Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-30
SHE KISSED MORGAN,
A Southern Girl Who Defended the
Raider at WellSyille, o.,
Is NOW RESIDING In PITTsBURG.
An Exciting Scene in the Old Missouri
House After the Capture.
A MOTLEY ARMY QUICKLY RALLIED.


WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATcH.I
On bright sunshiny afternoon not long
ago an old Beaver county farmer strolled
up to the postoffice steps and there took his
stand along with many other idlers who
daily congregate on that commanding spot
to view the passing throng. The golden
rolls Of fresh country butter, the spring
chickens csc brandy and other tempting
produce had been handed out to the city
folk, and the silver dollars chinked merrily
in his pockets. He wore on the lapel of
his coat a button which proclaimed in a
modest way that he had served his country
for three long years during time when
three years were as six years of peace.
Stopping in the midst of one of his remin-
iscent anecdotes, he pointed to middle
aged lady on the opposite side of the
crowded avenue, saying, "There goes the
woman who kissed Morgan, the raider,
while he was prisoner in WellsVille, o."
Pressed to relate the circumstances of what
was considered at the time a very nervy act,
he told the tale. which, stripped of its quaint
| dialect, ran thus:
away back in July. '63, the people Of
Pittsburg moved with little more celeritY
than they do now, and they had good reason
to be, for upon the bulletin boards OF The
DISPATCH was written the startling news
that Morgan, the swilt-hying caValryman
of Bragg's army, had passed through
the very streets Of Cincinnati and was now
on his way to Pennsylvania. But their ex-
citement was nothing compared with that OF
the country folk living near the boundary
line OF Ohio and Pennsylvania. Few of US
dreamed that John Morgan, native OF
Beaver county, who had cast his fortunes
with the Southern flag, would ever succeed
in getting so near Pennsylvania at the head
of band who were reputed to be little bet
ter than cut throats.
RUMoR ADDED TO THE FRIGHT.
Gas the days went by the rumors became
more definite and more alarming. Terrible
tales of the prowess of the Southrons were
told; of horses run off by the score, OF farms
laid waste, in fact. Morgan's little band cre-
ated more alarm than did the armv OF Lee
as he approached Gettysburg. There were
few ablebodied men in the country districts
| at that time; some times not enough to
| properly attend to the details of the burial
| of some brave fellow who had left his coun-
try home full of the hope OF glory, only to re-
| turn wounded unto death. II was COM
mon sight in those stirring days to see
women in the fields doing the work OF men.
L was at INV HOIuo On bHe SOULA oAuC Va
| the Ohio, not far from the State line, enjoy
| ing a brief furlough. Early one bright
morning we heard a yell. Down the road,
| mounted on swift mare, came one OF the
| neighbors. Morgan is coming, he fairly
| screamed. Run to the river; he's going to
Cross Scarcely had we realized the dread
import of his words till he was gone. Far
down the highway we could hear the
clickety-cliek of the mares hoofs and the
| yells of her rider.
Sew minutes were wasted by any Of US.
| Down from the brackets came the old rifle;
bullet molds soon appeared in the hands Of
| wives and daughters; the older boys were
instructed 10 take the horses to the woods
and thickets; then, on foot and on horse
back, we skurried away to the river. What
motley assemblage that was? remember
one old fellow, confirmed rheumatic who
had not been on horse for years, gathered
up rifle and two shot guns, mounted an
old nag, and rode to the schoolhouse to arm
| such of his neighbors as might be unpro-
vided with weapons.
THE RAIDER HAD BEEN CAPTURED.
But when we reached the river we re-
ceived word that the raider had been cap
tured near SalineVille, o., and was being
brought to WellsVille under strong guard.
Sending word back to my wife 1, with sew
eral others, pushed on to WellsVille to get
glimpse of the man who had so nearly in
vaded the soil of the old Commonwealth.
Wellsville, then a small town, was filed
with excited people, almost every male car
rying a weapon of some SORT And such
weapons as some of them were-every STYLE
OF frearm from an old beIl-mouthed blum
derbuss to bright shining En6elds.
Morgan's captors, covered with dust, but
carrying themselves as proudly as though
they had captured score of Southern arm
les, soon marched into the town. In the abb
sence of strong Jail Morgan and his Off
GERS were taken to the Missouri House, the
principal hotel. While here meu, women
and children surged into the hotel. Not
withstanding the menacing looks of many
of his visitors, Morgan seemed perfectly un-
moved, and listened to the threats of hang
ing, etc., with the utmost nonchalance
Just as Morgan was about to be taken
to the room which had been prepared for
him, a young girl, not more than Is, stand
ing in the front row of spectators, sprang to
the side of the prisoner. She was quite
pretty, brunette with regular features, and
a well rounded figure,
TYPICAL DAUGHTER OF DIXIE.
Her great brown eyes flashed as she
turned to the crowd, which a moment before
had been advocating dose of hemp for the
prisoner, and soUndly berated them for even
thinking of taking such summary vengeance
on a prisoner of war. For moment the
crowd stood silent as they gazed on the
strange scene, scene worthy of the skillful
hand of great painter. She's rebel,
too they yelled. There's secesh for YOU
Yes, am REBEL she haughtily said,
stepping in front OF the cavalryman, 4 am
proud OF it,
"Then turning her back on the mob, she
looked into the raiders eyes with unutter-
able pity as he stood there helpless, then
clasping her arms around his neck she i'm
pressed upon his lips a ringing kiss. The
witnesses were thunderstfuck. Then they
grew wild, and it is probable that the two
actors in this little drama would nave been
roughly handled had not the guards cleared
the hotel.
81 afterward learned that the young lady
had been raised In the South, and had come
to Wellsville with her widowed mother
shortly before the breaking out of hostilities.
The family lived in town for a long time,
finally moving to Pittsburg, where under
stand they are living to-day"