regiment. When the rebel army was likely to be overtaken, Benham
remarked to him, that "he depended on him to rout the enemy," and gave
him the post of honor; but when the firing became rapid, his regiment
was ordered to the front, where a part of it was engaged in
skirmishing, while the balance were smoking their pipes and engaging in
sports, almost under the guns of the enemy, Creighton enjoying the fun
as well as any in the command.
The detachment returned, after fifteen days' absence, without the loss
of a man, save one injured by the accidental discharge of a gun.
The regiment now went to the East, where, soon after, Tyler was given a
brigade, and Creighton again commanded the regiment.
At the battle of Winchester, which followed soon after, his was the
first regiment in the famous charge of the Third brigade, for which it
acquired such renown. He disagreed with the commanding officer as to
the manner of making the charge, preferring to deploy before advancing,
than to charge a battery in close column. But throwing all personal
feelings and preferences aside, he dashed forward, and finally deployed
his regiment within eighty yards of the enemy's line of battle, and
under a terrible fire of both musketry and artillery. His horse being
shot from under him, he seized a musket, and engaged in the strife,
firing rapidly till near the close of the battle, when he was compelled
to cease for the purpose of executing some order.
On the return of the command to New Market, after the pursuit of
Jackson to near Harrisonburg, the company tents were ordered to be
delivered up; whereupon Creighton was very indignant, and, in
connection with other officers, sent in his resignation. They were
ordered to report to General Shields the next morning. Accordingly,
dressed in their "best," they reported. They were received with all the
politeness that pompous general knew how to assume, with an invitation
to be seated. The general informed them that their resignations would
not be accepted; but remarked, that, "if they _desired_ it, he would
have their names stricken from the army rolls in disgrace." This
witticism rather amused Creighton than otherwise, and he returned to
camp with a much better opinion of the general than he was possessed of
before making his visit.
He now commanded the regiment in its march to Fredericksburg, sharing
with his men the hardships attending the toilsome march; and when, a
few days after, the regiment returned to the Valley, he did much to
cheer the men in that discouraging march.
At Front Royal he remained with his regiment during a heavy storm, to
which it was exposed without tents, disdaining to seek shelter and
comfort while his men were thus exposed.
The men were now very destitute of clothing, especially shoes; but when
ordered, he moved to Columbia Bridge, followed by one hundred men
barefooted. He now went personally to General Shields, but was coldly
received by that general, being subjected to insulting remarks. He came
back to his regiment with that same unutterable expression of contempt
stamped upon his features, which all will remember who served with him
in the field; and getting his men in column, closed in mass, made a
speech. Said he: "I am unable to procure shoes or other comforts for
you; but I will follow these generals until there is not a man left in
the regiment. Forward, company H!" And he did follow them to Port
Republic, where his words came near proving true.
At this battle his bravery and daring were observed by every one. He
made repeated charges with his regiment, the line being as correct as
on dress-parade. After one of these charges, the enemy's cavalry came
dashing towards his regiment, and dispositions were immediately made
for forming a square; but the enemy wisely wheeled, and charged another
regiment. The colonel of this regiment, being unable to get his men in
position, shouted in a stentorian voice: "Men of the ----th, look at
the Seventh Ohio; and d--n you, weep!"
In this battle the regiment made five charges, under the leadership of
Creighton; and each time driving the enemy.
After the battle was over, and the regiment on the retreat, seeing a
wounded captain lying almost within the enemy's lines, he rode up to
his company, and pointing to where he was lying, said: "Do you see your
captain over yonder? _Now, go for him!_" They did go for him, and
succeeded in bringing him from the field in safety.
Only a few were missing from the regiment in this action, although the
list of killed and wounded was fearful.
We next find Creighton at the battle of Cedar Mountain, where a small
division fought the whole of Jackson's army on ground of his own
choosing. Creighton handled his regiment with a dexterity that told
fearfully on the ranks of the enemy. He was finally severely wounded,
and compelled to leave the field. In doing so, he kept his face to the
foe, saying that "no rebel ever saw his back in battle; and never
would." He was taken to Washington, where the bullet was extracted from
his side, which was an exceedingly painful operation. Soon after this
he came to his home; but while still carrying his arm in a sling, he
reported to his regiment.
While at home the battle of Antietam was fought, which was the only one
in which he failed to participate. Soon after his return, the affair at
Dumfries occurred, where, through his ingenuity and skill, Hampton's
cavalry command was defeated by a mere handful of men. For this he was
publicly thanked by Generals Slocum and Geary.
He now took part in the battle of Chancellorsville, where he won new
laurels. It is said that being ordered by General Hooker to fall back,
he refused to do so until able to bring Knapp's Battery safely to the
rear; for which disobedience of orders he was recommended for
promotion. This battery was from his native city, and in it he had many
friends.
Next he was at Gettysburg, where he fought with his accustomed valor.
We now find him at Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, in "Hooker's
battle above the clouds," where the victory was so suddenly and
unexpectedly won, that scarcely sufficient time intervened in which to
display valor. It was simply a race for the top of the mountain on the
part of our men; and a corresponding race on the part of the rebels for
the foot of the mountain on the opposite side.
After this battle came the pursuit of Bragg. His rear-guard was
overtaken at Ringgold, Georgia, where it was securely posted on the top
of Taylor's Ridge--a naked eminence. It was madness to undertake to
drive them from this hill, without the use of artillery to cover the
assault; but in the excitement of the moment the order was given. In
this assault Creighton commanded a brigade. Forming his command, he
made a speech. "Boys," said he, "we are ordered to take that hill. I
want to see you walk right up it." After this characteristic speech, he
led his men up the hill. It soon became impossible to advance against
the terrible fire by which they were met; he, therefore, led them into
a ravine, but the rebels poured such a fire into it from all sides,
that the command was driven back. Reaching a fence, Creighton stopped,
and facing the foe, waited for his command to reach the opposite side.
While in this position he fell, pierced through the body with a rifle
bullet. His last words were: "Oh, my dear wife!" and he expired almost
immediately. The brigade now fell rapidly back, carrying the remains of
its idolized commander with it.
Lieutenant-Colonel Orrin J. Crane was born in Troy, New York, in the
year 1829. At three years of age his parents moved to their native
State, Vermont. Soon after, his father died, leaving but limited means
for the support and education of his children. His mother was a
Christian woman, and devoted to her children. From her he received his
first lessons of life; and a worthy teacher he had. He cherished his
mother with the utmost affection, dwelling upon her goodness with
almost child-like simplicity. It was touching to listen to the words of
love and confidence falling for her, from the lips of the sturdy
warrior, who braved the battle-fire without a tremor.
In early youth he went to live with an uncle, and in about 1852 came
with him to Conneaut, Ohio, where he employed himself in mechanical
labor. He spent one year on the Isthmus, and after his return went to
Cleveland, where he engaged in the occupation of a ship-carpenter,
following this trade till the fall of Sumter. While in Cleveland he
associated himself with a military organization.
He entered the service as first-lieutenant in Captain Creighton's
company; and on his promotion, was made captain. He early devoted
himself to the instruction of his company; and it can be said that it
lost nothing of the efficiency it acquired under the leadership of
Creighton.
After the regiment entered the field, his services were invaluable. I
doubt if the entire army contains an officer who has performed more
service, in the same length of time, than Crane. If a bridge was to be
constructed, or a road repaired, he was sent for to superintend it. If
the commissary department became reduced, he was the one to procure
supplies. No undertaking was too arduous for his iron-will to brave.
There was no fear of starvation while the sturdy Crane was present. All
relied on him with the utmost confidence, and no one was ever
disappointed in him.
At the affair of Cross Lanes, where he first came under fire, he was
more than a hero; he seemed possessed of attributes of a higher nature.
He moved amid that sheet of flame, as if possessed of a soul in
communion with a higher power. He inspired his men with true courage.
They stood like a wall, and fell back only when ordered by their
leader, then dashed through the strong line of the enemy with a bravery
which was truly sublime. The enemy, although five to one, hesitated,
swayed backward, and finally fled, so severely punished, that for the
time they did not pursue. In that long march, over the mountains to
Gauley Bridge, he was still the proud leader.
After his arrival at the above place, he was sent out to the front, up
New River, where he rendered valuable service.
He was in every march and skirmish in both Western and Eastern
Virginia, until, we find the regiment at the battle of Winchester. In
this engagement he showed the same indomitable and true courage. He
held his men to the work of carnage so fearfully, that the enemy's
slain almost equalled his command.
We now find him in every battle in which his regiment was engaged in
the East. Port Republic, Cedar Mountain (where he was slightly
wounded), Antietam, Dumfries, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg. In all
of these he _led_ his command, and the dead of the enemy left on the
field before it attest how well he led it.
At the battle of Antietam, he commanded the regiment, and during the
latter part of the engagement, a brigade.
Before the regiment left for the West, he was made lieutenant-colonel;
a position which his ability and long, as well as faithful, service of
his country rendered him eminently qualified to fill.
