Letter to Surviving Members

Cleveland, Ohio, August 14^th, 1866.

Agreeably to the circular call issued from Washington City on the twelfth day of July, ultimo, the result of a meeting of the old members of the Seventh Regiment now residents of that city, and for the purpose of carrying into effect the project therein indicated, of bringing about a reunion of the surviving members of the Seventh, and of considering the propriety and feasibility of effecting a permanent organization of the regiment, the committee designated in the call to make the necessary arrangements met in this city on Monday evening, the 6^th inst., and agreed upon Cleveland as the place and September 10^th as the time for the occurrence of the designed reunion. A sub-committee was appointed to arrange the necessary details, and a proper hall for the assembling of those attending has been obtained and all other requisite arrangements made. It now only remains for the members of the regiment to unite heartily and earnestly in the execution of the plan in view, and thus rekindle the friendships formed in the long marches and terrible combats of three years and a half of war, and review the pleasant memories made around the bivouac fire and when resting for a time from the arduous duties of the active campaign. In addressing this call to the remaining members of the old Seventh, the committee feel it to be unnecessary to make any special appeal to the crowding recollections of their soldier life as an incentive to their attendance upon the reunion. We know the just and honorable pride which every member of the old Seventh feels in the unblemished record of that regiment, and we feel certain there are none who will not hail with the most profound satisfaction the opportunity that such a meeting as is proposed will furnish for cementing more closely our friendships and perpetuating the honorable deeds and dear memories of our career as Union soldiers. But if any incentive were needed to awaken a proper interest in the project we have in view, the claims upon us by dead brethren of Creighton and Crane, and the hundreds of others whose heroic deeds have added their full share of glory to the army of the Union and who attested with their lives their devotion to the Nation and to freedom-would be sufficient to inspire it. It is our duty that the names of those gallant soldiers should be graven in the imperishable marble, there to stand as eternal monitors to posterity awl an undying example of the sacrifices freedom may claim and receive of her children. To consecrate and perpetuate the memory of our dead comrades, record "the battles, sieges, fortunes we have passed," cement the friendships formed, group together in historic shape the memories amid incidents we would preserve, and devise such measures as may be thought necessary and expedient for our community good, are the cardinal objects of our proposed reunion. To the thorough and satisfactory accomplishment of these purposes a full attendance of the surviving members of the regiment is necessary, since there is no one but can add his mite to make up the general contribution. The committee confidently indulge the hope that such desired attendance will be had, and the result can then be no other than a success.

Upon the arrival of the members they will report at Garrett's Hall, corner of Euclid Avenue and Monument Park.

General Eramus B. Tyler, Chairman.

Captain Joseph B. Molyneaux, Secretary.

The surviving members of the Seventh Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry held a meeting at Garrett’s Hall, commencing at 10 o’clock a.m., September 10^th, 1866, pursuant to a call issued August 14^th, 1866.

Colonel Samuel McClelland was appointed temporary chairman and Lieutenant H. Z. Eaton, Secretary.

Generals’ Tyler and Steedman made brief and pointed speeches relative to the object of the meeting while it was in waiting for the arrival of members from other places.

After a committee of five; consisting of Col. L. R. Davis, Maj. E. J. Krieger, Captain DeForest, Lieut. J. F. Palmer and Sergeant Levi F. Bauder, was appointed on permanent organization, the convention adjourned until 1 o'clock p. m.

The following gentlemen, surviving members of the Seventh Regiment O. V. I., were present at the forenoon session, the list being largely increased during the afternoon:

