The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-08-09
Morgan and His Mem,

LSAInS Ion, ny. Inc eulJOf cnaT9t
that
"John Morgan was nothing but
desperate of the very worst typ,
and his command was composed {
the most cold blooded bushwhact
ers, murderers and assassins to b
found in the south. His raid was
cowardly one, and the deeds CON
nitted at his order, and by his me1
shocked and sickened the entir
country. There was nothing brav
or manly or soldierly connecte,
with his predatory incursions int
the north. He selected the quiet
est parts of the country, followed
roads he was least likely to NEE
with armed resistance, and attacked
only defenceless villages and isola
ted farm houses. His objects wer,
pillage, robbery, rape, murder anC
arson, and he and his men CARRIED
them out until their UNANIMOUSLY
cowardly career was checked on the
banks of the Ohio.
"Ifthere is any thing in John Nor
gan's record Of a bushwhacker
murderer and incendiary that car
be remembered with pleasure now,
we have failed to discover it. The
desperadoes who executed his dew
ilish commands may be filed with
happy recollections of their bloody
raid through Ohio, but the people
who respected the cause for which
those men pretended to fight must
feel ashamed that they are allowed
now to glorify the memory of one
of the most damnable exploits OF
the civil wal"
This is an amusing exhibition of
vicious ignorance. 1t passes belief
that any man so ignorant as this
editor can find any employment on
reputable newspaper.
The writer of this was with the
federal troops which followed Nor
gans command from the time it
crossed Cumberland river on the
second of July, until it was headed
off, broken up and the bulk of it
captured at Burlington, Ohio, on
Sunday, July 10, 1868.
On that trip Morgan was checked
at Green river bridge in southern
Kentucky by Col. o. M. Moore, who
was stationed there with battal-
ion of his twenty fifth Michigan in
fantry. Morgan made a desperate
effort to dislodge Moore and cap
ture his command, in which he lost
about 200 men. On the next day,
or the next but one, Morgan's adj
vance struck the fortified town of
Lebanon, manned by Col. Charley
Hanson, commanding the Twenti-
eth Kentucky infantry. Hanson s
command was short of ammunition,
but they fought desperately till the
last round was fired, and they sur
rendered at discretion and were pa
rolled.
In his raid Morgan was as con-
siderate OF the rights of the people
of Ohio and Indiana as any raiders
on either side were, under like cir
Those who say his men were mere
desperadoes, who avoided any chance
to fight, certainly were not acquaint-
ed with those men in their capacity
as soldiers.
The charges of murder, cruelty
and the like will be given the lie by
every federal who fell into Morgan's
hands as 6 prisoner. He was gen
erous and considerable towards the
enemies he captured.
The nonsense about his ''preda-
tory invasion" of the north is in
some features of it complimentary
to Morgan's strategic ability and
and the rest of it is un-
true as well as foolish.
Morgan's raid changed the whole
aspect and results of military Oper-
atoms in kentucky and Tennessee
in the summer and fall of 1868. But
for his diverting and delaying Burn
sides movement upon Knoxville
and the line of the East Tennessee,
Virginia and Georgia railroad, that
commander, with $4,000 men,
would have joined Rosecrans three
weeks before the battle of Chicka-
manga was fought. Ask the sur
viving officers of Burnside and Ro
secrans' armies whether Morgan's
incursion was a mere pillaging per
Torrance, and they will laugh at
the question and the questioner.
We have yet to hear of any cruel
ty being practiced pursuant to
Morgan's order. OF course he had
cruel, cowardly men under him who
misbehaved badly on some occa-
sions, but never by his order that
any one has yet proven.
In the winter of 1923 Morgan
captured Col. Bob. Stewart, of the
Second Indiana cavalry, at Harris
vile, Tenn, through fearful bung-
ling and cowardice of Stewards SUI
perior. The brave fellow was so
chagrined that he sat down, Gov
cred his face with his hands and
wept bitter tears. Some confeder-
ate soldiers standing near jeered at
their Inundated enemy. Stewart
sprang to his feet, whipped out his
sword, and, announcing his ability
to whip a large contingent of the
confederacy, was about to sail into
a score of men who were fully
armed. Morgan came up at that
point, inquired into the affair, re-
proved the men for haunting pris-
oner, took Stewart by the arm, led
him to his quarters, gave him sup
per and lodging, and next morning
sent him a paroled prisoner under
escort to report to Gen. Paine, com
handing Federal forces at Lebanon
this state.
Was that the act of a cowardly
cut-throat, such as the Chicago
News describes John Morgan tC
have been?-[ Chattanooga Times
Who Discovered America?
At Modena, among the archives