The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1863-08-13

press messengers, Tor which q special supple.
mentary charge shall be made.
MOrg IN AZ Smithfield Obi o, and
Vicinity.
A private letter, furnished by B. Ladd,
Esq, now of this place but formerly a resi-
dent of that county:
Smithfield, Tth Mon. ~ 1868.
Brother Thomas-Day before yesterday,
Seventh day. was one which will long be
remembered by the inhabitants of old
Smithfeld. Sixth day it was rumored here
that Morgan with six or eight hundred of
his rebel cavalry were expected in Cadiz
that night on their way to the Ohio river,
and might possibly be in Smithfeld The
whole thing was doubted by most Of us
We all went to bed as usual, and about the
usual time. About half past twelve o'clo ok
our family were aroused, by knocks and
loud calls for me. On examina ion found
it was two of our towns-men come for hors-
es to serve on picket duty, and scouts.
Some of our citizens had learned late that
night that Morgan was really near Cadz-
The Stubenville and Wellsburgh folks had
sent scouts out here, and requested our
folks to join. About half past six O'Clock
next morning we learned that Wolfords
Cavalry had had a skirmish with the reb.
els about day break, at Georgetown, and
that they fed, and were moving rapidly
toward Warren, via MtPleasant. To our
utter surprise, about o'clock the7 made
their appearance in full force. at our Meet
ing House. They knew they were pursued
by Wolford and Shackleford; they there.
fore left the ridge at Harrisvillc and got
down onto Long Run and followed it to
Short Creek, and down it, leaving MtPleas-
ant to the right, till they got to the mouth
of Dry Fork, Cat Dr. Findley's. an old but
ternut; they stopped, took all his horses
and took MIN prisoner.) then proceeded on
their way till they reached the north of
Poney Fork !; when Collins, the present
owner of Prices steam mill, who is Capt Of
military company, met them and hailed
them with joy supposing they were Hob
sons. or Shackleford's, or Wolford's Caval-
airy Co. Morgan's men quick to take ad-
vantage oft, enquired ifhe could tell which
way the rebel Morgan had gone and wheth-
er there was any force at the river to capture
him. Collins replied with great deal OF
earnest satisfaction, that there was large
force stationed ut Warren ready, drawn up
in line of battle, sufficient to capture two
such companies. Morgan then represented
himself as being Hobson. and said that II
that was the case it was no use for them to
hurry, they were fatigued and hungry.
Collins very promptly invited them to
Smithficld, to breakfast and rest-then go
down Warren ridge. Morgan as readily
accepted, and had Collins to pilot them.
But before he got to Smithfield he began
to suspect he was in bad company-saw
them stealing or taking fresh horses all
along the road, and before they got into
town they revealed to him the whole thing
and made MIN swear at the point of hall a
dozen or more bayonets, that he would
march in front through Smithfield and an.
nounce in loud voice that it was Hobson's
Cavalry, and call on the citizens to fall
into the ranks in pursuit Of Morgan. They
told him if he did not swear and perform it,
they would kill him and burn the town.
Collins said it was bitter pill but he found
there was no other way, and had to 60 it.
George Cook was going to MtPleasant and
met them. They took him and several
others prisoners, indeed all others they saw
en- horse back, and ordered them into their
ranks. They halted while at onr meeting
house; everything was soon on the alert at
Prospect Hill, an as soon as discovered
that they came in on the MtPleasant road
| said at once they were rebels. We could
see the whole thing from our house, as they
passed through. At the meeting house
they started a squad down each back alley,
and we could see them going from stable to
stable and taking every horse old and
young, that would carry man. I saw
two come up the John Jones lane, and
started Nat, Henry, Benny and Eddy, an d
emptied my stables, and run them to the
back part of the place, in the woods in a
hurry left large brood mare and colt in
the meadow below the barn, which we had
not time to get. They" came down in the
bottom bat did not take my mare. We
could them clear through town quitting
every stable. ALI. Dug though they were
Union men, and saddled and bridled his
horse and led him out to them. The peo-
pie were active in dispensing to them pics,
bread, &c. But discovered their mistake
long before they got through. They how.