History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II, Part 18

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1196

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132

HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

W. II. Grinnell. The meeting was addressed by Governor Tod, Ex-Governor Den- nison and Mr. Ijams. Under the sixmonths call only two infantry regiments were organized. These were the Eightysixth - reorganized as successor to the three- months regiment of that number -and the One Hundred Twentyninth. Both were mustered out at the expiration of their term of service.

On October 17 the President called for 300,000 more volunteers, and under this call a quota of 29,352 was assigned to Ohio. The quota of Franklin County was seven hundred. In an appeal of November 7 to the military committees Governor Tod stated that all the recruits to be raised were intended for regiments already in the field and that no new organizations would be attempted. " Gallant and brave men," he said, " who have already earned their commissions are to be sent home to receive from me the promotions upon condition that they raise a given number of recruits."

The Ohio State Journal of February 14 contained this choice bit of satire :

The boys of the Eighteenth Regulars at Camp Thomas have in many instan- ces been furnished with new board tents. We would suggest that the Governor put up brick or stone structures that will last a long time, and lay out a cemetery. for those soldiers will doubtless die of old age before they are ordered to the field.

Within a very few days after this appeared orders were received directing the officer commanding the regulars at Camp Thomas to take them to the front.

Among the notable movements of troops past Columbus during the year was that of Burnside's Corps transferred from the East to Kentucky, in March. Reference to this movement, in connection with a street collision which took place between some of Burnside's men and the provost guard of the city, has already been made. An appeal to the ladies of the city to provide refreshments for these troops during their momentary sojourn at the railway station in transit was very liberally responded to and elicited grateful acknowledgments.

On July 16 the Eightysixth, a sixmonths regiment, arrived from Cleveland and encamped in Goodale Park. From thence it moved on July 22 to Zanesville, to assist in intercepting John Morgan. Returning after the raid, it encamped at the Stone Quarry, from whence it departed August 9 for Kentucky. The Eighty- eighth, which had been guarding prisoners in Camp Chase, was relieved in that service by a detachment of the Invalid Corps, Colonel Johnson, and departed October 22 for Cincinnati. The regiment returned to its much disliked service at Camp Chase December 20. On October 26 a company of two hundred carpenters, blacksmiths and bridgebuilders passed through en route to the Army of the Cumberland. The movement of the Eleventh and Twelfth army corps, under General Hooker, from the Army of the Potomac to the Army of the Cumberland, took place in September and October. A large part of these forces passed Columbus in their long journey, but the fact was not chronicled in the city papers, probably for military reasons. The same discretion probably prevented other local movements of forces from being mentioned. The Sixtysixth Ohio Infantry, Lieutenant-Colonel Powell, arrived December 26 on " veteran furlough," having reenlisted for three years. This was the first of the veteran regiments to return on leave.

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III. IN WARTIME-1863.

Early in July we read of an adjourned meeting of citizens exempt from military service to volunteer to guard the prisoners in Camp Chase temporarily. Doctor William E. Ide was chairman and S. Taylor secretary. A committee was appointed to wait on the Governor and was informed that the guards would be needed as soon as they could be recruited. In the same connection we read that on July 3 an infantry company enrolled by Cornelius C. White and Addison Moore met at the City Hall to organize. On July 6 Captain John F. Ijams's com- pany of the Fifth Independent Cavalry Battalion was sworn into service for six months. This company was composed chiefly of residents of Columbus. Its First Lieutenant was Michael Halm, its Second Lieutenant J. W. Cox. Captain Ijams was authorized to enlist 300 more men for the battalion, and on August 2 a fourth company was organized. Its officers were: Captain, James B. Rusk; First Lieutenant, John Nelson; Second Lieutenant, Thomas Roberts. On September 8 the battalion was ordered to report to General Cox at Cincinnati, from whence it was sent into Eastern Kentucky.

A company calling itself the "Silver Grays," composed of citizens exempt from military service on account of age, was organized July 5; Captain, J. E. St. Clair; First Lieutenant, S. Taylor: Second Lieutenant, N. Upton. This com- pany volunteered to do guard duty at Camp Chase, as above narrated.

