USA > Ohio > Guernsey County > History of Guernsey County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 9
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seen a small show teut pitched on a vacant lot. We marched to it, determined to make it our quarters for the night. After some parley with the proprietor, we were allowed to march in, and for one night we "tented on the old camp ground," but not to sleep, as the boys kept up the rallying song, "We'll Rally 'round the Flag" and "Way Down in Dixie Land."
In the morning we were marched to the market house, where rations had been provided of sandwiches and coffee, to which we did ample justice, not having had anything to eat since the previous morning. Anxious to see Paint creek, and the remains of the bridge destroyed to prevent Morgan's crossing into the city, we walked down and found a good ford, which was traveled at low tide, and in summer preferred to crossing the bridge. Its destruction was one of the exciting freaks of the war, and the alarm that gave rise to its destruction was the coming of a funeral procession, with solemn tramp. all oblivious of the threatened danger of the beleaguered city. For years this bridge was not rebuilt, the commissioners of Ross county claiming that the state or the person in command, whose foolhardiness caused its destruction, should rebuild it. All day long we moved about the doomed city, awaiting arms and further orders. By everyone came rumors, that Morgan had cut his way through the main force and was pushing northward. The streets were deserted, except by the militia and a few of the citizens. No women were to be seen, the blinds of the windows were down, and death-like solemnity reigned supreme. Late in the afternoon a dispatch came that Morgan was at Portland above Pomeroy, making for Buffington's Island, where he would make an effort to cross the Ohio. We were ordered home, and late at night, we boarded a canal boat, loaded with baled hay, which we took for Circleville, making our beds on the bales of hay. The boys improvised songs with a chorus, "As We go Sailing on the Raging Canal." When we arrived at Cir- cleville the next day, the siege of Chillicothe being raised, and the imminent danger being passed, we were not so hospitably treated as we were going to the front, but had to forage for our dinners as best we could. Again taking the cars for Cambridge, we arrived late at night. after four days' service in "grim visaged war." As we marched up street, the boys sang. "Johnny's Come Home from the War."
We give below some extracts from Bazil W. Duke's article in the January Century, entitled, "A Romance of Morgan's Rough Raiders":
"The Ohio militia were more numerous and aggressive than those of Indiana. We had frequent skirmishes with them daily, and although hun- dreds were captured, they assumed operations as soon as turned loose. What
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excited in us more astonishment than all else we saw were the crowds of able- bodied men. The contrast with the South, drained of adult males to recruit her armies, was striking and suggestive of anything but confidence on our part in the result of the struggle.
"When a thirsty cavalryman rode up to a house to inquire for buttermilk, he was generally met by a buxom dame with a half dozen or more children peeping out from the voluminous skirts, who, in response to a question about the 'old man' would say : 'The men have all gone to a rally ; you'll see them soon enough.'
"In Ohio, on more than one occasion, we found pies in deserted houses, hot from the oven, displayed on tables conveniently spread. The first time I witnessed this kind of hospitality was when I rode up to a house where a party of men were standing around a table furnished as I have described, eying the pies hungrily, but showing no disposition to trouble them. I asked in astonishment why they were so abstinent. One of them replied that they feared the pies were poisoned. I was quite sure, to the contrary, that they were intended as a propitiatory offering. I have always been fond of pies- these were of luscious apples, Swank orchard, so I bade the spokesman hand me one of the largest and proceeded to eat it. The men watched vigilantly for two or three minutes, and then, as I seemed much better after my repast, they took hold ravenously.
"Morgan had thoroughly planned the raid before he marched from Ten- nessee. He proposed at no time to be far from the Ohio river, so that he might avail himself of an opportunity to recross. On reaching the borders of Pennsylvania, he intended. if General Lee should be in the state, to make every effort to join him; failing in that, to make his escape through West Virginia.
"At Piketown we learned that Vicksburg had fallen, and that General Lee, having been repulsed at Gettysburg, had returned across the Potomac. Under the circumstances this information was peculiarly disheartening."
(From the Jeffersonian of January 29, 1891.)
The following dispatch was sent to the military committee of Cambridge :
"Columbus, Ohio, July 22, 1863.