Arriving in the West, he commanded the regiment in the battles of
Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, where he added new laurels to his
already imperishable name. At fatal Ringgold, he again commanded the
regiment. He led it up the steep ascent, where the whistling of bullets
made the air musical; and where men dropped so quietly that they were
scarcely missed, except in the thinned ranks of the command. The
regiment had not recovered from the shock produced by the announcement
of the death of Creighton, when the noble Crane, on whom all hearts
were centred in the fearful peril of that hour, fell at the feet of his
devoted comrades, pierced through the forehead by a rifle bullet. He
spoke not a word--his strong heart ceased to beat; and his soul took
its flight from its blood-red tenement, and from the confusion of
battle, to the land of patriot spirits. He fell so far in the advance,
that his men were driven back before possessing themselves of his
body,--but soon after it was recovered.
The sketches of Creighton and Crane now lie in the same path.
After the bodies of the fallen braves had been laid side by side, the
remaining few of a once full regiment gathered around and mourned,--the
silence alone being broken by the tears and sobs of a band of warriors,
grieving for the loss of their chieftains. Was such a scene ever
witnessed? Those forms, now cold and bloody, had often led them on the
field of carnage, to victory and glory; under their leadership the
regiment had been made immortal; and now, in all their pride, and
glory, and chivalry, they had gone down to rise no more. No wonder,
then, that their brave followers paid their last tribute to all that
was mortal of their renowned leaders. It seemed to these mourners, in
their loss the regiment itself was blotted out--that it would no more
be known and honored--that its sun had forever set. But no, many a
brave heart, that stood in that circle, was to be made a sacrifice to
his country; many more hearts were to be left crushed and bleeding for
the loved ones fallen in battle. When the last tear had been shed, and
the last vow made over these fallen braves, the regiment moved away in
profound silence.
While this scene was being enacted afar off among the hills of Georgia,
the peaceful valleys of Ohio were echoing with the lamentations of
friends at home. The hearts of the people of the Western Reserve were
bound by the strong ties of kin and friendship to this gallant
regiment, which had but just made its great sacrifice, and they were
all in mourning. When the news came of this great disaster, it could
not be believed; the friends of the fallen would not give them up. And
it was not until a dispatch was received that their bodies were on the
way home, that it was generally believed. At last, when the people
realized that the sad news was indeed true, meetings were called by the
representatives of all branches of trade and industry. Resolutions of
respect were passed, and preparations made to receive the dead, on
their arrival, in a becoming manner.
When General Hooker learned of the death of Creighton and Crane, he
raised both hands, in surprise and grief, exclaiming, "My God! are they
dead? Two braver men never lived!"
General Butterfield, chief of staff, gave orders to remove the bodies
to the rear. They were conveyed to Chattanooga by Sergeant Tisdell,
where they were met by Quartermaster Loomis, and privates Wetzel,
Shepherd, and Meigs. General Slocum testified his appreciation of their
worth, by accompanying their bodies as far as Tullahoma. When the news
reached him of their death, his grief was so profound, that the stern
veteran burst into tears.
They were taken to Nashville to be embalmed. But little, however, could
be done for Creighton, as he had bled inwardly; his body was therefore
put into a metallic case. Crane's body was embalmed, and placed in a
plain, but neat coffin, till it should arrive in Cleveland and be
transferred to a burial case. Dr. Newbury, of the Sanitary Commission,
rendered much service in this work, after which he accompanied the
remains to Louisville. From this place they were forwarded to
Cincinnati by train, where they were met by the special escort from
Cleveland, consisting of Colonel Hayward, Lieutenant-Colonel J. T.
Sterling, Lieutenant-Colonel Frazee, Captain Baird, Captain Molyneaux,
Captain De Forest, Captain Wiseman, Surgeon Cushing, and Quartermaster
Chapin.
On Sunday morning the train dashed into Cleveland, and stopped at the
foot of Superior-street. Two hearses were in waiting. One for Colonel
Creighton, drawn by four white horses; the other for Lieutenant-Colonel
Crane, drawn by four black horses. Each was draped by American flags
and the usual insignia of mourning.
The remains of Colonel Creighton were now removed from the car to the
hearse, and conveyed to the residence of Mrs. Creighton, on
Bolivar-street. The remains of Lieutenant-Colonel Crane remained under
guard, till the return of the escort, when they were taken to the
residence of the widow.
This bright Sabbath will long be remembered. But a few short Sabbaths
before, the coffined dead left the city of their homes, possessed of
life and hope: looking forward with pride and happiness to the
termination of an honorable career in the service of their country. And
often in their night vigils, over the dying embers of their
picket-fires, had they conversed on the subject, passing the long night
in dreams never to be realized. The remaining few of your followers
have, indeed, long since returned; and although the hearts and feet of
these brave warriors were heavy with the tramp of weary months, yet
your slumber was not disturbed. Long years shall roll away, in which
war's tumult and carnage shall cease; but you shall only be known among
men by your good deeds left behind, and perpetuated in the hearts of
your countrymen.
On the 7th of December the bodies of Creighton and Crane were brought
from the residences of their families and taken to the Council Hall,
for the purpose of lying in state, to be seen by the public. The same
hearses were used as on the arrival of the bodies from the South.
The Council Hall was elegantly and appropriately decorated. In the
centre, within the railing, a handsome canopy had been placed, with
roof of national flags, draped with mourning emblems, suspended from
the ceiling, and trailing at the corners to the ground. Wreaths, loops,
and festoons of black and white edged the canopy. On the inside, from
the centre, hung a large pendant of mourning emblems, beneath which was
the bier on which lay the bodies of the gallant dead.
On the president's desk, at the head of the hall, were portraits of
Colonel Creighton and Lieutenant-Colonel Crane, draped in mourning; and
against the wall, behind the place of the president's seat, was a
life-size portrait of Colonel Creighton, also draped in mourning. Above
this portrait was this inscription, in black letters on white ground:
"My God! are they dead?
Two braver men never lived!"
--GENERAL HOOKER.
The windows were hung with black, and the gaslights threw a dim, solemn
light over the mournful scene.
The bodies were placed in handsome burial-cases, and the covers
removed, so that they could be seen through the glass fronts. As we
have before mentioned, the body of Colonel Creighton, from the wounds
having bled inwardly, was so much changed, previously to reaching
Nashville, that it was impossible to properly embalm it; and therefore
did not present a natural appearance. That of Lieutenant-Colonel Crane
was in good preservation, and could easily be recognized.
The bodies were guarded by a detachment of members of the old Seventh,
who formed the guard of honor.
The following account of the funeral services is from the Cleveland
Herald of the 9th of December.
"The sad pageant is over. A sorrowing people have paid their tribute of
affection and regret over the remains of the dead heroes. The brave
leaders of the glorious but ill-fated Seventh sleep in their quiet
tomb.
"Tuesday, the 8th, was a bright and beautiful day. Its clear sky and
pleasant atmosphere were strangely similar to that bright Sunday in
May, two years and a half ago, when the Seventh Regiment marched out of
Cleveland on its way to the battle-fields where it was destined to win
such renown. The unclouded sun shed a halo of glory on all that was
left of the brave men who led the old Seventh in many a fight; but who
now were to be laid away in the silent and peaceful tomb.
"The bright day opened on a city of mourners. People gathered on the
streets, waiting for the hour for the funeral. Business was unthought
of, even the latest news by telegraph, exciting as it was, and
calculated to stir the pulse with triumphant joy, failed to engross the
attention. Men spoke of the dead heroes, of their first departure for
the war, of their terrible battles and bloody sacrifices; and of that
last fearful struggle on the hill at Ringgold, where the gallant
leaders laid down their lives for their country, amid their dead and
wounded comrades.
"From every flag-staff the national colors hung at half-mast, and signs
of mourning were everywhere visible. As the hour set for the
commencement of the solemn exercises drew near, business was entirely
suspended throughout the city. The stores were closed, the Federal,
State, and city offices shut their doors, and a Sabbath-like stillness
reigned over the city. Soon came the tramp of armed men, the mournful
wail of bugles, and the funeral roll of the drums, as the troops moved
up to take part in the funeral procession.
"The bodies had remained in the Council Hall over-night, guarded by the
old comrades of the gallant dead. The families and relatives were in
the mayor's office, waiting for the hour of moving the procession. At
half past ten o'clock the bodies were removed from the Council Hall and
placed in hearses which were draped with the national colors, looped up
with mourning emblems.
"The pall-bearers were as follows: For Colonel Creighton--Colonel
Senter, Colonel Whittlesey, Major Mygatt, Lieutenant-Colonel Asper,
Major Seymour, Captain McIlrath, Captain Ransom, Captain Stratton. For
Lieutenant-Colonel Crane--Lieutenant-Colonel Goddard, Lieutenant-Colonel
Sterling, Major Palmer, Captain Drummond, Captain Douglass, Captain
Wilson, Captain Standart, Captain Hill.
"The burial-cases were the best that money could buy. On one was the
following inscription:
COL. W. R. CREIGHTON,
7th O. V. I,
In his 27th year.
