Special commemorative edition
Traitor or
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Morning Journal
Patriot? ClementVallandigham,
File photo
Morning Journal/Matthew Schomer
The gold-headed cane above, property of the Lisbon Historical Society, was given to Clement Vallandigham in 1862. The Lisbon home where Vallandigham was born (left) still stands on West Lincoln Way. Morning Journal/Patti Schaeffer
Lisbon native made powerful enemies by criticizing Lincoln By MATTHEW SCHOMER Staff Writer
LISBON — As Americans — and particularly, those who see the value of a free press — we tend to think of freedom of speech as one of our greatest rights, especially in terms of political matters. Ohio remained in the Union throughout the course of the Civil War, and we northerners usually consider ourselves the “good guys” in the war that resulted in the abolition of slavery. But for all those who had to live during the war, did the end justify the means? Nearly 150 years ago, a congressman born and raised in this village took a stand against the actions of President Abraham Lincoln, speaking out against his violation of citizens’ rights and his waging of war against his own people. And for taking that stand, Clement Laird Vallandigham was branded a traitor to the Union. “I get a little frustrated because I think people today misunderstand what his qualm was,” said Gene Krotky, curator of the Lisbon Historical Society’s museum, who has studied Vallandigham’s life at great length. The misconception, she said, comes from the modern view that anyone who opposed the Union’s war against the Confederacy during the Civil War had to be in favor of slavery. “Clement Vallandigham did not believe in slavery. There were very few people from this area who did believe in slavery,” she said, noting his religious beliefs were that no man should own any other man.
In a biography of Clement Vallandigham, his brother, the Rev. James Laird Vallandigham, noted he strongly supported keeping religious pulpits and controversial political ideals apart from one another. While Vallandigham after the war opposed the Constitutional amendments abolishing slavery across the nation, literature produced for the Ohio Historical Society indicates his true reasons for those actions were guided by his support of state rights over federal rights. “So long as slavery remained a state issue, he insisted, northerners were no more responsible for it than they were for slavery in Arabia,” Michael Les Benedict wrote in the Ohio Historical Society’s publication. The fifth of seven children of his father, the Rev. Clement Vallandigham, and mother, Rebecca Laird, Vallandigham was born July 29, 1820, here in Lisbon, then called New Lisbon. His father had come to this area to
Above, a political cartoon of the Civil War era shows “Copperheads,” the name given for northern anti-war Democrats of the period, as a threat to the Union. While the Copperheads had no official leader, Clement Vallandigham was one of the most prominent. Below, A hand-drawn picture of the Vallandigham family household in Lisbon, which ran in a local newspaper, sits on a table at the Lisbon Historical Society’s museum. The house remained in the family from 1811-1897.
See WAR, Page 4 Morning Journal/Matthew Schomer
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Morning Journal
Monday, January 30, 2012
New Lisbon’s man of war William T.H. Brooks was a seasoned officer when the Civil War erupted
With a wild Indian country to the south and southwest, not to mention unrest between the North and the South, New Lisbon native William T.H. Brooks managed to spend the majority of his life involved in the adventures which shaped this country.
By DEANNE JOHNSON Staff Writer
LISBON — William T.H. Brooks was born in New Lisbon, but left for an appointment at West Point and a military career which spanned more than two decades. With a wild Indian country to the south and southwest, not to mention unrest between the North and the South, Brooks managed to spend the majority of his life involved in the adventures which shaped this country. He was born on Jan. 28, 1821 and at only age 16 he went to West Point. According to the book “Generals in Blue” by Ezra T. Warner, Brooks graduated in four years, 46th out of 52 classmates. One account noted more than half those in the class dropped out along the way, unable to keep up. That particular West Point class would later prove important in American history, providing 20 of the general officers for the Union and Confederate armies combined. Brooks served in the Florida War from 1842-43 and in the War of Mexico, where he was under the direction of then Capt. Robert E. Lee. Brooks was involved in several battles, including one mission in a ravine, which allowed Gen. Scott to make a winning attack on Mexicans beyond the ravine the next day. As his career progressed, Brooks continued to move up in rank earning the titles of captain and major. He served as an aid to Gen. David E. Twiggs and on frontier Indian duty for years that followed. By the time the Civil War approached, Brooks had already been involved in military campaigns and on the Western frontier for nearly two decades. He would have been a seasoned veteran compared to many of the young men, who left home to fight the war between the states. Battles and fighting had caused him to take some time off to recover from injuries and illness. Brooks was appointed a brigadier general of volunteers on Sept. 28, 1861 and the following spring was involved in the first major offensive for the Union forces in the East, the Peninsula Campaign. In Southeast Virginia, the operation was under the command of Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan, an initial attempt to capture Richmond. Brooks would command a brigade of W.F. Smith’s division in the IV Corps at Williamsburg and then in the VI Corps during the Seven Days Battles. He would not go unscathed. Brooks was wounded at Savage’s Station during the Seven Days Battles and again See BROOKS , Page 4
The file photo, taken by A.J. Russell in May 1863, shows union soldiers entrenched along the west bank of the Rappahannock River at Fredericksburg. These soldiers fought in the division under General William T.H. Brooks.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Morning Journal
WAR Continued from Page 2
The grave of Civil War general William T.H. Brooks, was born in New Lisbon. He was buried in Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Ala.
BROOKS Continued from Page 3
at Sharpsburg. Still he would continue on to command the VI Corps Division at the Battle of Fredericksburg and in the Battle of Chancellorsville. Between May 1863 and April 1864, Brooks was appointed head of the Department of the Monongahela headquartered in Pittsburgh. One of two departments created by the U.S. War Department about the time of Gettysburg. During that time he was also promoted to major general, but the promotion was revoked in April 1864. Some accounts noted politics may have been at play. Local historian Tim Brookes said during the Civil War officers were often promoted with others putting them up for a promotion. Brooks may have been involved in “some of the behind the scene chicanery” which often accompanied promotions. He may have backed the wrong man. Brooks’ Department of the Monongahela drew their recruits from Western Pennsylvania, the panhandle counties of West Virginia and the local Ohio counties of Columbiana, Jefferson and Belmont. Under his command, the department made plans to defend Pittsburgh, should the Confederate forces get that far, fortifying the potential routes and gathering rifles and ammunition. Once the Confederate armies were turned back, Brooks sent the volunteers home. Brooks moved on to direct the 1st Division of the XVIII Corps and then a division of the X Corps in Cold Harbor and around Peters-
burg. Known as some of the bloodiest battles of the war, the Union forces under Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant battled the imbedded forces of Gen. Robert E. Lee on fronts in the areas between Cold Harbor, Petersburg and Richmond, Va. in the late spring for 1864. Accounts note Brooks’ health was giving out, and he was forced to end his military service in July 1864. But there are no found accounts of Brooks returning to his roots in Lisbon following his long military career. Despite his involvement in the war against the south, the south is exactly where Brooks chose to make his home after he retired from the military. He became a farmer in Huntsville, Ala. Accounts written about his later years, including one by Tom T. Jones, noted Brooks was highly regarded by his southern neighbors due to his amicable disposition. The battles and time on the American frontier must have taken a toll on Brooks. His retirement on the farm was short lived. He died on July 19, 1870, just 6 years after he had resigned as a volunteer brigadier general and as major of the 18th Infantry on July 14, 1864. He was buried in Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Ala. Perhaps his neighbors were confused by the Civil War general who had lived among them. The account from “Generals in Blue” noted his grave was marked with a Confederate emblem secured in concrete. djohnson@mojonews.com
help organize the First Presbyterian Church. His profession did not produce enough money to support his seven children to the full extent of his wishes, so he also founded the village’s first school for them, taking on several other neighborhood children as well. Vallandigham’s political career took off in 1845, when he was elected as a Democrat as state representative for his native county, running unopposed. He moved to Dayton in 1847, seeking a place of more business and enterprise. His personal enterprise in the city included being partial owner and editor of The Western Empire, the Democratic newspaper in the city, and becoming partner in a law firm. His political career continued and there, in 1858, he was elected to Congress after a close election, which he had to appeal in Washington for months in order to secure his seat. Following the election of Abraham Lincoln to the presidency in 1860, and the resulting secession of multiple southern states, Vallandigham began voicing his opposition to the war, believing it would result in the dissolution of the Union. In a letter to his wife, dated Jan. 27, 1861, he wrote, “In a little while, the whole people will demand for peace, negotiation and the restoration of the Union.” It was in this timeframe that Lincoln was using his wartime powers to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, allowing for the arrest of suspected enemies of the Union without warrant. In this same timeframe, Gen. Ambrose Burnside, who was in charge of the Department of Ohio, which comprised Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, issued General Order No. 33 without first consulting with Lincoln. The order stated, “All persons within our lines who commit acts for the enemies of our country will be tried as spies or traitors, and if convicted will suffer death. The habit of declaring sympathy for the enemy will not be allowed in this department. Persons committing such offenses will be at once arrested, with a view to being tried as above stated or sent beyond our lines into the lines of their friends. It must be distinctly stated that treason expressed or implied will not be tolerated in this department.” It was Vallandigham’s express intent to violate this order, and so, on May 1, 1863, he travelled to Mt. Vernon and spoke to a large assembly, during which reports from the time state he referred to the president as “King Lincoln,” called the war “wicked, cruel and unnecessary” and asserted that General Order No. 1 was
This letter holder which once belonged to Congressman Clement Vallandigham is among the Lisbon Historical Society's artifacts.
Morning Journal/Matthew Schomer
A political cartoon from the Civil War era depicts Congressman Clement Vallandigham as a pesky pumpkin cast out from one garden to another, signifying his deportation from Union lands during the Civil War and his continuance in Ohio politics even while living in Canada.
the U.S. Constitution. Three days later, back at his home in Dayton, he was awakened around 2:30 a.m. by Union infantrymen knocking at his door to inform him of his arrest. He shouted down that Gen. Burnside had no right to order his arrest and attempted to summon the police, but the military officer in charge issued several warnings that the soldiers would open fire if he did not surrender. Eventually, the soldiers broke down the door with the butts of their guns and surrounded Vallandigham, who had readied himself with a revolver but, seeing the superior numbers, agreed to surrender. He was tried under a Union military commission, was found guilty on some specifications and was sentenced to close confinement during the war in Fort Warren, located in Boston. Vallandigham continued his protest, claiming he had been tried without due process of law or without warrant from any judicial officer, and demanded he instead be granted a trial by jury. His request was denied. Lincoln, however, changed Vallandigham’s sen-
tence to conveyance through the Union lines and into Confederate territory, with the understanding that if he were to return, the original sentence would be carried out. After being escorted out of the northern states, he moved to Ontario, Canada, where he campaigned unsuccessfully for governor of Ohio. He made an eventual return to Ohio after the war, resumed the practice of law and made more unsuccessful bids for federal political positions. He died in 1871 in Lebanon of an accidental selfinflicted gunshot wound, which he acquired in trying to prove a defendant’s innocence in a shooting death. Vallandigham attempted to show before his peers that the victim had accidentally shot himself while trying to pull a pistol from his own pocket. While performing this demonstration, Vallandigham used what he thought was an unloaded pistol and shot himself in the process. Though he died, his client was acquitted of the murder charge. Among his final words, as chronicled by his brother, were, “This may be all right yet. I may however be mistaken, but I am a firm believer in that good old Presbyterian
doctrine of predestination.” Vallandigham’s own words both before and after his arrest reflect upon himself as a man devoted to the preservation of the Union, even if it meant granting states the right to break away. “My object, the sole motive by which I have been guided from the beginning of this most fatal revolution — is to MAINTAIN THE UNION, and not to destroy it,” he wrote to the Cincinnati Enquirer in February 1861. His brother, James, wrote at length that Vallandigham’s opposition to war did not diminish his love for his country. “Mr. Vallandigham opposed the war for various reasons,” he wrote. “He believed the war to be unconstitutional. He believed it to be unnecessary; he believed just as tens of thousands believe to this day, that by a judicious and conciliatory course on the part of Mr. Lincoln and his advisers, the war might be averted and the Union saved.” Although he disagreed with Lincoln’s policies and felt the president had personally wronged him in many ways, upon the president’s assassination, Vallandigham wrote an editorial for the Dayton Empire, in which he called the assassination “monstrous.” “He has fallen by the most horrible of all crimes ... He who does not join in the common thrill and shudder which shocks the whole land, is no better than the assassin,” he wrote. During the war, Vallandigham was vilified even by Union soldiers from his childhood home. Krotky noted the Lisbon Historical Society has possession of multiple letters from soldiers who wrote unkind things about the convicted congressman. “They hated him because they thought he was a southern sympathizer,” she said. Still, his affinity for his hometown may have mirrored that of his affinity for the Union itself. Vallandigham was never back in New Lisbon for any length of time after his name spread across the nation, Krotky noted, but never forgot his roots, regularly taking lawyers from New Lisbon under his wing in his law practices. His feelings on the village may best be summed up in a letter he wrote to his brother, James, upon a visit back home to New Lisbon following their father’s death. “But how lovely are these dear old hills, these sweet green fields, these pleasant valleys,” he wrote. “It is a dear and lovely spot, not merely for the many and sweet recollections and associations in memory which cluster round it, but because nature has made it and the hills, streams, fields, forests and valleys around very beautiful.”
