Major S. N. Titus – Civil War Veteran

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Samuel Nye Titus as born 17 November 1837, in Rutland, Meigs County, Ohio. His parents were Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Titus. As a youth, Titus was raised on a farm, in Meigs County. Titus had a great Grandfather who had fought in the Revolutionary War. In the 1850s, Titus taught at the Van Zant School in Rutland, Ohio. On 14 November 1872, Samuel married Miss Elenor Swinnerton. Miss Swinnerton was a granddaughter of James Swinnerton, a pioneer resident of Marion County.
Prior to relocating to Marion County, Samuel Titus had lived in Meigs County where in 1868 he was elected to the Ohio legislature. He was reelected in 1879, and upon completion of his term, he came to Marion. In Marion, Ohio, he engaged in farming near Brush Ridge, in Grand Prairie Township, on the land that James Swinnerton had settled in 1819. Here Titus would become a successful farmer and stockman.
Samuel Nye (S. N.) Titus held a notable military record. He served during the Civil War prior to moving to Marion County to farm. At the age of twenty-four, he volunteered for service while in Meigs County. Titus would enlist in Columbus as a private in M company, Eleventh Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry. Pennsylvania needed to draw volunteers from outside it’s state as there were not enough volunteers to make a Division at that time. He would soon witness the battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac and saw the Cumberland sunk off Hampton Roads.
The same year of his enlistment Titus was promoted to sergeant and then to a lieutenant. He participated in many of the cavalry raids around Richmond. In the summer of 1862, he was promoted to the rank of captain. Not long after Titus would be promoted to the rank of major, to which he would long be known as Major S. N. Titus. He participated in many of the engagements of the valley of the Potomac and the peninsular campaigns. He was at the siege of Suffolk, with General Butler in his operations around Richmond, and with Grant’s army at Petersburg.
Major S. N. Titus would be injured on 8 October 1864, in which he would be shot in the right elbow. He at this time was in command of a brigade within site of Richmond. During the Battle of Jones’ Farm, his brigade was ordered to fall back. Titus had to then crawl about three to four miles while attempting to avoid capture. He was eventually captured and sent to a rebel hospital where a surgeon would remove the bones that were shattered in his right elbow. This injury would hinder him the rest of his life. But we will see that he remained very active and engaged.
Major Titus would then be sent to the hospital at Libbey Prison. After about two weeks of confinement in the prison hospital, Titus would secured his parole from and acquaintance, Colonel Moulton. These brave actions would garner him the honorary title of “Colonel Titus.”
After being paroled, Major Titus would be sent to the hospital in Annapolis. He would be granted a furlough and be home by Christmas of 1864. Then in the spring of 1865, Major S. N. Titus would be mustered out of service.
While living in Marion County, Major S. N. Titus became well known and respected. He was also noted for maintaining his military bearing throughout his life. Titus was well know and respected as a member of the Grand Army of the Republic (G. A. R.). He was even given the high honor as being selected as the senior vice commander when Ohio G.A.R.’s state encampment was hosted in Marion, Ohio. The encampment was in June of 1916, during the Golden Jubilee. The following year, when the encampment was held in Akron, there was much talk of nominating him as Commander. He would not allow his friends to present his name for nomination. He held the position as local commander several times and held most all positions at one time or another during his membership.
Major Titus would be chairman of the committee that was organized for the welcoming return of D Company when they returned to Marion from the Border Campaign. Major S. N. Titus died at the age of eighty-three, on 17 November 1837. He is buried in the Grand Prairie Cemetery, Brush Ridge, Marion County, Ohio.
Major S. N. Titus is remembered on the walls of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Chapel located at the Marion Cemetery. His name is in column 57, under the 11th Reg. Pa. C.

Related article on the son of S. N. Titus, Frederick S. Titus.

Frank L. Jordan Writes Home From Puerto Rico (1898) Spanish American War Veteran

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Frank L. Jordan was born 19 March 1876. His mother was Mrs. E. S. Jordan of Marion, Ohio. Frank L. Jordan was a member of G Company, 4th O. V. I. and was listed as being promoted to corporal on 11 June 1898.
While Jordan was serving with G Company in Puerto Rico during the Spanish American War, he would write to his mother describing the military activities, the foreign land and the people.
Frank L. Jordan died on 28 May 1937, and is buried in the Marion Cemetery.

