Joseph Pannell Taylor's Wife's Brother Was a Union Army General-- Part 1: Nathaniel McLean

From Find-A-Grave.

Remember, Joseph Taylor was the brother of President Zachary Taylor.

NATHANIEL COLLINS McLEAN

BORN:  2 February 1815 in Ridgeville, Ohio

DIED: 4 January 1905 in Bellport, New York

BURIED:  Woodland Cemetery Bellport, New York

Law degree from Harvard.  Practiced law in Cincinnati, Ohio, and organized the 75th Ohio Infantry when the war started.  Commissioned colonel on September 18, 1861.  Led regiment during operations in western Virginia and a brigade at the Battle of Cross Keys June 8, 1862.

At Second Battle of Bull Run and promoted to brigadier general in November 29, 1862.

More.  --Old Secesh

Dr. Ezra Read-- Part 3: The Texas Revolution

When the Texas Revolution started in 1836, he quit his Cincinnati medical practice and  volunteered his services to an Ohio  military company heading for Texas.

At the Battle of San Jacinto, he treated Mexican leader and general  Antonio  Lopez de Santa Anna.  In 1837, he was attending physician at an infamous duel  between Gen. Felix Huston, for whom he was staff surgeon, and  future Confederate general Albert Sidney Johnson.

Ezra Read was named "acting surgeon-in-chief" of the Texas army and navy, and afterwards commissioned Surgeon General of the Texas Navy, the only person to ever serve in that capacity.

--Old Secesh

I Found George Cadman at Laurel Cemetery Near Cincinnati

I found another, much larger Find-A-Grave site with a whole lot of names of people buried at Laurel Cemetery in Madisonville, Ohio.

They have a man by the name GEORGE H. CALDMAN  (b. 1823-D 1864) buried there.  Other than having his name misspelled, this must be the man I've been writing such much about.

The next time I'm in Cincinnati I'll have to visit his grave.

--Old Secesh

George Hovey Cadman, 39th Ohio-- Part 4

George Hovey Cadman died of sunstroke 17 September 1864 in Marietta, Georgia, and was buried at the military cemetery there.  His body was removed and later reinterred at Old Duck Cemetery in Cincinnati on what became Edmundson Road in Norwood.

Years later, his body was again removed along with his second son George John Cadman and laid to rest at the family plot in the Laurel Cemetery in Madisonville, Ohio, near Cincinnati.

--Old n

George Hovey Cadman-- Part 2: Died of Sunstroke and Body Brought Back to Cincinnati

George Cadman reenlisted 26 December 1863 and died at Marietta, Georgia, on 17 September 1864 of sunstroke and was buried in the military cemetery there, but reinterred at Old Duck Creek Cemetery in Cincinnati on what later became Edmondson Road in Norwood.

Well, that takes care of what he died of, though sunstroke is a far different cause than I had expected.  I would have figured he would have died from his wounds.

This also clears up why he is not listed among the dead at the Marietta National Cemetery.

--Old Secesh

I Finally Found a Site on George Hovey Cadman-- Part 1: A Cincinnati Connection

From the roots web Ancestors of Craig Rice and Related Families.

GEORGE HOVEY CADMAN

George Hovey Cadman was a silk weaver by trade.  He left Liverpool, England on the ship Benjamin Adams 1 December 1856 and after a long, stormy crossing, arrived in New York City 30 January 1858.  He then went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he joined some friends and Alfred Bouchards, who he knew from England.  These friends were farmers living a few miles from the city.

His wife Esther and two sons joined him there in 1858.

Even though he was 39 years old, when the Civil War began he joined the 39th Ohio Infantry Regiment, Company B, on 9 August 1862, enlisting as a private.  He was warranted to corporal 19 January 1863.

--More to Come.  --Old Secesh

George Hovey Cadwell: What Happened to Him?

I have been writing about the interesting letters written from this man to his wife.  He was very eloquent and schooled compared to many of his fellow enlisted soldiers.

I found no letters from George Cadman after June 1864.  I did find that he was born 18 July 1823 in London, England.  Another source listed relatives of his born in Cincinnati between 1884 and 1898.

There was a William Cadman who emigrated with his parents to the United States around 1858 with his parents George Hovey and Esther Cadman.  Son.

Perhaps he died at some point after June 1864.

--

Ohio's Edward F. Noyes-- Part 2

Edward F. Noyes eventually rose through the ranks to colonel of the 39th Ohio (when Cadman wrote about his poor service at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain.

He was wounded in battle on July 4, 1864, near Ruff's Mills, Georgia, and had his left leg amputated.  Three months later, Major General Joseph Hooker assigned him to command Camp Dennison in Cincinnati.

After the war, he resigned his commission and became city solicitor of Cincinnati and was elected governor of Ohio in 1871 and served until 1974.

--Old Secesh

Col. Edward F. Noyes of the 39th Ohio-- Part 1

In the last post, I mentioned a Colonel Noyes who George Hovey Cadman of the 39th Ohio, described as being more than just a drunk and a man willing to have his regiment "sacrificed to whisky and ambition."  Cadman was not too keen on his commanding officer.

