History of Logan County and Ohio, Part 44

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 798

USA > Ohio > Logan County > History of Logan County and Ohio > Part 44

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The Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & In- dinnapolis Railway is of more recent con- struction than the road just described. The

Indianapolis division taps Logan County, and was originally known as the Bellefontaine & Indianapolis Railroad. The Cleveland, Co- lumbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis, popularly known throughout the country as the " Bec Line," was chartered in 1845. The question, however, of building this road, had been agi- tated as early as 1835, but years were spent in surveying routes and the discussion of ques- tions connected with the road and the differ- ent lines advocated by interested parties, so that it was not until the early part of 1851 that trains ran through from Columbus to Cleveland. It was considered a grand achiev- ment, and in honor of the occasion a great banquet was given in Cleveland, where a good time prevailed generally, and champagne suffered accordingly. In 1854, the Spring- field, Delaware & Mount Vernon Railroad was completed to Delaware, where it made con- nection with the Cleveland & Columbus road. This road became embarrassed financially, and in January, 1862, it was sold and purchased by the Cleveland & Columbus Railroad for $134,- 000. Soon after this purchase was made, an arrangement was effected with the Cincinnati & Springfield Railroad, by which a through route was made from Delaware to Cincinnati, and thus was formed the "Cleveland, Colum- bus & Cincinnati Railroad."

The Indianapolis connection of the " Three ("s" was made by its purchase of the Belle. fontaine & Indianapolis Railroad. This road was completed through Logan County in 1853, and was then known as the Bellefon- taine & Indiana Railroad. It extended from Galion west to the Indiana State line, where it connected with the Indianapolis, Pittsburg & Cleveland Railroad. These roads were con- solidated in 1861, and became the " Belle- fontaine & Indianapolis Railroad," which road was purchased in 1868 by the " Bec Line," and then became, as now known, the

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

" Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indian- apolis Railway," one of the the great railroad corporations of the country.

Another road in which the county is some- what interested, and which if ever built will be of considerable benefit to it, as well as to the county seat, is the Bellefontaine, Delaware & Mount Vernon Railroad. About 1852- 53, the project was agitated and a large por- tion of the work done through the county. Some of the townships raised the necessary amount to build it through, while others failed. In places the grade is completed ready for the ties. For lack of necessary funds, however, the work has been discontinued. Whether it

will ever be commenced again or not, time only will tell.

A number of other railroad projects have, at different times, been brought before the people of the county, but have all resulted in a little ripple of excitement for awhile, a good deal of talk, and then dissolved " in thin air." The Cleveland, Madison & Lonisville Railroad was an instance of this kind, and was designed to connect Lake Erie with the Ohio River at the Falls. A company was formed in which Robert H. Canby, Abner Riddle and IIon. Benjamin H. Stanton repre- sented Bellefontaine. This, however, was as near as the road ever came of being completed.

CHAPTER VI.

WAR HISTORY -- THE EARLY CONFLICTS-MEXICAN WAR-THE LATE REBELLION-SKETCHES OF THE DIFFERENT REGIMENTS.

"Red battle

With blood-red tresses deepening in the sun, And death-shot glowing in his fiery hands." -BYRON.

B Y reference to the map of Logan County the reader will observe a line crossing it, ranging a little from due east and west, and known as the "Greenville Treaty Line." Another called the "Ludlow Line," runs in an almost northwest direction, intersecting the first near the centre of the county. And still another-the "Robert's Line," starting from the Greenville treaty line, a few miles west of the intersection of the Ludlow line, also runs northwest. All the land in Logan County lying east of the Ludlow line, that north of the Greenville treaty line and cast of the Roberts line was for a time Indian re- servations, was known as Virginia Military land, and had been retained by Virginia, with other lands, for the purpose of paying her sol-

diers who served in the war of the Revolu- lution. In the cession by Virginia to the United States Government, this land, as we have said, had been reserved as a reward to her Revolutionary soldiers. The Government likewise set apart a large body of land in the State of Ohio, for thé same laudable purpose -that is, of paying her soldiers for their ser- vices in the War for Independence. It was thus that the Revolutionary soldiers were paid for years of arduous military service. After the close of that war emigrants came flocking to Ohio, many of whom were themselves Rev- olutionary soldiers. Many others had sold their land warrants to speculators for a mere pittance, thereby receiving but little remun- eration from what was designed as a generous act on the part of the Government. How many of the early settlers of Logan County had served in the war of the Revolution is not known at this day. But, as less than two

HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

decades had passed from its elose to the first settlement, it is not improbable that many of these old heroes were numbered among the pioneers of the county. The war of the Rev- olution, the causes which led to it, and the results achieved by it, are familiar to every schoolboy in the land, and further mention of it in this work is superfluous. The event is merely alluded to as a prelude to the wars which have followed, and in which the male citizens of Logan County have proven them- selves the " noble sous of noble sires."

