Ohio's progressive sons; a history of the state; sketches of those who have helped to build up the commonwealth, Part 10

Author: Queen City Publishing Company, Cincinnati, pub
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Cincinnati, O., Queen city publishing company
Number of Pages: 858

USA > Ohio > Ohio's progressive sons; a history of the state; sketches of those who have helped to build up the commonwealth > Part 10

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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There were eight hundred and thirty legal voters in the territory, but the resident Missouri- ans, who had been pledged to do so, crossed over to Kansas to the number of five thousand and elected a pro-slavery Legislature that met at Shawnee, on the border, and at once voted the territory a slave State. Governor Reeder vetoed the act, and made himself so hated that he was by Pierce withdrawn, and Wilson Shannon, who had been Governor of Ohio, was appointed in his place. Shannon, an avowed defender of slavery, signed all the laws enacted by the Shawnee Legislature, while the legal voters, thus outraged, assembled at Topeka and there passed, by delegates they had regularly elected, a free State constitution under which

NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY TOLEDO

they applied for admission into the Union. But, true to his affiliation with the slave power, President Pierce, in a message sent to Congress, in January, 1856, declared this action of the legal voters to open rebellion against the United States Government.

With the close of Pierce's term was born the Republican party. In 1855 an organiza- tion called the Knownothing party, intended to take the place of the Whig party, that became extinct with the death of Webster and Clay, lived but a short time, and the Republi- can party was organized, armed to match the machinations of the slave power. Unable the first year to elect its Presidential ticket, it became, however, a great opponent, in and out of

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Congress, cf that power. An irrepressible conflict approached, and the election by the Republican party, in 1860, of Abraham Lincoln, as President of the United States, was the spark that fired the gun whose report was heard all over the world. All the conditions were ripe for the war that soon broke out.

The State of Ohio, in 1860, had a population of 2,343.739. The existence of its territorial organization only began at the end of the last century, but it was already the third State in population and wealth in the Union. More than half of its area was under cultivation, and more than half of its adult males were farmers. So well was this most important body of the State's producers aided by the natural fertility of the soil that they furnished each year more than double the amount of food, animal and vegetable, that was needed for the support of the whole population of the State. Not less industrious and prosperous were the manufacturers of the State. The value of their products for 1860 was over one hundred and twenty-two mil- lions of dollars, an increase of 98 per cent in a single decade. And this State, with a popula- tion of less than two and a half millions, furnished an army of more than three hundred and ten thousand.

It was only natural that in the years before the war the popular feeling, at least in the southern part of the State, had been friendly toward the slave States. Along four hundred and thirty-six miles of her border lay slave States. From these many of her pioneers had come, many more traced with Kentuckians and Virginians their common lineage back to the castern slope of the "Old Dominion." In time of war with the Indians and British, the most effective support to the exposed settlements of the infant States had come from the generous and fearless neighbors across the Ohio. In the long peace that followed the heartiest friendships and warmest social attachments naturally went out to those who had been proven in the hour of trial. North of the National road, which for many years was the Mason and Dixon line of Ohio's politics, different views prevailed and the people, tracing their ancestry to Puritan rather than Virginia stock, cherished different feelings; but the southern half of the State, being more populous and more influential, long con- - trolled the elections, and inspired the OPERA HOUSE BUILDING PORTSMOUTH, (). temper of the government and the State legislation. But gradually a change had begun. In the very heart of the con- servative element of the State, one of the foremost lawyers of Cincinnati, Mr. Chase, kept up an anti-slavery agitation. He had found a few likeminded with himself, and society and the church combined to frown him down. Still, so singleminded and sincere was he, that, though the most ambitious of men, he resolutely faced the popular clamor, closed his eyes to all hope of political advancement, and daily labored at the task of resisting the pre- tentions of slavery, giving legal protection to the friendless and hapless negroes, and diffusing an abolition sentiment among the conservative men of the border, and the influen-

