250 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO and stimulated Ohio in her efforts to secure better transportation upon Lake Erie and the Ohio River. Prior to this day Governor Thomas Worthington had recommended to the Legislature the building of a canal across the state. Two years later Governor Ethan Allen Brown also advised such action, and a resolution was passed providing for three canal commissioners, who should employ an engineer and assistants to make a survey—provided that the United States would donate lands along the line of the canal to aid in its construction. The first project that attracted attention was for a short canal to connect Fort Wayne, to which place the Maumee was considered navigable, with, the Little River, a tributary of the Wabash, the entire distance being a little less than seven miles. As early as 1818, Capt. James Riley, a government surveyor of Van Wert County, said : "In high stages of water a portage of only 6 miles carries merchandise from the head of the Maumee into navigable waters of the Wabash (and vice versa) from whence, floating with the current, it may go either to supply the wants of the interior country or proceed South to New Orleans or North to Lake Erie. The Little Wabash rises in a swamp, which might supply water sufficient for purpose of Canal navigation." A year previous to this Maj. Benjamin F. Stickney, then Indian agent at Fort Wayne, had published a letter in the Western Spy, of Cincinnati, in which he used the following language : "Of course it would be a small expense of labor to connect the waters of these two Rivers by a Canal that would be passable at the lowest water. Those Rivers will be the great thoroughfare between the Lakes and the Mississippi ; and, of course, will constitute an uninterrupted navigation from the Bay of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico, except the short portage at the Falls of Niagara." A series of dams was then projected along the Maumee to raise the level during times of low water. When surveys were made across the state, the lines followed the rivers. Thus one line was surveyed up the Maumee and Auglaize, and down the Loramie and Greater Miami. Another was up the Scioto and down the Sandusky, and also up the Cuyahoga and down the Tuscarawas and Muskingum. When the board reprted in favor of the Cuyahoga River, from Cleveland, probably because the population was more numerous there, a serious protest arose from the friends of the Maumee and Sandusky route, and more particularly the latter. In 1824 both routes were surveyed for a second canal, and a favorable report made of that via the Maumee. The commissioners reported the distance from the foot of the Maumee Rapids to the Ohio River HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 251 as 265 1/2 miles, with 25 1/4 miles additional as necessary feeders. The altitude of the summit was given as 378 feet above Lake Erie and 511 4/10 feet above the Ohio River, and the estimated cost was less than that of the Cuyahoga route. Work was authorized on the canal route between Dayton and Cincinnati on the 4th of February, 1825, and a few months later the contracts were let for the first twenty miles. Work had already begun on the Cleveland and Portsmouth route. The section of the Miami and Erie Canal from Cincinnati. to. Dayton was completed in 1829, but the locks connecting it with the Ohio River were not yet finished. Congress granted to the State of Ohio to aid this canal "a quantity of land equal to one-half of five Sections in width on each side of said canal between Dayton and the Maumee River at the mouth of the Auglaize (Defiance), so far as the same shall be located through the public land, and reserving each alternate Section of land unsold to the United States to be selected by the Commissioner of the General Land Office under the direction of the President of the United States; and which land so reserved to the United States shall not be sold for less than $2.50 per acre." This act, like all others for canals, required that the canal should always remain a public highway, free to the United States from tolls or other charges. Work was to begin within five years, and the canal was to be completed within twenty years from the date of the act. At this same date Congress further granted to Ohio 500,000 acres of land to pay the debts of and to complete the canals—those commenced to be completed within seven years. Owing to the difficulties arising from the Toledo War, and the conflicting claims of the various villages at the mouth of the Maumee, contracts were not let for the northern end until May, 1837. All sorts of arguments were brought to bear upon the commissioners by all the villages from Manhattan to Maumee City. Many of them seem ludicrous in the light of modern development. For instance, the Maumee advocates dwell' upon the inability to bridge the Maumee with safety and without danger to navigation at her lower rivals. The canal commissioners had met at Perrysburg in the previous year, and agreed to grant canal connection to each of the claimants. This decision was confirmed by Governor Lucas. As early as 1823, Indiana officials had begun a movement to connect the navigation of the Wabash and the Maumee with Lake Erie. The Ohio portion of this canal is only eighteen miles in length. Congress authorized Indiana to mark a route through the public lands, and a right-of-way was secured from the Miami Indians through their lands. Congress granted each alternate section of land to Indiana to aid in the work. It became evident that the proposed work was greater than had been anticipated. The short canal to connect the Maumee with the Little River was seen to be inefficient, for it became evident that the Maumee River could not be depended upon for navigation above Defiance. It was then determined to connect the Wabash and Erie Canal with the Miami and Erie Canal at a point named Junction, in Pauld- 252 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO ing County. To harmonize the work of the joint section, W. Talmadge was appointed commissioner for Ohio, and Jeremiah Sullivan was named for Indiana. Ground on this project was formally broken at Fort Wayne, on February 22, 1832. A great dam was constructed across the River St. Joseph, six miles above Fort Wayne, which is the highest dam in the Maumee River basin. Six Mile Reservoir was built in Paulding County as a feeder, being so named from Six Mile Creek. In 1835 the canal was completed to Huntington, and in 1841 it had reached Lafayette. Because of the sparse settlements in Northern Ohio, and the scarcity of money as well, Ohio did not urge the completion of the northern part of the Miami and Erie Canal fast enough to suit Indiana, and the people of that state became greatly dissatisfied. It was not until the spring of 1837 that a contract was let for the canal from Manhattan to the head of the rapids of the Maumee (now Grand Rapids), and in the fall of the same year contracts were placed for the canal from the Grand Rapids to the Indiana state line in eighty-nine sections. Contractors gathered together about 2,000 laborers and began to pay them in Michigan "wild cat" hills, which they had borrowed. The financial panic of that year crippled *the contractors in their financial plans, so that they were not able to pay the laborers their wages for months. The excessive prices of provisions, which had to be transported for long distances, the high price of labor, and considerable sickness among the men rendered the work very slow. The different policy followed by the contractors upon the question of intoxicating liquors is shown in the following: "In this connection it may be proper to state, that the matter of 'prohibition' as to the use of intoxicating liquors, became a practical question with contractors on the Canal. This was specially so with those on the sections 'in rear of the Town,' (now between the Court House and the High School building) who issued the order that no man in the use of liquors should have employment at their hands. The result was, that while the men on other jobs where liquors were used, suffered much from sickness, those above named were almost wholly without such experience. "During the construction of the Reservoir in Paulding County, about 1842, a different policy was adopted. What were termed 'jiggers,' were dealt out to laborers before each meal. The men passed under a rope, one at a time, and received 12 ounces of whiskey each. At about 9 :30 A. M., and 4:30 P. M., like supplies were taken to the men at their work. Such were deemed necessary from the character of the water there used." From Defiance to the state line it was found necessary to construct the locks of wood, because of the want of stone. Of these there are many, six being within Defiance alone. For fifteen months the Contractors on the' canal did not receive a single dollar from the state, and there was due them half a million dollars. In Indiana a. white paper scrip was issued by the state, and based upon canal lands, which was generally called "white dog," and another colored scrip issued upon another section west of Lafayette was called "blue dog," while fractional currency was known as "blue pup." Much of this paper was about worn out from usage before it was finally redeemed. The canals were opened to traffic from Toledo to Fort Wayne on the 8th of May, 1843. The first boat to pass to Lafayette was the Albert S. White, with Capt. Sirus Belden as the master. She was greeted all along the way with great joy. In Toledo a dinner was given at the Ohio House in honor of the captain and his crew. A lighter packet fitted for passengers soon followed under Capt. William Dale. At a canal opening celebration on the 4th of July, representatives were present at Fort Wayne from Toledo, Detroit, Cleve- HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 253 land, and many other places. Gen. Lewis Cass delivered the principal address. There was still further delay in the construction of thc Miami and Erie Canal south of the Junction, and the first boat from Cincinnati did not reach Toledo until June 27, 1845. Abner L. Backus was appointed canal collector at Maumee City in 