USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of Dayton, Ohio. With portraits and biographical sketches of some of its pioneer and prominent citizens Vol. 1 > Part 33
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
guard against the possibility of such a contingency, there was held on the evening of September 6th, a meeting to consider the best means of defend- ing the city against an attacking rebel force. The question was, should Dayton procure three cannon for the defense of the city, which being decided in the affirmative, a committee of three from each ward was appointed to canvass for subscriptions to a fund for the purchase of the necessary cannon. The citizens did not, in their excitement, think that for them to attempt to defend the city against an invading army, should one attack it, would be the most certain way of causing its destruction. Happily the occasion of putting their valor, or their wisdom, in this matter to the test, never came. There was abundant opportunity, however, for testing their generosity in connection with this expected invasion of the State, in the numerous calls made upon them to feed the hungry regiments of " Squirrel Hunters " going to the front, and right nobly did they respond to every call, no matter whether made in the middle of the day or the middle of the night.
One effect of this rush of citizen-soldiers to the front was the post- ponement of the draft for men to fill up the old regiments in the field. It was first postponed to the 15th of September, and then to the 1st of October. Many thought that the government was merely threatening a draft for the sake of frightening men into the army, and for this reason kept out of the army, thus, upon their own theory, making the draft a necessity so far as their own course was concerned. Just previous to the first postponement, E. S. Young, draft commissioner for Montgomery County, gave notice that all the wards of the city of Dayton were exempt from the draft except the Third and Fourth, the first lacking twelve men of having her quota full, and the second lacking five. On the 17th, notice was given that all the wards of the city were exempt except the Third, which still lacked twelve men. This ward, however, filled its quota before the draft came off on the 1st of October. After it had been concluded, there was great curiosity to know how it all had been conducted; it was something new; it had not occurred before within the memory of the oldest inhabitant, hence the anxiety to learn the precise process, and the names of Uncle Sam's favorites, was perfectly natural and commendable. The men were drafted for nine months, and the number drafted in Mont- gomery County, curiously enough, numbered precisely six hundred and sixty-six.
Opportunity was then given the drafted men to enlist. The Dayton Light Guards were being recruited for the Eighty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry by B. W. Kerfoot, captain; James C. Turner, first lieutenant; James II. Brownell, second lieutenant. One hundred dollars government
----
------
------
299
MILITARY HISTORY.
bounty was offered, two dollars premium, and one month's pay in advance. The field officers of this regiment were Halbert B. Case, colonel; James E. Piccard, lieutenant-colonel, and John II. Winder, major. J. D. Marshall was raising a company for the One Hundred and Twelfth Regiment. Lieutenant Emil Schmidt was recruiting a company for the Eighth Ohio Battery. Joseph Hess was raising a company for the One IIundred and Ninth Regiment, commanded by Colonel M. P. Nolan. Captain W. J. Calliflower was recruiting a company for the One Hun- dred and Twelfth Regiment; Captain John Birch for the Twenty-second, and also one for the Eighth Ohio Cavalry.
Not all of the drafted men took matters with an undue amount of seriousness. Ou the 8th of October, those drafted in Miami Township came into Dayton in splendid style, preceded by a four-horse omnibus bearing the Miamisburg Brass Band, which discoursed its sweetest music on the way. The drafted men were in high spirits, and were, in many cases, accompanied by their friends.
After the excitement caused by the draft had subsided, there was excitement in the field of politics, over the election of a member of congress from the Third District. The Republican candidate was Major- General Robert C. Schenck, and the Democratic candidate the Hon. C. L. Vallandigham. The votes cast in Dayton for the former were as follows: First Ward, 233; Second Ward, 232; Third Ward, 283; Fourth Ward, 286; Fifth Ward, 392; Sixth Ward, 290. The total number of votes cast for General Schenck was 4,007. The number cast in Dayton for Mr. Vallandigham was as follows: First Ward, 220; Second Ward, 123; Third Ward, 190; Fourth Ward, 408; Fifth Ward, 373; Sixth Ward, 309. Total vote for Vallandigham, 4,972.
