THE MILITARY HISTORY OF OHIO, FROM THE WAR OF 1812, INCLUDING THE CIVIL AND SPANISH WARS. J. WARREN KEIFER. With the close of the War of 1812 with Great Britain, so glorious to the United States in achievements on land and sea, in which Ohio soldiers and sailors bore an honorable part, came also peace, in large part, with the Indian tribes that had so long held back the border settlements within Ohio's limits. Farther west, Indian wars of a more or less desultory, yet bloody, kind, continued almost to the end of the nineteenth century. In these and the notable Florida Indian War, lasting about eight years (1835-1843), the bloodiest and most costly of all our Indians wars, Ohio did not participate, save by her contributions to the regular military forces, though her restless sons were ever moving with the frontier borders, as civilization advanced through forest and over prairie and plain, penetrating and crossing the Rocky mountain ranges, and stopped only by the shores of the Pacific. J. WARREN KEIFER. Excluding the Indian wars, there was, after the close of the War of 1812, a long interval (31 years) of peace the longest in the history of the Republic except the one (33 years) following the Civil War. Then came the war with our sister republic The annals of our still young country have been bloody, hence eventful. From Lexington (1775) to Appomattox (1865) ninety years sixteen years, more than an average of one year in every six, were (Indian wars excepted) devoted to wars with foreign powers and to the Civil War, in each of which Ohio gave her devoted sons, as regulars and volunteers, both to the army and navy; and, Indian wars excepted, ten years of the nineteenth century were years of war. A marvel of the ages will ever be the fact that colonies, started on a newly-discovered continent infested by hostile tribes, and soon at war with a mother country powerful both by sea and land, and endangered by the baleful institution of human slavery, which had there been planted and fostered by the connivance and the avarice of monarchical countries of the old world, all of which were jealous of their free institutions, grew into a nation, within the span of of a century, to stand and to be acknowledged first among the powers of the world, and, from its birth, in population, from 3,000,000 of a somewhat heterogeneous people, now to about 80,000,000 of a largely homogeneous people, though springing from almost all the races, and coming, originally, from almost all the countries of the earth, speaking every tongue. No less marvelous is the fact that in a trackless wilderness, occupied by the most warlike of the hostile tribes of Indians, a settlement (in Ohio) was made very late in the eighteenth century, and grew, amid massacres and constant Indian wars, to a scattered population, mainly on lake and river, in 1800, of 45,365 to, in 1850, 1,980,329, and, by the end of the century, to 4,157,545, meantime furnishing hundreds of thousands of her sons, mainly as volunteers, to fight the battles of her country, thereby making it both glorious and great, and this while on its borders, in the early part of the century, its inhabitants had to fight for the defense of their immediate firesides. Many thousand of Ohio's sons and daughters emigrated to other states, principally to the West, though they are found in large numbers in all the states of the Union, especially in the great business centers, and in the important coast and other cities between the Atlantic and Pacific. Many have removed to foreign lands. I. OHIO IN THE MEXICAN WAR, 1846-1848. It is usual to say this war was commenced by the hostile acts of the Mexican general, Arista, crossing (April 24, 1846) the Rio Grande to attack the United States forces under General Zachary Taylor, then maneuvering his troops on the left bank of that river, in what was claimed to be a part of Texas, but then recently (December 29, 1845) annexed as a state in our Union. That war closed with the treaty of Guadaloupe Hildago, signed February 2, 1848, by which we acquired both the then provinces of Upper California and New Mexico, now California, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada and part of Colorado. This is the only war in which the United States forces invaded foreign soil and took a hostile country's capital. This conquest resulted in the acquisition (though in form a purchase) of 545,000 square miles of territory — almost 100,000 more in square miles than the area of the original thirteen states; and a later (1853) acquisition by the Gadsden Purchase followed. Of the causes or purposes of the Mexican War I am not here to speak. If this war was not justified by the acts of the Mexican government, and if it was entered upon to acquire more territory with a view to its dedication to human slavery, its ultimate fruits and the moral and material results attained, in the light of subsequent events, may, in some sense, be a justification of the war. A higher civilization swept over a vast empire of territory, and millions of human beings have been given political, commercial and religious advantages and freedom, and which other unborn millions are likewise to enjoy. Gold was discovered (1848) in California, and the world seems to have been the gainer by the acquisitions made. Even Mexico, though humiliated by the conquering armies of Scott and Taylor, has risen to a better civilization, and her people seem to have become freer and happier than before that war. Happily, not one foot of the vast territory acquired from Mexico became slave territory, and later (1861-65) the inhabitants of all this territory were singularly loyal to the Union of the States, many volunteering to preserve the Union and to overthrow human slavery. The Mexican War was not generally popular in Ohio, nor in the northern states. Ohio, however, furnished a full share of the distinguished officers and soldiers, regular and volunteer, for this war; also sailors. The United States forces employed in the conquest of Mexico aggregated about 100,000 armed men-26,690 regulars, 56,926 volunteers, and about 17,000 in the navy.* Of these, Ohio furnished at least her quota, based on population, of officers, soldiers and sailors for the regular establishment; and she furnished her full share of volunteers for the army and navy. The Ohio military forces were organized into five infantry regiments, fifteen independent companies of infantry and five companies (B, C, D, H, I), for the 15th U. S. Infantry, and one company (B), U. S. Mounted Riflemen, numbering approximately, 7,000 officers and men, about one-eighth (adding enlistments in other regular organizations) of the entire forces employed in the army during the war. A like proportion were in the navy. FIRST OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. (MEXICAN WAR.) This regiment was organized at Camp Washington (near Cincinnati) June 23, 1846, and was mustered out June 15, 1847. Its field-officers were Colonel Alexander M. Mitchell, Lieutenant-Colonel John B. Weller, and Major Thomas L. Hamer. Luther Giddings was made major of the regiment on the promotion of Hamer to brigadier-general, July, 1846. General Hamer died at Monterey, Mexico, December 2, 1846. The other fieldofficers were mustered out with the regiment. The following is a list of the original captains, showing their companies, by letter, and where recruited: Captain Robert M. Moore (A), Cincinnati, Ohio. Captain Luther Giddings (B), Dayton, Ohio. Captain Edward Hamilton (D), Portsmouth, Ohio. * History of Mexican War (Wilcox) 561. Captain John B. Armstrong (E), Cincinnati, Ohio. Captain Wm. H. Ramsey (K), Cincinnati, Ohio. This regiment fought first at Monterey and, later, in various engagements, and had twenty-four killed in battle, and many more died of disease. SECOND OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY. (MEXICAN WAR.) This regiment was organized at Camp Washington, Ohio, June 23, 1846, and was mustered out, June 23, 1847, at New Orleans. Its field-officers were Colonel George W. Morgan, Lieutenant-Colonel Wm. Irvin (promoted from chaplain), and Major William Wall; and they were mustered out with the regiment. The following is. a list of the original captains, showing their companies, by letter, and where recruited: Captain Hobby Reynolds (A), Chillicothe, Ohio. Captain David Irick (C), Hillsboro, Ohio. Captain Simon B. Tucker (D), Logan, Ohio. Colonel Morgan and Lieutenant-Colonel Irvine were, before the regiment was organized, captains, respectively, of Companies B and G. This regiment was engaged under General Taylor; it fought at Aqua Fria, near Monterey, and was at Buena Vista. Its loss was six killed-sixty died of disease. |