USA > Ohio > History of Ohio, covering the periods of Indian, French and British dominion, the territory Northwest, and the hundred years of statehood > Part 47
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On December 12, 1895, occurred the death of Senator Allen Gran- bery Thurman. On his seventy-seventh birthday, in 1890, he had been honored with a banquet at Columbus, presided over by President Cleveland. The popular appreciation of his distinguished services which he was then permitted to witness, was yet more strongly man- ifested upon his death. William MeKinley, speaking at the memo- rial meeting held at Columbus, quoted the words Garfield had used when the late president had been elected to succeed Thurman in the senate: "Ohio has had few larger-minded, broader-minded men than Allen G. Thurman. I recognize him as a man high in character and great in intellect. . . Many years ago, in the storm of party fighting, when the air was filled with all sorts of missiles aimed at the character and reputation of public men, Senator Thurman said in public, in the campaign, on the stump, where men are as likely to say unkind things as at any place in the world-a most generous and earnest word of defense and kindness for me that I shall never forget as long as I live." "He was an admirably disciplined debater. fair in statement, logical in argument, honest in his conclusions, always direct and manly," wrote James G. Blaine. Perhaps the best brief statement of what Thurman was is given in the words of his friend, George F. Edmunds, of Vermont: "Ile was a man of extraor- dinary learning, both in law and literature. He was easily the roc- ognized chieftain of his party during his career in the senate. Ile was a elear, oneise and powerful debater. Although we differed rad- ically upon subjects that are called party politics, I always felt abso- Intely safe in relying upon his powerful co-operation and patriotism in respeet to all business affairs of the nation, and when we differed I could not but respect the intensity of his conviction and his pure earnestness of purpose. He was a man of absolutely upright charac- ter and honor." The memory of such a man should remain forever inseparably associated with Ohio, as an example for all generations.
The city of Cleveland, in 1896, celebrated the founding of the town
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by the Connectient pioneers. But while it was pleasing to claim an antiquity of a Indred years, the city, in its essential modern ele- ments, is not older than the railroad epoch, and its growth all the more wonderful on that account. From little beginnings of schooner building in 1808 and steamboat building in 1827, Cleveland had now, in 1896, attained a position next to the Clyde of Great Britain as one of the greatest ship building ports of the world. A great part of this wonderful advancement was in the building of steel vessels, a class of property in which tens of millions were invested at Cleve- land. In the parade that was a feature of the celebration there was a line of five thousand riders of bicycles, testifying to one of the phe- nomena of modern life that would excite the amazement of the pioneers of Marietta.
In the national Republican convention of 1896 Governor MeKinley was nominated for president on the first ballot, his interests in the convention being ably eared for by Marcus A. Hanna, of Cleveland, who at this time first attracted the general attention of the nation. Mr. Hanna, a native of New Lisbon, Columbiana county, reared at Cleveland and educated in the Western Reserve college, had been in business life at Cleveland since 1862, and prominent among the men who led in the remarkable development of shipping and iron manu- facturing at that city. U'pon the nomination of Mr. MeKinley, he was made chairman of the national committee of his party, and soon demonstrated a notable strength in political management. At the national convention of the Democratic party, Ohio presented for pres- idential nomination the name of John R. MeLean, famous as the owner of the Cincinnati Enquirer, probably the strongest Democratic newspaper in the United States at that time. He received 34 votes, but after a few ballots the nomination went to William J. Bryan, of Nebraska. The campaign that followed was one of the most hotly contested in the history of the country, but entirely without attacks mpon the personal characters of the candidates, the topics of disens- sion being the tariff and money. Never, since 1864 and 1868, had there been sneh intense conviction among the people that the result of the election must seriously influence the fate of the nation. At the election Mr. MeKinley carried twenty-three states, with 271 electoral votes, by a popular majority of 1,565,000, and Mr. Bryan carried twenty-two states, with an electoral vote of 176, by a popular major- ity of 968,000. The popular vote of Ohio was 525,991 for MeKinley and 474,588 for Bryan.
I'pon the inauguration of President MeKinley, March 4, 1597, he ealled to his cabinet Senator John Sherman, then seventy-four years of age, as secretary of state. Sherman had been elected four times to the national house of representatives, and six times to the senate and this was his second time in the cabinet. No other Ohioan had enjoyed such repeated and continuous proof of the popular esteem.