CORPORAL JORDAN
Writes a Long Letter to His Mother of
This City.
The following interesting letter was received Monday by Mrs. E. S. Jordan of north State street from her son, Frank Jordan, corporal G Company, 4th O. V. I.:
Guayama, P. R., August 7, – Dear mother: This is a nice Sunday morning and everything is going smoothly. I thought I would write to you and tell you what we are doing.
We have not had any trouble to amount to anything except when we marched in and took this town. We had about an hour’s fighting and there was some hard work, but we drove them off and killed four and wounded eight, and there was only one in out regiment injured and he is getting along finely and will be out in a few days. We go here just twenty minutes after 1 o’clock and at half past we had our flag floating to the breeze from the tallest pole in the town.
This is the prettiest place I ever saw, with the ocean on the south of us and the big, tall mountain on the north, and a cocoanut, and orange, and bananas, and pineapple groves on the east and west as far as we can see.
We are eating fruit for every meal. We had pineapple and oranges slice and chicken and noodles and good tea and we are all feeling better than we have since we have been out. I don’t think that we will starve while we are out in this country.
When we marched in here the other day the natives got down on their hands and knees and kissed the ground. They are nearly all starved out and they even pick up the potato peelings and the old corned beef that we throw away, and throw it all in together in a big bucket and boil it and then you ought to see them go after it. It is a sight to see them. Then all of their children between the ages of one to eight go naked all together and as black as the ace of spades.
The natives will get around us and commence to talk to us and we don’t understand them and that makes them mad. They are very good to us. They will go and get us water and make our coffee for us, but when we can’t make out what they are saying, they get mad. They are fixed awful nice here. They have a beautiful square with all kinds of fountains and all kinds of fruit and tropical plants. They will come around and buy our hardtack for four cents apiece in their money and two cents in our money.
I am sitting under a big orange tree writing this letter, and I’ll bet there are eight bushel on it. Whenever I want one I climb up and get one. I am going to send a box home the next time I get where there are some boats going and coming.
We are all eating some kind of fruit all the time. It is the only thing we have to do. There are more goats, sheep and oxen down here than I ever saw before.
Today was market day and we had a regular picnic watching the natives fight for their places to sell their stuff. We would get a lot of things and throw them up for snatch and grab. I am going to do my washing now and will stop for a while ………
Well, I will try myself again and try and tell you how the people here do their buying. They never buy over a cent’s worth at a time, every storekeeper sells wood at one cent for two sticks. They are about three feet long and about an inch thick. They sell bread by the slice and lard by the measure and all of these storekeepers are Spanish. Whenever we want anything in their line we get our rifles and two or three of us go up to the store and order what we want and when it is all wrapped up we pick it up and walk out with it. We never pay a Spaniard anything. I have four of the prettiest towels that I ever saw, silk handkerchiefs to buy – only got two dozen of them – and I am going to get some more of them, the next chance I get, and bring them home with me.
There were two companies of our regiment which had a hot fight. It had lasted about three hours and we only had five wounded. The Spaniards are very poor shots. Corporal Hunt and I were standing, side by side, against a house, when two bullets hit about a foot from us and one about two feet from me. Hunt turned to me and said, “Reg, I guess it is about time to pay our rent and move out of here.”
And you ought to have seen us move. The major asked us if they were getting hot and I said we are going to move anyhow.
The company was standing on one of the streets here in town and they were firing down the street at us. If they don’t do better shooting than they have been doing, we will all come home O. K.
We all have rapid-fire magazines guns and we can pump lead into them so fast that it will make their heads swim and they can’t do a thing to us.
Well it is a nice thing to have some one stand up and shoot at you and you can’t tell where the shot comes from, but they are not ahead of us, for we have eight dynamite guns. We make them dig every time one of them goes off.
Well, I will close for this time, hoping to hear from you soon. How are all the folks getting along?
Your loving son,
“FRANK.”

Letter in The Marion Daily Star dated 8-23-1898

PFC William O. Armstrong – World War Two Casualty

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William Orville Armstrong was born on 30 October 1906, he was the son of Harry L. & Myrtle M. (Carney) Armstrong. William O. Armstrong was married to Fern O. (Tumbleson) Armstrong. He had been employed with Pollak Steel Company in Cincinnati before moving with the company to Marion, Ohio.