Killed at the Battle of Ringgold,
Nov. 27th, 1863.
"On the other was the inscription:
LIEUT.-COL. O. J. CRANE,
Fell at the Battle of Ringgold,
Nov. 27th, 1863.
"On each coffin was laid a handsome wreath of immortelles, with the
sword of the dead officer.
"The Twenty-ninth Volunteer Militia were drawn up in line each side of
the way between the Council Hall and the Stone Church, and the mournful
_cortege_ passed through the lane so formed, Leland's Band playing
a dirge. The hearse was followed by the mourners in carriages--Governor
Brough, Surgeon McClurg, of the United States Military Hospital, the
City Council, and City and County Officers, all wearing crape badges.
"Thousands of people lined the way, and crowded around the church with
the hope of getting in; but there was not a sound from them, as the
procession passed on to the church. And such perfect order and decorum
we never before saw in such a vast concourse.
IN THE CHURCH.
"At the church--as indeed throughout the whole of the obsequies--the
most perfect arrangements had been made, and were carried out. The
reading-desk was draped with flags and crape. Directly in front was a
stand with an elegant bouquet of flowers, and below this another stand,
draped with national colors, on which rested the two coffins, side by
side.
"The silk banner of the Seventh, presented by the city after Cross
Lanes, and bearing the names of several battles, was displayed against
the reading-desk. It was pierced and rent by showers of bullets and
shell in many a hard-fought battle.
"The families and relatives of the deceased were placed in the seats
immediately in front of the bodies. On either side of the coffins sat
the pallbearers. Directly behind the mourners sat about a dozen or more
of the members of the old Cleveland Light Guard, the company commanded
by Colonel Creighton before the war, and of which Lieutenant-Colonel
Crane was a member. They wore crape badges, and had with them the
company flag, draped in mourning.
"Near the reading-desk were seated Governor Brough, Surgeon McClurg,
and other invited guests, the committees, city council, city officers,
county officers, the clergy of the city and neighborhood, members of
the old Seventh, members of the old Cleveland Light Guard, soldiers
from the Military Hospital, members of the Typographical Union,
ship-carpenters, and other friends of the deceased. The body of the
church was packed tightly with citizens, of whom the greater part were
ladies, preference being given to them in the selection of seats. The
Twenty-ninth Regiment stood in the aisles.
"During the entry of the procession to the church, the organ played a
voluntary suitable to the occasion. At half-past eleven o'clock the
funeral ceremonies in the church commenced with an invocation of the
Divine blessing by Rev. S. W. Adams, of the First Baptist Church, who
afterwards read appropriate passages of Scripture.
"The choir then sang the Ninetieth Psalm:
"'O God! our help in ages past,
Our help in years to come;
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home;
"'Beneath the shadow of Thy throne,
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.
"'Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her name,
From everlasting Thou art God--
To endless years the same.
"'Thy word commands our flesh to dust:
Return ye sons of men!
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.
"'O God! our help in ages past,
Our help for years to come:
Be Thou our guide while troubles last,
And our eternal home.'
"Rev. Adam Crooks, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church, then made the
following address, at the request of the family of the late Colonel
Creighton:
"'To-day we are in the solemn presence of inexorable death. We are
impressedly reminded that dust we are, and unto dust we must return;
that "death is the mighty leveller of us all;" that "the tall, the
wise, the heroic dead must lie as low as ours." Two lifeless heroes are
before us--
"'Their swords in rust;
Their souls with God in heaven, we trust.'
We would do well to pray with the hero of other days: "So teach us to
number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." Before us
are two more rich offerings which the State of Ohio and Cleveland have
laid upon our country's altar! They were preceded by Wheeler, Lantry,
Pickands, Mahan, Vail, and others. We are here to mourn, to honor, and
to bury the noble dead! They were the pride of our city and of Northern
Ohio. Brave and honored representatives of a brave and honored
constituency! Of one thousand eight hundred soldiers who have filled
the ranks of the Seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, but little
over a hundred now report for duty. Many of them sleep in patriots' and
heroes' graves. Most of the remainder bear on their persons honorable
marks of their patriotism and bravery. In honoring the representative,
we honor the constituency.
"'But _general_ remarks are not appropriate from me. At the request of
the stricken widow and relatives of Colonel Creighton, I come to utter
a few words of condolence, sympathy, and comfort, in this hour, to
_them_ and _to us all_, of deep affliction. Brother Foot will speak
in behalf of the relatives of Lieutenant-Colonel Crane.
"'Colonel William R. Creighton was born in the City of Pittsburgh,
in the year 1836 or 1837--the records are not in this city. In early
childhood he was bereft of a father. He was baptized by the Rev. Bishop
Uphold, now bishop of Indiana, of the Protestant Episcopal Church.
"'In his early teens, he served in the employ of Mr. A----, in an
extensive shoe establishment. Subsequently, he chose the occupation of
a printer, and spent three years in making himself master of his trade.
Eight years ago he came to this city--was four years in the office of
the Cleveland Herald. Also some six months in the City of Chicago. At
the time of enlistment, he was in the employ of Mr. Nevans of this
city. Early in life, he gave evidence that the tendencies of his nature
were strongly _military_.
"'This was evinced by his connection with companies for drill in
Pittsburgh, Chicago, and this city. When the bloody drama of this
dreadful war was inaugurated, he was lieutenant of the 'Cleveland Light
Guard.' He was not willing that the fair and majestic superstructure,
reared by the superior skill, patient labor, and heroic suffering of
our honored fathers--resting its deep foundations in the inalienability
of the natural rights of all men, and in which the most indigent son of
toil stands before the law the equal peer of merchant princes--should
be torn down by perjured traitors and sworn enemies of mankind; not
willing that these traitors and enemies should bury beneath the
magnificent ruins of this superstructure our strength, and greatness,
and safety, and peace, and very liberties; not willing that this young,
yet powerful republic, should be so dismembered and disintegrated as to
tempt the rapacity, and be an easy prey of the weakest of adverse
powers; not willing that the principle, that '_Capital shall own
labor_,' the non-capitalled be the chattel of the rich, should rule
all over this continent--that labor should be at once unremunerative
and the badge of infamy, that thus there should be eternal antagonism
between the indigent and the affluent, developing in intestine broils
and civil feuds,--nor that the sun of liberty should go down upon an
entire hemisphere, to rise not again for many generations; not willing
that the forum, pulpit, and press should all be enslaved, and
intelligence among the masses be rendered contraband; in brief, not
willing that our _Paradise_ should be converted into a _Pandemonium_.
"'Hence, no sooner had the news reached us of the assault upon Fort
Sumter, and the call of the President for seventy-five thousand
volunteers to rush to the defence of the life of the republic, than,
with all the ardor of his earnest nature, Colonel William R. Creighton
threw his _all_ upon his country's altar, and appealed to his
associates and compeers to do likewise.
"'His success in securing enlistments was commensurate with his zeal
and known military skill. In a few days he was captain of a full
company--the first enlisted in this city--which afterwards became
Company A of the immortal Seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. On
the morning of the 3d of May, 1861, a beautiful Sabbath morning in the
spring, emblem of life, youth, and beauty, this regiment started for
the field of conflict, glory, and of death. And now, on a clear, serene
Sabbath of the December of 1863, the dying month of the year, the first
Sabbath of the month, and in the morning, after many hard-fought
battles, the brave colonel and lieutenant-colonel of the gallant
Seventh came back to say to us, in the mute silence of death, 'We have
done what we could.' In terms and strains of true eloquence you will
soon be told by Brother Peck, how bravely the colonel led the charges
at Cross Lanes, Winchester, Port Republic, Cedar Mountain (not at
Antietam, for he was at home wounded), Dumfries, Chancellorsville,
Gettysburg, Lookout Mountain, and fatal Ringgold,--and how he loved his
brave command, and how they idolized him. But I will not anticipate,
nor need I attempt encomium. His _deeds_ praise him beyond the
capacity of all human eloquence.
"'Of his _social_ and _manly_ qualities, one who knew him well is
permitted to speak, in a letter of Christian sympathy, addressed to his
widow--for the 2d of May, 1861, three days before leaving with his
command, he was united in wedlock with Eleanor L. Quirk, of this city.
In a letter, such as described above, the Rev. Mr. Brown, former pastor
of Westminster Church, and for some months chaplain of the Seventh
Regiment, says:
"'MRS. COLONEL CREIGHTON: My dear Friend--I have just read in the
dispatches that your brave husband and Lieutenant-Colonel Crane
were killed in the late battle at Ringgold, Georgia. Oh, how sad
this is! Sad to me who loved him; but how _terribly_ sad to you,
his beloved wife! I cannot write about it. Precious memories of
hours and days of dangers and hardships, shared together in Western
Virginia (and of one long, serious conversation about death and
eternity, as we rode together at midnight through the woods) crowd
upon me. He was warm-hearted, generous, and noble. He loved his
country unto death. He was brave, even to rashness. But he has
gone!'