From the trustees of the different wards in the city notices were given requiring all persons between the ages of 18 and 45, eligible for military service, to meet at places designated July 4 and elect one captain and two lieutenants for each military district. Accordingly Company B, of the Third Regiment of Ohio Militia met at the City Hall and elected : Captain, C. C. White ; First Lieuten- ant, Addison Moore; Second Lieutenant, Charles H. Parsons. On August 5 a meeting was held at the same place by the companies of the regiment, all recruited in Franklin County, to elect field officers. The companies were: A, Captain William B. Hayden, Columbus; B, Captain Cornelius C. White, ditto; C, Captain Joseph M. Clark, Mifflin ; D, Captain Job Wilson, Plain; E, Captain Joseph Steely, Clinton ; F, Captain G. S. Innis, Montgomery ; G, Captain William Ewing. Washington ; H, Captain Hiram C. Tipton, Pleasant; I, Captain Lawrence C. Meacham, Blendon ; K, Captain O. Sells, Orange and Washington. The field officers chosen were: Colonel, William B. Hayden; Lieutenant-Colonel, G. S. Innis; Major, Joseph M. Clark. On October 24 a third regiment of Franklin County Militia elected : Colonel, A. O. Mitchell ; Lieutenant-Colonel, Samuel Thompson ; Major, H. J. Rushmer.

In November, 1862, H. M. Neil, George W. Taylor and A. B. Alger were authorized to recruit the Twenty-second Ohio Battery, and by April 1, 1863, men enough had been obtained to man two of its guns. This section found employ- ment in the enforcement of the draft in Holmes County, and in the movements to intercept John Morgan. The battery was wellnigh filled up in July and on August 4 changed its quarters from Camp Chase to Camp Thomas. From thence, on August 12, it departed for active service in Kentucky.

During the greater part of the year the commandant at the post of Columbus, including Camp Chase, was Brigadier-General John S. Mason, Captain Edwin L.

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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

Webber, of the Governor's Guard (Eightyeighth Ohio Infantry), was for a time commander at the camp. He succeeded Major Zinn in April. D. W. Tolford was assigned to the camp as its Chaplain, and in July T. W. Tallmadge was named as its Commissary.

Under the date of August 30 we find the following statement : " At the instance of Colonel Neff, the new commander of Camp Chase, J. T. Carpenter, of Cincinnati, Medical Director of Ohio, Doctor David Stanton, Post Surgeon, and other prominent officers, made an examination of that camp with a view to removal nearer the railroad and river. They unanimously reported in favor of removal and forwarded their views to Washington."

Camp Tod, named in honor of the Governor, was located about August 1 in the vicinity of the old State Quarry, three miles from the city. It was for a time occupied by the Eightysixth Ohio, a sixmonths' regiment. Still another rendez- vous, comprising frame buildings and a drill ground on the east side of North High Street, a short distance north of the railway station, was given the name of Tod Barracks. The grounds had a frontage of 316 feet on High Street, with a depth of 750 feet, and were surrounded by a board fence twelve feet in height. The buildings comprised, besides six lodginghouses, a guardhouse, a dininghall 32x190 feet, officers' quarters and a kitchen. The paradeground measured 262x425 feet. Construction of the buildings was begun October 20 and completed in time for their occupation about December 1. The place was intended as a rendezvous for recruits and sick and wounded soldiers, and for the temporary custody of deserters. It was placed under command of Captain J. W. Skiles, Provost Mar- shal of the post, who removed his guard and headquarters thither early in Decem- ber. Captain Skiles had been in command of the general guardhouse and provost headquarters known as the City Barracks since early in the year, and had redeemed it from a condition of extreme filthiness to one of tolerable decency.

On March 23 an order was issued by Major-General Wright, commanding at Columbus, requiring that all officers found in the city without leave from compe- tent authority should be arrested and sent to their regiments. Another order from the same source forbade the sale of arms or ammunition to any person within the city or vicinity without permission from the commandant. The sale of citi- zens' clothing to soldiers was stringently forbidden by orders issued in April. All sojourning officers were required to report to Provost Marshal Skiles, register their names and exhibit their documentary authority for being in the city. Officers and soldiers found on the streets without proper permit were arrested by the patrol. In this way the city was cleared of loungers, disturbances were pre- vented and military shirks and malingerers, those who wore shoulderstraps as well as those who did not, were obliged to rejoin their commands.

Desertion became during this year an enormous evil and required summary treatment. In March an authentic statement was made that the deserters from thirtythree Ohio regiments then in the field numbered five thousand. Under the caption " Seven Hundred Deserters from Camp Chase " the Ohio State Journal of January 14 contained the following :

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III. IN WARTIME-1863.