In the war of 1812, when the Cross of St. George was again flaunted in our faces, and but a few hundred inhabitants dwelt within the present preeinets of Logan County, the patriotism of this scattered few blazed out, and most of the able-bodied men hastened to enro I themselves for the defence of their country. During the three years that the war lasted but few skirmishes took place in the Northwest in which some of them were not engaged. In the Indian wars of the early period they were equally zealous and patri- otic, and endured many dangers and difficul- ties. What schoolboy has not read, and felt his hair rise on his head at the time, the hair- breadth escapes of Simon Kenton, long a res- ident of Logan County; how he was captured by the Indians, and forced to undergo every species of torture, except death itself, known to them, even to running the gauntlet-as we are informed by one authority-not five miles from where Bellefontaine now stands. And "Ilull's Trace," as it is called, passed through the county. It is the route pursued by Hull and his army from Urbana to Detroit, where, shortly after, he surrendered the troops under his command without a struggle, an art that covered his name with almost as much infimy as the treason of Benedict Arnold covered his name with infamy. Hull's Trace passed through what is now West Liberty,

where the army eneamped for the night. The route crossed the Blue Jacket Creek about one mile west of Bellefontaine, and continued on north near the present road from Bellefon- taine to Huntsville.

Fort McArthur, occupied at intervals by regular soldiers during the war, was in Logan County. We have an account of "Capt. John MeCord and his entire company were ordered to Fort McArthur by the Governor to remain one month." Many of the pioneers remember this old fort. The Indian wars and skirmishes are more particularly given in the chapter devoted to the Indian history per- taining to Logan County. The close of the War of 1812, and the removal of the Indians to reservations, lying far away toward the setting sun, restored peace and tranquility to this portion of the country which remained uninterrupted for a long period of years.

In 1846 Mexico ruffled the feathers of the American eagle, and a sanguinary war fol- lowed. We cannot enter into all the details of the causes which led to this war. Briefly, it grew out of the annexation of Texas. In 1836 the American settlers in that province defeated the Mexican forees at San Jacinto, captured Santa Anna, the Dictator of Mexico, and under duress wrung from him a treaty acknowledging the independence of Texas. But this treaty the Republic of Mexico ever repudiated. From 1836 on, overtures were frequently made to the United States by the " Lone Star " for admission into the Union. Mexico took occasion several times to inform the Government of the United States that the annexation of Texas would be regarded a sufficient cause for war. In the Presidential contest of 1844, the question was made one of the leading issues of the campaign, and the election of Mr. Polk, whose party favored the admission of Texas, was construed into a popular approval, by the people, of the step.

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

There was no longer any hesitation on the part of Congress, and March I, 1845, Texas was admitted as a State into the Federal Union. Mexico at once broke off all diplo- matie intercourse with the United States, re- called her Minister, and began preparations for war. War soon followed, the result of which was to settle, perhaps forever, the own- ership of the great State of Texas.

In the emergency arising from the opening of hostilities, Congress passed an act author- izing the President to accept the services of 50,000 volunteers (which were at once to be raised), and appropriating $10,000,000 for the prosecution of the war. In this call for 50,- 000 men Ohio was required to furnish three regiments. With her characteristic patriot- ism she filled her quota in a few weeks. The place of rendezvous was Cincinnati, and upon the organization of the required regiments, there were almost troops enough left to form another regiment. These were furnished transportation to their homes at the expense of the Government. As organized, the three regiments were officered as follows: First Regiment-A. M. Mitchell, Cincinnati, Colo- nel; John B. Weller, of Butler County, Lieu- tenant-Colonel; T. L. Hamer, of Brown County, Major. Second Regiment-G. W. Morgan, of Knox County, Colonel; William Irvin, of Fairfield, Lieutenant-Colenel; Wil- liam Hall, of Athens, Major. Third Regi- ment-S. R. Curtis, of Wayne County, Colo- nel; G. W. McCook, of Jefferson, Lieutenant- Colonel; and J. S. Love, of Morgan, Major.

