Tulare County
History
History of Tulare and Kings Counties, California - History by Eugene L. Menefee and Fred A. Dodge - Historic Record Company - Los Angeles, California, 1913
CHAPTER III
THE EFFECT OF THE CIVIL WAR ON TULARE COUNTY
When the Civil war broke out Tulare county was peopled largely by southerners. In addition to the permanent settlers there were quite a number of stockmen from Texas and Arkansas who had driven their cattle here for the purpose of fattening them and of later driving them on to the Mariposa mines to sell.
Sympathy for the South was very strong and yet the people here did not feel called upon to take an active part in the rebellion. They were now citizens of the sovereign state of California, which had no cause for revolt. Their homes and property were here secure; personally they had no quarrel with the government. The counsel of the cooler heads was to be moderate in speech and quiet in demeanor, confining their activities to the passing of resolutions condemning the action of the Republican party, and objecting to the coercion of the South. This course of action naturally did not appeal to the younger hot-blooded element. They wanted action and the young bloods went around with chips on their shoulders and hurrahed for Jeff Davis. There were not lacking among the supporters of the Union cause those also whose blood ran warm and who were quick to take offense and eager to resent insults.
If anything more was needed to cause trouble to start it was whiskey, and there was whiskey galore. At every corner was a saloon—some Union, some Rebel. Courage and recklessness were purchased freely and street brawls became common.
Following a request of the Union men for protection, a company of troops was sent into Visalia to maintain order. The arrival of these by no means put a stop to brawls, altercations and street disturbances. Many bullies were among the number and these, knowing the irresistible power that lay behind their organization, became very insulting and overbearing in their conduct, especially when under the influence of liquor.
A particularly disgraceful episode occurred on the 4th of July. A crowd of drunken soldiers filled one of their wooden canteens with whiskey, draped around it the American flag, and marched up and down the street demanding of each person they met that he drink with them to Abraham Lincoln and the Union. Those refusing, among whom were Wiley Watson, Doctor Riley and John Williams, prominent citizens, were arrested and taken to Camp Babbitt.
UNION MEETING HELD
On May 25, 1861, in response to a call which was signed by more than one hundred names, the Union men of Visalia and vicinity met in mass meeting at the courthouse and expressed their adherence to the cause. The meeting was called to order by S. R. Dummer, who nominated W. N. Steuben for president. This motion was carried and Mr. Steuben took the chair. Messrs. D. R. Douglass, Joseph H. Thomas, D. G. Overall and Peter Dean were chosen vice-presidents and James H. Lawrence and H. O. McLean secretaries.
Previous to the regular proceedings of the meeting Miss Louisa Kellenberg, beautifully attired as the Goddess of Liberty, came forward and presented on behalf of the ladies of Visalia a beautiful national flag made of silk. The banner was received by A. J. Atwell, who returned thanks in an eloquent speech.
S. R. Dummer, J. M. Hayes, E. E. Hewitt, F. Bacon and B. B. Lawless were appointed a committee on resolutions and after a short Speech by S. C. Brown, they presented a set which were adopted. Among the resolutions were these:
"That the constitution of the United States is not a league or confederacy of states in their sovereign capacity, but a government of the people of our whole country founded on their adoption, and creating direct relations between itself and the people.
"That no state authority has power to dissolve these relations.
"That we are opposed in the present condition. of affairs to the formation of a Pacific republic, and will discourage any attempt to induce California to violate her allegiance to the Union."
SOUTHERN SYMPATHIZERS MEET
In the following month, June, a mass meeting of those espousing the cause of the Confederacy, or at any rate believing in the doctrine of states' rights, was held.
This meeting was held in a grove near the courthouse, where seats and a rostrum had been provided, and was very largely attended. W. D. McDaniel had been chosen marshal of the clay and the audience formed in procession in front of Warner's hotel and marched to the scene to the tune of Yankee Doodle.
Thomas R. Davidson was elected president and Messrs. Wiley Watson, William Coddington, Capt. E. Hunter, Robert Coughran, R. K. Nichols and R. B. Lawless vice-presidents. R. P. Gill and R. C. Redd were chosen as secretaries. The committee on resolutions, consisting of Joseph H. Clark, E. E. Calhoun, W. A. Russell, William B. Poer, Burd Lawless, L. T. Sheppard, James L. Wells and Wiley Coughran, presented the following, which were adopted.
