History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II, Part 27

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


USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > History of the city of Columbus, capital of Ohio, Volume II > Part 27


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Sixth-The several committees shall have the management of the details pertaining to their parts of the work, subject, however, to the general direction of the Chairman of the General Council, and shall each report to the General Council, without unnecesary delay, a detailed estimate of the amount of money required.


Seventh-It shall be the duty of the General Council to provide the Chairman of the General Council with a suitable office in which to transact business, and such clerical help as may be required to perform properly his duties.


Eighth-Each of the several committees shall appoint one of its members Secretary. Such appointee shall keep a correct record of all meetings of the committee, and of the work done, and of the correspondence had, and keep the Chairman of the General Council fully informed of the action of the committee. When the work of the committee shall have been completed, the records of the committee shall be transmitted to the Chairman of the Gen-


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eral Council, and by him turned over with the records of the General Council to the Sec- retary of the Columbus Board of Trade, which organization shall be the custodian of, and carefully preserve these papers.


Ninth-Subject to the approval of the Disbursement Committee hereafter to be selected by the subscribers to the Centennial Fund, the General Council may place in the hands of the Chairman of the General Council a sum of money not exceeding five hundred dollars as a contingent fund, which fund may be used at the discretion of the Chairman of the Gen- eral Council when it shall not be convenient to first pass upon the expenditure by the Gen- eral Council. The Chairman of the General Council shall keep a correct record of such expenditures and report the same at the next meeting of the General Council.


Tenth - No expenditure of money other than as provided for in the Ninth Section, shall be made, nor shall any contract be made involving the expenditure of money until such contract or expenditure shall have first been submitted and approved by the General Council.


Eleventh - It shall be the duty of the General Council, at the earliest date practicable, to make up a statement and submit same to the Centennial Finance Committee, showing in detail, as far as may be feasible, the sum or sums of money that will be required by the General Council in the proper performance of the duties devolving upon them.


Twelfth - Money shall be paid out only by a warrant drawn on the Treasurer of the Centennial Finance Committee, and such warrant shall show what the money is paid for, and shall be signed by the Chairman of the committee in charge of that part of the work for which the debt was contracted, and must be attested by the Chairman of the General Council.


Thirteenth - The General Council may add any additional sub-committees and such other rules for their government, or for the government of the several committees as they shall deem desirable, such rules not being in conflict with the rules herein provided.


Fourteenth - The General Council may, by a twothirds vote of all the members thereof, remove the Chairman of any committee. For incompetency, neglect of duty, or for other good cause, the General Council, by a threefourths vote of all the members thereof, may remove the Chairman of the General Council. Should a vacancy occur in the office of Chairman of the General Council or chairmanship of any committee, either through death, resignation or removal, the General Council is authorized to fill the vacancy by an election by ballot when a majority of all the votes of the Council shall be required to elect.


Fifteenth - Suggestions for committees for G. A. R. - 1, Committee on Finance ; 2, Pro- gramme, Entertainments, Parade, Camp-fires, etc .; 3, Reception of Guests ; 4, Decoration and Reviewing Stand ; 5, Music, Vocal and Instrumental ; 6, Printing; 7, Badges, Emblems, and Souvenirs; 8, Camps and Barracks; 9, Fireworks and Illumination; 10, Relief Corps (Woman's) ; 11, Hotels, Boarding-houses and Private Accommodations ; 12, Halls and Head- quarters ; 13, Registration ; 14, Railroad Transportation ; 15, Horses and Carriages ; 16, The Press.


The body which received and ratified this plan immediately, at the same meeting, elected Colonel A. G. Patton, a leading business man of the city and a soldier of brilliant record, as Chairman of the General Council. Meanwhile on December 9, the National Council of Administration of the Grand Army, and its Commander-in-Chief, Hon. John P. Rea, had held a conference at Columbus and had chosen the second week in September, 1888, as the time for holding the Twentysecond National Encampment.


On January 16, 1888, the general committee again met, and received Colonel Patton's nominations for chairmen of the subcommittees, these chairmen, in pur- suance of the plan adopted, to constitute the members of the General Council.


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HISTORY OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS.


After some transfers and changes which took place in the original nominations, this body, constituting a supreme executive committee representing the city, com- prised the following members: A. G. Patton, Chairman; D. S. Gray, C. D. Firestone, John G. Mitchell, A. D. Rodgers, Henry C. Lonnis, Charles T. Clark, Moses H. Neil, N. B. Abbott, David Lanning, Carl N. Bancroft, R. M. Rownd, Gilbert C. Hoover, Emerson Me Millin, Theodore H. Butler, Andrew Schwarz and W. D. Brickell.


