The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 163

Author: Durant, Pliny A. [from old catalog]; Beers, W. H., & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1254

USA > Ohio > Union County > The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record; > Part 163

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CLAIBOURNE TOWNSHIP.

Church. In the spring of 1843, his church gave him authority to speak to the people on the subject of religion. He spent the week in labor on the farm, and on Sabbath he visited points at schoolhouses and in the cabins of the settlers to hold religious services. His educational ad- vantages were limited to the winter school, except a three months' select school conducted by his brother John in Marysville. February 17, 1844, his church authorized him to preach the Gospel, and in August, of the same year, he united with the Muskingum Annual Conference, with the view of making the ministry his life work. He has now spent almost thirty-nine years in the ministry, during which time he has performed an unusual amount of labor, preaching a con- siderable part of the time three times on the Sabbath, and often during the week time, but in the thirty-nine years has only been off duty four Sabbaths in consequence of sickness. He has preached in Muskingum and Licking County five years, Coshocton four, Lancaster two, Circle- ville two, Steubenville five, New Comerstown one, McConnelsville two, served as President of his conference one year, and has preached in Mt. Vermon and Knox County for nearly seventeen years. During his residence in Knox County, he has attended over 400 funerals, and married over 400 couples. Hundreds have been added to the church through his in- strumentality. He often delivers addresses on different subjects that find a place in print. On the 31st day of August, 1848, he married Charlotta M. Rodman, near Zanesville. They have three children, one son and two daughters, all live in Mt. Vernon. The son is a printer, and for three years was publisher of the Mt. Vernon Republican, while the father was editor and proprietor. He is now in his fifty-seventh year, and performs the labor ordinarily per- formed by two men.

Isaac N. Hamilton. (See biography in this book.)

HORATIO COX HAMILTON was born near Irville, MuskingumCo., Ohio, September 24, 1830, and was named after Judge Horatio Cox, who was then a merchant of Irville, but who now lives in Columbus, Ohio. He came with the rest of his father's family to Union County, and landed in Richwood on the evening of the 3d day of April, 1838. The family lived that sum- iner in town, while the father and older boys were employed in building a house and arranging for the future. Horatio, with his two brothers-Norton, who was older, and George, who was younger-were sent to school to Matildy Manson, who taught in the old log schoolhouse on the lot now occupied by C. W. Huffman as a residence; they were also required to carry dinner to those who were at work clearing the farm, etc., so that each forenoon, after intermission, they went home and got a good-sized market-basket full, and made the trip from town to the point. where the men were at work, which is the same as where the house of G. B. Hamilton now stands, and after delivering their load of provisions they would return to the school for the af- ternoon. When one thinks that it was then an unbroken forest with only a path, and that the average age of the three was only seven and a halt years, it savors of real romance. Horatio remained with his father, and worked, as all farmer boys did in those days, for nine or ten months of the year, going to school from forty to sixty days each winter, until the winter of 1848-49, when he taught school in the Lenox District. The following winter he taught in Rich- wood, and had to assume the relationship of teacher to the same children and scholars with whom he formerly went to school and with whom he had played and frolicked. Some idea of the labor performed may be had when it is remembered that the school averaged fifty-six for the term, and for the last two months perhaps seventy or more, and that every one brought what- ever book or books they could find about the house or borrow of a neighbor, so that it was im- possible to classify the school. In the fall of 1851, and after he was of age, Horatio concluded that he would add somewhat to his educational advantages, and for this purpose he went to Delaware and matriculated and entered upon a college lite ; but it was of short duration and amounted to two terms of six or eight days each, so that he is what he himself calls a two-term graduate.

