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!

“Water, Water Everywhere, nor any drop to Drink”

     This is an oft-quoted line from Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner." A sailor is adrift at sea and runs out of drinking water. Though surrounded by water, he can't drink it because it's salt water. Williamstown WV faced a similar situation on December 3, 1921, when their water supply was shut off. Though millions of gallons of Ohio River water passed by, it was not purified and couldn't be used. Water shut off? How could that happen to a municipal water system?

     According to history book Fruitful Valley, Williamstown in the early 1900's obtained water from several sources. Two public wells were still in use from the 1800s and there were several family and neighborhood wells. Many residents had cisterns which collected rainwater. Williamstown water was "the purest in the area;" a 1903 Parkersburg newspaper reported, attributing that to the deep wells and springs. Springs on Crystal Heights supplied water to Marietta's Crystal Beverage Company in later years.

     However, the primary source of Williamstown's water in the early 1900s was from...Marietta. It had upgraded its water system in 1891. Andrews’ History of Marietta and Washington County Ohio in 1902 noted with pride, "New (equipment has) been added… additional mains laid and the service extended until it covers…the city and its flourishing suburbs." Williamstown became a "suburb" of Marietta, at least for water supply purposes. In 1902, water flowed through an underwater pipe. Later a two-inch pipe was installed along the walkway of the Williamstown Bridge which had opened in 1903.

CLICK TO ENLARGE. This bridge carried horses, trolleys, vehicles, and water from Marietta to Williamstown. Photo from Harmar Village Facebook page, courtesy Williamstown Historical Society. 

 

      Back to the water shut off. There had been a few minor disagreements on water bills in years prior to 1921. This time, the bills to the Williamstown Water, Light, and Power Company went unpaid for 8 months, amounting to $2,000 ($25,000 today). It's not clear why - whether there was a dispute or lack of funds. An ultimatum was issued by Mr. Watson, Marietta's Service Director, for 1:00 PM on December 3, 1921: No payment, no water.

     Water was shut off at 1:00 PM. Schools closed. American Bisque which made toys and dolls was rushing to fill Christmas orders. They suspended operations. Fenton Glass had a water storage tank which kept them going. An informal bucket brigade was set up in case of fire.

     Residents were angry at Marietta; a petition to boycott Marietta merchants circulated. 1,100 signed it. Meanwhile, people coped as best they could. Marietta Register-Leader on December 6, "Wells and cisterns...are at a premium and neighbors are getting together and sharing these. The spring water companies are making a rich harvest furnishing the people with drinking water."

     Williamstown sought relief through the WV Public Service Commission (WVPSC), hoping for some type of court action to restore the water. Oddly, WVSPC issued an order stating in part that the Williamstown Water, Light and Power Company was "hereby required to forthwith obtain an adequate supply of pure water for its patrons and consumers in Williamstown and vicinity." The order seemed at odds with the situation since compliance, at least temporarily, was not possible with the water supply shut off. Negotiations with Marietta continued.

     "Controversy Ended - Town Given Water," so read the Register-Leader on December 9, 1921, "Williamstown is no longer a veritable Sahara (Desert)..." The Farmers and Mechanics National Bank (Williamstown Bank today) stepped up and guaranteed the water bill payment to Marietta. In the 1930s, the City of Williamstown expanded its water system with Depression-era WPA funds and in 1939 decided to drill its own wells for water supply.

     The rancor against Marietta and the boycott of merchants? It faded, “water under the bridge,” so to speak.

Nature Carries On

      While much has changed from early pioneer days, one thing changes little: nature. Summer gives us nature in full force. August nights in the woods start at dusk with lightning bugs, birds singing, and the plaintive buzzing of seasonal cicadas. After dark there is a din of whirring crickets, tree frogs, and squawking katydids. Recently it dawned on me – settlers two centuries ago saw and heard the same things.

     Meriwether Lewis at the beginning of the Lewis and Clark Expedition floated down the Ohio River. His journal in September 1803: "observed a number of squirrels swiming the Ohio River...” Squirrels migrated then - millions of them. Lewis said his dog Seaman recovered several squirrels, and “I thought them when fryed a pleasent food." On September 13 Lewis stopped at Marietta. There he "... observed many passenger pigeons...". Now extinct, their huge flocks often blocked the sun.

