USS Marietta PG-15

      The naval gunboat USS Marietta (PG-15) made quite a splash, you could say, when presented with a silver table service by the citizens of Marietta, Ohio, the vessel's namesake, on Sept 1, 1899, on the second anniversary of her commissioning in San Francisco.  

USS Marietta. CLICK TO ENLARGE. Picture postcard from the Hugh C. Leighton Co. of Portland, ME, courtesy of Tommy Trapp via navsource.org

      I had heard of the USS Marietta gunboat but hadn't seen a picture of it. Wow, what an elegant ship - with its white color and smart profile. Gunboats were a late 1800s phenomenon, built for shore patrols, convoy protection, shore bombardment, and support of U. S. military operations in places like the Philippines and Latin America. Marietta was part of the "New Navy" of the 1890s featuring vessels with gleaming white hulls, modern engineering, and sleek profiles. Gunboats were able to project the power of the United States into remote locales and waterways - as suggested by the term "gunboat diplomacy."

     How did the Marietta get her name? Alert Ohioans learned of gunboats being planned for the Navy to be named for small American towns. June 4, 1896: Governor Asa Bushnell wrote to the Secretary of the Navy, “I respectfully urge upon you the eminent propriety of naming one of these gunboats after the city of Marietta, Ohio,” citing its historical significance.

CLICK TO ENLARGE. USS MARIETTA (PG-15) at the New York Navy Yard, circa 1902. USS BROOKLYN (CA-3) is in the background to left in photo. Note white uniformed sailors on board and on shore. From laststandonzombieisland.com

     From the blog navalwarfare: ..."the USS Marietta (PG-15) was a 1,000-ton gunboat…built at the Union Iron Works in San Francisco, California. She was commissioned on 1 September 1897 and was almost 190 feet long, 34 feet wide and had a top speed of 13 knots. The Marietta was armed with six 4-inch guns, one 3-inch guns, four 6-pounders, two 1-pounders and one Colt machine gun. …She was a well-armed gunboat for her size and, with a crew of 140 officers and men, was well suited to protect American lives and property…around the world." Below the water line, her hull was pine and ironwood. The rest of the hull was steel.” With a draft of just 12 feet, Marietta could navigate close to shore and in smaller waterways. The photo shows rigging for sails; if coal for steam ran low, Marietta could hoist the sails and become wind-powered.

     Presentation of silver table service (trays, punch bowls, urns, flatware, etc.) to a vessel by its namesake city or state was a popular naval tradition in the late 1800s. It fostered public support for new ships and documented history behind the ship's name. A glowing Boston Globe article reported the USS Marietta ceremony, excerpts below:  

• "With the parade of the marine battalion, the booming of guns and speeches and felicitations, the  gunboat USS Marietta was formally presented a magnificent silver service by citizens of the Ohio city for which she was named. Gov. Asa S. Bushnell of Ohio…made the presentation address, an eloquent and thrilling oration…Col J. Payson Bradley responded on behalf of… Massachusetts, whose sturdy citizens were the pioneers of Marietta…Nearly every officer of the yard and station was present in magnificent full-dress uniform." (Author's political correctness alert: the following fawning comment in the Globe article about females at the ceremony may be disturbing and/or amusing to the reader.) “The fair sex added picturesqueness by pretty summer costumes and personal beauty…” A little awkward and contrived, I’d say. But such verbage was common then.

CLICK TO ENLARGE.  USS Marietta at Mare Island Yard in California near the time it was commissioned in 1897. From usnavy.history.mil. Note the jack (flag); it probably had 44 stars at the time. Photo also shows some of the smaller boats that Marietta carried.

     Marietta was thrust into a major conflict in her first action: the Spanish-American War. “Remember the Maine! To Hell with Spain!" was the national battlecry after the battleship USS Maine blew up and sank on February 15, 1898 in Havana harbor. The cause was undetermined, but Spain was the scapegoat. Marietta escorted the USS Oregon battleship around the tip of South America and then joined the blockade of Havana Harbor in the spring of 1898. Imagine the excitement of new recruits, some of whom had never ventured outside their hometowns.

