In war as in life, some people act more decisively than others, making quick, even rash, choices, while others prefer to proceed more cautiously, watch their steps, and let life play out before deciding what to do next. In April of 1861, after events in Charleston, South Carolina started the Civil War, Newport resident John Arthur joined those in the former category, signing up early and often to fight on behalf of the United States. Fortunately for him, his aggressive thinking proved not to be mere carelessness.
He and his family were in Newport, Kentucky by 1850, and when the Civil War started just more than a decade later, John immediately decided to answer the call to defend his home country while other men waited for months or years to do the same if they did so at all. On April 17, 1861, just five days after the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter, John enlisted in a three-month unit, company D of the 2nd Ohio Infantry, signing up in Cincinnati. One of the leaders of the unit, then Lieutenant-Colonel Rodney Mason, later earned infamy due to his actions and alleged cowardliness as colonel of the 71st Ohio at Shiloh and then Clarksville, Tennessee. Other Campbell County men served under Mason in that regiment, but not John.
After his brief service in the 2nd Ohio, which included action at First Bull Run, John could have joined the three-year version of that regiment but instead decided to recruit and captain a military unit he called the Newport Company or Newport Home Guards, which saw action in the first Battle of Cynthiana against the troops of Confederate General John H. Morgan on July 17, 1862.
During this battle, his troops remained near the artillery battery of Captain Billy Glass and his men from the Cincinnati Fire Department, and reportedly helped those comrades handle their cannon.1
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| 1st Battle of Cynthiana, 1862 |
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| William Shipman had been medically discharged from the 23rd Ky before joining the Home Guards |
Morgan and his men went on to complete the rest of their raid while the Union troops also carried on with the war and their lives. The remaining Newport men returned home after Morgan paroled them.3 The survivors reportedly walked from Cynthiana to Falmouth, a town about 20 miles to the north, before boarding a train that arrived in Newport about 3:00 in the morning.4
Two days after this battle, the company assembled on July 19 and collected more than $500 for the benefit of the families of their deceased colleagues. They passed a resolution of sympathy for those families and a thank you “to the citizens of Cynthiana, who befriended the company, while in that city.”
Their statement read:
Whereas Divine Providence, in its wise dispensation, has been pleased to remove from our midst, in the late fight at Cynthiana, our gallant comrades and brothers-in-arms Louis Wolff and W. H. Shipman, and whereas, we, in common with their many relatives and friends, are called upon to mourn their loss, therefore, be it
Resolved, that in the fall of these gallant spirits – our brave comrades, fighting valiantly in defense of our common country, our company has met a sad and irreparable loss, and our community has been deprived of two of its most worthy citizens and that we will ever cherish their memories.
Resolved, that we sincerely sympathize with the brave parent of one, and the widowed wife of the other, and the many friends of both, and that remembering the parents and widow we will ever be to them sons and brothers, extending to them helping and protecting hands.
Resolved, that a copy of these resolutions be sent to the families of our deceased comrades and published in the daily papers.5
Louis Wolff’s family later offered its “most grateful thanks to the member of the Newport Home Guards, the citizens of the Third Ward, and to the Cincinnati Young Men’s Choir for the kind attention and respect of the remains of their most lamented son and brother.”6
John, who had played “so gallant a part in the Cynthiana fight,” still desired to aid his nation and the war effort, so he opened a recruiting office on York and 4th Streets in Newport where he was “enlisting a cavalry company for the regiment of Colonel (Richard) Jacob, to be assigned to the twelve months service in Kentucky.” A story discussed his service with the 2nd Ohio, an experience which meant that John was “well acquainted with the vicissitudes of the soldier’s life.” The writer was confident John would “make a good officer.”7
Recruiting soldiers was a serious concern for the government, military men like John, and even local communities who hoped enough men would volunteer to support the Union and perhaps avoid the necessity of resorting to drafts, so a “large and enthusiastic” meeting took place at the Newport Courthouse on Friday, August 15, in an effort to generate more pledges for John’s unit and others. As customary on such occasions, patriotic speeches were made and following these addresses, John stood up to announce a few financial awards that local citizens were offering to prospective recruits. One man promised to pay $5 a week for one year to the family of a married man who joined John’s company. Another offered to donate $100, which was to be split equally among five recruits, while a pair of men donated $50 each, to be divided likewise. John Fenzell gave $100, with half going to two pledges to John’s company and the other half to two new members of a company George Crist was planning to raise. Another man graciously gave $100 to be shared by seven recruits, and one final proposal came from a man who agreed to “supply the family of a volunteer with one dollar’s worth of meat per week for one year.” Besides these promises, a “patriotic individual” wishing to remain anonymous gave John $100 to split among “five of the most ready recruits” who enlisted in his company.
