HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 175 take shelter from the responsibilities of his wrong acts, under the king's name.' " Days after the case had been won Scott took Douglas to task for misquotation or mistranslation. Douglas denied that he had so translated it,. and insisted that he had only informed the court of the very peculiar metallic formation of the tails of Kincaid's dogs! Mr. Douglas' physical form was almost as peculiar as his mental structure. His appearance was strongly suggestive of the traditional "Santa Claus." He was short in stature, and like Kris Kringle, "His plump round belly Shook when he laughed like a bowl full of jelly." His legs were slight and thin in proportion to his upper body, and when in a brown study he had a sliding, irregular and uncertain gait; as if, thinking of quips, crotchets and oddities, his thoughts governed the movement of his legs. His hair, in his later days, was thin, especially in front, and gray. His eyes were gray, small, and deep set in his fleshy face ; and always twinkled with merriment. His brow and upper head were large—well arched and suggestive of intellect. He died in February, 1852. Besides those already mentioned as prominent in the upbuilding of the bench and bar, there are several leading lawyers of the pioneer period, especially those who have been prosecuting attorneys of Ross County, whose sketches are grouped at this point. LEVIN BELT Levin Belt was in practice as a lawyer at the organization of the Territorial Court. He was born in England in 1798, but the date of his birth we have not been able to ascertain. Mr. Belt was first prosecutor for the state, within this county, when prosecuting attorneys were appointed by the court, and paid by order of the court for each term's work, in sums ranging from $15 to $50 ; which, we believe, were the minimum and maximum compensations for a term's labor, for a period of more than fifteen years. In June, 1804, he succeeded Wyllys Silliman in the office of president judge of Common Pleas. In the following March he was superseded by Robert F. Slaughter ; but was again installed as such in April, 1807, and continued to hold the place until the close of the year 1809. While it appears that Belt was a reasonably goad and satisfactory judge of Common Pleas, it seems that he failed as a prac- 176 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY titioner at the bar. And this is not an uncommon fact in the history of the profession. From the bench he descended almost immediately into the mayoralty of the, then, very small Town of Chillicothe, with which office he combined that of justice of the peace ; and mayor and justice he continued to be for a long series of years. One story of his construction of statutes, while justice, we must preserve. The Legislature had, for some inscrutable reason, enacted a law forbidding licensed attorneys from "appearing before justices of the peace." Soon afterwards Richard Douglas appeared before 'Squire Belt in behalf of a client and rose to argue a motion to dismiss the case. "Dick ! Dick !" exclaimed the 'Squire, " don't you know the law ? You mustn't appear before me! Get behind me, Dick, and make your speech !" which order, says the story, Douglas complied with promptly, and went on with his argument. In physique Mr. Belt was very tall, broad-shouldered, muscular, without surplus flesh, dark brown hair, sprinkled only with gray, even when advanced in life, gray eyes and somewhat ruddy complexion ; a tout ensemble which, in the days of his mayoralty, especially, gave great emphasis to his judgments upon, and orders to, the petty malefactors brought before him. We have been amused while pursuing our inquiries about him among our older citizens, to notice the awe yet retained with which he inspired those who, as boys, were brought before him for such crimes as violating "the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday," by fishing, bathing or playing ball. Old George Huffman had been one of these juvenile unfortunates, and when we asked him if Belt was not a large man, Huffman exclaimed : "Large? Why he looked big as a meeting-house !" Judge Belt removed from Chillicothe to Washington City, about the year 1828, and died there a few years later. JOHN THOMPSON John Thompson came from Chambersburgh, Pennsylvania, to Chillicothe in 1806, and entered, upon the practice of law with energy and considerable success. He succeeded Levin Belt in the president judgeship of Common Pleas, in 1810, and held that office until the close of the November term, 1823. Within this period a number of interesting cases were tried before him, including the exciting United States Bank tax case, and the trial of the Mounts for murder. Judge Thompson is represented to have been a lawyer of acute, but narrow, mind ; firm to stubborness ; of considerable reading and much readiness in the application of his learning; much influ- HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 177 enced by his likes and dislikes; but, withal, of good morals—"a sanctimonious, religious Presbyterian," says one who knew him well—"and strictly temperate." In the last characteristic he was almost unique among the lawyers of his day. The bilious diseases to which this locality has always been subject in the past, assumed, in 1821-23, such intensity that by many it was thought that veritable yellow fever prevailed. Many cases were fatal. Judge Thompson had a large family at that time and became quite nervous in his apprehensions of the appearance of the yellow fever in his own household. Being a judge, of course he formed a theory upon the subject of his fears. All Common Pleas judges have theories upon all possible subjects. This particular theory of Thompson's was that ammonia destroyed the germs of the. fever-producing miasma. Therefore he seriously proposed to remove his whole family to, and live in a tavern stable, among the horses during the sickly season ! Vigorous protests from Mrs. Thompson resulted in a compromise, however, by which the family was allowed to remain in the mansion, but were all required to spend an hour each morning standing upon the manure pile, and inhaling the ammoniacal fumes that arose from it. Soon after leaving the bench Judge Thompson removed to Louisiana, just south of Port Adams, Mississippi, where he purchased a plantation and a few negroes. There he spent the brief remainder of his life, and died in 1832 or 1833. JOSEPH SILL Joseph Sill was born in Granville, New York, in 1784. He graduated from Middlebury College; Vermont, and entered upon the study of the law, graduating from the Philadelphia Law School. He came to Chillicothe in 1810, and, after the completion of one year's residence in Ohio, began the practice of law, which he continued here for half a century, although he survived a number of years after having relinquished his business. Mr. Sill was an accomplished scholar. He ranked second to B. G. Leonard, of all the men who had practiced at this bar, in his attainments in history, mathematics and the classics; although in law learning a number have equalled and some excelled him. It was his habit, throughout his very long life, to review daily some parts of his Latin and Greek literature, and work out some of the propositions of higher mathematics. A marked deficiency in Mr. Sill's "make-up" was his want of confidence in his own powers. He would scarcely ever try a case until forced to do so ; and then would seek the assistance of other lawyers much inferior to himself in learning and ability. His Vol. I-12 178 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY conversation was often strikingly brilliant with genuine wit, and his frankness in the expression of his opinions was in marked contrast with his timidity in his practice in the courts. He