National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-02-19
LOOKING FOR MORGAN
CHASING THE GREAT REBEL RAIDER.
An Interesting Event Of the War Described by One
Who Was a Participant-The Death Of
Major AeCOOk - HoN Nor
gan Was Caught.
Bfittea for the RcpubIicoM.

commanded by Colonel Horace Capron, afterwards
brigadier general OF volunteers and late Minister
OF Agriculture for the Japanese Government. lers
Thompkinsville, KY, in search of Morgan and af-
ter fruitless ride through lower Kentucky,
through mud and mire, over hiIs, through rapid
and swollen rivers and torrents Of rain and under
the bleaching rays Of seoTching sum- were at last
gratihed with the pleasing information that John,
naughty John, was over IN Indiana trading horses
dealing gently in gTeenbacks, saW-mills buggies
and other articles TOO numerous TO MENTION and
although he left footprints in the sand he left
! many bridges in the rivers and few houses in
ashes, SO we had no difficulty in tracing his course
We reached Louisville on the 18th of July and en-
barked on board feet Of steamers for Portsmouth
where we landed on The 10Th, and Immediately
mounted our heEses and started or. Morgan who
had for two years been such terror to Kentucky.
Cnlonists, and who had so, long eiuded the grasp
OF justice and the Union army was lust ahead of
! Va. On we pushed TO Webster: he was not there
! On we went 10 Porter; lie Was not there bnt we
would no doubt find BIN ett'eRreville So ON we
rode, and, after Running cor horses four miles at
last succeeded in planting our artillery upon an
cminenee overlooking the principal highways to.
| the place, and bringing our cavalry into line OF
battle. But we were sgain disappointed, rs some
| friend of Johns. and Villain am him jalias
/ Naiiandigham y, having 10 doubt appriSed him
| OF our presence, he took another route. Inwardly
cuFslns that disloyal portion OF the Democratic
party i'll Ohio. we remounted snd followed OIL.
| DARKNESS CAME: sTIEi. on WE RODE,
! reaching POmerOy, where we SnaIched norSel to
cat from the hands OF the patriotic and generous
| hearted ladies Who hToDged the pavemeuts as we
marched through that city. Fast and faster we
rode until four o'clock a. NJ, when We halted and
laid down in the dust to take moments rest At
daylight we were aroused with the information
that we were within short dsta nee of MOrgan'S
camp, and, surrounding the highest hill we had
yet, found ourselves on Buffngton's Island Be-
low we saw the forces OF Morgan composed of
nearly three thousand of She very flower Of
the Southern army, drawn Up in line TO
meet us. Our advance consisted of the advance
guard, General Judah. stan, and escort one
section of HenShaw's Illinois Battery, and one be-
| longing 10 the Fifth Indiana Cavalry. The Fifth
| Indiana and Fourteenth Illinois Cavalry regi-
ments, both under cOmmaGd of Colonel CaprOn,
composed the main body The Eleventh Ken
| lucky, also the Eighth and Ninth Michigan. were
partially represented. While our guns were on
the way TO The summit Of this last steep hill orders
were sent back 10 hasten The artillery to the 'front.'
which was promptly obeyCd by Captain Henshaw,
Ofthc Ottawa battery. The first piece that came
up was rushed 20 The front, and descended part
way into the narrow read through which lay our
route, without waiting for either mate Or caisOn.
1t was there that Major McC0Ok
RECEIVED HIS DEATH WOUND.
Gallant and noble old hero. he viii never he for
gotten by those who were present that day and saw
him carried Off 10 die. On our left two regiments
under Basil Duke were drawn up in line of battle
extending for one half OF mile, and on a step Of
the ascent was planted piece Of rebel artillery,
which commanded both hill and river. After our
guns came up orders were sent back to place tho
advance piece Immediately in action and i'll order
to expedite operations Captain Hcnshaw had dis
mounted and while so engaged the escort and ad-
vance guard (which were not Illinois boyS) came
rushing back in violent disorder throwing down
in their fight Captain Henshaw, his cannoneers,
and horses. Captain Henshaw bruised, bleeding,
and, strange to say, still alive, rose and stag
gcTed 10 the fence which he succeeded in partly
throwing down, thinking The flying horsemen
would form in the rear of bis artillery; but re was
sadly mistaken. The enemy steadily advanced,
rapidly firing and captured both officer and gun.
