History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 35

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 35

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DOCTOR WILMER'S CARD.

A CARD TO THE PUBLIC .- An article which ap- peared in my paper of this morning, it seems, has created an immense excitement in our town. But few papers have been circulated, the balance of the edition has been destroyed. I declare to the public, upon my honor as a man, that it never has been, and is not now, my intention to write or publish a word, or to commit any action, against the General or State Government, or advise it to be done by others.

F. WILMER.

Isaac M. Keeler was, at the time spoken of, when this affair occurred, editor of the Fremont Journal, and appended to Dr. Wilmer's card in his paper, the following fair and manly editorial comments:

The above explanation seems to have satisfied the people. We do not think Mr. Wilmer is a seces- sionist, or that he really had any intention of injur- ing the Governinent, but that he has permitted the partisan to get the upper hand of his patriotism. Let us all now throw aside party feeling, and unite in an endeavor to save the country at this serious crisis of its existence. Neither party, nativity, or sect, should now stand in the way of a hearty union of the peo- ple for putting down treason and rebellion, and of restoring peace and civil liberty to the whole country.

Mr. Homan continued the publication of the Courier until July, 1865. He, however, labored under some disadvan- tages, arising from the war, and the posi- tion he had taken on that question. He therefore concluded to discontinue the publication of the paper, and its issue was suspended for a period of about eighteen months, when Messrs. Anthony Young and Paul Knerr bought the office, and re-commenced the Courier, which again appeared. In 1867 Mr. Young sold his interest in the paper to Mr. Knerr, who remained the sole owner until

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

1870, in which year Dr. Wilmer, who all the time edited the paper, became a partner with Mr. Knerr. Dr. Wilmer stood thus connected with the paper until his death, which took place on the 17th of July, 1879. Mr. Joseph Zimmerman, an editor from Cleveland, at once took charge of the editorial management of the paper. Mr. Knerr, meantime, bought of Dr. Wilmer's widow the interest his estate held in the paper, and continued to be sole proprietor of the Courier until July I, 1881, at which date Mr. Zimmerman, by purchase, became sole proprietor of the concern, and so remains sole editor and proprietor of the paper.

The Courier is now doing well. Mr. Zimmerman is a fine writer, as well as a gentleman of winning manners, whose management and talents will make the Courier welcome to the German reading citizens of the county and elsewhere. While thoroughly Democratic, Mr. Zim- merman is not of that bitter partisan nature which will make his paper odious to his opponents; on the other hand, he is a gentleman of such broad views and intelligence, that no doubt the paper will prosper under his management.

THE CLYDE TIMES.

Mr. Joseph C. Loveland has the honor of making the first attempt to establish a newspaper at Clyde. He issued the Clyde Times in April, 1866, sold it in 1867 to J. M. Lemmon and Mr. Notly, who con- tinued the publication about one year, and sold out to parties from Elmore, in Ottawa county, who moved the press and material away.

THE CLYDE NEWS

was the next paper printed in Clyde. It was started by Clark Brothers, from Be- rea, in 1868. Six months afterwards one of the brothers died and the printing of the paper was for a time suspended. In

the fall of the year 1868, George E. Sweetland & Brothers bought the material and resumed the publication of the paper. In 1869 H. H. Sweetland became the sole owner, and for a time published the paper ; then L. D. Sweetland bought an interest in the business. The two Sweetland brothers last named carried on the paper until 1870, when it was discontinued for want of support.

THE CLYDE INDEPENDENT.

This paper was started by W. W. White in 1870, who conducted it until 1874, when he sold the paper, and material for printing it, to F. J. Tuttle, on whose hands the paper lost patronage and died within a year. Mr. White emigrated to Canada, and, after his departure it was revealed that he had so badly dealt with the patrons of the paper as to ruin it, hence the chief cause of its failure in the hands of Mr. Tuttle.

THE CLYDE REVIEW.

In 1873 Mr. George E. Sweetland re- turned to Clyde and commenced the pub- lication of the Clyde Review, and carried it on until August, 1877, when he sudden- ly removed the press and material, and himself also, to the State of Michigan, and the publication of the Review was discontinued. In August, 1881, Mr. Sweetland came back to Clyde and re- sumed the publication of the Review, be- ginning where he left off in 1877. It is a small sheet, printed in an amateur office owned by William Frederick, publisher of an insurance paper, Mr. Sweetland having no office or printing material of his own.

THE CLYDE SENTINEL.

In the winter of 1874-75 A. I). Ames, who was publishing a paper at Green Spring, came to Clyde and began the publication of the Clyde Sentinel. George J. Holgate afterwards became his partner, and, in company with his brother, R. P.