     What's warm weather without bugs? Col. John May was "tormented beyond measure by myriads of gnats. They not only bite surprisingly but get down one's throat." Bugs (Ok, insects) could be dangerous. Mosquitoes bore diseases, such as malaria. Many were the poignant cases of sickness and death. Civic leader Ephraim Cutler moved from New England to Marietta in 1795. On the journey two of their children died of illness. Cutler himself was bedridden on arriving here. Several times, including 1822 and 1823, there were epidemics that infected hundreds. In late 1822, 95 people died in Marietta, which then had a population of 2,000.

     The buzzing periodical cicadas have been around for millenia; the first experience of pioneers was in 1795. Their scientific name is magicicada septendecim, attesting in Latin to its "magical" reappearance every 17 years. Scientist and historian Samuel Hildreth was one of the first in the country to observe the cycle, write about it, and draw illustrations.

Periodical Cicada from Roger Hall Illustration 

at inkart.com

Samuel Hildreth was a gifted artist. This shows the life cycle of a butterfly. From findagrave.com

     The rivers offered water for settlers and for transportation – but were fickle. Thomas Walcutt in February 1790: "Rivers choked with ice, which stopped all river traffic." A week later, "At sunrise water rising fast...before we could get our breakfast done, water came in so fast that the floor was afloat..." With no locks and dams, rivers had shallows, deep pools, riffles, and slack water. One could wade across during dry spells and walk over them when frozen.

     Rivers provided food. In 1790 James Patterson caught a 96 lb catfish. He had set out a trotline, then anchored his canoe and slept. The fish hooked itself and managed to drag the anchored canoe into deep water near an island – where Patterson found himself upon waking. Meriwether Lewis saw "a great number of Fish of different kinds, the Stergeon, Bass, Cat fish, pike.” Walcutt marveled at another water critter, a crayfish: "a complete lobster in miniature about two inches in length…found in streams and springs." 

                           Crayfish - Can Stock Photo

     The area teemed with plant life. Towering trees provided needed lumber for construction, but their shade hindered growth of crops. One of today's nuisance plants also bedeviled settlers; Colonel John May reported "feeling the effects of poison ivy" after clearing land. Plants also were a food source. Ever heard of nettle, celandine, and purslane? They helped settlers survive periods of famine early on. Historian Samuel Hildreth: "(the) tender tops (of nettle) were palatable and nutritious. The young, juicy plants of celandine afforded also a... pleasant dish.” Hildreth, also a scientist, was awed by this plant life. He observed that purslane grew "as if by magic" when exposed to sunlight from "seeds scattered ages before, by the Creator of all things.”

     Mark your calendars: the periodical cicadas will return here in 2033. The cycle of God’s creation goes on.

Rufus Putnam’s Map

     

The Map

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Map drawn by Rufus Putnam showing British forces discovered during his reconnaissance mission north of New York City in October 1776. Map image courtesy of Bill Reynolds, retired historian at Campus Martius Museum.

     Marietta's founder Rufus Putnam was energetic, creative, and persistent. Give him an impossible task and he'd figure out a way to "git 'er done." Early in the Revolutionary War, he served with the rank of Colonel as an engineer. Engineers built structures, fortifications, and roads to support the Army.

     After the Continental Army's disastrous defeat in the Battle of Long Island in late August 1776, Washington skillfully withdrew the Army at night across the East River to lower Manhattan Island. Morale was low; prospects against superior British forces were grim.

     The Army was forced to adopt a new strategy: win by not losing, by surviving. They began a long, fighting retreat, avoided major losses, conserved resources, and lived to fight another day, as the saying goes. The "Retreat to Victory," as historians call it, began with Rufus Putnam's help. Unless noted, quotes (including spelling and punctuation) are from Putnam’s memoir.

     Washington had wanted the Army to remain in New York City on lower Manhattan. He sent Putnam and General Mifflin out  "...to reconnoiter the country between Kingsbridge & Morrisania & eastward (today's Bronx area)..." They reported to Washington and his staff that the Army was in danger of being surrounded and cut off. General Washington ordered a retreat from New York. Putnam: "...this measure was the Selvation of the army," enabled by "the discoveries made by Miflin & my Self."

     The Army then needed a safe area to store supplies and regroup. On October 19, General Washington dispatched Putnam along with Colonel Reed and 20 soldiers to scout areas north of the City. They reached the heights at East Chester but saw little. Colonel Reed had to return to headquarters.