1844. The canals now were recognized as the cheapest, easiest, and safest mode of communication and transportation. They soon developed into great thoroughfares, not only for freight but also for passengers. By 1847 the boats in use numbered several hundred, and the canal tolls exceeded $60,000. In the following year almost 4,000 canal boats cleared from Toledo. Millions of dollars worth of produce were transported each year by them. Many of the laborers who had worked upon the canals remained and bought lands upon which they settled. Numerous sawing, flouring, and other mills located along them, and the work of clearing the forests bcgan in earnest. Logs and firewood were alike transported to the markets. A number of great charcoal burners were established in Paulding County, with iron furnaces in connection. These industries, and the wood chopping incidental thereto, gave employment to scveral hundred laborers. Passenger boats became quite numerous, and some of them were well fitted for the convenience of travelers. The sleeping berths for first-class passengers were arranged on each side of the upper cabin, generally in two rows, one above the other, but occasionally in three rows. Hammocks and cots were provided for the surplus passengers, and many would sleep on the deck. They were drawn by from two to six horses, according to the size of the boat and the load. They were generally kept on a trot by the driver, who rode the saddle of the left rear horse. In this way a speed of from six to eight miles an hour was attained. Rclays of horses were sometimes carried on the boat, but generally they were stationed at convenient points. The journey from Toledo to Lafayette was about 242 miles, and was advertised to be made in fifty-six hours. The rate of fare was generally 3 cents a mile on the packets, and one-half cent less on the freight boats, which also carried passengers. Meals and lodging were included in these rates for the longer distances. Thirty-five to forty passengers was considered a good load, but double this number would not be turned away. The time required between Toledo and Cincinnati was four days and five nights, which was considered very good time. Much of the time was taken up in passing through the numerous locks, which averaged more than one hour. The trip is now made in a few hours by train. The largest boat on the canal for a long time was the Harry of the West, which was brought from the New York and Erie Canal in 1844 by Capt. Edwin Avery. The first cans) steamboat, the Niagara, was built in 1845 for Samuel Doyle, but was not a success. It arrived in Toledo September 24, 1849. The Scarecrow was more successful. It had as the propelling power a small portable engine, from the flywheel of which a belt extended down to a pulley in the stern, to which a 3-foot propeller-wheel was attached. Objections were raised to the use of steamboats on account of the commotion of the water caused by the propeller to the detriment of the canal banks, and to other boats. It was not unusual at this time for fifty or sixty boats to accumulate in Toledo, unloading and reloading at the wharves and grain elevators. The locks connecting the canal with the Maumee River at Manhattan were abandoned in 1864, and nearly four miles were dropped a few years later. The side cut with its six locks leading to the Maumee River at Maumee were also relinquished, so that the only connection now existing with the Maumee River is through Swan Creek. A long and bitter fight for trade ensued between the canals and railroads, with the latter as final victors. Rates for freight 254 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO were cut whenever there was direct competition. The canal commission undertook to prevent railroads from crossing the canals. The Indiana portion of the Wabash and Erie Canal was abandoned long ago. The section from the state line to Junction has not been used since 1886. The Miami and Erie Canal is still kept open, and new locks were constructed at a great expense only a few years ago. But a boat is now a rarity, and its only use is in furnishing water power to a few establishments. Its days of real usefulness are seemingly ended, and its entire abandonment cannot be far distant in the future. To supply the water for the canal, the Loramie Reservoir, produced by a dam across Loramie Creek, near Minster, was constructed. This supplies water for what is termed the Summit level. This reservoir is seven miles long and much narrower, but covers 1,800 acres of land. The Lewistown Reservoir was constructed to supply the canal southward. Most of the water for the northern end of the canal was derived from the Grand Reservoir, produced by a dam about four miles long and from 10 to 25 feet high, across the valley of Big Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Wabash, south of Celina. This reservoir is about nine miles long and from two to four miles wide, the east end having a retaining wall about two miles long. It covers about twenty-seven square miles, or 17,000 acres, and has been called the largest of artificial lakes. A number of settlers had already located on this land, and many serious controversies arose before their claims were adjudicated. So great was the indignation at what was considered the injustice shown them, that the dam was cut and a serious overflow resulted. Then an adjustment followed. This reservoir still remains, and many of the limbs of the trees still protrude above its surface. Many oil wells have also been sunk beneath its surface. The Grand Reservoir is greatly resorted to each year by fishermen, who come from long distances to angle for the finny tribe sporting themselves in its waters. THE PIONEER RAILROADS Transportation by land in Northwestern Ohio, where swampy conditions prevailed over the greater portion, was a serious matter. In the muddy season, it was next to impossible. Benoni Adams, who carried the mail from Lower Sandusky to Monroe in 1809, usually required two weeks for the round trip. Much of the journey was made on foot, and it was frequently necessary to construct small rafts to cross the swollen streams. To alleviate this condition, an era of plank roads swept over the country in the '40s and '50s. The canals had been of great service, but their immediate territory was limited. The financial returns looked promising, based upon the experience of similar roads in the East. Timber was abundant in every section, so that the cost of construction would be low. The newspapers everywhere encouraged their construction. As a result many projects were soon begun and pushed to completion. Townships and towns everywhere voted generous subsidies. Liberal tolls were charged, of which the following is a fair example: A loaded two-horse wagon, 2 cents per mile, and half that if empty ; single carriage, 1 cent per mile and double carriages 2 cents; a horse and rider were taxed a cent for each mile. But settlers were scarce and through travel was not heavy, and even these refused to pay any toll except when the roads were bad. It is said that profanity reached its highest range in the days of plank roads. There were cases where an angry driver managed to get a hitch on the toll-gate and drag it a mile or two down the road. The court records reveal many cases for the "malicious destruction of property," the property in question being the toll-gate. The jurors could not refuse a verdict for the company, but, being of sym- HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 255 pathetic mind, usually fixed the damages at 1 cent. As a result the financial returns were unsatisfactory. Furthermore, the planks decayed faster than was expected. Hence some of the plank roads never were renewed, others wcre kept in a poor condition of repair, and all of them disappeared in a couple of decades. By this time the railroads had practically monopolized the inland transportation trade. The pioneer railway west of the Alleghenies was built and operated by Toledo enterprise. Its inception was about the time of the uniting of the two embryo towns on the Maumee River. At this time there was no railroad west of the Alleghenies. It was projected in the winter of 1832-33 by Dr. Samuel 0. Comstock, of Toledo. It was incorporated with the name Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad by an act of the Legislative Council of the Territory Michigan, passed the 22nd of April, 1835, and endowed with perpetual succession "to build a railroad from Port Lawrence (now Toledo) through Adrian to some point on the Kalamazoo River ; to transport, take and carry property and persons upon the same, by the power and force of steam, animals, or of any mechanical or other power, or any combination of them." An amendment to this act, passed the 26th of March, 1835, provided that when "the road shall have paid the cost of building the same, and expenses of keeping the same in repair, and seven per cent on all moneys expended as aforesaid, the said road shall become the property of the Territory, or State, and shall become a free road except sufficient toll to keep the same in repair." A subsequent act terminated the road at Adrian. Many members of the Legislative Council viewed the proposition as "a mere financial object out of which could come no harm (to Michigan Territory) and it would greatly please the Comstocks of Toledo, one of whom was a member of that Council." Stephen B. Comstock and Benjamin F. Stickney were among the charter members. The original plan of the Erie and Kalamazoo railroad promoters was to use oak rails, 4 inches square, and the cars to be drawn by horses. The financing of this enterprise proved a work of great difficulty. The construction was begun with this idea, but had not proceeded far until it was decided to use an iron track and employ steam power. It was found that the wear on the green oak rails in transporting material for construe- 256 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO tion was so great that an iron covering was necessary. The iron was procured. It was what is known as the "strap rail," 2 1/2 inches wide and 5/8 of an inch thick, and was spiked to the wooden rail. The road was ready for business during the fall of 1836, just