Ohio History Journal

BIRTHPLACE OF JOHN BROUGH.

[The following article is reprinted with slight corrections, from a

Marietta paper, published some years ago.-E. 0. R.]

The wrecking, a few years ago, of the old jail just opposite

the Court House at Marietta brought to mind several historic

facts of no mean importance. This building was a little more

than fifty years old, having been erected in 1848 on the site of

the pioneer Court House which was the first Hall of Justice in

the Northwest Territory. The building was forty-five feet in

length, thirty-nine feet in breadth and two stories high. The

walls were three feet thick and were made of double tiers of

yellow poplar logs. The front room in the upper story was

the court-room. It was 40 by 30 and lighted by seven windows.

The two lower rooms were occupied by the jailer and his

family. The jail was in the rear part of the building, which

was very strongly built and from which, it is stated, no prisoner

ever escaped. The jury room was in the rear of the second

story over the jail. A cupola surmounted the roof in which was

hung the same bell that was hung in the succeeding Court House

and which has been in use till the occupancy of the present

new Court House.

The theory that John Brough was born in the primitive

Court House has been disputed for the reason that coupled

with the above statement, the assertion is generally made that

his father was Sheriff at the time. We quote from a Marietta

newspaper issued Friday, June 12, 1863:

"Mr. Brough (John) was born in 1811 in Marietta, in the

old Court House and jail, the dwelling-house part of which

was occupied by his father, John Brough, Esq., who was at the

time Sheriff of the county. The father was a native of England,

and died in 1823, on the 'Cleona' farm just above the mouth

of Duck Creek."

(369)

370      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

In the issue of Friday, Sept. 11, 1863 appears nearly the

same statements:

"John Brough was born in 1811, in the dwelling-house part

of the old jail, his father, John Brough, Esq., being Sheriff at

the time. His father was a native of England, and died in 1823

on the 'Cleona' farm, and within a short time 'Jack' went to

learn the printer's trade with the late Roal Prentissin in the

office of the American Friend, then being only about twelve

years of age."

From the "History of Marietta" by Thos. J. Sumers, page

167, we note the names of Sheriffs since 1788:

1788 September to 1802 Ebenezer Sproat.

1802 September to 1803, William Skinner.

I803 September to 1810, John Clark.

1810 September to 1812, William Skinner.

1812 to September to 1814, Timothy Buell.

It is readily seen that John Brough's father was never

Sheriff of Washington county. Then what about the authen-

ticity of the article?  If wrong in one particular, then is it

wrong in all? Of course, one will readily admit that it was

possible for the elder Brough to occupy the dwelling-house part

of the old Court House, and yet not be Sheriff. But why

should he ever live in the building, since the records show that

he neither was Sheriff nor Deputy Sheriff at the time of the

birth of John Brough Jr. ?

In searching the old records in the office of the Clerk of

Courts, we find the following order on page 184:

"Journal of Common Pleas Court of Washington County,

December 17, 1810. Ordered that license be granted to John

Brough (Senior) to keep a tavern in the Court House.

(Signed) Paul Fearing,

Presiding Judge."

On page 253 of the same volume, under date of Dec. 14,

1811, we find where the license is renewed:

"Ordered that the license be issued to John Brough to

keep tavern under the Court House." This is self explanatory

and it becomes an established fact that John Brough, the "War

Bithplace of John Brough.             371

Governor" was born in the old pioneer Court House, and this

place will doubtless soon be marked with a monument erected

by the Ohio Historical Society.

JOHN BROUGH

In the same year that the Ohio University, at Athens, was

founded there came to Ohio the family of John Brough, Sr.,

from Maryland, who settled in the valley of the Little Mus-

kingum in Washington county. It was here that John Brough,

the eminent war governor of Ohio was born in 1811. Brough

was a born executive; strong in physique, resolute of counte-

nance,he possessed that thorough-goingness and accurate execu-

tion which characterized his administration as governor of Ohio.

His type was that representative of a strong and determined

will, and it is in this particular that he distinguished himself in

early life in college at Athens, in the field of journalism and in

the governor's chair.