The work of citizens of Dayton in aid of the families of her soldiers was so great, and the meetings held and efforts made were so numerous, that it is impracticable to set forth in detail all that was done. The best that can be done in this work is to relate illustrative incidents, from which the reader must be permitted to infer the rest, and he will be in little danger of estimating the work done at too large an amount, unless his imagination is exceedingly fertile. A soldiers' aid meeting was held at the courthouse October 23, 1862, to devise means for the relief of the families of the volunteers. Dr. Thomas was made chairman of the meet- ing, and L. B. Gunckel, secretary. On motion of John G. Lowe. it was resolved that, in view of the distress among the families of the volunteers, it was both expedient and necessary to increase the subscriptions to the county volunteer fund, adding thereto twenty thousand dollars immedi- ately. E. S. Young, Esq., was appointed a committee to correspond with
300
HISTORY OF DAYTON.
the authorities for the purpose of securing government employment for the women and children of the volunteers. Messrs. Conover and John G. Lowe were appointed to wait upon the members of the legislature from this county, and secure from them, if possible, pledges that they would use their best efforts to secure the legalization of the bonds issued by the county for the relief of the soldiers' families. A committee of two from each ward was then appointed to solicit subscriptions in the city for the immediate relief of such as were in the greatest need: Nearly three thousand dollars was subscribed at the meeting. One of the obstacles to be overcome in raising recruits for the army, was closely connected with this matter of supplying the families of those who had already enlisted, and of those who might enlist. The few who were opposed to the war, were industriously engaged in circulating reports among the soldiers at the front, that their families at home were suffering from the neglect of those who had promised that such a state of things. should not exist while they were absent in the army. This was done in order to induce desertion, and the circulation of the same stories at home had the effect, to.some degree, of discouraging enlistments. The difficulty was understood by some of those who had the cause of the government most at heart, but there were others who did not so fully realize this matter, and then some of those who did realize it were not able them- selves to extend the needed aid. From all these causes there was considerable suffering that would not have existed had the loyal people been more fully aware of its existence, and there was also suffering that would not have been permitted to continue, had others, who were willing, been able to relieve it. All these considerations, however, the soldiers could not be expected to take into account, and the result was that some of them thought that it was poor encouragement to fight for their country, if that country would permit their families needlessly to suffer want.
In order to relieve the families of suffering, and the soldiers of the painful consciousness that their families were suffering, the leading citizens, and the city and county authorities were untiring in their own efforts and in their appeals to all classes of their fellow-citizens. To this end a meeting was held on the 24th of October, 1862, and on the 27th of the same month the county commissioners issued an appeal to the people to further aid in the good work. In connection with their appeal, they published a brief history of what had been done and gave a deserip- tion of the condition in which many of the soldiers' families were living. This was done because there had been an attempt made in certain quarters to throw doubt upon the truth of the statements that there was
.
-----
301
MILITARY HISTORY.
as much distress existing as had been supposed. On December 6, 1862, a meeting of ladies was held for the purpose of carrying on this work. One feature of the ladies' plan was to ask each minister of a church in Dayton to request his congregation to take up a collection for the benefit of the poor of his parish, and to strive to develop a spirit of emulation among , the churches as to which would do the most in this direction. The work was continued at an adjourned meeting held on the 8th of the same month.
After the draft, which occurred on the 1st of October, there was but little recruiting in Dayton during the remainder of the year. In December, 1862, there were twenty-two men recruited here for the One Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Volunteers. This regiment, at the battle of Chickamauga, lost one hundred and thirty-eight officers and men. In January, 1863, an officer of the Tenth Tennessee Infantry came to Dayton to organize a brass band for his regiment, which was known as Governor Andrew Johnson's Body Guard. He secured seven men in Dayton and ten in Germantown.
During the winter of 1862-1863' the various soldiers' aid societies published reports of the amount of work they had done, usually for the preceding six months. The Soldiers' Aid Society, as it was called until other societies of a similar nature were organized, when it took the name of the First Soldiers' Aid Society, published a report in January, 1863, of the amount of work it had done from August 15, 1862, to January 2, 1863. It had sent boxes of provisions, clothing, and other necessities to the Cincinnati commission, to the Ninety-third Regiment, to the First Ohio Regiment, and to the hospital at Nashville, Tennessee. The list of articles sent to these places was very large. The treasurer's report showed that there had been received in money $707.20, most of which, $582.37, was by individual subscriptions. The expenditures during the same time had been $624.46. After the reading of these reports, the following officers were elected for the ensuing year: President, Mrs. Richard Bates; vice-president, Mrs. E. Thresher; secretary, Mrs. Wilbur Conover; treasurer, Mrs. R. R. Dickey. The board of managers, elected at the same time, consisted of ten ladies.
