The project of erecting a
monument to perpetuate the names of fallen soldiers and to
commemorate their patriotism and suffering, had its inception during
the sad and stormy conflict. While appeal after appeal for
volunteers was coming from the Government at Washington, and day
after day the papers brought accounts of bloody battles and the
death of friends, it seemed proper to offer a pledge to all who were
willing to risk their lives, that if the worst should befall them a
monument would associate their names with the cause for which they
had died. The war was not yet over when a committee began to
devise plans for the fulfillment of this pledge. A meeting of
citizens placed the entire management in the hands of a committee of
three, Thomas H. Wells, Governor David Tod, and William S.
Crawford. This was in 1864. It was at first proposed to
ask for one dollar subscriptions, so that all, rich and poor, should
have the opportunity of contributing. More than one thousand
two hundred people responded
cheerfully to this call. There were at that time
probably not more than one thousand five hundred families in the township. The amount thus
fell far short of the most parsimonious estimates
of the cost of the intended memorial. A second
subscription paper was circulated, by which funds
to the amount of $6,000 were placed at the disposal of the committee. This amount was
deemed sufficient to guarantee action, and artists
in different parts of the country were called upon
for designs and estimates. It was found, however, that nothing worthy of the township and
the cause could be purchased for less than
$10,000. A meeting of twenty citizens named
by the committee was called at Mr. Wells office,
and all pledged their support to whatever action
the committee might take. A contract was subsequently made with
James Blattersby, of Hartford, Connecticut, for a shaft and statue of a
young soldier, to be made of Westerly granite.
It was decided to locate the monument in the
old cemetery, where the court-house has since
been built. The foundation was built and the
corner-stone laid, as is customary, by the Masonic
fraternity. Governor Hayes conducted the ceremony on that occasion.
It was subsequently decided, however, to erect
the monument in the public square. The foundation was removed.
General Garfield secured
an appropriation of four cannon, to be selected
by the committee, which were in due time placed
in position. One of the greatest difficulties encountered by the committee was to get an accurate list of the names of those soldiers who had
resided in Youngstown township at the time of
their enlistment, and had actually died in the
service or from injuries received in the service.
The list was several times revised and is believed
to be absolutely accurate. The monument was
unveiled and dedicated July 4, 1870. Mr. Wells, on the part of the committee, presented
it to the citizens of Youngstown township as an
enduring memorial of the township's patriotic
contribution to the cause of the Union, universal
liberty, and equality of rights and privileges. General
Garfield removed the flag beneath which
the substantial shaft and handsome statue was
concealed. He then delivered a touching dedicatory address.
The entire cost of the monument as it stands
[Page 415] -
was about $15,000. It is one of the finest of its
character in Ohio, and reflects credit upon the
taste of the members of the committee and the
patriotism of the citizens whose liberality enabled them to execute their plans. The base is
ten feet square, composed of four pieces, each
five feet square and one foot eight inches high.
On this rests a second base, being a single stone
seven and one-half feet square and a foot and
one-half high. On this is the plinth five and a
half feet square and two feet eight inches high,
the upper part finely moulded, and the lower part
facing the north bearing this inscription:
ERECTED BY THE CITIZENS OF YOUNGSTOWN
IN MEMORY OF THE HEROES OF THE TOWNSHIP WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES TO
THEIR COUNTRY IN THE WAR OF THE REBELLION, 1861-1865.
Above the plinth is the
die, a stone four feet
square and four feet high, on which the names of
the soldiers whose memory and heroism it is
designed to perpetuate are inscribed. These
names are given below. Above the die is a cap
from which rises the spire, and on the cap on
the north side extending up the spire in relief is
cut the arms of the State of Ohio, partly covering the National, above which on a scroll is the
motto, E pluribus unum, surmounted by a
stand of colors, wreath of flowers, drum, cannon,
etc. About one-third up the spire is cut in relief
the names Chickamauga, Winchester, Cedar
Mountain, Vicksburg, one on each side, and the
about the same distance above, Antietam,
Shiloh, Stone River, Perryville.
The spire is capped with a stone three feet
square, on which, facing north, is the statue of
a soldier seven feet high. The soldier is in
private's uniform, with his army overcoat thrown
over his shoulders, full bearded, cap on and
stands with his hands on his gun in the position
of “parade rest.” The height of the monument
is forty-seven feet. It rests on a sandstone
foundation sunk several feet in the earth and rising three feet above the level of the earth, to
which height the ground around it has been
graded.
On the north side of the die the names of the
heroic dead of Youngstown township, killed in
battle or died from disease contracted in the
army, 1861–1865, are inscribed as follows.
FIRST INFANTRY DIVISION, ARMY OF VIRGINIA.
| Surgeon-in-chief Thomas J. Shannon,
Cedar Creek. |
SECOND OHIO VOLUNTEER CAVALRY.
Joseph A. Truesdale, Fort Scott.
