USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, Ohio, from the founding of Franklinton in 1797, through the World War period to the year 1920 > Part 8
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The remains of Elisha Kent Kane, Arctic explorer, were brought to Columbus, March 8, 1857, were received and cared for by a committee and lay in state in the Senate chamber. guarded by the State Fencibles. There was a civic and military parade, followed by a meet- ing with speeches in eulogy of the deceased.
Great excitement followed the resignation of W. H. Gibson as Treasurer of State, June 13, 1857, and the immediate appointment of A. P. Stone to the vacancy. The cause was the discovery of a heavy defalcation which subsequent investigation showed to be $574, 112.96. It was also revealed that the defaulter was Gibson's predecessor, John G. Breslin. When Gibson took the office, he concealed the defalcation, being moved to that action by the fact that he was Breslin's brother-in-law and also his surety. Both were condemned in a public indignation meeting; both were indicted and found guilty. Gibson was granted a new trial which was never held. He served his country with distinction during the Civil War and atoned for his part in the crime.
HISTORY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO
Columbus experienced another period of hard times beginning in 1857. Money
was scarce, business men were in debt and there were many failures.
The Wm. G. Deshler home at Broad and Third street, where he lived for 58 years, was built in 1859.
In the same year, both Stephen A. Douglas and Abraham Lincoln visited Columbus. Douglas came September 7 and addressed a meeting on the east terrace of the State House. The speaker's platform was ereeted faeing the building, the acoustic effeet of which was bad; so, when Lincoln came September 10, the platform was built with its back to the building. For this, his first speech in Ohio, Lineoln was introduced by George M. Parsons. Mrs. Alice Corner Brown thus deseribes the two meetings:
It was my happy privilege, in company with my father and mother, to hear the speech of Mr. Douglas and the reply of Mr. Lincoln, both delivered to small audiences on two sombre autumn afternoons. Near the northeast corner of the 10 acre State House square a steam engine was boring an artesian well. It was not noisy, but the sounds were regular and insistent ; and, after speaking a few minutes, Mr. Douglas, looking weary and annoyed, stopped, saying, "I can't speak against a steam engine." As soon as word could reach the engine-driver, the boring ceased and the speech went on. Appeal, not argument; entreaty to change conditions, not recognition of the great trend of events characterized his address. A perfunctory round of applause without enthusiasm punctuated its close, and silently the 200 men who had stood on the ground throughout the harangue dispersed, seemingly not one converted to the plan of voting up or voting down slavery in the territories.
Mr. Lincoln came and was apparently introduced to the same audience. There were seated on the east terrace about a score of women when there came from the Capitol behind the group, a tall, sad-eyed, earnest, grave man. Taking up the assumptions of his rival, he showed the fallacy of the local option of dealing with the extension of slavery into the territories. He indulged in no jokes, no witticisms. The crisis was too real and too awfully pregnant with fate. The impression left on the mind by the address was the vast import of events which no trifling or jugglery or vainglorious and boastful pro-slavery or anti- slavery men could delude the nation into excusing, viz., the invasions of free territory by armed men and the bloody encounters which followed.
At the close of Mr. Lincoln's address, the ladies who had been scated at his right were presented to him. 1 did not then know that I was shaking hands with the next President of the United States, the hero and martyr of the coming crisis in our history.
The artesian well referred to in the preceding comment was one of the vain hopes for a permanent underground water supply. Moved by success in other places and the prospeet of having on State property its own inexhaustiible supply of pure water, the General Assem- bly, in 1857, appropriated $2,500 to make the boring. The work began November 4, 1857, and continued till October 14, 1859, exhausting not only the first appropriation, but also a second of $3,000. Prof. T. G. Wormley made tests in August, 1859, when a depth of 2,025 feet had been reached and found a pressure of 861 pounds per square inch, but no water came. When the bore had reached a depth of 2,328 feet, the effort was abandoned and the mouth of the well was closed with a stone.
With a view to preserving the good will between the states threatened by strife, the General Assembly, in 1860, invited the legislatures of Kentucky and Tennessee to visit Columbus. The invitation was accepted and the visitors arrived, January 26. They were welcomed cordially, entertained with a dinner and departed the following day.