At its first meeting, held on January 17, the General Council completed its organization by electing C. D. Firestone as its Vice Chairman, and-on nomina- tion of Colonel Patton - Alfred E. Lee as Secretary. Regular meetings were held thereafter on Saturday of each week until the end of the Encampment.


In the course of business the members of the General Council, as provided in its organic act, selected the associate members of their respective committees, and submitted their selections for approval. The committees as thus constituted, organized and approved, were as follows :


Finance -D. S. Gray, Chairman ; W. Y. Miles, Vice-Chairman ; Alexis Cope, Secretary ; George W. Sinks, John Joyce, Theodore Rhoads, Walter Crafts, George M. Peters, William B. Hayden.


Parade, Camp-fires, etc .- C. D. Firestone, Chairman; W. F. Burdell, Vice-Chairman ; S. N. Cook, Secretary ; S. H. Hurst, James De Wolfe, D. F. Pugh, Alexis Cope, E. C. Beach.


Reception-John G. Mitchell, Chairman ; James Kilbourne, Vice-Chairman; William Neil, Secretary ; Walter Martin, Alexis Keeler, A. V. R. Patton, H. L. Rownd, W. F. Good- speed, H. T. Chittenden, A. W. Young.


Decoration-A. D. Rodgers, Chairman; George D. Freeman, Vice-Chairman ; E. R. Vincent, Secretary ; James De Wolfe, E. N. Hatcher, H. A. Linthwaite, Phil. Clover, C. Jensen.


Music Henry C. Lonnis, Chairman ; George H. Cless, Vice-Chairman ; E. W. Seeds, Secretary ; B. F. Reinmund, Fred Krumm, Charles Huston, A. A. Thoman, Frank N. Beebe.


Printing-Charles T. Clark, Chairman ; John P. Slemmons, Vice-Chairman ; W. A. Miles, Secretary ; John H. Grove, C. M. Morris, R. D. McCarter, A. N. Ozias. William Wolf, S. Hambleton, Frank A. Davis.


Badges-Moses H. Neil, Chairman ; J. J. Barber, Secretary ; L. T. Guerin, J. M. Elliott, W. J. Camnitz, John H. Recs, E. C. Beach, Joseph Amos, Charles H. Neil.


Camps and Barracks-N. B. Abbott, Chairman; E. C. Beach, Secretary; W. A. Mahony, O. R. Brake, Joseph Amos, J. T. Harris, H. Heinmiller, George Cunningham, L. N. Bonhanı.


Illumination-David Lanning, Chairman ; E. W. Poe, Vice-Chairman; J. M. Batterson, E. A. Parr, Robert Dent, N. Gundesheimer, Charles A. Klie, A. E. Mayer.


Woman's Relief Corps -Carl N. Bancroft, Chairman ; J. K. Jones, Vice-Chairman ; John W. Chapin, Secretary ; W. H. Halliday, Charles H. Parsons, G. W. Early, W. H. Slade, Annie B. Chapin, Caroline Lofland.


Hotels and Boarding-R. M. Rownd, Chairman; A. H. Fritchey, Secretary ; Andrew Schwarz, D. D. Bolenbaugh, S. N. Field, S. N. Cook, R. Albritten, John N. Champion, Wil- liam Felton, Fred. Krumm.


Halls and Headquarters-Gilbert C. Hoover, Chairman ; James H. Neil, Vice-Chairman ; James M. Loren, Secretary; W. O. Tolford, Frank N. Wells, Adolph Theobald, Frank J. Reinhard.


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Registration -Emerson McMillin, Chairman ; Jolin Siebert, Vice Chairman ; C. HI. Lan- der, Secretary ; D. S Wilder, Andrew Gardner, Charles H. Durfey, E. Kiesewetter, George N. Smith, John H. Grove, Thomas Jeffrey, S. F. Robinson.


Transportation .- Theodore H. Butler, Chairman; W. W. Medary, Vice-Chairman ; Charles G. Lord, Secretary ; W. E. Reppert, C. F. Evans, H. J. Falkenbach, S. H. Church, J. J. Archer, W. W. Medary.


Horses and Carriages .- Andrew Schwarz, Chairman; Joseph A. Webb, Vice-Chairman ; Fred Lazarus, Secretary ; Theodore Riddle, J. M. Bennett, David Lakin, G. J. Schödinger, Thomas J. Dundon, E. J. Pocock.