was elected to the Legislature in 1818, and in January, 1819, offered a series of resolutions, which were adopted by the General Assembly, and were the real initiative of the system of canals, afterwards constructed in Ohio. He was an enthusiastic whig in politics, and a zealous republican and Union man after the whig party became disorganized; but, we believe, he never sought political preferment from either party. MI Sill served two terms as prosecuting attorney, commencing 1819 and 1829, respectively. Mr. Sill lived to the very great age of ninety-one ; and died November 25, 1875. He was rather under medium size and weight. He had regular and pleasant features and a mild expression. His eyes were dark hazel in color, and he had a curious habit of closing them when talking to any person. His hair was originally very dark and when it began to grow gray, Mr. Sill began to dye it. This dyeing he kept up for the remainder of his life, and sometimes with ill success. But he was an excellent and honest man; and a good, though rather a timid lawyer. CHARLES W. GILMORE Charles Ward Gilmore, second son of William Y. Gilmore, was born in Chillicothe on the 3d day of April, 1827. He graduated from Miami University (where he was class-mate of Oliver P. Morton and George E. Pugh) in 1846, and read law in the office of Scott & Caldwell. He was admitted to practice in 1849. He was elected prosecuting attorney in 1856, and held that office for twelve years thereafter by successive elections, and it is generally conceded that he was the best and most successful prosecutor the county ever had. He was also city solicitor several terms. He died suddenly of apoplexy on the night of October 31, 1873, within an hour of the close of a trial in Common Pleas in which he was counsel. At the bar meeting, held upon the occasion of his death, Judge Keith said, "in philology, belles letters, and general reading he was head and shoulders above us all. In some departments of knowledge I felt like a child alongside of him. He had a fine, clear, and discriminating mind, and was remarkably well up in the science of law. In criminal law he was very superior." Judge Thaddeus A. Minshall said that he "could bear testimony to the high order of Mr. Gilmore's intellect. He was, indeed, a ripe scholar, and of most cultivated taste, and in these respects was far superior to any member of this bar." HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 179 JOSEPH MILLER Joseph Miller was born in Chillicothe in September, 1819, and was admitted to the bar in 1841. He was prosecuting attorney in 1845-46, and as such prosecuted Henry Thomas for the murder of Frederick Edwards. In 1856 he was elected by the democratic party to represent this district in the Thirty-fifth Congress, and to this day has been the only man born in Ross County who ever represented a district of which Ross County formed a part, in the Congress of the United States. During his term the contest for and against the extension of slavery into Kansas and Nebraska was raging. Miller voted with the South on this subject, and as a considerable number of his party had, by this time, become heartily tired of pro-slavery pretension and arrogance, his re-election became obviously impossible. But after he had been defeated President Buchanan, in March, 1850, appointed him chief justice of Nebraska Territory. In 1861 his successor was appointed by President Lincoln, and Mr. Miller returned to Ohio in very bad health, and died May 27, 1862. THADDEUS A. MINSHALL Thaddeus A. Minshall, whose death occurred the 22d day of November, 1908, was one of the leading practitioners at Chillicothe and in Ross County. He served as prosecuting attorney in 1865-66, after making a fine Civil war record as captain of the Thirty-third Ohio Infantry, and after serving as judge of the Court of Common Pleas, from 1876 to 1882, rounded out his professional career in substantial forth as judge of the Supreme Court of Ohio for three terms. He served there with great distinction and his opinions while judge are considered by lawyers as admirable expositions of the principles of law there invoked. Judge Minshall was a native of Colerain Township, born in 1834, and was admitted to the bar in April, 1861. CHAPTER VIII ROSS COUNTY IN WAR PIONEER OHIO SOLDIERS ALWAYS PREPARED-THE WAR OF 1812—NO PARLOR SOLDIERS - OLD CAMP BULL-FOUR DESERTERS SHOT AT CAMP-INNOCENT YOUTH SHOT AS DESERTER-LADIES PRESENT MAJOR CROGHAN WITH SWORD-ROSTER OF OFFICERS AND PRIVATES-THE STATE MILITIA-THE CHILLICOTHE INDEPENDENT BLUES-THE GERMAN GRENADIER GUARDS-LOOKED DOWN ON " CORN STALK MILITIA''-MILITARY GATHERING OF 1844 TROOPS FOR THE MEXICAN WAR-THE CHILLICOTHE GREYS-THE CIVIL WAR-FIRST EVENTS IN ROSS COUNTY-PUT UP THE FLAG-COLORED TROOPS-THE MORGAN RAID-BURNING THE BRIDGE—THE FIGHTING SEVENTY-THIRD-RECEPTION TO THE SIXTY-THIRD AND THE SEVENTY-THIRD-THE SEVENTY-THIRD IN THE FIELD-SEVENTY-THIRD REGIMENT OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY-GEN. SAMUEL H. HURST—THE SIXTY-THIRD OHIO INFANTRY-COMPANY B, TWENTY-SIXTH INFANTRY-COMPANY H, THIRTY-THIRD-GEN. JOSHUA W. SILL-THE GERMAN COMPANY E, THIRTY-SEVENTH-MANY WERE PRISONERS OF WAR-ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-NINTH REGIMENT, OHIO NATIONAL GUARD-THE COLORED TROOPS-OTHER COMMANDS FROM ROSS COUNTY-PART IN THE SPANISH- AMERICAN WAR-WATCHFUL WAITING IN CAMP-OTHER CITIZEN SOLDIERS-IN THE PHILIPPINES-KILLED IN THE SERVICE-THE HOME RELIEF-COMPANY H, OHIO NATIONAL GUARD-MISCELLANEOUS CHILLICOTHE COMPANIES-A. L. BROWN POST NO. 162, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC. The founders of Chillicothe and the pioneers of Ross County were a sturdy lot of men, massive in body and mind and of that type which, both from frontier circumstances and natural temperament, was eminently military. Massie, McArthur and McDonald, the adventuresome trio, were frontiersmen and founders of cities by instinct, education and experience ; Finley, Tiffin and Worthington, of more dignified and scholarly material, but equally brave and independent, were bold soldiers of the cross, of human freedom and advanced civil government. The times in which these men, with their followers, lived and fought to establish civilization in - 180 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 181 the Scioto Valley, were midway between the Revolutionary war and the War of 1812, and the ardor and pride of one conflict had not yet abated before a renewed martial spirit was aroused over the prospect of a second clash with the mother country. PIONEER OHIO SOLDIERS ALWAYS PREPARED The Ohio State Militia was largely composed of the descendants of Revolutionary soldiers, who had been hardened in pioneer life and border warfare. Whether fighting against the British regular, or such mighty Indian chiefs as Tecumseh and Pontiac, the troops of Southern Ohio were always prepared to take an active part. Fortunately the files of the Scioto Gazette are still accessible, and yield rich material connecting Chillicothe and Ross County with the prosecution of the four wars in which the United States has become involved since the settlement of the territory northwest of the Ohio River. Among the early settlers of this region were many old soldiers of the Revolution. Their sons became the soldiers of 1812. Their grandsons fought in Mexico, and their later descendants helped fill the ranks in '61 and still later in the Spanish-American war. The military spirit has always existed in Ross County ; the old "corn-stalk" militia, of course, was in the county as directed by the law ; but there have always been well-organized military companies, uniformed, armed and drilled, many of them at their own expense. The Chillicothe Independent Blues can be traced back to a time before the '20s, with their high hoots, tight