Putnam County, Indiana - Chapter 12: Putnam S Military Record, 1910

Chapter 12: Putnam S Military Record

Among the early records of the county conimi.ssioners' court is an entry showing that, on motion of D. R. Eckels, the county treasurer was authorized and instructed to loan to the members of the military company known as the Putnam Blues, an amount of money not exceeding two thousand dollars;" all of which goes to show that the idea of military protection was not long in taking root in the minds of the early settlers. Somehow a feeling of safety as well as pride was inspired by the sight of the weapons, the bright uniforms and glittering equipment of the militia on muster day. The following notice, found in a copy of the Putnam County Sentinel, published March i8, 1847, will serve to indicate the status of the development of the Militia up to the time named :

.-Vt the time of the breaking out of the Mexican war, so far as we can learn, the Putnam Blues and Putnam Yellow Jackets were the only two military companies fully equipped for active service in the county; but to the Blues was assigned the honor and responsibility of representing the county in the campaign against Mexico. The company assembled at the court house on the dav of its departure in the presence of a large crowd and, with colors flying, set out for tlie scene of action. It marched southea.st along the Bloomington road and tliere are yet living men who were boys then and who, attracted by the music of fife and drum and the striking military appearance of the soldiers, followed the company on foot for miles out of town. \Vhen New Albany was reached, the Putnam county contingent was given the post of honor, being known thereafter as Company A, First Regiment Indiana \'oIunteers. They were mustered into the United States service June 20, 1S46. One of the leading and probably the most influential men in arousing interest in the organization of the company for the campaign in Mexico was Delana R. Eckels. He was then in the vigor of his early manhood and, although such men as James P. Drake and Henry S. Lane were also in the same regiment, it is doubtful if any of them surpassed Eckels in military acumen, concentration of purpose or strength of intellect. He was appointed commissary of the regiment with the rank of captain. The only other staff ot^cer from Putnam county was William Albin, quartermaster sergeant. The officers of Company A were : John H. Roberts, captain, who died February 19. 1847, and was succeeded by Daniel A. Farley; William L. Farrow was first lieutenant and R. W. Jones and Abisha L. Morrison second lieutenants; John C. Walls, Benjamin E. Brooks, Thomas S. Hancock and Merritt Redding, sergeants, and John Nead, Wesley I. Banks, Lewis H. Rudisill and Joel W. McGrew, corporals. The privates were: Howard Abbott, Lafayette Atkinson, Andrew I. Akers, Thomas S. Bridges, San ford P. Burk, Samuel McH. Brooks, James Craig. Lafayette Cornwall. Henry C. Crook, Samuel Francis. William W. Farley. John Ford. John Gray, Abijah Grimes, Jesse M. Hamrick, Martin Heath, Alfred K. Keller, Henry Keller, William R. Keller, \\'illiam Knipe. William Lane, Humphrey G. May, Floyd Mills, Isaac Mc- Mannoway, Samuel Purcell, James Pickering. John Pickering, Joseph Roberts. Lewis Solomon. James H. Summers. Daniel T. Summers, Solomon O. Siddens, Jesse A. Shepherd, Abram N. Stringer, Mason Vennillion, Robert C. Wilson, Patterson M. Wood, Robert Walls, David Young.

The following privates died during the service : Henry Hiatt. Samuel E. Xewell. George West. Joseph R. Banks, James McCall, Samuel C. Morris, Clark Powers and Henry A. West ; and the following were discharged before the term of their enlistment had expired on account of disease or disability: George W. Atkinson, Xelson Combs, Perry Gase, Henry Hotspillar, ^\^esley Mills. Elias Xeff. Lyman P. Nichols. James Rhino, Xotlev M. Sanders. Joseph Sanders, Benjamin E. Talbott. Elisha Hasty. Harmon Skeen, Tames Smith and William D. Frazier.

Although experiencing the usual hardships of soldier life, the troops from Putnam county were more or less fortunate in that the First Regiment, to which thev belonged, was not required to participate in the decisive battles of Churubusco, Palo Alto, Monterey. Chapultepec or any of the bloody engagements of the war. Although never under actual fire, they were equally as brave and daring as any of the other troops, obeyed the orders of their superiors as implicitly and did their duty as fully and fearlessly as if facing the cannon's mouth. Most of those who survived returned to their Indiana homes and many afterwards, including William L. Farrow, Abisha L. Morrison. Joel W. McGrew and William Lane, served as commissioned officers on the side of the Union during the Rebellion. The only survivor of the entire company so far as known is Wesley I. Banks, who now lives in the town of Centre ville. Iowa.

As the one great result of the Mexican war was to emphasize and accentuate the slavery question, it will not be out of order here to reflect, for a few moments, on the attitude and conduct of the early settlers of Putnam county toward the negroes, both free and enslaved. The majority of these early settlers being from Kentucky, where slavery had been in existence from time immemorial, and some of them being themselves the owners of slaves, it is not to be wondered that many of them saw no great or crying need for interfering with the institution as it then existed.

The first incident which tends to indicate the local sentiment as to the rights of a slave and that of his owner is found in the records of the circuit court in 1836. On the 30th day of April in that year. William McCubbens appeared before Tames Rankin, one of the associate justices of the county, and filed an affidavit, reciting that he was then a resident of Paris, Edgar countv, Illinois, to which place he had removed from his home in Tennessee; that he the owner of numerous slaves ; that among them was a girl named Jane, who had escaped his vigilance, fled from the county and was then li\-ing with and under the protection of certain persons in Putnam county, passing as a free person; that as a matter of fact she was not free, but was his slave, bound to him for labor and he therefore demanded that the said negro girl be delivered over to him as his property, to be by him transported to a locality bevond the boundaries of the state. After listening to the testimony, the court decided in the slave owner's favor. The girl thereupon appealed to the full bench of the court and the proceeding being of such moment and importance a special session was set for May 5th. Meanwhile the girl was turned over to the plaintiff, whereupon the latter, as the record discloses, executed a bond guaranteeing costs and the appearance of the girl in court.

with James McCiibbens and Joseph L. ^[errill as his sureties. Court convened on the day assigned, with James Rankin and Wilham Elrod. associate justices, on the bench. The record does not disclose who the third member was or why he was not present. The following jur}- was impaneled and sworn : John Allen. John Dicks. James Denny, Arthur Walker, Jacob Huffman. Abner Goodwin. William Leachman, John Lynch, Isaiah Vermillion, John Standeford, Pryor L. Fanner and Thomas Cochran. How long the trial lasted can not now be learned, but after a somewhat exhaustive inquiry the jury returned the following verdict: "We the jury find that the said negro girl, Jane, owes service as a slave under the laws of the state of Tennessee, for life to the said \\'illiam McCubbens, as in the said affidavit of complaint of said William, is mentioned and that the same is substantially true. James Denny, foreman." Whereupon the court made the following decree, which was gravely entered on the record : "It is therefore ordered by the court that Joseph L. Merrill and James McCubbens. bondsmen, surrender the said girl Jane in discharge of their recognizance, which being done, she is now by order of the court delivered into the possession and custody of said William McCubbens as her lawful owner." Although in compliance with the letter of the law, it is doubtful if, in some parts of the United States, the poor black girl would have been turned over to her alleged "lawful owner." with the right to her services "for life." Legally considered, the judgment may not have been erroneous, but future generations will never cease to regret that the incident took place in Putnam county.

