Warren County
Local History by Dallas Bogan |
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Dallas Bogan on 30 August 2004 |
Source: |
original article by Dallas Bogan |
Return to Index to see a list of other articles by Dallas Bogan |
Distinguished journalist, author, statistician, and publicist, all these vocations
describe a former Warren Countian, Edward Deering
Mansfield.
Our subject was born at New Haven, Conn., August 17, 1801, the son of Col. Jared
Mansfield. Col. Mansfield was a graduate of Yale, a mathematical genius,
an author, and, for many years, a professor at West Point. Mansfield, the county
seat of Richland County, Ohio, was named after him.
Thomas Jefferson appointed Col. Mansfield, because of his scientific
accomplishments, surveyor general for the Northwest Territory in 1803. For nine
years he made his home at Ludlow Station, now Cummingsville, while involved
in surveying the primary meridians of Ohio and Indiana.
Young Edward well remembered the town of Cincinnati in its
early days. Of the town he says: "But what was Cincinnati then? One of
the dirtiest little villages you ever saw." He describes his early life
in Cincinnati as a lonely youngster in a new settlement, with no other boys
as playmates, and no school to attend.
At the age of 10 he had accumulated just two-quarters of schooling, until his
father returned from New Haven in 1812. Shortly thereafter, the family returned
to New Haven where Edward received a superior education.
Col. Mansfield was appointed professor at West Point in 1814.
Edward was then sent to an Episcopal Academy in Cheshire, Conn.
Our subject, at the age of 14, was appointed a cadet at West Point and completed
the four-year's course, graduating before he was 18, fourth in the class.
Although West Point provided a superior education, his mother rebelled against
his joining the army; a decision was therefore rendered for him to attend Princeton,
from where he graduated in two years, winning top honors in science.
He was now 21, and destined to become a lawyer. His studies included private
readings at his father's home, and attending lectures at Litchfield Law School.
Consolidating his three basic educations - military, classical and legal - and
through an association with his many learned companions, he became a member
of the bar and traveled to Cincinnati where he opened a law office in 1825.
He was now 24, and, in all probability, was the best-educated young man in primitive
Ohio.
As clients were scarce, he had an abundance of time for social recreation. Only
one theater was in existence in Cincinnati. Here he spent quality time and enjoyed
the plays which were considered first class.
The following year, still absorbed in a leisure nature, he and Benjamin
Drake wrote a small book of 100 pages entitled "Cincinnati in
1826." Each author traveled in different directions gathering information,
Drake taking the part west of Main, and Mansfield the eastern portion.
Mansfield experienced health problems in 1828 and consequently journeyed back
East to recuperate. With an improvement in his health, he returned to Cincinnati,
in 1832, and reestablished his law practice.
Ormsby M. Mitchel, of whom this
writer portrayed in a past article, joined in a partnership with Mansfield,
both having graduated from West Point. Both subsequently became famous, but
neither as an attorney.
Mansfield expressed that both men were absorbed in a partnership from which
neither were well adapted. He wrote that "we were really literary men and
our thoughts wandered off to other subjects." Mitchel was thoroughly interested
in astronomy, and Mansfield's intellect was directed toward literary achievements.
Both men, in 1834, joined the Second Presbyterian Church, which four years later
became the New School Presbyterian. The pastor was Dr. Lyman Beecher,
father of Henry Ward Beecher.
In 1835 the Cincinnati College was founded with Mitchel taking the helm as mathematics
and astronomy instructor, while Mansfield taught constitutional law and history.
As a professor, Mansfield found his duties were light in content, which provided
him free time for his social arrangements with his fellow professors. Cincinnati
College had no endowment and soon terminated as a college, the law school only
being continued.
Through his writings, Mansfield became famous. He was editor of The Cincinnati
Chronicle for 13 years, The Cincinnati Atlas for three years, The Railroad Gazette
for 18 years, and an editorial writer on The Cincinnati Gazette for the last
25 years of his life.
At age 23, his first article appeared in the Litchfield, Conn., newspaper, and
until his death, at age 79, an article appeared in some sort of publication
every single year.
The Chronicle became a daily newspaper in 1839. It began with 250 subscribers
and completed the first year with 600. It was a Whig paper that vigorously opposed
slavery, and was found to be unfavorable to Cincinnatians at the time.
It also opposed the sale of liquor. Achilles Pugh, a devout
Quaker from Waynesville, was printer of the publication. He would not allow
a single liquor advertisement to be used. Because of this decision some loss
of income to the paper was realized.
(Harriet Beecher, afterward Harriet Beecher Stowe,
author of Uncle Tom's Cabin, was an employee of Mansfield's Chronicle: here
she published her first stories.)
As an author, Mansfield wrote ten books and a score of pamphlets. His first
book was entitled "The Political Grammar." He wrote it while in the
profession of a lawyer and submitted it to members of the College of the Professional
Teachers at Cincinnati in 1834.
It was the first work for use in schools pertaining to knowledge of our national
Constitution and Government. Some of the best institutions in the country used
this publication for learning. He was a pioneer in what was later called "Civics"
in educational literature.
Other books by Mansfield were "Treatise on Constitutional Law," "Legal
Rights of Women," "Life of Winfield Scott," "History of
the Mexican War," "American Education," and "Memoirs of
Daniel Drake." His last book, "Personal Memories, Social, Political,
and Literary, with Sketches of Many Noted People," was published in 1879,
the year before his death.
Mansfield was, in 1858, appointed as State Commissioner of Statistics by Governor
Chase, a position he held for ten years. Yamoden, about a mile north of Morrow,
on the hills of the Little Miami, was the home of Edward
D. Mansfield the last thirty years of his life. Yamoden was an Indian name
that became the title of a romantic poem written by Robert C. Sands
and James W. Eastburn, published in 1820.
At this site, Mansfield wrote much for the press, making regular contribution
to the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, signed "E.D.M." Here he also
contributed letters during the Civil War to the New York Times, signed, "Veteran
Observer."
Mansfield was married twice, first to a proficient lady of Litchfield, Conn.;
second to a daughter of Governor Thomas Worthington. In politics
he was first a Whig and afterward a Republican.
He died at Yamoden, October 27, 1880. Within the house, hidden away in oddly
shaped furniture, were hundreds of books. Also discovered were some family portraits
and other pictures, Indian relics, moccasins and arrows, and personal possessions.
Also found were more than 200,000 manuscript papers, a memorial to his dedicated
service to the people.
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This page created 30 August 2004 and last updated
28 September, 2008
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