USA > Ohio > Gallia County > Illustrated historical and business review of Meigs and Gallia counties, Ohio, for the year 1891. > Part 3
USA > Ohio > Meigs County > Illustrated historical and business review of Meigs and Gallia counties, Ohio, for the year 1891. > Part 3
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26
And now we come to the first case on the docket of this new court. And in approaching this branch of our court history, we know we are on delicate ground. The descendants of these men are worthy citizens, and live in our midst, and we should avoid giving to the public any old history that would give our readers pain, and fortunately there is nothing to suppress.
Our forefathers were a fighting race and a word frequently brought a blow and this is about the extent of the offenses of that day.
The State of Ohio vs. Josiah Vining appears first on the docket. Josiah was charged with assault and battery upon the person of David Blakely. Up- on being arraigned Vining pleaded guilty and was fined $15 and costs.
The act which authorized the "erection" of Meigs county passed the Gen - eral Assembly January 25th, 1819. and on the 18th day of February 1820, Elnathan Scofield. of Fairfield county. David Mitchell, of Scioto, and Joseph T. Martin, of Pike, were appointed Commissioners "to fix the seat of justice in the County of Meigs." We may now fancy these three disinterested com- missioners, non-residents of the county. with no axes to grind, hearing the claims of the various localities contending for the honor of the county seat. History gives us no account of the claims or number of points seeking this honor, and alas! the men who were active in that day are now mingled with the dust of mother earth.
These Commissioners, after due consideration, selected the following "premises :" All that tract or parcel of land situate, lying and nearly in the
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MEIGS COUNTY.
Town of Salisbury, being a part of one hundred acre lot number 313, Town 1, Range 13 of the Ohio Company's Purchase, and begining at a stake on the bank of the Ohio River, etc., and containing twenty acres, more or less, the same being the land of Benjamin Smith."
Then follows the report of Ely Sigler, who had been appointed by the Court "a director to purchase the land of the proprietor." and Director Sigler reports that said land is a free donation from Benjamin Smith and Almy Smith his wife, and that he has proceeded to lay off said land into lots, streets and alleys, as directed by the court. Director Sigler then submits his plot of the new county seat, which is quite interesting.
The new town, our readers must bear in mind, was on the banks of the beautiful Ohio, and on the premises of Benjamin Smith, father of Benjamin Smith who died but a few years ago in Middleport. The location of Benjamin Smith's tract was where the Semple property in Middleport now is, a short dis- tanee below Mill street, and we are told that the old log house of Benjamin Smith is still standing. The town fronted on the Ohio River, and in the cen- ter was the Public Square, eighteen perches front and running back twenty- seven perches. On each side of the Public Square were streets and lots, and back of the square was a main street running parallel with the river, with lots fronting on it. The plan adopted in laying off Gallipolis was followed in plat- ting this new town and it is to be regretted that the people who afterwards built up Middleport did not adhere to the old plat.
Benjamin Smith, as a surety of good faith, gave his bond in the sum of five thousand dollars, with John Smith and Samuel Averet as sureties, to Wil- liam Alexander, Phillip Jones and Samuel Downing, Commissioners of the County, that he, Smith would give good warranty deed for the premises, if the Court should approve the location. Sigler moved the Court, that he be empowered to proceed to sell lots in the new town, but the Court overruled his motion, and the April term of 1821 adjourned.
We do not know what influence was brought to bear to prevent the upbuild- ing of this new metropolis. There was evidently something which influenced the Court to overrule Ely Sigler's attempt to put the lots on the market, and we find no further allusion to this county seat in the records. Here we might remark that if our sister village of Middleport did not attain the honor of being the first capital of the county, yet they have the distinction or being the first town in the county laid out, and platted by authority.
At the April term of 1822 we find that Judge Burns resigned, and was succeeded by Peter Grow. At this term we come upon another Commissioners' report, who by virtue of the authority vested in them by the "last General As- sembly," selected for a "permanent county seat, fifty acres of land in Section 24, Town 3, Range 12, being part of the land on which Levi Stedman now lives."
The Commissioners were John Barr, Wm. Vance and William Dunn. The records show that associate Judge James E. Phelps had been absent from his duties since the November term 1821, and at the July term 1822 Abel Larkins appears and qualifies, as Associate Judge in the place of James E. Phelps de- ceased. Judges Strong and Phelps both of the west end of the county, being off the bench, the Court consisted of Judges Osborn, Elliot and Grow, all probably east enders. This may have had something to do with locating the county seat on the lands of Levi Stedman. We are only guessing at this, but ancient and modern politics are very similar.
