Benevolence

The Society Burial Plot

The Civil War

Grants and Funds

Go anywhere in the world and you will find a Scot. They are all over North America. They are on the plains of Argentina and Brazil. They can be found in Japan and Korea as well as in Australia and New Zealand. While not so numerous in Russia or Finland, they are well entrenched in Africa, India and Arabia. They conduct church services in English in Amsterdam, Holland. Indeed, men of Scottish ancestry have reached the Moon, and are now looking beyond the stars. Two centuries ago, Scots traveled the migratory routes to the western country of the United States, following the Mohawk Valley, the passage from the Virginia to Kentucky, or the descending flow of the Ohio River. Many of them met at Cincinnati. One of them, General Arthur St. Clair, was instrumental in stabilizing the area for settlement by his successful campaigns against the marauding Indians, and later became the first Governor of the Northwest Territory.

1827 to 1977 By Addison H. Clipson, Archivist and Past President

The Founding of the Society

In the early years of the 19th Century, a spirit of mutual helpfulness among the Cincinnati Scots led to the organization of the Caledonian Society. On Monday evening, August 20, 1827, the first meeting looking toward organization was held in the office of attorney John Douglass, Jr. Also, present were Joseph Clark, John Douglass, Sr., Alexander Kinmont, David K. Kirk, Robert Macgregor, James Sims, and William Thomas. The objective of the Society was "to relieve such of our countrymen as may arrive among us in distressed circumstances, and to give them information and advice for locating themselves in the western country."

By November 30, 1827, the following additional members had been received: James Atcheson, John Bogle, Robert Buchanan, Duncan Campbell, George Chapman, Robert Chapman, George Christie, Alexander Clark, William Drenan, Andrew Harvey, David Henderson, John Henderson, David Kilgour, Henry Kilgour, Jr., Henry Kirk, James Kir, Robert Merrie, Humphrey Miller, Charles Macalester, Edward Macalester, Andrew McAlpin, James McCandless, Robert McCulloch. George McDonald, James McGregor, Peter McNicol, Robert Patton, James Sample, Dr. William Smith, Bellamy Storer, James Taylor, Thomas Thompson, James Thones, Andrew A. Todd, Gavin Wallace, Hugh White, and William B. Wilson.

The first Constitution of the Society was adopted September 10, 1827. Among the Articles of this Constitution is an interesting one that deals with politics. It states, "all discussions relative to the politics of America are strictly prohibited at our meetings; and no political toasts will be permitted to be drank (sic) at our celebration of St. Andrew's Day". On the subject of intoxication, Article XIX states that "If a member attends any of the meetings in a state of intoxication (as described by a majority of the members present) he shall be compelled to leave the meeting and be fined One Dollar for the first offense, Two Dollars for the second offense, and for the third offense his name shall be forever erased from the records." In keeping with the objective for which the Society was created, Article XV provided that "the standing committee of arrangement.... shall inquire into the circumstances and character of all applicants for relief (our countrymen who arrive among us in distressed circumstances), who shall state to the President the amount of aid they deem necessary, who will grant an order on the Treasurer provided It does not exceed Five Dollars. Likewise, when any member of this Society is visited by sickness, which he could not prevent, and confined to bed . . . "the aforesaid Committee shall pay him a weekly allowance of Three Dollars for the first four weeks and Two Dollars and fifty cents for the next four weeks." This early form of health insurance also provided for payment for the advice of a physician in the event of doubtful cases.

Early St. Andrew's Days

For the purposes of promoting "social intercourse and for keeping alive those recollections of our native country which must be dear to every Scotsman, " Article XXIII provided that the members of the Caledonian Society shall dine together upon St. Andrew's Day. In keeping with this Article, St. Andrew's Day was first celebrated in 1827 at "Watson's Hotel" according to a brief entry in the minute book. In 1828, the St. Andrew's Day celebration, as a local newspaper reported it, was a "hummer" complete with piping, dancing, poetry recitation, and singing of patriotic songs. Also mentioned was the "introduction of black bottle", pitchers of hot water, bits of lemon peel, and lumps of sugar, after which the tumblers never cooled. As reported in the December 6, 1828, Issue of the Cincinnati Weekly Chronicle, the affair was held in the Broadway Hotel near Second Street and was celebrated in accord with the Constitution In "due and ancient form." They began at 4 pm. on December 1, 1828, and did not adjourn until the next day. Although somewhat less spectacular than the 1828 affair, the annual Celebration of St. Andrew's Day continued with full programs of song, patriotism, recitations and speech-making. Since 1827, not one anniversary has been missed by the Society. One St. Andrew's Day celebrated on Tuesday evening, November 30, 1869, included an original song, "Bonnie Scotland," written by member William McAlpin, as well as the "Star Spangled Banner," "Home Sweet Home," and "Green Grow the Rashes, O." The songs were interspersed with lengthy toasts, some (in spite of the Society's constitutional ban on political toasts) to the President of the United States, and to the memory of Washington, "drank (sic) standing and in silence." Earlier, members were requested to meet, with their badges on, at the Holmes Hotel (then located at the southwest corner of Pearl Street and Broadway) on Wednesday morning, July 7, 1841, to pay their last tribute to our deceased President, Wllllam Henry Harrison. The minutes are not clear as to the form of the tribute.