trousers, long-tailed blue coat, white cross-belts and tall shako, with its towering plume. Contemporaneous with them were the Chillicothe Light Artillery and the Chillicothe Dragoons. Later came the City Guards, the Washington Guards and the German Grenadiers, with the Chillicothe Greys. After the great struggle of 1861-65, came the Sill Guards and the Campbell Light Guards. Then came Company H, Seventeenth Ohio Regiment, now the Fourth Ohio National Guard. THE WAR OF 1812 As far back as 1801, there can be read in the columns of the Gazette, articles which foretold the struggle with England, stories of wrongful impressment of American seamen, recountings of various high-handed proceedings on the part of Britain. Then, after ten-years, came the war. The people of Ross County were eager for it and anxious to have an opportunity to take some part in it. Their first chance came early in 1812 when General Hull 182 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY asked Governor Meigs to furnish a guard to protect a packtrain loaded with flour on its way from Urbana to Detroit. The seat of the Government was then in Chillicothe and so the governor's call was heard there first. There was no need to ask elsewhere for volunteers; seventy of the best citizens of the place promptly offered their services. They needed no uniforms; their ordinary costumes would do to fight in, and every man owned rifle or fusee. The call came on Sunday. At 5 o'clock Monday morning the volunteers started on their long march, with Henry Brush, captain; William Beach, lieutenant, and John Stockton, ensign. On April 20, 1812, a meeting was held on the Pickaway Plains to enlist volunteers, called by Col. James Denny. The first man to step forward was Maj. Joseph Campbell, an old soldier of the Revolution. Then came Maj. John Boggs and Richard Douglas. Duncan McArthur, who was major general of militia, announced briefly and decidedly that if he could not go as an officer he was determined to "shoulder his firelock and march in the ranks." John Boggs, a major of militia, hurried to get in as a private. Richard Douglas advertised : "I have turned out to be a volunteer, and shall be absent from my home as long as my country has anything to do of which I am capable of doing," which may be faulty grammar but was sound patriotism. Within two weeks came orders for the organization of a regiment. Duncan McArthur was made lieutenant colonel commanding ; James Denny was first major ; William Trimble, second major ; Henry Brush, who had got back from Detroit, was a captain, as was Samuel Finley. William Keys gave up keeping tavern to raise a company, and the town was stripped of men. The Ross County troops, under McArthur, marched to Detroit, and part of them were included in Hull's surrender. It was openly said at the time, that, if McArthur, instead of being second in command, had been at the head, this surrender would never have taken place. On his return home General McArthur was elected to Congress, but when he was exchanged, in 1813, he hastened to resign his seat in that body in order to take an active part in the war. Being promoted to be brigadier general, in charge of the operations in the Northwest, he called fcr volunteers. Eight thousand Ohioans responded as fast as they could assemble, most of them from the Scioto Valley. So many men left this county that the women worked in the fields and attended to business. In this war, the Indians of the Northwest played a part on both sides, being mostly employed as guides and scouts by American generals. There were not many Indians left in Ohio at that date, the records showing their strength, men, women and children, as follows : Ottaways, 550; Wyandottes, 300; Senecas, 250 ; Muncies and Delawares, 200; Shawnees, 700. Some of these were with HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 183 McArthur and were of great help. The old militia who responded to the call to arms, did not wait for uniforms, but went in broadcloth, homespun or buckskin, as the case might be. Each private had a musket, fusee or rifle, a knapsack and blanket, two square flints, and a pouch with twenty-four cartridges, or twenty-four rifle-balls, and a quarter of a pound of powder. The field officers carried pistols, hanger or "espontoon" or half-pike. NO PARLOR SOLDIERS Chillicothe and Ross County troops were with McArthur after he assumed command of the Northwest, and were with him when he made his dashing and successful expedition into Canada. What their conduct was is told by the following extract from a report of General McArthur : "The patriotic volunteers under my command have just claims on the gratitude of their country when it is recollected that they tendered their services with no other assurance than the approbation which always attends disinterested sacrifices; that they have performed much severe duty at an inclement season, through an extensive and swampy district, frequently intersected with deep and rapid rivers; that they have penetrated two hundred miles into the enemy's territory, destroyed two hundred stand of arms together with five of their most valuable mills; captured or dispersed the efficient militia of Upper Canada, and the whole detachment has returned in safety to their place with the exception of one killed. "The ardor which the troops always evinced when they expected to meet the enemy was not more conspicuous or praiseworthy than the cheerfulness with which they conformed to the rules of military propriety." General McArthur and the troops from Chillicothe remained in the service until the cessation of hostilities. On their return they were tendered a public dinner and were received with enthusiasm. As the war progressed, the columns of the Gazette were filled with news of it. It seems like a page of the past brought to life to read the "LATEST !"—that Perry has defeated the British fleet on Lake Erie ; to see the reports of the return of the saucy privateers, each with captured British ships ; to see the headlines " HAIL COLUMBIA ! ANOTHER SPLENDID NAVAL VICTORY ! The CONSTITUTION Captures the CYANE and the LEVANT !" Then, under the heading, " GREAT NEWS!" comes this : "With heart-felt gratitude to the Almighty Disposer of Events, we have the satisfaction of announcing to our readers the highly gratifying intelligence of the total destruction of the British army in a grand attack which they made on our lines near New Orleans, on the morning of the 8th 184 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY ult." The "8th ult." was the 8th of January, and the news was printed in the issue of February 2, 1815. During the war a Mons. DuSouchet opened a fencing school at Chillicothe for the teaching, not only of fencing, but of "military tactics and the proper training of officers." He did not keep it long, for most of the men were learning these things in a sterner school. In 1813 Nathaniel Massie, with two Indians, made the perilous trip through the woods and through the British lines to convey news of coming relief to beleaguered Fort Meigs. OLD CAMP BULL During the War of 1812 the United States troops were quartered in a doubled hewed log building, of goodly proportions called Camp Bull, standing on the northwest corner of Second and Walnut streets, Chillicothe. This building was known as the barracks, and in it the volunteers from this section of the state were drilled and otherwise "fitted for the fray." The soldiers of the Mexican war rendezvoused in tents erected in the courthouse square, and during the War of the Rebellion camps of rendezvous were established at Chillicothe and Hillsborough. A large number of British prisoners, amounting to several hundred, were at one time during the War of 1812, confined in Camp Bull. On one occasion, a conspiracy was formed between the soldiers and