In the spring of 1853, he left his father and went to Cleveland, and employed himself to H. G. O. Carey, to travel and sell his medicines, the main article of which was Borrell's Indian Liniment. The first six months were spent in canvassing Eastern and Southern Ohio. In the fall of the same year, he was sent to West Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota. For four years he continued to travel from place to place, loading at Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison, Ga- lena, Rock Island, Peoria, La Fayette and Indianapolis. This gave him a very extensive knowl- edge of the West, and enabled him to direct others to such places as they could get good land at Congress price. The result is that very many families are now in the West, and have homes to which they were directed by him. He also took advantage of his knowledge of the West, and invested the first thousand dollars he ever earned in land in Black Hawk County, Iowa, getting for $1,000, 859 acres of as good land as a bird ever flew over, and from which he realized a comfortable fortune. It may be well to go back and say that in the summer of 1853, while at his uncle's, Irenias Springer's, he chanced to meet a little school-girl who was destined to be a partner in his successes and failures. Her name was Edmonia Dawson, a daughter of Dr. Nelson Dawson (deceased), of Putnam, Ohio. Horatio C. Hamilton and Edmonia Dawson were married in Davenport, Iowa, June 3, 1856. In the spring of 1857 they settled on their land in Black Hawk County, Iowa, and during the summer built a house and broke 120 acres of land. In the fall of the same year the panic struck Iowa, and its wild-cat money went down and became worthless, and with

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it came ruin to almost everybody and everything in Iowa. Corn, wheat, oats and potatoes fell in price from $1.25 to a mere nominal price. This, with other things, caused them to leave Iowa and return to Ohio. In the fall of 1861, they came to live with his father-Monia to take care of the house and Horatio the farm. When the second call for volunteers was made in 1862, he was ap- pointed by Gov. Tod to recruit the quota of Union County, under said call. His commission was dated July 21, 1862, and on the 6th day of August he bad one full company and quite a number who were assigned to other companies, principally to Capt. Lawrence's company, of the One Hundred and Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry. On the 7th of August, he was elected Captain of the company that was organized, and as such was assigned to the Ninety-sixth Ohio Volunteer In- fantry. The regiment was sent to Kentucky and assigned to the command of Brig. Gen. S. G. Burbridge, and the brigade was attached to Maj. Gen. A. J. Smith's division of the Thirteenth Army Corps. The regiment reached Kentucky on the 1st day of September, 1862. It will be remembered that at this time there was a sentiment among the new recruits that slaves and slave property were being wrongfully protected by the army, and that it was no part of a sol- dier's duty to protect rebel property, and catch and return slaves to their masters. It began to be noticed that negroes were turned out of our lines with an ever-increasing degree of relue- tance ; also that Capt. Hamilton was the friend of the oppressed, and that he did not always obey an order to do so inhuman a thing as to turn a fellow-man over to his rebel master, even in obedience to a positive command of a senior officer. Finally a boy, some fourteen years of age, came into the camp of the Ninety-sixth Ohio, at Nicholasville, Ky., calling himself William Clay, and reporting that his master was a rebel, and that he had thrown an ax at him (Billy), and that he wanted protection. He found a friend in Capt. Hamilton. and remained with him, as a servant, for some time, until the army was ordered to move to Louisville. On the way, and as it passed through Versailles, a person dressed in the uniform of a Union soldier came, representing himself as being on Maj. Gen. A. J. Smith's staff, and that as such he ordered Capt. Hamilton to deliver the boy Billy to him to be turned over to the jailer as an escaped slave. This he refused to do unless the order came in writing from Gen. Smith in the ordinary way, being countersigned by Gen. Burbridge and Col. I. W. Vance of the Ninety-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. This the fellow refused to get, but notified him that be would be back in fifteen minutes with a detachment of soldiers, and that he would take the boy by force. Upon this the Captain turned to his company and told them that if it was going to be a question of force, that they might load their guns and prepare for the affray. That order the company made haste to execute, and as they did so one company after another did the same, until, as far as one could see, the road seemed to glisten with the light of the sun as it was reflected by several thousand ramrods which were being used to send home the ball that was intended to> perforate the hide of any man who would attempt to take Billy by force. The effect of this preparation was that the staff officer gave up his notion of taking the boy by force at that time, but notified the Captain that the affair would be deferred till evening, at which time the boy would be taken by force and the Captain put under arrest for disobedience of orders. This kept the matter brewing in the minds of the soldiers. As soon as the army was encamped for the night, the soldiers held an impromptu meeting, at which speeches were made and resolutions passed approving the course of Capt. Hamilton, and resolving that they would stand by him to the death. A committee was appointed to inform him of their purpose, and he was soon waited on by a soldier who made known their action to him, and requested that if any move should be made to take the boy by force, that immediate notice should be given to the officers and soldiers whose names were found on a card which was handed to the Captain. This upris- ing of the soldiers, occasioned by the refusal of Capt. Hamilton to give up the boy Billy, had the effect to stop all effort in the Army of Kentucky to arrest or return slaves to their masters.