But everyone did not believe in the right of a sla\e owner to come to Indiana and forcibly take from the state a human being condemned to servitude for life. There were those who held that e\en though the law was made to sanction slavery, it was right to ignore or evade such an inhuman provision and if necessary openly violate it. In striking contrast, therefore, to the incident related in the foregoing paragraph, it is more or less refreshing to read the following, which also took place in Putnam county during the days when slavery- flourished under the "sanction of the law." For an account of this episode we are indebted to Capt. Joseph M. Donnohue. who prepared the following paper for the Putnam County Historical Society, and who. strange to relate, is himself the son of a Kentuckian, who inherited slaves from his ancestors and. on attaining his majority, set them free :

"One drizzlv dav in the month of September, i860, two boys were rambling about two miles south of the town of Greencastle. They had crossed the farm then ow ned and occupied by W. T. Hawkins and climbed upon the fence separating one of his fields from a heavily wooded pasture.

known then as a part of the Miller Black farm. This woodland was broken by hollows and by what is commonly known as sinkholes. Small undergrowth of paw-paw bushes partly concealed the ground. The bo\s this day were accompanied by a hound of the lop-eared kind, which, when trailing, emitted a continuous musical roll of noises, that makes the writer wish he was a graduate of some music school in order that he might properlv describe the music the old hound produced. When the dog had crossed the fence his nose went into the air. the hair on his back became erect from head to tail, and, giving vent to a deep bass bellow, he plunged headlong through the underbrush, and as he went, with his voice he ran the gamut up and down, working in some beautiful double semi-quavers and long drawn out trills, that delighted the heart of the boys. A hundred and fifty yards into the woods he bore off to the left and began describing a circle. When the circle was complete he began narrowing the ring, but all the while the music was growing in intensity and sweetness from the hunter's standpoint until the circle became quite small. At the first notes of the dog. the bovs stood upon the top of the fence, the better to see the outcome of the supposed chase, and from their height could see that the hound was circling around a sinkhole. They had never seen such manifestations of anger from the dog. and naturally wondered what kind of an animal had taken refuge there. The dog roared 'round the rim of the sink and by his action threatened to go down. Presently a club was seen to rise in the air from out the sinkhole, pass the dog and drop beyond him. Then another and another, each passing club adding new zeal and additional fury to the hound's attack.

"The boys ran toward the sink, at the same time commanding the dog to come away. He retired sullenly, turning at times and threatening to charge. Repeated scolding, howexer. pre\ented. When the boys first came near enough they could see only a brush pile and paw-paw bushes in the sinkhole. but after peering through the bushes for awhile, a black face was discovered. One of the boys asked. 'What are you doing there?' The answer came. 'Nothing, massa, we gives up. Jim he's sick and chillin'. Its no use.' Thev were young colored men. After assurances of friendship, one of the darkies toltl their story. About a month or six weeks before they had made a Iireak for freedom, leaving their master near Franklin, Tennessee, worked their way up through that state and Kentucky, assisted by colored people, crossing the Ohio river in a skiff, and had been helped through Indiana, thus far. by friends or agents, as I now know, of the Underground Railroad. .\n agent of the road had come from near Mooresville. in Morgan countv. across country the night before to near this place, when daylight overtook them be- fore thev reached the station where they intended to stop for the day. So thev left the road and had taken slieiter in the woods as we have seen, until night should come again.

"The bovs soon Iiail their confidence and the spokesman atided that they were directed to tiie house of our neighbor, and at nightfall would have safelv made their wav there. The other one was sick. Exposure had caused him to chill. The rain during the day had wet their clothing, which made their condition very unpleasant. After further conversation, the boys left them, and with the secret safely locked in their breasts went to the house of the neighbor mentioned by the negro and told him of their adventure. He was not at all surprised, but on the other hand had been greatly troubled on account of the negroes' failure to appear before daylight that morning as expected. Evidently he was pleased, but made the boys feel the importance of keeping the matter to themselves. That night the refugees were piloted to our neighbor's and safely lodgeil in the garret of his wash house. They were fed and cared for three or four days. The one suttering with the ague was doctored bv our neighbor and his chills broken. Then our neighbor arranged to go to Parke county to mill. He had a strong prejudice against flour ground bv steam power. Water-mill flour was much better and there was a water mil! in Parke county that made flour just to his notion. So to mill he went, a distance of twenty-five miles perhaps, in a covered wagon, with considerable hay. proxisions for three persons and one sack of wheat. That he got to the place for which he had started, I am assured, but that he brought anv flour on his return trip I never knew. Fnit he told the writer on his return that the colored boys were in good hands. Sometime afterward I learned from him that they had arrived safel\- in Canada.

"This 'unofficial patriot" moved to Putnam county in 1857. He came from Ohio. He was singular in many respects. He made a wide acquaintance in Putnam county in a few years. He was an extensive cattle shipper at one tin^e. He appeared austere in his manner to many, but was really verv sxmpathetic. Rugged in his oi)inions, he may have made some enemies. But our neighbor had much to commend him. and no one thing had so much to do with the good opinion of the writer as the fact that he was an agent of the Underground Railroad. He was one of the active agents of a system that was hated anrl despised by many, and was under ban of the law. At that time manv of the people of Putnam county were like the hound I tell about in one respect. They were read}- and anxious to pounce upon a runawa\" "nigger.' Negroes were propert}' and the hound manifested only the zeal of some of the higher animals, who had read the decision of Chief

But to the credit of the people of Putnam county be it said that although a majority of them originated in Kentucky, yet in the main they were decidedly unfriendly to slaver^^ In fact the presence of the few colored people who were here prior to the war can be accounted for on the theorv that thev had formerly belonged to families opposed to dealing in human flesh who, to get away from the curse, had emigrated to the free state of Indiana and had permitted a few of the old servants, who with childish affection clung to them, to make up a part of the outfit for the new home.

James Townsend, a native of Maryland, moved hither from Morganfield, Kentucky, in 1828. settling at Putnamville. He freed his slaves in Kentucky and told those who wished to accompany him to a free state that he would take them to Indiana and build them log cabins for homes. About eight came with him. "They all took my grandfather's family name, Townsend,'' writes James T. Layman. "Luke Townsend and his wife Charity and Tom Townsend unmarried. Old grandmother Sibley Townsend was among those who went from Maryland to Kentucky in 1808. There also were Aunt Hetty, Aunt Amy and one we called 'Yaller Ann.' I remember them all very well as they were about my mother's home every day and I used to fill old Grandmother Sibley's pipe w'ith tobacco for her before the fireplace when she was past ninety years of age."

Tamar Peters was a colored woman and the slave of James Stevenson, father of Dr. .\.. C. Stevenson. The elder Stevenson brought her to Kentucky from his birthplace in Alaryland. Later he emigrated to this countv from Kentucky, dying in 1826. Fi\e years afterwards his widow. ^largaret Campbell, rlicd. Before her death she directed that Tamar Peters and her family i)e freed and brought to Indiana. Arriving here, they were cared for by Doctor Stevenson. The family, consisting of the mother and five children, were industrious and thrifty and by their combined labors accumulated money enough to buy forty acres of land a few miles southwest of Greencastie. In 1854 they sold their farm, went to Baltimore, where, under the auspices of tlie Emigration Aid Society, they shipped for Liberia. It is said that Aunt Tamar dietl on the wav and was buried at sea.

In 1850 an old colored couple. Tom and Agnes, arrived in McMiroe township and went at once to the home of the late Col. James Fisk. They were formerly slaves and belonged to the latter's father in Kentucky, but had been given their freedom. Having grown old and feeble. Colonel Fisk had directed them to be sent to him in order that he might provide for them during their declining years. Shortly after their arrival some of the neighbors took ottense at the presence of negroes in their midst and. under the leadership of William McCray. they filed an affidavit against Colonel Fisk for violating the law- which forbade the harboring of a negro. The case was tried in Greencastle and much feeling was aroused, but Tom and Agnes were not transported. Thev were never again molested but continued to live under the care and benefactions of Colonel Fisk until their deaths many years afterward. Both of them are buried in the Brick Chapel cemetery.

"One of the colored persons that I remember as prominent in my boyhood davs." relates Thomas C. Hammond, "was named Cato Boyd. He was not of uncertain color by any means, being as black as jet. He came to Putnam county early in the thirties and had originally belonged to Crawford Cole. He was a sort of recluse, living entirely to himself in a hut about two miles northwest of Greencastle. where he carried on the business of charcoal burning. When I first knew him he was about sixty years old and the owner of about twenty acres of land. He was able to write and was. to some extent, a reader of books. Another notable character in early colored circles was an old darky called "Uncle Henderson.' He roomed for a long time in David Hoagland's wagon shop and was a good-hearted and inoffensive old negro. He worked at the home of Dr. Matthew Simpson, then president of Asbury University, and was a great favorite w ith the family. One day, being in a hurrv to meet an engagement, Mrs. Simpson directed Henderson to take a seat at the dinner table with herself and the children. When John M. .Allison, one of the trustees of Asbury University, and a Kentuckian, heard of this he was greatlv incensed and was so loud and ungenerous in his criticism of Doctor Simpson and kept up such a tirade of censure that, it is said, the latter finally became disgusted and resigned the presidency of the university.

