The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 45

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 45

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).

No pains or time has been spared to make the roster as complete and correct as possible, yet no doubt there will be mistakes in the spelling of names and in

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dates; but the roster is as correct as it is possible to be made from the data at hand.

Only a glimpse can be given of the services of these regiments, but dates of organization, battles and everything pertaining to the history of the organizations have been compared with the records in the Adjutant General's office. In organ- izations where it was not possible to find soldiers to take an interest in the history of their regiments, such matter has been utilized as could be found in other histo- ries, and especially that of Reid's " Ohio in the War." But the most difficult and laborious work has been that of preparing the rolls, and where errors are found I hope the soldiers of these regiments will generously bear a share of the fault, as they have been appealed to for many months through the newspapers of the coun- ty, at re-unions and meetings of the Grand Army, to take an interest in the his- tory of their regiments. No record of any regiment has been completed until it was submitted to members of the organization for inspection, and then revised.

Regiments having full companies organized in the county are given more space, as in these more material was found, for many soldiers are now living in the county who were members of these companies.

Writing in the interest of any particular regiment or arm of the service, has been studiously avoided, as has also that of extolling the services of any soldier or officer, but always wishing to give credit where credit is due, and to record the history of regiments as shown by their service, believing all to be equally good brave and patriotic soldiers, serving their country faithfully in whatever department, or in whatever arm of the service the fortunes of war cast them. The names of the principal battles of the war, with date, carefully compiled from the Adjutant Gen- eral's office at Washington, D. C., is given, also the number of soldiers buried in our National Cemeteries, with many other tables of interesting historical infor- mation.

That these pages, hastily written in the intervals of pressing official duties, will prove uninteresting to some, I have no doubt, but in the generations to come, when the actors in this great war for the preservation of the Nation shall have passed away, their descendants will be interested to know on what side their fathers stood when the Nation was tottering in the balance. It cannot fail to be of absorbing interest to them, and now that this labor of many months is drawing to a close, and as it has been a work of pleasure, performed without thought of re- ward, yet with the bright hope before me that it will possess some charm to our descendants in the years to come, I feel amply repaid for my labor, and the pen is regretfully dropped when the "re-call is sounded," only wishing that it had been wielded by one more worthy to grasp the great theme-The War History of Union County.

I am indebted to the Adjutant General of Ohio, who so kindly gave access to the records in his office, which have given so much assistance in the work, and to the many soldiers of the county who have always responded to every call for facts. To Miss Anna Roney, much credit is due for efficient work in collating facts and intelligent assistance in all parts of the history. W. L. C.

MARYSVILLE, OHIO, March 9. 1883.

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MILITARY RECORD.

CHAPTER I.

WAR OF THE REVOLUTION.

" Where are our sires, our noble sires, Those men of toil and early thought, Who lit our sacred vestal fires, A heritage so dearly bought ?"

" Ah ! bright upon historic page, Enrolled their names shall ever shine With peerless luster, age on age, Through bright'ning realm of coming time."

A T the close of the war of the Revolution the soldiers were given lands in payment for their services. The territory comprising Union County is all "Virginia Military Lands," being a part of that between the Scioto and the Miami Rivers, all of which was set apart for the Revolutionary soldiers by the United States Government.

Many of these old patriots took up these lands and in this way quite a num- ber found homes in Union County. From this grand old Revolutionary stock sprang Union County's brave and patriotic sons who fought in the war of 1812 the Mexican war and the war of the rebellion.

Of these old heroes of '76, several are buried in the cemeteries of this county. But little can be learned, even traditional, of their services, although many of their descendants reside in the county. Some of them are known to have fought at Yorktown, Monmouth, White Plains, Germantown and other historic battle-fields of the war of the Revolution.

James Thompson, grandfather of James Thompson, of Dover Township, served under La Fayette. and no doubt saw much hard service. but no particulars can be learned, so the old hero must rest in his soldier's grave unhonored and un- sung.

