Morgan's Fifth Gun

Most accounts one reads about John H. Morgan's Indiana-Ohio Raid will mention that Morgan's command included four artillery pieces - two 3-inch Parrott rifles (also known as 10-pounder Parrotts) and a pair of 12-pounder howitzers, However, the 3-inch version of the Parrott was not manufactured until later in the war and the pair that Morgan had, captured from the Thirteenth Indiana Battery at the Battle of Hartsville, were actually earlier model 2.9-inch Parrotts. By the time Morgan reached Portland Bottoms his artillery arm was rendered mostly ineffective due to a lack of ammunition (the artillery having been used previously during the raid at Tebb's Bend, Lebanon, Brandenburg, Corydon, and Berlin Cross Roads) and the fact that the interior of the barrels were caked with dirt from hard riding on dusty roads.

A 3-inch Ordnance Rifle

Unknown to most however was the fact that Morgan had a fifth artillery piece with him at Portland. This gun is mentioned in "Report of Adjutant E. C. Caldwell, 5th Regiment Indiana Legion," which appears in Operations of the Indiana Legion and Minute Men, published in 1865.

"On the morning of the 8th inst, Captain G. W. Lyon, with one piece of ordnance, in connection with a small squad of infantry from this (Harrison) county, disputed the crossing of Morgan's men at Brandenburg, the particulars of which are herewith furnished in a report made to me by Captain George W. Lyon; from which report you will see that our gun, gun-carriage and limber-box were lost; the limber and other fixtures were saved. The following is a description of the gun: Caliber, 3-inch rifle; heavily stamped, No. 422."

In the same publication is Captain Lyon's report which details the movements of the gun and the actions of the Indiana Legion in the engagement at Brandenburg/Morvin's Landing:

"I have the honor to submit the following report of the part taken by the Crawford County Artillery in the recent engagement with Morgan's forces at Brandenburg. About 6 P. M. of the 7th inst. the steamer Lady Pike having been prevented from passing up, in consequence of the guerrillas at Brandenburg came down and gave the information that the rebels, under Morgan, were at Brandenburg, and had possession of the steamers McCombs and Alice Dean. Our cannon a six-pounder was immediately placed aboard the Lady Pike, and in less than half an hour, with about thirty Home Guards, we were under way for the scene of action.

The boat fearing to proceed further up, landed us about two miles below Mauckport, on the Indiana shore, to which point we took our cannon by hand. Upon our arrival there we placed ourselves in command of Col. Timberlake, who was at Mauckport with about 100 Harrison County Home Guards, awaiting us. He marched us without halting, in the direction of Brandenburg, crossing Buck Creek at the mouth, in an old boat towed up from Mauckport for that purpose. There being no road, the taking of our cannon by hand through meadows, corn-fields, and wheat-fields, rendered our march by no means pleasant. We arrived opposite Brandenburg about 7 o clock next morning, after a tiresome march, and placed our gun in position on the river bank, in front of an old house, immediately opposite the landing, where the two captured steamers were lying. About 8 o'clock the fog, which had been quite dense, partially disappeared, giving us a glimpse of the boats. We immediately opened fire. The first shot, which passed through the McCombs, took them completely by surprise, causing a general stampede. About 200 were aboard of the steamer and in the act of starting across, when our first fire notified them of our presence. They stood not upon the order of their going, not even waiting to run out the stage plank , which had been taken in, but jumped their horses over the guards of the boat and took up the road on double quick, amid the firing and shouts of our little squad. Quite a number were seen to fall from their horses, three of whom we have since learned were killed, and two of Morgan's staff and quite a number of privates are reported wounded some of them severely. We having been reliably informed that the enemy numbered less than 200 men, and were without artillery, refrained from firing upon the boats, after their abandonment by the rebels, with the hope of saving them. There being no enemy then visible, we ceased firing, and the Colonel commanding ordered the McCombs to come over and take our forces across the river, but fortunately for us she failed to comply.

The rebels by this time had placed their guns in position and commenced shelling us from the Brandenburg Heights with two 12 and two 6-pounders, with telling effect.

We being in an open field, with no covering whatever, save the old log house, which was soon made untenable by the well directed shots of the enemy, were forced to fall back, and finally, the enemy having crossed the river, compelled to abandon our gun, having taken it by hand a distance of one-half mile. Not expecting to leave the boat when we started out, nothing but the gun and carriage and limber box were taken with us ; consequently the limber and a portion of the fixtures were saved. A portion of the ammunition taken with us, which was concealed when the gun was taken, has since been recovered by the citizens of Mauckport, as I am informed ; how much I am unable to state, as no report has been made to me.

The men stood by the gun until it was ordered off the field, doing their duty nobly.

Two men, Lieutenant Kerns and private Nance, of Harrison County, were killed while bravely assisting to remove the gun. Quite a number remained on the river bank amid the shot and shell of the enemy, bravely contesting their right to cross, until their boat had reached our shore, some of whom were captured, not having time to make their escape.

Everything was done that could have been done, under the circumstances, to save our cannon. No blame can be attached to any one, so far as my command extended."

There is occasional misinterpretation when it comes to artillery during the war as official reports and newspaper articles would confuse the 3-inch Ordnance Rifle with the 6-pounder gun as the carriage and the gun tube was somewhat similar in shape and size. In the above report, the 2.9-inch Parrott rifles were mentioned as being 6-pounders.

There are other sources, some that mention a steel cannon, others mentioned a rifled cannon (which a 6-pounder would not be in most cases), and one additional compelling account written by Colonel John P. Morgan, commanding the Sixth Regiment of the Second Brigade of the Indiana Legion, to Major General Love, and appearing in the Report of Major General Love, of the Indiana Legion, published in 1863:

"On the 25th of September you visited our county, and placed in the hands of the auditor one three-inch rifled cannon and two hundred muskets. The cannon was placed in the hands of Captain G. W. Lyon's company."

The Indiana Legion's 3-inch Ordnance Rifle was captured by the Confederates at Morvin's Landing and carried across Indiana and Ohio. One newspaper account written in Jackson, Ohio mentions seeing three guns leaving with Basil Duke's column as it headed towards its encounter with Ohio militia at Berlin Cross Roads (the other two guns went with Adam Johnson's column towards Centerville and across Vinton County). This gun was retaken by Federal forces at Buffington Island, as indicated in Henry Judah's report:

"I recaptured the piece I lost; captured large quantities of camp equipage, two pieces of the enemy's artillery, and forced him to abandon the only three he had left, driving him on General Hobson."

Judah's comment about recapturing the piece he lost is a reference to the gun he had lost earlier in the fight at Buffington Island. However, Judah's report aside, there is no mention that the Ordnance Rifle was ever used by the Confederates.

Tube 442 is closest to the camera. Courtesy hmdb.org

We can pinpoint not only the exact gun type based on the number in Adjutant Caldwell's report (442) but also the current location of the gun tube. Not far from the Maryland border in Preston County, West Virginia lies Camp Dawson, a West Virginia Army National Guard facility. On that base is a memorial that has a pair of gun tubes mounted on concrete pedestals. One of the tubes has the number 442 stamped on the barrel mouth, and the gun is a 3-inch Ordnance Rifle.

Just a little more to the story of the Battle of Buffington Island!