Pre-Civil War Sentiment
from Belmont County:
Correspondence of
Hugh Anderson
edited by John Kent Folmar
Historians search continuously for
primary documents which may expand
the portrait of the past. A basic source
of this quest is contemporary letters,
particularly if they are written by
literate observers during a time of local
or national stress. The Hugh Anderson
letters are of this noteworthy
quality.1
Born in Ireland in 1782, Anderson
immigrated to the United States in
1809. He became a citizen, was married,
lived in Philadelphia for twenty-five
years, and was successfully engaged as a
copper engraver. A large portion
of the plates of the American edition of
the Edinburgh Encyclopedia were
engraved by him as well as many
historical and Ohio county maps. In 1834
Anderson moved across the mountains to
St. Clairsville, Belmont County,
Ohio, where he became
"distinguished for minding his own business--
punctuality--and patient
investigation." In addition to his engraving work,
he participated in local Democratic
party politics, cultural affairs, and was
still active in his seventies when he
wrote the following letters.2 Since the
depression in 1858 was adversely
affecting Anderson's business, his grandson
James M. Williams, who had recently
moved to Augusta, Georgia, urged
the old man to join him--such was his
enthusiasm for his new life in the
South. The correspondence between
Anderson and young Williams did
not end until the secession crisis in
January 1861.
It is apparent from this small
collection that Anderson was well read
and very interested in the world around
him. In these letters he relayed
the usual local and personal
information, but his social and political com-
ments are of much greater value. He
consistently admired the "Southern
way of life" and the institutions
of the South. In a paternalistic manner,
reminiscent of John C. Calhoun, Anderson
observed that the industrial
North had created a laboring class
permanently and harshly bound to the
economic system. He insisted that
slavery in the South was not only es-
NOTES ON PAGE 229
ANDERSON CORRESPONDENCE 203
sential, but that as an institution it
was more beneficial than northern
"white slavery."
Anderson's political reasoning was very
conservative, certainly Jefferson-
ian, and within a strict constructionist
framework. In 1840 he had been
a Van Buren Democrat, and as one of the
250 members of the local county
vigilance committee he had opposed
"the combined forces of federalism,
abolitionism, and the oppressive and
irresponsible bankers and their
agents."3 Still
consistent with his earlier stand, as sectional issues inten-
sified, he explained to his grandson his
sympathy with the pro-slavery,
Southern wing of the Democratic party
and his objections to the abolitionist
Republican party. Because the Southern
Democratic candidate, John C.
Breckinridge, received a larger percent
of votes in Belmont County in the
election of 1860 than were cast in any
other Ohio county, the political
attitudes expressed by Anderson seem to
be indicative of the rather sub-
stantial pro-southern sentiment in the
upper Ohio River Valley counties
prior to the Civil War.4
The Anderson collection also reflects
the frustration and helplessness
of the citizenry during the national
crises of 1860-1861. Anderson initially
predicted Lincoln's defeat but
subsequently had to state that the "black
Republicans" would surely win. He
wrote that disunion was unavoidable,
and that he favored secession if it
could be accomplished peacefully, but
he was ambivalent concerning the
possibility of war. In January 1861, he
commented that if war must come, the
sooner the better, yet he was ap-
prehensive because of the proximity of
Ohio to Virginia and the threat
of internecine warfare. Juxtaposed with
these perplexing anxieties was a
keen resentment toward self-aggrandizing
politicians who were responsible
for the weakening of national unity. In
addition, Anderson argued that most
people favored sectional compromise and
that Ohioans would not support
a war against the South. Within this
frame of reference, he could not have
clearly foreseen the upheaval which was
about to launch the nation into
a new era, but his analysis is
nevertheless valuable.5
St. Clairsville Nov. 23-1858 [?]
James M. Williams
Dear Sir,
Yours of the 7th inst, was received
in which you give a glowing
description of Augusta; if it was in
my power to pull up stakes here
in an instant, I would do it, and be
there immediately, but as times are
now a person could not give away
property much less sell; . . . .
. . . I would have went this winter
south if I could have collected
money that was due me. but money is a
thing hard to be got hereabouts
at present--one half of the people
cannot pay their taxes--and the tax is
more like a rent than a tax--the rail
road subscription has to be paid off,
both principal and interest, during
this and the following 3 years--which
nearly doubles the amount formerly
paid--6
Hugh Anderson
204 OHIO HISTORY
St. Clairsville Jany. 10th-1859
James M. Williams
Dear Sir
Yours of Dec. 28th was received and it
gave me great pleasure to
hear that you . . . were well, . . .