Gen. E. B. Tyler, Baltimore, Md.; Col. Samuel McClelland, Youngstown, 0.; Chaplain Frederick T. Brown, Chicago, Ill.; Maj. E. J. Kreiger, Cleveland, 0.; Col. L. R. Davis, Alliance, 0.; Capt. J. B. Molyneaux, Cleveland, 0.; Capt. William A. Howe, Cleveland, 0.; Lieut. D. A. Kimball, Cleveland, 0.; Capt. John G. Parsons, Cleveland, 0.; Lieut. H. Z. Eaton, Toledo, 0.; Capt. S. S. Reed, Rootstown, 0.; Lieut. S. T. Loomis, Painesville, 0.; Lieut. Jere G. Claflin, Cleveland, 0.; Capt. C. W. Nesper, Cleveland, 0.; J. C. Gazeley, Cleveland; Marcus Brockway, Cleveland, 0.; Fred Bock, Cleveland, 0.; Conrad Beckman, Cleveland, 0.; A. M. Clinton, Cleveland, 0.; William E. Forbey, Cleveland, 0.; Andrew Atloff, Cleveland, 0.; R. R. Peebles, Brunswick, 0.; William Seafert, Cleveland, 0.; Richard Windsor, Oberlin, 0.; W. Woodmansee, Oberlin, 0.; Joseph S. Clarke, Cleveland, 0.; Stephen Averill, Cleveland, 0.; Johnson Russell, Cleveland, 0.; Charles Cowan, Cleveland, 0.; Gus Ziemer, Cleveland, 0.; S. Lamphear, New Lisbon, 0.; L. M. Chapman, Broomfield, 0.; C. D. Bertholf, Broomfield, 0.; N. Twitchel,, Broomfield, 0.; G. M. Carter, Broomfield, 0.; A. S. Doles, Parkman, 0.; Samuel J. Sadler, Cleveland, 0.; James Baxter, Streetsboro, 0.; George Beardsley, Ravenna, 0.; Conrad Lammer,. Cleveland, 0.; A. A. Cavanah, Cleveland, 0.; Lewis Knight, Thompson, 0.; Ernst Zwicker, Cleveland, 0.; William Southwell, Cleveland, 0.; Fred Spencer, Cleveland, 0.; Thomas Sco- ville, Cleveland, 0.; W. H. Johnson, Cleveland, 0.; H. Blakelock, Cleveland, 0.; H. Fairchilds, Brownhelm, 0.; V. W. Hunt, Chagrin Falls, 0.; Martin V. Clark, Parma, 0.; S. C. Wheeler, Sandusky, 0.; L. A. Bartlett, Washington, D. C.; Thomas Walker, New Castle, Pa.; I. V. Burt, Cuyahoga Falls, 0.; John Gilanders, Oberlin, 0.; N. F. Bartlett, Huron, 0.; M. R. Hughes, Newburg, 0.; S. S. Hall, Broomfield, 0.; C. P. Rodenbaugh, Kent, 0.; L. A. Stanley, Ravenna, 0.; P. P. Foster, Macedonia, 0.; Saurin Reed, Berea, 0.; G. W. Golden, Hudson, 0.; Charles L. King, Ravenna, 0.; Enos T. Mills, Atwater, 0.; Albert Witherell, Fredonia Station, 0.; Marion F. Hoover, North Benton, 0.; Jacob Marks, Cleveland, 0.; R. Winzenreid, Cleveland, 0.; W. H. B. Williams, Cleveland, 0.; E. J. Couch, New Brighton, 0.; Lawrence Wilson, Washington, D. C.; L. G. DeForest, Cleveland, 0.; Levi F. Bauder, Cleveland, 0.; M. H. Whaley, Cleveland, 0.; David Bennett, Claridon, 0.; J. F. Harmon, Oberlin, 0.; Harry Wood, Fife Major, Geneva, 0.; William R. Bond. Cleveland, 0.; F. Michael, Cleveland, 0.; George Sahl, Cleveland, 0.; G. A. Furry, Cleveland, 