Col. James Curry served through all the years of the Revolution, an officer of the " Virginia line." He was in the battle of Point Pleasant, October 10, 1774, and in this engagement was severely wounded. This is called " A First Battle of the Revolution " by Chamber's encyclopedia, from which we copy the following account of this battle. As it was fought before the breaking-out of the Revolu- tion, and was participated in by at least one of the citizens of this county, we give it place, believing it will be a subject of interest to the reader :

" An important battle, fought October 10, 1774, between colonial troops of Virginia, under Gen. Andrew Lewis and the Shawnees, Delawares and other Indians composing the Northern Confederacy, led by Cornstalk as king and sachem of the Shawnee tribe, on the east bank of the Ohio River, and just above the great Kanawha. The village of Point Pleasant has since grown up on the spot where this battle was fought, which was and is to this day always spoken as the first battle of the Revolution. The . Boston Tea Party' had already been held in the spring of the same year, and the 'Boston Port Bill' was received in May-the signal of actual conflict between the colonies and the mother country. Lord Dunmore, Governor of Virginia, had been busy in the interests of England by way of stirring up a hostile feeling between the hardy white settlers and the various tribes of Indians, the object of which had become apparent. At last a crisis was reached. The Legislature took action, under which Gen. Andrew Lewis gathered together 1.200 men at Lewis Springs, now Lewisburg, W. Va. and from thence proceeded to Point Pleasant, acting as was understood, in con-

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cert with the Colonial Governor, who in person led about 1,000 men through the wilderness, striking the Ohio at Wheeling, from which point he was to meet Gen. Lewis. All this time, unbeknown to Gen. Lewis, the agents of Lord Dunmore had been busy concentrating the Indians in the neighborhood of Point Pleasant, and subsequent events, show that he never intended to join his forces with the troops under Lewis. Our space will not admit of our giving the various facts substantiating this statement made so emphatic in the history of the 'Border wars' by Withers and others.

" In this bloody battle, about one-fifth of the entire army of Gen. Lewis were either killed or wounded, and of the Indians the number must have been even greater. It was the most severely contested battle of the kind of which we have any account, and was fought on both sides from behind trees in a dense forest of primeval growth, on one of the richest bottoms of the Ohio. It was wholly un- expected, the object being on the part of Gen. Lewis, in fulfillment of the purposes on the part of the Legislature, to proceed with an overpowering force in con- junction with Gov. Dunmore from Point Pleasant to the Indian settlement on the Scioto, beyond the Ohio. In vain did the brave Lewis look for troops from Wheeling. During the night of the 9th and 10th, a body of Indians was reported by a scouting party as having encamped near the site of an old Shawnee village, about six miles above.

" At the same time. advices were received that Lord Dunmore would cross the country directly to the Scioto. Before sunrise on the morning of the 10th, a hunt- ing party returned and brought the startling report of " four acres of Indians,' about a mile above the camp of Gen. Lewis. The party had been fired upon. At once, on receipt of this news, the main body of the troops, under Col. Charles Lewis and Col. Fleming, were mustered into line. The battle soon began, and raged with varied fortune through nearly the entire day. The brave Col. Lewis fell, mortally wounded. Col. Fleming was soon after disabled, when Col. Field, who had come up with a re-enforcement, took command. This officer had learned a lesson from the unfortunate Braddock ; but he, too, soon fell. At times the battle raged like a tempest. The roar of musketry was continuous. The clarion voice of Cornstalk was, nevertheless, everywhere heard bidding his warriors, 'Be strong !' ' Be strong !' Seeing a warrior shrink, he sunk his tomahawk into his skull. The most unyielding and desperate courage was on both sides displayed until late in the afternoon, when three companies that had been detained in camp, perhaps on account of Indians in large numbers on the opposite shore of the Ohio, under Capts. John Stewart, Isaae Shelby and George Matthews-distinguished names- reached the rear of Cornstalk by a well-planned movement, and decided the fortunes of the day.

" A treaty was entered into at Camp Charlotte, in Ohio, at which Lord Dun- more was present, who seemed to have a perfect understanding with the Indians ; though the colonists were indebted mainly to Cornstalk for the treaty of peace which Dunmore seemed determined to postpone, as we might show. It was in view of the surprising valor displayed by the troops under Gen. Lewis in this de- cisive battle that Washington, in the darkest days of the Revolution, was led to exclaim : 'Leave me but a banner to plant upon the mountains of Augusta, and I will rally around me the men who will lift our bleeding country from the dust and set her free.' "

The following are the names of the soldiers of the Revolution buried in Union County, so far as can be ascertained after very careful inquiry in each township :

TIIE HEROES OF '76.