The Press .- W. D. Brickell, Chairman ; W. J. Elliott, Vice-Chairman ; Leo Hirsch, Treasurer ; C. E. Bonebrake, Secretary ; S. J. Flickinger, F. J. Wendell, O. C. Hooper, H. A. Reinhard, S. B. Porter.


An additional committee representing the Society of the Army of West Vir- ginia, and having its office at the Headquarters of the General Council, was sub- sequently appointed and organized as follows : J. M. Rife, Chairman ; J. P. Slem- mons, Secretary : John G. Mitchell, C. C. Walcutt, S. S. Mathers, Fred Krumm, Alexis Cope, C. M. Bethauser, N. B. Abbott, W. A. Walden, E. E. Ewing.


The following sub-committees to the Committee on Parade, Camp-fires, Pro- gramme, etc., were, at a later period, appointed by the Chairman of that Com- mittee :


Parade .- Emerson MeMillin, Chairman ; C. D. Firestone, A. G. Patton, A. E. Lee.


Campfires and Entertainments .- S. N. Cook, Chairman ; David F. Pugh, David Lanning, John H. Grove, W. J. Elliott, J. K. Brown, C. C. White, William Felton, J. W. Patterson, James De Wolfe, E. C. Beach.


Naval Display .- Symmes E. Brown, Chairman ; N. C. Reed, J. W. Keen.


At the request of the General Council, the following Grievance Committee to hear and adjust complaints incident to the Encampment was appointed by the Centennial Committee of the Board of Trade : Walter Crafts, Chairman ; II. C. Godman, F. C. Hubbard, A. B. Coit, D. E. Putnam, William Felton, John T. Gale.


On the eleventh of February, the Headquarters of the General Council were transferred from the Board of Trade Room, in the City Hall, to the Ambos Build - ing, on High Street, opposite the State Capitol. The Headquarters remained as thus established until the sixth of May, when, by courtesy of Hon. John C. Brown, Treasurer of State, the General Council was proffered free of charge, and occupied a very commodious and agreeable room in the Capitol, adjacent to the State Treasury. Here the meetings of the General Council were held, and its Head- quarters remained, until after the Encampment, when, on the first of October, it returned to the Board of Trade Room.


Early in 1888, it became manifest that the attendance at the Encampment would be very large ; accordingly, on February 22, a circular was issued from the Headquarters of the General Council, announcing its organization and prelimin- ary plans. In this circular the assurance was explicitly given that the city of Columbus would provide ample accommodations for all who might come, however great their numbers. In the spirit of this pledge the General Council and all its adjunct committees fell to work with energy. The work was systematically


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apportioned in all its details, and estimates of the expenditure necessary to the proper execution of the plans laid out were made.


From careful consideration of these estimates it was soon perceived that, entirely exclusive of any expenses incidental to the Ohio Centennial Exposition, or the Annual Encampment of the National Guard, for both of which the support of the city was pledged, the sum of about seventy thousand dollars would be needed. The General Council was therefore confronted, at the beginning with the very serious question whether such a sum, additional to $25,000 already prom- ised to the Exposition and 83,000 to the National Guard, could be obtained by contribution from the citizens of Columbus. No government aid, either State or National, was suggested or thought of. The responsibility of raising the neces- sary funds did not rest with the General Council, that function having been reserved by the Board of Trade ; nevertheless, upon the solution of the question whether the needful financial support could be had would depend the success of all the efforts put forth. Confronted by this unsolved problem the General Coun- eil addressed itself to its great task, confiding unreservedly in the people of Colum- bus to do all that could be reasonably asked of them. This confidence was not misplaced.


At an early day an arrangement was made with the railways for a passenger rate of one cent per mile, and free return of camp equipage, to all persons attend- ing the Encampment. A halffare excursion rate out from Columbus and return was also obtained.


