GENEALOGY COl_LECTldR
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY,
3 1833 02410 7416
GC
977.101
H94k
ROSTER
of
RICHMOND SOLDIERS
and
HISTORY of RICHMOND
TOWNSHIP
By
REV. W. A. KEESY
TIFFIN, OHIO
PRICE BOUND
Paper, ... 35 Cents
Cloth, ... 50 Cents
1908
RE\'. W. A. KEESY
^^r
1195071
Preface.
The author has no apology for presenting
the public with this work. It seems no one else
would undertake it. He has waited twenty years
for something like it and now that he is growing
old and that the old soldiers are passing away,
the old settlers gone, and the history being lost,
he is prompted to push it.
He is grateful to A. F. Sweetland of the
55th regiment, Co. I. for the roster, Edward
Franklin, Co. I. 55th regiment, 0. V. V. I. and
Doctor E. V. Buckingham, M. D., for help ren-
dered.
It can readily be seen that the scope of sale,
so limited, presents no financial temptation. But
it will be a souvenir to generations yet to come
and we make the sacrifice.
The Author.
THE LANING COMPANY
Publishers
NORWALK - - OHIO
Contents.
PAGE
Preface 3
Chap. I. Ohio — Huron County 12
Chap. II. Richmond Township — Description —
Marsh Notes 18
Chap. III. Early Settlers, Industries and
Churches 22
Chap. IV. Clearing Farms — Threshing — R a p-
ping Spirits — Water and Gas —
Johnney Appleseed 33
Chap. V. Primitive Schools — Teachers — Minis-
ters — Doctors — Lawyers —
Circuit Rider 43
Chap. VI. Selections 51
Chap. VII. Coon Hunting — Curious Find — In-
dians — Officers — Sugar Camp —
Lincoln's Assassination — Re-
ceipts — Sundries 73
Chap. VIII. Closing Chapter 87
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N N N
12 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
CHAPTER I.
The foregoing roster will account for most of the
contents, and why this book is written. And we only-
need to add here that the thrilling scenes leading
up to the civil war can briefly be summed up as fol-
lows:
The desire to extend human slavery. That in-
famous institution, the "Sum of all villianies."
The Dred Scott decision, by the courts, in which
humanity was outraged.
The civil war of Kansas, caused by an effort to
make Kansas a slave state.
The John Brown raid on and capture of Harpers
Ferry.
Inflammatory speeches made both in the north
and south.
The political pot was boiling over when, in 1860,
Abraham Lincoln was elected president. And the
southern states began to secede from the federal
union. Secession had been advocated by Jefferson
Davis and others, in the national congress prior to
the war, for ten years.
Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated president on
March 4, 1861.
On the twelfth of April, 1861, Fort Sumpter was
fired upon. On the fifteenth day of April the presi-
dent called for 75,000 three-months' troops, to put
down the rebellion. But this war storm increased
History of Richmond Township. 13
so furiously that on May the third he called for
500,000 three-years' men to save the Union.
That Richmond did her part nobly in the mighty
conflict of four years' struggle which ensued, we must
first consider that there were called into the Union
army in those four years, 2,859,132 men of which
Ohio furnished 319,659 and Richmond township, out
of a population of 900, puts into the field, as the
roster will show, 112 men. Now Ohio has eighty-
eight counties. She has 1,357 townships, but most
of them, not like Richmond, have large cities or vil-
lages at most where population was heavier.
There were 2,208 land and fifty naval engage-
ments during that war, making a total of 2,258 en-
gagements.
The adjutant general's report shows the whole
number of deaths in that army up to 1870 to be
303,504.
Killed outright 60,000. Such battles as Chicka-
mauga, Nashville, The Wilderness, Antietam, Fred-
ricksburg. Stone River, Gettysburg and Franklin were
awful to contemplate, and are no more appreciated
today than a skirmish is to a real battle.
THE STATE OF OHIO.
By the treaty with Great Britian, her rights were
relinquished in the Northwest Territory and the
United States assumed control, acknowledging the
claim made by Virginia of 3,709,848 acres of land near
the Rapids of the Ohio, and a similar claim made by
Connecticut of 3,666,621 acres near Lake Erie which
became known as the Western Reserve.
14 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
In 1787 congress passed the ordinance creating
the "Northwest Territory," creating the first common-
wealth in the world, whose organic law recognized
every man as free and equal.
The first permanent settlement was made at
Marietta, in 1788, under the ordinance, by OflBcers
of the Revolution Army.
In 1800 congress divided the Northwest Terri-
tory into two governments, the seat of the eastern
government being Chillicothe.
November 29, 1802, a constitution of state gov-
ernment was ratified, and on February 19, 1803, the
constitution was ratified by congress, admitting the
state of Ohio as the seventeenth state of the Union
in order of admission.
The seat of government was at Chillicothe until
1810, it was then moved to Zanesville until 1812,
when it was returned to Chillicothe until 1816, when
it found its present, permanent location at Columbus.
Ohio has 88 counties.
Ohio has 1,357 townships.
OHIO.
"The sun never shown on a country more fair
Than beautiful, peerless Ohio.
There's life in a kiss of her rarified air,
Ohio, prolific Ohio.
Her sons are valiant and noble and bright.
Her beautiful daughters are just about right,
And her babies, God bless them, are clear out of
sight —
That crop never fails in Ohio.
History of Richmond Township. 15
"Our homes are alight with a halo of love,
Ohio, contented Onio.
We bask in the smiles of the heavens above —
No clouds ever darken Ohio.
Our grain waves its billows of gold in the sun,
The fruits of our orchards are equaled by none.
And our pumpkins, some of them, weighing a ton —
We challenge the world in Ohio.
"Our girls are sweet models of maidenly grace.
They are perfect in figure and lovely in face.
That's what they are in Ohio.
Their smiles are bewitching and winning and sweet.
Their dresses are stylish, yet modest and neat,
A Trilby would envy their cute little feet,
In beautiful, peerless Ohio.
"When the burdens of life I am called to lay down,
I hope I may die in Ohio.
I never could ask a more glorious crown,
Than. one of the sod in Ohio.
And when the last trump wakes the land and the sea,
And the tombs of the earth set their prisoners free,
You may all go aloft if you choose, but for me —
I think I'll stay in Ohio."
HURON COUNTY.
Huron county formed February 7, 1809, and or-
ganized in 1815.
It originally constituted the whole of the Fire
Lands.
The site of Norwalk was first visited by the Hon.
16 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
Elias Whittlesey, Piatt Benedict and two others, in
October, 1815.
In 1817 Piatt Benedict built the first log cabin
where Norwalk now stands. In May, after, Norwalk
was made the county seat.
In 1819 two Indians were executed for murder
at Norwalk. Their names were Ne-go-sheck and Ne-
gon-a-ba.
As it is not our purpose to give a history of
the county here, I will subjoin a list of the town-
ships in the county and dismiss it.
1840 1880
Bronson 1291 1092
Clarksfield 1473 1042
Fairfield 1067 1359
Fitchville 1294 822
Greenfield 1460 900
Greenwich 1067 1376
Hartland 925 954
Lyme 1318 2575
New Haven 1270 1807
New London 1218 1764
Norwich 676 1157
Norwalk 2613 7078
Peru 1998 1194
Richmond 306 1014
Ridgefield 1599 2359
Ripley 804 1038
Ruggles* 1244
♦Ruggles has since been detached from Huron
and given to Ashland county, leaving Huron nineteen
townships. Richmond township was set off from New
Haven in 1835.
History of Richmond Township. 17
1840 1880
Sherman 692 1223
Townsend 868 1405
Wakeman 702 1450
18 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
CHAPTER II.
RICHMOND TOWNSHIP— DESCRIPTION.
Richmond is the southwest corner township of
Huron county, Ohio. The south half, or nearly so, is
a marsh, called the New Haven marsh. It is about
ten miles in extent, east and west, and about five
miles north and south. The ground or surface of
this marsh is a mushy, slushy muck, created by the
enormous growth of vegetation and the water held
intact. This is so soft that an ox or horse would
mire right down in it. It will be readily seen, there-
fore, that the marsh one-half of Richmond is un-
tenantable and this, with no village, will account for
the small population of the township at the time of
the war.
Now this marsh was composed of three useful
sections, viz.: one-third or about that was called the
hay marsh. When yet in the commons, and free
to the public, I have seen from 500 to 1,000 hay stacks
on it. When mowing time came, whoever wanted to
could go in and mow. Then when cured, the hay had
to be carried to the stack by hand. Here it was
left unmolested (except by storm or fire) until win-
ter froze the bottom so a team with sled could be
taken on and loaded down.
The early wild hay was of poor quality, and only
used in emergency, the small clearings yet furnishing
but small acreage of tame hay.
About one-third of this marsh was known as
History of l^ichmond Township. 19
the cranberry marsh. This yielded thousands of
bushels of cranberries in a season. It was usually-
raked over first, then the remaining berries were
gathered by hand.
MARSH NOTES.
My father, John Keesy (Geesy), gathered twenty-
four bushels of cranberries, before he ate his break-
fast, one morning.
Ezekiel Buckingham gathered sixty bushels in
one day.
Doctor E. V. Buckingham dug up on this marsh,,
the tooth of a mastodon, which weighed three pounds
and seven ounces. He also found a rib which meas-
ured three feet in length.
About one-third of this marsh was covered with
whortleberry bushes, maple trees and undergrowth
of bushes, and was known as the "Pigeon Roost" or
Whortleberry marsh.
This yielded thousands of bushels of berries an-
nually, and was a great source of revenue for those
who lived in the adjacent country.
The maple trees were sometimes even broken
down by the weight of the teeming myriads of wild
pigeons flocking there to roost by night. I have
seen the skies darkened from three o'clock until dark,
by the millions of pigeons coming from their feeding
ground up north, the beach wood and green field,
to their roost in the marsh. So in the morning on
their return.
People would come from fifteen miles around to
20 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
go in the roost at night and kill and sack ofE these
birds.
Wilson Moore, a ditcher, says he killed twenty-
one massasoggers, (rattle snakes) in one day, and
it was not a very good day for "soggers" either.
Charley Thompson was lost on this marsh for
nearly a week, just after the civil war; the writer
with nearly 100 men hunted two days for him. Hav-
ing gotten ofE on the south side he was rescued near
New Washington in Crawford county.
In dry seasons, frequently, a wall of fire miles
in length could be seen sweeping across this marsh,
terrifying the border settlers, endangering anything
in its path.
.The Honey Creek on the west, flowing into the
Sandusky river near Tiffin, which in turn empties
Into Sandusky Bay at Fremont and the Marsh Run
on the east, which empties into Huron river in New
Haven township, and in turn reaches the lake at
Huron, furnish outlet for the waters of this marsh.
The numerous ditches turned into these have trans-
formed this wilderness into a very garden of beauty
and it will be a joy forever.
A small colony of Hollanders have built a village
at the intersection of the muck and dry land, on the
township line between Richmond and New Haven
and are caring for hundreds of acres of celery, onions,
potatoes and garden truck of all kinds. This now is
the Excelsior.
Eureka, they have built a church, have a school
house, are a very religious people, and are shipping
their produce in car loads from this Elderado while
History of Richmond Township. 21
the very muck is now turned into a very marketable
and profitable commerce.
The north half of Richmond township was cov-
ered with dense forest of heavy timber, the white
oak being the monarch of the forest, hickory,
beech, maple, bass-wood and ash in abundance, a
variety of others such as sycamore, buckeye, elm,
black ash, etc., interspersed with a few locust, iron-
wood, dogwood, gum walnut, poplar and burr-oak.
The soil is a rather heavy, though fertile clay,
and the rock almost invariably lies one hundred feet
beneath blue clay or hard pan. The surface when
properly tilled, tiled and fertilized is a very pro-
ductive loam. But I am anticipating.
The early settlers here found wild game in abun-
dance. The wild turkey, wild geese, ducks, pheasants,
the deer, bear, raccoon, o'possum, the fox, gray, black
and red squirrel, ground hog, mink, panther, wolves
and Indians.
