OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 44A ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 May 8, 2005 ************************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know Your Ohio by Darlene E. Kelley Tid Bits - part 44 A notes by S. Kelly ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Union Light Guard of Ohio Lincoln's Body Guard. The Union Light Guard, otherwise known as the Seventh Independent Company of Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, was organized by Governor David Tod, of Ohio, during the months of November and December, 1863, for special service, the nature of which was not disclosed to the members of the company until some time after it was mustered into service. The original intention was to select one man from each county in the State, and the military committees of the several counties were requested each to select a representative for their county, and furnish him trasportation to Columbus. Some of the counties being slow in responding, other counties were allowed to furnish men to make up the deficiency. Their enlistment was for three years, or during the war, and they were mustered into service at Columbus, Ohio, December 17, 1863, by Captain Elmer Otis, Fourth United States Cavalry, acting as mustering officer. They left Columbus for Washington, D.C., December 22, 1863, via Wheeling, W. Va., and the B.&.O. railroad. On arrival at Washington, they reported to the Secretary of War, and were first assigned to barracks located a few squares southwest of the War Department. The members of the company then learned for the first time that the special service for which they were enlisted was to act as a bodyguard or mounted escourt for President Lincoln. Later, barracks were built for the company in what has since been known as the " White Lot," then called the Treasury Park. The barracks were directly south of the Treasury Department and opposite E. street. The stables in which the company horses were kept were on the north side of E. street, adjacent to Fifteenth street, and occupied a part of the ground now occupied by the Albaugh Opera House. A part of the company was assigned to duty at the White House, while others were detailed to various points in and around Washington, a large number being sent to the Virginia side of the river, and scattered among the forts constituting the defenses of Washington, from opposite Georgetown to a point below Alexandria. During the summer months, President Lincoln spent his nights at the Soldier's Home, near Washington, and the company escorted him from the White House to the home and returning. The company continued in the service after the assassination of President Lincoln until September 9, 1855, when it was mustered out at Washington, D.C., by H.C. Strong, First Lieutenant Veteran Reserve Corps. Taking the company as a whole, the membership was much above that of the average company of soldiers, intellectually, morally, socially, and physically. The mystery concerning the special service for which the company was organized, and the care taken in their selection, spurred the imagination and led its members to hope and believe that they would be on the nation's roll of honor. There was bitter disappointment when the men found themselves condemned to that which they felt was a service of " inglorious inactivity, " and earnest efforts were made by members of the company and by others in their behalf to have the company assigned to duty at the front, where it could share in the activities and dangers of real warfare. These efforts elicited a stern reminder from the great War Secretary that a soldier's first duty was unquestioning obedience to the orders of his superiors, and an equally stern admonition to our Captain that it would go hard with him if the department was ever again annoyed by receiving further requests of that charater.We were also reminded from other sources that, as soldiers were needed for that particular duty, if we were sent to the front others must come from the front to take our places, and that we could serve our country as faithfully and as well by cheerfully discharging the duties assigned to us as we could possibly do on the field of battle. Aided by the perspective of time, we can now realize the truth of this as we then could not. We can also now realize, as we could not at the time, the honor of having been specially chosen as the personal escort and bodygruard of one of the greatest Americans and greatest of men. The company had its share and unpleasant experiences which were best forgotten, and when its members returned to their homes after being mustered out it is probable that a majority of them would have considered a blank page as the best record of their war service. Especially so, when they began to touch elbows with those who bore the scars of battle and listen to their tales of camp and campaign. Now, however, we know that those same battle-scarred veterans would have been glad at any time to have changed