Morrow County, Ohio - Chapter 12 (1 of 2 so headed), 1880

Part In The Conflict

THR Mexican War grew out of the (|uestion of the annexation of Texas, then a province of Mexico, whose territory extended to the Indian Territory on the north, and on up to the Oregon Territory on the PaciHc Coast. Texas had been settled largely by Americans, who saw the condition of afl'airs that would inevitably ensue did the country remain under Mexican rule. They first took steps to secede from Mexico, and then asked the aid of America to sustain them, and annex the country to itself.

The Whig party and many others opposed this, chiefly on the grounds of the extension of slave territory. But to no avail. The war came on, Mexico was con(juered, the war lasting from April 20, l.S4(;, to >ray 80, 1S4.S. Fitly thousand volunteers were called for the war by the Congress, and 810,000,000 placed at the disposal of the President, James K. Polk, to sustain the army and pro.seeute the war.

The part that Ohio took in the war may be briefly sununed up as follows: She had five volunteer regiments, five companies in the Fifteenth Infantry, and several indejtendent companies, w'ith her full proportion among the regidars. When war was d(!clared, it was something of a crusade to many; full of romance to others; hence, many more were oftcred than could be rciceived. It was a campaign of romance to some, yet one of reality, eliding in death, to many.

When the first call Ibr troops came, the First, Second and Third Regiments of infantry res])onded at once. Alexand<'r Mitchell was made (^ilonel of the First; John ]). Wellerits liieutenant Colonel ;

Ilanna, one of the ablest lawyers in Ohio, started with the First as its Major, but, before the rc^giment left the State, he was made a lirigadier (fcneral of ^^lluntwrs, and, at the battle of Monterey, distinguished himself; and there contracted disease and laid down his life. The regiment's Colonel, who had been wounded at Monterey, came; home, removed to Minnesota, and there died. Lieut. Col. Weller went to California after the close of the war. He was a representative from that State in the halls of Congress, and, at last, died in New Orleans.

The Second Regiment was commanded by Col. George W. Morgan, now of Mount Vernon ; Lieut. Col. William Irwin, of Lancaster, and Maj. William Wall. After the war closed, Irwin settled in Texas, and remained there till he died. W^all lived out his days in Ohio. The regiment was never in active fielil service, but was a credit to the State.

The officers of the Third Regiment were. Col. Samuel Curtis; Lieut. Col. C W. McCook and Maj. John Love. The first two are now dead ; the Major lives in Conncllsville.

At the close of the first year of the war, these regiments (First, Second and Third) were mustered out of service, as their term of enlistment had expired.

When the second year of the war began, the call for more troops on the part of the Government induced the Second Ohio Infantry to re-organize, and again enter the service. AVilliam Irwin, of the former organization, was chosen Colonel; William Latham, of (\)lunibus, Jjieutenant (\ilonel, and

The regular army was increased by eight Ohio reginsents of inlantry, the Third Dragoons, and the Voltigeurs - light-armed soldiers. In the Fifteenth Regiment of the United States Army, there were five Ohio companies. The others were three from Michigan, and two from W^isconsin. Col. Morgan, <A' the old Second, was made Colonel of the Fifteenth, and John Howard, of Detroit, an old artillery officer in the regular army. Lieutenant Colonel. Samuel Wood, a captain in the Sixth

The Fifteenth was in a number of skirmishes at first, and later in the battles of Contreras, Cherubusco and Chapultepec. At the battle of Cherubusco, the Colonel was severely wounded, and Maj. Mill, with several officers, and a large number of men, killed. For gallant service at Contreras, Col. Morgan, though only twenty-seven years old, was made a Brevet Brigadier General in the United States Army. Since the war he has delivered a number of addresses in Ohio, on the campaigns in Mexico.

The survivors of the war are now few. Though seventy-five thousand men from the United States went into that conflict, less than ten thousand now survive. They are now veterans, and as such delight to recount their reminiscences on the fields of Mexico. They are all in the decline of life, and ere a generation passes away, few, if any, will be left.