The rattle snake, with numerous kinds of less
harmful reptiles, was in evidence then.
This early game was hard on the farmers' small
fields of corn, wheat and grain, but this in turn
enticed and drew these fattening creatures in range
of his unerring and fatal rifle. Thus a fair exchange
was rendered both.
22 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
CHAPTER III.
EARLY SETTLERS, INDUSTRIES, CHURCHES.
There were three men, probably brothers, by the
name of Schofield, who were the first to take up
their abode in Richmond. They settled on the edge
of the marsh.
A Mr. Navel came next. He settled on what has
"Since been known as the Ezekiel Buckingham farm.
He had a little hand double burred mill and as
settlers came in they would dry their corn and take
it there to grind by hand. Mr. Ed. Franklin tells
me that he helped turn this mill.
Then came Packard and Lake and settled on
what became known as the Daniel Sykes farm. A
man and family next settled nearby on the Kirk-
wood farm and then Jas. Young settled down on
the hill just east of the Catholic cemetery near the
New Haven line. Hutchinsons came in 1836, Reuben
Franklin came in 1835, the Hutchinsons in 1836,
Daniel Sykes in 1837, Ezekiel Buckingham in 1842,
John Keesy (Geesy) in 1842, Daniel Sweetland on
Jan. 1, 1848, Andrew being five years old at the time,
Nathan and Benjamin Tanner with others in the
early forties.
I herewith give a list of the settlers of Rich-
mond from memory up to the civil war. Pardon any
omission.
History of Richmond Township.
23
Andrews.
Dicks.
Ditto.
Burlin.
Dole.
Buckingham.
Boyles.
Esterline.
Beamer.
Ebinger.
Bronson.
Eversole.
Barrels.
Briggs.
Frederick.
Bishop.
Fetterhoof.
Beelman.
Fosters.
Brubaker.
Foglesong.
Biuerle.
Finks.
Bash.
Fuller.
Bessie.
Facklers.
Brant.
Fox.
Baughman.
Fast.
Fulmar.
Courtright.
Cline.
Gribben.
Croninger.
Gurney.
Carpenter.
Gardner.
Channing.
Cole.
Hungerford.
Crothers.
Hutchinson.
Carsons.
Hoyles.
Clark.
Hahns.
Crawford.
Hord.
Hershiser.
Dunster.
Hicks.
Draher.
Hough.
Day.
Dawson.
Jump.
24
Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
Johnson.
Pond.
Jacoby, Rev.
Plank.
Jackson.
Piatt.
Pollinger.
Keesy.
Posts.
Koder.
Palmer.
Kelly.
Pressler.
Parks.
Lutts.
Pearch.
Lewis.
Loggerson.
Ringle.
Lane, Rev.
Rice.
Randies.
McKittric.
Resh.
Markley.
Riddle.
McBride.
Robinsons.
McMaster.
Roopely.
Motters.
Reiner
Moores.
Rogers.
Millers.
Rittenhouse.
Mowen, Rev.
Mohler.
Steels.
Mongold.
Sweetland.
Shoup.
Newman
Sciser.
Nesbitt.
Sparks.
Navel.
Spencers.
Sheely.
Ogden.
Staley.
Oilman.
Shineberger.
Shanks.
Peckingpaugh.
Snyder.
Pitts.
Sage.
History of Richmond Township. 25
Seavolt. Waltz.
Shrieves. Wolf.
Swartz. Waiill.
Slater. Williams.
Willoughby.
Tanners. Weaver.
Thompsons.
Thorley. Tetters.
Yeager.
Upp.
Zimmerman.
The first schoolhouse was built on the Daniel
Sykes farm. The second, one mile north of the cen-
ter, on the Tiffin road and on the northeast corner.
Both frame and built by Daniel Prankliu, his father
being the contractor.
The state of Ohio, cut out, or opened up the
Tiffin road in 1831-2, across the township from east
to west, running one mile north of the center. This
was done to accommodate the heavy emigration al-
ready setting in for the west. In after years in the
fall and spring, scarcely ten minutes of the day
would pass but that you could count from one to
a dozen or more covered wagons, called flittens, pass-
ing along on this road enroute for the west. The
wagons were mostly the old "Prairie Schooner" style
and had a capacity for tons.
Willard Pond, a very disreputable character,
having a son named Luther, and his father's equal in
depravity, has the distinction of keeping the first
tavern in Richmond. He first occupied a double log
house, located on Tiffin road one mile north of the
center and on the northwest corner. The weary
26 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
traveler found lodging with him and rumor had it
that some lodged to stay.
Michael Lutts also kept a tavern about a half
mile east of the Seneca county line on the Tiffin
road. This was a great rendezvous for dances, shoot-
ing matches and raffling bees so prevalent in those
days. Tavern called "The Buckhorn."
Abram Pollinger, later, kept a "Travelers' Home,"
just the next farm east of the Lutts' tavern. This was
run under temperance principles.
Amos Ogden erected the first saw mill (of the
old sash saw style), which did a great business. It
was located in the hollow on the south side of the
Tiffin road just west of New Haven line.
William Coe came next and built a mill two
miles north of the center. This was the first muley
saw for this new country and did a great business.
John P. Miller and D. Y. Pink had a good mill
about three miles west of the Coe mill where Prank
Keesy now lives, later.
About this time the Sandusky-Mansfield railroad
was built across the northeast corner of Richmond
and although the township got no depot, it got a
market for cord wood and timber, as all the engines,
shops and stoves burned wood.
Then the Mad River railroad was built which
made a market and furnished employment so that
the forests awoke from their long slumber.
Old Mr. Cole and his son, Newman, established
a steam plant at the center of Richmond and com-
menced the manufacture of chairs. A few wagon-
loads were sent upon the market, but the plant was
never put upon a paying basis and soon went down.
History of Richmond Township. 27
Jones Fackler did the public blacksmithing for a
time. His plant was on the center road near the
New Haven line.
Then came Mr. John Fink on Tiffin road near
Seneca county line. For that day he was a first class
mechanic. He was followed in blacksmithing by a
Mr. Lusk whose plant could be found on center road
three miles north of the center, where he did a lively
business.
Robert Moore was a grain cradle manufacturer.
He turned out a first class machine and the name
"Moore's cradle" would insure a sale.
Billy Johnson was the only early settler who
could make and properly hang the ox yoke, an
important wooden harness for the ox teams, more
numerous than horses in that day.
Hiram Snyder turned out a good yoke in after
days.
John H. Keesy and Sadoc Hungerford were the
successful ax helve makers.
Wm. Post and Luther Moore, violinists. Jacob
Croninger, squirrel and turkey hunter. Solomon Wil-
liams and — Randies made guns. N. M. Keesy and
Arch. Riddle were famous for handling oxen, es-
pecially in clearing. Skill was required in logging.
Reuben Franklin was the first justice of
the peace. Huriah Robinson, Daniel Sweetland,
Joseph H. Beelman, John Keesy, Jerry Williams, Wm.
Jump also held the above named office with credit.
Old Messrs. Fetterhoof and Koder each brought
the old fashioned Pennsylvania wagon called
"Prairie Schooner," with him to Richmond.
It is claimed that the last bear killed in the
28 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
township was killed on Daniel Sweetland's farm.
The tree on which it was shot, a hurr oak, called
from the incident, the ''Old Ben Tree," was left
standing until the B. & O. railroad was built in 1872,
when their right of way enclosed it and it was cut
down.
In the early forties, before the Republican party
was fully launched, there were eight Whigs, Benja-
min Tanner, Ed. Franklin, Daniel Sykes, Lewis
Kirkwood, Wm. Jump, Robert Moore, Daniel Sweet-
land and John Keesy. These all planted firmly on
the Republican platform when the Whig party died.
The last wild deer was killed by Peter B. F.
Keesy on the line which is now between Wm. Eitle
and John H. Keesy's farms, about midway between
the Tiffin and Center roads. It had been wounded
before Peter got it.
I saw a drove, or fiock, of not less than 500 wild
turkeys, when a boy, cross the Tiffin road rapidly
headed southward toward the marsh.
People in those days had to let most of their
stock run loose in the woods. This required a special
mark, for each owner's stock which had to be re-
corded with the township clerk. My father's recorded
mark was the tip off the left and swallow fork in
the right ear.
Hogs would live and fatten on the shack in the
woods, stray away and get wild. People would take
dog and gun, go into the hog swamp and secure
their winter meat.
Aunt Martha Jane Feasel tells me that she
has yoked up the oxen for the purpose of hauling
History of Richmond Township. 29
wood, sap or logs, going to mill and other uses,
many a time.
When a boy I have gone six miles with my
mother to pull flax. When dry enough we had to
pound the seed off, then we could take the straw
home, rot, break, smoke, skutch, heckel, bleech it
and then mother would spin it on the little wheel;
when it was nearly ready for the loom. After it had
gone through the loom and by the weaver was thus
converted into cloth, mother would now make towels,
garments and domestic goods out of it.
The first effort at church erection by the people
of Richmond centered in a location on the Tiffin
road one mile north and a half mile west of the
center, on what was then Philemon Lightsland. The
citizens turned out, hewed logs, and erected the body
of a hewed log house up to the gable ends where
the roof commences. There then the body stood for
a few years and finally was abandoned altogether.
The writer well remembers when Peter Nesbitt after-
wards hauled those logs a mile north and erected
his dwelling house out of them, on the northwest cor-
ner of the crossing.
Next the United Brethren commenced the erection
of a frame building on the Upp farm, on Tiffin road.
This building was finished and did good service for a
long while, serving at least two generations. The
building was finally sold to the German Baptist, and
is now doing service as a barn for William Cox, at
the center. In the erection of this building a cir-
cumstance occurred which I may relate here. A
young man by the name of William Spencer was
mounting a young horse for the purpose of riding
30 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
to the Lutts Tavern to get a broad ax that was there,
which was needed, for hewing the timber for the new
church. The colt reared and fell and William was
injured and died, with the reins in his hands, not
knowing how badly he was hurt. This was an awful
shock to the community.
Next the German Lutherans built a frame church
two miles north and a mile and a half east of the
center, under the auspices of their pastor, Rev.
Smokerover. He was a man of fine physique, a number
one violinist and an eloquent orator. I remember the
long list of charter members present at the laying
of the corner stone, nearly all of whom have passed
to scenes beyond, and yet the church still stands as
a monument of Christian enterprise and loyalty.
The Union Bethel, by the people, came next. It
is located at the cemetery east of the Seneca county
line, and is too modern to properly belong to these
pages.
Of course the pioneer preacher is not to be out-
done in the advance of civilization. He, too, is on
hand in the persons of Rev. M. Long, United Brethern
and Rev. S. Allen. Episcopal Methodist, the former
preaching in my father's house before I was born.
The latter (after whom I was named, though they got
my name William Allen while his was Samuel Allen)
holding the first revival meeting in the same log
cabin or near by in a school house; tradition being a
little uncertain here.
About fifty years ago Rev. Samuel Jacoby, a
United Brethren minister, held a series of meetings
in the old Richmond church, which revolutionized
History of Richmond Townsfiip. 31
the religious phase of society, there being over eighty-
five conversions, largely heads of families; for that
day it was so thorough as to claim nearly all the
homes. There had been before and have been since
great meetings held by the different churches in the
township, but nothing so sweeping.
On April 6th, 1830, the church of the Latter Day
Saints was organized in the town of Manchester, N.
Y. This body, known as the Mormons, soon after
emigrated in a wandering way and landed in Jackson
county, Mo. After four years of persecution here,
they were compelled to remove. Smith who was at
the head as well as the founder of this sect, now se-
lected a spot in Illinois, which he called Nauvoo or
the New Jerusalem. Here they prospered and in-
creased to 15,000 inhabitants. But the prosperity
rendered them quarrelsome. Joseph Smith was
lodged in jail at a town called Carthage. A mob sur-
rounded the jail on June 27, 1844, and Smith was
shot. Brigham Young succeeded to the leadership
and being in supreme authority, in 1847 he with four
thousand of all ages and both sex, reached Salt
Lake Valley in Utah, and we have that canker on our
civilization now called Mormons. On their way to
their promised land they camped by the Huron river
near New Haven and baptized by immersion. They
evidently passed through Richmond. A tradition,
which I well recollect, had it that some of their wagons
were loaded with boxes (suiting the purpose) which
they called coflBns, but which contained guns and am-
munition. At all events no small stir ensued at their
efforts in proselyting and they had show of success.