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Yet his great and entirely reasonable ambition, to crown his public life with the presidency, was denied him, as it was denied Clay and Webster, Calhoun and Thurman.
To take Mr. Sherman's place in the senate Governor Bushnell appointed the vietorions chairman of the Republican national com- mittee, Marcus A. Hanna, to hold until the legislature met in Janu- ary, 1898, when Mr. Hanna was elected for the remainder of that term and the full term following, by a majority of one, after an exeit- ing preliminary battle within the ranks of the Republican legislators. Six Republican members voted with the Democratie members for Robert E. MeKisson, mayor of Cleveland.
The dean of Ohio's congressional delegation during the administra- tion of Mr. MeKinley was Gen. Charles H. Grosvenor, of Athens, who has been a resident of the State since he came to it from Con- necticut, at the age of five years, in 1838. In the civil war he won the brevet of brigadier-general, and he was a legislator before his first election to Congress in 1884. Since that year he has been re-elected continuously, with but one exception, and has gained a conspicuous place among the statesmen of the nation.
Governor Bushnell was re-elected in 1897 by a plurality of 28,000 over HI. L. Chapman, the Democratic candidate. Six parties were in the field, besides the two leading ones ; namely, the Prohibition reg- ular, the irregular Prohibition, or Liberty party, the People's party, the National Democratic (gold money), the Socialist Labor, and the Negro protection party, which was formed to protest against the lynch- ing of a negro for a brutal crime at Urbana. There was a further change of parties in the following year, when some of the political elements coalesced in what was known as the Union Reform party, demanding the introduction of the system of legislation called the initiative and referendum. This left three minor parties, Prohibi- tion, Union Reform and Socialist Labor, in the field, but they alto- gether cast less than twenty-five thousand votes in 198, when Charles Kinney was elected secretary of state by a plurality of 61,139.
From the beginning of the revolution in Cuba against Spanish gor- ernment in 1895, intense interest in the struggle was manifested by a large part of the people of the United States, and there was a loud, if not unanimous demand that the United States should interfere. After the beginning of President MeKinley's administration remon- strances were addressed to Spain regarding what seemed to be unnec- essary cruelties in the war, and steps were taken by Spain to conform to the suggestions and to give Cuba some sort of self government. But the spirit of intervention grew more and more active, and after the battleship Maine and her crew were blown up in Havana harbor February 15, 1895, war became inevitable. This tendency was resisted as long as possible by Secretary Sherman ; the Ohio senators did not encourage it, and President MeKinley was accused of failure
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to act with proper spirit. But before the first results of action were history, his deliberation and earefulness were sufficiently justified, and he was accepted, with remarkable umanimity, as the trusted rep- resentative of the whole people in the settlement of the new problems that arose.
On April 11th the president submitted the Cuban question to Con- gress with the words: "I have exhausted every effort to relieve the intolerable condition of affairs which is at our doors. Prepared to execute every obligation imposed upon me by the constitution and the law, I await your action." Within ten days Congress asserted the freedom and independence of the people of Cuba, and authorized him to use the military power of the United States to enforce the demand that Spain withdraw her troops and relinquish her authority. This was a declaration of war, and in preparation for it the regular army of the United States was already being concentrated on the gulf and the navy was made ready for battle. On April 23d the president called for 125,000 volunteer troops.
Ohio, fortunately, had a well-organized National Guard, which had been recruiting almost to the maximum under the State law, in anticipation of war. When needed, there was a force of drilled sol- diers, nine thousand strong, more than enough to fill the quota of the State. The call was received by Governor Bushnell and Adjutant- General Henry A. Axline at 5 p. m., April 25th, orders were sent ont to every command within an hour and a half, and within twenty hours every organization had reported readiness for movement. General Axline was put in command next day, the troops were brought, together at Camp Bushnell, near Columbus, and on the 29th were organized in brigades. The entire quota of the State was mustered in as soon as Federal officers were ready, May 7th to 14th. Before the regiments were transferred to the United States service the gen- oral staff on duty was Gen. Henry A. Axline, commanding ; William P. Orr, quartermaster-general; Joseph E. Lowes, surgeon-general; Clarence E. Burke, chief engineer, and Henry D. Knox, aide-de- camp. Under the first call Ohio furnished 428 officers and 8,032 enlisted men, the National Guard regiments going in mainly as they were, with their accustomed officers, and under the second call recruits were mustered in to fill the infantry companies from 69 to 106 enlisted men, and the Tenth regiment was formed from the engi- neers, naval brigade and light artillery companies, which had been unable to find a place in those arms of the United States service. The total enrolled under the two calls was 15,354. Besides, many enlisted in the regiments of the regular army for this war and the fol- lowing war in the Philippine islands.
