COLUMBUS JEWRY AND A UNIQUE CONTRIBUTION TO THE CIVIL WAR
Notes from the Archives of the Columbus Jewish Historical Society
By
Morris Schottenstein, Board Member of the Columbus Jewish Historical SocietyOhio has always been a pivotal state in the development of the history of the United States. Admitted to the Union in 1803, Ohio was a part of the Northwest Territory which included those lands that the British had ceded to the new nation in 1783. The Northwest Ordinance banned Slavery in those territories and Ohio was always seen as a bastion for free peoples. Jews also found this new state receptive to those who were seeking freedom.
The question of freedom was an inextricable part of the question of whether or not Slavery would be tolerated in the United States. This question was debated in Ohio since there were pro-slavery sympathizers in Ohio. Although there was no Slavery in Ohio, there were many descendants of those who came from the slave states.
At the time of the Civil War (1861-1865), there were 1004 Jews from Ohio serving in the northern armies. As to Columbus, Ohio, there were two known cases of Jews serving in the union armies. One of these soldiers was William Hart. William Hart came to the United States from Prussia, the future heart of the country to become known as Germany. He was born in Bottenbach in 1827. His mother and father were Abraham and Ella Hart. Ella Hart was listed on the 1870 Census as living with her son. She was born in 1783 and died at the age of 103. William came to Columbus around 1860 and became a soldier in 1861. He served from 1861 to 1865 and was stationed at Johnson’s Island, Ohio, which was a prisoner of war camp for confederate soldiers. Evidently, he did not serve on the front in actual combat. Little is known of his participation as a Jew in the army. However, we do have the memoirs of another veteran from northern Ohio, Marcus M. Spiegel, who was not able to observe the dietary laws, but did try to avoid pork. Marcus Spiegel wrote that he tried to attend services in the field and enjoyed socializing with southern Jews ( Your True Marcus, Kent State University Press, 1985).
William Hart’s discharge papers describe him as having been a private and as being 5’9" tall, having a dark complexion with black eyes and black hair. His occupation in 1861 upon volunteering was as peddler. After being discharged from the army, William married Josephine Wolf, born in Bavaria, Germany. They were married on June 18, 1865. The couple remained in Columbus and according to Miriam "Babe" Levin, of Newark, Ohio, widow of Edwin Levin, they could have been one of the earliest Jewish families to settle in Columbus. In the City Directory of 1866-1867, William Hart is listed as a peddler and living at 177 E. Friend Street. In the City Directory of 1867-1868, William is also listed as a peddler, living at 311 South Third Street. In that same Directory, there is a listing of a Jewish congregation as occupying a Hall in the location of 16 East Town Street under the supervision of Rabbi J. Schoenberg. William Hart died in 1886 and Josephine Wolf Hart died in 1915.
William and Josephine Hart had a son and two daughters. Jacob, the son, and Sarah and Minnie, twin daughters. Minnie and Jacob had no descendants. Sarah Hart married Henry Goldsmith. Henry and Sarah had a daughter, Jeanette Helen who married Alex Levin. Alex and Jeanette Helen had a son, Edwin Albert Levin, who married Miriam "Babe" Stone. Edwin Levin passed away in 1996 and Miriam "Babe" Stone Levin now lives in Newark, Ohio. She and Edwin have a son and a daughter, John Andrew Levin and Susan Ellen Somma. The daughter of Alex and Jeanette Helen Levin was Joan Adele who had no descendants.
As a genealogical footnote, I would like to add that Henry Goldsmith had a sister, Hannah, who married Frederick Reichelsheimer. Frederick and Hannah Reichelsheimer had two daugthters. They were Lillian who married Louis Oppenheimer and Lucille who married Louis Schlezinger. Presently in Columbus, Lillian’s descendants are Bettye who is married to Buddy Beim and Phyllis who is married to Joseph Cohen. Lucille’s descendant in Columbus is Ellen , who married Leonard Schottenstein. To complete the circle, I might add that at the Columbus Jewish Historical Society’s 2007 Annual Meeting Joseph Cohen just received The Leon Schottenstein Memorial Award for outstanding volunteer services to the community.
The above is not an endeavor to give full genealogies of mentioned families.