After the war, the continual growth of Ohio, the change in all its relations, necessitated a new org-anic law. The Constitution of 1852 was the result. It re-affirmed the political principles of the "ordinance of 1787 " and the Constitution of 1802, and made a few changes necessitated by the advance made in the interim. It created the office of Lieutenant Governor, fixing the term of service at two years. This Constitution yet stands notwithstanding the prolonged attempt in 1873-74 to create a new one. It is now the organic law of Ohio.

From this time on to the opening of the late war, the prosperity of the State received no check. Towns and cities grew ; railroads multiplied ; commerce was extended ; the vacant lands were rapidly filled by settlers, and everything tending to the advancement of the people was well prosecuted. Banks, after much tribulation, had become in a measure somewhat secure, their only and serious drawback being their isolation or the confinement of their circulation to their inmiediate localities. But signs of a mighty contest were apparent. A cimtest almo.st without a parallel in the annals of history ; a contest between fi-eedom and slavery ; between wrong and right ; a contest that could only end in defeat to the wrong. The Republican party came into existence at the close of President Pierce's term, in 1855. Its object then was, principally, the restriction of the slave power ; ultimately its extinction. One of the chief exponents and supporters (if this growing party in Ohio, was Salmon P.

Chase ; one who never faltered nor lost faith ; and who was at the helm of State; in the halls of Con gress; chief of one the most important bureaus of the Government, and, finally, Chief Justice of the United States. When war came, after the election of Abraham Lincoln by the Republican party, Ohio was one of the first to answer to the call for troops. Mr. Chase, while Governor, had re-organized the militia on a sensible basis, and rescued it from the ignominy into which it had fiillen. When IMr. Lincoln asked for seventy-five thousand men, Ohio's quota was thirteen regiments. The various chaotic regiments and militia troops in the State did not exceed 1,500 men. The call was issued April 15, 1861 ; by the 18th, two regiments were organized in Columbus, whither these companies had gathered ; before sunrise of the 1 9th the Jirst and second regiments were on their way to Washington City. The President had only asked for thirteen regiments ; thirfi/ were gathering ; the Government, not yet fully comprehending the nature of the rebellion, refused the surplus troops, but Gov. Dennison was authorized to put ten additional regiments in the field, as a defensive measure, and was also authorized to act on the ' defensive as well as on the offensive. The immerise extent of southern border made this necessary, as all the loyal people in West Virginia and Kentucky asked for help.

In the limits of this history, it is impossible to trace all the steps Ohio took in the war. One of her most talented sons, now at the head of one of the greatest newspapers of the world, says, regarding the action of the people and their Legislature :

"In one part of the nation there existed a gradual growth of sentiment against the Union, ending in open hostility against its integrity and its Constitutional law; on the other side stood a resolute, and determined people, though divided in minor matters, firmly united on the question of national supremacy. The people of Ohio stood squarely on this side. Before this her people had been divided up to the hour when - preserved. The wliito heat of patriotism and fealty to the flatr that had l)een victorious in three wars, and had never met but temjiorary lU-ieat ihcii incited all parties, and di-s-solved all hesitation, and, Ajiril IS, ISlll, by a unanimous vote of ninety-nine Kei)reseutatives in its favor, there wa.s j>a.ssed a bill appropriating' S5(M),(»K) to carry into ertect the retpiisition of the President, to protect the National Uovennnent, of which sum $450,000 were to purchase arms and e(piii)ments for the troops reipiired by that retpiisition as the quota of Ohio, and 850,000 as an extraordinary coMtinj:ent fund i'or tlu' tJovcrnor. The connnissioners of the State Sinkiui;' Fund were auth(trized, by the same bill, to borrow this money, on the (J per cent bonds of the State, and to issue for the same certificates, freeinji; such bonds from taxation. Then followed other such legislation that declared the property of volunteers free from execution for debt during their term of service; that declared any resident of the State, who gave aid and comfort to the enemies of the Union, guilty of treason against the State, to be punished l)y imprisoinnent at hard labor for life; and," as it had becijme already evident that thousands of militia, beyond Ohio's ipiota of the Fn-sidents call, would volunteer, the Legislature. ad<pi)ting the sagacious suguestion of (rov. l>ennison, resolved that all excess of volunteers should be retained and paid for service, under direction of the Governor. Thereujion a bill wa.s jKussed, authorizing the acceptance of volunteers to form ten regiments, and providing S500,000 for their arms and e(|uipments, and $1,500,000 more to be disbursed for troojjs in case of an invasion of the State. Then other legislation was enacted, looking to and providing against the shipment from or through the State of arms or munitions of war, to States either assuming to be nt'utral or in open nibellion; organizing the whole body of the State militia; providing suitable officers for duty on the staff of the Governor ; re- (juiring contracts for su])sistence of volunteers to be let to the lowest bidder, and authoriziilg the appointment of additional general officers.

