Boone County Missouri - Fourth of July at Ashland
The following is quoted directly from The History of Boone County
Missouri by W.F. Switzler originally published in 1882, page 519-521.
Fourth of July at Ashland.
The town was full of people and flags gaily glittered in the breeze
in every direction. A brass 24-pounder, made to order at Sedalia
for the occasion, and paid for by the citizens of Ashland and vicinity,
woke the hills and plains for miles around by its national salutes. A
long procession, under the command of Chief Marshal Jos. W. Johnston,
with James W. Conly, Ev. M. Bass, Wm. Stone and J. C. Carroll
as assistants, and headed by the Fulton brass band, marched to Westbrook's
grove in the vicinity of town, where an abundant and elegant
basket dinner, more deserving the name of banquet, was served to
about one thousand persons.
About 2 o'clock at a signal given by the band, the large assembly
came together around a platform which had been erected in the grove
for the accommodation of the Continental Congress, which it was
proposed to personify. Mr. A. G. Payne called the concourse to order,
briefly explained the object of the meeting, and invited the members
of the Congress, fifty-six in number, to seats on the platform. It was
an imposing, unique demonstration. About half the members
appeared in the costume of the revolutionary period and excited much
interest. There sat Gen. Knox of the army, in the person of John
M. Samuel, and Benjamin Franklin in the person of James C. Orr, of
Columbia. R. B. Price personated and looked like Thomas Jefferson;
Wm. F. Switzler, in costume for which he was indebted to the courtesy
of Mr. David Emmett, personated John Hancock and presided
over the conference. The following were the
| Members of the Congress. | ||
| Virginia | ||
| Richard Henry Lee | ..... | Absent |
| Thomas Nelson | ..... | P. J. Puffner |
| Thomas Jefferson | ..... | R. B. Price |
| Francis Lightfoot Lee | ..... | Dr. James Kerr |
| Carter Braxton | ..... | S. T. Mustain |
| George Wythe | ..... | W. J. Warren |
| Benjamin Harrison | ..... | E. Penter |
| Massachusetts | ||
| John Hancock | ..... | W. F. Switzler |
| John Adams | ..... | J. W. Johnston |
| Samuel Adams | ..... | J. R. Burks |
| Robert Treat Payne | ..... | D. D. Murphy |
| Pennsylvania | ||
| Benjamin Franklin | ..... | James C. Orr |
| Robert Morris | ..... | Col. Thad Hickman |
| Benjamin Rush | ..... | T. H. Roberts |
| John Morton | ..... | John H. Sappington |
| George Clymer | ..... | D. M. Burnam |
| James Smith | ..... | Green B. Sappington |
| George Taylor | ..... | L. L. Lindsey |
| James Wilson | ..... | Seth Whitfield |
| George Ross | ..... | W. C. Scott |
| North Carolina | ||
| William Hooper | ..... | B. A. Christian |
| Joseph Hughes | ..... | Dr. H. M. Chevans |
| John Penn | ..... | Edmond C. Forbes |
| South Carolina | ||
| Edward Rutledge | ..... | W. H. Wiggins |
| Thomas Heyward | ..... | Amos Nichols |
| Thomas Lynch | ..... | Foster Martin |
| Arthur Middleton | ..... | H. T. Wright |
| Georgia | ||
| Button Gwinnett | ..... | John Barger |
| George Walton | ..... | Dennis Forbis |
| Lyman Hall | ..... | J. G. Wiseman |
| New Jersey | ||
| John Witherspoon | ..... | David Brinegar |
| Richard Stockton | ..... | John M. Edwards |
| Francis Hopkins | ..... | W. H. Bass |
| John Hart | ..... | Reuben Forbis |
| Abraham Clark | ..... | Eli M. Bass |
| New Hampshire | ||
| Josiah Barlett | ..... | J. G. Jones |
| William Whipple | ..... | Amos T. Nichols |
| Matthew Thorton | ..... | James Pilcher |
| Connecticut | ||
| Samuel Huntington | ..... | Gen John Ellis |
| William Williams | ..... | Joel Hubbard |
| Oliver Wolcott | ..... | William Sapp |
| Roger Sherman | ..... | Walter S. Maupin |
| New York | ||
| John Willing | ..... | John L. Burnam |
| William Floyd | ..... | Robert Emmons |
| Francis Lewis | ..... | Ed. Burnett |
| Lewis Morris | ..... | George Hubbard |
| Philip Livingstone | ..... | J. W. Grannis |
| Delaware | ||
| Caesar Rodney | ..... | John W. Sappington |
| George Reed | ..... | Ev. M. Bass |
| Thomas McKean | ..... | R. E. Sappington |
| Maryland | ||
| Samuel Chase | ..... | Alexander Gibbs |
| Thomas Stone | ..... | Robert Jones |
| William Paca | ..... | A. G. Harrington |
| Charles Carroll | ..... | Dr. F. G. Sitton |
| Rhode Island | ||
| Elbridge Gerry | ..... | Esq. H. T. Britt |
| Stephen Hopkins | ..... | E. R. Westbrook |
| William Ellery | ..... | John Baker |
| David Humphrey | ..... | John T. Johnston |
Pursuing the history of the proceedings, the Congress was called to order by Charles Thompson (A. G. Payne), and was opened by prayer by Rev. Robert White, after which Col. Switzler, as John Hancock, the President, address the Congress and people.
Benjamin Harrison, of Virginia (Eli Penter), from the committee, reported and read with the spirit and the understanding the Declaration of Independence, and the question being on its adoption or rejection, Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts (J. R. Burks), opened the ball in a speech in its favor. He was followed on the same side by Charles Carroll, of Maryland (Dr. F. G. Sitton), and in speeches against it by John Willing, of New York (John L. Burnam), and David Humphrey, of Rhode Island (John T. Johnston). These were succeeded by speeches in favor of its adoption by Roger Sherman, of Connecticut (Walter S. Maupin), and John Adams, of Massachusetts (Jo. W. Johnston), after which a vote was taken and the Declaration adopted. No sooner was the vote announced by the President than the fact was succeeded by the firing of cannon, the ringing of the bells of the village and the applause of the people assembled.
Some of the speeches delivered were improvised for the occasion. All of them, especially the well-known speech of John Adams, were delivered with a fervid eloquence eminently befitting the occasion and worthy of all praise. To sum up in a word, the Centennial Fourth at Ashland was a grand success, and one to which the people of Ashland and Cedar township may well refer with pride and satisfaction.
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