THE first law passed in Ohio in
regard to military matters was a "law for regulating and
establishing the militia," published at Marietta, July 25,
1788 (Chase, Vol. I, page 92).
This law required all "male inhabitants between the age
of sixteen and fifty" to perform military duty. The
main features of this law remained in fore until the year
1847, when it was repealed. In fact the law becane
a mere fare in the matters of carrying into effect its
requirements.
The earliest account of a militia organization is found in a
report of the Second Ohio Regiment of Militia made by Col.
James Curry in 1803, of which the following is a
copy:
Pg. 13 -
Return of the Second Regiment of Militia in the County
of Highland, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel James Curry,
agreeably to returns made by the commanding officers of the
several companies belonging to the said regiment, November,
1803.
Officers - 1 Lieutenant Colonel Commandant, 1
Major of First Battalion, 1 Major of Second Battalion.
Staff Officers - 1 Adjutant, 1 Paymaster, 1
Quartermaster, 1 Regimental Clerk, 1 Quartermaster Sergeant,
1 Sergeant Major.
Commissioned Officers - Captains 8, Lieutenants
8, Ensigns 8.
Non-Commissioned Officers - Sergeants 25,
Corporals 12, Drummers 4, Fifers 4, Rank and File 610.
The troops have generally powder and lead - the
quantity not exactly ascertained - perhaps equal to what is
required by law.
JAMES CURRY.
Lieutenant Colonel Commandant, Second Ohio Regiment.
After the close of the war of
1812, military matters in Union County seemed to have been
very quiet for a number of years, at least little can be
learned of the military affairs of that period, as the "old
guards" have all been mustered out, leaving no record of
their service.
From the year 1825 to 1846, the militia spirit was in a
blaze of glory throughout the State. There were two
laws under which the militia was organized. The old
"corn-stalk militia," who were not required to uniform, and
the companies and regiment that furnished their own uniforms
and served for seven years, after which time they were
exempt from drill. Several companies organized in the
county under this law, were well uniformed and armed and
became quite efficient in drill.
Privates -
Allen, Jonathan
Amy, Hollis
Anderson, David
Asher, David
Beard, Andrew
Beard, William
Biggs, James
Boal, James
Buck, Perry
Burns, Henry L.
Chapman, Samuel D.
Cherry, Ralph
Coolidge, Ai
Coolidge, Uriah
Cratty, William
Curry, Robert
Evans, James W.
Gabriel, Luther
Gibson, Jacob
Gibson, Joseph
Gill, Andrew M.
Griswold, B. H. B.
Hale, John
Hale, Samuel
Harrington, Solon
Hibbard, John |
Igo, Silas
Irwin, Amza
Johnson, Robert,
Jolly, Elias
Jolly, Joel
Kennedy, James
Kennedy, Othias
Kent, Hiram
Kent, Micha
Lombard, Dyer
Lombard, Jesse
McCampbell, Samuel
McDonald, James
McDowell, William G.
Mitchell, John
Mitchell, Moses
Moodie, Henry
Moore, William
Morrow, John
Morse, Isaac
Morse, Ray G.
Morse, William
Noteman, Zacheriah
Paris, Robert
Parkinson, William
Reed, John P. |
Reed, Josephus
Rice, Jason
Robinson, A. P.
Robinson, C. M.
Robinson, J. M.
Robinson, James
Robinson, James
Robinson, James D.
Robinson, John
Robinson, John W.
Robinson, Joseph
Robinson, S. D.
Robinson, Samuel, Bugler
Robinson, Thomas
Robinson, William
Seaman, Jacob
Smith, E. D.
Smith, H. P.
Smith, John
Snodgrass, Samuel
Snodgrass, William
Stiner, Abraham
Vangorden, Henry
Weaver, Samuel
Winget, Luther
Witter, Joshua
Wood, Luther |
This company was well uniformed
and equipped, each trooper being armed with two
horse-pistols, carried in holsters, and a saber. They
were well mounted and the company was composed of the
elite of Union County's chivalrous young men. This
company organization was kept up until the law was repealed
in 1847. Several "light infantry" companies were
organized in the county under the same law, and these were
organized into a regiment and, with their fine drum corps of
twenty snare drums, ten bass drums and twenty fifers, they
presented quite a warlike appearance when on parade.
The militia laws were very rigid in their demands as to
military duty. Every military subject was required to
be armed with a good and sufficient musket, fusee or rifle,
and this was defined by the regulations to include "lock,
stock, barrel and ramrod."
"Muster Day" was a legal holiday, the only one at that
time provided by
Pg. 14 -
law, and the "old boys" had a grand time at these musters.
