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Stark County was organized several years
before the outbreak of the War of 1812, and
therefore has the honor of being a part of
it in her own name. Since then her men
and women have shown their patriotism in the
Mexican war, the War of the Rebellion and
the Spanish-
Page 250 -
American war, and they have never hesitated
to contribute to the extent of their
strength, whether of human-kind, money,
material or labor.
CANTON
INDEPENDENT OF BLOCK HOUSES.
When it became known that an alliance had
been effected between the British and the
Indians of the Northwest, the settlements on
the frontier naturally prepared for the
worst. Wooster, to the west of Canton,
had just been platted and established as the
county seat of Wayne County, but as the
county seat of Stark was about six years
old, and already quite a settlement, it did
not consider itself in the same helpless
class as Wooster. So that while a
block house eighty feet square was erected
at Wooster, Canton decided to depend solely
on her brave citizens for defense against
either Indians or British regulars.
GEN.
GEORGE STIDGER, CAPTAIN.
As nearly as can be ascertained, Canton, at
that time, was the headquarters of the Third
Regiment of the Second Brigade of the fourth
Division of Ohio Militia. Several
companies belonging to this regiment had
been accustomed, for a number of years, to
muster in different portions of the county,
principally at the county seat. At
last a call for troops was issued, and a
movement was instituted to effect the
organization of a company at Canton from the
militia. George Stidger,
who had seen active service in former years
in the eastern states, and who, it is said,
had been honored with a general's
commission, was elected, or appointed,
captain. The company was yet
incomplete, when a draft was ordered, and
enough men were secured to form a
respectable company of about seventy.
Several men were drafted who, from the fact
that they had families dependent pon them
for support, found it extremely inconvenient
to leave home, and substitutes were called
for. One hundred dollars became the
prevailing price for a substitute, and a
sufficient number to meet the demand were
secured at that figure.
NAMES OF
FIRST VOLUNTEERS.
The following is a complete list of the
members of this company, originally secured
from the third auditor of the United States
treasury, where the rosters of the Ohio
volunteers of the War of 1812 are on file:
George Stidger,
captain;
Robert Cameron,
lieutenant;
Daniel McClure,
ensign;
John Miller, John Shorb,
William V. Chamberlain,
Christian Flickinger,
sergeants;
George Cribs, Jacob Essig,
John Rowland, Moses Andrews,
corporals;
Thomas Neily,
bugler,
and the following privates: |
Page 251 -
Ezekiel
Alexander,
William, Andrews,
James Andrews,
Thomas Alexander,
William Brouse,
James Black,
Phillip Brouse,
John Brouse,
John Cutshall (perhaps
Gotshall),
John Clinger,
George Crasimore,
John Carper,
Benjamin Croninger,
Garret Cruson,
Alexander Cameron, |
Samuel Duck,
George Dewalt,
Adam Essig,
John Elder,
Daniel Farber,
James Gaff,
Robert Gaff,
Thomas Hoffard,
John Kroft,
John Koontz,
George Kirkpatrick,
Henry Livingston,
Samuel McClellin,
George Monroe,
Jacob Myers,
James Moore, |
John Potts,
Samuel Patton,
John Rogers,
Abraham Roose,
James Riddle,
John Rise,
Jacob Swigert,
John Slusser,
William Smith,
Daniel Stephens,
Thomas Shields,
John Shineberger,
Jacob Slusser,
Robert Sorrels, and
Bezaleel Thompson. |
It is not known whether this is the roster
at the time of muster in or muster out.
It is probable that others than those
mentioned above served in this company, in
which case their names would appear on the
roll, as made out by the officers of the
company at the time such men served.
Such rolls are probably long ago destroyed.
READY,
BUT NOT UNDER FIRE.
It is probable that the company was ordered
into the service of Government during the
summer of 1812. The period of
enlistment was six months. The British
and the Indians were congregating at or near
Detroit, and to hold them in check, several
companies, organized in the eastern part of
the state, and in Pennsylvania and Virginia,
were ordered to the Maumee River, where they
were to mass and unite on a means of attack
or defense. Captain Stidger's
company was first ordered to Wooster, where
the troops remained a month or more, doing
guard duty and enjoying themselves in a
multitude or ways. Their base of
supplies was at Canton, where beef, corn
meal, flour and other provisions were
prepared and forwarded by wagon.