Brough attended such common schools as were afforded at

that pioneer period, and in early life, like Ben Franklin, was

apprenticed as a printer. It was his experience in the print

shop that gave him such a comprehensive view of human na-

ture and many facts here acquired by his absorbent mind, gave

him a stock of information which stood copious draughts dur-

ing his future career. He was not a theorist; his clear logic,

apt perception, and open and frank disposition, moved him to

apply promptly and well his new acquisition of knowledge.

While a student at the Ohio University at Athens, his work was

characterized by zealous effort and diligent research. He work-

ed in the office of the Mirror during his leisure hours and thus

defrayed his expenses. He was a great athlete, and while at

Athens, tradition has it that he accomplished his greatest feat

by kicking a football over the main building.

AS A JOURNALIST

Brough's executive ability coupled with his natural instinct

for the printing business, made him an ideal newspaper man of

his day. At twenty years of age we find him editing the West-

372      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

ern Republican at Marietta. His maiden issue appeared on the

birthday of General Jackson in 1831, Jackson being his political

idol at that time. After two years he, with his brother, bought

the Ohio Eagle at Lancaster. This paper made him a political

leader of the state. He entered politics, but retained his con-

nection with the Eagle, and reported for the Ohio Statesman at

Columbus until 1841, when the Brough brothers bought the

Cincinnati Advertiser and changed its name to the Enquirer.

The paper continued in his hands until 1848. Brough was

much censured by the press at this period; he was criticised

politically, attacked personally, and abused maliciously, but he

always claimed to act on the defensive, and never apologized

for the keenness of sarcasm often resorted to in these conflicts.

An humorous incident is told concerning a brief article which

appeared in the Louisville Courier-Journal, then edited by G. D.

Prentice, while Brough was editing the Enquirer. Prentice was

having some fun by thus describing his immense avoirdupois:

"If flesh is grass as people say

Then Jackie Brough's a load of hay."

Brough, having in mind the numerous criticisms of the

press replied, "That he supposed he was hay judging from the

number of asses that were nibbling at him."

PLACE IN HISTORY

Brough made his formal entry into politics in 1835, when

he was elected Clerk of the Ohio Senate. Robert Lucas was

then governor. Thomas Ewing and Thomas Morris represent-

ed the state in the national senate, while in the house of repre-

sentatives at Washington, Thomas Corwin on whom the Ohio

University conferred the M. A. Degree was becoming popular.

Andrew Jackson as president had begun his war on the U. S.

Bank, while Benton, Van Buren, W. H. Harrison, Webster,

Calhoun and Clay were among the leaders in national politics.

On the slavery question Brough was conservative. This was

the period when the Abolitionists referred to the national con-

stitution as a "league with hell and a covenant with death".

Bithplace of John Brough.            373

Brough's position is clearly outlined in his speeches. During

the progress of the war, Brough made a stirring speech at

Marietta, calling on all loyal citizens regardless of party af-

filiations, to uphold the administration of Lincoln and suppress

the war concluding as follows:

"This country, my friends, is the last hope of freemen

throughout the world. It is the field upon which civilization

has flourished and science began to accomplish its great pur-

pose. The nations and people of the old world are marking

its progress from day to day as it enfranchises man from every

servitude. And are you going to give it up? Young men can

you afford to give your posterity a heritage worse than that

which your fathers gave to you? If you can, you are faithless,

not only to your own manhood, but to your God. You are

bound to have one country, one flag, and one destiny. And

what country shall this be? What but the country you had be-

fore the rebellion raised its parricidal hand to strike it down.

That country with the incubus of slavery wiped away; a

country that, like a weary man who has lain down by the road

side to rest, has risen again, and is marching on to its great

destiny. What flag, but that which smiles on our peaceful

assemblage today. Stand by it then, let it be the flag of the

Union restored, reared aloft to float forever. Or, when it falls,

if fall it must, let there be nothing around it but crumbling walls

and nothing above it but the Angel that shall speak the end

of time and the beginning of eternity."

BROUGH AND VALLANDIGHAM

Brough, as candidate, managed his own campaign, and

delivered many speeches in his telling sledgehammer style. Val-

landigham, his opponent, having been arrested and sent within

the Confederate lines, was forced to rely on his friends to look

after his interests. The campaign was fierce; men, women and

children, attending the public meetings and indulging in heated

discussions, and many times in personal combat. All felt reliev-

ed when the campaign closed. An interesting incident is related

concerning Vallandigham while being conducted through the

Confederate lines. The escort had been traveling almost day