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

Holgate, subsequently bought the paper and material. The Sentinel was discon- tinued in May, 1880, when it became merged in the

CLYDE ENTERPRISE.

The Enterprise was established in March, 1878, by Mr. H. F. Paden, with whom H. N. Lay was a partner until May, 1880, and A. D. Kinney from that date until July, 1881. In May, 1880, as above mentioned, the Clyde Sentinel was discontinued as a distinct publication, and its material and subscription list trans- ferred to the Enterprise. The Enterprise, under the management of Mr. Paden, has become a public favorite. He wields a free, graceful, and fluent pen, and is a genial gentleman, of straight-out Republi- can principles, though courteous to oppo- nents when duty will permit him to be so. The Enterprise under his editorial control has obtained a much larger circulation than any former paper of Clyde, and seems to rest on a solid foundation, not only financially, but in public favor. While we acknowledge ourselves under obliga- tion for much information concerning the press at Clyde, we must clear him of ego- tism by saying that the favorable com- ments on Mr. Paden and his paper are made by the writer, and must not be at- tributed to himself.

THE PRESS OF BELLEVUE.

Although the wealthy, pleasant village of Bellevue is not wholly within Sandusky county, it may be interesting to some of the people of the county to have the his- tory of the whole press of that place put on record in this work, and we therefore do so.

The first venture was made by G. W. Hopkins, in the fall of 1851. He opened an office in the old Howard house-now defunct -- on Monroe street, and issued

THE BELLEVUE GAZETTE,

with the still more pretentious title of Huron, Seneca, Erie, and Sandusky Ad- vertiser, having a spread eagle at its mast- head, bearing a scroll with "open to all" emblazoned upon it. The paper was a five-column folio, in coarse type, devoted to current news and the ventilation of such ideas as contributors were ambi -. tious to furnish. C. C. Cook, at present deputy postmaster, served in the ca- pacity of "devil," thus being the first "printer's devil." His most vivid re- membrance is that of his duty to ink the forms on an old wooden Franklin press- a duty with little sentiment and no poetry to allure him on to continued service. The people felt disposed to give the paper a fair support, but its editor was a victim to that human bane-strong drink; so, after a brilliant but brief career of six months, the fledgeling perished.

In April of 1861, Mr. O. B. Chapman opened a printing office in Squire's block, corner of Main and Sandusky streets, and issued

THE BELLEVUE INDEPENDENT,

a seven-column folio, devoted to general and local news. This was the first year of the great rebellion, and it would seem that the stirring events of those times would furnish the necessary pabulum to make it a success. But it continued only a short time, and then perished for rea- sons not now apparent.

We now come to consider the first suc- cessful paper established in the village -- one to which the town is largely indebted for many of its most valued improve- ments, being always intensely devoted to the welfare of the place and the advocacy of such public works and measures as would secure its greatest prosperity. We therefore think its editor worthy of more than a passing notice. Mr. E. P. Brown says of himself that he was born at Oxford,

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

Ohio, March 5, 1842, of distressingly poor but outrageously honest parents, and claims that the laws of hereditary trans- mission have not, therefore, allowed him a fair chance. His early life was one of toil, with little advantage in the way of education, an old darkey preacher being his best tutor, but was successful in ob- · taining a "sheepskin" in a public school and valedictory honors. He learned the trade of printer in the office of the Oxford Citizen at the age of fourteen, when he obtained employment in a Cincinnati job office. He enlisted in the Thirteenth Ohio volunteer infantry at Urbana, Ohio, in 1861, and fought the enemies of his country for two years, lacking a week, serving in all the engagements of that regi- ment until the battle of Shiloh, when a rebel bullet between the eyes placed him hors du combat. He was left for dead, and was thus reported, and had the pleas- ure of reading his own obituary, contain- ing much of a laudatory nature, a privilege seldom accorded the human family; but subsequent events show him to be an ex- ceedingly lively corpse. His wound gave him an honorable discharge from the Thirteenth, but he finally re-entered the army in the one hundred day's service as substitute for a Dutchman, in the One Hundred and sixty-seventh regiment, re- ceiving three hundred dollars therefor. After the close of the war Mr. Brown casually made the acquaintance of William L. Meyers, of the Tiffin Tribune, who proved a fast, firm friend, and proposed that, since Bellevue was an excellent place to establish a paper, they embark together in the enterprise. They did so, but at the end of the first six weeks Mr. Meyers be- came discouraged and sold his interest to his partner for four hundred and fifty dol- lars, on a year's time. Mr. Brown him- self had had but two years' experience in editorial work, and never managed an

office on his own responsibility; hence he entered upon it with fear and trembling, almost certain he would fail inside the first six months. The outfit of type was purchased of the Franklin foundry, amount- ing to eight hundred and twenty-three dollars. A six-column Washington hand press and a half-medium Wells' jobber was purchased second-hand of other par- ties, for two hundred and thirty-seven dollars. This comprised the outfit. On Saturday, August 10, 1867, the first num- ber of