The Cix'Ii. War

The assault u\)nn Fort Sumter by the Confederate government at Charleston in April. iSfSi. was not a surprise to the people of Putnam county. For many weeks prior thereto, the editor of the Putnaui County Banner had been preparing his readers for the inevitable clash which had long been pre- dieted. This preparation consisted of a number of articles in the succeeding issues of the paper, commencing shortly after the beginning of the year, written by Dr. A. C. Stevenson and entitled "Thoughts on Secession." The writer handled the delicate question in a very skillful and adroit, but careful manner. He shrank from the dreadful alternative of war and even pointed out wa\'s bv which the momentous question then disturbing the country could be settled without resorting to bloodshed. But all these speculations were shattered when the news reached Greencastle on the morning of Friday, the 1 2th of April. 1 86 1, that General Beauregard had fired the first hostile shot at Fort Sumter. Instantly the entire community was aroused. By noon a crowd had gathered, to whom Col. John A. Matson made a stirring and patriotic appeal in behalf of the Union. On the Monday following, an immense and enthusiastic crowd gathered before the court house for the purpose of arranging for the enlistments of such persons as were willing to join the army in response to the President's call for seventy-fi\e thousand volunteers. Alreadv Col. Lewis H. Sands had opened a recruiting office in Greencastle for the purpose of enlisting volunteers. "A number of young men have already enlisted," says the Banner, "and many more will do so as soon as they have an opportunity. Old Putnam, ever loyal to the government, will send up but one voice and that will be in favor of the enforcement of the laws of the country and the maintenance of the Union as it is." At the meeting held in the court house. Colonel Sands was called to the chair and addressed the audience in a few brief and pointed remarks in favor of upholding the flag of his country. Capt. John Osborn. of Clay county, was present and. being called for, responded in a fervid and ringing appeal to stand by the Union. Speeches were also made bv H. J. Hilton, A. L. ]\Iorrison, Doctor Cowgill, Marshall -.\. Moore and others. Beneath large and conspicuous headlines, the Banner published the President's proclamation calling for volunteers and, in the adjoining column, the following vigorous and fervid editorial :

''Shall American soldiers be permitted to perish with famine? Shall they be pennitted to starve whilst they bear aloft the flag of their country amidst traitors who will rend it in shreds and trample it under foot? Xo! answers everv lover of his country. Xo! says every lover of freedom. Everv lover of free speech, a free press, and freedom of worship, answers Xo! Everv lover of courage cries. 'Supply them.' and every patriot cries. 'Feed them at all hazards.' Traitors alone cry, 'Starve them! starve them!' If the spirits of the good and the just and the patriotic take cognizance of transactions of this world, we may well imagine the 'Father of his Country' and his compatriots of the Revolution taking a lively interest in this scene.

as they look forth from the windows of heaven. There floats the flag of their country. The Bag under which they marched to battle and to victory, and to the establishment of their country's independence. In its folds nestles the American eagle. On its face it bears the stars and the stripes. A small band of brave men continue to defend it. An hundred traitorous palmetto tiags surround it. borne by rebel hosts, who shout demoniac yells in hope of certain victorv-. The shouts of 'Starve them! starve them!' reach the veryportals of heaven. 'Feed them!' cries the spirits of the Revolution! "Feed them!' cries the 'Father of his Country!' 'Feed them.' cries the spirits of departed American statesmen! 'Feed them' ! cries the spirits of the just and good from all lands ! This government will not be lost without an effort, at least, to save it. Amid all the gloom and secession, there have been a few rays of hope. .\ few courageous men have been conspicuous. In the verymidst of the conspirators, they have nobly kept the stars and stripes floating and clung to the constitution. Like the fi.xed stars, they have shown the brighter on account of the gloom by which they were surrounded. They have indeed cheered the desponding patriot amidst the darkness of treason."

Strong Union Sentiment

On Saturdav. April 20th. a mass meeting was held in Greencastle to arouse the Union sentiment of the county and to encourage enlistments into the amiy. Early in the morning crowds began to gather from the country, guards being placed at the four corners of the public square to prevent persons from bringing horses inside. At nine o'clock, places of business were all closed and the local military companies drew up in line on the east side of the court house. A stand was erected within the court house yard from which the crowd was addressed by Col. John A. .Matson, D. E. Williamson. Capt. John Osborn and Capt. W. H. Thornburgh. The principal speaker of the day was Col. R. W. Thompson, who had come o\er from Terre Haute, and who made a deep and abiding impression upon those present by his able. patriotic and eloquent address in supix)rt of the Union. "Party lines in-this countrv," savs the Banner, "are obliterated. Democrats. Republicans and Americans stand shoulder to shoulder for the American flag. We occasionallv hear of some poor miserable devil who would gladly see the government go to ruin, but it is not the part of prudence to give expression to such sentiments. Our ])enple have come to the conclusion that there are two sides to the question: he who is not for his government, is against it: we either have a government or we have not; and. with praiseworthy unanimity, the people of old Putnam are on the side of the old flag and the old constitution."

By Monday, April 22nd, the first company of Putnam county patriots, to offer their services in behalf of the Union, left for Indianapolis. They ^vere called the Union Guards and were under the command of Capt. William Conkliii. Speaking of their departure, the Banner says, "They were escorted to the depot by the Asbury Guards. It was indeed a trying scene to see so many friends bid farewell to each other, parting with friends perhaps forever. Yet, amid all these mourning scenes, they gave rousing cheers for the Union and the flag of our countr\-. Our blessings go with them, and may they not forget that anxious friends and relatives at home will eagerly watch their efforts in favor of the right." Another company, called the Asbury Guards, left for Indianapolis on Wednesday. It was made up mainly of students, and was commanded by Capt. John R. Mahan. The outburst of patriotism on the part of the students was remarkable. The Banner says: "Our college at this place is almost, if not totally, broken up in consequence of the absence of the students who have volunteered and gone into battle in defense of their country."

The patriotic men at home formed themselves into another company called the Home Guards. They were made up of men who were either too old for service in the field, or for some other good reason unable to leave their homes. Speaking of the company, the Banner says : "The Greencastle Home Guards met on Monday evening, pursuant to adjournment, and resolved to divide the company into two divisions, the active and sedentary. The duty of the active to drill and equip themselves and the duty of the sedentan- to hold themselves in readiness for any emergency that the circumstances might hereafter warrant. The enrollment of the active then commenced and in less than ten minutes one company of seventy-five were enrolled and ready for drill. The officers were: Captain. R. W. Jones; first lieutenant, James Hopkins ; second lieutenant, J. H. Kinkead : third lieutenant. C. J. Ashton ; order- 1}" sergeant. H. C. Munson: ensign, Daniel Riggs: chairman of the executive committee. Jacob Durham." The Banner says : "The recruiting office of the guards is at the store of Messrs. Jones. The first drill of the companv came oft' on last Friday evening in the college campus. We hope when our state shall have supplied her troops with arms, that they will send us something suitable to drill with if nothing else. The unifonn adopted by this companv is a red hunting shirt and gray military cap."