0.; Lieut. T. Sweeney, Cleveland, 0.; S. Gill, Painesville, 0.; E. Hart, Geneva, 0.; F. Rockefeller, Cleveland, 0.; J. B. Northrup, Nelson, 0.; 0. C. Vanwagner, Chagrin Falls, 0.; J. Decker, Cleveland, 0.; John Chaffee, Mecca, 0.; John Pollock, Warren, 0.; C. A. Wood, Newburg, 0.; Lieut. I. King, North Bloomfield, 0.; Rev. 0. Hicks, Concord, 0.; W. J. Hutchinson, Willoughby, 0.; Christian Russer, Cleveland, 0.; J. A. Thompson, Ravenna, 0.; A. M. Halbert, Elyria, 0.; W. H. Poor, Windham, 0.; S. S. Fisher. Alliance, 0.; J. E. Avery, Oberlin, 0.; High B. Deeds, Youngstown, 0.; George H. Davis, Hudson, 0.; Frank Eldridge, Edinburg, 0.; C. H. Pelton, Painesville, 0. D. A. Reed, Newburg, 0.; G. W. Wellhouse, Newburg, 0.;Benjamin F. Hawkins, Burton, 0.; N. K. Hubbard, Geneva, 0.; A. Bishop, Ravenna, 0.; Henry Hoffman, Steubenville, 0.; William Cromwell, Mantua, 0., J. R. Baker, Seville, 0.; F. Bose, Chagrin Falls, 0.; E. W. Force, Chagrin Falls, 0.; A. C. Fisher, Chagrin Falls, 0.; P. H. Smith, Chagrin Falls, 0.; James Hunt, Newton Falls, 0.; Charles A. Parks, Mesopotamia, 0.; H. A. Weir, Warren, 0.; L. Austin, Newburg, 0.; R. Hine, Mecca, 0.; George Evans, East Cleveland, 0.; W. W. Hescock, Bristolville, 0.; J. C. Wood, Bristolville, 0.; I. N. Wilcox, Windham, 0.; S. S. Pelton, Barnesville, 0.; G. Z. Meigs, Painesville, 0.; A. W. Morley, Kirtland, 0.; M. Thorp, -; F. W. Brand, Cleveland, 0.; Eugene Murray, Concord, 0.; Ed Burr, Concord, 0.; Samuel Oliver, Cleveland, 0.; John Baptie, Chardon, 0.; H. Trulson, Painesville, 0.; Frank Cone, Painesville, 0.; John Allen, Painesville, 0.; W. A. Watrous, Ashtabula, 0.; W. P. Tisdel, Painesville, 0.; M. Fitzgerald, Painesville, 0.; S. Pullman, Painesville, 0.; J. Hennesey, Painesville, 0.; D. Pomeroy, Painesville, 0.; J. M. Lapham, Painesville, 0.; D. W. Walters, Painesville, 0.; H. H. Coe, Painesville, 0.; M. Osborn, Warren, 0.: Thomas P. Dixon, Clark, Pa.; F. Fowler, Elyria, 0.; R. .Maxfield, Cleveland, 0.; E. Armbuster, Cleveland, 0.; Charles Fagan, Cleveland, 0.; John Wilfred, -; H. H. Rhodes, Ravenna, 0.; A. Hungerford, -; E. C. Miller, Madison, 0.; Thomas M. Lander, Chagrin Falls, o.; Fred Jassaud, Cleveland, 0.; Jerome Lott, Madison, 0.; Frank Dutton, Cleveland, 0.; W. A. Orton, Perry, 0.; A. H. Burger, Cleveland, 0.; George Geylyn, New Milford, 0.; George Barrett, New Milford, 0.; B. Mulgrave, Geneva, 0.; S. J. Coon, Jefferson, 0.; Frank Manly, Cleveland, 0.; Gus Schmidt, 0.; F. Salbach, Cleveland, 0.; S. Sweet, Cleve., 0.; H. M. Jones, Huron, 0.; L. G. Watkins, Cleve., 0.; William Horn, Cleveland, 0.

