History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 57

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 57

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The request was granted and he was confirmed as such in December, 1863.

Mc Pherson was given command of the district of Vicksburg, a well-earned com- pliment. During the winter his old chiefs, Grant and Sherman, were advanced, and in order of merit the command of the Army of the Tennessee fell to McPherson. He assumed the duties of his new position March 26, 1864. He repaired at once to Nashville and was present when the Geor- gia campaign was planned, before the glorious results of which were realized he was sleeping in an honored grave. The Army of the Tennessee was at this time widely scattered. The Seventeenth Corps was absent on ve'eran furlough : the Fif- teenth and Sixteenth Corps were stationed from Huntsville to Memphis, while a por- tion was reinforcing Banks in the Red River campaign. McPherson at once concentrated these scattered forces and

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by the 5th of May had his columns in hand at Ringgold, Georgia. Two days later he commenced his march on Resaca, making the first flank movement of the celebrated Atlanta campaign.

We can not detail this whole campaign in which the Army of the Tennessee took so conspicuous a part. Nowhere in the Rebellion was finer generalship displayed than by Johnston in blocking the progress of Sherman's superior army. But John- ston was succeeded at a critical point by Hood-McPherson's classmate at West Point. On the 17th of July, after a long series of engagements, generally success- ful, we find Sherman's army thus disposed before Atlanta, ready to move on the de- fences of the city: The Army of the Cumberland, under Thomas, occupied the right and the right centre, resting on the river northwest of the city; the Army of the Ohio, under Schofield, occupied the left centre, and the Army of tlie Tennes- see took a position on the left, thus throw- ing Thomas and Schofield in front of the enemy's main line of fortifications. On the 18th McPherson, by a rapid swing, struck the Georgia railroad about fifteen miles northeast of the city, at Stone Moun- tain, and broke up four miles of road which brought supplies to the besieged city from the east. Schofield occupied Decatur, six miles east of Atlanta, and Thomas moved his forces toward Peach Tree Creek, north of Atlanta. On the 19th McPherson and Schofield passed eastward of Decatur, while Thomas, though meeting strong opposition, crossed from the north of Peach Tree Creek, in front of the enemy's entrenched lines. The Fed- eral forces on the morning of the 20th then lay in a curved line from the railroad running northwest across the Chattahoo- chee, to beyond the Georgia railroad east of Atlanta. The position of the armies changed little during this or the following

day, although on the afternoon of the 20th Hooker, after a severely contested battle, repulsed an attempt of Hood to force through a gap between the armies of Scho- field and Thomas. On the 2 1st Leggett's division of the Seventeenth Corps, under McPherson, carried a strong point com- manding the city and the two main roads leading north and south. This was a strongly fortified hill which the rebels made two desperate but unsuccessful at- tempts to recover.

On the morning of the 22d the advance lines of the enemy were found abandoned, which led Sherman to believe that Hood meant to evacuate the city. He ordered a general advance, but McPherson was more prudent. He well knew the charac- ter of his old classmate and antagonist. Orders had been received from Sherman to employ the Sixteenth Corps, under Dodge, to break up the railroad, and with the rest of his command to move rapidly upon the city. Skirmish lines were ad- vanced and McPherson, in company with Logan, made a personal examination of the fortifications from the crest of the hill overlooking the works and the city. Few persons could be seen either behind the fortifications or in the streets. Suspecting Hood's design to suddenly fall upon the advancing columns from the side and rear, McPherson, after giving some general directions to Logan and Dodge to main- tain their positions, hastened to Sherman's headquarters to the right. His explana- tion to Sherman of the situation was in- terrupted by the sound of battle at the extreme left, which confirmed his suspi- cions. At full speed he rushed toward the sound. He found the Sixteenth Corps facing the left flank and struggling firmly against an assault of terrible fierceness. The Seventeenth Corps was maintaining their fortified eminence, but between the two was a gap through which it was feared