" Bi'fore the adjournment of that Legislature, the Speaker of th(! IIou.se had resigned to take command of one of the regiments then about to start Ibr Washington City; two leading Senators had been apjiointed Brigadier Generals, and many, ill fact nearly all, of the other members of both houses had, in oik; capacity or ancjther, entered the military service. It was the first war legislature ever elect^id in Ohio, and, under .sudden pressure, nobly met the first shock, and enacted the first measures of law for war. Laboring under difficulties inseparable fiom a condition so unexpected, and in tlie perfoi-mance of duties m novel, it may be historically stated that for patriotism, zeal and ability, the Ohio Legislature of ISGl was the equal of any of its successors ; while in that exuberance of patriotism which obliterated party lines and united all in a common effort to meet the threatened integrity of the United States as a nation, it surpassed tliem both.

"The war was fought, the slave power forever destroyed, and under additional amendments to her organic law, the United States wiped the stain of human slavery from her escutcheon, liberating over four million human beings, nineteen-twentieths of whom were native-born residents.

" When Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House, Ohio had two hundred regiments of all arms in the National service. In the course of the war, she had furnished two hundred and thirty regiments, besides twenty-six independc^it batteries of artillery, five independisnt companies of cavalry, several companies of shari>sho()ters, large parts of five regiments credited to the West Virginia contingent, two regiments credited to the Kentucky contingent, tw(j transferred to the United States colored troops, and a large proportion of the rank and file of the Fifty-fourth and Sixty-fifth Massachusetts Regiments, also colored men. Of these organizations, twenty-three were infantry regiments furnished on the first call of the l^resident, an excess of nearly one-half over the State's quota ; one hundred and ninety-one were infantry regiments, furnished on subsequent calls of the President^ - one hundred and seventeen for three years, twentyseven for one year, two for six months, two for three months, and ibrty-two for one hundred days. Thirteen were cavalry, and three artillery for three years. Of these three-years troops, over twenty thousand re-enlisted, as veterans, at the end of their long term of service, to fight till the war would end."

As original members of these organizations. ( )hio furnished to the National service the magnificent army of 310,054 actual soldiers, omitting from the above number all those who paid commutation money, veteran enlistments, and citizens who enlisted as soldiers or sailors in other States. The count is made from the reports of the Provost INLirshal General to thi; War Department. Pennsylvania gave not quite 28.0((0 more, while Illinois fell 48,000 behind; Indiana, 11(5,000 less;

Kentucky, 235,000, and Massachusetts, 164,000. Thus Ohio more than maintained, in the National army, the rank among her sisters wliich her population su])ported. Ohio furnished more troops than the President ever required of her ; and at the end of the war, with more than a thousand men in the camp of the State who were never mustered into the service, she still had a credit on the rolls of the War Department for 4,332 soldiers, beyond the aggregate of all quotas ever assigned to her ; and, besides all these, 6,479 citizens had, in lieu of personal service, paid the commutation ; while Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New York were all from five to one hundred thousand behind their quotas. So ably, through all those years of trial and death, did she keep the promise of the memorable dispatch from her first war GrOvern(jr : " If Kentucky refuses to till her quota, Ohio will fill it for her."

