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 35
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HISTORY OF DAYTON.
$27,140,040. The tax provided for by this bill, if it were all levied, would yield in Montgomery County $71,420.12. This would be about $120 for each soldier's family in the county, and when added to the soldier's pay would give each family $23 per month, and to those of the veterans $37 each month. Thus none need suffer under such generous provision.
The First Soldiers' Aid Society made a report on the 17th day of January, 1864, of their operations for 1863. According to this report, the total receipts of the society had been $556.10, and the total expenses, $531.21, of which sum one hundred dollars had been sent to the Cincinnati Sanitary Commission. The officers elected for the ensuing year were as follows: President, Mrs. E. W. Davies; vice-president, Mrs. E. Thresher; secretary, Miss Jennie Dickson, and treasurer, Mrs. Josiah Gebhart.
The Second Soldiers' Aid Society made its semi-annual report on the 24th of February, 1864, showing that its receipts for that time were $845.53, and the total expenses $248.75. The election of officers resulted as follows: President, Mrs. IL. Wyatt; vice-president, Mrs. George Hoglen; treasurer, Mrs. Adams Jewett; secretary, Mrs. H. D. Carnell. The Board of Managers elected, consisted of thirteen ladies.
The Oregon Aid Society held an election on March 1, 1864, with the following result: President, Mrs. T. N. Sowers; vice-president, Mrs. M. Burrous; treasurer, Mrs. E. Heathman; secretary, Miss Carrie Wait. The receipts since September 8, 1863, were $700.80 and the expenditures $202, leaving a balance on hand of $498.80.
The Soldiers' Families Relief Association, formed for the purpose of distributing certain funds appropriated by the executive committee of the bazaar, made a report March 1, 1864, showing that they had received of the bazaar funds $3,000, and a donation from J. Nietert of $2.10. Of this amount they had expended in sums of from $1.50 to $084.90, a total amount of $2,718.92, leaving in their hands a balance of $283.18. The number of families visited by this relief association was four hundred and twenty.
An incident occurred about this time, that caused a good deal of a sensation, the occurrence being the mobbing of the office of the Dayton Empire by about fifteen soldiers who were at home on furlough. The immediate cause of the attack on the office was the publication of an article in the Empire, which the soldiers considered a reflection on the sol- diers of a certain regiment in the field, although the Empire strenuously denied ever having made any attack on the soldiers. It had persistently and consistently opposed the war, the administration, and many of the leading Union generals, but that it had made any attack on the private
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MILITARY HISTORY.
soldiers of the Union, it maintained was false. It regarded them as the dupes of the leaders of an Abolition party, and in the main, innocent of any intent of wrong, even in the case of the attack upon its office, which was made about 12 M. of the 3d of March. And that the soldiers did not generally approve of mob law was amply demonstrated by the fact that there were at the time one hundred and fifty soldiers in the city, and that only fifteen were engaged in the riot, and it was alleged that these few were under the influence of whisky when they made the attack. The type of the office was scattered about the floor and trampled upon, and the stove top was thrown out of the window, and the fire in the stove seattered about the floor, but by the exertions of parties that came to the rescue, the office was prevented from taking fire. Prominent citizens did all in their power to prevent the destruction of property, but as the attack was an unpremeditated one, nearly all the damage was done that was intended, before there was opportunity for anyone to restrain the fury of the soldiers. Those who did use their best endeavors in this direction were E. W. Davies, E. S. Young, and James McDaniels. When the trouble was all but quelled, E. C. Maxwell commenced making some remarks and was attacked by the soldiers. Thereupon he fired a shot from a pistol, by which a peaceful citizen was killed. This infuriated the mob and a rush was made for those who defended the office of the Empire, and a general fire was opened on the crowd. No one was, however, killed, but the one person mentioned above.
Messrs. Hubbard & Brother were then editors and proprietors of the Empire. To them Hon. C L. Vallandigham addressed the following letter, which was published in the Empire of the 11th of March, 1864.