In these regiments, filled so hastily under the President's first call for soldiers, but few volunteered from Logan County. In fact we have been able to find but a single one who enlisted previous to the second call. This, however, is no reflection on the patriotism of the county, as the first three regiments allotted to the State were filled in a few weeks after the call was made public. S. W. Ashmead

enlisted in Company H, Fifth Regiment, in May, 1847. But under the second call, or the "Ten Regiment Bill," as it was termed, per- mission was obtained to raise a company in Logan County, and a recruiting office was opened in Bellefontaine. The following gen- tlemen were commissioned officers of the com- pany : Colin MeDonald, of Urbana, Captain; John B. Miller, of Bellefontaine, First Lieuten- ant, and William R. Stafford, of Bellefontaine, Second Lieutenant .. The Logan County Ga- zette of April 24, 1847, has the following notice of this company : " A detachment of thirty-six men, of Company A, Fifteenth Regiment of United States Infantry, under command of First Lieutenant John B. Miller, and Second Lieutenant William R. Stafford, volunteers, en- listed at recruiting rendezvous at Bellefont- aine,left our village on Wednesday for the seat of war. They proceeded to Dayton, thence to Cincinnati, etc." *

* * * The follow- ing are the names of those of the detachment from this county : First and Second Lieuten- ants, Bellefontaine; David Carman, Bellefont- aine; Joel Ansell,Bellfontaine; Stephen Camp- bell, Bellefontaine; Thaddeus Cook, Middle- burg; Joshua Culvin, Cherokee; F. Davenport, Middleburg; Michael Duek, Bellefontaine; Samuel Dunham, Bellefontaine; Samuel Ed- sal, Bellefontaine; Isaac Grimes, County; Riel- ard Humphrey, Middleburg; Samuel Hill, Bellefontaine; John Hibbitts, Cherokee; IIen- ry Houtz, Bellefontaine; Thomas Kennedy, Bellefontaine; John McCoubry, County; L. Peurod, County; Thomas Rogan, Bellefon- taine; Alexander Sutherland, Bellefontaine; Chas. Stewart, Bellefontaine; Joseph Stratton, County; John Robertson, County; William Wheeler, Cherokee; J. W. Caldwell, Belle- fontaine; William Royer, William Allen, An- drew Hamilton and James Kennedy, County. A few others were in the company from the adjoining counties.

From the above list it will be seen that

HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

Logan County was pretty well represented in the Mexican war. These gallant young men maintained well the valor inherited from their Revolutionary ancestors. We are unable to give, in detail, their history during their term of service. It is enough to say that they were Ohio soldiers. The history of the war with Mexico was one long series of triumphs of the American arms, and is so familiar to the readers of American history, as to require no further mention in these pages.

Less than a decade and a half passed, and again the country was involved in war, but this time no foreign foe opposed us. In 1861 the Great Rebellion assumed a definite shape, and a civil war of the most astounding mag- nitude-a civil war such as the world had never known, followed. The rival houses of York and Lancaster, with their emblems of " White" and " Red," shook old England to her center, filling her houses with mourning. her felds with carnage, and wasting the blood of her bravest and best; but compared to our " war between the States," it was but a child's play. Much of the history of our civil war has never been written-it never can be writ- ten. Though an inspired historian were to dip his pen in the " gloom of earthquake and eclipse," he could not write a true history of those four long and gloomy years, when, neither " upon the earth, nor in the sky, nor in the air, were to be seen an omen " of less w happy time-, But the war-cloud passed, and that which had appeared a withering curso in the land, developed into a blessing, and eventually the bonds of union became more firmly coment . I between the sections than ever before. In the union of " the Ros s" were found the germ of the future greatness and resplendent glory of England, and who sFall dar. to say, that in the harmonious blending of " the Blue " and " the Gray " the future greatness of America shall not exceed a l ber past glony and splendor.

But that the issues are dead and buried, which involved the country in civil war, is no sufficient reason why a tribute should not be paid to those whose patriotism, when the toc- sin of war sounded, led them to the post of duty. At the first warning of danger, they loft their daily pursuits and offered themselves to their country. Who does not remember the blaze of excitement, when the news was flashed over the wires, that the old flag had been lowered from the battlements of Sum- ter and the "Palmetto" hoisted in its place? Volunteers turned out by scores, companies were organized and hurried off to the front. From the most reliable information to be ob- tained. the county turned out more than two thousand soldiers during the four years of the war. And the fields of Stone River, Chicka- manga, Shiloh, Corinth, Gettysburg and the Wilderness attest their valor. Many a far- off grave, beneath the palms and magnolias, tells the history of those who never returned, while

" The muffled drum's sad roll has beat The soldier's last tattoo."