THE BELLEVUE GAZETTE

saw the light. The interest taken by the business men in the success of the paper is shown by the material aid they accorded it. C. A. Willard, a leading business man, solicited all the subscriptions. Business men pledged one thousand two hundred dollars, deposited in Sinclair's bank, to be paid at the first issue, and taken in adver- tising during the first year, which was con- scientiously done, and made the capital used by the energetic, intelligent, and careful management of Mr. Brown, insur- ing success.

At the time the first number was print- ed, an all-absorbing interest gathered around the press. Indeed, the room was full, and as the clean, handsome twenty- four-column sheet was taken off the press, Mr. Willard's rhapsody was beyond ex- pression. Peter Brady, present village mayor, was present, and as deeply inter- ested as any until, in looking over the church notices, the blunder was discovered of dubbing him Rev. Peter Brady, pastor of the Catholic church. This was too much, and any idea that the editor may have had that Mr. Brady was a member of the clerical profession was immediately dispelled then and there. Proper correc- tion being made, the printing of the edi- tion proceeded.

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'HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

Under Mr. Brown's careful manage- ment and the fulfillment of every anticipa- tion the citizens may have had as to the benefits the village would derive from the paper, it proved an unbounded success, and all fears on his part of a failure were dispelled like clouds before the morning sun. In the course of the next three years Mr. Brown purchased a Hoe cylinder rail- road press at a bargain, one which origi- nally belonged to Dan Rice, and was used to print his show bills. This enabled him to branch out in the business. He, there- fore, engaged in furnishing ready-prints for other offices, and introduced steam. Busi- ness increased on his hands until Mr. Aiken, the originator of the ready-print method of publishing newspapers, made him a very advantageous offer to accept the management of a new establishment in Cincinnati, which he did, and ultimately became, as he is now, the sole proprietor- only another example of what pluck, en- ergy, and good management will do.

Mr. E. J. Hammer bought the Gazette when Mr. Brown went to Cincinnati, en- tering upon its management July 1, 1874. Mr. Hammer was not a large man, but had large ideas, aspiring to greater things than the conduct of a one-horse country pa- per. Although that was very well done, yet his more ambitious views led him to unite with Geogre B. Pratt to start the Norwalk Chronicle, which, being a county paper, was a step, at least, in the direction of ex- celsior. He finally turned the Gazette over to his father, Rev. George Hammer, of Van Wert, Ohio. The old gentleman, though very kindly disposed, had little or no practical skill in the publishing busi- ness, hence found it an elephant on his hands. In the spring of 1877, he sold it to Messrs. C. D. Stoner and S. C. Thomp- son, under whose care the paper throve, finding a cordial, generous support among the people of the community, whose at-

tachment for an old friend was proof against mismanagement of the former pro- prietors, as well as the machinations of enemies. In the fall of 1879 Mr. Thomp- son retired from the paper, and C. D. Stoner conducted it until the following year, when he associated with himself Mr. C. R. Callighan, a promising young man, under the firm name of Stoner & Callig- han, who continue the publication with a fair degree of success.

At the time, Mr. E. J. Hammer had started the Chronicle, and therefore con- templated the sale of the Gazette, as well as removal to Norwalk, H. F. Baker, son of Hiram Baker, one of the early pioneer settlers in Lyme township, proposed to buy it, but, unable to agree upon the price, he decided to purchase new material and start another paper. He had really no experience in the printing business, but his son, H. L. Baker, had mastered some of the intricacies of the trade in the Gazette office, and having a natural tact for it, they together hoped to make their venture a success. This determination was acted upon; an office was opened in the new Union block, and on Thursday, October 21, 1875, the first number of

THE BELLEVUE LOCAL NEWS

was issued. The paper flourished from the start. Being managed with full ayer- age ability, and by those brought up in the community, well versed in all its lore, it represents the local interests of the town with greater intensity than any other has been able to do. In April, 1878, Mr. Baker purchased the old Burlington stone building, contiguous to the new city hall, and tearing down the old front, rebuilt of brick in the same style of the city hall, which together make as fine a block among the many fine business houses as the town can boast. The proprietors put steam presses and engine into their new quarters and are conducting a flourishing business.