their officers who were confined in jail. The plan was for the privates in camp to disarm their guard, proceed to the jail, release the officers, burn the town and escape to Canada. The conspiracy was disclosed by two senior British officers, upon which, as a measure of security, the officers were sent to the penitentiary in Frankfort, Kentucky. FOUR DESERTERS SHOT AT CAMP The ceremony was impressive and horrible. The soldiers were all marched out under arms with music playing, to witness the death of their comrades, and arranged in one long extended line in front of the camp, facing the river. Close by the river bank at considerable distance apart, the deserters were placed, dressed in full uniform, with their coats buttoned up and caps drawn over their faces. They were confined to stakes in a kneeling position behind their coffins, painted black, which came up to their waists, exposing the upper part of their persons to the fire of their fellow-soldiers. Two sections of six men each were marched before each of the doomed. Signals were given by an officer instead of words of command, so that the unhappy men should not be apprised of HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 185 the moment of their death. At a given signal, the first sections raised their muskets and poured the the fatal volleys into the breasts of their comrades. Three of the four dropped dead in an instant; but the fourth sprang up with great force and gave a scream of agony. The reserve sections stationed before him were ordered to their places and another volley completely riddled his bosom. The bodies of the deserters were placed in rough coffins made of poplar, and stained with lamp-black, and buried on the river margin. After a lapse of years the freshets, washing away the earth, exposed their remains, and they were subsequently reinterred in a mound in the vicinity. INNOCENT YOUTH SHOT AS DESERTER On another occasion, an execution took place at the same spot, under most melancholy circumstances. It was that of a mere youth of nineteen, the son of a widow. In a frolic he had wandered several miles from camp, and was on his return when he stopped at an inn by the wayside. The landlord, a fiend in human shape, apprised of the reward of $50 offered for the apprehension of deserters, persuaded him to remain over night, and offered to take him into camp in the morning, at which, he stated, he had business. The youth, unsuspicious of anything wrong, accepted the offer made with so much apparent kindness, but on his arrival the next day with the landlord he was surrendered as a deserter. His captor swore falsely as to the facts, and obtained the reward. The court-martial, ignorant of the circumstances, condemned him to death, and it was not until after he was shot that his innocence was known. LADIES PRESENT MAJOR CROGHAN WITH SWORD In this war the Scioto Valley at one time was largely depopulated of its able-bodied men, who, on the opening of hostilties, rushed to the defence of the northern frontier. The ladies, as usual, assisted in various ways, so When Major Croghan, the youthful hero of Fort Stephenson, had made his gallant defence "under the influence of Divine Providence," as they wrote to him, August 13, 1813, they sent him a sword. On its receipt he handsomely responded. Thirty-seven ladies contributed to the patriotic purchase and signed their names to the letter of presentation. They are annexed for the gratification of their descendants: Mary Finley, Rebecca M. Orr, Elizabeth Creighton, Eleanor Lamb, Nancy Waddle, Eliza Carlisle, Mary A. Southard, Ruhamah Irwin, Jane 186 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY M. Evans, Mary Curtis, Nancy McArthur, Nancy Kerr, Sally McLane, Catharine Fullerton, Ann Creighton, Ann M. Dunn, Margaret Keys, Charlotte James, Esther Doolittle, Susan D. Wheaton, Deborah Ferree, Frances Brush, Elizabeth Martin, Jane Heylan, Lavinia Fulton, Mary Sterret, Susan Walke, Margaret McLandburgh, Margaret McFarland, Eleanor Buchanan, Eleanor Worthington, Catharine Hough, Judith Delano, Margaret Miller, Mary P. Brown, Jane McCoy and Martha Scott. ROSTER OF OFFICERS AND PRIVATES The names of the following soldiers of the Revolution and Indian wars, are from "Putnam's History of Ross County" : Commissioned officers—Colonel Evans, Col. William Collier, Major Harrod, Capt. Philip Wolf, Capt. William McMeahen, Surgeon D. A. Miller, Capt. Wesley McGinnis, Capt. H. Mener, Lieut. John Westhart. Privates—David Carr, Frederick Berkley, Angus Sanford, Henry Somerset, Hugh Little, Michael Beaver, Sr., Isaac Lucas, James McGinnis, Sr., John Vanderman, Frederick Vanderman, Joseph Warnuck, J. Erwin, William Smith, Archy McDonald, Daniel Harr, S. Johnston, Thomas Hanks, Peter Shaner, Sr., David Shotts, Isaac Conner, S. Wroten, Beaming -Wentworth, Reuben Elliott, Robert McCann, Paul Streevey and Stanley Seymore. The following is copied from a pay roll on file in the office of the adjutant general, which shows that the term of service was from July 20 to August 24, 1812: Commissioned officers—Capt.. Henry Brush, Lieut. William Beach, Ensign John Stockton, First Sergt. Willia m Robinson, Sergt. Craighead Ferguson, Sergt. Robert Stockton, Corp. Richard Snider, Corp. Henry May, Corp. James McDougal, Corp. John Buck. Privates—Michael Beyerley, Levi Dougherty, Coleby Chew, Ebenezer Petty, Henry Buchanan, William Bayley, David Johnston, William Davidson, George Rust, Horatio Evans, James Shaver, William Armstrong, Jacob Hurt, Robert Brady, Lewis Davis, Peter Lesiter, Adam E. Hoffman, Samuel McCollister, Robert Holmes, Samuel Willets, Peter Brown, Archibald Stewart, George Smith, Adam Bowers, Thomas Bayley, Duncan McArthur, Joseph Miller, James Huston, John Peebles, Mahlon Fraser, Oliver Simpson, John Mitchell, John Watson, John G. McCann, Lemuel Devault, Edmund Brush, Cadwallader Wallace, Nathan Thompson, John Hoffman, James Cissna, James Mitchell, John Watson, Sr., Samuel Williams, Edward W. Pierce, John S. Langham, Isaac Taylor, John Hall, Stephen Cissna, Francis Desouche, Uriah Barber, Joseph HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 187 Tiffin, Abraham J. Williams, Hugh Andrews and William Creighton, Jr. The following officers and soldiers of this war are found in Putnam's history : Commissioned officers—General McNeary, General Harrod, Gen. James Menary, Col. John McDonald, Col. A. Galer, Col. William Johnston, Col. William Clark, Lieut. Col. M. E. Peterson, Major Calloway, Major Engle, Maj. John Boggs, Maj. Abraham Lewis, Maj. Adam Mallon, Maj. John Willet, Maj. Jacob Meyers, Maj. John Putnam, Chaplain David Jones, Surgeon Samuel McAdow, Capt. John Sample, Capt. Joseph Rockhold, Capt. William Stockton, Capt. Clement Brown, Capt. Daniel Kershner, Capt. John Patterson, Capt. William Keyes, Capt. Jacob Rhinehart, Capt. Philip Mencil, Capt. Abraham Moore, Capt. H. Mallon, Capt. Robert Hoddy, Capt. Zach Taylor, Capt. Daniel Hare, Capt. David Elliott, Capt. James Miner, Lieut. William Clawson, Lieut. Thomas Arthurs, Lieut. George Stanhope. Non-commissioned officers—Sergt. Maj. John Clark, Drum Maj. John Ortman, Corp. John Robinson. THE STATE MILITIA Ross County has experienced the practical value of keeping intact and drilled, as far as possible, a substantial body of militia throughout the periods of our wars with which its soldiery has been identified. In that regard Chillicothe has been unusually prominent, and the boys and men of the town were drilling and organizing even when Ohio was a territory. In 1798-99 there were notices of the assembling of the territorial militia at Marietta, and soon the movement spread to outside points in Ohio. In 1801 Col. Elias Langham and Col. James Dunlap gave notice that there would be no muster that season, owing to the fact that the governor, St. Clair, had not returned