USA > Ohio > Muskingum County > Zanesville > Past and present of the city of Zanesville and Muskingham County, Ohio > Part 8
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Politicians soon discovered that military com- missions were valuable media for acquiring prom- inence, and aspiring office seekers rushed into the militia that they might exhibit themselves : gener- als and colonels multiplied very rapidly and there were regimental and brigade officers where there were no companies. Occasionally there was a company properly officered, uniformed and armed. but "armed as the the law directs" was generally construed to mean that a lath, hoop-pole, broom- stick, corn-stalk or sun-flower stalk would com- ply with the law, and it soon became a farce and served only to develop "the corn-stalk militia."
Keeping step was unknown ; uniforms consisted of difference in dress: "arms" were carried at such inclinations as suited the bearer : officers were incompetent, and it is related that a captain. in a bell crowned hat, spiked tailed coat, sash and sabre, ordered his men to "Turn this corner, please," and another directed his men to go down to the river and fall in, which the boys obeyed by forming in line and not by dropping into the stream. Therefore, the musters degenerated into drinking, wrestling, racing, jumping and fighting contests, with little drilling and no military in- struction.
Public sentiment was strongly against the sys- tem, and efforts were made to change it. but those holding commissions were too powerful a lobby, and the public adopted the expedient of laughing it out of existence, and when this had been ef- fected, volunteer, independent companies took its place.
Rumors were current in Zanesville that meas- ures were being perfected to cast ridicule upon the militia law, at an approaching muster. The regu- lar officers had announced that the law must be respected and, if necessary, force would be used to compel obedience : on the morning of the mus- ter an effigy of the boaster was found suspended across Main street.
The muster field was in West Zanesville, where the "regulars" assembled ; the Fantasticals, as the opponents were called, rendezvoused in the Meli-
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tire school building, then unoccupied; they were composed of the best young men of the neigh- borhood, were all of fighting stock and numbered about 200. One wore a coon skin mask, with the large mouth filled with goose quills which rattled loudly when the head was shaken ; another carried a gun with a barrel made of tin spouting, ten feet long : a man of 300 pounds was dressed in a boy's roundabout and trousers entirely too small for him and a ridiculous inscription across his broad back ; and all the members were disguised in every con- ceivable style of nondescript costume and hideous mask ; the drummer pounded a mortar board and the fifer blew a tin trumpet ; each dress and ac- coutrement were unlike the others and every- thing tended to render the "regular" militia man ridiculous.
The commander was Lemon Owens, who as- sumed the title of Col. Pluck; he wore a calico suit, with the coat cut spike tail and adorned with immense tin buttons, while on each shoulder was fastened a large sun-flower as epaulets ; his neck- tie was lavendar in color and the ends reached the ground and on his head was an immense hat and plume of fox tail; his sword was of tin and measured ten feet in length and his spurs were of the same metal and extended beyond the rear of his horse, which was old, blind, spavined and was a mere shadow : its hip bones were sharp enough to hold his hat and the ribs are described as con- tending with each other as to which should stick out the furthest. With a proud air the Colonel proceeded to mount his steed, which appeared of doubtful accomplishment, first, as to whether the animal could sustain his weight, and second, whether he could endure riding upon such a cor- rugated surface. Orderlies stood on each side to receive his body should the horse collapse under his weight. The mount was successfully effected and the column proceeded to Main street and over the "Y" bridge to John Lee's tavern, in West Zanesville, where the "cornstalk" men were learn- ing the art of war, the Colonel having succeeded in reaching the objective point by requiring the orderlies to whip the horse at each step.
The militia were in formation when the Fan- tasticals reached the muster field and the latter were marched past in silence and order, and coun- termarched in view of the regulars ; the roll was called and to the most ridiculous names there was a responsive "here." Upon ordering a maneuver of the Fantasticals a regular, with a rifle, stepped from the line, with aim at the Colonel, declared with an oath he would shoot if he moved a step forward. Handing his tin sword to an orderly he opened his holster and, with an immense horse pistol in each hand aimed at the regular, cooly in- quired, "Will you," He then ordered the order- lies to whip up the horse and looking into the muzzle of the rifle said: "Get out of the way or
I'll kill you, whip up my horse!" and as it moved . forward the regular stepped aside. Pluck mar- shalled his men in perfect order, rode to the com- mander of the militia, took off his enormous hat and bowing slightly said: "Captain, I now resign my commission and give into your charge these men." The captain replied, "I'll have nothing to do with them," and Pluck repeated his resigna- tion ; upon reflection the captain turned to the Fantasticals and called, "Attention !" Instantly all order was gone, the straight line became ser- pentine, each Fantastical sought a place in the regular line, cats, dogs, roosters, bulls, jacks, etc., were imitiated; order was destroyed and with it all discipline. The affair became so ridiculous the muster was dismissed.
