Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-10-25
Death of Gen. Steedman.

NrtI. jus. ID. Iotetuiiidlli dileT All III
hess of several weeks, died of pneumO-
mia at his residence i'm Toledo on last
Thursday afternoon. at $3.50 o'clock.
His funeral took place on Monday, be-
ing one of the largest funeral gatherings
ever seen in Northwestern Ohio. He
was buried with military honOrs, many
of his old companions in arms being
present. Quite number of citizens of
Napoleon and Henry county paid their
last respects to "Old Chickamauga," /"
and former resident of this county, by
being present at his funeral.
Gen. Steedman was born i'm NOrthum-
berland County, Penn, and learned the
printers trade in the office of the Lew
isburg Democrat. When only about
twenty-one years old he moved to Ma
poleon, Henry County, Ohio, and for
some years afterward divided his atten-
ton between railroad contracting and
the publication Of country newspaper,
taking positions at the same time as To-
cal political leader. He was one of the
heavy contractors on the Wabash &
Erie canal, also the Wabash railroad at
the time of their construction. He was
elected, as we learn from biographical
sketch in the Enquirer, twice success
sively to the lower branch of the Legis-
lature, was a member of the State
Board of Public works for four years,
and was elected Public Printerat WASH
ington in 1857. He was Douglas man
at the Charleston Convention, and
made canvass for Congress as an ad-
herent of the Little Giant" but was
defeated. In 1861 General Steedman
had become resident of Toledo. He
went into the war as Colonel of the
Fourteenth Ohio Regiment, and made
a brilliant career. To give any thing
like detailed account of his services in
the war would be to simply reproduce
matter which is easily accessible in
books, and which is already in the
keeping of those who would be inter-
ested in it. General Steedman rapidly
progressed as military commander,
and in 1858 became Major-General of
volunteers for distinguished and gallant
services on the field of Chickamauga.
He was accredited the hero of that bat
tie. At the time of that memorable
encounter he was stationed at bridge
with orders to hold it at all hazards.
Having no enemy in front of him, he
left his orders to take care of themselves
and proceeded to the support of Cen
eral Thomas, who was severely pressed.
He knew nothing of the country or the
position of the armies, but by marching
to the "sound of the cannon" skirm-
ishing on the way, he found fighting
ground, and soon became hotly engaged.
His services proved to be of the great
est value to General Thomas. This
was only one of Steedman's notable
achievements in the war, but it was the
one that gave him the proud and affec-
tionately familiar title of "Old Chicka-
mauga." After the war he made an
official tour of inspection of the Freed
mems Bureau, and was for some time
Collector of Internal Revenue at New
Orleans. Later he served in the Ohio
Senate, and was active in the politics of
the State up to the time of his death.
He was always consistently and earn
estly Democrat. AS soldier, poll
tician and citizen he combined all the
most admirable qualities. He was abb
solutely steadfast in his principles, and
had a force of character which brought
admiration even from those who were
his political adversaries. He was a
practical man of strong sense, and was
as fearless and aggressive in politics as
he was in war. He was also disci-
plinarian, though the most striking
event of his soldier life was his promo
ton to a Major-Generalship for disobe-
dience to orders. He was generally the
first to smooth out the wrinkles after
hot party wrangle, and always in the
front when his party was in it's greatest
need. General Steedman was a big
Drained, warm-hearted, generous man,
distinguished as soldierand politician,
but even greater in those graces of man.
hood which commended him as a
friend. Grief over his death will be
deep indeed. No man was more de-
serving of friendship, and no man
more substantially earned the praises
which are accorded to our heroes.