This town so noted for its healthful-
ness, has been rather sickly for the
last two months--a fever which
the doctors called a Typhoid fever
became quite prevalent and carried off
a number of our citizens. . . . there were
[over] 8 or 10 . . . deaths--
but it has subsided or rather
disappeared since the frost set in as it is
now zero--previously the weather was
cloudy and rainey with any amount
of mud and slush, and for 30 days the
sun was seen but two or three
times--there was a Lady here at that
time (teaching music) from New
Orleans she said that the Typhoid fever
was more virulent than the
yellow fever and she dreaded it more.
She could not be persuaded to stay a
day longer than the expiration of her
engagement but hurried off to her
loved South.
Hugh Anderson
St. Clairsville May 2nd--1859
James M. Williams
Dear Sir,
The long time that has passed since I
wrote to you requires an
apology or explanation. suffice it to
say that I have had frequent attacks
of neuralgy and cough ever since I
received your letter, which made me so
weak and relaxed that I had no
inclination to write, and desired to be able
to tell you when I wrote that I was well--which
is the case at pres-
ent . . . .7
For lack of news or anything interesting
I will give you my opinion
as to the subject you mentioned in your
last letter, namely the change
coming over your Northern proclivities
by your residence in the South.8
My opinion is that the Southern
institutions are better and less corrupt
than the northern. As a proof of this
but look into the public prints
and you will find that there is a vast
deal more crime in the North than in
the South, last winter there was 32 murders
in one week in N. York city
and from a statement I saw in one of the
papers there was not that
number of murders committed in all the
southern states in a whole year--
Now as to the outcry of Southern
slavery--the fact is--there is more
white slaves in the North than there are
black ones in the South. When
we throw aside the mere word Slave and
consider what constitutes
slavery-- Now I would define slavery
thus, When a man is so situated
that he is forced to labour or starve,
and when he does labor, must give
all over what he eats and wares [wears]
to some power beyond his control,
he is then a slave--there are more than
3 million of such slaves in the
ANDERSON CORRESPONDENCE 205
northern states and crime is now rampant
throughout the whole North--
even in our little town the last term of
court which ended last week, there
were 5 sent to the penetentary and four
more candidates remain in
jail till next term--more than was ever
known here before--I think
I can give a reason for the increase of
crime in the north more than the
south, but for want of time and room I
will defer it to some other
time. . . .
Hugh Anderson
St. Clairsville Oct. 29, 1859
Mr. James M. Williams
Dear Sir:
Last spring Park[er] and Marth[a] &
family [aunt and uncle]
went to the farm in the country. because
it was too inconvenient to live
in town and go there to work and as he
had much work on [his] hands
and hiring would not pay .&c. so
that I have been living alone in town.
much of the time held very unpleasantly
and painfully by what is called
an inflamation of the kidneys (a disease
which is generally fatal to old
persons) I feel better of it now, but
still fear it will become a chronic
disease.
On the 6th of last June we had a frost
that killed nearly all
the wheat (then in blossom) in this and
many counties of this state
besides all the early planted potatoes
and other vegetables were destroyed
& the corn all had to be replanted.
this brought on a panic on the farmers
and made the hard times still harder.--
My mind is unchanged as to the
superiority of the southern
climate--over the frozen north and as to
the slave question I do believe
that the Negro race are unfit for
freedom--and I do think that to open
the slave trade and bring the slaves of
the black masters of Africa here
would be a blessing to them and I go still
farther and say that it would
confer a blessing on many whites to put
them under good masters--what
is a good master but a guardian--. . . .
Yours &c
Hugh Anderson
St. Clairsville. Belmont Co. O[hio]
January 12--1860
Mr. James M. Williams
Dear Sir.
Yours of Dec. 29th was received and what
you say in relation
to the state of Southern feeling is no
more than I anticipated. Were I
206 OHIO HISTORY
a resident of the South with numbers of
strong athletic slaves around
me, and but a few white people composing
the family circle I should
feel the greatest resentment against all
agitators and fanatics, who would
interfere in the least with my domestic
safety and hapiness; and though
I live in the north in the atmosphere of
antislavery proclivities, I can
sympathise with the South-- I think the
north is imposing on the south
most shamefully by their eternal harping
on that one string, that one
Idea--Antislavery-- In a word, my candid opinion is that a seperation
of the Union is unavoidable--but suppose
the Southern members of Con-
gress were to leave their seats and all
go home [;] that would be a bloodless
seperation of the union, because no law
can be made without a quorum ....