Armstrong served for 15 years in the Ohio National Guard (ONG) prior to serving with the U. S. Army. He had been a member of B Company and D Company in the ONG. He served as a Sergeant in the ONG and was serving as a Private First Class (PFC) in the U. S. Army. PFC Armstrong received training at Fort McClellan, Alabama. He served with an infantry unit from January of 1944, until his death. He would see service in North Africa and then Italy. PFC Armstrong was killed in action on 31 May 1944, in Italy.
PFC William O. Armstrong was buried in a temporary grave in Italy. On 7 July 1948, his remains arrived back in the United States aboard the United States Army Transport Carroll Victory. PFC William O. Armstrong is buried at the Marion Cemetery.
William O. Armstrong is remembered on the Honor Roll, at the Veterans Memorial Park in Marion, Ohio; on the west wall of the Marion County Courthouse; and World War II Veterans Memorial Wall, at the Marion Cemetery.

Marion, Ohio Bombed – May 16, 1931

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28 HUGE SHIPS
FLY OVER CITY
Planes Pass Here Enroute to
Air Maneuvers at Dayton
Field.
MARION IS “BOMBARDED”
Business Section Is Target
for Cotton Missiles Dropped
by Pilots.
Thoughts of Marionites this morning were directed to the aerial sham battle centering around Fairfield Air Depot at Dayton this morning when 28 large army bombers flew over the city on their way to the Dayton field.
Drop Two “Bombs”
The bombers demonstrated their skill, and a the same time left Marionites a souvenir of the event by dropping two large cotton “bombs” in the yard of the St. Paul’s Episcopal church at Center and High streets and in front of the H. Schaffner Furniture Co. The “bombs” were a yard long, four inches in diameter, and carried the brief message, “”Second bombardment group, United States Army, Langley Field, Va.” One of the souvenirs is now in possession of Rev. S.. S. Hardy, pastor of the St. Paul’s church.
One of the huge bombers, weighing two tons without a load, was landed on Marion airport by Lt. J. M. Armond and his crew of three men from Columbus this morning. They had flown north to meet the other 27 bound for the Dayton port from Cleveland where they had sent the night. Met by strong headwinds, the planes moved slowly over the city. All were Keystone bombers. B-3-A, similar to the plane which landed here.
Get Battle Details
Meantime, exacting training flights to accustom pilots and squadron commanders with maneuver they will execute in their “defense” of Chicago and the east were on the schedule for the army air corps massed at Fairfield Air Depot at Dayton today, according to Associated Press dispatches. Marion, on the northeastern fringe of the “battle area” may see a part of the maneuvers.
Four hundred combat planes were ordered in the air over various parts of Ohio during the afternoon. Columbus was designated as the eastern boundary line for the training flights, Cincinnati as the southern, and Indianapolis as the western boundary.
During the morning two pursuit squadrons of the 36th Air Squadron, Selfridge Field, Mich., and the 95th Squadron of the 20th Pursuit Group were designated to go through maneuvers with bombers and attack groups to determine which squadron should be given an unnamed mission. Both squadrons are commanded by World War Aces, the former by Capt. Victor Strahn and the latter by Capt. Frank Hunter.
Several ships of the second bombardment group which were forced to put up at distant cities last night were expected today.
Ninety-nine national guard planes arrived from eastern states last night.
Governor George White will leave Port Columbus late today by airplane for Dayton, where he will observe the army air maneuvers. The governor will be accompanied by Adjutant General Frank D. Henderson, Federal Judge Benson W. Hough and Major Thomas J. Herbert, O. N. G.

From The Marion Star dated May 16, 1931
Keystone B-3A

Read Similar Article from 1950

Pvt. Frank O. Padgett writes about time in Puerto Rico (1898)

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Frank Osgood Padgett was born 12 February 1875, Columbus, Ohio. He was the son of Plus Padgett of Zanesville. Frank Padgett was employed in Marion, Ohio as a journalist.
He would join G Company and serve in Guayama, Puerto Rico during the War with Spain aka. Spanish American War. While with G Company in Guayama, Padgett would write back to the Marion Daily Star and report on the events he was taking part.
Frank O. Padgett would die on 28 February 1920, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery, Zanesville, Ohio.