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the enemy would force his way and cut off the Seventeenth Corps. Behind this gap lay a wood, through which a narrow road led to the eminence occupied by the Seventeenth Corps. McPherson, after sending his staff on various errands, ac- companied by a single orderly, dashed along this road to the wood. He was met by a staff officer and informed that the Seventeenth Corps was being severely pressed by an overwhelming force. After a moment's hesitation the staff officer, John T. Raymond, was hurried back with orders to General Leggett to form his lines with all possible speed, parallel to the road. McPherson then, at full speed, hurried along the fated road, but already the enemy was crowding down into the gap. A shrill "halt!" rang out from be- hind the trees. The faithful steed, quickly obeying his master's bidding, dashed into the thick wood, followed by a volley from the skirmish line in gray. A minute later the riderless horse, with two wounds, came out of the thicket, while the brave, loved General of the Army of the Tennes- see lay dying with lacerated lung and shat- tered spine. The subsequent battle is best described by Logan, who succeeded to the command :

The news of his death spread like lightning speed along the lines, sending a pang of keenest sorrow to every heart as it reached the ear. But especially ter- rible was the effect upon the Army of the Tennes- see. It seemed as though a burning, fiery dart had pierced every breast, tearing asunder the flood gates of grief; but at the same time heaving to their very depths the fountains of revenge, the clenched hands seemed to sink into the weapons they held, and from the eyes gleamed forth flashes terrible as lightning. The cry, "McPherson! McPherson!" rose above the din of battle, and as it ran along the lines swell- ed in power, until the roll of musketry and booming of cannon seemed drowned by its echoes.

McPherson again seemed to lead his troops, and where he leads, victory is sure; each officer and sol- dier, from the succeeding commander to the lowest private, beheld, as it were, the form of their bleeding chieftain leading them on in battle. "McPherson," and "onward to victory," were the only thoughts;

bitter, terrible revenge their only aim. There was no such thought that day of stopping short of victory or death. The firm, spontaneous resolve was to win the day or perish with the slain leader on the bloody field. Fearfully was his death avenged that day. His army, maddened by his death and utterly reckless of life, rushed with savage delight into the fiercest onslaughts, and fearlessly plunged into the very jaws of death. As wave after wave of Hood's daring troops dashed with terrible fury upon our lines, they were hurled back with a fearful shock, breaking their columns into fragments, as the granite headland breaks into foam the ocean billows. Across the nar- row line of works raged the fierce storm of battle, the hissing shot and bursting shell raining death on every hand. Over dead and dying, friends and foes, rushed the swaying hosts, the shout of rebels con- fident of victory only drowned by the battle cry " McPherson " which went up from the Army of the Tennessee.

Many thousand rebels bit the dust ere the night closed in, and the defeated and baffled enemy, after failing in their repeated and desperate assaults upon our lines, were compelled to give up the hopeless contest. Though compelled to fight in front and rear, victory crowned our arms.

A detail of Union troops recovered the body, which was taken to the headquarters of the com- manding General, and the following day was sent to its final resting place, in the beautiful cemetery at Clyde. Sherman wept bitterly, and Grant assured the broken-hearted, devoted mother, and affectionate grandmother, that their sorrow could not exceed his. But weeping was not confined to generals and friends at home. The rank and file of the Army of the Tennessee felt that they had lost a devoted personal friend. Their acquaintance was short, it is true, but so kind-hearted, so devoted to their comfort and safety had he been, that their admiration of his gentle manhood and splendid gallantry amounted to nothing less than love. Sherman, in his feeling of- ficial announcement said: "General McPherson fell in battle, booted and spurred as the gallant knight and gentleman should wish."

Not his the loss; but the country and the army will mourn his death and cherish his memory as that of one who, though comparatively young, had risen by his merit and ability to the command of one of the best armies which the Nation had called into existence to vindicate its honor and integrity.

History tells us of but few who so blended the grace and gentleness of the friend, with the dignity, courage, faith, and manliness of the soldier.

But most deeply affecting was the funeral scene at Clyde a week later. The pure grief of a tender, devoted mother, and of a doting grandmother, was uncontrollable.

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

The hundreds of strong men who had known the martyr hero from innocent boyhood, who remembered the friendly grasp of his tender hand which had always been extended to his old neighbors and friends during his annual visits home, these wiped with brawny hands from tanned faces, tears of profound sorrow. Mothers, friends of the grief-stricken parent, who had never known the young soldier by any other name than "Jimmie," dampened with weeping the sweet flowers with which fair hands had covered the sad but honorable tomb.

THE M'PHERSON MONUMENT.