On the 11th day of April 1822, William Weldon was by the Court appoint- ed "Director of the new town to be laid off."
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At the July term of court, 1822, Director Weldon makes his report, and files with it the deed of Levi Stedman and Dorothy, his wife, and also a plat of the new town. This plat shows a Public Square, thirty-two perches in length, and fifteen perches in width, surrounded by sixty-two lots. There are also fourteen larger lots, which with the smaller ones, make the town plat re- semble the letter L, only the lower part of the letter points the reverse way. This plat is the work of Spencer H. Hayman, County Surveyor.
Director Weldon was authorized to sell the lots in the "Town of Chester," and this is the first we hear of the name of the county seat. The order requir- ed that the lots should be offered alternately, that is, No. 1, 3, 5, &c., with credit of one, two and three years.
So we find that the establishment of a county seat for Meigs county was consummated at the July term of court, 1822. * * *
Since writing the above, we have learned that Mill Street in Middleport is on the line between the lands owned by Philip Jones and Benjamin Smith, and that the Public Square was in front of, and included the lots of John Grant and Joseph McBride. Old residents say that the land in those days projected at least 200 feet further out into the river. So much of our river banks have been washed away that it is difficult to locate old land marks.
In 1841 the seat of justice was again changed to Pomeroy, where it has . been ever since. The commissioners at the time of the change were John Dav- enport, George Hesling and George Herbert.
1448966
Military Record of Meig's County.
INDIAN TROUBLES.
T HE people of the Northwest territory had always been accustomed to the maintenance of a war-like attitude. They had from 1790-'95, a fierce war with a powerful combination of Indians, including the Mi- amis, Wyandots, Delawares, Pottawatomies, Shawnees, Chippewas, Ottowas, and other tribes of the Territory, all under the great Miami chief, Michikini- qua, whose war cry was "Drive the white man east of Ohio." General An- thony Wayne, August 20, 1794, had totally defeated them on the Miami; and since the treaty of Greenville, August 3, 1795, the Indians had not mo- lested the settlements until the beginning of the
WAR OF . 1812.
This war, as far as this country is concerned, was fully justified. The mother country had acknowledged our independence, but would not accord us the privileges of freedom. She had impressed our seamen, searched our ships on the high seas, and made almost innumerable aggressions on our commerce, and last, but not least, had incited the Indians on the frontier to renew their savage hostilities, and for these causes war was declared June 18,1812. President Madison, in his proclamation'of war, dated June 19, 1812, urged all citizens of the Republic to sustain the administration in the impending struggle. One would suppose that such an appeal was superfluous, but it had a meaning at that time which we can better understand by consulting the political history of the day. Thomas Jefferson had already founded the Democratic party by which Madison had been elected. It was the war party. The Federalists were opposed to the war, in this much at least, that they believed that the object sought could be accomplished by negotiation without a resort to arms.
The war party, however, carried the day, and the verdict of history is that they were right.
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HISTORY OF
Meigs County was not yet organized at the time of the war 1812, but fur- nished some troops, no authentic record of which was ever preserved.
WAR OF THE REBELLION.
The people of the States formed out of the Northwest Territory were by ed- ucation and tradition, and more especially by virtue of the moulding power of a great fundamental, law opposed to slavery and to the doctrine of the States Rights. They naturally went with the North ; and we believe we are justified in saying that the North could not have succeeded in the war for the Union if the States formed from the Northwest Territory had refused to co-operate.
Previous to the war, through much discussion and many political cam- paign's the people of the States named, as well as the balance of the great North, had settled, so far as they were concerned, the momentous question forced upon them by the slave power. The venerable John Quincy Adams, ex- President, in his gallant fight for the right of petition in Congress, was one of the first to take up the gage and begin the battle, and he was successful. Then followed that noble gallaxy of leaders, Joseph R. Giddings, William Lloyd Garrison, John Greenleaf Whitter, Henry Ward Beecher, William Cul- len Bryant, Wendell Phillips, Chas. Sumner, Gerret Smith, Cassius McClay, Owen Lovejoy, Benjamin Lundy, and a host of others, who appealed to the North in the name of Liberty and humanity, and eventually carried the great majority to victory in the Presidential Campaign of 1860.
