The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-06-24
OUR CANDIDATES.
Sketches of the Eminent Services
and Personal UIO1tH Of
Rutherford B. Hayes and VIM. A. Wheeler.
RUTHERFORD b. HAYES.

AGAINST GREAT ODDS "A BRILLIANT
ARMY OFFICER WHO WOULD NOT GO
HOME TO WORK FOR HIS ELECTION TO
BUT IS SOUGHT FOR THE BEST.
Rutherford Birchard Hayes was born in
Delaware, Ohio, Oct. 4, 1929. His parents
Rutherford Hayes and Sophia Birchard,
were natives of Windham county, YER
mont, and emgrated to Ohio in 1917 His
first American ancestor of the name of
Hayes was George Hayes, a Scotchman,
who settled in Windsor Conn.,, about 1880
/ His mother was descended from John Birch
ard, who came over with his fathers family
| from England in 1855, and became one of
the principal proprietors and settlers of
/ Norwich, Conn. Three of his ancestors,
Daniel Austin. Israel Smith, and Elias
Birchard, were members of the Revolu-
tionary Army, the latter dying during his
term of service. In 1912, young Hayes
graduated at Kenyon College with the first
honors of his class, of which he was the
youngest member, and during the same
year he began the study of law with
Thomas Sparrow, ESD, at Columbus, Ohio
In 1915, he graduated at the Law School
of Harvard University, was admitted to
the Bar at Marietta, and began the practice
of his profession at Fremont, Ohio, in part
nership with Gen. Ralph p. Buchland In
1919, he removed to Cincinnati, and in 1852
was married to Lucy Ware Webb, daugh-
ter of DR.. James Webb and Maria Cook,
of Chllicothe. In 1856, he was nominated
for Judge of Common Pleas, but declined
the nomination. In 1858, the office of City
Solicitor becoming vacant by the death of
Judge Hart, he was unexpectedly elected
by the City Council to fill the vacancy, and
in 1859 was collected by the people for a
full term, running over five hundred votes
ahead of his ticket. He held this office
until the Spring of 1861, discharging his
duties, as a local journal stated, $50 as
even to extort the highest praise from his
political antagonists"
At this period Mr.. Hayes was considered
one of the most brilliant young lawyers at
the Cincinnati Bar, and had acquired both
large business and enviable reputation
He had been employed as counsel in several
of the most notable fugitive slave cases of
that day, as we'll as in several others that
attracted wide attention. Among the lat
ter was the celebrated Nancy Farrar pois-
oning case, in which Mr.. Hayes was APP
pointed to defend the accused, and secured
her acquittal on the thhd trial In the
discussed the laws relating to insanity, and
some of his propositions were afterward
incorporated into the statutes of the State
He also distinguished himself in what was
widely known as the James Summons muir
der case, tried in the final hearing, before
the Supreme Court of the State at Column
bus. Judge now Senator Thurman was
then on the Supreme Bench, and about
two hundred prominent lawyers from all
parts of Ohio were in attendance. Among
these was Hon. Thomas Ewing, Sr., who
pronounced Hayes opening the best first
speech he had ever heard.
Political advancement was naturally sug-
gested by such success at the Bar, and as
early as 1856 the name of r. B. Hayes was
very generally associated in the public mind
with Congressional honors. In 1858, he
was very greatly favored especially by the
young men, for the nomination to Congress,
and could undoubtedly have had it had he
desired. This was equally true in 1850 and
1862.
A MAJOR IN THE ARMY.
When the Rebellion broke out few men
of his age had more brilliant prospect in
civil life, but as an original Republican he
naturally took sides with the Union cause,
and his sympathy with it was intense. AS
illustrating his views and feelings at this
time, the following, written by him on the
4th of January, 1861, may be quoted:
"South Carolina has passed secession
ordinance, and Federal laws are set at
naught in the State. Overt acts enough
have been committed, forts and arsenals
having been taken, revenue cutter seized,
and Major Anderson besleged in Fort Sum-
ter. Other Cotton States are about to fol-
low. Disunion and civil war are at hand;
and yet | fear disunon and war less than
compromise. We can recover from them.
The free States alone, if we must go on
alone, will make glorious nation. do
not feel gloomy when look forward. The
reality is less frghtful than the apprehen
sion which we have all had these many
years. Let us be temperate, calm, and
Just, but firm and resolute. Criltenden S
compromise! Windham, speaking of the
rumor that Bonaparte was about to invade
England, said the danger Of invasion is
by no means equal to that of peace. A
man may escape pistol, no matter how
near his head, but not dose of poison "
On the 18th day of May, 1861, he wrote
"Judge Mathews and l have agreed to
go into the service for the war, if possible
into the same regiment. l spoke my feel
ings to him, which he said were his also,
viz, that this was just and necessary
war; that it demanded the whole power OF
the country and that | would prefer to &C
into it if ! knew was to die or be killed
in the course Of it, rather than live through
and after it without taking any part in it.
Mr.. Hayes and Judge Mathews now un.
dertook to raise regiment for the Union
service, and in short time they had com,
| DaDleS SuOuSu lOI I"u w I'LL teu VI tueSt
the Twenty third Ohio Infantry was or,
ganized, with w. S. Roseorans, (afterward,
Major General) as Colonel and r. Is. Hayes
as Major. The regiment, as thus organ
lied, arrived at Clarksburg, West Virginia
July 81, 1861, and spent the remainder Of
the year in arduous campaigning, Major
Hayes being meanwhile promoted to Lieu
tenant Colonel. In August, 1862, the
Twenty third was ordered East to join the
Army of the Potomac, and having beer
attached to the Division of Gen. j. D.
Cox marched into Maryland, arriving al
Middletown, September ID. Here, on the
18th, began the battle of South Mountain
resulting in the greater battle of Antietam
on the 18th. At South Mountain, TIT
Twenty third under Lieut.. Colonel Hayes
r led the column, and was the first infantry
engaged. Among the wounded was Lieut.
Colonel Hayes, who had an arm broken