General McPherson fell July 22, 1864. One year later the following circular was issued by General Logan :

HEADQUARTERS ARMY OF THE TENNESSEE, LOUISVILLE, Kentucky, July 7, 1865.

Many officers and soldiers of the Army of the Tennessee, having expressed a desire to pay some fitting tribute the memory of their late gallant com- mander, the noble McPherson, who fell in the front of battle, booted and spurred, on the bloody day of the 22d of July, I submit to the several corps and other commanding officers for their consideration the following plan of action :

I would suggest that each regimental commander have lists prepared for subscription, and that those sol- diers of the army who may desire to subscribe regis- tei their names theron; as soon as the lists have been completed, that they, with the funds raised, be for- warded to the brigade commander, and by him trans- mitted for the purchase a nd erection of a suitable monument at the grave of that gallant soldier. As soon as the monument has been erected these lists should be deposited at the grave.

I would further suggest as a member of the ex- ecutive committee, Major General William B. Hazen, Brevet Major General M. D. Leggett and Brevet- Brigadier-General A. Hickenlooper, citizens of Mc- Pherson's native State, and in every way fitted to discharge the duty of their position.

Corps commanders will please take such steps in the matter as will insure the result desired.

JOHN A. LOGAN, Major General.

These circulars were distributed, as directed, among the soldiers of the vari- ous corps, at the first regular meeting of the Society of the Army of the Tennes-

see, in Cincinnati, 1866. Reports were received, showing that three thousand nine hundred and fifty-six dollars had been received for the fund toward erect- ing a monument to General McPherson. The minutes of that meeting also show that a strong effort was made to have the McPherson monument located at West Point instead of Clyde. General Hick- enlooper strongly opposed the proposed change of location. In a letter to Gen- eral Hazen he said :

The subscriptions thus far received have been al- most entirely from the rank and file of the army which McPherson commanded-probably two-thirds from his own corps-with the distinct understanding that the monument would be erected over his re- mains at Clyde. The feeling which prompted this action on the part of his officers and men was not such as usually actuates men to subscribe to such an object; it was not so much for the purpose of per- petuating his military success and renown, but as a testimonial of their love and affection for the man. The feelings of the mother, who gave such a son to her country, together with the remaining members of the family, should be consulted, and they are decidedly opposed to the removal of his remains to the Point, if a monument can be erected at Clyde. It appears very absurd to erect a monument at West Point, and leave the place where he was born and raised, and where his remains now lie, unmarked and uncared for.

The matter of location was discussed at some length during the first regular meeting of the society, and finally a res- olution was adopted :

That we, the members of the Society of the Army of the Tennessee, pledge ourselves to the erection of a monument to the memory of Major General James B. McPherson, to be placed over his remains at Clyde, Ohio.

CLYDE M'PHERSON MONUMENT SOCIETY.

On the 3d of August, 1866, McPher- son Monument Society of Clyde was or- ganized. Its officers were General R. P. Buckland, of Fremont, president, and Captain John M. Lemmon, of Clyde, secre- tary. The whole cost of the monument was to be eleven thousand dollars and the Clyde society pledged itself to raise three thousand dollars of the amount. This

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money was all subscribed and most of it paid in. Besides supplying three thousand dollars of the monument fund, the Clyde society has greatly beautified the cemetery wherein lie the remains of the fallen hero. Through the efforts of General Buckland and Captain John M. Lemmon, Congress had been induced to grant an appropriation of four iron can- non, four bronze cannon, one thousand muskets and twenty-five cannon balls, which have been placed in the cemetery by the side of the monument.

General James B. McPherson was born in a small frame house in the extreme northeastern limits of the city, and the cemetery wherein he now lies, with his father and two brothers, once formed a portion of the homestead of the McPher- son family. His mother's neat, white cot- tage now stands just at the edge of the graveyard, and through a latticed window she gazes with tearful eyes upon the stately monument erected to the memory of her hero son.

The statue of General J. B. McPherson is pronounced a perfect piece of art. The pedestal is of granite, nine feet in height and six and one-half feet at the base. The figure, which is also nine feet in height, and composed of bronze, represents the

commander in full military uniform, with sword, belt, and hat. The left hand holds a field-glass, while the right hand and arm are extended, as if pointing to where the battle rages fiercest.