32 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
for their zeal knew no bounds. I dare not further
digress here, but if it is desired, a future chapter
may set before the reader some of their polygamous,
danite, blood atonement and heathenish idolatrous
practice.
"I've a good notion," said Plodding Pete, "to
join dis forestry association."
"What fur?"
"I want de trees preserved in all deir venerable
beauty. I want to see de monachs of de wilderness
left undisturbed in deir peaceful majesty. It's time
dis practice of handin' a man an ax an' tellin' him
to chop wood was stopped." — Washington Star.
History of Richmond Township, 33
CHAPTER IV.
CLEARING FARMS— THRESHING— RAPPING
SPIRITS— WATER AND GAS.
To get a fairer view of the pioneer day we must
eliminate the sewing machine, threshing machine,
mowing machine, reaper, organ, the graphophone, tele-
phone, wireless telegraphy, air ship, submarine boat,
iron clad boat, machine gun, liquid air. X-rays, trolley
cars, kodak work, wire fences, stately mansions, cook
stove, furnace, carpet, bath room and modern com-
forts, luxuries, outfit and a thousand other things of
modern invention; but a healthy pioneer, equipped
with a good ax, a maul or beetle and a few iron
wedges, a gun and a good dog had an empire of his
own and there was no reason why he should not suc-
ceed. He had timber, time and game to work upon.
The clearing of a farm was no child's play how-
ever. There was no transportation, therefore no
market for timber. It had to be burned up no matter
how good it was, it must be gotten out of the way.
In clearing, some, to save labor, would simply girdle
the large oak trees and let them stand, clearing away
the rest. To girdle a tree, the bark was usually
cleft through, the whole way around the body from
three to four feet from the ground. A tree treated
in this way seldom sends forth its leaves the next
year. The branches begin to drop, and then the
larger limbs, and these mighty monarchs of the for-
ests now present a wierd appearance in the open
34 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
field. They give the country a sickening appearance
until the woodman's ax and fire terminate their ex-
istence.
When the timber was felled and cut in proper
length for logging, and the brush burned out of the
way, then the logs were piled together and burned.
The ashes could then be scraped together, marketed
at about five cents per bushel, provided you took
your pay in trade. The writer secured his first pair
of suspenders in this way, when a boy six years old.
The choicest timber was split into rails for
fencing, building, etc.
These clearings multiplied and the roads being
improved, a more open country laid before the eye.
Raising buildings, logging bees, corn huskings,
dancing, sap boiling, coon hunting, all had their
part, as well as church services, in bringing the
people together.
If a man had logging to do and saw fit so to
do, he would invite as many of his neighbors as he
chose, and a suitable number of teams, and on the
time fixed, they assembled at the logging place; us-
ually the teamsters would choose their followers and
then the work of piling the logs in heaps for burning
commenced. A very pleasant rivalry often ensued,
seeing which group could pile up the most heaps.
This, with the appetizing dinner prepared by the
ladies, served as a stimulant to insure good work.
Many a loafer had his spirits ruffled, feeling
slighted in not being invited to these bees, as he con-
templated a dinner of fresh venison, turkey, plum
pudding, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, sassafras or
store tea, such a dinner as the woodman's wife and
1 1 95;071
History of Richmond Township. 35
the country maidens knew just how to get up.
Usually after these bees, especially the corn husking
bees, there by the young people, in which the older
ones might indulge, plays, charades, card playing or
such amusement as the morals of the management
might allow. Of course card playing, dancing,
whisky drinking and all immorality had their dev-
otees then as now. But things were known by
their right name then. A spade was a "Spade" and
the weak church member then who overstepped the
bounds of propriety speedily answered to the sum-
mons of his, or her, church council in tears of re-
pentance, or was led down and out.
AFTER NAVEL'S HAND MILL.
^ The first grist mill to do service for this town-
ship was located principally upon and propelled by
the waters of the Huron river. It used to require
several days in going to mill and getting a grist.
Bad roads or teams, slow grinding, waiting on other
customers for your own turn to come, being some of
the delaying causes. But after all the good old days
of custom grinding are gone forever and we have
cause to fear to the detriment, if not the great dis-
advantage of the public. The grain was first threshed
in this township with the flail. This instrument I
cannot stop to describe. Then treading or tramping
it off became the process. Preparing a floor or clear
place on the ground, the grain was placed upon it,
the cattle, colts or horses taken on and made to move
briskly around while attendants would keep con-
stantly turning and stirring until the process was.
36 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
complete. The straw then shaken out the grain
would be fanned.
After the methods of threshing had become com-
mon, Billy Johnson and his son Mose became great
benefactors by introducing a threshing machine,
which was run by horse power. It consisted of a
horse power and open cylinder. While it was almost
equivalent to facing a first class battery in blazing
battle, to face that cylinder and rake away the straw
and receive the crazy kernels, knocked first in this
eye and then in that one and a whole shower of them
finding every bare spot in the most blinding, stifling
dust and deafening roar, thus testing the anatomy
of any who had the temerity to try it, still plenty
of men liked the novelty of it and Billy Johnson's
machine was a great success. The grain usually had
to be piled or caved up and covered with straw to
protect it from the rain, until cleaned by a fanning
mill and disposed of. Then came Wise and Still-
well with a machine having a straw carrier and
a fanning mill attached to it and from this on each
year brought improvements until perfection is nearly
attained.
The sickle was an implement for reaping grain
or grass by hand in the writer's childhood day. He
well remembers its use. The mowing scythe and
grain cradle superseded it, which in after years and
a more stumpless day, had to give place to the mowing
machine and reaper, of horse power fame. Even
these would be interesting to trace in their improve-
ments.
The improved farms with stumpless fields, well
drained low land, nice frame buildings, well equipped
History of Richmond Township. 37
machinery and highly bred stock, are no adequate
type of the rustic rudeness of pioneer life, in the log
cabin surrounded by howling wolves, invaded by
friendly or hostile Indians, exposed to malarious cat-
swamps, destined to exposure, hardship and incon-
venience, with unbroken forest to tackle.
WATER.
There were some inconveniences in the early
days scarcely thought of now. For instance, there
were no deep wells to depend upon, in case of drought.
One dry summer for weeks we actually hauled water
from the (now Chicago Junction) springs to West
Richmond and it was my boyish daily task with
brother and sister to drive the cattle to water at the
Honey Creek, on the farm now owned by Philander
Riddle. By the time we could make these trips with
our lolling herd through the smothering dust under
the boiling sun and back to the farm on the Tiffin
road they were as thirsty as when they started. Some
wells began to be put down with success. Jacob
Holtz now struck a well on his farm that could sup-
ply the whole township. A well was put down on the
farm now owned by John Bellinger or which was
owned at that time by Henry Weaver afterwards by
John Gribben. This well was put down some six-
teen feet, then a well augur was used and in search
for the substratum of water the augur found a lively
pocket of natural gas. On removing the augur the
gas exhaust was sufficiently strong enough to throw
small pebbles clear to the surface. This find of
natural wealth enraged the workmen and drove them
38 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
away. In the nighttime J. F. Miller took his lan-
tern and repaired to the well in the hope that water
might now be flowing in. The lighted lantern com-
ing in contact with the gas, an explosion ensued and
our explorer barely escaped with his life, minus the
"beard on one side of his face, his hands and face
badly burned and his temper seriously ruffled against
a providence that would fill the earth with such a
curse, (?) when he wanted water.
There now was a growing demand for charcoal,
the village blacksmith using no other then. Hun-
dreds of cords of wood would be piled up on end
and covered with earth, then burned to • coal. My
father had a number of these pits burned and for
years after when plowing we could tell in the soil
where every one of the pits had been burned. Care
liad to be exercised in taking the coal to market as
any latent fire was likely to be fanned into a flame,
thereby endangering the conveyance. It required as
much skill, care and time to burn a coal pit as it
•does to burn a brick kiln.
New Haven now became our metropolis. Here-
tofore all our foreign stores were brought from Milan
or Sandusky. Now, though all our wheat from Seneca,
Crawford and Wyandot counties is hauled to Milan
for market, these same teamsters bring back loads
of goods and even do their own trading in New Haven.
I have seen seven dry goods, three provision stores,
two taverns, one machine shop, two tanneries, two
warehouses, one railroad, one grist mill, several shoe
shops at one time in New Haven,
Richmond, like all other places, came in for its
full share of politics. Now politics, when not per-
History of Richmond Townsliip. 39
veried, is the science of government. In what I may
say on politics, I leave the reader to judge how far
it applies on government.
Richmond was greatly agitated over the slavery
question long before the Civil War, some taking a
radical stand defending the South in their rightful
possessions and even ministers were found who pro-
claimed human slavery a divine institution and sup-
ported by the Bible, They had no use for the nigger
or his friend. The South were great benefactors in
caring for the useless, indolent, helpless "nigger."
Then there were the abolitionists, who would
dovn slavery at any cost; this they did at a tre-
mendous price. It may be interesting here to note
that some of these Richmondites were station agents
on The "Underground railroad" of those days. This
was an institution organized to run refugee slaves
through to Canada and to safety. The refugee slave
law made it the duty of every citizen to assist any
United States marshal, who with his bloodhound, on
the trail of runaway slaves, asked assistance, running
them down and catching them. This was so very
obnoxious to the abolitionist. Then the penitentiary
yawned at any one refusing the marshal, or assisting
a slave to escape. This made it most hazardous in
belonging to this railroad and it was difficult to
manage the underground railroad.
Once in a while a colored man who could show
that he was a free man would come into the township
and plead for the oppressed of his race, describing
the cruelty inflicted on the slaves in the far south.
This would in turn awaken partisan animosity and
no doubt, often those colored advocates of freedom
40 Roster of l^ichmond Soldiers and
were kidnapped, taken south beyond their identity
and sold into hopeless, life long bondage.
Of course, there were also local issues in town-
ship offices, improvement, enterprises, etc., to keep
the political fire fanned, and a healthful rivalry in-
these was no great disadvantage.
RAPPING SPIRITS VISITED RICHMOND TOWN-
SHIP MANY YEARS AGO. I
The rapping spirits got in their work in an early
day in Richmond. Moses Cole was the leading
medium. He was almost unbalanced by the delusion
and came pretty near unbalancing several associates.
Wherever a group of young people assembled the
spirits had to be tampered with and many foolishly
believed, (as some blindly do now) that the spirits
of their deceased friends could here be conferred
with. The amusing part of it was that those
spirits never knew more about things terrestrial
nor celestial than any of the rest of us do.
Johnney Appleseed made his famous journeys and
visitation through here. He was a very eccentric
character whose real name was John Chapman. He
had imbibed a remarkable passion for raising apple
trees from the seed. He was accustomed to clear
spots in loamy soil and along streams to plant his
seed. When the early settlers began to arrive and
clear the ground Johnney was ready for them with
his trees, which he either gave them or sold for some
trifle. His personal appearance was as queer as his
character. On one cool autumnal night while lying
by his camp fire in the woods he observed that the
History of Richmond Township, 41
mosquitoes flew in the blaze and were burned. John-
ney who wore on his head a tin utensil which an-
swered, both as a cap and a mush pot, filled it with
water and extinguished the fire and exclaimed, "God
forbid I should build a fire for my comfort that should
destroy any of His creatures."
There was another quaint character, though a
terror to children, a very harmless creature called
"Crazy Ferris," who made regular trips through this
sparsely settled township.