On Monday General Cooper issued an order to Captain Burr to furnish trans- portation for 1,200 exchanged prisoners from Columbus to Nashville, Tennessee. Accordingly the Captain made arrangements with Mr. J. W. Doherty, of the Little Miami Railroad, to furnish the requisite cars and telegraphed to Captain Dickerson, at Cincinnati, to see that steamboats were employed to transport them down the river. On Tuesday (yesterday) afternoon Captain Burr was informed that there were no more than 600 men who could be mustered, and the number constantly diminishing. Somewhat amused at the rapid reduction of numbers, we visited the depot in the evening to see how many Colonel Tafel could muster and found him in command of just about three hundred men! The authorities were unwilling to forward a special train for so small a force, so they were detained till 10 o'clock this morning, when they were attached to the regular passenger train. This affair develops the fact that at least 700 soldiers (?) of the One Hundred Fourth Illinois and the One Hundred Sixth and One Hundred Eighth Ohio have deserted between the time of issuing the order on Monday and the departure of the train this morning. To add to the disgrace and ridiculousness of the call to the field is the great dissappointment eaused to the railroad and steamboat companies who, if they are disposed, can hold the government to account for costs. Who says shame ?

It would be interesting to know how many of these alleged soldiers who for- sook the flag of their country in the time of its sorest need are now drawing pen- sions for disabilities incurred after the war.

In May we read :

Large numbers of deserters are now being captured and forwarded from this point to their respective places ; the trade averages no less than fifteen per day from Columbus.9

Captain Skiles yesterday [May 28] started seventeen deserters south to join their regiments.

Paragraphs of this kind are of frequent occurrence in the newspapers of the year. Those reproduced will suffice for illustration. Whether the policy of send- ing such men to the front instead of dismissing them from the service was a wise one may be seriously questioned. As a rule a willful deserter was not worth to the army cost of his transportation to the front, and in a great many cases such persons, without going into battle, found occasion to make a " hospital record" which would be useful to them in after years.

In April Colonel E. A. Parrott, of the First Ohio, became Provost Marshal of Ohio, with his headquarters in Columbus. The Provost Marshal appointed for the Seventh District, including Franklin County, was Colonel J. A. Wilcox.

The members of the Military Committee of the county during the first five months of the year were: John Miller, chairman; David Taylor, L. W. Babbitt, and Peter Ambos. In June a new committee was named by the Governor as fol- lows: Chauncey N. Olds, L. W. Babbitt, David Taylor, B. F. Martin and Peter Ambos.

Among the prisoners of war received during the year were Brigadier General Churchill and staff, captured at Arkansas Post, and brought to Camp Chase abont the end of January. Three women-a mother and two daughters-who had been arrested for giving information to the enemy, were brought from Nashville

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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

February 4, and were lodged in Camp Chase. They were afterwards transferred to the Heyl Seminary, on Broad Street. On February 13, about one hundred prison- ers of war were released on recommendation of Special Commissioner Galloway. On March 29 Camp Chase was relieved of 483 Confederates sent to City Point for exchange. These were joined at the station by 250 from Louisville bound for the same destination. On April 23 Colonel Adler, a Confederate prisoner at the camp, took the oath of allegiance to the United States. On April 28 fifty Confederates were brought in from the Kanawha Valley. One of these, it was said, had taken an oath of allegiance to the United States at the camp the year before. The arrival of another squad via Cincinnati May 20 is mentioned. On May 22 seven female secessionists arrived from Western Virginia. Among them was the wife of a clergyman. Twenty Virginians and Kentuckians were released May 29 on tak- ing the oath of allegiance. On June 12 about 1,700 captives taken by General Grant's army in Mississippi passed Columbus en route to Fort Delaware On June 14 three hundred and fortyfour Confederates were removed from Camp Chase to Johnson's Island. These were more than replaced July 6 by the arrival of 411 eaptives taken by General Rosecrans. On July 14 Camp Chase contributed 900 of its prisoners of war to Fort Delaware. In lieu of these 300 of John Morgan's men and 140 captives from Bragg's army were received July 27. About 450 arrived August 7 and 200 August 10. On the nineteenth of that month Camp Chase received 3,150 Confederates, most of whom were ordered to Camp Douglas a few days later. Further arrivals occurred in October almost daily. Under date of November 7 we read :