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tial classes of the great city of the State, whose prosperity was supposed to depend upon her intimate relations and immense trade with the slave-holding regions contiguous to her. Under his leadership a new element sprang up in Ohio politics that made itself felt in the Presidential and State elections, and finally succeeded, as before mentioned, in sending its aboli- tion leader to the United States Senate, and, later on, in electing him to the office of the Chief Executive of the State. Whether it was through a far-seeing anticipation of what was to grow out of this anti-slavery struggle, or whether it was only a result of the sagacious forecast which in most things distinguished his administra- 'tion, Governor Chase early began to attempt an effective organization of the militia, against which popular prejudice was almost unsurmountable. Governor Chase at once essayed the SOLDIERS' MONUMENT, GREENLAWN CEMETERY PORTSMOUTH, OHIO formation of similarly uniformed and equipped militia companies at all leading points throughout the State, with a provisional organization into regiments and brigades. At first the popular ridicule only was excited, but by and by attention to the subject was slowly aroused. Some legislative support was secured, a new arsenal was estab- lished, an issue of new arms was obtained from the General Government, and an appropria- tion was at last made to a military peace establishment, and before going out of office Gov- ernor Chase had the satisfaction of reviewing, at Dayton, nearly thirty companies assembled from different parts of the State-every one of which was soon to participate in the war then so near and so little anticipated. His successor continued a policy thus inaugurated. Though comparatively little was accomplished, the organization of Ohio militia was far superior to that existing in any of the States to the westward. Thus, materially prosperous and politically progressive, yet with much of the leaven of her ancient conservatism still lingering, and with the closest affiliation of friendship and trade to the slave-holding States of the Ohio and Mississippi Valley, but with the germs of a preparation for hostilities, and such a nucleus of militia as might serve to protect the border from immediate ravages, Ohio entered upon the year that was to witness the paralysis of her industry and trade, the sun- dering of her old friendships, her political revolution and the devotion of her entire energy to the business of war.

Ohio was wild with the excitement of the news of the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the surrender, and the call of the President to protect the capital from the danger of sudden capture by the secessionists. On the 15th of April President Lincoln issued his call to arms, and before forty-eight hours expired the First Ohio Volunteer Regiments were on the way to Washington.

On the 16th the feeling in Columbus had reached fever heat. Troops were arriving from all parts of the State, the telegraphs and mails were burdened with exhortations to the Legislature to grant money and men to any extent. On the following day the Senators of

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Ohio, as a last effort, passed the Corwin constitutional amendment, providing "that hereafter no amendment or other change in the power of Government should be permitted, whereby the National authorities should be enabled to interfere with slavery within the present limits." This was the last effort at conciliation. Already, on the 16th of April, within less than twenty-four hours after the President's call for troops had been received, the Senate had passed a bill, appropriating one million of dollars for placing the State on a war footing, and

SCENE IN EDEN PARK CINCINNATI

for assisting the General Government in meeting the shock of the rebellion. The debate which preceded the rapid passage of this bill illustrated the melting away of party lines under the white heat of patriotism. In the House, however, party opposition disappeared more slowly and the bill went over to the third day from the date of its introduction, when it was finaly passed by an unanimous vote. In the meantime the Senate had passed a bill defining and providing punishment for the crime of treason against the State of Ohio. It declared any resident of the State who gave aid and comfort to the enemies of the United States guilty of treason against the State, to be punished by imprisonment in the penitentiary at hard labor for life. With the passage of these bills all the semblance of party opposition

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to necessary war measures disappeared from the proceedings of the Legislature. A bill passed exempting the property of volunteers from execution for debt during their service, and, as within a few days it became evident that far more troops were pressing for acceptance than were needed to fill the President's call for thirteen regiments, the Legislature acceded to the sagacious suggestion of the Governor that they should be retained for the service of the State. Ten additional regiments were accepted. The bill further provided five hundred thousand dollars for their payment, and a million and a half more to be used in case of inva- sion of the State, or the appearance of invasion. In concert with the Governor the war legislation was completed, and when, within a month after the first note of alarm from Washington the General Assembly adjourned, the State of Ohio was on a war footing.