Ten new recruits pledged their services during the assembly “and a number more” joined one day later.
The meeting attendees concluded their gathering by forming a committee to seek donations “to a fund for the benefit of the wives and families of volunteers.”8
In addition to those financial rewards, men who willingly signed up to join this unit would receive a benefit that provided more motivation to enlist. A draft was still necessary in order to enlist enough men, and Campbell County’s quota of men was set at around 500 men, approximately 250 of which would come from Newport. According to the Cincinnati Daily Gazette, men who joined Arthur’s company “will have but one year’s military service to perform and will escape the draft.” A short term and avoiding the embarrassment of being drafted and forced to fight were effective incentives for this company. This same report noted that only about 20 available spots remained in the unit, and it expected the company to be full by the end of August 16.9
The report was accurate, as John’s company quickly filled its ranks so successfully that he even rejected twelve men who offered to join the group after he had met his requirements.10
Once full, the company consisted of 103 men. These soon-to-be warriors who had secured their places in the army were soon happy and lucky enough to enjoy a “fine dinner” that local women prepared in the fire house on York Street.11 The men then departed on the steamship Florence traveling first to Louisville, from where they were to move to Eminence, Kentucky, “where they will go into camp for a short time.”
Eminence was where Jacob’s 9th Kentucky Cavalry unit was forming.
The men arrived safely at Louisville and settled into camp near that city but soon learned they would now be joining the 1st Battalion of James Shackelford’s 8th Kentucky Cavalry since Jacob’s unit had already filled up before their arrival, much like the issue this company experienced.12 Patriotism and a willingness to fight were still strong at this point of the war.
Shackelford, a “prominent” guerrilla hunter in western Kentucky, later was promoted to Brigadier General of U.S. Volunteers.13
John, who had played “so gallant a part in the Cynthiana fight,” still desired to aid his nation and the war effort, so he opened a recruiting office on York and 4th Streets in Newport where he was “enlisting a cavalry company for the regiment of Colonel (Richard) Jacob, to be assigned to the twelve months service in Kentucky.” A story discussed his service with the 2nd Ohio, an experience which meant that John was “well acquainted with the vicissitudes of the soldier’s life.” The writer was confident John would “make a good officer.”7
Recruiting soldiers was a serious concern for the government, military men like John, and even local communities who hoped enough men would volunteer to support the Union and perhaps avoid the necessity of resorting to drafts, so a “large and enthusiastic” meeting took place at the Newport Courthouse on Friday, August 15, in an effort to generate more pledges for John’s unit and others. As customary on such occasions, patriotic speeches were made and following these addresses, John stood up to announce a few financial awards that local citizens were offering to prospective recruits. One man promised to pay $5 a week for one year to the family of a married man who joined John’s company. Another offered to donate $100, which was to be split equally among five recruits, while a pair of men donated $50 each, to be divided likewise. John Fenzell gave $100, with half going to two pledges to John’s company and the other half to two new members of a company George Crist was planning to raise. Another man graciously gave $100 to be shared by seven recruits, and one final proposal came from a man who agreed to “supply the family of a volunteer with one dollar’s worth of meat per week for one year.” Besides these promises, a “patriotic individual” wishing to remain anonymous gave John $100 to split among “five of the most ready recruits” who enlisted in his company.
Ten new recruits pledged their services during the assembly “and a number more” joined one day later.