"'Yes, the warm-hearted friend, the loving brother, the affectionate
son, the devoted husband, the brave soldier, the undying patriot, the
fearless and fiery Creighton, is gone! We are here to-day to honor his
memory, recount his heroic deeds of noble daring, mourn his fall, and
convey his lifeless remains--with those of his brave comrade,
Lieutenant-Colonel Crane--to the tomb of a hero and a patriot.
"'What words of elegiac comfort shall I speak to his numerous personal
and sorrowful friends; his brothers in the union of the same useful and
honorable handicraft; his brave comrades in arms of the noble Seventh,
and other regiments, who are here to attest their affection and sorrow;
his brother in the flesh, who is now left without a brother; his aged
and sorely bereaved mother; and his youthful, but grief-stricken,
widow? How shall _I_, who would take my place with the mourners, speak
words of comfort to you?
"'Let us remember that although our _dear_, _dear_ friend will no
longer mingle with us in the social or domestic circle,--will not again
lead regiment or brigade of fearless braves in the thickest and hottest
of the fight, inspiring to feats of exalted heroism--his brave and
generous heart now cold and lifeless--dim and sightless those eyes
whose radiant and enlivening orbs beamed, now with kindness, and now
with fiery bravery--his intercourse with the living world, brought to a
final period,--let us remember, that although Colonel Creighton is
gone, yet he is not lost; he is not lost to his country, for it has his
noble example of true bravery and practical patriotism.
"'He is not lost to us who knew him, for he lives, and will ever live,
templed in our brightest memories and best affections. Nor can he be
lost to history, for he has made the offering which places his name on
its brightest page.
"'Death never comes alone, but is always attended by an escort of
sadness. Whenever the silver cord is loosed, the golden bowl broken,
the pitcher broken at the fountain, the wheel broken at the cistern,
and dust returns to the earth, as it was, mourners go about the
streets. But it is especially sad, when, as in this case, sister,
mother, and wife are denied the sorrowful pleasure of being present,
and ministering to the wants of the dying, and speaking words of
Christian hope. But even this finds an offset in the fact that it was
his honored privilege to die for country--to fall, covered with glory!
Also, in the fact that his body was not mangled--that he did not suffer
long--in the assurance furnished by the words, 'Oh, my dear wife!'
uttered in dying accents after he fell, and before he expired, that his
last thoughts were of home and kindred; and may not we hope that these
words were breathed in prayer, and that he threw his whole soul
helpless, but trustfully, upon the merits of the Saviour? Again, it is
a source of great gratification to us all, and especially to the
relatives, that he does not fill a distant and unknown grave--that he
was tenderly borne from the field, and promptly forwarded for honorable
interment. His grave is to be in our midst, marked by a marble shaft,
which will scarcely crumble beneath the tread of the coming ages. You
can go there and pay the mournful tribute which nature and affection
prompt. And may it not be believed, that from their patriotic ashes
(for Creighton and Crane fought and fell together, and they are to rest
side by side)--is it not to be believed, that from their patriotic
ashes will spring a rich harvest _in kind_ to at once avenge their
fall, and save our imperilled country? And will not fathers and mothers
conduct their children to these honored graves, and there put upon them
vows of eternal hostility to treason and to traitors, be they secret or
armed, even as Hamilcar caused his son Hannibal to swear, at the altar,
eternal hatred to Rome? And will not every one who visits their tombs,
and reads their epitaphs, whisper, "Peace and honor." And when this
cruel war is over, and the God of our fathers shall crown our labors
and sufferings with success, and bestow upon us, as a nation, an
honorable, righteous, and perpetual peace, then, amid the light, and
songs, and joy of the nation's jubilee, let their epitaphs be written
anew. And during all ages, peace to their ashes, peace to their memory,
and peace to their heroic spirits.
"'Let us this day, around the lifeless forms of these fallen heroes,
not profanely, but solemnly and religiously, swear that the lives of
these, together with the lives of hundreds of thousands of the flower
of the nation, given for the salvation of the country, shall not be
given in vain; that we will complete well, what they have so well
begun.
"'I need not ask of you, in behalf of the aged mother and bereaved
widow of Colonel Creighton, your warm, your practical, your continued
sympathies: these, I am sure, will not be withheld. But I now ask you
to join me in one fervent prayer to the God of the aged, the
fatherless, and the widow, our fathers' God, and the God of battles,
that He will, by His almighty arm, sustain, and, by His abundant grace,
comfort the aged mothers, and bereaved widows, and afflicted friends of
our brave soldiers, and their departed sons, husbands, and brothers;
that He will thus sustain and comfort all whose hearts have been cloven
by the battle-axe of war; that He will abundantly shield, help, bless,
and comfort our brave soldiers upon the field, in the hospitals, and
prisoners in the hands of our enemies; and that He will speedily bestow
upon our imperilled country the inestimable blessing of an honorable,
righteous, and lasting peace. Amen.'
"Rev. C. C. Foot, at the request of the family of the late
Lieutenant-Colonel Crane, made the following address:
"'The duties we are called to perform--the bearing of our dead brave to
their final rest--is indeed solemn and sad. That those who admired and
loved them in life, and delight to honor them when dead, should, with
sympathizing hearts and grateful hands, minister such a funeral
ovation, is due to them in view of the sacrifice they made, the toils
they endured, and their deeds of patriotism and valor. When the bugle
was first sounded in Washington, calling the North to the defence of
our institutions, these were among the first to respond; leaving their
business, their friends, and their families, for the field of strife,
they unsheathed their swords to strike for freedom's sacred cause. In
many skirmishes, and in every battle of their brigade, they struck with
such bravery and success as to have secured perpetual illustriousness;
while ever a nation exists to feel the throb of a nation's heart, while
a man lives to read the annals of America, their noble deeds shall be
known, and their illustrious names shall be honored.
"'They passed through so many dangers almost unscarred, that they
feared no ill, and their families began to expect with confidence their
return to the enjoyments of home, ere many months more should have
flown. But when on Ringgold's hillside they raised their swords to
gleam as never before, from a volley of Confederate musketry their
death-warrant came. Their bodies sank to the ground--their spirits
ascended through the smoke-cloud of battle to the patriot's God, to
join the slain of the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry, where the stars
forever shine in original splendor and glory. On the morrow, instead of
the ready pen reporting to loved ones at home that "all is well with
us," the telegraph was put in requisition to announce that never more
should their voices be heard by friend, companion, or offspring. Oh,
how sad such intelligence! How many families, how many tender, loving,
trembling hearts throughout the land, have been made sorrowful by like
intelligence since this war was so cruelly hurled upon us? From what
our soldier friends do and suffer from the myriad untimely deaths,
shall we not learn the magnitude of the work of the army, and our great
indebtedness to all who have gone to fight for us, our homes, and our
country? Let us render them the honor due. When men become illustrious,
it is but natural that their friends review their lives, and that
others inquire who they are, whence they came, and what circumstances
molded them for their greatness. To answer briefly and in part such
inquiries about one of these brave men--Lieutenant-Colonel O. J.
Crane--is the work to which I have been invited. Lieutenant-Colonel
Crane was born in Chautauque County, New York, in the year 1829. When
about three years old, his parents removed to their native State,
Vermont. Soon after this, his father died, and he was left to climb
life's rugged hill from his mother's arms to manhood, without the
invaluable aid of a father's counsels and assistance. He was blest with
a kind, intelligent, and prayerful mother, to whom he owed no small
amount of gratitude.
"'Her care and labor for his health, and even his life, were constant
and great. While quite young, he once received a burn, so severe that
his life was despaired of. The attendant physician said he could not
live--or living, would always be helpless. But his mother loved him
into _life_ and _health_, little thinking that she had saved him from
one fire, only to see him exposed and becoming a victim to a more
galling one; little thinking that to him, for whose life she struggled,
she and the nation would become indebted for liberty and political
security. During his youth he lived chiefly with an uncle, and with
whom, about thirteen years ago, he located in Conneaut, Ohio. While
there, he was employed in mechanical labor. He spent one year on the
Isthmus. On his return from the Isthmus, he came to Cleveland, and
found employment as a ship-carpenter. In this city, and this business,
he remained till called to participate in our national conflict.
"'As a mechanic, he enjoyed the confidence and esteem of his employers
and his fellows. As a man, he drew around him a pleasant circle of
friends, constant and affectionate, who deeply mourn his loss. In
disposition, he was frank, manly, kind, and ever cheerful. He leaves a
sorrowing wife, to whom he was married nine years ago, three small
children, a mother, brothers and sisters. Their bereavement is too
great, their grief too deep, for even them to express in language. Yet
not till weary weeks shall fail to bring letters from the
battle-field--not till months confirm that no husband returns--not till
years reveal the need of a father to guide the orphans, and a companion
to sustain an aching heart, shall be fully realized the magnitude of
the sacrifice made, in laying upon a nation's altar a husband and a
father.