That entertainment might be systematically apportioned and the extent to which it could be furnished be ascertained, a thorough canvas of the city was made, and its results recorded. At the same time a pledge not to advance the ordinary prices for lodging and meals was obtained from the proprietors of all the important hotels. With the accommodating concurrence of the officers of the State, arrangements were made for locating the headquarters of the Grand Army, and of nearly all of its forty different departments, in the legislative halls and public offices of the Capitol. By similar courtesy on the part of the Board of Education the use of the public school buildings and grounds for holding reunion meetings was secured. For the same or similar purposes, a considerable number of suitable rooms was placed at the disposal of the General Council, free of charge, by the officers of the City, County and National Government; by benevolent, military and political clubs and societies, and by private citizens. In none of such cases was any charge made unless, exceptionally, that of a moderate fee to the janitor for taking care of the rooms. The church societies, equally generous, placed their edifices at the disposal of the Woman's Relief Corps for its national conferences, and for the headquarters of its various departments. For its national headquarters it was favored with the gratuitous use of the Masonic Temple. For the meetings of the National Encampment of the Grand Army the Metropolitan Opera House was engaged and the sum of $750 was paid. A desire on the part of the Society of the Army of West Virginia to hold its Twelfth Annual Reunion at Columbus contemporaneously with the encampment was accommodated, and an arrangement to that effect made. This arrangement involved the purchase and


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shipment from Wheeling of the Society's mammoth tent, at a cost, including freight charges and a quantity of decorating materials, of about 81,500. The tent was pitched upon admirably chosen open grounds on Broad Street, opposite the southern extremity of Jefferson Avenue. Its interior space was sufficient for seat- ing about 10,000 persons.


Applications for camping room and accommodations began to be received in March. The selection of camping grounds, of which numerous offers were made, was therefore a subjeet of early consideration, which led to the conclusion to locate the camps eentrally, with a view to the convenience of the veterans in exchanging visits, taking part in the parade, having access to the headquarters of their respective departments and passing to and from the railway station. In respect to the equipment of the camps decision was made in favor of tents as being cheaper and in other respects more desirable than barracks. Contracts were therefore closed, as early as March 17, for the use of tents sufficient to accommodate fifty thousand men, and a preliminary appropriation of $20,000 for the expenses of the Camp Committee was recommended. The use of the tents of the State to be pitched by the National Guard during its annual encampment north of the city was obtained by resolution of the General Assembly. These were sufficient to shelter about three thousand men.


During the latter part of April plans were matured for the two principal camps, known as North and South Neil, located on an open tract of ground lying west of the United States Barraeks, between Mount Vernon Avenue and the railways. These two camps, being about fifty acres in extent, were deemed ample for the accommodation of 40,000 men Besides systematie numbering of the tents, and their arrangement in streets, with reserved spaces for dining halls, open air meetings, and an extensive and admirable system of water closets, the plans embraced the sewerage and water supply of the camps, and their illumina- tion at night by electricity. Early in May plans were matured for two additional eamps, one to be known as Hayden Camp, located in an open space known as the Hayden tract on Nineteenth Street, between East Broad and Long streets, and the other to be known as Dennison Camp, situated at the corner of Neil Avenue and Goodale Street. Hayden Camp was designed to accommodate 8,000 men, and Dennison Camp 5,000.


The plan of making applications for camp accommodations through the authorized officials of Grand Army posts, County battalions and Department organizations was encouraged and generally adopted The assignment to quar- ters in camp was referred to the Camp Committee by which, as soon as the appli- cations were sufficiently numerous, a roster showing the assignment of each organization was printed and distributed. Before the middle of May delegations representing the Departments of Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Ind- iana, Michigan, Kentucky and West Virginia, had visited Columbus and arranged for camp accommodations for their respective Departments. Numerous applica- tions being received for camp lodgings for ladies belonging to the families ot soldiers, and to the Relief Corps, a part of the Hayden Camp was reserved for their accommodation. Grand Army organizations desiring to do their own eook-


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ing were assigned to the North Neil Camp. All camp accommodations, excepting only the ladies' section of the Hayden Camp, were reserved for members of the Grand Army, and were furnished, inclusive of light, water, fuel and straw for bed- ding, free of charge. The sale of intoxicating liquors on the camping grounds was forbidden.


A large quantity of buckeyes collected by the Grand Army Posts at the sug- gestion of Captain William Felton of the Board of Trade was turned over to the General Council, and placed at the disposal of the Committee on Badges. At a moderate expense 100,000 of these buckeyes were strung singly upon loops of cord, and distributed gratuitously during the Encampment week. A delegate badge of original and beautiful design was also prepared under the direction of the Badge Committee, and furnished without charge to the officers and delegates of the National Encampment, in accordance with custom. This badge was in great demand as a souvenir, and was not surpassed, if equaled, by anything of the kind which had preceded it.