On reaching Louisville, the army was ordered to go to Memphis and Vicksburg. The boy could not be taken, and the only thing that could be done was either to let him loose in Kentucky, to be seized upon and returned to slavery, or to send him home to Ohio. The latter the Captain chose to do, but had to force his way across the river for fear of arrest ; but he finally reached New Albany, Ind., and bought a railroad ticket to Marysville for the boy, paying for it all the money he had and going $1.25 in debt. When the boy reached Richwood, it set everything in commotion. Some approved of the course pursued by the Captain, others condemned. The party in opposition called a meeting, and resolved that the " nigger" should not be permitted to stay, and that they would return him to his master, etc. They also resolved that Capt. Hamilton should not be permitted to return to Richwood. The matter got into all the papers of the State, and of other States as well. Letters came to the Captain from every quarter, some approving and some disapproving his course. One man, who was given to understanding the force of what he said, wrote him that it was sup- posed that an effort would be made to take the boy by force and send him back to Ken- tucky. but he said that the Captain need not be alarmed, for that many thousands of men were armed and ready for any move that might be made to return the boy.

Billy Clay and H. C. Hamilton both live in Richwood at this time, and this story would not have been told if it had not been for the fact of its having had so important a part in the war

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in overthrowing the slave power, and in developing liberal and Christian sentiment at home. During the winter of 1862-63, while with Sherman's army, Capt. Hamilton contracted a nervous disease, the external evidence of which appeared as a cutaneous disease called lepra. from the effect of which he became spotted as a leopard. In August following, he resigned his office of Captain and came home, since which time he has been a resident of Union County. He was prospered in business, and bought and paid for the Hamilton homestead, and was supposed to be a man of wealth until the panic of 1873, when, by bad management and security debts, he became involved, and sold his property at a low figure and paid his debts. His wife, Edmonia, was taken from him by death on January 29, 1877. On March 4, 1879, he was married to Miss Molly Kendall, and they now live together in the village of Richwood. In the mean time, he partially regained his health as well as property, and bids fair for long life and future usefulness. In religious matters, he is somewhat peculiar, and cares nothing for the religion that one feels but goes his last dollar on the religion that one does.

GEORGE B. HAMILTON, farmer, P. O. Richwood, was born in Muskingum County, Ohio, February 12, 1833, and is a son Rev. William and Lydia (Springer) Hamilton, the former of English and Scotch, the latter of Swiss descent. His parents came to Union County, April 8, 1838, and settled on the farm and built the house where their son, George, now resides. Mr. Hamilton was educated in a log schoolhouse in Claibourne Township, where he applied himself with such diligence as enabled him in after years to teach. Being one of those persons who are ever in the process of education, whether in the school-room, on the farm, or in business, he has obtained such a practical education as enables him to be of great public usefulness wherever placed. Indeed, few men, with even better advantages, have equal ability with him to make an intelligent, off-hand address, on any subject or occasion, that may interest the better class of people in the community. In consequence of this, he has been variously intrusted with public offices and interests in the township and county in which he lives. But having little or no de- sire for public life or honors, he has, by preference, devoted himself to farming, as his life's work. In this he has had such success as gives him a handsome home farm of 386 acres, besides other lands and village property. On November 19, 1857, he married Marian Hamilton, a native of Scotland, where her ancestry connected her with John Knox and the Reformation- a daughter of Rev. William and Marian Hamilton, Sr., her father being of identically the same name as her husband's father, but without kinship between them; and to make the seeming identity more striking, both fathers were ministers in the same State-Ohio, of the same de- nomination-Methodist Protestant Church, and still further, both had sons named John and Will- iam. The married life of Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton has been, at all times, most happy, and re- sulted in three children, two daughters, Clara A. and Marian G., and one son, George H., the oldest of whom, Clara, is now attending the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. Mrs. Hamilton was blessed with a brilliant mind, a retentive memory, and a keen perception of the beautiful in literature and morals, and with such intellectual equipment, she was ever able to make home attractive and happy, and to impart to her children a rich heritage of this character. Nor did she lavish her gifts on home alone, but was an ornament to the society in which she moved, and was a useful and active member of the Methodist Protestant Church, to which she belonged from the age of fourteen years till her death, October 18, 1882, a period of about thirty-three years. Mr. Hamilton is also a member of the same church, having joined it in his boyhood. Besides being a most active and zealous member of the local church at Richwood, he is one of the most prominent laymen of his denomination in Ohio, having been repeatedly a delegate to the Ohio Annual Conference, and twice a lay representative to the General Confer- ence. In addition to giving hearty support to the local and general interests of his church, Mr. Hamilton has a quiet mode of benevolence, the details of which are scarcely known to any but himself and his God. With an eye upon superficials alone, your informant feels that he risks nothing as to fact, when he intimates that many are the poor who have been his beneficiaries, in various ways adapted to their relief, including not a few who could tell of their mort- gages, which were about to be foreclosed, with certain loss of their hard earnings, and which have quietly found their way into his hands, to await a slow redemption, as circumstances might necessitate, sometimes keeping him out of his returns for years, and although many hun- dred dollars have been freely given to relieve the needs of others, prosperity follows, and peace and plenty are found in his happy home.

