A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth, Part 43

Author: Evans, Nelson Wiley, 1842-1913; Stivers, Emmons Buchanan
Publication date: 1900
Publisher: West Union, O., E.B. Stivers
Number of Pages: 1101


USA > Ohio > Adams County > A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth > Part 43


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).


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James Crawford succeeded Samuel E. Clark as captain of Company E and he was discharged the eleventh of October, 1864, and succeeded by William D. Burbage, of Washington, D. C. Samuel P. Baldridge, deceased, was lieutenant of Company E, as was also Milton Brown. The second lieutenants were: James C. Freeman, John H. Moore and Eugene B. Williard, of Hanging Rock, Ohio. Henry B. Woodrow, ser- geant of Company E, was made second lieutenant of Company H, De- cember 2, 1864.


Of the officers of Company I, Capt. Thomas C. Downey resigned November 29, 1862, and was succeeded by Allen T. Wickoff. Samuel T. Baldridge was the original second lieutenant of this Company I.


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Hon. Lucien J. Fenton, former congressman, was a private in this com- pany. Charles N. Hall was a second lieutenant of this company.


Of the regiment during the entire service 296 were killed and wounded; in the battle of Opequan, but 312 of the regiment were engaged and 117 were killed or wounded. At Cloyd's Mountain, Capt. Samuel E. Clark was killed as he was standing firing at the enemy with a re- volver. William Leatherwood was here shot through the heart right under the colors.


The sketches of the several members of the gIst O. V. I. in this book will give more details of the history of the regiment. They are: Gen. B. F. Coates, Gen. A. T. Wikoff, Hon. Lucien J. Fenton. Hon. William D. Burbage, Hon. Franklin D. Bayless, John W. Kincaid and Charles N. Hall.


Company G, 129th O. V. I.


This was a six months regiment. Adams County was not repre- sented in the field or staff. but all of Company G was from Adams County, except the second lieutenant and twenty-two men from Union County. David Urie was captain; Nelson W. Evans, first lieutenant ; William H. Robinson, second lieutenant. The company was mustered in August 10, 1863, and mustered out March 8, 1864. On August 10, 1863, it was sent to Camp Nelson, Ky. On August 20, 1863, it started on the march to Cumberland Gap, where it arrived September 8, 1863. On the ninth of September, 1863, Gen. Frazier surrendered the Gap with 2,400 prisoners and the 129th was relegated to garrison duty there with scouting. December 2, 1863, it was sent to Black Fox Ford on the Clinch River, where it had a skirmish with Longstreet's forces. It re- mained on the flank of Longstreet's army, with occasional skirmishes un- til he returned to Virginia. The regiment then returned to Cumber- land Gap, whence it was sent home at the expiration of its service. The following died in the service: Alexander Davidson, October 28, 1863, at Cumberland Gap; John H. Johnson, corporal, February 19, 1864, at Marysville, Ohio; Henry D. Kirkpatrick, November 29, 1863, at Cum- berland Gap; William S. McCreight, February 25, 1864, at Camp Nel- son, Ky., Corporal Waite, October 28, 1863, at Cumberland Gap, Tenn.


This company did some hard marching, much starving, and was under fire several times, but fortunately no one out of the company was wounded or killed, though the rebels lost sixty-five killed or wounded in making the charge at Black Fox Ford. Martin V. B. Kennedy, first sergeant, resides at Zanesville ; James P. Wasson is deceased ; James W. Baldridge resides at Cherry Fork ; James T. Gaston and Sanford A. Mc- Cullough at Tranquility ; Martin F. Crissman at Manchester; James A. Young at Seanian, and Napolean B. West, at Portsmouth, Ohio, and all have sketches herein.


Companies I and K, 141st O. V. I.


National guards were from Adams County. The commissioned officers of Company K were: George Kirker, captain; John N. Morris, first lieutenant ; Ellis Washburn, second lieutenant.


Of Company K, the commissioned officers were: Simon M. Fields, captain; Robert Parker, first lieutenant, and Thomas Hayslip,


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second lieutenant. It was mustered into service May 11, 1864, and mus- tered out September 3, 1864.


During its service it was stationed at Charleston, W. Va. There were no casualties in either company.


Company G, 172d O. V. I.