In 1861, Columbus was again visited by Lincoln and Douglas. The former came Febru- . ary 13, this being one of his stopping places while en route to Washington to take up the duties of President. He was met at the station by city and state officials and was escorted through crowded streets, amid cheers and salutes, to the State House. He was introduced to the General Assembly, jointly convened in the hall of the House, and spoke briefly. He also spoke to a throng at the west front of the State House and held a reception in the rotunda. He was entertained at the home of Governor Dennison and left the next morning for Pittsburg and Washington. Douglas stopped on his way from Washington to Chicago. He was beaten and disappointed, but he was none the less a man. He made two speeches here, in each of which he pledged his support of Lincoln in putting down insurrection and preserving the Union.
For about 30 years, beginning in 1827, with a few intervals of inactivity, there was a military organization in Columbus known as the Columbus Guards. From 1837 to 1811, this organization, with Joseph Sullivant as captain, John M. Kerr and Elijah Backus lientenants and M. C. Lilley orderly sergeant had a fine reputation. In 1843 the Guards organiza-
45
CITY LIFE FROM 1834 TO 1860
tion was vitalized by Captain W. F. Sanderson, and in 1846 it was rechristened the Mont- gomery Guards. In 1855 the Columbus Guards reappeared, Captain M. C. Lilley. The two German artillery companies which sought vainly to get into the Mexican war in their original formation, were led by Captains Frankenberg and Jacobs. In 1849 we read of the Columbus Light Guards, Captain George E. Walcutt, and the Columbus Light Artillery, Cap- tain James A. Markland. In 1855 came the State Fencibles, Captain Henry Z. Mills, later Captains J. O. Reamy, Theodore Jones, Joseph Riley and A. O. Mitchell. In 1857 came the Columbus Vedettes, Captain Tyler, and in 1860 the famous Governor's Guards, Captain Isaac H. Marion.
CHAPTER VIII. IN CIVIL WAR TIME.
Columbus a Center of Military Preparation-Camp Jackson and Camp Chase-Prompt Re- sponse by the City to Every Call-Morgan's Raid, the Imprisonment and Escape- Camp Tod and Tod Barracks-News of Lee's Surrender-In Mourning for Lincoln- .Abandonment of Camp Chase-Ohio's War Governors.
By W. Farrand Felch.
On February 13, 1861, Abraham Lincoln, the newly elected President, en route to Washington, stopped at Columbus-an occasion that was made memorable by the excitement ineident to the uncertainty of the future and a demonstration by the military organizations. The bombarding of Fort Sumter, April 13 following, awoke Ohio and the capital city to action. Before the bombardment ended, twenty full companies had been offered to Governor Dennison for immediate service and their enrollment was begun before the Governor's sum- mons had gone out to the state at large. The Governor's Guards, the Vedettes, the Fenci- bles, the Montgomery Guards and the Steuben Guards, all of Columbus, at onee began recruiting. Of the 75 members of the Feneibles who then entered the service of the country, 57 later became commanding officers, ten non-commissioned officers and eight remained as privates.
Columbus at once became a center of military preparation. Every train brought a new contingent. The newspapers found it impossible to announce all enrollments. Their offices were besieged by eager inquirers, day and night. The erisis was so imminent and tremend- ous that there was at first confusion and fear, but with the announcement of a decided policy eame order and calm. Following the President's proclamation, the General Assembly appropriated $1,000,000 for war purposes and authorized the Sinking Fund Commission to borrow money at 6% interest on certificates exempt from state taxation. Cincinnati took one-fourth of the amount, D. W. Deshler's Bank $100,000, and the remainder was soon dis- posed of. Thirteen regiments of troops constituted the first quota; in two days time, men for twice the number had offered themselves. No adequate provision had been made for feeding and sheltering so large a body of men. Volunteers came in gala attire, as if to a political convention or celebration; some wore their best suits and high hats and there were no uniforms for which to exchange civilian garb. Various styles of soldier garb appeared, but that most favored consisted of a red shirt, blue trousers and a felt hat. There were no tents, and the recruits were quartered at hotels and private houses at from 75 cents to $1.25 a day for board. The construction of barracks at Goodale park (Camp Jackson) was begun, and in the meantime, the Capitol, benevolent institutions, Starling Medical College and even the Ohio Penitentiary, the largest buildings in the city, were used for sleeping pur- poses. Though most of the men were patient to a remarkable degree, postponing their breakfasts till dinner-time and their dinners till bedtime, some appropriated what food they found at hand and on one occasion 1,000 men made a raid on the hotels and restaurants. C. P. L. Butler, Theodore Comstock, Luther Donaldson and W. G. Deshler organized and finaneed a temporary provisioning plan by which the cost was reduced one-half and the ac- commodations vastly improved.
