Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-08-19


CuyaboEn County Historical soeIery---Inter-
esting LeIfer from Capt stnnIOn shOIes-
We are indebted to the kindness of SecEeta-
" BARB, for permission to publish the following
"reminiscences Of Cleveland in 1913, from the
pen of venerable citizen of Ohio, himself the
relic of : generation having but few rePTesen-
tatiyes among the living Although eighty
seven years of age, the old-fashiOned plain
manuscript of Capt SHoLEs would put to the
blush many of the modernly educated who fur
nish almost illegible scrawls for the press; and
his mind is perfect storc-house Of facts, Incl
dents, and personal adventures of the past and
present century In person he is tall, erect,
and dignifed, and in manners ! gentleman
the old school. A native of Connecticut, in
vigorous manhood Capt. SHOLEs became eiti-
zen Of Western Pennsylvania, and defender
Of the Like frontier in the War of lsl2-ser-
vices which were properly acknowledged at the
last session of Congress by the passage Of
special bounty act in bis behalf After the waI
Capt. 5. engaged in mercantile pursuits, and
considerably over 3 quarter of century ago
was successful merchant in Medina, Elyria,
and Amherst, LOrain county, where he built
one of the pleasantest of rural homes. Capt
SHoLEs subsequently became pioneer settler.
in the farther West of the Mississippi Valley,
and from thence returned to franklin County,
Ohio. For number of years past he has been
4 respected citizen of Columbus, and in the en-
joyment of a competence, and the society Of
companion younger in years who ministers
with wife's devotion to his every want, the
still active veteran reads of the present and pom
ders and talks of the past, resignedly awaiting
the final summons all must obey.
Capt. SHoLEs, it was recently stated by the
Columbus Faet. is one Of the few survivors Of
the party who accompanied Robert Fulton on
his first steam vessel trip on the Hudson. The
other survivors are reported to be the Dean of
RiPOn in England, and John Q Wilson, of
Albany. At the celebration of the anniversary
of the Fort Griswold massacre a wear or two
since Capt S. visited Connecticut to attend it,
and vas among the observed of the Observers
on the interesting occasion.
JOHs B4Ka, Esq. Secretary of the Cuyahoga
County Historical Seeiefy:
DEAR Sir A compliance with your request
will carry me back half a century At thi.
time of my life (sD and almost blind, oft my
right hand refuses its Office. yet my memory
holds quite good. Such matters as memory has
in keeping, with trembling hand, shall be |
faithfully given to the honorable Society.
ORDERED TO CLEVELAND.
About the Sd of May, 1873 received orders |
from the War Department to march my Com
pany, then at BsavertoUn, Pennsylvania, to
Cleveland, Ohio, 10 aid in the defence of the |
frontier, and to establish military post on the
Lake shore. / arrived a. Cleveland with nv
Company on the 10th, and there found Major
Jessup and two or three companies of militia,
called out some months before for the defence
Of that point halted my Company between
Maj. Carter's and the house of Mr. Wallace, and
was met by Gov, Meigs, of the State, who gave
me most cordial welcome. as did also the cit
zens.. Gov. N. took me to a place where my
Company could pitch their tents.
CLEVELAND N 1913.
l was now in Cleveland in obeiience to or
lers- I found no place of defence, no hospital,
,ut forest of large timber, mostly chestnut,
standing between the Lake and the Lake road ,
There was 4 road that turned off between Mr..
'eny and Maj Carters, that led to the Point,
which WAS the only plase that the Lake could
'e seen from these few buildings The build 1
ngs Of this little cluster were all Of wood, and
think none were painted. There were a few
antilles further back from the Lake road, among t
hem l. johnson ard Judge Kingsbury The /
widow WalwOrth. or Ashbel, her son, keptthe :
'ostOfhce. Those that lived on the Lake road !
we're Maj Carter, Mr.. n. Perry, Mr.. Wallace, c
nd few others.
SICK AND woUSDRD-HOsPITAL ERECTED 8
On my arrival at Cleveland found number 4
( sick and wounded. After HulPs surrender v
hey had been sent to Cleveland from Detroit, l
nd they were crowded into a log cabin, with no
ne to care for them. l sent one or two of my Ii
Dldiers to their aid, as they had no friends j
18th them. There were two OF three good car a
enters in my Company, and set them to =
'Ork to build hospital. We very soon got =
P good frame 80 by 20 feet, smoothly and ai
ghtly covered and foored with chestnut bark,
ith two tier Of bunks around the walls, and e'
oors and windows, and not q nail or screw, or "
on latch or hinge was used about the building. v
5 cost to the government was a few extra IA to
pms. In short time had all the bunks -
rswed, and the sick and wounded in good and el
can hunks to their great joy and comfort but ar
as some of them had fallen asleep. 20
sTocKGDE FoRr-BRrrIsH FLEET a
next went to work and built small stock Is
e fort, about fifty yards from the bank of the sii
Ike, in the forest. The fort finished, set tn
e men to falling the timber along and near the -
nk, rolling the logs and piling the brush near an
e brink, to form bresstwoEk. On the I4th to-
June part Of the British feet appeared Of or
e mouth Of the Cuyahoga, with the apparent A. A.
sign of landing. When they got within ST
out half mile of the harbor the wind died tn
tirely away, and the vessels lay becalmed un- do
afternoon, when q terrible thunderstorm d;
me up and drove them from our coast, and tai
saw them no more as enemies. Their object wi
IS to destroy the public or government boats WI
n built and building in the Cuyahoga river, -
d other government stores. an