2007 October
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Lake Erie Ledger A Publication of the Society of the War of 1812 in the State of Ohio October 2007 Organized January 8, 1895 Volume 20, Number 3 Samuel Huntington to be inducted into OVHOF Governor Ted Strick- The OVHOF was established in 1992 to recog- land has announced that nize Ohio veterans with honorable military service twenty new members will who have gone on to make significant contribu- be inducted into the Ohio tions to their community, profession, state, and na- Veterans Hall of Fame tion. In May 2005, the OVHOF became law under (OVHOF). The Class of SB 277, stating the Governor’s Office of Veterans 2007 includes representa- Affairs shall serve as administrative agent. tives of armed conflicts The induction ceremony will be held on 8 No- from the War of 1812, vember 2007, at 11:00 a.m. in the auditorium of the World War I, World War Franklin County Veterans Memorial in Columbus. II, Korea and Vietnam. The ceremony is open to the public and is preceded by a public reception beginning at 10:00 a.m. Samuel Huntington (1765-1817), the 3 rd gover- Four other governors who served during the nor of Ohio and the District Paymaster for the War of 1812 have been accepted into the OVHOF. Army of the Northwest during the War of 1812, They are Robert Lucas, Duncan McArthur, Allen was nominated by the Society of the War of 1812 Trimble, Mordecai Bartley and Joseph Vance. Two in the State of Ohio. Ohio Society members have also been inducted: On 3 October 1812 Huntington received a fed- Roeliff Brinkerhoff and Robert E. Grim. eral commission to serve as the district paymaster of the 8 th Military District under Brigadier General Nominations are being accepted William Henry Harrison. He served in this capacity Nominations are being accepted for next year’s until 31 March 1815 when he resigned his commis- slate of state officers. Please contact Eric Johnson, sion. Brad Tilton or Paul Morehouse if you wish to run As a district paymaster, he held the rank of ma- for an office. The list of officer’s positions are lo- jor. He handled the payroll for both General Harri- cated on page two of this newsletter. son’s regular army and the militia units assigned to This is a golden opportunity for a compatriot to serve on federal duty in the northwest. His initial ‘get’ involved with the state organization and to duty station was the army’s headquarters at Frank- have voting privileges (some of the offices) at next linton (now Columbus), Ohio, and during 1814 he year’s Triennial convention, which will held in was stationed at Fort Detroit in the Territory of September in Philadelphia. Michigan. Fort Huntington in downtown Cleveland was named for Governor Huntington. Within these pages Honorees for the OVHOF are nominated throughout the year and include men and women State officers listing President James Madison Dollar from all over Ohio encompassing all branches of Battle of Copus Hill military service and all eras of military conflict. A Minutes of the October 2006 meeting 13-member executive committee of veterans’ rep- Minutes of the April 2007 meeting resentatives recommends the names to the Gover- Grave Registration Form NEXT MEETING — October 6, 2007 nor for induction into the Hall of Fame. Page 16 The Lake Erie Ledger October 2007 Ohio Society of the War of 1812 Officers President — Rev. C. George Fry Info Tech Chairman — H. Scott Baker II Chaplain 353 Hilltop Drive 158 West Union Street Upper Sandusky, Ohio 43351-9241 Circleville, OH 43113-1965 (419) 294-5649 (740) 474-8445 [email protected] Vice President — Eric E. Johnson Judge Advocate — William E. Huber II Editor, The Lake Erie Ledger P.O. Box 298 377 Nantucket Drive St. Mary’s, OH 45885-0298 Avon Lake, OH 44012-2803 [email protected] (440) 933-5434 [email protected] Marshal — Open Secretary — Open Historian — John H. Smith 705 Bentwood Drive Treasurer — E. Paul Morehouse, Jr. Lima, OH 45805-3001 27 Casterton Avenue [email protected] Akron, OH 44303-1001 (330) 434-3281 [email protected] President James Madison Dollar Vice President General for Ohio Surgeon General — Dr. Robert E. Bartholomew P.O. Box 702 Sandusky, OH 44870-5910 (419) 626-9861 [email protected] Graves Registration — Robert E. Grim 5367 State Road 72 South Sabina, OH 45169-9425 (937) 584-4622 Although, officially not a War of 1812 com- [email protected] memorative coin, the President James Madison dollar due to be released this fall by the U.S. Mint Immediate Past President — Bradley A. Tilton has extremely close ties to this war. President Registrar-Genealogist Madison was the commander-in-chief