"'The subject of these remarks had never made a public profession of
faith in Jesus. He had respected religion. He showed great kindness and
respect to the chaplain of his regiment, and consequently had a good
chaplain. He also, after entering the service, became interested in
personal religion. He professed a readiness to die when called. Let us
pray and hope that beyond the turmoil of this life, he may receive his
dear ones to everlasting fellowship of joy.
"'Some months ago he became a member of the Masonic fraternity. Though
so soon taken from them, yet--
"'By the hieroglyphic bright,
Which none but craftsmen ever saw,
Strange memory on our minds shall write
His honored name that's far awa.'
"'Citizens of Cleveland and Ohio, as we embalm his name in our memory,
let us not fail to remember, also, the dear family he has left. Let us
give them our heartfelt sympathy--not the sympathy of _pity_, but
that of _gratitude_--for his and their debtors we are. He gave his
life; not for himself, but for us who live, for our homes, and our
posterity. Surrounding the husbandless with what comforts we can, and
supplying the fatherless with fatherly care, and aid, and sympathy, let
us, to our utmost, discharge our indebtedness. Let us work and pray
that but few more brave need fall; and that the time be speeded when
the defenders of our liberties shall be welcomed home to the enjoyment
of their triumphs, with the jubilant acclamation of many millions of
freemen.'
"Professor H. E. Peck, at the request of the General Committee,
delivered the address on behalf of the city, as follows:
"'On a fair Sabbath in May, only three short seasons ago, just as the
bells were calling the town to worship, a regiment passed down yonder
street. That, citizens, was a spectacle which you who saw it will never
forget. Not because the marching column was striking to the eye. There
was no pageant. There were no arms, no banners. There was not even a
uniform. The farmer, the student, and the smith, were in that line;
and the farmer marched in the garments he brought from the furrow,
and the student and the smith were attired as they had been in the
recitation-room and shop. But for all that, the display was profoundly
impressive. Here was the flower of the Reserve. Lake, Mahoning,
Trumbull, Lorain, and Erie, each had a hundred; Portage, twice a
hundred; and Cuyahoga, thrice a hundred in the line. And each hundred
was made up, not of the rabble, but of sons, whom worthy fathers and
mothers dearly loved; of men, who, if they should stay at home, would
soon be conspicuous for wealth, or learning, or skill in useful arts.
And these thousand true men, loved well at home, made of sterling
stuff, were on their way to _war_--to actual war. To serve the
imperilled country, they had quit all,--farms, shops, books, friends,
hopes, the past, the future,--all but duty and honor. They might never
return. The vow on them might take them to bloody fields, from which
there should be no passage except down through the gates of death. Oh,
kinsman, was not that an impressive scene? Did you ever see the like?
Did not tears wet your eyes as you looked on? Were not the cheers with
which you sent the heroes on their way divided, as shouts of yours had
never before been, nor have been since, between admiration and sorrow?
"'This, friends, was the first march of our gallant Seventh. You do not
forget that in that march the column was led by a young captain, whose
high carriage and soldierly bearing were almost the only signs of real
military display. The body of that young captain lies in one of yonder
coffins. Of him, and his brave comrade who sleeps beside him, I am to
speak on this occasion. The history of the noble Seventh is _their_
late history. With it, therefore, let me begin.
"'The Seventh left Cleveland May 5, 1861. It went hence to Camp
Dennison, where E. B. Tyler, of Ravenna; W. R. Creighton, of Cleveland;
and John S. Casement, of Painesville, were made its first
field-officers. In the June following, while it was still at Camp
Dennison, the regiment was reorganized and sworn into the three-years'
service. I well remember seeing Captain Crane, whose remains are
yonder, on a sweet Sabbath afternoon--men, sun, air, and earth, all
were glad, and the harmonies of nature were tunefully praising
God--bringing his company to the colonel's quarters to be sworn in. I
well remember the impression which the strong voice of the sombre
captain made upon me, as, after the young soldiers, with bare heads and
uplifted hands, had taken the oath, he cried, "Company, right face;
forward, march!" The tone of the command was as if he would say, "Now,
men, there is no retreat. Only service, perhaps death, is before you."
"'A week later, General McClellan, who had then just taken command of
the Western Department, came looking for the right material with which
to begin his Western Virginia campaign, and inspected the regiment. But
it was not at garments the shrewd leader looked. It was the _person_ he
studied. He sought the eye. He narrowly scanned the look. Down the line
and back again he slowly went. I saw the expression on his face, as at
the end, he seemed to say to himself, "_They are the right sort!_" In
the reorganization of the regiment, the staff remained as it was
before.
"'On the 26th of June, 1861, the Seventh left Camp Dennison, to enter
on active service in Western Virginia. With many long marches it sought
the foe. It had begun to doubt whether it would ever meet him, when, at
Cross Lanes, on the 26th of August, he came, with overwhelming force.
For a brief space, the companies, separated from each other, held their
ground. Then, from bare and irresistible necessity, they gave way.
Twenty-four gallant men were left on the field, dead or wounded. One
hundred were carried away prisoners, and the remainder were scattered
like partridges which have received the sportsman's fire. At first,
tidings came to us that the Seventh was wholly destroyed. How ached our
hearts! Presently, better news came. Major Casement had brought four
hundred men through the wilderness into Charleston, and Captain Crane
had come to Gauley, bringing, not only almost his entire company, but a
flag which he had captured from the enemy.
"'Then came to the regiment days of distraction and despondency. You,
and others of the Reserve, heard of, and agonized over its condition.
To encourage and cheer it, you sent it a stand of beautiful colors. At
the Academy of Music, as you will remember, before a throng of your
best citizens, the standards were dedicated.
"'On a mountain-side, in Western Virginia, with Rosecrans' army lying
miles up and down, and with the smoke of the enemy's camp-fires rising
in the distance, they were presented to the regiment. I wish I could
picture the scene, the splendors of the magnificent landscape, the
exquisite beauty of the colors as they proudly glowed in the clear
sunlight, the enthusiasm of the men and the pride of the officers. Your
present helped to rouse the spirit of the regiment. The words of love
and considerate regard, which you sent with the gift, assured it that
its honor was not yet lost. How thrilling, how hopeful, was the cheer
which rolled off among the hills, as the color-guard took its trust!
"'From the Kanawha the Seventh went, on the 17th of December, 1861, to
the Potomac. There, now led by Lieutenant Colonel Creighton--Colonel
Tyler having taken temporary command of a brigade--it met, at
Winchester, March 23, 1862, Jackson's celebrated "Stonewall Legion."
Hot was the fire, when the Northern iron met the Southern flint. The
Seventh left fifty-six dead and wounded on the field. But it won a
name in the fight. The story told of them, the land over, was, _they
fought like veterans_. Then came the long chase up the Shenandoah,
then the hard march across to Eastern Virginia, and back to the gates
of the Shenandoah. Then came Port Republic, the first square stand-up
fight which the regiment had, when, led by Creighton, in an open field,
in a line trim enough for a dress parade, and with "Cross Lanes" for
its battle-cry, the glorious Seventh charged down on Jackson's
steadfast front. Ah, how the list of the dead and wounded was again
fearfully swelled! Seventy-two names were added to it.
"'By this time the regiment had become so reduced by the casualties of
war, that its friends on the Reserve asked that it might be sent home
to recruit. "No," promptly replied discriminating Halleck, "not so long
as there is a lame drummer left; not if you will send us a whole new
regiment in place of this handful. We know these men, they are just
such as we want." Colonel Tyler's promotion to a brigadiership brought
Lieutenant-Colonel Creighton to the head of the regiment, and this, and
other changes, presently made Captain Crane a Lieutenant-Colonel. The
regiment now had plenty of duty. It fought at Cedar Mountain, and
there, on the extreme advance, it met the brunt of danger.
"'In one company, out of twenty-one men engaged, eighteen fell killed
or wounded. The whole regiment suffered in hardly less proportion. One
hundred and ninety-six, of the two hundred and ninety-seven heroes
engaged, fell. There, fiery Creighton, as usual, not content to be
elsewhere than on the extreme front, was so severely wounded that he
was compelled to come home to recover.
"'Soon the regiment was at Antietam, and there it shared the toils and
honors of that honorable field. Thirty-eight fallen men, out of one
hundred engaged, was the price it paid for its opportunity. Presently
it fought and prevailed against great odds at Dumfries. Here it lost
ten more of its scant few.
"'In the next year's campaign, after lying in camp and being
considerably recruited, the regiment was at Chancellorsville. There it
did good service, by catching and holding on its steady line droves of
fugitives, who were ingloriously seeking the rear, and by covering the
retreat of its corps. It lost, at Chancellorsville, ninety-nine men.