Col. James Curry, Curry Cemetery, Jerome Township; Charles Carter, Dover Township; J. Coleman, Watkins Cemetery, Mill Creek Township; William Edgar, Liberty Township; Enoch Fisher; Israel Hale, Milford Cemetery, Union Township; P. Hale ; O. Hibbard, Milford Cemetery, Union Township; Henry Shover ;

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Robert Snodgrass, Wood's Cemetery, Union Township; John Stewart, Liberty Township; James Thompson, Watkins Cemetery, Mill Creek Township; David Worley, Dover Township.

As a matter of interest to the soldiers of to-day. we give a copy of an old com- mission, now in possession of A. D. Doolittle, of Marysville, which was issued to his great-grandfather in 1776 :

IN CONGRESS.

The Delegates of the United Colonies of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the counties of Newcastle, Kent and Suffex on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, to Eph- raim Doolittle, Esquire:

We, reposing special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valour, conduct and fidel- ity, do by these presents constitute and appoint you to be Colonel of the Twenty-fourth Regiment in the army of the United Colonies, raised for the defense of American liberty, and for repelling every hostile invasion thereof. You are therefore to carefully and dili- gently discharge the duty of Colonel, by doing and performing all manner of things there- unto belonging. And we do strictly charge and require all officers and soldiers under your command to be obedient to your orders as Colonel. And you are to observe and fol- low such orders and directions from time to time as you shall receive from this or a future Congress of the United Colonies, or committee of Congress for that purpose appointed, or Commander in Chief for the time being of the army of the United Colonies, or any other of your superior officers, according to the rules and discipline of war, in pursuance of the By order of the Congress. trust reposed in you. This commission to continue in force until revoked by this or a future Congress.

JOHN HANCOCK, President.

Attest: July 1, 1776.

CHARLES THOMPSON, Secretary.

CHAPTER II. ·

WAR OF 1812.

F ROM 1811 to 1814 was an exciting war period in the history of this country. Union County was then on the frontier and near to the seat of war of the Northwest.

The territory which now comprises Union County was but sparsly settled. The settlements were along the sonthern border on Big Darby Creek and Sugar Run, and comprised the families of the Robinsons, Mitchells, Currys, Ewings, Sagers, Kents, Snodgrasses, Shovers and a few others.

From the close proximity of these settlements to the seat of hostilities, it would be expected that there would be ample material for an extended chapter on the services of the citizens of this county during the war of 1812. But the early history of this territory is very meager from which to obtain any data of the stir- ring events of that period. There are but few rolls now on file at the Adjutant General's office, and from these can begleaned but little history, save the names of the members of the companies.

Almost every citizen within the limits of the county who was a military sub- ject at that time was in the service at some time during the war.

The first military company organized in the county was recruited during the . year 1813, by Capt. James A. Curry. He was appointed enrolling officer of the district, including all the settlements along Darby Creek and Sugar Run, and or- ganized a company, of which he was elected Captain, and Samuel Mitchell First Lieutenant, and Adam Shover Second Lieutenant. Strange as it may seem, but very little can be learned of the members of this company, although they were recruited from the old families of Robinsons, Mitchells, Ewings, Kents, Sagers and others.

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After diligent search among the records and inquiring among the oldest of the descendant now living, the following-named citizens are known positively to have been members of this company :

James A. Curry, Captain; Samuel Mitchell, First Lientenant; Adam Shover, Second Lieutenant; James Buck, Calvin Carey. Ewing Donaldson, David Mitchell, Andrew Noteman, Clark Provins, Christian Sager. George Sager, Abe Sager and William Taylor.

They were attached to a regiment the number of which cannot be ascer- tained. They first rendezvoused at Delaware where orders were received to join Gen. Harrison's Army in the Northwest. They marched by way of Upper Sandusky and the falls of St. Mary's to Fort Meigs, then returned by Wapakonetta and Piqua. The majority of them were called out the second time to build and garrison block-houses on the frontier. The names of several citizens of this county appear on the rolls of Capt. Mcclellan's company, among which are those of four brothers, James, William, Samuel and Robert Snodgrass.

