HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 125 prison, and reached the Union lines in time to lead his regiment in the great "March to the Sea." The distinguished bravery of Captain J. W. Stinchcomb, of this regiment, and the leading part he took in rallying on the second line at Chickamauga, are more fully stated in the sketch of the Thirty-First Ohio. It is enough to say here that he was not unnoticed by brave old General Thomas, being handsomely mentioned in his official report of the battle. SIXTY-FIRST O. V. I.—The principal part of Company G, of this regiment, was enlisted in Perry county, the men coming mostly from Pike, Jackson, Reading and Monroe townships. The Company was mainly recruited by Lieutenant Young, though Colonel S. F. McGroarty visited the county, made a number of rallying speeches, and gave his personal efforts and influence to the raising of the men. A brother of Colonel McGroarty became Captain of the Company, when organized. The Sixty-First was organized at Camp Chase in April, 1862, and in May left the camp for Western Virginia,soon after joining General Fremont's army, who in a short time was succeeded by General Pope. The regiment was on hand at Cedar Mountain, but was not actively engaged in the fight. It was engaged at Second Bull Run, and was with the forces that covered the retreat, along the Centerville pike, in the direction of Washington. It was also sharply engaged at Chantilly. It was ordered to join General Burnside, in his operations against Fredericksburg, but before its arrival the battle had been fought and lost. The regiment was warmly engaged at Chancellorville, losing five men killed and a large number wounded. The Sixty-First was of the troops that opened the fight at Gettysburg, being thrown out as skirm- ishers, met in force, and compelled to fall back in great haste and confusion to Cemetery Hill. The regiment lost heavily in killed, wounded and prisoners. Thomas J. Smith, of New Lexington, Captain of the Ewing Guards, and Commander of the troops in the "Corning War," was taken prisoner at Gettysburg. He was then only about sixteen years old. In September, 1863, the Sixty-First, along with the Eleventh Corps was transferred to the Western army, under General Grant. It left Brandy Station, West Virginia, September 26th, and arrived at Bridgeport, Alabama, October 1st. Soon after the regiment got into a fearful fight at Wauhatchie Valley, in which action Captain McGroarty, the Commander of the Perry County Company, was killed. It also was in the battle of Mission Ridge, after which it was sent to the relief of the National forces at Knoxville, Tennessee, but soon after again rejoined the main army. In March, 1864, the regiment re-enlisted and came home on veteran furlough, of thirty days : after its expiration, much strengthened by new recruits, it returned to the front and joined the army at Rocky Face Ridge, May 7th, and immediately entered upon the Atlanta campaign. The regiment was engaged at Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek, and in a number of minor 'affairs, some of which were serious enough to the Sixty-First, at least. After the fall of. Atlanta, the regiment promenaded with Sherman to the sea. It was on the campaign 126 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY. through the Carolinas, and engaged at the battle of Bentonville. At Goldsboro, North Carolina, the Sixty-First was consolidated with the Eighty-Second Ohio, the consolidated regiment taking the name of the latter. The Perry county boys, with the consolidated regiment, joined in the march through to Richmond, and the grand review at Washington. September, 1865, the regiment was mustered out, paid off and discharged at Columbus, Ohio. The Perry soldiers of the Sixty-First, though not so numerous as those of some other regiments, have a military record unsurpassed by any. Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, Chancellorville, Gettysburg, Mission Ridge, Resaca, Dallas, Kenesaw, Peach Tree Creek, Sherman's March to the Sea, the Campaign of the Carolinas, Bentonville and other minor engagements tell in part the story of the trials, perils and sacrifices of the regiment, a full history of which can never be written. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINTH 0. V. I.—Company K, of the One Hundred and Twenty-Ninth—a six months regiment—was enlisted in Perry county, by Captain A. D. S. McArthur and Lieutenant James Taylor, the men coming principally from the townships of Pike, Pleasant, Madison, Monroe and Saltlick. The regiment was organized at Camp Taylor, Cleveland, in August, 1863, and was promptly ordered to active duty, and assigned to the Ninth Army Corps. The regiment left Camp Nelson for Cumberland Gap, joining the forces already congregated at that point, under the command of General Burnside. Cumberland Gap was a strongly fortified position, but when a demand was made for its surrender by the commander of the National forces, the demand was readily complied with, and the whole garrison fell into their hands. The Perry soldier boys were of the opinion that the bloodless victory was due to the strategy of General De Courcy, who paraded his men and batteries in a circle, so as to mislead the rebel Commander to believe that there was a very large force investing his position. After the surrender of Cumberland Gap, the regiment remained in the vicinity until about the first of December, when it left and had repeated skirmishes with the enemy. The regiment operated in East Tennessee all winter, suffering greatly from lack of clothing, provisions and other necessary supplies. But the Perry soldiers endured the hardships and privations better than many of their companions. From East Tennessee the regiment went to Camp Nelson, Kentucky, and from there to Cleveland, Ohio, where it was mustered out of the service in March, 1864. Like all the other short time regiments, it will be observed that the time for which this regiment enlisted was considerably extended. Many of the Perry boys after reaching home, in a few days, or weeks, enlisted in other regiments and again entered tht service. ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTIETH 0. N. G.—The Legislature of Ohio, at the session of 1863-64, passed a military act providing for a home organization of the Ohio National Guard, for the purpose of protecting the State from actual or threatened invasion. Companies were organized under this law with great rapidity, in nearly all the .counties of the HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 127 State. In May, 1864, Governor Brough issued a proclamation calling this large body of men into active service. At the time of the call to the field, there were six full companies of men organized under this statute in Perry county. The Perry county companies were ordered into camp at Zanesville, Ohio. They all reported promptly, on a wretchedly inclement day, at New Lexington, and immediately took the cars for the place of rendezvous. These companies, with a number of others from neighboring counties, were organized into the One Hundred and Sixtieth regiment. The Lieutenant Colonel, D.W. D. Marsh, the Major,Henry L. Harbaugh, the Adjutant,Robert F. Hickman, jr., and the Chaplain, Rev. James White, were elected from the Perry county cornpanies. Samuel Lyons, Andrew J. Tharp, David C. Fowler. Wm. H. Spencer, Henry C. Greiner and George Ritchey were the Captains ; James T. McCormick, John T. Ball, Levi Bowman, Francis M. Wright, James F. McMahon, John H, Huston, Simeon Hansley, Thomas J. Post, Andrew J. Whipps, Abner M. White, William Stalter, and Austin J. Watts were Lieutenants. These were the line officers from Perry. The companies were all strong in numbers, and, previous to being called out, had been duly equipped, as well as fully uniformed in the National blue. The regiment remained in camp at Zanesville but a few days, when duly mustered into the service, it was soon on its way to Harper's Ferry, the place to which it had been ordered. It was not suffered to remain idle, but was at once sent to work guarding supply trains along the Shenandoah Valley. These supply trains were frequently attacked by Mosby's men and other guerrillas, and skirmishes were at times, of almost daily occurence. In one engagement with Mosby's command, several men in the One Hundred and Sixtieth were wounded, but fortunately none were killed. Thomas Jackson of Somerset was one of the severely wounded. The men of the One Hundred and Sixtieth behaved very gallantly. Fourteen rebels were killed in the action. Mosby learned by dear experience, that it was no fun to capture supply trains in charge of the One Hundred and Sixtieth 0. N. G. The regiment was required to march and countermarch, up and down the Shenandoah Valley, most of the time exposed to the fire of skulking bushwhackers, and in continual apprehension of attack by guerrillas in force. Ohio in the War says : "That of all the Ohio National Guards, the One Hundred and Sixtieth, probably, can show the most continued service in the field." Andrew J. Wright, of New Lexington, died