On reaching Indianapolis, the Union Guards were mustered into the I'nited States service for a period of ninety days from April 26th. as Com- pany H. Tenth Regiment Indiana \'oIunteers. It will, of course, be too great a task to attempt to mention the name of each soldier from Putnam countv who enlisted into the Union army. But as the Union Guards were the first troops from Putnam county whose services were accepted, it will not be out of place to record here tiieir names. William Conklin was the captain: E. R. Bladen, first lieutenant, and David X. Steele, second lieutenant. D. C. Donnohue was the quartennaster sergeant of the regiment. Ostrander Dicks, William E. Yelton. Harrison Wright and Samuel N. Rogers were sergeants of the company; Marshall A. Moore, Lycurgus Stoner, John W. Baker and Adam Jones, corporals ; James S. Conklin and Arthur M. Walls, musicians. The privates were: Eli Barnes. Daniel Battison. James M. Bladen, Franklin Bladen, William H. Bruner, Samuel R. Browning. Henry F, Brown, Irani Burnett, George T. Chapin, Frederick Cheszeski, Ezra L. Clewaters, James H. Collins, John S. Coffman, John W, Cooper, Alford Dicks, William Eakin, Henry Earp. Nathan C. Fuller, John Gibb, Lorenzo A, Gibbs, Peter Gross, William F. Hadden. Marion Hamlin, John W. Hardin, Benjamin E. Hardin, Stephen S. Harvey, Clinton M. Hansier. Philo C. Hawley. William Hitton, Volney P. Huston, John Hughes, Franklin James, Thomas J. James. George M. Jones. John Kinder, David Kiser. George Kling. Fielding Lamasters. John F. Lane. Robert Lane. John W. Lee. Franklin J. Moore. Tilghman Moore. William Myers, Henry H. McCray, James H. McGill. Jacob C. Mcllvain, Calvin C. McLain. William Parker, Oliver Rankin, John Russell, Archelaus Scott, Henry Secrest, Jacob Smith, Alonzo Vancleave, William I. Warde, Francis A. Watson, Elijah White, George \\'. White. William F. \Vhite. David L. Willson. Herman H. Wolfrom. William Wright.

Of this company, the only death in the ser\'ice was tliat of Tames H. McGill. who was wounded at the battle of Rich Mountain. \'irginia. and died July 27. 1861. His body reached Greencastle August the 31st and. as he was the first Putnam county soldier who had. up to that time, lost his life in the cause of the L'nion. he was buried with all the honors of war. The funeral took place at three o'clock Sunday afternoon in the college campus. The funeral sermon, a very timely and eloquent discourse, was delivered bv Dr. Thomas Bowman, president of Aslniry L'niversity. .An immense concourse of people turned out to pay their last respects to the honored dead. Several militarv companies were present in full uniform and escorted the remains to the cemetery.

The loyalty, co-operation and unity of action on the part of the niaiontv of the people of Putnam county during the dark and troubled xears of the war can not well be overlooked by the faithful and conscientious historian. As soon as the first company of soldiers had left Putnam county for the war, the citizens of Greencastle, Bainbridge. RusselKille, Putnamville and other towns in the county began to arrange for the care and support of the families at home whose husbands and brothers and sons had gone to the front. Within ten days after the fall of Fort Sumter. Jacob Durham, as a member of the committee appointed for the purpose, published a notice in the papers soliciting contributions in goods or provisions for the support of the needy families of the volunteer soldiers. The Banner of this period teems with editorials and appeals along the same lines, as the following will indicate :

"As is frequently the case, many of the most patriotic and Union-loving citizens in the country are men in humble circumstances in life. Of this class, in our own midst, a number having families have volunteered in defense of their country's flag: and upon a few moments' notice have left all they hold dear upon earth, aside from liberty, in care of those who remain at home. It is, then, the duty of our citizens to amply provide for their wants. For this purpose, the citizens of Greencastle have liberally subscribed money ; but there are many friends in the country - farmers, for instance - whose means are mostly in produce. Of such, any kind of country produce will be received the same as money. Flour, bacon, meal, or any other article of family consumption may be left at the mayors office, the receipt of which will be thankfully accepted, properly applied and gratefully acknowledged. Let us all bear our proportion of the burden-brought upon us by those who are endeavoring to usurp the liberties transmitted us by our forefathers."

The war spirit was general throughout the county. Companies sprang up in almost every township and neighborhood. Until mustered into the United States service, they were simply home guards organized, if need be, for local defense. Here are a few names : Ellsworth Grays, Warren Union Guards, Bourbon Grays, Enfield Rovers, the Floyd Township Home Guards, Allen's Battery. Franklin Guards, Putnam Blues, Jefferson Cavalry. Marion Scouts, Jackson Guards.

In view of the large number of soldiers credited to the county, it will obviously be out of the question to expect a record of their individual names. The only thing, therefore, our limited space will allow is a list of the various military organizations which included any material per cent of Putnam countv enlistments.

As already stated, one company of the Tenth Regiment was confined entirely to Putnam county volunteers. There was also a goodlv number from this county in the Eleventh Regiment, of which -Lew Wallace was the colonel. Company D. Fourteenth Regiment, was composed entirely of enlistments from Putnam county. The same is true of Company E, Twenty-first Regiment - First Heavy Artillen.-. Putnam county was also well represented in the Eighteenth and Twentieth Batteries Light Artillery, of which Eli Lillv and ^lilton A. Osborn. respectively, were captains. Two companies, A and I. Twenty-seventh Regiment, one of the few Indiana regiments that participated in the battle of Gettysburg, were made up almost entirely of men from Putnam county. Putnam county was well represented in the Thirty-first Regiment, of which John Osborn. formerly a citizen of the county, was the colonel. The lieutenant-colonel. William L. Farrow, and several other regimental officers and two companies, B and H, of the Forty-third Regiment, hailed from Putnam county. Companies K and D of the Fifty-fifth Regiment were made up of Putnam county soldiers, as also Company C of the Seventv-first Infantry and Company F of the Si.xth Cavalry. The lieutenant-colonel and two companies. A and B, Seventy-eighth Infantr\-, were from Putnam countv. Company D. Xinety-se\enth Infantn.-. under the command of Capt. J. J. Smiley, was composed of soldiers from the county. Companv I. One Hundred and Fifteenth Infantry. Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-third, and Company F. One Hundred and Thirty-third, were all from Putnam countv. All in all. over two thousand men from Putnam county entered the military service during the Civil war.

As in all other wars, many of those who enlisted as privates and served as non-commissioned officers were, by reason of efficiency, or as the result of gallantry in action, promoted to higher and more responsible stations. Of her soldiers, both privates and commissioned officers, Putnam county is justly proud, for on every occasion their conduct was creditable and praiseworthy. It is no disparagement to the many brave and worthy soldiers who entered the service fn^ni the county to assert that John R. Mahan, who was colonel of two regiments and on more than one occasion a brigade commander, was, in all probability, the most prominent and successful military officer the countv sent out. Colonel ]\[ahan was not only a brave and competent officer but a man of profound judgment, acknowledged strength and great resourcefulness. Being a natural leader, with a genius for organization, he was, in consequence, deeply influential with Governor Morton, who relied upon his valor, discretion and ability in more than one emergency. William L. Farrow and Abisha L. Morrison, both of whom were colonels, had had more or less mili- tary experience during their service in the Mexican war. Courtland C. Matson, whose first mihtary lesson was learned as a private in the Asbury Guards, enlisted in the United States service at a very early age, rose steadily from promotion to promotion until, at the close of the war, he was in command of and served with credit as colonel of his regiment. Probably no man from the countv who rose no higher than a company officer, achieved greater distinction than William H. Sherfey, who was a lieutenant in Company D, Ninety-seventh Regiment. Soon after his enlistment he was transferred to the signal corps. He rendered brilliant service during the Atlanta campaign, and was held in high esteem bv General Sherman. He was with the late General McPherson a good deal during the engagements around Atlanta and was one of the few w'itnesses of that gallant officer's untimely death.

At the close of the war a number of volunteer officers were appointed to places in the regular army of the United States. Among them were James H. Sands, William F. Spurgin and Jesse M. Lee. Sands was retired many years ago by reason of ill health, with the grade of captain, and is now living in Tolono, Illinois. Spurgin remained in the service - being for many years the commissarv at the West Point Military Academy - until shortly after the close of the Spanish war, when he was put upon the retired list with the grade of brigadier-general. He died in Kentucky a few years ago. Jesse M. Lee, who was for many years lieutenant and captain in the Ninth United States Infantry, spent a great many years, after the war, among the Indians in the west. He served acceptably in Cuba during the Spanish war and, later, with the lamented General Lawton in the Philippines. He was with our troops in China during the Boxer rebellion. After the death, in line of duty, of Colonel Li.scomb. outside the walls of Pekin the cummand of the regiment fell upon Lee and he remained at its head until the end of that campaign. He bears the rare distinction of having fought with the United States troops in four ditTerent countries and in three dilterent wars. He was placed upon the retired list in January, 1907, with the rank of major-general. He is still living and spends a great portion of his time in Greencastle.

