Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-08-31
nets at a charge, resisting every effort to

IL "A
A day or two before these scenes oc- |
Cured, the great battle of Buena Vista
was fought, and being the great battle, |
General Taylor summoned up Morgan's
,command near NOrio, and thus one OF the
hardest battles of the Mexican war is paled
by that of the greater one that made Gen
| eral Taylor President. f' g-.
| After the term of service of the "a ONO
had expired, Col. Morgan, in leading his
veterans home, was met by a commission
appointing him to the ecommandof,one OF the
additional regiments raised by the United
States toserve during the war, and he pro-
ceeded to Scott's lines, where he Joined his
new command, and participated in all Sthe
battles of Mexico, until, at the battle OF
Cherubusco, he was so severely wounded
EWhilC leading his command, as to incapacl-
tate him for further service.
On the day preceding Che battle of Cher
ubusco, while the lingering and dhard fought
field of Contreras was in. suspense, with
the signs of victory in favor Of the enemy,
| Colonel Morgan's regiment was detached
| from its division and ordered to perform
duty in capturing position of the enemy,
| its possession by our troops being deemed
an essential to success. The position was
taken and held, and from that moment the
victory was secured. So much importance
was attached to the. stOrming OF the position
on the Pedrijal, by the Fifteenth Morgan
regiment) that the great quarrel between
Gems. Scott and Pillow owed its origin to it
each of these Generals claiming to have
given the order for its eXeeution-and upon
their establishment ofthe fact, claiming the
! award Ofthe honOrs of the day, as upon its
execution depended success or defeat
Whether Scott or Pillow gave the order, it
|, matters not at this moment. Morgan
| fa1 hoz r1n 90
was, with consummate skill, and to it is the
| fact owing that Contreras was not a Mexi-
can victory. For his gallantry in Mexico
| Col. Morgan was breveted a Brigadier Gen.
| eral. ...- ....-. .,. .. ....yi -............-.
| In order to the re-establishment of his
health, Gen. Morgan was appointed Consul
4 to Marseiles, in France, and upon the in
coming of Mr.. Buchanan's Administration
| was transferred to Lisbon as Resident Min
| ister of the United States to the Kingdom
of Portugal, where he remained until re-
moved by Mr.. Lincoln, and Mr.. Harvey Of
thisicity was appointed in his place. anr. (,
While in Portugal, an incident occurred
i which made General Morgan the subject Of
II much conversation and of newspaper re-
mark. The Secretary of the American Le-
cation, while bathing some distance from
land, was seized with cramp and was
drowning. Morgan saw his struggles, and,
, guessing the cause, plunged in and reached
his friend Just in time to seize him as he
was sinking. The drowning man caugh
. at his preserver. and it was doubtful for thu
moment whether either would be saved
By ain almost Incredible effort, Morgan
succeeded in releasing himself from th'
81 grasp of the dying man, and in holding
his head above water until assistance
came, and both were rescued! The dar
r ing of General Morgan, and his coo
y courage in saving his friend, and tht
! terrible risk he ran Of his own life, made
, him hero with the Portuguese public, anC
~ their press teemed with his praise. i'''
! Upon his return to theUnited States
, from, his, dong residence abroad, Genera
Morgan, believing that the war was for til,
9 Union alone, and not to make dependen
t colonies of States or to interfere in the do
! mestic institutions of States, accepted
S Brigadier Generals commission, and wa
put in, charge OF that corps of the arm.
] which captured and held Cumberland Gap
There he was beseged-a very large iforc'
of men surrounded him, and his provisionI
/ failed.1 The authorities at Washington
| were Informed of his desperate situation
i his troops living on half rations, but nc
/, provisions were sent him. D5Fhey knew, as
did Morgan, the importance of holding the
pass, but day after day, the gallant CON-
2 Imander and his men saw their provisions
q dwindle, and their horses being without
i forage they were killediand used to exc ou
: the scanty rations. And it was not unit
| nearly the last horse and mule were eaten
e the army for six days having no bread, that
e with sad heart, he blew up the fortifica
{ tions, and, blocking-up the pass, evacuated
h the place, and commenced q retreat to thu
4 Ohio river, For seventeen days he pursued
r his onward march, his men subsisting alOnt
!. on the corn found SIM the few fields they
n passed, harassed each day by the enemy
5 that were pressing him en- all sides, anC
4 fighting, for bis road almost every step o
: the way. With but a comparatively sInal
/. loss he gained the Ohio at Greenupsburgh
f In the annals of the late war, for danger
4 and in the surrounding of difficulties, anC
d in its success, that nlarSH stands among tht
e IImost successful of the war. '' ''l2.'
+ General Morgan was with General Sher
: man, as second in command, when the firs
e attempt to take Vicksburg by storm wa
d made. He was alsosecond in command a
: the sangninary battle of ArkansasPo Post on
n of the most brilliant affairs of the war, ant
: in both of these fierce battles he acted a con
g spicuo1ls part. r4 DO ,vGV TgIi Hi hnR
s Failing in his endeavors to get justice
e done him while I'M command of Cumberlant
Gap, the Administration laying that blam
n upon the General which was alone causet
e by the neglect OF General Halleck to sen'
# on supplies, and failing to get either cour
II OF inquiry or aeourt-martial, his health to
d falling, General Morgan resigned his com
a mand and retired to private life: This re
1t solve was strengthened by the fact tina
N about this time the Administration CAV
ii signs of making the war not one, for tn
l. Union, and the restoration of the forts an
: places of the United States but for the ad
,e 1ancement of the negro race. AS a life
iri long Democrat, he had everheld the Con
a, stitution as thelsupreme law of the lane
IF As the gift of the States to the, Union, b
J. was unwilling to see these States reft
v their reserved rights and made 'dependen
l. ciesupon the General Government, and thei
n. people, under the .pleaof Q military pi neces
" sity, without law and without crime, i'm
le INJURED within political bastiles. a'"'' i
d AS the nominee of the Ohio Democracy
" for Governor of the State, General Morga
Il. will make agallant race, and we trust thf
M he will receive every Democratic and cor
h servatiYe vote. .Ifels worthy Of it. ~ d