Afternoon Session

The convention met pursuant to adjournment, the president, Colonel McClelland, in the chair.

The Committee on Permanent Organization reported as follows:

President: General E. B. Tyler

Vice-Presidents: Lieutenant Colonel Samuel McClelland, Major E. J. Kreiger, General John W. Sprague, Colonel A. T. Wilcox.

Permanent Secretary-Lieutenant H. Z. Eaton.

Temporary Secretary-Captain L. G. De Forest.

Treasurer-Captain Joseph B. Molyneaux.

Chaplain-Frederick T. Brown.

Miscellaneous Business

The president was then conducted to the chair, and in taking his seat made a thrilling and touching address, reviewing the incidents and scenes in which this noble regiment played a conspicuous part, and feelingly referred to the honored dead of the regiment, Colonels Creighton and Crane, and the fallen heroes of their command. His speech was listened to with marked respect and attention. At its close the members of the regiment simultaneously rose and gave "three cheers and a tiger" for General Tyler and "three times three" for the "Seventh Regiment." The president then invited the chaplain of the regiment, Rev. F. T. Brown, to come upon the 'Stage and invoke divine favor upon the proceedings, which was done.

The vice-presidents were invited to the stand. The president stated the object of the meeting to be the permanent organization of the survivors of the regiment and the erection of a regimental monument.

On permanent organization, Qr. Mr. Loomis moved that a committee of five be appointed to report a constitution and resolutions. The chair appointed Chaplain Brown, Sergeant J. F. Harmon, Qr. Mr. Loomis, Sergeant-Major N. K. Hubbard and Joseph E. Clarke. The committee reported the following resolutions, which were taken up separately and adopted. The committee was not discharged but instructed to complete the constitution, which would be taken under consideration at the next annual meeting.

Whereas, In the good providence of God, we, formerly members of the Seventh Regiment 0. V. I., have been preserved from the dangers of war and the sickness of the camp during the suppression of the late terrible rebellion, and have been permitted to meet again in convention; therefore,

Resolved, That we give our hearty thanks to Almighty God for the many mercies of the past, and that we tender our heartfelt sympathies to the kinsmen and friends of our noble officers and men who have laid down their lives, and also to our brethren who, in body or limb, are still suffering from sickness or wounds.

Resolved, That we unite in a society to be called the Society of the Survivors of the Seventh Regiment 0. V. I.

Resolved, That the officers of this society shall consist of a president, four vice-presidents, temporary and permanent secretaries and a treasurer.

Resolved, That the society shall have an annual festive meeting in the city or place selected the previous year, which shall be opened by an oration or speech from some member of the regiment, selected at a previous meeting, and followed by a dinner, toasts, etc.

Resolved, That as speedily as possible we proceed to procure a suitable lot in the Woodland Cemetery, Cleveland, and erect thereon a monument to the memory of our heroic dead; and also that any money that may be in the hands of the treasurer after the expenses of erecting the monument be distributed among the widows and orphans of the dead and among the maimed and wounded members of the Seventh.

It was decided to have a supper in the evening, and the chair appointed the following gentlemen to make necessary arrangements: Captain Molyneaux, Colonel Davis, Captain Howe, Lieutenant Claflin and A. M. Clinton.

The committee subsequently reported that arrangements for the supper had been made with Colonel Ross, of the American House, to take place at 9 o'clock in the evening. The report was adopted and the committee discharged.

On the propriety of erecting a regimental monument Woodland Cemetery, Cleveland, the committee was assured by Mr. Steadman, city sexton, that the authorities in Cleveland would cheerfully donate a lot in that cemetery for the purpose contemplated. A vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Steadman for his kindness and effort in advancing the interest of the convention in this matter.

An executive committee of five, consisting of Captain DeForest, Molyneaux and Howe, Lieutenant Bohm and Sergeant Bauder, was appointed to perfect a plan and raise funds for the erection of the monument. General Tyler was subsequently made chairman of the committee.

The officers chosen for the present meeting were, on motion, authorized to act as officers of the association for the ensuing year.

The Cleveland Turn Verein presented a beautiful banner to the regiment at Camp Dennison prior to its

Going out of the State, and having expressed a desire to get the banner back, to be placed in their hall on Ohio Street, to be preserved as a relic of the Seventh Regiment, on motion Major Krieger, Lieutenant Bohm and Captain Nesper, members of the Turn Verein and also members of the association, were appointed by the chair to return the banner to the Cleveland Turn Verein with this positive injunction: "To preserve it and never allow it to be carried except by a member of the regiment, and then by permission of this association."

It was decided, when the convention adjourned, to meet in Cleveland, March 23^rd, 1867, the anniversary of the Battle of Winchester, at which Stonewall Jackson confessed himself defeated for the first and only time during the war.

Chaplain Brown was, by a unanimous and enthusiastic vote of the convention, selected to deliver the address at the next annual meeting.

The questions arose whether those persons belonging to the regiment, during the "three months service," could become members of the association. To test the sense of the meeting a vote was taken and it was decided unanimously that they could become members, and they were accordingly cordially invited to join with the rest in the contemplated work.

To defray the expenses of the present meeting, the members voluntarily contributed fifty cents each, and the committee having charge of the preliminary arrangements were authorized to reimburse what had been dispersed and place the remainder in the hands of the treasurer.