The success of the Zanesville revolutionists became known throughout the state and inspired the opponents of the militia system elsewhere to action to defeat it.
Owens went west and joined the Rocky mountain scouts and trappers under Kit Carson, and became one of Fremont's guides and scouts in his several expeditions in pathfinding.
IN THE MEXICAN WAR.
Upon the declaration of war with Mexico, the President issued a call for 43,000 men to com- pose the army of invasion and the quota of Ohio was three regiments or 2,400 men; the head- quarters of the second brigade of the fifteenth division of Ohio militia was at Zanesville, and its commander, Gen. John T. Arthur, ordered a parade of the men in front of the court house, at 9 a. m., May 28, 1846, when a large and enthusiastic crowd assembled; the brigade marched to the field now enclosed by Maple and McIntire avenues, Ball street and the Muskingum river, where speeches were made and volunteers were called, and forty-six were enrolled the first day ; the volunteers from Muskingum and Noble counties aggregated ninety-three men and elected officers June II, and the next day left by steamer for Cincinnati, and were assigned to the Third regiment ; they reached New Orleans July 9 and soon after sailed for the front and participated in some of the fiercest struggles of the campaign.
IN THE CIVIL WAR.
The President's call for 75,000 men, of April 17, 1861, had scarcely been published when John C. Hazlett, prosecuting attorney, began to recruit a company, and Wednesday, April 19, it was filled, taken to Columbus and assigned to the First regi- ment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Thursday, April 20th, the regiment started for the national capi- tal and was in the engagement at Vienna, June 17, and Bull Run, July 21, 1861. Upon the ex-
BANK
TO THE FRONT, JUNE 11, 1861.
The corner building, at Fifth and Main, now occupied as a pharmacy, was a bank during the war period, and is the only structure of the block which is now standing. The company shown in the photograph is probably Co. B, 24th O. V. I., as the regiment was organized at Camp Chase, near Columbus, in June, 1861, one company being from Muskingum County. The regiments with earlier numbers and containing Muskingum County troops were all at this date in serv- ice at the front.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.
piration of the enlistment Captain Hazlett re- cruited another company and was assigned to the Second regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and while commanding it was mortally wounded at Stone River, December 31, 1862.
The following companies were formed, wholly or in part, in Muskingum county, and other Muskingum county men were in regiments not classed as county organizations :
First regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Com- pany B.
Second regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company E.
Third regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company E.
Fifteenth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company A.
Sixteenth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company A.
Nineteenth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Companies E and K.
Twenty-fourth regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, Company B.
Thirty-second regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, Company G.
Sixty-second regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, Companies A, C, F and I.
Sixty-seventh regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, Company F.
Seventy-eighth regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, Companies A, B, C, D, F, G, I and K.
Ninety-seventh regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, Companies C, E, F and K.
One Hundred and Twenty-second regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Companies A, B, F, G, H, I and K.
One Hundred and Fifty-ninth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Companies A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and K.
One Hundred and Sixtieth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Companies C, D, E, G and I. One Hundred and Seventy-eighth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Companies A and F.
One Hundred and Ninety-fifth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Companies E and I.
One Hundred and Ninety-sixth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Company G.
One Hundred and Ninety-eighth Ohio Volun- teer Infantry, Company B.
Ninth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, Com- panies A, C and D.
Tenth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, Com- panies A, B and C.
Thirteenth regiment, Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, Company F.
Fifth Independent Battalion of Cavalry.
Crew of United States steamer Brilliant, Mis- sissippi Squadron.
Muskingum county's soldiers were found in fifty-four companies of infantry distributed in
nineteen regiments ; eight companies of cavalry in four regiments of that arm, and one crew of a gun boat.