The benevolent object of the Society has touched many lives in many places. In the earlier years, the Society advanced financial support to several asylums and relief organizations. In the year 1847, crop failures and subsequent suffering were prevalent in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. The Society raised nearly $6,000 for the purchase of 1,200 barrels of corn meal to relieve the Scottish poor. Learning that the British government would handle the shipment and distribution without cost, the Society distributed the $700 thus saved among general Cincinnati relief organizations, including the Ladies' Washington Benevolent Society, Cincinnati Orphan Asylum, St. Peter's Orphan Asylum, African Colored Orphan Asylum, Union Relief Society, and the Ladies" Hebrew Benevolent Society. In 1878, the Society aided the Yellow Fever sufferers in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

Not unmindful of the needs of the departed, the Society, under the terms of Article XXVII, Real Estate, of the Constitution, acquired a plot in Vernonville, an old settlement row part of Cincinnati on the west side of Reading Road north of Oak Street, In 1858, the Society purchased another burial plot in Section 32 of Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, and erected a fine monument of Aberdeen granite costing more than $800. The Vernonville remains were reinterred there in 1890, and the last burial in the Spring Grove plot was made in 1922.

World War I

In 1914, the Society raised nearly S2,000 for the aid of wounded Scottish soldiers and sailors, and their widows and orphans. A substantial sum was contributed toward the Harry Lauder One Million Pound Fund for the Maimed Scottish Heroes in the World War. Tragically, Society member Ralph F. Abercrombie, who was returning home from Scotland, lost his life when a German submarine torpedoed and sank the steamship Lusitania. Two Society Presidents, Lt. Colonel William Gillespie and Captain James R. Stewart, served overseas in World War I, as did members A. S. Wilson and William T. Paterson.

How well the Caledonian Society has accomplished its object is shown by what it has done in the past 150 years. The Society has never attempted too much, nor has it been connected with failure. This is reflected in the extant minute book volumes, where the business meetings show constant small losses in meeting Burns' Night and St. Andrew's Day celebrations, and large over-runs in fund raising for a worthy cause. The beginning for some of the Society's permanent benevolent resource springs from the $200 given in 1830 by the widow of the first President, David Kilgour. In 1860, a fund of $1,000 was bequeathed by the widow of member John Walker. The fund was once loaned to Alexander E. Ferguson, "father of the Southern Railroad" upon mortgage security at 10% interest. The Walker Fund is still in operation today. Thomas Gibson, who became a member in 1847, bequeathed to the City of Cincinnati $31,000 in 1914 for the establishment of an endowment for the Medical Department of the University of Cincinnati. This endowment is still intact and operating for the benefit of one of the finest medical schools in the United States. The William S. Walker ($1000) and James J. Muir ($1500) Funds were later established and presently serve the Society for benevolences including educational grants and prizes. The old minute books of the Caledonian Society and contemporary newspaper accounts of the organization's activities reveal a continuous interest in Scottish traditions in literature and music. Every St. Andrew's celebration has been graced with the singing of Annie Laurie, The Battle of Sterling, Scotland The Brave, and similar tunes rendered by well-known soloists, and all such gatherings were concluded by the singing of Auld Lang Syne by the entire assembly. The members were entertained between songs by piping and drumming, speeches and toasts, and demonstrations of Highland dancing. All celebrants had their opportunity to participate in the strathspeys and reels that later formed the foundation of the "square-dancing" now firmly entrenched in our American culture. For many years, a parallel organization, the Burns Club, kept alive local interest in the works of Bobble Burns and that of other Scottish literary figures. One Scots characteristic is that of committing to memory enormous amounts of poetry. Since the absorption of the Burns Club into the Caledonian Society many years ago, there has never been a shortage of those who can rattle off stanzas of Burns' poetry upon demand at any Society function. Included among these were the late Robert Smith, and more recently Past President James N. Wilson, who recited Tam O' Shanter at every Burns' Birthday Celebration for more than 25 years.

Ladies and the Society

Occasionally, the shadows of war challenged the blazing patriotism of those members of the Society. On the event of the Civil War, members of the Caledonian Society of Cincinnati formed the Cincinnati Independent Highland Guards, which was mustered into service at Camp Dennison, Ohio on June 21, 1861. This group formed the nucleus of the Fifth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The Regiment's first Colonel, John H. Patrick, was killed in action at New Hope Church, Georgia, on May 25, 1864. The second Colonel, Robert L. Kilpatrick, was severely wounded shortly after and having lost his arm, was discharged on July 30, 1864. The third Colonel, Robert Kirkup, remained with the Regiment until the end of the war. All three of these men were members of the Society and contributed to the brilliant record of the Regiment in the field at Winchester, Port Republic, Cedar Mountain, and Dumfries, Virginia; Antietam, Maryland, in 1862; Chancellorsville, Virginia; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Lookout Mountain, Tennessee in 1863; Kennesaw Mountain and Dallas, Georgia in 1864. The Regiment took part in the siege of Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, and Goldsboro, North Carolina from late 1864 to March 1665 and was mustered out of service On July 26, 1865. Andrew McAlpin, Society President, lost his son, Captain Henry in other Civil War action.

In past years, tradition remained strong and changes in the Society came slowly. In 1890, wives of members were first allowed to attend a St. Andrew's Day celebration, and in 1969 Burns Night was no longer a stag affair. In 1979, then-president Addison Clipson created the Order of St. Margaret to recognize ladies who had made significant contributions in support of the Society. He made the first awards on St. Andrew's Night of that year. The recipients were Helen Gunn Webster, Elizabeth Harris Russell (now Mrs. Betty Whitaker), Gertrude MacRae McIlwain and Agnes Ann Kindness.

In 2011, the gentlemen of the Caledonian Society finally (after several failed attempts) voted to allow women to become members of the Society. Soon after, Carol Stephenson was elected to be the first female officer on the board. Many more ladies have followed in her footsteps and in 2021, Claire Beams (Gallant) was elected as the first female president of the Society.