in his tent at Maryland Heights. Nathan S. Kelley, also of the same place, took sick and died at Maryland Heights. He was the Republican nominee for County Auditor at the time, and had he lived, would doubtless have been elected. Wright and Kelley were both highly esteemed citizens, and the news of their death dispelled the illusion that the "Hundred Day's Service" was mere play. Private Marlow, of Captain Fowler's company, was captured, and never heard from, and probably died in a rebel prison. On one of the trips down the Shenandoah Valley, the One Hundred and Sixtieth brought along a number of young girls out into "God's Country," as the soldiers were wont to call the North. These girls did 128 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY. not have a very elegant conveyance, but they got "Out of the Wilderness" safely, nevertheless. One of these girls afterward married a Well-known citizen of New Lexington, and yet resides in that town. The One Hundred and Sixtieth was mustered out and paid off at Zanesville, September 7th, 1864, having been in the service four months lacking three days. The conscription of these Hundred Days men worked great hardships in many communities. The men belonged principally to the same localities, that had already contributed heavily in volunteers to the three years service, and, in many cases, there was no one left to plow the corn or save the harvest ; but women—wives, sisters and mothers of the absent soldiers—took the farm work in hand, and pushed it with an energy and success, that was one of the many wonderful things of the war period. When the men reached home, after the muster out at Zanesville, it was easy to see that the Hundred Years War," as sometimes called, had been no holiday, Many of the men were sick and disabled, and those who were not, looked fatigued and haggard, resulting no doubt from irregular and insufficient sleep, as well as almost continual harassments, and apprehensions of attack, while guardingsupply trains through an enemy's country, where guerrillas and bushwhackers were almost as thick as blackberries. The One Hundred Days men were not volunteers in the strictest sense ; but they turned out cheerfully and promptly at a gloomy period of the war, served their country faithfully and well, and are justly entitled to consideration in any important history of those eventful and perilous times. MISCELLANEOUS-A historical outline has been given of the companies from Perry county which served in the war of the Rebellion. But, in the very nature of things, the full details of this war, as of other wars, must forever remain unwritten. And it should be further kept in mind, that numerous other soldiers from Perry served in the war of 1861, who were not members of any of the companies the history of which has been herein sketched. There were detachments of men from Perry in the Sixteenth, Eighteenth, Thirty-Second, Forty-Sixth, Seventy-Fifth, Sixty-Eighth, One Hundred and Twenty-Second, and perhaps other infantry regiments. There were also individual soldiers from Perry in many other infantry regiments. There were detachments of men from Perry in several of the cavalry regiments, notably in the Ninth and Tenth, and individual soldiers in others who enlisted from this county. The county was also represented in the Sharp Shooters, Heavy Artillery, and quite a strong detachment from New Lexington and neighborhood served in the Signal Corps. It is not possible, even were it desirable, to follow these men and their commands through the long, weary and tortuous civil war. Perry county furnished its share of Generals, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels, Majors, Adjutants, Quartermasters, Chaplains, Surgeons, Captains, Lieutenants, and about three thousand men in the ranks, who fought, and bled, and suffered, on almost every battlefield and hard march of the great war. They fought in the early battles of the war at HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 129 Bull Run, at Rich Mountain, at Wild Cat, and at Mill Springs. Perry boys were also with the noble General Lyon at Wilson's Creek, and afterward made that long wearisome retreat under General Sigel to Rolla, Missouri. Perry soldiers marched with the Regulars in McClellan's advance up the Peninsula,and participated in the series of disastrous but bravely contested battles that surged around the rebel capital in the summer of 1862. They fought at Fredricksburg, at Chancellorsville, at Second Bull Run, at South Mountain, at Antietam, and at Gettysburg. They were engaged at Shiloh, at Perryville, at Stone River, at Chickamauga, at Mission Ridge, at Chickasaw Bluffs, at Arkansas Post, at Thompson's Hill, at Champion Hill, at Black River Bridge, and in the long, wearisome siege of Vicksburg. They fought at Rocky Face Ridge, at Dallas, at Resaca, at Kenesaw, at Peach Tree Creek, and Jonesboro. They charged at Fort Wagner, at the Wilderness, at Spotsylvania, at Cold Harbor, at Deep Bottom, at Hatcher's Run, at Five Forks, at Fort Gregg, and at Petersburg. They trod the bloody fields of Monocacy, of Winchester, of Fisher's Hill, and Cedar Creek. They were at Franklin, at Nashville, at Bentonville, at Appomattox, and at the capture of Mobile, the closing battle of the war. As members of cavalry regiments, they rode and raided with Sheridan, Stoneman, Wilson, Pleastanton and Kilpatrick. They suffered and died, or endured incredible hardships at Libby, Belle Isle, Andersonville, Salisbury, Lawton and other rebel prisons. They—some of them—made their escape from those prisons, and hiding by day, and walking by night, fed and otherwise assisted by the faithful negroes, after toilsome days and nights of peril, once more reached in safety the Union lines and the starry flag. They died in battle, in camp, in hospitals, on the march, in rebel prisons, every where, and many of them occupy nameless and unknown graves, far distant from home and friends, and all that they loved so well. They cheerfully sacrificed their lives that there might be but one country from the Lakes to the Gulf, and from Ocean to Ocean, and that the Republic established by their fathers might live. THE MORGAN RAID.—The celebrated John Morgan and his troopers, in the famous raid through Indiana and Ohio, took in Perry county on his way. He only raided through two townships, however, coming in on the Sunday Creek road into Monroe township, and going out in Bearfield township, near Porterville. This was in July, 1863. It was in consequence of Morgan's invasion of the North, that Governor Tod ordered out the Militia of Southern Ohio. Morgan, in his northward journey through Athens county, appeared to be heading for New Lexington, and, in fact, he gave out the word that he intended to visit and plunder the town. A citizen of Vinton county, who had for a while resided at New Lexington, followed up the raiders, mingled and talked with some of them, and believing that they really intended to sack the town of New Lexington, made a detour around Morgan's command, and being splendidly mounted, urged his steed along the ridges and valleys, and over the hills, determined to give his friends warning of the threatened danger. 'The weather was warm, the Vinton county friend had left his home in a hurry, not dreaming of taking so long a ride,and - 17 - 130 - HISTORY OF' PERRY COUNTY. was minus coat, hat and shoes. Barefooted arid bareheaded, with his flowing locks streaming in the breeze, he plied the whip, and his magnificent charger, in a foam of sweat, and with nostrils distended, dashed furiously on. The chivalrous rider's trousers, by the swift motion of the galloping horse, had worked up to the knees, and leaning forward, horse and rider might almost be mistaken for one being. They dashed into town at the south end of Main street, and the entire length of the street was speedily traversed, while every few rods, in a stentorian voice, came the terrifying words, "John Morgan is coming ! John Morgan is coming ! !" The people of the place, by the daily journals, and private telegrams, were apprised of the movements of Morgan, and knowing that he was not far off, were prepared to believe that he might be coming this way, and they feared that the cry of the friendly horseman might be realized. The men of the town were nearly all in the army. The few that remained held a brief consultation, and two leading citizens were sent out on the road on which Morgan was to come, instructed to surrender the town, with the view of thereby saving a useless destruction of life and property ; as, under the circumstances, it was agreed on all sides that no successful resistance could be made. Money and other valuables were hastily secreted, horses were hurried off to supposed places of safety, and numerous persons left town and took refuge in the country. There was anxiety, of course, but no general panic occurred, and most persons calmly and quietly awaited events. But nine o'clock—ten—eleven— twelve— came, and no Morgan and men put in an appearance, and it began to be evident that the great raider had given New Lexington the go-by. But