Next the regiment was at Gettysburg. There, for the first time in its
history, it fought behind defences; nor could Ewell, surging with fiery
valor up against the rocky rampart, break the line which it, and its
compeers of the Twelfth Corps, held. The Seventh lost at Gettysburg
nineteen men; and, as from every field before, so from this, it brought
honor and a new name. From the Potomac the regiment went, in September
last, to the Tennessee. There, on the 24th of last month, it shared in
that brilliant "battle above the clouds," by which Hooker cleared
Lookout Mountain. Decisive as the result of its courage here was, it
seems to have left behind but one wounded man as its share of the
sacrifice which the victory cost. Then came the pursuit of Bragg, and
the overtaking of his rear-guard at Ringgold; then the climbing, by the
Twelfth Corps, of that bare hill, on the top of which the enemy was
securely posted. Staunch Creighton was in command of a brigade, and
Crane led the Seventh. The charge was a desperate one, but Creighton
did not falter. Kindling to that ardor of which he was so susceptible,
he urged his command on. "Boys," he said, "we are ordered to take that
hill. I want to see you walk right up it." Then putting himself, not in
the rear, as being temporarily a brigadier he might have done, but far
in the advance, he led the way. And Crane, close behind, stoutly held
the Seventh to its bloody work. The men were ready for the task. The
zeal of Cross Lanes, of Winchester, of Port Republic, burned to a white
heat. The gallant Seventh, leading the column, flung itself into the
billows of fire, as if it were rescuing home from robber hands. But,
ah! chivalric Creighton fell, and, alas! sturdy Crane, too; and of the
commissioned officers of the Seventh, but one remained unhurt. Is it
wonderful that the grand old regiment, losing the inspiring command of
the brave soldiers whose voices had so often aroused its purposes, fell
back? Oh, Creighton and Crane, had you lived, the Seventh would,
perhaps, without help, have carried the dear old colors, tattered by so
many leaden storms, into the enemy's defiant works! Sad tale that I
must tell, of the two hundred and ten sons and brothers of ours who
went into the fight, ninety fell; of the fourteen commissioned officers
on the field, thirteen were killed or wounded.
"'My story of the Seventh is done. Yes, the Sabbath comes; sweet, clear
day, as bright as that holy morn on which the Seventh first went its
way. A sad cortege passes up the same street yonder. Music wails at its
head. A downcast guard of honor marches, with mourning colors, behind
hearses trimmed with the badges of woe. Look you, kindred, the band
which follows the dead is made up of the men who marched in that May
Sabbath line two years ago. But the farmer, the student, the smith,
are not there. These are soldiers all. They are scarred with the marks
of Cross Lanes, of Winchester--nay, let me not stop to recite the long
list of battles through which they have passed. Yes, here is part of
the scant few left out of the eighteen hundred staunch men who have
stood under the flag of the Seventh; and here, hearse-borne, are the
bodies of the good leaders who shall head the regiment no more. Pause
now, citizens, while I tell you about these noble men. Colonel
Creighton was born in Pittsburgh. He was but twenty-six years of age
when he fell. For several years he followed the trade of a printer in
this city. But he was born to be a soldier, and years ago he learned,
in civic schools, a soldier's trade. So, when the war broke out, he was
fit to take command. He raised a company in this city. At once his
military talent was revealed. He had not a peer in the camp as a
drill-master, and there was something about his ardent nature which
made men feel that he was fit to command. Thus superior office came to
him--he did not seek it. But getting it, he discharged his duties well.
He was affectionate to his men, erring only in being, perhaps, too free
with them. And when battle came, he was a master-spirit in the dreadful
storm. Burning with enthusiasm, almost rash with courage, he could
inspire his "gamecocks"--as he familiarly called his men--with such
qualities as are most needed in the charge and in the deadly breach. I
have often asked sound thinking members of the Seventh, "What of
Creighton?" The answer has always been, "_He is a soldier, every
inch._"
"'Lieutenant-Colonel Crane was born in Troy, New York, in the year
1828. He, too, has been a mechanic here for many years. Like his chief,
he, too, had learned the use of arms before the war commenced. He was,
therefore, amply qualified to take command of his company when Captain
Creighton was promoted. And no ordinary disciplinarian was Captain
Crane. He had a difficult company, but it was with a strong hand that
he laid hold of his work. Headstrong men had a master in him. Withal,
he was the soul of kindness to those he commanded. His rugged nature,
despising military finery, and the pomps and forms of military life,
came down at once to plain, blunt, frank, but sincere and hearty
intercourse with the men under him. If you wished to find Captain
Crane, you must look for him where his boys were; and if his boys had
had a trying or toilsome work, you might be sure he was lightening the
load by his own example of brave and sturdy patience. He did not have
an impulsive nature. He was not a thunderbolt on the field. He was
rock, rather. Fiery floods might break against him, and yet he was
always the same; always imperturbable, honest, strong.
"'I should have said before, that Colonel Creighton was in every battle
which the Seventh ever fought, except Antietam. It is in place for me
to say here, that Lieutenant-Colonel Crane took part in every battle in
which his regiment shared. I doubt if another instance of the kind is
on record. Would that the Hand which had so often averted danger, could
have turned the fatal bullets aside at Ringgold!
"'And now, friends, I am, at the invitation of the joint-committee of
the city council, the military, the Typographical Union, the
ship-carpenters, and yourselves, and as the representative of other
towns, who helped raise the Seventh, to bring a tribute of gratitude
and praise to the memory of the gallant dead. In my poor way, I here
certify to the noble qualities, to the brave deeds of the soldiers
coffined yonder. I come to say, that the honor done them by the city,
by the military, by yourselves, by good men who, in other towns, mourn
their loss, is well bestowed. The heroes have earned their honors. They
have bought them with such high conduct, with such self-sacrifices, as
the brightest laurels poorly reward. I know not how those souls, which
lately inhabited yonder clay, stand in the other world (would that your
prayers and mine could reach them), but I do know, that their names
shall live in this world forever. The marble you shall put up over
their dust will itself have gone to dust before their renown shall have
passed from the hearts and lips of men.
"'Would, friends, that you and I, by any ministry of love, could
staunch these widows' and half-orphans' tears. Oh! sisters bereaved,
and dear little children, now fatherless, may God in His mercy keep
you! May He be help and hope to you! Remember, I pray you, that the
spilled blood which was so dear to you, was precious also to God; that
it is from such seed that He makes freedom, peace, social order, and
prosperity to grow.
"'And, citizens, what shall I say of the Seventh, which mourns its
noble dead? Shall I summon here the spirits of those who have fallen on
the half-score fields, where the staunch old regiment has left its
dead? Shall I call from the shadowy world those who have died in
festering prisons? Shall I order the rally for those who, broken in
body, shall engage in active pursuits no more? Shall I bring from the
field the little remnant--headed by the one unhurt commissioned
officer, and under this dear, chafed, and rent old flag, which no
longer shines with the glory of color and figure which it displayed
when first unfurled in your Academy of Music, but which is lustrous
with the light with which brave deeds have invested it--shall I tell
them of your love for, and your gratitude to them? Nay, this I cannot
do. But I can say to these representatives of the regiment who are with
us, and through them to that little handful of bronzed veterans who,
huddling around a single camp-fire at Chattanooga, are the last remnant
of the Seventh--to you, honored men, we owe a debt we can never
discharge. You sprang to arms, when others hesitated. You entered the
flinty paths of war with feet shod only for the gentle ways of peace.
Often have you been tried, never have you failed; and the honor of the
Reserve, which we committed to you, has been proudly kept on every
field. And in this hour of weighty bereavement, our feelings towards
you and your comrades, living and dead, is like that of the pious
Scotch woman who, when grim Claverhouse having first shot her husband,
laughing, asked, "Well, woman, what thinkest thou of thy good man now?"
quietly replied, as she drew the pierced head to her bosom, and wiped
the death-damp from his brow: "I aye thought much of him, but now more
than ever."
"'Now, bearers, take out your dead. Put the cherished remains in an
honored place. Tell art to lift above them worthy marble. Write upon
the stone the names of the battles in which our heroes have fought.
Write also the virtues of the dead. Write, too, that gratitude has
lifted the monument, partly to do honor to them, worthy of it, whom
human praise can never reach; and to teach the living that it is well
to make even life a sacrifice to duty. And when our war has been ended,
when peace and freedom shall be in all our borders, thronging feet
shall, through all the generations, come up to your memorial, and learn
lessons of heroism and self-sacrifice.'
"Rev. William Goodrich, of the First Presbyterian Church, made the
closing prayer; after which the choir chanted impressively the
following hymn:
"'With tearful eyes I look around,
Life seems a dark and gloomy sea;
Yet midst the gloom I hear a sound,
A heavenly whisper, 'Come to Me.'
"'It tells me of a place of rest--
It tells me where my soul may flee;
Oh! to the weary, faint, oppressed,
How sweet the bidding, 'Come to Me!'
"'When nature shudders, loth to part
From all I love, enjoy, and see,
When a faint chill steals o'er thy heart,
A sweet voice utters, 'Come to Me.'
"'Come, for all else must fade and die,
Earth is no resting place for thee;
Heavenward direct thy weeping eye,
I am thy portion, 'Come to Me.'
"'Oh, voice of mercy! voice of love!
In conflict, grief, and agony;
Support me, cheer me from above!
And gently whisper, Come to Me.'
"This closed the exercises at the church.
THE FUNERAL PROCESSION.