a decade after the first American railroad was opened at Boston. The cars were at first drawn by horses. The initial locomotive reached Toledo in June; 1837. It had been brought by water all the way from Philadelphia, via New York, then by the Hudson River, through the Erie Canal, and across the lake. It was 'number eighty of the Baldwin Locomotive Works, which will now turn out many more than that in a single day. Compared with the gigantic locomotives of today, it was a pigmy, and there was absolutely no protection on it for the engineer. Soon after the first engine was received, a new "Pleasure Car" was added to the road's equipment, which was of a rather fanciful character. It was divided into four compartments, three to accommodate eight passengers each on seats facing each other, while the fourth compartment was a small space between the wheels for .baggage. It was about the size of a street car of a quarter of a century ago. In October, 1837, the railroad was awarded the contract for carrying the United States mails, the first mail contract awarded by the Government west of the Alleghenies, and little by little it came into favor with the general public. The first woman passenger on the road was Mrs. Clarissa Harroun, of Sylvania. The two locomotives of the road owned by the Erie & Kalamazoo were named the "Toledo" and the " Adrian." Since the charter of the Erie & Kalamazoo Railway provided for a line extending from Toledo to the head waters of the Kalamazoo River, it was therefore called the Erie & Kalamazoo Railroad, although it never reached its northerly terminus. The difficulty in financing this operation is shown by the fact that only about 5 per cent of the authorized shares of stock a few years afterwards remained in the names of the original stockholders. The greater part of them had been hypothecated with creditors. Since it had been built without the use of much real money, from the outset it was largely in debt. A bank had been organized to finance the railroad, under the name of the Erie & Kalamazoo Railroad Bank, but, as this institution was likewise without capital, it eventually became a burden rather than a support. It was only a few years until the unpaid bills accumulated and the creditors forced the surrender of the property; then it was that the enterprise began to become valuable. The most active man in the prosecution of this project was Edward Bissell, one of Toledo's earliest and ablest business pioneers. In May, 1849, the road was leased in perpetuity to the Michigan Southern Railroad Company, and in 1869 it became part of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, which is now merged with the New York Central lines. Considering the absolute want of experience in financing and constructing a railroad, it must be conceded that the construction and equipment of thirty-three miles of railway at this time, by managers who were themselves almost moneyless, was a very creditable undertaking. For the first year the track of the Erie & Kalamazoo Railroad terminated at Monroe and Water streets, in Toledo. The original railroad office was a small building 14 by 20 feet in size, which had been built for a barber shop in that neighborhood. In 1837 the track was extended along Water Street to the foot of La Grange, by building on piles throughout this entire distance, and in some places it was as much as 200 feet from what was then the shore of the river. The depot was at a later time located at the foot of Cherry Street, as a sort of compromise site between the two rival sections of the town. The first announcement of the running time HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 257 of the Erie & Kalamazoo Railroad appeared in the Toledo Blade of May 16, 1837, and was as follows: To EMIGRANTS AND TRAVELERS The Erie and Kalamazoo Railroad is now in full operation between TOLEDO AND ADRIAN During the ensuing season trains of cars will run daily to Adrian, there connecting with a line of stages for the West, Michigan City, Chicago and Wisconsin Territory. Emigrants and others destined for Indiana, Illinois and Western Michigan WILL SAVE TWO DAYS and the corresponding expense, by taking this route in preference to the more lengthened, tedious and expensive route heretofore traveled. All baggage at the risk of the owners. Edward Bissell, W. P. Daniels, George Crane, Commissioners Erie & Kalamazoo R. R. Co. A. Hughes, Superintendent Western Stage Co. Buffalo, Detroit, and other papers on the Lakes will please publish this notice to the amount of $5.00, and send their bills to the Agent. It will be seen that no time is named for the departure and arrival of trains. The reason for this was the very essential one that the running time was most uncertain. Accidents frequently occurred because there was no ballast. The soil on which the ties were laid was unstable and slippery after rains. With the springing of the wooden rails there would come a breaking or loosening of the nails, and the ends of the strap iron would curl up so gh as to pierce the car, and even to endanger safety of the passengers. The rate of fare "the Pleasure Car" was 5 shillings (50 Vol. I-17 cents) from Toledo to Whiteford (Sylvania), and between Toledo and Adrian it was $1.50, with a right to carry fifty pounds of baggage free for each seat. In the second year of its operation these rates were increased by 50 per cent. Freight was 50 cents per hundred pounds for certain articles and less for others. The newspapers of the day rejoiced greatly over the completion of this railroad, for it saved passengers the trouble of wallowing through the mud for a couple of days during the rainy season on their way either to Detroit or Chicago. The Toledo Blade, in speaking of the first locomotive, which replaced the horses, says as follows : "Its celerity has not yet been fully tested, but it is ascertained that it can move at a rate exceeding twenty miles per hour. At present it makes a trip and a half (between Toledo and Adrian) in twenty-four hours." A little later it was deemed worthy to state that "the Locomotive came in from Adrian with six cars attached, in the short space of one hour and forty minutes, including stops." When the directors of the road authorized the sale in 1842, the rolling stock consisted of the two locomotives above mentioned, together with their tenders, two passenger cars, nine freight cars, and one stake car. The Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad was the first railroad project to be incorporated in Ohio. This was in 1832, and the purpose was to construct an iron highway from Dayton to Sandusky, by way of Springfield, the motive power to be horses. Work was begun at the north end in 1835, and a portion of the road was in operation in 1838. It was completed in 1844. When the Little Miami Railway was built from Cincinnati to Springfield in 1846, the two lines constituted the first through rail connection between Lake Erie and the Ohio River, a distance of 211 miles. This road was purchased by the Big Four Railroad, and is now a part of the New York Central Lines. A curious reminder of this early railroad is 258 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO the following notice which appeared in a Tiffin newspaper : RAILROAD NOTICE The undersigned, Commissioners of Seneca County, for the Mad River & Erie R. R., will open books for subscription of stock for said road in Tiffin, Seneca County, on the fourth day of October, 1832, at the residence of Eli Norris. Henry Cronise, Josiah Hedges. Three years later the first sod was cut for this road in Sandusky by Gen. William Henry Harrison, assisted by Governor Vance. It was an occasion of great rejoicing. The first locomotive, named the "Sandusky," arrived at Sandusky in 1838 by water, and was used in the construction of the road. By the fall of that year the road had reached Bellevue, and the first train was run to that village. It consisted of a small passenger car, and a still smaller freight car. The first locomotive entered Tiffin in 1841. The completion of this road to Dayton in 1851 brought a new era to many towns along its route, and a greater prosperity began almost immediately. One of the curious incidents in the railway history of this section was the formation of the Ohio Railroad project. It was chartered in 1836, and was authorized to build a road on piles driven into the ground from a suitable point in Ashtabula County westward to Manhattan (Toledo). The road was to be constructed of piles driven into the ground by a pile-driving machine. On these piles were to be placed cross-ties and timbers for the strap rails of iron. The building of the road was begun in 1839, and the first pile was driven at Fremont on June 19th of that year. The contractors and laborers were paid in paper scrip, which was largely issued in frac- tions of a dollar, and this scrip soon became the circulating medium of the country along the line of the proposed railway. The Lower Sandusky Whig, of July 11, 1840, has t following news item : "From Lower Sandusky the pile driver has advanced into the very heart of the famed Black Swamps, to the distance of nine miles, HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 259 and is driving from 500 to 600 feet daily. The company is receiving proposals for the timber and mason work of the immense bridge across the Sandusky River and Valley ; immense it is—being near a half mile in length from bank to bank, and about forty feet in height." The main work of the pile driving was begun at Brooklyn, near Cleveland, and also at Manhattan. When the financial crash of 1840 came on, the whole project utterly collapsed and was never revived. Nearly every man in this section of the country had become the posscssor of some of the scrip issued by the company, which was never redeemed. In the late '40s and early '50s the era of railroad construction really began in Ohio. By 1851 the Cleveland & Columbus Railroad was running through Crestline and Galion in Northwestern Ohio. In 1850 the Ohio & Indiana Railroad was incorporated to build from "near Seltzer's Tavern in Richland County, thence to Bucyrus, to Upper Sandusky," and to Fort Wayne, connecting with the Ohio & Pcnnsylvania