USA > Indiana > Centennial history and handbook of Indiana : the story of the state from its beginning to the close of the civil war, and a general survey of progress to the present time > Part 22
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"This disposition to wholesale plunder ex- ceeded anything that any of us had ever seen be- fore. The great cause for apprehension which our situation might have inspired seemed only to make the men reckless. Calico was the staple article of appropriation. Each man who could get one tied a bolt of it to his saddle, only to throw it away and get a fresh one at the first opportunity. They did not pillage with any sort of method or reason. It seemed to be a mania, senseless and purposeless. One man carried a bird-cage with three canaries in it, two days. Another rode with a chafing dish, which looked like a small metallic coffin, on the pommel of his saddle until an officer forced him to throw it away. Although the weather was intensely warm another, still, slung seven pairs of skates around his neck and chuckled over his acquisi- tion. They pillaged like boys robbing an orchard. I would not have believed that such a passion could have been developed so ludicrously among any body of civilized men."*
Meanwhile, even before Morgan had crossed the Ohio Governor Morton was apprised of the danger, and, with characteristic vigilance took steps to forestall it. Indiana was practically stripped of experienced troops, those that she ought to have had being sent, by his request, to General Boyle, commander of the District of Kentucky. With the first intimation of Mor- gan's intentions, Morton telegraphed three times to Boyle for official information of the situation, requesting that defensive steps be taken by Boyle, as he had all our regular troops. The first two messages were not answered, but the third
* "History of Morgan's Cavalry," by Basil W. Duke.
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clicited the cheering information that the enemy was on Indiana soil and that "your cities and towns will be sacked and pillaged if you do not bring out your State forces." Morton proceeded to bring them out. Under date of July 9 he is- sted the following "General Military Order :"
"Satisfactory evidence having been received that the rebels have invaded Indiana in considerable force, it is hereby ordered and required that all able-bodied white male citizens in the several counties south of the Na- tional road forthwith form themselves into companies of at least sixty persons, elect officers and arm them- selves with such arms as they may be able to procure. Said companies will perfect themselves in military drill as rapidly as possible, and hold themselves subject to further orders from this department. It is desired that they should be mounted in all cases where it is possible. The people in all other parts of the State are earnestly requested to form military companies and hold them- selves subject to orders. Prompt reports of the forma- tion of companies should be forwarded by telegraph.
"All officers of the Indiana Legion are charged with the execution of this order, and all United States of- ficers are requested to render such assistance as may be in their power."
The news of the invasion had spread like wild- fire. the whole State was in excitement, and within two days after the governor's call 20,000 men were mustered at Indianapolis and 45,000 more were reported as ready for service. "The farmers left their grain to rot in the field, me- chanics dropped their tools, merchants aban- doned their stores and professional men their desks: clerks forgot their ledgers, and students their textbooks, and young and old alike all swarmed in constantly thickening throngs to the capital or the nearest place of rendezvous, as if there were no duty or interest of that hour but the safety of the State" (Terrell). Beside the mustering at Indianapolis there was rapid organ- ization at various points in the south part of the State, and, in addition, General Hobson, from Kentucky, with a force of United States troops, was giving a stern chase, having crossed the Ohio at Brandenberg about eighteen hours after the raiders.
By the time Morgan reached Salem he began to realize, apparently, the hornets' nest he was running into, and turning abruptly eastward the invasion became a flight and a forced march to- ward some crossing point on the Ohio, though he took time to destroy more or less railroad prop- erty and telegraph lines, and to forage on the country as he went along. His route lay by way of Vienna, in Scott county, where a depot and bridge were burned ; thence to Lexington ; thence
northward to Vernon in Jennings county, with a view to destroying important railroad property, but which was prevented by armed resistance ; thence southward to Dupont on the Madison rail- road, where tracks were torn up, two bridges and a warehouse burned and a pork house and sun- dry barns robbed ; thence to Versailles, in Ripley county, where he captured about three hundred "minute men" and $5,000 of public funds ; thence, by way of Osgood and Sunman in two divisions to Harrison, on the State line, where they arrived on July 13 after being on Indiana soil for five days.