Civil War’s 150th stirs a trove of memories STEVE SZKOTAK Associated Press Writer
RICHMOND, Va. — A diary with a lifesaving bullet hole from Gettysburg. An intricate valentine crafted by a Confederate soldier for the wife he would never see again. A slave’s desperate escape to freedom. From New England to the South, state archivists are using the sesquicentennial of the Civil War to collect a trove of wartime letters,
diaries, documents and mementoes that have gathered dust in attics and basements. This still-unfolding call will help states expand existing collections on the Civil War and provide new insights into an era that violently wrenched a nation apart, leaving 600,000 dead. Much of the Civil War has been told primarily through the eyes of battlefield and political leaders. These documents are adding a new narrative to the Civil War’s sto-
ry, offering insights into the home front and of soldiers, their spouses and African-Americans, often in their own words. Historians, who will have access to the centralized digital collections, are excited by the prospect of what the states are finding and will ultimately share. “I think now we’re broadening the story to include everybody — not just a soldier, not a general or a president — just somebody who found themselves swept up in the
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biggest drama in American life,” says University of Richmond President Edward Ayers, a Civil War expert. “That’s what’s so cool.” In Virginia, archivists have borrowed from the popular PBS series “Antiques Roadshow,” traveling weekends throughout the state and asking residents to share family collections, which are scanned and added to the already vast collection at the Library of Virginia. Started in September 2010, the Civil War 150 Legacy Project has
collected 25,000 images. Virginians have been generous, knowing they can share their longheld mementos without surrendering them, said Laura Drake Davis and Renee Savits, the Library of Virginia archivists who have divided the state for their on-the-road collection campaign. “They think someone can learn from them rather than just sitting in their cupboards,” Savits said of the See MEMORIES, Page 10
Above Beyond the call of duty
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Morning Journal
Monday, January 30, 2012
and
The Army Congressional Medal of Honor.
County residents received highest military decoration By TOM GIAMBRONI Staff Writer
William Surles was a mere lad of 16 when he enlisted in the Union Army at the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. Barely a year later, Private Surles deliberately stepped between a Union colonel and Confederate soldier taking aim at his commanding officer. For his bravery, Surles became one of seven Columbiana County residents to earn the nation’s highest military honor during the war. Created during the Civil War, the Congressional Medal of Honor was given to those in the military who distinguished themselves “by their gallantry in action, and other soldier-like qualities.” That was a pretty broad definition, which explained why 1,522 Medal of Honors were issued during the Civil War — nearly half of the 3,471 awarded to date. “The medal did not have the status when it was first issued that it has developed over the last 150 years since,” said local historian Tim Brookes of East Liverpool, “At one point they gave the Medal of Honor to an entire regiment just for re-enlisting,” he added. In 1916. Congress revised the criteria for eligibility, requiring the soldier or sailor to come in actual contact with the enemy and perform bravely at the risk of his own life by going “above and beyond the call of duty.” A board was also created to review past recipients and as a result 911 of them — mostly Civil War veterans — were dropped from the rolls after they failed to meet the new standards. Three of the county recipients — Joseph Davis, John Gaunt and Abraham Greenawalt — earned the Medal of Honor for capturing regimental flags at the Battle of Franklin. In fact, most of the Medal of Honors issued during the Civil War were for capturing the enemy’s flags. “During the Civil War, one of the greatest acts of daring was to capture the enemy flag because the flag was the symbol of the regiment. It was also the symbol of command and control. In other words, you knew where a regiment was located on the field by where the flag was,” said another local historian, Ken Bandy of Damascus. “You basically had to run out and fight hand to hand with the person guarding the flag, and each regiment had a color guard whose job was to protect the flag bearer,”
Brooke said. The Battle of Franklin, Tenn., in late November 1864 was considered particularly brutal, even by Civil War standards. Sherman had captured Atlanta and was preparing for his “March to the Sea” to divide the Confederacy. The Confederacy sent a major force driving northward with the intention of smashing the Union stronghold at Nashville in the hopes Sherman would abandon Georgia and give chase. He did not but instead sent some of his corps to follow. Brookes described it as “the last Gamble of the Confederacy.” “Their goal was to drive all the way to Nashville and liberate Nashville. Had they done that it would have cut off Sherman and would have undone all the benefits of the previous two years of fighting and probably ended the war with a negotiated settlement,” he said. South of Nashville, retreating Union and Confederate troops collided in Franklin on Nov. 30. Davis, Gaunt and Greenawalt were all assigned to 104th Ohio Regiment, which consisted of companies of recruits from East Palestine, Lisbon, Salem and Wellsville. The 104th anchored one of the critical positions in the Union line. Davis, born in 1838, was from East Palestine area. Gaunt, 27, came from Damascus. Greenawalt was from Perry Township. Bandy said the Confederacy launched a major offensive, often referred to as “the Picket’s Charge of the West,” sending 19,000 troops across an open field of more than a mile into an entrenched Union line. “It was a desperate all-out assault across a wide open plain going right into the heart of the federal defenses around Franklin,” he said. While the Confederate soldiers were cut down for the most part, many Rebels reached the Union line, resulting in hand-to-hand combat before being repelled. The battle raged for hours, and Bandy said at times it probably resembled
William Surles was shown with his comrades from the 104th Ohio Regiment. He is the one at right holding the U.S. flag.
Submitted photo
the close-quarter fighting scenes from the movie Braveheart. “I don’t know exactly what they did in the maelstrom,” he said of Davis, Gaunt and Greenawalt. “No one can say exactly what anybody did, but you can imagine the scene and you can imagine the fury and you can imagine the desperation. It would put a lump in the throat of any man,” he said. “They basically annihilated the Confederate troops that appeared before them,” Brookes said. “Some of the accounts tell of men being
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William Surles, above, was 16 when he enlisted in the Union Army at the outbreak of the Civil War, just a year before he would earn the Medal of Honor for bravery during the Battle of Perryville, Ken. Surles is shown in his later years standing outside his East Liverpool home with the various medals and ribbons he received for his service during the Civil War. He died in 1919 at the age of 74.
piled three and four deep, wounded men under the dead crying out for assistance.” Cpl. Davis, according to his son, captured a flag “from a color bearer after a hard fight for it and after the Rebels had charged over the union forces’ breastworks.” Davis was injured but lived. No such accounts could be found to describe in detail the actions of Gaunt and Greenawalt. Bandy said none of them wrote about that day. “Maybe at the time they didn’t
want to or maybe, like today, they didn’t want to distinguish themselves from their comrades because after you’ve been through the grinder, you’re just grateful to be alive,” he said. In the end, 6,252 Confederate troops and 2,326 Union soldiers were either dead, wounded or captured. The Confederate Army retreated with half as many soldiers with which it had begun the battle, and it never recovered as a fighting See MEDAL, Page 9
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Morning Journal
This antislavery poster invites those interested in the abolitionist movement to attend the meeting and “learn your duty to yourselves, the slave and God.”
Freedom’s
Samuel Reynolds’ carpentry shop on North Ellsworth Avenue in Salem was a common stop for speakers promoting the abolitionist movement, including Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison.
Secrets
Many slaves found safety in Columbiana County By DEANNE JOHNSON Staff Writer
LISBON — Crossing the Ohio River from what was then Virginia into Wellsville once meant freedom realized for many escaped slaves on the run. Before 1850, Ohio was considered free territory. Slaves who made their way to the state were able to live as free men. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 changed the law, making it a finable offense for anyone to help a runaway slave and requiring federal marshals to arrest anyone suspected of being a runaway slave. Anyone could claim a free man to be a slave. Fines for failing to act were $1,000. In effect, the act led to the creation of a complex Underground Railroad, a system of hidden routes and secret safehouses used by slaves traveling through Ohio and into Canada. From Wellsville northbound along state Route 45 into Lisbon and Salem, Columbiana County was right on some of the paths to freedom. And despite the fear of heavy fines or even harsher consequences, not everyone allowed the act to dissuade
A Strotter Brown basket and other assorted items are shown above. Brown, a former slave who made his home in Salem, sold baskets and now has a street near the Salem Public Library named in his honor. A replica of an anti-slavery coin is shown at the right. Those conductors on the Underground Railroad carried the coins and would not hand their cargo over to anyone who did not have one.
Daniel Spires, of Wellsville, was known for helping other black men on the road to freedom.
them from helping runaways escape their pursuers, hide in the area and mostly make their way north. A few even settled in the area. In “The Hise Journal —A Diary of the Life of Daniel Howell Hise From the Year 1846 to 1878” the introduction’s author Victor Wood remarks how secretive Hise was in his writings about those helping the runaway slaves in Salem. Wood notes See SECRETS, Page 9
Morning Journal/Deanne Johnson
The home of John Street, the son of Salem founder Zadok Street, was known to have been involved in anti-slave and Underground Railroad activities.
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Fighting McCooks
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Morning Journal
Monday, January 30, 2012
The
The McCook family plot and monument overlooks a lake in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati. Daniel and Martha are named on urns inside the monument. Other family markers surround it.
Morning Journal/Terri Staley
Family with Lisbon ties remembered for valor during the Civil War By TERRI STALEY Journal News Editor
LISBON — Many communities celebrate ties to the famous “Fighting McCooks” of Civil War notoriety, but only one launched the family’s start in Ohio. New Lisbon (now Lisbon) was the first home for the family of George McCook Sr. and Mary McCormick McCook, refugees from Ireland who had settled in Canonsburg, Pa. George had been a conspicuous member of the “United Irishmen,” according to the Lisbon Historical Society, and fled the country in 1780 after their defeat. He was a prominent citizen in Pennsylvania, being one of the founders of Jefferson College, now Washington and Jefferson or W&J. The couple’s three sons, George, Daniel and John, became prominent citizens of New Lisbon. Daniel, the eldest, was a lawyer, and George and John were physicians with George maintaining a practice in Lisbon for 30 years. George and Daniel married sisters, Margaret and Martha Latimer, daughters of Andrew Latimer, a lifelong Lisbon resident, and descendants of Hugh Latimer, a martyr of the English reformation burned at the stake in Oxford Oct. 6, 1555. John married Catherine Julia Sheldon of Hartford, Conn., said to be musically gifted and a woman of refinement and culture. Living in Steubenville and then New Lisbon, he practiced medicine and served as a surgeon for federal troops. These three men and their sons provided the 17 “Fighting McCooks” to the Union cause in the Civil War. The McCook family was intimately acquainted with Edwin M. Stanton, President Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, and quite a few of the men had studied law with Stanton in Lisbon and Steubenville. Stanton utilized an office in the upstairs of a Market Street shop when in town for court. Two of the three McCook Homes erected in Lisbon remain — that of Dr. George McCook at the corner of Jefferson and East Washington streets and of his son, Dr. George McCook Jr. at Washington and Cross streets. The third McCook House on
Market Street at West Chestnut, built by Dr. John McCook, was razed in May 2000 after a wall had collapsed several years before. The building had been known as a restaurant and tavern for many years. Other than George, none of the McCook men remained in Lisbon all their lives. However, George, too, was living in Pittsburgh at the outbreak of the war, according to An Historical Sketch of The Old Village of New Lisbon, Ohio by C.S. Speaker, C.C. Connell and George T. Farrell of the Centennial Celebration Committee. Daniel moved to Carrollton where his home is now a museum. John went to Steubenville. Sons were disbursed to various locations. Daughters remained. George and Margaret’s daughter Martha married Theodore Umbstatter, a law partner of Stanton and Jonathan H. Wallace, who became a judge and the husband of Martha’s sister Elizabeth. Other sisters, Mary A. and Catherine, married relatives of Marcus Alonzo Hanna, another prominent Lisbon citizen. Their husbands were Benjamin Jr. and Kersey Hanna, sons of Benjamin and Rachel. All of George and John McCook’s children and two of Daniel’s were born in New Lisbon. Following, according to records kept by the Lisbon Historical Society, are the accomplishments of the Fighting McCooks: Dr. John McCook did unattached service during the war. Dr. George McCook practiced 30 years in New Lisbon from 1817. He relocated to Pittsburgh, where at the outbreak of the war he made speeches in the streets urging enlistment. Asked why he was not going to war, he reportedly replied, “Young man, if this war lasts six months, there will be more
Morning Journal/Terri Staley
The former home of Dr. George McCook Jr. stands at Cross and East Washington streets, Lisbon. McCook, his father and an uncle all were physicians in Lisbon.
