safety erected, and it is said to have been the largest of any in the county. It was named Fort Stidger, built by Gen. George Stidger, of Canton, in 1812, and it was a double building, covered by one roof, and had a separating hall or passage between the two sections. Here the different families of the town and nearby community would assemble when danger seemed imminent, and remain there during the night. Another was built over the Killbuck, about three miles west of Wooster, on land later owned by Joshua Warner. This building was still standing, in a good state of preservation, in 1878. Mr. Warner, however, had weather-boarded its timbers and plastered its interior walls. His family had used it for a part of their residence for sixtyfive years. Another one of the "forts" stood six miles east of Wooster, near what was called King's Tavern, and still farther on was another, near the old Andrew Lucky tavern, south of Fredericksburg but a short distance, and also on the farm later owned by Thomas Dowty, in Franklin Township, similar defensive structures were provided for the protection of the settlements thereabouts. A company of soldiers was at one time quartered at the old Morgan fort. There were still others, of less magnitude and importance, at different points within Wayne County. These block houses were universally built on an eminence, by which position the surrounding country might the more easily be viewed, thus obviating a surprise by the too sudden approach of the enemy. In many respects these forts resembled the ordinary cabin. They were built of logs, laid one over the other and tightly fitted, with little holes notched between them and called port-holes. Through these openings the inmates could readily point their guns and fire, at the same time being protected against the enemy's shots. With the exception of one door, there were no other modes of egress or ingress. The structure was built of solid timbers, firmly and securely fastened inside, and, like the rest of the building, sufficiently firm to resist any volley of bullets. They were usually two stories high; that portion of the building from the ground to the height of about eight feet was formed of shorter logs than the section above it, which, being constructed of longer logs, formed a projection over the lower story, which gave the occupants the chance of shooting down on their assailants, or otherwise punishing them with axes or pikes, should they attempt to climb and enter it, or apply a torch. The note of many a false alarm was sounded, and many a panicstricken family rushed for protection to those old wooden walls. REVOLUTIONARY PENSIONERS IN 1840 The following is a list of the Revolutionary war pensioners in Wayne County, Ohio, in 1840: Perry Township-Barnett Hagerman, aged eighty years. Plain Township -Augustus Case, aged eightyseven. Jackson Township-Ezra Tryon, aged eighty. Canaan Township Rufus Freeman, aged seventy-eight. Wayne Township John Davidson, aged eighty-four. Chippewa Township-Christina Franks, aged seventy-three; Isaac Underwood, aged seventy-four. Milton Township-Benjamin Foster, aged eighty-six; Benjamin Cotton, aged eighty-three. Greene Township-Conrad Metsker, aged eighty-two. East Union Township-Jesse Richardson, aged eighty-four; Simon Goodspeed, aged seventy-six. Wooster Township-Robert Cain, aged seventy-seven. PENSIONERS OF THE WAR OF 1812 The subjoined is a list of the soldiers of the war of 1812 (war with Great Britain), as shown to be residents of Wayne County, Ohio, and in force in 1878, according to the state records at Columbus: John Achenbach, Moreland; John B. Espy, Wooster; William Johnson, Wooster; Simon Keeney, Canaan; George Messmore, Apple Creek; Benjamin Potter, Millbrook; Daniel Rieder, Koch's; Rachel Bugler (widow), Fredericksburg; John Crummel, Apple Creek; Henry Fike, Smithville; Sylvanus Jones, Wooster; John Ludwig, Reedsburg; James McFadden, Cedar Valley; Thomas Pittenger, Lattasburg; Henry Starner, Wooster; Catherine First (widow), Apple Creek. WAYNE COUNTY IN THE MEXICAN WAR Trouble had been had between the two republics-the United States and Mexico-growing out of certain encroachments upon the part of Mexicans, for some time, and finally, on May 12, 1846, war was declared against our southern neighbors. The bill levying war called for fifty thousand soldiers and an appropriation of ten million dollars. War was really officially declared on the day following, by President James K. Polk. On September 21-23 the battle of Monterey was fought, the first in importance of any in the conflict. The country manfully res ponded to the call for volunteers. It is with a just pride, today, that the sons and daughters of the inen who lived in Wayne County can point to the fact that Wayne County did her share nobly and well. Tuesday, May 