Morgan's erratic course during these five days was in large part determined by the uprising local militia that sprang up at numerous turns, and which, particularly at Vernon, presented an opposition that thwarted his purpose. His object, apparently, was to avoid fighting as much as pos- sible. On the other hand the uncertainty and rapidity of his movements by the aid of fresh horses constantly supplied from the countryside, confused and thwarted the pursuers, mostly un- mounted infantry, who sought to close in on him, else he probably would never have got out of the State. His men rode night and day to the point of exhaustion, and finally most of them were captured in southern Ohio at a point where they had hoped to recross the river into Ken- tucky. Morgan himself with part of his men es- caped this time, but was followed up and caught a few days later.
The loss to the citizens occasioned by this raid, as measured by claims presented and allowed, was $413,599.48 (Terrell) .*
The Disloyal Element .- As has been stated there was in Indiana a strong element who did not sympathize with the North in its effort to coerce the seceding States. During the patriotic fervor of the first year or so of the war this disaffected mi- nority was not much in evidence, but with the dragging out of the conflict and with its reverses, making the ultimate success of the North more and more doubtful, the opposition began to be expressed both in the anti-administration news- papers and among the people. Public utterances that were not only critical but hostile to the point of treason became common and active opposition
* A careful study of Morgan's raid by Margrette Boyer may be found in vol. iv, No. 4, of the Ind. Quar. Mag. of Hist. See also Terrell's report, vol. i, and Basil W. Duke's account.
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was manifested by the encouragement of deser- tion from the ranks and by armed resistance when the authorities sought to arrest runaways. So common did this abandonment of the stand- ard become by reason of this encouragement that it is said "no less than 2,300 desertions were re- ported in the single month of December, 1862." Acts of violence in defense of these deserters, in resistance to the draft, and against loyal neigh- bors were by no means uncommon in some locali- ties, where, indeed, the conditions came little short of internal warfare on a small and disor- ganized scale. The governor's life was threat- ened and once an attempt was made to assassi- nate him as he was leaving the State House. By the fall of 1962 Morton's vigorous war policy was so out of favor that at the election in No- vember the democrats got a majority of the Leg- islature, and the session that ensued was one of opposition and obstruction. The governor's an- nual message, which, this year, was of unusual importance, was denied the courtesy of a hear- ing, and he was otherwise treated with con- tumely. An attempt was made to take from him his authority as commander-in-chief of the State militia, which would have fatally crippled him in his efforts to support the national administration. His policy was fought inveterately at every turn, and the crowning embarrassment was to leave him without any appropriations for State or mili- tary expenses. In short, a weaker and less deter- mined man than Morton would have been smoth- ered completely by his political enemies during these darker war days. He triumphed over all such opposition, however. He borrowed all the money he needed on the credit of the State, and with a strong hand took autocratic control of the situation generally. The next Legislature was in harmony with him, and took over the obligations to which their predecessors had been false.
Treasonable Organizations; the "Sons of Liberty."-The opposition element in Indiana may, in fairness, be divided into two classes- those who simply were not in sympathy with the war and with the policy of the North in prevent- ing secession by force of arms; and those who were distinctly pro-southern in their sentiments. These latter, to whom the opprobrious names of "copperhead" and "butternut" were given, made a treasonable and dangerous element in the popu- lation. They were regarded as a useful leaven
by the South, and it is affirmed that John Mor- gan, when he invaded the State, confidently counted upon the active support of such citizens. Prior to the war there existed in the South a secret order known as the "Knights of the Golden Circle" which had for its object the exten- sion of slavery. With the outbreak of the war chapters of this society were organized among southern sympathizers, first in the border States, then spreading northward into Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Here they took the name, "Sons of Liberty," and the order secretly grew till in 1862, according to the report of an investi- gating grand jury, it had something like fifteen thousand members in Indiana, with local "cas- tles" or lodges, and an elaborate system of signs, grips, words and signals for mutual identifica- tion and communication. The investigation above referred to made by the Grand Jury of the United States Circuit Court, was the result of repeated interference with enlistments, the en- couragement of desertion and protection of the deserters, resistance to the draft of 1862, and other manifestations of violence that awakened alarm. The report of the jury gave new cause for alarm as to what might be expected in the way of outbreak, but no active steps against the order were then taken. One good effect of Mor- gan's raid the following summer was to stir up anew all the patriotism of the State, and this, in connection with important successes to the north- ern arms and Governor Morton's vigilant sur- veillance of the society discouraged the "Sons of Liberty."*
