Ann Arbor

xxvi. Wars. The world's history is made up largely of accounts oí wars, and the history of acitylike tliis would seem to f all short of the true historie dignity if no page of it were given to the chief subject of the historie muse. Nor have I in mind at .all in this reference the war which attempted and almost effected the rending of our nation in twair. This I shall not touch. It is too well known. Ann Arbor's part in it has been wrltten out. It forms a subject by ltself. An artiele of the length of those I have written would scarcely suffice to name our citizens who took part in it. The Cholera War concerned chiefly Washtenaw oounty. lts origin was as follows: In 1832 the cholera raged in Detroit and the legislative couneil of the state passed an act permitting the inhabitañts of each town or village to prohibit travelevs from entering their territory. They might cali out the militia to enforce the prohibition. In ris service a company under Captain Burton was cali out and stationed at Bowen's Tavern, three miles east of Ypsilanti. The stage coming along with the mail and passengers was stopped there. The driver, not waiting for the issue of a parley, attempted to íorce his way forward and one of his horses was shot down. The norse, how ever, was gotten up and was found not to have been so hurt as to prevent the stige from proceeding on its way. which it did without further molestation, a wholesome fear having arisen in the minds of some from their having thus stopped the United States mail. The matter was refered to the proper department at Washington, the name of Lorenzo Davis, known for most of his Ufe as a citizen of this place, being reported as that of the chief criminal. The department distnissed the case without action. Such is in substance the published history. There is a traditional supplement to it to the effeol that the sheriff of the county was at fault in the matter, which derives support from the fact that soon after this he was removed and Daniel BBrown of this place was appointed in his stead. The Black ll'tirfr War never reached Michigan, and yet no war rumor ever produced here so great a sensation as this. It was in May, 1832. The report was that the noted chief with 80,000 men was already'at White Pigeon Prairie on his way towards Detroit, murdering men, women and childron as he went. Kegiments wcre raised, formal military orders were issued by General John R. Williams, of Detroit, migrating porties, at the time rushing into the territory, were stopped and some turned back by tho excitement and the alarm was feit in the streets of Ann Arbor quite as sensibly as anywhere. A few days brought intelligence of the ckief'a captur'e in Wisconsin and the sensation lied as suddontly as it had arisen. One Abraham Lincoln was a captain in this ervice, and became better known afterwards. The Tokdo War grew out of a dispute between Miohigan and Ohio, egarding the right to a strip of and about se ven miles wide at its eastern extremity, extending westward to the time of Indiana, and including the city of Toledo. Miohigan had possession, but in 1835 Governor Lucas of Ohio, laid claim to it and entered upn vigorous measures to obtain possession, even arranging for holding a oourt under Ohio's jurisdiction in Toledo. Mr. Mason, the plucky acting governor of Michigan, searcely yet twenty-flve years of age, called out the, military forces of the territory to defend its claim. I need not trace the history, but shall mention chiefly Ann Arbor's part in the campaign. Morell Goodrich of this place went out as captain of a company raised here and in the vicinity. His sketch given in the history of Washtenaw county tells of no armed conflicts except with domestic animáis. The stories of which I have heai-d many from actual participants, are ehiefly of raids on gai'dens, herds and tlocks. Besides Captain Goodrich of the Michigan side, lived long and died in Ann Arbor Mr. J. Austin Scott, who held a captain's commission on the Ohio side and could teil the story well. As to the casual ties of the war, the only one which beeame historie was that of a horse belonging to one Lewis E. Bailey. who continued every year to apply to legislature ior the value of the animal until 1846, when the sum of $50, with interest thereon, was paid him. Besides Captains Goodrich and Scott of our citizens here, Governor Felch was in this war, on the staff of Major General Brown, who commanded in chitf Congress gave the land to Ohio, in fluenced doubtless by the fear of affect ing Ohio's vote in an approaching presi dential eloction. The strip belonged to Michigan by the original act which fixed as the line a due eastand westone from the extreme southerly point o Lake Michigan to Lake Eric. Ohio" claim made a jog in this on the line be tween Ohio and Indiana. The Attorney General of the United States gave hi opinión in favor of Michigan"s claim and eongress gave to Michigan in remuneration for its loss that large arca now known as the Upper Península. The so-ealled Patriot War of 1837, ís the only remaining one of this type to be noticed : nor would this deservo notioe but that an honorcd citizen who lived and died here, General Edward Clark, was wheadled into taking some steps tovvards connocting himself with it. lts purpose was to take possession of Canada. One so-callcd General Sutherland, a Canadian, came, to Ann Arbor, as he went to other places, collected a crowd at the court house, addressed them in regard to the seizure of Canada and put papers into General Clark's hands by whieh he was to receive a ommission for the service. General 'lark showed these to Governor Mason nd reeeived a reply which his piety ould not allow him (to repeat. But ome when to Canada ; several were excuted. Diplomacy between the two overnments finally interposed and tho matter was settled. Several Michigan men were executed in Canada for their mrt in the movement and two, named espeetively Thillor and Dodge broke rom the prison in Qubec, crossed the St. Lawrence in to Maine and thus esaped the halter.