I had never heard of this Colonel Noyes, so looked him up.

From Ohio History Central site.

Edward F. Noyes was born in Massachusetts in 1832, but grew up in New Hampshire and attended Dartmouth College.  In 1853, he got involved with politics, joining the newly-formed Republican party.  After graduation, he moved to Cincinnati in 1857 and graduated from law school in 1858 and began his practice.

With the beginning of the Civil War, he left his practice and helped organize the 39th Ohio Volunteer Infantry regiment and was commissioned its major  on July 27, 1861.

More to Come.  --Old Secesh

Cincinnati's Washington Park's Civil War Connection

Just got back from a series of concerts in the newly redeveloped Washington Park in downtown Cincinnati.  Originally a series of cemeteries to 1855, the area was turned into a park.  In recent years, it had become unsafe and run down, but the city invested millions of dollars in its redevelopment which has been accomplished.

It did play a role during the Civil War when it was a center for recruitment for Ohio Irish, German and regiments black regiments.  One of these blacks was Powhatan Beats who won the Medal of Honor at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm in September 1864.

Bringing It Back.  --Old Secesh

Yet Another Interesting Talk I'll Miss

This one will be September 6th and 7th in Cincinnati, hear that Denny?

This one will be offered on two straight days.

It will be held at the Cincinnati Museum Center at the Union Center, which is a destination in itself, an amazing art deco train station on beautiful grounds.

Frank Moulds will present a talk on the role of the US Navy in Cincinnati during the war.

I know the city was the location where several Union ships were built, but not much beyond that.

Drat, I'll Miss That Too. --Old B-R'er

The Schoolhouse Restaurant, Camp Dennison,Ohio-- Part 2

Due to a goof, you can find the rest of the story as some radio announcer used to say, on an entry from today at my RoadLog Blog at
http://sawtheelephant.blogspot.com.

I hate when that happens.

I Must Learn to Pay More Attention. --Old B-Runner

The Schoolhouse Restaurant, Camp Dennison, Ohio-- Part 1

Saturday, I wrote about this restaurant outside of Cincinnati which was built in 1863 and reportedly Abraham Lincoln visited. It is in a town called Camp Dennison which was a Union training facility during the war and later a hospital.

I do not know if the structure is located within what used to be the boundaries of Camp Dennison or outside it. If it was inside the camp, I doubt that it would have been built with the initial purpose of being a school.

Perhaps a hospital administrative building would have been a use, but then again, if the army wasn't planning on keeping the camp, I doubt they would have built it out of brick.

According to the Schoolhouse website, the building was constructed in 1863, the first school in the Midwest with a second story. Today is features family-style dining with lazy Susans, fried chicken, roast beef and meatloaf.

There have been three school buildings in the Camp Dennison area. The first one was a log structure which no longer exists.

The second one was a brick building that still stands as a private residence, but has had siding put on it and is hard to recognize as a former school. Area children used it until the Civil War.

Landowners in the area (then called Little Germany and Big Bottom) leased their land to the government for use as a training facility and most families moved away, which makes me wonder why they would have built a school in 1863.

More to Come. --Old B-Runner

Camp Dennison, Ohio-- Part 2

During the course of the war, some 50,000 troops trained there and at its peak, 12,000 were at the camp.

During Jenkins' 1862 and Morgan's 1863 raids, men from the camp deployed to meet the threat.

Shortly after the Battle of Shiloh, a 200+ hospital was set up on the grounds and wooden barracks were converted to hospital wards.

Men died at the hospital, and temporarily 340 Union and 31 Confederate prisoners were buried at Waldschmidt Cemetery before being reinterred in the late 1860s at Spring Grove Cemetery and Camp Chase in Columbus.

The camp was deactivated in September 1865 and over time, the small town of Camp Dennison grew up around it. Many later barns and homes were built from lumber and materials from the camp.

In 1973, two remaining buildings from the fort/camp were entered into the National Register for Historic Places as the Waldschmidt-Camp Dennison Historic District.

Stuff I Didn't Know. --Old B-Runner

Camp Dennison, Ohio-- Part 1

In my Roadlog Blog from today, I wrote about the Schoolhouse Restaurant in Camp Dennison (Cincinnati) which was built in 1863 and supposedly Abraham Lincoln visited it. This would be a definite Civil War tie-in. Plus, I seemed to remember a Camp Dennison being a training camp for Union troops in Ohio during the war. Since quite a few Union training camps were turned into Confederate prison camps, perhaps this one was too.

Friend Denny Gibson made a comment saying he had been to the restaurant and that it had been a training camp and also a hospital. He didn't know about it being a prison and that it had a small museum.

I had to do some research on it.

Thanks good old Wikipedia.

The camp was a military training and medical post near Cincinnati. It was named after that city's native and governor of Ohio at the beginning of the war, William Dennison.