"Of these troops 11,237 were killed or mortally wounded in action, and of these 6,563 were left dead on the field of battle. They fought on well-nigh every battle-field of the war. Within forty-eight hours after the first call was made for troops, two regiments were on the way to Washington. An Ohio brigade covered the retreat from the first battle of Bull Run. Ohio troops formed the bulk of army that saved to the Union the territory afterward erected into West Virginia ; the bulk of the army that kept Kentucky from seceding ; a large part of the army that captured Fort Donelson and Island No. 10 ; a great part of the army that from Stone Kiver and Chickamauga, and Mission Ridge and Atlanta, swept to the sea and captured Fort McAllister, and north through the Carolinas to Virginia."

When Sherman started on his flmious march to the sea, some one said to President Lincoln, "T hey will never get throxigh ; they will all be captured, and the Union will be lost." " It is impossible," replied the President; "it cannot be done. There is a miglify sight of fight in one hundred thousand Western men.^^

Ohio troops fought at Pea Ridge. They charged at Wagner. They helped redeem North Carolina. They were in the sieges of Vicksburg, Charleston, Mobile and Richmond. At Pittsburg Landing, at Antietam, Gettysburg and Corinth, in the Wilderness, at Five Forks, before Nashville and Appomattox Court House; " their bones, reposing on the fields they won and in the grayes they fill, are a perpetual pledge that no flag shall ever wave over their graves but that flag they died to maintain."

Ohio's soil gave birth to, or furnished, a Orant, a Sherman, a Sheridan, a McPherson, a llosecrans, a McClellan, a McDowell, a Mitchell, a Gilmore, a Hazen,a Sill, a Stanley, a Steadman,and others - all but one, children ofthe country, reared at West Point for such emergencies. Ohio's war record shows one General, one Lieutenant General, twenty Major Generals, twenty-seven Brevet Major Generals, and thirty Brigadier Genei'als, and one hundred and fifty Brevet Brigadier Generals. Her three war Governors were William Dennison, David Todd, and John Brough. She furnished, at the same time, one Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, and one Secretary of the Treasury, Salmon P. Chase. Her Senators were Benjamin F. Wade and John Sherman. At least three out of five of Ohio's able-bodied men stood in the line of battle. On the head stone of one of these soldiers, who gave his life for the country, and who now lies in a National Cemetery, is inscribed these words :

The close ofthe war and return of peace brought a period of fictitious values on the country, occasioned by the immense amount of currency afloat. Property rose to unheard-of values, and everything with it. Ere long, however, the decline came, and with it " hard times." The climax broke over the country in 1873, and for awhile it seemed as if the country was on the verge of ruin. People found again, as preceding generations had found, that real value was the only basis of true prosperity, and gradually began to work to the fact. The Government established the specie basis by gradual means, and on the 1st day of January, 1879, began to redeem its outstanding obligations in coin. The effect was felt everywhere. Business of all kinds sprang anew into life. A feeling of confidence grew as the times went on, and now, on the threshold ofthe year 1880, the State is entering on an era of steadfiist prosperity ; one which has a sure and certain foundation.

Nearly four years have elaped since the great Centennial Exh'ilution was held in Philadelphia ; an exhibition that brought from every State in the Union the best products of her soil, factories, and all industries. In that exhibit Ohio made an excellent display. Her stone, iron, coal, cereals, woods and everything pertaining to her welfare were; all represented. Ohio, occupying the middle ground of the Union, was expected to show to foreign nations what the valleys of the Mississippi and Ohio c-ouKl produce. The State nobly stood the test aud ranki'd lureiuo.st auKtiii;- all others. Uer centennial buildinij: was aniouji; the iirst completed and among the neatest and best on the grounds. During the summer, the Centennial Commission e.xtended invitations to the Governors of the several States to appoint an orator aud name a day for his delivery of an address on the history, progress and resources of his State. Gov. Hayes named the Hon. Edward D. Mansfield for this purpose, and August 9th, that gentleman delivered an address so valuable for the matter which it contains, that we here give a synopsis of it.