Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1892-04-14
A SCRAP OF HISTORY.
A True Story of The Great Morgan
Raid.
How St Clairsville's Brave Sons Rose tc
Protect Their Home-An Inter
esting "Reminiscences.

Protect Their Home-An Inter
esting "Reminiscences.
Many citizens of ST. ClairsviiIe yet liv
ing remember the excitement produced
20 years ago next July. when word reach
ed town that John Morgan was on 6
rapid march toward the quiet and an.
cient capital of Belmont county. The
following extracts from letter written
by a son to his father, then in the army
will recall to those surviving heroes
who took part in the defense of our Sire.
sides, some of the incidents, and may not
prove uninteresting to the generation
that has grown up since. The letter
reads as follows:
ST. CLAIRsvILLE, o., July 2S, 1863.
Dear Father: Belmont county has for
the past few days been the scene of a
great deal of excitement consequent upon
the unpleasantly near approach of John
Morgan to her borders.
You are aware that some time since
Morgan and his marauding band crossed
over into Indiana, and after raiding
around in that State for awhile came
over to pay visit to the Buckeye State.
He crossed over at Butler county, and
after being hotly pursued on all sides,
and having good portion of his force
killed and captured in the southern coun
ties he directed his course northward 1t
was evident that he found himself en-
trapped, and was seeking an outlet by
way of the Ohio River
On last Thursday night our citizens
were aroused and alarmed by the ring
ing of the Court house bell at late hour.
Word had come that Morgan was in
Guernsey county, and was heading to-
ward Belmont. 1t was not long before
the whole town was in a "fever of ex-
citement." A meeting was called to de-
termine what to do, as the Governor had
not called out the militia of this county,
and we were perfectly defenseless. Be-
fore this, however, the military commit
tee had telegraphed 20 Governor Tod,
hearing of the near approach of Morgan.
to know if he could send us arms. The
Governor replied that he could not, in
time. They then sent to Governor Bore
man, of West Virginia, to know if he
coald furnish arms, but he replied that
they were all the hands of his own mill
tia. There was no other alternative than
for each man to furnish his own gun,
and all who would agree to go, to put
their names down that night. which a
great many did.
The morning found the exitement un-
habated. Men were running to and fro
Hunting up firearms, moulding bullets
and girding on their armor. reminding
one of the scenes of '76, described in his
tory. 1t was not long before quite a
squad had collected and among the num-
Der might have been seen the mi itaIy
| figure" (D of your humble servant. The
Omnibuses were ordered out, and we
started in the direction of Morristown
go or 40 in number) as we heard that
Morgan was at Washington, coming
down the pike. The panic had likewise
spread all over the county, and everybody
that could raise anything in the shape of
a gun or pistol rushed to the rescue"
At Morristown we were joined by
the companies of Louisville. Belmont,
Barnesville, Flushing, Morristown, Sc,
and stragglers from the surrounding
country, swelling our force to about four
hundred.
We now took up the line of march to-
ward Fairview. as we heard the "rebs"
were there, and our intention was to try
to head them. When We were west of
Morristown some two miles, on Taylors
Hill, we were met by courier, who
stated that Morgan had had skirmish
with the ;'milish' at Washington, cross
ed the pike and gone in the direction of
Cadiz. We then retraced our steps, wait
ing in Morristown for further orders.
Colonels Poorman and COwen were our
field officers, and John ~ Work our Cap
tain. In the meantime the citizens of
Morristown had prepared eatables, and
the way the lot of hungry men pitched
into them was caution. = We
word came that Morgan was striking
for the pike again and we were ordered
to the road leading in past the Infirmary,
as it was supposed he would come that
way. So we encamped here for the night,
sending out mounted scouts. As this
was my first experience at soldering" it
puzzled me somewhat to know how
was to put in the night. Presently "El"
Kennon came along and proposed that
we 60 and hunt up some place to sleep.
Not fancying the idea of the ground for
IA bed, we placed four rails on the ground,
and stretched ourselves lengthwise, with
with our guns for pillows. But finding
this rather too hard a bed we began to
look around for a softer one, when we
found haystack close by, where good
many of the st. Clairsyille boys were
resting. Here | did not sleep much for
laughing at "Bob Buff" keeping watch
over the haystack with his "gunboat," as
he called his old rusty musket. The most
of the soldiers out that night were rather
yerdant, and not well versed on the rules
of the camp, so "Cubie" was inclined to
have little sport at the expense of the
raw recruits. Many would approach our
haystack in search of hay to make bed
with, but "Cubie" would halt them with
his "gunboat," and he kept our sleeping
place clear of all intruders.
John Morgan was not seen or heard of
that night. The next morning part of
our crew took breakfast at John Rott-
meir's, in East Richland, part at other
places, and part didn't take any. Soon
in the morning courier came with the
word that the ''rebs" had taken breakfast