History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 181

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096

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His parents died when he was very young, and he was con- signed to the care of an uncle, Henry Banning, a bachelor, who was a sea-captain and took Anthony with him several voyages. The family were members of the Episcopal church, but in his fourteenth year Anthony joined the Methodists. When about eighteen he went to preaching as a circuit rider in Greenbrier, Virginia, and the wilderness mountain region. In consequence of the great length of his name, and its inconvenience in writ- ing, he dropped a portion of it in early youth.

July 30, 1791, he married Mrs. Sarah Pierce, daughter of one of the first settlers on Redstone, near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, who was also a native of the eastern shore of Maryland, and had been reared near Ellicott's Mills. The children by this marriage were Sarah, wife of Daniel S. Norton; Jacob M., who died in 1835, and whose widow and children reside in Hardin county; Rachel, wife of Rev. Elnathan Raymond; James S .; Mrs. Mary Caswell; Elizabeth, Mrs. Bronson; Priscilla; and Anthony.

Priscilla Banning was born May 1, 1807, and on November 2, 1875, married Sewall Gray, of Massachusetts, who was born April 9, 1806, and died of paralysis, at Mount Vernon in May, 1862, without issue.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY

After his marriage Mr. Banning settled in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, and resided for several years near Mount Brad- dock and Connellsville, where he preached the Gospel, having been ordained by Bishop Asbury in 1791, carried on a tanyard, kept store, officiated as justice of the peace, from 1791 until 1799, traded in stock of every description and navigated the western waters.

He made several trips up the Muskingum with goods and wares from 1808 till he moved out in 1812. After he had bought lands in the county he traded a lot of iron, leather and saddlery to Samuel Kratzer, esq., for the principal part of his interest in the town of Mt. Vernon, and then took up his residence here. During his long abode he was engaged, as elsewhere, in a di- versity of pursuits; and by reason of his remarkable energy, industry, prudence and business tact, prospered in all, and en- joyed to a very great extent the confidence of the people. He was for the greater part of his life concerned in merchandizing at Mt. Vernon, Tymochtee and Danville-carrying on his mills at Clinton and his tanyard, farming extensively and preaching.

His name is found as president of the first Clay meeting ever held in this county; he was all his life an ardent admirer and friend of that great statesman and patriot. In principle, polit- ically, he was a Whig-religiously, a Methodist-strictly moral and temperate --- in all the relations of life a good example.

He was honest and conscientious-liberal and kind hearted determined and resolute -- never disguised his sentiments or har- bored unkind thoughts; was not a fanatic in temperance, mor- als, politics or religion; but by his well balanced mind and daily walk exerted a great influence for good.

Among other public positions held by him was that of com- missioner to select the premanent seat of justice of Clermont county, under an act of the general assembly, January 25, 1823, associated with John C. Wright, then of Jefferson, and James Clark, of Stark. He served as one of the associate judges of this county from 1827 to 1834.

In every public enterprise and work calculated to benefit the town, county and people he was active, liberal and useful. Among the many incidents of his life the following most clearly shows the liberality of his mind: In 1836 he set about erecting a church near his residence, and upon his own land. The neat brick edifice had been inclosed and about completed, when the Right Rev. Bishop Purcel visited Mt. Vernon for the first time, and there being no Catholic church the followers of that denomination, of whom there were but two or three fami- lies then in the place, to wit: David Morton's, William Brophy's and Timothy Colopy's requested the use of one of the churches for the bishop to hold service in on the forenoon of a certain Sunday. The favor was denied. An effort was then made to procure the use of the court-house, and that, too, was refused.

The writer, then a small boy, having heard the circumstances on his way home, stopped in at Judge Banning's and stated what had occurred, when he at once buttoned up his vest and coat, took his cane, went up to David Morton's, where the bishop was staying, and tendered the use of the Banning chapel for Catholic service. The offer was most gratefully and graciously accepted, and the first Catholic discourse ever delivered in this town was pronunced at the Banning chapel. This, in the eyes of many bigoted and intolerant minds, was a very great sin; but the religion of grandfather Banning was of that catholic spirit which enabled him to do acts of kindness and pour out heart offerings as becometh a true Christian.

