Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1905-11-10
THE SQUIRREL HUNTERS.
How the Farmers of Ohio Responded
to the Call of the Governor
in 1862.

"The story of the Squirrel Hunters" !"
said the Old Timer in the Chicago
Inter Ocean, "has never been written,
and probably never will be. When
Kirby Smith advanced on Cincinnati
in 1862 he used his cavalry to screen
the movement of his main army, and
created panic in Kentucky and Ohio.
When he advanced in force business
was suspended in Cincinnati, and
practically the whole male population
over Is years of age was organized
for work of military duty.
"The defeat of the troops sent
against Kirby Smith and their suffer-
ings added to the public excitement,
and when Gov. Tod suggested that the
farmers and others who owned squir-
rel rifles, and could use them effective
ly, could save Ohio from invasion by
hurrying to Cincinnati, the old men
and young men acted on common
impulse. They bought powder, mold
ed bullets, and, supplied with home
cooked rations and blankets, drove or
went on foot to the nearest railroad
town, Joined with their neighbors in
electing a captain for each 80 or 100
men, climbed on the first train that
came along, and reported without de-
lay to the general in command at Gin
cinnati.
"The movement was general and
spontaneous, and nearly every coun-
ty was represented. The first regi-
ment from our county was 500 strong;
that from an adjoining county 1000
strong. The men were mostly from
40 to 60 years of age, and they were
queer lot. They were without mill
tary training, and as old Maj Bur
banks, of the regular army, looked
over the gray-bearded countrymen he
smiled grimly when our captain said:
We are not much on the about face,
but we know how to shoot. If you
know on what road the rebs are COM
ing, just put us there. Don't ask us
to cut any monkey shines, but give
us chance to shoot and we will
pick the rebs off like squirrels
THAT day and night 10000 men
with squirrel rifles were across the
confederate lines of advance, and the
inspecting officer, after satisfying him
self that the old codgers were all good
marksmen, let it be known that there
were 10000 of the best shots
in Ohio in line ready for business.
OF course the old fellows in homespun
were patronized by the boys in uni
form, but they did not care. War
was serious business to them,
and many who had never been out
side of their own counties were nerv-
Gus and homesick. Others, however,
were jolly and venturesome, and as the
men with rifles kept coming, the
movement became so significant and
impressive that the people of the city
and the seasoned soldiers came to
treat the Squirrel Hunters with touch
ing tenderness and respect.
when the rebs retreated the
Squirrel Hunters returned quietly to
their homes and they never were
counted. Only those who reached the
front responded when the legislature
called for lists Of names. Of the 50,-
900 afield only $4,000 received the
Squirrel Hunter certificate from the
governor. | was prouder of mine,
however, than my son was of his
coloners commission. In every case
that certificate, with its picture of
frontier squirrel hunter, represented
service to the country without money
and without price. There are not a
few of them in Chicago, for the de-
scendants of the Squirrel Hunters are
widely scattered, but of the older
Squirrel Hunters of 1862 there are few
survivors"