"Resolved, That as American citizens imbued with a spirit of fidelity to the constitution and the laws and seeking only the happiness, prosperity and preservation of our common country, we deem it our duty in view of the declared hostility to the South and her institutions by the Republican administration to oppose the same by all constitutional means; that we regard President Lincoln as the exponent of a sectional party whose avowed policy towards one section of our country, pursued through a series of many years, has been the fruitful source of all our national evils; that the war now being waged by the Republican administration is unjust, inhuman and unconstitutional, having for its object the subjugation of states, the obliteration of state lines, the political degradation of their people and the deprivation of their property, and should meet and merit the just condemnation of all true friends of constitutional liberty; that we believe that the best interests of the country demand, and her political existence as a nation depends upon the speedy inauguration of a peace policy characterized by a spirit of concession and an honorable compromise as the only proper basis for the satisfactory adjustment of the differences between the northern and southern states."
On May 23, 1861, a meeting was held at Music Hall in Visalia for the purpose of organizing a military company. G. A. Botsford presided. It was decided to call it the Visalia Mounted Rifles, and the following officers were elected: Captain, G. W. Warner ; first lieutenant, J. H. Kennedy; second lieutenant, G. W. Roberts ; third lieutenant, Robert Baker; sergeants, William C. Hill, William Ely, R. Peppard, G. Francis and T. J. Preston; corporals, H. Chapman, H. E. McBride, William Baker, Orrin Barr ; permanent secretary, Horace Thomas.
It will be noted that there was no lack of officers.
In 1863 a volunteer cavalry company called the Tulare Home Guards, was organized at Outside Creek with sixty-one members. The following officers were chosen: Captain, W. S. Powell ; first lieutenant, George W. Duncan; senior second lieutenant, J. T. Collins ; junior second lieutenant, William C. Deputy.
Company D, Second Cavalry, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Evans, arrived in September, 1862, crossing the mountains from Independence by trail. A wagon-load of melons was donated them. In October they took up headquarters at Camp Babbitt, a mile north of Visalia, now known as the "Cain" tract.
Company I, Second Cavalry, arrived from Placerville in October, and Company E, Second Cavalry, called the Tuolumne Rangers and supposed to be the ones who destroyed the office of the Equal Rights Expositor, completed the brigade of regular troops. It would appear that three companies of federals and two of militia should have been ample to preserve the peace, but it seemed that they rather served to provoke disturbances and many quarrels resulting fatally were laid directly to their presence.
In accordance with the appeal of the sanitary commission for funds to aid the sick and wounded, W. N. Steuben took the matter in charge at Visalia, J. M. Harer at Tule River, J. M. Keyes at White River and J. F. Ewing at Kern River. About $300 was raised.
On October 27, 1862, Senator, Baker, Tulare county's most prominent citizen, was arrested, charged with discouraging enlistments in the United States army and of uttering treasonable sentiments, and being denied a parole, was placed in the guardhouse.
THE KILLING OF VOGLE
On November 29, 1862, Eugene Vogle, a soldier of Company I, Second Cavalry, California Volunteers, was shot and killed by Frank Slawick, bartender at the Fashion saloon. This place, kept by "Ki" O'Neal, was known as a "rebel" saloon and threats had been made by soldiers to do up its proprietor. About midnight, a crowd of drunken soldiers entered and ordered drinks for which they declined to pay. They then ordered cigars, which Slawick refused them, saying "I have no cigars for your kind." A row started and Slawick reached under the bar for his gun, which was accidentally discharged. A fusilade followed in which Vogle was killed. Slawick was shot in the arm and two soldiers were slightly wounded. O'Neal was struck in the forehead by a glancing shot and knocked senseless.
Slawick made his escape and was taken by "Uncle" Billy Cozzens to his place near Lime Kiln (now Lemon Cove) to be cared for. A meeting of citizens and officers was held in consequence of the affray to devise means of keeping the peace. Col. George S. Evans, in command of Camp Babbitt, said if the soldiers were the aggressors he would punish them, or give them over to the civil authorities, but he would punish none for resenting insults to them or the flag. He would expect them to protect themselves.
KILLING OF STROBLE
On August 6, 1863, Charles Stroble, sergeant of Company I, Second Cavalry, California Volunteers, was shot and killed by James L. Wells.
It appears that the trouble started near the corner of Main and Church streets. Tilden Reid, who afterwards became sheriff, had been drinking some and yelled "Hurrah for Downey" (the Democratic candidate for Governor). Jim Donahue, a soldier, told him that he would shoot him if he said that again. This trouble caused quite an embroglio in which Wells joined. Reid was arrested and taken to the guardhouse at Camp Babbitt, and Wells started home.