In the month of February, 1844, Judge Banning was drowned

in the dam of the Clinton Mill company, while attempting to cross upon the ice to his farm. His body was soon recovered and great efforts made to resuscitate it, but in vain. The bold spirit that left its impress on this world had gone to explore the mysteries of another. He was in the seventy-sixth year of his age, and remarkably vigorous in mind and body.

BANNING, GENERAL HENRY B., attorney at law, Cin- cinnati, Ohio .- The subject of this sketch was, on his father's side, of Maryland stock, and his mother's family were Virginia people. Shortly before the Revolutionary war both his father's and his mother's families emigrated from their native States and settled near old Fort Redstone, in Fayette county, Pennsylvania. They were pioneers in that then new country.

In 1812 the Rev. Anthony Banning, a pioneer Methodist preacher, the grandfather of General Banning, settled on the banks of the Kokosing, having traded a lot of iron, leather and saddlery for an interest in the then small village (now prosperous town) of Mt. Vernon. James S. Banning, the father of General Banning, was then twelve years old. When he grew to man- hood he revisited his native town of Connellsville, Pennsylvania, and married Eliza Blackstone, the mother of Henry. The Banning family has been actively and conspicuously identified with the growth and prosperity of Knox county from its organ- ization. In religion they are all Protestants. His mother was one of the principal organizers of St. Paul's Episcopal church, of which sect she was then a commuicant, although at her death she was a member of the denomination known as Christian. In politics the Bannings were originally Jackson Democrats, after- wards Whigs.

Henry B. Banning was the sixth child of his parents and was born November 10, 1836. His childhood was passed at Ban- ning's Mills and on the old Banning farm at Clinton. He first attended school at the Clinton school-house, in 1842, when Father Mott was the teacher.

Among the children attending that school with him were the Coopers, the Curtises, the Drakes, the Lovages, the Johnsons, the Brookses, and the Montises.

After leaving this school he attended Hull Bigsby's private school at Mt. Vernon, and Sloan's academy. He was exam- ined and admitted to Kenyon college, but never attended.

At the age of seventeen he commenced the study of law in the office of Hosmer, Curtis & Devin. in Mt. Vernon, and was in due time admitted to the bar, and began the practice. He became the partner of William Dunbar, esq., the firmn being Dunbar & Banning, at Mt. Vernon. He soon established and maintained a large practice, and was succeeding finely when the war began in 1861. He was one of the first to volunteer to put down the Rebellion, almost before the President had issued his call for seventy-five thousand troops. He was at once elected captain by his company, which afterwards became com- pany B, Fourth Ohio volunteer infantry, a regiment which made one of the most gallant records of the war.

He was afterward, upon the recommendation of General Shields, appointed major of the Fifty-second Ohio volunteer infantry, but never joined that command, being placed in com- mand of the Eighty-seventh, a three months' regiment. At the expiration of the term of this latter regiment, he was made lieutenant colonel of the One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served as such until the spring of 1863, when he was made colonel of the One Hundred and Twenty- first Ohio.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

This regiment was in a badly demoralized condition, but the new colonel soon restored the esprit de corps, gained the confi- dence of the officers and men, and by a thorough system of discipline made it one of the best drilled regiments in the ser- vice.

It took part in the Chickamauga and Atlanta campaigns, showing such signal instances of gallantry in action as to call forth frequent mention in the official aud unofficial reports of its engagements. At the battle of Chickamauga, in a bayonet charge, the regiment under lead of Colonel Banning, captured the battle-flag of the Twenty-second Alabama regiment, the only Confederate colors taken by our troops upon that bloody and disastrous field. At the battle of Kennesaw Mountain an eye witness in describing the fight said:

"Yesterday was a bloody day for the One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio, more bloody in numbers than Chickamauga. More than one-third of her gallant sons were killed or wounded. History's page will recall the deeds of her fallen heroes; and the command of the gallant Banning: 'Lie down, One Hundred and Twenty-first, and don't retire one inch until I order you,' when the storm of battle was at its highest, will make for him an imperishable record, and the stubbornness with which the regiment obeyed the order, unsupported, and exposed to a galling fire from both flanks and front, of artillery and small arms, for more than four hours, will be rehearsed in story and in song in after years."

In the spring of 1865, after the fall of Atlanta, on the recom- mendation of General Jeff. C. Davis, approved by Major Gen- eral George H. Thomas, General Banning was promoted to be a brevet brigadier general, for gallant and meritorious service during the Atlanta campaign.