"I think Morgan crossed the Muskingum this morning, near the south line of Noble county. Send messengers into Noble county to call out the peo- ple to obstruct the roads to the Ohio river. Be on the alert yourselves, for he may take north.
"D. TOD, Governor."
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A company was quickly raised and mounted, armed with rifles, pistols, shotguns and old muskets, and placed under the command of Col. John Ferguson, in the evening on the scout into Noble county. The company num- bered sixty or seventy, and was increased on the march to perhaps one hun- dred men. We arrived at Cumberland, Guernsey county, about ten o'clock at night, and after a stop for a short time, pushed on into Noble county, to Hiramsburgh and Hoskinsville. Here a halt was made until daylight. A squad of four men in charge of the writer was ordered to McConnelsville to learn of Morgan's whereabouts. As near as we now remember, this squad was Elza Turner, J. R. Downar, George Frazier and another not remembered. We arrived at McConnelsville about noon. But long before we got there, we met men, women and children fleeing from the town, giving us the informa- tion that Morgan was crossing at Eaglesport, and that "we had better turn back, or he would take us." We told them that "we were hunting for Mor- gan, and were going to take him dead or alive."
We galloped on into the town, and found all excitement and confusion and the citizens in a state of terror. There seemed to be no organization of militia, or anything that looked like fight, but some women scraping lint and preparing bandages. We stayed long enough to learn that Morgan was pass- ing around the town, then we started back to report to the command. On our way back we could hear of Morgan on another road, and we were, in fact. in his front for some time. When we got back to the command it had moved off without leaving word where. We determined to go to Cumberland.
It was now very dark, and after nightfall we pushed on as best we could, often taking the wrong road, having to dismount and examine for the road. After a time we came upon the command, which had halted on account of the darkness. We gave them our news, the first they had had concerning Mor- gan. We were now near Cumberland, and not knowing Morgan's direction, we parleyed for a time as to what course we should take. It was finally de- cided that a squad of picked men, under Lieutenant Squiers, should go for- ward to learn more of Morgan. The writer was one of the number. We moved on with caution in the darkness toward Cumberland. After advanc- ing a few miles, we met some men carrying bridles and saddles. They told us that Morgan's raiders were in Cumberland, that their horses had been taken, and they themselves detained as prisoners for a time. They said that Morgan's pickets were down at the bridge, but a short distance back. Our lieutenant proposed to the squad that we hide our arms and go down to the pickets, claiming to be farmers on our way to Cumberland to see Morgan, but the squad did not propose to give up their horses to Morgan, but pro-
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posed to go forward and run in the pickets. This the lieutenant objected to. and standing on our arms, sent back for the command to come up. Whilst waiting, we could hear Morgan's raiders reveling on the good things of the people. The town was well sacked. The pickets were soon called in, and, the command coming up, we galloped into the town by one road, Hobson and Shackleford on another. The command of Morgan were not yet all through with their pillage. We managed to take two prisoners, whom we sent under guard to Cambridge. Morgan pushed on toward Hartford, trying to burn the bridge over the creek behind him. But the pursuers were too close. and the fire was soon extinguished. One hundred well-armed men in Morgan's front. anywhere between Eaglesport and the Central Ohio railroad could have held him in check long enough to have been taken by the pursuing forces. This day, July 24th, was spent between Cumberland and Winchester, passing through Hartford, Senecaville, and at Campbell's Station checked for a time by the burning of the bridge by Morgan over Leatherwood creek and the station house. Morgan halted at Washington long enough to dine off its citizens. The town was picketed on the east and west. How well it was done the "heroes of Hyde's Hill" may in the future write up its history. Mor- gan's pickets on the south were driven in by Hobson's advance, and the whole column of raiders got out of Washington, helter-skelter, toward the north, making a stand over the hill, which is known in the history of this raid as the "battle of Washington." In this battle four of Morgan's men were killed or mortally wounded, and several prisoners taken. Another stand was made at Salt fork bridge, where the entire pursuing force was checked until dark, reach- ing Winchester in the night, where a long halt was made, as Morgan made a feint of going toward Birmingham, with a part of his command, but took again the Antrim road, the whole column joining again at Antrim. There had been a heavy rain in the afternoon, and it was still raining. All was darkness and confusion. The farmers were coming in to hear the news, and a general exchange of horses was going on. A detachment of troops sent down from Cambridge by wagon were being mounted as fast as horses could be conscripted. This night's ride from Winchester to Moorefield told upon pursued and pursuers. The men were drenched to the skin, saddles and blankets wet and heavy, road muddy and slippery, horses jaded and hungry, many fell by the wayside and the troopers left to plod along carrying saddle and bridle, until a horse could be captured. The pursuing forces moved on slowly through Antrim, Londonderry, and on to Smyrna. Here a halt was made to examine the road, as it was reported that Morgan's forces had taken the Freeport road. At Londonderry, the writer was suffering severe pain in
