The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1863-08-14
Gov. Tod to the People of Ohio.
tbs STATE OF ONO. EXECUTIVE DRPARr ,
hEkT. COLUMBUS. July 20. 1903. {
To III, People of he Stat,

The exciting aud important events which
have ,ranspired within the past two week.
make the present moment a fitting one ior
the Chief Executive 10 address you.
Late in tn, night of the 18th instant I ro.
ceiyed reliable informa ton that q we'll or.
ganized rebel force Of cavalry aud artillery,
supposed to exceed fvo Thousand in number
under the lead Of the notorious John Nor.
gan, was about to ente- tho Southwestern
portion Of our State. Awaiting myself Of
tho power given me by the Constitution
and Laws, l at once by Proclamation, called
out for the defense Of the Stale, thst Dor.
'ion OF it's organized militia forces residing
~thIn the counties supposed to be ia dan.
ger. As these Organizations wero only con.
summa'od by the electio.. Of company Of.
ficers on tho 4,h instant, but fvw returus
had been made houue, il was quito uncor.
tain what the actual number embraced in
tho call would be. The route the euemv
would take was also uncertain. Il was be-.
''eved. however. that the capital of our
!
point for the enemy. This point afforded
richer field for plundcr than any other
within his reach, aud in addition to this
sherc was at Camp Chase over q thousand
rebel prisoners, many Of whom, including
his Chief of Staff. had been captured from
Morgans band. Hence to this point was
ordered a larger force of the militia than to
airy other.
The othor points Damed, outside Of Gin.
cinnaii. for the assemblago of tho militia,
we're Camp Dennison. Chillicotho, Ports.
mouth aud Marietta. The response to the
call. at all the points, was most gratifying
with but very few individual exceptions.
the men called into service, forgetting every.
thing but duty, promptly aud cheerfu,ly ro.
paired TO tho camps assigned thom, and
when returning to their respective homes
conducted themselves in a manner most
| creditable. Tho people of tho State shou ID
ever hold in grateful remembrance tho men
who thus won 90 much character for our
State. Tho fow who eudeavored 10 escape
full performance Of duty will be frowued
upon and despised by all good citizens, and
this is tho sevorcst punish ment that can DO
inflicted upon fellow citizen.
Tho large militia force assembled noar
Columbus. kept the enemy from attempting
an attack upon this place. All the o,hor
points indicated for tho assenhisgo OF. tho
militia wore Felt Of by tho enumy, and, but
for thoir presence, would have been sacked
and pil!aged.
From these several points, large mum.
bers of tho militia moved promptly out and
participated with tho Federal forcos in tho
numerous skirmishes and engagements that
took place with tho onomy; and 10 overy
instance. save ono, behaved with great gal.
lantry and bravery. The exception referred
to, wns the surrender of about thrce hun.
dred and fifty. under command OF Col. Son.
tng, near Portsmouth. Tho men com prisinp
this command are oil indignant at tho oon.
duct Of their commanding cfticor, and are
in noSise responsible for the disgrace that
attaches to tho surrender. Tho conduct of
Col. SontaR, although a volunteer officer
without appointment or commission. shall
DO inquired into. I am not nov in posscs.
sion of information which would enable mo
to do justice to oil the officers in command
of these various organizations.
! can. however. bear tcstimo ony 10 the zeal
and efficiency Of the several military com.
mittoes OF the counties traversed BY the on
emy their services were Invaluable to tho
State. When 10 possession of fell informa.
ton, I will, ata future day. do justice to
tho many gallant officers. who so generous.
ly devoted themseive. to the ioterests OF the
State in this crisis.
Tho enemy entered the State on the night
of the twelfth instant, in the north west
corner Of Hamilton county. closely pursued
by a large Federal force. and passing thro
the counties of Butler. Warren. Clormout.
Brown. Adams. Pike. Jackson, GAlIis. Meigs,
vin'on. Hooking. Athens. Washington. Nor.
gan. Muskingum. Guernsey, Belmont, Har.
rson and Jrffarson, vas finally captured
near New Lisbon, in ColGmbians county,
this day. about three o'clock p. M. More
or less skirmshng and fighting took plsce
all along the route--but tho two principal
engag agements were near Bufiing,ons leland.
in Meigs county. on the nineteenth instant,
and near Salinovillo, Columbians county,
this morning, at eight O'Clock A. M. At
tho frat Of these engagements. our for.
COS. consisting of cavalry and -riillery
force Of regular troops. and of tho militia
there assembled, were under the command
of Generals Hobson and Shack elford, aided
materially by . naval force on the river 8,
that point. At the second engagement.
near Salineville, our forces, consisting OF
the 9th Michigan Cavalry. and our militia
forces, were under command of Major Way.
In the first Of these engagements the en-.
emy lost in killed. wounGcd and prisoners
about twenty Ave hundred In tho second,
about three hundred. The anal surrender
to General shackioford took place ~i,hou,
an engagement. and embraced Morgan him
sell and tho remnant of bis command. the
number not now known. Thus vas cap
tdred and destroyed one Of the most formi.
| dnhla "a airy fovras ~ sh~ -ol.,- g.