The meeting attendees concluded their gathering by forming a committee to seek donations “to a fund for the benefit of the wives and families of volunteers.”8
In addition to those financial rewards, men who willingly signed up to join this unit would receive a benefit that provided more motivation to enlist. A draft was still necessary in order to enlist enough men, and Campbell County’s quota of men was set at around 500 men, approximately 250 of which would come from Newport. According to the Cincinnati Daily Gazette, men who joined Arthur’s company “will have but one year’s military service to perform and will escape the draft.” A short term and avoiding the embarrassment of being drafted and forced to fight were effective incentives for this company. This same report noted that only about 20 available spots remained in the unit, and it expected the company to be full by the end of August 16.9
The report was accurate, as John’s company quickly filled its ranks so successfully that he even rejected twelve men who offered to join the group after he had met his requirements.10
Once full, the company consisted of 103 men. These soon-to-be warriors who had secured their places in the army were soon happy and lucky enough to enjoy a “fine dinner” that local women prepared in the fire house on York Street.11 The men then departed on the steamship Florence traveling first to Louisville, from where they were to move to Eminence, Kentucky, “where they will go into camp for a short time.”
Eminence was where Jacob’s 9th Kentucky Cavalry unit was forming.
The men arrived safely at Louisville and settled into camp near that city but soon learned they would now be joining the 1st Battalion of James Shackelford’s 8th Kentucky Cavalry since Jacob’s unit had already filled up before their arrival, much like the issue this company experienced.12 Patriotism and a willingness to fight were still strong at this point of the war.
Shackelford, a “prominent” guerrilla hunter in western Kentucky, later was promoted to Brigadier General of U.S. Volunteers.13
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| James M. Shackelford |
Just a few weeks after John’s company joined the 8th Kentucky, back in Newport, “fears have been felt for the safety of Captain John Arthur who left here a few weeks ago with a cavalry company for Louisville, nothing having been heard from him since his departure from there.”
Just how and why Sarver had this information is uncertain. Had he joined the unit, but not been officially added to the roster? Was he a friend of one of the company officers?
The regiment these men joined, the 8th Kentucky Cavalry, formed in Russellville, Kentucky for one year and mustered in on August 13, 1862. It remained in Kentucky and Tennessee for most of its existence, seeing service combating irregular Confederate soldiers, perhaps partisan rangers, or guerrillas, as Union officials frequently labeled them, and joined in the pursuit of Morgan and his Confederates during his “Great Raid” during the summer of 1863, ending with Confederate defeat at Buffington Island, Ohio, on July 19, 1863,16 a week before Shackelford led another group of men who captured Morgan at the Battle of Salineville.
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| John H. Morgan |
Once his company had found its military home in this regiment, John’s fortunes changed for the worse when alleged Confederate guerrillas captured him at Elkton, Floyd County, Kentucky on August 5, 1863. The unit had been in western Kentucky for much of its service, but John and others were on a hunting expedition for such men in the eastern part of the state at this moment. He spent time in Confederate prisons in Columbia, South Carolina (where he suffered a hip contusion) and Virginia, including Richmond’s well-known Libby Prison, where he arrived in late August of 1864, along with David Lock, another Newport resident in the company.17
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| Libby Prison |
Weeks later, the Confederates moved him to another facility this one in Macon, Georgia.18
As the war neared its end, his enemies released John from prison and paroled him on March 1, 1865, in North Carolina. The Cincinnati Daily Times of March 13 noted that he had been “long confined in the Rebel prisons,” but now his friends could “rejoice to learn that he has been exchanged,” which technically allowed him to fight again, though his term had expired and the war was almost over. It also said that prior to the war, he had been “long connected with the Times’ office.”
By the time of this report, John had already arrived in Annapolis, Maryland, likely at a camp for paroled Union soldiers, for a quick health check and verification of his new status on his way home.19
He finally did make his way back to Newport, knowing he had done enough military service to fulfill any obligations he felt, especially as tge end of the war appeared close, but a controversy that was minor in scope yet important symbolically occurred in the months after the fighting ceased.
