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VALIANT MEN OF A CENTURY AGO

Richland County contains the graves of several revolutionary soldiers.  While the list in the possession of the Historical Society is not complete the following may be noted:

HENRY NAIL, SR. is buried on lot 1218, Mansfield Cemetery.  He was born in Germany in 1757;  came to America in 1777, and some time later enlisted in the Continental Army, and served until the close of the war.  He came to Richland County in 1816, and remained here until his death.  He was the grandfather of our A.F. Nail, of "Drummer Boy" fame, who was a soldier in the war of 1861-65, and is the son as well as the grandson of a soldier.

JOHN JACOBS, another soldier of the war of the revolution, is buried in the Mansfield Roman Catholic Cemetery.  Jacobs died about 70 years ago and was first buried in the old cemetery, but the remains were later removed to the present burial ground.

On Memorial Day list is the name of Jacob Uhlich as having been a revolutionary soldier.  The name should be GEORGE UHLICH, a soldier of the war of 1812.  Mrs. Miller, of Bowman Street, a daughter of this soldier, states that her father served his country in the war of 1812 and that he died in 1836.  His father's name was also George, but was not a soldier.  Mrs. Miller accounts for three errors from the fact that after the removal of the remains from the old burial grounds at the corner of Adams and First Streets, to the present cemetery, a new headstone was put up, and the mistake in the inscription was not noticed at the time.  Mrs. Miller later requested that the inscription be corrected, but it was never done.

The Memorial list also gives the name of Jacob Cook as a revolutionary soldier buried in the Mansfield Cemetery.  This statement is also incorrect.  On the Cook monument are several cenotaph inscriptions -- those of Jacob Noah and Jabez Cook.  Jacob Cook was the great-grandfather of the late J.H. Cook, and died in 1796, aged 84 years, and was buried in Washington County, Pa.   NOAH COOK, son of Jacob Cook, served several terms of enlistments in the revolutionary war, and at one time was chaplain of the Fifth Regiment of Continental troops in General Sullivan's brigade.  Noah Cook came to Lexington, Richland County, in 1814, and died in December, 1834, and is buried at Lexington, but has a cenotaph inscription on the monument of his grandson, the late James Hervey Cook.  Noah Cook did much to promote the religious interests of Troy Township.  He announced a meeting for a religious service at a school house, but at the appointed hour, "Uncle Noah" was the only one there, but he held the services.  Some passers-by heard him singing, and stopped to listen.  Then he prayed, and read, and preached, as though the benches were listeners with ears to hear and souls to save.  The report of this service was noised abroad, with the result of good congregations of people at subsequent services, Noah Cook was descended from Francis Cook, one of the Mayflower passengers, who with other pilgrim fathers came from Holland.

JAMES McDERMOT, a revolutionary soldier buried in the Koogle Cemetery, east of Mansfield, was a native of Pennsylvania, and served two years at Fort Duquesne, then marched over the Allegheny mountains and joined Washington's army at Valley Forge.  He was at Princeton and other battles.  He died in Mifflin Township, this county, June 25, 1859, aged over 100 years.

CHRISTIAN RIBLETT enlisted in the Continental army in Pennsylvania in 1779;  at the age of 18 years, and served to the close of the war.  He died April 6, 1844, and is buried at the east line of Sandusky Township, on the road leading from Mansfield to Galion. Daniel Riblett, a son of this Continental soldier, represented Richland county in the legislature (senate) in 1854. 

WILLIAM GILLESPIE was a major in the revolutionary war, and is buried at Bellville, and a headstone marks his grave, which is yearly decorated with flowers by the comrades of Miller Moody post, G.A.R.  Major Gillespie died February 17, 1844, aged 104 years.

SAMUEL POPPLETON was one of the Green Mountain boys who fought under Col. Ethan Allen, and, as color-sergeant, planted the American flag upon the walls of Fort Ticonderoga at its surrender and heard the historic words:  "In the name of the Great Jehovah and the Continental congress".  Major Poppleton died in 1842, aged 99 years, and is buried in the Evarts grave-yard, a mile south of Bellville.  The inscription on his headstone has been somewhat effaced by the frosts and storms of time.  The major was the grandfather of the late Hon. E.E. Poppleton.

ADAM WOLFE, another revolutionary soldier, is buried at Newville.  He was born in Beaver County, pa., Dec. 16, 1760, and came to Richland County, O., in 1816, and entered the southeast quarter of section 26 in Monroe township.  He died April 24, 1845.  Adam Wolfe was the grandfather of Judge N.M. Wolfe and the great-great-grandfather of Harry L. Goodbread, now with Douglass & Mengert.  Hiram R. Smith, then with McFall, frequently cashed Adam Wolfe's pension draft.

Monday, April 23, 2012