     Thereafter, her tours over 22 years included service in the Pacific, Latin America, and Europe. The navalwarfare blog: “The USS Marietta may have been a small ship, but she had a busy, rich history that was common among US gunboats at that time.”

CLICK TO ENLARGE. Crew showing off shaved heads, during WW I. Soles of shoes in front spell out “we r crazy so r u.”  From history.navy.mil.

     Thousands served on the Marietta over the years. On board duty included hard work, drills, discipline, and high stakes tension interspersed with boredom and fun times on shore leaves. Photographs such as this one suggest many crew members had fond memories of their USS Marietta service.

Antietam

     September 16, 1862, near Sharpsburg, Maryland: "There was a drizzling rain...the night was dismal. Nothing can be more solemn than a period of silent waiting for the summons to battle...," recalls Mariettan Major Rufus R. Dawes, second in command of the Union Army Wisconsin 6th Volunteer Infantry Regiment. Quotes unless noted are from his book Service with the Sixth Wisconsin Volunteers. Dawes was a keen observer, reporting not only the details but also the curious, along with his personal reactions.

     About daylight, Confederate artillery opened up. The Wisconsin men were rousted from deep sleep. "We had marched ten rods, when whiz-z-z ! bang ! burst a shell over our heads; then another; then a percussion shell struck and exploded in the very center of the moving mass of men. It killed two men and wounded eleven...Thus opened the great battle of Antietam,… (on) September 17th, 1862."

     The regiment soon came under withering fire from Rebels in the woods. “Company I under Capt John Kellogg heroically dashed across the field and drove them out.” Captain Edwin Brown of Company E was killed as his men passed through a gate. Years later, Major Dawes was haunted by the image of that young officer "shouting in a loud imperative voice the order I had given him...(as) a bullet passed into his open mouth, and the voice is silenced forever.”

Rufus Dawes, civilwarmonitor.com, Craig Johnson Collection

     "Colonel Bragg was shot...and his nerve, in standing up under the shock until he had (repositioned) his men..., was wonderful." With Bragg wounded, Dawes took over command of the regiment. "I felt a great sense of responsibility, when thrown thus suddenly in command..." Hours later the men were elated when Bragg rejoined them despite being wounded. “We had thought him dead.”

     Heavy enemy fire raked through their lines” like a scythe”, felling dozens. "But we...pushed on, loading, firing, and shouting as we advanced. There was...a reckless disregard of life, of everything but victory.” Though forced back, Dawes regrouped the remaining men around the Wisconsin colors. Nearly half of the original 314 officers and men had been killed or wounded. They fought on, clearing out rebels threatening an artillery position.

Wisconsin units push south near Dunkard Church, from warefarehistorynetwork.com. 

     Captain Werner Von Bachelle, commanding Company F, was shot dead. He was respected by all; his loss was deeply felt. A Newfoundland dog “was his constant companion and was with him when he fell. Our men left the body when under fire. The dog stayed with his fallen master and was found two days later lying dead upon his body. We buried him with his master.”

     Another prominent Mariettan gave his life at Antietam. Colonel Melvin Clarke commanded the 36th Ohio Volunteer regiment, formed at Lower Salem in 1861. He was a successful lawyer who helped recruit Washington County men for the Union Army. Clarke soon felt obligated to enlist himself.

    Late in the day at Antietam, the 36th under Clarke was part of an attack on the Confederate units south of Sharpsburg. They ran into heavy musketry and artillery fire. Clarke was hit with a large shell and died in minutes. The regiment was forced back under heavy fire, but they carried Clarke’s body with them in a blanket, so great was his men’s admiration and respect for him.