Before the bombardment of Fort Sumter had ended twenty full companies were offered to Governor Dennison for immediate service. The different militia companies of the State -the Guthrie Grays, the Cleveland Grays, the Columbus Videttes, the Light Guards of Dayton, the Rover Guards, etc .- held meetings and unanimously voted to place themselves at the immediate disposal of the Government. Chillicothe, Portsmouth, Circleville, Xenia, Canton, Lebanon, Lancaster fell in line and the larger cities of the State, Cincinnati, Cleve- land, Dayton, counted their offers by the thousands. The enthusiasm of the people of Ohio for the sacred cause knew no bounds, and but a single day was required to raise the first two infantry regiments, in answer to the President's call. On the 16th of April they arrived, in separate companies, at Columbus, on their way to the capital of the country. The first three companies to report for duty were the Lancaster Guards, the Dayton Light Guards and the Mont- gomery Guards. The First and the Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiments were made up of the following well - known militia organizations: First Ohio-Company A, Lancaster Guards; Company B, Dayton Lafayette Guards; Company C, Dayton Light Guards ; Company D, Montgomery Guards ; Company E, Cleveland Grays; Company F, Cleveland Hibernian Guards; Company G, Portsmouth Guards; Company H, Zanesville Guards ; Company I, Mansfield Guards . Company K, Hamilton Jackson Guards. Second ------ Ohio-Company A, Cincinnati River Guards; Con- pany B, Columbus Videttes; Company C, Columbus Fencibles ; Company D, Cincinnati Zouave Guards: Company E, Cincinnati Lafayette Guards; Company F, Springfield Zouaves; Company G, Pickaway Com- pany ; Company H, Steubenville Company ; Company NASBY BUILDING TOLEDO, O. I, Covington (Miami County) Blues, and Company K, Pickaway Company.

Captain George B. McClellan, an officer of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, a former West Pointer and officer in the regular army, was appointed Major General of the Ohio militia. At first all the troops were mustered in for ninety days, as the opinion prevailed that the rebellion would soon be suppressed, but soon came news that three-years' troops were to be called out, and that their Generals were to be appointed by the President. Immediately

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Governor Dennison determined to secure, if possible, the three years' appointment for his new Major Gen- eral. On the 11th of May, he telegraphed to Secretary Chase: "Can MeClellan get a commission for three years at once, so as to make him rank over all others. and make sure of his holding the chief command here? Ohio must lead throughout the war."

Three days later, while the Governor was in Cin- cinnati to look after the requirements of the southern border, he received the following telegram from Mr. Chase : "We have today had MeClellan appointed a Major General in the regular army." Soon after this the Illinois troops and all others in the Mississippi Valley were united under the Ohio Major General.

The first note of war from the East threw Cin- cinnati into a spasm of alarm. Her great warehouses, her factories and machine shops, her rich moneyed A MODERN RESIDENCE DAYTON O. institutions were all a tempting prize to the Con- federates, to whom Kentucky was believed to be drift- ing. Should Kentucky go, only the Ohio River would remain between the great and rich city and the needy enemy, and there were absolutely no provisions for defense. The first alarm expended itself in the purchase of huge Columbiads, with which it was probably intended that Walnut Hills should be fortified, and from the first day that the war was open, the people of Cincinnati were as vehement in their determination that it should be relentlessly prosecuted to victory as the people of Boston. They immediately began the organization of home guards, armed and drilled vigorously, took oaths to serve the Government whenever called upon and devoted themselves to the suppression of any contraband trade with the Southern States. The steam- boats were watched ; the railroad depots were searched, and wherever a suspicious box or bale was discovered, it was ordered back into the warehouses. After a time the General Gov- ernment undertock to prevent any shipment into Kentucky, which had officially refused to furnish troops at the President's call and had declared herself neutral. A system of shipment permits was established, under the supervision of the collector of the port, and passengers on the ferry boats into Covington were even searched to see if they were carrying pistols or other contraband of war.

When the response of the Governor of Kentucky to the call of the President for volun- teers-"I say emphatically that Kentucky will furnish no troops for the wicked purpose of subduing her sister Southern States"-was made public. Governor Dennison immediately telegraphed to the War Department: "If Kentucky will not fill her quota. Ohio will fill it for her!" Proud words that were more than Kept. In two days two regiments were dis- patched. In a week the quota of the State was more than full. Within ten days so many companies had been accepted that the State was forced to take ten extra regiments into her own pay. Before two weeks had elapsed more companies had been offered than would have filled the quota of Ohio, the quota of Kentucky and half the quota of Virginia. Six- teen days after the President's call Adjutant-General Carrington announced that the offers of troops from Ohio were sufficient to fill the full quota of seventy-five thousand men allotted to the entire country.

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BEDDING

PEERLESS ERVINES.

THE JOHNSTON HARVESTER UNDERE, MOWERS."

