Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1882-10-05
Ross Alexander and the War for the
Union.
To tie Editor ofMe Chronicle:

| MI. hOSS Alexander, democratic can
dldate for Congress, is just now posing
as war Democrat, and il would seen
some good Union men are disposed tC
overlook his course during the war OF
the rebellion; indeed, listening TO some
Of his friends, begin to DOUBT whether
Pap Thomas or Ross Alexander was the
"Rock OF Chickamauga." l harbor nc
feeling of resentment toward Mr.. Alex
ander and men like him, who sneered
and ScOffed at patriotic men who follow
ed the drums and the flag to the field of
battle, many of whom never returned
Time was when thought he deserved
to follow his patron saint, Vallandigham,
through the rebel lines into the arms of
his friend, jeff. Davis, but eighteen
years have softened the aSperities of
those times,and lam willing that MrAl-
eXander shall live under and prosper in
this worlds goods, and be protected by
Il government he had no good word for
when assailed by the most formidable
armed rebellion of history; but when he
asks people who contributed so much
in blood and treasure to save the coun-
try, to send him to the legislative coun
ellis of the nation, and when we find
AAN'A "POAS5A1lhS 1O1 anu CACuoluS Ills
course during that terrible struggle,
must utter my most earnest protest.
When the first gun was fired the voice
of opposition Was stilled here in ST.
Clalrsville and elsewhere. throughout
the North. The flag was flung from the
spire of the old court house, the bells
rang, and the drums beat, and in re-
sponse to President I.incoln's call for
seventy five thousand volunteers, old
men and young, assembled at the court
house. Speeches in favor of uphOlding
the Union and responding to the call for
volunteers. were made Ey the venerable
Judge COwen, Capt. Peter Tallman, and
others. Mr.. Alexander was called out,
and to this day it is solemnly asserted he
spoke so eloQuently for the old flag and
the Union that his relative, Glover,
cried. A company was raised at once,
and Ill few weeks was in Western Vir-
ginia, commanded by Capt Tallman.
Then followed the call for three hundred
thousand men for three years, or during
the war. Capt. CharleswOrth's company
followed. Other calls came, and other
companies were organized, until several
hundred of the very flower of the young
men OF the county were marshaled in
the armies in Virginia, and Kentucky,
and Missouri. When the reyerses of the
summer of 1862 overlook the national
arms. the anti-war Democrats of the1
North began to assert themselves, and
right here in st. Clairsville they were
foremost in doing that. The Alexandels
were Calhoun-states'- rights men in SEN
.timent, and the brethren naturally look
ed to them to take the lead in the oppo-l
sition. and they did. A meeting was
held in the autumn of that year in the
fair grounds. The terrible reverses of
the second Bull Run were then lust
past. The armies in the Southwest had
been worsted. With long lines of com
munlcatlOn to keep up and covering a |
wide extent of country in their opera
tions, their wasted columns needed help,
but they were undaunted and determin-
ed. Every community in the North |
had already suffered greatly, and stout |
hearted men were appalled, at the pros
pect.
The opposition to the war availed
itself of the opportunity. On no other
occasion, perhaps, in this county, during
the war, were more outrageous senti-
ments uttered than at that time. MIR.
Alexander was present, and every time
the speaker would hiss through bis teeth
the words The beastly Lincoln" would
applaud the sentiment. Indeed it would |
have done jeff Davis soul good to have
heard the speeches uttered on that Oc-
casion, and he would have rejoiced
greatly at the reception which thev
met. Mr.. Campbell, editor of the Whee-
ling lntelligencer, Col. L. M. Norton.
Samuel Crane. and Campbell Tarr.
Union men of West Virginia, were pres
ent, and felt so indignant at the rank
treason uttered that they insisted ON the
Union men holding meeting at night.
and accordingly one was arranged, to be
addressed by Col. Norton and Mr.. Crane.
Notices were printed hurriedly and post
ed throughout the town, and when the
hour arrived the court room was filled
with Union men and women. The ad
dresses of the afternoon were dissected
and answered, and the people appealed
to eloquently and effectively to stand by
their grand old President, the flag of
their country, and their neighbors who
were marching and fighting and diving
through the South. So soon us it adj.
journed, and the people begun moving
out the front door of the court house.
Ross Alexander began harangusing a
crowd of his friends from the balcony
of the National Hotel, opposite. Again
was the patient, great-hearted President.
who to-day occupies Mrger place in
the hearts of the people than any man
who has ever lived in the country, de
nounced i'll the most beastly terms, and
warming up as he proceeded the speaker {
N hn ,Inh h,,I 4 L..
from Wheeling as "men who came Overt
here with loaded pistols in their pockets
to intimidate free speech" This, after
The exhibition of the afternoon in the |
fair groundl Mr.. Campbell quickly STEP s
ped across the street, went up the steps, C
md said to him very emphatically, "Mr.
you are a liar" Ross stop ,
ped, looked moment at the determined
nan before him, and As Mr.. C. climbed
,ver the railing toward him, calculating. I"
Mr.. Alexander, you are an Internal C
lar, made his escape through the win
low, and that was the last seen of him 81
hat night. That was the kind of y G.
Union man Mr.. Alexander was In 1862. 7
The following year he was one of the
'atriots who hOwled over the country
or Vallandighan, supporting him for /,
Governor by his voice and vote. InAu- u
ust of that year he WAS one of the pro-
loters of the great Vallandigham meet. g;
ng at st. Clairsville, when thousands of A,
is followers congregated here, and
throughout the day howled through the
treets, insulting every known Union SC
ian who made his appearance. and Sc
D outraged and stirred the Union peo-
lie of the town that the monster Brouph w
leeting of the 10th September follow. ! in
i as natural sequence. That demon tr
ration settled Mr.. Alexander and his cl