     Putnam continued - alone on horseback. He started towards White Plains where the Army had a large supply depot. He recalls: "I did not then know where White plains was, nor where the road I had taken would carry me." But he figured it out on his own. He disguised himself and learned of British positions by observation and from some friendly local residents. He was cautious but not deterred in his mission; if captured by the British he could have been hung as a spy.

     Enter...the map. Putnam was a skilled surveyor. He made a sketch of the area for Washington showing British units dangerously close to White Plains. Washington was surprised by Putnam’s findings - and frustrated. “He complained very feelingly of the Gentlemen from New York from whome he had never ben able to obtain a plan of the country.” He thought White Plains was a secure area. General Washington immediately ordered troops toward White Plains; they marched through the night. Putnam's observations “and an interposing providence” had saved the Army "...from a probabal total destruction." Putnam was a man of faith, acknowledging God’s  (“Providence”) favor and guidance on numerous occasions during his life.

CLICK TO ENLARGE. Close up of map showing British forces that Putnam learned about, from left to right, Hessian Grenadiers, British Regiments, British guards, 16th and 17th Light Dragoons, and Grenadiers & Light Infantry

     One Army historian: "despite Putnam's lack of (formal) training, the Commander in Chief quickly grew to regard him as his favorite engineer." Washington had appointed Rufus as Chief Engineer just a few months earlier. Putnam recognized the importance of engineers to the Continental Army. He had submitted a detailed plan to create a permanent Corps of Engineers. George Washington sent the plan with his recommendation to Congress, and complimented Putnam, “…he is indefatigable (in his work) and possesses more practicale Knowledge in the Art of Engineering than any other...”

     Rufus Putnam resigned as Chief Engineer in December but accomplished much in other roles during the War. He commanded Massachusetts units at the Battle of Saratoga victory and appears in a U. S. Capitol Rotunda painting of the British surrender, oversaw building of Fort Putnam at West Point, and spent months lobbying the Massachusetts legislature for support of their Army units. He later helped engineer (can’t resist using that term) the creation of the Northwest Territory and settlement of Marietta.

     Special thanks to local historian Bill Reynolds for showing me Putnam’s original map and the story behind it.

Marooned on the Mississippi

    “ ‘Our next misadventure’ came about 11am on December 27, 1935." This was the recollection of Captain E. Clare Carpenter from Meigs County, Ohio. He was then on the crew of the sternwheel towboat ISTHMIAN (try to say it fast) on the Mississippi River. Life on a riverboat could be exhausting, fun, mesmerizing, and dangerous, often all in the same day.

     ISTHMIAN and her crew were on a string of bad luck. A few weeks earlier, a deckhand named Jimmy had fallen overboard and drowned. Next a clicking sound in the sternwheel revealed a crack in the 20 ton steel shaft. They had to call for help. Today, we'd reach for our mobile phone. Then, they had to row a yawl 15 miles, then be driven another 50 miles to Ripley TN - just to find a phone. It took a week to replace the cracked shaft.

     Then came the "next misadventure." They were headed upriver just after a heavy snow. There was ice in the river which was beginning to damage the wooden paddle wheel. Capt. Harry Nichols piloted the boat to some ice-free open water. But the high river level obscured a long sand bar. Carpenter's memoir: "The ISTHMIAN slid gently up on the sand and no one noticed until we stopped."

     Two other boats tried to pull the ISTHMIAN free. No luck. The river had fallen, holding ISTHMIAN even firmer. Lack of flotation put visible stress on the hull. Meanwhile, the temperature fell to 10 degrees and ten inches of snow fell. It was a grim situation.

Towboat ISTHMIAN high and dry near Wolf Island Bar on the Mississippi River in December 1935, copied from Reflector magazine, March 1998. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

     They urgently needed to reduce the weight of the boat to minimize hull stress and make it easier to get free from the sand bar. They crew had to manually offload 100 tons of coal used for fuel. Whew!

     After that they had time to kill. Carpenter: "Well, it can't be all work and disaster,...there has to be some fun, too." They noticed lots of rabbit tracks on the sand bar, using hollow logs as dens. Roasted rabbit meat sounded good; it was a favorite of Clare’s. Once on the towboat G. W. McBRIDE Clare and another crew member went ashore to get water at a farmhouse. They were invited in for breakfast. “No thanks,” they said. But when they heard, “We’re having rabbit,” they changed their mind and sat down to rabbit, biscuits, and gravy. Upon returning to the boat, they caught hell from the captain for holding up the boat while they feasted.