"As soon as the exercises in the church closed, the Brooklyn Light
Artillery commenced firing minute-guns from the field-piece planted on
the square in front of the church. At the same time, the chimes of
Trinity rang a muffled peal, and the bells in all the other churches
commenced tolling. The square and the streets leading to it were packed
with people from the city and surrounding country, the latter having
been pouring in all the morning. It seemed almost impossible to keep an
open space in so great a crowd, but the admirable management of the
marshals of the day and the city police, aided by the spirit of order
and decorum in the crowd, succeeded in preventing any trouble or
confusion.
"The procession was formed in nearly the order as at first arranged.
First came Leland's band, playing the "Dead March." Then the
Twenty-ninth Regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Frazee, with
arms reversed and bound with crape. Next the discharged officers and
soldiers of the Seventh, headed by their old band. These old members of
the regiment numbered sixty, and were formed into a company, under
Captain Molyneaux. They were followed by the clergymen of the city,
after which came the bodies.
"Colonel Creighton's body was in a hearse drawn by four white horses,
from undertaker Duty; and the body of Lieutenant-Colonel Crane, in a
hearse drawn by four black horses, from undertaker Howland. Behind the
hearses were led two horses fully caparisoned. The pall-bearers, whose
names have been previously given, walked beside the hearses. Eleven
carriages, containing the mourners, came next, followed by a carriage
containing Lieutenant Loomis, Sergeant-Major Tisdel, Bugler Welzel, and
privates Shepherd and Meigs, forming the escort from the Seventh. Next
were the members of the old Cleveland Light Guard, with their badges
and flags; Governor Brough and other invited guests, committee of
arrangements, city council, city officers, county military committee,
two hundred sick and wounded soldiers from the United States Military
Hospital, soldiers from the Twelfth Cavalry, Brooklyn Light Artillery,
Captain Pelton; other military and officers of the United States
regular and volunteer services; United States Court officers,
Typographical Union, ship-carpenters, old Light Guard, under Captain J.
Robinson, students from Commercial College, County Court officers,
citizens on foot, citizens in carriages.
"The procession was of great length, and passed through a dense crowd
of thousands of people during the whole way. It was well managed by
Colonel William H. Hayward, chief marshal of the day, and his
assistants, H. M. Chapin, William Edwards, John M. Sterling, junior,
and C. Busch. The police were again of incalculable value in clearing
the way and keeping perfect order.
AT THE TOMB.
"The lot in the Woodland Cemetery, intended as the final resting-place
of the heroic dead, not having yet been selected, the bodies were taken
to the City Cemetery, and deposited temporarily in the Bradburn Vault,
the use of which had been generously tendered. The police again, ever
vigilant and effective, had kept the cemetery and its approaches free
from the vast crowd until the procession had entered, and then secured
ample room, so that there was no crowding or confusion.
"The Twenty-ninth Regiment was drawn up in line, with colors
immediately opposite the tomb. The company of the old members of the
Seventh, with reversed arms, stood at the right of the tomb.
"As the procession moved up to the tomb the band played a dirge. The
Rev. W. A. Fiske, rector of Grace Church, read the beautiful and
impressive burial-service of the Episcopal Church, the bodies were
placed in the vault, the final prayer said, and then the door of the
tomb was closed. The old members of the Seventh fired three volleys
over the tomb, and all was over. The heroic dead sleep undisturbed.
"So ended the grandest and the most mournful pageant that has passed
through the streets of Cleveland for many a year."
LIEUT.-COL. MERVIN CLARK.
On a gloomy night in May, 1861, when the wind was howling in fitful
gusts, and the rain pouring down in merciless rapidity, the writer was
awakened by the stentorian voice of the adjutant in front of the tent,
followed by an order that Lieutenant ---- would report for guard-duty.
After wading half-knee deep in mud and water, narrowly escaping a cold
bath in an over-friendly ditch, I arrived at the headquarters of the
guard. Soon after my arrival, a boy reported to me for duty, as
sergeant of the guard; a position no less responsible than my own. At
first I felt that, on such a fearful night, I needed more than a boy to
assist me in the performance of my task. His form was fragile; his face
was smooth as that of a girl, and in the dim, shadowy light of a
camp-fire, struggling against the heavy rain, I took him to be about
fifteen years of age. We immediately entered into conversation, and
between admiration and surprise, the rain was forgotten, and the
moments sped so rapidly, that it was nearing the time to change the
guard. But my boy companion had forgotten nothing, and as the moment
arrived, he called in the relief. As he moved among those sturdy
warriors, it occurred to me that I had never before met a boy, who was
at the same time a man--a brave, prudent, reliable man. All night he
did his duty, and when we parted in the morning, I both loved and
admired him. This was my first meeting with Colonel Clark.
Mervin Clark was a native of Ohio, having been born in the city of
Cleveland, in 1843. When but three years of age his mother died, and at
the age of nine his surviving parent, leaving him an orphan. He was now
taken, into the family of Henry W. Clark, an uncle, where he found a
home, and kind friends, during the remainder of his life.
The flash of the last gun at Sumter had hardly died away, when he
enrolled himself as a private in Captain De Villiers' company, at the
same time declaring that he would, by no act of his, leave the service
of his country, until rebels in arms were met and subdued. How well he
kept that pledge, it is the office of this brief sketch to show.
He left Camp Dennison as an orderly-sergeant, and during the trying
marches and skirmishes in Western Virginia, won a commission. Arriving
in the East, he was made a first-lieutenant. At the battle of
Winchester, he surprised and delighted every one who saw him. When the
bullets flew thickest, he stepped on to the brink of the hill, over
which our men were firing, and, with revolver in hand, took part in the
strife. His captain, seeing his danger, directed him to get behind a
tree which stood close by. He obeyed orders, but with his back to the
tree, and his face to the foe. At the battle of Cedar Mountain, he
commanded a company, and during that fearful day, led his men with
great bravery. At last, when the order was given to retreat, he mistook
it for an order to charge, and, with a dozen men, dashed at the double
line of a whole brigade of rebels. It was not until an officer of
authority conveyed the true order to him, that he would withdraw. He
now took part in all the battles in which his regiment was engaged in
the East, except Antietam. When the regiment left for the West, he
accompanied it, and soon after took part in the battles of Lookout
Mountain, Mission Ridge, Taylor's Ridge, and the series of engagements
taking place while with Sherman. Before his term of service expired, he
was made a captain, and commanded his company on its homeward march. He
was soon after mustered out with his company. He now sought quiet and
rest at his home, giving no evidence of an intention to again enter the
service. But before he had been at home many weeks, he surprised and
disappointed his friends by enlisting as a private in the regular army.
His fame, however, was too wide-spread in Ohio to suffer him to
re-enter the service as a private. Governor Brough had already selected
him for promotion, and when learning of his enlistment in the regular
service, procured an order for his discharge, and immediately appointed
him lieutenant-colonel of the One Hundred and Eighty-third Regiment,
then about to enter the field. He had now come of age, November 5th,
and on the 8th of November cast his first vote; on the 12th, he
received his commission; and on the 15th, he left for the front. His
regiment joined the army of General Thomas, on its retreat before the
rebel forces under Hood. On the 30th of November, the regiment was
engaged in the terrible battle of Franklin. During the engagement, the
regiment was ordered to charge the enemy's works. The color bearer was
soon shot down, when Clark seized the colors, and calling to his men,
"Who will follow me to retake these works?" mounted the rebel works,
and immediately fell, a minie ball having passed through his head.
Every effort was made to take his body from the field, but to no
purpose, and the "boy officer" was wrapped in his blanket, and buried
on the field of his fame, to be finally removed by careful hands, when
the earth had covered every vestige of the strife in its friendly
bosom.
LIEUTENANT HENRY ROBINSON.
Henry Robinson was a native of Ohio, and entered the service as
first-lieutenant of Company G. He was always attentive to his duties,
and soon took a position among the first of his rank. He was constantly
with his command during its early service. He was in the skirmish at
Cross Lanes, where he won the respect and confidence of the entire
command by his gallant conduct. In this affair, he commanded Company G.
Arriving at Charleston, he was sent to Gauley Bridge, and soon after
was taken violently sick with a fever. He soon after died.
In the death of Lieutenant Robinson, the regiment made one of its
greatest sacrifices. He was esteemed by every one for his kind and
courteous manners, as well as for his ability as a soldier. He had many
friends in the army, and at home, and I doubt very much if he had an
enemy in the world. His military career was short, but of such a
character that his friends can refer to it with pride.
LIEUTENANT E. S. QUAY.
E. S. Quay entered the service as second-lieutenant of Company G. He
was with the regiment at Cross Lanes, where he gave promise of much
future usefulness as a soldier. He accompanied the regiment to Eastern
Virginia, where he was acting assistant adjutant-general to Colonel
Tyler. He took part in the battle of Winchester, where he did splendid
service. After Tyler's promotion to a general, he was made
adjutant-general, and assigned to his staff. In this capacity, he
served in the battle of Port Republic, where he gained new laurels. He
finally went to his home on account of ill-health, and after a time,
died of consumption. He was a good soldier.