from Marietta in time to issue commissions to the officers. Both of the officers named above had been in the Revolution, Colonel Langham having been major in the Continental army from Virginia. A company of corn-stalk militia existed at Chillicothe in 1802, for under date of March 20th of that year appears a notice reading : "All those who belong to the light infantry company are requested to meet at Mr. Amber Meeker's on Saturday, the 27th inst." On August 18, 1802, John McCoy, as clerk, inserted in the Scioto Gazette a notice that "on the second Thursday in September all commissioned and non-commissioned officers of both regiments of militia in Ross county shall meet at the town of Chillicothe- 188 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY rendezvous at 12 o'clock on the commons below the ford, to muster, in order to prepare them as well as possible for their battalion musters—and that they appear with a musket or rifle, with ammunition, and in uniform if possible." THE CHILLICOTHE INDEPENDENT BLUES The Independent Blues began to be known by that name about 1815. About that date also were organized the Light Dragoons and Light Artillery. The Union Hussars came in the late '20s. When the first work was done on the Ohio and Erie Canal, in 1825, the Blues marched to Licking Summit to take part in the exercises. They marched sixty-three strong, under Capt. Edward King and First Lieut. W. H. Skerrett. Their uniform consisted of a blue shako, with a leather visor and tall white plume, square-tailed blue frock coat with brass buttons, white trousers and white cross-belts. They carried flint-lock muskets with bayonets attached. The distance from here to Licking Summit was sixty miles, and the company made the march in three days. They took a prominent part in the ceremonies, and as soon as the first spadeful of earth had been turned by Governor DeWitt Clinton and by the governor of Ohio, the Blues were furnished with spades, and proceeded to go through a drill, throwing dirt in unison, to the great entertainment of the spectators. They were, by all accounts, the finest company there, and probably the finest and most widely known military organization in the West. They made the return march in the same time it took them to go. The Blues furnished a number of officers and men in the War of 1812, or, at least, a number of the soldiers in that war were connected with the Blues, as shown by old papers. The company, newly organized, furnished men for the Mexican war. It did not go as a body, however, but remained at home, and welcomed the returning warriors with a big dinner. THE GERMAN GRENADIER GUARDS One of the most famous of the old militia companies of Chillicothe was the German Grenadier Guards, which was formed in 1837. Their uniform consisted of a high shako, a coat short in front but with long tails behind; tightly fitting trousers, high boots and cross belts. They existed for many years, and their successors were the Washington Guards commanded by Capt. Michael Kirsch, a company which will be well remembered by the older citizens of today. HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 189 LOOKED DOWN ON " CORN STALK MILITIA" These companies, in common with the Chillicothe Independent Blues, the Chillicothe Light Artillery and the Chillicothe Dragoons, looked down upon the ordinary or "corn stalk" militia, and did not associate with them. The companies in this place were fully equipped and well drilled, whereas the ordinary militia was but a miscellaneous collection of men from the towns and country ; not all of them armed and none of them had uniforms. They met at stated periods for drill, and a motley array they were ; in all sorts of costumes and carrying all sorts of arms from the heavy musket down to broom handles and corn stalks. The old German Grenadiers had a body known as the Honorary Guards. The duty of these honorary members is thus told in the old resolutions adopted by the company : "In case the German Grenadier Company should be ordered to the field for the defense of their country, the honorary members will take care of the families and relations of the volunteers, to protect them and assist them with counsel and action if necessary." MILITARY GATHERING OF 1844 It was a noble array of Ohio's soldiery that assembled at Chillicothe in July, 1844, when the Sixteenth Division of Ohio Militia went into camp on the hill west of Chillicothe. The old militia law, which enrolled every available man in the ranks of the militia, and had them turn out for an annual drill and muster, had been repealed, and the Legislature was trying to encourage the formation of volunteer companies, which should be properly armed and uniformed, and so be more immediately available than the levies under the old method. It must be said for the old levies, however, that they were always ready for a fight, and that when they were summoned in the War of 1812, they responded eagerly and were not the less efficient that they were not in uniform. Their old homespun and buckskin were good enough for them to fight in. The companies which assembled here in 1844 were as follows : First Light Infantry Battalion, Lieut. Col. Jacob Hire ; First Rifle Battalion, Lieut. J. M. Pence ; Union Riflemen, Capt. J. Robin. son ; Clarksburg Blues, Capt. H. Bicknell; Jefferson Spies, Captain Davis ; Chillicothe City Guards, Capt. Hobby Reynolds ; Liberty Independent Guards, Captain Stewart. These warriors braved death on the tented field of "Bellevue Heights," paraded the streets of the city in full uniform and were the admired of all beholders. 190 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY TROOPS FOR THE MEXICAN WAR In May, 1846, nearly two years after the muster of the Sixteenth Division at Chillicothe, on holiday parade, Maj. Gen. John L. Taylor, its commander, ordered a general muster of his corn. mand at its headquarters there. A requisition had been made on the State of Ohio by President Polk for three regiments of infantry for service in the war with Mexico. At that time, the reorganized Chillicothe Independent Blues was the only military company in the city, and it formed the nucleus for the Mexican war volunteers. The Blues were officered as follows : Beroth Eggleston, captain ; Samuel Long, lieutenant ; John Ringston, ensign ; George Randle, first sergeant ; Solomon Robinson, second sergeant ; Henry Hodges, color-bearer; Washington Lowry and Charles Enyard, color-guard. On Friday, May 29, 1846, the militia of Ross County met in front of the courthouse, in response to a call by Brig. Gen. James Rowe, commanding the militia. He made a speech, followed by others, telling of the war and of the call for volunteers. The musicians with their rattling drums and squealing fife, marched up and down in front of the lines to inspire enthusiasm. In a short time sixty-three volunteers stepped forward. These were formed into a company, with the following officers : Hobby Reynolds, captain ; George F. McGinnis, first lieutenant ; Charles 0. Joline, second lieutenant ; William McMillen, first sergeant ; John Snyder, second sergeant ; Solomon S. Robinson, third sergeant; William Ambrose, fourth sergeant ; Webster Thomas, first corporal ; S. P. Smith, third corporal ; Acquilla Barber, fourth corporal; James and Wesley McLain were the musicians. According to the Scioto Gazette of June 4, 1846, the privates who volunteered were as follows : VanGundy, James Lugenbell, Napoleon B. Fisher, James R. Dorman, George LeComp, John A. Fisher, Thomas Benton, Ebenezer N. Allen, William H. Chamberlain, Isaac Rotherford, Bowler S. Taylor, Samuel Meyers, Philip Cook, David B. Mosby, James Sands, Edward Sley, Enoch A. Hurchinson, Matthias Killgore, Stephen Anderson, William Cumpton, David Van Gundy, John Compton, George W. Marley, Jacob Hough, Abraham