In selecting the five subjects for the foregoing military biographical sketches it was not intended to single them out as all that were worthy of mention for their services. There are numerous others deserving a place, but the materials for full biographical sketches were wanting for most of them, and it was thought best, therefore, to confine the separate sketches to those military men who, for one reason or another, have come to be considered the representative men in the military history of the city. We add here brief mention of a few others, from such material as is in our posession, and must then, doubtless, omit many equally worthy a place.
Brevet Brigadier Russell Hastings, though not entering the army from Cleveland, is now a resident of the city and holds the position of United States Marshal. He was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 23rd Ohio Infantry, commanded at first by Major-General Rosecrans and subsequently by General Hayes, rose by regular promotion to the Lieutenant-Colonelcy, and was subsequently made Brevet Brigadier General "for gallant and meretorious services at the battle of Opequan, Virginia." General Hastings was permanently disabled by a bullet wound in the leg.
Brevet Brigadier Robert L. Kimberly was on the editorial staff of the Cleveland Herald when he joined the 41st Ohio Infantry, as Second Lieutenant under Colonel Hazen, was rapidly promoted to Major, in which rank he had charge of his regiment during the greater part of the time, and sometimes acting as brigade commander. He was made Lieutenant Colonel January 1, 1865, and Colonel of the 191st Ohio Infantry in the succeeding March. He participated with distinction in several engagements, and for these services was breveted Brigadier General.
Brigadier General Oliver H. Payne was commissioned Colonel of the 124th Ohio Infantry January 1, 1863. His regiment was distinguished for its discipline and for the care taken of the men by Colonel Payne and Lieutenant Colonel James Pickands, and also for its gallant services under those leaders. At Chickamauga Colonel Payne was wounded and, being unable to rejoin his regiment, resigned his position in November, 1864. He was subsequently breveted Brigadier General for meritorious services.
Among those who distinguished themselves in the service, but who stopped short of null rank of those mentioned above, may be mentioned Major James B. Hampson, who commanded the Cleveland Grays in the three years' organization of the 1st Ohio Infantry, and subsequently was Major of the 124th Ohio. Lieutenant Colonel James T. Sterling, who commenced his military career as company commander in the 7th Ohio Infantry and subsequently became Lieutenant Colonel of the 103rd Ohio, from which position he was appointed null General on the staff of General Cox. Captain Joseph B. Molyneaux, who served with gallantry in the 7th Ohio Infantry. Captain Mervin Clark, the fearless "boy officer" of the same regiment, who braved death on every occasion, and fell, colors in hand, when leading a forlorn hope over a rebel work at Franklin. Lieutenant Colonel Frank Lynch, of the 27th Ohio Infantry. Lieutenant Colonel G. S. Mygatt, of the 41st Ohio Infantry, who died of disease contracted in serving his country. Major J. H. Williston, of the same regiment. Captains G. L. Childs, Alfred P. Girty, and G. L. Heaton, of the 67th Ohio Infantry. Lieutenant Colonel John N. Frazee, of the 84th and 150th Ohio Infantry. Lieutenant Colonel H. S. Pickands, of the 103rd Ohio Infantry, and Colonel James Pickands, of the 124th Ohio, who reached their positions by active service in various ranks throughout the war. Captain Isaac C. Vail, of the 103rd Ohio Infantry, who died in service. Major George Arnold of the 107th Ohio Infantry, (German,) who fought with great gallantry. Surgeon C. A. Hartman, whose skill as a surgeon was fully equalled by his valor as a soldier, and who, unable to content himself as a non-combatant, engaged in the thickest of the fight at Winchester and was killed in the terrible slaughter the regiment experienced. Captain Wm. C. Bunts, of the 125th Ohio Infantry. Lieutenant Colonel E. A. Scovill, of the 128th Ohio Infantry, rendered important service in charge of the null affairs of the great prison for the rebels on Johnson's Island. Major Junius R. Sanford was in service in this regiment. Lieutenant Colonel George L. Hayward, of the 129th Ohio Infantry, had seen active service as company commander in the 1st Ohio Infantry. In the Cavalry service Cleveland furnished among other leading regimental officers Colonel Charles Doubleday, Lieutenant Colonel G. G. Minor, Major Albert Barnitz, now in the United