Of course, there were numerous instances of gallant deeds and military success on the part Dt the (ifhcers and soldiers from Putnam county, but to sincrle them out or otherwise go into details would absorb much space in this volume intended for other things. In ever}' way these two thousand officers and men the countv had furnished reflected great credit on their county, their state and the nation. Their ])rilliant deeds are deeply graven on the hearts of the people and as long as the grasses grow and the waters run to the sea thev will not be forgotten.

Relief Measures

Before the close of summer in 1861 people began to feel the stringency due to the war. Business was prostrated and values greatly depressed. The withdrawal of the many men from their usual avocations to go into the army left their families, in many cases, inadequately provided for and it therefore became the duty of the patriotic public at home to lend a helping hand. To that end. therefore, a meeting was held at the court house in Greencastle on Julv 25th. of which B. F. Hays was chairman and J. A. Hill secretary, to devise some practical anil tangible plan to alleviate the prevailing distress. James A. Scott was the principal speaker and he bore heavily on the landlords of the town and county, insisting that a reduction in rent.s - especially where soldiers' families were interested - be made. Appropriate resolutions on the subject were adopted and a committee appointed to confer with the landlords and endeavor to induce them to lower rents. The committee consisted of B. F. Hays. James H. Sands and Joseph L. Fordyce. A week later the committee reported that they had visited .\. M. Lockridge. J. R. M. Allen. Doctor Cowgill. D. M. Spurgin. George Kramer, Mrs. Ellen Matkins and John S. Jennings, who had agreed in writing to make material reductions in their rents, while certain others had promised to do likewise, but would not make the promise in writing. In due time a regular organization was effected, governed by a committee of five, called the Board of Control, to provide for the wants of the soldiers' families. Depots were established to which supplies were to be sent for distribution and agents were selected in all the townships. The Board of Control in Greencastle consisted of E. R. Kercheval. Jacob Durham. W. D. Allen. Melvin McKee and D. L. Southard. The township representatives were : Jackson township. John Gregory ; Franklin township. Wasson and Ram.sey. Russell township. W. H. Durham: Clinton township. Doctor John Slavens: !Monroe township. Wm. T. Scott: Floyd township. Joseph Hanna: ]\Iarion township. Wm. D. Smythe : Greencastle township. Ben Pritchard; Washington township. Volney Smith: Warren township. William L. Walden : Jefferson township, Thomas Vermillion ; Mill Creek township. David A. Blue : Cloverdale township. Foster and McCoy.

But the men of the community were not the only persons who were bestirring them.selves in behalf of the Union. The women were equally patriotic and zealous. In Greencastle they organized what was called the Sold'iers' .\id Society. Mrs. T. W. Williamson was president. Mrs. John Standi ford, vice-president. Mrs. Joseph Sadd. secretary, and Mrs. John A.

Matson, treasurer. Their membership exceeded one hundred. They met once a week at the homes of the various members and were busily engaged in making gloves, socks, underclothing and other items for the comfort and convenience of the soldiers in the field. Not only in Greencastle, but in Bainbridge. Russellville, Putnamville, Cloverdale and other towns in the county came a response equally generous and unselfish. People suspended their various avocations, closed their ears to the demands of business and willingly suffered themselves to be engulfed by the great tide of patriotism that swept across the countn--. There was nothing too arduous, nothing too exacting that thev could do to sustain the government in its conduct of the war. The knowledge that there were heroes and patriots back at their homes doing all in their power to promote the cause for which they were offering up their lives was the stimulus that incited the boys in the field and on the firing line to those deeds of daring sacrifice and heroic devotion which so richly emblazon the pages of history.

"Some eight hundred or a thousand soldiers," says the Banner, July i6, 1863, "came from the north on the New Albany railroad on Saturday last. They arrived at the depot at this place about half past three o'clock P. M., where they were supplied with bounteous refreshments in the way of eatables hastily prepared on short notice by our citizens. Most of them were well armed and were sturdy, robust-looking men. A large portion of them were in charge of Colonel Kise, of Boone county, and many of them appeared to be regular soldiers who had smelt powder before."

Later in the year the Banner gives great space to "A grand rally of the loyal people of Putnam county, including a military review, to be held on October 2nd." It was announced that Gen. Lew Wallace. Gen. Ebenezer Diimont, Hon. Godlove S. Orth and Hon. T. J. Cason would address the meeting. The various companies of the Loyal Legion - artillery, infantry and cavalry - were to be reviewed at three o'clock in the afternoon by Generals Wallace and Dumont. "The review," says the Banner, "was held in the large lot immediately east of the College campus (where East College - De- Pauw University - now stands). The companies present were the Putnam' Blues, Captain Morrison ; Allen's Battery, Captain Allen : Captain Wampler's companv from Bainbridge : Captain Hawkins" company from Carpentersville : Captain Wilkinson's company from Groveland. and a company of cavalry commanded by Captain Allee, of Jefiferson township. Captain ^Morrison. being the senior captain, took command of the battalion and went through the exercise of mounting guards, battalion drill and dress parade. The troops were encamped at the fair grounds, southeast of town. During the night Dr.

Putnam Couxty, Indiana

Josiah H. Robinson entertained the boys with a two-hour speech on the state of the country. At noon, Friday, they struck tents and marched to the parade ground east of the college campus to be reviewed. The review was witnessed by thousands of spectators, who manifested a deep interest in the proceedings. The military bearing of both officers and men and the precision with which every movement was executed was worthy of veterans. These companies have been organized, uniforaied and armed since Morgan's raid into Indiana. Yet. notwithstanding the few weeks that they have been receiving military instruction, they have attained a proficiency that would render them equal to any emergency that might arise. Our worthy Governor may rest satisfied that old Putnam will be on hand if called for."

Opposition To The War

But, although our soldiers were doing their duty at the front and although the great majority of people at home were unremitting and incessant in their endeavors to provide for the loved ones the soldiers had left behind, there was, nevertheless, an element in our citizenship who not only manifested no approval of the victories and successes gained by our soldiers in the field, but secretly and insidiously sought in every way to hinder and counteract the good accomplished by the Union arms. There are reasons why the storv of this opposition to the war at home might be omitted, but, unpleasant though the revelation may be. there is no alternative on the part of the faithful and zealous historian but to give all facts.

In its issue of June i8, 1863, the following appeared in the Greencastle Banner: "On Sunday last an armed force of from forty to fiftv persons in disguise called at the house of James Sill, the enrolling commissioner of Marion township, and demanded the enrolling book. Mr. Sill finally gave them what appeared to be the list he had just taken, but which were, as a fact, the enrollment lists of 1862, copies of which he had kept. A young man named Lawson Fry, while leaving the house, was fired at by one of the party and seriously wounded in the shoulder, disabling him for life. General ^lansfield visited Fillmore and the immediate neighborhood on Tuesday, for the purpose of inquiring into these violations as well as to consult with the leading citizens of all parties in reference to this outrage upon the law of the land." In the same issue of the Banner occurs the following: "The house of Mr. Scott, who is also an enrolling commissioner in Jefi^erson township, was visited by about fifty persons with faces blackened about the same time of the night and his enrollment papers were demanded. Finding resistance against so large a force useless, Mr. Scott gave up the papers to the cowardly mob, which were doubtlessly destroyed. In Madison township, Joseph Siddons, the enrolling commissioner, has been threatened by four men. who represented themselves as a committee, that if he continued the enrollment, he would find himself a dead man before he got through. In Cloverdale township the book of the enrolling officer, Mr. Davis, was destroyed. H. T. Craig, the enrolling officer in Monroe township, received the following written notice : 'We, the undersigned, will give you our advice. You. for your own good, and if you don't lay aside the enrolling, your life will be taken before tomorrow night and you had better take our advice as friends. We don't expect to interrupt you, but we ha\e heard men threaten venegance against you, that sav you had better stay at home and you had better take our advice and stav at home. From your friends.' Mr. Craig commenced enrolling, this morning regardless of the above advice, but several refused to give their names. This evening a committee, the foreman of which was our county surveyor, waited upon Mr. Craig and requested that he should cease enrolling at the peril of his life." In its editorial column, the Banner thus deals with a political speaker who had shortly before spoken in Greencastle and whose opposition to the further prosecution of the war both as a citizen and as an oiScial was notorious and unconcealed: "The only effect of all the speeches he has made here and elsewhere has been to create opposition to the government in its effort to put down the rebellion. As a consequence, we have organized bands of the Knights of the Golden Circle, whose avowed object is resistance to the law of Congress enrolling the militia preparatory to a draft. Men. in discharge of a sworn duty, are threatened with death if they do not desist and some have actually been intimated by threats and ceased their work of enrollment for the time. The work will go on. however. The conscription will also be carried out and those who are endeavoring to obstruct its operations will be arrested and properly punished."