The people responded with enthusiasm to the first eall for troops, and the unanimity of feeling was unparalleled in the history of the wars of America. Adjutant-General Herbert A. Kingsley, who suc-
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ceeded General Axline, reported that although the National Guard was sufficient to fill all the demands upon the State, he received 1,051 petitious for authority to organize other companies, many of these petitions being signed by enough men to form a company, and twenty- five companies were organized without authority in the hope of get- ting into the service. From the applications received this officer believed that a volunteer army of a hundred thousand men could have recruited in a short time.
After the troops had been for some time in eamp in the South, the sickness to which they were subject brought forth ready sympathy and aid from the home State. Col. E. C. Brush and a party brought home forty-six artillerymen from Chickamauga Park, and on Sep- tember 2d a special hospital train left Columbus under charge of Surgeon-General Lowes, called the "Bushnell Relief Train," to visit the Southern camps and bring home the sick. More than two hun- dred men, in critical condition, were thus cared for and probably saved from death by the change of climate.
Following is a list of the Ohio commands and a brief statement of their service :
The First regiment Ohio volunteer infantry, headquarters Cincin- nati, was organized as the First regiment Ohio national guard in 1875, and reorganized for the war with Spain April 25, 1898, and mustered in May 6th, with Charles B. Hunt as colonel. It was in camp during the war, at Chickamauga, Tampa, Fernandina and Jacksonville, and was mustered out at Cincinnati, October 25, 1898, having lost ten by death from disease.
The Second regiment, headquarters Cincinnati, was organized as the Second regiment Ohio National Guard in 1878, reorganized as the Second Ohio volunteer infantry April 25, 1898, and mus- tered in May 10th with Col. Jnlins A. Kuert commanding. It was in camp during the war at Chickamauga, Knoxville and Macou, and was mustered ont at Macon February 10, 1899, having lost fourteen by death.
The Third regiment, headquarters Springfield, was organized as the Third regiment Ohio National Guard in 1875, reorganized as the Third Ohio volunteer infantry April 25, 198, and mustered in May 10th, Col. Charles Anthony commanding. It was in camp during the war at Tampa, Fernandina and Huntsville, and was mustered out at Columbus October 26, 1898, having lost ten by death.
The Fourth regiment, headquarters Columbus, was organized as the Fourteenth Ohio National Guard in 1-77, reorganized as the Sec- ond Ohio volunteer infantry April 25, 1898, and mustered in May 9th, Col. Alonzo B. Coit commanding. The regiment was first in camp at Chickamauga, and afterward was with the army for the ocenpation of Porto Rico, under General Miles, participating in a
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skirmish on that island. The loss by sickness was twenty-six. The regiment was mustered ont at Columbus January 20, 1899.
The Fifth regiment, headquarters Cleveland, was organized as the Fifth Ohio National Guard in 1884, reorganized as the Fifth Ohio volunteer infantry April 25, 1598, and mustered in May 11th, Col. Cortland L. Kennan commanding. It was in camp at Tampa and Fernandina, and was mustered ont November 5, 1898, having lost twenty by siekness.
The Sixth regiment, headquarters Toledo, was organized as the Sixteenth Ohio National Guard in 1877, reorganized as the Fifth Ohio volunteer infantry April 25, 1895, and mustered in May 12th, Col. William V. MeMaken commanding. It was in eamp at Chieka- manga, Knoxville and Charleston, and formed part of the army of occupation of ('uba upon the withdrawal of the Spanish troops, being sent to Cienfuegos. It was mustered out at Augusta, Ga., May 18, 1899.
