USA > Ohio > Wayne County > History of Wayne county, Ohio, from the days of the pioneers and the first settlers to the present time > Part 68
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Mr. Lawrence has a very extensive and thorough acquaintance with the people of Wayne county, and is widely and generally known as a good and useful citizen. In Plain township, where he lived for a great many years, he established the reputation of a practical business man, pursuing the occupation of surveyer, in conjunction with the management of the farm. In 1855 he was elected as one of the Trustees of the township, and in 1861 was re- elected.
In 1838 he was chosen by the popular majority of his party to the office of Surveyor of Wayne county, which office he filled for six consecutive years in a manner creditable to himself and satis- factory to the community. He is a man of solid, natural sense, of well-sustained judgment, who, notwithstanding his professional and agricultural pursuits, has not omitted intellectual cultivation and attention to books. In this respect Mr. Lawrence, perhaps, differs from more notable readers, in that he has an excellent memory, and the faculty, as well as facility, of remembering, digesting and utilizing what he reads. He is industrious and fru- gal, and possessed of most remarkable energy and fortitude of purpose. His vital powers are yet strong, although he has passed his three-score and ten. He has labored hard, and has been re- warded. His life has been an active one, and by practicing some of his knowledge of the philosophy of living, he has attained his present age, and has years of activity, comfort and usefulness be- fore him. He is a born mechanic, and, if he could have inter- preted the voice of nature, he would have been a physician. He has devoted many years to the study and anatomy of the diseases of domestic animals, and is one of the pioneer veterinarians of Wayne county.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence celebrated their "golden wedding" September 20, 1877, on which occasion there were present ten children, seventeen of their thirty- two grandchildren, one great-grandchild and a large number of friends, who as- sembled at the old home to extend to the aged couple their congratulations, after fifty years of married life. Through Rev. H. L. Wiles, D. D., the sons presented their father with a very costly gold-headed cane, inscribed with, " Presented to
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John A. Lawrence by his sons, George W., John F., Henry H., Isaiah E. and Levi B., at his 'golden wedding,' near Wooster Ohio, September 20, 1877." The daughters likewise gave their mother a pair of elegant gold spectacles, the same being presented by Rev. W. J. Sloan. After the presentation speeches Mr. Law rence responded in some very touching remarks, replete with wholesome advice and affectionate gratitude to his children.
He is a prominent member of the Evangelical Lutheran church of the city of Wooster.
William Taggart removed to Wayne county, and was married to Lydia Reiter, daughter of William Reiter, of Wooster township and died in December, 1862. He had nine children, seven o: whom are living, to wit: James, William R., Samuel, Joseph Amos, Emmet, Isaac, John, Catharine, and one unnamed, that died in infancy. James Taggart, William Taggart and Joseph Taggart are farmers in Wayne county and are excellent citizens -men of honor, industry and integrity. Emmet Taggart is a produce dealer in Akron, Ohio, and a shrewd, wide awake business man. Isaac Taggart resides in Stark county, and is Superintendent of the Schools in Canal Fulton.
The subject of this notice was possessed of strong natural qual. ities of mind, was an intelligent, energetic, enterprising and pros perous farmer, identifying himself with all public improvements, and especially devoted to the advancement of the claims of agri- culture. He was President of the Wayne County Agricultural Society for a number of years, and acted as Delegate to the State Agricultural Convention several times. He was a man of intellect well informed in history and politics, was an ardent supporter of the war measures of the Government, a good talker and a fluent debater, and, all-in-all, possessed of rare natural abilities. He was for many years a member of the Baptist church, was a useful mem- ber of community, and was widely known throughout the State.
John Walter .- This well-known citizen was born in Pennsylva- nia in 1785, and soon thereafter settled in Virginia. His wife was also a native of Pennsylvania. They were married March 22, 1821, at Martinsburg, Berkley county, Va. Five years thereafter they removed to Wayne county, where they permanantly re. sided until their death, a period of about fifty years. Shortly after their appearance in Wooster they occupied the building on the corner where at present stands the splendid business block of John Zimmerman, Esq. Here for eight years they kept hotel,
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
known by the name of "Sign of the Swan." Then they quit busi- ness in the town and removed to a farm two miles south-east of Wooster, where they lived until old age and death. Mr. Walter's family consists of two sons and four daughters. The eldest daugh- ter, and oldest born of the family, married Anthony Wright, of Wooster; the second daughter, Sarah, in 1854, married the re- nowned Herr Driesbach, now deceased; the third daughter, Han- nah, married Dr. Benjamin J. Jones of Wooster ; the youngest of the family is Miss Belle, unmarried.