Their secret signs and passwords were di- vulged and the name of the order became so odious that it assumed, or tried to assume a new name, the "Order of American Knights." though
* Morton's remarkable talent for taking a situation in hand and getting in touch with its details is illustrated by an inci- dental event that is usually spoken of as "the battle of Pogue's Run." On May 20, 1863, "Sons of Liberty" and their sympa- thizers came to Indianapolis ostensibly to attend a Democratic rally, but really with the intention of making an armed demon- stration, the weapons being concealed on their persons. Morton, fully apprised of their purpose, overawed them with a few armed soldiers on the streets. As a train full of them were leaving the depot, homeward bound, some one in a spirit of bravado made the first "demonstration" by firing a pistol from the car window. In response a company of soldiers, on their own in- itiative, held up and boarded the train. The panic-stricken vis- itors threw revolvers and knives into the waters of Pogue's Run that flowed beside the tracks, and many more were captured by the soldiers. The contempt and ridicule brought upon the "Sons" by ` this fiasco went far toward banishing the fear of them as actual revolutionists.
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this name has found no lodgment in the public mind or in history.
The snake, though scotched, was by no means killed, however. Treasonable sentiment and ef- fort continued to work beneath the surface, though to this day it is a matter of surmise just how treasonable the secret order was and what the scope of its intent. One writer (J. P. Dunn) affirms that the majority of those connected with these secret organizations "never had any idea that anything treasonable was intended." It is generally believed, however, that the order was sinister and dangerous and that it aimed at noth- ing less than an organized insurrection through- out several States, including Indiana, and the es- tablishment of a "Northwestern Confederacy" that was to separate from the Union. At any rate a quantity of arms and ammunition con- cealed in packages or boxes and marked "Sun- day-school books" were found in the establish- ment of Harrison H. Dodd, Grand Commander of the Sons of Liberty of Indiana. He was ar- rested on the charge of conspiracy against the United States, and then followed the famous "treason trials" by a military tribunal at Indian- apolis. This trial began on the 22d day of Sep- tember, 1864, and the commission that conducted it was composed of General Silas Colgrove, Col. William E. McLean, Col. John T. Wilder, Col. Thomas J. Lucas, Col. Charles D. Murray, Col. Benjamin Spooner, Col. Richard P. De Hart and Col. Ambrose A. Stevens. A number of men be- sides Dodd were implicated, and the examinations of witnesses brought out much sensational evi- (lence bearing on an intended uprising, the re- leasing and arming of rebel prisoners, the as- sassination of Governor Morton and other revo- lutionary plans. In the course of the trial Dodd himself escaped and made his way to Canada. The court found him, William A. Bowles, Lamb- din P. Milligan, Stephen Horsey and Andrew Humphreys guilty of treason. Bowles, Milligan and Horsey were sentenced to death and Hum- phreys to imprisonment, but all were subse- quently pardoned.
Senator Bright's Disloyalty .- In connection with this phase of our history may be mentioned the expulsion from the United States Senate of Jesse D. Bright. Bright was a Madison man, a leading Democrat, and what in this day would be called a political "boss." In 1862 he commended
a friend who had an improvement in firearms to Jefferson Davis, whom he addressed as "His Ex- cellency, Jefferson Davis, President of the Con- federation of States." This was regarded as treasonable and Bright was unseated, ex-Gov- ernor Joseph A. Wright taking his place.
The Draft .- Despite the overwhelming ap- plications for enlistment in the earlier days of the war and the free response of Indiana throughout, as compared with other States, some counties failed to contribute their proportion to the State's quota in the course of the seven dif- ferent calls that were issued before the war was over. Consequently these localities fell subject to the conscription system that the government was obliged to adopt. The drafts that operated in Indiana were those of 1862, 1864 and 1865, in which, altogether, nearly 18,000 men were drawn.