William Wakefield, Washington |
SEVENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Lieutenant Joseph H. Ross, Cedar Mountain, Virginia
Sergeant Andrew J. Kelley, Winchester, Virginia
Sergeant Robert McClelland, Dallas, Georgia
Sergeant John McFadden, Frederick, Maryland
James Bisp, Winchester, Virginia
Michael Campbell, Port Republic, Virginia
George Fox, Cedar Mountain, Virginia
James P. Ray, Cedar Mountain, Virginia
William Waldorf, Cedar Mountain, Virginia
James L. Stevenson, Cedar Mountain, Virginia
Lemuel J. Cecil, Charleston, Virginia
Abram D. Crooks, Youngstown, Ohio
Charles L. Cowden, Dallas, Georgia
Joseph B. Deeds, Dallas, Georgia
John D. Dicks, Kanawha, Virginia
Jacob Muller, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
James C. Shoaff, Charlestown, Virginia
John Shannon, Brier HIll, Ohio
Thomas D. Williams, Harper's Ferry, Virginia
David William |
NINETEENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Lieutenant David Donovan, Stone River
Corporal Daniel Cooper, Stone River
John Thomas, Shiloh
Charles Jacobs, Chickamauga
Patrick Murphy, Nashville, Tennessee
Samuel Vogan, McMinnville, Tennessee
Peter Allison, Andersonville prison |
East Side
TWENTY-SIXTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Captain William H. Ross, Cickamauga
Lieutenant David McClelland, Stone River
Lieutenant Samuel Platt, Atlanta, Georgia
Lieutenant James C. Morrow, Johnson's Island
Sergeant John A. Woods, Big Shantee, Georgia
Sergeant Joseph Fullerton, Chickamauga
Sergeant James Cochran, Andersonville prison
Sergeant John Jennings, Stone River
Corporal Nikolaus Krichbaum, Stone River
Isaac Rider, Stone River
John Tagg, Stone River
John Carney, Stone River
Joseph Reese, Stone River
Robert McAuly, Chickamauga
Daniel Mitchell, Chickamauga
James Evans, Chickamauga
William Crum, Chickamauga
James McEvey, Chickamauga
John Llewellyn, Chickamauga
David Williams, Chickamauga
Luman, Parmele, Kenesaw, Georgia
Con Dacy, Andersonville prison
William Brown, Andersonville prison
Samuel Birch, Booneville, Virginia
John Smith, Greene Lake, Texas
Francis P. Jones, Chattanooga, Tennessee |
ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
[Page 416] -
ILLINOIS VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
| Elias A. Crooks, Youngstown, Ohio |
ONE HUNDREDTH PENNSYLVANIA VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
| James W. Bell, James Island, South Carolina |
West Side.
TWENTY-THIRD OHIO VOLUNTEER
INFANTRY.
Sergeant Eli Fitch, Cloyd Mountain, West Virginia
Mayberry Goodman, Antietam
David Williams, South Mountain, Maryland
Luther Leslie, Wheeling, West Virginia
David H. Edwards
Thomas Moore, Rebel prison |
TWENTY-SEVENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Lieutenant Frederick Dennis, Vicksburg, Mississippi
John Lamb, Vicksburg, Mississippi
Ignatius Reuter, Wyoming, Virginia
Henry Loerer, Wyoming, Virginia |
THIRTY-FOURTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
THIRTY-SIXTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Benjamin Kyle, Camp Nelson, Kentucky
Manly Partridge, Camp Nelson, Kentucky |
SIXTH OHIO VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
Lieutenant Henry M. Baldwin, La's Farm
Sergeant John Dunlap, Stevensburg
William Borts, Wilderness
Robert Barrett, died in prison
William Schieble, died in prison |
TENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER CAVALRY.
Corporal Hiram Fifield, Ringgold
Corporal James E. Johnston, Andersonville prison |
FIFTEENTH OHIO BATTERY
| Milton D. Fellows, Vicksburg, Mississippi |
TWENTY-SECOND OHIO BATTERY
| Hezlep Powers, Knoxville, Tennessee |
South Side.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
Sergeant Lafayette McCoy, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Sergant William H. Craig, Chickamauga, Tennessee
Sergeant N. W. King, Chickamauga, Tennessee
John Boyle, Chickamauga, Tennessee
James Williams, Perryville, Kentucky
Henry Niblock, Perryville, Kentucky
Michael McGinty, Perryville, Kentucky
Albert Miller, Perryville, Kentucky
Lawrence Kelly, Atlanta, Georgia
Isaac Morris, Andersonville prison
Reuben B. Reep, Cowan Station, Tennessee
John Stewart, Tennessee
William B. Price, Louisville, Kentucky
John Thomas, Munfordville, Kentucky |
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH OHIO VOLUNTEER
INFANTRY
Sergeant Richard M. Elliott, Youngstown, Ohio
John W. Powers, Chickamauga
John C. Strealy, Chickamauga
John Heiner, Kenesaw Mountain
John Barber, Youngstown, Ohio
Thomas Jones, Louisville, Kentucky |
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIFTH OHIO VOLUNTEER
INFANTRY
Sergeant John W. Brothers, Portsmouth, Virginia
Myron I. Arms, Youngstown, Ohio
James C. Miller, Portsmouth, Virginia
Lawrence Baker, Portsmouth, Virginia
Manuel Leppard, Portsmouth, Virginia
Joel B. McCollum, Portsmouth, Virginia
Thomas Jacobs, Washington, District of Columbia.
Benjamin C. Cunningham, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
Alexander K. McClelland, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania |
< CLICK HERE
TO RETURN TO 1882 TABLE OF CONTENTS >
|