The building of the Mad River and the Sandusky
and Mansfield, afterward the Newark railroads, gave
new energy to the hardy pioneers. Some remuner-
ation might be expected now for working up the tim-
ber but its superabundance held it of no value. Rail-
roads as then constructed with the old "strap iron"
instead of "T" rails as now, required more wood than
ties and the engines all burned wood instead of coal.
Then there began to be a demand for staves, which
were shipped to the lake and even on to England.
This in turn increased taxes.
Some respectable bridges began to appear. School
houses were improved. The roads were very ma-
terially repaired by drainage, culverts, bridges, etc.
THE CLOCK.
BY REV. W. A. KEEST.
Ticking away day after day.
Speeding the numberless seconds away;
Your hands on your face to measure the space,
As the minutes go by in a matchless race.
42 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
The thing that you do most all people like,
As they hear and then count the hours that you strike.
No feet to walk, no mouth to speak;
Daily and nightly you measure the week.
No tongue to relate the things that you know;
And you always go running as on you go,
Timing all the business on land and sea,
Ever following the sun where'er it may be.
Your work in time you will fulfill,
For you're not endued with a sovereign will;
Your power is limited only to wheels.
And to people on earth you make your appeals.
But all confess that you're very clever.
Although you cannot live and run on forever.
Tiffin, Ohio.
History of Richmond Township. 43
CHAPTER V.
PRIMITIVE SCHOOLS— TEACHERS— MINIS-
TERS— DOCTORS— LAWYERS.
The fall of 1860 saw the country wrapt in the
maze of an exciting presidential campaign, which
foreboded war however the election might go. Poll
raising, mass meetings, wire pulling electioneering
and domineering kept the political kettle boiling un-
til Abraham Lincoln was elected and then the dick-
ens was to pay. "When on the fifteenth day of April,
1861, President Lincoln called for 75,000 men to put
down the rebellion, Richmond showed her metal.
James Nesbitt claims the honor of being the first
three-months' man to enlist. Then in May, the presi-
dent called for 300,000 three-years' men to save the
Union, God bless them! Again Richmond sent out
her noble sons, as good a lot as ever marched to the
beat of drum. In my book written upon the war
I sought to give the names of all the Richmond
soldiers, but having nothing more than memory to
refer to, I have been greatly humiliated in the omis-
sion of two at least, possibly more, of as brave, good,
loyal and patriotic soldiers as ever donned the Amer-
ican uniform. I speak of John and Samuel Miller.
The roster here will correct any omission, I trust.
The Indians and wild beasts had it about their
own way with the early settlers. The road known
44 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
as the Tiffin road, was the only road in
the township then in 1832 opened. It had
been cut out by the state to accommodate the public,
as quite an emigration was already setting in for
western Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Iowa. This road
therefore was opened through the township east and
west, one mile north of the center of the township.
Through or around the cat swamps, so numerous
then, it was laid with native logs lain side by side
across the road making a very rough road but far
easier — though harder — road to travel than the bot-
tomless mud. These log constructions were called,
"corderoy or corduroy roads." They were very pop-
ular in their day.
The principal articles of commerce in those days
were the furs of the wild game which abounded with
no legal restriction, and wood ashes could be marketed
at about five cents per bushel, provided you took
your pay in trade, such as combs, suspenders, tobacco,
trinkets, etc. The great question being, how to get
the timber out of the way, there being so much
of it and no market for it, it had to be burned
up. The ashes were leeched and produced a pot-ash
which found a ready market if it could only be de-
livered. Remember it tested any kind of team and
vehicle to travel those corduroy roads.
The erection of log cabins, clearing away the
timber, opening new roads, hunting wild game, man-
ufacturing clothing and implement of husbandry, rude
furniture, building homes, opening up the slumber-
ing forests gave constant toil and taxing care to all.
Trees to fell, logs to saw, rails to split, brush to
History of Richmond Township. 45
burn, chunks to pile, fence to build, sugar camps to
prepare, ditches to dig, plowing, planting and hoeing,
wool carding, flax pulling, spinning, weaving and
making all done by hand. The hum of the spinning
wheel then far sweeter than that of the organ now.
Don't ask me if I want to go back to pioneer day?
The first justice of the peace was Reuben Franklin,
then Jerry Williams,
The primitive school was a very important
factor in township building. Spelling, reading and
writing was the most in literary attainment required
of the teacher. He was not only expected to be an
adept wielding the ferule when needed and of ap-
plying the rod skillfully as occasion might require,
but he must also be equipped with a suitable pen-
knife and be able to transform the goose quill, fur-
nished by each scholar possessing a copy-book, into a
good quill pen. The night spelling, geography and
singing schools were occasions of great profit in those
times, in more ways than one.
I do wish that I could give a correct list of
Richmond's early teachers. I will name a few whom
I have personally known.
William Jump and Joseph H. Beelman were
among the first and I have gone to school with, the
latter as my first school teacher. Mr. Beelman was a
remarkable singer, had a marvelously charming voice,
and he was in demand as a singing school teacher.
Wesley J. Andrews was a successful school
teacher for over thirty years. I received the benefit
of his training, as my teacher, from six to sixteen
years of age. He was a singing school teacher and
he held very many spelling, arithmetic, geography
46 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
and writing schools at night, for the benefit of the
public, for which he charged nothing. He was active
and foremost in every public movement for the wel-
fare of the community and with him remuneration
was the second consideration. His remains repose
in the Attica cemetery and his funeral was con-
ducted by the writer who, whenever visiting his
grave, bares his head in honor of a man whose moral
and intellectual worth never was appreciated.
E. V. Buckingham, Louisa Johnson, Nathan
Buckingham, Geo. Mead, John Moore, Margaret John-
son, Winfield Beelman, Milton Andrews, Amos P. Upp^
W. A. Keesy, Henry Resh, Jacob Resh, Libbie Hoff-
man, Libbie Seavolt, Alice Seavolt, Jennie Past, W.
N. Keesy, Maggie J. Lane, Wm. McManigall, Elmer
Past, Bun and Cloe Buzzard, Earl Riddle, Addie Pol-
linger, Miller, Hershiser, Williams, Miss Packler,
Buierle, Keesy, Sykes.
Richmond has turned out the following roll of
ministers of the gospel:
Rev. Sanford Sage United Brethren.
Rev. William Allen Keesy United Brethren.
Rev. Jennie Crabbs United Brethren.
Rev. Wm. H. Evans United Brethren.
Rev. Samuel Packler United Brethren
Rev. Lovina Oleman, nee Shineberger Church of God.
Rev. I. N. Richards Evangelical.
Rev. Christian Waltz Evangelical.
Rev. Jerry Williams Pree Methodist
Rev. Amos Upp Episcopal Methodist.
Rev. Adam Beelman German Baptist.
History of Richmond Township, 47
Rev. John Miller Minonite.
Rev. *David Rittenhouse (Dunkard) German Baptist.
Rev. *Jacob Fackler German Baptist.
Rev. * John B. Fink German Baptist.
The writer was present at this election or draw-
ing and afterward heard Mr. Fackler deliver his
maiden sermon, in his own house, on Crab Run, at
its crossing Tiffin road, where a goodly audience had
assembled for the occasion. He gave a clear, logical,
impressive address, in the scriptural manner, by oc-
cupying a sitting posture.
WHEN THE CIRCUIT RIDER CAME.
In the backwoods of Ohio, in the days of long ago,
When religion was religion, not a dressy fashion
show,
When the spirit of the Master fell as flames of living
fire
And the people did the singing, not a trained, artistic
choir.
There was scarcely seen a ripple in life's gentle flow-
ing tide.
No events to draw the people from their daily toil
aside.
Naught to set the pious spirit of the pioneers aflame.
Save upon the rare occasions when the circuit rider
came.
*The three star-named were chosen by lot after
the manner of their church council.
48 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
He was usually mounted on the sorriest of nags,
All his outfit for the journey packed in leather saddle-
bags,
And he'd travel with the Bible or the hymn book in
his hand,
Reading sacred word or singing of the happy prom-
ised land.
How the toiling wives would glory in the dinners
they would spread.
And how many a hapless chicken or a turkey lost its
head
By the gleaming chopper wielded by the hand of
sturdy dame.
For it wasn't very often that the circuit rider came.
All the settlement around us would be ringing with
the news
That there'd be a meeting Sunday, and we'd "taller"
up our shoes.
And we'd brush our homespun dress suits, pride of
every country youth,
And we'd grease our hair with marrow till it shone
like golden truth,
And the frocks of linsey-woolsey would be donned by
all the girls,
And with heated old fire pokers they would make
their cork-screw curls;
They were scarcely queens of fashion, but were love-
ly, just the same,
And they always looked their sweetest when the cir-
cuit rider came.
We have sat in grand cathedrals, triumphs of the
builder's skill.
History of Richmond Township. 49
And in great palatial churches, 'neath the organ's
mellow thrill.
But they never roused within us such a reverential
flame
As would burn in the old school-house when the
circuit rider came. — Selected.
DOCTORS.
The township enrolls the following physicians
and surgeons:
Dr. Charles Richards, M. D., Dr. Wm. H. Sykes,
M. D., Dr. B. V. Buckingham, M. D., Dr. Hulbert Wil-
liams, M. D., Dr. David Jump, M. D., Dr. H. M. Buck-
ingham, M. D., Dr. Wm. Buckingham, M. D., Dr.
Thomas Foster, M. D., Dr. Otis Sykes, D. D. S., Dr.
Corwin Miller, D. D. S.
ATTORNEYS.
The following attorneys at law:
Attorneys Frank Williams, G. W. Beelman, M. O.
Rettig, Frank Richards.
ITS NOW.
BEV. W. A, KEESY.
The past and future are always met —
A divine arrangement, somehow;
Their time of meeting will never let
One into the other. It's Now.
This Now will be with us forever;
To it past and future, somehow,
so Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
As wisely arranged by the giver,
Must deliver their goods. It's Now.
And "Now," speeding onward forever
Little sphere, in which I, somehow,
Grasp it now — this instant — or never.
Nor can I escape it. It's Now.
"Now" oh, the expanse that's before me!
Through sweep of the ages, somehow,
A creature like me may explore thee;
And now, I am at it. It's Now.
Should any one doubt the forever.
Let him remember that, somehow.
It will always be "now," or never, as
Onward and onward we go. It's now.
And now "Atom Spot" — in creation,
While on thee I stand — somehow,
I'm surveying worlds that are wonders,
While onward and onward I go. It's Now.
, History of Richmond Township. 51
CHAPTER VI.
SELECTIONS.
UNFRIENDLY TO MODERN SCIENCE.
Many persons who are considered "well in-
formed," as the saying goes, have moods in which
they wish they had never heard of microbes and dis-
ease germs, but the following account of a "squat-
ter's" state of mind upon this point must at least be
greatly overdrawn. We find it in the St. Louis Post-
Despatch, and reprint it for its humor rather than for
its scientific or historic value.
It was a squatter's cabin on the border of a
swamp, and the squatter himself sat smoking his
pipe as the colonel rode up and asked for a drink of
water. One of the half-dozen children ran to the
swamp with a gourd and filled it, but the colonel
turned away, and said:
"I can't drink that stuff; it's full of young tad-
poles."
"Yes, they do seem to be pretty thick," replied
the squatter, as he blew a cloud of smoke above his
head.
"I should think you'd be afraid to swallow these
things," said the colonel.
"Don't see nothin' to be afraid of, sah. Reckon
it's wuss on the tadpoles than on us. Been drinkin*
it right along for twenty years, and nobody's been
hurt yit."
S2 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
"There must be lots of malaria around here."
"Mebbe they are, sah, but I haven't see one as
I knows of. Do they walk or fly?"
"Malaria is what breeds chills and fever," ex-
plained the colonel.
"Oh, that's it? Must be round here, then, though
we ain't worrin' any."
"But you shouldn't live in this miasma."
"Dunno what your miasma is, but if she tackles
this family, she'll git the worst of it. We ain't takin'
a bluff from anything."
"My friend," continued the colonel, as he looked
around, "did you ever hear of bacteria?"