The Witness Tree at Burnside Bridge. Soldiers of the Ohio 36th, saw this tree when they crossed the bridge to attack Rebel forces. The tree was a sapling then. From Cumberland Times-News

     Fighting waned as night fell. September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest day in American history before or since, with a tally of 22,727 dead, wounded, or missing on both sides. Major Hiram. F. Devol of the Ohio 36th Volunteers recalled: “That night the groans and cries of the wounded of both armies between the two lines could be heard, but no help could safely reach them.”

     Two days later the Confederates withdrew. The carnage was the worst that Rufus Dawes experienced before or after. Bodies were stacked in piles. Dawes noticed a horse appearing to rise. “Its head was held proudly aloft, and its fore legs set firmly forward. But like all surrounding it…, the horse was dead.” 

Photos of dead soldiers by Mathew Brady brought home the horror of war to many Americans, from civilwarmonitor.com

     Army Correspondent Charles Coffin recalled seeing a dead Union soldier near the Dunkard Church “with his face turned upward, and his pocket Bible open upon his breast. I lifted the volume and read the words: 'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.’”

     Dawes wrote to his mother on Sept 18: “My Dear Mother : — I have come safely through two more terrible engagements with the enemy...Our splendid regiment is almost destroyed…nearly four hundred men killed and wounded in the battles…The men have stood like iron.” Relief, anguish, and pride are evident in his words.

     Rufus Dawes was mustered out of the Army on August 10, 1864. He was noted for his service in the famed Iron Brigade, (so named when General Burnside observed that the Wisconsin units stood like iron when under attack), especially at Gettysburg, and in 1866 was breveted as a Brigadier General. He returned to Marietta where he operated a lumber business, was a Marietta College trustee, and served a single term in Congress from Ohio’s 15th district. He continued the Dawes family’s long tradition of success in business and civic leadership. One document suggests that Rufus Dawes (like many thousands of other veterans) suffered from post traumatic stress disorder, a condition not understood at the time.

   

    

 

    

    

 

Et tu, Rufus?

     Ohio State played Ohio University on Saturday September 13, 2025. A heated in-state rivalry? Not really. It was a "warm-up" game for OSU; the Buckeyes won 37-9. The prior game against OU was September 18, 2010. OSU won that one 43-7, but an unexpected game day event captured all the attention.

     The Sunday Columbus Dispatch front page on Sept 7, 2025 told the story. It was all photos with the banner headline "STIFF-ARMED." It showed OSU mascot Brutus being tackled from behind at the 2010 game by an angry-looking Rufus the Bobcat, Ohio University’s mascot. Weird-o-Rama, I thought. “Et tu, Rufus” parodies the “Et tu, Brutus” line from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, often used to express shock at betrayal of a friend.

                                    Front Page of 9/7/2025 Columbus Dispatch; photo by author

     Team mascots entertain and amp up the home crowd at sports events. Sean Stazen was Brutus on that beautiful fall day. He was a senior and dedicated member of the Brutus "team." He followed his usual game day routine: dress up, pose for photos, hang out at the Skull Session pep rally. Brutus also usually welcomed the opposing team mascot to the Shoe. Stazen liked meeting with them to share mascot notes and stories. He couldn’t find Rufus the Bobcat that day - and would later find out why.

     The bobcat had been the Ohio University mascot since 1925, but not until 2006 did he get a name: Rufus. Rufus was part of Lynx rufus, the scientific name for the bobcat. Another reference was Rufus Putnam, Marietta's founder and leader of the Ohio Company of Associates whose 1787 land purchase included plans for a university. Ohio University was founded in 1804, the first in Ohio. Putnam was a founding trustee from 1804 to 1824; Putnam Hall was named for him in 1926.

     The crowd roared as the Buckeyes made their entrance into the Shoe with the  TBDBITL (“The Best Damn Band in the Land”) playing. Brutus ran on the field waving a Block O flag. Stazen was stunned to see Rufus the mascot charging directly at him and managed to stiff-arm him. Rufus went down; his (costume) head fell off. Stazen continued on, assuming that Rufus was done. He wasn't. Brandon Hanning, the Rufus dude, put his head back on and strained to find Brutus in the sea of players. He tackled Brutus from behind. Stazen was disoriented but recovered quickly, thinking "what is this dude doing?”  Rufus was escorted off the field.