Scouts were dispatched to inspect the
neighboring Indian villages and to notify
the troops and the settlements of impending
danger. Finally the company received
orders to proceed westward to Perrysburg, on
the Maumee River, and to report there to the
commanding general. The Stark County
boys remained in this vicinity, enjoying
themselves in every manner except
encountering the enemy, until a short time
before the period of their enlistment had
expired, when they were discharged and sent
home. They had seen no active service,
much to their declared disappointment.
After this, although they were not in the
service, yet, knowing that the war was not
over, and that attacks from Indians might be
expected at any moment, they did not
disband, but mustered regularly one or more
times a week
Page 252 -
to be in readiness for a possible attack or
for another call from the Government.
However, they were not called out again.
DEWALT'S
HORSE TRADE.
During the early stages of the war a
regiment of soldiers form Pennsylvania,
passing through Canton with some thirty
pieces of ordnance, stopped for the night.
It is related by Daniel Dewalt, whose
father kept a tavern, that one of the men in
charge of a cannon traded both his horses,
which were good ones, but used up by the
journey, for one horse belonging to the
former, giving at the same time $80 to boot.
"As I sold one of the horses soon afterward
from $100, that," says Mr. Dewalt,
"was the best horse trade I ever made."
BRITISH
REPORTED ON THE WAY.
Many interesting incidents are related of
circumstances growing out of the war.
On one occasion it was reported by several
men who had just arrived from the North that
the British were coming, that they had been
seen disembarking from vessels on the lake,
and that their appearance might be expected
at any moment. This was sufficient to
rouse the citizens to the utmost, and
immediate preparations were made to receive
the enemy in a fitting manner.
Dwellings were barricaded, scouts were sent
out to reconnoiter, and, amidst great
excitement, an informal organization of
militia was effected. Finally, a few
ragged half clothed men appeared, who
announced that they and their comrades were
the parties that had landed at the lake.
They were a portion of General Hull's
paroled soldiers. The citizens slowly
relaxed their vigilance, though they
continued to guard all points against an
unexpected attack.
REAL
DANGER, THE INDIANS.
Page 253
GENERAL
JARVIS CALLS FOR MEXICAN WAR VOLUNTEERS.
GENERAL
LAHM ORDERS MUSTER OF COUNTY MILITIA.
COMPANY
OF CAPT. JAMES ALLEN FIRST AFIELD.
Page 254 -
STARK
COUNTY LEADS.
CAPTAIN
ALLEN'S COMPANY SAILS.
Page 255 -
MEMBERS
OF THE COMPANY.
Captain Allen's company consisted of
eighty-four fine looking men, as follows:
James Allen,
captain;
Samuel Beatty, first
lieutenant;
Jacob G. Frick, second
lieutenant;
Abijah W. Baker, first
sergeant;
William Hilbert, second
sergeant;
William S. Hartman, third
sergeant;
Louis E. Clement. fourth
sergeant;
Ralph S. Courtney, first
corpora;
William McCurdy, second
corporal;
Robert Clayton, third
corporal;
Alonzo Waters, fourth
corporal;
and the following privates: |
Theodore
Gibbons,
James R. Stall,
Findley McGrew,
John L. Cross,
W. C. Torrence,
John Shannon,
Isaac Doxey,
Philip Martin,
William Yawkey,
Louis Heminger,
Charles Bradley,
Myron Monroe,
John Link,
John Dickas,
Jereboam Creighton,
Frederic Kisner,
Jacob W. Rex,
John Ulam, |
Charles H.
Coombs,
Andrew P. Gallaher,
Ferdinand W. Haack,
Thomas Thompson,
Jacob Sebold,
Jacob Eversole,
Mathias Fox,
John W. Wagner,
John Matson,
John R. Walter,
George Stitzel,
Joel B. Martin,
Ambrose Essner,
Samuel Stall,
Jacob Fountainheim,
Peter Kroft,
Michael Matter, |
John
Stephens,
John Mungrew,
Martin Bohrer,
Mathias Hoover,
Jacob Reed,
George M. Bolinger,
John B. Collins,
Robert M. Shilling,
George A. Klingel,
John Cotwinkle,
John Garret,
William Dobson,
Abraham Metz,
John Fitzsimmons,
Patrick Fitzpatrick,
Isaiah Keltner,
George Toffer, |
Page 256 -
John Ankeney,
Frederick Souter,
Frederic Hobel,
William H. Christmas,
James Elliott,
Charles Floom,
Dewitt C. Whiting, |
William W.