The Second Ladies' Aid Society was organized at a date previously given in these pages. It made a report February 7, 1863, of what it had accomplished in the six months since the time of its organization. The total cash receipts of its treasurer had been $1,329.44, of which sum Mrs. II. Wyatt had collected $1,197.50. Its disbursements had been $1,058.92.
The Ladies' Benevolent Society was organized December 29, 1862,
302 .
HISTORY OF DAYTON.
for the purpose of relieving the distress that existed among the worthy. poor. This society divided the city up into districts, and appointed a committee of ladies for each of the districts. Mrs. Dr. Steele was president of the society; Mrs. C. H. Crawford, secretary, and John H. Winters, treasurer. The treasurer's report, made February 14, 1863, showed that the receipts up to that time had been $677.35, and that he had paid ont $684.31.
The Oregon Aid Society, an account of the organization of which has been given, made its semi-annual report February 24, 1863. Since August 26, 1862, the date when they commenced their labors, they had sent to the soldiers in the field large quantities of all kinds of clothing and other necessities. They had received in money $440.90, and had expended $390.40. The officers elected to serve during the next term were Mrs. T. N. Sowers, president; Mrs. J. R. Hoglen, vice-president; Mrs. D. L. Rike, secretary, and Mrs. E. Heathman, treasurer. The board of managers elected at the same time consisted of twelve ladies.
An incident of considerable interest at the time of its occurrence, was the arrival in the city from the army of General Rosecrans, on Friday evening, March 13, 1863, of Mr. J. W. Dietrich, with packages, letters, etc., for soldiers' families, containing twenty thousand dollars for distribu- tion among them. The envelopes were marked with their respective amounts of money, and the money was carefully packed about the person of Mr. Dietrich. There were packages, letters, etc., for more than three hundred different persons, all of which were properly delivered to the intended parties.
A great mass meeting was held Saturday night, March 21, 1863, at which a Union Association, or Union League, was formed. The principal speakers were J. A. Jordan and Colonel Charles Anderson. A committee was appointed to draft a constitution for the league, consisting of S. Craig- head, Y. V. Wood, Jacob Dietrich, James Dietrich, and Warren Munger. Articles of association and by-laws were adopted, by which the condition of membership was made unqualified loyalty to the government, and unwavering support of its efforts to suppress the rebellion, and the primary principle of the association was to discountenance and rebuke by moral and social influences, all disloyalty to the federal government. A committee of one from each ward was appointed to nominate officers for the league, these gentlemen being as follows, named in the order of the number of the wards: John Morehouse, Charles Harries, V. Winters, Alexander Gebhart, Christian Kneisly, and B. F. Wait. The league was organized March 28, 1863, by the election of the following officers nominated by the committee: President, E. W. Davies; vice-presidents
--------
303
MILITARY HISTORY.
-one from each ward -- A. M. C. Mathews, HI. W. R. Bruner, George W. Rogers, W. S. Phelps, A. G. Walden, Henry Guckes; recording seere- taries, S. C. Brumbaugh and J. W. Dietrich; corresponding secretary, A. C. Hueppman; treasurer, V. Winters. An executive committee was appointed, consisting of Lewis B. Gunckel, J. A. Jordan, E. A. McCain, Samuel H. Boltin, M. Burrous, H. S. Fowler, Warren Munger, Christian Grosse, John S. Morehouse, Nicholas Viot, J. B. Morrison, and Augustus Kuhns.