Brutus tackled by Rufus, Columbus Dispatch by Neil Lauron

     It was over in 30 seconds. Stazen figured it was an oddball incident that few would recall. He was wrong. Many at the Shoe didn't notice the scuffle or thought it was a planned skit. But one fan, Lanie Blackburn, captured the action and posted it on YouTube. The story went viral. Social media blew up. Mainstream media trumpeted the bizarre event: “Ohio’s Rufus the Bobcat attacks Brutus the Buckeye” – USA Today, “Mascot melee overshadows Ohio State rout” – Associated Press.

     An obsession with tackling an opposing team mascot was strange. Stranger still: it was premeditated and not an impulsive act. The perpetrator had planned it out in detail for more than a year. Rufus the mascot that day was Brandon Hanning, decidedly not an OSU fan. He had watched the 2008 OSU-OU game, announcing to friends that he “wanted to beat up Brutus the Buckeye.” He became fixated on doing just that. Hanning enrolled at Ohio University in 2009 and tried out for the mascot team. He later bragged to a reporter, "the sole purpose of me doing the mascot thing was to tackle Brutus Buckeye." He had hoped to make a name for himself on social media or even gain an appearance Comedy Central. He did achieve momentary notoriety, though not the kind he planned. He was an embarrassment to his team and pariah to Ohioans who were aware of what happened.

     No charges were filed. Hanning was banned from OU activities. Ohio University quickly denounced Hanning’s actions and apologized to OSU and fans. Rufus the Bobcat has since lived up to his namesake’s honorable reputation. 

     During the 2025 OSU/OU game, there was a “rematch” of the incident. WBNS-TV:  “After Ohio State took a 6-0 lead with 9:58 remaining in the first half…, Rufus appeared in the North end zone with a WWE championship belt while footage of the infamous tackle played on the scoreboard. Brutus then came out of the tunnel to John Cena's “The Time is Now” entrance music. Brutus then won the tug-of-war to even the score at 1-1. At the next media timeout, Brutus took the belt from Rufus by easily winning a 100-yard dash. Rufus then held up Brutus' hand as the victor and both mascots made up before going to their respective sidelines.” 

     All is well in Buckeye Nation.

Hail to the Chiefs

Campus Martius Feast

Written in 1792 by Anselm Tupper 

Scroll down to see the story behind the poem. Click HERE to view original document

When Savage Nations on their way

To Pitt--at Marietta lay

All Campus Martius did combine

To ask the Chieftains, there to dine-

Of ev'ry class--attends them there 

And thundering cannon rent the air

Campus Beaux flock'd from their houses

With faces wash'd & their clean trousers

And send in front their lusty Chief 

fed with Philadelphia Beef-

"That I" said he "may be respected"

"I'll leave old Hetuck quite neglected

"His presence unavoidably

"Will check my popularity"-

Then thirteen Chiefs mov'd on with care

And Tillinghart bro't up the rear -

For Campus Martius - Blockhouse Hall

Was large enough to hold them all

A Table spread in high Bon ton

And dainties standing thereupon -

Another of a smaller Size

With Major Putnams Pumpkin pies

A Sow - advanc'd with pigs thirteen

Was furnish'd by the Merchant Greene 

The friendly glass moved round the board

And ev'ry Tip strengthned the cord

That fillial Love might e'er remain

They drank & fill'd the glass again

Let peace extend thro' ev'ry nation

A Grunt. announced their approbation

While mirth throughout the Hall abounds

The Runlets rang with hollow sounds

The stony hearth grew warm & mellow

Who Grunted best_ was the best fellow -

Our Priest deserves the highest merit

For his long Speech to the Great Spirit

Th' astonished Chieftains thus agreed

With an old pipe he should be feed

And as a compensation given

To pray their Tawney souls to heaven -

The jargon ends - but not with yells

Or savage dance as history tells. 