Hastings,
Augustus Overtel,
John Schlink,
Frederic Marsh,
Ambrose Meeks,
John C. Meloney,
Frederic Vogelgesong, |
Alexander Shirer,
John Brischt,
Peter Finney,
Thomas Barnd,
Samuel C. Fry,
Christian Ledig and
John Cox. |
This
company, as given, left Massillon, but all
did not return. Some of the poor boys
fell under the stroke of the deadly diseases
of the South and their graves, like the tomb
of Moses, are unknown.
MOVEMENTS OF THE STARK RANGERS.
Page 257 -
of June, 1847, their term of enlistment
having expired, they were mustered out of
service, and boys, those remaining, with
light hearts, turned their faces towards
their homes in Ohio.
The "Stark Rangers" had participated in no engagement
during the campaign, except perhaps a few
shots with Mexican guerrillas. It was
related by F. W. Haack, one of the
Canton soldiers, that the boys at times
received rough usage from their commanding
officers. He stated that when the
company were being conveyed on board the
brig across the gulf from the mouth of the
Mississippi to Brazoos Island the provisions
were brought out and scattered along on
deck, just as the farmer scatters the corn
for his swine. They were subjected to
the severest military discipline while
encamped at different points along the Rio
grande, and when one of their number died -
Martin Bohrer - he was not given a
decent burial, although he left abundant
means which could be used for that purpose.
"ROUGH
AND READY" WINKS AT FORAGER
Page 258 -
THE LAST
OF CAPTAIN ALLEN'S COMPANY.
FIRST OF
THE CIVIL WAR MEETINGS.
Page 259 -
MILITIA
COMPANIES JOIN VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
Page 260 -
THE
FIRST DRAFT.
ENLISTED
FOR THREE YEARS.
About the 7th of November, 1861, the
military committee reported that 854
volunteers had enlisted from Stark.
The following is a list of the number of
volunteers in the field from the county at
the time of the annual assessment in 1862:
|
Paris |
59 |
|
City of Canton |
155 |
|
Washington |
45 |
|
Plain |
22 |
|
Lexington |
103 |
|
Lake |
35 |
|
Marlborough |
65 |
|
Jackson |
28 |
|
Nimishillen |
47 |
|
Perry |
121 |
|
Osnaburg |
31 |
|
Bethlehem |
59 |
|
Sandy |
45 |
|
Sugar Creek |
63 |
|
Pike |
43 |
|
Tuscarawas |
35 |
|
Canton |
29 |
|
Lawrence |
71 |
| |
_____ |
|
|
_____ |
|
Total |
467 |
|
Total |
689 |
|
Grand total |
|
|
|
1,156 |
The list embraces only those enlisted
for three years or during the war.
Two or more camps were established in the county - Camp
Massillon at that town and Camp Ford at
Alliance. The fair grounds at
Canton
Page
261 -
were used as a military camp. The
first calls for sanitary aids came from
Western Virginia during the fall of
1861.
LADIES' AID
SOCIETIES.
On the 15th of October the ladies of
Canton met at the residence of J. F.
Raynolds to organize a Ladies' Aid
Society. The following officers
were elected:
Mrs. J. G. Lester, president;
Mrs. E. Buckingham, secretary, and
Mrs. J. A. Saxton, treasurer.
The following committees were appointed:
To draft a constitution - Mrs. Isaac
Harter,, Mrs. Dr. Wallace, Mrs. J. G.
Lester and Mrs. E. Buckingham.
General soliciting - First Ward,
Mrs. Pierong, Mrs. Lewis Miller, Mrs. E.
C. Patterson, Mrs. George Raynolds;
Second Ward, Mrs. C. Aultman, Mrs. T.
W. Saxton, Mrs. W. K. Miller, Miss
Henrietta Buckins; Third Ward,
Mrs. Dr. Whiting,, Mrs. S. Meyer, Mrs.
Thomas Patton, Mrs. M. Wilidal;
Fourth Ward, Mrs. G. Prince, Mrs. D.
Slusser, Mrs. Shock, Mrs. O. P. Stidger;
in the vicinity, Miss M. Harry, Mrs.
William Raynolds, Mrs. H. Raynolds, Mrs.
William Williams, Mrs. Simon Miller,
Mrs. Cassilly, Miss Medill.
Almost
every township in the county organized a
similar society, and in truth, it may be
said that the entire county resolved
itself into a committee of the whole to
see that the families of volunteers did
not suffer, and to solicit money,
provisions and supplies of clothing to
be sent into the field. Thousands
of dollars' worth of hospital and camp
supplies were sent from the county
during the war.
REGIMENTS TO THE
FRONT.
COLORED VOLUNTEERS.
Massillon furnished eighteen colored
volunteers for the Fifth United States
Infantry, while, so far as known, no
other portion of the county furnished a
colored man, at least at that time.