After Atlanta had been taken, General Banning, still in com- mand of the One Hundred and Twenty-first, accompanied General Thomas and the Army of the Cumberland, and took a gallant and conspicucus part in the fierce and decisive battle of Nashville.

In the spring of 1865 he was placed in command of the One Hundred gnd Ninety-fifth Ohio infantry, and served in the val- ley of Virginia. He was commander of the post of Alexandria, Virginia, until December, 1865, when he was mustered out of the service with the rank of brevet major general, a rank which his gallant conduct had won for him, enlisting as a private in 1861.

In the fall of 1865, while he was still in the service, the peo- ple of his home elected him to represent Knox county in the general assembly. Stepping from the field to the forum, he became a leading spirit in that legislative body. He was made chairman of the house committee on military affairs. He de- voted his attention to the wants of the laboring classes, and through his efforts much good was accomplished for them. After the expiration of his term in the general assembly, Gen- eral Banning removed to Cincinnati, where he resumed the practice of law, with his usual success.

In 1872 he was nominated by the Liberal Republican conven- tion as the candidate to represent the Second district in Con- gress. His opponent was R. B. Hayes, now ex-President. After an exciting canvass General Banning was returned by a handsome majority. He was reelected twice to the same office as a Democrat, beating successively Job E. Stevenson in 1874, and Stanley Mathews in 1876. In 1880 he was again a candi- date, but was defeated by a small majority.

General Banning, in all his relations in life, has been a true

representative of American manhood of the highest type; modest in assuming responsibility, but when assumed firm, faithful and energetic in the execution of a trust. In all his career, both public and private, there is not an act can sully his name or stain his honor. A good son, a good husband, a good father, a gallant soldier, a faithful and industrious representa- tive, in all a worthy citizen, he is one of the sons to whom Knox county can point with pride as a part of her history.

BLAKE, WILLIAM, deceased. The subject of this sketch was one of Knox county's pioneers. He was born in Ireland in 1761, migrated to America, located in New York, remained several years, and from thence went to Connecticut, where he married Miss Hannah Sprague, born in Connecticut in 1778. They moved to Knox county, Ohio, in 1812, and located in Clinton township, on the farm now owned by John Guy, where they passed the remainder of their days. He died in 1848, aged eighty-seven years. His companion survived him until 1850, when she died, aged seventy-two years and five months.

They reared a family of seven children-Sarah, Hannah, William, Mary, Richard, James, and Emily J. Two of the children, Hannah and Richard, are dead. When Mr. Blake came to Clinton township, it was comparatively a forest, and settlers were few and far apart.

BOSTWICK, NATHAN, Newark, Ohio, was born Novem- ber 2, 1819, in Pike township, Bradford county, Pennsylvania; emigrated to Ohio with his parents in 1830, landing in Newark, and living the first winter in Mckean township, Licking county. In the spring of 1831 the family moved into Milford township, Knox county, and settled on a farm then covered with a dense growth of hardwood timber, as were all farms in those early days in Knox county. The immense labor of making a home out of the wilderness can only be fully understood by the pio- neers engaged in the work.

Nathan Bostwick was married in 1840 to Adaline A. Beards- lee. They had seven children, all boys, as follows: Julius C., George F., Henry C., William W., Burr W., Harmon R., and John A. - all living but Julius C.

All the boys who were old enough became soldiers. Julius C. enlisted first in the three months' service, in the Eighth Indiana regiment, and served out his time, then reenlisted for three years in a company his father was recruiting for the Twentieth Ohio regiment. He was in delicate health and died on the battle- field of Shiloh, of hemorrhage of the lungs, April 9, 1862.

George F. (Fayette as he is better known), also enlisted in his father's company in the Twentieth, and shared in the hardships, battles and glory of his company and regiment until the army reached Atlanta, where he was desperately wounded July 22, 1864, by a canister shot through the thigh, and with his father, fell into the hands of the enemy, and was taken to Anderson- ville prison pen. He had before been a prisoner for a month, and had been exchanged at Vicksburgh, having been captured in a fight with Wheeler's cavalry, near Middleburgh, Tennessee. He made his escape from Andersonville in October, and hiding in swamps and bayous was pursued with bloodhounds, but finally secured a skiff and paddling down the Ocomulgee river, reached the Federal gun-boats in safety.

