Cleveland in the American Civil War Cleveland , Ohio , was an important Northern city during the American Civil War . It provided thousands of troops to the Union Army , as well as millions of dollars in supplies , equipment , food , and support to the soldiers . Public sentiments on the war . Prior to the Civil War , residents of Cleveland viewed the slaveholding South based on political affiliation . While a majority of Clevelanders tended to side with the abolitionist North , not all of them loathed slavery , nor were all convinced that a civil war would resolve ideological differences between North and South . As the 1860 election year approached and impending clouds of war loomed , Cleveland ' s newspapers reflected divisions in the city . For example , " The Cleveland Herald and Gazette " and " The Cleveland Leader " , both largely Republican papers , argued that Southern injustices had driven John Brown to raid Harpers Ferry in October 1859 . " The Plain Dealer " , a largely Democratic publication , blamed Brown and abolitionist Republicans for the raid . Republican leader Abraham Lincoln spoke in the city during the 1859 gubernatorial election , and won 58 % of the vote in 9 of 11 wards for the Presidency in 1860 . As the secession crisis loomed closer , the partisan rhetoric of Cleveland newspapers became more and more heated . The " Herald " celebrated Lincoln ' s victory as one of right over wrong , of Unionists over secession - minded southern Democrats , while the " Leader " dismissed threats of the South ' s secession . " The Plain Dealer " , meanwhile , warned that secession was imminent . Lincoln came through Cleveland on his way to Washington , D . C . for his inauguration . When war finally did break out with the Confederate firing on Fort Sumter in April 1861 , Cleveland ' s Democrats and Republicans decided to end their dispute and united to form the National Union party to support Lincoln ' s war effort . However , this coalition did not go untested . Economic impact of the war . The Civil War years brought an economic boom to Cleveland . The city made the transition from a small town to an industrial giant . Railroad iron and gun - carriage axles were manufactured for military use . Due to the cutoff of Southern trade , Cleveland opened its first tobacco factory , T . Maxfield & Co . , in 1862 . The city ' s garment industry also began to prosper . The German Woolen Factory ( also in 1862 ) became the first company to manufacture wool cloth in Cleveland . By 1865 , its banks held $ 2 . 25 million in capital and $ 3 . 7 million in deposits . In 1863 , 22 % of all U . S . warships built for use on the Great Lakes were built in Cleveland . That figure increased by 1865 to 44 % . Civilian aid to the military centered around establishment and maintenance of the Soldiers ' Aid Society of Northern Ohio ( 1861 ) , the U . S . General Hospital ( 1862 ) , Camp Taylor ( 1861 ) , and Camp Cleveland ( 1862 ) . Food , blankets , and reading material were provided by citizens to recruits at both military camps until government stores and equipment could be distributed . Memorialization and lingering issues . When the war ended , Cleveland welcomed home troops after service in the field , treating them to a meal and a short welcoming ceremony on Public Square before they marched to Camp Cleveland for payment and discharge from the army . Those Clevelanders who died in the war were honored at Woodland Cemetery with the memorials commemorating the 7th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment and the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment . Another famous regiment with Cleveland ties was the 8th Ohio Infantry , which helped repel Pickett ' s Charge . In April 1865 , the Lincoln funeral train stopped briefly in Cleveland , and his coffin was displayed on Public Square . The issue of full emancipation still lingered . The " Herald " and the " Leader " had supported the proposed Emancipation Proclamation of January 1 , 1863 , commending Lincoln for the " for the stalwart blow he struck for freedom and for the peace and future tranquility of the Union . " The " Plain Dealer " , on the other hand , argued that the only purpose of the war was to preserve the Union and that making " citizens of the entire black population " would ultimately tarnish the white race . Following the war , the Soldier ' s and Sailors ' Monument was erected in Public Square .