"Never, sah. Does he walk or fly?"
"And did you ever hear of a microbe?"
"Never did. Is he on the fight?"
"How on earth can you live here, contiguous to
this pestilential morass, with the air weighted down
with malaria, is more than I can understand."
The squatter looked up to the man on horseback
for a long minute, as if puzzling over the words, and
then queried:
"What's 'contiguous' mean?"
"It means alongside of."
"And what's 'pestilential?'"
"Sickness and death."
"And what's morass,"
"A swamp."
"Look here, stranger," continued the squatter, as
he rose, knocked the fire out of his pipe, and looked
very serious. "I've lived here all my life, and I've
seen a thousand people go along this road, but you
History of Richmond Township. S3
are the first critter who has gone at it to upset me,
and make me feel discontented and unhappy."
"I was simply speaking of the situation," ex-
plained the colonel.
"And so am I, sah, and the situation are jest
this: You've come along and made up faces at my
tadpoles, you've throwed malaria and miasma at me,
you've talked of pestilence and morass and microbes,
and you've jest got me so riled up that I'm bound to
say that if you don't want to ask fur a chaw of ter-
backer or a drink of whiskey, or wasn't intendin' to
stop and talk politics, you'd better be a-gittin', and
keep a-gittin' till you git beyond the next turn in the
road. You may pass all right in some parts, but I'm
dawgoned if you ain't twice too particular fur sich
common folks as we are around yere."
ALMOST UP.
"Where were you struck?" the captain cried
To him who charged on Lookout's side.
Who charged in all his martial pride.
Up! over rocky ridge and rut.
Up! where the paths of life were shut.
Up! where the death-winged bullets sped.
Up! over dying men and dead;
Nothing could stay his onward tread
Until — that hurtling scrap of lead.
"Where were you struck?" the captain cried.
Between the waves of battle's tide.
Then, half in anguish, half in pride.
Though drinking of the bitter cup,
The soldier answered, "Almost up!"
S4 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
"No, no; your wound — where hit, I mean?"
But, even in that final scene,
True to his last heroic will,
"'Most up! 'most up!" he murmured still.
t
Not where his shattered hody bled.
Not where his veins poured out their red,
But where his last hard duty led.
Was all the dying soldier's thought.
And may we learn the lesson taught! —
No matter where our lives are cast.
In sunny peace or battle's blast,
May it be said, when we have passed,
*'He struggled upwards to the last!"
J, Edmund V. Cooke.
CAN RITE ALL RITE.
A United States army recruiting oflBcer in a
little Missouri town recently received the following
letter: "Deer war boss: I reed in the cansas citi
times that yu want me. I can reed, rite and use the
inglich lengwedge all rite, i weigh abaud 165 pownds
end I am neerly to yards long, my karakter is all
rite to. i was never in gale, exept once in the calla-
boose, but i never stole nothin. i reckon i cen kill
20 indians in one day, or spanyards too if 1 hafto.
if yu send me som mony so I can come i jine sure,
im strong as a bull and teres nothin de mater with
me only a blak i, but i can see all rite, yurs for
business."
The war department has prepared a statement
of casualties in the army during the war with Spain,
History of Richmond Township. 55
and since the cessation of hostilities. Between May
1 and September 30, inclusive, there were 280 officers
and men killed in battle; 65 died of wounds, and 2,565
died of disease. The mortality was 2,910 out of a
total force of 274,717, or a little more than one per
cent. The navy department reports that 17 sailors
killed and 67 wounded constitute the total loss in the
navy.
THE BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM.
BY GEORGE F. BOOT.
Yes, we'll rally round the flag, boys, we'll rally once
again,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
We will rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the
plain,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
Chorus :
The Union forever! Hurrah! boys, Hurrah!
Down with the traitor, up with the star!
While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
We are springing to the call of our brothers gone
before,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
And we'll flll the vacant ranks with a million free-
men more,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true and
brave,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
S6 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
And although they may be poor not a man shall
be a slave,
sihouting the battle cry of Freedom!
So we're springing to the call from the east and
from the west.
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
And we'll hurl the rebel crew from the land we
love the best,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
We are marching to the field, boys, we're going to
the fight,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
And we bear the glorious stars for the Union and
the right,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
We will meet the rebel host, boys, with fearless
heart and true,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
And we'll show what Uncle Sam has for loyal men
to do,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
If we fall amid the fray, boys, we'll face them to the
last,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
And our comrades brave shall hear us, as they go
rushing past,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
Yes, for Liberty and Union we're springing to the
fight,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
History of Richmond Townsliip. 57
And the victory shall be ours, for we're rising in our
might,
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom!
Otis Sykes has the honorable distinction of being
the youngest soldier from the township, having en-
listed at 15. (See roster.)
Samuel Post, Wm. Fox, Jacob Holtz were among
the oldest to go to war. (See roster.)
Wesley J. Andrews, hospital stewart, and Wm.
H. and Andrew J. Sykes were the highest in rank.
(See roster.)
However, I guess Richmond can scarcely claim
Wm. H. Sykes as he was studying medicine at Fair-
field when he enlisted. The same is said of Henry
Resh. He was studying medicine in Attica, but still
had his home with his parents in Richmond,
On Johnson's Island in October, 1864, I fell in
and got acquainted with Uncle John Feasel of Co. H,
64th regiment, O. V. I. We journeyed together to
Chattanooga, marched with the army to Alpine, Ga.,
returned to Chattanooga, Tenn., and while Sherman
was marching through Georgia to the sea, we were
after Hood (or he was after us), and Uncle John and
I were in the battles of Columbia, Spring Hill, Frank-
lin, November 30th, and Nashville, December 15th
and 16th, 1864. In this last 120 cannons barked for
two days. Uncle John recently celebrated his eighty-
seventh anniversary and long may he live with the
comrades to share their anniversaries. He now lives
with his wife, Martha Jane, beloved by all, in Betts-
ville, Ohio.
The foregoing will recall many a comrade's ex-
perience in those thrilling times. How appropriate
S8 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
then are the following lines. Read and reflect. The
poet expresses tersely, a reality then, but more like a
dream, we take it as a theory now. Richmond's sol-
diers were in nearly all the 2,258 battles of the war.
JUST BEFORE THE BATTLE, MOTHER.
BY GEOEGE F. BOOT.
Just before the battle, mother,
I am thinking most of you;
While upon the field we're watching.
With the enemy in view;
Comrades brave are 'round me lying,
Pilled with thoughts of home and God;
For they know that on the morrow
Some will sleep beneath the sod.
Chorus:
Farewell mother; you may never
Press me to your heart again!
But you'll not forget me, mother,
If I'm numbered with the slain.
Oh, I long to see you, mother,
And the loving ones at home!
But I'll never leave our banner,
Until in honor I can come.
Tell the traitors, all around you,
That their cruel words we know
In every battle kill our soldiers
By the help they give the foe.
Hark! I hear the bugles sounding!
'Tis the signal for the fight!
History of Richmond Township, 59
Now may God protect us, mother,
As he ever does the right!
Hear the Battle Cry of Freedom!
How it swells upon the air!
Oh, yes, we'll rally 'round the standard,
Or we'll perish nobly there!
TENTING ON THE OLD CAMP GROUND.
BY WALTEB KITTBEDQE.
We're tenting tonight on the old camp ground.
Give us a song to cheer
Our weary hearts, a song of home.
And friends we love so well!
Chorus:
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight.
Wishing for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts, looking for the right.
To see the dawn of, peace.
Tenting tonight, tenting tonight,
Tenting on the old camp ground.
We've been tenting tonight on the old camp ground,
Thinking of days gone by,
Of the lo'd ones at home that gave us the hand.
And the tear that said "good bye!"
We are tired of war on the old camp ground;
Many are the dead and gone,
Of the brave and true who've left their homes,
Others been wounded long.
We've been fighting today on the old camp ground;
Many are lying near;
60 l^oster of ll'tchmond Soldiers and
Some are dead and some are dying,
Many are in tears.
Chorus:
Many are the hearts that are weary tonight,
Waiting for the war to cease;
Many are the hearts, looking for the right,
To see the dawn of peace,
Dying tonight, dying tonight.
Dying on the old camp ground.
OUR STANDING ARMY.
We have no standing army?
Nay, look around, and see!
The man who plows the furrow.
The man who fells the tree.
The statesman and the scholar,
At the first word of fear
Turn to their country, breathing,
"My mother, I am here!"
Not of a dumb, blind people
Is this our army made;
Where schoolhouse and where steeple
Have cast their friendly shade,
Our army grows in knowledge,
As it to manhood grows,
And, trained in school and college.
Stands ready for its foes.
The brawny arms of gunners
Serve minds alert and keen;
The sailor's thought has travelled
To lands he has not seen.
History of Richmond Township. 61
Not for the joy of killing.
Not for tlie lust of strife,
Have these come forth with gladness,
To offer up their life.
Behold our standing army —
Not, as in other lands.
An army standing idle.
With empty minds and hands,
But each one in his station;
And peaceful victory
Is training for the nation
Heroes of land and sea.
Margaeet Vandegbift.
MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA.
BY HENRY C. WORK.
Bring the good old bugle, boys! we'll sing another
song —
Sing it with a spirit that will start the world along —
Sing it as we used to sing it, fifty thousand strong,
While we were marching through Georgia.
Chorus:
Hurrah! hurrah! we bring the jubilee!
Hurrah! hurrah! the flag that makes you free!
So we sang the chorus from Atlanta to the sea.
While we were marching through Georgia.
How the darkies shouted when they heard the joyful
sound!
How the turkeys gobbled which our commissary
found!
62 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
How the sweet potatoes even started from the ground,
^ While we were marching through Georgia.
Yes, and there were Union men who wept with joy-
ful tears,
When they saw the honored flag they had not seen
for years;
Hardly could they be restrained from breaking forth
in cheers,
While we were marching through Georgia.
"Sherman's dashing Yankee boys will never reach
the coast!"
So the saucy rebels said, and 'twas a handsome boast.
Had they not forgot, alas, to reckon with the host,
While we were marching through Georgia.
So we made a thoroughfare for freedom and her train.
Sixty miles in latitude, three hundred to the main;
Treason fled before us, for resistance was in vain.
While we were marching through Georgia.
GEN. BUTLER'S TYRANNY.
A southern planter went to New Orleans several
months after Gen. Butler had taken the reins in his
hands and acquired a reputation for "tyranny." One
of the first things he saw was the placards of a gen-
tleman's furnishing store posted on the walls and
fences: "Get your shirts at Moody's." The planter
saw it again and again, and mused deeply upon it.
"It's another of Butler's orders," he said to himself.
"He's probably a partner in the concern, and what he
says 'goes;' so T suppose it's best to submit. I don't
History of Richmond Townsliip. 63
need any shirts, and it's a shame to be compelled to
buy 'em now; but I don't want any more trouble."
He accordingly went to Moody's and bought half a
dozen shirts on compulsion. — Every Where.
THE BLOODIEST BATTLE.
' A confederate monument at Franklin, Tenn., will
be unveiled November 30 next, the anniversary of the
battle. The fight was comparatively the bloodiest in
which the confederate veterans were ever engaged,
the killed alone numbering 1,600, among whom were
several generals, including Cleburne.
COMRADES.
Yes, it kind o' makes me laugh —
This new "war time" photograph,
Perched up here 'longside the one
Of ME, when the war begun.
Mine was tuk in — here's the date —
Eighteen sixty. Ninety-eight
His was tuk in. That's him. See?
An', by hookey! this is me!
Don't look much like I'm his dad.
Wasn't THEN. But I am glad
That he cum an' growed to fight
For his country an' the right.
Never thought my son 'ud sit
Business-bent in soldierin' kit
On the mantelpiece where I've
Sot alone since Sixty-five.
64 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
Same big "U. S." Reckon his
Rifle is a Springfield. 'Tis
Different-lookin' from the gun
Giv' to us in Sixty-one —
A Krag — what you say? Of course!
Kicks, I bet you, like a horse!