This young man suffered terribly from his wounds and prison life, a complete history of which would make an interesting volume; but he lived to see the end of the war, and to return home. He is now residing near Mt. Liberty, this county.

Henry C., although in somewhat delicate health, and quite

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

young, became a soldier enlisting in company A, Ninety-sixth regiment, under Captain Mitchell of Mt. Vernon. Joseph Devin a patriot. citizen of Mt. Vernon had offered a prize of fifty dollars to each of the first two men who should enroll their names in this regiment Henry Bostwick and Henry Hildreth were first to enlist. and received the money.

The history of the Ninety-sixth is detailed elsewhere in this work.

Henry was with the regiment at the battle of Arkansas Post, followed its fortunes through the Vicksburgh campaign, but was taken sick during the operations at Vicksburgh, and brought home. He was unable to again enter the service and was discharged. He is now a merchant in Newark, Ohio, en- gaged in the jewelry trade.

William W. Bostwick was a mere boy when the war began, but before it closed he enlisted, at the age of sixteen, in the One Hundred and Forty-second Ohio National guards, under Colonel Cooper, and was with it during its one hundred days of service in the rear of Grant's army. William is also in the jewelry trade in Coshocton, Ohio

Nathan Bostwick went into the army as recruiting officer Oc- tober 18, 1861, at Columbus, Ohio, with the rank of second lieutenant; was attached to company G, Twentieth regiment, which was sent, with three other companies of the same regi- ment, to Warsaw, Kentucky, in January, 1862, where they settled some trouble between the Union men and rebels of that place.

Company G remained in Warsaw until in February, when it returned to Cincinnati, and soon after joined the expedition. against Fort Donelson, and was in the last day's battle at that place.

After the battle, Captain John N. Cassil and Lieutenant Bostwick, with their company, were detailed as guard for rebel prisoners, and escorted eleven hundred of them to St. Louis, from which place, in company with a portion of company C, of the same regiment, they escorted all the officers captured at Fort Donelson to Camp Chase, at Columbus. Lieutenant Bostwick came home from this place, sick with typhoid fever, but his company went on to Boston with the field and staff of that capture.

Upon his recovery from his very severe illness, he rejoined his company at Bolivar, Tennessee, in June, 1862, and in Sep- tember took command of company C, Twentieth regiment, with rank of first lieutenant. He continued in command of this company through the Vicksburgh campaign, the captain of company C having resigned. He was commissioned first lieu- tenant May 9, 1862, and was with Grant during all the opera- tions of the army for the capture of Vicksburgh; the first battle of that campaign in which the regiment was engaged being at Thompson's Hill, fought immediately after the battle of Grand Gulf. He was also in the battle of Raymond and that of Jack- son immediately following it; also the battle of Champion Hill, where he received a sunstroke, from which he yet suffers. The siege of Vicksburgh lasted forty-seven days, during which he was on duty almost incessantly, day and night, fighting and working in the trenches. After the surrender the Twentieth remained in camp until Sherman marched to Meridian, Missis- sippi, in February, 1864.

Lieutenant Bostwick was promoted to captain, January 30, 1864, and transferred to the command of his old company, G, accompanying Sherman to Meridian.

After that campaign, the regiment reenlisted as veterans, and

Captain Bostwick came home on veteran furlough. The fur- lough having expired, the regiment rendezvoused at Cairo, Illinois, going thence by boat up the Tennessee river to Clifton, Tennessee, where it landed and marched over the Sand moun- tains, a distance of three hundred miles, joining Sherman at Ackworth, Georgia, shortly after engaging in the siege and battle of Kennesaw Mountain. Captain Bostwick was in the charge made by his division at this place.

The next desperate battle in which he was engaged was that before Atlanta, July 22, 1864, where his division, under General Leggett, surrounded by Hood's forces was attacked in front and rear, and engaged in some of the hardest fighting of the war. Cap- tain Bostwick says their division moved across their breastworks five times during the day, fighting first on one side then on the other. He was wounded twice in this action-with a sliver from a ball in the left eye, and a piece of shell in the left knee-and fell into the hands of the enemy. The brigade lost about half of its number in this bloody battle, in which it was frequently engaged in a hand-to-hand conflict.