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stomach and bowels. He roused up an old friend and former fellow-citizen, Doctor John McCall, who prepared us medicine that relieved our pain and sent us on our way rejoicing. And this ought to be a good enough record, when in the future a grateful state shall pension her gallant sons, who threw down the implement of peace and flew to arms and horses to chase the maraud- ers from her sacred soil. Before reaching Stillwater creek, we could see the flashes of light that told that Morgan had burned the bridge behind him. It was now two o'clock-rain pouring down, thunder and lightning adding their flashing light and rumbling roaring as on we galloped.
"Through dub and mire Despising wind and rain and fire."
Before coming to the burning bridge, a part of the command, having a battery of two guns, made a detour up the creek to a bridge to cross over. The rest moved on down the bottom and began crossing below the burning bridge. To make this ford was dangerous and at the same time amusing. Crossing by twos, plouting into the mud and water up to the saddle skirts, plunging through, and hallooing back to those in the rear, "over"; then a steep, slippery bank had to be climbed to reach the road. This being gained, the word came back, "up." After all were over a halt was made to await the action of the party that made the crossing farther up the creek, and the entire command laid down to rest on the roadside. Here for the first time we lay down to sleep since leaving Cambridge, having confidence enough in our tired, jaded horses, that they would stand by and not tramp on the tired, water- soaked troopers.
When the bugle sounded the march, the sun was just peeping out clear and bright in the eastern horizon, and as we felt the warm, drying rays, men and horses seemed to make obeisance to the "God of Day." Our horses had nipped the grass in the fence corners and barked the rails, and were ready to gallop on. Of this day's ride of seventy-two miles from sun-up to sun-down; and the capture on the next, it is our purpose to tell in the following account.
So far the pursuit was a chase. The pursued had the advantage of the fresh horses on the line, but now Morgan was to meet opposing forces in front and flank and rear, and to use a fox-chase term, the pursuers had come to the "last straw line," and the fox is in the square.
Rev. W. M. Ferguson, of Washington, wrote of Morgan and his raiders at the time as follows :
"On Friday last, 24th, six hundred and seventy of the marauders took possession of this town. The writer conversed freely with Morgan himself
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and with several members of his staff. They said that the Unionists were far more cruel and destructive than they, and that one object in coming across Ohio was to give us a taste of what the South had for years seen and suffered from our armies. Such a raid has never been known before. It is more than a thousand miles long from its first start in Tennessee, marked by a line of green graves-and the grandest horse exchange ever witnessed. Morgan's band stole (so Lieut. Thomas J. Morgan, John's cousin, told me) on an aver- age three hundred horses a day."
(From the Jeffersonian of February 5, 1891.)
This day, Saturday, July 25, 1863, Morgan began to play the leading card on the military board. To make a crossing of the Ohio river was the desired goal. As we passed through Moorefield in the early morning, the hogs and chickens were feasting on the remains of corn and oats left by Mor- gan's horses, where they had been fed in a long line on Main street. The men had breakfasted off the citizens. So that our inquiry for something to eat was answered by, "Morgan has just eat us out." Morgan usually halted twice during the day to feed men and horses, choosing generally the small towns. The pursuing forces got what they could in feed and provisions at points between where Morgan had made his stops. These halts were made when the Union forces were farthest in the rear. The time for rest at Moore- field was gained by the burning of the bridge already detailed. Before reach- ing Cadiz, the pursued left the grade road, passing south of Cadiz through Harrisville. Here the rear guard made for a time a very determined stand. and General Hobson brought to bear upon them a light field battery, which had the effect of breaking their lines. All along as we neared the high river bluffs we could see the column winding up the hills or coursing along the ridges, headed by Morgan in his buggy drawn by two spirited Kentucky horses. At Georgetown another stand was made by the whole column, under the direction of Morgan himself. The different moves made for a position seemed to indicate to the writer that here the final battle and capture was to take place.