As the war progressed and drafts were ordered to keep the ranks supplied with troops, the opposition to the prosecution of the war began to show their hands. The Knights of the Golden Circle were well represented in rvfonroe, Madison, Clinton and certain other townships, where they met in the woods at night, were well supplied with amis and drilled in preparation for the great uprising in the North which was expected, but which, fortunatelv. never came a])out. In the summer of 1864 these enemies of the Union had grown bold and daring to the point of recklessness. At a political meeting held in Greencastle on the 20th of July, addressed by Joseph E. McDonald, the Democratic candidate for governor, occurred the noted and cowardly assault by the Knights of the Golden Circle mob upon Lieutenant Cooper of the Forty-third Regiment and that officer's dramatic rescue by Aliss Lou Walls, at the door of the Putnam House, into which Lieutenant Cooper had run for safety, and alluding to which the Banner in its issue of July 28th says : "'A handsome dress was, last week, presented to JMiss Lou Walls by the L'nion boys of this place as a testimonial of their respect for the bravery she displayed in defending her mother's house from the attacks of the 'Butternut' mob on the 20th," and again, in August, 1864. the following: ''A report having been circulated that certain interested parties had paid Mrs. Nancy Walls, owner of the Putnam House, seventy or eighty dollars for damages to her house, that lady in a card denies that any such sum had been offered her in compensation for the gross indignity and wanton and unprovoked outrage perpetrated upon her house as well as her family by the "Butternut' mob on July 20th.

"The fact is. the damage done Mrs. Walls and the insult offered herself and family are irreparable; and the means resorted to by certain party leaders for the purpose of preventing the good men of their own party from becoming disgusted with the men and measures that sustain themselves by shameless breaches of the peace and by assaults upon widows' houses for no other offense than gi\'ing shelter to a defenseless Union soldier who was pursued bv an infuriated mob, are not at all commendable, to say the least of it."

But the opposition to the war in Putnam county, as well as in other parts of the state, had now reached high-tide, for, shortly after, when the fall elections began to indicate an overwhelming and triumphant vindication of Mr. Lincoln's administration by the people, the Knights of the Golden Circle and all other such malevolent and nefarious movements began to recede and finally disappeared altogether beneath the wave of patriotic exultation that swept across the country.

The histoiy of Putnam county during the war and the means it contributed to carry on that struggle is more or less surprising to people who have never before reflected upon the magnitude of the figures. The adjutantgeneral of the state, in his report published soon after the close of the war, credits Putnam county with a total of three thousand two hundred and fiftyseven enlistments. From this should be deducted re-enlistments of soldiers who at first volunteered for a short period and two hundred and ten Neteran> who had served the full period of three years and had also re- enlisted. The exact figures are unavailable, but it is altogether likely that the net total was very largely in excess of two thousand. From the same report we learn the figures somewhat in detail. The county itself appropriated $10,000 towards the payments of bounties for soldiers and $1,025 for the relief of soldiers' families. Jackson township paid $54,265 for bounties; Franklin. $27,960 for bounties ; Russellville township, $38,000 for bounties and $6,000 for relief; Clinton, $24,800 for bounties; Monroe, $22,700 for bounties and $361 for relief; Floyd, $28,950 for bounties and $1,008 for relief; Marion, $40,500 for bounties; Greencastle, $24,302 for bounties and $4,350 for relief; Madison, $23,731 for bounties and $82 for relief; Washington, $57,381 for bounties; Warren, $31,200 for bounties and $3,000 for relief; Jefferson, $21,500 for bounties and $132.65 for relief; Cloverdale, $25,000 for bounties, and Mill Creek, $20,818 for bounties. The adjutantgeneral also adds an additional credit of $15,000 to all the townships for relief, thus making a total of $441,107 for bounties and $28,260.65 ^O"" relief, or a grand total of $469,367.65.

The war had no sooner closed than the loyal people of Putnam county began to cast about for some means by which they could testify their regard for and perpetuate the memory of the brave men from this county who had gone to the front and given up their lives in defense of the Union. After several informal preliminary meetings were held, an organization under the name of "The Putnam County Soldiers Monument Association," was effected for the purpose of erecting a monument in the memon,' of the loyal dead. Col. John R. Mahan was chosen president, William D. Allen, treasurer, and David W. Jones, secretar^^ After a brief and vigorous canvass throughout the count}', the requisite amount of funds was raised by popular subscription. Thomas D. Jones, a sculptor of Cincinnati, was engaged and in due time the structure was built.

"The design of the monument." says another. " is artistic and beautiful. Above the foundation the pedestal rises to the height of eight feet, a portion of which is handsomely paneled, upon which the names of the deceased soldiers are inscribed. Surmounting the pedestal or main body of the monument in a statue of heroic size representing a soldier and regarded by many as the most faithful and successful portrayal of the volunteer soldier thus far acliieved in the countrv."

Putnam Couxty, Ixdiaxa

This impressive work of art stands on the crest of the "crowning eminence" in Forest Hill cemetery, south of the city of Greencastle. and commands one of the finest views in the county. It was dedicated July 2, 1870, the address on that occasion having been delivered by the late Richard W. Thompson, of Terre Haute. Further speeches were delivered by Governor Conrad Baker and Delano E. Williamson, of Greencastle. at that time attorney-general of Indiana. Several tiiousand people were present, including delegations from Indianapdlis. Terre Haute and other adjacent places.

When the war with Spain broke out Putnam county, with her usual promptitude, responded with a company of volunteers. When enlisted at Indianapolis, on April 26. 1898. they were assigned to the One Hundred" Fifty-ninth Regiment Indiana \'olunteers and known as Company I. Two of those who thus earlv offered their services. Dr. Eugene Hawkins and James F. Fee. were appointed to positions on the regimental staff, the one major, the other assistant surgeon. The company ofificers were : Wilbur F. Starr, captain; Charles F. Donnohue. first lieutenant: Benton Curtis, second lieutenant; James O. Rhea, first sergeant; Harn.- D. Graham, quartermaster; William Conklin. sergeant; Joel H. Richardson. Luther Sackett. Fred Smith. Frank L. Bridges, corporals; Fred C. Gobin. lance corporal; Fred Starr, musician; Fred Smythe, artificer: Lewis Alkine. cook; Fred A. Payton. wagoner. Privates : Earl Lane. Harry Landes. Harr\' G. Kennett. Earl Fisk, Samuel Stewart. Ralph Cooper, Edward Lawson. James ?iIoss. Edgar E. E\-ens, William Reed. Alonton Springer. Lawrence Allen. John A. Bartl, Edwin Black. Francis Blakely. William S. Blue. ]\lillard M. Bowen, Edward Brockway, Oscar E. Brown, George A. Brackney. Thomas S. Beachbard, Roy Bennett, Charles Conklin, Harry Conklin, George P. Corn, Oscar Cosner. John Curetor, Daniel Donnohue, Albert Dunn, Henry C. Dale. Clarence F. Davison, Irvin E\ens. Walker E. Evens. Hansell Farmer, Roy Fowler. Scott Galey, Orestes (iarrett. \\'illiam Gifford. Oscar Gill. Charles Green. William I. Grooms, Herscliel Hall. Allen Harleman. Harry Hawkins. Richard Hazelett. Lilben Hepler. George Hibhitt. James Hill. Edward Flillis, Samuel E. Hathaway, James W. Hensley. John W. Hitt. Flenry Irvin. John Irwin. \^'. H. Iry, Everett Jones, William Jones. Edward Lane. Philip Lane. Ralph Lnmston. Ernest Middleton. Harry E. ]\Ionce. William !\IcCoy. James McCorkey. W. A. McFadden. Owen L. Xelson. James E. Xewgent, Arthur AI. Xewton. William Xewton, Lee Paxton, Allen Payne. Joseph Pearson, .\lbert G. Preston. Charles

Graves Of Revolutiox.Xry Soldiers

Recently the Daughters of the American Revolution in Greencastle have undertaken to locate the graves of all the Revolutionary soldiers who have died and are buried in the county. \\'hen the list of names and full military history of these early patriots is complete the same will be inscribed in a bronze tablet which is to be erected in the rotunda of the court house. Thus far the following names and data have been secured :

Isnac Amistrong. belonged to Virginia militia: was in battles of Hot \Vater and Jamestown; born July. 1762. Augusta. Virginia: applied for pension in Putnam county in 1837.