You say not? Well, guess I'll take
An old Springfield for MY make.
Won't we swap the yarns, by gum!
When his furlough brings him hum!
Sure, his life's bin largely camp,
An' he hasn't had to tramp
Through the Wilderness, like me.
Or another Vicksburg, see.
But dog-gone! he 'listed, too,
And we're comrades in the blue!
— Edwin L. Sabin in Puck.
THE SURVIVORS.
Defiance, O., April 30. — Spl. — Tuesday is a gala
day in Defiance. The stars and stripes are floating
from every masthead and public building in the city,
in honor of a few of the survivors of one of the most
horrible maritime disasters of the century.
This is the tenth annual reunion of the survivors
of the Sultana disaster, and about twenty-five of the
boys in blue who were on the ill-fated boat on the
morning of the twenty-seventh of April, 1865, are
gathered in this city to conduct the regular work of
the National Sultana Survivors' association.
On the twenty-sixth of April, 1865, the steamer
Sultana steamed out of Memphis, on her way up the
History of Richmond Township. 65
Mississippi bearing her human freight of more than
2,000 souls, who for days and months had been cooped
up in the prisons of the South.
They were paroled prisoners from Castle Thun-
der, Andersonville and other similar places.
About nine miles above Memphis a defective
boiler burst, blowing away a goodly portion of the
upper deck. The shattered hull then took fire and
forced the unfortunate passengers over the side into
the seething mass of drowning comrades below. None
knew how many were lost, but at best there were but
a few hundred saved.
It is probable that the next reunion will be held
at Memphis, Tenn. Rev, Henderson and Col. Rada-
baugh are the speakers of the day.
THE SPANISH WAR.
Why is the conflict through which we have just
passed known as the Spanish-American War instead
of the American-Spanish? Is there anything more
than euphony in the order of these names? A current
writer asserts that there is a meaning, and that in
the names of nearly all wars the defeated nation
comes first, as the Franco-Prussian, the Austro-Italian,
and more recently the China-Japanese and the Graeco-
Turkish wars. Oftentimes wars are named from the
point of view of the people who do the writing of
their history, as the Trojan War, the Punic War,
the Indian War (British) and our ov/n Mexican
War. Fortunate will be the man who writes the
name of the world's last war.
66 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
THE WAR IN A NUTSHELL.
Jan. 23 — The Maine ordered to Havana.
Peb. 15 — The Maine destroyed.
April 21 — War declared.
May 1 — Dewey destroyed the Spanish fleet.
May 19 — Cervera entered Santiago harbor.
June 3 — Hobson sank the Merrimac.
June 23 — Shafter landed at Santiago.
July 1-2 — General assault on Santiago begun.
July 3 — Schley and Sampson destroyed Cer-
vera's fleet.
July 7 — Hawaii annexed.
July 14 — Santiago surrendered.
July 24 — Spaniards in Porto Rico began to sur-
render.
July 26 — Spain sued for peace.
August 12 — Spain accepted our terms and an
armistice was proclaimed.
August 12 — Formal transfer of Hawaii to the
United States.
August 13 — Dewey bombarded Manila which
surrendered to him and General Merritt.
August 20 — Our victors and victories celebrated
in a grand "triumph" in New York harbor.
LO, AGUINALDO!
With respects to you, Aguinaldo,
I'd recall to you the hidalgo!
He was haughty, proud, defiant;
Now he's humble, prostrate, pliant.
As we went for him, Aguinaldo,
History of Richmond Township. 67
So after you we surely shall go
If you persist in your attempt
Violently to exempt
Any part of the Philippines
From authority which means
To them and you
A better life and a broader view.
The liberty for which you strive
Is much more likely to arrive
By peaceful means •-'-*
Than through the bloody scenes
Of battlefields.
As to the justice of your cause.
Let this contention give you pause:
The struggling patriot who yields
Obedience to that higher law
That's written with the eagle's claw
Achieves at once, with deftest stroke,
Eternal freedom from the despot's yoke.
If, after reading these few lines,
Your disposition still inclines
To deeds of turbulence and strife.
Then you may safely bet your life
The hand that raised our flag above Manila
Will leave of you and yours not one scintilla!
— W. H. F. in New York Sun.
SOLDIERS' DEATH LIST OF 5,73i.
Washington, March 11. — The following state-
ment has been issued, showing the total number of
deaths reported to the adjutant general's oflBce be-
tween May 1, 1898, and February 28, 1899: Killed
68 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
in action 829; died of wounds 125; died of disease
5,277; total 5,731.
POESIES OF THE POETS.
BE NOT VAIN BECAUSE OF SPAIN.
We were tempted to be bumptious when the sink-
ing of the Maine
Was followed by the drubbing we administered to
Spain,
But 'twill pay us to remember it was arrogance
and pride
Which led Spain to the sins for which her soldiers
bled and died.
It may be that republics, like old monarchies effete,
May get the big-head badly, toppling off their props
and feet.
We love our flag of freedom, with its brilliant prom-
ise-stars.
The many grand achievements frescoed in its battle
scars,
The grand domain it represents, its men who fear
no foe.
But ride the car of progress with resistless vim
and go;
And yet 'tis well to fit the car with airbrakes and
the like,
Control is of importance from a warship to a bike.
So let us mix humility with all our loud hurrahs.
Content with common sense to love our country and
its cause.
To look for inspiration and true wisdom to the skies,
History of Richmond Township. 69
Remembering that God is great and in Him vic'try
lies;
So while we crow a little for the victory o'er Spain,
Mix love with all your loyalty — all braggart brays
are vain —
Bombastic pride is but the sugar coating over pain.
The greatest are the humblest high in Heaven and
here on earth.
Self-praise is but a bubble and a text for honest
mirth ;
We want to feel responsible for greatness and its use.
With penalties awaiting its perversion or abuse.
So do not stop to cackle or to waste the precious
time,
March on in modest might toward our destiny sub-
lime.
For gratitude is virtue, but mere boastfulness a
crime.
I. Edgab Jones.
A SABLE SOLOMON.
There is wit under woolly pates, and the drol-
lery of its expression makes the instance we cite
all the more readable:
Once a man go travellin' an' he get hungry, so
he stop at a tavern an' order something to eat, so
dey bring him six poached eggs. He eat dem, but
he did not hab any money, so he say he would come
back an' pay. In six years — or maybe it was more
— he come back an' pay sixpence for de eggs; but
den de tavern-keeper say dat if he had not eaten de
six poached eggs dey might hab been chickens, an'
70 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
den de chickens would hab grown up an' hatched
more chickens, an' dey more — an' more — an' tell the
man he must pay six pounds instead of six-pence.
An' the man say he would not. So dey go to de
judge. An' while dey was conversin' a boy come in
wid a bundle under his arm. An' de judge say,
"What you got in de bundle?" an' de boy say,
"Parch' peas, sa!" "What you goin' do wid dem?"
"Plant dem, sa!" "Hi!" say de judge, "you can't
plant parch' peas; dey won't grow!" "Well, sa, an'
poached eggs won't hatch!" So dey dismiss de man,
an' he neber pay a penny. Dis story show dat you
must neber count you' chickens befo' dey hatch.
COST OF THE WAR.
The war with Spain is estimated to have cost
the United States about $150,000,000, or a little more
than $1,300,000 for each of the 114 days during which
it lasted. The actual disbursements for war pur-
poses from March, when the anticipatory ex-
penditures were made, to August 13th amounted to
$98,000,000. The remainder of the estimate covers
expenses on war account after the signing of the
peace protocol. The cost in human life, so far as
the American forces are concerned, was much less
than was anticipated. The navy had one officer and
eighteen men killed, and three officers and forty
men wounded. In the army twenty-three officers
and 236 men were killed, and eighty-seven officers
and 1,406 men wounded. The mortality from disease
cannot be accurately estimated.
History of Richmond Townsiiip. 71
PENSION DAY.
BY BEV. W. A. KEESY.
I am anxious a few more words to say,
They're about our soldiers' pension day.
They tell me now there's some contention
On giving them a service pension.
We were peaceful and a slumbering nation,
When war's alarms aroused creation;
We had no show for our defenses;
No money then to pay expenses.
Our little navy, then of wooden tubs,
Army scattered then, by Indian clubs.
Congress was domineered by rebels,
The north and south in strife like devils.
The conundrum of the mad condition,
A puzzle to immortal Lincoln,
Who called for soldiers of 'Sixty-One;
The great civil war had then begun.
Then Abraham Lincoln spoke the brave word,
In such a way that all the world heard:
"Boys, we will march south under the flag
And make those Johnnies haul down their rag."
But then, they were almost as big as we;
They fought like demons on land and sea.
Their forts and guns and their ships as well.
Were belching forth the missiles of hell!
The carnage is on; it's a woeful strife,
A struggle to save the nation's life;
72 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
Oh! was it needless? then tell me why-
Three hundred thousand men had to die?
Here from the gory field, returned to tent;
But where are the boys who with us went?
These aches and pains we will not mention,
For Uncle Sam gives us a pension.
History of Richmond Township. 73
CHAPTER Vll.
COON HUNTING— A CURIOUS FIND— INDIANS
—OFFICERS— SUGAR CAMP— LINCOLN'S
ASSASSINATION.
A real good dog, like the old black one we used
to have, called "Watch," and I like to honor his
name with a place here, as he was so useful, would
be in the woods by dusk and as soon as he struck
a coon's track or located a coon in a tree, he would
make the woods ring with his urgent bark, until
some one would come to his help, with ax or gun,
when if the game treed, could be, it was shot. If
it could not be seen and the tree upon which old
"Watch" had located it was not too large, it was
felled by the woodman's ax, in which case, "Old
Watch" usually took care of himself and he also
took care of the game amidst the crash of falling
timbers. But if the tree was too large, or it was
desired to let it stand, a fire was kindled on two
or more sides nearby and kept alive until morning
when the game was usually secured. A dog was
awfully disappointed if there was no response with
help when by his trumpet blast, or piercing bark, he
gave notice that he had found the game. The prac-
ticed hunter could tell by the bark of his dog whether
he had the game treed, or was yet on the trail.
Sometimes a party of two, three or five would
lay out in the woods all night with dogs, guns, axes,
torches and such other equipment as the occasion
74 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
might require usually securing coon, opossum, wood-
chuck, skunk or other game.
In about 1853, Asa Sparks and Henry Weaver
took the contract for building a new schoolhouse in
the Keesy district, the old one having served its
purpose for school and church, concert and public
services. The new schoolhouse was fairly under way
when on Saturday after a week's work had brought
another quitting hour, the tools were stacked, and
the workmen departed for their homes; Mr. Sparks
remarking that he was not feeling well. By Monday
it was found that he was a victim of typhoid fever.
It was the common thought in those days that ty-
phoid fever must run its course and that nothing
but death could change or stop it; that it must
have a course of from six to nine weeks.
Well Mr. Sparks (and several of his family)
died. He never got back to the schoolhouse. Mr.
Weaver went on and finished the schoolhouse, which
gave good service under such teachers as Elizabeth
Huffman, Jacob Resh, Elizabeth Seavolt, W. A. Keesy,
Wm. McManigall and scores of others.
Sometime after the war I was working for D.
Y. Fink and Levi Mohler at the carpenter trade.
We were building Mr. Joseph Channing's barn, when
one day Mr. Mohler was absent, as the school direc-
tors of the Keesy district wanted him to do some
repairing on their schoolhouse. On his return, the
day after, we found him very greatly elated over "a
rich find," as he chose to call it.
As he was removing some broken siding, to be
replaced by new ones, he found beneath or between
the siding and the ceiling a whole set of carpenter's
planes, in a good state of preservation. These evi-
History of Richmond Township. 75
dently had lain their since the sick hand of Asa
Sparks had placed them there for their Sunday rest.
Now as there were none of the Sparks or Weavers
to lay claim to them, they of course were Mohler's
find.