When on that memorable day in April, 1861, the old flag was struck by traitor hands and a semi-circle of hostile batteries converged their fire on Sumpter, compelling its surrender, a thrill of martial ardor, a firing of souls to avenge the deed, brought Meigs County citizens to the front. The people of Meigs County fully endorsed the sentiments of the Union. They had stood arrayed against each other in the two great political parties, but when the Union was threatened, irrespective of party they gave their allegiance to the Government of their fathers.
The history of the progress of public sentiment in this county is but a repetition of that of many others in the State. The people of Ohio would glad- ly have compromised with the South ; but it is an old story, often told, how the southern leaders spurned all overtures. They were bent on having a new gov- ernment formed upon the institution of human slavery, and awaited the op- portunity. In the fullness of time that opportunity came. But, reader, let us view the situation in Meigs county and the Northwest Territory.
Seventy-three years have elapsed since the first settlement of the North- west Territory at Marietta. To the southwest are the broad valleys of the Ohio. In the far west, by the shore of the Mississippi, is Illinois. On the north, like burnished shields, lie the great lakes. The forests have melted away. No more does the Indian lurk in the thicket or guide his rude canoe on the broad Ohio; but the great Anglo-Saxon has built his domicile by the side of every stream, and his cattle graze upon the hills and in all the valleys. On the Ohio, the great steamer, bearing the commerce of populous States, pursues her way. Instead of a few hamlets, appear the populous cities of these five great States. In the place of the long wagon trail over the mountain, is the
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MEIGS COUNTY.
wonderful railroad connecting Ohio with the East. Instead of the small set- tlement at the mouth of the Muskingum, is a thriving city, and the wilderness subdued, and out of it has grown Ohio, with two million three hundred and forty thousands; Illinois with one million seven hundred and fifty thousand ; Michigan with seven hundred and fifty thousand, and Wisconsin with seven hundred and eighty thousand inhabitants. Cultivated fields interspersed with woodland, extend as far as the eye can trace, civilization and the thrifty son of toil has made the land "to blossom like the rose.' Peace and prosperity have wrought their perfect work. Great cities have sprung up. Thousands of manufactories, giving employment to a million of workmen, dot the land. In- stitutions of learning are scattered here and there over the whole land. Unex- emplified prosperity ! Amazing transformation ! Surely this Northwest Ter- ritory has more than fulfiled its early promise. Sad, that the wheels of indus- try should be stopped, the plow left standing in the furrows, the college deserted, and that the red hand of war should paralyze a State in the full tide of prosper- ity, sending mourning to so many hearts and disaster to so many homes; but such is the terrible results of war. At the hour of 4 :30 on the morning of April 12, 1861, the boom of a mortar on Sullivan's Island, in Charleston harbor, gave notice to the country and to Major Anderson, pent within the walls of Fort Sumpter, that the war was begun. The news reached Meigs County on Satur- day morning April 13, and on Monday morning the call of the President for seventy-five thousand men was received.
Ohio was, at the time, divided into military divisions or districts. Meigs County was in the seventh district, under the command of Major General Jesse Hildebrand-headquarters at Marietta, and comprised the counties of Fairfield, Hocking, Perry, Scioto, Lawrence, Jackson, Pike, Newton, Washing- ton, Athens, Meigs and Gallia counties, and sub-divided so that Washington, Athens, Meigs and Gallia counties were under the command of Brigadier Gen- eral A. Constable-headquarters at Athens. On April 22, 1861. Gen. Hilde- brand issued his general order No. 1, calling on the people of the Seventh Dis- trict for ten thousand men. This was promptly responded to, more men being offered than could be used. Gen. Hildebrand and his staff then tendered their services to the Government : the General himself died in the service, at Alton, Illinois ; Col. McCormick severely wounded at Shiloh ; Col. Clark was killed at Antietam ; Col. Haskins died of injuries received while Colonel of the Sixty- third Ohio; Capt. Whittlesey was killed at Mission Ridge. These were all members of Gen. Hildebrand's staff, in the Seventh division of Ohio. The militia system of the State was at this time under Gov. Chase, and was of much consequence as furnishing drilled men was then much needed.