     So, the challenge for the ISTHMIAN crew was how to catch the rabbits. Curtis Morton lived opposite the marooned boat on the Missouri side. He loaned them a shotgun. Meanwhile the clever crew figured out how to snatch the rabbits out of the hollow logs; they never fired the gun once.

     Curtis loved coon hunting and offered to take crew members with him if the weather was good. One frigid night Captain Byrnside suggested they go hunting with Curtis. Clare said, "There won't be a coon out in the whole state of Missouri on a night like this." But they rowed over to Curtis's house anyway. Curtis laughed when they arrived. No way they'd go hunting. Instead they had an enjoyable couple of hours "eating popcorn...and telling tall tales."

          The Corps of Engineers dredge BURGESS started digging through to the boat on December 31. The ISTHMIAN was now 4 feet above water level. Would she capsize sliding down to the water? All crew were taken off. Finally, on January 2, she slid into the water, heeling "so far over her stacks looked like cannons on a battleship," and water washed over her deck. The ISTHMIAN righted herself! No leaks or major damage. Congratulations all around.

     Clare remembered hearing a loud crash on board as the ISTHMIAN heeled over. A large safe on wheels had rolled into a bulkhead. He was relieved the bulkhead had held.  The safe contained an engagement ring he’d bought for Mabel, his wife-to-be.

     January 6, 1936: The ISTHMIAN was back on the river. No more “misadventures.”

OTHER NOTES:

     E. Clare Carpenter (1907-1989) started his time on ISTHMIAN as a coal passer, a tough job shoveling coal into the fire box, like scenes from the Titanic movie. While on the ISTHMIAN, he was promoted to deckhand and later to watchman. He worked on the river for 42 years, the last 32 as pilot and captain. 

     His illustrious career had at least one rough patch; he may have had an “attitude.”Remember the episode on the G. W. McBRIDE when Clare held up the boat while eating breakfast on shore? It may have the beginning of the end for his employment. He later called McBRIDE Captain Otho Jump "an old dough bellied bastard" while conversing with a crew mate. Turns out the captain's son Johnnie had recently joined the crew and happened to overhear the comment. There had been some other friction, too, not all of it Carpenter's fault. He was fired by Captain Jump, given money for transportation home, and left the McBRIDE at Lock 16 on the Ohio River which was located then just east of Marietta at Reno, Ohio. 

     The word ISTHMIAN? It means anything related to an isthmus, a narrow stretch of land connecting two larger land masses. 

     ISTHMIAN is hard to pronounce and spell.  No problem. Her name was changed in 1936 to THOMAS MOSES. The MOSES née ISTHMIAN was owned by Carnegie Steel Company. 

     Local Connection: The W. P. SNYDER JR., moored today at Marietta and originally owned by Carnegie, ran the similar routes as ISTHMIAN. They probably passed each other often on the Monongahela River. Both boats operated until the 1950s when diesel towboats took over.

 

Spring at Fort Harmar

The Fort was built in 1785 on the west bank of the Muskingum River at the Ohio River. It had a pentagonal shape and occupied about 3/4 acre. It was one of several forts built on the upper Ohio River to keep order. Congress planned to sell land in eastern Ohio to new settlers and was having the land surveyed. The soldiers’ mission was to protect surveyors and settlers from Indian attacks and remove squatters living on land they didn’t own. 

Joseph Buell's journal at Fort Harmar gives a first hand account of life at the fort. Springtime was welcome then as now after months of cold, limited activity, and boredom. His reports of daily activities are interspersed with evidence of better weather and morale. Quotes, spelling, and punctuation are from his journal.

Original period drawing of Fort Harmar ca 1790 courtesy Marietta College Special Collections.

CLICK TO ENLARGE and see landmarks labeled in the drawing.

Spring 1786. Buell was then at Fort McIntosh, northwest of Pittsburgh.

March 27 "...the weather continues to be warm & pleasant & there is great prospect of a forward spring." Spring weather is fickle, though. On April 1, "The snow fell upwards of a foot deep."

April 3 "(We) went down the river…to disperse the people from settling on the Indian shore (western shore of the Ohio River)." Evicting squatters was part of the soldiers' mission because present day Ohio was not yet open for settlement.

9 "The troops began to exercise & continued twice a day...The weather is very warm..."

May 8 Joseph Buell arrived at Fort Harmar.

