OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - BIOS about Civil War Veterans (published 1888) *********************************************************************** OHGENWEB NOTICE: All distribution rights to this electronic data are reserved by the submitter. Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted material will require the permission of the copyright owner. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Kim Barghouti kimebar@hotmail.com 30 September 1999 *********************************************************************** The following bios were taken from a book in my possession,"History of Ohio in Words of One Syllable", written by Annie Cole Cady in 1888. George B. McClellan (pgs. 154-155) George B. McClellan, the first of these, was the first General sent by Ohio when the war broke out. He was born in Philadelphia, December 3, 1826. His father, a doctor of note, had his son well taught; and when George was sixteen years old he was sent to West Point. He finished his term there just as the war with Mexico broke out, and at once was sent to the scene of strife. In time he was made Captain, and when the war was done, Mr. Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of War, sent him to Europe to learn what he could of the fight which was at the time raging in the Crimea. In 1857 Captain McClellan left the army, and in a short time was made president of a railroad in Ohio; so it was he came to live at Cincinnati and was called an Ohio general. When the war broke out, Governor Dennison looked about for a man to help him organize his troops, and McClellan was pointed out as a West Point man, and one well fitted for the task; so the Governor sent for him to come to the Capitol. But by the time Governor Dennison thought to have his help, McClellan was called to be Major General, and to command the troops of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. After the battle of Bull Run, General McCLellan was given charge of the army of the Potomac. At this time, this branch of our forces was in a bad state, and the men at the North felt that something ought to be done before they could expect much good to come from its battles. McClellan at once set to work to reorganize it, and ere long had the pleasure of seeing it the best drilled boyd of men we had. The skill which he showed in this work was praised by men in all parts of hte land. In 1864, his name was raised against Mr. Lincoln's for President of the United States, but he had only a few votes. Before this, some trouble about war matters caused him to give up his place as head of th troops; and now he went to Europe, where he lived with his family till long after the close of the war." William Starke Rosecrans (pgs. 155-156) ...William Starke Rosecrans. That name is German, and means "A wreath of roses," isn't it a pretty one? The owner of it was born in Kingston, Delaware county, Ohio, September 6, 1819. He was a bright, studious boy, and at fifteen was master of all that the school in his district could teach. He was a good boy as well, and was even at that erly age fond of religion, and ever ready to talk and argue upon the theme. In his class at West Point were fifty-six boys, and young Rosecrans ranked fifth among them all. When the cry of war was raised, Rosecrans was quick to obey it, and from the first did all in his power to save our country's honor. He chose the sites, and fitted up both Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati, and Camp Chase, at Columbus, while over the latter he had command. Then he went to West Virginia, where it is said he was so busy that he was seldom out of his saddle, and took his meals on his horse quite as often as at his table. He won some great battles, and by all was known to be a breat general and brave soldier." Ulysses Simpson Grant (pgs 157 - 159) Hiram Ulysses Grant, since called Ulysses Simpson Grant, was born on the 27th of April, 1822, in a little one story house on the banks of the Ohio, at the town of Point Pleasant, in Clermont County. His father was a poor tanner, and could send his son to school but three months in the year, yet when this son went to Wst Point on July 1, 1839, he stood well in his class. Like McClellan, he fought in the war with Mexico, and was said to be a brave young officer, but it was for the war of the Rebellion to show what the man was made of. Inf the first months of the war, we heard but little of him; but later, when battle after battle was fought under General Grant, and victory was ever his, enough could not be said in his praise. HE was a quiet, modest man, and never went out of the path he thought the right one, to gain any good for himself. Honors were showered upon him, and he was pleased with them; but the idea never seemed to come to him that he could go out of his way to seek them. In 1869 Ulysses S. Grant became president of the United Sttes, which office he held to March 4, 1877, two terms. The next year he went to Europe. In 1879 he came home to America, having made a tour around the world since he left home. He died in July 1886, much mourned by the whole land. William Tecumseh Sherman (pgs 159-161) In 1815 there came to Lancaster a widow with her sons, one of which soon became a fine lawyer, and in time, a judge. He took a wife while a very young man, and in 1829 died, leaving a widow with eleven children to care for. Of these, two have since become known throughout the world. The eighth of them, a lad of six or seven, was John Sherman, since representative and senator in COngress; and the sixth, then nine years of age, a bright-eyed, red-haired, play-loving urchin, was William Tecumseh Sherman. Up to the time of the death of his father, Tecumseh Wherman lived a happy, active, out-of-door life with his sisters and brothers; but when death took the judge, the mother did not see her way clear to bring up her large family as she wished. At this time, Thomas Ewing, a lawyer and friend of the late judge, wished to adopt one of the boys. "I must have the smartest of them," Mr. Ewing said to the widow when he offered to take a boy. And it is said that when the mother and the oldest sister had talked the matter over, they agreed that "Cump", just then sliding down a sand bank back of the house, was the one to go. Mr. Ewing has since said that he was the best boy to do an errand he ever knew, and that he was ever honest, faithful and reliable. What praise could be greater than that? He finished at West Point in 1840. When the war came it found Sherman ready, and a brave fight he made through the whole strife, but he is best known, and wille ver be remembered, by his wonderful "march to the sea", which has always been called one of the greatest feats of the war." ==========OH-FOOTSTEPS===========