Capt. James A. Curry first enlisted in June, 1812, at Urbana, in a company of light horse from Highland County, and was attached to Col. Carr's regi- ment, composed mainly of Kentucky troops, and served in this campaign under Gen. Tupper on the Maumee and River Raisin. He was detailed as a scout during that summer, and being an experienced woodsman was kept constantly in service. I have heard him say he never performed a day's camp duty during this campaign. He was a fine horseman, was splendidly mounted, and he and the scouts serving under him were constantly on the move examining the streams for Indian signs, and watching the movements of the enemy.

A company was organized at Plain City, during the summer of 1812 or 1813, of which Jonathan Alder was elected Captain and Frederick Loyd First Lieutenant. They were directed to march north toward the lakes about twenty miles beyond the settlememts of Darby, and erect a block-house for the protection of the settle- ments. They marched to the banks of Mill Creek, and after working three or four daysa block-house was completed. Mr. Alder says: "There were seventy in all, and one, Daniel Watkins was made Colonel and Commander in Chief."

Mr. Alder, who had been a captive among the Indians for fifteen years and well knew their mode of warfare, condemned this as a very unwise move in the Governor to order so many men from the settlements, for he claimed the tactics of the Indians would be to "attack the women and children in the settlements " and avoid the fort.

They only remained at the block-house a few weeks. There being a false alarm. it was not possible to keep the men from returning to the settlements. This block-house was situated on the west bank of Mill Creek, about three miles northwest from Marysville on the farm now owned by Edward Powers. Some of the stones used either for the foundation or to strengthen the walls of the block- house may yet be seen directly east from Mr. Powers' house, a few rods from the banks of the creek.

Thomas Killgore, who died at the residence of his son, Simeon Killgore, in Mill Creek Township, a few years ago, was a member of the company that erected this fort, and was the last one left of the company ; a short time before his death, he gave a detailed account of this campaign and the building of the block-house, which was transmitted by Judge Cole to the Pioneer Association of Union County. So far as can be learned, this is the only fort ever erected within the borders of this county, and this is probably known to but few of our citizens. Of the. company that erected this block-house, it has not been possible to learn the names of any except those already mentioned.

A number of the young men in the settlements enlisted in companies outside of the county, and saw hard service during the war. Simon Shover, who lived on Darby, near the old Sager Mill, in Jerome Township, enlisted in and was Orderly Sergeant of Capt. Langham's Company, of Chillicothe, Ohio. He was a brave

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MILITARY RECORD.

and gallant soldier, and had many hair breadth escapes. At one time, he was taken prisoner by the Indians, and saved his life by imitating a rooster crowing, by jumping up on logs or stumps, and flapping his arms and hands. This seemed to please the Indians very much, as they laughed immoderately at his antics. Simon always claimed that this saved his life. He was taken prisoner at Win- chester's defeat, and often expressed his indignation at the treatment of Gen. Winchester, who was abused and insulted by the Indians, without any check from the British. Simon Shover was one of fifty picked men, who made a sortie from Fort Erie, and spiked the guns of the British during the night; and was, perhaps, the most distinguished soldier that went from the county. Ile was of a good family, and honorable and brave to a fault. He learned many of the traits of the Indians, and was accustomed to entertain large crowds of citizens at all kinds of gatherings, such as "log rollings," "husking bees," house and barn raisings," and " musters," with many interesting incidents of his adventures, both thrilling and ludicrous. In later years, he became dissipated, squandered his property, and led a wandering life, trusting to the charity of the old friends of his better days. Wherever " crowds were wont to assemble," Simon could always be counted as one of the number, and furnished much amusement by giving the "Indian war whoop " for a sixpence to buy a dram.