States service, Major L. C. Thayer, who died soon after his leaving the service, and Major J. F. Herrick. To the Artillery service, in addition to General Barnett and Lieutenant Colonel Hayward, Cleveland contributed Lieutenant Colonel Walter E. Lawrence, who declined promotion and died deeply regretted by his comrades in arms and by a host of warm friends at home. Major Seymour Race, who ably assisted in the organization of the regiment and left Camp Dennison January 10, 1862, with two batteries and reported to General Buell at Louisville; had command of the camp at the Fair Grounds, composed of seven batteries from Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin; left Louisville February 10, with three batteries on steamers, and reported to General Nelson at the mouth of Salt River accompanying him to Nashville; was Chief of Artillery of General T. J. Wood's Division at Pittsburgh Landing and the siege of Corinth and continued in that position in the division through Northern Alabama and back to Louisville; participated in the battles of Perryville and Stone River; was highly commended by his Division commander for valuable services in all these actions; and was also in command of the fortifications at Nashville for about five months; Major Warren P. Edgerton, Major W. F. Goodspeed, Assistant Surgeon Charles E. Ames, Captains Wm. A. Standart, Louis Heckman, Norman A. Baldwin, Joseph C. Shields, Frank Wilson, Louis Smithnight, William Backus, and a long list of Lieutenants. From the fact that the Cleveland Light Artillery organization was the origin of the Light Artillery service of the State, and that the Artillery had long been popular in the city, the Ohio Light Artillery service in the war was very largely officered and heavily recruited from Cleveland. In the 5th U. S. Colored Infantry, officered by white soldiers of Ohio, Gustave W. Fahrion, who had done good service in an Ohio regiment, was appointed Captain, and did hard service with his men in Virginia and North Carolina.
Journalism
It would require more space than can be given here to merely enumerate the different newspaper ventures that have been set afloat in Cleveland, some to disappear almost as soon as launched, others to buffet the waves for a few months, or even years, and then to pass away and be forgotten. In the days when nothing more was required to start a newspaper than a few pounds of type and a hand press, or credit with the owner of a press, new journals appeared and disappeared with great rapidity. Even now, when it is hopeless to think of attempting the establishment of a journal without first sinking a large capital, there are people venturesome enough to try the experiment of starting a newspaper upon little or nothing. The end of such experiments is always the same.
The first newspaper issued in Cleveland was the Cleveland Gazette and Commercial Register, commenced July 31, 1818. It was ostensibly a weekly publication, but the difficulty of procuring paper with the desired regularity, and other untoward circumstances, sometimes caused a lapse of ten, fourteen, and even more days between each issue. In October, 1819, the Cleveland Herald was started as a weekly, by Z. Willes & Co.
In the Summer of 1836, the Daily Gazette was issued. This ran until March 22, 1837, when its owner, Charles Whittlesey, united it with the Herald, under the name of the Daily Herald and Gazette, the new firm being Whittlesey & Hull, and after a few days Whittlesey & J. A. Harris. The Gazette title was subsequently dropped, and that of the Herald preserved, Mr. Harris being the sole proprietor and editor. Messrs. W. J. May, A. W. Fairbanks, G. A. Benedict and John Coon were at different times added to the firm, Mr. May and Coon afterwards retiring, and being followed after some years by Mr. Harris, who was the veteran editor of the city. The Herald is now the oldest paper in the city, and the oldest daily in Northern Ohio. It was always Whig or Republican in politics.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer was the natural successor of the Cleveland Daily Advertiser, a Democratic paper published about a third of a century since, by Canfield & Spencer. The Plain Dealer was owned and edited from its start by J. W. Gray, who made it a sharp and spicy journal. His declining health compelled him to take less interest in his paper, which soon lost prestige, and having gone into incompetent hands after Mr. Gray's death, it was before long compelled to suspend. Being purchased, after a short suspension, by Mr. Armstrong, it was resuscitated, and is at present, under the ownership and management of Messrs. Armstrong & Green, a successful enterprise.