Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/338

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��HISTORY or RICHLAND COUNTY.

��A militia company was formed in Washing- ton Township, consisting of fifty men, of whom Mr. Fickle was Captain ; James Pollock and Elias Hiser, First and Second Lieutenants. " This company," sa}' the Herald^ " was organ- ized under the call for 100,000 men, and holds itself in readiness to move, should it be needed."

A company, called the " Old Guards," com- posed of men in the city and vicinity, whose ages ranged from thirty-five to sixty-five years, of whom George Armentrout was Captain, was also organized, and l^egan drilling. Several of the members of this company had served in the Mexican war, and were now reviving a taste of their old experiences.

The Herald, in the latter part of July, says : " Rev. Jacob Kahler has just raised a company of artillery, who are to be ready in case an invasion of the city occurs. They are not to leave the city. Each man must be of 1 75 pounds weight, and of a necessary height and build. They are some of the best men of our county." This paper of the same date also says : " Capt. Thomas H. Ford, on Jul}' 25, sent another com- pany to Columbus under command of Capt. Bowland."

Charles R. Lord organized a company early in May, and Friday, the 17th, he was elected Captain ; J. Davis, Jr., First Lieutenant, and L. D. Myers, Second Lieutenant. The com- pany, at its organization, numbered fifty-three men. Union meetings were held in most of the townships, at which stirring speeches were made, funds collected and supplies gathered for the relief of the families of those who vol- unteered, and to be sent to the soldiers in camp whom the Government had not yet supplied with equipments. Ex-Gov. Ford and Capt. Seaton each raised a companj', and June 8 both companies were on their waj' to Columbus. M. W. Worden was, at the same time, raising a company, which, however, like all these noticed, was not needed, and, like many of

��them, saw no service until they re-enlisted as three-years soldiers. Capt. Worden's corn- pan}^ reported ready for duty August 3.

This chaotic condition of affairs in the mili- tar}' departments of Ohio was largely due to the excited war Governor, and his equally ex- cited staflT of assistants. They had telegraphed hither and thither for troops, and suddenly found themselves with thousands of men on hand, and no provisions for their keeping. The newspapers of an adverse political faith, hear- ing the cry of favoritism and ill-supply of the men, took up the refrain and stirred up the masses, who in turn roundly abused the Gov- ernor and the Administration for not being pre- pared in a moment. Large numbers of the soldiers could not be received ; there was no call for them, and, like Capt. Beekman's company from Plymouth, they returned without being mustered, and without pay, and minus their time and expenses. The call for three-years men gave the State time and opportunity to relicA^e itself of its supply of men. They were returned to their homes, and recruiting for the war began. Gov. Dennison commissioned ex-Gov. Ford to raise a regiment, to be known as the Thirty-second, and gave him the colonelc3^ He enlisted as many of his men as he could induce to enter the service, and sent recruiting oflflcers to adjoining counties. His commission was given the last week in July, and in a short time he had one company in the city, full ; two being recruited, and one organizing in Perrys- ville, under command of Capt. Joseph Gladden. On the 2d day of August, two companies, one from Knox and one from Carroll County, came and were clothed here and kept to await the selection of a camp, near Mansfield, now becom- ing necessary. By the next week, five com- panies were read}', three of whom, Capt. Bow- land's, Worden's and Gladden's, were from this county. Two sites were proposed for camps. One was on the farm of Mr. Long, a little way northwest from the city ; the other near Bart-

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