26, 1846, the Fourth Brigade, Ninth Division, Ohio Militia, was hastily mustered at Wooster, for the purpose of encouraging enlistments. Over thirty on that day signed the muster rolls. Capt. Peter Burkett, of the Bristol Light Artillery, and David Moore, of the "Wooster Guards," were present with orders to enlist a company. The officers at the head of the list below given were chosen to command the company, which consisted of eighty-five men, and on Tuesday morning, June 9, 1846, they started for Massillon. On the morning of their departure General Coulter, on behalf of the Wooster Cadets, presented to them a handsome flag, making an appropriate speech, which was responded to by Captain Moore. Before leaving they were mustered on the northeast corner of the public square, where the members of the company were presented with Testaments by the ladies of Wooster. The company left Massillon the night of June 11th, on board two canal boats, en route for Camp Washington, near Cincinnati. They broke camp, at the place just mentioned, early July 3rd, and the same day left Cincinnati on the "New Era" and "Tuscaloosa" for New Orleans. For some time they were encamped near the old General Jackson battle ground. James D. Robison, M. D., of Wooster, was the first surgeon of the regiment, leaving Cincinnati July 3rd for Mexico. They served in the Third Ohio Regiment (there only being three regiments), commanded by Col. Samuel Curtis, a graduate of West Point and for several years a lawyer of Wooster, and with George W. McCrook as lieutenantcolonel. The treaty of peace was ratified at Queretaro, May 30, 1848. The following is a list of the Mexican soldiers who went from Wayne County, Ohio: Moore, D. (Captain) Burkett, P. (first lieutenant) McMillen, J. (second lieutenant) Botsford, Eli (sergeant-major) Armstrong, James Atkinson, William C. Brainard, John F. Bower, Wilson Bair, Jacob Boyd, William Bowers, Abraham Beach, Elijah Blakely, Albin Carpenter, Isaac Culbertson, Eli B. Chaffe, Amos Correston, Alexander Fleckenger, Jacob Freeman, James A. Fritts, Uriah Fishburn, Howard Flannagan, John O. Fritts, Samuel Frizinger, George Galvin, Barney Hemperley, M. H. Lowry, Robert B. Moses, William McCullom, Cyrus J. Powers, Almon H. Ryan, Jacob Wood, Charles B. Wachtel, George Yergen, John WAYNE COUNTY AND THE CIVIL WAR Wayne County, in common with all Ohio counties, did her part in putting down the rebellion of the people of the Southern states from 1861 to 1865. Patriotism was instilled into the people of this county by reason of the early settlers having been of the good old Revolutionary stock. It is not the province of this work to go into the causes of the Civil War, but to give some account of the men sent forth to subdue the rebellion. The part Wayne County enacted in this war was prompt and conspicuous, she having furnished from 1861 to 1865 over three thousand two hundred volunteers, not including a considerable conscript force. The volunteers were distributed among the various regiments, as follows: One company of the Fourth Regiment: one of the Sixteenth Regiment, in the three months', and five in the three years' service; one in the Forty-first Regiment; five in the One Hundred and Twentieth Regiment; three in the One Hundred and Second Regiment: one company in the One Hundred and Seventh Regiment; three companies in the One Hundred and Sixty-ninth Regiment of National Guards, and a detachment of thirty men in the Eighty-fifth Ohio Regiment. These were all infantry organizations. Wayne County also furnished one company for the Ninth Ohio Cavalry, small detachments for several artillery companies, besides many fragmentary enlistments in the different infantry organizations, Fort Sumter was fired upon April 12, 1861, and that demonstration culminated in the great civil strife that had been fomenting for many years, really over the question of slavery. Wooster shared in the patriotic excitement of the period and recruiting commenced at once. The first public meeting of the citizens in Wooster was held at the old court house, on the evening of April 11th, when a wildly-patriotic crowd assembled. Hon. William Given was chosen chairman and James McMillen acted as secretary. Patriotic speeches were made by Judge Given, Eugene Pardee, William M. Orr and several others. Recruiting had been going on previously, however, and fifty men had enlisted through the efforts of James McMillen, Jacob Shultz and R. B. Spink, the company-the first raised in Wayne County-being filled up that evening at the mass meeting just mentioned. NAMES OF THE FIRST VOLUNTEERS There is always much interest attached to the names of the men who first, in the true and sublime spirit of loyalty, respond to the call of their country, hence the list of this pioneer company is here appended: |