at the first-named place. The counties along the route voted large sums to purchase stock. Bucyrus was for a number of years the location of the general offices, and several of the officers resided there. In 1852 the contract was let for the grading of the road from Crestline to Upper Sandusky. In the following spring the work was pushed rapidly, and the first train reached Bucyrus on August 31, 1853. It was quickly finished across the state, and became known as the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, now an important part of the Pennsylvania System. The Northern Indiana Railroad was originally projected as early as 1835. With spas-odic efforts it was kept alive until 1849, hen it passed into other hands, then Proofing a road called the Michigan Southern est. As a result the first train passed over these two roads from Toledo to Chicago on May 22, 1852. Three years later the two roads were consolidated. The initial train from Cleveland arrived in Toledo, December 20, 1852, over the Toledo, Norwalk & Cleveland Railroad. Like other roads of this period it was built largely by the subscriptions of towns along its route. Toledo gave $50,000 ; Fremont, $40,000 ; Bellevue, $20,000 ; Norwalk, $54,000 ; and Oberlin, $15,000. It was afterwards consolidated with a rival project known as the Cleveland & Toledo Railroad. These roads are now all consolidated with the New York Central Lines. The project of a direct railway from Toledo through the Wabash Valley was first given definite form in 1852. In that year a convention of delegates along the proposed route was held in Toledo. The Toledo & Illinois Railroad Company was organized to build the line to the Ohio boundary in Paulding County, and other companies to construct the rest of the line in the various states. They were finally consolidated as the Toledo, Wabash & Western Railway. The road was completed from Toledo to Fort Wayne in July, 1855, and it became a strong competitor of the canal. It has since been known as the Wabash Railroad. The Dayton & Michigan Railroad was built in 1859 from Dayton to Toledo, and eventually became known as the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad. The original charter authorized a railroad from at or near Dayton, via Sidney and Lima and Toledo to a point on the Michigan state line in the direction of Detroit. The Baltimore & Ohio was not built through this section of our state until 1873. Columbus and Toledo did not have direct connection until the completion of the Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo Railway in 1876. The Fremont & Indiana Railroad was incorporated in 1853. It was planned to build a road from Fremont through Fostoria (then called Rome), Findlay and other towns to the Indiana line. The track reached Fostoria in 260 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO 1859, and train service was begun. In the following year it was extended to Findlay, and insolvency overtook it. After many vicissitudes and several changes of name, it became the Lake Erie & Western Railway. By 1863 the Atlantic & Great Western Railway (now the Erie) had reached Galion, and in the following year was finished to Dayton. It was popularly known as the "Broad Gauge," because its rails were six feet apart. The rails were standardized in 1880. Since the days of the early railroads the laying of the parallel iron rails through this section of our state has continued at a rapid pace. They stretch out in every direction over its comparatively level surface. There were no mountains to make difficult the engineering problem. Today it is a distance of only a few miles from any point to a railroad station where both passengers and freight will be received. Toledo has become the third largest railroad center in the United States. About a quarter of a century ago, an era of interurban electric lines began. In many instances they, have paralleled the older carriers and have rendered the matter of transportation still more convenient, because they have made practically every cross road a stopping place. In other instances they have opened up new territory, so that today no section of our vast republic, of equal area, is better provided in the matter of transportation lines than is Northwest Ohio. CHAPTER XXIII NORTHWEST OHIO IN THE WARS The part taken by Northwest Ohio in the various wars in which our country has been engaged has been most creditable. Although there were no residents of this section, so far as we know, who enlisted in the Revolutionary War, hundreds of former revolutionary soldiers afterwards settled in Northwest Ohio and developed into the most exemplary citizens. Thus it is that, one will find the graves of these veterans of that almost unprecedented struggle for independence scattered all over this part of our great state in the various burial grounds. There is probably not one of the twenty counties that does not harbor the sacred remains of one or more of those who took part in that sanguinary contest. In the War of 1812 there were a number of enlistments from among the few settlers who had already established themselves here on the outpost. of civilization. It was this war to a great extent that opened up the eyes of the rest of the Union to the great opportunities of the Northwestern Territory, and especially of the Ohio country. The soldiers who served under Harrison and his subordinate commanders were so impressed with the great possibilities that awaited the lands bordering the Maumee and Sandusky rivers that they decided to establish their homes here. Hence it is that the first real migration of settlers toward Northwest Ohio began in the years immediately succeeding the close of the second conflict with Great Britain. The records of the enlistments are so vague and uncertain that it is impossible to give any correct estimate of the number who enlisted in this war from this section, and even of those who settled here after that conflict was over. The number, however, would probably run into the thousands. The next sanguinary conflict in which the United States became engaged with a foreign country was the Mexican War, which lasted from 1846-48. The various county histories do not give much more light upon this event of more recent date than of the previous wars. The reason doubtless is that the great Civil War, which followed so closely, overshadows it so much in importance. There is probably not a county of the twenty subdivisions included in our territory which did not furnish recruits for service in Mexico. No complete regiments were raised, but the enlistments were generally scattered throughout the various United States regiments in the regular services. A body of volunteers was gathered together at Upper Sandusky, who called themselves the "South Rangers," and was commanded by Capt. John Caldwell. They marched from Upper Sandusky to Cincinnati, and were stationed at Camp Washington for a time. The company was disbanded, but a few of the men joined other companies and saw service in our neighboring republic. Capt. Edwin B. Bradley, of Sandusky County, recruited Company F, First Regiment, Ohio Infantry. Of the eighty-three men enlisted by him, about one-third came from his home county and the others from adjoining counties. Mr. Bradley was chosen captain, John D. Beaugrand first lieutenant, Charles P. Cook second lieutenant, and - 261 - 262 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO Benjamin F. Keyes, Enos S. Q. Osborn, and Henry S. Crumerine sergeants. This company was mustered into service at Cincinnati in June, 1846, and served under General Taylor. It was mustered out of service a year later. In the spring of 1847 Samuel Thompson, of Lower Sandusky, and a veteran of the War of 1812, recruited a full company from Sandusky County. The men were mustered into service as Company C, Fourth Regiment, Ohio Infantry. The officers of this company were : Samuel Thompson, captain ; George M. Tillotson, first lieutenant ; Isaac Swank, orderly sergeant ; Thomas Pinkerton, Michael Wegstein, James R. Francisco, sergeants ; John Williams, John M. Crowell, Benjamin Myers, and Edward Leppelman, corporals; Grant Forgerson and Charles Everett, musicians. This company proceeded to Mexico and saw service under General Scott. It was mustered out in July, 1848. Casper Metz, of Auglaize County, was a first lieutenant in Company E, Fourth Regiment, Ohio Infantry. Company F, of the Third Regiment., was recruited at Tiffin, and James F. Chapman was elected its captain. One company was raised in the Maumee Valley, which was known as the "new regulars." It was designated as Company B, Fifteenth Regiment, United States Infantry. The captain of this company was Daniel Chase, of Manhattan. The first. lieutenant was Mr. Goodloe, and the second lieutenant was J. W. Wiley, of Defiance. This company left Toledo for the field on the 18th of May, 1847, and was escorted to the steamboat by the Toledo Guards. Captain Chase was presented with a sword by Judge Myron H. Tilden. Little is known of the service of this company, but what is known is creditable to both men and officers. Lieutenant Wiley was court martialed and dismissed from the service for fighting a duel with a brother officer. Lieutenant Goodloe was killed in battle, and Captain Wiley returned home after the war. The company participated in all the battles around the City of Mexico, and suffered severe losses. THE CIVIL WAR The part taken by Northwest Ohio in the Civil War is a most creditable one. Every one of the twenty counties was aflame with patriotic sentiment. Men in the flower of their youth, the full strength of manhood, or the ripeness of age, left family, home and friends in answer to their country's call. Many there were who never returned. Their bones rest at Fredericksburg and Antietam, at Gettysburg and Stone River, at Vicksburg and the Wilderness, or fill some unknown grave that marks the site of a deadly prison pen that was more fatal than the field of battle. Many a one who said goodbye to the departed soldier little dreamed that the parting was forever. Although time has softened and soothed the first pangs, the grief and emptiness is always there and will be until they meet in the world beyond