Stars were won by Greenbury F. Wiles, en- rolled as First Lieutenant ; Mortimer D. Leggett, enrolled as Lieutenant Colonel ; John Q. Lane, enrolled as Colonel ; William H. Ball, enrolled as Colonel ; and William D. Hamilton, enrolled as Captain.
ZANESVILLE CITY GUARDS.
After the Civil war the usual lull in military spirit ensued and the formation of a military company was not agitated until the fall of 1874 when meetings were held in the second story of the city prison, then located at the southwest corner of Fountain and Potter alleys, and the Zanesville City Guards was organized with Fred. Geiger, captain; Harry Shrimpton, first lieuten- ant ; John A. Morrow, second lieutenant. The company was mustered into the Ohio National Guard, February 1, 1875, and as there was no regimental organization at the time to which it could be attached, it remained unattached until the formation of the Seventeenth regiment. to which it was assigned as Company A, Septem- ber 14. 1877. An election having been ordered for regimental officers, October 22, Captain Geiger was chosen colonel, and November 14, Gus. A. Wyneken became captain. September 16, 1878, John A. Morrow succeeded him and January 10, 1880, the company was disbanded, having been called into service in July, 1877, dur- ing the railroad strike at Newark.
August 29, 1881, the company was re-organized and re-assigned to the Seventeenth regiment as Company I, and Colonel Geiger, having resigned the colonelcy of the regiment, was again chosen captain, and September 22, 1882, the company was reassigned as Company B. October 23. 1883, Joseph Beckhardt became captain and while he was commander the company was called into service at the time of the Berner riots, at Cin- cinnati, in 1884, and the Boone turbulence, at Zanesville, in November 1887. The armories oc- cupied, until the erection of Memorial Hall, were in the Stevens' building, southwest corner of Main and Seventh streets ; the Nevitt and Dixon hall, northwest corner of Main and Seventh streets, and the Fillmore building, northeast cor- ner of Main street and Sewer alley ; the company was mustered out May 12, 1892.
BATTERY C. FIRST REGIMENT, OHIO LIGHT ARTILLERY.
April 20, 1886, a battery of light artillery was mustered into the Ohio National Guard, at Zanes- ville, with E. C. Brush, M. D., captain : Andrew H. Herdman, first lieutenant : B. L. Taylor, sec-
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.
ond lieutenant ; it was designated as the Third battery, but January 14, 1886, was assigned to the First regiment, Ohio Light Artillery, as Bat- tery C. and Captain Brush having been promoted to major upon the organization of the regiment, Benjamin C. Davis was chosen captain June 28, 1886: he was succeeded by H. A. Leslie, Julv 13, 1887, and succeeding commanders were: J. Wm. Koos, September 22, 1890: Charles W. Corbin, November 11, 1893. The battery was as- sembled at the armory in November. 1887, in anticipation of trouble attending the lawlessness accompanying the laying of tracks in Beach alley, and in 1894 was called into service during the miners' strike at Wheeling creek. Major Brush succeeded Colonel Smithnight as com- mander of the regiment and retired after five years' service, but upon the resignation of Colonel Darrow, in 1897, was again called to the colon- ency and continued as its commander until the regiment was mustered out April 14, 1899.
When the call was made upon Ohio, for troops for the Spanish-American war, the state possessed the only full regiment, or eight batteries, of light artillery, among the National Guard; the quota from Ohio, however, was for only a battalion, or four batteries, and they were selected by the rank of their commanders ; Battery C was fortunate in having a captain with an old commission, and April 26, 1898, it was ordered into service, and April 30 started to Columbus, where, on May II, the battalion was accepted and mustered into the United States' service, at Camp Bushnell; three of the batteries were in the battalion commanded by Major Charles T. Atwell, and the battalion adjutant was Second Lieutenant H. O. Fulker- son, both of Zanesville and formerly members of the battery. The command arrived at Chat- tanooga, Tennessee, May 17 and, as ranking officer, Major Atwell commanded the eleven bat- teries in the camp until the arrival of Brigadier General E. B. Williston, and upon the detachment of the latter, August 10. the command again de- volved upon Major Atwell, and was maintained until the forces were returned to their respective states. September 6 the Ohio battalion arrived at Columbus and was mustered out of the United States' service October 21, 1898.
