Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-06-21
From the Wayne County Wooster, o. Democrat ci
June IS, 1853.
A Speck Of War in Holmes County
ARMED RESIS rANCE TO THE PRO-
VOST-MARSHAL.


excite ent In this vicinity relative to an alleged
organized resistance to the military authorities
mixed up with tho draft. in Holmes county
The rumors are conflicting From the best in
formation we can obtain we are enabled to
make the following statement concerning the
affair. Ii appears that ten or twelve days ago,
an enrolling officer 10 discharge OF his duty,
vaa assaulted by come farmers and driven out
of Rchland township, in shat county, the citi-
zeua of which are principally French aud Ger
name. He promptly reported the fact TO the
District Provost. Marshal, James Dfake, at
Wooster, who with posse o! elk men on Fri
dsy night repaired to the township named, and
quietly arrested four men charged with being
impicated In the affair. But before the Mar
shal had proceeded with bis prisoners beyond
the limits Of the county, he was suddenly sur
rounded BY body Of men, supposed to have
been sbout fifty, armed with rifles, who as the
story goes, commanded he Marshal and asaist-
ants TO do two things or die, viz: release the
prisoners, and swear never, on forfeit OF life 10
enter Holmes county on such business again.
The prisoners were set at liberty, and the pre-
scribed oath reported to have been takeD.
Tberescuers did no violence to the party, and,
Il is said, assured the Marshal that they were
not resisting the Conscripl act, and had no OBJ
lection to his legally arresting the men he had
taken, but that they we're tired of permitting
people to be carried of by arbitrary arrest with
out due process of law, and had sworn itshould
not be done in their county, telling him to show
his warrant to act as he had, and he might ar
rest every man in Holmes without the elightest
trouble.
The excitement is general among the people
of that county, partaken OF more or less In
WAYNE, though the intensity 10 confined IN
Richland, and neighboring townships OF Holmes.
The disaffected citizens compose the entire COM
munity Of those townships, including members
Of both political parties. Three thousand OF
these are said to have assembled at the town
of Napoleon. fully armed and tolerably organ
lied, expressing the determination to people
from Millersburg, who endeavored to dissuade
them from their purpose, to resist the Marshal
in any attempt he may make to carry one OF the
citizens beyond the limits OF the county to be
tried by q military tribunal. The Provost Mar
ahal, man Of will and energy, is as much de-
tetmined to subdue them by an invasion OF the
hostile territory, aud has received sufficient force
to effect that purpose. The insurgents are said
to be massing In the hills, throwing up intrench-
meuts, drilling, and are well armed, and have
two pieces of artillery.
Marshal Drake is represented as having march
ed from Mansfield on Tuesday night, with four
hundred soldiers from Columbus, consisting Of
infantry, cavalry and artillery, en- route for
Millersburg, the county seat OF Holmes county.
Much or nothing is expected to transpire by to-
day, and news from the expedition is looked fol-
with great interest. We hope to record 0
peaceful termination Of the trouble in next
weeks paper
Since the above article wac in type we have
direct information from Holmes county, BY
which it appears that the whole difficulty there
originated in the appointment and conduct Of
an obnoxious enrolling tfficer The feeling
against him was aggravated by direct and
degrading insult offered to respectable wo
man at whose house he had called in his Off
cial rounds. The people Of the surrounding
country were aroused and assembled with de.
termination to have the officer removed. They
were with difficulty restrained from inAicting
summary punishment upon him for his conduct
In the case of the woman referred to.
In the mean time, process was issued from
the United States Court at Cleveland for the
arrest Of some fifty persons engaged In these
transactions, for resisting the enrolment, wher
In fact no actual resistance to the enrollment
was made or intended to be made. When L
was understood that persons were to be arrested
upon legal process no opposition Was offered
and several arrests were made.
The military force sent up from this city re-
turned yesterday Saturday evening. We learr
that they found littleio nothing for them to do
as the people were not disposed to object to th'
service Of legal process. They did, however
Insist that the obnoxious enrolling officer WHIT
had caused all the trouble, should be removed
We understand that this request has been &C.
oseded to by the proper authorities.