many people remained up all night, and others procured horses and sallied out to learn, if possible, what direction Morgan had taken. It was ascertained, the next day, that when Morgan reached the neighborhood of Sunday Creek cross-roads, he filed square to the right, gave Millertown a visit, and then passed on to Chapel Hill. From this place he went to Porterville, and near this point passed out of Perry into Morgan county. Morgan and his command camped all night on Island Run, near Porterville. From Sunday Creek cross-roads to. New Lexington, is about the same distance as to Island Run, where Morgan encamped, and had he not changed his course, and possibly his original intention, New Lexington or neighborhood might have had the doubtful honor of entertaining him and his band over night. The general character of Morgan's raid is well known, and only some of the incidents that occurred in Perry county will be related here. The stores in Millertown and Chapel Hill were sacked, all the whisky that could be found was confiscated, and the farce of buying and paying for a few articles went on, while wholesale robbery and destruction occurred without rebuke or interruption. A plucky lady of Monroe township, who was riding along the road, gave the raiders a piece of her mind. They did not retaliate in words, but gently lifted the lady from the saddle and appropriated her horse. Dr. W. H. Holden,of Millertown, then on a tour of visits to his patients, was promptly relieved of his horse, but was kindly permitted to retain his saddle-bags, which he carried the remainder of the way on his arm, as he trudged homeward on foot. A farmer was hauling a load of hay HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 131 along the road. His team was halted, the harness stripped from the horses in a twinkling, and there the farmer sat upon his load of hay, a much astonished and bewildered individual. There was a wool-picking party at the house of a farmer ; quite a number of ladies was there and supper was just announced. Morgan's men came in uninvited, appropriated all the seats, and remarked that it was very impolite to take precedence of the ladies, but they were in a great hurry and could not afford to wait. What they left in the way of eatables was hardly worth mentioning. Good fresh horses were everywhere picked up, and the jaded animals turned loose. The raiders also sent out scouting parties right and left, to gather up a fresh supply of horse-flesh. On the night that Morgan was expected in New Lexington, D. W. D. Marsh, Sill Colborn and James R. Carroll, rode out for the purpose of discovering the whereabouts of the rebel force. They struck the trail, followed it.up, and just at daybreak, without being aware of the near proximity of the enemy, rode in to the camp at Island Run, near Porterville. They were ordered to halt by some of the band who were on the alert. Marsh laid whip to his horse and dashed off through the woods. Colborn and Carroll thought it would be safer to stay. They parleyed with the raiders, who told them they were prisoners and must go along. Colborn and Carroll were taken some forty miles, and turned loose in Guernsey county. Their horses were, of course, taken by the raiders. They were with the raiders in the skirmish at the crossing of the Muskingum, near Eaglesport, where one citizen was killed, and several of the raiders wounded, one severely. Colborn and Carroll reached home in due time, reporting that they had been treated to a very invigorating ride, though they acknowledge it to have been a rough one. One of the Morgan men got sleepy and fell behind, within the limits of Perry county, and was "gobbled" up as a prisoner. He was brought to New Lexington, and, under all the circumstances, was something of a curiosity. The populace crowded around him, and some remarks not complimentary were made. He did not like the looks of things, and said that all he asked was to be treated as a prisoner of war. He was sent to the military prison at Camp Chase. The raider who was so severely wounded at Eaglesport, on the Muskingum, lay for some weeks at a hotel in Zanesville, but finally convalesced and was sent to a military prison. Hobson's Cavalry were on the trail of Morgan, and only two or three hours behind. Several of the soldiers gave out, came to New Lexington, and slept a day or two in the court house yard. The most they needed was rest and something to eat, which they got, and soon went on their way. Hobson's Cavalry seized fresh horses, but Morgan, coming along first, had the pick. But the pursuers gained on the raiders, nevertheless. This was the last of John Morgan in Perry county, but not the last of the John Morgan scare. Some days after this, and while he and his band of men were yet in Ohio and uncaptured, late one evening, a " solitary horseman " came into New Lexington, announcing that Morgan had been driven back across the Muskingum, and that he was making his way in this direction, this time burning houses, barns and other 132 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY. property. The horseman referred to had heard of the approach of the Morgan band, seen the fire of the burning buildings, and had indisputable information that it was the Morgan raiders who were doing the dreadful incendiary work. When the astounding news reached New Lexington, Colonel Lynch of Circleville, and a battalion of Pickaway county Morgan pursuers. were at the depot conferring with Governor Tod as to discharge from further service. The command had been around in the wake of Morgan, but being infantry, could do nothing effective in the work, and Colonel Lynch very sensibly asked that they might be discharged. When the messenger brought the report that Morgan was surely approaching, Colonel Lynch hooted at the idea, and said it was impossible. The order discharging the Pickaway battallion was received, but Colonel Lynch, without announcing it, decided to remain over night, organized his command and marched it up the hill. He established a sort of military head quarters in Butler & Marsh's law office, and sent out pickets on all the principal roads leading to town. These faithful sentinels remained out all night, and the people of New Lexington, for the most part, slept in quiet and security. But no raiders made their appearance. The whole thing was a "bugaboo," of the hugest kind. There was no intentional deception, and how the false news of the second coming of Morgan originated, was never satisfactorily ascertained. The Pickaway county volunteers, after ,their night's vigils, were breakfasted by the ladies, and entertained in the most hearty and hospitable manner, and they were as much honored and respected as though the enemy had been really in the vicinity, and the town in the most imminent danger. The Pickaway boys did, indeed, deport themselves handsomely, and were well treated in return. The next morning they took the train for home. Some little time after this last fright, Morgan and his men were captured in the eastern part of the State. The leaders were not treated as ordinary prisoners of war, but, for a time, found a home in the Ohio State Prison. Morgan and some of his officers escaped therefrom and succeeded in reaching the South. But the great raider did not survive the war. He was shot and killed when on one of his characteristic expeditions, while trying to make his escape from a house where he had remained over night, which was surrounded by Union soldiers, for the purpose of capturing him. He tried to make his exit and was shot dead. THE MARIETTA CAMPAIGN.—In July, 1863, David Tod, Governor of Ohio, called upon the independent military companies and militia of some fifteen or twenty counties of South-Eastern Ohio, to rendezvous at Marietta, to protect the southern border of the State. The State Militia had recently been enrolled and organized under a statute supposed to meet the emergencies of actual war. This was a wholesale conscription, and the entire militia force of a majority of the townships of Perry promptly reported at New Lexington to take the cars for Marietta. The militia were neither armed nor equipped, but they were determined to obey orders. New Lexington had an independent military HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 133 company, commanded by Captain D. W. D. Marsh, and of course it was included in the call, and responded. The conscripts poured in and fairly overwhelmed the town of New Lexington. The " troops" traveled by rail to Zanesville, and then by boat down the beautiful Muskingum, some of the " boys " pathetically singing " The Girl I Left Behind Me." There was much discomfort aboard the boats, but all safely arrived at Marietta, the objective point. The like of the militia camp at Marietta was probably no where else seen during the war. There were no fire-arms and few equipments or conveniences of any kind. But the men lay in camp there two weeks and did the duty required of them. There were several good-sized scares during the short campaign, but no rebel gunboats came up the dark ravines, as sometimes announced, and John Morgan and his troopers did not put in an appearance, though anxiously expected. At length the militia were mustered out, and embarked on boats up the Muskingum, and then traveled by rail to New Lexington. The whole campaign was without casualty, but abounded in fun, if the stories of participants are to be fully credited. The whole demonstration was no doubt designed as a scare, and it probably was not without effect on the notorious John Morgan and other raiders. At any rate, as the events of the war grow dim, many a man will remember that he, at least, was in the Marietta campain, and a soldier in the service of his country. And it is possible, in the distant future, that men may draw pensions from the United States government, in consideration of their " fourteen days' " service during the great war of the rebellion. THE BARN BURNING SCARE.