Dr. John McCook’s children are pictured in an old newspaper clipping housed in the Train Depot museum of the Lisbon Historical Society. John practiced medicine in Lisbon and Steubenville and served unattached as a surgeon in the Civil War.
McCooks in the Army than there are Indians in hell.” Daniel McCook, who had moved to New Lisbon in 1826 and later to Carrollton, was in Washington, D.C., at the onset of the war. He immediately tendered his service and at age 63 joined the Union
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to intercept Morgan recrossing the Ohio River and bent on revenge for the callous murder by Confederate raiders of one of his sons lying helplessly wounded in an ambulance, Daniel and several others encountered a Confederate skirmish line in a fog and he was mortally wounded at Bluffington Island. He died July 21, 1863, en route by steamer to Cincinnati where he was buried. On the home front, his wife Martha had someone in her family in danger in nearly every battle, losing her husband and three sons with others frequently wounded. She died Nov. 10, 1879, at age 78 in New Lisbon. She was buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati. Of the couple’s sons, Latimer A., who studied medicine with his Uncle George, entered the Army in1861 as an assistant surgeon. He was promoted to surgeon with the rank of major with John A. Logan’s 31st Regiment, Illinois volunteers. He was wounded twice caring for the wounded. He survived the war but was debilitated by war wounds and exposure and died Aug. 23, 1869. He is buried in Spring Grove. See MC COOKS, Page 10
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Morning Journal
Freedom’s Martyr Edwin Coppock was 24 years old when he was executed for taking part in John Brown’s failed raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. He is buried in Salem’s Hope Cemetery.
File photo
Abolitionists rally around Butler Township native after Harpers Ferry raid By RYAN GILLIS Journal News Editor
Public domain
This bronze tablet on Edwin Coppock’s headstone was dedicated on May 30, 1935, on what would have been Coppock’s 100th birthday.
This photo of Abolitionist John Brown was taken around 1859.
Morning Journal photos by Ryan Gillis
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SALEM — Among the ornate headstones and grand mausoleums that grace Salem’s historic Hope Cemetery stands a blackened sandstone obelisk erected over the remains of one of the Abolition movement’s local martyrs, Edwin Coppock. Coppock and his younger brother Barclay were among the 21 men who took part in John Brown’s doomed raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Va., in 1859, which Brown had hoped would incite an armed rebellion among Southern slaves. Born May 30, 1835 in Butler Township, Edwin Coppock was one of six children, the son of Quaker parents. Soon after his father’s death in 1842, Coppock was sent to live with Garfield Road resident, John Butler. Butler’s ardent anti-slavery beliefs had a strong influence on young Edwin, and over the next eight years, Coppock assisted Butler as he shuttled fugitive slaves between stations on the Underground Railroad. When he was 15, Coppock’s mother remarried, and he moved to Springdale, Iowa to be with his family. It was there in December 1857, that Coppock was introduced to John Brown, who was already making preparations for his Harpers Ferry attack. Brown, a fanatical
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Abolitionist, had also visited Salem on several occasions, staying at the North Ellsworth Avenue home of anti-slavery supporter John Street. It was Brown’s belief that the institution of slavery had become too embedded in Southern society to be eradicated in any way other than by violence. His plan was to use the weapons captured from the United States arsenal at Harpers Ferry to arm a slave revolt, striking terror among Virginia slaveholders. Rather than raiding the armory and escaping into the surrounding countryside, Brown had planned to send his men to neighboring plantations to rally the slaves into open revolt. He had expected hundreds of slaves to rally to his See COPPOCK, Page 17
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Morning Journal
Monday, January 30, 2012
SECRETS Continued from Page 6
“Battle of Franklin” by Kurz and Allison (1891).
MEDAL Continued from Page 5
force. Davis, Gaunt and Greenawalt were among six soldiers in the 104th to receive the Medal of Honor for their actions that day — the most of any regiment in the war, Brookes said. The following are the other Medal of Honor recipients from the county: — Robert Wood, born in 1836 in New Garden, he was serving aboard a Union gunboat, the U.S.S. Mount Washington, when it came under attack on the Nansemond River in Virginia on April 14, 1863. The ship had drifted against the river bank and the crew driven ashore by steam escaping from the damaged vessel. Wood, who had been grazed in the head with a spent shell, returned to the ship and grabbed ahold of the deck guns, where he remained for the next six hours while firing at the enemy. — Jesse Barrick, born in 1841, was from the county but at some point had moved to Minnesota, where he joined a regiment. He is credited with single-handedly capturing “two desperate Confederate guerilla officers” near the Duck River in Tennessee in May 1863. — Nelson W. Ward, born in Madison Township in 1837, earned his medal for action that occurred in June 1864 at Burk’s Junction near Staunton, Va. When Ward’s beloved commanding officer was shot during the battle, he led his regiment in a continued attack on a railroad bridge. The attack was repelled, but while retreating, Ward stopped to retrieve the personal effects from his fallen commanding officer, Capt. Reynolds. “During this truly heroic effort, a bullet struck the heel of Sgt. Ward’s boot, and another bullet passed through the skirt of his blouse. The money and other articles from Capt. Reynolds were turned over to the proper authorities,” wrote David Rader,
Joseph Davis
W.H. Surles
Abraham Greenawalt
based on an interview with one of Ward’s relatives. As for Surles, his heroics occurred at the Battle of Perryville, Ken., in October 1862. During the battle the 17-year-old Surles saw a Confederate soldier take aim at Col. Anson McCook, one of the “Fighting McCooks,” “Surles jumped in front of the McCook to shield him from the bullet,” Brookes said. “As luck would have it, someone else shot the Confederate, but apparently Col. McCook was very touched by this” and never forgot. Surles, who was from Steubenville when he enlisted, moved to East Liverpool following the war, where he died in 1919. He is buried in Riverview Cemetery. “When it comes to the Medal of Honor, communities are quick to claim ownership of the winners,” Brookes said. Wood returned to Hanoverton and died in
1878. He is buried in Grove Hill Cemetery in Hanoverton. Ward moved to California and is buried at the Sunnyside Cemetery in Long Beach. Barrick returned to Minnesota but later moved to Washington, where he is buried in the Tahoma National Cemetery. As for the boys from the 104th, Davis returned to East Palestine and is buried in Boatman Cemetery, while Greenawalt can be found in the Alliance City Cemetery. Gaunt also came home to Damascus, where he married, had four children and worked as a laborer for the railroad. On the night of Jan. 13, 1886, he was found hanging by the neck from the roof of a rail car where he worked. Gaunt was 52. Bandy said the railroad siding outside Damascus where Gaunt committed suicide still exists. He is haunted by Gaunt’s death “If you have ever read about the Battle of Franklin and the hell they were in, this was not one of those nice battles where they stood at each other and shot ... They had to wade into it, and between the turmoil and blood, the smoke and the fear and the ferocity, and just going animal, every guy may not have been able to settle all of that down,” he said. “Some guys obviously do better with it. Some guys don’t,” he said. “You can never tell when the demons might resurrect themselves.”
From left, medals for the Army, Navy/Marine Corps/Coast Guard and Air Force are shown.
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that may have been because of fear someone would read the journal and because the consequences for helping runaway slaves were severe. Hise even left out of his journal the hiding place in his own barn, which was only discovered many years later when it was torn down. There were hiding places all along the way, but many are now gone. Perhaps it was the fear of being discovered as a conductor of the railroad, but the hidden rooms, doorways to other rooms behind the clothes hanging in the closet, and even rooms above lowered ceilings are still being discovered. According to Jeanne Martinelli, who conducts Underground Railroad Trolley Tours in Salem, as area homes are remodeled, the new owners continue, still today, to find places where the runaway slaves were hidden. Resting during the day and traveling in the safety of darkness, the escaped slaves relied on the kindness of those living in this county. They found it among many including those of Scottish and Irish descent and among many of the Quakers in Salem. In some cases, they found it among free former slaves, including one man in the Wellsville area. According to information obtained at the River Museum in Wellsville, Edwin Devore, a man of FrenchNegro ancestry, was an indentured servant to the early founders of Wellsville and arrived by flat boat. He built his home off what is now Campground Road in 1802. The property was eventually purchased by Daniel Spires in 1830. Byron Carter, a greatgrandson of Daniel Spires, said Devore was known for helping other black men on the road to freedom. Spires came to the area, earned money working for a John McGregor, and then went back to the Wheeling area to pay his former master $600 for his own freedom. Many homes along Riverside Avenue in Wellsville are reputed to have been involved in hiding fugitive slaves coming across the Ohio River. Before locks changed the flow of the river, there were times of the year when it was shallow enough to walk across. In the winter it would freeze, also making it easy to cross. Brassy Beresford, a member of Wellsville Historical Society, said the C.W. Arnold house, now gone, was located on Riverside below the Fourth Street square and was later found to be part of the Underground Railroad. Another home involved, a cabin, which had been located under where the state Route 7 overpass is now located, near the present day floodwall. According to the book, “Out of the Blanket — The Story of Sue and Kate McBeth, Missionaries to the Nez Perces,” the home was owned by their father Alexander McBeth, a Scotsman. McBeth was also a Presbyterian and believed God had placed the family home next to the Little Yellow Creek, where they could easily hide fugitives. However, after McBeth died the women in his family decided to carry on the work, and the book notes they were not suspected because of their gender, although worrying about being detected after 1850 nearly overwhelmed
A drunkard quilt is shown above.
Morning Journal/Deanne Johnson
One of the homes on South Lincoln Avenue in Salem, where several residents were believed to be involved in the Underground Railroad.