In 1843 the Indians were removed by the govern-
ment, from Upper Sandusky, Wyandotte county, Ohio,
to their reservation in the West. This greatly re-
lieved the dread of them which the early settlers
necessarily entertained. Were it in place here, some
very atrocious incidents might be recorded, on either
side, but we dare not divert these pages to such use.
The question, "Which has the greater cause for com-
plaint against the whites, the Negro or the Indian?"
has been so long discussed that we are glad to get
away from it. Like the question, "Which is the
mother of the chick, the hen that laid the egg, or
the one that hatched it." But since the incubator,
it is the blood that tells the story.
IN 1863 AND 1864.
The legislature passed an act, organizing the
militia of the state.
The 4th regiment was formed in Huron county.
Company "I" was composed of Richmond town-
ship men. The following oflBcers were elected at an
election held for the purpose, and duly commissioned
by Governor David Todd.
The election was held on July 4, 1863. The com-
missions signed by the governor on July 14, 1863.
76 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
OFFICERS.
Alexander Clark, captain; Samuel Fackler, first
lieutenant; William Allen Keesy^ second lieutenant.
P. M. Hershiser was appointed first (or orderly)
sergeant.
All the oflacers of the congressional district were
ordered to Toledo, Ohio, for a camp drill of one
week under General Hill. After this oflBcer's drill of
one week, at Toledo.
One day's company drill, on the southeast corner
one mile north of the center of Richmond, dinner
furnished by the ladies and citizens, and,
One day's hattallion drill in New Haven, where
Jas. Dawson now lives, wound up the existence of
this militia movement. Although it might be added
that about this time the famous Rebel General John
Morgan, made a raid into Ohio, and we* had orders
to be ready to take the field at a moment's warning.
But Morgan was captured and thus ended Co. I, 4th
Regt. O. M.
I have previously stated that Richmond had no
commissioned oflacers among its soldiers. Let it be
remembered that the statement, and the roster, have
reference to men alone who entered the United States
service under that organization. Further, I do not
only state troops, never entered the United States
service under that organization. Further, I do not
know of ever receiving any pay from the state of
Ohio for that militia service; more than that the
state bore the camp expenses while at Toledo on
drill.
History of Richmond Township, 77
A SUGAR CAMP.
One of the most enjoyable employments, es-
pecially for the young people, was sugar making;
which occurred in the opening spring, after a long
close winter. Usually the spare time in winter was
improved in preparing for this. Wood was cut, ket-
tles secured, camp prepared, spiles were made,
troughs were dug and storage prepared. I have seen
great poplar trees felled and thirty or even forty feet
dug out for a store trough. When the sap came
faster than could be boiled away in the kettles, the
great store trough was sometimes filled and even
the empty barrels were brought into use. Then the
fires had to be kept going day and night.
When the boiling process had secured a good,
rich syrup it was taken off, strained, cleansed and
then boiled to a finish. This was called, "stirring
off," and required skill to insure success. At this
point, I think of all the viands of earth, nothing
excels the nectar sweets, or ambrosial taints, of the
hot taffy to be had just as the process is completed.
In stirring till cool, you have crumb sugar. If
poured into vessels while hot, you have sugar cakes,
unless you desire only molasses, in which case the
boiling must be discontinued sooner.
When the boiling pan took the place of the iron
kettle the process was wonderfully shortened. My
father and Jacob Upp had a camp on the Lightland,
between the Tiffin road and Wm. Riddles, where they
opened one thousand trees one spring. The sap was
all boiled in kettles; the pan had not yet come into
use.
78 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
In October, 1864, while the great civil war was
thundering around Richmond, Va. and Atlanta, Ga.
and echoeing all over the country the terrible strug-
gle, I, with two hundred other conscripts, was wait-
ing on Johnson's Island to be sent to the front for
active service in the field.
There were at that time 15,000 rebel prisoners
of war, and a suflBcient number of Union troops to
guard them, on the island. The prisoners were held
in comfortable barracks and the troops were mostly-
quartered in army tents. There were also cottages
and storage buildings for officers and supplies. Ar-
tillery and infantry were in evidence. The Michi-
gan, a prominent government gun-boat then, a man
of war, which has since been changed and is now
called the "Woolvarine," and who, then as now,
was patrolling the upper lakes, was lying in the
bay near the city of Sandusky, just three miles from
the island.
One beautiful moonlight night our slumbers were
abruptly broken off by the angry sounding of the
Long Roll. The men sprang to arms; the lines
were formed; the guns were manned; and the
Michigan came steaming across the bay in battle
array. Everything, as quickly as possible assumed
the aspect of battle. Of course, we private soldiers
knew at the time but little of the cause of this
great commotion, but the reader may judge of its im-
portance when I state that this affair had a close
relation to the assassination of the immortal Lin-
coln. It was thought at the time, that the South
History of Richmond Township. 79
had instigated the assassination, but the South gen-
erally deplored the atrocious crime as well as we,
fearing that it would cause a renewal of hostilities.
The facts are these, viz.:
A conspiracy had been concocted in the West
House in Sandusky city, to turn the 15,000 rebel
prisoners on Johnson's Island free. The plan was,
to go out on the lake, capture a steamer, run her
over to Canada, equip her with men and arms, run
back to the island, surprise the garrison and accom-
plish their object.
The conspirators actually captured the boat. It
was the "Philo Parsons," but their plan failed. When
they had captured the boat they put the crew in
irons, bound the rest and were sanguine of success.
The engineer, however, had not yet been taken in
hand. He caught onto the conspiracy and hastily
took a sledge and knocked off a piece of the engine
which disabled her, and threw it into the lake. The
boat was not run to Canada, but went adrift. The
conspirators were captured; court-martialed; con-
victed and sentenced to be shot.
Now one of those conspirators was a cousin of
J. Wilkes Booth. When Booth heard of the predica-
ment of his cousin, he swore that his cousin should
not be shot. Booth went to Washington, got one
of the United States Senators to take him to Presi-
dent Lincoln. They awoke the President in the
morning at three o'clock. Booth began to plead for
the life of his cousin. At first the President was
very stern and said, "If I pardon high treason my
armies will be disintegrated. I can't do it." But
Booth got down upon his knees, between Lincoln's
80 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
feet, and plead as only Booth could plead, until he
had both Senator and President in tears. At last
the President said, "Stand up on your feet like a
man, Mr. Booth, your cousin will be pardoned."
The Senator and Booth walked out. In the
morning when business hours opened President Lin-
coln walked over to Secretary Seward's oflBce and
said to Secretary Seward, "I wish that you would
write out this man's pardon."
"I want to know what you are going to pardon
that man for?" said Seward.
"Well, I promised to pardon him," said Lincoln.
"Well," said Seward, "If you pardon that man.
you will accept my resignation. I had a right to be
counseled in this matter, and if you pardon treason
I'll quit."
Lincoln walked out. The man was not pardoned
but shot, as were his confederates in the crime.
Then Booth swore that Lincoln and Seward's lives
should avenge the life of his cousin. The world
knows the sequel.
It was in the summer of 1863, New Washington,
in Crawford county, Ohio, was surrounded with troops
sent up from Johnson's Island, who took fourteen
prisoners back with them. The writer was at Ply-
mouth the night of the occurrence and saw the troops.
VALUABLE RECEIPTS.
COUGH REMEDY— No. 1.
5 cents worth Elecompaine root; 5 cents worth
of Spignet root; 5 cents worth of Cumfrey root; 5
History of Richmond Township, 81
cents worth of Horehound; 2 quarts rain water;
boil down to one quart, then add 5 cents worth of
extract of Licorice and 10 cents worth of Rock
Candy. Dose a teaspoonful.
FOR RHEUMATISM— No. 2.
Mix one-half pint of good whisky with one ounce
of Toris Compound. Take tablespoonful before eat-
ing and at bedtime.
FOR CATARRH— No. 3.
Glycerine, 2 ounces; Borax, 1 Dram; Carbolic
Acid, 12 drops; Aqua, 1 pint. Use atomizer to spray
nostrils and throat.
FOR COUGH— No. 4.
5 cents worth of Rock Candy; 5 cent stick Lico-
rice; 1 pound Brown Sugar; one-half package Hore-
hound, Boil and strain the Horehounc. Add the rest
and boil thick.
TO EXTERMINATE BED BUGS— No. 5.
Insects of any kind, use Sippadilla.
STOMACH TROUBLE— No. 6.
Tinct. Cardoman, 1 ounce; Tinct. Rheubarb, one-
half ounce; Essence of Pepsin, 1 ounce; Elix.
Cinchom, 2 ounces. Teaspoonful after meals.
LIVER; KIDNEYS— No. 7.
Fluid Extract of Dandelion, one-half ounce; Com-
82 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
pound Kargon, 1 ounce; Compound Syrup Sarsa-
parilla, 3 ounces. One teaspoonful dose after meals.
FRUIT PRESERVATIVE— No. 8
Pack as closely as possible in can or jar, then
cover with water containing one-fourth ounce of
Salicylic Acid dissolved in 1 ounce of alcohol and 2
pounds of sugar to each gallon of water used.
FOR KEEPING CORN— No. 9.
Proceed as above (No. 8) except use 6 pwt.
Salicylic Acid dissolved in 1 ounce of alcohol and 5
ounces of salt to each gallon of water used. Soak
in water before using.
FOR PICKLING CUCUMBERS, ONIONS, ETC.—
No. 10.
Cover with vinegar containing 4 pwt. Salicylic
Acid dissolved in 1 ounce of alcohol, 4 ounces of salt
to each gallon of water used. Spice to suit taste.
TO PRESERVE CIDER— No. 11.
Dissolve 1 ounce of Salicylic Acid in 4 ounces
of alcohol. Draw one gallon from the barrel, stir
well into this, then stir this into the barrel.
TO CURE BEEF— No. 12.
For 100 pounds of beef, nine pounds of salt, two
ounces of saltpeter, two ounces of black pepper, and
one pint of molasses. Pack your beef in a cask and
put all this mixture over it. Then pour boiling wa-
History of Richmond Township, 83
ter over it until covered. Cover tight and you will
have corned beef that will keep a year.
ANOTHER BEEF CURE— No. 13.
100 pounds beef; 6 pounds salt; 2 pounds sugar;
2 ounces saltpeter; one-half ounce baking soda and
4 gallons of water.
A CURE FOR SPAVIN IN HORSES— No. 14.
Caustic Balsam.
HARNESS BLACKING— No. 15.
3 ounces Beeswax; 4 ounces Ivory Black; 1 pint
Neats-foot Oil; 2 ounces Castile Soap; Z ounces Lard;
1 ounce Aloes. Boil and cool.
THE GOVERNMENT HARNESS DRESSING—
No. 16.
1 gallon Neats-foot Oil; 2 pounds Bayberry Tal-
low; 2 pounds Beeswax; 2 pounds Beef Tallow.
Put the above into a pan over a moderate fire. When
thoroughly dissolved add 2 quarts of Caster Oil, then
while on the fire stir in one ounce of Lamp Black.
Mix well and strain through a fine cloth to remove
sediment. This is great for leather of all kinds.
CURE FOR CHICKEN CHOLERA— No. 17.
One tablespoonful of salt and one of pulverized
alum to one quart of meal. If the chickens are too
sick to eat, give them pills of this mixture. Repeat
the dose.
84 Roster of [Richmond Soldiers and
MUCILAGE— No. 18.
The best quality is made by dissolving clear glue
in equal volumes of water and vinegar and adding
one-fourth of an equal volume of alcohol and a small
quantity of alum dissolved in water.
CURB FOR HOG CHOLERA— No. 19.
Charcoal, 1 pound; Sulphur, 1 pound; Sodium
Chloride, 2 pounds; Sodium Bicarbonate, 2 pounds;
Sodium Hyposulphite, 2 pounds; Sodium Sulphate,
1 pound; Antimony Sulphate, 1 pound. Pulverize
and thoroughly mix.
The above is the best in the Bureau of Animal
Industry at Washington, D. C, and is worth more
than many times the cost of this book.
HORSE-CURE FOR GREASE HEEL— No. 20.