The draft included in its plan an enrolment in each county of every able-bodied white male citi- zen between the ages of eighteen and forty-five. When a new call was made for troops if a State did not fill out its quota the draft was resorted to, the names of the enrolled citizens being written on ballots and placed in a wheel or box. From these a person who was blindfolded drew enough ballots to complete the deficient local quota. The persons whose names were drawn were then served with a notice by the marshal and required to report at the county seat within five days. Those who did not report were classed as desert- ers (Terrell). One effect of a draft was to stimulate volunteering, many regarding conscrip- tion as a disgrace. One provision of the drafting system that caused much dissatisfaction was that by the payment of $300 the conscript was re- lieved from serving. By this, it was complained the rich man was virtually exempt, whereas for the poor man there was no escape. At one time there was a provision, also, that those who were conscientiously opposed to bearing arms should if drafted, be considered non-combatants and be assigned to hospital or some similar service, un- less they preferred to pay the $300 commutation
Bounties .- Local bounties paid by the vari ous townships of the State, to stimulate enlist ment and also for the purpose of benefiting the families of those who volunteered for the serv. ice, should be noted. These local bounties ranged at different periods from $10 to $500, and in the aggregate amounted to $15,492,876.
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State Soldiers' and Sailors' Home at Lafayette. 1. Gateway and Entrance. 2. Commandant's Residence and Executive Building. 3. Adjutant's Residence and Offices. 4. Main Dining Room. 5. Old People's Home. 6. Old Men's Home. 7. Hospital. 8. Assembly Hall.
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A large proportion of the townships paid these bounties when it became difficult to fill out the local quotas, and one of the causes of the system was the desire to avoid the drafts. Abuses grew out of the plan, one of which was the practise by unprincipled floaters of recruiting and securing the bounty money, then deserting and, under as- sumed names repeating the process over and over, perhaps, in different localities. This was the nefarious business known as "bounty jump- ing," and it proved so profitable that it developed into an art or system with the collusion, it is said, of a class of "brokers" who took contracts to fill out quotas, and even with corrupt recruiting offi- cers who thus found a short and easy cut to un- earned gains.
Steps were taken to abate this evil, and several culprits, after trial by court martial, were pub- licly shot at Indianapolis, which had a salutary effect.
Indiana's Care for Her Soldiers .- The dan- gers of battle were not the only and, perhaps, not the most trying of. the evils our soldiers had to suffer. The hardships of the field were particu- larly taxing to a citizen soldiery uninured to rigor and exposure. Add to that the government, an unmilitary nation, was not prepared to care adequately for the comfort and health of its rap- idly augmenting armies. In consequence there was much suffering and a vast amount of disease. This was relieved, in part, personally by such comforts and helps as friends at home could send, but the need of some more systematic and more dependable help soon became apparent. Governor Morton, with a solicitude for his sol- diers that was almost paternal, early gave this need attention. In 1861, as the winter ap- proached, he issued an appeal to "The Patriotic Women of Indiana" calling for contributions of articles in addition to those furnished in the reg- ular army supplies-extra blankets, warm, strong socks, woollen gloves or mittens, woollen shirts and underwear.