Page
262 -
SERVICE OF STARK
COUNTY SOLDIERS.
THE FOURTH OHIO
INFANTRY.
WILLIAM F. RAYNOLDS
AND JONATHAN G. LESTER.
Page
263 -
came lieutenant on the gunboat Port
Royal, and was soon afterward actively
engaged with the Union squadron in
blockade duty along the Gulf of Mexico.
He continued in the naval service until
the close of the war, when the revenue
cutter department was established.
In that service he was appointed to a
regular lieutenancy, which he held until
1870, when he accepted a position as
inspector of hulls, with headquarters at
Louisville, Kentucky.
Lieutenant Raynolds lived in that
city, thus employed, until 1876, when he
invested in a local plow factory and
visited the Centennial Exposition at
Philadelphia as its representative.
Not long after he returned to Canton on
account of impaired health and continued
in business until his death, Mar. 17,
1883.
William F. Raynolds married a daughter of
Jonathan G. Lester, one of the
successful pioneer business men of
Canton who died in 1874. His wife
was born in Canton, and her elder
brother, George S. Lester, who
was a naval cadet when the war broke
out, before its conclusion made a most
creditable record as an officer on the
staff of Gen. John S. Mason.
THE THIRTEENTH
REGIMENT.
THE NINETEENTH.
Page
264 -
PROMOTIONS OF
BEATTY AND MANDERSON
THE SEVENTY-SIXTH
REGIMENT.
Page
265 -
SERAPHIM MEYER'S
REGIMENT
ABOARD THE
ILL-FATED SULTANA
COMMANDS OF A LATER
PERIOD.
Page
266 -
WILLIAMS' FAMOUS
BATTERY.
Page
267 -
UNDER FIRE AT
PITTSBURGH LANDING.
CAPTAIN WILLIAMS
PROMOTED.
Page
268 -
AT VICKSBURG
DURING THE ATLANTA
CAMPAIGN.
Page
269 -
MUSTERED OUT.
LOOKING BACKWARD
FIFTY YEARS.
Page
270 -
Page
271 -
PHOTO:
THE FOUR CAPTAINS WHO FELL IN WAR.
(Top) Capt. Joseph S. Harter
(Left) Capt. James Wallace
(Bottom) Capt. William Rakestraw
(Right) Capt. B. T. Steiner
Page
272 -
FOUR CAPTAINS WHO
FELL.
NATIONAL
GUARD, THE CONNECTING LINK.
Page
273 -
LEGISLATION AFTER
THE WAR.
ORGANIZED UNDER THE
1870 NATIONAL GUARD LAW.
Page
274 -
SUBSTANTIAL
MEASURES OF 1876-77
THE EIGHTH REGIMENT
Page
275 -
Page
276 -
ACTIVE HOME SERVICE
OF THE EIGHTH.
IN THE
SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR.
Page
277 -
CAPTAIN WEIDMAN'S
ACCOUNT.
Page
278 -
GLEANED FROM
OFFICIAL SOURCES.
To the foregoing should be added the
information conveyed in the official
history of the Ohio National Guard and
Ohio Volunteers. From this it is
gleaned that Company I was organized at
Canton and mustered in as a unit of the
Eighth Infantry, May 1, 1892, under
command of Capt. Henry Frease,
and was originally known as the
Columbian Rifles. It was mustered
into the volunteer service of the United
states, as part of the Eighth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, in May 1898.
After seeing service in Cuba it was
mustered out at Wooster, in November of
that year. Capt. Henry L. Wills,
who had first joined the service as a
private in Company F and had been
connected with Company I, through all
its grades to the captaincy, and was in
command from June, 1897, through the
war, until his death at Camp Wikoff,
Long Island, Aug. 29, 1898. He was
succeeded by First Lieut. Philip Yost,
who afterward
Page
279 -
joined the regular army and saw service
in the Philippines. Four privates
of Company I were victims of disease
contracted in Cuba; Edward J.
Wingerter and Frank Gibler
died in Cuba and David F. Hoshone and
G. G. Kosht, at Camp Wikoff.
Company K was organized at Alliance and
mustered in as a unit of the Eighth
Infantry, May 2, 1892; local
designation, Alliance Guard.
Organized for the volunteer service at
Alliance, Apr. 16, 1898; mustered in at
Columbus as Company K, Eighth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry, May 13, 1898; with
United States forces in Cuba, July 10,
to Aug. 17, 1898; detached with Third
Battalion, July 13 to Aug. 14, 1898;
mustered out at Wooster, Nov. 21, 1898;
assigned to reorganized Eighth Regiment,
July 21, 1899. Its first captain
was Charles C. Weybrecht, who
served from May, 1892, to July, 1897.