MISK HAR OW'S.

RAKES & WINE

NAT'L. CLEV

TOLEDO, OHIO South from the_Nasby Building

At the close of the first year of the war Ohio had forty-six regiments of infantry, four of cavalry, and twelve batteries of artillery in the field, with twenty-two more regiments of infantry and four of cavalry full, or nearly full, and thirteen in process of organization. In all, the State then had in the three years' service 77,844 men, besides the 22,380 men fur- nished at the first call of the President for three months. Camps Dennison and Chase, the one near Cincinnati, the other near Columbus, were controlled by the United States authorities. On Governor Dennison fell the selection and management of other camps throughout the State, of which the following are the principal ones established during his administration : Camp Jackson, Columbus; Camp Harrison, near Cincinnati; Camp Taylor, Cleveland; Camp Goddard, Zanesville; Camp Anderson, Lancaster ; Camp Putnam, Marietta ; Camp Wool, Athens; Camp Jefferson, Bellaire; Camp Scott, Portland.

Until the United States understood the task of subsisting and supplying soldiers as soon as they were recruited, the troops were supplied by the State Quartermaster. Of the magnitude of the other interests entrusted to this officer during Governor Dennison's administration some idea may be formed from the following: Eleven thousand and nine hundred rifles were purchased on State account for the use of infantry ; one thousand, eight hundred and eighty-five carbines and revolvers for cavalry ; and forty-one six-pounder bronze field guns. A laboratory was established at Columbus for the supply of ammuni- tion, which the United States arsenals were at first unable to furnish. From this laboratory two million, five hundred and five thousand, seven hundred and eighty musket and pistol cartridges were supplied, with sixteen thousand, five hundred and thirty-seven cartridges, fixed shot, canister and spherical cases for artillery. In the absence of a sufficient supply of rifles the old muskets were rifled, Miles Greenwood, of Cincinnati, taking the contract. The "Greenwood rifle" thus manufactured became quite popular, being considered by the troops the equal of the Enfield in precision and range, and more destructive, inasmuch as it carried a heavier weight of metal. During Denni- son's administration twen- ty-five thousand, three hundred and twenty-four of these smooth-bore mus- kets were thus changed, at a cost of one dollar and twenty-five cents per gun. The State had under its control, at the outbreak of the war, thirty-three smooth - bore six - pound- ers. Twenty - seven of these were likewise rifled and made equal to the best rifled guns. Twelve additional batteries were contracted for, the guns for which Miles Green- wood had already begun casting. In the Novem- BUILDING GUN BOATS ON THE OHIO RIVER DURING THE CIVIL WAR ber election of 1861, David

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Tod, himself a Democrat, was elected Governor on the Republican ticket by 55,000 major- ity over Hugh J. Jewett, the nominee of the anti-war or regular Democratic party of the State. The Legislature was overwhelmingly Union Republican. In September, 1862, Cincinnati got a taste of actual warfare, when the "siege of Cincinnati" occurred. Two months previous, Cincinnati had been in a state of excitement on account of the invasion of John Morgan's Kentucky cavalry in the northern part of Kentucky, but this was only a forerunner for greater events.

Vague rumors of a new and more dangerous invasion began to be whispered, and at large, while Bragg and Buell warily watched cach the other's maneuvres, Kirby Smith, who had been posted at Knoxville, broke camp and marched straight for the heart of Ken- tucky with twelve thousand men and thirty or forty pieces of artillery. Through Big Creek and Roger's Gaps, Kirby Smith moved without molestation, passed the National forces at Cumberland Gap without waiting to attempt a reduction of the place, and resolutely pushed

THE ROOKWOOD POTTERY CINCINNATI

on into Kentucky unopposed, until within fifteen miles of Richmond and less than three times that distance from Lexington itself, when he fell upon a Kentucky regiment of cav- alry under Colonel Metcalf and scattered it in a single charge. The routed cavalrymen bore back to Richmond and Lexington the first authentic news of the Rebel advance. With the first rumors of danger, Indiana and Ohio had both made strenuous exertions to throw forward the new levies, and Indiana in particular had hastily put into the field in Kentucky a large number of raw troops, fresh from the camps at which they had been recruited. These troops were hastily pushed forward in utter ignorance of the strength of the enemy, and apparently without any well defined plans, and as the victorious invaders came up towards Richmond, they found this force opposing them. Smith seems scarcely to have halted even to concentrate his command, but, precipitating the advance of his column upon the raw line that confronted him, scattered it at a charge. Two more attempts were made to check the advance of Smith, the last time almost in the suburbs of Richmond, but the

