Ohio History Journal

THE MORGAN RAID IN OHIO.

 

 

R. W. MCFARLAND.

In the article under the above heading, published in the

January number, there are several errors which ought not to

pass unnoticed. The paragraph to which reference is made, is

as follows, viz.: "The Ohio Raid practically ended at Buffing-

ton Island, although Morgan himself was not captured there,

but with a small portion of his men escaped and fled to Lake

Erie, being captured at New Lisbon in Columbiana county, Ohio,

within one day's ride of Lake Erie." Morgan was not cap-

tured at New Lisbon, but six or eight miles further south, at

Salineville. From this village it is about a hundred miles to

Lake Erie. Exhausted cavalrymen are not likely to travel a

hundred miles a day. Further, Morgan was not making for

Lake Erie, but for the Ohio River. And still further: The

"small portion of his men, numbered about nine hundred, accord-

ing to Reid's 'Ohio in the War.'"

See Howe's History of Ohio, Vol. 1, p. 457: "After the bat-

tle, Morgan with not quite 1,200 men escaped.

Twenty miles above Buffington he struck the river again, got

300 of his men across, when the approaching gunboats checked

the passage. Returning to the 900 still on the Ohio side, he once

more resumed his hurried flight. His men were worn down

and exhausted by enormous work. When foiled in the attempted

crossing above, he headed for the Muskingum. Foiled here

by the militia under Runkle, he doubled on his track, and turned

again towards Blennerhassett's Island. The clouds of dust

which marked his track betrayed his movement, and on three

sides the pursuers closed in on him.

"While they slept in peaceful expectation of receiving his

surrender in the morning, he stole out along a hillside that had

been thought impassable, his men walking in single file and

leading their horses, and by midnight he was once more out of

(243)

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244      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

the toils, marching hard to outstrip his pursuers. At last he

found an unguarded crossing of the Muskingum, at Eaglesport,

above McConnelsville, and then with an open country before

him, struck out once more for the Ohio."

The writer of this article confronted Morgan at Eaglesport,

and was in the chase till the final surrender at Salineville. It

may be well to explain the part taken by my regiment in the

pursuit of Morgan. When this bold raider entered Ohio, the

86th regiment was in process of formation at Cleveland. Five

or six companies had been completed, and there were men

enough in camp to finish the enrollment, but every squad of 25

or 30 men had at least one person who sought to become an

officer. But there were more aspirants than there were offices

to fill, so the consolidation moved slowly. Gov. Tod knew the

condition of affairs in the camp, and telegraphed to the effect

that if the several squads should not voluntarily combine into

companies that same day, he would on the next day order a con-

solidation to be directed by outside officers. The regiment being

completed we were sent immediately to Zanesville, to give aid

in heading off Morgan. Four companies were put under my

charge, and we were placed on board a steamboat, and ordered

to stop at Eaglesport, and prevent Morgan from crossing. The

time now was 2 o'clock at night, and as I caused the gangway

plank to be taken aboard, I heard the clatter of a galloping

horse. Thinking that there might be further orders, I waited a

moment. The rider came up and said he was told to tell me to

wait for further orders. There was thus a delay of two hours,

and this delay caused the failure of the attempt to prevent Mor-

gan's crossing, for when the boat came in sight of Eaglesport,

the last of Morgan's men were on the ferry boat crossing the

river. Landing on the east bank a half a mile from the village,

we made haste to occupy the crest of the second range of hills,

with the intent of holding Morgan in check until his pursuers

should come up. He was so held for an hour or more; but

divining my object, he made vigorous efforts to escape; and by

dividing his troops into two parts, he sought to divide my forces.

I thought it best to keep my men together, and so we headed off

the one part which was proceeding up the river. It faced about

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The Morgan Raid in Ohio.             245

 

and disappeared down the river in a hurried flight. But soon

being met by a regiment of militia marching northward, he

again turned north, but bearing away to the northeast. Clouds

of dust showed where he was, and aided my troops in their pur-

suit. In about two miles we came to the road on which Morgan

was retreating. The soldiers at the front of the column were

able to give Morgan one volley at long range. No one was hurt

but some of the raiders dropped a part of their plunder. We

picked up a bolt or two of calico and also a bolt of muslin. On

the west side of the road, and about a hundred yards distant,

there was a small frame house on the face of the hill. The

woman living there was on the porch at the east side of the

house, watching Morgan's men as they passed along the road.

One of the soldiers shot at her as she was leaning against a post.

The bullet hit the post about a foot above her head, and half

buried itself in the hard wood. This outrage occurred about the

time when my men discharged their guns at long range. I saw

the mark of the bullet, and gave the woman the dry goods which

we had picked up in the road -to offset as far as possible the

fright which she had suffered.

Early in the morning, only an hour or so after my troops

had landed, there occurred the following incident, which prob-

ably gave Morgan an exaggerated estimate of the number of

my men. While waiting for developments, I saw two cavalry-

men approaching my position. They were in the woods, a

couple of hundred yards distant, but proceeding very cautiously.

They were attempting to make some reliable estimate of our

numbers. I called on the half dozen soldiers who were closest

to me, "to shoot those spies." The guns rang out in an instant,

but the soldiers further away from my position, knowing noth-

ing of the facts, all fired their guns also, but fired at random.

The roar of these 350 rifles was grand; and as we were con-

cealed by the timber, our numbers were likely overestimated.

Within two or three hours after Morgan's departure, the

advance columns of the pursuers came up, and inquired after

the fugitives. The maneuvers of the morning being ended, I

returned to Zanesville; there the four companies were put on

cars, and started east with the object of preventing Morgan

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246      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. from crossing the railroad to the south-he had reached the National Road not far eastward from Cambridge. The train carrying my men was divided into two sections and ordered to move in easy supporting distance of each other. We were near Bellaire when Morgan surrendered. Morgan     and nineteen other officers were put aboard of one train and sent forward to Columbus. The men were put on another. On my return west- ward, I fell in with the train carrying the body of Morgan's men, as that train reached Zanesville. In each car carrying Confederate soldiers only two or three guards had been put; deeming such guard insufficient, I took charge of the train and took it to Columbus. Being formed in line for the march to Camp Chase, I counted the prisoners, 565. They marched be- tween lines of Union soldiers to the camp, and there they were counted again,-the same number. In the first volume of Howe's History of Ohio, there is a very full account of the operations against Morgan at the time of his surrender. Thus it is easily seen that the truth of history demanded some cor- rection of the statements which are herein criticised. And hav- ing personal knowledge of the case, I have given this brief out- line of the facts, but many interesting incidents have been omitted.

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