" WINDSOR, CANADA, March 7, 1864. " HUBBARD & BROTHER:
"Gentlemen-I read several days ago the telegraph announcement of the 'riddling' of the Empire office by furloughed soldiers. I offer you no sympathy, for that would avail nothing now or hereafter. I do express to you my profound regret that you were not prepared to inflict on the spot, and in the midst of the assault, the complete punishment which the assailants deserved; and I am gratified to learn that some of them. did, soon after, receive their deserts. But these cowardly acts cannot be guarded against, and they do not primarily come from the soldiers. There is, therefore, but one remedy for the past, and one preventive for the future injuries, and that is instant, summary, and ample reprisals upon the persons and property of men at home, who, by language and conduct, are always inciting to these outrages. No legal or military punishment is ever inflicted upon the immediate instruments. Retaliation, therefore, is the
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HISTORY OF DAYTON.
only and rightful remedy in times like these. I speak advisedly, and recommend it in all cases hereafter. It is of no avail to announce the falsehood that " both parties condemn the act" after the destruction has been consummated. The time has gone by for obedience without protec- tion. I speak decided language, but the continued recurrence of these outrages, frequently attended with murder, demands it. They must be stopped. Reprisals in such cases are now the only way left for a return to law and order.
Very truly,
"C. L. VALLANDIGHAM."
The Empire on the same day on which it published the above letter said editorially: "It is a sad necessity which renders it pressing and. imperative. It is a position which the Democracy will take with regret, but take it they must, and hold it they will. Be it remembered that it is not of their own choosing, and that they who have driven them to it must accept the responsibility, however burdensome it may be. Hitherto it has been to the interest of the Democratic party to suppress mob violence and outrage; hereafter it must be made to the interest of all ! And by this means only can we hope to end it."
In an editorial on the letter in the next day's issue the Empire said, after giving a history of the three years previous: "Hence, we have come to the conclusion, after waiting nearly three years for justice of some kind or other, to fall back upon the well known principle of self-defense-the" doctrine of retaliation upon the persons and property of those who are inciting by their words and language the violence which we suffer. That may not sound pleasantly to some ears, but it is the only remedy and we adopt it."
On March 15th, in an editorial bearing upon the same subject, the same paper said: " We say to the Democracy that they ought to adopt any measures that will secure their personal safety. The law of self-pres- ervation is the first law of nature. Desperate cases require desperate remedies. Society will soon break loose from all bonds, and resolve itself into its original elements. Who will be the losers then?"
The last extract was written in response to certain outrages upon Democrats by Union soldiers who could not tolerate speeches denunciatory of the war or of the president, and the Democrats themselves looked upon attacks upon members of their party for indulging criticism upon the administration or upon the war, as violations of personal liberty and free speech.
While all this was going on, there were also other features of the war which were of even greater permanent interest to the people than the
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MILITARY HISTORY.
destruction of newspaper offices, or the labors of the ladies' aid societies. The principal matter that engaged the attention of the citizens of Dayton from December, 1863, to May, 1864, was the way in which the city's quota for the several requirements made upon her in common with the rest of the country, was to be met. Meetings were held in the various wards for the purpose of raising money to procure recruits for any regiment that the enlisted men might choose to join. Large bounties were offered; $407 for new recruits, and $507 for veterans. The draft to fill the quota for the three hundred thousand call of the president was set for January 1, 1864. It was then postponed, and on the 1st of February it was announced that the total number required from Montgomery County was 830. For the several wards of the city of Dayton the numbers were: For the First Ward, 47; Second Ward, 36; Third Ward, 46; Fourth Ward, 56; Fifth Ward, 67; Sixth. Ward, 57.
Soon after this, there was a call for two hundred thousand men, and not long afterward there was another for two hundred thousand more men. The various apportionments made under these several calls were not in accordance with strict mathematical justice, and the conse- quence was, that there was some very strong protesting done against Montgomery County's having to furnish more men under the later calls than due proportion justified. This injustice is set forth in the following · table, which was published at the time, with the view of having the proper apportionment made, but it had no effect upon the numbers called for:
WARDS.
to 45.
Quota for 300,-
Fitty Per Cent
Total for 300,000.
.Quota for First
200,000.
Total for 500,000.
Quota for Sec-
ond 200,000.
Total for 700,000.
First.
402
23
12
35
12
47
25
72
Second.
310
13
8
21
15
36
19
55
Third.
402
29
15
44
2
46
'25
71
Fourth
479
24
12
36
20
56
30
86
Fifth
577
31
16
47
20
67
36
103
Sixth
440
20
10
30
21
51
28
79
Totals.