This was the highest numbered regiment of the hundred days troops. It was organized at Gallipolis, Ohio, May 14, 1864. It had soldiers in it from Guernsey, Brown, Adams and Jackson counties. It performed guard duty at Gallipolis, Ohio, during its whole term of service. It was mustered out September 3, 1864. Company G was from Adams County. Samuel Laird, captain ; Robert P. McClure, first lieutenant ; William A. Blair, second lieutenant. William P. Breckenridge was a sergeant in this company. There were two members of this company died in service, James H. Elliott, died July 12, 1864, at Gallipolis, Ohio; William Smith died August 25, 1864, at Gallipolis, Ohio.


Company H, 173d O. V. I.


This was one of the year regiments, organized in the summer of 1864, at Gallipolis. Adams County was represented in the field and staff by Nelson W. Evans. adjutant, and Stephen J. Lawell, sergeant major. Company H had as captain, David Urie; first lieutenant, William Mc- Intire, and second lieutenant, George G. Menley. Sanford A. McCul- lough was a sergeant and Marion F. Crissman a corporal. James A. Young, of Seaman, and N. B. West, of Portsmouth, were privates in this company.


The regiment was mustered in at Gallipolis in September, 1864. It was sent direct to Nashville, where it remained until after the battle as a part of the garrison. It was placed in position during the battle in the second line and was in plain sight of the fight in front of Fort Negley, but was not called into action. After the battle it was sent to Columbia, Tenn., and after two weeks was recalled and sent to Johnsonville, Tenn., where it remained until the war closed. It was mustered out June 26, 1865.


The following deaths occurred in the service :


Ellis Bogue, March 3, 1865; Eli Calvert, February 10, 1865; Wil- liam H. Cameron, January 15, 1865; James L. Collings, February 14, 1865; Samuel T. S. Davis, February 2, 1865; William W. Dixon, Feb- ruary 14, 1865 ; John W. Hughes, February 3, 1865; Samuel W. E. Mc- Lean, March 28, 1865; John M. Russell, February 15, 1865; Denton G. Sellman, July 1, 1865; John Shaw, May 20, 1865.


Bogue, Dixon and Sellman are buried in the National Cemetery, seven miles north of Nashville. Mr. McLean died at home, and the bod- ies of the others were brought home.


Companies G, H, and I, 182d O. V. I.


The three above named companies of this regiment were from Adams County. The regiment was organized from August 4, to Octo- ber 27, 1864, to serve one year. William W. West, of Adams County, was major of the regiment. He entered the service October 24, 1864,


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and resigned January 24, 1865. Elijah D. Leedom wasadjutant, mustered out with the regiment July 7, 1865. William H. Cooley, of Company G, was sergeant major and James W. Bunn was hospital steward.


Company G was mainly from the vicinity of Manchester. Alex- ander M. Land, captain ; Thomas Mitchell, first lieutenant ; Levi L. Con- ner, second lieutenant. The regiment was sent to Nashville on the first of November, 1864. It took part in the battle of Nashville and remained performing guard and provost duty until July 7, 1865, when it was mus- tered out.


James W. Bunn who has a separate sketch herein was a private in this company. There were only two persons out of the company died. They were: James C. Warren, died February 19, 1865, at Nashville, Tenn. ; Nathan Holt, died February 12, 1865, at Nashville, Tenn.


Company H was also from the vicinity of Manchester. John Shel- ton, captain; Henry Pence, first lieutenant ; George W. Brittingham, second lieutenant. Dr. Robt. W. Purdy was a private soldier of this company. Of Company H, Nelson Beam died June 21, 1865 ; Silas Cad- wallader died October 20, 1864, at Nashville, Tenn .; Robert S. Little, died April 14, 1865, at Nashville, Tenn .: Jeremiah Tomlin died Novem- ber 9, 1864, at his home in Adams County.


Company I had for its officers, William H. Shriver, captain ; Elijah D. Leedom, first lieutenant : John K. Pollard, second lieutenant, who has a separate sketch herein. There were no deaths in Company I during the service.


Company D, 191st Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry.