Thomas Bealmear, seventh son of William and Lydia Hamilton, born June 22, 1836. The middle name was for the old family doctor, but when grown he chose to be called Thomas Benton, and so wrote his name when he wrote it in full. He was not two years old when he came to Union County, and could not take part in the early struggles of making a home in the wilder- ness. At an early period he showed that he possessed an active mind. The times had changed for the better, and the father concluded to give him an education. He was sent to Delaware University, and after - years of college life, he graduated with honor in the summer of 1857. He taught school for some time in Ohio and in Illinois, and then concluded to study medicine, and entered upon the work with his brother John in Columbus, and graduated at Starling Medi- cal College in the year 1862. He then went to the State of Illinois, and settled in Wenona, Mar- shall County, and commenced the practice of medicine. All this had been accomplished before

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HISTORY OF UNION COUNTY.

he was twenty-five years old. About this time he married Celia A. Oder. of his adopted State. His business was spreading rapidly, when he felt it to be his duty, in 1862, to enlist as a vol- unteer in the United States service. He entered the One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Regi- ment, Col. Moore commanding, and was made Assistant Surgeon. He was faithful as man could be to the trust committed to him. He followed the fate of his regiment in most of the battles on the Tennessee, Nashville, Chattanooga, and on the way to Atlanta, and was never off duty unless compelled to by sickness. Capt. A. E. Lee, formerly of Delaware, said of him : That he had often seen him when the battle would be raging, heedless of danger, caring for the wounded and dying. One man said to the writer : "He saved my life," and evinced toward him the love of David for Jonathan. He had attacks of hemorrhage, and his friends plead with him to come home. "No," said he, " not until my time is out." He hoped to live, and when dis- charged would return to a fond companion, and spend many days of connubial bliss. But not 30. While in hospital at Nashville he had an attack of hemorrhage, and died suddenly on March 17, 1865, and was brought to Union County and buried in the Richwood Cemetery, by the side of his kindred, in his twenty-ninth year. Few men of his age ever had a more cheering pros- pect for doing good to mankind than he. He was kind and cheerful, and with a mind stored with knowledge, and with the experience he had as a surgeon in the army, had he lived, he cer- tainly would have been prominent in his profession. lle was a beautiful singer, and took great pleasure in giving encouragement to the art. He was a Christian. Had made a profession of religion when quite a youth, and though gone from earth, has entered the society of the re- deemed, where he can sing forever "Unto Him that hath loved us, and given Himself for us, to Him be glory."

"Go to the grave, at noon from labor cease, Rest on thy sheaves, thy harvest work is done; Come, from the heat of battle, and in peace, Soldier home, with thee the work is done."