General orders were issued April 14. 1899. mustering out all regimental organizations and Battery C was unattached : April 28, 1899, it was transferred to the infantry, as unattached Com- pany C. but November 6, 1899, it was assigned to the Seventh Separate Battalion as Company A. June 23. 1899, Major C. T. Atwell was elected captain of the infantry company and was suc- ceeded, June 16, 1900, bv O. V. Lewman, who was succeeded by Alexander Robertson, the pres- ent commander.
COMPANY L, TENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
When the Spanish-American war occurred Ohio was ready to furnish more men than were mobilized from all the states and the regular army. Among the organizations was the Foraker Guards, a volunteer company, formed especially to get into the service, but which was not mus- tered into the National Guard. The Ohio Na- tional Guard was not all called into service but Zanesville was not satisfied with furnishing a battery of artillery and desired to have an in- fantry company also, and it was thought that the influence of its military men would enable this body of minute men to be accepted over organiza- tions already in the service of the state. June 4, 1898, it was mustered into the Ohio National Guard, and assigned as Company C, Seventeenth regiment, but the designation was changed, by general orders, June 23, to the Foraker Guards, unattached, as the organization of the Tenth regi- ment was then in contemplation.
This was a peculiar organization. As only four of the batteries of the First regiment of Light Artillery had been accepted by the government, the Cincinnati battery, B, went into the First Ohio Cavalry, which left Batteries D, E and F; four divisions of naval reserves desired to enter the service but showed an aversion to being dis- tributed among various vessels and preferred to maintain their identity as Ohio troops ; the Cleve- land Greys, an independent organization, could not well be refused, and they were organized as a battalion of three companies of engineers, and there was one unattached infantry com- pany at Cincinnati. Thus: the four divis- ions of naval reserves, three batteries of light artillery, three companies of engineers, the Cin- cinnati company and the Foraker Guards, made twelve companies, or a full regiment, and was mobilized at Camp Bushnell, Columbus, June 25, 1898, as the Tenth regiment, Ohio Volunteer In- fantry, and July 7 was mustered into the United States, service, the Foraker Guards becoming Company L, with Charles A. Reynolds, captain ; Walter H. V. Black, first lieutenant ; Wilbur H. Phillips, second lieutenant. Reynolds resigned in July, 1899, to accept a captaincy in the Thirty- first United States' Infantry and went to the Phil- ippines; Lieutenant Black resigned October 7, 1898, and was succeeded October 17, by Lieuten- ant Phillips ; and Sergeant H. A. Buerhaus was commissioned second lieutenant, October 17, 1898.
Colonel Brush, of the First regiment of Light Artillery, whose command had been destroyed by partial acceptance and assignment to infantry service, anticipated the command but Gen. H. A. Axline was equally ambitious and more success- ful, and was commissioned as colonel. August
STARRE, Photo
SHERMAN'S ARMY WAGONS.
The photograph was taken in June, 1865, from the window of Starke's photo- graph gallery, southeast corner of Main and Fifth streets. After the close of the war the wagons which accompanied Sherman in his march "from Atlanta to the sea," wore ordered distributed among western posts and for several weeks they were familiar objects on their way from Washington, by way of the National Road, to destinations. The view is interesting as correctly representing the block between Fifth street and Court Alley, and the appearance of the "City Hall," as the building at Fourth and Main streets was then styled.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.
18 the regiment was ordered to Camp Meade, at Middletown, Pennsylvania, and in November was ordered into winter quarters, at Augusta, Georgia, where they were mustered out of the United States' service, March 23, 1899. Upon reaching home Company L resumed its place in the Na- tional Guard, as an unattached company, but its members had enlisted to fight and August 16, 1899, the company was mustered out of the Na- tional Guard.
CHAPTER VI.
CRIMES AND CASUALTIES, COMPRISING GRAVE ROBBING. MURDER IN 1816. BLUE ROCK MINE DISASTER. BUCKEYE BELLE. BELLE ZANE. LA- BOR RIOT IN 1877. BELT LINE TURBULENCE IN 1887.
GRAVE ROBBING.
A young man, named Thomas Payne, came to Zanesville, penniless and a stranger, during the latter part of 1800; in February, 1811, he died suddenly and was buried in the public burying ground at the head of Main street. The night after the burial Elijah Ross and a companion went coon hunting and on their return to town about midnight passed over the hill, near the graveyard. Ross heard a noise which did not disturb him at the time, but when he had reached home and retired, he recalled the circumstance and concluded to investigate; accordingly, early in the morning, with gun and dogs, fearing the noise might have been made by a wild animal, he went to the spot and found Payne's grave open, the coffin broken and the body missing.