LIEUTENANT JAMES P. BRISBINE.
James P. Brisbine was a native of Trumbull County, Ohio. He was born in
1836. His parents dying while he was quite young, he went to live with
an uncle by the name of Applegate. He received a fair education, and
during the time, in part, maintaining himself by teaching school in
winter. In the spring of 1860, he commenced reading law in Warren,
Ohio, which he continued until the breaking out of the rebellion.
During his course of study, he gave promise of an able and useful
lawyer. When it became evident that the rebellion could not be
suppressed but by the force of arms, he deemed it his duty to leave the
study of the profession of his choice, and enroll himself among the
defenders of his country. This step he considered as a decided
sacrifice to him; for, by nature, he was in no way inclined to the life
of a soldier; he preferred the quiet life of a citizen, which is alone
to be found at home. It was with many misgivings that he finally placed
his name on the roll. In doing this, he was alone influenced by
patriotic motives. When urged to be a candidate for the position of
sergeant, he declined to have any thing to do with the matter; but was
elected, notwithstanding his indifference.
At Camp Dennison, he was made orderly-sergeant. He took part in the
skirmish at Cross Lanes, where he made a good record as a soldier. Soon
after entering the field, his health failed him. The long marches often
taxed him beyond his strength; but he seldom complained. He was not in
the battle of Winchester on account of sickness, being disabled from
the effects of the severe march from Strasburg, which took place a
short time before. He expressed many regrets on account of his absence.
But he very soon had an opportunity to test his courage on the
battle-field. The engagement of Port Republic occurred shortly after.
He was in no respect second in gallantry to those who were in the
previous battle. He was ever at his post, doing his duty. During the
latter part of the battle, a captain, an intimate friend, fell,
severely wounded. He caught him in his arms, and laid him gently on the
ground, pillowing his head in his lap. The regiment moved off, and the
rebels advanced; but he refused to leave his friend. And he did not
leave until the captain was borne away by his comrades. He passed
through this battle without a scratch. He accompanied the regiment to
Alexandria, and from there to the front of Pope's army. He now took
part in the battle of Cedar Mountain. While cheering his men forward,
he was wounded. Two men took him in their arms, and started in search
of the hospital; but before they were off the field a bullet struck him
in the groin, severing the femoral artery. Said he, "Remember, boys, I
die for my country," and expired in their arms. Thus, a true and
devoted friend of his country died to preserve it from the attacks of
those who had been educated and supported by it from boyhood.
As an officer, Lieutenant Brisbine was much esteemed; as a companion,
he was admired by every one. I doubt if he had an enemy in the army or
at home. He won his promotion in the field; and it was, therefore, a
much greater prize than a higher rank conferred by favor. He was
commissioned early in 1862.
LIEUTENANT CHARLES A. BROOKS.
The subject of this sketch was born in Bristol, Trumbull County, in the
year 1843. He early developed those good qualities of head and heart
for which he was afterwards so distinguished. Being a good student,
attentive to his books, as he was to every other good purpose, he
acquired a good education, which would have enabled him to engage in
any occupation with credit to himself and profit to the community.
He was desirous of entering the service when the war first began, but
was held back by domestic ties which bound him strongly to home. But on
the second call for troops, he could no longer remain out of the army;
and, hastening to a recruiting station, he enlisted in Company H, of
the Seventh Regiment. He arrived at Camp Dennison on the 30th of May,
and, with others, was mustered into the service. His tall, commanding
figure, connected with his sterling qualities of mind, pointed him out
as a proper person for promotion. He was, therefore made a corporal,
and, as soon as a vacancy occurred, a sergeant. His officers soon put
unlimited confidence in him. If a hazardous enterprise was to be
performed, he was deemed fitting to undertake it. While still a
sergeant, Creighton would often point him out as his future adjutant.
Finally, when Adjutant Shepherd was compelled to resign, on account of
growing ill health, Creighton procured his appointment as
first-lieutenant, and at once detailed him as his adjutant. He came to
this position entirely qualified; for, from the time he had been made
orderly of Company H, he transacted all of the business of the company.
He was in the affair at Cross Lanes, and all other skirmishes in which
the regiment was engaged, as well as the following battles: Port
Republic, Cedar Mountain, Dumfries, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg.
Near the close of the battle of Port Republic, he saw one of his old
officers lying, seriously wounded, so near the enemy's lines as to be
in danger of capture. Throwing down his gun, in company with Charles
Garrard, he braved the battle-fire, and brought his old comrade safely
from the field; thus, probably, saving his life.
At the battle of Cedar Mountain he was slightly wounded, losing a
finger.
In July he was sent to Ohio to bring forward the drafted men assigned
to the Seventh. While on his way from Columbus to his home in Bristol,
he met with a frightful accident resulting in death. While seated in an
omnibus, it was driven on to the railroad track, directly in front of a
train. In jumping out, he was knocked down by the cars and run over,
mangling both legs frightfully. He was taken to the New England House,
but nothing could be done for him, and he expired early the following
morning. The following is from the pen of one who knew him and prized
him:[6]
[6] Colonel J. F. Asper.
"The career of this young man has been short but brilliant. He has been
a soldier and a man; pure, noble-hearted, sympathetic, and always ready
for any duty. He has been brave, courageous, and trustworthy. He has
gone from us with no stain upon his honor, no spots upon his
escutcheon, but with his armor begrimed with the dust of many battles.
Although young in years, he had lived long, if you count the hardships
he had endured, the stirring and momentous events through which he had
passed, and in the transpiring of which he had been an actor, the
service he rendered his country, and humanity at large, and the good he
had done; if gauged by this standard, he had become more mature than
many men who have attained their threescore and ten years. So bright
an example cannot fail to have a good influence upon the young men of
the country. His violent death will bring his virtues prominently
before their minds, and cannot fail to make an impression. Let all be
exhorted to emulate his patriotism, his gallantry, his valor, his
promptness in the discharge of duty, his kindness of heart, suavity of
manner, his manly and soldier-like qualities; and if in civil life,
they will become manlier men--if in military life, they cannot fail to
become better and braver soldiers."
He was buried near where he was born, on the banks of a rippling brook,
under the shade of beautiful trees, through the boughs of which will
sing an everlasting requiem fitting so brave and active a spirit. The
citizens of the vicinity turned out in mass to honor his memory with
their presence, and tearful eyes and expressive looks showed their
heartfelt sympathy for the afflicted mother, sister, brother, and
relatives; while a military organization from Warren gave him the
fitting escort, and fired three volleys over his grave.
A grateful public will not forget this heroic and noble sacrifice. Let
an enduring monument be erected. Not of marble, which may crumble; but
let his manly deeds be engraved upon the tablets of their memory, and
let his virtues and sacrifices be interwoven with the affections, the
sympathies, and the lives of the people, so that while time lasts, and
all that is noble in human action, good in thought, and true in
conception and motive, shall be treasured as sacred memories, this hero
will not be forgotten, because kept fresh with the watering of many
tears.
LIEUTENANT JOSEPH H. ROSS.
Joseph H. Ross entered the service as a private in Captain W. R.
Sterling's company. Soon after arriving in camp he was made a sergeant,
and finally orderly. He was engaged in all the marches and skirmishes
in Western Virginia, and at Cross Lanes fought like a veteran. He was
in the battle of Winchester, where he displayed such reckless bravery
as to attract the attention of the entire command. While the regiment
was partially concealed behind a ridge, within eighty yards of the
enemy, Ross was not content with remaining at such a distance, but
creeping over the hill, crawled forward on his hands and knees till he
was midway between the lines, and taking a position behind a rock,
swung his hat to those behind. None but Sergeant Whiting, of Company D,
had the courage to follow him. From behind this rock, the two heroes
kept up a constant fire on the enemy, hitting their man at every shot.
Ross was now made a lieutenant, and assigned to Company C. He was in
the battle of Port Republic, where he fought with his usual bravery. At
the battle of Cedar Mountain he commanded Company C. During the entire
day he led his men with such certainty, that they slaughtered the enemy
fearfully. Night came, and he had not received a scratch, while the
thinned ranks testified how many had fallen around him. Soon after
dark, as if the regiment had not already suffered sufficiently, it was
ordered on picket. When about a mile out, it was fired upon from all
quarters, and Lieutenant Ross fell, mortally wounded. He died soon
after. His loss was deeply felt, both in the army and at home; for he
was a true soldier and friend.
LIEUTENANT FRANK JOHNSON.
At this same bloody battle of Cedar Mountain, another youthful hero
fell, Frank Johnson, Company F. He had entered the service as a private
in John Man's company, and had risen through the different grades
of corporal and sergeant to be a lieutenant. He had toiled along
through the hard marches of the Seventh, struggling against a weak
constitution, which was every day being impaired by hardships and
exposure. He had fought nobly in the battles of Winchester and Port
Republic,--recognized by the authorities by giving him a commission;
and now, in the morning of his new life as a _leader_, he fell at the
head of his company.