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undisciplined and ill-handled troops were no match for their enthusiastic assailants, and when they were this time driven back, the rout became complete. The cavalry fell upon the disorderly retreating Union soldiers; whole regiments were captured, and instantly paroled. Those that escaped fled to fields and by-ways, and soon poured into Lexington with the story of the disaster. On the Ist of September, General Kirby Smith entered Lex- ington, which city had been vacated by the Union troops. Two days later he dispatched Heath with five or six thousand men against Covington, Ken- tucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio. The next day he was joined by John Morgan, who had moved through Glasgow and Danville; and the overjoyed people of Lexington thronged the streets and shouted from every door and window their welcome to the invaders. News of the disaster at Richmond was not received in Cincinnati until a late hour Saturday night, the 30th of August. It produced great excitement, but the full extent of the consequences of that defeat was not realized. There were SSHLATS soldiers in plenty, it was argued, to drive back the invaders, and only a - few experienced officers were needed. Monday afternoon rumors became cur- rent that the troops were in no con- dition to make any sufficient opposition -that Lexington and Frankfort might have to be abandoned-but all thought that in any event there were plenty of troops between the invaders and them- selves. By dusk it was known that, in- stead of falling back on Cincinnati, the troops were retreating through Frank- ON MAIN AND THIRD STREETS DAYTON OHIO fort to Louisville-that between Kirby Smith's regiments, flushed with victory, and the banks and warehouses of the Queen City, stood no obstacle more formidable than a few unmanned siege guns back of Covington, and the easily crossed Ohio river. But the city of Cincinnati at once took steps for an effective defense. The local Council was con- vened in special session and the credit and faith of the city were pledged for all expenses necessary for the public defense, and the Mayor was authorized and directed to order the suspension of business, and to call the citizens to arms. The military department of that time was commanded by General Horatio C. Wright. The City Council and the Mayor put all the resources of the city at his command. He responded to the situation by sending from the front General Lew Wallace, who arrived on the Ist of September, at nine o'clock in the evening. The Mayors of Cincinnati, Covington and Newport waited upon him at the Burnet House soon after his arrival. The three cities named were placed at his disposal,

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and all were willing to obey his orders and uphold his demands. Before 2 o'clock of that night, a proclamation of martial law was prepared by him, which appeared in the news- papers of the next morning. In that proclamation the people were warned that an active and powerful enemy threatened them with all the consequences of war; announced that the cities must be defended, and that their inhabitants must at once engage in the work ; that there should be no distinction of classes, and no exemption from any duty while the danger was imminent; that at nine o'clock the next morning every business house in the three cities must be closed, and that citizens must an hour later assemble in specified places ready for orders; that this labor ought to be a labor of love, but that anyhow it must be done. Martial law was proclaimed in Cincinnati, Covington and Newport, and it was ordered that it should be enforced by the police until soldiers should arrive. Even the schools were closed, and the ferry-boats were forbidden to ply after a certain hour. The order was indeed a sweeping conscription, and an absolute prohibition of all kinds of private pursuits. It soon appeared that even in such great danger the order had been too comprehensive and inclusive. It was soon afterwards modified so as to allow the schools to proceed with their work, drug stores and bakeries to conduct their usual busi- ness, physicians to visit their patients, and banks to open from one to two o'clock daily. This order, instead of producing complaints and ill humor, as might have been expected, on the contrary was received with the greatest satisfaction. Every citizen beamed upon his neighbor, as if there had been a proclamation of a great festival. The citizens not only perceived that the way to avoid threatened danger was to meet it, but they seemed to take pleasure in the prospect of defending their homes by force of arms.

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Ohio's progressive sons; a history of the state; sketches of those who have helped to build up the commonwealth, Part 10

Author: Queen City Publishing Company, Cincinnati, pub Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Cincinnati, O., Queen city publishing company Number of Pages: 858

Author: Queen City Publishing Company, Cincinnati, pub
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Cincinnati, O., Queen city publishing company
Number of Pages: 858