In September 1865, the Cincinnati Daily Gazette reported that members of the Taylor Street Church in Newport would apply for an injunction against several Union supporters, including John, James R. Morin, formerly a lieutenant in the 8th Kentucky Cavalry, prominent attorney Ira Root, and more, to stop them
from interrupting or in any manner interfering to prevent the free use of the Taylor Street Methodist Episcopal Church by Rev L D Huston and the congregation usually attending there for the purpose of religious worship. Notice to the above effect have been served on the parties named. The church is now held by civil authorities.20
Another account specified that these men had attended a meeting at the church on September 15 and had resolved to close the house of worship that they found to be disloyal even after the major Confederate armies had surrendered. That decision led the churchgoers to pursue the legal action.21
This church had been known as the Taylor Street Methodist Church South for years until they removed that final word in April of that fateful year.22 Though not explicitly stated in the newspapers, it appears that these men were harassing people they believed were sympathetic towards the South. Given the happenings at the time nationally and in Kentucky, that is not surprising. Dozens of Campbell County men suspected of supporting the Confederacy had been arrested during the war, and others joined Confederate units, so such sentiment certainly existed throughout the county.
Even some church members recognized that outsiders might question the institution’s reputation. In August of 1864, eleven months before the request for the injunction, and while the war was still ongoing, “Union members” of the church board had proposed a set of resolutions concerning “the reputed disloyalty of the church toward the United States Government” and urged that the state conference of the Methodist church adopt “a decided loyal position and separate themselves from all disloyal connections.”
Surprisingly, however, the preacher in control of the church refused to adopt these resolutions and the church members, despite being having the power to pass them without his permission, let them quietly fade into oblivion. Those members still felt “much dissatisfaction” with their leader, but instead of pursuing the issue further, they let it go for the time being, expecting to hire an “unconditional Union minister” one year later, a delay which perhaps led to the harassment from men like John.23
Since the actual members of the institution had questions about its faithfulness to the national government, it was only natural that strong Union supporters would notice the same issues. Such division between Unionists and Southern supporters remains a major part of the legacy of the Civil War in Kentucky, even of the postwar years, when some people claimed that the state had “joined the Confederacy after the Civil War.” It was a complicated era in the state, and Campbell County was not immune to such difficulties.
In his postwar years, John spent most of his time in Newport, where he also served a term on City Council.24 At some point, though, he left the city, but only temporarily, as an 1869 story reports that he returned “to his home in Newport yesterday, after several years absence in the Far West.”25
One year later, he lived there with his parents Robert and Elizabeth, and two older brothers. He worked as a reporter according to that year’s census, agreeing with an 1864 story that had mentioned that he was “connected with the (Cincinnati) Daily Times.”26
At this point, this story took some unexpected turns as ensuring its accuracy became a bigger challenge to me when I noticed a second John Arthur on the 1870 census, this one living in nearby Covington and working as a steam engineer, making it reasonable to think it could be the same man. The findagrave record of this man (created by a man I know and trust) showed this John Arthur (the engineer) as the soldier I had been studying. That page also mentioned that he had died in 1884 in St. Albans, West Virginia, and I found a newspaper record that mentioned the same death date and place for a John Arthur.
Continued research, however, showed that this was a different John Arthur, one without the middle initial or the military experience. A pension index card for a widow’s pension finally confirmed the death information of the soldier John Arthur, then a cemetery record attached to his findagrave page verified the information on the pension card. It even shows a date and place of birth for him as well. With this new information, I was then able to find newspaper stories providing more details on his life and death. (I admit I'm just more than a little relieved to have found this information before hitting the "publish" button.)
In addition to being a soldier, John A. Arthur had a long snd respected career in journalism, mostly in Cincinnati, but eventually landing him a bit north in Columbus, Ohio, where he passed away on February 9, 1875.
His previously mentioned findagrave page claims that he “was assaulted for something he wrote in the Sunday News,” which more formal accounts from the time mostly support.
The Cincinnati Commercial described John as “well known as a newspaper man” in Cincinnati, then Columbus. It reported that on the night of February 5 he was on the street outside his house, when a group of “ruffians” assaulted and robbed him. “His wife heard his cries” and quickly exited the house only to find him “in a pool of blood, which glowed from a wound in the face.”