The "Military Agency."-With the generous response that followed this appeal arose the ne- cessity of an adequate plan for distribution, and out of this grew the "General Military Agency of Indiana," which is said to have been the first organized effort of any State to supplement the government's provisions for its soldiers. This
agency, created in 1862, with Dr. William Han- naman, of Indianapolis, as its head, had in charge the supervision of all matters relating to the re- lief of soldiers, and the organizing of ways and means. Local agents in field and hospital re- ported to the head of the General Agent who was thus kept apprised of existing needs, and who saw that they were relieved. Field agents were expected to interest themselves in the men. individually, to write letters for them when nec- essary, to take charge of commissions to rela- tives and friends, or of relics consigned to them by the dying, to see that the dead were decently buried, and to keep record of all facts that might be of interest to the families of the dead. Books, newspapers and other reading matter for both hospital and field were secured, and soldiers both sick and well, both in and out of the ranks, were helped in numerous ways, not least of the services being the looking after bounty claims and back pay, whereby many thousands of dollars were saved to the beneficiaries. In short, the Military Agency seems to have been the forerunner of the modern Red Cross, only its functions were wider than those of the latter famous organization. -
The "Sanitary Commission."-The organiza- tion for the relief of the State's soldiers soon created the need for supplies to relieve them with, and the raising of these supplies in a de- pendable way also called for an organized plan. Out of this came the "Indiana Sanitary Commis- sion," which was created by Governor Morton in February, 1862, with Dr. Hannaman as presi- dent and Alfred Harrison, of Indianapolis, as treasurer. The commission was organized to thoroughly canvass the State for needed clothing, kinds of food not included in the government ra- tions, delicacies for sick soldiers, bedding, books, and whatever would contribute to the comfort of the men at the front. The organization. as a whole, consisted of a central office or clearing house at the capital, and a large number of auxil- iary societies, located, usually, at the various county seats. These were the central local socie- ties, and, in addition to them, smaller contrib- uting societies were established in neighborhoods. These reached the public far and wide, and the contributions thus gathered in were forwarded to the Indianapolis office. To stimulate the gen- erosity of donors, particularly in the matter of
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"Wet Cave" Clifty, located north of Campbellsburg, Washington county.
"Dry Cave" Clifty, located north of Campbellsburg, Washington county.
Tinker Con lanatal,
DannANA TAden name the "Des Faso" Mitter Washington anunta
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cash contributions, soliciting agents were em- organization of a State-wide system of aid soci- ployed, who traveled over the State urging the eties and solicited the co-operation of all minis- ters of the gospel, township trustees and others. support of the movement and setting forth the existing needs.
By way of still further aid numerous local "sanitary fairs" were held over the State, and with the co-operation of the State agricultural fair of 1863, a "State sanitary fair," held at In- dianapolis, raised about $40,000. Altogether the commission secured in contributions, including cash and the estimated value of goods, $606,- 570.78 (Terrell). Including contributions by counties, townships, cities and towns in their cor- porate capacity, the sum given for the relief of soldiers and their families amounted to over $5,000,000, besides gifts of which no definite record was kept.
Relief of Soldiers' Families .- The relief of soldiers individually and directly was not the only expression of appreciation and generosity on the part of the citizens of Indiana. As was previously said the large sums paid locally for bounties were in part for the benefit of sol- diers' families-not altogether for the purpose of inducing, but to enable men to enlist. The relin- quishing of one's business and the leaving home for the pay of a private in the ranks in very many cases worked positive hardship on the fam- ilies thus left to thus shift for themselves on a meager income. The bounties helped out, but, particularly when the enlistment was for the three-years' service, it by no means sufficed. On November 14, 1862, the ever-watchful Morton issued "An Appeal to the People of the State of Indiana" calling attention to the fact that the wages of a common soldier, $156 a year, even if it could all come home to the family (which in most instances it could not) was a very scanty support, and with the oncoming winter with its high prices for the necessities of life, there would be much actual need. The helping of these fam- ilies while their natural providers were braving the perils of the battlefield was the solemn duty of the patriotic and liberal civilians. In anticipa- tion of the argument that these civilians had al- ready given largely and sacrificed heavily in re- sponse to other appeals, the governor asked: "What is the sacrifice of the man living comfort- ably at home, even though he give half his in- come, to that of the man who has left his family and home and gone to the field?" He urged the
The response to this was immediate and liberal, the movement rivaling that for the Sanitary Commission in aid of the soldiers at the front. "Soldiers' Aid Societies" were formed, fairs were held, and the contributions poured in. Frequently inspired by the local newspaper or some energetic citizen of standing, the resi- dents of a neighborhood would bring their gifts on a fixed day to some central place and give what in modern parlance would be called a "shower" of donated provisions and clothing. Or, the farmers of different neighborhoods would "collect together early in the morning and at the appointed time drive into the country town with wagons loaded with wood, and with barrels of flour, or apples, or potatoes heaped high on the wood, with their horses decorated with flags, sometimes carrying banners ; and as the long procession of gratitude and liberality marched along the streets the crowded pave- ments welcomed it with cheers as for the return of a victorious army. Emulation ran wild in ef -: forts to show the biggest loads and make the most striking display" (Terrell, p. 357).
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