militaryhistory

Rush County, Indiana
Military History

Military Annals

The military annals of Rush county prior to the Civil war fail to show any separate organizations (barring meager references to the pioneer militia) although a few of the residents of the county had participated in the Mexican war. It is recalled that the majority of the voters of the county were opposed to the administration that carried on that war and that local enthusiasm in that behalf was at most but lukewarm. However, on receipt of the news of the battle of Palo Alto, May 8, 1846, Nehemiah Hayden and Oliver C. Hackleman aroused a sufficient degree of patriotic fervor to recruit a company for service. They went to Indianapolis to get their company accepted, but found upon arrival that the required thirty companies from this state already had been filled. Captain Hayden enlisted in another unit> however, and went to the front, as did George B. Tingley and possibly a few others whom the older chronicles do not mention. Not a few of the pioneer settlers of Rush county had rendered service in the War of 1812 and there also were quite a number of the soldiers of the Revolutionary war who spent their last days within the confines of this county, having joined their children or grandchildren among the pioneers of this section, and the graves of these latter, where known, have been marked by the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Pen Picture Of Pioneer Militia Company

One of the most illuminating glimpses of the early days hereabout that has been preserved among the numerous "reminiscences" of the pioneers is a narrative of Elijah Hackleman dealing as follows with the peaceful exploits of Col. William S. Bussell's "Light Horse Troop," a locally famous unit of the state militia in pioneer days: '' The drill grounds were on some of the newly made pasture lands of Jehu Perkins. In fancy's vision I yet see them entering the field of drill, with their dashing chief at their head, arrayed in their bearskin caps, faced with red on each side, with long red plumes streaming in the air, their blue coats well tipped off with red and yellow flashes, long swords at their sides, their fiery steeds prancing to the martial music and their silver-mounted saddles and holsters flashing in the sun. I remember on one occasion, the 11th of May, 1829, of seeing this company escort old Edward Swanson from the jail to the gallows in Rushville."
The short-lived Indian uprising known as the Black-hawk war in April, 1831, in which Abraham Lincoln served, gave the people of Rush county their first real war thrill. Unhappily, the five mounted companies called for as Indiana's quota in this war were filled before the news reached Rush county, but Colonel Bussell, Elihu Garrison, Harvey Hedriek and William Lower enlisted and on July 23 there was a gathering of citizens to see them off to war. Colonel Bussell died in 1822 in Georgia and Alfred Posey succeeded him as colonel of the Seventy-first Indiana militia regiment. The militia system was abandoned about 1837 and an older chronicle relates that the last attempt to hold battalion drill was on Henry Armstrong's farm near New Salem, this narrative continuing to relate that "out of 600 or 800 men enrolled only thirty or forty were in the ranks, and they without arms, although at that time every man in the county owned a rifle. Fully 1,000 people assembled as spectators. Col. John Tyner mounted a stump and with chapeau in hand thanked the battalion for former services and relieved the men from further duty.''

Echoes Of Treason Heard

It is the experience of our country that no war has ever been fought by the United States that the party in power was not opposed in its policies before, during, or after the war. It was thus in 1812, 1846, 1861, 1898 and in 1917. In a Government like ours it will always be so; but it was especially true during the Civil war. Dating back to the adoption of the constitution the question of slavery had been a serious problem presaging the "irrepressible conflict" and ending in secession and the subjugation of the South with the end of slavery.
Oliver P. Morton had succeeded to the governorship of Indiana, and well for the credit of the state, and the welfare of the Union, for a man of another type might have permitted a rebel wedge to be driven through the -Mouth to Lake Michigan, and as it was it took all the loyal strength of Ohio and Illinois and the indomitable courage of Morton to prevent the formation of a Northwestern confederacy. Treason, headed by Vallandigham in Ohio and spreading westward through Indiana, Illinois and Missouri with oath bound organizations, for a while threatened the safety of the Union. In 1863, a legislature opposed to the governor met at Indianapolis and after refusing to receive the governor's message sought to shear him of all his war power and create a military board. To prevent this the loyal members of the legislature left the hall and city, thus destroying a quorum. No appropriation bill was passed and the state institutions, the state arsenal, the state militia and all other public essentials were left to perish. But Morton rose to the occasion and succeeded. A loyal house in New York advanced the money and the state's credit was preserved.

Harrison H. Dodd, grand commander of the Sons of Liberty in Indiana, was tried and convicted of treason, but with the aid of friends and a rope escaped from a room where he slept and made his way to Canada. Bowles, Milligan, Horsey, and Humphrey were tried and convicted (the first three sentenced to death, the latter to life imprisonment), but General Hovey remitted the sentence to a short time in his own county jail, while Governor Morton interceded with President Johnson and Bowles, Milligan, and Horsey were sentenced for life at Columbus, Ohio, penitentiary, but later, under Johnson's amnesty proclamation allowed to return home.

These incidents may seem foreign to a county history were it not for the fact that Rush county was only an integral part of the state and the conditions here were similar to those in other parts of the state. On June 10, 1863, Hon. J. Frank Stevens, ex-senator from Decatur county, while acting as assistant enrolling officer in Walker township, this county, was shot and killed, while Craycraft, enrolling officer, was mortally wounded by unknown assassins about three miles southeast of Homer.
A Rushville newspaper had warned all draft officers "to insure their lives." showing a knowledge of disloyal and treasonable designs, while a convention held at Rushville on January 31, 1863, resolved "That we are opposed to the further prosecution of this abolition war, and believing that in its continued prosecution there awaits us only the murderous sacrifice of legions of brave men, ignominious defeat, shame and dishonor we are for peace."

All this, too, after Indiana had sent nearly a hundred regiments to the front, and her soldiers had won imperishable renown on a hundred battle fields. June 3, 1861, at Phillippi, Va., twenty-seven Rush county men of Company E, Seventh Indiana, with other troops fought and won the first battle of the Civil war and one survivor of Company F, Thirty-fourth Indiana (Daniel Kinney), fought at Palmetto Ranche, Texas, May 13,1865, the last battle of the war.