the next question is, would that put
this vexed question to rest? I think
not--I fear it would not--. I do expect
that nothing less than a bloody do-
mestic war will be the consequence of
this anti-slavery Agitation. I pray
Heaven to avert it--but if it does come
my sympathies are with the south--
This sheet would not contain all that I
have to say in explanation of my
feelings as above stated--but suffice it
to say that being a naturalized
citizen, I have sworn to support the
constitution of the union and that with
my full consent-- that constitution
embraces the South as well as the
north, and it is my belief that the
north are in the blame for the Constitu-
tion forbids any interference of one
state with the institutions of an other
state--and it is a clear fact that the
north are intermeddling with the
southern institutions--but of this
enough-- I am cut loose from all party
trammels--and have placed myself on the
dignity of human nature--above
the controul or dictation of sect or
party--
So much for national affairs and now a
word on home matters--
. . . I rented out the [town] house and
took up my lone abode in the
Office, where I now am writing this to
you--... I am getting the house
in which I kept my office repaired and
fitted up--to let as a dwelling, it
will bring 60 or 70 dollars per year
rent--all the property that I have in
town (3 houses) to let will not bring me
over $150 per year-- I have at-
tempted to sell them but the times here
are worse than ever known before--
so that there are few buyers and no
money--9 1/3 the value can not be got
for property here just now-- and a want
of money caused by its being all
carried west to speculate in land
&c--all these causes combine to make the
worst of hard times here--besides there
is an attemp[t] made by one por-
tion of the citizens of this county to
have the Court house removed [to
Bellaire] and it is believed by many
that they will eventually succeed.10
and that is a damper to the sale of
property here--so that the best thing I
can do is to rent what I have .... My
health is better than it was last
summer--but I feel the weight of
de[c]lining years increasing as they pass
away--....
What you call a base ball club is I
suppose what we call a foot
ball [club]--it requires great agility
....
Hugh Anderson
ANDERSON CORRESPONDENCE 207
Farm near St. Clairsville Sep. 26--1860
Mr James M. Williams.
Dear Sir.
. . . Politics--is all the
business here--as I told you before. I sympathise
with the south--but I doubt Lincoln will
be elected.
My best regards.
Hugh Anderson
Farm near St. Clairsville Oct. 27--1860
James M. Williams
We are within a few days of the election
and the only reason I have
for going to vote is merely to show the
people of the south how many votes
in Ohio go for peace and the Union--
this state is hopelessly gone for black
republicanism--but I do believe that 1/3
of its inhabitants are with the
south in their feelings and sympathies--but
I do not anticipate any such
thing as war.11 I believe
there is too much good sense possessed by the
people of the United States to permit
such a thing as a barberous domestic
war-my vote goes for Breckenridge--but
it will be valueless, for Lincoln
will carry this state for certain; as
the last election proves.12 so that I
would not trouble my self to vote at all
but for the above mentioned reason
-but at all events let there be war or
not, I do not believe that the unhappy
state of sectional strife that now
exists can never be wholly removed with-
out a seperation of the Union--but if
that must take place let it be a
bloodless one . . . .
The paper you were so good as to send
me, comes regularly--and
I have no fault to find with its
politiks--and it affords me pleasure to
read it--
With best regards.
Hugh Anderson
Farm near St. Clairsville Nov. 28--1860
James M. Williams.13
Dear Sir,
. . . We of the North are getting in a
panick.14 the Wheeling [Virginia]
Banks have suspended [specie payments]
and it is expected that all the
Banks will shortly follow their example,
the anticipation of War is getting
common, and hard times stares us in the
face-- Well if all the evils antici-
pated must come--I say the sooner the
better-- were I a southerner I
would go for immediate secession, I do
most firmly believe that the sec-
tional dislike that exists can never be
reconciled in any other way than by
an entire seperation. I believe that our
Northern fanatics are to blame--
and . . . if the South would all unite
they could make a great and glorious
208 OHIO HISTORY
nation, they have the best territory in
the union and the institution of
slavery is in my opinion an institution
of Heaven superior intelect ever
does and of right should govern the
inferior and it is certain that the blacks
are inferior: even here where the name
slave is not used, we have
white slaves--men who have not intellect
to direct their own energies
aright, live miserable and are in
bondage to the laws of necessity--perfect
slaves--and are not our north western
indians in a worse situation than
the southern blacks-- in fact a slave
who has a good master, is like a
minor with a kind guardian he is more
happy than if left to govern him-
self-- he is fed and clothed when age or
infirmity unables him to labour--
and not left to suffer or perish in his
old age as many of our northern
people are-- . . . my health is now
tolerable good--
Yours with
Best regards
Hugh Anderson
Farm near St. Clairsville Jany. 18th
1861
Mr. James M. Williams
Dear Sir.