There was considerable excitement about this time, because of the extraordinarily large sale of firearms and ammunition in the city. Even to those who did not know what was going on, it was impossible not to know that it was for no ordinary purpose. It was not for hunting purposes, because the season for hunting was over. As much as five hundred dollars' worth of revolvers were being disposed of every week, and in some instances one man would buy as much as five pounds of powder. The simultaneity of the movement showed that there was a general understanding. To a great extent, the demand was from the country. It was well known that at that time the Knights of the Golden Circle were making preparations for resistance to the national authority. It was also well known that there was a lodge of the Knights in, or near Dayton, which was holding nightly vigils within one mile of the courthouse, and it was the most natural thing in the world to connect the unusual sale of arms and ammunition, and the existence of this lodge.
It was not long after this time, until the loyal people of the county made a characteristic demonstration also. During the latter part of March and first part of April, 1863, the relief committee succeeded in awakening among the farmers a laudable desire to do something for the benefit of the families of the soldiers in the war, and the result was, that a concerted effort was made to show what could be done. The farmers agreed to bring wood and provisions to the city, and place all in charge of the relief committee for distribution. The plan of those having the matter in charge, was to have a grand procession, consisting of the farm wagons loaded with wood, pro- visions, etc., as they came into town. The procession formed at the head of Main Street, on the 11th of April, a little before 12 M., and moved down Main Street to Fifth, on Fifth to Jefferson, on Jefferson to Third, on Third to the public landing, and there unloaded. The delegation from Beaver- town came into town headed by the band, which went out to meet them. It consisted of forty-one loads of wood and ten spring wagon loads of provis- ions. As it passed along the streets, it was greeted with cheers and the waving of handkerchiefs. The procession commenced moving at 1 P. M., the Brantford wagon taking the lead. This wagon carried three cords of
--
----------
304
HISTORY OF DAYTON.
wood, and was drawn by six horses. Seated upon the load was Samuel D. Edgar, holding the United States flag in one hand, and his hat in the other, his gray hair streaming in the breeze. After the Beavertown delegation, came the delegation from Madison township, which made a very long line. There were in the procession one hundred and thirty-three wagons at the start, and while the procession was moving, enough other wagons joined it to increase the number to one hundred and forty-two wagon loads of wood, all of which were unloaded at the landing. Besides these, there were several wagon loads of provisions. There were about four hun- dred contributors, and the relief committee reported that there were about four hundred soldiers' families in their charge. It was evident, therefore, that the provisions so generously donated to the cause, would not go very far with so many mouths to feed. The committee, therefore, felt justified in making another appeal to the public for provisions to feed the hungry. The wood was distributed mostly on the 13th of April, at the rate of one third of a cord to a family.
On the same day that the wood was distributed as above described, the Ladies' Benevolent Society made a report of their work for the preceding four months. They had, so far as lay in their power, relieved the necessi- ties of two hundred and fifty families, and had expended $1,144.10 out of a total receipt of $1,220.75. Mrs. L. Steele was the president of the society, Mrs. C. II. Crawford secretary, and Mrs. John H. Winters treasurer.
A pleasant incident occurred in Dayton on the 21st of this month. It was the presentation of a sword to Captain John U. Kreidler. The sword was a beautiful pearl-mounted one, and there were presented besides, a belt and a fine Smith and Wesson revolver. The sword bore the following inscription: "Presented to Captain John U. Kreidler, of Dayton, Ohio, by his friends and loyal fellow-citizens." There were implicated in this kindly piece of business about two hundred citizens of Dayton, and the present- ation committee consisted of H. Gebhart, W. Dixon, and D. W. Iddings.
From this time on, the year 1863 was far from being devoid of events of stirring interest. For the purpose of preventing as far as possible the continuance of a growing evil-the inducement of soldiers to desert, and the discouragement of enlistments, General Burnside, whose headquarters were at Cincinnati, on the 13th of April, issued what became his famous " General Order No. 38." This order provided that persons found within the lines of the army committing acts for the benefit of the enemies of the country, would be tried as spies and deserters, and if convicted, would suffer death. Under this heading there were numerous classes of persons specified. The paragraph in the order, which eventually had the most interest to the people of Dayton, was the following: 1
305
MILITARY HISTORY.
" The habit of declaring sympathy for the enemy will no longer be tolerated in this department. Persons committing such offenses will at once be arrested with a view of being tried as above stated, or sent beyond our lines into the lines of their friends. It must be distinctly understood that treason expressed or implied, will not be tolerated in this department."