where there shall be no parting. Fort Sumter was fired upon the 12th of April, 1861, and two days afterwards President Lincoln issued his call for 75,000 volunteers. Within a few days political meetings were held in practically every section of Northwest Ohio, at which patriotic speeches were made where the sentiment was expressed by both speakers and audience that they would stand by the Union, no matter how great. might be the cost in blood. On the 16th of April, 1861, only four days after Fort Sumter was fired upon, a large and enthusiastic body of men convened at the court house in Marion. After the delivery of a number of speeches, enthusiasm reached a high pitch. On the following day a hand bill, stating that an attempt would be made to raise a company of volunteers from this county, was issued. In the evening twenty-six men enrolled their names HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 263 for the war. On the following day a rousing meeting was held in Bucyrus. Stirring resolutions were adopted that "The Union Must and Shall be Preserved." Volunteers were called for and seventeen men signed the muster roll. On the 24th, a company, which became Company C, 8th Ohio, departed for Cleveland. On the 15th, an assemblage and citizens convened at the court house in Findlay and seventy-two men enlisted for service. The Fifteenth Ohio Infantry was one of the first to respond to the call for three-months service, and several of its companies were recruited from this section. Its organization was completed on the fourth of May. At the end of its brief service, the men almost unanimously resolved to re-enlist. In 1864 the majority of the survivors again re-enlisted, and the regiment was filled up with new recruits. On the 15th of April, only three days after the assault upon Fort Sumter, a call was issued at Toledo for patriots to gather that evening at the Union Depot. This call was sighed by several score of the prominent citizens of Toledo. Speeches were delivered by J. B. Steedman and H. S. Cummager, both of whom later became generals, and by Morrison R. Waite, who was afterwards Supreme Justice of the United States. Burning resolutions were adopted, and the patriotism of those present was thoroughly aroused. Three days later the Toledo Blade said : "The work of enlistment is progressing here actively, and the enthusiasm is more general and deeper 264 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO than at any former time." The recruited men were already being drilled at the Armory, then known as Philharmonic Hall. John B. Steedman was one of the very first to volunteer his personal services, offering to raise a full regiment in ten days ; and he was successful in his efforts. By April 24th " The Northwest Ohio Regiment.," as it was at first designated, was ordered by him to proceed on the following morning for rendezvous at Cleveland. D. H. Nye was detailed as quartermaster. At 7 A. M., the companies were to form on Magnolia and Superior streets, as follows : 1. Toledo Guards, Captain Kingsbury, ninety-seven men ; 2. Toledo Company, Captain Este, 124 men ; 3. Bryan Company, Captain Fisher, 115 men ; 4. Defiance Company, Captain Sprague, 103 men ; 5. Stryker Company, Captain E. D. Bradley, 123 men ; 6. Napoleon Company, Captain Crawford, 125 men ; 7. Antwerp Company, Captain Snock, ninety-seven men ; 8. Wauseon Company, Captain Barber, 116 men ; 9. Waterville Company, Captain Dodd, 102 men ; 10. Toledo Company, Captain Kirk, 114 men ; Total, 1,116 men. Gen. Chas. W. Hill acted as adjutant, assisted by Gen. C. B. Phillips and Lieut. J. W. Fuller. The foregoing order was carried out. The Blade said of the occasion : "Never has our city experienced such a day as the present. At early dawn, the people from the country began to arrive in immense crowds, and the firing of cannon aroused our own citizens from their slumbers, and by 9 o'clock there must have been 10,000 people on the streets. At the railroad depot the scene was truly grand. The crowd filled the entire space devoted to passenger trains, but after energetic effort by the police, a passage was made and the troops, in sections, marched to the ears. The regiment numbered 1,058 men, all told, composed mainly of young men. At 8 a. m. religious services had been conducted on the parade ground by Rev. H. B. Walbridge, of Trinity Episcopal Church. Much disappointment was felt by the Waynesfield Guards, Lieutenant R. B. Mitchell, commanding, that the offer of that Company has not been accepted by the President." At Cleveland, regimental officers were chosen, as follows : colonel, J. B. Steedman ; lieutenant-colonel, Geo. P. Este; major, Paul Edwards. Geo. W. Kirk succeeded Captain Edwards, in command of his company, as did Lieutenant van Blessing supersede Captain Este. Upon organization at Camp Taylor, Cleveland, the Northwestern Regiment became the Fourteenth Ohio. It left camp for Marietta, via Columbus, on May 22nd, where it arrived on the 24th. It was not long until the active work of recruiting was progressing throughout all of this section of the state. Companies were being formed in almost every town of any size, and several regiments were recruited almost wholly from the counties within this district. The enlistments at first were for the three months service, under the call of President Lincoln for 75,000 men, but the later enlistments were all for the full term of three years. At the end of the first year, the number of enlistments from the counties of Northwest Ohio were as follows : Allen, 776 ; Auglaize, 565 ; Crawford, 448 ; Defiance, 410 ; Fulton, 654 ; Hancock, 747 ; Hardin, 694 ; Henry, 526! Lucas, 1,108 ; Marion, 579 ; Mercer, 556; Ottawa, 325 ; Paulding, 254 ; Putnam, 337; Sandusky, 789 ; Seneca, 938 ; Van Wert, 361; Williams, 682 ; Wood, 740 ; and Wyandot, 759. Under Governor Tod the work of raising the army regiments was assigned to districts in order to popularize it so that neighbors and acquaintances would be associated together in the same companies. According to the arrangements of districts, Mercer County contributed to the Ninety-fifth Regiment. The Ninety-ninth was composed in part of com panies from Mercer, Auglaize, Hardin, Allen, Van Wert, Putnam, and Hancock, the only HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 265 outside county being Shelby. This regiment had its rendezvous at Camp Lima. Seventeen hundred men were recruited for it, of whom 700 were transferred to the One Hundred Eighteenth. The One Hundredth Regiment was raised entirely within this section, from the counties of Paulding, Defiance, Henry, Wood, Sandusky, Williams, Fulton, Lucas and Ottawa. Its rendezvous was at Camp Toledo. The One Hundred First Regiment was formed from the counties of Wyandot, Crawford, Seneca, Huron, and Erie, and rendezvoused at Monroeville. Recruits for the One Hundred Tenth were raised in Paulding, Defiance, Henry, Wood, Sandusky, Williams, Fulton, Lucas and Ottawa, with their assembling point at Toledo. A company from Marion was added to the One Hundred Twenty-first, while Wyandot, Crawford, and Seneca each made large contributions to the One Hundred Twenty-third. The famous Forty-ninth Regiment, of which General Gibson was commander, was raised in Seneca and adjoining counties. The rendezvous was established at Camp Noble, near Tiffin. Eight of its officers were killed in battle, and twenty wounded. The same may be said of the Seventy-second, raised by General Buckland. The Eighty-second Regiment was mustered into service at Kenton. The Sixty-eighth was composed largely of volunteers from. Fulton, Williams, Paulding, and Defiance counties. This command rendezvoused at Napoleon, in the latter part of 1861. The Fifty-seventh Regiment was organized at Findlay, in September, 1861. In the following year the One Hundred and Eleventh Infantry was organized at Toledo, and was entirely a Northwest Ohio command. It was made up of men from Wood, Lucas, Sandusky, Fulton, Williams, and Defiance counties. This record is not intended to be complete. It is rather given herewith to show that our own part of the great commonwealth of Ohio did its full share in contributing of its best blood for the preservation of the Union. To give a complete record of its service would require far more space than can be alloted to the subject, and it can not well be disintegrated from the rest of the state in the war, because the regiments were generally composed of companies from other sections as well. For four long years this drain upon the manhood of the country continued. There were probably no battles or skirmishes of the war in which soldiers from Northwest Ohio had no part, for some of its citizens were enlisted in practically all of the more than 200 Ohio regiments, as well as in some of other states or in the regular army. In Sandusky County it is said that the total enlistments during the entire period of the war numbered almost seventy per cent of the eligible male population. These men served in more than 120 different regiments or independent organizations. The proportion in many of the other counties probably was equal to that of Sandusky. The whole number enlisted from the outbreak of the war to the 1st of September, 1862, is as follows : Allen, 1,411; Auglaize, 1,102 ; Crawford, 1,161; Fulton, 931; Defiance, 813 ; Hancock, 1,260 ; Hardin, 1,197 ; Henry, 704 ; Lucas, 2,143 ; Marion, 929 ; Mercer, 814 ; Ottawa, 575 ; Paulding, 458 ; Putnam, 869 ; Sandusky, 1,403 ; Seneca, 2,001; Van Wert, 685 ; Williams, 975 ; Woody 1,487 ; and Wyandot, 1,304. Northwest Ohio contributed a number of notable names to the list of eminent commanders with which Ohio is credited. Of the major-generals, our section claims James B. McPherson and James B. Steedman. Of those brevetted with that rank at the close of the war, there are Rutherford B. Hayes, Charles W. Hill, and John W. Fuller. Among the brigadier-generals, we find Ralph B. Buckland. In addition, the following officers were brevetted with that high rank : Henry S. Com- 266 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO mager, William H. Gibson, Isaac M. Kirby, John C. Lee, Americus V. Rice, Patrick Slevin, and Isaac R. Sherwood. JAMES BIRDSEYE MCPHERSON The soldier