J.B Mc PHERSON

THE MCPHERSON MONUMENT AT CLYDE, OHIO.

CHAPTER XXII. MILITARY HISTORY.

The War of 1812-Mexican War-Volunteers of the War of the Rebellion, with Brief Histories of Regi" ments Recruited in whole or in part in Sandusky County.

T THE war of the Revolution was history, the Indian wars in which Wayne's memorable campaign occurred, the mem- orable battles at sea, the battles of Tippe- canoe and the Thames under Harrison, the last gun fired by Jackson at New Or- leans had ceased to reverberate, Packen- ham had surrendered, and the War of 1812 brought to a glorious termination by American valor, before Sandusky county, as a civil and political organization, came into existence.

Although the county was not organized until several years after the close of the War of 1812, a number of the soldiers of that war were pioneer settlers and aided in the organization. Amongst these we are able to give the following names, not doubting that there were others whose names cannot now be obtained. Among those soldiers of the war with England commonly designated as the War of 1812, who are known to have been here when the county was organized, we give the fol- lowing: David Gallagher, Jeremiah Ever- ett, Thomas L. Hawkins, Charles B. Fitch, Captain Jonathan H. Jerome, Israel Harrington, Josiah Rumery, and James Justice.

The county, however, embraces ground rendered memorable by the War of 1812, and such localities as Fort Stephenson, in the present city of Fremont, and Ball's battle ground, in Ballville township, are places of which our people are proud, and from which they still inhale the inspiration of true patriotism. The war with Mexico offered the citizens of the county their

first opportunity to display their zeal in the military service of the country. In the spring of 1847, a company of infantry was promptly recruited by Captain Samuel Thompson, a veteran who was wounded in the battle of Lundy's Lane, in the War of 1812. The members of this company were:

COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Captain Samuel Thompson.

First Lieutenant Isaac Knapp.

Second Lieutenant George M. Tillotson.

Second Lieutenant Lewis Leppelman.

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS.

Orderly Sergeant Isaac Swank.

Sergeant Thomas Pinkerton.

Sergeant Michael Wegstein.

Sergeant James R. Francisco.

Corporal John Williams.

Corporal John M. Crowell.

Corporal Benjamin Myers.

Corporal Edward Leppelman.

Musician Charles Everett.

Musician Grant Forgerson.

PRIVATES.

William Scothorne, David Beery, C. D. Bishop, David Mowry, Joseph Stout, John Quinn, David Sane, David Beagel, John Beagel, Charles Faught, Charles Dennis, Samuel Faught, Timothy Wilcox, Franklin Dirlam, Frank Rathbun, Hosea Maxham, Henry McMillen, George A. Wheeler, Byron Wheel- er, David Westfall, Albert Stinson, W. L. Engst, George Smith, Henry Swint, Sebastian Smith, John Deterly, Christian Steblin, Jacob Gugle, Jacob Ful- ler, Alexander Hartdrink, G. F. Wisner, L. D. Bunce, John Linebaugh, Darwin Clark, David Morton, Mar- tin Zeigler, George Newman, William Parrish, Elias Shawl, Lewis Barkimer, Levi Hufford, Holly New- ton, Elias Lowens, John McConnel, Samuel Hartly, John Stull, David Garret, Monroe Coffin, Erastus Honeywell, John G. Bartow, John J. Clark, Henry Lovejoy, Evan Davis, George Beem, Barzillia Inman, Holly Seeley, Theodore Fitzgerald, Frank Robbins, Charles Michael, Jacob Yanny, John Davis, John Fabing, James Van Pelt, Henry Fisher, Daniel Ben- der, George W. Kershner, Frederick Grider, Fred-

241

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

erick Weiker, Jacob Sabley, Lewis Newcomer, Pat- rick Dougherty, Richard Cowper, Thomas Mason, Charles Cook, Charles Fitch.

After Captain Thompson had enlisted the required number of men for his com- pany, he was ordered to report at Cincin- nati. The company travelled by wagons from Lower Sandusky, now Fremont, to Perrysburg, where canal-boats were fur- nished for their further movement. Thence they were transported through the Miami Canal to Cincinnati on the same boats. They arrived at Cincinnati in due time, and in June, 1847, were mustered into service in the Fourth regiment of Ohio Volunteers, then forming in that city.

The Fourth regiment of Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, of which this company, C, now formed a part, were:

Colonel Charles H. Brough. Lieutenant-Colonel Augustus Moore. Major William P. Young. Surgeon Oliver M. Langdon. Assistant Surgeon Henry E. Foote.