Of the twenty-three regiments that had rsponded to the Governor's call, 12,767 volun- teers had muskets and 197 had sabres. Advocate-General Wolcott arranged for 5,000 muskets in New York, and sent home a large supply of tent-poles by express, in advance of the requisite coverings,-a humorous situation which was made use of liberally by the grumblers. Senator Garfield procured another 5,000 muskets of the Governor of Illinois, and Mr. Wolcott also arranged for the purchase of $100,000 worth of Enfield rifles in England, for immediate nse. Several hasty elothing-contraets were also made.
On April 22, there were already enough troops in Camp Jackson to form a third regi- ment ; on the 26th it contained 7,000 men, and the next day, 7,826, the barracks being crowded to their utmost. Camp Dennison, near Loveland, was instituted to relieve the congestion, and 15 companies were transferred on the 29th, leaving 6,135 at Camp Jackson.
47
IN CIVIL WAR TIME
Others were sent for the protection of Washington, for the safety of which there was much anxiety, and the work of receiving, organizing and transferring troops went on.
On May 28 workmen began taking down the barraeks in Goodale park and transferring them to a site four miles west of the eity; this bore the name of Camp Jackson until June 20, 1861, when it was changed to Camp Chase- a name it still boasts. It contained 160 acres, which were ploughed, harrowed and rolled to a level smoothness, and by June 12 there were 160 houses on it. It was under National, not State, control. Dr. Norman Gay was its surgeon, and Wm. Jameson, its suttler ; both of Columbus. The Zettlers provisioned the Camp at $11.65 per hundred rations.
Governor Dennison was fortunate in having at this time the assistance and advice of Col. Charles Whittlesey and Lieutenants O. M. Poe, J. W. Sill, and W. S. Roseerans, all of whom became famous. C. P. Buckingham of Mt. Vernon beeame his Adjutant-General, and Geo. B. Wright, of Newark, his Quartermaster-General on July 1.
The second proclamation of President Lineoln, May 3, ealled for 12,000 volunteers for three years. Accordingly, the 23d to 26th regiments, inelusive, were at onee organized in Ohio, for the purpose of pushing the occupation of West Virginia by Federal forees; the 23d, with Col. W. S. Roseerans at its head, was organized at Camp Jaekson June 12, and on July 25 it was ordered to Clarksburg, West Va. The 24th, with Col. Jacob Ammen, afterwards a general, was sent to West Virginia, July 26.
Major Robert Anderson, the hero of Ft. Sumter arrived in Columbus from Pittsburg, May 16, and received the plaudits of the populace for the few moments his train was held, Governor Dennison accompanying him as far as London, Ohio. A seeession flag was re- ceived in Columbus, July 6, captured by the 14th O. V. I., at Carriek's Ford, Va .; it was 6 by 15 feet in size, bore red stripes on a blue field with seven stars among which was a rattle-snake skin stuffed with eotton twine. This was an object of speculation and derision.
On July 24, Major General Fremont visited Camp Chase, for the day, and was greeted voeiferously by the 5,000 soldiers there. Early in August a train of 27 ears of ammunition and artillery for General Fremont's army in Missouri passed through Columbus-the entire train being sent by express from Pittsburg; this was followed soon after by other express shipments almost as important for him.
Early in July a recruiting office for the 18th U. S. Infantry was opened in Columbus, by Col. H. B. Carrington, and before the elose of the month 200 men were camped about four miles north of the heart of the eity, on the Worthington Plank road; this, probably near the Olentangy Park, was called Camp Thomas, in honor of U. S. Adjutant General L. Thomas. Another rendezvous for the 16th Ohio regiment was established in September near Worthington, and first ealled Camp Wade, afterwards Camp Lyon. A prisoner's eamp, the same month, was named Camp Carlisle and to it were committed a large number of Con- federate prisoners.
The return of the original Three-Months' volunteers, beginning during the latter part of July, eansed another eongestion of troops. But, on July 18, the advanee of MeDowell's Army from Washington was noted in the Ohio State Journal with flaring head-lines: "The March on Richmond Begun-Fairfax Court House Invested- General Johnston in Full Re- treat-General Patterson in Close Pursuit." On July 21 the famous Bull Run battle was fought and lost! Thousands of Ohio volunteers had been sent home and this disaster dis- sipated the delusion that they were not longer wanted. The call for a million more men ouiekly followed the President's call for 300,000 on July I. Columbus responded nobly ; many of the three months' men returning to the front.