Signed

An Eye witness

      On November 17, 1792, during the local "Indian Wars", a dozen Indian Chiefs visited Marietta. They arrived by boat at the Point on the Ohio River. Joseph Barker: The chiefs "received...welcome and hospitality" befitting heads of state from friendly nations. So, why were they here? Rufus Putnam had negotiated a treaty with friendly tribes from the Wabash River region. He encouraged their chiefs to visit President George Washington in Philadelphia. They stopped at Marietta on the way.

     The chiefs' arrival was quite a spectacle. Many residents had never seen an Indian chief with their elaborate dress and ornamentation. After the Point ceremony, the chiefs walked a mile on a muddy path to the Campus Martius stockade. Major Anselm Tupper, a consumate people watcher, was captivated by the event. He was a veteran and surveyor with a talent for writing - often with "a little sarcasm." His poem offers an amusing view of the Chiefs' visit. We also learn about vocabulary and attitudes of the time. Poem excerpts appear in italics below with comments after.

When Savage Nations on their way

To Pitt--at Marietta lay

All Campus Martius did combine

To ask the Chieftains, there to dine-

 

     "Savage" was a common term then for Indians, a pejorative term, but not always used with disrespect. Pittsburgh was their next stop.

The Campus Beaus flocked from their houses

With faces washed and their clean trowsers,

And send in front their lusty chief,

Well fed on Philadelphia beef

"That I" said he "might be more respected"

I'll leave old Hetuck quite neglected"

 

     Campus Martius men joined the procession, dressed up for the occasion – was the poet mocking them? He notes that the "well fed" Colonel Robert Oliver who led the parade, had become "remarkably fleshy" (gained weight) after a visit to Philadelphia. The last two lines reflect a competitive spirit between The Point and Campus Martius communities. The Point welcoming group had snubbed the Campus Martius people. So, Campus Martius did not invite Point residents including "Hetuck," a nickname for Sheriff Ebenezer Sproat.

Of every class attends them there

And thundering cannon rent the air

 

     "Every class" meant all Campus Martius residents were invited to welcome the chiefs. Joseph Barker: "The drum struck up a salute, the Guard presented Arms, the cannon was fired...", causing the chiefs to lurch awkwardly in surprise. Men, women, and children stared at the chiefs, fascinated by their appearance. Some were confused, even angry. Why were these guys getting the royal treatment when residents were living in constant fear of Indian violence?

     On to dinner at Rufus Putnam's house. There was a prayer to the “Great Spirit.” Mr. Greene provided a roast pig, and Major Ezra Putnam supplied pumpkin pies. There was plenty to eat – and drink!

 

The friendly glass moved round the board

...They drank and filled the glass again

...The stony hearth grew warm and mellow

 

     A spirit of fellowship abounded, encouraged by the spirits they drank. Ichabod Nye captured the irony of the occasion. “…the scene (was) peculiarly striking. …shaking hands with our red guests and the appellation of brother passing from one to the other, seemed to… make us all forget that (Indian) war was on our borders.” The next day the chiefs left, but conflict between whites and Indians did not. It continued here for three more long years.

     This incident offers a vignette into the conflicted relationship between white settlers and Native Americans. Indians were eventually forced from Ohio, a tragic outcome after a century of conflict and failed attempts at peace.

Biscoe 1883 Family Picnic

   Do you know what you are doing at the exact year, month, day, hour, minute of each day? Thomas Biscoe knew; it was August 11,1883 2:30 p.m. when he took this picture. Biscoe photographed hundreds of scenes around Marietta, often with family.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Thomas Biscoe Family Picnic, courtesy Marietta College Special Collections

     Scan the photo carefully; what do you see? I noticed the odd position of the hammocks, almost touching the ground. The left side of each hammock is anchored to the tree. The right sides are tied to branches of the same tree, pulling them - and the hammocks - down almost to ground level. The curtain of leaves is not from a bush but from the pulled down branches. The tree with the smooth bark is a beech tree; they could have carved their initials on it to mark the occasion.