It is indeed a matter of regret that the
U. S. union should be
disolved.15 I blame the
fanatics of the North, and regret that I am living
amongst them. My opinion is that war and
blood-shed will follow, for
fanaticism was never known to submit to
reason or justice, but the
Lincoln party is much in the minority16
and the South has many friends
in the North so many that I think they
could whip the fanatics without aid
from the south the quakers and anti war
men are all Lincolnites and
many of them very much averce to going
into danger, so that I think
the South has little to fear. I do not
know a man of the Brackenridge
party that could be forced to fight
against the South, they all say that
if they are forced to go to the tented
field it will be on the side of the
south they will go, . . . suffice it to
say that my sympathies are for
the south--may the right prevail-- . . .
.
Since I commenced this scrawl a
telegraph message from a friend
in Washington City was reed in town
stating that all hopes of concilia-
tion are gone, no compromise or
agreement remains.17 The excitement
here is increasing--hard times getting
harder--the expectation of war
becoming more serious and more near if
Virginia secedes we are on
the beligerent line The Beautiful hills
of Belmont may be drenched in
the blood of Brothers and friends, I
pray Heaven to avert it, but if
it must come, now is perhaps as good a
time as any if the evils of war
were to fall only on the guilty I would
not care how soon they come--
My Best regards
Hugh Anderson18
ANDERSON CORRESPONDENCE 209
St. Clairsville Febu, 17, 1861
Dear Nephew
. . . I need not tell you that we have
moved to the country and how we
live, Father I suppose has told you all,
we like our new situation very well
and perhaps enjoy afull portion of human
happiness by some improveing
we can soon have avery comfortable
pleasant home--but if this home has
to be situated in the midst, governed by
the laws, made by a set of red
mouthed abolitionists disunionists
nigger elevators, nigger lovers of men
who make laws making my children only equal
to be raised up educated
at the same school and associated
with, a race perhaps two removes
from a babboon-it is then this home
otherwise happy will speedily
be deserted-- I believe the north have been the first and only
agressors--and that it is too true to
admit or argument,--if it
be treason, to act upon--nullify [and]
make laws directly in violation
of the constitution of the united
states, have not the north been guilty,
even [if] it should be called by the
very modest name, of "personal liberty
bill"19--you must not think that we
ar[e] all abolitionists--for even old
ohio as much as she has disgraced her
union loveing citizens by her recent
acts--has over two hundred thousand that
would stand firm and if needed
fight strong, for the constitution and
against the black republicans,20 and
if it was submitted to the peopel of
Ohio today the Cr[i]ttenden resolutions
would carry--21 but our
cowardly congress are afraid to relinquish their
grasp on the power they exultingly
posess-- "what news?" is the anxious
inquiry here among neighabours,--and the
fourth of march is looked for-
ward to with great anxiety--22 I
must tell you as you are no doubt ac-
quainted with our neighbour here Jacob
Berry, if you remember he is one
of our quiet church going praying good
sensed citizens, I hailed him as he
was passing [and] asked him for the
news he said he was told in Town
things looked more favourable-- I told
him the fourth of March would
soon be here and if old Abe [Lincoln]
was agoing to commence his work of
coertion [of the South] he would need
great forces from the North--and
in the event that we were called upon to
join his abolition army we would
be in rather a bad fix, the idea seemed
to excite him and standing up
straight in his stirrups, whip hand
raised high, said in a very unusual high
voice, "Parker Anderson if Lincoln
raises an abolitionist army here to go
south--I will join an army, to kill
ev[ery] d[a]m[ne]d one of them before
they leave the state"-- there
is thousands of just such men in Ohio--
Lincoln could not raise much of an army
in ohio--his friends are generally
quaker abolitionists [who are] not the
material for an army--23 I mus[t]
close as I have promised space for
Martha to write in this letter . . . .
Your affectionate uncle
Parker Anderson
210 OHIO HISTORY
Dear Nephew
Although I have never been a politition
or scarcely thought of the
affairs of the country yet I must
confess during the last campaign, and
since the Election of Lincoln, I have
entered quite into the spirit of it. and
if I should be called upon for
assistance I believe I could mould bullets and
make sand bags equal to any of the
Southern Ladies my heart is with the
South "God speed them I say,"
I am a secessionist if they get a peaceable
separation (which I trust they will) I
hope the Southern states will all go
together and Ohio join them, then let
the "Almighty Niggers" and Aboli-
tionists take the North
Your affectionate Aunt
Martha
THE EDITOR: John Kent Folmar is a
professor of history at California
State Col-
lege, Pennsylvania.