The piece is from the Cincinnati art foundry of Rebisso, Mundhenk & Co., who are also the designers and sculptors of the equestrian statue of McPherson erected at Washington three years ago. The statue occupies a high knoll, the most commanding point in the beautiful little cemetery, just at the edge of the city, where it forms a most imposing central figure.

The unveiling ceremonies, July 22, 1881, were attended by about fifteen thousand people, a large number of mil- itary societies and distinguished military men. A procession more than a mile long was formed at 1 o'clock, and at 2 o'clock marched to the cemetery, where the assemblage was called to order by the president of the day, General R. B. Hayes. The statue was unveiled by General W. T. Sherman; General M. F. Force delivered the dedicatory oration. Formal addresses were delivered by General W. E. Strong and General W. T. Sherman, followed by short addresses by Generals Gibson, Ha- zen, Leggett, Belknapp, and Keifer.

CHAPTER XXIII. COURT AND BAR OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

Notice of the First Court in the County-The First Grand Jury-Some of the Early Judges-Organization of the Court-The Lawyers of Early Times-Their Characteristics, Habits, Talents, etc. - Also, Notice of the Present and Former Members of the Bar.

TN the county clerk's office, carefully preserved, is a little book, six inches 1 wide and about nine inches long, bound in pasteboard covering, without ruling for line or margin. It is, in fact, a very plain book, without any numerical paging. On the top of the first page written upon are the following words, in a fine handwriting: " May Term, 1820." The record in this book then goes on to state :

SANDUSKY COUNTY, May 8, 1820.

In pursuance of a law passed by the Legislature of the State of Ohio, the 12th day of February, one thousand eight hundred and twenty, organizing the oun ty of Sandusky, the court was opened by the sheriff. Present, the Honorable George Tod, presi- dent. Willis E. Brown produced his conimission as sheriff, and was sworn to office. Israel Harrington, David Harold, and Alexander Morrison produced their commissions as associate judges of the court of common pleas of the county of Sandusky, which were read by the clerk, and the said Israel Harring- ton, David Harold, and Alexander Morrison having taken the oaths required by law, took their seats as associate judges of said court. James Williams was appointed clerk pro tem. Whereupon the sheriff re- turned the venire for the grand jurors, and upon it appearing that the venire did not issue thirty days before the return, the array being challenged, the pannel was quashed. Whereupon the sheriff was or- dered to select a new jury from the bystanders, and the following, being legally called, appeared, to-wit : Joshua Davis, Elijah W. Howland, Jonathan H. Țerome, William Morrison, Josiah Rumerv, Nicholas Whitinger, William Andrews, Ruel Loomis, James Montgomery, Caleb Rice, Robert Harvey, Thomas Webb, Elijah Brayton, Charles B. Fitch, and Reuben Bristol ; whereupon Charles B. l'itch was appointed foreman and took the oath prescribed by law, and his fellow jurors, after having taken the same oath, received a solemn charge from the court and retired.

The next business of the court, after sending out

the first grand jury, was the granting of a license to Israel Harrington to keep a tavern at his dwelling house in Sandusky township, for one year, and fixing the price of the license at fifteen dollars.

The court then, on application, ordered the elec- tion of two justices of the peace in tlie township of Thompson. The election was to be held on the first Monday in June, 1820, at the house of Joseph Par- meter.

This Mr. Joseph Parmeter then resided in what is now Green Creek township, on the east side of Green Creek, where the road from Fremont to Green Spring now crosses the creek. He afterwards erected a mill there, and his son, Julius W. Par- meter, occupied the premises for many years after the father died.

Upon application, David Gallagher was then ap- pointed county inspector. Mr. Gallagher then en- tered into bond, according to law, and assumed the duties, which were to see that barrels and packages of pork, whiskey, fish, flour, etc., were of proper quality and of prescribed weight.

Then the court appointed Philip R. Hopkins clerk of the court for the time being, who entered into bond, as required, and was sworn into office after taking the oath of office in open court.

This completed the first day's work of the first common pleas court ever held in Sandusky county.

TUESDAY, May 9, 1820.

The court convened, and there were present the same judges as on the day previous. Letters of ad- ministration were then granted as follows :

To West Barney, on the estate of John Orr. The sureties for Barney were David Gallagher and George Halloway; bond, two hundred dollars; appraisers, Caleb Rice, Anson Gray, and John Eaton.