The regiment was transported by steam- boat down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to a place called Carleton, eight miles above New Orleans. From New Orleans the regiment was transported by steamer to Brazos Santiago, Texas, thence it marched to the mouth of the Rio Grande River. From the mouth of the the Rio Grande the regiment moved by water transportation to Matamoras; thence to Vera Cruz, where the regiment was in- corporated into, and became part of Brevet Major-General Joseph Lane's brigade.

At Vera Cruz Captain Thompson re- turned home, on account of age and dis- ability, and from that time the command of the company devolved upon Lieuten- ant Knapp through the entire war.

The company, with the brigade, left Vera Cruz on the afternoon of Sunday, September 19, 1847. At this time Gen- eral Lane's brigade consisted of a battery of five pieces from the Third regiment

United States artillery, under Captain George Taylor, also a battery of two pieces from the Second artillery, under First Lieutenant Henry C. Pratt, Lewis's cav- alry, Simon's battalion, Fourth regiment Indiana volunteer infantry, and Fourth regiment of Ohio volunteer infantry, com- manded by Colonel Charles H. Brough. A part of the road between Vergara and Puentade Marino, lay through sand ridges almost destitute of verdure, and the sol- diers were obliged to push the artillery carriages up many of the steep ascents, on account of the large, deep ruts which had been formed. General Lane and his staff accompanied the brigade. About night-fall the brigade halted for the night at a little hamlet called Santa Fe. Here were found signs of the ravages of war, in the blacked and charred remains of the beautiful little hamlet. It had been the scene of a fight on the 25th of March, 1847, between Harney, with his dragoons, and a body of Mexicans. At this place the command camped for the night.

The brigade marched thence with vari- ous interesting incidents, to the National bridge. This bridge is an ancient struc- ture, and a brief description of it will be interesting to the general reader, and especially so to those who have an in- terest in what the volunteers from San- dusky saw on their march, as well as where they went. The National bridge of Mex- ico is a magnificent structure, and crosses the Rio Antaiqua, a swift stream which „rises near the base of Mount Orizaba, and rests on a number of arches. The mason- ry is of the most durable character. It was finished in the year 1776, and at that date, 1847, near three-quarters of a cen- tury after its completion, showed no sign of decay or displacement. At the middle of the bridge is a monument giving the date of its commencement and its com- pletion, and by it are stone seats for weary

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

travellers. There is a strong wall on each side of the bridge, running the whole length of it, which is between three and four feet high. Midway between the east and west ends of the bridge there is a high rocky eminence on which a fort was built by the Mexican empire. The bridge was formerly called Puente del Rey, or the Bridge of the King, but after Mexico became a republic the name was changed to Puenta Nacional, or National Bridge, and was a point of great military impor- tance during the revolutions in Mexico. This bridge, with surrounding scenery, travelers say without doubt forms one of the most sublime landscapes in Mexico. The brigade of which the San- dusky volunteers formed a part, arrived at the National bridge about the 23d of September, 1847. The bridge was then under the control of the American forces, but the possession of it had cost several severe struggles and the loss of more than a hundred brave men. Finally Colonel Hughes, in command of a battalion of Maryland, District of Columbia troops, after a hard struggle obtained possession of the fort at the summit of the rocky ele- vation, and thenceforward there was no more trouble from that fort. This action took place on the 9th of September, and about two weeks before General Lane's brigade arrived at that point.

The ascent of this eminence, which was necessary to dislodge the Mexicans, was, if possible, more difficult than that of Lookout Mountain. Historians say that. the only way the men could get up, was to pull themselves up by clinging to the roots and branches of the shrubs which covered the rocks on the sides of the steep acciivity.

The brigade pushed forward, passing the battle ground of Cerro Gordo, and reach- ing the city of Jalapa on the afternoon of the 30th of September, 1847.

Although it would be interesting to de- scribe minutely the marches, incidents, country, and scenery through which our Sandusky boys passed, still such narration would involve a portion of the history of the Mexican War, and would hardly be perti- nent to our history of the county-still, to show the true state of affairs, and why Lane's brigade was urged on to Pueblo, it is proper to say, that when General Scott advanced upon the city of Mexico, which is seventy miles from Pueblo, he left Colonel Childs, of the artillery, at Pueblo with a body of men to guard the city, and protect the sick who were in the hospitals to the number of eighteen hundred men. The force left under the command of Colonel Childs numbered in all three hun- dred and ninety-three men. The cured from the hospitals afterward swelled this force to the number of fourteen hundred effective men.

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History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 35

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040