one of the daughters, Sue. From the shoreline in Wellsville, many runaway slaves made their way up what is now state Route 45 to other homes in Hillcrest. One such house was later the residence of Mary Jane Frontone, a teacher who told stories about the hidden room in her home. The fugitives traveling mostly at night made their way to Lisbon and then to Salem. Martinelli said there are actually three main Underground Railroad routes through the county, which are known about today. Two crossed the Ohio River and made their way to Salem from the south. The third included New Brighton, Pa., where there were additional Quakers settlements. The escaped slaves on this route would travel from east to west, going through Salem to Alliance and then northbound to Lake Erie. One Salem resident, George W.S. Lucas, was know to use a team of horses and covered wagon to haul fugitives from Wellsville and Cadiz and deliver them toward Cleveland. While Boston, Mass., served as the capital of antislavery movement in the East, Salem, Ohio, was the similar capital in the West. One of the reasons for that, according to Martinelli, was what is now called Liberty Hall, which was located above a carpentry shop on North Ellsworth Avenue. Owned by Samuel Reynolds, the shop’s second floor served as a meeting place where many could gather to hear the anti-slavery message. There were also several possible hiding spaces in the home, which is currently for sale. Many speakers came to Salem to spread the word of freedom, including Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison. Another was a fugitive named William “Box” Brown, who reportedly escaped slavery concealed in a box. According to several accounts, including one in “History of Salem” by George Hunt, Brown sang a song, which had several versus including: “Ho! The car, Emancipation Rides majestic through the Nation Bearing on its train the story Liberty, a Nation’s glory. Roll it along —
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Throughout the Nation, Freedom’s car, Emancipation! Salem was also where The Anti-Slavery Bugle, a newspaper dedicated to the abolitionist cause, was published. One of its prominent writers, Dr. John Whinnery, lived on South Lincoln Avenue. According to David Shivers, president of the Salem Historical Society, the desk in the museum was one Whinnery wrote on. Knowing he was about to be captured, tarred and feathered, he sold his house to a neighbor for $1 and fled. Hise’s home on Franklin Avenue is also a stop on the city’s Underground Railroad tour. Martinelli said those who remodeled it found drawers which, when pushed out into the room, revealed a hidden room under the steeples. It was large enough for 30 to 40 people to hide. Salem’s residents were not helpful to slave catchers either. One story in a “History of Columbiana County and Representative Citizens” spoke of a black woman, Maria Britt, who worked for the Quakers in the 1820s and eventually was able to earn her own lot on Green (Second) Street and build a small brick home, but when she had someone write for her a letter to her husband, still in bondage in the South, the master decided to look for her. A Steubenville relative of a Dr. Stanton from Salem learned about the master coming for Maria, and she was sent north to Conneaut for her own safety until it was safe for her to return. A stranger came to town and stopped into taverns searching the streets and homes for Maria, but did not find her. Martinelli believes many of the secrets of the Underground Railroad may still be hidden from historians. A secret route promoted by people fearing for their own safety, most people never relayed their involvement to later generations. Many stories told could be mostly myths, while others are based on truths. The only thing we really can imagine is people coming through our county, possibly with slave catchers and dogs hot on their trail, seeking solace in our homes and barns along the way.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Morning Journal
MC COOKS
MEMORIES
Continued from Page 7
Continued from Page 4
His brother George Wyeth McCook, a law partner of Stanton, served as an officer in the Mexican War, returning as commander. He served as Ohio attorney general from 1854-56 and is credited with editing the first volume of Ohio State Reports. Although named brigadier general by the governor early in the war, he remained close to home due to poor health. He organized and commanded the 157th Ohio Volunteers Infantry and several others. Poor health forced him to abandon an 1871 campaign for governor. He died Dec. 28, 1877, and is buried in Union Cemetery, Steubenville. John James McCook, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, served prior to the Civil War on the U.S. frigate Delaware. Taking ill with fever, he died March 30, 1842, and is buried in an English burying ground in Rio de Janiero. Tribute to his personal character and ability was made in Adm. David Farragut’s autobiography. Robert Latimer McCook, born in New Lisbon, studied law at Stanton and McCook in Steubenville prior to moving to Cincinnati. Upon word of the firing on Fort Sumter, he organized and was commissioned colonel of the Ninth Ohio Regiment, enlisting 1,000 men in two days among the German population. He commanded a brigade in West Virginia during a decisive campaign under Gen. George McClellan. After transfer to the Army of Ohio, he was severely wounded in the battle of Mill Springs, Ky., managing to rout and destroy the Rebel army by bayonet charge in the first clash of infantry against cavalry in the war. He rejoined his unit while his wounds still were healing and commanded even when unable to mount a horse. Promoted to major general and commander of a division, he died Aug. 6, 1862, on a march near Salem, Ala., when shot while lying in an ambulance. His death at the hands of local guerrillas under Frank Gurley aroused intense feeling throughout the country, according to records. He is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery. Born Apr. 22, 1831, on a farm near New Lisbon, Maj. Gen. Alexander McDowell McCook was a member of the Class of 1852 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He was made colonel of the First Ohio Regiment at the beginning of the war and led relief of the capital and fought in the Battle of Manassas and saw distinguished service at Shiloh for which he was put in command of the Twentieth Army Corps, the right wing of the Army of the Cumberlands. He was involved in campaigns at Perryville, Stone River, Tullahoma, Chattanooga and Chickamauga, commanded one of the trans-Mississippi departments and later was major general in the regular army, Denver, Colo. He died in Dayton June 12, 1903, of paralysis and is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery. Daniel McCook Jr. is said to have suffered ill health from overstudy. He was graduated from the University at Florence, Ala., and worked in the law office of Stanton and McCook, Steubenville., until partnering with William T. Sherman and Thomas Ewing in Leavenworth, Kan. The partners closed their office when the war started, all becoming general officers. Daniel was captain of a local company of Steubenville, The Shields Guard, and part of the First Kansas Regiment under General Lyon at Wilson Creek. He was chief of staff of the First Division of the Army of the Ohio in the Shiloh campaign and colonel of the 52nd OVI in the spring of 1862. He was not allowed to keep his flag declaring McCook Avengers. He commanded a brigade in General Sheridan’s division and served with the Army of the Cumberland. Selected by Sherman to lead an assault on Kenesaw Mountain, he is said to have cited Macauley’s “Horatius” to his men. He died July 17, 1864, within a few days of being riddled with minie balls. Promoted to brigadier general, he is buried in Spring Grove. Edwin Stanton McCook joined the 31st Illinois Infantry under John A. Logan despite his affiliation with the U.S. Naval Academy. He was in the battles of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson where he was severely wounded. He commanded a regiment brigade and division through Vicksburg and others under Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in Chattanooga and Atlanta campaigns and Sherman’s March to the Sea. He was promoted to full brigadier general and brevet major general. Although severely wounded two times he survived the war. He was shot and killed while presiding over a public meeting as acting governor of the Dakota Territory Sept. 11, 1873, by a man opposed to the object of the meeting. He is buried in Spring Grove. Charles Morris McCook, a freshman at Kenyon College, volunteered as a private soldier in the 2nd Ohio Infantry for three months service even though not yet 18. He declined Stanton’s offer of a lieutenant’s commission in the regular army. While covering the retreat at Bull Run July 25, 1861, he stopped to assist his father as a nurse among the wounded. Upon attempting to rejoin his company, he was surrounded and his surrender demanded by sever-
The renovated McCook House welcomed visitors after a $500,000 project to stabilize and renovate it. Kay Gotschall of Hanoverton, a member of the 1860 Ladies study group, stands in the Federal-style entrance in period dress.
Period furnishings give visitors to Carrollton's McCook House a glimpse into family life of the famous clan who provided 17 soldiers to the Union cause during the Civil War.
Morning Journal/Terri Staley
Carroll County Commission President Tom Wheaton and state Rep. Mark Okey, 61st District, peer into a display of the war memorabilia of Alexander McDowell Cook who was born near New Lisbon and rose to the rank of major general.
al troops of the Black Horse Cavalry. Despite his father’s plea to comply, he disabled an officer and kept the horsemen at bay with his bayonet until shot. His father removed his remains which later were buried in Spring Grove. His brother John J. McCook, also a student at Kenyon, enlisted in the 6th Ohio Cavalry and was assigned as a first lieutenant to the staff of Gen. Thomas L. Crittendon, serving at Perryville, Stone River, Tullahoma, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, with the western armies and in Grant’s campaign with the Army of the Potomac from the wilderness to the crossing of the James River. He was commissioned captain and aide-de-camp of the United States Volunteers and made lieutenant colonel and colonel for gallant service in action at Shady Grove, Va. Practicing law in New York City, he was legal adviser to many large corporations and a trustee of Princeton College. He argued the famous Briggs heresy case for the Presbyterian Church. Dr. John McCook, Daniel’s brother, who had practiced medicine in New Lisbon and Steubenville and who served unattached during the war, died Oct. 11, 1865, while visiting his son Anson G. in Washington, D.C. He is buried in Steubenville. Of his sons, Gen. Edward Moody McCook practiced law in the Pike’s Peak region and represented that area in the Kansas Legislature before the division of the territory. He was temporarily in Washington, D.C., before the war and served as a secret agent for the government. He was appointed to the regular army as a lieutenant of cavalry and at the outbreak of war was major of the 2nd Indiana Cavalry, rising to colonel, brigadier and major general. He retired as a lieutenant colonel at the close of the war. He penetrated enemy lines by diversion before Sherman’s march. He resigned and accepted appointment as U.S. Minister to the Sandwich Islands and was appointed governor of the Colorado Territory twice by President Grant. Brig. Gen. Anson George McCook was a gold hunter in California, returning to Ohio before the war, studying law at Stanton and McCook, Steubenville. He was captain of a company of volunteers he raised, the first to enter service from Eastern Ohio. Assigned to the 2nd Ohio, he participated in the first Battle of Bull Run, becoming a major and colonel and being involved at Perryville, Stone River, Lookout Mountain, Missionary Ridge and other battles. The 2nd Ohio was mustered out after
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three years, and he was appointed colonel with the 194th OVI and Virginia Command Brigade. He was a brigadier general at the end of the war. He lived in Steubenville and New York City, was elected to Congress several times and for years served as secretary of the U.S. Senate. The Rev. Henry C. McCook was a graduate of Western Theological Seminary, Allegheny, Pa. On his way west for the summer, he stopped in DeWitt County, Ill., where he raised troops until the Battle of Bull Run. He enlisted as a private and was mustered into the 41st Illinois Regiment as first lieutenant and served as chaplain. Ordained in Steubenville, he served less than a year, resigning to return to his church in Clinton, Ill. He later pastored in Philadelphia, wrote a number of books including a study of ants and spiders and “The Latimers,” about pioneer life of Western Pennsylvania at the time of the Whiskey Insurrection. Cmdr. Roderick Sheldon McCook, USN, an 1859 Naval Academy graduate serving off the Congo River in Africa, was sent home with a prize crew in charge of a captured slaver. He served in aggressive operations 1861-1865 near Newburn, Wilmington, Charleston, Fort Fisher and on the James River and on land at Newburn he received the surrender of a Confederate infantry regiment, the only such one to the Navy in the war. With impaired health his last duty was at a lighthouse on the Ohio River. He retired Feb. 23, 1885, and died from injuries received when thrown from a buggy in Vineland, N.J. He is buried in Steubenville. Lt. John James McCook with the 1st Virginia Volunteers was involved in a short campaign in West Virginia early in the war. A graduate of Trinity College, he studied medicine but became a Protestant Episcopal minister. A linguist, he was professor of modern languages at Trinity. Kate McCook, daughter of Daniel and Martha died June 18, 1847, of lung disease in Carrollton and is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati. Buried in Lisbon are George McCook Sr. and Mary McCormack McCook, Abraham Latimer, Mary Greer Latimer, Dr. George McCook, Margaret Latimer McCook and Amelia McCook. The McCook family patriotism was not confined to the Civil War. Anson T. McCook was a captain in World War I promoted to major and later lieutenant colonel. Judge Philip T. McCook was a corporal in the Spanish War, major in World War I where he was awarded a Purple Heart, and colonel in World War II with the Judge Advocate General’s department. The McCooks were indeed, as described in An Historical Sketch of The Old Village of New Lisbon, Ohio, “... a family whose many members all so ably did their part to emblazon the pages of American history with glorious illustrations of valor and the true courage of American manhood, and thus shed unfading lustre upon the place honored by their birth or residence.”
family possessions. “And they’re proud to share their family’s experience.” Patricia Bangs heeded the call when a friend told her about the project. She had inherited 400 letters passed down through the years between Cecil A. Burleigh to his wife, Caroline, in Mount Carmel, Conn. “I felt this would be useful to researchers, a treasure to somebody,” said Bangs, who works for the library system in Fairfax, Va. In one letter, she said, Cecil writes of Union troops traveling from Connecticut to Washington, crowds cheering them along the way. The letters, like many collected by archivists, are difficult to read. Many are spelled phonetically, and the penmanship can be hard to decipher. Typically, they tell of the story of the home front and its daily deprivations. Researchers in Tennessee, a battleground state in the war, teamed up with Virginia archivists earlier this year in the border town of Bristol. Both states have seen their share of bullets, swords and other military hardware. “We have grandmothers dragging in swords and muskets,” said Chuck Sherrill, Tennessee state librarian and archivist. Documents are fished from attics, pressed between the pages of family bibles and stored in trunks. Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Michigan and many other states have similar programs, or at least are trying to gather materials for use by scholars and regular folks. Pennsylvania has been especially ambitious in adding new layers to the state’s deep links to the Civil War, including a traveling exhibit called the “PA Civil War Road Show.” The 53foot-long museum on wheels also invites visitors to share their ancestors’ stories and artifacts in a recording booth. The remembrances will be uploaded on the website PACivilWar150.com. One visitor brought in a bugle that an ancestor was blowing when he was fatally shot at the Battle of Gettysburg. “He wouldn’t let anyone touch it,” said John Seitter, project manager of the Pennsylvania Civil War project. “It shows you how deeply these artifacts connect people with the Civil War. There’s some serious memorialization going on here.” The George and Ann Richards Civil War Era Center at Penn State University is also amid a survey of all the public archives in the state to produce a searchable database. The ambitious project aims to shed light on small, underfunded public historical societies where records are often “hidden from historians and scholars” and not used, Matt Isham of the “The People’s Contest: A Civil War Era Digital Archiving Project” wrote. Some people are even donating items unsolicited. In Maine, for instance, some residents have submitted letters from ancestors who served in the war, but the sesquicentennial also saw an unusual submission from James R. Hosmer. Hosmer’s mother, Mary Ruth Hosmer, died in 2005. He was going through her possessions in Kittery, Maine, when he made a discovery: dozens of carte de viste, small photographs carried by some Union troops, an early version of dog tags. They were stored in a suitcase in an attic. “The state archives was quite thrilled with it,” Hosmer said. The Virginia archivists said they were especially pleased by a submission from the family of an escaped slave who wrote of his love for a woman named Julia at the same time he fled his master for an outpost on the Chesapeake Bay, where Union ships were known to pick up men seeking their freedom. David Harris found his freedom in 1861, serving as a cook for Union troops. “I love to read the sweet letters that come from you, dear love,” David Harris wrote to Julia. “I cannot eat for thought of you.” A valentine made of pink paper and shaped into a heart using an intricate basket weave was addressed to Confederate soldier Robert H. King to his wife Louiza. He was killed in 1862. As for the diary tucked in a soldier’s breast pocket that shielded him from death at Gettysburg, “He kept using the diary,” Savits said. “He just wrote around it.”