12 "Began to make our Gardens..." There were extensive gardens at Fort Harmar for food and to keep troops busy during periods of light duty. Commandant John Doughty was interested in horticulture. Peach trees planted there produced fruit for eating – and for peach brandy. One hybrid peach was named the "Doughty Peach."

24 "I was tried by a Court Martial for selling a pint of liquor without permission. I was acquitted & ordered to return to my duty" This was a rough start to Joseph Buell’s Fort Harmar duty.

25 "Engreham of Capt Hearths Company died which is the first death by sickness." There was a burial ground near the fort; the exact location is not known.

31 “French was whipped five lashes for insulting a Corporal. We have some very disagreeable weather about this time. yet I employ myself pretty well,...working in my garden...".

Painting of Fort Harmar by Sala Bosworth, ca 1835, based on early sketches

CLICK TO ENLARGE

 

Spring 1787

March 20  "Mr Williams arrived with his family to settle on the other side of the Ohio (River)...which renders our Situation more delightful..." Those settlers were Williamstown founders Isaac and Rebecca Tomlinson Williams.

27 "...some of the inhabitants brought a Buffalo into the Fort, which was 18 hands high & weighed 1000 lbs"

April 1 "The Indians came within twelve miles of the Garrison & killed an old man & took a young boy prisinor..."

3 "We began to lay out our gardens & dig them up"

25 "One of our men discovered two Indians were endeavoring to steal our horses... The weather begins to be warm & pleasant."

May 2: “All the Sergeants at our Garrison crossed the Ohio to Mr Williams’ where we had decent entertainment…we passed the day very happy,

14  “John Stockly deserted & was immediately  pursued & overtaken…& ordered to run the gauntlet Eleven times.

21 “In the evening I sent a young man who cooked for me to Carrs Island…after some milk.” He never returned. “We afterwards heard that (Indians) had killed & scalped him.”

 

Spring 1788

April 7 Gen Putnam arrived here…with 50 men.” These were the first workers to start the settlement at Marietta. “They began with great spirit & there is great prospect of its being a flourishing place in a short time”

23 “The contractors large boat arrived here with a supply of provision & liquor.” Such arrivals were always morale boosters.

May 1 “The weather was pleasant. The trees put forth and all things seem (bright).” May Day was celebrated. “The Sergeants went up to Carrs Island & had a dinner…We live pretty peaceable & happy” - except for delays in getting paid. 

Joseph Buell (1763-1812) left the Army in November of 1788. He settled in Marietta where he operated a tavern. He later served as a judge, State Senator, and General in the Ohio Militia.

Morgan’s Raid and the Tin Cup Militia

 Captain D. L. Wood’s world had been turned upside down. In July, 1863 he had a Civil War desk job as a mustering officer at Camp Marietta (also called "Camp Putnam"). Suddenly he was leading two companies of mostly untrained militia to fortify a river crossing ("ford") at Buffington Island, 40 miles down river. Why?

     Marietta has been spared the horrors of war in its own backyard. War came close during Morgan's Raid in the Civil War (aka "The War of Rebellion," or in Southerners' understated phrasing, "The Recent Unpleasantness"). In July, 1863 General John Hunt Morgan led 2,500 cavalry on an unauthorized (yes, he violated orders of Confederate General Bragg to not cross north of the Ohio River) raid through Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Union cavalry commanded by General Edward Hobson doggedly pursued Morgan but could barely keep up. 

     There were only days - even hours, at times - to counter this raid. Raiders entered Ohio near Cincinnati on July 13. Days later they were racing across the state headed to the Marietta area for an escape across the Ohio River. Defending was a challenge: all able-bodied defenders were already enlisted and fighting elsewhere, such as at Gettysburg 10 days before. The militia, or "home guard," included mostly untrained old men and very young men. The women had a role, too, as we'll see.

CLICK TO ENLARGE Camp Putnam (aka Camp Marietta) May, 1861, from mariettacastle.org

     Camp Marietta became the epicenter of military planning, under the command of Colonel William Rufus Putnam Jr., grandson of Marietta founder Rufus Putnam. 

     July 12: Governor David Tod called out the militia in southern Ohio counties. Most reported to Camp Putnam (also called "Camp Marietta"), then a sprawling complex at the fairgrounds in Marietta. 

     July 14: Putnam reported 175 men in camp. By the 18th, there would be 12,000 men deployed from the Camp.

