An Ohio Farmer's Account of Morgan's Raid
Edited by ARVILLE L. FUNK*
ALTHOUGH OHIO contributed soldiers to all of the major
battles of the Civil War, the state
itself was to know war
only through an exciting thirteen-day
invasion of its borders
by "The Thunderbolt of the
Confederacy," General John
Hunt Morgan, and his Confederate
cavalry division.
The purpose of the raid through
Kentucky, Indiana, and
Ohio in July 1863 was to divert federal
troops in these areas
who were moving to join General Ambrose
E. Burnside at
Cincinnati for an invasion of east
Tennessee.
Morgan's division was composed of 2,400
mounted men,
divided into ten regiments and two
brigades. The excited home
guards of Indiana and Ohio variously
estimated the raiders'
strength at from 5,000 to 10,000 men.
After crossing the Ohio
River at Brandenburg, Kentucky, Morgan
had a brief skir-
mish at Corydon, Indiana, the next day,
then spent five days
raiding southeastern Indiana before
crossing into Ohio at
Harrison on July 13. From Harrison, the
raiders by-passed
Cincinnati, then sped through Piketon,
Jackson, and Pomeroy,
until they were cornered and defeated
at Buffington Ford,
where they were attempting to recross
the Ohio River.
Morgan's ill-fated raid finally ended
near Lisbon, in Co-
lumbiana County, on July 26, when he
surrendered with only
300 of his command left.
David Hulse, the writer of the
following letter, was a
farmer living near the little village
of Sharonville, just north
of Cincinnati. Although Hulse did not
actually see the events
* Arville L. Funk is head of the social
studies department of the Perry Town-
ship Junior High School, Indianapolis.
MORGAN'S RAID 245
of the raid, his account of the
experiences of some of the
people in the area around Cincinnati
gives an interesting
sidelight on the raid.1
All original spelling has been preserved
in reproducing
Hulse's letter (which was addressed to
his brother in Illinois
and is now in the possession of Mrs.
Vivien M. Hancock of
Southport, Indiana). A few paragraphs at
the end of the
letter relating to farm and family
matters have been omitted.
Pisgah, Ohio
July 19th 1863.
Brother, and Family.
As you, know doubt, have heard of the
great Morgan raid, through
your old neighbourhood in Ohio, you
would be interested to learn some
of the peticulars which the papers does
not publish. Alltho, I did not see
a single Soldier[,] I will proceed to
give you as correct account as I
can from hearsay.
By the Papers of last Monday we heard
that Morgans men were nigh
Hamilton O. We scarcely could realize
this news. On the next morning
(Tuesday), at 3 Oclock, the Citizens of
Sharonville was aroused by
their presence in the place, every
inhabitant was immediately aroused
but to find the Enemy in their midst in
forces of seven thousand, and the
Soldiers allready in their stables,
Stores, and kitchens. Owners hurried,
only to their discomfort to be compelled
to bridle their own horses for
the Enemy, and hand out ready made
clothing, tobacco, sugar, Coffee,
&c &c such as they could make
use of. Whilst Women were compelled
to bring forth all of their cooked
provisions. They were about four
hours passing through.
Their main body passed through The Town
but they straggled three
mile in width plundering as they went.
they had six pieces of artillery,
drawn by six horses each. They pressed
guides from place to place as
they went, and would generally give them
a worn horse to return with.
In about seven hours after their rear
guards passed came the advance
pickets of Our Armey[,] they being
equally as hungry as the former,
but had the disadvantage by following in
the rear. They pressed many
horses, but in this, they had a fearfull
disadvantage, as the choice horses
ware gone, they had to even take some
which the Enemy had left. The
Union Soldiers had seven cannon and from
7 to 8 thousand Men. The
1 For general accounts of the Morgan
raid, see Cecil Fletcher Holland, Morgan
and His Raiders (New York, 1943), Dee Alexander Brown, The Bold
Cavaliers
(New York, 1959), and Basil Duke, History
of Morgan's Cavalry (Bloomington,
Ind., 1960).