Night before last, about nine o'clock, a rebel prisoner at Camp Chase, approach- ing too near the line of the guards, was ordered to halt, which he refused to do, whereupon one of the guards fired his musket at him. The man died almost instantly after being struck with the ball. We did not learn his name.10

Eightyeight captives taken by Averill's cavalry near Lewisburg, Virginia, arrived November 18. On October 13, the following general order was issued from department headquarters at Cincinnati by General Burnside :

In consequence of the large number of applications in this department, from prisoners of war to take the oath of allegiance, Brigadier-General N. C. McLean, will, by authority of the Secretary of War, examine such causes, and when satis- fied of the honesty of their intentions will release the applicants on their taking the oath and furnishing sufficient bonds. All communications for prisoners of war must pass through the office of Brigadier-General N. C. McLean, Provost- Marshal- General of this Department.

About 150 paroled prisoners arrived at Camp Chase February 3; in April 530 paroled men were transferred from Camp Chase to Camp Morton. Seven hun- dred taken at Murfreesboro in December reached Camp Chase May 3. On June 10 two hundred were brought from Vicksburg. On June 7 one hundred and fifty paroled Indianians were sent from Columbus to Indianapolis.

The manufacture of ammunition at the State Arsenal was continued until August, when, owing to the difficulty of procuring powder, it was discontinued.

137

III. IN WARTIME-1863.

Among the canards of the year was a report of April 7, that Charleston bad been captured by Union forces. The following information was given out by the Ohio State Journal, May 6 :

It is rumored, and upon grounds that we deem quite reliable that Lee has actually surrendered his army to General Ilooker. The announcement comes through sources we are not permitted to make public, and is altogether in con- formity with the facts given in our dispatches. If such be the case, then the rebellion is virtually crushed.

The day of publication of this news was that on which Hooker's army retreated across the Rappahannock. The same paper of May 11, contained this :

We have the startling announcement that Richmond is taken and that the flag of the Union now floats over the capital of Rebeldom !

On the next day the same columns contained this bit of news which if true would have been highly important :

It is now rendered certain that Lee has skedaddled from the Rappahannock and that Hooker is hard after him. There must now be a footrace, with Richmond for the winning post. The line of rebel defenses is utterly broken and Richmond is bound to come this time.

The same paper of May 29, had a report " via Chicago and Toledo " that Vicksburg had fallen. " Thus, then," the editor commented, " the long agony is over!" On the strength of this news the city was " well ornamented," we are told by the display of flags.

On July 2, a report was current that Grant had attacked the defenses of Vicksburg and had been repulsed with a loss of ten thousand men. The Confed- erates also had this news and imparted it to the writer while their captive on the field at Gettysburg. It is tolerably well known now that Grant marched into Vicksburg two days later.

NOTES.

1. Since known as the Irving House, and now the property of Trinity Church and known as Trinity House.

2. Ohio State Journal.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. So says Reid. The exact number of men who reported for duty and were paid was officially stated by the Adjutant-General as 49,357. Franklin County furnished fortynine companies, numbering in the aggregate 3,952 men, to whom was paid the sum of $10,441.59.

6. The order of commitment was as follows :

"EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, COLUMBUS, July 30, 1863.

" NATHANIEL MERION, ESQ., " Warden of the Ohio Penitentiary :

" You have been advised by a formidable and destructive raid through our State of a band of desperate men under the lead of the notorious John Morgan ; also their capture by the military forces of the Federal Government, aided, however, materially by the militia forces of our State.

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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

" Upon consultation with Major-General A. E. Burnside, commander-in-chief of this Military Department, I learn from him that he has not subject to his command a secure place in which to keep the principal officers of said band. I have therefore tendered to the Federal Government the use of our Penitentiary as a place of safekeeping for them until other provision can be made. You will therefore please receive from the officers of the United States Government the said John Morgan and thirty others, Confederate officers, captured with him (a list of whose names is herewith handed you), and safely and securely keep them within the walls of the Penitentiary until other provisions shall be made for them. You will carefully search each prisoner as he may be handed over to you and take from him all arms and articles of value (money included) and carefully preserve the same until you may receive further directions touching the disposition thereof. You will keep said prisoners, so far as possible, separate and apart from the convicts. You will furnish them everything necessary in the way of food and clothing for their comfort, and impose only such restrictions upon them as may be necessary for their safekeeping. You will per- mit no one to hold interviews or communications by writing or otherwise, except by written or telegraphic orders from General Burnside. You will employ such additional force for guard or other duty as you may deem necessary. Should clothing be required for the prisoners you will make requisitions upon me for the same. You will keep an accurate account of all increased cost to the institution consequent upon a compliance with this request and report the same to me from time to time as you may require funds to meet the expenditure.