It is a compliment to the patriotism of the county, worthy of perpetuation on the pages of history, that it furnished a company to the first regiment organized in the State under the President's first call for three years' men. Company G, of the First Infantry was mostly raised in Logan County ; the first Commis- sioned officers were, Nicholas Trapp, Captain; James W. Powell, First Lientenant, and John J. Patton, Second Lieutenant. Capt. Trapp was a soldier in the Mexican war, and elected Captain of this company on account of his knowledge of military affairs. He served three years and was mustered out with the regiment, and it is said, performed well his duty as a soldier; he was severely wounded at Mission Ridge. Liout. Powell resigned July 9, 1862, and was appointed

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

Major in the One Hundred and Thirty-Second Ohio National Guard, which position he re- signed before going to the field, to accept the office of Second Lieutenant in the Regular Army. He is still an officer in the Regular Army; is Senior Lieutenant, and brevet-Cap- tain in the Eighth Regiment of United States Infantry, and is in command at Fort Bidwell, Cal. Lieut. Patton resigned June 16, 1862, came home and was appointed Lieutenant- Colonel of the One Hundred and Thirty- Second Ohio National Guard, served four months, and was then appointed a clerk in the Treasury Department at Washington, which position he still holds. Dennis Denny was commissioned Second Lieutenant June 16, 1862, and promoted to First Lieutenant July 8, 1864, and as such mustered out with the regiment; the office of Second Lieutenant was vacant when the company was mustered out.

Company G was organized at Bellefontaine on the 24th, of August, 1861, and went to the field with 101 men, officers and privates. With its regiment, it participated in the bat- tles of Shiloh, Corinth, Dry Ridge, Dog Walk, Stone River, Liberty Gap, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Dandridge, Rocky Faced Ridge, Buzzard Roost, Resacca, Adairsville, Dallas, Kennesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, etc .; in all of which it acquitted itself with honor and credit.

The First Regiment, to which Company G belonged, in the three years' service, was originally organized in April, 1861, under the President's first call for three months' men. It was made up principally from some of the old militia companies of the State, and served mostly in Virginia. It was at the first battle of Bull Run, but did not take an active part except in covering the retreat of the army from that ill-fated field. This closed its period of service under the three months' en- listment.

In August the regiment was organized for the three years' service, and Company G mustered in with the commissioned officers as above noticed. It left for Cincinnati on the 31st of October, where it received its arms on the 4th of November, and the next day proceeded to Louisville. The regiment on the 13thi marched to Camp Nevin, below Elizabeth- town, and reported to Gen. A. M. McCook, then in command of the Second Division of the Army of the Cumberland. Soon after it was brigaded with the First Kentucky, or " Louisville Legion," the Sixth Indiana, First Battalion Fifteenth United States Infantry, and battalions of the Sixteenth and Nine- teenth Infantry, forming the Fourth Brigade of the Second Division. It received its first baptism of fire at Shiloh. Early on the morning of the ith of April it moved to the front and formed in line of battle, and during the remainder of the fighting acquitted itself in a manner to receive the commendation of the commanding officers. At Corinth, at- though not actively engaged, it did consider- erable skirmishing, and during the pursuit of the enemy by the National forces, the First remained in and about Corinth doing picket and guard duty. In the race between Buell's and Bragg's armies to Louisville, in the fall of 1862, the First participated. On the return race a sharp engagement took place at " Dog Walk " on the 9th of October between the Rebels and the column of the National army to which the First was attached. A junction was formed with the main army under Buell on the 11th, two days after the battle of Perryville. A short time after the battle of Perryville Gen. Buell was superseded by Gen. Rosecrans, who at once re-organized the whole army. The division to which the First Ohio belonged, commanded by Gen. Sill, was placed in command of Gen. R. W. Johnson. Gen. Rosecrans commenced is move- ments against Bragg's army at Murfreesboro,

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on the 26th of December, and in the bloody battle of Stone River, which followed, the regiment bravely performed its duty, and did some hard fighting. In the Chickamauga campaign, which was begun on the 30th of August. 1863, the First was actively engaged in fighting and skirmishing during all the operations, including the battle of Chicka- mauga and the fighting around Chattanooga, and was led by Lieut .- Col. Bassett Langdon.