At the close of 1861, the Adjutant-General of Ohio reported that there were in the field 16 regiments of infantry, 1 of cavalry, and 12 batallions of artillery; with 22 more regiments of infantry and 4 of cavalry full or nearly full, and 13 in process of formation. In all the State were 77,844 men in the three years' service and 22,380 in the three months' service.
The administration of Governor David Tod began Jannary 13, 1862. He retained Adjutant-General C. P. Buekingham, Quartermaster-General George B. Wright, and Commis- sarv-General Columbus Delano, from his predecessor's staff ; the first-named remained in offiee only until April 18 when he was summoned to take a position in the War Department at Washington, and was sueeeeded by Charles W. Hill. Surgeon-General C. E. Weber was sueeeeded in October by Dr. Samuel M. Smith of Columbus. At the opening of this admin- istration the condition at the front was discouraging. A huge army had long laid inaetive
48
HISTORY OF COLUMBUS, OHIO
on the Potomac, and the Confederate flag floated within sight of the Capitol. On February 6, Ft. Henry fell, and on February 16, Ft. Donaldson. The effeet on Columbus was mag- ical. The good news passed rapidly from lip to lip, flags were unfurled and cannon and church bells joined in unison in the celebration.
Seven months later occurred the bloody battle of Shiloh, which entirely reversed the period of rejoicing. The slaughter had been fearful and the people recoiled in horror. The first information of the battles of April 6-7 reached Columbus on the 9th. The public responded nobly, through the Aid Society and otherwise, to the Governor's appeal for assistance; and a few hours later Francis C. Sessions was on the way to the scene of the confliet bearing ample funds for aid and comfort to our strieken soldiers. During April a great number of the sick and wounded were brought to Columbus, on their way from the front, to recuperate. Many were destitute of money, most all, of food; but the women of the city responded immediately with quantities of food and creature comforts, as in all simi- lar eases.
On May 25 the surrender of Yorktown was recorded as the turning-point of the war, and the ery, "On to Richmond" was started with great enthusiasm as the tocsin of vietory. But, while Mcclellan was advancing up the James river, Stonewall Jackson swept down the Shenandoah, cleared the Virginia valley of Union troops, appeared before Harper's Ferry, and the cry of "On the Washington" was raised by the Confederates.
Governor Tod issued a hasty eall, May 26, 1862, for three-months' volunteers to defend the National Capital. Citizens poured into Camp Chase in great volume, and the 81th to 88th, regiments, inelusive, were organized, numbering over 5,000 men. On August 4, the President ordered a draft of 300,000 men to serve for nine months. The State was by this proclamation divided into five districts, of which the central counties ineluding Franklin, was the fifth, with their rendezvous at Camp Chase. Several "war meetings" were held on the west front of the Capitol, to seeure money for Franklin county men to escape the draft. At the first, July 15, Governor Tod addressed the meeting, and $25,000 was subscribed. Another was held, August 20, for raising bounty-money for our soldiers. By this means 3,176 enlisted men were financed by October 19, of which 1,431 had been furnished by the city. Franklin county was thus saved from the draft which occurred in the State at large, October 1, including 12,251 men.
Particulars of great battles between the armies of Pope and Lee, in Virginia, August 28, 29, and 30 did not reach this city until September 2, causing renewed apprehension, and a fortnight later came news of the frightful carnage at Antietam. During the first five days of September, General Kirby Smith's raid northward through Kentucky against Cineinnati, created almost a panie in Columbus, and a call for 700 minute men, or as they were known, "squirrel-hunters," brought forth that number who were immediately despatched to Cinein- nati, and compelled his retirement.
The battle of Stone River began December 31, 1862, and closed with Bragg's retreat during the night of January 3, 1863. In this affray 1,730 men were killed and 7,802 wounded. Many Ohio regiments were engaged. Francis C. Sessions again represented Ohio on the battle-field, as an emissary of mercy. He reported 2,000 wounded from Ohio. Gov- ernor Tod rented the Ladies' Seminary, then known as the Esther Institute, on East Broad street, (the Athletic Club site) for hospital purposes. It accommodated 350 patients.
The first official announcement of the battle of Gettysburg and the turning-point of the war was made in a bulletin at 10 a. m., July 4:
The President announces to the country, that the news from the Army of the Potomac to 10 p. m., of the third is such as to cover the army with the highest honors and promises a great suecess to the cause of the Union, and to claim the condolence of all for the many gallant fallen; and that for this he specially desires, on this day, that He, whose will, not ours. should ever be done should be everywhere remembered and reverenced with the profoundest gratitude.
