The Twenty-Five Days of Morgan - July 3, 1863

As they march northward into Central Kentucky, General John H. Morgan’s troopers sing a special song written just for the Great Raid. Its refrain: “Here’s the health to Duke and Morgan—Drink it down!”

Today there is much to celebrate. Not only are many of Morgan’s troopers back in their home state of Kentucky, but also the Union Army of the Ohio’s (XXIII Corps’) cavalry have not yet seriously begun their chase, thanks to Judah’s poor decisions. Hobson is under Judah’s orders to hold Marrowbone. After Hobson and Shackelford both agree that Morgan has crossed his division around Burkesville, by dawn, Shackelford begins moving his troops toward that town. But by the time they march barely three miles out of Marrowbone, Judah orders Shackelford to return. This creates a comfortable cushion between Morgan’s rear and the dreaded Union cavalry behind them.

General Ambrose E. Burnside, overall commander of the Department of the Ohio in which the XXIII Corps resides, is surprised and nervous to hear that Morgan is north of the Cumberland River. This morning, he orders all available units in the region to chase after Morgan. Unfortunately, his orders pass through his subordinates, Brigadier General Jeremiah Boyle (headquartered at Louisville, Kentucky) and the field commander of the XXIII Corps, Major General George L. Hartsuff (headquartered at Lexington, Kentucky). Neither leader takes the initiative to concentrate troops ahead of Morgan’s projected path. Instead, they pass Burnside’s orders down to Judah. Judah does not order his division to chase after Morgan until late tonight. Receiving no word today from Judah or Hartsuff to do anything differently, General Samuel Carter still holds most of Colonel Frank Wolford’s brigade and all of Colonel August Kautz’s brigade at Jamestown, Kentucky. As a result, for today and the next two days, Morgan has little need to worry about Union troopers on his back.

Meanwhile, a token force of 150 cavalry and dismounted infantry under Captain Jesse M. Carter, 1st Kentucky US Cavalry, defend Columbia, Kentucky. Confederate colonel Richard Morgan, a brother of the general, leads his 14th Kentucky Cavalry regiment along with the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry and 7th Kentucky Cavalry in an assault on the Union position. A section of Captain Edward Byrne’s artillery assists Colonel Morgan in the attack. They quickly overwhelm Carter’s defensive line, and Carter is mortally wounded near the Timoleon Cravens House. Private Thomas Franklin Berry of Company B, 14th Kentucky Cavalry, remembered, “Our headlong, swinging impact was more than they could stand. They were broken and their ranks thinned by the close-range volleys of the charging squadrons.” The remnants of Carter’s troops retreat in haste to Jamestown. Confederate captain Jacob T. Cassell, who had replaced Tom Quirk as head of scouts, falls wounded in the skirmish. Colonel Basil Duke fills the important position with a relative newcomer to the scouts – Captain Tom Franks.

With Columbia firmly in their grasp, the victorious raiders loot the town’s mercantile store on the square. General Morgan arrives and orders them to cease. However, the damage is done, and the event sets off a pattern of looting that will cast a shadow on Morgan’s troopers throughout this raid.

Morgan’s troops do not leave Columbia until 3:00am the next day. They camp in Cane Valley, Kentucky, that morning to get a few hours’ rest.

Sources:

Duke, Basil W. A History of Morgan's Cavalry. Cincinnati, OH: Miami Printing and Publishing Co., 1867, pp. 402-465.

Johnson, Adam R. The Partisan Rangers of the Confederate States Army. Louisville, KY: George G. Fetter Co., 1904, pp. 142-150, 438-467.

Gorin, Betty J. “Morgan Is Coming!” Confederate Raiders in the Heartland of Kentucky. Louisville, KY: Harmony House Publishers, 2006, pp. 99-260.

Mowery, David L. Morgan’s Great Raid: The Remarkable Expedition from Kentucky to Ohio. Charleston, SC: History Press, 2013, pp. 15-72.

U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Ser. 1, Vol. 23, Pt. 1. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1880–1901, pp. 11-15, 632-818.

“The Great Raid, Summer 1863.” Trails-R-Us (Kentucky)—John Hunt Morgan Home Page, http://www.trailsrus.com/morgan/map.html.