2,610
140
73
213
90
303
163
466
This table seemed to show that the quota for the second call of two hundred thousand was in excess of the true requirement. How- ever, the question of quota made less difference with recruits than did
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Enrollment, 20
000, Sept., '63.
Added.
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HISTORY OF DAYTON.
the bounties offered. The government itself offered, in order to fill those three quotas, three hundred dollars for new recruits and four hundred dollars for veterans; and during the winter session of 1863-1864, the Ohio legislature offered each recruit one hundred dollars bounty. The quota for Dayton, under all these calls, was, as may be seen by the above table, 466; and to give each man who would enlist to fill her quota, one hundred dollars, would require $46,600 to be raised by taxation. The taxable property of the city was then nine million dollars, hence it is casy to estimate the rate of taxation required in Dayton to raise the needed sum of money for bounties for 466 recruits. The question as to whether veteran enlistments would be credited on the quota being decided in the affirmative, Dayton received credit for 81 veterans. In the First Ward, 19; Second, 10; Third, 13; Fourth, 16; Fifth, 19; and Sixth, 17. The entire number of veterans credited to the county, was 191. When the draft finally came off, on the 11th of May, the city was clear except the First Ward, and the county was clear except Madriver Township. In the former 24 were drafted, and in the latter 21; but before the drafted men were ordered to report, the First Ward had secured a sufficient number of recruits to free it from the draft, and thus once more Dayton sent her quota to the field.
It is interesting to note the way in which the soldiers in the field voted at the municipal election held April 4, 1864. Captain E. C. Ellis, of the Ninety-third Regiment, was the Union candidate for mayor and W. H. Gillespie the Democratic candidate. Among the soldiers who had a right to vote for officers in Dayton, there were 237 votes cast for Captain Ellis and 2 for Mr. Gillespie. In the Ninety-third Regiment there were cast 38 votes; in the First, 115; in the Eleventh and Fifty-second, 75; and in the Twelfth, 11 -- making a total of 239 votes.
In all parts of the State there had been organized by the merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, doctors, preachers, bankers, and farmers, com- panies of "Home Guards," which were distinct from the regular State militia. These companies of Home Guards, in common with the entire population of the State, were taken quite by surprise on the 25th of April, 1864, by the issuance of a call by Governor Brough, for the Home Guards, under the name of the Ohio National Guard, to take the field for one hundred days unless sooner discharged. This step was done in order to permit the large numbers of veteran sokliers, who were then engaged in doing guard duty in many cities and posts, to go to the front, thus strengthening the army in the field to the extent of the number of National Guard soldiers called out to the relief of the veterans. Another reason for calling on the National Guard was that in this way a large
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MILITARY HISTORY.
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force could be raised at once, while to trifle with the volunteering system had been demonstrated to be, at the best, a very slow process of strengthening the army.
Colonel John G. Lowe, of the Second Regiment, Ohio National Guard, on the very day of Governor Brough's call, summoned his regiment to the rendezvous at the county fair grounds. The Twelfth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, was also called to rendezvous at the same place, both regiments to be in camp on the 2d of May. On Mon- day, May 20, the soldiers thus called opou assembled at "Camp Lowe," located at the lower end of Main Street, there being by six o'clock P. M. of that day, 1,065 soldiers in camp in obedience to orders. Elijah Culbert was lieutenant-colonel of the Second Regiment. The officers of the Twelfth Regiment were Levi Waltz, colonel, and Joseph Kennedy, lieutenant-colonel. The former regiment had 571 men rank and file, and the latter 480 on the night of the 2d. The total number in the State that responded to the governor's call on that day, was twenty-five thou- sand. On the next day the National Guard was surprised by receiving a furlough until the 10th, on which day the two regiments again came into camp, and the Twelfth Regiment loft Dayton for Camp Chase, the Second Regiment leaving on the 11th. The two regiments were there consolidated and formed into the One Hundred and Thirty-first Regiment, Ohio National Guard. Colonel John G. Lowe retained his position at the head of the regiment. Levi Waltz became lieutenant- colonel; E. Culbert, major; Orion Britton, surgeon; Justin E. Twitchell, chaplain; Henry Stoddard, Jr., quartermaster; and G. N. Bierce, adju- tant. The regiment was sent to Baltimore and was divided up between Forts Marshall, MeHenry, and Federal Hill. In these forts they remained doing garrison duty until August 19th, when they returned to Camp Chase and were mustered out of the service on the 25th.