The County's Record In The War

Beginning with the Seventh regiment, Rush county was represented in twenty-six regiments. Company F, Sixteenth regiment (one year), was officered by Col. P. A. Hackleman (afterward brigadier-general, killed at Corinth, Miss., October 3,1862), Lieutenant Colonel Joel "Wolfe, Captain Paul J. Beachbard, Lieutenants John L. Groves, Silas D. Byram, with ninety-six privates. The Sixteenth Indiana was reorganized as a three-year regiment and Companies C, G, and H were principally from Rush county. Company C was officered by Lieutenant Colonel Joel Wolfe (killed at Richmond, Ky., August 30,1862, and the whole regiment taken prisoners), Major James M. Hildreth, Quartermaster Henry B. Hill, Surgeon John C. Cullen, Assistant Surgeon John H. Spurrier, Captains Paul J. Beachbard and Wm. A. Ingold, Lieutenants D. C. Barnard, G. W. Marsh, I. N. Wester-field and R. S. Davis, with 117 privates. Company G., Sixteenth regiment officered by Capt. Aaron McFeely, Lieutenants Isaac Steele, W. L. Peckham, T. M. Bundy, and James Steele, with 126 privates, twenty-four of whom were transferred to the Thirteenth cavalry. Company H, Sixteenth regiment, officered by Capt. Elijah J. Waddell, Lieuts. James G. Glore, J. C. Ellis, and J. M. Huston, with eighty-one privates. Rush county was well represented in the ranks in the Eighteenth, Nineteenth, Twentieth, * Twenty-first, Twenty-sixth, Twenty-ninth, Thirty-fourth, and Thirty-sixth regiments. Company K, Thirty-seventh regiment was a Rush county command, officered by Captains John McKee, and John B. Reeve, Lieutenants Wm. R. Hunt, Isaac Abernathy (killed at Stone River, December 31, 1862), and John Patton (died February 13, 1863, from wounds received at Stone River), Assistant Surgeon Jefferson Helm, with eighty-four privates. The Thirty-ninth and Fifty-first regiments represented Rush county.

The Fifty-second regiment was commanded by Col. E. H. Wolfe (afterward brevet brigadier-general), Lieutenant Colonel Wm. C. McReynolds; Quartermaster W. H. Smith; Surgeons Marshall Sexton and James W. Martin. Company G., of this regiment, was captained by Joseph McCorkle and Ross Chiffin, Lieutenants C. M. Ferree, Theo. Wilkes, James H. Wright, W. S. Conde, and H. S. Carney (the last two being the only living commissioned officers of Rush county), with seventy-three privates.

In Company H, of the Fifty-second regiment, were thirty-four privates from this county but no officers. Company H, Fifty-fourth regiment, was captained by John H. Ferree, Lieutenants John W. Mauzy, and Wm. M. Brooks, with thirty-five privates. Capt. Nathan Pat-ton commanded Company I, Sixty-eighth regiment, with twenty-two privates. Company D, Sixty-eighth regiment was officered by Major James W. Innis, Captain James H. Mauzy and Lieutenants Wm. Beale, Deliscus Lingenfelter and D. S. Thomas, with sixty-five privates. Company I, Eighty-fourth regiment, had thirty-three privates and Company F six privates from Rush county, with no officers. The One Hundred and Eleventh regiment (minute men) was commanded by Captain James S. Hibben and Lieutenant Henry Dixon, with fifty-nine privates. The One Hundred and Twenty-first regiment. (Ninth cavalry) was officered by Captains James Frazee and John W. Jack, Lieutenants N. F. Leisure and Alex B. Harris, of Companies E, F and M, had 133 privates. This regiment lost fifty-five men in the explosion of the Sultana, April 26,1865. The One Hundred and Twenty-third regiment was officered by Lieutenant Colonel W. A. Cullen and Surgeon John H. Spurrier (regimental officers), while Company E was captained by Franklin Swain (died of wounds August 23,1864), and John Flee-hart; Lieutenants L. P. Aldridge, Oliver Richey, J. W. Tompkins, E. T. Allen, and Wm. J. Allen, with eighty privates. Rush county men were also in Companies B, H, I, and K of this regiment. Company K, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth regiment (one hundred-day men), Captain Jos. R. Silver and Lieutenant Albert C. Walton, with thirty-one privates.

The One Hundred and Forty-sixth and One Hundred and Forty-eighth were represented also. The Twenty-second battery, light artillery, was commanded by Captains B. F. Denning (killed in action at Kenesaw Mountain), and Edward Nicholson; Lieutenants James N. Scott, James W. Williamson, Alonzo Swain, George W. Alexander and M. E. Muse, with 168 privates. The One Hundred and Thirty-first regiment (thirteenth cav-alry) had thirty-three privates, but no officers. The Twenty-eighth United States (colored) represented the county with four privates. In addition to the above units the county is credited with 101 enlistments in other organizations.

Distinguished Record Of Service

The troops of no other state were scattered so widely as Indiana troops; they having been engaged in 308 separate conflicts and fought in seventeen different states. In every one of these states from Virginia to Texas sleeps an Indiana soldier, and in most of them one from Rush; county. At Atlanta, Indiana had forty-six regiments and nine batteries, Rush county represented by two regiments and one battery; at Corinth, twenty-four regiments and eight batteries, Rush county represented by three regiments; at Chickamauga, twenty-nine regiments and eight batteries, Rush county by three regiments; at Franklin, twenty-one regiments and one battery. Rush county by three regiments; at Gettysburg, six regiments,
Rush county by three; Kenesaw Mountain, forty-seven regiments and one battery, Rush county by five regiments ; at Nashville, thirty regiments and nine batteries, Rush county by seven regiments; at Resaca, forty-one regiments and nine batteries, Rush county by four regiments; at Stone River, twenty-six regiments and five batteries, Rush county by five regiments; at Vicksburg, twenty-four regiments and one battery, Rush county by three regiments.