Two Zanesville and one Wheeling man, stud- ents of Dr. Hamm, had just succeeded in getting the body from the coffin when Ross passed the preceding night and, fearing detection, hastily dragged it by the ankles the entire distance down the hill, leaving the grave open, and at Seventh and South streets dragged the body so roughly over a fence that some hair caught on the rail ; they had taken Dr. Hamm's horse to carry the body but he scared and ran away, and they then secured a wheelbarrow, whose track enabled Ross to trail them to the cellar door of the tavern at the southwest corner of Main and Third streets.
About two inches of snow enabled Ross to trace the course of the robbers and he followed the wheelbarrow track through South street to Dia- mond alley and to the cellar door; the news spread rapidly and the excited and indignant citi- zens broke into the cellar and discovered the re- mains concealed behind some logs; the people were furious and proposed to tear down the hotel, and one excited man ran with a flaunting torch and shouted. "This will be the quicker way
to get the building down." Cooler counsel pre- vailed and trouble was averted, the students re- maining in seclusion, and the public took charge of the body and prepared it for reinterment. Eight pall-bearers, wearing white gloves, white sashes over the shoulders and white scarfs upon their hats, bore the bier with the remains covered with a white sheet : business was generally sus- pended and the entire town was in attendance ; the legislature was in session at the time but its deliberations were permanently interrupted until the incident closed with the reinterment of the body.
During the winter of 1823-4 Dr. Calvin Conant, of Putnam, had four students, and as there was no medical colleges in the West, anatomical stud- ies were pursued with difficulty. Grave robbing was extremely hazardous and operators did not acquire proficiency. Dr. Conant's stable adjoined a hotel and Jake, the colored hostler, attended to the doctor's horses. A Miss Arnold, a well- known and highly esteemed young lady, had died of an acute disease and been buried in the grave- yard in Moxahala avenue. During the morning after the burial, Jake entered the doctor's hay- mow and observing something white made an ex- amination and discovered a small human foot : with a yell he left the mow and was met by one of the students, who by persuasions, threats and appeals to the hostler's superstitions, kept him quiet during the day and got him to bed in the evening. During the night the body was re- moved and secreted and was never recovered. Jake could not keep his secret and informed his employer, who became excited and incensed, and when an examination of the grave had disclosed that it had been violated, the news spread and the community was in a whirl of excitement ; war- rants were issued and the suspects arrested, and the utmost tact of influential citizens was re- quired to prevent violence. Dr. Conant made affidavit that he had no knowledge, direct or in- direct, of the matter and the magistrate postponed the investigation a few days to permit public sentiment to cool; the accused were admitted to bail, but remained in seclusion, and the startling discovery was made that there was no statute against grave robbing : the hearing was conducted in the stone academy, but not one-fourth of the crowd could enter ; the absence of a statute under which they could be tried placed the magistrate in a dilemma ; he was convinced the men would be mobbed if released and he bound them over to court on the charge of the larceny of grave clothes; the case was postponed from time to time and was finally nollied.
A few years later three of Dr. Conant's stud- ents attempted to rob a grave : a young German committed suicide and was buried on a high bluff overlooking Salt creek. The young men of the
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PAST AND PRESENT OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.
neighborhood became aware of the intention to desecrate the grave and, armed with shot guns, placed themselves some distance from it, and with it between them and the bluff. The students took Dr. Conant's horse and gig, one in the gig and the others on horseback, and when the place was reached the horses were hitched in the bushes below the bluff. The grave was found and the watchers permitted the diggers to continue until they supposed the coffin was reached, when a volley was fired; the doctors jumped over the precipice in the darkness against trees, bushes and briars, their clothing was torn and soiled, their bodies scratched and bruised, and one so severely injured as to be in retirement for some time. The men with the horses found their mounts and rode hastily away, but the man with the gig was so frightened and confused by the darkness that he could not find it and walked home. The watchers found the horse and gig and took them to town the next day and delivered them to Dr. Conant, who again entered a dis- claimer of any knowledge or consent to the at- tempted robbery.
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