Almost immediately after the calling out of the National Guard, the question arose as to whether the families of the members of the Guard were entitled to relief as were the families of the volunteers. This question was decided on the 16th of May by the executive committee of the Ladies' Fair and Bazaar in the affirmative, and one thousand, five hundred dollars was at once appropriated for their relief. Com- mittees were appointed for the different wards of the city and different townships of the county, all of which committees were requested to report all cases of families needing assistance to J. W. Dietrich, secretary of the executive committee. The committees for the city were: First Ward, C. H. Kielmeier; Second, John W. Stoddard; Third, HI. C. Stout; Fourth, Dr. Bosler; Fifth, George ------; Sixth, William Speckler.
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HISTORY OF DAYTON.
Thus no partiality was shown between the volunteer soldiers and the National Guard.
A most interesting incident occurred in Dayton on the 27th of June, 1864. This was the reception tendered by the citizens to returning members of the Eleventh and Twenty-fourth regiments, whose terms of enlistment had expired. Three years before, they had gone forth in their ' full strength and pride, full of patriotism and hope, followed by the anxieties and best wishes of their relatives and friends. Now they came back a mere handful, not less patriotic if less numerous. The two com- panies that at this time returned, were Company A, Eleventh Ohio, Captain Childs, and Company E, Twenty-fourth Ohio, Captain Jackson. Their reception on this 27th of June was a hearty and grand ovation. The people assembled in crowds at the depot to give them welcome. A band of music was in attendance, and the cannon belched forth its welcome in sonorous thunder. A procession was formed, in which the United States Express Company's large wagon and the three steam fire engines were conspicuous objects. Along the route of the procession the national flag was profusely displayed, and the soldiers were greeted everywhere with hearty cheers of joy and pride. At the Phillips House, Colonel E. A. Parrott, then late of the First Ohio Regiment, addressed the war-worn veterans and their friends in an eloquent speech, and in response was followed by E. C. Swalem in behalf of the soldiers. At three o'clock p. M. there was a banquet at the Phillips House, after which Samuel Craighead made a speech, reciting the principal causes of the war, and saying that in the nature of things peace was impossible until the national government should be thoroughly established over the entire Republic. Colonel M. P. Nolan then followed in a speech, extending a hearty welcome to the returning soldiers. Sergeant John C. Reed, of Company A, Eleventh Regiment, was called out, and, after him, Michael Carberry, of the Twenty-fourth, made a speech, responding to a call. Thus ended the first reception to returning veterans from the war. There had been recruited for the Eleventh Regiment 1,811 men, and when the regiment was mustered out there were but 453 men in the field.
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On July 18, 1864, President Lincoln, in accordance with an act of congress authorizing him to do so, called for five hundred thousand volun- teers, who might enlist for one, two, or three years, as they themselves should choose. On the 20th of the month Governor Brough called for twenty new regiments of infantry from the State of Ohio. It then became the duty of Dayton to raise her quota under this call, as she had done under previous calls. The quotas of the several wards under this call were as follows: First Ward, 59; Second Ward, 52; Third Ward,
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MILITARY HISTORY.
56; Fourth Ward, 64; Fifth Ward, 100; Sixth Ward, 66. The bounties offered by the goverment were one hundred dollars for one year; two hundred dollars for two years, and three hundred dollars for three years, one third to be paid at the time of enlistment in each case. As in former instances, each ward undertook to raise its own quota. A meeting was held in the Third Ward on the the 23d of July for the purpose of taking measures to free the ward from the draft. Colonel E. A. Parrott was made chairman of the meeting, and E. S. Young, secretary. John Shank reported that he had raised ten recruits when the call for five hundred thousand was made, and as the ward had at that time a surplus of nine, it was entitled to a credit of nineteen on the quota. A finance and soliciting committee was appointed, and a recruiting office was opened in the ward and placed in charge of B. F. Eaker as recruiting agent. The city council was requested to offer a bounty of one hundred dollars to fill the city's quota under the call. Similar meetings were held in the different wards, and at most of them the council was requested to offer the bounty, as was the case in the Third Ward.