" Respectfully yours, " DAVID TOD, " Governor and Commander-in-Chief."

7. A few weeks later the same paper heartily approved of the removal of General Schofield from the command of the Missouri Department, saying the step indicated that " treason in disguise " was no longer to be tolerated therein.

8. Ohio State Journal.

9. Ohio State Journal, May 16.

10. Ohio State Journal.

CHAPTER XI.

IV. IN WARTIME-1864.

Hon. John Brough was inaugurated as Governor January 11. His assump- tion of office was opportune for the exercise of great executive talents. With such talents, among the rarest of all human endowments, he was superlatively gifted. Enormous tasks, novel responsibilities and sudden emergencies, both state and national, soon put them to the task.

The spring opened with Lieutenant-General Grant in chief command in the field and plans laid for a simultaneous advance of all the armies, from the Potomac to the Mississippi. The Army of the Potomae, directed by Grant in person, broke up its camps and crossed the Rapidan May 4. The battles of the Wilderness began May 5. General Sherman's army advanced at nearly the same time from the line of the Tennessee. On the James, the Shenandoah and the Mississippi the Union hosts were all pushing to the front and challenging their foes to one last supreme effort. Grant crossed the James River June 14; on July 20 and 22, Sherman fought two great battles before Atlanta. Pending these general move- ments Banks was routed on the Red River, Sigel met a like fate in the Shenandoah Valley, and Early's Confederate army menaced Washington. Atlanta fell Sep- tember 2; in the same month Sheridan defeated Early in the battle of Opequan. On September 22, Sheridan won another great victory over Early at Fisher's Hill, and on October 19, still another at Cedar Creek. On November 14, General Sher- man set out from Atlanta for the seacoast, and on December 21, captured the city of Savannah, of which he made a Christmas gift to the President. Meanwhile, in August, the lionhearted seacaptain, Farragut, had won one of the most splendid victories of the war in Mobile Bay. Such, briefly mentioned, were some of the leading military events of the year; their recapitulation is useful as an interpreta- tion of contemporary events at Columbus.

Among all the loyal states which participated in this mighty game of war, Ohio fulfilled the most conspicuous part. This was due scarcely less - perhaps more - to the quality and numbers of the led, than to the great leaders, which she con- tributed to the armies in the field. With the work of recruiting and organizing the fresh levies called for by the new emergencies of the struggle the capital of Ohio was closely identified. Columbus was the principal theatre of that work as well as the principal rendezvous of the forces collected and organized.

[139]

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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.

When Governor Brough came into office he found Ohio's quota in the national armies, under all the calls which had been made upon her, complete. Over twenty thousand veterans of the old regiments had reenlisted for three years, and when the year closed these sturdy and faithful organizations which had enlisted twice over without expeetation of bounty, were beginning to arrive at Columbus on " veteran leave." They, and such as they - men who fought for no reward, who knew, yet shunned not, the hardships of the field, and who disdained to seek promotion at the rear however unfairly denied them at the front - men who loved more the turmoil and the scars of battle than all the cheap laudation and meretricious honors to be won at the recruiting station - were the very bone and sinew of the armies, and deserved, as History assuredly will give them, the first honors of the war.

The reenlistment of these men imparted to the National cause fresh moral as well as numerical strength. It put Ohio ahead in her quota, stimulated general recruiting and facilitated the supply of men necessary to meet the additional calls soon to be made. First of these calls was that of February 1, for 500,000 men for three years. Of these Ohio was required to furnish 51,465; on March 15 the Presi- dent additionally demanded 200,000, Ohio's share this time being 20,595. A third proclamation of July 20 summoned 500,000 more men to the field, Ohio to furnish 50,792. On December 19 a fourth call was made, asking for 300,000 volunteers, of whom Ohio was requested to furnish 26,027.

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History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II, Part 18

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co Publication date: 1892 Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co. Number of Pages: 1196

Author: Lee, Alfred Emory, 1838-; W. W. Munsell & Co
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: New York and Chicago : Munsell & Co.
Number of Pages: 1196