This check, however, was but mOmentary. The
cavalry under Colonel Capron and Lieutenant
Colonel Butler Of the Fifth Indiana, dashed i'm
mediatcly forward, and matters at once assumed Il
different aspect. The rapidity of Colonel CaprOn's
command was too much for the great Kentucky
chicftain and in twenty minutes after the capture
of Captain HenShaw the whole force of the enemy
were in fll retreat and in hot pursuit until we
drove them into the hands of Generals Hobson and
ShackelEord. In less than one hour We recapiured
Captain Henshaw his gun, and all the rebel artil-
ieIy, amounting to five pieces together with abous
one tn Ousand of Morgans command.
MORGAN At The TiIE
The retreat began, was sitting i'll carriage; but he
soon got out Of that. mounted horse led by his
servant, and for the time eluded our grasp. Had
Morgan followed the adj yiee of Basil Duke. who was
The ablest officer in his command. he
would have skipped out of Ohio in spite of the
close pursuit of our forces. The gun-boat living in
the river did not fire shot until the enemy had
been routed by Ju1ah's forces, and not until the
second line of battle had been formed some dis
tancc in the rear of the attack, and not until
our batteries had fred nom twenty to
thirty rounds. From here we marched
10 Cheshire, about thirty FIVE miles below. on the
Ohio River. There a new command was formed
from different regiments and placed under Gen
eral Shackclford Morgan then within few
miles of Gallipolis, and supposed to be trying 10
cross the river. We however, headed him OFF and,
by marching day and night on Friday came up
with his rear guard, with which We had constant
diminishing all day, and, by keeping close in his
rear, on Sunday morning came up with his main
force few miles north Of New Lisbon, Ohio, and
after short engagement at Salineyille, we sue
seeded in surrounding him a. the former place,
and
EFFECTED HIS CAPTURE;
and on Sunday, July y, at fOGF o'clock .. m we
put the last Of that celebrated han1 of raiders upon
The ears and sent them by express 70 his exccIeney
the late Governor Tod, at Columbus. Thus ended
i long and tedious ride of nearly twenty-five days
and nights in succession, during which time we
rode more than one thousand miles. We lost
number killed, and had some thirty men wounded
It BuffiingtOn's Island, whose wants were imme-
iiately attended to by that gallant little MaiorP z.
n. Bailhache. now q surgeon. l believe, in the
United States Marine Hospital Service.
Many ludcrous things happened to enliyen
he fatigue which We endured. remem-
Der one morning We were riding through It
wooded ravinc, when espie,I woman on the
summit Of an eight-rail fence swinging her bon
net and gesteulating at a fearful rate. Colonel
CaprOn, thinking she possibly might have valuable
Information concerning the enemy TO impart.
halted his command and riding up to where she
vas, was greeted with one of her sweetest smiles
md the pleasing intelligence that she was awful
;lad TO see him. THAT John Morgan was the
neanest fcller she ever seed in all her born DAYS;
hat he had taken the best hess they had, and
would have taken I" Old Jim" if he hadn't been 50
anne; and she hoped the Lord iha, we would
atch him as soon we possibly could
We WOULD FREQUENTLY GER ASLEEP
III horses, and when daylight dawE5d find
ourselves minus any head gear; bat the deficiency
would always be supplied at the first Town we
anne to, where we would sometimes iud the side
galks covered with tables, and surrounded by
retty girls, from whose generous hands we re-
eiyed many most welcome breakfast from Sa-
neville we marched TO Steubenyille, and TOOK the
ars from the latter place to Cincinnati. Al Steu-
enville we received most generous and cutbU-
iaStic reception by the good people Of that city.
procession of young ladies, headed by band Of
music, met and escorted Us TO the fairgrounds,
there pyramids of cake, and express
,lgOnS loaded with sparkling CatawOa,
He'd our hearts with joy and our stOmachs
18th a good square meal, awaited our arrival.
hey also gave us grand ball s. one Of the halls
! The CITY and. notwithstanding. lie fact Ina. un