of highest military rank in the Civil War, who emanated from Northwest Ohio, was Gen. James Birdseye McPherson, of Clyde. Little did the citizens of that village who saw a sunny-faced, cheerful, and studious boy running about the streets, imagine that he was eventually to be one of the real heroes of the conflict brought about by slavery. He was greatly attached to his family and neighbors, all of whom admired him. It was in battle, however, when every muscle and every tissue was in action, that the real heroic qualities of McPherson shown out at the best. He entered West. Point at the age of nineteen, and graduated in the class which contained Scofield, Still, Tyler, Hood, and afterwards Sheridan. He has, been adopted as one of our national heroes, while his deeds and fame are sung not only in this section of the country, but throughout every state of the union. No name is held in more affectionate remembrance by the people of Ohio than that of General McPherson. He died before his full capabilities had been realized, and he was the only Ohio officer of equal rank who fell during the, four years of the Civil War. The future general was born at Clyde, on the 14th of November, 1828. His youth was comparatively uneventful, but he was everywhere looked upon as upright and trustworthy, and his friends were almost as numerous as his acquaintances. An appointment to West. Point, at the age of nineteen, opened up the door of opportunity. At that institution he soon took high rank. "We looked upon him," Professor Mahan wrote, "as one among the ablest men sent forth from the institution, being remarkable for the clearness and prompt working of his mental powers. His conduct was of an exceptionable character. These endowments he carried with him in the performance of his duties as an engineer officer, winning the confidence of his superiors, as a most reliable man. His brilliant after-career in the field surprised no one who had known him intimately." He taught there . for a year and then became engaged in engineering work. At the outbreak of the war he never hesitated over his own allegiance, but decided to stand by the Union. He was then just thirty-two years of age. His first promotion was to a lieutenant-colonelcy of volunteers with General Halleck. He was a member of the unfortunate expedition which ended at Pittsburg Landing, but no criticism fell upon him for that blunder. When Halleck was summoned to Washington, McPherson was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general of volunteers. He was sent by Grant to the aid of Rosecrans at Corinth. Because of a successful attack at Hatchie, he was advanced to the rank of major-general. Soon afterwards he was assigned to the command of the right wing of the Army of the Tennessee, and showed real ability in the management of his troops. He joined Grant in the advance upon Vicksburg. His services here raised him highly in the estimate of his superiors. In the spring of 1864 he removed his headquarters to Huntsville, Alabama, and shortly afterwards embarked on his last campaign. He had an active part in the Atlantic campaign. While riding with an orderly towards a battle that had been begun with the enemy, he was mortally wounded in an ambuscade, on the 22d of July. The full account of the death of General McPherson was written by General Sherman on the day after his death, when the sounds of battle still thundered in his ear, and when his heart was torn by the loss of a comrade and friend whom he loved. It reads in part as follows : HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 267 "Headquarters Military Division of the Mississippi. “In the field near Atlanta, Ga., July 23rd, 1864. “General L. Thomas, "Adjutant-general, United States Army. "Washington, D. C. "General :—It is my painful duty to report that Brigadier General James B. McPherson, United States Army, Major-General of Volunteers and Commander of the Army of the Tennessee, was killed about noon yesterday. At the time of the fatal shot, he was on horseback, placing his troops in position, near the city of Atlanta, and was passing a cross-road from a moving column toward the flank of troops that had already been established on the line. He had quitted me but a few moments before, and was on his way to see in person to the execution, of my orders. About the time of the sad event, the enemy had rallied from his entrenchments of Atlanta, and by a circuit, got to the left and rear of this very battle, so that General McPherson fell in battle, booted and spurred as the gallant and heroic gentleman should wish ; not his loss alone, but the country's and the army will mourn his death and cherish his memory as that of one who, though comparatively young, had risen by his merit and ability to the command of one of the best armies which the nation had called into existence, to vindicate her honor. "History tells of but. few who so blended the grace and gentleness of the friend with the dignity, courage, faith and manliness of the soldier. * * * "I am with respect, "W. T. SHERMAN, "Major General Commanding." On the 22d of July, 1881, in the presence of a concourse of 15,000 people, there was unveiled in the cemetery at Clyde a monument to the most distinguished soldier furnished by Northwest Ohio. This was the monument dedicated to Gen. James Birdseye McPherson, who was a major-general of volunteers and commander of the Army of the Tennessee. This monument is an exceptional piece of art, with a pedestal of granite, and a figure of bronze nine feet in height, which represents the commander in full military uniform with sword, belt, and hat. The left hand holds a field glass, while the right hand and arm are extended as though pointing to where the battle rages fiercest. It occupies a knoll in McPherson Cemetery, where the hero with his father and mother and two brothers lie, and which once formed a portion of the homestead of the McPherson family, where the general was born. The dedicatory oration was delivered by Gen. M. F. Force, and formal addresses were delivered by Gen. W. E. Strong and Gen. W. T. Sherman. These speakers were followed by addresses by Generals Gibson, Hazen, Leggett, Belknap, and Keifer. General Sherman delivered a splendid eulogy upon the deceased hero. "You knew," said General Sherman, "his genial, hearty nature, his attachment to his family and neighbors, but you could not see the man as I have seen him, in danger, in battle, when every muscle and every tissue was in full action, when the heroic qualities shown out as a star in the darkest night." JAMES BLAIR STEEDMAN One of the noted commanders of the Civil War, in whom we are greatly interested, was James Blair Steedman. General Steedman was a Pennsylvanian by birth, having been born July 29, 1817. At the age of fifteen, he became an apprentice in the office of a newspaper, and followed that occupation for a considerable time. It was such duties that brought him first to Northwest Ohio in 1838, where he became the publisher of the Northwestern Democrat, at Napoleon. From that 268 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO he drifted into contracting and finally into politics. His first public office was as a member of the Ohio Legislature, in 1841. He joined the forty-niners in an overland trip to California, and was elected a member of the board of public works, upon his return. It is his military service that keeps his memory ever green. He held the office of major-general of the Fifth Division, Ohio Militia, at the breaking out of the Civil War. Immediately after the firing upon Fort Sumter, he co-operated in raising and organizing the Fourteenth Ohio Regiment, of which he was the chosen colonel. Within three days after his appointment as colonel, he had the regiment ready for the field, and nine days after the firing on Sumter, he took it from Toledo to Camp Taylor, near Cleveland, where it was drilled and fully organized. He remained with that regiment until promoted and made a brigadier-general in 1862. He received special recognition from General Buell for his services in the battle at Perryville, Kentucky. During the Tullahoma campaign, he commanded a division, and was complimented by General Thomas. At Winchester he commanded a division. He relieved the officers by a timely and successful march on the second day of the battle of Chickamauga. In this battle General Steedman's conduct was the subject of general admiration—the officers and soldiers of the army being his warmest eulogists. He was shortly after, "for distinguished and gallant services on the field," made major-general of volunteers. He also took an active part in the Atlanta campaign, and was assigned as a commander of the "District of the Etowah," when General Sherman began his march to the sea. It was his duty to protect Sherman's communications. When General Sherman started on his "March to the Sea," he left General Steed-man in command of the "District of the Etowah," to tear up the railroad, burn the bridges south of Dayton, and support General Thomas, if Hood attacked Nashville. In the battle of Nashville General St.eedman commanded the left wing of the army, and brought on the engagement, attacking the enemy's right and carrying his first line of works early in the first day's fight. In all his actions lie was noted for his energy and gallantry, and at times for signally valuable services. He was a bold, energetic fighter, and his voice was always for fight. He never belonged to the school of delaying generals. His troops had unbounded confidence in and admiration for him. Personally he was warm-hearted and generous, careless as to appearances, and often neglectful of his own interests ; hearty in his ways, with the free-and-easy manners of the people among whom he grew up. After the close of the Civil War, General Steedman was assigned as military commander of the State of Georgia, a position which he resigned in about a year to accept that of internal revenue collector for the New Orleans district. Among other offices held by him was that of member of the state constitutional convention, member of the Ohio Senate, and, lastly, chief of the Toledo police. He died on the 8th of October, 1883. At his death William