Treasurer. Loomis K. Bishop, rep.....6981 Henry F. McCormick, dem. .5736 State Treasurer. Benj. D. Pritchard, rep.....5796 Herman Goeschel, dem.....5901 Auditor General. W. Irving Latimer, rep.....5814 W. T. B. Schermerhorn, nat. 1719 James M. Neasmith, rep....5815 John A. S. Verdier, rep.....7248 1562 John A. Elder, dem.. Henry D Plumb, dem. 5686 Henry D. Wedge, nat. ..2253 George Lord, nat.. .5875 ..1711 60 .5762 Attorney General. · .1746 The constitutional amendment relating to the Circuit Courts, was approved in Kent county by a vote of 1,472 for, to 266 contra; the amendments relative to penal fines, by a vote of 1,738 for, to 278 contra; and that relative to the clerks of the Circuit Courts, by a vote of 3,336 for and 187 contra. The foregoing returns form a most important section of this history. They show that the principles of liberty are understood by the people of Kent, that they possess a good idea of all that is due to the Republic. They have overcome nativeism, sectionalism and all their concomitant evils, leaving little to trammel the cause of Union, or interfere with a magnificent solidarity. Envy, anger, jealousy, pride of party, and, better than all, the irritation, bred by the rebellion of the Southerners, rankle only in the hearts of a few 344 HISTORY OF KENT COUNTY. but as civilization advances day by day, so are the minds of men becoming more expanded, until they look with charity on the faults of others, and seek to atone for their own. Party malice, animosity of nativeism, bigotry under all its hideous shapes, must give way forever to reason. Mercy, justice and patriotism require the citizen heart for tenancy so that all the vices must fall before the appeal of humanity, and let peace rule throughout the land. CHAPTER XII. KENT COUNTY IN THE WAR. The military events of the county have been noticed down to that period in its history when a sacrifice was demanded of the newly settled States, and their political divisions; to that time when the very safety of the glorious heritage bequeathed by the Fathers of the Republic as a rich legacy, was threatened by a fate worse than death-a life under laws that harbored the slave, a civil defiance of the first principles of the constitution. Kent was among the first counties of the State to respond to the summons of patriotism and register itself on the national roll of honor, even as she was among the first to join in that song of joy which greeted a Republic, made doubly glorious within a century by the dual victory which won liberty for itself and next bestowed the precious boon upon the colored class. The attack on and the fall of Fort Sumter was the signal for the people of Kent to rouse themselves from slumber and rush to arms. Great numbers of the people maintained their equanimity, with the result of beholding within a brief space of time every section of their county represented by soldiers prepared to fight the good fight to the bitter end in defense of cherished institutions, and for the extension of the principles of liberty and union,-of human right, to all states and classes within the Republic. The three months' regiment went to the front with a fair representation of the citizens of Kent county in its rank and file. They were present at the first Bull Run before their term of service expired; and the survivors, returning, reported for re-enlistment in the three years' regiments then being organized throughout the State. What terrible ordeals those troops passed through during their long and eventful military career, what magnificent results crowned their service, are best related in an extract from the oration of Dan Dougherty, delivered at the reunion of Veterans, held in June, 1881, at Hartford. He, in his inimitable eloquence, said:-"Victims of swamp and typhus fevers; baffled time and again by the flood; battling at every disadvantage with the flower of the enemy, on a strange soil, with a hostile population; long denied a victory; matured plans jeopardized; fighting all day, marching all night; advancing until they saw the spires of Richmond, then back again within sight of the white dome of Washington; never elated with success, never depressed with defeat; disaster following disaster, they were buoyant to the close. Smiling through tears they parted with their beloved chief; one brave commander gave place to (345) |