The Marietta Register, June 17, 1864
"Old Marietta Papers" was a series of columns compiled and published in 1863 and 1864 by Rodney M. Stimson, editor of "The Marietta Register."
Friday, Aug. 30, 1839, occurred a transaction at Parkersburg that is worthy of note, even now. It was a circumstance that had its influence in this region to bring about the state of public opinion today - a transaction that caused some excitement at the time, and but one of thousands that have taken place under the infernal influence of slavery, thousands many times more aggravated than this. It was the mobbing of Col. Augustus Stone and David Putnam of Harmar, because they were charged with being abolitionists.
Mr. Putnam, we believe, was the particular object of the Parkersburg ruffians; and Col. Stone suffered, perhaps, because he happened to be in company with the former. It is now nearly twenty-five years ago - what a change in the country! Abolitionists are now about as thick as mosquitoes in August, and through the wicked and tyrannical spirit of slavery - its own suicide - their principles now prevail. Col. Stone and Mr. Putnam both live to see their sentiments popular, however much odium and contempt may have been cast upon those principles in times past. It may be remarked that Col. John Stone of Belpre, living opposite Parkersburg, did not cross the Ohio to that place for many years, for the hate that there prevailed against him because he exercised free thought on the subject of slavery and dared maintain his thoughts before the people. He has had no trouble in going to Parkersburg during the past three years. Even an abolition paper is published there, edited and printed by an abolitionist.
The following is copied from the Marietta Intelligencer of Sept. 5, 1839:
"Outrage at Parkersburg - On Friday last, Mr. David Putnam, Jr., and Col. A. Stone, two respectable citizens of Harmar, went to Parkersburg to transact some business, and as they were about to cross the river on their return, were assailed by a mob and both of them knocked into the river. Fortunately, they escaped without much injury, but from the spirit manifested by the assailants, there can be no doubt that they intended a most brutal outrage upon the person of Mr. Putnam. We do not intend to give the particulars of this assault, or comment upon it in the terms it deserves, until we learn whether the respectable citizens or our neighbor city give countenance to it. We cannot believe they will consent that the odium of this disgraceful affair shall rest upon them. On the contrary, we trust they will use all diligence to bring the perpetrators to justice.
"If Mr. Putnam has violated law, let him be punished by law, So long as we profess to be governed by laws, it is the duty of every good citizen to maintain their supremacy. We cannot imagine a case where a resort to mob law would be justifiable; and unless our Statute Book is to become a reproach, and the name of Liberty a bye-word, every attempt to supplant law by violence should be promptly and fearlessly put down."
Sept. 12, 1839, "Morton" communicated to the Intelligencer a high appreciative and just notice of Lilly Martin, then a girl in her seventeenth year, living with her father, a few miles up the Muskingum, and since so distinguished as an artist. The writer spoke of her "extraordinary taste, talent, and genius," and mentioned that:
"Her first work was on the unwhitened plastered wall of her chamber. She commenced with a piece of charcoal and common chalk, using her finger to stamp with. She has recently obtained some poor crayon and a few paints and brushes. With these instruments, she has covered the sides of her room with splendid pictures."
"One side of the room presents a view from a public piazza out upon a water scene bordered by hill and dale, and field and forest; all original, and beautifully conceived. Groups are presented on the piazza, in various employments, and the figures present not only an accurate proportion, but some of them are shaded and finished in the most exquisite manner. There are some talking politics and some making love. One picture presents a boy playing with the dog and cat; the dog and cat are fighting, and the boy has thrown his cap over the head of the dog, and is exulting at the advantage thus given to puss."
Several other pictures on the walls are noticed:
"But the best hit of all is 'the young baker.' Mrs. Martin had sent her daughter to make bread, and while engaged, the child (for she has only the appearance of a child) conceived the idea of drawing a like figure on the wall. And there it is, not in rude unfinished outline, but a well finished and most strikingly rich crayon drawing. This picture being alone, in a rough room, full of barrels, meal tubs, and rubbish, and being drawn on the rough plaster, has the most extraordinary effect. It represents a girl with a very pretty face, bending over her work, her hair disheveled and yet ornamental; the cape tied loose about her neck, and turned round to the side, sleeves rolled up, and both hands delving in the dough. One could not conceive of anything more natural. This picture, alone is worthy of more than I can write, and no one can have any idea of it without seeing it.
"I can only say, that the circumstances of this display of talent are the most extraordinary. I cannot associate the work and the author together, so strange is the contrast! One gazes at the pictures and glances at the child, who appears to gaze totally unconscious of the merit they possess."
Marriages in 1839:
Aug. 8, Israel W. Andrews, Professor in Marietta College (now President), and Miss Sarah H. Clark of Danbury, Conn.
Aug. 12, Col. Ichabod Nye of Marietta and Mrs. Rebecca Beebe of Belpre.
Sept. 22, Benjamin W. Clark and Marietta Broadhurst.
Sept. 25th, Rev. J. R. Barnes of Evansville, Ind., and Caroline M. Webster.
Oct. 2, Riley Bruce and Mary D. Cockshott, both of Belpre.
Oct. 6th, Richard Beebe and Vilate Wolcott, both of Waterotwn.
Oct 6th, in Marietta, Flavel C. Cole and Mary Dye.
Oct. 10th, Samuel Weston and Eliza Ann Reckard.
Oct. 11th, in Warren, Jacob Reppert of Madison, Ind., and Ann M. Reppert.