The site was chosen by Captain (later general) William S. Rosecrans with much of the land being leased from local farmers who really made out like bandits, getting $12 to $20 an acre a month, a huge amount of money back then. It was laid out on April 24, 1861, just 12 days after the firing on Fort Sumter.

Mighty Rich Farmers. --Old B-R'er

Wanted, More Info on Alexander Swift

I also found there was a 17 page book from the US Congress's Senate Committee on Claims for the Relief of Alexander Swift and Company and Niles Works.

Unfortunately, I could not look at it, but I imagine it had something to do with the legal problems involving his selling the monitors Oneota and Catawba to Spain.

After that, I wasn't able to find any other information, but he was a rich and powerful man. I'm sure there has to be some other information on him.

If Anybody Knows Anything? --Old B-R

Alexander Swift: Builder of Monitors and Pick Pocket Victim

Alexander Swift's company built four monitors: Catawba, Yuma, Oneota, and Klamath.

He most likely acquired some money from his company, but I can't find out much about his life or where he is buried. He must have been a very important man in Cincinnati, but there is not much on the internet about him.

However, I did come across an article in the April 27, 1882 article in the New York Times where5e he had $125 stolen from him. He was in New York to catch the White Star steamer Celtic to Europe.

Before leaving, he walked down Broadway where a young woman started talking with him and threw her arms around him. He repulsed her advances and she walked away very quickly. He soon discovered that his wallet was gone.

He ran after her and caught her. While grabbing her, she pleaded to the people around them to help. A detective arrived on the scene and recognized her as a known pickpocket.

While questioning her, Mr. Swift's pocket book fell out. The money was gone, but Swift's checks and ship tickets were still there.

Poor Mr. Swift. --Old B-Runner

USS Yuma and USS Klamath

From Wikipedia


USS YUMA

The USS Yuma was a single-turreted, twin screw monitor of the Casco Class built in Cincinnati by the Alexander Swift & Co., designed for service in shallow rivers, bays, and inlets of the Confederacy. To keep the draft low,armor was sacrificed, but a ballast system was on board to lower the ship in battle.

The Yuma was 225 feet long, had a 45 foot beam and mounted 2 X 11-inch smoothbore Dahlgrens.

Launched May 30, 1865, too late to see action. It was laid up 1866 to 1874 and at one point had name changed to Tempest then back to Yuma. It was sold at auction in New Orleans on September 12, 1874.


From DANFS, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships

USS KLAMATH

225 feet long, 45 foot beam, crew of 69, 2 X 11-incj smoothbore Dahlgrens.

Launched in Cincinnati 20 April 1865 by S. T. Hambleton & Co., tinder subcontracted by Alexander Swift & Co. Delivered to US Navy 6 May 1866, but never commissioned.. renamed Harpy June 1869 and name changed back to Klamath in August.

Moved to New Orleans in in 1870 and sold at auction September 12, 1874 to Shickels, Harrison who also bought the USS Kickapoo double-turreted monitor the same day.

Somebody's Looking for Scrap!! --Old B-Runner

Alexander Swift & Company Monitors Built in Cincinnati

From Shipbuilding History.

Alexander Swift's company built 4 monitors for the US Navy, none of which ever saw service: Catawba, Oneota, Klamath, and Yuma.

In 1871 they built the steamer John T. Moore and 1873, the steamer Alexander Swift (named for himself).


STEAMER JOHN T. MOORE

I found mention of it being used in the New Orleans to Jefferson trade. Not sure where Jefferson is. I also came across the name of John T. Moore as a riverboat captain who died in 1906. Perhaps this is who the boat is named for?

River Boat Dave's site has just about anything you'd need to know about river boats.

According to him, sometime between 1886 and 1892, the name was changed to the Endeavor.

The Moore was a sternwheel, iron-hulled packet, later converted to a side wheeler. Launched 1871 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The hull was said to have cost $30,000 and the whole ship $80,000. It was built for the New Orleans-Red River trade.

There was no mention as to what became of the ship, but it was listed as operating as late as 1896.

My Kingdom for a Boat. --B-Runner

USS Wyandotte II-- Part 1

This was the Canonicus-class monitor built by Miles Greenwood in Cincinnati, Ohio. Like the two from Alexander Swift, it was launched too late to take part in the war. It was constructed at the shipyard of John Litherburg. It was laid down in 1862, launched December 1864 and commissioned April 16, 1865.

It was originally called the USS Tippecanoe, but had the name changed to Wyandotte after a naval ship by that name was decommissioned and sold into the merchant service in 1865.

The Wyandotte was 223 feet long, had a 43.4 foot beam and mounted two 15-inch Dahklgren smoothbore cannons in the turret.

After commissioning, it was sent to New Orleans where the name was changed from Tippecanoe to Vesuvius in 1869 and later to the Wyandotte that same year.

From 1870-1872, it was laid up in Key West and the Philadelphia naval Yard. The next two years it underwent extensive repairs and was recommissioned in 1876, serving in the North Atlantic Squadron.

More to Come. --Old B-R