—In July, 1863, a barn was burned in Madison township, and at the same time one was burned in Hopewell township. These barns were full of grain and the loss was heavy. In the first case there was writing on the walls of the house, threatening to burn it, also, and do sundry other dreadful things. It was alleged that the barn was burned by persons who were disguised and wore masks, and after frightening the lady of the house nearly out of her senses, until she ran across the fields to a neighbor's, the masked men retreated to the woods and became lost to sight. It was just in the twilight of evening that the affair took place, and nothing was done that night, but the next morning the whole country was aroused, and when it was learned that another good barn had been burned, a few miles distant, the alarm was great among farmers, and they all rallied and joined in the effort for the apprehension of the incendiaries. The people of the townships of Madison, Hopewell and Reading, turned out in great force, and large numbers of men were also present from the southern part of Licking county, and the western part of Muskingum. There were miles of men in line, stationed along roads, and many of them armed with such weapons as the country afforded. The fields, woods, ravines and all good hiding places were searched, but no suspicious characters were found. It is possible, of course, that the guilty persons may have mingled in the throng, and even joined in the search. For many nights farmers watched their houses and barns, and scouting parties were constantly on the alert ; but as no more burning was done, the interest and dread gradually died away. At this distant 134 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY. day, and after the lapse of so many years, it is impossible to conceive of the general and widespread excitement that prevailed at that time. The incendiaries were never discovered, and the question of who did set fire to the buildings, is yet shrouded in mystery. But, in some way or other, the burning is believed to have been directly or indirectly connected with the war, and therefore a part of its bitter fruits. HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 135 CHAPTER XVI. REUNION OF VETERAN SOLDIERS. For a year or two after the close of the war, Reunions of veteran soldiers were very common in Perry county. These, however, were usually originated and managed by ladies, and were mostly held in the country or in the vicinity of small villages. There was, on these occasions, always a good dinner, and in some cases the lay out of eatables was most extraordinary. All the labor and expense was cheerfully incurred by the ladies, in order that the returned veterans might have a good time, and as a manifestation of their good will toward them. After a year or two, however, this style of Reunion gradually ceased, and except for the pinching times that came, as a consequence of the war and an undue inflation of currency, it seemed almost forgotten that a great war had occurred, and that in almost every household, were carefully filed away scores of tender missives from brave boys in blue, whose hands would never write again. As the years rolled away and the ranks of the returned veterans began to thin out by death, military reunions revived, in all parts of the country, and in this county. A few years since there was a Reunion of the ex-soldiers of Perry county, on the County Fair Ground, near New Lexington, during one of the days of the annual County Fair. There was a large attendance of veterans, who formed in front of the court house, under command of Colonel L. J. Jackson, from which place they marched to the Fair Ground, where the entire body was admitted free to the exhibition then in progress. There was not much opportunity for ceremony, speeches, or business, and little was had, but the Reunion was large and successful. The Thirty-First Ohio Regimental Reunion is the only one of this kind ever held in the county ; but it was highly successful, and held in September, 1882. The following account of the Reunion is from the New Lexington Tribune, of October 4th, 1882 : REUNION OF THE THIRTY-FIRST OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.-The Annual Reunion of the Thirty-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry was celebrated in this place on Wednesday, September 26th. Many business houses and quite a number of private dwellings were handsomely decorated, as was also the court room, where the Reunion exercises were held. Several pictures of army scenes were hung behind. the Judge's stand, including one representing the charge made by the brigade of which the Thirty-first Ohio was a part, at Stone River. The Veterans formed at the C. & M. V. depot, about if a. m., and under the escort of the New Lexington Guards and a fine band of martial music, marched up Water and Main streets to the Court House, where Colonel Moses B. Walker, of Findlay, promptly called the meet- 136 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY. ing to order, after which an appropriate and eloquent speech of welcome was delivered by his Honor, Mayor J. E. Johnston. Colonel L. J. Jackson responded in behalf of the veterans in appropriate terms. Then a recess was taken for dinner. Upon reassembling, in the afternoon, the roll of the living members of the veterans of the regiment was called by companies. Every company was represented, though some of them, from the more distant parts, by only a few members. Three of the companies, A D and G, went out from Perry county, commanded respectively by J. W. Free, William H. Free and L. J. Jackson. Licking and Hocking each had a company. The others were from more distant parts of the State. There was one company from Union, one from Clark, and one from Auglaize. Delaware also furnished a company, or part of one. After the roll call, Colonel Walker delivered the Oration, according to programme. It was an able and eloquent effort, and brought out much applause. Walker is a brainy man and eloquent of speech, but he is growing old, as are many of the veterans, and he did not make such a finished and classical speech as he did from the same platform, eighteen years ago, when the Thirty-first was home on veteran furlough, tor thirty days. After the regular oration, letters were read from absent members, and then speeches were made by Captain H. C. Greiner, Colonel L. J. Jackson, Major J. W. Free and, Comrade J. P. Frances, of Newark, Ohio. Frances said that Colonel Walker and other speakers had been entirely too modest. He then eulogized Colonel Walker in the highest terms, and asserted that there were in the Thirty-first Ohio, and from this very town of New Lexington and neighborhood, as brave men as ever trod a battle-field in either ancient or modern times. Most of the speakers had amusing or pathetic anecdotes of the war to relate. Two of them are brief, and are here given : Captain Greiner said that on one occasion a cannon ball had gone through a mule, and quick as thought Garrett Hayden, a member of Company A, from Salt-lick township, said, " there was a d—d good place for a window !" At Jonesboro the Colonel of the Thirty-eighth Ohio was shot dead in the battle. Just after the fight, when the body of the Colonel was being taken from the field, and all about was still as death, John Anderson, a private in the Thirty-eighth, half crying, said to a /squad of Thirty-first soldiers, " That is two young Colonels the Thirty-eighth has had killed, and you have your d—d old Colonel yet." Major J. W. Free was fixed up for a good speech, and was about to begin speaking of the one hundred and one men of his original company who left this county in August, 1861, when he broke completely down, and could not say another word. The night session was devoted to business affairs principally, but more good short speeches were made and other good army anecdotes related. The committee appointed to report upon a place of meeting for the ensuing year divided, the majority report being for Logan and the minority report in favor of Mt. Gilead. After some discussion, the minority report was adopted, and Mt. Gilead agreed upon as the place for a Reunion, to be held on the second Wednesday of August, 1883. The Reunion was a