Rebecca Susan, only daughter and youngest child of William and Lydia Hamilton, was born in the village of Richwood, Union County, June 19, 1838. It was in early spring the family first moved to the county, and was compelled to stop in Richwood until a house could be com- pleted on the land that was to be occupied as a future home. It was while living here that she was born. The name is given in respect to both grandmothers. She signed her name R. Susan. As the youngest sister she became a great object of regard in the family. All felt anxious that she should acquire a good education. She entered Delaware College with her brother Thomas, at the age of seventeen ; was a most excellent student, and graduated with honor in the year 1859. She at once showed a desire to take hold of life's duties in a way that would make her self-supporting and at the same time be useful. She chose teaching as a profession and Illinois as the field of operation. With her brother Thomas, she taught the school at Wenona, Marshall County, Ill., and was giving great satisfaction, when she had an attack of lung fever, and was com- pelled to desist and return to Ohio, where, in spite of all attention that could be given her, she died, at the home of her parents, June 13, 1861. Sad was the day of her burial to her father and mother, brothers, and a large circle of friends. She had made a profession of religion in Marysville in the Prebyterian Church, and united with that church at the age of thirteen years. When in Delaware she united with the Methodist Episcopal Church. At home she was Meth- odist Protestant. She was a singer of commanding influence. She loved to sing and loved it until the last. A few days preceding her death she wished the family to join her in singing a hymn, saying she wished to hear the voice of her mother once more in singing, which request was granted. ller own voice was quite naturul. She grew weaker, and as her last words she said to her mother, " I am so happy." Thus closed the scene with this fair and lovely youth, just at a time when large hopes of future usefulness were centered upon her. The heart feels sad in dwelling upon such an event, but we must submit to the direction of the Great Father of all.

" Happy soul, thy days are ended, All thy mourning days below ; Go, by angel hands attended, To thy loving Savior, go."

Thus closes the brief history of a family covering a century and a quarter and embracing five generations, its influence being felt in all the professions and extending into different por- tions of the country. When Abraham Lincoln was candidate for President, every member of the family of which any knowledge is had, that had a right to vote, cast that vote for him. Seldom is there found an instance of dissipation in the family in all its history. With a love for virtue and religion, and a sincere desire to adhere to what is right, time alone will tell what heights of honor and usefulness awaits them.

JOHN S. HAMILTON, farmer, P. O. Richwood, was born in Marysville, Ohio, March 29, 1854, and is a son of Cornelius and Louise (Bisant) Hamilton, natives of Ohio. His father was a prominent lawyer of Marysville, a member of the Constitutional Convention that framed the present constitution of our State, and afterward a member of the Ohio Legislature. He also

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represented this district in the Fortieth Congress of the United States. He raised a family of six children, three boys and three girls. Our subject, who was the fourth child, received his education at Richwood, and has made farming the occupation of his life. He owns a nice farm near Richwood, on which he resides. He was married, in 1876, to Ellen E. Sidle, who was born in Claibourne Township February II, 1856; she is a daughter of John Sidle. By this union two children were born, viz., Viunie B. and Ollie. Mrs. Hamilton is a member of the Meth- odist Protestant Church. Mr. Hamilton is a Republican in politics.

ELIJAH HARRIS, farmer, P. O. Richwood, was born in Licking County, Ohio, October 13, 1836, and is the son of Thomas and Rachel (Herrod) Harris, the former a native of Ohio, and a farmer by occupation. Our subject was raised and educated as a farmer, and has made farming the principal occupation of his life, though at one time he followed the trade of a carpenter ten years. In 1870, he came to Union County and settled on the Marysville pike, one mile south of Richwood, where he owns a farm of 133} acres of prime land. He is a Republican in politics. He was married in 1869 to Columbia Sarah Huddleston, whose parents were natives of the Old Dominion, of English descent. Mr. and Mrs. Harris have two children, Isabella and Thomas.

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The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 163

Author: Durant, Pliny A. [from old catalog]; Beers, W. H., & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1254

Author: Durant, Pliny A. [from old catalog]; Beers, W. H., & co., Chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1254