Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1870-12-28
Written for the CHRONICLE.
Pioneer Life In Trumbull
County.
Historical "reminiscences OF Hartford.
BY 7. \. BUSHNELL.
(COncluded.)

CHURCH MATTERS.
About this time the Congregations
! Church was divided, a portion of il
members leaving and forming
PRESBYTERIAN Church, with Rev
George Young as pastor. The Rev
- John Keep soon after became tn
pastor of the Congregational Church
In 1916 the new church was built
; the Hon. Seth Hayes giving tn
: quarter part of the funds for that puT
pose. In the same year the old churcl
! was repaired, and three years late
( the high school room was fitted VI
in the basement, and for two years |
school was taught by John Lynch
and for several years fiOurishinl
school was maintained under differ
ent teachers, but at present it standl
vacant and unused for church, fas
going to decay. Within its walls
in years past, theories of all kinds
have been promulgated, the red mar
has told us of his wrongs, the black
man has often recOunted the evil:
under which he has lived and labOred,
the politician has discussed hard
money and rag money, tariff and nc
tariff, banks and anti-banks, slavery
and anti-slavery, the Missouri Com
/ promise, Fugitive Slave Law, Tenn
] perance, and all the other issues OF
! the day.
The Millerite aud the Covenanter
! have each essayed TO enlighten US with
regard to our duties in this world
! Professors and presidents of colleges,
/ founders of religious sects, divines OF
both high and low degree, have at
various times taught us immersion,
/ foreOrdination and predestination-
orthodoxy and heterOdoxy, all the
isms of the day have been advocated
by their supporters, with the energy
Of q Knight of the olden time, bound
I for the rescue of jerusalem. At this
time however, members of churches,
many Of them at least, seem to be
learning that deeds, not creeds, con-
stitute the basis of true christianity q
few may be left who, at the old famil-
lar rallying cry OF their leaders,
would buckle on the helmet and
shield and rush into the fray with as
much acerbity as ever; but old issues
to some extent are dying away and a
better state of feeling exists.
During the decade beginning with
1850, the churches were again united,
but with less numbers and much less
financial strength than they had pos
sessed twenty years before. The radi-
cal element in politics had become so
strong, especially after the organiza-
ton of the Republican party, as to
overcome all opposition, and has so
continued to the presents One school
district, the Ridge, is however OF q
different character, in which nearly
every voter for thirty years has been
Of the Democratic persuasion, looking
upOn Andy Jackson as the greatest
in our national diadem of statesmen,
and considering hard money and
state rights as the palladium of civil
and political liberty.
POLITICAL AND MILITARY.
In 1850, the nomination of Lincoln I
was received with some degree Of 4
coolness by the more radical portion /.
of the Republican party, butthe usual |
majOrities were given at the fall cleo /
ton in that year. During the winter, |
as secession began to show itself more /
plainly, with the plans Of the south 1
ern leaders, as Representatives and |
senators of states following in the I
wake of South Carolina, drew their .
took their hats and bade .
adieu to Uncle Sam, our citizens could |
hardly realize that war was before .
them. Even after the fall of Sumter,
when Lincoln's call for troops flashed
along the wires, but three enlisted in
the service. We had so long been
taught by the Evangelical Alliance to
believe in Elihu Burritis system of a
Peace Congress, that we supposed the
swords and spears had all been beaten
INTO plough-shares and pruning
hooks, years before. We could hard
" believe that the old law, "Ui ct
IrmiS,D still existed as "demier re-
sort" Of nations. The patriotic feel
ng of the people soon began to show
itself in various ways. A pole, l6O
ieet in height, was raised and a L.
5. flag of suitable proportions to cor
with il, was swung to the
breeze from its summit. Every school
lung out its colors. Many private
displayed the stars and
tripes from some prominent place on ,
heir buildings, which were lowered !
o half mast when reverses befell our I
irmies, or were raised to their peaks ,
When victories crowned their efforts.
This was soon followed by the organi-
alton Of two companies for drill, I
lndeT officers who knew no more of [
matters than the men they s
we're to command, Uniforms were I
Oon provided and after two or three [
spent in attempting to learn s
ONE Of the more simple eYolutiDns, {
re received an invitation from a !
Ompany in an adjoining township,
o meet with them for drill, and deci-
ed to accept it, as their able eomman- I
eI had seen service in an independ- G
Mt company, years before, and we /
7ere in hopes to add to our stock of q
Military knowledge, by spending the Z
ay at that place. We were on hand c
{ the time appointed, and among the I
ew things introduced were some {
which do not seem to have been men, n
IOned by Scott or Hardee, from some q
ause, and probably were taken from
Ome unpublished military work, by
'ecumseh, or King Philip, or else Il
raWn from the futile brains of the V
enior officer on that memorable oc- R
asion. AT least after lapse Of ten il
ears, no other solution can be made 81
the matter. A small company or b.
anized at Burg Hill, that were ac- Il
to spend evenings drilling Il
= lamplight, in large barn, soon n
,quired such proficiency as to set W
le achievements Of all the rest in the
lade. The Rev. Joseph Marvin =
aving been invited, made an ap-
ointment on q given day in June, to
sliveTa discourse on the times, at "a
urg Hill. Services at the churches pl
ere discontinued. In addition to Il
le usual church goers, four military OF
appeared in their usual al
and marched on to the in
'ound selected for the occasion with to
ilitary music, making the day seem cI