Philip Troutman, son of Michael Troutman, deceased, of Wayne township, was born January 1, 1824, and was married January 3, 1854, to Pleasant Ann Johnson, a sister of Isaac Johnson, Esq., of the city of Wooster. He removed from Wayne township to the south-west corner of Wooster township in 1853, and has since re- sided there. He is a born farmer and stock-raiser, owns a beauti- ful farm in a high state of cultivation, to the careful supervision of which he devotes himself.
John Reider was born in Lancaster county, Pa., October 6, 1800. His father's name was John, and he was a farmer and miller. He subsequently removed to Dauphin county, Pa., and purchased a mill property, and here young John had full play for his muscle in teaming, and such other work as was to be performed.
He removed to Wooster township, Wayne county, in 1827, and settled upon the farm now owned by Thomas Carson, purchasing it-one hundred and seventy-six acres-from Oliver Jones, one of the pioneers of 1812. On his arrival and settlement in Wooster township, his nearest neighbors were David Kimpton, William Kimpton, John Robison, George Pomeroy, John Sturgeon, Rob- ert Hall, Thomas Culbertson, James Wilson, James Hunter, Thos. Pomeroy, Jacob Loop, Neal Richard and Joseph Power.
Mr. Reider has been twice married, first to Elizabeth Weltner, of Lebanon county, Pa., who died October 2, 1862, and by which marriage he had eight children; and second to Anna Champ, wife of Henry Bair, deceased, December 31, 1863. Mr. Reider is a member of the Baptist church, of Millbrook.
Alexander Mc Bride was born in Westmoreland county, Pa., on the 4th of August, 1785. He was of Scotch-Irish parentage- Scotch on the paternal and Irish on the maternal side. On the
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roth of February, 1809, he was joined in wedlock to Ann Julia Kelly, of Fayette county, of the State of his nativity.
In the autumn of 1813 he arrived in Wayne county, and entered a quarter-section of land two and one-half miles south-west of Woos- ter. In the vastness and silence of the woods he set to work clear- ing and cutting the timber from about six acres of land, sowing it in wheat, and erecting a cabin of rude logs for a habitation. He then returned to his home in Westmoreland county, and remained with his family during the winter, and on the Ist day of April, 1814, with all his effects in a two-horse wagon, Alexander McBride bent his energies toward the wild and wooded home of his choice. His family then consisted of his wife, his two sons, James M. and John, and his daughter Martha. His faithful and chivalrous wife drove the team, he on foot "keeping watch and ward " of three cows, and on the 18th of April they arrived at their forest destiny, on the west bank of the Killbuck.
Mr. McBride promptly "seized opportunity by the hair," and sought to make the log cabin as comfortable as possible. On one side a space was cut for a door, timber was split and laid down for a floor ; a huge white oak tree standing in front of the hut was lev- eled, its parts disposed and erected into a shed for culinary uses, one section of the tree constituting the back wall. In this frontier, aboriginal style, they lived during the summer. During the month of November, he made mortar of clay and cut-straw and daubed the chinks between the logs on the outside of the house, cut a square hole on one of its sides for a window, and the ingress of light; constructed an uncouth sash on which was pasted heavy paper, well lubricated with tallow to render it the more impervious to the elements, and admit more light, built a stick and mud chim- ney on the outside of the cabin, made a door of rough boards which was hung upon wooden hinges and fastened with a wooden latch, made bedsteads out of round poles, and in this style Mr. McBride and family lived for over five years.
At this time corn was one of the absent, but much coveted cereals. The wheat that had been produced the previous year had all been hoarded away for the seed of the ensuing year. Provision of all kinds was scant, and the question of subsistence was a prob- lem. About the middle of June a keel-boat laden with corn, from Chillicothe, arrived and anchored to a tree a few rods above where the covered bridge on the Perrysville road spans the Killbuck. The news spread through the country like wild fire, and in a few
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
days the owner of the cargo disposed of his Indian treasure at two dollars per bushel, though half of it was mouldered and unfit for use.
The Stibbs mill at that time was a boon and blessing. Indians and wolves prowled thickly, and in one instance they audaciously approached Mr. McBride, in bloody pursuit of a pet-lamb that fled to him and cowered at his feet for protection. Bears infested his premises, and a calf enclosed in a rail pen was devoured by bruin within a mile of the house. And here, in these lonely laby- rinths of primitive woods, the rattlesnake infused his deadly poison into the foot of the rash intruders of his ancient domain.