Hough, Isaac Ivans, Van Gleen, John Pawson, William J. Harlow, William P. Phillips, James Russell, Henry Martin, Joseph Williams, Thomas Gardner, Lewis Barnett, Eli S. Cox, George Winters, John Dolby, Christopher Webster, Joseph Shoemaker, Andrew Williams, Abraham Weaver, James Gildersleeve, Harvy H. Wheeland, J. M. Jones, John Barber, H. Westbrook, George Irwin, James Cordary, Peter Smith, Rowland Foster, Ira Hitchcock, Stewart Edmiston, Allen Epley, Gottlieb Myers, Harvey HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 191 Hollis, John Koon, Michael Oliger, John Wright, Jacob Zimmerman. In Ohio more men volunteered than the state 's quota and not all of them could be taken. But the Ross County contingent was among the companies selected to go; and the Ross County riflemen left for Camp Washington at Cincinnati on Thursday afternoon, June 9, 1846. An extract from a private letter, reprinted in the Gazette, has a curiously familiar sound, when one remembers what was said in after years about the Chillicothe men in the Civil and Spanish wars, and at other times. The letter is as follows : " The Ross county volunteers appear to be the most prominent company in the regiment. Colonel Morgan remarked several times to the citizens who came to Camp Washington to see the troops that the Ross County Volunteers was the best company he commanded, and the Inspector said they were the best-looking set of men that he had inspected. There are eighty officers and men in the company now. Lieutenant Joline has been made adjutant of the regiment." The first company of volunteers came home in June and July, 1847, in ones and twos. It had been the intention to give them a public dinner, but the Gazette of July 7, 1847, states that they "are nearly all dispersed to their homes" and that they straggled back from the mustering-out place. The second company of volunteers from Chillicothe was organized after the return of the first company. It was officered by G. F. McGinnis, captain ; Leroy B. Riley, first lieutenant ; Nathaniel M. Parker, second lieutenant ; John W. Marriott, second assistant lieutenant ; Richard J. Gardner, first sergeant ; L. S. Hitchens, second sergeant ; W. W. Johnson, third sergeant ; William H. Sterling, fourth sergeant. Its strength was seventy-two men. The having of two lieutenants and an assistant second lieutenant was something they had learned in the Mexican war. Up to the time of this war they had clung to only one lieutenant and an ensign. The second company left by canal boat from the head of Walnut Street, on Friday, September 27, 1847, and was given a demonstrative farewell. It went to the front, did its duty bravely, lost some men, as did the other company, and returned home July 28, 1848. The Chillicothe Independent Blues gave a big public dinner to the members of the first and second companies, and thus ended Chillicothe's share in the Mexican war. THE CHILLICOTHE GREYS The Chillicothe Greys were organized shortly before the Civil war, and are considered the successors of the old Blues and the 192 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY predecessors of the famous Seventy-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry of the Civil war. The Greys furnished two colonels to that regiment and many other officers, as may be seen by scanning the old list of its members, which is as follows : W. T. McClintick, D. A. Schutte, J. W. L. Stevenson, James F. McAdow, E. H. Allen, B. F. Stone, S. H. Hurst, Otho Marfield, J. W. Pillsbury, J. C. McNeel, Michael Brown, James H. Morgan, W. E. Watson, J. B. Wiseman, W. Guiterman, Augustus Wallace, James Silvey, E. R. McKee, Orland Smith, Mathias Lewis, James Sproat, A. P. Story, R. Ronaldson, J. R. Allston, Christian Elsass, W. C. Shipman, J. H. Bennett, W. H. Douglas, Jr., James McClintick, C. J. Phillips, John Fogget, W. W. Madeira, J. D. Madeira, D. P. Rennie, Angus L. Waddle, J. C. Ingham, L. May, Charles Kilvert, W. W. Peabody, J. M. Woltz, W. T. Sappington, Lyman Fullerton, Dayton Morgan, Thomas Beach, John Peregrine, Fred C. Smith, John S. Mace, Isaiah Lord, J. B. Scott, Sam L. Leffingwell, and J. S. McCommon. The war, of course, ended the days of the Greys as a separate organization, and there is no record of another local military company, except those which were organized for sterner duty than militia companies are ordinarily called upon to perform, until the Sill Guards were organized in 1872. THE CIVIL WAR Although the scars of the Civil war have mostly healed by the passage of time and the activities of several generations of men and women distributed through more than half a century, as long as American history is written, and especially with the survival of any of the old guard stamped G. A. R., that period will ever revive the martial spirit and the American pride in native bravery and patriotism. By April 29, 1861, in response to President Lincoln's call for 75,000 men to "put down the Rebellion," made about two weeks before, Ohio alone had offered 71,000 of her citizens, and by the 7th of May, 81,000. FIRST EVENTS IN Ross COUNTY Probably the first resident of Ross County to enlist was John F. Brown, afterward of Chillicothe, who went to Cincinnati and enrolled himself. The first mass meeting was held in the city hall, on the evening of April 15, 1861, at which speeches were made by W. T. McClintick, S. H. Hurst, Noah Wilson, Theodore Sherer and others. The first man to step out with an enlistment HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 193 roll, on which his was the first name, was Col. W. E. Gilmore. By April 20th he left at the head of his company, for Columbus. His lieutenants were George Reed, first, and Charles Schultz, second. On April 23d the next company left, under the command of S. S. Robinson, a veteran of the Mexican war. J. H. Nugent was first and James R. Blackburn second lieutenants. With this company went "Wes" McLean, who had drummed for Capt. Hobby Reynolds' company in the war with Mexico, had been drummer in the regular army for five years, and now went as drummer for another war. From this time forward there were too many companies formed for any individual mention of them. Captain Pfau raised a troop of German dragoons; Captain Rehwinkle, A. Kessinger and Paul Wittich raised a company of Germans; it grew to a regiment, and Captain Rehwinkle was a colonel before he came home. Rev. Z. Wharton, who lived in Twin Township and had been pastor of Trinity at one time, dropped his shepherd's crook for the sword and went to war at the head of his company. So it went on. RELIEF MEASURES The City Council in April appropriated $1,000 for the relief of the families of the volunteers. On April 19, 1861, the Ladies' Union Relief Society was organized, at the call of Mrs. Nancy Waddle. Mrs. Cary A. Trimble was president; Mrs. Dr. Fullerton, vice president; Mrs. Albert Douglas, treasurer; Mrs. James Silvey, secretary. The society passed resolutions of loyalty and presented a flag to Captain Gilmore's company. The presentation took place in front of the courthouse, just before the company left, and the flag's escort consisted of thirteen little girls in red, white and blue. There was much of the pomp and circumstance of war in those first days; swords and flags and sashes played a big part, when people thought the war would not last three months. By 1862 it had taken on a different aspect; the money that had been spent on flags and farewell dinners was kept for the families of the men who were at the front. PUT UP THE FLAG Probably the first Ross County soldier to lose his life was Isaac Dunlap, Company I, Twenty-second Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He met death, not on the battlefield, but in a railway accident at Raysville, while his regiment was enroute to the front. The people of this