The records show the death loss in the field of Rush county troops to have been 178, but the total deaths during and growing out of service was not far from four hundred. Many men who were discharged for disability or wounds died at home, and this does not show on the reports of Adjutant Terrill. the post-war records of some 50,000 Indiana soldiers being missing.

Rush county furnished two brigadier-generals; Pleasant A. Hackleman and E. H. Wolfe (brevet), and Hackleman was the only man of that rank from Indiana to be killed in action. Lieutenant-Colonel Joel Wolfe was killed in action at Richmond, Ky., August 30, 1862, and Captain B. F. Denning was wounded at Kenesaw Mountain on June 26,1864, and died July 3,1864. So far as is known, these three men were the only commissioned officers from Rush county to be killed in action.
The whole number of soldiers of the Civil war still living in Rush county, as reported by the Grand Army of the Republic at their last enumeration, was eighty-seven, and this number includes Union soldiers from all states now resident in the county.

Story Of Bounties And Draft

Every county in the state issued bonds to pay bounties to volunteers, after the beginning of 1863, as prior to that time the Government bounties of $100 had been sufficient to secure enlistments. Up to this time Indiana was far in excess of her quota under previous calls, but the drain on her industrial resources was such that in many counties the issuance of bonds became a necessity and were issued and paid in varying amounts from Starke county with $2,719 to Marion county with $1,337,199, or a total for the state of $15,492,876.00.

To avoid the draft many townships offered large bounties, which served to fill the quotas, but failed to strengthen the army, as hordes of the worst class of men from all over the world, deserters from the rebel army, and thieves and pickpockets from everywhere thronged the recruiting stations, enlisted, were mustered in, received their bounties, clothing and advance pay, only to cast aside their uniforms in a few hours and play the same game at some other recruiting station. This became intolerable, so much so that Colonel Warner, Seventeenth regiment V. R. C, commanding the Indianapolis post, determined to break it up. A large prison, well guarded, was prepared and as they were rounded up they were manacled together in squads, and sent to the front only again to desert, many joining the rebel army or guerrilla bands. After trial by court-martial at Camp Morton three convicted "bounty jumpers" were publicly shot on the parade grounds, and this served in great measure to lessen the evil.

Rush county paid in bounty	$124,000
Rush county paid in relief	18,099
Rush county paid in miscellaneous	600
Ripley township paid in bounty	13,300
Posey township paid in bounty	11,250
Walker township paid in bounty	6,400
Orange township paid in bounty	8,755
Anderson township paid in bounty	15,600
Rushville (including Jackson twp.	6,000
Center township paid in bounty	9,350
Washington township paid in bounty	8,450
Union township paid in bounty	6,000
Noble township paid in bounty	11,457
Richland township paid in bounty	3,250
All townships in relief	15,000
Total	$257,511

This magnificent contribution does not include the thousands of private contributions made to the soldier in the field and the immediate home. The legal right of counties to issue bonds for bounties was contested, but on appeal it was affirmed at the November term (1865) of the Indiana Supreme Court. For much of the above information and for much that is to follow with relation to the military annals of Rush county the present historiographer gratefully acknowledges the extreme helpfulness of that admirable little volume, "Rush County War Activities, 1861 to 1918, at Home and in the Field," compiled and edited by the chairman of the executive board of the Rush county chapter of the American Red Cross and printed in.the summer of 1918.

The Sanitary Commision

The inadequacy of Government supplies at the out-break of the rebellion caused the solicitation of popular contributions, under the direction of the sanitary commission, and in this movement Rush county took a leading part, as it has done at all times.

When the state sanitary commission sent out its call to the citizens of Indiana, a Rush county branch was organized with Rev. D. M. Stewart as its president. Committees were appointed and a call was made in October, 1861, upon the people for surplus blankets, socks, gloves, mittens, etc., for the volunteers who were fighting the battles of the Union. The Rushville Sewing and Knitting Society was formed by many of the women of the town, a constitution was adopted, and each member agreed to devote one day of four hours each week to the cause. It is unfortunate from the viewpoint of local history that there prevailed no adequate system of recording the actual contributions made during the war by the civilian population other than financial gifts. Certain it is, however, that those to whom fell the unromantic task of working quietly at home, nobly met the obligations placed upon them by Governor Morton and the sanitary commission. How many thousands of extra garments and comforts of various kinds were sent to the men at the front it is impossible to tell, yet it is known that no duty was shirked, no demand was too great. Toward the latter part of April, 1864, it was reported that the Rush county branch had contributed $2,984.05 to the Indiana sanitary commission, and that Anderson township had won the "prize banner" for the largest contribution of all townships in the county per Union vote with $500. In the last year of the war the total undoubtedly was augmented by a considerable amount.

The Grand Army Of The Republic

The Grand Army of the Republic represents the spirit that preserved the Union at the time of the Civil war, and although it is now more than fifty years since the G. A. R. was organized, and although time has so thinned the ranks of the organization that there remains only a remnant of a once great military force, the hearts of the veterans are as true to the cause of democracy and their loyalty to the flag is as great as when they answered the call to duty more than half a century ago. The national Grand Army of the Republic was organized at Decatur, Ill., April 6,1866, by Dr. B. F. Stephanson, surgeon of the Fourteenth Illinois infantry, and this post was followed rapidly by others all over the country. At Rushville, Joel Wolfe Post, No. 81, Grand Army of the Republic was organized on July 19, 1882, and was mustered in by Gen. James R. Carnahan, department commander. There were twenty charter members of the post, of whom the late Thomas A. Fritter was the last survivor. For many years after its organization, the local post was active in the affairs of Rush county, and the veterans, although few in numbers, still keep up their organization, participating in all the patriotic movements that their advancing years will permit.
The charter roster follows: Post commander, Ulysses D. Cole; junior vice-commander, Wm. N. Stewart; chaplain, J. P. Orr; quartermaster, J. H. Spurrier; adjutant, John Fleehart; sergeant, Geo. W. Wilson; officer of the day, David S. Fleehart ; William Beale, Robert H. Robert, Wm. A. Cullen, hos. A. Fritter, Wm. F. Gordon, George Muire, John K. rowdy, F. S. Jones, David Mason, Jas. H. Mauzy, Ben L. Smith, Dr. Wm. H. Smith, Edward Young.