Elliott L. Gyger, who was in
command from November, 1897, to
February, 1900, servd in the
Spanish-American war. The
experience of Company K was similar to
the Canton companies, for, although it
did not see active service, its members
performed their duties like good
soldiers and the tropical fevers took
their usual heavy tolls of northern
lives. The deceased include Serg.
Clyde B. Crubaugh, who died on
the United States hospital ship while en
route from Santiago; Corp. William R.
Knowles, who died of typhoid fever
at Santiago; and privates John O.
Patterson, John G. Treuthardt, David B.
Carnahan, Ora N. Royer, James B. Heacock,
Louis J. Davis and Charles E.
Glenn. All of these died of
fevers except Mr. Glenn, who was
killed during the Santiago campaign
while engaged in guarding a railroad.
In the war with Spain old Company C, of Canton, was
known as Company L. Under the
former name it was organized at Canton
in the summer of 1891, being popularly
known as the Canton Zouaves. It
was mustered into the state service in
January, 1893, with herbert C. Smart
as captain. Marcus A. Fisher,
who was in command during and after the
Spanish-American war, was commissioned
in January, 1897.
Capt. Herbert C. Smart, who served as second
lieutenant during the war, died at
Canton in December, 1899, of malarial
poisoning contracted at Santiago.
Corp. Charles E. Tarner also died
near Santiago and Private C. C.
Mitchell, at the Siboney Hospital
Company F was originally organized as the Beach City
Blues (Company G), and afterward as F,
with headquarters successively changed
from Beach City to Massillon, and thence
to Canton under command of Capt.
Charles R. Miller, who was later
appointed by President McKinley
as major and assistant adjustant-general
of N. O. Volunteers. It was
mustered in at Columbus as Company F,
Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, in May,
1898, and mustered out at Wooster, in
November of that year. Capt.
John A. Leininger, who had joined
the company in
Page
280 -
1892 and risen to its command through
all the ranks, commanded the company in
the war with Spain until his death from
yellow fever, at Santiago, in August,
1898. First Lieut. August
Weidman succeeded him as captain.
Captain Leininger was a native of
Stark County. Four privates of
Company F, died of disease at Camp
Wikoff, Long Island, while the company
was en rout to their Ohio homes.
DURING AND SINCE
THE WAR WITH SPAIN.
OHIO NATIONAL GUARD
OF TODAY.
Page
281 -
COL. GEORGE R.
GYGER.
Page
282 -
Page
283 -
Page
284 -
LIEUT.-COL. HARRY
FREASE.
Page
285 -
Page
286 -
lieutenant-colonel, until March,
1912,whenhe was retired from active
service.
LIEUT.-COL. CHARLES
C. WEYBRECHT.
Lieut.-Col. Charles C. Weybrecht, of
Alliance, is a junior member of the well
known lumber and contracting firm, J.
T. Weybrecht's Sons. The
father was of an old French family and
was a contractor and builder of
thirty-five when he came to this country
and purely by accident located at
Alliance. His destination was
Chicago, but he was detained at that
little side station, where he met some
of his fellow countrymen who informed
him that his chances for employment cold
not be better than to stop just where he
was lingering. So he did, and so
have several generations after him, to
their decided benefit and great
satisfaction. The colonel was born
in Alliance in December, 1868; was
educated in the city schools and at the
Ohio State University, and after he left
college was in the railway mail service
until 1892. He then became
associated with his father and his elder
brother, Benjamin F. Weybrecht,
in the business which has been conducted
by the brothers since the death of its
founder in 1895.
In 1892 Colonel Weybrecht organized Company K,
Eight Infantry, Ohio National Guard, at
Alliance, and served as captain of the
same until 1897. He was then
elected major of the regiment, in which
capacity he served in the Eighth Ohio
Volunteer Infantry during the
Spanish-American war, including
participation in the Santiago campaign.
His command, the Third Battalion of the
Eighth Ohio, was detailed as
headquarters guard to Major General
Shafter, and was present at the
formal surrender of General Toral
to that commander. In November,
1899, Major Weybrecht was elected
lieutenant-colonel of the Eighth Ohio
National Guard, which position he still
holds. Both he and his men were
said to be very popular in the army at
Santiago and were known as
Weybrecht's Bulldogs.
- END OF CHAPTER XI -
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