The Seventh regiment, headquarters Chillicothe, was organized as the Seventeenth Ohio National Guard in 1877, reorganized as the Seventh Ohio volunteer infantry, April 25, 1898, Col. Arthur L. Ilamilton commanding, and mustered in May 13th. It was in eamp in Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio, and was mustered out Novem- ber 6, 1898, having lost nine men from siekness.
The Eighth regiment, headquarters Wooster, was organized as the Eighth Ohio National Guard in 1877, reorganized as the Eighth Ohio volunteer infantry April 25, 1898, and mustered in May 13th, Col. Curtis V. Hard commanding. The regiment was eneamped in Vir- ginia, afterward was ordered to Cuba, reached Siboney July 10th, and as soon as possible was put in the trenches on the line around Santiago, between General Lawton and General Wheeler. Santiago was then being bombarded, and the surrender soon followed. The regiment suffered severely from the exposure of the tropical eam- paign and the fevers, losing 72 officers and men. It was among those transferred to Montauk Point, N. Y., and was mustered out at Wooster, November 21, 1898.
The Ninth battalion, colored infantry, was organized as part of the Ohio National Guard in 1877, reorganized as the Ninth Ohio volunteer infantry April 25, 1898, and mustered in May 14th, with Maj. Charles Young commanding. It was in eamp in Virginia, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, had five deaths from sickness, and was mustered out in January, 1899.
The Tenth regiment Ohio volunteer infantry was organized July 1, 198, under Col. Henry A. Axline, and was in eamp in Pennsyl- vania and Georgia, remaining in the service until March 29, 1899.
The First cavalry, organized April 25, 1898, comprised Troop .1 of the Ohio National Guard, headquarters Cleveland, and Battalion B, First light artillery, headquarters Cincinnati, in all 350 men,
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under Lieut .- Col. Matthias A. Day. They were in camp at Chiek- amauga and in Florida and Alabama, lost eight by siekness and were mustered out in October, 1898.
The First battalion, Ohio light artillery, headquarters Zanesville, organized in the National Guard in 1886, was mustered in for the war May 11, 1898, with 727 officers and men, Maj. Charles T. Atwell commanding. They were in eamp in Georgia and Ohio, lost 13 by siekness, and were mustered out at Columbus October 21, 1898.
It will be observed that the greater part of the Ohio soldiers did not reach the islands that were the seat of war, but because they were ready for duty the war was brief. In the words of President MeKin- ley, they were part of that "mighty army in eamp, ready and eager for the field, that should be given equal credit with those who partie- ipated in the short but decisive contests in Cuba. It was their pres- ence, ready at an hour's notice for any emergeney, that taught the enemy that further resistance would be in vain." It might be added that their prompt and loyal response to the eall of their country, their ready efficiency for war, and enthusiastie spirit, saved the nation from wider complications. That is the most effective service of any army that prevents war by a demonstration of strength and spirit at the critical time when war is brewing.
Secretary Sherman, in the midst of the preparations for war, found himself unfitted for the emergeney by reason of his advanced age, and retired to his home at Mansfield, where, after writing the memories of his life, which was published under the title of "Jolin Sherman's Recollections," he died October 22, 1900. His name had been familiar in every part of the Union, and he had been in the cen- ter of politieal combats, ever since the year 1856. Through forty years he had been a grim and sturdy warrior for the rights of man, the solidarity of the Union and a financial system which meets the approval of the majority of practical business men, and he had the satisfaction of living to see the fruits 'of his labor applauded. His death was formally announced by proclamation by the president of the United States, who said of him: "Whether in debate during the dark hours of our civil war, or as the director of the country's finances during the period of rehabilitation, or as a trusted couneilor in fram- ing the national laws for over forty years, or as the exponent of its foreign policy, his course was marked by devotion to the best inter- ests of his beloved land, and by able and conscientious efforts to uphold its dignity and honor. His countrymen will long revere his memory and see in him a type of the patriotism, uprightness and zeal that go to molding and strengthening a nation."