places with us, and, instead of regarding service as the personal bodyguard of Abraham Lincoln as " inglorious," they esteem it to have been a service of high honor. One distinquished officer who had won honor in the field declared that he would rather have been the captain of the Union Light Guard than a brigadier general in any other service. The following is a copy of the original roster of the company according to Robert W. McBride, Corporal and Company Clerk; George A. Bennett, Columbus, Ohio. Arthur W. White, Columbus, Ohio. J.B. Jameson, Columbus, Ohio. Horace S. Fuller, Warren, Ohio, clerk William P. Anderson, Marysville, Ohio, editor. Paul Metzger, Salem, Ohio, student. George C. Ashmun, Talmage, Ohio, teacher. Josiah Chance, Perrysburgh, Ohio, teacher. David N. Jones, Delaware, Ohio, farmer. Samuel Culp, Waldo, Ohio, farmer. Webster M. Adams, Findlay, Ohio, painter Ephraim Adamson, Cambridge, Ohio, farmer. Edward P. Brown, Lima, Ohio, Carpenter. Frederick R. Baker, Avon, Ohio, farmer. Albert G. Bacon, Bucyrus, Ohio, stonecutter. Frank A. Baird, Zanesville, Ohio, student. Homer Barnes, Delaware, Ohio, farmer. Thomas B. Ball, Marysville, Ohio, shoemaker. John I. Burnham, West Jefferson, Ohio, farmer. Henry C. Baird, Zanesville, Ohio, miller. Theodore F. Bailey, Delaware, Ohio, farmer. William P. Bogardus, Four Corners, Ohio, farmer. Abraham T. Brechbill, Defiance, Ohio, farmer. George G. Banks, Antwerp, Ohio, farmer. Lemuel A. Brandeberry, Delaware, Ohio, dentist. William I. Barbour, Marysville, Ohio, clerk. David Banker, Middletown, Ohio, farmer. Cornelius Curran, Logan, Ohio, farmer. Edward W. Crockett, Napoleon, Ohio, farmer. John Crowe, Defiance, Ohio, merchant George W. Crum, Fremont, Ohio, merchant. Asa C. Cassidy, Zanesville, Ohio, farmer. John W. Custer, Lima, Ohio, farmer. Daniel H. Conditt, Newark, Ohio, painter. Henry G. Clark, Lockburn, Ohio, farmer. Hiram Cook, Circleville, Ohio, carpenter. Robert J. Cox, Delaware, Ohio, farmer. Henry G. Cutler, Harrisville, Ohio, carriage maker. Jeremiah N. Dunn, Mt.Gilead, Ohio, teacher. Edward P. Dolbear, Delaware, Ohio, printer. David J. Elliott, Sidney, Ohio, farmer. Thomas J. Everett, Sidney, Ohio, farmer. Marshall D. Ellis, Eldorado, Ohio, student Joseph Fulkerson, Bucyrus, Ohio, bricklayer. John F. Field, Columbus, Ohio, farmer. Gilbert N. Gilley, McConnellsville, Ohio, carpenter. Martin Gorman, Defiance, Ohio, clerk. William Gassoway, Smithfield, Ohio, farmer. Robert H. Hyde, Wauseon, Ohio, clerk. Frederick T. Hard, Norwalk, Ohio, clerk. Asa R. Hughes, Delaware, Ohio, student. Samuel P. Haverfield, Cadiz, Ohio, dentist. John Holmes, Bucyrus, Ohio, farmer. William P. Hopkins, Ravenna, Ohio, clerk. Lemuel T. Hibbard, Defiance, Ohio, tinner William H. Hughes, Wilmington, Ohio, farmer. Peter Ingle, Delaware, Ohio, farmer. Alfred Jordan, Springfield, Ohio, farmer. Jefferson Koontz, Canton, Ohio, plasterer John F. Kellar, Caldwell, Ohio, farmer Milton Koogle, Lebanon, Ohio, carriage maker. Joseph W. Lawrence, Marysville, Ohio, printer. George F. Laubender, Millersburg. Ohio, farmer. Samuel Lynn, Delaware, Ohio, farmer. Frank P. Lutz, Circleville, Ohio, clerk. John W. Minor, Eaton, Ohio, farmer. Ira L. Morris, Troy, Ohio, farmer. Robert W. McBride, Mansfield, Ohio, clerk Andrew Mayfield, Norton, Ohio, farmer. James W. Mayfield, Delaware, Ohio, farmer. Thomas W. McClellan, Eaton, Ohio, farmer. Lewis M. Meeker, Canfield, Ohio, hotel keeper. George Orman, Lancaster, Ohio, carpenter. George H. Platt, Toledo, Ohio, merchant Henry P. Pyle, Mt. Vernon, Ohio, clerk. Nathaniel M.T. Page, Portsmouth, Ohio, clerk. Thomas R. Plummer, Wauseon, Ohio, merchant. George S. Rowan, Chillicothe, Ohio, cooper. Samuel H. Rulon, Wilmington, Ohio, dentist. Mark B. Robinson, Miamisville, Ohio, farmer. John W. Ray, London, Ohio, teacher. Luther B. Ricketts, New Philadelphia, Ohio, clerk. James D. Raikes, Cambridge, Ohio, engineer. John C. Rhodes, Urbana, Ohio, clerk. John Q.A. Redd, Lebanon, Ohio, baker. Levi M. Rodecker, Woodsfield, Ohio, artist. Smith Stimmell, Lockburn, Ohio, farmer. David G. Spaulding, Delaware, Ohio, carpenter. Charles C. Smucker, Newark, Ohio, tinner. Benjamin F. Summers, London, Ohio, artist. Willian A. Scott, New Philadelphia, Ohio, merchant. Oscar H. Spencer, McArthur, Ohio, watchmaker. Emery C. Swank, Canfield, Ohio, painter. Barton W. Swerer, Brady Station, Ohio, teacher. Charles S. Slade, Wapakoneta, Ohio, farmer. Zebulon Sparks, New Philadelphia, Ohio, farmer. Imri Smalley, Jefferson, Ohio, painter. George Terry, Portsmouth, Ohio, clerk. Alva R. Tichenor, Lebanon, Ohio, clerk. Nelson Tway, Marysville, Ohio, farmer. Silas B. Thompson, New Concord, Ohio, carpenter. Wilson White, Newark, Ohio, painter. Joshua M. Yeo, Lebanon, Ohio, clerk. William Cook, Columbus, Ohio, colored cook. William Davis, Columbus, Ohio, colored cook. John Carter, Columbus, Ohio, colored cook. James Robinson, Columbus, Ohio, colored cook. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ To be continued in Tid Bits 44 B.