To Josette Vellard, on the estate of Gabriel Vel- lard; bond, five hundred dollars; sureties, Joseph Mominy and Charles Bibo; appraisers, Asa B. Gavit, Halsey Forgerson, and Thomas Forgerson.

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

To Moses Nichols, on the estate of Aaron T. Kerr; bond, two hundred dollars; sureties, David Gallagher and Jeremiah Everett.

License was, on this second day of the court, May 9, 1820, granted to Morris A. Newman to keep a tavern at his dwelling in Croghansville, for one year, for the price of hfteen dollars.

The court on the same day ordered two justices of the peace to be elected in the township of Seneca, on the first Monday in June, 1820, the election to be held at the dwelling house of West Barney, in said township.

License to William Andrews to keep a tavern at his dwelling house in Sandusky township, for one year, for the price of fifteen dollars.

License also to Samuel Cochran to keep a tavern for one year at his dwelling house in Sandusky town- ship, for six dollars.

Thereupon the grand jury came into and pre- sented a bill of indictment against Almeron Sands, for assault and battery on the body of Calvin Leezen.

To lawyers and to others who are fond of old-fashioned things, the record of the plea of Sands and the disposi- tion made of it, will be interesting, not only for the matter of the record and the terms used, but as the first judgment of a court in the county. We give the pro- ceeding, therefore, verbatim as found in the record, the indictment being indorsed, "A True Bill, by Charles B. Fitch, fore- man of the Grand Jury:"

Almeron Sands being arraigned at the Bar, and it being demanded of him how he would acquit him- self of the charge in the Indictment contained and set forth, Pleads and says he is guilty thereof and puts himself upon the mercy of the court. There- upon it is considered ordered and adjudged by the court that the said Almeron Sands be fined in the sum of fifteen dollars, to be paid into the treasury of Sandusky county, and also all the costs of this pros- ecution, and that execution issue therefor.

The Indians at that time, 1820, were quite numerous in and about Lower San- dusky (now Fremont), as well as in other parts of Ohio. The red man, as well as the white, was almost sure to have his fighting proclivities waked into action by whiskey. After many sad tragedies result- ing from the drunkenness of the aborig- ines, the State Legislature made it a penal offence to sell intoxicating liquors to Ind-

ians. The untutored child of the forest loved whiskey as well as the white man, and every licensed tavern keeper could, at that time, sell intoxicating liquor to the white man by the drink or larger quantity, but he was prohibited from selling to the Indian. True, the white man then, as now, was more likely to fight when under the influence of liquor, but he was not so free in the use of deadly weapons when in that condition as the Indian, who always car- ried his butcher-knife and tomahawk about his person, hence the discrimination in the law in the penalty between selling whiskey to the white man and the red.

Whiskey plenty for the white man, Not a drop for the red. The Indian must keep sober While the whites lay drunk in bed.

On the second day of the term, May 9, 1820, the grand jury returned six more in- dictments, three of which were for selling intoxicating liquor to Indians. One against Calvin Leezen, a tavern keeper, one against George G. Olmsted, a mer- chant, and one against Ora Bellows, a trader; one for nuisance against ' John Kirkendale and Guy Dudley, and one for same offence against Augustus Fexier ; and one for riot against John Holbrook and others. The court then adjourned until May 10, 1820, at 10 o'clock A. M.

The court journal for each of these two days is regularly signed by the presiding judge, George Tod. Judge Tod doubt- less left the place after signing the journal of that day, for on the next morning court was opened anc. conducted by Associate Judges Morrison, Harrington, and Har- old, who transacted the business of the day and adjourned the court without day. Amongst other things done by the asso- ciate judges, after Judge Tod left, was the order fixing the charges for ferrying across the Sandusky River:

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For a footman 61/4 cents.

For a man and a horse. 1212 cents.

For a wagon and one horse. .25 cents.

For a wagon and two horses, .371/2 cents.

For a wagon and four horses. . 50 cents.

Thus we see that at that early day, al- though at the usual stage of water the trav- ellers forded the river above the mill at the rapids, ferrying was resorted to in order to cross when the river was high. This ferry was located where the new iron bridge now crosses the stream.

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History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 57

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