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Morning Journal
divided’ “You’d really be surprised what kind of stuff starts bubbling to the top if you start looking.” KELLY WRIGHT
The Confederate Flag marks the grave of Kelly Wright's great-great-grandfather, Alfred Back, who served in the 5th Kentucky and, later, with the 13th Kentucky.
The grave of Wright's greatgreat-grandfather, Alfred Back's son-in-law, Capt. William Strong, 14th Kentucky Cavalry, who had Back assassinated after the war.
Morning Journal/Patti Schaeffer
As the raindrops begin to fall at Beaver Creek State Park re-enactor Kelly Wright of Leetonia and his son Dallas line up with other Confederate Civil War soldiers as they do their final salute and prepare to fire the final victory gun volley of the day for the spectators at the Jackson in the Valley re-enactment. Wright is a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.
Role as re-enactor has personal meaning for Leetonia man By ANTHONY DOMINIC Staff Writer
LEETONIA — Prior to the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln said, “A house divided against itself cannot stand.” The family of Leetonia resident Kelly Wright nearly learned this lesson the hard way. Approximately 20 of Wright’s family members were Civil War veterans, some fighting for the Union and the majority fighting for the Confederacy from the divided border state of Kentucky. During the war, members of his family faced each other in at least one battle, and in 1872, his Confederate great-great-grandfather was assassinated on the orders of his Union brother-inlaw. Wright said if his great-greatgrandfather’s daughter would not have been born just years prior, “The family line would have ended right then and there.” “Our family reunions are interesting, to say the least,” Wright added with a chuckle. Wright’s family history inspired him to become a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans in 2004. When not working his day job as a custodian at Buckeye Elementary School in Salem, he spends a great deal of his time participating in Civil War re-enactments and parades. Wright said he has participated in more than 100 events since joining the organization. “These things are held everywhere, but it’s sort of hit and miss for me – a
re-enactment here, a parade there,” Wright said. “Life happens, and you do what you can do.” Wright portrays a Confederate Partisan Ranger, a soldier he said spent less time on the front lines and was “behind the scenes, robbing trains and sneaking around.” Wright said his great-greatgrandfather, Alfred Back, who was assassinated after the war, served in the fifth Kentucky Infantry and the 13th Kentucky Cavalry as a Partisan Ranger. Years ago, Wright said his parents were at a family reunion in Breathitt County, Ky., where his family is originally from, when they stumbled upon an interesting grave at a cemetery. “My mother’s maiden name was ‘Back,’ and they just happened to see this headstone with the same name,” Wright said. “They were really surprised because it’s such an unusual name.” See WRIGHT , Page 19
Above, Wright fires a volley toward Union forces with his Kentucky bear rifle.
In Wright's family photo album is this cherished copy of a photograph of Kelly's great-greatgrandmother Melissa Strong Back (Alfred's wife) and his great-grandmother, Sarah Back. At left, Sons of Confederate Veterans members Kelly Wright and his eldest son, Jacob march into battle much as family members did during the Civil War.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Morning Journal
MarchingtoManassas Re-enactors hobby takes him to site of Civil War’s first major land battle By JASON LEGGETT Special to the Journal
The 150th anniversary of the first major land battle of the Civil War took place July 22-24, just west of our nation’s capitol. Prior to July 21, 1861, this place was mostly known only by locals. In the days following the battle, however, anyone with access to a newspaper, or telegraph, knew it all too well. They also knew what it meant. Hard days were coming. To most, it meant that it was not going to be a short war, as many had thought, and that many more would die before it was all said and done. Perhaps even someone close to them would die. In fact, this battle quickly led to President Abraham Lincoln raising the call for troops from 75,000 men, after Fort Sumter, to 500,000 men, making it clear that it was going to be long and bloody. It did not take long for every American, Northern or Southern, to feel the impact of this single battle. Fort Sumter got the ball rolling, but this battle in Virginia is where the ball exploded. This battle became known as First Manassas, if you were a Rebel, and First Bull Run, if you were a Yankee. ——— Myself, and about 10 other members of my re-enactor unit (66th Ohio) traveled down to Manassas, Va. to take part in this megaevent. More than 10,000 re-enactors took part in the three-day commemoration, despite temperatures in the triple digits. Luckily for us, Friday, the hottest day, reaching 107 degrees (120 heat index), was spent touring the original battlefield, visitors’ center, and taking in the many special programs that were available at both the National Park and at the re-enactment site. Our uniforms consisted of shorts and T-shirts. Saturday, only 104 degrees (115 heat index), consisted of a large scale two-part battle starting at 9:30 in the morning which lasted
Civil War re-enactor Jason Leggett is a private in the 66th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Army of the Potomac. until 11 a.m. This high heat led many commanders to send their troops into the field without their coats on. During the battle, with cannon flashes and musket fire, the two armies pushed back and forth which eventually ended in a temporary Union victory. This, too, was the overall belief 150 years ago, at this stage of the battle. One of the highlights of this battle was when a full-strength company (100 men) formed a square to guard against cavalry. A maneuver that, until now, I had only seen in the movie “Waterloo,” about the Napoleonic Wars. There was also a 480-man battalion of Confederates wearing red shirts. They looked pretty sharp. Large scale battles are a sight to see. At anniversary events like this one, it is not uncommon to see thousands of troops in the field at the same time maneuvering into strategic positions and battling it out. Both as a spectator and a participant, it is the closest anyone will ever come to seeing the real thing. Some events have included more than 20,000 re-enactors. 135th Gettysburg, in 1998, reached 24,000. After the battle, some men reformed to march back to camp and others straggled back at their own pace to rest. Once out of our gear and rested up, many of
us made the short journey to Sutler’s Row (Civil War style stores/venders), where we shopped and bought some homemade sarsaparilla or root beer to help cool off. Later, after supper was cooked over an open fire, some of us travelled to the large tent for a Civil War period ball, or to one of the other programs going on in and around Sutler’s Row. I chose to listen to a period string band. The extreme heat throughout the day, however, led most of us to an early slumber. ——— As Saturday ended, so did the heat wave. Sunday could only boast a temperature of 97 degrees (102 heat index). This drop in temperature led a few dozen more troops to wear their coats into battle. Some of them, no doubt, were among the early casualties of the day. More than 175 re-enactors were treated for heat related injuries throughout the weekend. Sunday’s battle started much as
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it did the day before, with both armies pushing their way, with hot musket fire, to the ridge in the battlefield’s center. This ridge later became known to the re-enactors as “Water Bottle Ridge,” because of the thousands of water bottles strewn about its entire length. Unlike the first day of battle, the Rebels came up victorious this time, as they did 150 years ago. Unfortunately, due to the heat and water problems on Saturday, none of the cavalry participated in this battle. The aftermath of Sunday’s battle was nothing like Saturday’s. The end of the battle marked the beginning of the mass exodus of spectators and re-enactors alike from the event. Many of us had two miles to hike to get to our vehicles and many hours to go before reaching home. Some units came from Wisconsin, others from New England, Texas, Mississippi, Michigan, etc… My group was on the road by 5 p.m., back to Ohio and Pennsylvania.
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Despite the heat, my group left the event happy with how things played out. We were provided with plenty of water and ice, as well as cooling stations and plenty of emergency personnel. There were issues with parking, but all-in-all it was a very good event. There is much to learn by attending these large scale events. I strongly urge people to make it to at least one of these mega-events marking the 150th anniversary of the Civil War before they are all over. Information can be found on upcoming 150th events through the Internet, or by contacting me, Jason Leggett, at Bye & Bye Hardware. You will have to travel to see them, but it is well worth it. If you really want to experience the 150th, join a re-enactor regiment like mine, 66th Ohio, and live it. It is the coolest hobby that I will ever have. My next stop on the 150th Commemoration: Shiloh, Tenn. (March 30- April 2, 2012).
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Morning Journal
Monday, January 30, 2012
CivilWar
13
General
A portrait of Wellsville businessman James W. Reilly, who became the only Columbiana County man to achieve the rank of general in the War Between the States.
Columbiana County’s
James W. Reilly was known for his temper and bravery By JO ANN BOBBY-GILBERT Staff Writer
WELLSVILLE – Local resident James W. Reilly was one of only two soldiers from Columbiana County to achieve the rank of general in the Civil War, and although known for a fiery temper and use of profanity, he was also known as a hero on the battlefield and a community-minded public servant. Reilly was born in 1828 in Akron and, after attending Allegheny College and Mount St. Mary’s College, moved to Wellsville in 1848, where he studied law with attorney George M. Lee. Accounts vary, some saying he was admitted to the bar in 1851 and others in 1853, but all accounts agree Reilly was elected as the county’s representative to the Ohio House of Representatives in 1861. While in Wellsville, Reilly was elected mayor in 1854 and at one time served as president of People’s National Bank. His office was located on the second floor of the old City Hall, according to information from the Wellsville Historical Society. The first band in Wellsville was actually started in 1848 by Reilly, who served as its leader. Reilly assisted the governor in organizing the state’s volunteers prior to startup of the Civil War, and in July 1862, was appointed colonel of the 104th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment that included about 400 men from Columbiana County among its 10 companies. Company C was composed of East Palestine men; Company F from Akron; Company G from Salem; and Company K, Lisbon. A company formed in East Liverpool but was later assigned to a different regiment. Reilly and the 104th Regiment traveled to Cincinnati, and only 11 days after being recruited, were fighting with the Confederate’s advance guard. One of the regiment’s members was killed and five wounded. For the next year, the regiment pursued Rebel cavalry units across Kentucky, and Reilly became known to his men for his profanity but also his constant drills, with his men reportedly considered the most well drilled of any regiment. After two of his men were caught by a brigadier general with stolen chickens and ordered punished, Reilly’s Irish temper flared, and he reportedly admonished his
Above, the second floor insurance and real estate office of Wellsville businessman James W. Reilly, who was the only Columbiana County man to achieve the rank of general during the Civil War. Note the spelling of his name on the window is inconsistent with other historic records regarding Reilly’s military and business dealings. The photographs at the right show enlistment information on Reilly (top) is included among the records at the Wellsville Historical Society’s River Museum; This 1940 letter (bottom) from a dealer in military artifacts to a Wellsville resident includes information on Civil War Brigadier General James William Reilly; however, it is inaccurate in listing him as having been born in Pennsylvania. Reilly was born in Akron.
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This photograph shows an engraving Brigadier General James W. Reilly, who distinguished himself during the Civil War.
superior office harshly. His regiment assisted in the capture of the Cumberland Gap in Tennessee and was part of the garrison of Knoxville during a 22-day siege by Confederate Gen. James Longstreet. During a harsh winter outside Knoxville, many soldiers died from exposure. It was a battle in April 1864 that led to Reilly earning his brigadier general later that year. He and the 104th were under fire for 120 days during the campaign against Atlanta, and Reilly personally led a charge against Confederate entrenchments on May 14 in Georgia, riding what was described as a “plug” horse. In one account, an enlisted man described Reilly as riding into battle with his whiskers sticking out like a porcupine and said when his lackluster horse balked while crossing a ditch, Reilly dismounted and continued the battle on foot. Reilly was promoted to brigadier general of volunteers in the summer of 1864. About a month later, ReilSee REILLY , Page 19
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Public domain
“First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation of President Lincoln” was painted by Francis Bicknell Carpenter (1830–1900) Shown from left are Edwin McMasters Stanton, secretary of war (seated); Salmon Portland Chase, secretary of the treasury (standing); Lincoln; Gideon Welles, secretary of the navy (seated); Caleb Blood Smith, secretary of the interior (standing); William Henry Seward, secretary of state (seated); Montgomery Blair, postmaster general (standing); and Edward Bates, attorney general (seated).
Edwin Stanton Lincoln’s Ohio-born secretary of war once had a law office in Lisbon By TOM GIAMBRONI Staff Writer
Public domain
This photograph shows Edwin M. Stanton between 18-55 and 1865.
The first postage stamp bearing the image of Edwin Stanton was issued in 1871.