\\'illiam Banks, sergeant, in Capt. James Pamplain's companv. Colonel Richardson's regiment Virginia militia; bom Culpeper county, Virginia, July 23, 1762: died in Putnam county. Indiana. September 5. 1839.

John Buck, private, sergeant and lieutenant. Captain ^NlcConnell's company. Colonel Laughrey's regiment Pennsylvania volunteers : taken prisoner by the Indians and retained four months : engaged in two battles in New- York: born in Hanover. Europe. 1752: applied for pension in Putnam county, April 24. 1834.

Charles Bowen. ser\ed more than two }-ears in Xorth Carolina and Virginia regiments: was in battle of King's Mountain: enlisted at Crab Orchard, Virginia: born on James river. September. 1749 : was living in Putnam countv, Indiana, in 1834.

Nathaniel Cunningham. September. 1776. prixate Capt. Robert Ballard's company. Col. Patrick Henry's regiment Virginia volunteers; 1778. transferred to General \\'ashington's Life Guard: in battles of Trenton. Princeton. Brandywine. ]\Iouniouth and Gates' defeat: applied for pension Randol])h count}'. Xiirth Carolina. Ma}' 6. iSr8. aged sixty-four years: died in Putnai'n countv, Indiana, August I'x i8;2.

Samuel Dennv, born August jS. 1755. Chester county, Pennsylvania; served fourteen months between 1778-81 in Col. John Smith's regiment Virginia volunteers; was in battles of Brandywine and Gemiantown; enlisted at Frederick county. X'irginia; applied for pension in Putnam county. Indiana. April 23. 1835.

Laban Hall, served about two years, between 1775 and 1778, in New Hampshire regiment under Colonels Hale and Chase; was at Ticonderoga ; applied for pension April 7. i8r8. at Chelsea. Orange county. Vermont; sixtythree vears old; died in Putnam county, Indiana, September 9, 1842.

George Hammer. April, 1 781. to February. 1782, private Capt. Michael Trautman's company. Col. John Gregor's regiment. Maryland mihtia; born near Philadelphia. May 4. 1763; applied for pension in Putnam county, Indiana. October 5, 1832.

Thomas Jones, enlisted in fall of 1775 for three years in Captain Fontaine's company. Colonel Stevens' regiment \'irginia militia; in battles of Brandywine and Germantown; applied for pension in Mercer county. Kentuckv. July 7. 1818; resided in Putnam county. Indiana. 1832.

William McGahey. enlisted Carlisle. Pennsylvania, for two years in a Pennsylvania regiment; applied for pension Bath county. Kentucky, June 17. 1818; fifty-five years old; moved to Putnam county. Indiana. 1826.

Andrew McPheeters. bom March 22, 1761. Chester county. Pennsylvania; served three years in Pennsylvania and North Carolina regiments, having enlisted at Chester county. Pennsylvania, and Guilford. North Carolina; applied for pension August 22, 1832. Granger county, Tennessee; lived in Putnam county. Indiana, in 1834.

Benjamin Mahomey. bom Fauquier county. Virginia; March. 1779. to October. 1780. in Colonel Buford's Third \'irginia regiment; applied for pension. Oldham county. Kentucky. November 17, 1826; sixty-eight years old; died December 2;. 1854. Putnam county, Indiana.

Samuel Moore, born Staunton. Augusta county, Virginia. July 14. 1761 ; Februarv to September. 1781. private in Alaj. Andrew Hamilton's regiment A'irginia militia; applied for pension Putnam county. Indiana. October 25, 1S32.

Tohn Norman, horn 1743, Sussex county. Delaware; enlisted at Johnson. Sussex countv, Delaware: Captain Vaughn's company. Delaware volunteers;

Thomas Rhoten, November, 1776, to January, 1781; enlisted at Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, in Captain Harris' company. Colonel Cook's regiment Pennsylvania volunteers; in battles Brandywine. Germantown and Stony Point; applied for pension Brown county, Ohio, December

Isaiah Slavens, born Augusta county, Virginia, June 14, 1762: enlisted for one year, 1780. in Virginia regiment; in battles Hot Water and Jamestown; applied for pension April 26, 1833, Putnam county, Indiana.

Peter Stoner; 1780 and 1781, in North Carolina and South Carolina regiments; in battle Eutaw Springs; wounded in back and hip, Monks Corner; applied for pension Orange county, North Carolina, September 7, 1832; died in Putnam county, Indiana, April 6, 185 1.

Thomas Tucker, born Fairfax county. North Carolina, February 11, 1757; enlisted Washington county, North Carolina, 1779. for two years in North Carolina regiment; April 25, 1832, applied for pension in Putnam county. Indiana.

John Walden, born March 6, 1756, Middlesex county, Virginia; served from 1777 to end of war, 1783. in Col. William Dent, Abraham Buford and Henry Lee regiments, Virginia volunteers; in battles Monmouth, Stony Point, and present at evacuation of Charleston; applied for pension Henry county, Kentucky, April 5, 1821 ; died Putnam county. Indiana, December

Robert Whitehead; enlisted Holston River, western North Carolina, served from October, 1779. to October, 1782; private. Captain Bailey, Colonel John [Montgomery, Gen. George Rogers Clark, Illinois regiment, Virginia line: applied for pension Putnam county, Indiana. April 22. 1833; seventyone vears old; died Putnam county. Indiana. Februan.- 20. 1852.

John Walls, born York county, Pennsylvania, April 4. 1762: drummer 1776. one vear Capt. J. Wright's company, H. Miller's regiment. Pennsylvania volunteers; 1780, six months, drummer, Capt. William Wales' company, same regiment ; applied for pension Putnam county. Indiana, October 26, 1832.

An Interesting Paper

Several years ago the late William Henry Ragan. who had made some inquii-v into the history of certain Revolutionary- soldiers who ha])pened to settle in that part of the county in which he himself had spent the earlier years of his life, prepared and read before the Putnam County Historical Society a paper on the subject, which is so full of interesting reminiscences and data the liberty is taken to insert a portion of it here.

"There is a small section of country lying immediately north and west of the village of Fillmore." related Mr. Ragan. "in which five survivors of the Revolutionary war spent their last days on earth and in which their sacred ashes still remain. Three of the five the writer very distinctly remembers, the others dying but a short time before his recollection. I doubt if there is an area so small within the limits of the county, or even of the state, where so many of the patriots of our war for independence spent their last days. Why this should have been is, perhaps, a mere coincidence as I know of no community of interests that could have thus brought them together. Indeed, they may have been, for aught I know, entire strangers to each other. Certainly there were no close ties of consanguinity existing among them. Hence I conjecture that their settlement in such close proximity was merely a coincidence and not by design or purpose on their part.

"The area in which these patriots resided embraced a small portion of the adjacent town.ships of Floyd and :\rarion. Three of them resided in the former and two in the last named township. At least three of the five came to this county with their families - the others perhaps with children or friends. Their deaths occurred in the order in which they are named.