     July 15: Union Army officer Lieutenant Conine refuses to accept orders from Putnam, who was an Ohio militia officer, not regular Army. Putnam asks Gov. Tod to intervene. He also requests authority to "press" horses (take horses from citizens) for use by the hundreds of cavalry volunteers arriving. Estimates are that 25,000 horses were used by Morgan and defenders during the raid. One reason: horses taken from citizens were often not conditioned to military duty and would last only a few miles.

     July 16: 3,218 men at Camp Marietta. Putnam asks Gov. Tod to authorize Captain Wood, a Union Army officer, to lead a detachment. "He declines unless thus ordered." Units under Wood's command played an important role.

     July 17: Putnam to Tod: "I have sent about 400 infantry and 50 mounted scouts to check Morgans at fords below." He also pleads for arms, "Thousands of men are here impatiently waiting to be armed..." 

     July 18: Putnam reports to General Burnside in Cincinnati that he has deployed 250 men to guard the ford at Buffington island, 250 to guard boats at Mason City (opposite Pomeroy), and 750 men to Chillicothe.

     Morgan's forces were then bearing down on Buffington Island, intending to escape across the Ohio River. Union Cavalry were close behind. Militia defenders were in place; the crossing was fortified. Thousands of volunteers were working to block roads, guard fords, and remove all boats that Morgan could use. 

     Historian S. J. Hathaway: "...while many volunteers had no arms, they could all get axes, shovels, picks and tin cups (for food and drink).  Hence they were called the 'tin cup militia.'" Other citizens willingly supplied equipment, horses, and food. 

     About the food: with no time to set up military supply lines, women from every farm and village in Indiana and Ohio fed the defenders. A popular staple was fried chicken, often passed directly to men in the field. They quenched their thirst with “Sometimes water, sometimes milk; Sometimes applejack, fine as silk," words from a wartime song celebrating camaraderie in a common cause. One unnamed veteran officer observed gratefully, "Gunboats, steamboats, ferryboats, cavalry, infantry, artillery, all joined in pursuit (of Morgan), but none were more helpful than the women with their rations of fried chicken."

     Capt. D. L. Wood reported from Buffington Island: “On July 18th I made a line of entrenchments covering the approach to the ford (and) sent out cavalry scouts….”  Wood’s men had also discovered the steamboat STARLIGHT at Buffington hard aground. The Rebellion Record: “they immediately unloaded the vessel, raised steam, crewed the boat themselves…,” and moved it away from Morgan’s forces. Historian Hathaway concluded that Captain Wood’s actions at Buffington helped prevent Morgan from crossing on the night of the 18th, thus allowing Union soldiers and militia to surround him on the 19th.

      Defenders succeeded. Morgan ‘s second-in-command Basil Duke: “…the militia impeded our progress in every conceivable way.” Morgan’s raiders were stopped at Buffington Island. Almost. Morgan and a thousand raiders evaded capture. Now Marietta was now in the cross hairs as a likely upriver crossing point for Morgan’s remnant.  

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Harmar Bridge over Muskingum ca 1860, then a covered bridge, from flickr.com "Christopher Busta-Peck, courtesy Hidden Marietta," It was fortified during Morgan's Raid.

     Volunteers doubled their efforts. The tin cup militia blocked every river crossing and road in the area. Men under William P. Cutler obstructed roads between the Marietta and Cincinnati rail line and the Ohio River. Cutler: "We accomplished the objective in a thorough manner." 

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Ehpraim Cutler’s “Old Stone House” occupied during the raid by his son William P. Cutler and family. River road and Ohio River are visible on the right edge of painting. 

 

     Cutler’s own farm near near Constitution was occupied by hundreds of militia to guard nearby Bailey’s Ford. That ford and others had been scouted out a few days earlier by Morgan's men. One was seen near Cutler's farm - identified later as a Confederate soldier - riding nonchalantly at dusk along the river road.

 

     Guards were posted at the Harmar Bridge, and bales of hay were placed to block access. Locals later joked about the hay, saying how nice it was that defenders left so much feed for Morgan’s horses. They also pointed out that the Muskingum River was low enough at the time to wade across even if the bridge was blocked. Three companies under John Newton were sent up the Muskingum River to remove all boats, and three more under Capt. Levi Barber blocked roads between Coolville and Little Hocking River.

     The tin cup militia, area women, and the leadership of Col. William Rufus Putnam “got ‘er done.” Morgan was diverted, damage in the area was avoided, and soon he was captured. Hathaway: “There are few men that could have handled so large a body of men so well, under such circumstances, as Colonel Putnam did…”