LISBON — Edwin Stanton is a name unknown to most people unless you are a Civil War buff or well-versed in American history. But before becoming Abraham Lincoln’s Secretary of War, Stanton was a country lawyer who practiced in Lisbon during his youth, honing skills that would one day catch the attention of the future president. Born in 1814 in Steubenville, Stanton was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1836, working from offices in Steubenville and Cadiz. About four years later he also entered into partnership with Lisbon attorney Theobald Umbstaetter while continuing to maintain his other offices. “In the early part of the 1800s these young lawyers would go back and forth from one county to the other for cases,” said local historian Gene Krotky of Lisbon. Krotky said her research shows the law office was located on North Market Street, next door to the Columbiana County Law Library, in the second floor above what is currently the building that houses the temp agency. By then, Stanton was living in Cadiz, a considerable distance from Lisbon at a time when the chief mode of transportation was by horseback or carriage. “It was the practice of young attorneys in those days to have a couch to sleep on in the office. He kept his books and papers there but he was not in Lisbon every day. People would like to believe that because it brings more prestige to Lisbon, but it is what it is,” she said. Stanton left the area and moved to Pittsburgh in 1847 and later to Washington, D.C., where he made a name for himself by having a large practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. His reputation as skilled and combative litigator resulted in Stanton being hired in 1859 as part of the defense team in one of the more sensational criminal trials of the time. He represented Congressman Dan Sickles, who was
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Public domain
“Running the Machine,” 1864 cartoon featuring Stanton, William Fessenden, Abraham Lincoln, William Seward and Gideon Welles takes a swing at the Lincoln administration.
charged with murdering his wife’s lover. Sickles, who went on to fame as a Union general during the Civil War, was acquitted after Stanton invoked the temporary insanity defense, marking the first time it was ever used. In 1860, Stanton was appointed Attorney General by President James Buchanan. An ardent unionist, he was opposed to secession, believing it to be unconstitutional, and in 1862, Lincoln chose Stanton to replace Simon Cameron as his Secretary of War. Their paths first crossed in the 1850s, when Stanton was named to
head a legal team to challenge Cyrus McCormick’s patent for the reaper. Lincoln was also on the legal team, prompting Stanton to comment, “Why did you bring that damned long-armed ape here? He does not know anything.” But that did not stop Lincoln from appreciating Stanton’s combative tenacity and recognizing his talent as an administrator. “Lincoln was not particularly thrilled by him personally,” Krotky said of Stanton, “but he thought him bright, capable and tough.” Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote in her book, Team of Rivals, how part of Lincoln’s genius was to fill his cabinet with former political opponents and others who were valued more for their talents and conflicting opinions than their willingness to tell him what he wanted to hear. “They had a reputation for being overpowering,” Krotky said of Lincoln’s cabinet, “but Lincoln had the ability to walk that line among all of them ... He went his own way and was not worried about being re-elected, See STANTON , Page 19
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Morning Journal
Monday, January 30, 2012
War
comes to The sword and scabbard carried by Gen. John H. Morgan now rest in the River Museum in Wellsville with other artifacts of the Civil War. The Confederate general presented the sword to Thomas Whitacre for his kind treatment during the captured soldier’s stay at The Whitacre House in Wellsville. Above, The route Morgan and his troops followed in Columbiana and Jefferson counties on his ill-fated raid is shown.
Columbiana County Confederate raiders were stopped at West Point
Morgan quickly gained the reputation as an aggressive commander.
By JO ANN BOBBY-GILBERT Staff Writer
WEST POINT — While battles raged throughout the southern states between the Union and Confederate armies, Ohio civilians stayed pretty much out of the fray, until Rebel General John Hunt Morgan brought the war to Columbiana County. It was July 26, 1863 when Morgan and several hundred of his soldiers ended up surrendering when they found their attempt to reach the Ohio River thwarted by Union troops in the rural area between Salineville and Wellsville. It became the northernmost military action by the Confederate Army during the War Between the States, more commonly known as the Civil War. “There was great excitement about an Ohio invasion,” according to an account in “Morgan’s Raid, First Ohio Division,” which said as Morgan made his way from Tennessee, Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside declared marshal law in Cincinnati while the governor called out the newly organized militia in 37 counties, with all other militia in the state put on alert. Morgan had set out July 2 north of the Tennessee border with 2,400 mounted infantrymen and crossed the Cumberland River, making it through Kentucky in just five days.
He and his men crossed the Ohio River at Brandenburg on two steam boats they had captured from the Indiana shore on July 8 and unexpectedly veered off to the northeast. But expecting the unexpected from John Hunt Morgan seemed to be the norm. The Alabama native moved with his family – wealthy slave owners, according to one account – to Kentucky when he was 6 years old after his father’s business failed. He tried college at Transylvania University but that ended when he was suspended after a duel with a fraternity brother. Then he enlisted in the army. Morgan served in the Mexican-American War where he reached the rank of first lieutenant in the cavalry unit, being called in one account “a gifted soldier.” After the war, Morgan See MORGAN, Page 10C 18
The newspaper portrait above shows the dapper Confederate General John H. Morgan, known for his recklessness but also for his acumen as a soldier. The Whitacre House in Wellsville (above left) served as a temporary jail for Morgan and his officers. The monument shown at the left stands between West Point and Gavers in commemoration of the northernmost invasion during the Civil War, where Morgan was captured. Morning Journal/Jo Ann Bobby-Gilbert
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Stabilizing walls, fixing cracks and replastering, as shown in the photo on the right, all were being completed as part of the improvement project to the McCook House in Carrollton. A likeness of Daniel McCook (far right), father, uncle and brother to the remaining famed “Fighting McCooks” and builder of the family home in Carrollton, now a state memorial, is seen on one of the walls.
One last
for the
Fight McCooks Preservationists battle ravages of time to restore historic home By TERRI STALEY Journal News Editor
CARROLLTON — Hard hats seem unlikely headgear for the Civil War. But in the battle to preserve the history of that time they can be necessary. A case in point is the McCook House in Carrollton which underwent major structural stabilization work. Home for a portion of the mid1800s to many of the famed “Fighting McCooks,” the house, now operated as a museum under a lease agreement between the Ohio and Carroll County historical societies, could have been a casualty of time. It literally was in danger of falling down around them, according to Chris Buchanan, project manager and restoration manager for the Ohio Historical Society. Riding in with reinforcements for the beleaguered troops (or at least the means to pay for them) was state Rep. Mark Okey, (D-Carrollton 61st District) who obtained $500,000 in capital grant funding for the work. Okey, who also serves on the state society’s Civil War Advisory Board, said the money was secured a long time ago. Upon commencement of his first term in 2007, Okey said he began submitting requests for capital budget funds for his district, but all of them
The top course of the sandstone foundation stones (above) was replaced with old barn stone found at salvage companies and retooled by a firm in Toledo. Items to be placed back on display throughout the McCook House (left) were covered and stored until the stabilization project was completed. The photo below shows the McCook House before the structural stabilization project got under way.
Morning Journal/Patti Schaeffer
Extra attention was given to restoring the front door of the McCook House, an example of Federal-style architecture, the first in the region after log cabins. Chemicals, not sanders or other tools, were used in the process.
were rejected. He then was led to ask just what kind of projects would meet funding requirements. He was told See FIGHT, Page 18
The McCook House on the square in Carrollton was encased in plastic to protect workers on scaffolding surrounding the house as they replace deteriorated brick and repoint the brick where needed.
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COPPOCK Continued from Page 8
cause and join him at the arsenal. However, in 1857 Brown was unable to raise the funds he needed to carry out his attack, and he spent that winter in Springdale, Iowa, where the Coppock brothers, sympathetic to his cause, joined Brown and his men. The group left Springdale in April 1858 but returned the following February, bringing with them 11 slaves they had freed during a foray in Missouri. Brown’s men left Springdale again soon after, but the Coppocks stayed a while longer, visiting with family before traveling back to Winona to visit with friends there. In late August of 1859, Edwin and Barclay Coppock arrived in Harpers Ferry. On Oct. 16, 1859, Brown left three men, including Barclay Coppock, to guard supplies at a farmhouse he had rented north of Harpers Ferry. He then led the rest of his party into town. A small group of men under the leadership of John Cook were sent to capture Col. Lewis Washington, a grandnephew of George Washington, along with a sword and two pistols which had once belonged to the Revolutionary War general and first American president. With that mission successfully completed, Brown’s group took several other Harpers Ferry residents as hostages. They cut the telegraph wire and took over a passing train, killing a baggage handler — a freed slave — when he tried to stop them. However, the train was eventually allowed to continue on its way, and the conductor notified the authorities. Despite the fact that the residents of Harpers Ferry were fighting to stop them and the armed slave rebellion never materialized, Brown and his men were able to take control of the armory. Although they had been successful in their early efforts, Brown’ raiders found the situation rapidly deteriorating as the armory was surrounded by the local militia the following morning, and the bridge crossing the Potomac River was cut off, blocking their escape. The raiders took nine of their hostages and barricaded themselves inside a small engine house. During the fighting of the second day, the mayor of Harpers Ferry, Fontaine Beckham, was said to have repeatedly ventured onto the railroad tracks to get a better look at the sporadic battle. It was said Beckham was upset about the chaos that had erupted in his town, but curiosity led him directly into Edwin Coppock’s line of fire. The Columbiana County-born Quaker fired twice, killing the mayor. As the day wore on, two of Brown’s men were sent out of the engine house under a white flag, but one of the man was shot and captured and the other, Brown’s son Watson, was killed. A third man died after panicking and trying to swim across the Potomac, and another of Brown’s sons was killed during the fighting. By that afternoon, a detachment of Marines under the command of Col. Robert E. Lee was sent by President James Buchanan to end the standoff. On Oct. 18, the Marines stormed the engine house after Brown refused to surrender, and Brown and his remaining men, including Edwin Coppock, were captured. However, Barclay Coppock and those left to guard the farmhouse escaped
Edwin Coppock’s name as it appears on the stone obelisk marking his grave.
Morning Journal/Ryan Gillis Public domain
Edwin Coppock’s grave in Salem’s Hope Cemetery.
through the mountains. John Brown, Edwin Coppock and three of their fellow raiders were tried on federal charges and convicted of treason. They were sentenced to execution by hanging. When asked by the court why he should not be put to death, Coppock denied that he had ever conspired against the state of Virginia or to instigate a slave rebellion. “What I came here for I always told you. It was to run off slaves into a free state and liberate them there,” he stated. “This is an offense against your laws, I admit, but I never committed murder. When I escaped to the engine house and found the captain and his prisoners surrounded there, I saw no way of deliverance but by fighting a little. If anybody was killed on that occasion, it was a fair fight.” Although an appeal by Virginia’s Quakers on Coppock’s behalf was successful in swaying the opinion of the state’s governor, he declined to intervene on the young man’s behalf, arguing it was not in his authority to commute the sentence of a man found guilty on federal charges. On the afternoon of Dec. 16, 1859, Coppock and fellow conspirator John Cook were led to the gallows to be hanged. They were the second pair of John Brown’s raider to be executed that day — their leader, himself, had been put to death in the same manner two weeks earlier. “Be as quick as possible,” the 24-year-old condemned man was said to have told the hangman as he adjusted the noose around his neck. Following his execution, Coppock’s body was placed in a poplar coffin and brought back to Winona by his uncle, Joshua Coppock, and Thomas Winn. Nearly 2,000 people attended his funeral the following Sunday, and he was laid to rest at sundown in the Friends cemetery. However, rumors soon began to circulate that proslavery sympathizers were planning to desecrate Coppock’s grave and steal his coffin, and an armed guard was posted to watch over the burial site. Not long after, members of Salem’s anti-slavery Quaker community, viewing Coppock as a martyr for the “principles of freedom” undertook the effort to relocate his body to a safer place. On Dec. 30, 1859, Coppock’s remains were exhumed with the family’s permission and brought to Salem, to be placed in Hope Cemetery. According to reports, crowds began to gath-
Barclay Coppock
Coppock’s brother eluded capture By RYAN GILLIS Journal News Editor
Public domain
This illustration, first printed in Harper's Weekly, shows U.S. Marines attacking the firehouse which John Brown used as a fort during his raid on Harper's Ferry.
