Medina County, Ohio - Chapter 5 (2 of 2 so headed), 1881 (part 2 of 2)

The first cry for sanitary aid came to the county during the fall and early winter of 1861, from the troops in Virginia. Early in September, a notice appeared in the Medina Gazette, that a meeting of the citizens would be held in Phenix Hall, September 18, 1861, for the purpose of organizing a soldiers' aid society. At this meeting, Mrs. H. G. Blake was elected President, Miss Fannie Tichnor, Secretary, and various committees were appointed to solicit money, clothing or supplies in any form, for the army. Branch societies were created in almost every township. In addition to these efforts on the part of the ladies, male military committees were appointed in each township, and in the county at large, having in view the same humane object. Even the children were organized into mite societies, and all were enlisted in providing suitable supplies for field and hospital. Supplies to the estimated value of $131.82 were dispatched to the sanitary headquarters at Cleveland, about the 5th of November, 1861. Two weeks after the organization of the society at Medina, the following articles were sent to the Eighth Regiment, then in Virginia: 38 bed-quilts, 26 cotton shirts, 27 pillow cases, 56 towels, 23 old cotton shirts, 140 bandages, 13 woolen blankets, 20 pair socks, 1 pair woolen wristlets, 10 new shirts, 10 pair drawers, quantities of lint, dried fruit, preserves, etc. Also, about 140 blankets were sent to Camp Wade. Throughout the war, these societies continued to do excellent and extensive aid. Soon after the death of Lieut. Col. Herman Canfield, at Shiloh, his widow, Mrs. Martha Canfield, with several other ladies in the service of the Government, was instructed to proceed to Memphis, Tenn., and organize a colored orphans' asylum. This was done, and the asylum was conducted until after the close of the war. This lady is now in the service of the Government at Washington, D. C. The service of two or more young ladies from Medina was secured by Mrs. Canfield, under whose authority they labored at Memphis: Their names were Misses Hewes, Ballard and Cahill. The importance of the object of this asylum at Memphis cannot be overestimated, in view of the utter ignorance and helplessness of the colored children in the South. The movement anticipated the education of the blacks, and was a direct result of their emancipation. Mrs. Alice Nickerson, whose husband was a member of the Eighth Ohio, left the county and entered one of the Government hospitals, where she served for many months as nurse. Her reports may be seen in the files of the Medina Gazette issued during the summer of 1865. In this connection it may be said, that, since the war, efforts have often been made to secure the erection of a fine monument in the park at Medina, as a memorial of the brave boys who sleep in the "Sunny South." A more appropriate or lasting tribute to their memory could not be paid. In compiling the above imperfect record of the part borne by Medina County, in the last war, great care has been exercised, and yet numerous errors aud mistakes have crept in, in spite of the writer, owing, mostly, to the obscure character of the material obtained, and the defective sources from which it was derived. And yet, there is safety in saying that all serious errors have been avoided, and that the history, as above given, is, in the main, substantially correct. The greater portion of the above record has been obtained from Whitelaw Reid's "Ohio in the War;" and this work has the reputation of being a graphic and accurate history of the Ohio regiments.

Pursuant to a call, à number of those who had served in the late war convened at the court house in Medina, September 13, 1879, to form a soldiers' monumental association. In 1870-71, there was a movement on foot to have the Commissioners of the county submit a proposition to levy a tax for the erection of a * soldiers' monument," to the people; but the bill authorizing them to do so, introduced by Hon. Albert Munson, was defeated in the Legislature of that winter, which put an end to this project. The subject of securing an ade-

Medina County's volunteers, however, was .not abandoned, and the meeting called, as noted above, met in the interest of this object. The constitution adopted is as follows:

For the purpose of procuring and preserving a record of the soldiers and sailors living in Medina County, who served in the army or navy of the United States, during the war for the Union, and, also, to perpetuate the memories and friendships of the war by social meetings and re-unions, we form ourselves into an association, the name of which shall be, The Union Soldiers' and Sailors' Association of Medina County, Ohio.

The officers of this Association shall be a President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chaplain, and one Vice President from each township of the county. The officers of the Association shall constitute its Executive Committee, the meetings of which shall be held subject to the call of the President; and the Vice President shall be ex officio chairman of such committees as may from time to time be appointed in their respective townships, in the interest of the association.

The Vice Presidents shall canvass their townships for the purpose of procuring the names and record of service of all soldiers and sailors in their townships, and they may appoint a committee of two or more soldiers to assist them in this duty; the names and record so obtained to bereported to the Secretary of the Association, to be recorded and kept in a book provided for

Annual re-unions of the Association shall be held at times and places selected by the Executive Committee; and special meetings at the call of the President. Offcers of the Association shall be chosen ut the annual re-unions, and they shall serve one year.

Membership

All honorably discharged soldiers and sailors of the war for the Union, residing in this county, who may sign, or authorize their names to be signed, to this conquate memorial of the heroism and sacrificé of | stitution and furnish their record of service to the Vice declared to be members of this Association. Their presence at meetings and re-unions, and their hearty cooperation in all movements in the interest of soldiers, is invited and expected.

All vacancies in the list of officers, may be filled by the Executive Committee. . This constitution may be amended at any annual meeting of the Association, by a majority vote.

ry; R. M. McDowell, Treasurer; Rev. Homer Thrall, Chaplain; and, Vice Presidents, John Root, of Brunswick; W. H. Williams, of Chatham; Harvey Cutter, of Granger; William Bigham, of Guilford; T. G. Loomis, of Harrisville; Samuel Fauble, of Hinckley; A. Freyman, of Homer, J. P. Waltz, of La Fayette; W. A. Pelton, of Litchfield; J. G. Reisinger, of Liverpool; O. H. McDowell, of Medina ; F. R. Loomis, of Montville; Thomas Brannigan, of Sharon; Alonzo Miller, of Spencer; A. P. Steele, of Wadsworth; J. Wagoner, of Westfield; George Randall, of York.

The first re-union of the association was held at Medina, August 19, 1880. In thenumber of old soldiers present,the attendance of citizens, and in all that goes to make up the interest of such an occasion, the meeting was a complete success. A salute of one hundred guns was fired at sunrise, and, as the day advanced the streets, gay with flags and appropriate decorations, were crowded with the people coming in from all points of the county, several townships sending in large delegations. At 10 o'clock, A. M., a procession was formed and led by the Medina Cornet Band, followed by Company K, of the Eighth Ohio National Guards, in marching order, the Sharon Band, one hundred and sixty veterans of the war, and a long line of citizens in carriages, marched around the square; down Broadway to Smith road, and thence to Court street and back to the square again. A lawn banquet on the publie square, an address, by Gen. L. A. Sheldon, of Lagrange, Ohio, and a business meeting constituted the exercises of the occasion. An election of officers resulted in the retention of the old officers, save where circumstances rendered a change necessary. The substitutions were, Rev. S. F. DeWolf as Chaplain, and Frank Finley, of Brunswick; S. W. De Witt, of Harrisville; Daniel Musser, of Hinckley ; A. W. Durkee, of Litchfield; W. W. Munger, of Medina ; George Hayden, of Montville, as Vice Presidents. In the following list, we give the results of this association thus far. Of its completeness the writer has no knowledge, save that no reasonable expenditure of money has been wanting in assisting the efforts of the officers of this association to secure a complete and accurate list, according to the object set forth in the society's constitution.