This company was organized in February, 1865, to serve one year. 'The regiment left Columbus, Ohio on the day of its organization, under orders to proceed to Winchester, Va., and report to Major-General Han- cock. The regiment was assigned to the Second Brigade, Second Divis- ion, Army of the Shenandoah. Its only duty was garrison duty in the valley, marching as far south as Winchester, where it remained until August 27. 1865, when it was mustered out in accordance with orders from the War Department The following are the casualities: George E. Anderson, died March 13, 1865, at Columbus, Ohio; Francis Higgins, died April 4, 1865, at Cumberland, Md .; William L. Higgins, died March 22, 1865, at Harper's Ferry, W. Va .; Jesse W. Monroe, died February 18, 1863, at Camp Chase, Ohio: Marion M. Patton, died April 3, 1865, at Harper's Ferry, W. Va .; William Thoroman, died April 6, 1865, at Harper's Ferry, W. Va.


Seventh Ohio Volunteer Cavalry


was recruited from the counties in the southwestern part of the state and was known as the "River Regiment." It was mustered into service from September 12, 1862, to November 8, 1862, at Columbus, Camp Ripley, Athens, Pomeroy and Gallipolis, Ohio, to serve three years. At the time of its organization it numbered 1,204 men and at the time of muster out 840 men. It was mustered out at Nashville, Tenn., July 4, 1865, and was paid and discharged at Camp Dennison, Olio.


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The regimental field officers were: Israel Garrard, colonel ; George G. Minor, lieutenant colonel; James McIntire, major; Isaac Train, surgeon, and Theodore F. Allen, adjutant.


Adams County contributed Company F to this regiment. This company was recruited at Bentonville, Ohio by Allen G. Brownfield, who was made captain of the company. Joseph R. Copeland and Oliver H. Eylar were first and second lieutenants respectively. The non-com- missioned officers were: Wm. E. Jennings, orderly ; Samuel Dryden, quartermasters sergeant; Samuel B. Truitt, commissary sergeant, Thomas J. Robbins, James Froman, Jenkins Davis, Robert McNeil and Argus McCall, sergeants.


The corporals were: Reuben O. Cropper, Henry Stableton, John H. Starrett, John A. McCall, Andrew J. Phillips, James L. Park, Geo. D. Cox and Wm. D. Rees.


The survivors of the 7th O. V. I., residing in Adams County, are all members of Company F. They are: Wm. H. Vane, first sergeant and promoted to second lieutenant, assigned to Company E; James Froman, Samuel B. Truitt, promoted to Reg. Com. Sergeant; Robert C. McNeil, Enoch McCall, Reuben O. Cropper, Benj. K. Swear- ingen, Charles Bowman, Wm. Hooper, Stephen R. Bradford, John C. Wright, Moses Brittingham, John Clinger, Wm. H. Rhinehart, Thomas Swearingen, Peter F. Darnell, Richard M. J. Doggett, Charles Edging -. ton, Albert Urton, Alexander Fleming, Samuel Grimes, Wilson M. Grooms, Elijah Hill, John F. Howell, John P. Levi, John A. Mc- Call, Sylvester Moore, Wm. H. Park, John J. Kirts, John W. Hughes.


Those of Company F, who lost their lives in service are: James M. Campbell, James Palmer, Argus McCall, John B. Smith, Ferdinand Redinger, John A. Ross, Samuel Searse, Thomas Jackson, Albert Jarvis, Edward Cunningham. John H. Starrett and Wm. R. Duzan, the two latter losing their lives on the ill fated "Sultana."


The engagements that the Seventh Regiment took active part in were : Dutton Hill, Ky., March 30, 1863; Cumberland Gap, Tenn., September 9, 1863; Blue Springs, Tenn .. October 10, 1863: Franklin, Tenn., November 30, 1864; Nashville, Tenn., December 15-16, 1864; Plantersville, Ala., April 1, 1865; Selma, Ala., April 2, 1865 : Cynthiana, Ky., June 11. 1864; Buffington's Island, Ohio, July 19, 1863.


The hardest fought battle ever participated in was Franklin, Tenn. At Rogersville, Tenn., the regiment met its most serious losses by capture. The captured men suffered greatly in Libby and Anderson- ville prisons. One of the most deplorable events which occurred dur- ing the service of this regiment was the explosion of the steamer "Sultana," April 27, 1865, on the Mississippi River near Memphis, Tenn. Several members of this regiment had been paroled at Vicks- burg and were on their way home when the explosion occurred in the night and several hundred men lost their lives.