Public domain
This scene from Frank Leslie’s illustrated newspaper, v. 8, no. 205 (1859 Nov. 5), p. 359. readds “Harper's Ferry insurrection - Interior of the Engine-House, just before the gate is broken down by the storming party - Col. Washington and his associates as captives, held by Brown as hostages.”
er around the streets of town long before the afternoon ceremony, and at least 6,000 waited in line to view the body before it was re-interred. Appalled by the thought that Coppock’s remains were resting in a wooden coffin constructed for an executed criminal, they replaced the poplar box with a metal casket. Other precautions were also taken to protect the young man’s body from vandal’s or thieves. His grave was dug to a depth of eight feet, and the metal coffin was lowered into another wooden box made of wood two inches thick and secured with spikes and irons. The closed box was covered with six inches of clay and five 400- to 600pound boulders. Those were
covered by dirt mixed with rye straw to make it more difficult to dig out, and for many years the grave was left unmarked. Eventually, Salem Abolitionist Daniel Howell Hise and John Gordon raised the money to have the dark gray obelisk erected at the site of Coppock’s grave, and on May 30, 1935, which would have been Coppock’s 100th birthday, a bronze tablet, paid for with funds raised by Willis Hole, was unveiled at the grave. In more recent years, the Hope Cemetery Association, undertook an effort to clean and restore the sandstone monument, funding the project through donations from the community. As for Coppock’s original poplar coffin, it was preserved
Although his brother Edwin was captured when Marines stormed the Harpers Ferry engine house were John Brown and his remaining raiders were making their final stand, Barclay Coppock, who had been left with two others to guard supplies at a rented farmhouse north of town, managed to escape. Barclay’s flight eventually led him to freedom in Canada, but not before he was found hiding in Iowa. However, the state’s governor, Samuel Kirkwood, denied the request to extradite the 20-yearold fugitive Quaker, and he was secreted out of the country by way of the Underground Railroad, with the assistance of a conductor named Richard Beeson Engle. Coppock later returned to the United States and served in the Union Army as a recruiting officer during the Civil War. He was killed Sept. 4, 1861 when the train he was riding fell into a ravine along the Platte River after Confederate troops cut the bridge supports.
by Dr. J.C. Whinnery, who recognized the historic value of the box and kept it in stor-
age above is dental office at
the southwest corner of East State Street and South Broad-
way. The coffin was carried at the front of an impromptu
parade through the streets of
town in 1865 to celebrate Lee’s surrender and the end of the Civil War.
Whinnery’s daughter later
donated the crude coffin to
Public domain
This daguerreotype the Ohio State Archaeological shows John Brown circa 1856. and Historical Museum. rgillis@mojonews.com
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18
Morning Journal
MORGAN returned to Lexington where he ran a hemp and woolen goods factory, also marrying his partner’s sister, Rebecca Gratz Bruce in 1848. With a taste of the military in his blood, Morgan organized a drill company, the Lexington Rifles, a pro-southern militia, in the late 1850s, and as secession loomed, he opted to fly a rebel flag over his factory in 1861. Seen as a threat to the Union, Morgan smuggled militia rifles out of town, leaving empty crates for Federals to confiscate, and an arrest warrant was issued for him. Soon after, Morgan lost his factory and his wife died, prompting him to take on an active role in the growing conflict between the states. In the fall of 1861, Morgan joined the Confederate Army, forming the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry with himself as the colonel. Morgan quickly gained the reputation as an aggressive commander, leading several raids against the Union Army, but “he was frustrated by his inability to operate in the guerilla fashion that he had been accustomed to,” according to one Internet account. By 1862, Morgan earned a reputation in both the north and south for his daring raids, and he had been promoted in December to brigadier general, the next day marrying Martha Ready, daughter of Tennessee Congressman Charles Ready. Later that month, Morgan led his Christmas Raid that diverted 7,300 troops from the advancing Union Army, closing down the Lexington & Nashville railroad for five weeks. Finally, in the summer of 1863, Morgan set out on what some considered his most ill-advised and self-destructive raid: Into Ohio and Indiana, farther north than any other southern force had ventured. Although given permission to attack Louisville, Morgan failed to mention his plans called for crossing the Ohio River, which was strictly forbidden by his superiors. From all accounts, Morgan was not one who paid much attention to being told he could not do something, and in early July, he and his men captured the two steamboats and started across the river. The crossing panicked local residents, and Burnside began aligning troops to meet the oncoming Confederates. Meanwhile, Morgan’s Raiders – as they became known – began spreading rumors that they intended to attack Indianapolis, but instead spent five days in southern Indiana, procuring supplies and horses from civilians. On July 13, Morgan and his men entered Ohio near the Hamilton-Butler County line, heading for the outskirts of Cincinnati. There, he divided his troops, sending some through Warren, Clinton, Fayette, Ross and Jackson counties while he and the largest contingent headed through Clermont, Brown, Highland, Pike and Jackson counties, crossing the Scioto River and proceeding to Jackson, where the two units reunited. Along the way, the raiders stole horses and merchandise from stores, ripped out railroad tracks and otherwise terrified citizens, who hurried to hide their silver in theirs wells before the approaching soldiers. They traveled east in an effort to reach the Ohio River, but they came upon some Ohio militiamen who, although severely outnumbered, held off Morgan long enough for the Union cavalry to catch up, while northern soldiers and gunboats gathered at the river. A battle ensued as Morgan and his men attempted to cross at Bluffington Island, with 3,000 Union troops outnumbering Morgan’s 1,700. Many died, were wounded or captured, including Morgan’s brother-in-law. Morgan himself was half-way across the river when he turned back to his men, stranded on the shore, and they retreated to avoid being surrounded, ending up at Valley Furnace on July 20 with less than 900 men. For days, the soldiers fought and traveled: Through Mount Pleasant, New Plymouth, Taylorsville, Eaglesport, Campbell Station, Cambridge, Hendrysburg. Finally, bedraggled and weary, the troops continued on, and communities hunkered down, waiting for him. Cadiz residents heard he was headed in their direction but – ever resourceful and canny – Morgan chose to bring his men through Smithfield and Wintersville outside Steubenville and on to Richmond. Along the way, there were skirmishes with militia, and by July 25 when the invaders reached Bergholz, “they slept where they slid off their horses,” according to the First Ohio Invasion. His breakfast on July 26 was interrupted by pursuers, and Morgan fled north toward Salineville, where a “savage fight broke out” with the 9th Michigan Cavalry, resulting in several hundred of his troops captured, wounded or killed. Morgan and 200 men escaped and continued on, but the end was near for the 37-year-old Confederate. Meanwhile, with reports of Morgan’s Raiders headed toward the Ohio River, a group of rail-
Monday, January 30, 2012
FIGHT
Morgan facts
Continued from Page 15
Morning Journal/Jo Ann Bobby-Gilbert
This portrait of Gen. John H. Morgan now hangs in the River Museum in Wellsville.
Man recounted raid In a newspaper account, Lisbon resident Roy B. Ewing wrote about his grandfather, John Ewing, who was 5 years old when Morgan was captured. The boy had celebrated his birthday just a few weeks before and was gifted with a new Union soldier’s uniform complete with brass buttons and cap. He said his grandfather recollected the raiders passing by their home and his own father digging a hole in the earthen floor of the basement. His father placed a bag of gold belonging to the township in the hole and covering it, telling his son “you best not tell the soldiers about the gold.” Soon after, his father mounted his waiting horse and rode away to join the Wayne (Township) Home Guard to wait for Morgan’s Raiders. On the Wellsville Road, Capt. James Burbick and his Center Township Home Guard, as well as the Madison Township Home Guard stood ready, Ewing reported. road men and citizens formed a home guard in Yellow Creek, taking two cannons made in Wellsville and moving them to the mouth of the creek, where an old stone tavern was turned into a makeshift fort. The Wellsville Patriot reported, “During the morning, rumors reached town that Morgan’s scouts had ‘drawn on’ a few farmers within the township for horses.” It went on to say it seemed likely Morgan was headed toward the river, which at that point was fordable and wrote, “Some thought the town was in danger of being sacked, pillaged and perhaps fired: some advised the removal of women and children to (West) Virginia, and a few, we learned, had their valuables packed and secreted.” But the preparations by citizens were not needed as, facing “insurmountable odds” on July 26, Morgan surrendered to Capt. James Burbick, commander of a small militia company, in a field near West Point, six miles southeast of Lisbon, Burbick’s home town. Later, Major George W. Rue of the 9th Kentucky Calvary would announce the official surrender in a telegraph message proclaiming, “I captured John Morgan today at two o’clock P.M., taking 336 prisoners, 400 horses and arms.” Reports indicate that, ever dashing, Morgan asked that he and his men be allowed back on the battlefield when he disliked the terms of surrender offered to him. He was denied, and his troops’ unfired weapons were fired into the air, causing some residents to believe another skirmish was under way. Although accounts vary, it was reported that about 4 p.m. that day, Morgan, his men and his captors headed by horseback toward Salineville, and the captured general “became talkative,” giving “a thrillingly interesting account of his raid” and how he and his men stopped at farm houses for milk, trinkets and to steal horses. Major Gen. James M. Shackelford, who accompanied Morgan after the surrender said, “Never before or since have I witnessed such scenes of excitement as we found at every station, town, and city on the road from Wellsville to Cincinnati. The crowds were simply immense and every place we stopped, the men and women and children went into the cars to see the great raider.” In Salineville, the contingent loaded onto a train for Wellsville, where word of the Rebel’s capture “caused great rejoicing among our citizens and hundreds of others who had come into town from the adjoining neighborhood,” The
— Columbiana County was among 4,375 claims for damages filed with the state — Four counties – Butler, Clinton, Fairfield and Ross – claimed the only damages they occurred were from Federal troops — The state settled the following claims: $428,168, damage done by Rebels; $148,057, damage done by Union forces; $20,552, property taken by Rebels and traced into possession of Union forces — Morgan was estimated to have taken upwards of 2,500 horses during his sweep across Ohio — A total of 49,357 Ohio militiamen were called, not including Federal troops participating (none were listed for Columbiana County) — A total of 587 companies responded, each consisting of about 100 officers and men or less, and the militia pay for this service was $212,318.97 — July 26, 1863 participants: Action at Salineville, 9th Michigan Cavalry; action at West Point, 15th Indiana Independent Battery of Light Artillery, Kentucky 1st, 9th, 11th and 12th Cavalry detachments, 8th Michigan Cavalry.
(Information from “Morgan’s Raid – First Ohio Invasion” from The Ohio Historical Society)
Wellsville Patriot wrote. “Men shouted, women waved their handkerchiefs, and even the Stars and Stripes, which decorated several buildings on Water Street (now Riverside Avenue), seemed to float more proudly.” As the train bearing Morgan came into town, the newspaper noted he and others went to the station house where they “enjoyed a pleasant military tete-a-tete until supper was announced.” Afterward, it reported, Morgan and his staff ate at the Bean House and then were put up at the Whitacre House, after which a German clothier was summoned to buy “such clothing as they desired,” using “greenbacks and silver” to pay. And, while most residents seemed glad Morgan was captured, he did have his sympathizers in the area, with one account noting that five Wellsville citizens planned to lower a rope from the hotel roof to allow the general to escape his captors, with a skiff waiting at the edge of the river and a horse on the other side waiting for him. Ultimately, no one wanted to take the chance of getting around the increased guards at the hotel. Major Gen. Henry W. Halleck ordered Morgan and his surviving officers to be taken by train to Columbus and imprisoned in the Ohio Penitentiary, and historian Whitelaw Reid said this was to “gratify a popular feeling that the raiders should be treated as horse thieves rather than soldiers.” But, according to an account in the Ohio State Journal, “The noted raider, John Morgan, received a very handsome reception yesterday at the depot, as least so far as numbers are concerned. The desire to see one who has given the citizens of Ohio as much trouble as this Rebel has could hardly have been greater than to see President Lincoln.” But The Intelligencer reported that Morgan was jeered as the train passed through Cambridge and Zanesville, where he and his men were declared “horse thieves” and “negro thieves.” The Ohio State Journal went on to report “the hero” arrived on a special train and “the excitement was high, and a rush was made for the train. The crowd in front feasted their eyes and made way for others eager to see him.” Rather than a battle-weary soldier, the crowd saw a 6-foot, 2-inch bearded man standing tall, wearing a linen coat, black pants and a felt hat. One wag noted, “He has neither hoofs nor horns but is a mere man.” The First Ohio Invasion declared, “Twentyfour days in the saddle, riding and fighting, had not robbed him of his dignity.” It also apparently didn’t rob Morgan of his initiative or rebel-rousing ways, and on Nov. 27, just four months after his capture, he and six of his fellow officers escaped from the penitentiary by digging holes in their cell floors and tunneling out. He and Capt. Thomas H. Hines boldly rode a passenger train from Columbus to Cincinnati, crossed the Ohio River in a boat and were hidden by some friends in Kentucky until they made their way back to Confederate lines. He returned to service, but was killed in a skirmish at Greeneville, Tenn. on Sept. 4, 1864, while Hines lived to become chief justice of the Court of Appeals of Kentucky. And, while Morgan was known by his superiors as reckless and lacking in discipline where his troops were concerned, it was agreed by all he was a “brave, loyal and determined fighter.”
