George Hatch was a Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 politician, who served as Mayor of the City of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

, during the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

 from 1861 to 1863.

In late spring 1862, Cincinnati city officials recognized the threat of an attack from Confederate

Confederate States Army

The Confederate States Army was the army of the Confederate States of America while the Confederacy existed during the American Civil War. On February 8, 1861, delegates from the seven Deep South states which had already declared their secession from the United States of America adopted the...

 forces under the command of Brig. Gen.

Brigadier General

Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...

 John Hunt Morgan

John Hunt Morgan

John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...

, who was riding northward through Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

 apparently intent on crossing the Ohio River

Ohio River

The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...

 into Indiana

Indiana

Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...

 and/or Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

. Numerous militia

Militia

The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...

 groups had been organized, but the threat of nearly 2,000 veteran cavalrymen riding into downtown Cincinnati prompted Mayor George Hatch to release a proclamation calling out the local citizenry into action for the defense of Cincinnati

Defense of Cincinnati

The Defense of Cincinnati occurred during what is now referred to as the Confederate Heartland Offensive of American Civil War from September 1 through September 13, 1862, when Cincinnati, Ohio, was threatened by Confederate forces....

.

"In accordance with a resolution passed by the City Council of Cincinnati on the 1st instant, I hereby request that all business, of every kind or character, be suspended at ten o’clock of this day, that all persons, employers and employees, assemble in their respective wards, at the usual places of voting, and there organize themselves in such manner as may be thought best for the defense of the city. Every man, of every age, be he citizen or alien, who lives under the protection of our laws, is expected to take part in the organization. Witness my hand, and the corporate seal of the city of Cincinnati, this second day of September, A.D. 1862".http://www.ohiohistory.org/etcetera/exhibits/fftc/btlines/index.cfm?section=blackbrigade&page=2

At two o'clock on the morning of the same day, Mayor Hatch issued another proclamation, notifying the citizens that the police force would perform the duty of a provost-guard, under the direction of Gen. Lew Wallace

Lew Wallace

Lewis "Lew" Wallace was an American lawyer, Union general in the American Civil War, territorial governor and statesman, politician and author...

. On September 2, 1862 despite the protests of Mayor George Hatch, the Army ordered a unit of black men, known as the Black Brigade of Cincinnati

Black Brigade of Cincinnati

The Black Brigade of Cincinnati was a military unit that was organized during the Civil War when the city of Cincinnati, Ohio was in danger of being attacked by Confederates. The men that were a part of the Black Brigade were among the first of their race to be employed by the military of the...

, to dig fortifications in Northern Kentucky

Northern Kentucky

Northern Kentucky is the name often given to the northernmost counties in Kentucky...

.http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/09/04/loc_ohiodate0904.html

Mayor Hatch's former home is located at 830 Dayton Street, in the Dayton Street Historic District

Dayton Street Historic District

The Dayton Street Historic District was the was once known as "Millionaire’s Row" in Cincinnati, Ohio and is known for its 19th-century Italianate houses. It is located in Cincinnati's historic Old West End neighborhood. It is bounded by Bank Street, Poplar Street, Linn Street, and Winchell Avenue....

. Hatch is the only mayor of Cincinnati for which there is no known portrait or photograph.

External links

• George Hatch House