His voice was as clear and shrill as a trumpet, and he could give a genuine war whoop that would have caused old Tecumseh to have marshaled his warriors for the field. Many anecdotes might be related of his efforts to amuse the crowd during court term. and on "training day." One of his feats was to ride " Old Peach Blossom." his favorite mare, up the stairway and into the court-room of the old court house that now stands on the square at Marysville. He was anx- ious to live a hundred years, and on meeting or parting with old friends he was wont to exclaim-"Hurrah for a hundred years !" A few years before his death, he was cast upon the charity of the county. He died on the 11th day of August, 1864, aged seventy-nine years, and was buried on the Infirmary farm. He lies in an humble grave, "unhonored and unsung," yet he is remembered by his old friends as brave, honest and upright Simon Shover. "Peace to his ashes."

Another quite noted character that resided for many years prior to his death in Darby Township, was Thomas Anderson. He was in the naval service, and was on the flag-ship Lawrence at " Perry's Victory" on Lake Erie, September 10, 1813. And when the Lawrence was disabled by the guns of the enemy, Anderson was one of the crew that rowed Commodore Perry in an open boat safely through that storm of shot and shell to the Niagara, although the boat was completely riddled with balls in the passage. In the great historic painting now hanging in the rotunda of the State House at Columbus, Anderson is represented in the open boat with Perry, a handkerchief bound about his head, pulling for life to reach the Niagara. Anderson was in many hard engagements, and many of the citizens of the southern part ef the county remember the thrilling incidents of his adventures, as related by "Tommy," as he was familiarly called. He died at the Union County Infirmary, December 30, 1863, aged ninety years, and was buried in the county burial grounds on the Infirmary farm.

Benson Wilmoth, for many years a citizen of the county, did good service during the war of 1812. At the time of the siege of Fort Erie, in August. 1814, he was in the fort under command of Gen. Gaines, and while in the line of duty, manning a gun, a shot from the guns of the British dismantled one of the guns of the fort, throwing it against Wilmoth and breaking his leg. On this injury he drew a pension during the later years of his life. He died about the year 1860, and was buried in the old cemetery at Marysville.

The territory now comprising the county of Union was but thinly populated in 1812, yet many of her citizens left their homes in response to the call to arms with the full knowledge that their women and children were at the mercy of the Indians prowling along the northwestern border, and not a few of them rendered

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good service to the Government in her hour of need. Ever may our citizens hold in grateful remembrance the services of the patriotic veterans of Union County in the war of 1812.

The brave old soldier ne'er despise, Nor count him as a stranger ; For he's his country's stay and pride In day and hour of danger."

On the 4th day of October, 1859, the old soldiers of the war of 1812, of Union and surrounding counties, met in convention at Marysville for the purpose of memorializing Congress upon the subject of the pension bill and other business appertaining to their rights. At this meeting the following officers were appointed :

Gen. E. W. Benson, President ; Dr. R. P. Mann, Everett McDowell, Ferrel Baker and Daniel Breese, Vice Presidents ; A. T. Turner, Secretary, and S. Mc- Bratney, Assistant Secretary.

The committee on resolutions-Dr. R. P. Mann, Col. J. W. B. Haynes and Hon. William Richey-reported the following, which were unanimously adopted : " Resolved, That the first duty of a Republic is justice, as well as gratitude toward her gallant defenders in the hour of danger.

"Resolved, That the land we have already obtained came too late to be of service to us, as we were too old to improve it and use it for our maintenance. Had we obtained it as promptly as it was donated to the soldiers of the Mexican war, we might now be enjoying comfortable homes in our old age and decrepitude, and not be dependent, as many of us are, upon the cold charities of the world or the kindness of friends for our lease of life.

" Resolved, That it is the duty of Congress to amend the Pension Laws, so that those who served in the war of 1812 and their widows or minor children shall be entitled to a pension, the same as those who served in the Revolutionary war, and that where any of our comrades have been killed in action, or died without receiving land, the nation owes to their heirs, without regard to age, if there be no widow, 160 acres of land.

" Resolved, That we tender our thanks to the citizens of Marysville for the kind manner in which they have received us ; to the musicians, who have volun- teered to bring back to us reminiscences of times that tried our souls ; and par- ticularly to tlie ladies, who have honored us with their presence.

" Resolved, That the proceedings of this convention be published in the Marysville Tribune and Union Press, and that the press throughout the West friendly to the cause, copy the same ; and that we thank cordially the two news- papers of this county for the call of this meeting.

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The History of Union County, Ohio, containing a history of the county; its townships, towns military record;, Part 45

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