The following appeared in the Telegraph February 1, 1861 :
"The citizens of Meigs county are requested to meet at the Court Houre, in Pomeroy, Ohio, on Saturday, February 20, 1861, at 1 o'clock, P. M. to take in- to consideration the alarming state of the country, and recommend such meas- ures of "compromise" as they think will allay the excitement and division of the people, and reunite them again under the "Stars and Stripes !" All parties are requested to meet and join hands for the UNION NOW AND FOREVER. Wm. Williamson, A. Gatchel, R. S. Curtis, T. J. Smith, N. Simpson, I. Train, D.
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HISTORY OF
Reed, W. H. Remmington, L. Paine, G. S, Guthrie, Geo. McQuigg, D. W. Cur- tls, Hon. V. B. Horton will be present and address the meeting.
POMEROY, Jan, 29, 1861.
The citizens of Meigs county met in union on accordance to this call and adopted certain resolutions, which were published in the Telegraph, and copies of which were sent to the Representative in Congress, Mon. C. D. Martin. J. Cartwright was chairman, and C. E. Smith and A. E. Mclaughlin, secretaries of this meeting.
At a public meeting held at the Court House in Pomeroy, in the evening of the 16th of April, "in view of the fact that open acts of treason have been committed in one part of the country, our National Flag fired upon by rebels, and public property wrested from the hands of Government by violence, the undersigned were appointed a committee to issue a call for a meeting of the citizens of Meigs county, without distinction of party or class, for the purpose of tendering to the Executive our heart-felt co-operation, and influence in any measures he may adopt, having for their object the preservation of the gov- ernment, the enforcement of the laws, and the punishment of treason. And upon consultation the undersigned fix the time and place of such meeting for Saturday, April 27th, at 10 o'clock A. M., at the Court House in Pomeroy.
T. B. Rockhill, Aaron Stivers, Joseph Patten, H. L. Sibley, W. H. Lasley, Committee. Pomeroy, O. April 17, 1861."
The county at this time had a population of twenty-seven thousand souls. On Saturday, April 20, 1861, Captain Cyrus Grant called the people out on Court Street, and solicited volunteers for the Ohio militia. The meeting soon adjourned to the Court House, where it was agreed-that, sink or swim, sur- vive or perish, the Union of these States, MUST AND SHALL BE PRESERVED. It was rumored the following day (Sunday) that two companies of well drilled secession troops, with artillery, were at Point Pleasant, Va., and would soon be on the line of march for Mason City, to haul down the glorious Stars and Stripes, there floating in the breeze, and run up the Palmetto flag in their stead. The scene which followed this report beggars description. Had a boom-shell suddenly dropped into the town, it would not have produced a more excited state of feeling. Men of all parties and classes were gathered togeth- er, like our forefathers after the attack at Lexington, with whatever weapon could be siezed in a moment's warning.
German, English, Welsh, Irish, and Native American citizens, all rallied to defend the "flag of our country." In one hour the rumor was contradicted and proven false, but the news spread throughout the country, and citizens came flocking in until noon the next day, with their rifles and various fire- arms. At this time Capt. Grant raised two companies of 80 men each.
BULL RUN.
On July 21st the great battle of Bull Run was fought and lost, the flower of the Union Army destroyed, or turned into a fleeing rabble, and a great mass of war material swallowed up in the vortex of war. The President, on the day after the battle, issued a call for five-hundred thousand three year's men- think, how different from the first call of THREE MONTH's men. This was the
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first great call to arms. The country was stirred to its centre, and the scenes of volunteering that followed were grand. It was from these five hundred reg- iments that the vital power to crush the rebellion came. They furnished the great bulk of officers who finally led our armies to victory.
VOLUNTEERING.
Companies were at this time organized at various places throughout the county, among them, Racine, Coolville, Chester, and others as Home Guards. Captains Brown and Stanbery raised a company from Pomeroy in July, 1861. Captain Mayer also raised a company at this time and went into camp at Ma- son City. Captain Samuel Titus, of Rutland, also raised a company. A Mid- dleport company under Captain Behan was also raised; this was for cavalry. Captain T. J. Smith of Pomeroy, raised a company and went into camp at Mason City. Captain H. E. Titus, of Rutland, raised a company. Captain W. S. Bradshaw, of Chester, enrolled a company. Captain Wilson of Harrisonville organized a company of Scipio boys. Two companies had already been or- ganized under Captains Wallar and Curtis, and were at this time in Gen. Mc- Clellan's Army in Western Virginia.
