Battle of Fort Fizzle
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The "Battle of Fort Fizzle" (also called the Holmes County Draft Riots and the Holmes County Rebellion) is the name given to a skirmish that took place during the American Civil War in Holmes County, Ohio, between Federal troops and local draft resisters opposed to the Conscription Act of 1863.
Adopted by Congress on March 13, 1863, the Conscription Act authorized President Abraham Lincoln to draft men into military service in states that did not meet their volunteer quotas. When Federal officials tried to enforce the act in Holmes County in June, about 900 to 1000 locals built a makeshift fort, equipped with four artillery pieces, to prevent the act's enforcement. After a brief encounter in which two resisters were wounded, a force of 420 Federal troops dispersed the resisters, giving the place the name "Fort Fizzle" because the rebellion had "fizzled out".
The episode ended when the last four resisters who had assaulted a Federal draft official turned themselves in.
The Battle of Fort Fizzle, officially known as the “Holmes County Rebellion,” refers to an incident that took place near the village of Glenmont (then known as Napoleon) in Holmes County, Ohio in the midst of the Civil War. The incident began with an assault upon an enrollment officer charged with collecting names in preparation for a draft authorized by the US Military Conscription Act of 1863. As four men arrested for the assault were being transported to Wooster, Ohio, 39 men, 13 of them armed, stopped the local provost marshal and his five deputies, and made their rescue. These and other activities alarmed state and federal officials. Reports made by the local provost marshal alleged that individuals near Napoleon were organizing to resist the enrollment. A four or six pound cannon consigned to one of the residents was seen at a nearby railroad station. Assaults upon enrollment officers had occurred in nearby Crawford, Morrow, Knox, Coshocton and Licking counties. Finally, detectives reported that from 600-900 men were gathered near Napoleon to ambush enrollment officers sent back into the area. In response, Ohio Governor David Todd ordered nearly 420 troops and one section of artillery to the Napoleon area to squelch the alleged insurrection there and in nearby counties. Upon arrival, the troops marched upon the supposed encampment of the insurrectionists, but were met with very little resistance. No large gathering of men was found. The incident was labeled “Ft. Fizzle” because nothing resulted from the alleged insurrection. Forty-three men from the Napoleon area were indicted for assaulting an officer and preventing the execution of law (US Military Conscription Act of 1863). The armed men involved in the prisoner rescue were indicted for treason. An additional 37 men were indicted for their involvement in activities in other parts of Holmes County, and in nearby Knox and Coshocton Counties. Of the 80 men involved in these activities the cases of just two men went to trial. Only one man, Laurant Blanchat (also known as Blanchard) was found guilty. Sentenced to six months at hard labor at the Ohio Penitentiary, Blanchat was pardoned by President Abraham Lincoln prior to the completion of the sentence. The prosecution of every other case was eventually dropped.
[edit] References
- Ohio History Central Online Encyclopedia: Battle of Fort Fizzle
- Ohio Historical Marker #3-38: Holmes County Draft Riots
"It Don't Look Right For the Times" The Factual History of the Holmes County Rebellion. Copyright 2005 By Patrick J. Drouhard
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