Morgan's forces were partly protected in a stretch of woods. Hobson opened fire from the field battery and endeavored to flank him on his course to the river, but again Morgan moved off with the main column, leaving the rear guard to hold in check the Union forces. This rear guard was in command of Captain Himes, mounted upon the best horses that could be picked up along the line of the raid, its object being not only to hold in check the pursuers, but to prevent any straggling of the main column and their capture. Morgan
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made three desperate attempts to gain the river during the day, and being headed off, dashed back again in the hills. In these dashes he passed through New Athens and Smithfield. It was an up-and-down-hill chase from valley to valley, which told severely on both men and horses. The citizens were now fully aroused, Morgan's raiders were in their midst, and the pursuing forces were being increased by mounted militiamen joining the column. As we galloped down Short creek, we passed a lone militiaman, carrying an old flint- lock musket at "right shoulder shift." He had on his old military suit, bear- ing the old white braided herring-bone chevron of the old army of long ago, in which he had paraded, no doubt, as a member of Captain Beebe's company. He moved along with a light, elastic step, thinking of the long past training days, when he fought the "mimic fray." But he was soon lost to sight. It was this spirit of patriotic devotion, this readiness to fly to arms that made the raid of Morgan, hold as it was, fruitless in the result.
Morgan's force struck the Steubenville grade road at right angle, west of Winterville. Here, in order to get north around Steubenville, as he was making for Smith's Ferry, there being no direct road north, without turning west or to the east through Winterville, he parleyed for a time and was over- taken by Hobson's advance and a sharp skirmish ensued. It was said that several were killed, but we saw no dead but horses.
A young lady, Miss Dougherty, at the Maxwell house, in the line of direction of fire, was struck by a ball which passed around her body, passing out and into the wall, making a large indenture. It was reported that she was killed, but she recovered. Mrs. Arnold, of this place, was well acquainted with this young lady, and verifies these statements. The report given in the January ( 1891) Century is not correct as to the killed, or as to the time of the skirmish. A Michigan soldier was wounded and afterward died.
Morgan took the road east through Winterville, his rear guard holding the Union forees in check long enough for the advance to do some pillaging. At Winterville there was a company of mounted militia, who fled helter- skelter through the town, crying, "Morgan is coming, he's down at Hanna's," and whether they were stopped by the Ohio river or fled over into West Vir- ginia we don't know. It was evident they had met Morgan and were satis- fied. The women of Winterville fled to the minister's home, and held a prayer meeting, and the men who had all the day long marched and counter- marched through the streets with "plumes and banners gay," when the cry was heard that Morgan was coming, "marched, marched away," and took refuge in an oat field nearby. When Morgan was well on his way to Ham- monsville, and the Union forces came up, the sun sinking behind the western hills, there was a resurrection from the oat field, "nor lost a single man."
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Colonel Collier, of Steubenville, gathered up enough of the frightened militia to man and plant a cannon on the hill, and let drive at the Union forces. Gen- eral Shackleford sent up an officer to learn who "them - fools were shooting at." The fleeing mounted militia, when they got to Steubenville, said they had met and turned Morgan, and that he was "on to Richmond," and the city was saved. We took the road to Hammonsville and Richmond. a night's ride in the darkness. Some time in the night we were cut off from the main forces by taking the wrong road, but we pushed on, not knowing where. We were lost, and our situation became more perilous as we ad- vanced, as we might encounter Morgan or we might meet the Union forces. We called a halt until daylight. Then we went forward again, finding that we had passed west of both Hammonsville and Richmond, and were some miles from the main forces. Between nine and ten o'clock we learned that Morgan was captured and his men prisoners. This we accepted as true, and, after resting a while on the roadside, we "about faced" for home, and struck the grade road west of Winterville, and went into camp in a grove, where we quietly rested, as it was the Sabbath.