during this 161 North McElroy Road conflict. Mansfield, OH 44905 Madison was a student of both history and law. (419) 589-3140 He attended the College of New Jersey (later re- [email protected] named Princeton University). He helped craft Vir- ginia’s Constitution, as well as serving as a leader The Lake Erie Ledger in the Virginia Assembly. He was one of the writers of the Federalist Pa- pers, which was a series of 85 essays that advo- Published three times a year by the cated the adoption of the United States Constitu- Society of the War of 1812 in the State of Ohio Eric E. Johnson, Editor tion. Madison later helped secure passage of the 377 Nantucket Drive Bill of Rights. Avon Lake, OH 44012-2803 Because of continued harassment of American (440) 933-5434 sailors and seizure of American cargo by the Brit- [email protected] ish, Madison was forced to ask Congress for a dec- Page 17 The Lake Erie Ledger October 2007 Three militiamen were killed at the Battle of Copus Hill A detachment of militiamen from Captain Absalom The next morning four of the men went to the spring Martin’s militia company from Guernsey County unarmed to wash up when Indians ambushed them. stopped for the night at the home of James Copus on 14 George Shipley, John Tedrick and Robert Warnick were September 1812. Copus homestead, now in Mifflin killed and scalped while a fourth militiaman, Robert Township, Ashland County, was about nine miles east Dye, made it back to the cabin with a wound in his of Mansfield. The militiamen had torched the deserted thigh. The Indians then attacked the cabin and in this Indian village of Greentown near Mansfield during the assault James Copus was killed and his daughter, day. Nancy, was wounded. George Launtz, another militia- man, was also wounded. A musket ball had broken his arm. This skirmish lasted for five hours before the Indians withdrew. It is believed that 45 Indians took part in this assault since 45 small campfires were found near the cabin. The Indians had been roasting corn the night be- fore the attack. A monument was erected to the fallen men on 15 September 1882 on the site of their burial. The battle is also called the “Battle at Copus Farm.” Time capsule opened During July, the Lake County Historical Society in Painesville, Ohio, opened a time capsule that was em- bedded in the corner wall of the Courthouse in Paines- ville. The courthouse is celebrating its 100th anniver- sary. Among the usual coins, newspapers, maps, books Copus Hill Monument and other items that are found in time capsules, there was a one-inch piece of wood from the U.S. Brig Law- rence. This ship was Master Commandant Oliver Haz- Birth of the Star-Spangled Banner ard Perry’s flagship during the Battle of Lake Erie. This item still needs to authenticated. An act making an alteration in the Flag of the United States The Ohio Society is still looking for a one-foot long piece from this ship so that we can have it made into a Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Rep- gravel for our meetings. If you have a piece laying resentatives of the United States of America, in Con- around in your attic, please inform the president. gress assembled, that from and after the first day of May, Anno Domini, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five, the flag of the United States be fifteen Meeting Dates for 2007 stripes, alternate read and white. That the Union be fifteen stars, white in a blue field. October 6, 2007— Red Brick Tavern, Lafayette, OH Approved, 13 January 1794 Tentative dates for 2008 Although the Star-Spangled Banner is actually one April 12 — July 12 — October 11 flag, measuring 30 feet by 42 feet, which flew over Fort McHenry after the Battle of Baltimore in 1814, most people refer to a 15-stripe, 15 star flag as the Banner. The Lake Erie Ledger can be e-mailed to This national flag had its birth long before it received its any compatriot in a PDF format instead of fame during the battle. having the newsletter mailed as it have been On 4 July 1818 the Star-Spangled Banner was re- in the past. placed with a flag of 15 stripes and 20 stars. The Banner If you wish to receive this newsletter by e- had flown over this nation for 23 years, 2 months and 3 mail, please contact the editor and the news- days . letter will be e-mailed to you in the future. Page 18 The Lake Erie Ledger October 2007 Minutes of the October 2006 meeting E. Paul Morehouse, Treasurer The fall meeting of the Society of the War of 1812 in the The Memorial Fund for our three deceased members thus State of Ohio was formally called to order by Vice President far in 2006, John T.