"Abraham Stobaugh came from Montgomery county, Virginia, in company with his son, the late Jacob Stobaugh. and settled in the southern portion of Floyd township. He was the grandfather of Mrs. A. M. Robinson, of Fillmore, and of the late Mrs. Owen, the wife of our fellow townsman and ex-countv recorder, George Owen. From Mrs. Robinson I learn that this worthy patriot died in September, 1836, and that he was buried with the honors of war. A militia company from Greencastle, commanded by the late Col. Lewis H. Sands, fired the salute at the grave. He was buried in a private cemeterv on the old Gorham farm, in Marion township. There is today no trace of his grave remaining, none at least that would identify it among those of numerous friends and relatives. Mr. Stobaugh left quite a large number of descendants, some of whom still remain in the neighborhood of his former home.

"Silas Hopkins, if tradition may be credited, was a native of the city of Baltimore, and a supposed relative of the late millionaire merchant and philanthropist. Johns Hopkins, whose name will go down to posterity in connection with the srreat universitv his beneficence endowed. Silas Hopkms was the father of the somewhat noted John Deroysha Hopkins, whose eccentric characteristics will be well remembered by many who are present. He was also the father of the late Mrs. Thomas Gorham, with whom he made his home. Patriot Hopkins was in some particulars not unlike his eccentric son. His death occurred near the close of the fourth decade of this century. How long or when and at what period of the revolutionary struggle and in what Ijranch of the service, or under what command these patriots served, is perhaps unknown to living mortals ; but that they were revolutionary soldiers there is not a shadow of doubt. Jacob Stobaugh. son of Abraham, was a veteran of the war of 1812. and some of the descendants of Silas Hopkins laid down their lives to preserve that government to the establishment of which he gave his best years. Even his eccentric son, John D.. was for a time a Union soldier in the war of the Rebellion. Although at the time he was beyond the age of military service, he enlisted in Company C, Seventieth Indiana Regiment, and served part of the second year of the war as a member of that regiment, which was commanded by the only living ex-President of the United States. At least four grandsons also served in the Union army, two of whom, Silas and Thomas Gorham, laid down their lives in their country's service, and now rest side by side in the village cemetery at Fillmore. There is something sadly pathetic in the story of the death of these patriotic grandsons of Silas Hopkins. They had survi\-ed the mishaps of the war from 1861 to 1865, when one of the brothers began to decline in health. The war was over, and they were reallv no longer needed at the front. So the sick brother was given a furlough to his home, and for company the well one was sent with him. On the Vandalia train while halting at the Greencastle station, and within six miles of home and friends, the invalid brother quietly breathed his last. The survivor tenderlv supported the lifeless form of his brother in his arms until the train reached Fillmore, where kind and loving friends performed the last sad rites. But one month elapsed until the remaining brother was gently laid by his side ''in the shadow of the stone." In those early days almost every farm had its private burial place, in which members of the family were interred. The Gorham farm was not an exception to this general rule. On the north end of this farm, known to the older residents as the Judge Smith, or Gorham farm, and now owned by Albert O. Lockridge of this city, and the first land in the township conveyed by the go\'ernment to a private individual, is one of the.^e neglected burial places. The location is obscure, and but for a few rough stones, one of which l^ears the inscription "W. B.". there is naught to indicate that it is a pioneer cemetery in which many of the early settlers sleep their long sleep. Here rest the mortal remains of Abraham Stobaugh and Silas Hopkins of Revolutionary memor\-. But a few fleeting years will elapse until this graveyard will be entirely unknown and forgotten, and posterity will then have naught but tradition as a guide to this sacred spot where lie two of the founders of our republic.

"Samuel Denny resided in the southern part of Floyd township, on what is now known as the Gravel Pit farm, which is owned by the Big Four railway. His home was with an adopted daughter, Mrs. Isaac Yeates, he having had no children of his own. ]\Ir. Denny first settled in Warren township, where his wife died and was buried. He was the great uncle of our fellowtownsman, James T. Denny, Esq. Patriot Denny had long predicted that his death would occur on the Fourth of July, which prediction was verified by the fact. In the early summer of 1843, his rapid decline was noted, and on the nation's si.xty-seventh birthday, his gentle spirit took leave of earth. I well remember Mr. Denny, and have him pictured in my mind as a most venerable personage. Indeed, he was highly respected and honored by all w ho knew him. I have already referred to the fact that he raised no children of his own. It is. however, a well verified tradition that he raised thirteen orphan children by adoption, thus showing the great benevolence of his character. He was buried in Warren township at what is known as Deer Creek Baptist cemeteiy bv the side of his deceased wife, and I have no doubt with the honors of war so well befitting the day and the occasion.

"John Bartee's home was on a fraction of the same farm on which Patriot Denny died, and to which he had in some way acquired a fee simple title. There were ten acres of the little homestead upon which he resided. He lived in a humble log cabin, with but one room. Here, in company with his feeble-minded seciond wife and still more imbecile daughter, he spent his last days in extreme poverty. The family ^xere objects of charity. Through the exertions of the late .Xnderson B. ^latthews. himself a member of the boarrl of count^- commissioners, that body made a small appropriation, I am not alile to sa\- hov.- much, in support of this superannuated veteran : but with all this, only a small share of the good things of earth fell to the lot of our worthy patriot in his declining years. At the age of sixteen he participated in the siege of Yorktown and the capture of Lord Cornwallis. His death occurred in February of 1848, and he was buried in the little graveyard on the Yeates farm., near by his former home.

"Benjamin Mahorney. the fifth and last survivor, and perhaps among the x-eiy last of his race, died in the summer of 1854, more than se\-ent\- vears after the close of the great struggle in which he was an active participant. His residence was in the northern portion of Marion township, and immediately on the line of the Big Four railway, one mile east of the little station of Darwin. He lived with his son, Owen Mahorney, who made him comfortable in his last days. He was a most venerable personage, known to the people of the neighborhood as one worthy of veneration and respect. His hair was as white as the driven snow. He was a Virginian and enlisted from Fauquier county, in that state, in the spring of 1779, for a term of eighteen months. He served under Captain Walls, in Colonel Buford's regiment of Virginia militia. His regiment met the British cavalry under the celebrated Colonel Tarleton, at Waxhaw, North Carolina, and were repulsed with great loss in killed, wounded and prisoners. Patriot Mahorney was one of the few who escaped injury or capture. His term of enlistment closed on October 25, 1780, nearly seventy- four years prior to his death in this county. From records of our county clerk's office, I learn that he made application for a pension at the April term of court in 1833, and that he was at that time seventythree years of age. From this record I also learn the above facts concerning his enlistment and service in the patriot cause. At the time of his death there was in the neighborhood a military company with headquarters at the village of Fillmore and commanded by James H. Summers, a Mexican war veteran and afterwards colonel of an Iowa regiment in the war of the Rebellion. Captain Summers called together his company, and fired a salute over the open grave of the last survivor of Revolutionary memory in the neighborhood. The interment was at what is known as the Smythe graveyard, just south of the Vandalia railwav, and one mile east of Fillmore. It is probable that the grave of Mr. Mahorney might still be identified. An incident occurred after the burial of Patriot Mahorney, when Captain Summers, with his company, returned to Fillmore to store their guns in the company's armory, A member of the company, Noah Alley, also a Mexican veteran, and afterwards killed at Cedar Mountain, Virginia, as a member of the Twenty-seventh Indiana Regiment, through an awkward mishap thrust the fixed bayonet of his musket through his leg just above the ankle, making a serious and painful wound. The village boys, out of juvenile curiosity, had gathered about the military company, and were many of them witnesses to this painful accident. The writer well remembers the impression it made on his youthful mind, and this incident will go down in his memory associated with the death and burial of the last survivor of the Revolutionary struggle in that part of Putnam county, if not in the state. Of these five Revolutionary patriots, two only.

Hopkins and Stobaugh, have living descendants in our midst. Denny, it will be remembered, had no children of his own. Bartee's wife and daughter are long since dead, and the younger Mahorney, after his father's death, together with his family removed to Fountain county, where they have been lost sight of in the busy throng that now throbs and pulsates through our land."