One ounce of Opium; one and a half ounces of
Sugar of Lead; one quart of Milk.
TO MAKE A BUSHEL BOX— No. 21.
12 inches deep; 13 inches wide, and 15 inches
long.
ANOTHER— No. 22.
13 1-2 inches wide; 23 inches long, 8 inches deep.
FOR CORNS; HARD OR SOFT— No. 23.
Ten cents worth of strong Acetic Acid and a
small-sized Camel's hair brush. With the brush ap-
History of Richmond Township, 85
ply the acid freely to the corn, for three or four
nights In succession, being careful not to get more
on the surrounding skin than can be avoided.
FOR BURNS, SCALDS, ETC.— No. 24.
Where the skin is not broken use Chloroform.
This will stop the pain at once. In the absence of
chloroform, use vinegar. When the skin is broken and
the part is raw, use the following: Olive Oil by
weight, six parts. Carbolic Acid, pure, one part.
Shake well until thoroughly mixed, then apply to the
parts with soft brush or feather and cover with cot-
ton moistened with same. This will stop all pain
immediately. It is by far the best remedy known.
DIPHTHERIA (SORE THROAT)— No. 25.
One-half pint cider vinegar; one-half pint rain
water; two pounds loaf sugar; measure, then sim-
mer one hour (do not boil), then add enough vinegar
to replace what the simmer reduced. Put one tea-
spoonful ground blood root in before simmering.
Dose to adult one teaspoonful.
FOR ASTHMA.
Use Malta Yerbine. — Mrs. Clay Holtz.
HOW TO PRODUCE COLORS.
Brown — Made with red and black. Bright Brown
— Carmine, yellow and black. Rose — Lake and
white. Chestnut — Brown and white. Cream —
White, yellow and Venetian red. Purple — Carmine,
86 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
and blue. Lead Color — White and black. Pearl —
Blue and lead color. Pearl Gray — White, blue and
black. Silver Gray — Indigo and lamp black. Pink, —
White and carmine. Chocolate — Black and Venetian
red. French WTii^e— Purple and white. Green —
Blue and yellow. Pea Green — Green and white.
Dark Green — Green and black. Bright Green — White
and green. Orange — Red and yellow. Flesh Color —
White, lake and vermilion. Olive — Red, blue, black
and yellow. Buff — Yellow, white and red. Vermil-
ion — Carmine and yellow. Straw Color — White and
yellow. Lavender — Carmine, ultramarine and white.
Sky Blue — White and ultramarine. Um'ber — ^White,
yellow, red and black. Drad — Umber, white and
Venetian red. Use white to produce light tints and
black to produce dark.
History of Richmond Township. 87
CHAPTER VIII.
In closing this volume, which has been written
and compiled under great physical affliction, our only-
regret is that we could not secure better data, and
had not the ability to enter upon more enlarged re-
search for information. The task now is quite dif-
ferent, whatever it may be, than roving in the forest
in boyhood day or coon hunting at night. The wild
turkey, deer, raccoon, opossum, gray, black and fox
squirrel, wood-chuck, mink, weasel and even musk-
rat were targets for the gun or game for the dog.
The ax, cross-cut saw and maul and wedge in con-
stant use, piling and burning chunks, hauling logs
and staves, plowing in new ground, hoeing corn,
hunting in the woods for missing cows, shelling
corn for milling, digging potatoes, husking corn,
making and mending fences, skating, sleighing, at-
tending church or night school, oh! this busy world
is all alive. Let us not set it ajar, but help along
for the welfare of future generations.
The pioneers of Richmond are nearly all gone
to their reward. James Hutchinson, Harriet Rog-
ers, Ed Franklin, John Hoyles, Mrs. Frederick,
Ebinger being among the oldest now.
Thus the chariot of time is moving us on, the
hosts of the Almighty are marching and we are
nearing our eternal Home. If so much can be
crowded into a short lifetime, as the foregoing pages
show, how about the broad expanse of an endless
existence beyond the skies where no clouds ever
88 Roster of Richmond Soldiers and
darken the perpetual sunshine of endless day? In
Father's house of many mansions, that Home of the
soul, where so many of the ancestors of this gen-
eration now (the fathers and mothers) repose, I
expect ere long to take up my permanent abode.
Lodging free. Boarding gratis. Recreation thrown
in. Time eternal. Pleasures immortal. Society
of saints and angels perpetual. Loved ones here long
parted, there forever united, my God, can it be?
"When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright, shining as the sun;
We've no less days to sing his praise.
Than when we first begun."
Here we are prone to look backward to the time
when we could say, "We are all here." There sits
father in his arm chair, mother, God bless her, see
her silvery locks and thinning lips, she, too, is grow-
ing old. And here are brother and sister, yes! we
are all — all here!"
Now we are compelled to say, "We're not all
here! Some are away! The dead ones dear are
not here. And so we scan the lonely hills of time
and indeed wonder if it be true, that time is the
soother of all our sorrows?
But in planting firmly upon God's word, the
Holy Bible, we look forward with an assurance, be-
gotten of Him, and by Faith, "which is the sub-
stance of things hoped for, the evidence of things
not seen," (King James version) we know that,
"There is a land of pure delight,
Where saints immortal reign,
Eternal day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain."
History of Richmond Township. 89
"And there shiall be no more death, neither sor-
row nor crying, no more pain, for the former things
are passed away." Rev. 21:4.
"Blessed are they that do his commandments,
that they may have right to the tree of life, and may
enter in through the gates into the city." Rev.
22:14.
DEAR READER.
May I make this last appeal to you? This Home
of the soul is for you and for me. It is a personal
matter. I hope you have been interested in reading
the foregoing pages, and I hope we may now take the
parting hand in good friendship; but ten times ten
thousand times had I rather know that you have
chosen Jesus Christ as the Captain of your Salva-
tion and have his love shed abroad in your heart,
your name written in Heaven. If so, then we shall
meet again on the shores of immortality. Oh! God
grant that it may be so!
.O'^^*
I J. E. Wheeler & Co.
^ Opera House Block, Chicago, Ohio
I DRY GOODS
\ Carpets and Draperies, Wall Paper,
Ladies' Skirts, Suits, Win-
ter Wraps and
I FURS
? ONE PRICE-..THE LOWEST
At all seasons you will find this store
liberally stocked with a complete
and up-to-date assortment of the
various lines carried in a first class
Dry Goods store. Our House fur-
nishing Department is replete with
the most approved styles in Draperies,
Floor Coverings and Wall Paper.
#
GROCERY !
CHICAGO, OHIO
S YKES &BYRER
A Full, Ever Ready Supply
of Teas, Coffee, Fruits,Veg-
etables. Oysters, Crackers,
Canned Goods^ Spices^ Ex-
tracts, Syrup, etc* J> ^ ^
GROCERIES
of AU Kinds
Phone 7 CHICAGO, OHIO
8 FOR
Hardware
AND
Implements
AND
Wagons
o
e
AND o
Buggies I
SEE
Trimmer & Schwartz
CHICAGO, OHIO
eeeeeeeeeoeeeeeeoseeeeeeseeeeeeeeeee
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦
I H. W. HOFFMAN I
I Chicago, Ohio |
I PURE FOOD I
I GROCERIES I
I
Sole Agent For J
Chase & Sanborn Coffee & Tea |
4 ♦
SI'
l^ll^
BoRF
Dealers in High Grade
3nvmtnn
AT LOWEST PRICES
Also Agent for The New Home
Sewing Machine and all Sewing
Machine Supplies
UNDERTAKING
A SPECIALTY
PHONE 35
193 Myrtle Ave. CHICAGO, OHIO
■*(8)
THE
CBICAGO TIMES
L. E. SIMMONS, Prop.
Qives more news each week
about the people of Richmond
township than all other Huron
county newspapers combined.
It is Richmond's home paper.
If you are interested in Richmond
you will surely want the Times
in your home. It is a weekly
letter from home.
Subscription - = = $1.25 a year
I The 'Best Ttace
To Sell Your ^*
Butter and Eggs
ALSO
The "Best Store
To Get Your
Groceries and Provisions
J. S. KEIFER
142 N. Main Street
CHICAGO OHIO
THE NOME
SAVINGS AND BANKING
COMPANY
CHICAGO, OHIO
PAID IN CtPITtL S25,000.00
SURPLUS AND UNDIVIDED PROFITS - IQ.GOO.OD
COMMERCIAL AND SAVINGS BANKING
Wc extend every courtesy and
favor consistent with safe
banking.
4 per cent, paid on Savings
and Trust Deposits.
YOUR BUSINESS SOLICITED
' TAKING GOOD CARE
OF YOU
That's a part of my business,
seeing that you get the kind of
Clothing best suited for you, the
fit perfect, the style right and
the price right.
WILLIAM GLICK
MY MOTTO
A
Square
Deal
For
Every
Man
Clothing,
Hats,
Shoes and
Furnishings
MY RULE
One Price
and
5
Per cent.
Discount
for Cash
CHICAGO = = - OHIO
>»«»»»»»»»« »»♦» »♦<
> > »»><»»» »»>»»>»>»»<
R, T. HEARSON
The Druggist
Established in J 876
EVERYTHING IN DRUGS
ATTICA, OHIO
THE BEELMAN MFG. AND LBR. CO.
CHICAGO, OHIO
Dealers in all kinds of Builders' Sup-
plies* J' Lime, Cement and Building:
Blocks. J' Hard Wall Plaster, ^
Lumber, Lath, Shingles, Sash, Doors,
Blinds, Interior Finishing a Specialty.
Estimates cheerfully given at all times.
THE BEELMAN MFG. AND LBR. GO.
CHICAGO, OHIO
Heaison & Ernest general line of Hardware.
Everything: in Farm Machinery. Roofing
and Spouting a Specialty.
J, R. Strandlers
Old Stand ATTICA, OHIO
SUGGESTIVE THERAPEUTICS
Mr^ George Engelhart
i96 W» Emarald Ave. Chicago, O-
Graduate of the Weltmer Institute of Suggestive Ther-
apeutics, Nevada, Mo* Every known disease cured
without medicine or Surgery*
W. W. CHRISTIAN
Drugs^ Medicines^
Stationery and Sundries
CHICAGO, OHIO
HOTEL MYERS
We aim to Please
Q. W. FINK, Proprietor
ATTICA - = OHIO
i W. S. Clark & Company
I
l)p-to-Date Hardware
Heating, Plumbing
and Gas Fitting
W. S. Clark & Company
sTwEAVER
— DEAI^KR IN — ^—
First Class Furniture
Undertaking a Specialty
I ATTI CA - - OHIO.
J. N. STARR
Starr's Drug Store is known as a modern store.
We always have all of the most popular Remedies
as well as the Toilet Specialties of which our stock
is full and complete. To get better acquainted we
invite you to make our store a call, then you will
decide that we have the goods to please the people.
We have a complete line of Wall Paper as good
as the best, also Edison Phonographs and Records,
Books, Kodaks, Stationery, Paints and Oils, Fancy
Goods.
Be sure to come and see us whether you need
anything or not, you are always welcome at
Starr's Drug Store, - Attica, Ohio
A Word to the Farmers
A Checking: Account with a Bank is a great
convenience and will enable you to keep account
of everything you sell off the farm during the
year.
Pay all your Bills by Check. You will know
for what every dollar is paid out, and the can-
celed checks will be undisputable receipts when
returned to you by the Bank.
It costs you nothing to try it and we will be
pleased to assist you.
Lester Sutton & Sons
BANKERS
Attica, - - - Ohio
LLOYD & RETTJG
ATTORNEYS AT LAW j
No. 941-44 Nicholas BIdg., Toledo, Ohio
HOTEL SHEIDLEY
A. E. HURST, Proprietor
Under New Management
Everything Eirst-class
and Up-to-Date 4> 4r
Special Attention Given the Traveling Public
CHICAGO - - - - OHIO
DR. L V. BUCKINGHAM
PHYSICIAN and SURGEON
j CHICAQO - = - OHIO
•~-