Major General Upton in General Order, No. 21, issued at Edge- field, Tenn., in 1865, highly compliments this regiment for its bravery and eminent service, rendered in the last campaign of the war, re- citing the conduct of the division of which the seventh was a part, he says: "In thirty days you have traveled 600 miles, crossing six rivers, met and defeated the enemy at Montevalle, Ala., capturing 100 pris-


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oners; routed Forrest, Buford and Rhoddy in their chosen position at Ebenezer, capturing two guns and 300 prisoners; carried the works in your front at Selma, capturing thirteen guns and 1,100 prisoners, five battle flags, and finally crowned your success by a night assault on the enemy's entrenchments at Columbus, Ga., where you captured 1500 prisoners, twenty-four guns, eight battle flags with vast ammunitions of war; April 21, you arrived at Macon, Ga., having captured on your march 300 prisoners, thirty-nine pieces of artillery and thirteen bat- tle flags. Whether mounted with the saber or dismounted with car- bines the brave men of the Third, Fourth, and Ffth Iowa; First and Seventh Ohio and Tenth Missouri triumphed in every conflict."


Battery F, First Regiment Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery.


This company was mustered in December 2, 1861, at Camp Den- nison, Ohio. Mustered out July 22, 1865.


The company was raised about Locust Grove in Adams County and Ripley in Brown County.


The original officers were: Daniel T. Cockerill, captain, who was promoted to major, July 24, 1864. Samuel M. Espey, first lieutenant, resigned June 15, 1862. Giles J. Cockerill, first lieutenant, promoted to captain of Company D, March 16, 1834. George W. Blair, second lieutenant, resigned January 15, 1862. John Lynch, second lieutenant.


This battery participated in the following battles: Corinth, Miss., advanced on April 18 to May 30, 1862; Stone River, Tenn., December 31, 1862, to January 2, 1863; Chickamauga, Tenn., September 19 to 20, 1863.


The following were the causalities in the battery :


Leonard E. Barber died May 9, 1862, ten miles from the Tennes- see River; William Barney died July 15, 1863, Louisville, Ky .; Banford Bell died March 31, 1862, at Columbia, Tenn .; Elias Briddle died Au- gust 3. 1864, at Decatur, Ala .; Samuel Billingsley died May 27, 1864; Joseph E. Bratton died January 22, 1862, at Camp Chase, Ohio; Lewis A. Brown died September 7, 1864, at Decatur, Ala .; Orticle Brundege died March 26, 1864; William T. Carter died June 16, 1862; George W. Davidson died April 5, 1862; Josiah J. Downing died February 13, 1863, at Stone River; Hugh Frazier died August 1, 1862, at Man- chester, Tenn .; Harrison Frazier died February 13, 1863, near Ready- ville, Tenn., of wounds; John A. Harsha died March 11, 1864; Lafay- ette Joiner died June 30, 1864: Edwin M. Kinney died July 21, 1864, at Wooster, Ohio; Alexander Lorenzo died May 29, 1865, at Hunts- ville, Ala .; John Lynch, second lieutenant, killed September 19, 1863, at the battle of Chickamauga, Ga .; Matthew McClollum died May 15, 1862; William McDonald died January 10, 1864, at Nashville, Tenn .; James S. McKnitt died February 17, 1864, in Adams County, Ohio; Thomas A. Nicholas, killed December 31, 1862, at the battle of Stone River ; Maxwell D. Parr died August 1, 1864, at Decatur, Ala .; William T. Savage died October 16, 1864, at Nashville, Tenn .; Lorin A. Steele died April 16, 1862, at Nashville, Tenn .; John Stevens died March 14, 1863, at Murfreesboro, Tenn .; William O. Suters died Jan- uary 5, 1865, at Decatur, Ala .; Robert Vance died February 25, 1862, at Paducah, Ky .; David M. Waggoner died February 18, 1864, at Nashville, Tenn.


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Company E, First Regiment Ohio Volunteer Heavy Artillery.