success in every way. The battle flags of the HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 137 regiment had been sent down from Columbus, and were carefully uncovered and placed around the speaker's stand. They were mute but eloquent historians of the awful conflicts through which the regiment passed. The name of Payton Shields, a private of Captain Bill Free's company, was received with great enthusiasm. Mr. Shields was one of General Thomas' most efficient and reliable scouts, and put his neck in jeopardy hundreds of times. He was at one time during the war blown up on a steamboat on the Mississippi, was two hours and a half in the water, floated seven miles, and narrowly escaped drowning. Ever-since that dreadful night he has been to a greater or less degree afflicted, and at times has nervous fits, in which he involuntarily strikes with his hands and feet like a drowning man, as he did that dark night in the cheerless water of the Mississippi. Mr. Shields was present, one of the most modest, retiring men in the assembly. It was with difficulty that he could be persuaded to stand up a moment that the audience might see him. Several of the veterans came hundreds of miles to attend the Reunion ; one traveled over a thousand miles to get here. The far away States of Kansas and Iowa had their representatives. It was good to see the old veterans meet, shake hands and talk over the old times. It was also painful to see some of them fail to recognize each other, in consequence of the changes of so many years. The Thirty-first left Camp Chase, ten hundred and forty strong, September 26, 1861. It received three or four hundred recruits during the war, and yet was mustered out in 1865 with only two hundred and ten men. It probably did as hard fighting and marching as any regiment in the service. General Walker said he could only speak generally of the dead, yet he must name the intrepid Colonel W. H. Free, who was loved by every man in the regiment, and was as brave as any that ever shouldered a musket or drew a sword. Most of the veterans remained over night and attended the night session. Many ladies graced the Reunion with their presence. The following is the list of comrades present : Officers—President, M. B. Walker ; First Vice President, Major J. W. Free ; Second Vice President, James P. Frances ; Secretary, James C. Walker;,, Colonel Lyman J. Jackson, C. C. March. Company A—G. Hayden, G. W. Gordon, D. Mariart, S.W.White, Captain H. C. Greiner, M. Barnes, A. D. Hemry, A. J. Gordon, J. A. Grant, Captain W. F. Bennet, J. Powell, H. J. Strait, Asa Harbaugh, J. Shrieves, E. G. Spurrier, Alf Wilson, Samuel Longstreth, Eli Strait, Stainbrook, P. P. Stotler. Company B—R. C. Kitsmiller, W. H. Martin, Ben Bond, J. L. Rouse, T. D. Wood, D. B. Whitcraft, J. W. Campbell. Company C—Captain W. S. Carlisle D. C. Henry. Company D—J. F. Whipps, G. W. Watts, W. M. Sanders, L. L. Norris, T. W. Tracy, Payton Shields, A. Brown, J. B. elby, W. E. Norris. Company E--J. Culver, A. H. Cutter, Joseph Hennis, Captain L. M. Cunard, A. H. Cunard, J. A. Closson. - 18 - 138 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY. Company F—H. N. Simmons, Joseph Rice, B. Brown, Dr. Jerome Oatley. Company G—Horatio Sowers, Jacob Carnicour, Charles Hatenfels, David Brown, Captain C. L. Williams, Dick Brown, W. H. Russell, J, Ridenour, H. W. Lasure, George Essington, F. T. Smith, George Nichols, James O'Neal, Isaac Souslin, J. M. Dodd, J. H. Boling. Company H—Theo. Warthen, W. M. Parkinson, D. H. Barrick, William Spence, H. Allspaugh, John Jones, G. B. Woodcock, C. E. Darlington, W. Vanasdal, D. G. Mills, H. C. Burch. Company I—W. W. McDonald, R. Stringfellow. Company K—Captain A. S. Scott. Regimental Band—D. Oblinger, T. H. Battan. HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 139 CHAPTER XVII. THE CENTENNIAL. The one hundredth Anniversary of the birth of the American Republic was everywhere celebrated with great eclat, and no where with more enthusiasm and parade than in Perry county, Ohio. Early in the spring the subject began to be discussed and preliminary steps taken. The people of the old town of Somerset were the first to move in the matter, but New Lexington soon followed suit and other places took up the strain. There was some talk of the entire county uniting in an observance of the great day at old Overmyertown, (New Reading,) as the first permanently settled village in the county ;but the idea was not very favorably received, for the reason that there could be no adequate accommodations at that place for the very large number of people who were sure to be present. Finally, Somerset" and New Lexington decided upon having separate celebrations, and then Shawnee and New Straitsville came to the same conclusion. The Odd Fellows of New Lexington had previously announced a celebration for July 4th, 1876, and the veteran soldiers had likewise determined on that day to dedicate the soldiers' monument, and these facts were considerations that prevented the people of New Lexington from uniting with those of Somerset in a Centennial Celebration. The following accounts which are from the New Lexington Herald of July 6th, 1876, give a fair and correct idea of the great Centennial. in Perry County : THE CENTENNIAL AT SOMERSET-1776-1876--The celebration of the Fourth, in Somerset, on last Tuesday, was the occasion of bringing together the largest crowd of people witnessed in the county "since Work was hung." Every township in the county was represented, besides a delegation from Rushville nearly a thousand strong, and parties from Licking and Muskingum counties. In numbers and in point of display the celebration was a grand success—"the biggest crowd and biggest day" ever known in our history. The coming of the Fourth was, indicated in the early evening by the Small Boy, with his hand cannon, his torpedo and his universal fire cracker. Main street from the school house to Pig Foot Square was occupied by the boys, pickets on the advance line, and a rattling fire was kept up along the entire street, checked occasionally only by the explosion of a whole pack by some more adventurous cuss, when each little chap would pocket for the moment his own single cracker and rush to the spot where the fascinating explosion was taking place. This rattle and clatter and din kept up till about eleven o'clock, when the boys, tired and sleepy, went to bed. 140 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY. At midnight the sleeping town and country were awakened to the Centennial by the booming of cannon, the firing of musketry, the ringing of bells and every instrument and device of noise that could be called into requisition. A steam whistle, the very incarnation of discordant voice, was turned loose from a planing mill, and this infernal thing got down on its hind legs, as though at the doors of Pandemonium, and howled and screamed and yelled until men swore, babies cried and women fainted. The Small Boy again came to the front with his fire cracker, adding to the sublimity of the noise. Occasionally the steam whistle, which without change of note, modulation or inflection, overpowered all other noises, would stop for a few moments to catch breath or gather steam, and in the lull could be heard the melody of the town bells, the music of organ, piano and bands, and occasionally the deep and mellow tones of St. Joseph's big bell borne on the waves of the midnight winds. The advent of the Centennial was aggravating at first, but inspiriting, and from midnight until day the town slept but little,and the commotion and busy preparation in house and on the street kept nearly every body awake and expectant. With morning came on a heavy rain storm, which, however, cleared off about eight o'clock and the streets began to fill up with people from the country. Delegations began to arrive from the townships at about ten o'clock,and were formed into procession by Captain Greiner, Chief Marshal, and his assistants. Mr. W. S. (Bee) Ream personated George Washington, and was dressed in a suit of the old Colonial time, his breeches being more than Centennial in age, coming into possession of his family from Mrs. Ream. Mrs. Tom Stillman represented Martha Washington, and did it finely. Accompanied by a military band, Mr. Ream called upon Mrs.Stillman at her residence, and escorted her to the place assigned them in the column. The procession formed at the public square, passing up Main street and returning by North Columbus street, thence down Main street and along the pike to Dittoe's grove, about a mile distant from town. The following is the order of the procession : Somerset Brass Band. Officers and orators of the day. Band of martial music. Cannon and gun squad in uniform. George and Martha Washington in costume. Elderly ladies in costume representing the thirteen Colonies. Thirty-eight young ladies representing the thirty-eight States. Goddess of Liberty in costume. Township delegations in carriages. Delegations on horseback. Citizens from town and country on foot. The procession was the finest display ever made in the county. The wagons