There also are dwindling posts of the Grand Army of the Republic at Carthage and Milroy.

The Woman's Relief Corps was created by mothers, wives, daughters and sisters of Union veterans of the Civil war, for the purpose of aiding and assisting the Grand Army of the Republic to " perpetuate the memory of their heroic dead, extend needful aid to the widows and orphans, cherish and emulate the deeds of our army nurses and inculcate lessons of patriotism and love of country in the minds of children."
The Rushville auxiliary post, Joel Wolfe W. R. C. No. 68, was organized on August 27, 1887, with India Hackleman, president, and Siddie W. Cole, secretary. The organization began with twenty-two charter members, many of whom are now dead. On March 21, 1893, the W. R. C. Penny Social was organized, as a branch to assist in the making of comforts, quilts, carpets and clothing and distributing them in such manner as not to have the recipients feel it a charity. In 1895, the order furnished a cottage at the 'State Soldiers' Home at Lafayette, Ind., with a complete complement of furniture, carpets, quilts and bed linen. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home, near Knightstown (but in Rush county) is always kindly and bountifully remembered on Christmas, as are also the needy and unfortunate, the sick and the aged at home, not only on that day, but on every day in the year. During the Spanish-American war and the World war, the organization was active in relief and Red Cross work, making many liberal donations to various causes.

The Work Of The Red Cross

Rush county was one of the first counties in Indiana to establish a Red Cross chapter. On April 9, 1917, three days after war had been declared upon the German empire, a petition was mailed to division headquarters at Chicago, which had jurisdiction over this territory, asking that a charter be granted for a Rush county chapter and the charter was issued nine days later. Chapter headquarters were opened April 21, at 111 West Third street, Rushville. The work room for hospital garments and supplies began its activities the first week in May and the initial meeting of the first class in surgical dressings was held on May 19,1917.

The response by the women of the county to the call for workers was generous and enthusiastic, and yielding to the rapidly growing need for greater floor space, the first week in June saw headquarters moved to the more commodious rooms of the Social Club at the northeast corner of Morgan and Second streets. The executive committee later accepted an invitation to occupy the second floor of the Masonic Temple, and during the last week of July headquarters were moved to the new location. The extreme cold weather of the winter, and the abnormal demand for fuel, made necessary drastic fuel regulations throughout the country. Everywhere fuel conservation was ordered by the national fuel administrator. These conditions suggested the wisdom of again moving headquarters, and in December, 1917, the chapter was housed in the court house, where no additional fuel was needed to heat the rooms occupied. The Assembly room on the first floor was used as headquarters for making hospital garments and supplies; the commissioners' court room on the second floor was opened to the classes in surgical dressings, and the secretary's office was located in the recorder's office on the second floor. Each headquarters location was used without any rental being charged.

As soon as the chapter charter was received and the central organization completed, requests became numerous for the organization of auxiliaries throughout the county. In response to these requests auxiliaries were in operation in all parts of the county within a few weeks. The immediate result was the rapid growth in membership, and a large increase in the output of hospital garments.

After the organization of the chapter, and the establishment of the various auxiliaries, the activities of the women of the county did not slacken, their enthusiasm in Red Cross work did not abate, and their fidelity to the cause made a record for which they deserve the highest commendation and praise. A worthy spirit of service characterized the auxiliaries and stimulated community competition. They vied with each other in the output of their workshops and in membership drives and were active in raising war funds. In all their endeavors there was close co-operation with the central organization, and the work of the Red Cross in Rush county was a most gratifying success.

The workers in some of the townships were especially active along certain lines in which they excelled. Ripley was the first to organize an auxiliary, a membership of over 200 having been reported from that township soon after the county chapter was organized. At the end of the first year the Washington township auxiliary had a membership of 622, which represented seventy-two per cent, of the population, eighty-six per cent, of the families, and ninety-five per cent, of the resident property owners. Walker, Union and Noble each had more than one auxiliary, those townships having been subdivided for the purpose of facilitating the work.

At the end of the first year of the Red Cross work in the county there were fifteen auxiliaries contributing to the output of hospital supplies and knitted articles. The production of the workshops of the auxiliaries included the following: Shoulder wraps, bed socks, pajama suits, convalescent gowns, knitted sweaters, scarfs, socks, wrist¬lets, helmets, hemmed sheets, towels, handkerchiefs, pillow cases and comfort kits.

Activities of Rush County Women

The initiative in war activities in Rush county was taken by the women. In the organization of the chapter of the American Red Cross, and in all subsequent movements they played a leading part. Before the organization of a military unit was completed in the county, the women were engaged in the production of hospital supplies, and other articles for the comfort and protection of the soldiers, and long before an American contingent was sent overseas, the Red Cross workshops in the county were turning out large quantities of knitted goods and garments of various kinds for the allied armies in France.
As the war progressed, and the American soldiers took their places in the trenches, the activities of the women increased, and the Red Cross workshops constituted the most important industry in the county They produced daily thousands of articles for the comfort of the men in the camps and in the trenches, and in this work all of the efficient labor and the executive ability were voluntary. No words can fitly describe and adequately appraise the value of the work of the women of Rush county in the Red Cross. They gave their time day after day, regardless of weather conditions, and not counting the personal sacrifice. To prepare garments for hospital use and bandages and dressings for wounded soldiers was a work of supreme devotion to the cause of humanity, and a contribution of exalted service to the Government in this crisis. With no thought of money reward but with a desire to help the forces of democracy in its life and death struggle with autocracy, this work was faithfully and efficiently carried on by the patriotic women of Rush county.

Women's activities included every movement that had for its object the winning of war. In the Liberty Loan, in the Y. M. C. A., in the Knights of Columbus, in the Red Cross and in the Salvation Army drives for raising money, the women participated, and the campaigns for greater food production and conservation had the active support of the women of Rush county. They banded together for effective, concentrated service, and the splendid record of the county in war activities was due largely to the loyalty, and the industry of the women.