This regiment was mustered into the service as the One Hun- dred and Seventeenth Regiment, O. V. I., in September, 1862, at Camp Portsmouth, Ohio, its eight companies aggregating 796 men. In Oc- tober, 1862, the regiment was ordered to Kentucky, where for the succeeding seven months it was engaged in guard duty and expeditions against guerrillas. In May, 1863, orders were issued by the War De- partment changing the organization into the First Regiment Heavy Artillery, Ohio Volunteers, and on August 2, 1863, it was so reorgan- ized, with twelve full companies, aggregating 1,839 officers and men. During reorganization it was stationed about Covington and Newport, Ky. During the fall and winter of 1863-64 the regiment, in battalion detachments, was engaged in guard duty at various points in Ken- tucky. On Februay 19, 1864, it started through severe weather over the mountains to Knoxville, Tenn., arriving there March 9. Until September the regiment was engaged in guarding the railroads through Tennessee, and subsequently participated in Burbridge and Stone- man's raids against Saltville. During the winter of 1864 and 1865 it was engaged in fighting guerrillas in East Tennessee and North Caro- lina. It formed a part of the First Brigade, Fourth Division, in guard- ing captured points and guarding mountain passes. After the sur- ender of Lee and Johnson the regiment saw service in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. On July 25, 1865, it was mustered out of the service, at Knoxville, Tennessee. James A. Mur- phy was captain at the organization and has a separate sketch in this work ; Jacob M. Tener, first lieutenant, resigned December 14, 1863; James R. Oldson, first lieutenant ; James W. Potts, second lieutenant ; Samuel R. Russell, second lieutnant.


The causalities were as follows: Andrew J. Beavers died Feb- ruary 13, 1864, at Cincinnati, Ohio; Jacob Bobb died July 23, 1864, at Knoxville, Tenn .; Noah Countryman died May 9, 1865, at Knoxville, Tenn .; Frank Elliott died February 6, 1864, at Covington, Ky .; Sam- uel Hayslip died September 16, 1863, at Covington, Ky .; James M. Hunter died July 14, 1864, at Knoxville, Tenn .; Richard Mullis, March 21, 1864, at Cincinnati, Ohio; John W. Newland died March 10, 1864, at Knoxville, Tenn .; William Rude died December 9, 1863, at Cov- ington, Ky .; Wesley Zile died July 19, 1863, at Covington, Ky.


Company B, Second Regiment Ohio Volunteer Heavy Artillery.


This regiment was organized at Camp Dennison, Ohio, from June to September, 1863, to serve three years. It was mustered out of the service August 23, 1865. Company B of this regiment was mustered in August 5, 1863, at Camp Dennison and sent to Covington Barracks, Ky .; thence on the fifth of September to Bowling Green, Ky. It lay here until May 26, 1864, when it moved to Charleston, Tenn. On the third of August the company was at Cleveland, Tenn., and took part in an engagement at that place on the 17th. On the nineteenth the com- pany moved to Fort Saunders and Knoxville, and on the eighteenth of November, 1864, moved to open communications with the Union forces at Strawberry Plains. On the 20th of November 1844 it returned to Knoxville, and on the seventh of December marched to Bean's Station,


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Tenn. On the 29th of December, 1864, it again returned to Knoxville, moving immediately thereafter to Camp Rothrock and Fort Byington. It was mustered out August 23, 1865, at Nashville, Tenn.


The original officers were Phillip Rothrock, captain, died October 12, 1864, of wounds received August 17, 1864, in the battle of Cleve- land, Tenn. He has a separate sketch herein. Isaac J. Vance was first lieutenant ; Emory Golden, first lieutenant; Corwin Wick, second lieutenant ; Francis Reichman, second lieutenant.


The following were the casualities in the company: Lewis Bunn died October 3, 1863, at Bowling Green, Ky .; Barnabas M. Coleman died January 7, 1865, at Knoxville, Tenn .; John W. Corwin died De- cember 7. 1864, at Knoxville, Tenn .; Daniel Emrie died September 5, 1864, at Charleston, Tenn .; John Evans died July 27, 1864, at Charles- ton, Tenn .; Nathan Fassett died December 15, 1865, at his home in Ohio; John M. Hart died April 16, 1865, at Knoxville, Tenn .; David R. Hoffman died September 2, 1864, at Cleveland, Tenn .; John Meis- ter died September 7, 1864, at Cleveland Tenn .; Robert A. Naylor died June 25, 1864, accidentally drowned at Charleston, Tenn .; Samuel C. Orr died March 8, 1864, at Bowling Green, Ky .; Charles D. Per- rine died July 25, 1864, at Charleston, Tenn .; Phillip Rothrock, cap- tain, died October 18, 1864, at Cleveland, Tenn .; David Ruble died September 23, 1863, at Bowling Green, Ky .; James F. Snook died July II, 1865, at Knoxville, Ky .; Silas M. Thomas died August 13, 1864, at Cleveland, Tenn .; Charles Wood died January 14, 1864, at Bowling Green, Ky., of accidental wounds.