After his capture Captain Bostwick was robbed of two hun- dred and thirty dollars in money, and most of his outer cloth- ing, except his boots, which, being a fine, heavy pair, he refused to give up except with his life, and when a rebel captain ap- proached for the purpose of taking them, he received such a kick in a vital part as sent him several feet distant, and nearly ended his life. Captain Bostwick expected to be riddled with rebel bullets for this act, as the guards were all around him, but, probably from admiration of his pluck, they did not molest him. The rebel officer, however, after regaining his breath and his feet, again approached him the intention, no doubt, of running him through with his sabre, but just before at- tempting the cowardly act, he discovered a small Masonic em- blem attached to the captain's waistcoat. This stopped him, and turning to the guards he ordered them to take the belliger- ent captain away. There is no doubt but that this mystic sign of Masonry saved his life at that time. He was taken to the stock- ade at Macon, Georgia, and subsequently to Charleston, South Carolina, and placed in prison. He was again taken sick and remained for some time in the hospital, being treated by Dr. Todd, a rebel and brother of Mrs. Lincoln. From there he was taken to Columbia, South Carolina, October 6, 1864. Here he was outrageously treated, being sick with chills and fever and compelled to lie on the ground, without shelter or medical at- tention for three weeks, and came near dying, being reduced to a skeleton. He was then put into a tent hospital, and treated by a doctor named LaGrone, a Frenchman, from whom he re- ceived much attention. December 1, 1864, he made his escape in company with Captain McFadden, of the Fifty-seventh New York, and H. C. Payne, a sergeant of the Twentieth Illinois. They travelled twenty-seven nights through the smoky moun- tains of North Carolina, travelling only in the dead of night, aided, fed, and piloted on their way by the negroes, and reached our lines at Knoxville, Tennessee, December 27, 1864. Here he reported to General Carter, provost marshal at that place, who ordered clothing for the starved and ragged prisoners, forward- ing them to Chattanooga, and thence to Nashville. After being ordered to various places Captain Bostwick obtained a leave of absence and came home, remaining, however, only a short time when he went by way of New York to join Sherman, and then on the march through the Carolinas.

He was promoted major January 11, 1865, and joined Sher- man and the Twentieth regiment at Goldsborough, North Car-

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

olina. After Lee's surrender he asked permission of his brigade commander, General R. K. Scott, afterward governor of South Carolina, to resign, believing the war over, and his health being poor he wished to return home. His resignation being accepted he went to Washington, settled with the Government, and was there at the time of the assassination of President Lincoln, after which he came home to his farm in Knox county.

He subsequently sold his farm and spent some time travelling in the west; living a short time near Fredericktown, Ohio, Charleston, Illinois, and Mt. Vernon, Ohio.

In April, 1873, he settled in Newark, engaging in the drug business, where he yet remains.

This brief biography, merely touches upon the military life of this gallant soldier. The story of his capture, prison life, suffer- ings, and subsequent escape, would make a very readable vol- ume of many pages, and would verify the fact that "truth is stranger than fiction." He tells of his continual but many times unsuccessful efforts to escape; of sickness, exposure, hun- ger, and the horrors of prison life; of his escape in a strange manner with two confederates; of their hiding in the swamps and mountains; of exposure and starvation; of being tracked by bloodhounds who came suddenly upon them in a darke gorge in the mountains, compelling them to fight for their lives, which they did, and came off victorious; of capturing a rebel picket that was in their way, killing one man and taking two others prisoners; of continual hairbreadth escapes, and incessant dan- ger, and above all, of the faithfulness of the blacks, who never once betrayed them, but fed and guided them on their way at the peril of their own lives.

People scarcely realize that they have in their midst living, walking heroes, before whose deeds of daring and suffering the most intricate combinations of fiction pale and become com- monplace.

CONDON, DAVID W., shoe merchant, was born in Mary- land, Frederick county, in 1831. He came to Ohio in 1851, and was married May 8, 1862, to Melinda J. Royce, grand- daughter of Amos H. Royce. She was born in Berlin town- ship, this county. They have three children: Frank R. was born April 17, 1863; Jennie M., November 10, 1865, and Mary E., June 18, 1873.

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 181

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co. Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096