War Fund Campaigns

Scarcely had the county organization been effected when the first campaign for war funds was begun. One hundred million dollars was to be raised by our Nation for war relief purposes, and of that amount Rush county was asked to raise $10,500 during the week of June 20 to June 27. The campaign was conducted with vigor and everywhere the appeal for funds met with enthusiastic and generous response. Each township in the county raised more than its allotment, and the total amount for the county reached $22,000, or more than double the apportionment. Notable in this campaign was the work of Anderson township. Eight hundred dollars was asked of this township, but under the enthusiastic leadership of its workers, more than $4,000 was subscribed, which gave the township first rank in the entire state, as the percentage of subscription to the allotment exceeded that of any other township in Indiana.

A second campaign for war funds was made during the week of May 20 to May 27, 1918. Again the people of the Nation were asked to contribute $100,000,000 to the American Red Cross, to be used in its work of mercy and relief in the camps and cantonments of the United States and in the war-torn countries of Europe. The allotment of Rush county was $16,000. The quota given to Indiana was fifty-four per cent, higher than in the first campaign and this fact required a corresponding increase in the county quotas.   The entire quota for the county was fully subscribed by Tuesday evening, May 21, the second day of the campaign. The solicitors continued the canvass and when their work was completed the total subscriptions again reached the splendid sum of $22,000.

A part of the war fund was used by the local chapter to purchase material for hospital garments, surgical dressings and yarn for knitted articles, but the larger part was turned over to the national organization, to aid in carrying out its colossal program among our soldiers at home and abroad and among the soldiers and civil population of our allies in this war. Hospital supplies, surgical dressings, medicines, surgical instruments and all needed materials were furnished in almost unlimited quantities to the hospitals of our allies.

The invading German army had driven from their homes in Belgium, Northern France and Italy many hundreds of thousands of refugees. To care for these refugees, homeless and helpless, became a great problem to those countries already overburdened by war. The work of the American Red Cross among the civil populations was a service beyond any money computation.

The aid given in reconstructing devastated districts, the care of the children, the provisions made for refugees, the attention to the sick, brought heart and courage to those war-stricken peoples. Such an expression of the American heart to the civil populations as well as to the soldiers of our allies renewed the spirit of the nations and restored a splendid morale among the soldiers, more than the coming of an American army of many hundreds of thousands of men could have done. The soldiers of our allies needed assurance that their own families would be provided for or the very cause for which they were offering their own lives would no longer exist. And thus the dollars given in these campaigns were multiplied and translated into acts of mercy and humanity, and became-a vast contribution of material and moral forces to our allies.

Membership Drive

In December, 1917, a nation-wide membership drive was conducted. The time fixed was the last week of the month, and was generally called the Christmas membership drive. The goal fixed for the chapters of the entire nation was 21 per cent, of their respective populations. Each chapter whose membership reached double the quota asked, or 42 per cent, of population was to be placed on the honor roll. When the campaign began, the Red Cross membership of Rush county was 3,908, and within a short time after the drive more than 9,000 persons were enrolled as members, or about 47 per cent, of the county. The success of this membership campaign entitled the chapter to a certificate of honor which certificate was duly issued and now hangs on the wall of the office of the secretary.

Again the townships of the county showed their loyalty to the cause, and by their unity of purpose brought great credit to Rush county throughout the state. But one county reported a higher percentage of membership. Mention should be made of the splendid result of the campaign in Washington township, where 72 per cent, of the population were enrolled as members, the highest record of any township in the county.

Surgical Dressings

On May 19, 1917, eight women met to receive instruction in surgical dressings. Three members of that first class later became instructors in the department. Other teachers were trained and many workers volunteered, until at the close of the first year's work, the average weekly attendance was 125, and the average weekly output 1,200 articles. The total product for the year was 26,000 pieces, and the quality of the work was always high. The Rushville workroom received the hearty approval of the state inspector, the quantity of work was enormous, the spirit of the workers was excel¬lent and the directors were capable and devoted.

Output of Rush County Chapter

The output of the Rush county chapter, including the auxiliaries, from the time of the organization in May, 1917, to May 1,1919, was as follows: Surgical dressings. 29,936; bed shirts, 2,650; pajamas, 4,112; bath robes, 820; handkerchiefs, 802; bed socks, 480; sheets, 818; pillow cases, 2,294; towels, 4,569; comfort kits, 300; property bags, 404; pinafores, 423; filled kits, 250; shirts, 260; undervests, 645; underdrawers, 1,640; petticoats, 350; nightgowns, 300; stockings, 800; comforts, 170; pillows, 175; knitted wash rags, 800; shoulder wraps, 195; rag rugs, 155; trench candles, 700; sweaters, 1.277; socks, 7,930; helmets, 35; scarfs, 300: wristlets, 312; total articles, 73,902.

In addition to the above 6,715 worn garments for Belgian and other relief; 1,185 pieces of linen for over-seas hospitals and 250 Christmas boxes for Rush county soldiers in foreign service were assembled and shipped, and later three cases containing 106 complete layettes and nine dozen extra undershirts were shipped. The chapter registered five Red Cross nurses, fifty-one student nurses for hospital relief, and fifty nurses for war service, subject to call. In January, 1921, a donation of $500 was made to the European war relief fund.

The officers of the Rush county chapter of the American Red Cross are: Ernest B. Thomas, chairman; Henrietta Coleman, vice chairman; Lems M. Sex¬ton, treasurer, and Mrs. Marian Mauzy Jones, secretary, these being assisted by a competent executive board and a board of directors.

Home Service Committee

The function of the home service committee of the Red Cross was to render all needed service in the homes and families from which soldiers had gone. The importance of this service continued to increase with the progress of the war, as the duties of the committee included the providing of employment for disabled soldiers, and also embraced reconstruction work in the way of vocational training. The opportunity for good lay not only in reconstruction work, during and after the war, but in the moral support and encouragement given to the soldiers through the assurance that their families and their personal interests at home have the sympathetic, and if need be, the material support of the people in the communities from which they had gone.