Second Independent Battery Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery.


The roster of the organization will be found on page 659 of Vol. 10, of the roster of the Ohio soldiers, published under the authority of the state. This battery was organized for the shortest term of service of any military organization which ever went out of Adams County, and it has been said that the rebellion could not have been put down had not it been for the assistance of this battery in the service. It was made up largely of citizens past military age and some who had seen soldiers' life before. The company was mustered into service on the seventeenth day of October, 1864, for a period of sixty days and they were mustered out on the nineteenth day of December, 1864, having served sixty-three days.


The original commissioned officers of the company were: Samuel M. Espy, captain, of Ripley, Ohio; James Tripp, first lieutenant, of Jackson, Ohio; James H. Bradford, first lieutenant, of West Union, Ohio; George H. Darling, second lieutenant, from West Union, Ohio; William S. Beasley, second lieutenant, of Ripley, Ohio.


Those of the company from West Union or from Adams County, are as follows : Joseph Hayslip, James Moore, Jacob M. Wells, Wil- liam Allen, John Naylor, John A. Cockerill, Casper Disser, Robert Baldridge, Samuel Bealey, Handy C. Burbage, Samuel Burwell, Gabriel Crawford, Edward P. Evans, Wilson Hayslip, John Holmes, John A. Hood, Joshua B. Hook, George N. Hagenback, Joseph Lafferty, Robert Leach, Arthur I .. Lloyd, Jesse A. Osborne, Addison Postle-


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wait, Richard S. Postlewait, George W. Siberal, Levi Smith and Henry Wilson.


The battery left West Union and went to Cincinnati and from there to Sandusky and from Sandusky it went to Johnson's Island and guarded the Rebel prisoners, officers of the Confederate army, placed on the Island, until about December 1, when it went to Cleveland and was there about twenty-five days. At Johnson's Island it relieved the Eighth Independent Battery. There were no casualties in the service, but the weather was very severe while they were stationed at John- son's Island, and being from southern Ohio and unaccustomed to the climate near the lake, some of them came near freezing to death.


Morgan's Raid.


Of the many stirring scenes and thrilling accidents occasioned by the Civil War, none so aroused the patriotic spirit of our people, or produced so much excitement and spread such consternation in their homes as did the raid of Morgan's Confederate Cavalry through this county in July, 1863. This dashing cavalryman had crossed the Ohio at Brandenburg, Kentucky, on the eighth, with a force of about 2500 all told, and entered upon "his most famous raid," through southern Indiana and Ohio, which awakened the people of those regions to the alarums, if not the horrors of war. This daring raid was under- taken chiefly for the purpose of relieving General Bragg, then near Tullahoma, Tennessee, from a threatened concentration of the forces of Burnside, Judah, and Rosecrans, against him, and which would have overpowered and destroyed his army as then situated. "General Morgan urged, that the scare and the clamor in the states he proposed to invade, would be so great, that the Administration would be com- pelled to furnish the troops that would be called for," and, as these would of necessity be supplied from Judah's or Burnside's forces, the needed relief of Bragg's army would be immediately obtained. Gen- eral Bragg dissented, and ordered Morgan to make the raid through Kentucky, granting permission to go "anywhere north of the Tenn- essee ;" but as Indiana and Ohio are north of that river, Morgan be- gan perfecting plans to put in execution his long cherished desire to invade the North. His plans, briefly, were to make a feint against Louisville, then cross the Ohio, threaten Indianapolis, then Cincin- nati, swing his forces round that city, and then raid the southern coun- ties of Ohio to Buffington Island, then recross the Ohio and join Lee's forces then threatening Pennsylvania. And, astounding as these plans were, they would have been successfully executed but for an hour's delay in reaching the ford on the upper Ohio, notwithstanding an un- precedented rise in the Ohio, at that season of the year. which enabled the transports to land troops at that point to contest the crossing. A portion of his command did make the crossing, and escape through the country to the Confederate lines. Morgan's command consisting of the first and second brigades of cavalry, with a few pieces of light ar- tillery, was but a little more than a "mounted guard" in military terms, vet to our raw militia it was a great army, and drew after him from first to last some 50,000 pursuers.




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