Continued from Page 16
parks and thought “I have one of those in my district ...” and historical, and he thought “I know just the project,” asking, “What about a house?” “We didn’t want to lose it,” he said of the McCook House, built in 1837, calling it a “local treasure.” He said the sizable cost of the project was “money well spent. Otherwise it could collapse.” Buchanan concurs, saying much of the stress on the structure appears to have occurred from settling not long after construction. Efforts at stopgap measures made through the years have been discovered, but they were not satisfactory long-term solutions. This extensive project included: Replacing the top course of foundation stone and some of the bottom courses of brick; repointing in some areas; repointing one chimney, taking down and replacing the south chimney and replacing the east chimney which fell apart while being dismantled; coating the standing seam metal roof with a special reinforced mesh; installing new gutters; stabilization work inside the attic; post replacement and structural repair in the basement as well as mechanical upgrades to the furnace; reinforcing wooden ceiling beams in several rooms with steel plating; sealing cracked sandstone lintels; reinforcing and restoring a back porch, all to be followed by interior plaster restoration and painting in period colors. Extra attention was paid to the front door which is in the federal style, the first prominent style in the area after log cabins. As the focal point of the house, which faces the square in Carrollton, it is being stripped and refinished with attention to the sidelights and mullions, Buchanan said. As if this were not enough of a project, crews were dealing with a collapsed sewer line and new cracks in first-floor walls which presented recently. As far as state projects go, this one is “pretty extensive,” said Buchanan who also has worked on the Rankin House in Southern Ohio and the William H. Taft home in Cincinnati, among others. He said the foundation work has been the biggest challenge. Old barn stones were obtained from salvage companies and sent to a stonework company in Toledo which tooled them to fit and appear decorative at the same time. Bids were obtained for both winter and summer work, Buchanan said. Even with calculating heating costs, the winter work on the building was decided the better approach since the work could be concluded for the spring season of events and tourism. Buchanan stressed the project was stabilization, not restoration. But groundwork was laid and notations made for the future. A well under the back porch was documented and artifacts noted before being covered by a handicappedaccessible entrance, and someday a paint analysis may be done to ascertain the actual colors used in the home. But for now the improvement is subsurface, so to speak. As in war, much of what must be done is not glamorous but necessary. In addition to the attractive front entrance, what visitors notice first in the house are the painted walls, which according to McCook House Manager/Curator Shirley Anderson, have in recent memory always been white. And she said, among the displays are Daniel McCook’s personal Henry rifle which was returned from the state historical society. Much as a battlefield hero standing in dress uniform to be decorated for bravery, the public will not witness the blood and guts it took to achieve the result. But the McCook House will stand for many more years as a testament to the fortitude of both the soldiers who lived there and the crews who persisted in protecting it.
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REILLY Continued from Page 13
ly’s brigade was involved in what has been described as “a slaughter” when they made a frontal assault on Confederates in Utoy Creek and 450 men were killed, wounded or captured. It was reported Reilly was seen with tears running down his cheeks as he surveyed the rows of dead soldiers. In November 1864 in Franklin, Tenn., Confederate Gen. John Bell Hood’s men and Union forces battled long and hard, including Reilly’s regiment. Hood’s army lost 1,700 men, with a total of 6,000 casualties, and at least six Confederate generals were killed, close by the position held by Reilly’s 104th Ohio. Six men from his regiment were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor from this battle, which cost Reilly 70 men. Reilly and the 104th participated in other skirmishes, but on April 1, 1865, he submitted his resignation due to ill health, according to records provided by the Wellsville Historical Society. He returned to Wellsville where he practiced law and stayed active in public life. At one point, he served as the attorney for the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Although some thought he should be a candidate for Congress in both 1866 and 1878, Reilly was never nom-
inated. In 1873-1874, Reilly served as a delegate to the Ohio Constitutional Convention. Never married, Reilly bought a stately home on what is now Riverside Avenue – the current site of MacLean Funeral Home. Although a practicing attorney until his death, Reilly left no will to dispose of his estate, estimated at $250,000. Nonetheless, plenty of people laid claim to the money, with an estimated 375 people filing claims – some from as far as England and Ireland. A trial was held in Lisbon in November 1909, and while many people testified, none were able to substantiate a claim to the court’s satisfaction. The court decided to divide the estate among Columbiana County schools, at least one of which named its new stadium for its benefactor: In April 1915 property was purchased with $5,472 from his estate and named The Gen. Reilly Athletic Field of Salem Public Schools. It still serves the school district today. Brassy Beresford, president of the Wellsville Historical Society, said he also read that the Wellsville Carnegie Public Library now stands on land once owned by Reilly. The former Civil War general is buried in St. Elizabeth Cemetery.
Public domain
Edward Stanton and his son.
STANTON Continued from Page 14
unlike our politicians today.” Stanton grew to admire the president and had become his closest advisor at the time of Lincoln’s assassination. Stanton was at Lincoln’s bedside when the president died, and with tears streaming down his face, he lifted his hat and uttered the now famous phrase: “Now he belongs to the ages.” Some of the items from Stanton’s time in Lisbon remain. Retired attorney Harry Conn of Salem has a chair that is believed to have come from the UmbstaetterStanton law office when Umbstaetter relocated to West Lincoln Way in Lisbon after Stanton moved to Pittsburgh. Conn was a partner in the former Moore, Primm & Conn law practice, located on the second floor of what is known as the Hamilton Building. When Conn joined the firm in 1973 Bill Moore told him the old wooden chair in the corner came from Stanton’s law office.
19
Morning Journal
Monday, January 30, 2012
Law partner Jim Primm inherited the chair from Moore, as did Conn after Primm’s death. “Jim always kept a map over it so no one would sit in it, and I wouldn’t let anyone sit in it either,” Conn said. Looking through antique furniture books, Conn was able to identify the chair as a Windsor chair from the Philadelphia area, circa early 1800s. Conn also has an Umbstaetter & Stanton business card. Neither Krotky or Conn were able to find much information about any of Stanton’s cases during his time in Lisbon. “He was a busy guy, so I don’t know how much time he spent here,” Conn said. A book case from the Umbstaetter-Stanton law office is on display in the Old Stone House in Lisbon, as is a spittoon that was supposedly used by Stanton. The spittoon came from Primm’s wife, Mabel. Sure-Lok® F477 and WT pipe features a technologically advanced “rolled rim” coupling system.
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The Kelly Wright Family of Leetonia proudly displays the Civil War memorabilia of their family heritage and their Civil War roles as part of the history of our country.
WRIGHT Continued from Page 11
Not long after, curiosity led Wright to the tent of the Sons of Confederate Veterans at the annual Canfield Fair. After requesting the organization to research the name “Back,” it was discovered Alfred and at least 17 of his cousins served in the Confederate Army during the war. A librarian in Jackson, Ky., a small town in Breathitt County, helped Wright locate an old cemetery “deep in the woods” where Alfred and his brother-in-law, William Strong, who ordered his death, were buried next to each other. According to reports, Alfred was allegedly getting a drink out of a creek in Jackson when Strong’s assassin shot him. “From what I understand, the assassin had 21 marks on his gun, indicating how many people he had apparently killed before Alfred,” Wright said. “Breathitt County was known for this sort of thing.” Other than differences of allegiance during the war, Wright said any other possible motives for the assassination are unknown. “Luckily in my case, the family line did not end because my great-grandmother had already been born,” Wright said. “But in some cases, families were just torn apart by this sort of thing because states were divided right down the middle.” Wright also learned members of his family were in the Confederate fifth Kentucky Infantry and fought against his other great-greatgrandfather, Solomon Marshall and his son, Harvey, who served in Union Army in the 117th and 107th New York Companies, respectively. Wright said the battle took place in Dallas, Ga., and members of his family on each side were injured. “I don’t know if their bullets actually hit each other,” Wright said. “But I suppose that very well could have been the case.” Wright also discovered he had family members in the American Revolution and the War of 1812. “A lot of my family doesn’t even know about this stuff – I sure didn’t until I looked into it,” he said. “You’d really be surprised what kind of stuff starts bubbling to the top if you start looking.” Wright has traveled to many Civil War battle sites such as Gettysburg, Pa., and Chickamauga, Ala. He said while at Snodgrass Hill in Chickamauga, he experienced something “unexplainable” that still haunts him.
Crouched down behind a split rail fence Wright waits with his company as other Confederate Soldiers advance to clash with Union Soldiers.
“We pulled off to take a quick rest after a long day of driving, and while we were sitting there with the windows down, I started to hear these little kids laughing,” Wright said. “Mind you, our kids were asleep in the backseat and there was no one around — it was nighttime.” Wright said he asked his wife if she heard anything and she said she heard shouting outside their vehicle. He said after they returned home, he learned the fifth Kentucky Infantry was once stationed at Snodgrass Hill during the war. “I can’t say what it was exactly that we heard, I know the wind can really carry sound,” Wright said. “But I couldn’t help but question it after learning my relatives were once at that very spot.” Wright said with today’s political and social climate, he thinks about the Civil War more often. He said he believes the Civil War was not fought over the issue slavery but was a “rebellion against a tyrant government.” “It was about states’ rights and tariffs,” he said. “And the same fight is going on today, and things just seem to have gotten even worse.” Wright added, as far as he knows, Alfred and his cousins were not slave owners. Wright has been criticized by members of the community for displaying several confederate flags in his backyard, and said some people misinterpret his pride. “People see these and say, ‘Oh, he must be a racist or in the Klan,’” Wright said. “Which couldn’t be further from the truth – I’m simply proud of my family heritage.”
A small sampling a bullets from the civil war battlegrounds is part of Kelly Wright collection of Civil War memorabilia and documentation.
Morning Journal/Patti Schaeffer
In the comfort of his home Wright continues to research his family history and the Civil War through the internet.
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Monday, January 30, 2012
Morning Journal
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45 Colt, Blued Finish, Hardwood Stock, 16” Barrel...........$489.99
$
7.62 NATO, Side Folding Stock, Black or FDE Finish....$2,899.99
Model P250 Model P250 Model P250 Model P250
$
Compact, .45 ACP, With Night Sights..........
Model P229 Equinox
9MM, Laser Sight, Fiber Optic Night Sights, 2 Mags. .
Model P226 Extreme
9MM, Night Sights, G-10 Grips, 2-Mags.........
Model P220 Carry
979.99
.45 ACP, Two Tone Finish, Night Sights..........$849.99
Model P229 E2
.40 S&W, Night Sights, E2 Frame, 2-Mags. . . . .$889.99
Model P239 SAS GEN 2
9MM, Two-Tone Finish, Night Sights...............$839.99
Model P238
380 ACP, Two-Tone Finish, Night Sights.........
589.99
$
HECKLER HECKLER & & KOCH KOCH SPECIALS SPECIALS Mark 23 Socom
Rock River Arms Lar-15 Entry Colt Model SP6920MP
Colt Model SP6721 Polish Tantal
Rossi Model 92 FNH Scar 17S
Mossberg Model 500
Crown Grade, .410 Gauge, Hardwood Stock, Vent Rib. . . .$289.99
PRE-OWNED PRE-OWNED LONG LONG GUNS GUNS Remington Model 700 VLS
.223 Rem, 23” Heavy Barrel, 6-24x Scope.............$749.99
Springfield Armory M6 Scout
.22 LR, .410 Gauge, Pilots Survival Gun, Stores Ammo In Stock...$599.99
Winchester Model 12
12 Gauge, 26” Barrel, Walnut Stock.........................$399.99
Remington Model 870 Express
12 Gauge, 28” Vent Rib Barrel, Left Hand Model. . . . .$339.99
Remington Model 742
.45 ACP, 5.8” Threaded Barrel, 2-12 Rd Mags, Very Hard To Get!........................................$2,149.99
30-06 Sprg, Semi-Auto, Blued Finish, Walnut Stock. . .$429.99
.40 S&W, Lem Trigger.....................................$869.99
45-70 Govt, Walnut Stock, Decent Bore......................$650.00
Model P2000 Compact
Model P30S
.40 S&W, Full Size, 2 Mags............................$899.99
Springfield Armory 18/8 Trapdoor
Winchester Model 1895 Carbine 30-06 Sprg, Walnut Stock, Very Good Condition. . .$1,250.00
2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU AUSTINTOWN, OHIO 5466 Mahoning Ave. (a cross from Ea t-N -Pa rk)
ROGERS, OHIO Corner of St. Rt. 154 & 7
330-227-9344 ALL GUNS ARE NEW WITH A LIFETIME WARRANTY 330-792-1313
O VER 1,000 GU N S IN STO CK AT GU N SH O W PRICES Rogers:M on day-Thu rsday 10-8;Tu esday-W edn esday 10-6;Friday 9-2. Au stin tow n :M on day-Friday 11-7;Closed Satu rday & Su n day GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE AT BOTH LOCATIONS