Oct. 17th, Sala Bosworth and Joanna F. Shipman.
Oct. 17th, William J. Smith of Marietta and Elmina Clarke of Athens.
Nov. 17th, in Harmar, Alfred Finch and Jane Williams.
Nov. 20th, William Foster of Springfield, Mass. and Matilda W. Foster of Marietta.
Dec. 3, James Withrow and Betsey Locker.
Dec. 5th, William Grant and Mary Ann Willard.
Deaths in 1839:
Aug. 11, Miss S. Maria Brigham, formerly of Princeton, Mass.
Aug. 11th, Anna Maria Ward, in her 19th year.
Aug. 22d, Frederick Shipman, aged 44.
Sept. 8, in Belpre, Rev. William H. Jolly, a Universalist clergyman, 43.
Sept. 10th, in New Orleans, of Yellow fever, Royal G. Hart of Harmar, 29.
Sept. 11th, in Marietta, Rowena, wife of Dennis Racer, 30.
Oct. 22, Caroline Augusta, daughter of F. A. and Harriet Wheeler, 11 months.
Oct. 29th, Selah, wife of William Slocomb, 54.
Nov. 11, in Salem, Mary, wife of Rufus Payne, 45.
Nov. 30th, Mary Ann, daughter of John Collins of Fearing, 14.
Election in 1839:
The result in this county in 1839, between the Whig and the Democratic parties, was very close - caused by "stay-at-home" Whigs. The Whig vote on Representative was 166 less than in the year before, while the Democratic was only 15 less; and the consequence was that the Whigs lost the best offices in the county at that election. The total vote stood as follows: For Senator, Samuel R. Curtis, Whig, 1210; Isaac Humphreys, Dem., 1215. Representative, William r. Browning, Whig, 1199; William A. Whittlesey, Dem., 1225. Auditor, James M. Booth, Whig, 1177; J. P. Wightman, Dem., 1251. Commissioner, Daniel H. Buell, Whig, 1211; Hapgood Goddard, Dem, 1199. Treasurer, Robert Crawford, Whig, 1238; John Young, Dem., 1196. Assessor, Tartus Lindley, Whig, 1144; A. G. Hollister, Dem., 1242. Prosecuting Attorney, Arius Nye, Whig, 1224; Charles F. Buell, Dem., 1180.
The Democrats, it will be seen, elected the Representative, Auditor and Assessor, while the Whigs elected the Treasurer, Commissioner and the Prosecuting Attorney.
S. R. Curtis, who was beaten for the Senate in this District, then hailed from McConnelsville and had been an Engineer on the Muskingum Improvement from which position he was removed on account of his politics. He has since been well known to the country as a Colonel of one of the Ohio regiments in the War with Mexico in 1846-47; as a Republican Representative in Congress for several years, from Iowa; and as a Major General during the present war, west of the Mississippi.
We give the vote of the county in detail for Representative, as follows:
Adams - Browning 50, Whittlesey 75.
Aurelius - Browning 35, Whittlesey 55.
Belpre - Browning 105, Whittlesey 51.
Barlow - Browning 39, Whittlesey 35.
Decatur - Browning 17, Whittlesey 13.
Fearing - Browning 29, Whittlesey 33.
Grandview - Browning 5, Whittlesey 99.
Lawrence - Browning 8, Whittlesey 55.
Ludlow - Browning 7, Whittlesey 55.
Liberty - Browning 4, Whittlesey 33.
Marietta - Browning 381, Whittlesey 204.
Newport - Browning 68, Whittlesey 53.
Roxbury - Browning 58, Whittlesey 79.
Salem - Browning 46, Whittlesey 32.
Union - Browning 47, Whittlesey 62.
Warren - Browning 35, Whittlesey 60.
Waterford - Browning 117, Whittlesey 99.
Watertown - Browning 88, Whittlesey 68.
Wesley - Browning 60, Whittlesey 63.
Total - Browning 1199, Whittlesey 1225.
Nov. 14, 1839, the Intelligencer contained the following notice:
"Big Steam Boat. Among the novelties of the day worthy of notice is a steamboat just built by Mr. Wyllis Hall of this town. It is not a rival of the Great Western, but is, nevertheless, quite a curiosity. It is only thirty feet in length - has an engine of four horse power and a cabin sufficiently large to accommodate twelve or fifteen persons - and is, altogether, a very neat, well proportioned steamboat."
Nov. 21, 1839, the Intelligencer had an article - a "leader" - which favored the nomination of Gen. Scott for the Presidency for political reasons, although stating that Daniel Webster was the first choice of the editor - but he could not probably be elected. The friends of Clay and Harrison had become embittered against each other, and Gen. Scott was the man to unite them. Gen. Harrison, however, did unite them.
And this in the Intelligencer of Dec. 2:
"Mr. Leonard Scott brought to our office on Tuesday, a steel trap found in the forks of a sugar tree on Wolf Creek in this County. The pan of the trap extends entirely through the wood and over it three or four inches of solid wood is formed. The fork in which the trap was found was about 45 feet from the ground. Every part of it is in a perfect state of preservation. Mr. Scott is of opinion that it was undoubtedly carried there by some animal. It has been purchased by Mr. Scott, who intends taking it to New York, probably to place it in the Museum."
Judge Ephraim Cutler of Warren was the Delegate from this Congressional District to the Whig National Convention, held at Harrisburg, Pa., in December, 1839, which nominated Gen Harrison for the Presidency.
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