The first report of the capture proved to be only a part. Morgan was not himself captured until that afternoon. Here we rested, rejoicing that the battle had been fought, and the capture made. This Sabbath's rest was enjoyed by both men and horses. We had plenty of sheaf oats for the horses, and plenty of food for the men, procured either by buying or by forage. So we quietly feasted and rested, until well in the day on Monday, when we broke camp, and took the road for Cadiz. In conclusion, let us sum up the events of the raid.
(The Jeffersonian, February 12, 1891.)
At the Maxwell House, "the cross roads hotel," we went in to see the young lady, Miss Dougherty, who was a victim of the raid, as described in the preceding account. Here we could more clearly see the evidence of the skirmish of Saturday. The fences were torn down, where the cavalry had charged through the fields, disabled and abandoned horses were nipping the grass by the roadside, and the dead horses remained unburied. From the Maxwell House to Cadiz, no signs of the raid were to be seen. But many of the citizens had taken time by the forelock, and hid away their horses, which they were now bringing in, all rejoicing that Morgan was captured and the raid at an end. At Cadiz we were entertained by the citizens in a very hos- pitable manner. The writer, with others from Cambridge, was entertained by our old school teacher and former citizen of Cambridge, and editor of the Guernsey Times, Richard Hatton, father of the Hon. Frank Hatton. Here
GUERNSEY COUNTY, 01110.
we all enjoyed the pleasure of a "bivouac" on the parlor carpet, and slept the "sleep of the brave." Mrs. Hatton afforded us the best supper and breakfast that could be set up on the unexpected coming of a hungry squad, to which we did ample justice, and now at this late day we feel, as then, thankful for her generous hospitality. The people of Cadiz did not feel at all snubbed that Morgan had passed them by on the other side. A few miles west of Cadiz we again struck the line of the raid, and on every hand we saw its effect, and heard the tales of wanton destruction of property, not only by Morgan's forces, but the Union forces as well. War. means extravagance and destruc- tion.
Near to Londonderry we met Moses Sarchet and Stephen Potts, Esq., who, under appointment of Governor Tod, were out on the line of the raid, in Guernsey county, looking up the abandoned property, and having it cared for, as well as assuring the people that their damages, of whatever character, would be paid. Governor Tod, while a war governor, looked well after the interests of the state and her citizens. We arrived home on Tuesday even- ing, and were received with joyous enthusiasm by the citizens of Cambridge.
The disposition of Morgan's raiders and plunderers is described as fol- lows, in the Century, by Basil W. Duke :
"There were very good reasons, independent of the provost guard, why the men should not straggle far from the line of march; but the well filled stores and gaudy shop windows of the Indiana and Ohio towns seemed to stimulate, in men accustomed to impoverished and unpretentious Dixie, the propensity to appropriate without limit or restraint. I had never before seen anything like this disposition to plunder. Our perilous situation only seemed to make the men more reckless. At the same time, anything more ludicrous than the manner in which they indulged their predatory tasks can scarcely be imagined. The weather was intensely warm, yet one man rode for three days with seven pairs of skates slung about his neck; another loaded himself with sleigh-bells. A large chafing dish, a Dutch clock, a chandelier and a bird cage, containing three canaries, were some of the articles I saw borne off and jealously fondled. Baby shoes and calico were, however, staple articles. A fellow would procure a bolt of calico, carry it carefully for a day or two, then cast it aside and get another."
The result, as summed up by General Duke :
"The expedition was of immediate benefit, since a part of the forces which would otherwise have harassed Bragg's retreat and swollen Rosecrans' muster roll at Chickamauga, were carried by the pursuit of Morgan so far northward that they were kept from participating in that battle."
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Orlando B. Wilson sums up from a Union standpoint in the Century, thus :
"And thus ended the greatest of Morgan's raids. By it, Bragg lost a fine large division of cavalry, that, if added to Buckner's forces, might have defeated Burnside; or, if thrown across Rosecrans' flank, or long line of sup- ply and communication, might have baffled Rosecrans altogether."
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