The news came filtering in, until July 6, when a "splendid victory" was announced, on July 8, by the Ohio State Journal :
The moment that the magic words, "Vicksburg Surrendered," met the eye of the multi- tude . . there went up such a shout-three wild buzzas, and "three more for Grant,"-as never issued from unloyal lungs. Old men wearing the silver crown of honor
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IN CIVIL WAR TIME
that time weaves for age, threw up their hats and led in the wild chorus of shouts that made the midday welkin ring. Neighbor grasped the hand of neighbor, while the triumph of the moment beamed forth from every face and lighted up every eye.
The effigy of Jefferson Davis was burned at a bon-fire, at the corner of Third and Town streets, in the evening.
Following close upon the heels of this noted victory came the unexpected and daring raid of General John Morgan's cavalry through Indiana and Ohio; breaking through Burn- side's lines in Kentucky, they reached and crossed the Ohio sixty miles below Louisville, July 9. There were 2,160 men in the raid. They reached the Ohio border July 12, and Governor Tod called out the militia to repel the invasion, part to appear at Cincinnati, part at Marietta and part at Camp Dennison; the militia of the central counties were to report to Brigadier General John S. Mason at Camp Chase. Immediately 50,000 militia men re- sponded, Franklin county furnishing 49 companies, numbering 3,952 men. Morgan and 900 of his men succeeded in crossing the river and, hotly pursued, rode north through east- ern Ohio as far as Salineville, Columbiana county, where they were surrounded. Morgan's surrender was made through a militia captain. Burbeck, whom he was using under duress as a guide, after exacting from him the terms that, if captured, officers and men should be paroled. These terms were rejected by Governor Tod, and the raiders were incarcerated in the Ohio Penitentiary, July 27, 1863. Morgan and thirteen others effected their escape November 27 by digging through the cell floors into a sewer, then through a wall into a court from which the outer wall was scaled. How the escape was made, what outsiders helped and the responsibility for the escape were long subjects of controversy.
On September 21 came news of the battle of Chickamauga, in which Captain Joshua M. Wells, for whom Wells Post, G. A. R., was named, was one of the slain. The excava- tion for the U. S. Arsenal building ( Barracks) was begun the same month. The removal of General Rosecrans from the command of the Army of the Cumberland created in Colum- bus, as elsewhere, much unfavorable comment. On October 17, the President called for 300,000 more volunteers, one-tenth from Ohio, 700 from Franklin county. Camp Tod, named for the Governor, was located, about August 1, in the vicinity of the old state quarry, and was occupied by the 86th Ohio. Tod Barracks was built north of the Union Station, 316 feet on the east side of High street and a depth of 750 feet, surrounded by a board fence 12 feet high. Construction began October 20 and was completed December 1, 1863. It was used for recruits, siek and wounded soldiers and for the temporary custody of de- serters. Of these last named there were many. At one time 700 deserters from Camp Chase were reported, and from the 33 regiments in the field, the total was nearly 5,000. Numer- ous canards found circulation, alternately favorable and unfavorable to the Union canse and resulting in unjustified exultation or depression.
John Brough was inaugurated Governor, January 11, 1861, and gave his great execu- tive talents to the winning of the war, with the result that Ohio, in military operations, sur- passed that year all the other northern states. Columbus became the chief rendezvous for recruiting and organizing fresh levies. Ohio's quota of 20,000 veterans re-enlisted here for three years more.
Early in the year, Governor Brough instituted a plan for calling out a sufficient militia force to guard the forts, railways, and to relieve the veterans for active service. At a meeting of the governors of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa, in Washington, a plan was formed for using 85,000 infantry troops for this purpose, to serve 100 days. Eleven new one-year regiments were organized this year, -from the 173d to the 183d Ohio.
Tod Barracks had already deprived Camp Chase of much of its prestige. On March 3, the commandant quarters there were destroyed by fire, which rendered it still more mori- bund. On April 27, 230 survivors from the boiler explosion on the Sultana near Memphis, were sent to Camp Chase, and arrived May 1. Basil Duke, of Morgan's Raiders, was trans- ferred from the Ohio Penitentiary to Camp Chase in February. The number of prisoners of war in Camp Chase on August 6, was about 3,500, the camp having been reduced to this extremity in service.
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