. November 10, 1900.

CHAPTER XV.

THE PRESS OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY.

History of a Century's Progress in News Gathering and Newes Dissemination-Some of the Men Who Have Wielded the Quill and Pencil-The County Prolific in Newspaper Enterprises-Some Workers in the Field Acquired Fame, but Noue Great Fortunes.

No business pursuit in Columbiana County has presented so varied, not to say so checkered a history, as that of making of newspapers in the county. And no county in the State, outside of those containing large cities, can boast of so many newspapers, or of periodicals devoted to so many and so varied interests. There have been-first of all and most important of all- the local secular newspapers, which have been varied as to their political complexion, as Whig, Free Soil, Know-Nothing, Republican, Democratic, Independent. Then there were the anti-slavery, pro-slavery, temperance, ed- ducational, labor and trades organs, and those devoted to even other interests-with "exist- ences which have varied all the way from near -a century down to two or three weeks. There have emerged from the composing rooms and reportorial and editorial chairs ministers of the Gospel, lawyers, physicians, county officials, postmasters, consuls and other government offi- cials, Congressmen, legislators, teachers, land- lords and land owners (not many), but never a millionaire or even a capitalist who could notate his financial wealth in six figures. There have been many failures (financially), some successful ones-but all have served their day and generation faithfully, and, it is to be hoped at least, left the world in general and Columbiana County in particular better than they found them.

In 1905 the Ohio Patriot had been pub-

lished in Lisbon for almost 100 years, and was therefore the oldest newspaper, publication in the county. In 1808 William Lepper, a native of Hanover, Germany, came to New Lisbon. In December of that year he issued the first newspaper in the coun- ty, a small paper printed in the German language, which was called Der Patriot am Ohio. But there was not then, as there were almost 100 years later, enough Germans in the county to support a newspaper printed in their mother tongue, and it was soon discon- tinued. In the spring of 1809 Lepper began the publication of the Ohio Patriot, in English. It was at the beginning a small 4-column sheet, but in a few years it was enlarged to a 5-column paper. It was published by Mr. Lepper until 1833, when it was sold to Joseph Cable, who had for several years prior to that time been in the newspaper publishing business in Steu- benville. In the summer of 1834 the Patriot office was destroyed by fire ; but an entire new outfit was purchased and the paper continued. In 1835 Messrs. Heltzell and Gregg, both from Washington City, purchased the paper. Mr. Cable went to Carrollton, where he published a Democratic paper for some years, and in 1848 was elected to Congress, serving two terms. Heltzell & Gregg continued the publication of the Patriot until 1839, when William D. Mor- gan, of Pennsylvania, purchased the office, and was editor and proprietor until 1852. Mr ..

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Morgan sold to William H. Gill, of Cam- bridge, Ohio, who enlarged the paper to eight columns. In 1857 Mr. Gill disposed of the paper to Matthew Johnson, then United States Marshal of Northern Ohio. But his pro- prietorship was but brief; and Thomas S. Woods became proprietor, and continued the publication of the paper until the year of his death-1869. Robert G. Woods, brother of Thomas S. Woods, succeeded his brother as editor and proprietor, 'and so continued until 1873, when he also died. George B. Vallan- digham then purchased the paper and continued its publication for about two years, when, in October, 1875, Wilson S. Potts became editor and proprietor. March 1, 1898, the Daily Pat- riot was launched; September 1, 1903, John J. Kerr, a young attorney of East Liverpool, ac- quired an interest in the concern, and the pub- lication was continued as daily and weekly by Potts & Kerr, with Mr. Kerr as editor.

In July, 1905, Wilson S. Potts sold his in- terest in the Patriot to John Kerr, father of J. J. Kerr, the editor. The paper was always Democratic in politics.