city fed the passing troops. The locomotives that pulled the trains were decorated, and one engineer, Vol. I-13 194 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY who had failed to display the flag, was forced to do so by a crowd of loyal men. The people even asked the railway company to change the names of two of the locomotives, called "Baltimore" and "Virginia." In 1861, it was stated, there was formed in this county a lodge of the "Knights of the Golden Circle," an association of Southern sympathizers. In the fall of 1861 was raised the famous fighting regiment, the Seventy-third, the history of which is given elsewhere. A military committee was formed to look after the wants of Ross County soldiers and their families. It was composed of W. T. McClintick, James Rowe, Addison Pearson and William Poland. The columns of the Gazette of those days are filled with lists of names of givers and what they gave. After each great battle in which Chillicothe and Ross County troops were engaged, a special committee, with doctors and nurses, went to care for the wounded among the home boys. COLORED TROOPS The colored men of this city were not lacking in patriotism. When the Government decided to enlist colored troops, over one hundred men went from Chillicothe to Massachusetts to enlist in the Second Massachusetts Colored Infantry. Then when a regiment of colored men was raised in Ohio Chillicothe men were among the first to answer the call. This was in 1863. THE MORGAN RAID The history of those times furnishes little at which to laugh ; it was too grim a struggle for much mirth. But in 1863 came an event which was not thought so laughable at the time, but which after the first excitement was over furnished food for many a smile. This was the famous "Morgan Raid," when Chillicothe thought "sure enough" war was coming right into her streets, and acted accordingly. John Morgan and his cavalry were making a dash through Ohio. The fact was that John leaped before he looked, and, after he got into the state, was making a wild effort to get out again. The Squirrel-Hunters and the militia, however, had a way of heading him off from the river, so that he had to keep on raiding. When the news of the raid was first reported at Chillicothe there was great excitement ; the Home Guards and the militia were summoned to be in readiness ; the men of the various wards were organized into militia companies. The Second Regiment of Ross County militia got on their fighting HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 195 clothes. This was officered by F. H. Rehwinkle, colonel; William T. McClintick, lieutenant colonel ; William Poland, major; W. A. Gage, captain and adjutant; D. Dustman, quartermaster; J. D. Miller and R. C. Galbraith, assistant surgeons. Among its line officers were such well-known names as W. E. Gilmore, J. H. Bennett, Samuel Leffingwell, Isaiah Lord, S. S. Cook, J. L. Dunlap, Job Stevenson, Otho L. Marfield, Philip Gartner; W. M. McKee and Felix Renick. BURNING THE BRIDGE On Tuesday, July 14, 1863, Morgan was reported as destroying the railway at Loveland, and heading this way. The drums beat and the militia paraded the streets ; some of them had arms and more had not, but they paraded all the same. There was a mass meeting held at the courthouse to prepare for the defense of the town. The place has always been great on mass meetings. On July 15th Colonel Runkle, of the Army, arrived and took command. He had James B. Scott for quartermaster and William B. Flood for commissary. By Wednesday night 6,000 men had centered here, ready to blow Morgan off the face of the earth. A guard of brave souls was stationed at the old covered bridge over Paint Creek at the end of Paint Street, to check Morgan's advance and to give the militia time to hustle down and capture him forthwith. The Gazette says : "About six o'clock some of our scouts came galloping up the pike south of the town, and the men who were guarding the Paint street bridge took a panic, set fire to the bridge and then took to their heels, believing Morgan and all his men were after them. It may be remarked, if the $10,000 bridge was destroyed to stop Morgan's advance, that the water in the creek is about one foot deep." The editor of the Gazette continues, even telling one on himself : "Morgan did not come near the town, so the militia went after him. About six hundred of the militia in the Second regiment had no arms, so they stayed home, under the command of Major Poland, while the rest, together with the reserves and allies from the back districts, chased Mr. Morgan. They found him at Berlin Heights, near Jackson. Morgan shot his artillery at a hill, and the pursuers, having no artillery, stayed behind the hill. It was a gallant battle, ably fought. The editor of the Scioto Gazette went along and allowed his dare-devil bravery to over come his discretion. He offered to go out and find Morgan. He found him and his men. Then a raider rode off on the editor's fine horse, and the newspaper man walked twelve miles back to camp. This was the first time in the history of the city that a 196 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY newspaper man got beat out of anything. The troops went out on July 16th and got back on July 25th. Morgan was captured over in Columbiana county. And this ended the great raid." The newspaper man to whom reference is made was Dr. A. P. Miller, many years editor of the Gazette. With the rest of the militia, the doctor went out with the troops collected to head off the raiders. He was at the battle of Berlin Heights over in Jackson County, and after that engagement determined to go on as an independent scout to discover where the raiders were headed. He was inspired to that action both by patriotism and the laudable ambition to achieve a newspaper "scoop." With a companion he started out in the direction of Winchester and Jackson, and succeeded in finding out where the raiders were. He succeeded so well that he kindly loaned his horse to one of the raiders, and made the twelve-mile march back to camp on foot. HOW THE RAIDERS APPEARED AND ACTED In the Gazette of August 4, 1863, the doctor gives a graphic description of the rebels as he saw them. His story of his encounter is too long for reproduction in its entirety, but the following extract will show what the famous raiders were like: "Shortly the main body came up, and I began to count them. They rode along rather slowly, several of them stopping a few minutes to inquire about the road, the nearest route to the river, etc., but I managed to keep an accurate account until about five hundred had passed, while one of them rode up with the request : " 'Will you be so good as to bring me a drink of water'?' He was very polite for a rebel, and a horse thief to boot, and if it had not been for the company he was in would have passed for a gentleman. I can't say I liked the polite request, but as it was backed by a pair of revolvers and a carbine, I concluded that it might be promotive of my longevity to comply, so without stopping to argue the matter, I merely remarked : " 'Well, sir, I don't like to wait on a rebel, but as you are a pretty good looking man, I guess I can get you a drink.' "Next came a man apparently fifty years of age, riding in a buggy with a boy not more than fourteen or fifteen. 