BOYS AT GUAYAMA
Tell About the City and Their
Experiences Guarding it.
FRANK PADGETT WRITES AGAIN
And talks interestingly of the City –
Narrow Streets and One-Story Houses Are
the Rules – Still the City Possesses Some
Fine Buildings – The Climate is an
Unusually Healthy One.
[Special Correspondence to the Star}
Guayama, P. R., August 17, – Two regiments of the Second Brigade of the First Army Corps, the Fourth Ohio and Third Illinois, are now engaged in holding this place from the enemy, We are comparatively safe from the Spanish and outposts have been established on three sides of the city for distance of four miles out.
Sunday was passed without any of the enemy being seen, and it is presumed by this time they are many miles from here. Every precaution has been taken for a surprise, however and a strong guard is posted every night. It is like that we will remain here for quite a while as rations were issued today from Arroyo, the basis of supplies.
The majority of the houses are of one story, with no display of architecture. The street are narrow and dirty, and are filled with children, goats and dogs. There are about a dozen pieces of brick sidewalk. Otherwise the roadway and walk run together. On the one business street you can find dozens of old men and women selling their mangoes. Ponies take the place of horses and ar very small. The saddle is the same as is used on pack mules. The climate is about the same the year around and is very healthy.
G company is encamped in the northwest part of the city and it seems as if we had gotten right into the midst of the poorest people. Every time we have mess the natives stand around waiting for us to throw them a crumb. They are a sight to behold, especially the children and old people. The former run around naked as the day they were born. They are so thin that their ribs stick out. They are human skeletons. Many of us have gone hungry and given our meals to them. It was reported today that the natives would be issued the same rations that we draw.
Yesterday I witnessed the burial of a Spanish soldier that had been killed as we entered the city. The natives had secured several boards and made a three cornered coffin, In this they placed the soldier and nailed a few rotten and wormeaten boards on for a lid. His hands were crossed in an upright position. He was lowered into a hole three feet deep and covered over with stones, sticks and dirt. The Puerto Ricans took a great deal of delight in it.
A great number of the business men are Spaniards. Up until yesterday only a few of the stores were open. When they heard the Americans approaching they closed up their places and ran to the hills for safety. They are now just beginning to return to the city. Several of them were taken prisoner as soon as they came in and are now under a strong guard in the city prison. G did its share in catching them and locked up seven yesterday.
NOTES.
Flour is now worth $30 per barrel.
We thrive on goat’s milk cheese, native bread and fruit.
A Captured spy say there are not more than 7,000 Spanish soldiers on the island.
There are only one or two people here who can speak English. One is a French lady who resided in the United Sates for a year.
No rations were issued yesterday and we were given permission to get our own meals. It was a bad day for the Spanish store keepers.
Judging from the motions and gestures of the natives, twenty-five Spaniards were killed and a great many injured on the day we took Guayama.
We were issued fresh meat today, the first time since leaving Chickamuga. It must have been ox neck. This is with due apologies to the ox.
The residents know of nothing that [transpires] out of Guayama. They did not even know that Santiago had surrendered or that Cervera’s fleet had been destroyed.
G company has started out relic hunting. A number of fine articles have been secured – dirks, rings, ??? and trinkets, the later from the Spanish stores.
There are several fine buildings here, among them being the city hall. [????] cathedral and a convent. These buildings are of antique architecture and have marble fronts.
The American soldiers are anxious for another battle. We would like something more exciting than living amongst a lot of jabbering negroes whose language sounds like monkey talk.
There are several French residents in the place. They are well-to-do people and treat the soldiers magnificently. As soon as an American enters their house the host or hostess gives you a handful of rice.
The natives are very lazy and the only people that works are the merchants and business men, and they don’t hurt themselves any. They keep themselves clean and take a bath in the numerous streams every day. The men dress in white duck suits and you seldom see a dirty spot on them
There is no more design to the houses than there is to a store box. They are built of rough lumber and a strong gust of wind would blow them over. In one out of ten there is a partition between the rooms. They don’t know what window glass is. As soon as they hear a rifle shot they all run for their homes and lock the doors. How they live without a breath of air is more we can imagine.
PADGETT.

Letter in Marion Daily Star dated 8-23-1898