J. Finlay, of Toledo, for many years an intimate friend of General Steedman, proposed to erect a monument to his memory in Toledo, at the corner of Summit and St. Clair streets. The city council set apart the ground for this purpose, and changed its name to Finlay Place. The monument is made of Vermont marble, and contains appropriate inscriptions on the several sides. Surmounting the shaft is a bronze statue of the general, somewhat larger than life size, and represents him as dismounted, with field glass in hand. The public ceremonies of unveiling the monument took place on. the 26th of May, 1887. JOHN W. FULLER John W. Fuller, a resident of Toledo, became a brigadier-general of volunteers in the Union army. He was born in Cambridge, HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 269 England, in 1826, the son of a Baptist minister. He was brought to the United States by his father at the age of seven years. Just prior to the Civil War, he removed to Toledo and engaged in the book trade. He had previously taken a lively interest in military matters. At the breaking out of the war, he promptly enlisted and was appointed a brigadier-general by Governor Dennison, and was made chief of staff. His previous experience proved invaluable. He served at first in West Virginia, where he received high praise from his superior officers. Upon their recommendation, he was appointed colonel of the Twenty-seventh Ohio Infantry on its organization. From a disorganized mass of 2,000 men, he quickly worked out an effective regiment, which served for the full period of three years. He took part in the campaign against the Confederate General Price, and also served under Gen. John Poke, during which service he displayed great bravery. He was assigned to the command of the "Ohio Brigade," composed of the Twenty-seventh, Thirty-seventh, Forty-third, and Sixty-third Ohio regiments, which he led in the hotly contested battle of Iuka, Mississippi, in 1862. General Fuller distinguished himself in the battle of Corinth, where he broke through the Confederate lines, and was personally thanked by General Rosecrans. In the spring of 1864, his brigade was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee, and Colonel Fuller was promoted to the command of a division. He had already taken part in the battles of Resaca, Kenesaw Mountain, Snake Creek Gap, and other engagements. He captured Decatur, Alabama. In an engagement with General Hardy's troops, Fuller's division began the historic battle of Atlanta. At one time his column gave way, when Fuller himself seized the flag of the Twenty-seventh and advanced toward the enemy, making motions with his saber that he wished his lines formed. His example was contagious. For his valor and skill on this occasion, he received promotion to the rank of brigadier-general. His brigade afterward took part in the famous march to the sea. Upon being mustered out in 1865, he was brevetted major-general of volunteers "for gallant and meritorious service." He returned to Toledo and engaged in business, and also served as collector of the port. He died on March 12, 1891. CHARLES W. HILL General Hill was a Yankee by birth, and hailed from Vermont. At an early age he came to the Western Reserve. He was born on the 7th of July, 1812. Early in 1836 he came to Toledo and took a position as clerk in a store. Not finding this occupation congenial, he turned his attention to law, and began its practice as a member of the firm of Tilden and Hill. As a lawyer his position was an enviable one, for he was recognized as one of the foremost members of the Maumee Valley bar. He early showed a tendency for military affairs, and became captain of the Toledo Guards in 1840. A couple of years later, he was appointed brigadier-general of the Ohio Militia. At the outbreak of the war he was named as a brigadier-general by Governor Dennison, and served in West Virginia under General McClellan. Here he was assigned a long line to defend with an inadequate force. Because of this fact, and the lack of co-operation from the commanding officer, some things happened which interfered with the advancement of General Hill. Blame was placed upon him by General McClellan. On the expiration of the term of service of the Ohio troops in West Virginia, in 1861, General Hill was assigned as commandant at Camp Chase, Columbus. Here he assisted in the instruction of volunteer officers in matters of tactics and general discipline. He also filled the office of adjutant-general of Ohio, under Governor Tod. During his service there, no 270 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO less than 310 regiments and battalions of state militia were organized. He worked so hard that his health was undermined. His services continued at Columbus until 1863, when his command was sent to Johnson's Island for garrison service. He was also given full authority over the lake frontier region in that neighborhood. He filled this position with great credit. His West Virginia record was finally cleared up and, in 1865, he received the commission of brigadier-general, and was brevetted as major general. At the close of the war he returned to Toledo, where he resumed the practice of his profession. His most important work in later years was in connection with the public schools of Toledo. WILLIAM HARVEY GIBSON William Harvey Gibson is the best known commander whose home was in Northwest Ohio. He was born on the 16th of May, 1821, in Jefferson County, Ohio. During the same year his parents removed to Seneca County, where he made his home during his entire life. He studied law and was very successful, especially as a trial lawyer, for which his wit and ready tongue especially fitted him. His greatest opportunity in life came when the call was issued for volunteers to serve in putting down the rebellion. After he had received a commission from Governor Dennison to raise a regiment, Mr. Gibson at once set to work in securing the enlistment of men. On the 25th of July, 1861, he caused to be published the following poster : "To ARMS, To ARMS. "RALLY TO OUR FLAG. RUSH TO THE FIELD. "Are we cowards that we must yield to traitors ? Are we worthy sons of heroic sires ? Come one, come all. Let us march as our forefathers marched, to defend the only Democratic Republic on earth. "Impelled by the events of the past week, and assured from Washington that a regiment will be accepted, if enrolled and tendered, I have resolved, to organize The Buckeye Guards in northern Ohio. "Let us, as patriotic citizens of adjoining counties, form a regiment that shall be an honor to the state, the exploits of which, in defense of constitutional liberty, shall be recounted with pride by ourselves and our children. The command of the heroic Steedman was organized in this way, and now at the close of three months' service, they return crowned with glory, to receive the homage of a grateful country. * * * "July 25, 1861. W. H. Gibson." This regiment was accepted by the war department a few days afterwards, and Mr. Gibson was named as colonel. The regiment became known as the famous Forty-ninthing At the battle of Shiloh, he handled his regiment so successfully as to win special praise from General Sherman, who complimented him for "performing the most difficult but finest movement he ever witnessed on a field of battle." During the years of the war he commanded his brigade and division the greater part of the time, and was repeatedly recognized by his superiors for promotion, and, at his retirement, was filling the position of brigadier-general. It is said that it was the opposition of one man only at Washington that kept him from receiving the stars of a major-general. At the close of the war, he returned to Tiffin and continued the practice of the law. In 1879 he was appointed adjutant-general of the state, which office he filled very satisfactorily. Immediately after General Gibson's death, on November 22, 1894, a movement was begun at Tiffin to secure the erection of a monument to the memory of the old hero. His reputation had become nation wide, for his oratory made his services upon the stump in great demand HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 271 from one ocean to the other. At soldiers' gatherings he was always welcome, and on every other occasion. He was also in his latter years a minister of the Methodist Church, and frequently preached. The project of a monument was fathered principally by the William H. Gibson Post, of Tiffin. It was not an easy matter to collect the amount of money necessary to erect a monument that would fittingly commemorate such a hero as General Gibson, but the post kept at the work energetically until success crowned its efforts. The admirers of General Gibson all over the country were solicited, and the Ohio Legislature voted the sum of $10,000 to be used in the erection of this monument. Contributions came from almost every section of our country, and many G. A. R. posts made liberal subscriptions. The monument is a massive pile of granite upon graceful lines, stately and beautiful in contour. The base is twenty feet square, and the entire structure is a little over twenty-seven feet in height. There are four large bronze tablets, one on each side, each of which bears an appropriate inscription. On the pedestal in raised characters there appears a quotation from the speech of President McKinley over the casket of Gibson, when the martyred President said : "General Gibson once said to me, 'I would place the flag of my country just beneath the cross. That,' he said, 'is high enough for it !' " RALPH P. BUCKLAND Gen. Ralph P. Buckland was born in 1812, and had his home at Fremont. When the call for troops was issued in 1861, he was authorized by the governor to raise a regiment to be known as the Seventy-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The call was cheerfully responded to, and a few months later the regiment was sufficiently strong for organization. In February, 1862, it left Camp Chase and reported to General Sherman, then in Kentucky. Several companies were recruited almost wholly from Sandusky County, and the others from nearby counties. Mr. Buckland was named as colonel, and a year later