On August 2, 1864, the city council adopted an ordinance offering one hundred dollars bounty to each recruit credited to Dayton, bonds to be issued to the amount of thirty-five thousand dollars, bearing six per cent interest. And on the 27th of September, when the number of men Dayton was required to furnish became definitely known, the council authorized the amount of bonds to be issued for this purpose to be increased from thirty-five thousand dollars to forty-two thousand dollars. On the 3d of September the announcement was made that the provost marshal was all ready for the draft, which it was then expected would be made on the 5th. It was, however, postponed until the 15th, and then until the 21st, when it was made. When the city council authorized an increase of the amount of bonds to be issued, they did so on the follow- ing basis of numbers to be furnished by the several wards in the city:
WARDS.
QUOTA.
BONDS.
First
58
$ 5,800
Second
51
5,100
Third
67
6,700
Fourth
72
7,200
Fifth
103
10,300
Sixth
74
7,400
Total
425
42,500
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HISTORY OF DAYTON.
When the draft came off on the 21st, as indicated above, the following numbers were drafted from the wards given below: In the First Ward, 48; Fourth Ward, 64; Fifth Ward, 86; Sixth Ward, 76-all the other wards having filled their quotas before the day of the draft by recruits. The numbers given above as drafted are one hundred per cent in excess of the number required respectively from the wards, that number being drafted in order to fill deficiencies, if deficiencies there were. Thus once again was the quota of Dayton filled.
This important duty having been performed, the next thing to engage the attention of the people was the relief of the soldiers' families for the coming winter. On the 18th of November, 1864, the military committee of Montgomery County, which then consisted of D. A. Haynes, R. W. Steele, J. G. Stutsman, James Turner, Henry S. Fowler, and T. A. Phillips, made an appeal to the people for a renewal of their generosity of previous winters, and fixed upon Saturday, November 26th, for a general contribution to that purpose. Soliciting committees were ap- pointed for each ward in the city, and also for each township in the county. At this time a question which agitated the people greatly was whether, in order to raise the funds which all conceded were needed, a bazaar should be again held similar to the one which was so eminently successful the winter before. This question was discussed at a meeting held at the courthouse on the 18th of November. Of this meeting Justice Young was the chairman, and J. W. Dietrich, secretary. B. F. Wait made a statement to the effect that during the previous year sixty thousand dollars had been distributed among the families of the soldiers, which was about one dollar and a half per week to those who had been assisted. Judge Boltin was in favor of a bazaar, to commence about Christmas time. Rev. Dr. Thomas argued strongly and earnestly against a bazaar, believing there were other and better ways of raising the money that was needed. There were plenty of men, he said, who could give, some one hundred, some fifty, some twenty-five dollars, directly to the cause, and they would do so if their hearts were in it. Mr. Steele proposed to raise twenty thousand dollars on Saturday, the 26th, by means of efficient committees, and then have a bazaar supplementing other efforts. He said that Dr. Thomas' plan sounded well, but he feared it would not work as well as it sounded. The ladies desired to work in the good enterprise, and they felt that they could accomplish more by means of a bazaar than in any other way. He believed in . employing both methods, committee work first, then the bazaar. This was also Dr. Conway's plan. After some remarks by Hon. P. Odlin, who spoke in opposition to a bazaar, Mr. Steele offered the following resolution:
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MILITARY HISTORY.
"That this meeting recommends to the people of Montgomery County to respond with generous liberality to the appeal of the governor of the State for contributions on Saturday, the 26th inst., for the relief of the families of the soldiers in the field; and that in case the ladies of Dayton should deem it expedient to hold a bazaar, we pledge to them our zealous and hearty cooperation in the enterprise."
Discussion on the bazaar question still continued-Judge Boltin, E. W. Davies, and Colonel Lowe in favor of it, and Dr. Thomas in opposi- tion. Rev. Mr. Herr proposed an amendment to Mr. Steele's resolution, leaving the question of holding a bazaar entirely to the ladies.
A meeting of the several ward committees was held at the court- house on the 21st for the purpose of considering the best means of canvassing the city for subscriptions. A series of resolutions was adopted to the effect :
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