Mr. Sherman was succeeded as secretary of state by William R. Day, a lawyer at Canton, born at Ravenna in 1-49, son of a judge of the supreme court of Ohio. He had served as assistant secretary of state under Mr. Sherman, and afterward administered that impor-
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tant office with remarkable ability, introducing into diplomacy the simple and straightforward methods of business life. The very important place of minister to England was held at the beginning of the war by John Hay, a native of Indiana, who began his official career as assistant secretary of President Lincoln and in the Euro- pean diplomatic corps, and had become a resident of Cleveland after his marriage in 1×74 to a daughter of Amasa Stone. When Secre- tary Day retired and became a member of the commission to make peace with Spain at Paris (a commission in which another Ohioan, Whitelaw Reid, was associated ), Mr. Hay became secretary of state, an office in which his success and honors have been second to none of those of any statesmen in the history of America.
Among the major-generals of volunteers appointed by the president was J. Warren Keifer, of Springfield, a native of Clark county (1836), who had served as colonel of the Hundred-and-Tenth Ohio and won the brevets of brigadier and major-general under Sheridan and Grant, and had afterward been speaker of the house in the Forty- eighth Congress. He was with the army in Cuba and on duty until mustered out in the spring of 1899, with the volunteer troops.
James F. Wade, a son of Senator Ben Wade, born in 1843, who went into the civil war with the Minnesota cavalry, and came out as brigadier-general, had that rank in the regular army in 1897, and being promoted to major-general commanded a corps in the war with Spain, and was the first military governor of the island after the Spanish evacuation.
In the actual fighting about Santiago no one won greater honor among the field generals than Henry W. Lawton, born in Lucas county, 1843, who had been in the military service since he went out as volunteer for the Union in 1861, and Adna R. Chaffee, born in Ashtabula county in 1842, who had also been in the army sinee 1861. Chaffee commanded a brigade under Lawton in July, 1898.
For the conquest of Spanish power in the Philippine islands, the first expedition that left San Francisco was commanded by Gen. Thomas Me Arthur Anderson, born at Chillicothe in 1836, and a grad- uate of the Cincinnati law school in 1sås. He also had served in the United States army from 1861. He was the first American gen- eral to land in Luzon and was in immediate command of the attack that caused the surrender of Manila, August 13, 1898, In that field General Lawton afterward served with great distinction until he was killed, December 19, 1899, when abont to be promoted to major-gen- eral in the regular army. General Chaffee, after worthy service in Cuba, commanded the expedition of troops to protect the United States legation at Pekin in 1900, leading the first American invasion of Asia.
One of the most important positions throughout the Cuban and Philippine wars, that of adjutant-general of the United States army,
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was occupied by Henry Clark Corbin, born and reared on a farm in Clermont county, who entered the Union army in 1862 at the age of nineteen, and after three years in the South and ten on the plains had been detailed to duty at Washington. He demonstrated great ability in the emergency, and, through the confidence and favor of the presi- dent, was the effective head of the military organization.
Among the staff-officers at Washington was Gen. William Hoit Nash, a son of Judge Simeon Nash, of Gallipolis, member of the con- stitutional convention of 1850-31. He had been in the army since 1861, and was made commissary-general of subsistence of the United States army, with the rank of brigadier-general, in April, 1898, but retired on account of age, a few days later.
Following this war the Ohio National Guard was reorganized in eight regiments and one battalion of infantry, one battalion of engi- neers, four battalions of artillery, one troop of cavalry, and two bat- talions of naval militia. There is an effective and well drilled force of nearly five thousand officers and men, for the preservation of order, and as a nucleus for the organization of such volunteer troops as may be desired for the national service.
A large part of the National Guard was called into service in June, 1899, on account of the great strike of street railway employes at Cleveland. The men quitting work to enforce their demands upon the Consolidated company, the latter attempted to run cars with other help, but soon found it impossible. Cars were stoned, or thrown from the track or blown up with dynamite, and it became dangerous to make use of such service as the street car company attempted to give. After the serious disorder had been quelled by the troops and police and deputy sheriffs, a boycott was instituted against all people who rode in the cars, or sold anything to the company and its new employes, and this was maintained until the approach of cold weather made it necessary to use the cars.
Out of such troubles and the popular discussion of the street car business in Cleveland, has resulted a reduction of street ear fare from five cents to three, and the fame of ('leveland as an example to other cities in the municipal control of street railways. One of the citizens of Cleveland most noted in this field of popular movement is Tom Loftin Johnson, a native of Kentucky (1854), who was elected mayor in 1901.
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