was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. His regiment took part in the battle at Pittsburg Landing, and distinguished itself in hand fighting. He took part in the Tallahatchee 272 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO expedition, and in the series of battles before Vicksburg. When the rebels were driven into their fortification General Buckland walked at the head of his command, and led each regiment to its proper position, while shot and shell fell thick about him. One of the color bearers having -faltered in moving forward to his designated position, General Buckland took the colors in his own hand and planted them on the line which he wished the regiment to maintain. During the siege he was always active and vigilant, and was at times much exposed. One day, while he was standing within twelve inches of an artillery officer, a ball passed between their faces ; at another time, while he was examining the works in front of his command, a minie ball struck the body of a tree just above his head, and fell at his feet. He picked it up and remarked that he would keep that, as it seemed to be intended for him. He was in command of the post of Memphis for almost a year. At this time he was elected to Congress, and resigned from the army. ISAAC R. SHERWOOD Isaac R. Sherwood was born on the 13th of August, 1835. He was educated at Antioch College, and at the Ohio Law School in Cleveland. He has had a most distinguished career, both in civil and military life. He entered the army on the 18th of April, 1861, and served as a private for four months in West Virginia. He received his earliest commission as first lieutenant, in the Eleventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was then appointed adjutant, which position he filled during the Buell campaign in Kentucky. Early in 1863 he was promoted from adjutant to major, and participated in Morgan's campaign, as well as that of East Tennessee. About a year later he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant-colonel, and from that time until the close of the war was constantly in command of the regiment. He was engaged in a number of famous battles of the Civil War, including those of Resaca, Burnt Hickory, Pine Mountain, Lost Mountain, Kenesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Atlanta, Duck River, and others. "For gallant and meritorious services" at the battle of Resaca he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general of volunteers, to date from February 27, 1865. At the close of the Civil War he resigned his commission and left the service. Since that time he has held a number of responsible positions in civil life. He was secretary of state of Ohio from 1869 to 1873, and was a member of the Forty-third Congress, from the Sixth Ohio District. He was elected a member of the Sixtieth Congress, and has served in all the succeeding congresses up to the present time from the Ninth Ohio District. Henry S. Commager had his home in Lucas County. He abandoned the law and was commissioned captain of the Sixty-seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry on November 10, 1861. In the following year he was respectively promoted to the rank of major and lieutenanticolonel, and before the close of the war was colonel of the One Hundred and Eighty-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was brevetted brigadier-general, to date from the 27th of February, 1865. Isaac Minor Kirby lived in Wyandot County, and enlisted early in the Civil War, and was made captain of the Fifteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He served with that regiment until May, 1862, when he resigned and raised a company for the One Hundred and First Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was again elected captain, and joined Buell's army, after which was promoted to major. After the battle of Stone River, in which the commanding officer was killed, Major Kirby succeeded to the command of a brigade, and was recommended by his friends for promotion. He finally received a commission as brevet brigadier-general. HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO - 273 Americus V. Rice entered the service in the early stage of the war as captain of the Twenty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in the three-months' service. After the expiration of this term of enlistment, he re-enlisted and was commissioned captain of the Fifty-seventh regiment. In 1862 he was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and in the following year to colonel of the regiment. He was brevetted brigadier-general to date from the 31st of May, 1865. His home was at Ottawa. Patrick Slevin was commissioned lieutenant-colonel of the One Hundredth Ohio Volunteer Infantry August 8, 1862. In the following year he was promoted to colonel, and at the close of the war was brevetted brigdier-general from March 13, 1865. He was honorably discharged from the service, November 30, 1864. He died in Toledo. JOHNSON'S ISLAND Three miles north of Sandusky, in her landlocked harbor, lies Johnson's Island, in Ottawa County. It is nearly a mile long, and was originally covered with heavy timber. It was a favorite resort of the Indians from up river, who came here in fishing season and also when they had prisoners to torture. The first owner was E. W. Bull, and it was called Bull's Island. In 1852 it was purchased by L. B. Johnson, and the name was changed to Johnson's Island. At one time, about the year 1811, an attempt was made to found a town here, and steps were taken to lay out village lots. Although the custom house of the port was established there, this attempt proved bortive and was abandoned. In 1861 Johnson's Island was leased by the National Government as a depot for Confederate prisoners. The necessary buildings were erected, and the first prisoners were installed in April, 1862. Company A, Koffman Battalion, was at first assigned to guard duty, d it was replaced by the full regiment of the Vol. I-18 One Hundred and Twenty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The number of those confined here constantly changed, 3,000 being the most detained there at any one time, but the records show a total of over 15,000. Owing to the supposed security of the place, the prisoners were Confederate officers. So considerate was their treatment that their wants were said to have been better supplied than those of the Union soldiers guarding them. It was considerate even to the point of indulgence. The prisoners were all confined within an enclosure of about eighteen acres surrounded by a stockade eighteen feet high, made of plank, with a platform near the top, about four feet wide, where the sentinels walked. At the east and west side was a blockhouse with small brass cannon. At one side was a small earthwork, which mounted a few guns and was called Fort Hill. The Michigan, the only United States vessel on the lakes, was stationed at Johnson's Island as guard. The cemetery reveals the fact that many ended their days on the island, and neat headstones have been placed at the last resting place of each follower of the Stars and Bars. On Memorial Day the Grand Army of the Republic posts decorate these graves just as they do those who wore the blue. In September, 1864, the Confederates took advantage of the prevailing gloom among the Unionists to set on foot a gigantic scheme for the release of the Confederate prisoners in the Northwest. Camp Douglas, near Chicago, harbored 8,000 prisoners ; Camp Chase, at Columbus, confined an equal number ; Camp Morton, near Indianapolis, sheltered 4,000 prisoners ; and Johnson's Island contained about 2,400 officers. These prisons were the objective points of conspiracy. The time chosen was after the Democratic National Convention had just declared the war a failure. The plan was for a great body of soldiers, officered from Johnson's Island, to burn Sandusky, Cleveland, and other coast cities. The Michigan 274 - HISTORY OF NORTHWEST OHIO was to be captured and co-operate with those on land. John Yates Beall, a Virginian of wealth and education, was the prime mover in the conspiracy. They were to seize horses and hurry south, raiding the country, and join the rebels in Virginia. A Confederate captain, Cole by name, who had been posing as a rich oil man from Titusville, and figuring largely in social circles in Sandusky, was entrusted with this task. On the 19th of September, the steamer Philo Parsons, plying between Detroit and the islands, was boarded on the Canadian shore by a couple of dozen of men bringing with them an old trunk. Off Kelley 's Island, the officer in command of the boat was confronted by a quartet of men with revolvers. The old trunk, filled with arms, was then opened, the whole party armed therefrom, and the boat taken over, with Beall at the head. At Middle Bass Island the Island Queen, a boat plying among the islands, came alongside to exchange passengers. She was boarded by the conspirators and captured. The engineer refusing to obey was shot through the cheek. After an oath of secrecy for twenty-four hours had been extorted from the passengers, they were put ashore. The two steamers were lashed together and set sail for Sandusky. After a few miles the Island Queen was sunk, while the Parsons cruised about the bay awaiting the signal from accomplices on the Michigan. That part of the plot, however, had failed. Cole had invited the officers of the Michigan to a wine supper on that evening. The wine was drugged, but Cole performed his work in such a bungling manner that the suspicions of the officers were aroused, and he was arrested on suspicion. After waiting vainly for the signal that failed to come, Beall and his comrades on board the Parsons suspected the situation, and fled to the Canadian shore. There the boat was scuttled, the conspirators escape and disbanded, and Cole managed to notify his accomplices in Sandusky so that they escaped arrest. He was confined for a time on board the Michigan; and later at Fort Lafayette. After the war he was released Beall, "the pirate of Lake Erie," the prime mover in the conspiracy, who with his force waited in the Parsons outside the bay, was afterwards captured near Niagara and