WARREN COUNTY IN THE WAR.
VII.
SOME CORRECTIONS BY CAPTAIN SAUSSER –
INTERESTING ADDITIONAL ITEMS.
Captain Charles E. Sausser
has asked the Gazette to make some corrections in his statements made
in a previous chapter. He said at the time that he was a little uncertain
about some of the minor details, although of the principal facts he is
very positive. Meeting one of the Gazette reporters on the street the
Captain spoke as follows:
“I am very sorry, but I made several minor mistakes in my talk with
you the other day. But since that time I have had opportunities of refreshing
my memory, and I think I can give the details to you correctly now.
“The first meeting, as I stated then, was on the evening of the
13th of April. Now, I had forgotten completely when I told you that the
meeting in front of Captain Gilchrist’s was on the evening of the
14th, that the 14th was Sunday. That meeting was held on Monday evening,
after the reception of the news of the downfall of Sumpter and the President’s
proclamation. The facts about the meeting were as I stated before.
“Another matter that I should like to correct is about the paper
to which we put our names. On Monday morning, when the papers came, Durbin
Ward was trying a case at the court-house. After hastily glancing
over the pages of the paper the young lawyer sat down and wrote something
like this: ‘We, the undersigned, hereby offer our services to our
country to suppress all attempts at rebellion,’ and signed his name.
The second signature was that of Milton
Graham, now deceased. He was a son of J.
B. Graham, and a brother to the present Auditor. Milt
Graham took the paper in charge. Andrew
Roosa, Daniel Pauly,
Rigdon Williams, Major
J. D. Wallace of
Morrow, and R. B. Wilson
were among the first names to go down. Then it was Graham who carried
the paper around town, not Rigdon
Williams, and he got more than a hundred names that day and evening.
The paper was produced for signatures at the meeting in front of Gilchrist’s
store and some names were obtained there. I find by reference to some
papers in my possession that the total number enlisted was one hundred
and forty-seven, instead of one hundred and twenty-seven. These statements,
I think are correct and make right any errors into which I may have fallen
at first.”
-
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP NOT BEHIND OTHER PARTS OF WARREN COUNTY.
War matters have become dim in the minds of older citizens of Maineville,
at least as to the early times. A day’s earnest labor by one of
the Gazette force in Hamilton Township failed to unearth any recollection
of any such a meeting as that at Lebanon, or such demonstration as the
pole raising at Waynesville. But the little township was not lacking in
patriotism. Situated as the town of Maineville is, away from the railroad,
one of the quietest of country villages and of a small population, much
smaller then than now, such a demonstration could hardly have been expected.
The newspapers did not arrive at Maineville on that fatal Saturday until
nearly noon. Whatever business there was stopped. People gathered on street
corners to talk the matter over and it is probable that in the evening
a public open air meeting was held in the school yard, but what was done
there or who spoke it was impossible to learn. Some came to Lebanon and
others went to Morrow, to learn of what was going on, and Company A received
a handsome squad of volunteers from Hamilton, when it was raised.
All recollection of any meeting held about this time for the purpose of
raising volunteers is also very hazy. A number do remember, however, that
such a meeting was held in Seth Tuft’s woods, near town, but cannot
fix the date. Some think it was in April, while at least one gentleman
was sure it was in the fall of the year. The meeting was an all day affair
– a sort of a basket meeting – and one of the speakers was
Durbin Ward. This would tend to show that it was in the spring.
But even if Hamilton Township made no great display, it was not behind
in works. No regular company claimed Maineville for its home, yet the
township sent enough men to the war to make over two whole companies.
But they were widely scattered. Some went in Company F, and quite a number
in Company A, of the 12th Ohio. Then, at the time of the reorganization
of the hundred days’ men, when General Ward was made major of the
17th, a squad of twenty-five men volunteered from this township. They
were sworn into the service in the academy lot at Maineville by Colonel
Wilson, of the U.S. Army, and, under Captain McCoy and Lieutenant James
Murdoch, hurried off to join Ward’s regiment. But the quota
of the regiment was full and squad went to the 2nd Ohio. Among these twenty
five men was one of whom every Warren County man is proud, Ben
Butterworth. He did not join the 2nd Ohio, but at once went
on General Sleigh’s staff as volunteer aid-de-camp, a position exactly
similar to that held by Durbin
Ward before he was made major of the 17th.
In addition to its representation in the 2nd and 12th,
Hamilton Township had men in the 5th Ohio, the 34th
and 35th, the 54th, the 79th,
and in both the cavalry and naval service. This township was anything
but behind in works of patriotism and loyalty.
Source:
"Warren County in the War, Part VII," The Lebanon (Ohio)
Gazette, Saturday, December 12, 1885.
[See Beers History of Warren County, Ohio page 618 for a listing of about 50 Hamilton Township men who served during the Civil War]
Arne H Trelvik
24 September 2011