'Will you please give me a cup of water for my sick boy V he asked. The boy was evidently quite sick. He was leaning heavily against his father, who supported him as well as he could with his left arm. I handed him the cup, which he took with a trembling hand, thanking me very kindly for it, his eyes speaking more thanks than his lips. He was a fine-looking boy, but what a training was that he was receiving! His father, I could see, felt very anxious about HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 197 his condition, and to my remark : 'That was a hard business,' he replied: 'Yes, and I wish we were out of it.' My conversation with them was cut short by a fellow with a face that ought to have hung long ago, who rode up to the fence and sung out : " 'Here, stranger, give me a drink.' "I took another look at his face, and then at the pair of revolvers in his belt, and concluded that I had better get rid of him as soon as possible, so I gave him a drink, and he went on without so much as saying `thank you.' "Personally a majority of them would have been fine looking men, if they had been washed and respectably dressed; but they were covered with dust and looked tired and worn down. Many went nodding along half asleep. A hundred or more wore veils, most of which looked new, and I presume had been taken from the stores in Jackson ; others had handkerchiefs over their faces to shield them from the dust. I noticed an intelligent looking contraband wearing a fine blue veil, which he raised very gracefully as he rode up to a rebel, whom he accosted as `massa.' Scarcely any two were dressed alike. Their clothing was made of butter-nut jeans, tweed, cassimere, linen, cloth, and almost everything ever used for men's wear. A few—perhaps a dozen—wore blue blouses and pants, such as are worn by the United States soldiers. "A large number of them had various articles of dry goods—bolts of calico and muslin, pieces of silks and satins, cassimeres, and broadcloths—tied on behind their saddles. Some had two or three pairs of new boots and shoes hanging about them. I don't think the stock of dry goods left in Jackson could have been very large or varied. " They were not well armed, as has been reported. A few had carbines, many had double-barrel shot guns, some muskets, a small number had revolving rifles, and nearly all had revolving pistols. There were not, I think, a dozen sabres in the whole division. They had three pieces of artillery—brass six-pounders—but not a single caisson, so that all the ammunition for these must have been carried in the boxes of the gun carriages, which would have held but a small supply. "Their only wagon train consisted of five light two-horse wagons. In four of these they had sick men; in the other, carpet sacks, valises, a few trunks, &c., which I took to be the officers' baggage." JOY AND GRIEF When, on that quiet Sunday of April 1, 1865, there came the news of Lee's surrender, the bells were rung, cannon boomed, men 198 - HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY and women cheered and laughed and wept by turns; they marched in impromptu processions through the streets. On April 14th, the anniversary of the fall of Sumter, there was public thanksgiving, by proclamation of Governor Brough. But the joy was turned into mourning by the news of the assassination of Lincoln. The decorations turned to trappings of woe, all business was suspended, the bells tolled and solemn services were held in all the churches. This great blow practically ended the war history of Chillicothe. Of the Chillicothe men who served with distinction in those years there is no space to tell. Among them were Rear Admiral David Stockton McDougal ; Gen. Charles -McDougal, his brother ; Rear Admiral Walke ; Commodore Joseph S. Skerrett ; Commodore David B. Macomb ; Paymaster General T. H. Looker, U. S. N.; Gen. Joseph Sill, killed at Murfreesboro; Major-General McGinnis. Others there were whose names are no less worthy of remembrance. THE FIGHTING SEVENTY-THIRD The Seventy-third Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry was raised in the fall of 1861, under the first presidential call for 300,000 men, and was mustered into the service of the United States in December of that year. In January, 1864, nearly all of its men who survived re-enlisted as veterans, and the regiment was mustered out, as a command, in July, 1865. Why the regiment has such a firm hold on the affection and the pride of the old boys in blue and their descendants is told both by the Scioto Gazette and the Cincinnati Gazette, of Civil war times, which enthusiastically reported its reception at Chillicothe, when the regiment returned home on veteran furlough in January, 1864. The history of the regiment is most closely linked with that of Chillicothe and Ross County, as nearly all of the men came from the city or county, and its fortunes through the dark days of the early '60s were followed anxiously by the friends and relatives at home. No regiment which served in the war made for itself a finer record than did the Seventy-third. It was composed of the very best young men in this section. The nucleus of the regiment was the famous old Chillicothe Greys. The regiment fought in more than twenty battles and suffered severe losses. It was in the midnight charge at Lookout, and in company with the Twenty-second Massachusetts drove an entire division of the Confederate army from their entrenchments. Of this charge General Grant said in orders that it was one of the finest feats of arms performed during the whole war. There are still some living in Chillicothe who remember the regiment as it marched away with full ranks HISTORY OF ROSS COUNTY - 199 and waving banners; these, too, will recall the regiment as it came home at the close of its veteran re-enlistment with shattered ranks and tattered flags. The re-enlistment was almost unanimous—all but four of the members re-entered the service. Owing to the severe losses which the regiment sustained, and its re-enlistment in the veteran service, it was ordered to report to the governor of Ohio for reorganization and recruiting. The Seventy-third Regiment was organized and mustered into the service in December, 1861, at Chillicothe, under command of Col. Orland Smith (afterward a brigade commander in Major General Holmes' command), and served with honor under Generals Rosecrans, Milroy, Schenck and Fremont, in Western Virginia ; McClellan, Sigel, Howard, Pope, Burnside, Hooker and Meade, in the Army of the Potomac ; Rosecrans, Thomas, Sherman, Grant and Hooker, in Tennessee. At the battle of Gettysburg the regiment behaved with great bravery, and received high compliment for the part taken in that memorable contest, and during the "night battle" on the 28th of October, 1863, between the forces of Hooker and Longstreet, in Lookout Valley, it performed one of the finest feats of arms of the war, in the storming of the hill which was held by a Confederate. brigade composed of seven regiments in an entrenched position. The charge was made at midnight and in the face of murderous volleys from the guns of the enemy posted upon the summit. "The hill was won ;" but its steep and rugged slopes were covered with dead and wounded. During the battle of Chattanooga the regiment made several splendid bayonet charges, at all times driving the enemy. RECEPTION TO THE SIXTY-THIRD AND THE SEVENTY-THIRD Both the Sixty-third (five companies of which were raised in Chillicothe) and the Seventy-third regiments had a grand reception at Chillicothe on Friday, January 15, 1864, in the event of their home-coming as veterans. The procession, in their honor, formed under the direction of the marshal of the day, Col. William E. Gilmore, former lieutenant colonel of the Sixty-third Regiment, assisted by his aids—Thomas Beach, former captain in the Seventy-third, and Samuel L. Wallace. The order of march was as follows : Citizens ; sub-committee ; committee of arrangements; county and city officers ; mayor and city council ; Chillicothe brass band. The procession started from the courthouse at 2.45 P. M., and marched directly to the depot of the M. & C. Railroad, where, after waiting a few minutes, the firing of cannon announced the approach of the train containing the veteran soldiers. After the