containing the ladies in costume were large and commodious, festooned with vine and foliage and flowers, patriotic emblems and devices. Flags arid pennants nodded from horses heads and waved from the hands of the thousands,. as they sped to the grove amid the thunder of cannon, the thrilling music of the bands, and the cheers of the densely peopled sidewalks. HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 141 A group of ladies represented the colonies and states. Each was a beautiful and fitting representative of the sovereignty—the highest, greatest, purest type of nationality, and in her virtues the absolute as well as ideal guardian and protector. Mrs. George Brown in tasteful costume and adorned with appropriate emblems, personated the Goddess of Liberty. As the cortege containing this group of magnificent beauty in the gayest trappings of modern taste and culture passed along the streets, cheered and applauded by the thousands of enthusiastic Perry countians, we thought no incident was more expressive, no feature more appropriate in contrasting to-day and its living scenes with the historic memory of the century that has passed, Nearly a hundred years ago Ebenezer Zane and Jonathan Zane passed almost identically over the line taken by the procession, in making the "Zane trail" from Wheeling to Maysville. Then there was not a house rn the county—not a white man—all a wilderness—all in savage nature, unbroken except by the discordant tones of wild animals; or the yells of Indians as wild. Neither refinement nor comfort, neither protection from the storms nor safety from the savage ; and a descendant of one of those pioneers represented the Goddess of Liberty, surrounded by all that refines and ennobles, and emblematic not only of a free and enlightened county and community, but of the change of a century made by the force of free opinion in a free government, and it was only the more strong in contrast by the circumstance that with magnificent beauty, clothed and crowned as a Goddess, surrounded by a bevy that might have awakened the jealousy of Juno and Jove. The delegation from Jackson township, led by the Junction City band, was universally conceded to be the largest from any township and the flag was awarded them. The procession numbered five hundred and fifty-eight carriages passing the American House, and it is estimated that an equal number came in from north and south on Columbus street, which are not included in the count. As the procession was leaving town the delegation from Rushvile arrived. This delegation made a very fine appearance, and was welcomed by the Somerset people in the most hearty and enthusiastic style. Immediately on arrival at the grove the exercises were opened by Rev. M. White by prayer. Next followed the reading of the Declaration. The stand was occupied by the officers, "George and Martha Washington," and a number of aged citizens. The oration, by Hon. W. E. Finck, followed the reading of the Declaration, and was in this gentleman's best style. Just as Mr. Finck was closing, the clouds which for an hour had been gathering burst upon the crowd, and every thing in a moment was complete demoralization, and the occasional showers following at half hour intervals culminated in a terrific storm at about four o'clock in the afternoon, disarranged the programme agreed upon. and all the exercises following were conducted under the most dispiriting circumstances. A bountiful free dinner was spread, and although the dry bread got a little too wet, the wants of all who were hungry were amply supplied, and every one seemed satisfied. 142 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY Immediately after dinner Mr. E. S. Colborn was introduced to the crowd and delivered a valuable and interesting Historical Address. Following the Historical Address were a number of toasts read by Dr. Willard. Mr. W. E. Finck, Jr., responded in very happy style to "Washington," combining historic facts and pathetic sentiments in a masterly manner, showing a thorough knowledge of the history of our country and a true conception of the lessons to be learned from it. The "Soldiers of the War of the Rebellion," was the subject of the next toast. Colonel L. J. Jackson being called upon made the following response : “It would require more time and, in view of the coming storm, a more auspicious occasion to do justice to the toast given. No man can imagine, without actual participation, the dread and gloom that overhung this country at the inception of the late war. It was like the storm that we hear now in the distance. We hear the distant thunder, we know it is freighted with wondrous force and livid lightning ; we know it has the elements of danger and destruction, and we wonder in fearful suspense where its lightnings may strike and where its waters may fall. "So was the dread and danger then—we knew the storm was in the air and that if it came upon us there would be mourning and desolation in the land ; that some, at least, of us and ours would be called to die in the shock of battle, and be laid in the last sleep under a strange sky by stranger hands, without woman's gentle hands to soothe the parting struggle or lead to the life eternal. "Well I recollect standing by the telegraph operator at New Lexington, on April 14, 1861, waiting in fearful suspense, as the whole world was waiting, to hear the news from Carleston. And while so waiting there came that historic and portentous dispatch : " Fort Sumter is on fire and enveloped in smoke, but the Federal flag is still waving over it." As if the emergency and sublimity of the moment had evoked the spirit of prophecy, it announced to the world that with lurid flames below it, and war's terrors surrounding it, and death's most potent instruments assailing it, the God given emblem of Freedom still floated and was safe in the hands of Him who made our country free. And that sublime incident, under God—the soldiers and sailors of the late war, His instruments—foretold the vicissitudes and results of the war. The terrible defeat at Manassas came, but the Federal flag did not go down. The blood-stained fields of Shiloh, and Donelson, and Chickamauga, and Stone River, and Atlanta, and Gettysburg, and Antietam, and Fredericksburg, and a hundred others came, and the Federal flag still waved ; three hundred thousand true and gallant soldiers died around it, but its stars still shone and its stripes still gleamed in the sky. It was still between us and Heaven in the battles of the Wilderness, on the ocean and our rivers, in the swamps of Louisiana and Mississippi and Carolina--the mountains of Virginia and Tennessee. No matter how lurid the flame nor how deadly the moment, the boys in blue still carried it until it waved in triumph over the capital of every State, the grave of every dead hero, and threw its cheering gleam through the bars of every prison, until Libby and Andersonville threw off their gloom and ended their horrors. HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 143 "And to-day beyond danger, triumphant over all enemies, it waves above us in peace, and those that fought for it as well as those who fought against it, together celebrate the Centennial year of the existence of the Nation it represents. And that commemoration is not as of enemies having opposing interests and hostile purposes, but as friends in a common country, under a common flag, having a common interest and common purpose for all coming time. Yes, all are brethren now ; those that fought for it and those that fought against it. No ill-starred traitor can ever divide us again ; and for the future we share together the fortunes of a common country. Not admiring their cause, but conscious of the fact that braver men never lived—not remembering in vengeance the errors of the past, but looking only to the future ; we the victors take the hand of the vanquished and from our hearts say, we are rivals now only as one people looking to the good of one country." Altogether, it was a " big day," and many a man tottering in his old age, as well as the youthful and vigorous in his prime, will treasure its recollections as one of the eventful incidents of our local history ; the little boy, big-eyed in wonder, and perfectly overcome with what he saw and felt, will make this day and this celebration the starting point in the misty memories of future life, and measure his recollections from this milestone. Jackson township claims a delegation of sixteen hundred. Other townships had large delegations ; none however equal to Jackson. The crowd was estimated at from eight to ten thousand. The day closed in Somerset by a brilliant display of fire works, and the ascension of thirty-eight balloons, representing the several States—with the firing of cannon, the explosion of rockets, the bursting of fire crackers, with din and clang, and clatter and confusion. And so it should. The pageant to-day was no idle show ; the explosion of cannon and crackers not an empty noise ; the flaming rockets spangling the heavens with stars and streams of light, not an empty, transient glory. It is the voice, the spirit, the inspiration of '76, running down through the ages. And when the Fourth of July again comes, let recurring celebrations be made with the same spirit as has crowded the demonstration of to-day with such sacred recollections, and crowned it with such magnificent success. CELEBRATION AT NEW LEXINGTON.