In the days following that attack, John was constantly “growing worse” and had been unconscious for most of that time. He could barely recognize his friends when he was awake. He finally succumbed to injuries at midnight on the 10th.27
The Cincinnati Daily Star offered a similar account of his death but added a few details about his career. I he had worked for the Cincinnati Gazette at one time, including a stint as editor. He then was editor of "the old Cincinnati Times," and then the Columbus correspondent of the Daily Star.
He had been "highly esteemed by all his associates," who found him to be a "most competent and reliable man in his profession."
This story mentioned his time in the Civil War, where he "served with distinction," and claimed that he had been in Libby Prison for 18 months. This exaggeration was an error as the paper may have heard he was in Libby and assumed that was his only prison home since it had a notorious reputation.
John's body was laid to rest in an unmarked grave in Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus.
Despite his career in the newspaper business, I have found no wartime reports from him in the local newspapers. Perhaps future research will uncover some such writings, or maybe he had them published anonymously, though I’ve not yet found any such possibilities. Then again, he may have chosen to focus on his military duties instead of writing, especially in his role as captain. His time in prison may have also prevented him from being able to send such work back home.
John had been a strong and unquestioned supporter of the Union cause during the Civil War, serving in multiple units (as captain in two of them), risking his health and life, and even surviving capture by the Confederates. He was one of the truest of patriots in Campbell County during these bloody years, a man who let his actions speak about his beliefs. He earned no fame for his service, but his story deserves a place in county memory.
1Cincinnati Daily Commercial, July 22, 1862
2Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, July 19, 1862
3Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, July 22, 1862
4Cincinnati Daily Commercial, July 21, 1862
5Cincinnati Daily Gazette, July 22, 1862
6Cincinnati Daily Commercial, July 25, 1862
7Cincinnati Daily Commercial, August 7, 1862
8Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, August 17, 1862
9Cincinnati Daily Gazette, August 16, 1862
10Cincinnati Daily Commercial, August 19, 1862
11Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, August 22, 1862
12Ibid
13Lindow, Derrick. We Shall Conquer or Die: Partisan Warfare in 1862 Western Kentucky. Savas Beatie. 2024 p. x
14Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, September 20, 1862
15Cincinnati Daily Commercial, September 20, 1862
16https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UKY0008RC, Accessed January 28, 2025
17Richmond Daily Dispatch, August 24, 1863
18Cincinnati Daily Commercial, September 24, 1864
19Cincinnati Daily Times, March 13, 1865
20Cincinnati Daily Gazette, September 26, 1865
21Cincinnati Daily Times, September 19, 1865
22Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, April 22, 1865
23Cincinnati Daily Commercial, August 26, 1864
24Cincinnati Daily Times, November 24, 1865
25Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, May 25, 1869
26Cincinnati Daily Commercial, September 24, 1864
27Cincinnati Commercial, February 10, 1875
2Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, July 19, 1862
3Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, July 22, 1862
4Cincinnati Daily Commercial, July 21, 1862
5Cincinnati Daily Gazette, July 22, 1862
6Cincinnati Daily Commercial, July 25, 1862
7Cincinnati Daily Commercial, August 7, 1862
8Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, August 17, 1862
9Cincinnati Daily Gazette, August 16, 1862
10Cincinnati Daily Commercial, August 19, 1862
11Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, August 22, 1862
12Ibid
13Lindow, Derrick. We Shall Conquer or Die: Partisan Warfare in 1862 Western Kentucky. Savas Beatie. 2024 p. x
14Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, September 20, 1862
15Cincinnati Daily Commercial, September 20, 1862
16https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-battle-units-detail.htm?battleUnitCode=UKY0008RC, Accessed January 28, 2025
17Richmond Daily Dispatch, August 24, 1863
18Cincinnati Daily Commercial, September 24, 1864
19Cincinnati Daily Times, March 13, 1865
20Cincinnati Daily Gazette, September 26, 1865
21Cincinnati Daily Times, September 19, 1865
22Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, April 22, 1865
23Cincinnati Daily Commercial, August 26, 1864
24Cincinnati Daily Times, November 24, 1865
25Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, May 25, 1869
26Cincinnati Daily Commercial, September 24, 1864
27Cincinnati Commercial, February 10, 1875
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