THE YEAR 1863.
The great battle year of the war-was ushered in by two important events ; the memorable battle of Stone River, and the "Emancipation Proclamation" striking the shackles from three millions of slaves. Then came the
FALL OF VICKSBURGH
On the 4th of July, 1863, and was a day of rejoicing to the Union. "To whom shall we GRANT the MEADE of praise?" was telegraphed throughout the coun- try, but Grant's star was in the ascendency, and the name of Grant was thence- forth to be the WATCHWORD to VICTORY and the OMEN to SUCCESS.
The friends of the Union throughout the north now saw the beginning of the end.
THE MORGAN RAID.
John Morgan, the famous raider, had, up to this time, July 1863, made numerous raids and forays across the mountains of eastern Kentucky and Tennessee into the Blue Grass region of Kentucky. These forays were a source of alarm to the Unionists, and exultation to the secessionists. And, now that he had actually invaded Northern territory, even crossing the Great Ohio, and though pursued fastly descended his forces to the east around Cincinnati and threatening even the State's capitol.
Let us view the situation here in Meigs county, even the possibility upon us of Morgan's evading all motives of capture and coming down upon even our own quiet community.
The Telegraph and daily papers announced the raid of Morgan into In- diana, but little did the citizens of Meigs county think that the marauders would resist all capture and come down on their own quiet little Meigs, but such was destined to be, and it was manifest Morgan was making for this re- gion, and on Friday morning, July 17th, the militia companies that had been unable to report at Marietta, numbering about three or four hundred together
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HISTORY OF
with the citizens began obstructing the road over which Morgan must pass and preparing to "bushwhack" the invaders. Scouts reported them on the way from Jackson, stealing horses, sacking stores, robbing private families and occasionally committing cold-blooded murders on the way. They camped on Friday night in Rutland, and all night rumors of all kinds startled the citizens, who from hour to hour expected an attack. No attack was made, and the gun-boats which had quietly dropped their anchors in front of Pomeroy were ready to give the invaders a welcome. It was supposed then that Hobson's forces were thirty or forty miles in the rear, and Judah's nearly as far. The object of our little force of militia was to obstruct the roads and harrass the rebels in the hope of detaining them until the pursuing forces could overtake them. In this they succeeded so far as to detain them some eight or ten hours. Morgan was deceived by the "bushwhacking" our boys gave him, supposing they were but the pickets of a large force in town. Early in the day he moved towards Pomeroy and Middleport on several roads, but was met by our boys be- hind their blockades, with such a reception as deceived Morgan, as before stated. He might, however, have succeeded in reaching town, but for the timely ar- rival at that moment, of the 23d Ohio, and 18th Va. regiments from the Kana- wha, who, on double-quick, went to the relief of our militia; these blue coats diverted the rebels from their attempt to reach town, and they passed up the creek by the old fair grounds, a mile in our rear, and so onwards to Chester.
Our militia boys stood fire like veterans, the balls whistling round them like hornets from a disturbed nest, but none of them were hurt. The rebels did not escape so well, several being tumbled from their horses by our skirmishers.
Just before night, and about the time Morgan reached Chester, Gen. Judah's forces filed into town. Never was soldier's presence more welcome. They had ridden thirty miles, and were exhausted, tired and hungry .. They stopped in the street some three or four hours to feed their jaded horses, and refresh and rest the weary men, and then followed on in the pursuit, correctly judging that Morgan was making for Buffington's Island, with a view of es- caping into the Virginia hills. Soon after Gen. Judah left here our scouts re- ported Gen. Hobson passing up the road in the rear of the town on the trail of Morgan. It was a night of anxious suspense to our people, but it wore away at last, and soon on Sunday the report reached here, that the battle had opened in earnest at Buffington. In the fast flying and contradictory rumors, the de- sire to hear the result was most intense. Couriers were sent out, but each re- turned with a different story. All, however, agreed that Morgan was whipped, creating such a feeling of exultation as cannot be described.
It is not our purpose, as we have not room, to give a description of the fight. We could only do so from the representations of others, and not from personal observations. General results is all we are attempting, and the re- sult of the collision was the defeat of Morgan in his attempt to cross the river -the killing of a number of his men, the wounding of more, and the capture of about eight hundred prisoners, with all his train, and an immense amount of stolen plunder which the thieves had collected from the stores and houses they had sacked on the route.
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