—On the evening of the 3d of July, the " universal small boy," whose normal and original home appears to be New Lexington, with several townships to hear from, seemed, determined to begin the celebration early, and with whoops and yells, and something less than a million fire crackers, it was plain that the coming events of the morrow were casting their shadows before. At midnight pandemonium, duly modified for the occasion, of course, broke forth in uncontrollable fury. All the bells in the city were rung, the cannon blazed and pealed away, jarring the houses, windows and nerves of people, nobody could sleep, and the pavements and streets were alive with people. The universal small boy aforesaid, unsuppressed and irrepressible, was in all his glory, and gravely impressed with the idea that the future destiny of this country was resting, or soon would rest, 144 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY on his shoulders, was indifferent as to whether his suspenders were off or on When the noise of the shrieks, and shouts, and yells would subside, as they occasionally did, the concert of the city bells was very fine, in-inspiring, and quite endurable, not to say musical and harmonious. The morning of the Fourth came bright, clear and joyous. The city was gaily decorated, and banners and flags waved and flapped in every breeze. Early in the morning, people began to flow into the city from all directions, on foot, on horseback, in wagons, in carriages, buggies, and, a little later in the day, by the railroads. By ten o'clock the town was overflowing with people. A little before ten the procession was organized at the public square, under the direction of General J. H. Kelly, Chief Marshal of the day. The procession was formed in the following order : First, Ewing Guards ; second, soldiers of the war with Mexico, and of the war of 1861 ; third, the New Lexington Lodge of the I. 0. 0. F ; fourth, citizens on foot, on horseback, and in carriages and other vehicles. The procession, preceded by the Roseville Cornet Wand and the New Lexington Military Band, moved southward as far as the intersection of Main by Mill street. Here it countermarched and proceeded northwardly on Main street. The pavements on either side, and the court house yard, were lined with people, and from windows, balconies, and the front yards on the line of march, women and children looked and gazed upon the inspiring scene. The Catholic Church was very handsomely And appropriately decorated, and the morning services of High Mass had just concluded ; and, as the head of the procession passed the church building, the choir appeared in the front yard, singing in a highly creditable manner, the song of " The Star Spangled Banner," and continuing to sing as the procession moved by. It moved on northward, crossed the iron bridge, and halted at Monument Space, near Broadway, where the inaugurating ceremonies took place.. The battle-scarred and riddled flags, which had been borne in the procession by veterans, were deposited on the terrace of the monument, and saluted by the military. A brief and appropriate address was then made by Wm. A. Hale of Lancaster, after which the following letter was read by General J. H. Kelly, from General Hugh Ewing, the first commander of the Thirtieth Ohio : "LANCASTER, O., July 2, 1876. " COLONEL JAMES TAYLOR.—I sincerely regret to say that an attack of inflammatory rheumatism, under which I am suffering, will render it impossible for me to accept the invitation of your committee. " I beg you to present them my acknowledgments for the honor of the invitation, and through them to present to our old comrades, who assemble to do honor to our immortal dead, my profound and heartfelt sympathy. Truly your friend, HUGH EWING." L. J. Burgess, of New Lexington, then made some brief and appropriate remarks. Major John W. Free, of New Lexington, who had been selected to HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 145 give a history of the flags that adorned the terrace of the monument, spoke as follows : "Soldiers and Fellow Citizens—I have a duty to perform in presenting to you these tattered flags, with a short history of each, which I almost feel incompetent to do, for the past is so full of recollections that it crowds my memory, and almost chokes my utterance. This is an occasion of the inauguration of this Monument to the memory of the dead of the Thirtieth Ohio. We have thought it appropriate to bring together the flags of the different Regiments that have at one time or another, done duty in the same Division, Corps, or Department of the army, during the war for the Union. General Hugh Ewing, who wrote the letter just read in your hearing, was the first Colonel of the Thirtieth:to 'which this tattered flag belonged. For want of time I shall not attempt to name the battles through which this flag has gone, for it is history well known to you all. Several color-bearers fell dead carrying it to _victory. At Antietam these colors were badly torn with bullets. Two color-bearers fell here—Sergeant White fell never to rise again, and immediately Sergeant Carter grasped the flag staff so firmly in his death agony that it could with difficulty be taken from his hands. To men as equally as brave as these this monument is erected to their memory. This regiment did duty in the army of the Potomac and in the Western army ; joined in the march to the sea, came through Richmond, was at the grand review at Washington, and what was left of these brave men returned to their homes. Some maimed, some diseased, and others robust and ready to do or die for the old flag. "Next in order is the flag of the Thirty-First. Under this old flag I had the honor to serve. Eleven bullets struck this staff, many through its folds. Five color-bearers were killed and several severely wounded. This regiment did service in the Western army, joined in the march to the sea, was at the grand review at Washington, and soon thereafter discharged. "Next is the Sixty-First. This regiment, like the Thirtieth Ohio, did duty in both the Eastern and Western armies ; joined in the march to the sea, and soon thereafter was discharged. The brave Colonel of this regiment, Stephen J. McGroarty, had twenty-seven wounds upon his body received in battle, and died some two years ago on account of the same. This flag has been in some twenty battles; regiment fought three days at Gettysburg and five days in the             wilderness, and it is a befitting emblem to be present at the inauguration of this beautiful monument. "Next is the Sixty-Second. The gallant Colonel of this regiment, F. B. Pond, who came home like many of his men, all covered with wounds, was the right man to lead the brave boys who carried this flag to victory. This regiment, unlike the others spoken of, did duty in the Eastern army only. Its tattered flag and spliced staff speaks louder than words of the awful carnage it has passed through. Several color-bearers fell carrying it on to victory. This old flag was in the assault on Fort Wagner, July 18th, 1863, and many gallant boys went down and now sleep in unknown graves. "Next is the Hundred and Twenty-Sixth. This flag has been in many engagements ; its history is written, and you all can read. It is - 19 - 146 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY. enough when I tell you that during the term of service of the Hundred and Twenty-Sixth it lost nineteen officers and 490 men killed and wounded. The flags of the Ninetieth and Hundred and Fourteenth Ohio were expected here to-day, but had been engaged for other places which we all regretted. In sending our invitations to the soldiers of the different wars for our union, no invitation was given to the soldiers of the Revolution, for we knew they had all passed away ; but we invited the soldiers of the war of 1812 and of the Mexican war ; and I know of but two soldiers of the war of 1812 yet living in our county—Henry Hazleton, sen., of Salt-lick, and John J. Jackson, of Reading, father of Lyman J. Jackson, of New Lexington—and they are too aged and feeble to leave their homes. And I see here to-day but three soldiers of the Mexican war, Captain Ralph Spencer, Hugh McGonagle and Frederick Hoffman, and they also are fast passing from among us." After the history of the flags, Colonel Wm. H. Free, of New Lexington, came forward and made an appropriate and eloquent little speech, as follows : "Comrades and Fellow Citizens—When I first looked on these tattered, torn and riddled banners, this morning, I could not refrain from tears; for many who followed them from the Ohio and the Potomac to the Gulf and the Atlantic, through smoke and fire and blood, now sleep in honored, but unmarked graves, on the fields where they fell, and in the fence corners, on