HAYES, RUTHERFORD B. 



HELL-GATE, IMPROVEMENT OF. 377 



January, 1843, and was admitted to the bar in 

 Ohio in March following. He began the prac- 

 tice of the law in Lower Suudusky, now Fre- 

 mont, Sandusky County. In 1850 he removed 

 to Cincinnati, where his integrity and ability 

 soon secured for him professional success. In 

 the fall of 1H,")6 he was an unsuccessful candi- 

 date for Judge of the Common Pleas Court. In 

 April, 1859, he was chosen City Solicitor by 

 the City Council of Cincinnati, to fill a vacancy ; 

 and the following spring he was elected by 

 the people to the same office. In April, 1861, 

 in common with the entire Republican ticket, 

 he was defeated for reelection. 



In politics Mr. Hayes had always been a 

 Whig, with strong antislavery convictions. He 

 became a member of the Republican party on 

 its organization, and in 1860 earnestly advo- 

 cated the election of Mr. Lincoln to the presi- 

 dency. June 7, 1861, he was appointed by Gov- 

 ernor Dennison major of the Twenty-third Ohio 

 Volunteer Infantry, which soon after was as- 

 signed to duty in West Virginia. In Septem- 

 ber Major Hayes was appointed by General 

 Rosecrans Judge-Ad vooate of the Department 

 of Ohio, which position he held for About two 

 months, and in October he was promoted to 

 the rank of lieutenant -colonel. He distin- 

 guished himself in the battle of South Moun- 

 tain, September 14, 1862, where he was severe- 

 ly wounded in the arm by a musket-ball, and 

 on the 24th of October following he was ap- 

 pointed colonel of the Twenty-third Regiment. 

 In the spring of 1864 Colonal Hayes com- 

 manded a brigade in General Crook's army 

 which moved to cut the main lines of commu- 

 nication between Richmond and the South- 

 west, and he led the force which successfully 

 stormed the enemy's works at Cloyd Moun- 

 tain. In the first battle of Winchester, July 

 24, 1864, he commanded a brigade in a division 

 of General Crook's array, and while forced to 

 retreat displayed great personal bravery under 

 deadly fire from the enemy. Subsequently he 

 led his brigade into the thickest of the fight 

 at the indecisive battle of Berryville. In the 

 battle of Winchester, or Opequan, September 

 19, 1864, Colonel Hayes bore a conspicuous 

 part in the operations of Crook's corps of 

 Sheridan's army. He succeeded to the com- 

 mand of the division, and led it in the assault 

 on South Mountain, or Fisher's Hill, Septem- 

 ber 22J, and in the battle of Cedar Creek, 

 October 19th, where his horse was shot under 

 him. Colonel Hayes was now made a briga- 

 dier-general, and on March 13, 1865, he was 

 promoted to the rank of brevjt major-general, 

 " for gallant and distinguished services during 

 the campaign of 1864 in West Virginia, and 

 particularly at the battles of Fisher's Hill and 

 Cedar Creek, Virginia." During the war he 

 was four times wounded. 



In the autumn of 1864, while in the field, 

 General Hayes was elected to represent the 

 Second District of Ohio in Congress, and took 

 his seat December 4, 1885. He was made 



chairman of the Library Committee. In 1886 

 he was reclected. He made no elaborate 

 speeches in Congress, but was a careful voter 

 and an honest worker. In 1*07 he was elected 

 Governor of Ohio by a majority of 2,983 over 

 Judge Thunnan, and, having resigned hit* seat 

 in Congress, was inaugurated, January 13, 

 1868. In 1869 he was reflected (invi-nmr by 

 a majority of 7,506 over George H. Pendleton. 

 Having refused to be reflected, Governor 

 Hayes retired from the office of Chief Kxecu- 

 tive after four years' service. In 1872 he was 

 induced against his wishes again to be a can- 

 didate for Congress, but the election went 

 against the Republicans, and General 11. I!. 

 Bauning was the successful candidate. In 1875 

 ex-Governor Hayes was a third time elected 

 Chief Executive of Ohio, by a majority of 

 5,544 over his Democratic opponent. Governor 

 William Allen. The campaign was vigorously 

 contested, and was of national importance. Its 

 leading issue was the financial question. The 

 Republicans had declared in favor of that 

 policy " which, without unnecessary shock to 

 business or trade, will ultimately equalize the 

 purchasing capacity of the coin and paper 

 dollar." 



The Democrats denounced " the contraction 

 of the currency heretofore made by the Repub- 

 lican party, and the further contraction pro- 

 posed by it, with a view to forced resumption 

 of specie payment," and demanded that " the 

 volume of currency be made and kept equal to 

 the wants of trade." 



The wide-spread interest aroused by this 

 campaign, and the success of the Republican 

 candidate, gave to Governor Hayes a national 

 reputation. The Republican State Convention 

 of Ohio which met in March, 1876, recom- 

 mended his nomination for the presidency by 

 the National Republican Convention. The 

 convention met in Cincinnati, June 14th, and 

 on the following day Governor Hayes's name 

 was presented for the first place on the ticket 

 by ex-Governor Noyes of Ohio, and he was 

 finally nominated. (For the particulars and 

 the result of the election, see UNITED STATES.) 

 In 1852 Mr. Hayes was married, in Cincinnati, 

 to Miss Lucy W., daughter of Dr. James Webb. 

 He is the father of eight children, of whom 

 five are living. 



HELL-GATE, IMPROVEMENT OP. Hell-Gate, 

 or Hurl-Gate, is the name of a narrow, navi- 

 gable channel between Long Island and Ward's 

 and Manhattan Islands, connecting Long Isl- 

 and Sound, through the East River, with New 

 York harbor, and with the Hudson. Through 

 this narrow passage two tides must pass, and 

 their enormous force renders the accumulation 

 of sediment in the channel impossible, and 

 its depth would admit of the passage of the 

 largest vessels at either tide. Owing, how- 

 ever, to numerous reefs in the channel, and 

 the swift and constantly-shifting eddies which 

 they produced, Hell-Gate has always l>een im- 

 passable to large ships, and exceedingly dan- 



