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HISTORICAL COLLECTION OF OHIO, By Henry Howe, LL.D., 1898 LEESBURG is on the W. & L.E.R.R., 100 miles northeast of Columbus and twelve miles southwest of Carrollton. One leg courses through it, a stream so named form a one-legged Indian who anciently dwelt upon its margin. The Indian name of this water course is "Kannoten;" and the branch known as the "Dining Fork of the Kannoten" derived its appellation from the first explorers in this region on an occasion partaking of their noon meal upon its banks. The post-office name of Leesburg is Leesville, as there is also another Leesburg in Highland county. Part of Orange township in which it is situated originally formed a part of One Leg township, Tuscarawas county, a name now extinct even there, as applied to a township. Leesburg was laid out August 1, 1812, by Thomas Price and Peter Saunders. It contains one newspaper, Connoton Valley Times, Independent, R.G. Rivers, editor; has 1 Presbyterian and 1 Methodist church, and, in 1880, had 408 inhabitants; coal mining and farming are its main industries. Leesburg has a peculiar history; has long been noted as an intellectual and reforming centre. It was one of the stations of the Underground Railroad, and in those days its little public hall at times resounded to the voices of Wm. Lloyd Garrison, Fred Douglass, Wendell Phillips, Parker Pillsbury and their coadjutors. Some noted characters are now residents of the place. Hon. Wm. Adair, author of the celebrated liquor law, and a member of the last Constitutional Convention of Ohio, is a practicing lawyer of the place. Charles Dunster, also a resident, is builder of an ingenious astronomical clock which keeps the time of some of the principal cities of the world, and is remarkable from the fact that he is entirely self-taught, and constructed it from such rude tools as he could make in an ordinary blacksmith shop. This clock is still ticking the time by the forge where he earns daily bread. And lately for our mention is a lady, Mrs. Mary E. Kail, noted for her patriotic poems, the outgrowth of an intense and absorbing love of country. She is a native of Washington City, but from childhood has been a resident of Ohio, excepting for a few years when she was clerk in one of the departments at Washington, which position she lost recently through a change of administration. Her spirited songs have been sung and with great acceptance on many public occasions, such as Decoration Days, at meeting of the various posts of the Grand Army of the Republic, dedication of soldiers' cemeteries, lodges of Good Templars, and in the political canvass. Her writings under the title of "Crown our Heroes and other Poems" have recently being published through the generosity of Mrs. Leland Stanford. This little book is her only source of livelihood in her advanced years. Of all the songs sung on Decoration Day throughout the land "Crown our Heroes" stands at the head. This and the one entitled "Ohio" we copy entire. CROWN OUR HEROES. Crown our heroes, the soldiers, whose spirits have fled To the land of the blest; crown the heroic dead. Let the fair hand of woman weave garlands of flowers Kissed by heaven's pure sunlight in sweet morning hours. Go tenderly, gently, and scatter them where Our heroes are sleeping! go scatter them there. Crown our heroes, the soldiers, who sleep on the shore Where the call of the bugle can wake them no more. Men who fought to defend us -oh, can we forget The tribute of glory we owe to them yet? Bring love's fairest offerings, with tears and with prayer, And gratefully, sacredly scatter them there. Crown our heroes, the soldiers, whose grandeur and power Saved our own dear Columbia in war's troubled hour. When amid the fierce struggle each soul was lost. They are dead! they are dead! what now can we do As a token of love for the noble and true? Crown our heroes, the soldiers. Oh! scatter the flowers O'er the graves of the dead; they are yours, they are ours. Men who fought for the flag, and our foes in the fray; For as brothers they sleep, both the blue and the gray. And true to our banner, our offering we bring - Blushing roses of summer, and violets of spring. Crown our heroes, God bless them! no true heart must lag; Crown the dead and the living who stood by the flag. Through the oncoming ages let each have a name Carved in letters of gold in the temple of fame; For the bright stars of freedom -our banner unfurled- Is the joy of Columbia, the pride of the world! OHIO Ohio, I love thee, for deeds thou hast done; Thy conflicts recorded and victories won; On the pages of history, beaming and bright, Ohio shines forth like a star in the night. Like a star flashing out o'er the mountain's blue crest, Lighting up with its glory the land of the west; For thy step onward marching and voice to command Ohio, I love thee, thou beautiful land. Commonwealth grandly rising in majesty tall - In the girdle of beauty the farthest of all, Tho' thunders of nations around thee may roar - Their strong tidal waves dash and break on the shore - Standing prouder and firmer when danger is nigh, With a power to endure and an arm to defy; Ohio shall spread her broad wings to the world, Her bugles resounding and banners unfurled. A queen in her dignity, proudly she stands, Reaching out to her sister States wealth-laden hands, Crown'd with plentiful harvests and fruit form the vine, And riches increasing in ores from the mine. While with Liberty's banner unfurled to the sky - Resolved for the Union to do or to die - Her soldiers and statesmen unflinchingly come, 'Mid booming of cannon and roll of the drum. To glory still onward, we're marching along. Ev'ry heart true and noble re-echoes the song, Ever pledged to each other, through years that have fled, We have hopes for the living, and tears for the dead. Bless the heroes who suffered, but died not in vain; Keep the flag that we love -without tarnish or stain. Thus uniting with all, shall my song ever be Ohio, my home-land, my heart clings to thee! |