All the old "flintlocks" and "pick-locks" of the land were
brought forth which the law defined as being "good and
sufficient arms."
In those ante-bellum days, there were "company
trainings," "regimental trainings, "officers' musters" and
"General musters." "General musters" were the grand
gala days of the year, and were considered occasions of
momentous importance. The "call to arms" was sounded
far and wide many weeks before the assembly, and
preparations were made for it on a grand scale. Brass
buttons and accouterments were burnished up, old rusty
sabers and horse-pistols were put in order by the "dashing
light-horse cavaliers," and the whole country was astir with
a military spirit.
"Cooked rations," consisting of boiled pork and beans,
pumpkin pies and all the fat of the land, were prepared in
great abundance, with a good supply of hard cider and other
drinkables which were sure to warm up the "rank and file" of
the "bold soldier boys" to the fighting point, and many a
good old deacon considered it a sacred duty to indulge in
the ardent to a liberal extent on training day.
The militia law at that period required the
organization of divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions,
light-horse companies, etc.
One of these old iron guns, a six pounder, was issued
to the militia at Milford about the year 1838, and many
pounds of powder have been wasted in that old gun
celebrating political victories of all parties, Democratic,
Whig and Republican.
Milford Phillips was Captain of the first
artillery company organized, and afterward Philip Snider
was appointed Captain of the company.
At a Fourth of July celebration at Bridgeport, Union
Township, in 1847 or 1848, Mortimer Tucker had his
hand torn off above the wrist, and Robert Simpson had
his arm torn off near his shoulder in firing this gun.
At Marysville, on the 16th today of September, 1856, on the
occasion of a political meeting of the Fillmore party, the
gun was being fired, and by a premature discharge, Daniel
Brophy and Archibald Turner were killed and
Joseph G. Hawkins, the thumber, had his thumb torn off.
The old gun was several times spiked, and condemned and
left on the commons, where, unprotected, it "stood the
storms of many a winter's campaign;" but always, on the
Fourth of July, it was brought forth by the boys, and after
being inspected was reported "fit for active service," and
the "chief of artillery," Bill Bancroft, solicited
the usual donations for powder to fire the "morning gun" to
usher in the glorious Fourth.
In June, 1876, the trim old rusty gun was reported "fit
for service," and the boys having donated the required
amount for powder and "fire water," the chief mustered the
"old guard," unlimbered and advanced to the fair ground,
where she was placed in position for trial, loaded to the
muzzle, the match applied, and the old gun was blown to
atoms. And now. like Othello, the old chief's
"occupation is gone."
These organizations were officered by a long list of
"field and staff," with many war-like titles, and they were
all out in full force at general musters, in feathers and
spangles, with "good and sufficient swords," as the law
required; but each officers was allowed to uniform as his
taste dictated and while the dress was usually gorgeous, it
was exceptional for two officers of the field and staff to
have the same uniform.
Finally, the system became so useless that the laws
were repealed and the old "training day" became a thing of
the past.
Many of Union County's best citizens were prominent
officers in the militia organizations, among whom were
Gens. Chipman, William B. Erwin and William
Pg. 15 -
Steel; Col. William Orr; Capts. Sidney Johnson and
Philip Snider; Dr. Curl, William Gibson, Oliver Kennedy,
Milford Philips James Thompson and Otway
Curry.
Gen. A. Wiley, who now resides in the northern part
of the county, was a prominent officer in the militia in
Muskingum and Licking Counties, and he can interest his
hearers by the hour with amusing and interesting incidents
of the general muster period.
General musters were held at Milford and at Marysville,
the camp grounds being just south of the old Amrine Mill, on
the east side of the creek.
A general muster was once held in Marysville, on the
south side of West Center street, between the new court
hosue and the residence of Judge Coats.
Company musters were held on
Darby, near Unionville, in Mill Creek Township, and in
Jerome Township, on the farms of Capt. James A. Curry
and Robert Curry, and many other places in the
county.
The old militia system, with all its defects, kept up a
military spirit in the war of the rebellion now looks back
with boyish pleasure to the time when he was first thrilled
with the shrill music of fife and drum on "training day."
We close this chapter, found in the Marysville
Argus, bearing ate of April 5, 1844:
ATTENTION RANGERS.
The members of said
Company are hereby notified to parade at Amrine's
Mills, on the 20th day of April, 1844, at 9 o'clock A. M.,
arranged and equipped as the law requires for the purpose of
Co. Drill.
J. CURL,
Captain.
JACKSON G. SPRAGUE.
O. S. |