We now pass from the adventurer to the adventurer's wife, and introduce several incidents to illustrate the heroic daring of Mrs. McBride.
One night when the family were in deep slumber in their little cabin, Mrs. McBride had occasion to cough and spit at the back of the bed, when she discov- ered a hissing, rattling sound, whereupon she speedily aroused her husband, when search was instituted for the venomous visitor, aided by an iron lamp, which had been lighted. His hissing highness, however, was not just then detected. The noise soon being repeated, a similar investigation was commenced, and with a quite different sequel. At this juncture Mr. McBride raised one of the floor-puncheons and detected the reptile. This he held up, when his wife grasped an iron shovel, with which she caught and held the snake till Mr. McBride cut off its head with a hoe.
On another occasion when Mr. McBride was out in the surrounding woods in quest of his horses, an enormous black dog, the property of the family, came into the house and lay down on the floor at the foot of the bed. His daughter Martha, then about one year old, was lying on the bed. The dog instantly sprang up, frothing at the mouth, and caught and began shaking the bed-clothes. This neces- sarily alarmed Mrs. McBride, who suddenly threw out the children and rushed out herself, closing the door after her. She now resolved to kill the dog, and was im- mediately possessed of a woman's presence of mind. Grasping an ax, she opened the door slightly, called the dog, to which response was made in thrusting his head out of the door, when she delivered him such a terrific blow that his head was completely severed from his body.
It was under such circumstances that Mrs. McBride could rise even above her sex in active courage, and display in defense of her offspring such examples of self-possession and personal bra- very as clothe her in a new robe of moral grandeur.
Husband and wife and long companions in this lower world, they lived to a ripe old age. Mr. McBride survived his wife a few years and met his untimely death August 20, 1869. He was the father of fourteen children, ten of whom grew to maturity. James,
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John, Henry, Alexander, Martha, Maria, Parthenia, Julia Ann, Margaret and Louisa constituted this latter number.
In the decease of Alexander McBride his family lost a wise counselor and devoted father, whilst society mourns the absence of one of its intelligent and most exemplary members. He was one of the very first men to move in the organization of the Presbyte- rian church, that dates its history from the year 1815, he and Walter Buchanan having been chosen the Ruling Elders. He was a man of stainless integrity and the very soul of honor.
Nathan Warner, Sr., was one of the early settlers of Wayne county. He was a native of the State of New York, where he was born October 31, 1765. He had removed to Ohio as early as 1799, and located at the Moravian Mission (Gnadinhutten) on the Tusca- rawas river, when the nearest mill was seventy-five miles distant. Here he learned to use the hominy block, and by it and the wild meat he procured by hunting, or from the Indians, his family was kept from starving. In the fall of 1811 he established himself three miles west of Wooster, on lands which he had entered in 1810, and upon which he had built a cabin and made some im- provements.
The spring after he settled in the wilderness war was inaugu- rated between England and America. When the news of Hull's Surrender came he packed his goods and gathered together his family and started for his old settlement at Tuscarawas, but, stop- ping in Wooster, sleeping in the block house there, and consulting with parties, concluded to return to his cabin and meet the situa- tion. His cabin being built of hewed logs and a pretty solid struc- ture, he proceeded to convert it into a fort or block-house. He cut post holes, split heavy puncheons for the door and window shut- ters, and gathered in all the implements of the farm for weap- ons, including a large quantity of stones which were taken up stairs to be used in case of attack. There were but nine guns in the neighborhood, four of which belonged to Mr. Warner and his sons. His family was considerably alarmed one night by the rapid firing of musketry in Wooster, supposing the town had been attacked by Indians, but a young man named John Logue soon ar- rived and informed him of the cause of the firing. A company of soldiers was lying at Wooster, and having received orders to move to the front, discharged several vollies before their departure. Not long after this Beall's army camped on his farm and upon that of J. A. Lawrence. At that time he had twelve acres in corn close
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
to the encampment, just in roasting-ear time, Mr. Warner propos- ing to them to help themselves. The officers told him if he ex- tended that privilege they would take it all, whereupon the corn was guarded, and what they wanted they purchased of him at six cents per dozen.
