Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/377

 HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY

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��The close of the year 1862 presented rather a gloomy prospect to the Union cause. The rebel forces were larger then than at any time during the war. The President had issued his proc- lamation in September, warning them to lay down their arms, else he would proclaim free- dom to all the bondmen in the rebellious terri- tory January 1, 1863. The insurgents, disre- garding this, warning, the President carried out his proclamation, and from that hour slavery in America was crushed. The year was a pros- perous one to the Union arms. Important vic- tories resulted to the Northern armies during the campaign of 1863. Early in the summer, it was deemed best to call out all the troops to the field and enlist 300,000 more men. Draft- ing was resorted to in many places to fill out the quotas. In New York, a serious riot oc- curred, continuing several days and destroying a large amount of property- and man}" lives. Ben Butler was sent there, and quiet resulted. Several places in Ohio, particularly Holmes County, made a show of resistance to the enroll- ing officers, but no serious outbreak occurred. The draft was not necessarj^ in Richland Coun- t}', as the large bounties offered secured the required number of men.

The militia in this county were sent to a camp at Wooster in September, 1863, where the militia from this district were all encamped about ten days, drilling and learning the man- ual of arms. Over eight thousand were in camp before it was abandoned. The militia regiment organized principally in this county was the Forty-eighth, recruited during the spring and summer, which met often for drill in Mansfield.

The call for troops late in the fall of 1863 demanded another di'aft, but the county averted that by enlisting its quota of men.

In all parts of the Union, particularl}' in the large cities, sanitar}^ fairs were organized, and gi'eat sums of monej' raised to aid the armies in the field. The subject was broached in the

��city papers in Mansfield in the fall of 1863 and early part of the winter of 1864, and received good encouragement from all quarters. Dona- tions of money and articles were solicited in all parts of the county, committees appointed to take charge, and soon Sturges Hall was an active place. A soldiers" wood-pile was started, among other things. Farmers brought wood to a designated place, which a compe- tent person received and distributed among the needy families of those whose husbands or brothers were in the army. The fair began in Miller's Hall, commencing February 8, and continuing about ten daj'S. Several thousand dollars were raised by the effort, in addition to the articles distributed among the soldiers' families and wdiat was sent to the field.

Early in 1864, the President issued another call for 500,000 men. The prospect, on the part of the North, was encouraging, and it was determined to push the rebellion to the wall. Ohio's quota of the Tequired number was twenty regiments. A strong appeal was issued by the Grovernor for the State to raise that number and avoid a draft. The Ohio National Guard, an organization raised in the State for home defense and not destined for foreign work, was called b}- the GrOvernor to volunteer to go to the front. Though not required bj' the terms of their enlistment to do this, yet the Gruard responded nobly to the call and went out as regular soldiers. This act and the enlistments in the State furnished the requisite number of men, and thus again the draft was avoided.

Of the Ohio National Guard, but one regi- ment, the Forty-eighth, was raised chiefl}' in this county. It was attached, with several battalions, to the One Hundred and Sixt3'-third Regiment Ohio National Guard, which all com- posed. Along with all the other regiments of this kind, it cheerfully complied with the requests of the Governor, and went to the front. Its histor}' thei'e is here appended. Its

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