Junior Red Cross

During the second year of the war, it became the plan to establish Junior Red Cross organizations in the schools of the county. The purpose, briefly stated, was to mobilize and utilize the talents of the boys and girls, of the young men and women in war activities in every practical way. In the sale of Thrift Stamps, War Savings Stamps, and Liberty bonds the young people of our country, in their total energies, were a great power. The school girls received instructions in Red Cross sewing and in knitting. Thus the junior organization accomplished a double purpose. Through it the nation received a direct contribution in the services of the school children, and a richly compensating return came to those engaging in the work, in lessons of practical patriotism.

Churches

The church is the foundation upon which rests the social structure of the state. It represents spiritual, moral, patriotic and conservative forces, without which no nation can long endure. The church is, at all times, the most potent factor for good in the community, and in great crises, it is a means of awakening the national conscience and arousing the patriotic spirit of the people. So when the United States entered the World war, the churches of Rush county immediately became schools for instruction of loyalty, and rallying centers for patriotic gatherings. Pastors preached the necessity of prompt and concerted action, and their pulpits were the forums for patriotic appeal in questions pertaining to the war.

Y. M. C. A.

Like many other movements the Y. M. C. A. organization has expanded far beyond the designs of those who originated it. New emergencies have cre¬ated new demands, and so along many lines of activity the work has broadened. The coming of the great war presented a field of almost limitless opportunity, and a need such as had never before been known. The most expensive single item in an army is the individual soldier, trained and equipped, and the great problem that every commander sought to solve most completely was to bring his command to the highest state of efficiency, and then to conserve that efficiency until it could be employed against the enemy. There were influences and tendencies in army life that tended tremendously toward demoralization and the disintegration and destruction of the moral qualities which were essential to the greatest efficiency. With its specialized equipment and highly trained and experienced leaders, this great organization, the Y. M. C. A., togther with the Knights of Columbus, the Salvation Army and the Jewish Relief, which co-operated and shared in the welfare work, was able to meet the emergency, and did all that was humanly possible to keep the fighting men clean and fit. All commanders in the allied armies, chief and subordinate, bear strong and willing testimony to the inestimable value of the Y. M. C. A. war service. Huts bearing on their fronts the sign of the red triangle dotted every cantonment and camp of the allied-forces at home and across the seas. Almost every regiment had its Y. M. C. A. headquarters where writing material, books and newspapers were furnished free; where music by piano and victrola, games, lecture classes in different branches, including Bible study, were organized and carried on under competent instructors, and where entertainments, some got up by the men themselves, others by professionals, and religious meetings were held. Canteens were provided where articles needed by the men and not furnished by the government were on sale at cost, and in many other ways the interests of the men were cared for.

Two campaigns were made in Rush county in 1917 for raising funds by popular subscription for the Y. M. C. A. In the first drive the amount subscribed was approximately $1,000. In the second, Rush county's quota was $7,550, which was exceeded by $1,201, the subscription amounting to $8,381 to which was added $370, earned by the high school boys, making a total of $8,751.

Knights of Columbus

In common with other organizations, Rushville Council, Knights of Columbus, responded to the various local calls for patriotic service. The members of the order joined with other citizens in forgetting fraternal and sectarian lines when the welfare of the country was at stake, and took special pride in having some small part in every avenue of wartime endeavor. But in addition to the varied activities open to every loyal organization, the government offered a distinct field for splendid opportunity to the Knights of Columbus. Indeed this new trust carried such tremendous responsibilities that it removed this particular society from the restricted sphere of fraternalism, and constituted it a recognized national welfare association. Unfortunately, the constitution of the Y. M. C. A., adopted many years ago, denying a voice in its conduct of affairs to Catholics and Jews, precluded hope of entirely satisfactory ministrations to the essential religious needs of a considerable proportion of the young men in the camps.   None were quicker to observe this distressing situation than the officials of the Y. M. C. A., and they promptly agreed to the appointing of other bodies to take over the work among non-Protestant men. For the Catholics, Secretary of War Baker selected the Knights of Columbus. The proportions which this work assumed may be measured by the statement that the budget of the Knights of Columbus Camp Fund called for an expenditure during the years 1918 and 1919 of $30,000,000. In Rush county, a canvass to obtain a quota of $3,000 for the fund was made during the week of May 5-12, 1918. Though it was not found possible to visit all parts of the county, the sum of $3,750 was secured, and the list of subscribers included more than 1,000 names.

War Activities of the Friends

The Friends church, as an organization, has always been opposed to war. but as individuals the Friends are intensely loyal. In the last, as in previous wars, they participated in various activities, especially in the Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., K. of C. and other movements for the relief of suffering and the uplift of humanity. In addition to extensive reconstruction work, the Friends established hospitals for the benefit of the civilian population in France, which in many places had no other means of obtaining medical supplies or treatment. The Friends in Rush county contributed $130 per month for this reconstruction work, and Walnut Ridge Quarterly Meeting furnished one volunteer for hospital service. In addition to the financial assistance givenr the women of the church engaged in sewing for the needy women and children of France, and several hundred garments were sent from Rush county to the Friends committee store house in Philadelphia, the headquarters of the American Friends service committee, whence they were forwarded to the representative of the committee in the war zone. This conflict again demonstrated the will-ingness of the Friends to engage in war activities along humanitarian lines, and to do their part in contributing to the world's needs in time of crisis.