He died May 12, 1844. Mr. Warner embraced religion in early life, joining the Moravian church, but after his arrival in Wayne county he united with the Methodists. For twenty years his house was a preaching place, where the first society in that section was formed, and was kept up until the old log church was built, to which place services were removed, and when another small society united with them, which had been raised at Peter Warner's, a short distance west of Jefferson. Among the earliest settlers in his neighborhood were John Lawrence, David and Azariah Smith, Ebenezer Warner and a Mr. Loag. The first school was built by John Lawrence, on the Thomas farm, just north of the garden and in the orchard. It was a double cabin, in one end of which Lawrence lived, and in the other school was taught; the first teacher was William Whitmore, specimens of whose drawings and penmanship are yet in the neighborhood.
Joshua Warner, son of Nathan, was born in Northampton Co., Pa., July 29, 1798. When but two years of age he removed with his father to Tuscarawas, and thence to Wayne county in 1811. He remained with his father on the farm until his death. His father and boys cut out the State road the length of their land, the Kill- buck bottom being almost impossible to cross, they fording the stream slightly north of the bridge at Joseph Eichar's. The fam- ily helped to build the present road across the bottom, which is almost wholly underlaid with logs. Bears, panthers, wolves, deer and rattlesnakes were in abundance. A portion of Beall's troops encamped at the spring at his late residence. He distinctly re- membered Captain Anderson and Captain Blackburn. Blackburn was a splendid man, and staid with his men on his premises for two weeks. A portion of the soldiers encamped upon the residence of Benjamin Mycrantz, husband of Sophia Silvers. Mr. Warner was of opinion that an artillery company moved in conjunction with Beall's army, and that it passed south of Wooster, crossing the farms occupied by William Wallace and James Lusk, etc. A soldier named Ezekiel Bascomb died at his house, and in his last hours was waited on by a Mr. Coon. He was buried upon a knoll at the forks of the road, south of Hugh Culbertson's. The block-
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WOOSTER TOWNSHIP.
house in which for two week the neighbors gathered at night and slept, was 24x30; it still remains, and is occupied by the family of the deceased, though it has been handsomely repaired and con- verted into a comfortable residence.
The first school-house built in Plain township was south of the house of the late Daniel Silvers, at the curve of, and north of the road, on an open lot, and the first teacher was Judge William Goodfellow. The Methodists organized a society at his father's house as early as 1812, and in 1814 Rev. John Chord and William Odell were circuit preachers, and it was likewise the first Method- ist organization in Wayne county. Quarterly meetings were also held there by distinguished divines like Adam Poe, Bigelow, Chris- tie, Finley, and others. His house was the nucleus of ministers and pious men ; he entertained everybody that came; hung the big kettles on the crane; cooked for all of them, and when the beds were full, spread coverings on the floor for his guests. Amasa Warner was married to Miss L. Foreman, and she and her child were the first persons buried in the Warner graveyard. The father of Joshua Warner deeded these grounds for interment, first for the family burial, but subsequently for the public. Ebenezer Warner and his son Nathan are buried in the old graveyard on the old Benjamin Jones farm; the son, but fifteen years of age, was killed by skids falling upon him at the Jones barn. Sacrilegious vandals for the last several years have been growing wheat and corn over the bones of these honored pioneers.
Mr. Warner was twice married-first, to Margaret Smith, April 24, 1828, who died about six years thereafter ; second, to Rose- anna Edmonds, April 12, 1842. He left nine children and three grandchildren. His family are all members of the Methodist church. After a lingering and painful sickness, he died Tuesday morning, December 18, 1877, in his eightieth year.
The life of Joshua Warner* was a sermon of itself, uttered in
# David E. Warner, of Wooster, a relative, has a family Bible printed in Lon- don, MDCCXII. Ichabod Warner, the ancestor of the great Warner family, immi- grated to America with two brothers, in 1690, but of them and their descendents, nothing is known. A family record holds the dates, birth and members of Icha- bod's children. He was married about 1711, his first child being born December 10, 1712. He would be the great-great-grandfather of David E. Warner, to whom this relic descends. It descended to his father, Samuel E. Warner; to his father, Ezra Warner, born 1762; to his father, Daniel, born 1714. David E. has presented over two hundred curiosities to the University of Wooster, such as a black bear, from the Cascade mountains, Oregon, a large seal, from the Columbia river, one of the revolvers found upon Captain Jack, when captured, Chinese guitar, etc.
