OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Ohio in the Civil War Pt 2 *********************************************************************** 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. *********************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 September 30, 1999 *********************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio Diaries of S. J. Kelly Plains Dealer Know Your Ohio by Darlene E. Kelley *********************************************************************** Ohio in the Civil War -- Part 2 Newspapers,Politics, and the Civil War activities. Joseph William Gray -- Plain Dealer Joseph William Gray was the founder of the Plain Dealer newspaper. He was born Aug. 5 1813 in Bridgeport, Vt to Urel and Betsey ( Case ) Gray, and emigrated with his brother, Admiral Nelson Gray, to Cleveland in 1836. After teaching in local schools, Gray read law under Henry B. Payne and Heram V. Wilson and was admited to the bar. In partnership with his brother, Gray purchased the Cleveland Advertiser, a faltering Democratic weekly.in Dec 1841. He resurrected it on Jan 7th 1842 as the Cleveland Plain Dealer. A.N. Gray was business manger until shortly after the weekly converted to daily in 1845, when he left the Plain Dealer solely in his brother's charge. Gray was personally involved in Democratic politics. Appointed Cleveland postmaster by President Franklin Pierce in 1853, he was dismissed by Pres. Jas. Buchanan in 1858 for editorially supporting Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas. Gray lost the 1858 Congressional election in the normally Republican district to Edward Wade. He went to both the Charleston and Baltimore Democratic conventions in 1860 as a delegate pledged to Douglas, maintaining his support of Douglas even through defeat, endorsing the Senator's pledge of Union loyalty after the south's secession in 1861. For 20 years, Gray kept his Democratic paper alive in the heart of a Whig, later Republican stronghold. He died May 26, 1862, after a short illness at his home and was buried in the Erie St. Cemetary. William W. Armstrong -- Plain Dealer William W. Armstong was a local newspaper publisher and Democratic party political leader. He was born in New Lisbon, Ohio, and lived there until moving to Tiffin, Ohio in 1854, where he bought and published a local newspaper. After serving as a register in the State's treasurer's office in Columbus in 1865, he bought the Plain Dealer and edited it until 1883. In 1868 he testified at the impeachment trial of Pres. Andrew Johnson. Armstrong served as a delegate to the Democratic Natl. Convention's in 1868, 1880, and 1884. He also served on the Democratic Natl. Committee. In 1881, he declined the nomination to run for Gov of Ohio.. In 1891 the Democratic party adopted his rooster design as a party symbol. Often referred to as " major" or "general" Armstrong never served in the military. The titles dated from his youth, when he was a member of a military organization for young boys. The fact that his father, Gen. John Armstrong, had been a military officer, enhanced William's reputation of possing a military background. He died April 21, 1905 at his home in Cleveland and was buried in Tiffin, Ohio. Edwin W. Cowles-- Cleveland Leader Edwin W. Cowles, a prominent newspaper editor, was born Sept 19th, 1825, in Austinburg, Ohio, and came to Cleveland in 1839 as a printing apprentice. In 1844 Cowles and Timothy Smead formed a printing partnership. Cowles printed the Ohio American and True Democrat, acquiring an interest in the latter when it merged into the Forest City Democrat in 1853, making it the Cleveland Leader in 1854. Cowles led the Republican party in Cleveland, hosting, with his new partner, Joseph Medill, a meeting calling for the first Republican Natl. Convention, held n Pittsburgh in 1855. Cowles secured sole control of the Leader, became its editor, and made it the area's leading radical Republican voice. After the Republican victory in 1860, Cowles was rewarded with the Cleveland postmastership, where he pioneered free mail delivery. However, under Pres. Andrew Johnson, he was replaced as postmaster by Geo. A. Benedict, editor of the more moderate Herald. Cowles was an outspoken a nativist as he was a republican, heading the Cleveland Chapter of the anti-Catholic Order of the American Union, and carrying on an editorial war with Manly Tello, editor of the Catholic Universe. He was the city's last representative of the era of personal journalism and was eulogized even by rivals. When his two sons invented a new melting process for aluminum, Cowles devoted his declining energies to promoting a company to exploit their discovery. He died at home in Cleveland March 4th, 1890. Josiah A. Harris -- Cleveland Herald and Gazette. Josiah A. Harris, noted publisher and editor, son of Charity ( Messenger ) and Judge Josiah Harris, moved with his family from Becket, Mass, in 1818 to N. Amherst, Lorain County, in 1832. Harris settled in Elyria, was elected sheriff, and revived Elyria's first newspaper as the weekly Ohio Atlas & Elyria Advertiser. He sold the newspaper and traveled before coming to Cleveland in 1837 and purchasing the Cleveland Herald and Gazette with Judge Chas Whittlesey, who gave up his share after 1 year. Harris solidly established the Herald, paying its debts and providing its own printing office. He won local support by printing marriage, death, and meeting notices, and furnishing free papers to clergymen. He refused to print ads for the more notorious quack medicines, or notices for the return of run away slaves. Harris kept the Herald solidly behind the Whig Party. He was elected mayor of Cleveland in 1847. Joined by partners A.W. Fairbanks in 1849 and Geo A. Benedict in 1853, Harris began loosing his ties with the Herald. Benedict took over as editor in 1857, when Harris moved over to Edwin Cowles Leader, which he edited from Feb 1857-Nov. 1860. Although Harris briefly returned to the Herald, he quit journalism permanently after the civil war. His retirement was spent on a farm in Rocky River, where he raised grapes. After suffering a serious of strokes, he died at his daughter's home, on 21 Aug. 1876. He was buried in the Erie St Cemetary in Cleveland. ********************************************** As you can see many newspapers played many a role in politics as well as as a role of the people of Ohio. They reported what the people of Ohio wanted to know as to the daily and weekly happenings within the state as well as to the nation's politics and particularly the war news. There were a great number of newspapers in Ohio and many reported and responded to other outside newspapers in the nation. They kept the people informed as well as to keeping in touch with their loved ones elsewhere. The Newspapers played a great role in the civil war keeping Ohioians in the know and recording the events as they happened. ********************************************* Continued in part 3--