He had been preceded by Donahue and Stroble, who, for the purpose of picking a row, awaited him at the entrance to Knoble & Krafts restaurant (near Rouse & Sons' present place of business). Donahue here kicked a chair at Wells, which struck him in the leg, saying "I meant that for you:" Wells declined to take up the proffered insult and walked on, Donahue and Stroble following, making insulting remarks. Wells stepped inside the doorway of a tin shop at the corner of Main and Court streets, and, sheltering himself behind a pillar, secured his revolver. Donahue saw this action and yelled, "Look out! he's got a gun!" Wells fired, killing Stroble and took repeated shots at Donahue, who escaped into the Union saloon across the street. A stray shot is said to have cut G. A. Botsford's necktie.
Wells ran through the alley to the Overland stables (across the street from their present location), and secured a saddle horse which he rode to the edge of the swamp belt near the site of the sugar factory. While this was going on, Bob Houston and Gordon Douglass, friends of Wells, drew their six-shooters and were taken in charge by soldiers. Wells had narrow escapes from capture. At one time, when he was hiding under a log, several of the pursuing soldiers came up and sat on it. He wandered as far east as the Cottage postoffice, where his friend, Jesse Reynolds, secreted him and supplied him with provisions. He later disguised himself, got to San Francisco and from there went to Mexico. His relatives took up the matter and secured a change of venue to Merced county, whereupon Wells returned, submitted to trial, and was acquitted.
During the night following the affray, Wells' house in Visalia was burned, a deed generally believed to have been committed by the soldier comrades of Stroble.
THE ROWLEY AFFAIR
Some time in '63, a half-witted boy named Denny McKay, had secured a pair of pants from a soldier, and was wearing them. Hugh McKay, a brother, happened along and said, "Hello, Denny, are you going to be a soldier ?" and made some contemptuous reference to the soldiery. Richard Rowley, a private of the Second Cavalry, took up the matter and chased McKay, who was unarmed, firing as he ran. A volunteer, seeing the pursuit, also took a shot at McKay, but he escaped unharmed.
On March 4, 1868, Rowley was assassinated in Porterville while sitting at dusk before the fireplace in the hotel, the cause being at first attributed to the war-time incident. It developed, however, that Rowley had an implacable enemy in one Smith Fine. Rowley, it was alleged, had gone to Fine's house in his absence and at the point of a revolver compelled Fine's wife to dance for his amusement. Fine was acquitted of the murder, however, through lack of evidence.
DESTRUCTION OF NEWSPAPER PLANT
In 1862 L. P. Hall and S. J. Garrison established a paper in Visalia called the Civil Rights Expositor, later changing the name to The Equal Rights Expositor. The office was located above the Visalia House. It was a red-hot secession newspaper, ably edited but extremely radical in its utterances, and at once gained great favor with its readers and acquired a large circulation.
On account of his open advocacy of the southern cause Hall was arrested and taken to Camp Babbitt, where he was forced to take the oath of allegiance. After this incident the editorials in the Expositor were more bitter and inflammatory than ever before, angering beyond measure the soldiers and volunteers. Among the choice utterances were:
"We have said that Abraham Lincoln has perjured himself. and have proved it. We now tell those who participate in this detestable war, to the extent of their support, that they participate with Lincoln in the crime of perjury."
"Let our states' rights friend look around them and note the passion slaves of the President, who prate about rebels and traitors, while they hug their chains with the servility of a kicked and cuffed hound."
Dr. Davenport, owner of the building in which the printing office was located, fearing that Hall's vituperative utterances would incite a riot and damage be done to his property, ordered them to leave the premises. The office was removed to Court street adjoining the lot on which the Times office now stands.
On the night of March 5, 1863, a party of soldiers from Camp Babbitt, together with a number of townspeople, entered the office, tied Garrison up, threw the type into the street and destroyed the printing presses. Guards were posted at the street corners to prevent interference with the diversion. So resentful of this act were Hall and Garrison's friends in Mariposa that a party of seventy or eighty armed men came down for the purpose of "cleaning up" Camp Babbitt. These hid themselves in the swamp, expecting to be reinforced from Visalia. Cooler counsel among the leaders of the southern sympathizers here prevailed, however, and they were induced to disband and return to Mariposa.
Hall and Garrison for several years tried to get a bill through the legislature compensating them for the money loss incurred, and, in 1868, succeeded in doing so. Governor Haight, however, vetoed the bill on the ground that the property had been destroyed by soldiers under the authority and control of the United States, for which the state was not responsible.
Contributed by Kathy Sedler.