The Salvation Army

Another organization engaged in special relief and welfare work in the army cantonments in the United States and in the war zone in Europe was the Salvation Army, which supplemented but did not duplicate the work of the Y. M. C. A. and the Knights of Columbus. In fact, it rendered service for the soldiers that no other society performed, and like those two great organizations, the Salvation Army had the endorsement of the government. Of the $1,000,000 raised in the Salvation Army war fund campaign in April, 1918, the sum of $320,000 was apportioned for the erection of huts adjacent to the cantonments and training centers in the United States. The remaining $680,000 was for the building of huts at the front, with the American troops, providing additional equipment, maintenance, etc., for those in charge of the work. A special feature of the service rendered by this organization was the establishing of exchanges where soldiers could exchange soiled and worn socks for clean and repaired ones. Rush county's allotment in the $1,000,000 war fund drive was $500, which was raised by subscription by the officers and members of the local Salvation Army corps, assisted by a committee appointed by the County Council of Defense.

Boy Scouts

The activities of the Boy Scouts in the World war justified most emphatically the hope and the faith of the founders of the organization. In all war movements in this county, the Scouts had no small part. The khaki-clad figures with manly traits and soldierly bearing became familiar indeed in every patriotic parade, in escorting departing soldiers, in the distribution of important war literature, and especially in the sale of the Liberty Loan bonds. There were in Rushville three troops of Boy Scouts with an aggregate membership of sixty, which were designated as 1, 2 and 3 and were identified with Main Street Christian Church, St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church, and the First Presbyterian Church, respectively.

Fraternal Organizations

The World war furnished a peculiarly appropriate opportunity for service to the numerous fraternal organizations, which have grown to form so conspicuous a feature of American society. To the credit of the lodges of Rush county, it must be said that they grasped the situation clearly, they rose fully to the momentous opportunity, they remembered that their rituals are founded on ideals of loyalty and heroic sacrifice, and that they gave ample justification for the right to existence in a Republic. In the lodge room the service flag was hung in the place of honor beside the Star Spangled Banner and the revered emblem of the organization ; in the window the great Red Cross banner with the white star in the center proudly proclaimed 100 per cent membership in that blessed legion of humanity; Liberty bonds were freely purchased; and the various public patriotic demonstrations were made possible largely through the co-operation of the lodges. The fraternal organizations in general deserve a bright page in the story of Rush county's war activities.

The number of lodges in the county is so large that the limits of this work will not admit individual mention of their activities, and it is equally to be regretted that special notice may not be given to a few of the organizations whose patriotic work was notably conspicuous and whose unselfish spirit made their endeavors doubly gratifying. The following orders are represented in the county, some of them having lodge rooms in most of the towns in the county: Masonic, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Elks, Red Men, Maccabees, Modern Woodmen, and Eagles. The Y. M. C. A. and the Knights of Columbus, which received the official endorsement of the government as relief and welfare organizations, are noticed separately elsewhere.

Daughters of the American Revolution

In common with the other patriotic societies the Rushville chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution engaged in various war activities. Quantities of knitted goods were made by the society, part being sent direct to soldiers in the cantonments, the remainder being turned over to the Red Cross. A naval auxiliary was organized and a considerable quantity of knit goods was sent to men on the battleship "Indiana." The chapter supported two French orphans, subscribed to the X A. R. Liberty Loan fund and to restoration work, and in general co-operated in every way possible with the Red Cross.

Schools

The schools of the county were organized, and the interest of the pupils, encouraged and directed by the teachers, was shown in their enthusiastic participation in all war activities. From the time the United States entered the war, the spirit of loyalty was fostered by the holding of special meetings in the various grades, at which teachers and citizens appealed to the patriotism of the pupils, and instructions on the duties and responsibilities of citizenship were made a part of the regular course. Among the special activities in the schools was the thrift campaign, in which the teachers emphasized the value of saving, explaining the means by which pupils might assist in financing the war and directing them particularly to invest in thrift stamps. The girls learned to sew, and studied methods of meeting the government's food regulations, while the boys interested themselves in useful occupations, in studying the agricultural and industrial needs of the community, and in raising money for war funds and charitable purposes.

Government Control

One of the results of the war was the radical change in the policy of the government in regard to the administration of railways, and the control of prices of fuel and food supplies. The advance in price of raw materials, general increase in wages, difficulties in the maintenance of adequate transportation facilities, lack of proper distribution, the abnormal demand for certain classes of goods, and the competition of the government with   manufacturers   and merchants   in the markets of the country, created a disturbed condition of trade, resulting in a material advance in the price of almost every commodity. This increase in the cost of practically everything that entered into the life of the people, encouraged profiteering and impositions on the part of some manufacturers and dealers. By combinations in trade, restrictions in production, and the hoarding of supplies, prices advanced to a point where it was difficult for persons of limited income to secure the necessities of life.

To prevent impositions by unscrupulous and unpatriotic individuals, to regulate prices better, and in order to control the distribution of fuel and food prices, legislation was enacted giving the President power to take over and operate the railways of the country, and also to establish the prices of coal and wheat, and, as a means of conserving the food supplies, to restrict the sale, and limit the consumption of many articles required for export.

Wheatless and meatless days were established by order of the national food administrator prohibiting the use of those articles on certain days. The restriction thus imposed was generally observed, and with little complaint from a people who have always enjoyed unusual liberties, and who have been prone to resent interference with their personal affairs. These Government regulations resulted in radical changes in the customs, habits and ideas of the people. Selfishness was less apparent, patriotism was revived, the national conscience was awakened, economy was practiced, industry was stimulated, and the moral courage of the people thoroughly aroused.

Food Administration

The food control law, enacted by Congress on August 10, 1917, was a war measure designed to add to the security and defense of the nation by encouraging the production, conserving the supply and distribution of food stuffs. Under the authority of this law, Herbert Hoover was appointed national food administrator with almost unlimited power. Mr. Hoover called to his assistance food experts from different parts of the country, and through them effected an organization extending into every state and county in the Union.

The food administration was chiefly a volunteer organization, created at a time of national stress, to aid in solving one of the greatest problems confronting the Nation in this world crisis. The aim was to eliminate speculation, extortion and wasteful practices; to stabilize prices and to stimulate in every possible manner the production and saving of food. On recommendation of the County Council of Defense, M. P. Lovett, of Carthage, was appointed food administrator of Rush county on November 22, 1917. He was charged with the enforcement and the regulations of the national food administration, within the county. Five deputy food administrators were appointed in the county. There was very general co-operation with the requirements of the food administration, many families doing much more than was asked. There was actual saving of food over prewar times in every home in Rush county, the citizens, thus showing their loyalty to the country, their devotion to its institutions and proper regard for the observance of the law.