The Twentieth and Fourth Army Corps were consolidated about the 20th of October, 1863, and the First Regiment was brigaded under Gen. Hazen, in the Third Division of the corps. Soon after the First formed a part of the expedition down the Tennessee River to Brown's Ferry, capturing an import- ant post, thus enabling supplies to reach Chattanooga. The battle of Orchard Knob was fought November 23rd, which was the opening, in reality, of the battle of Mission Ridge. About noon of the 23rd the First Ohio consolidated with the Twenty-Third Kentucky, the whole under command of Lieut. Col. Langdon, was formed on the right of Hazen's brigade and immediately advanced on the enemy, driving in his pickets. During the whole of the fighting the regiment was actively engaged. A war chronicle has the following of the battle of Mission Ridge : " The intensity of the Rebel fire was such that five color-bearers of the First Ohio were either killed or wounded. The last one, Capt. Trapp, of Company G, was wounded twice within twenty paces of the crest of the hill, while gallantly heading the regiment. At this time the regiment assumed the shape of the letter A, the nature of the ground being such as to protect its head from the Rebel fire in front; it was halted to gather strength for the final charge. A few minutes sufficed to effect this, and the first and second lines moved up in mass, breaking over and carry-

ing the enemy's works and the crest of the hill. While directing the movement, at the head of the column and within about twenty paces of the crest, Lieut. Col. Langdon was shot in the face, the ball coming out at the baek of the week. The shock of the ball dis- abled him for a few minutes, but he recovered his feet and charged with his men to within ten paces of the works, when loss of bloo I compelled him to retire, not, however, with- out witnessing the capture of the Rebel works. Maj. Stafford, of the First, was wounded at the foot of the hill, but aceom- panied his regiment to the top, and carried the flag into the ranks on the erest. Lieut. Christopher Wollenhaupt and Sergt .- Maj. Ogden Wheeler were killed near the crest of the ridge. The entire loss of the regiment was five officers and seventy-eight men killed and wounded." On the 28th, but a few days after this battle, the First, with other regi- ments, moved to the relief of Gen. Burnside, at Knoxville. January 17, 1864, the regi- ment had a sharp engagement with the Rebels at Dandridge. On the 4th of May it started with Sherman's army on the Atlanta campaign, and in the battles of Buzzard's Roost, Resaca and Adairsville it took part, often suffering severely; it was also engaged in several other light skirmishes. At Kenne- saw, on the 17th of June, it took part in the battle with its accustomed bravery. This was its last hard fighting, and soon after it com- meneed to be mustered out by companies, the last one on the 14th of October, 1864.

To sum up the operations of the First dur- ing its term of service: " It took part in twen- ty-four battles and skirmishes, and had 527 offi- cers and men killed and wounded. It saw its initial battle at Pittsburg Landing, and closed its career in front of Atlanta. It marched about 2,500 miles, and was transported by car and steamboat 950 miles." Of Company G, the

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HISTORY OF LOGAN COUNTY.

following was published in 1865, just after the close of the war: " The casualties in the com- pany were: twelve died of sickness; seven of wounds received in battle; six killed in ac- tion; three wounded and fell into enemy's hands and supposed to be dead; still missing after action and supposed to be dead, six; discharged on account of wounds, four; dis- charged on account of sickness, five, and three transferred to other commands."

The Thirteenth Infantry, organized in April, 1861, for three months, contained two companies from this county. Company A was raised here, and was officered as follows: Samuel W. Ashmead, Captain; Isaac R. Gard- ner, First Lientenant, and I. C. Robinson, Second Lieutenant. Company C was also raised here. It was recruited originally for cavalry by Donn Piatt, but was mustered finally into the Thirteenth, with the following ofli- cers: Donn Piatt, Captain ; Thomas R. Roberts, First Lieutenant. The name of the Second Lieutenant could not be ascertained. A. Sanders Piatt, a citizen of Logan County, was made Colonel of this regiment. The follow- ing extracts are from a sketch of Gen. Piatt by Whitelaw Reid: " When the rebel- lion broke upon the country, he entered earn- estly into the strife, offering his services in any capacity to the Government. April 30, 1861, he was commissioned as Colonel of the Thirteenth Infantry, then organized at Camp Jackson, near Columbus. From this camp he was ordered to Camp Dennison, where he re- mained until the regiment enlisted for the three years' service. An order from the Gov- ernor authorized an election of officers, but Col. Piatt, unwilling to receive as constitu- ents the men whom he had sought to com- mand as soldiers, declined appearing as a can- didate for the Colonelcy. He solicited and received authority from Mr. Lincoln to enlist a brigade for the war. Relying on his own

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History of Logan County and Ohio, Part 44

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; O.L. Baskin & Co Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin Number of Pages: 798

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; O.L. Baskin & Co
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin
Number of Pages: 798