About the first of May, intimations were received that the Grand Army dele- gation from the Department of California desired to obtain accommodations for an exhibit of the fruits and minerals of that State. Accordingly, the City Hall was engaged by the Hall Committee for that purpose, and in due time arrange- ments were perfected for what proved to be a very attractive exposition of the products of California, under the joint direction of the Grand Army delegation and Board of Trade of that State. A similar exhibit of the products of Oregon was made during the Encampment week in rooms obtained for the purpose on South High Street.


At the suggestion of C. O. Hunter, Esq., the Secretary of the General Council was directed to make an effort, by correspondence, to obtain for the Encampment week a loan of the locomotive engine known as The General, then owned by the Western & Atlantic Railway Company, of Georgia, and famous for having been captured and used by the Andrews raiding party in 1862. The Secretary suc- ceeded not only in obtaining the loan of this engine, but in having it brought to Columbus and returned to its owners free of charge. Its guardian while it remained in the city was Captain S. B. Porter, to whose company of the Second Ohio Infantry several members of the raiding party belonged. Under Captain Porter's supervision it was sidetracked by the Little Miami Railway conveniently for exhibition, was handsomely decorated and was carefully guarded.


Owing to its limited financial resources the General Council undertook no general decoration or illumination of the city, but, under the joint direction of its committees on illumination and decoration, eleven gaslight arches were thrown across High Street, at regular intervals, between the Union Station and the Courthouse. After the encampment, during which they added greatly to the evening beauty and enlivenment of the street, they were relegated to the disposition of the City Council. The Capitol was decorated on the outside at the expense of the State, under the direction of Adjutant-General Axline. The buildings and grounds of the Institution for the Deaf and Dumb were handsomely dressed for


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the occasion, as were other public edifices, most of the business honses and many private residences.


Despite its limited resources, the Music Committee contributed a great deal to the attractiveness of the encampment. Under its direction, a male chorus of 300 voices was organized, and also a children's chorns of about 1,500 voices. The concert given by these choruses on the eastern terrace of the Capitol during Wednesday afternoon of the Encampment week was magnificently sublime and impressive. The children, arrayed in the national colors, and so arranged upon the terrace as to represent the American flag, were accompanied in their singing by the Grand Army Band, of Canton, Ohio. The concert was listened to by a vast eoneourse of people, crowding the roof, porticoes and grounds of the Capitol, and the streets adjacent.


The journalists who received the hospitalities of the Press Committee num- bered 281, and were admirably entertained. Complete registration of all the vet- erans attending the Encampment was meditated, but, after careful consideration, was not attempted. The difficulties of executing such a project, never previously executed successfully, were found to be insurmountable.


Application for rooms and halls suitable for holding military reunions began to come in early, and were very numerous. Reunion meetings were held by about one hundred and twenty different military organizations during the Encampment week, and a large proportion of them were numerously attended. The assign- ment of these reunions to appropriate places of meeting was made by the Secre- tary of the General Council, with the concurrence of its Chairman. The National and Department headquarters of the Grand Army were assigned in the same way.


Timely measures were taken to secure suitable police, medical and hospital serviee during the Encampment Week. The good order of the city was well provided for by the Mayor and Chief of Police, by the organization of a special force of watchmen and detectives. The amount of disorder was very small, how- ever, considering the vast crowds which thronged the eity. Comparatively few arrests were made, and these exclusively for petty offenses. The commanders of the eamps were expected to preserve order within the limits of their respective jurisdictions, and had no difficulty in so doing. Their reports showed no infractions of the rules, and no complaints. Special mention should be made of the excellent guard and semi-police service performed during the Encampment Week by the Fourteenth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, Colonel George D. Freeman, under instructions from the Headquarters of the General Council. A Volunteer Medi- cal Corps, under the direction of Doctor Norman Gay, was organized for the Encampment Week by the physicians of the city. To this Corps tents were assigned by the Camp Committee. The Corps was also reenforced by the medical force and hospital equipment of the Fourteenth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, generously tendered to the General Council. The invitation of distinguished persons to attend the Encampment as the guests of the General Council was referred to its Chairman and Secretary, and the Chairman of the committees on


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Parade and Reception. Invitations were extended to numerous eminent men and women.


As finally completed and equipped the camps had an aggregate capacity to shelter not less than 55,000 men. As early as June 30 applications had been made for camp room for 41,000 men, and by September 1 the applications reached an aggregate of over 70,000 men. By vote of the General Council the Camp Committee was directed to discount the applications by twenty per cent. in order to cover shrinkage in estimates; nevertheless there was apparently good reason to believe that there would remain, beyond the capacity of the camps, a large body of men who would have to be sheltered under roof.




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