It was generally understood that this order of General Burnside was at the time of its issue, aimed more particularly at the Ilon. Clement L. Vallandigham, that gentleman being the most conspicuous of those who, within the General's department, were "declaring sympathy" for the enemies of the country. But if this understanding of General Burnside's intention in its issue were correct, it did not deter Mr. Vallandigham from the expression of his opinions as to the necessity or policy of the war. April 30, 1863, was appointed by President Lincoln as a day of humiliation and prayer throughout the country. On this day, Mr. Vallandigham made a speech at Columbus, Ohio, to an assemblage of his fellow-citizens, in which he denounced the order of General Burnside and the courts-martial . to try violations of the order. On the next day, at Mount Vernon, Mr. Vallandigham addressed another assemblage of citizens, and in the course of his address, as was proved in his trial, made use of the following expressions: " This war is a cruel, wicked, and unnecessary war;" "a war not being waged for the preservation of the Union;" "a war for the . purpose of crushing out liberty and the establishment of a despotism; " " a war for the liberty of the blacks and the enslavement of the whites." He also said, that if the administration had so wished, the war could have been brought to an honorable termination months ago, etc. With reference to General Order Number 38, he said that it was a base usurpation of arbitrary authority, and invited his hearers to resist the same by saying: " The sooner the people inform the minions of usurped power that they will not submit to such restrictions upon their liberties, the better."
The response of General Burnside was very prompt with reference to the enforcement of his order. On the 5th of May, 1863, Mr. Vallandig- ham was arrested at his home in Dayton, Ohio, about three o'clock in the morning. There were about one hundred and fifty soldiers in the body that effected the arrest, Mr. Vallandigham being taken to Cincinnati for trial by a military commission. There had been for a year or more a growing dissatisfaction with the government with reference to its war policy even among its friends, and their discontent, added to the open hostility to the war as a war, made the enemies of the administration appear more numerous than they really were. The feeling caused by the arrest of Mr. Vallandigham was therefore exceedingly intense and bitter. Throughout the day messengers were sent out into the country to bring
--
306
ยท HISTORY OF DAYTON.
in as many as possible of those who thus felt bitterly toward the govern- ment, for the purpose of organizing a mob for the destruction of the Journal office, as that paper had, through thick and thin, through evil and good report, sustained the administration in its efforts to suppress the rebellion, and had made itself especially obnoxious to those who, for one reason or another, had persistently opposed the suppression of the rebellion.
The Empire, which had been Mr. Vallandigham's staunch friend from the beginning of the war, expressed the sentiments of the most deter- mined opponents of the war, in the evening of the arrest, in the following language: "Neither Mr. Vallandigham nor his friends would have offered any resistance to his arrest by due process of law. He has told them time and again that if he was guilty of treason under the constitution, he was ready, at all times, to be tried according to that instrument. But they have disregarded all law and usages of law in his arrest .. No charges were preferred; he was not told for what crime he was arrested, dragged from his family and friends, in the dead of night. He was simply informed that Burnside had ordered it. Does Burnside or any other man hold the lives and liberties of this people in his hands? Are we no longer free men, but vassals and slaves of a military despotism ? These are questions that will now be decided, if the spirit of the men who purchased our freedom through the fiery ordeal of the Revolution, still lives in the hearts of the people, as we believe it does. . Then all will yet be well, for it will hurl defiance at such military despotism, and rescue through blood and carnage, if it must be, our now endangered liberties. Cowards are not deserving of liberty, brave men cannot be enslaved. In our opinion the time is near at hand, much nearer than unthinking people suppose, when it will be decided whether we are to remain free, or bare our necks to the despot's heel. The contest will be a powerful one. It will involve the loss of many lives and immense destruction of property. Men in affluence to-day will be beggars to-morrow. There will be more orphans and widows, tears, moans, and suffering; but the men who love liberty will emulate the spirit and daring of the immortal heroes of the Revolution and make the willing sacrifice. ... . We know the men here who have been mainly instrumental in having this hellish outrage perpetrated, and by the Eternal, they will yet rue the day they let their party malice lead them as accomplices into the scheme of depriving by force, as loyal a citizen as they dare be, of his liberty," etc.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.