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
simplicity and truth. It was characterized by lowliness of spiri and purity of heart and way, devoid of all pretense and distinctly pious and pure. In early life he became a Christian-not a pro- fessor-and fastening on to the truths and promises of the Scrip- tures was carried on to the final triumph. His religious convictions were powerful and solemn; and the thought of life and its deceiving joys, of death and its unseen but sure realities, were ever present with him. He realized the absolute dependency of the soul upon its Giver. He lived in an atmosphere of prayer-" the soul's sin- cere desire." With him what was right was eternally right. He took no backward steps in the cause and work of the Great Teacher, but daily advanced in the better life, until when spoken to by his Master he passed to the reward. He was a man of great evenness of way; of signal earnestness in all things, and most kind and gen- tle disposition.
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SOLDIERS IN THE CIVIL WAR.
1
CHAPTER XXIX.
WAYNE COUNTY SOLDIERS IN THE CIVIL WAR.
"They never fail who die
In a great cause. The block may soak their gore;
Their heads may sodden in the sun ; their limbs Be strung to city gates or castle walls ; But still their spirits walk abroad, though years Elapse, and others share as dark a doom.
They but angment the deep and sweeping thoughts Which overspread all others, and conduct The world at last to Freedom."
To produce a history of the patriotism, courage, discipline and service of the soldiers of Wayne county we have not space, data or ability. Owing to the great variety of topics demanding our attention, any attempt in that direction would re- sult in failure. All we can hope to do is to briefly outline the principal events in their military service.
The part enacted by Wayne county was prompt and conspicuous, having fur- nished, from 1861 to 1865, over 3,200 volunteers, not including a considerable con- script force. The volunteers were distributed among the various regiments, as fol- lows : One company to the 4th Regiment; one to the 16th, in the three months, and five in the three years' service; one to the 4Ist ; five to the 120th ; three to the 102d ; one to the 107th ; three to the 169th National Guards, and a detachment of 30 men to the 85th Ohio. These were all infantry organizations. Wayne county also furnished one company to McLaughlin's Squadron Ohio Cavalry, one com- pany to the 9th Ohio Cavalry, small detachments for several artillery companies, besides many fragmentary enlistments in different infantry organizations.
Fort Sumpter was fired upon April 12, 1861, and that hostile demonstration precipitated civil war. Wooster shared in the patriotic excitement, and recruiting commenced instanter.
The first public meeting of the citizens was held in the Court House, on the evening of April 16, when a wildly patriotic crowd assembled. Hon. William Given was chosen Chairman and James McMillen, Secretary. Patriotic speeches were made by Judge Given, Engene Pardee, William M. Orr, and others. Recruit- ing, however, had been going on previously, and fifty men had been enlisted by James McMillen, Jacob Shultz and R. B. Spink, the company-the pioneer one of Wayne county-being filled out that evening at the meeting. The following, as published at that date, are
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HISTORY OF WAYNE COUNTY, OHIO.
THE NAMES OF THE FIRST VOLUNTEERS:
Jacob Shultz,
L. H. Scoby,
John Hoke,
R. B. Spink,
Henry Headrich,
D. O. Brinkerhoff,
John F. Barrett,
John Springer,
Frank Keehn,
A. S. McClure,
J. S. Swearingen,
Henry Cutter,
J. H. Carr,
David Flack,
Robert Segner,
W. H. McClure,
John C. Pritchard,
H. O. McClarran,
J. W. McClarran,
Joseph Egbert,
Howard Fishburn,
Lemnel Jeffries,
Robert Kennedy,
William Eberly,
James Black,
Anthony A. Black,
Alexander Gray,
William Lawrence,
Henry Swickey,
Cyrus Gray, John F. Lyon,
John Jahla,
Evan Everly,
Marion France,
George Armstrong,
Aaron Kope,
John Fitch,
David Best,
William H. Hanson,
J. B. Sanford,
I. U. Patterson,
Benjamin Kramer,
Clifford Lewis,
George C. Francis,
Matt M. Smith,
George Hite,
J. C. Brandt,
James Kope,
Samuel Gordon,
George Stewart,
John W. Duck,
W. W. Sands,
Thomas McClarran,
Francis M. Anderson,
James McMillen,
George W. Carey,
William Brighton,
Thomas Dice,
C. W. McClure,
John Armstrong,
W. M. Lightcap,
D. S. Cassiday,
Jacob Wilson,
L. S. Lehman,
Joseph J. Lake,
John H. Johnson,
George Mntscheler,
Ezra N. Hoag,
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