the hills, and in the Valleys of Virginia, Kentucky Tennessee, Mississippi and the Corolinas, as well as on the shores of the Gulf and the ocean ; but still, thank God, under the old flag, and within the sacred domain of our free and united Republic. And here, to-day, I thank God that this nation, aye, and this county, had so many brave and true men who were willing to die ; so many, whose deaths were not merely the spilling of so much blood ; but whose memories are esteemed worthy of this memorial shaft ; (combining the holy emblems of Religion and Liberty,) whose names will be remembered everywhere, in hamlet, village and city, so long as memory shall perform her office—so long as this polished marble shall last, or time endure." Upon the conclusion of the ceremonies at the Monument, the procession re-formed and moved up Broadway, to near Arnold's Mill ;then crossed the bridge over Rushcreek, and marched into the beautiful grove belonging to Robert E. Huston. Arriving at the stand in the grove, the first thing was the reading of the Declaration of Independence, which was admirably done, by Prof. H. F. Acker, of New Lexington. After the reading of the Declaration, came the regular Oration of the day, by Wm. A. Hale, of Lancaster. This was a masterly effort, of over an hour in length. Mr. H. is only twenty-nine years of age, but is one of the finest and most accomplished orators in the State. He traced the history of the country throughout, and commented forcibly, eloquently and grandly, upon the most important events of our national history. Mr. Hale was also a soldier, a member of the Eightith O. V. I. Now came the recess and general picnic dinner. Families, acquaintances and groups organized throughout the grove, and did ample justice to the many good things prepared by the ladies at home. HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 147 After recess and dinner, the first thing in order was the Historical Address, by James Taylor, of New Lexington. Mr. Taylor had not proceeded far until the rain began to fall, and he asked to be excused from the further reading of his speech, as it was quite lengthy, and would appear in full in the newspapers. The assemblage was widely scattered by the heavy shower of rain, but when it was over, undaunted, the hundreds and thousands reassembled in the neighborhood of the stand, and again were called to order, and the reading of the responses to toasts was the order of the day. Of all this order of business, by some mishap or other, we are furnished only the following : Toast—"Thirteen Colonies (response by E. H. Heagler)—Virginia, Massachusetts, Rode Island, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Delaware, Connecticut. "Muster Roll of an infant Republic ; waked by the reveille of Liberty in the grey light of the morning of the first century." "Patriot battalion, stepping to pulsations of hearts quickened by Him whose presence giveth liberty." "A constellation in the Zodiac of God's works, lingering till the Prince of Peace loves the nations into one. He reigns over all blessed." Other toasts were read and responses given, but they were probably lost or demoralized in the heavy shower of rain that followed. At any rate, they have not been furnished us, and we of course can not give them. While the toast and response business was in full progress, there came up the heaviest shower of the day ; the assemblage reluctantly broke irp, the vehicles began to move hurriedly and in long lines out of the woods, and the vast assembly poured over and in upon the city, filling private houses, stores, shops, offices and public buildings. But all were jolly, and kept in the best humor and plight possible, and gradually, quietly and orderly, after the rain was over, the people from the country set out for their respective homes. The night of the Fourth Was beautiful and serene, but warm and sultry. Soon after dark, there was a fine exhibition of fire works at the public square, and rockets and balloons were sent up. The streets and pavements were alive with people ; and there was great danger of accident, but happily none occurred. One great attraction of the Centennial Fourth at New Lexington, was the bullet-scared staffs, and the tattered flags of the 30th, 31st, 61st, 62d and 126th 0. V. I. The veterans and men and women did not design to weep, but as they gazed upon the emblems of country and death, the tears came unbidden, and the emotion, with many, was uncontrollable. These mute messengers awakened or revived many a sad thought, and retouched the wounded and stricken hearts of hundreds upon hundreds of people. Orphans, little children when made so, now young men and women ; and fathers and mothers who had laid their darling sons upon the altar of their country, crowded around, and with tear dimmed eyes, intently gazed upon the historical banners, which the loved and lost had bravely followed to victory or death. The number present has been variously estimated at from five to ten thousand, and we cannot, of course, decide even if we wished to, as to 148 - HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY. the number of people present. It was a grand and memorable time, and so let it be recorded, and so let it pass down, to be read and pondered by the generations which are to come after us. CELEBRATION AT SHAWNEE.- The Odd Fellows of Shawnee and citizens of the place celebrated their Fourth by a picnic in a grove one-half mile north west of that village. Prayer was offered by I: ()hoist Weedy, the Declaration of Independence was read by William I )a v, Mayor of Shawnee, and an address was delivered by Dr. R. B. Wood ward, of Somerset, which was listened to very attentively. National airs were sung by the Welsh choir ; and also music by an excellent string band. The occasion passed off very pleasantly, agreeably and orderly, till about 2 o'clock, when a very violent rain and storm drove the crowd from the grove. CELEBRATION AT NEW STRAITSVILLE.—The celebration at Straitsville on the Fourth was a grand success. The Hibernians and Odd Fellows, in uniform, with full regalia, formed in procession, and made a splendid display. The day passed oil pleasantly, and everybody had a good time. HISTORY OF PERRY COUNTY - 149 CHAPTER XVIII. CYCLONES AND FLOODS. CYCLONES, OR WIND STORMS.—Different parts of the county have, at one time or another, been visited with wind storms of greater or less severity ; but two were of such exceptional character and violence as to merit special mention. They are known as the storms of 1832 and 1845. It is a common saying that lightning does not strike twice in the same place, and hurricanes or cyclones scarcely ever do ; but those of 1832 and 1845 did, and the centers of these storms, where the destruction was greatest and the violence of the contending elements the most fearful, were only about two miles distant from each other. The cyclone of 1845 seemed to reach its greatest violence at a point about one mile east of Rehoboth, and the storm of 1832 at a point some two and a half miles southeast of the same village. There are differences of opinion about the direction from which the cyclone of 1832 came ; some claiming that it came from the south, and others that it came from the west or northwest, Such storms usually come from north of west ; but the one of 1832 may have been an exception. This hurricane unroofed buildings, blew fences where they were never found, and converted heavily wooded forests into labyrinths of broken, twisted, and slivered timber and brush. This "fallen timber" district, along the head waters of Bear Run, subsequently became the home and hiding place of large numbers of rabbits, and though most, if not all, of the tangled timber has been cleared away, Bear Run is noted as a rabbit hunting ground until the present day. At the time the cyclone came up, a circus show was exhibiting at Rehoboth. The wind broke the center pole and blew over the canvas, creating a panic among showmen and spectators. No houses were blown down, though many were unroofed, and many families living in the, line of the storm took refuge in their cellars or other supposed places of safety. This storm, in its greatest severity, was confined to small portions of Pike, Clayton, Bearfield and Harrison townships. The storm of 1845 indisputably came from the northwest. Persons standing a little out of its line describe it as having a grand, majestic, and yet frightful appearance. Dark, murky clouds were rolled, whirled, tossed and driven in every direction, whilst the body of the great mass moved swiftly and and steadily forward. The cyclone had its origin only three or four miles west of Rehoboth ; and it spent its force three or four miles east of that village. Several houses were unroofed in Rehoboth, and many others to the eastward. The dwelling, a large log house, of Benjamin Banks, situated one-half mile north of Rehoboth, was blown so that scarcely one log was left upon another ; the household goods scattered in every direction, and some of the articles were never found. Strange to say, the inmates of the house all escaped with