Wilson S. Potts, who had in 1905 himself been active in the newspaper publishing busi- ness at the county seat, says of early New Lis- bon newspapers, in an article contributed to the "History of the Upper Ohio Valley:" "In 1824 Robert Fee started a 5-column paper called the New Lisbon Gasette, but it was a short-lived concern and expired at the end of about six months. Some time in June, 1827, William Campbell, of Perryopolis, Fayette County, Pennsylvania, was induced to come to New Lisbon to start a paper. At that time politics began to warm up the people, and as the Patriot was somewhat committed to the interests of General Jackson for the presidency, the friends of John Quincy Adams were anx- ious to have an advocate. Mr. Campbell es- poused that side of the partisanship with energy and zeal. He called his paper the Columbiana County American and Now Lisbon Free Press. He used a Stanberry wooden press and inked the forms with balls. The office stood where the Hostetter House now stands, at that time a one-story frame building. About 1828 the

late Judge Harbaugh purchased the paper, and John Watt, Esq., was given editorial charge. The name was soon afterward changed to the Western Palladium. About 1835 Nathaniel Mitchell purchased the paper, retaining it until 1839, when G. W. Harper and Samuel Corbett became proprietors. In 1842 Joseph Wilkinson became owner, and con- tinued the Palladium until 1854.

"In March, 1832, the Aurora was estab- lished by the venerable John Frost, who con- tinued its publication until November, 1856, almost 25 years. It was first printed in the second story of a brick building on Walnut street, now owned and occupied by John Childs, then removed a few doors west to a log building, where it was published until 1850, when the 'Pound office' was built. In the sum- mer of 1845, a few numbers of the Anti-Slav- cry Bugle ( for a number of years later pub- lished in Salem-and of which more is to be said) were printed in the Aurora office.

"In 1851 R. D. Hartshorn, then a young lawyer of New Lisbon, began the publication of the Buckeye State. In . 1854 this new paper absorbed the Palladium. In 1856 Robert C. Wilson became the owner of the Buckeye State, and continued its publi- cation until 1863, when he died. His son, James Wilson, took charge of the paper and retained it until 1866, when he, too, died. Col. G. I. Young some time afterward became pro- prietor and continued the publication for two years, when the Buckeye was sold to Dr. Wil- liam Moore and P. C. Young, Esq. A few years later it was sold to Edward F. Moore." Meanwhile R. W. Tayler, who afterward re- presented the 18th Congressional District in Congress, was associated with P. C. Young in the publication, serving as editor.

In 1865 J. D. Briggs of New Lisbon began the publication of a business paper, known as the Merchants' Journal, but 'its career was brief. In April, 1867, James K. Frew began the publication of the New Lisbon Journal, and continued to be its editor and publisher until 1886. when it passed into the hands of Howard Frew, his son.

In 1892 the Republican Leader was started,

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as a Republican newspaper, to compete for a portion of the county patronage with the Buck- eye State, John J. Kirk of Salineville furnish- ing the capital, John Crowl, who had been in a newspaper venture a short time in Salineville, being associated with him as editor and man- ager. A new plant was purchased, which, after several changes in the management, was bought by George R. Redway, formerly of Cal- ifornia, but who had held for several years a clerkship in one of the departments at Wash- ington. But the venture was not a financial success ; and after an existence of seven years, the Republican Leader suspended publication, the subscription list and good-will being ac- quired by the Journal. In July, 1901, the Jour- nal was consolidated with the Buckeye State, and in the fall of that year the Buckeye State Publishing Company was incorporated. Mr. Frew succeeded Capt. A. R. Bell as editor, up- .on his ( Bell's) death. E. F. Moore had re- ceived the appointment as postmaster some years before, and Captain Bell, who had come from East Liverpool as the New Lisbon corres- pondent of the Crisis, became editor and so continued to the close of his life. While he formerly had been a rabid Democrat, the old Buckeye State seemed to have effectively con- verted him to Republicanism, and his trenchant pen was used to good purpose during the clos- ing days of a long editorial career. After the incorporation of the Buckeye State Publishing Company, Ed. M. Crosser, after serving two terms as county recorder, became a stockholder in the paper, and served as its manager until April, 1905, when he retired. After that date Howard Frew was manager and editor.

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 30

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844 Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 912

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912