     We see two adults, likely Biscoe himself and his wife Ella, "asleep" in the hammocks. How did he take the photo if he's in it? There are two boys on the right, one facing the camera, the other wearing a black hat in the back carriage. A book sits open in the front carriage. Picnic food and supplies are on the blanket to the left. The site appears to be a rural grassy area which has been mowed or worn down with activity. This could be a park or someone's yard.

     And where are the horses? It looks like tethers or halters sitting on the grass at the front. There are two carriages in the picture. Maybe more than one family is picnicking. The carriages look like Stanhope Phaeton models made by Studebaker (they later built cars), described by one source as a “popular, sporty open carriage." It lacked power (only 1 horsepower, you could say) but was “fast” because of its light weight.

     This picture looks so idyllic. Perhaps it was staged to create an artistic work, rather than to document a family gathering. To me, the photo succeeds in doing both. It’s wonderful that we can still view Biscoe’s work today at the Marietta College Legacy Library Special Collections digital website.

Charles Dawes One Hit Wonder

      You may have a vague recollection that a Marietta native was Vice President of the United States. It's true. Charles Gates Dawes of the prominent Dawes family was serving as VP exactly 100 years ago under President Calvin Coolidge. He was an austere-looking dude, smart (Marietta College graduate), and dedicated to public service. Dawes was the 10th Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) from 1898-1901, at age 33 the youngest person in that role. 

     The OCC website aptly describes him as "a man of enormous and varied talents: lawyer, engineer, scholar, financier, businessman, diplomat, and politician. He was also a self-taught pianist, flutist, and composer, whose melodies are performed even today (italics added)." Fascinating that his musical talents are mentioned. So, did he write hit music as the words in italics suggest?

Vice President Charles G. Dawes (right, with psychedelic halo effect), with President Calvin Coolidge. Viewed at interestingfacts.com; Original photo by Everett Collection/ Shutterstock

     He wrote a tune in 1912 with the generic sounding title of "Melody in A Major" that became popular in the 1920's. Dawes was indeed an accomplished amateur musician. He said the "Melody" composition was based on a tune that he couldn't get out of his head. Fritz Kreisler, a renowned violinist, and others recorded it. What did Charles G. Dawes think of “his” song performed by others? He was flattered when it was played in his honor at events but complained that some arrangements of it "manhandled" the tune. A self-deprecating Dawes, who was also a banker, implied in a speech that his musical notes were maybe not as solid as the (financial) notes held in his bank.

     Fast forward to 1951, sadly the year that Charles Dawes died; songwriter Carl Sigman rearranged the melody and added lyrics. It became "It's All in the Game." In 1958, Tommy Edwards became the first Black artist to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. with his rock and roll ballad recording of the song. Over the years it turned into a pop classic performed by dozens of artists. The soulful lyrics suggest that ups and downs in life’s situations are to be expected. That matches pretty well with Charles Dawes’ pragmatic nature.

     Interestingfacts.com: “…Dawes remains the only chief executive — president or vice president — to score a hit on the Billboard Hot 100." So, the earlier quote about the Dawes' song being "performed even today" is true.  OK, the song itself was not actually written by Dawes but inspired by his "Melody in A Major." When you hear this song, think Charles Dawes, Marietta native, and his many accomplishments.

     Other presidents had musical talents. President Bill Clinton grooved away with his sax. Woodrow Wilson and Thomas Jefferson were violinists. Harry Truman was an excellent pianist. He once joked that his "bad" piano playing coerced Joseph Stalin into signing the Potsdam Agreement in 1945. Perhaps President Donald Trump can use music as he negotiates with foreign leaders - a thundering version of Y-M-C-A (a favorite campaign rally song) perhaps?

     I welcome ideas for these history articles. This one came from my wife Suzanne when she saw an article from interestingfacts.com. Thank you, dear!