Report of General George H. Wood:
An overview of the military aspect of the Dayton Flood – Part Two
The high water mark was reached by Tuesday, April 1st, when the books of the Citizens’ Relief Committee showed 83,000 were fed. From that time, however, the number gradually became less.
On Tuesday, April 1st, the machinery of the waterworks having been gone over carefully and placed in running condition, the water was again running through the city mains, but in limited quantities. A general order was issued from these headquarters that this water must be used for domestic purposes only and boiled before using, as the medical department reported it not fit for drinking purposes without boiling.
In the Enquirer of April 3, 1913, there appeared an article stating that seventeen men had been shot the night before under the order of “Drumhead Court Martials, “ several of the executions being located on the steps of the Callahan Bank Building. The story was without the slightest foundation. I sent a personal wire to the managing editor of the Enquirer, which was published by them the next morning, denying the whole story. In this connection I would say that not a single person was shot and killed by any of the National Guardsmen, or by any one else, during the period of martial law in the city of Dayton, although there seemed to be quite a disposition on the part of enterprising newspaper correspondents to invent fictitious tales of drumhead courts martial. Drumhead courts martial are purely creatures of fiction and not known in American military law.
On April 3rd, the city of Dayton suffered from very violent and heavy rains and the river rose rapidly, and, unfortunately, the town was filled with many sensational rumors as to breaking of reservoirs, etc. About midnight of April 3rd, being alarmed at the general situation, Colonel Talbott, Chief Engineer, and myself, made a tour of the levees in a driving rain storm and found them safe, although the water in one or two places was very close to the top. In this connection I wish to add, to the credit of the Guard, that through the awful storm and rain of that night we found them alert in all parts of the city, and in several incidences on guard at the danger spots of the levee, this being a most unpleasant and trying kind of guard duty.
The river continued rising on April 4th, but, fortunately, did not break through the levee. The breaks in them had been partially filled in by the Engineer Department, although it was impossible in the limited time since the flood to completely restore the levees.
On April 5th the rain ceased and the river began to fall, which was a most fortunate circumstance, as the nerves of the people of Dayton had been wrought upon for over a week to a terrible tension and they could not stand much more strain.
On April 4th… general Order No. 23, on account of increased daylight was issued, extending the hour of curfew one-half hour, making the time 6:30 P.M.
On Monday, April 7th, the ten day bank holiday ordered by you having expired, the banks in the city of Dayton opened for business, and, at their request, guards were placed in their banking houses who remained there during banking hours.
By [April 8th] both the electric light and gas companies had re-established portions of their service and parts of the city were again in normal condition, as far as street lights were concerned, and this naturally reduced very materially the guard duty of the troops.
On April 8th, after a conference with the Police Department of the city of Dayton, it was determined to begin the transfer of territory from the patrol of the National Guard back to the police department…all territory lying south of Mad River, and east and south of the general line of Detroit Street to LaBelle, Richard, Wayne, Oak, Brown and Apple to the Miami River was turned over to the Police Department, and they also were placed in charge of the traffic duty in the central part of the city. At the same time the territory covering Riverdale north of the flooded districts and Dayton View was turned over to the Police Department, as was the territory west of the submerged district in Miami City and Edgemont.
On Friday, April 11th, natural gas also was turned into the mains of the city. This was a great assistance to the people of Dayton, who had difficulty for the preceding two weeks and a half in heating their houses and cooking food, a large proportion of them relying upon natural gas.
During the first four days of the flood and before the arrival of any considerable portion of the Ohio National Guard, many citizens of Dayton volunteered their services and to free them from any possible further demands on their time, General Order No. 37 was issued April 12th, reading as follows:
“All obligations incumbent upon volunteer guards, special deputies, and citizen police sworn in as such, since March 25, 1913, are hereby released and all appointments as such are void.
“Special thanks and commendations are extended to all citizens who have so given their time without compensation for the public good in any such capacity for the meritorious services rendered in these regards.”
During all of this time the work of cleaning the stores and houses of the city of Dayton was progressing at what seemed to most of the citizens at a very slow rate; but when the amount of deposits from the water and the ruined buildings, pavements and property of all kind scattered over the streets is considered, it is probably that wonderful progress was made in this work.
One of the greatest helps in the work was found in the use of flat cars run in on the city street railway lines which handled the hauling away of the debris in much larger quantities and much more quickly than could have been done by wagon.
On Thursday, April 17th, through the great courtesy of the Winters National Bank, City National Bank, Dayton National Bank, and the Dayton Savings and Trust Company, the Brigadier General Commanding borrowed $65,000, the only security required being the deposit of the pay rolls, and paid off all troops in the city of Dayton up to the day of payment. In justice to the other banks of the city of Dayton, the General Commanding desires to say that the first four banks from whom this favor was asked granted it, rendering it unnecessary to go any further.
On Friday, April 18th, I relieved and ordered to home stations, all the officers and men of the Fifth Ohio Infantry, not included in the provisional battalions made up from this command, and the officers of the Third Ohio Infantry, not included in the two provisional battalions, and Battery A, Ohio Field Artillery, reducing the Dayton garrison to practically one regiment. At the same time curfew was extended to 7 o’clock P.M. in the evening.
On Saturday, May 3rd, I held a conference with the Citizens’ Relief Committee and, after a great deal of patient argument, convinced them that martial law was no longer necessary in the city of Dayton and they prepared and passed a resolution asking you to suspend martial law and relieve the troops from duty in the city of Dayton. This was communicated by me to yourself by phone and you authorized me to take steps to relieve the troops in Dayton, Tuesday May 6th, stating that a proclamation would be issued by you lifting martial law. This was done under your hand Monday, May 5th, and at 8 o’clock A.M. Tuesday, May 6th, by General Order No. 50, all officers and troops in the Dayton Military District were relieved from duty and directed to report to home stations.
[The National Guard] came to a city crushed down, submerged, and dark, with the civil government gone. They started the work of re-creation and they did their work well… I wish to especially comment upon the patrolling done by the enlisted men. On streets covered with debris, without a ray of light, on many nights in drenching rain storms, they marched their posts, and many citizens of Dayton have since then told me that the step of the Guards patrolling the streets was the sweetest lullaby they had ever heard.
George H. Wood,
Brigadier-General, Commanding Dayton Military District
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