Fuel Administration

Was inaugurated in the winter of 1917-18, for the purpose of obviating a "buyer's market" in which buyers bid against each other to get coal from an insufficient supply. This condition resulted from the failure of consumers, who followed the recommendation of the national fuel administrator, to lay in supplies for the winter, during the previous summer period. On August 23,1917, President Wilson appointed Dr. Harry A. Garfield United States fuel administrator. In October, Evans Woollen, of Indianapolis, was appointed administrator for Indiana, and on November 1,1917, upon the recommendation of the County Council of Defense, Samuel L. Trabue was appointed fuel administrator of Rush county.
The problem was to deal equitably with a shortage of coal. The local conditions were met by co-operation between the fuel administrator, the dealers, and the citizens of the county. This, together with thoughtful conservation, reduced the suffering and inconvenience to the minimum. For sixty days the thermometer remained below zero most of the time, the coldest period being on January 20, 1918, when the mercury fell to 21 degrees below zero, the lowest temperature recorded in the county for thirty-four years. The snow was approximately twenty inches deep in January, and railroad traffic was seriously crippled for prolonged periods. It became necessary to confiscate coal in Rushville, to relieve suffering in several hundred families who were unable to procure fuel.

Because of the serious shortage and the severe cold weather, Fuel Administrator Trabue promulgated orders limiting the hours of heating business houses and public lighting. The business men and citizens submitted to the strict orders without serious complaint, each inspired by the spirit of loyalty and patriotism which prompted them to place the good of the community and of the country above individual interests.

County Council of Defense

That the country might be thoroughly organized for defensive war purposes, a national Council of Defense was created with headquarters at Washington. Subsidiary to this, each state formed its own Council of Defense, and Indiana was the first to extend this organization to the counties until every county in the state had its separate council. Roland B. Hill. Elmer Hutchinson, Mrs. Cora Stewart, A. L. Gary, Bert B. Benner, Edson L. Aiken and Charles T. Davis were appointed by the judge of the circuit court to be known as the Rush County Council of Defense. The council organized by electing A. L. Gary, of Rushville, chairman, and Mrs. Cora M. Stewart, secretary. The organization was completed by the appointment of committees and heads of departments for the local war service. Mr. Gary resigned the chairmanship in February, 1918, and Thomas M. Green, of Rushville, was elected chairman. The purpose of the county council was to keep the state council informed of any pro-German activities in the community, to see that the government's orders for dismantling wireless stations were obeyed; to eliminate slackers in all industries and to assist in promoting war relief movements and to participate in all other activities endorsed by the state or national Council of Defense. Its further duty was to disseminate patriotic ideas and to see that the people of the county did not forget that the country was at war.

Permanent County Organization

On March 6,1918, eleven months after the United States entered the war, a general meeting of the representative citizens of the various townships was held at the court house in Rushville for the purpose of effecting a permanent county organization for war activities. The plan of organization adopted, and subsequently put into operation, provided for a central executive committee of five members who had the direction of, and took the initiative in all war endeavors in the county. Each township had an executive committee of three, the chairmen of which constituted an advisory board to the central committee. The organization in each township was under the direction of its executive committee which had charge of all campaigns for the raising of funds, and other phases of war work. The purpose of the county organization was to secure coordination of work, to centralize control, to secure a more effective service by conserving the energies of the people and the resources of the county, to avoid duplication and to prevent the necessity of a new organization for each campaign. The organization was a most efficient agency of leadership in each war campaign.

Following are the names of the county executive committee:   Thomas M. Green, chairman of the County Council of Defense; E. B. Thomas, chairman of the Rush county chapter of the Red Cross; M. F. Lovett, food administrator; Samuel L. Trabue, fuel administrator; and Mrs. Cora M. Stewart, head of the women's work of the Council of Defense. In addition to this central committee there was one of three members each from every township.

Liberty Bond Sales

In the financing of the war, the record of the people of Rush county in buying Liberty bonds, as well as in all other branches of war work, was enviable. What in ordinary times would have been considered amounts almost impossible to raise by any means, were cheerfully subscribed and oversubscribed. The first Liberty loan allotment for the county was $337,360, and this amount was oversubscribed by $25,140, the total being $362,500. It was apportioned on a basis of 8 per cent bank resources in the county, while the second loan, called for in October, 1917, was allotted on double this basis. The amount called for was $994,000, and the amount subscribed was $1,000,050, or an over subscription of $56,050. In the third Liberty loan there was an over subscription of more than 50 per cent, the allotment being $495,000, and the amount raised, $750,000. In this loan an auxiliary committee composed of women was added to the regular organization, and this committee sold bonds to the amount of $188,500. The quota for the county in the fourth Liberty loan was $1,100,000 and this was oversubscribed, the total raised having been $1,184,300. The fifth or Victory loan demanded $825,000 from the county, and the people responded by buying bonds in the amount of $854,300. In all cases the bonds were handled through the banks of the county, but a thorough canvass of the people was made in each instance.

War Savings Stamps and Thrift Stamps Campaigns

The buying of War Savings Stamps and Thrift Stamps on the part of the people showed that the meaning of the war had been brought home to them; that they realized that without economy the best interests of the country at war would not be served, and when these stamps were placed for sale through the post office, they were quickly bought up. In the schools the pupils were taught the principles and meaning of thrift, and in many of the schools the children were 100 per cent buyers of stamps. The system of war stamps originated in England, and hence the value of the War Savings Stamp was practically equivalent to the English pound and that of the Thrift Stamp to the shilling. The people realized that these stamps offered the best investment in government paper, and were not slow to take them up. In Rush county the quota of stamps was $386,700, and as was the ease with the Liberty bonds the quota was oversubscribed, $438,000 worth, in round figures, being bought.

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