Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-11-22
THE CONFLICT RACED.

IL MOOlc' NOis MoOiC Noo ohC Va VIZ
youngest officers OF his rank In the
army, and having led his regiment
CALAMITY in several engagements, his
"brave boys Of the Badger state" as
he termed them, felt toward him q
sense OF personal devotion and were
ready to follow their youthful com
mander, who was but twenty-six years
Of age wherever he dared to lead In
the line OF their duty.
As the Fourth Of July is military
as well as civil feast day among Amer
leans, extra rations had been issued
and the stoclade gayly decorated.
The officers and soldiers Of the garrl.
son had looked forward to the nation
al day with special interest In view
OF promised visit to the stockade by
"a number OF the village and country
bellies, with whom they had had no bat
ties but many engagements.
The bright prospect Of festal
gathering, however, vanished into
thin air when ut nine o'clock q IN. the
bugles OF Morgan's cavalry sounded
and their long gray line Of battle was
seen formed in two ranks and facing
the stockade, just beyond rifle range
The force thus displayed numbered,
apparently, about fifteen hundred
rank and file, while the strength OF
the garrison was but two hundred and
fifty men for duty, q portion Of the
regiment having been detached and
posted elsewhere.
An officer soon advanced from the
line under flag OF truce holding a
letter in his right hand. The letter
was received by the officer OF the day
and delivered to Col, Moore, and was
in these words;
HEADQUARTERS MoRGANs DIVISION,
"lS THE FIELD IN FRONT OF GREEN RIvER}
"SToCKADE, July 4, 1858.
ITO THE OFFICER COMMANDING THE FEEDER.
AL FORCES AT SroCKADE NEAR GREEN RIVER
BRIDGE, ky.--Siri In the name OF the con-
fodcratc states government | demand on i'm
mediate and unconditional surrender Of the
entire force under your command together
with their stockados am, very respectfully,
JOHN Il. MORGAN
Commanding cavalry division c. S. army
1t was a solemn and high-sounding
summons. and well calculated to over
awe an officer with SO small a COM
mand, but it did not, for It was sent to
n soldier who was as dead game as the
sender Of the naughty missive The
answer, instantly returned. was as fol-
lows:
"TEBDs BEND, GREEN RIVER, KY,
July 4, 1909
Gen JoHN II, MORGAN, c. $, ARMy-Gcn-
eral: | have received your demand for tho
surrender OF the troops under my command,
together with this post The Fourth OF July
Is no day for an American oflcer TO entertain
such proposition Very respectfully
"ORLANDo II. MOORE
Colonel Twonty-Afth Michigan infantry, U.
s A., commanding post
On receiving the defiant answer
Gen. Morgan at once opened Are with
a battery OF artillery. AS the stoclade
was built only Of wooden posts driven
into the ground, with but a slight en-
bankment OF earth around the interior,
and no bomb proofs, it was soon made
untenablc, and Col. Moore withdrew
bis force and formed his lines in the
adjacent woods. Morgan, aftera brief
cannonadc dismounted, the greater
part of his command and advanced to
the attack, leading it in person. 1t
was met with rapid volley firing by
the undaunted Michigan rlemen, but
where the dead fell the living stepped,
and the daring Kentuckians soon
gained the shelter Of the woods
There the conflict ragged for nearly two
hours, each side availing itself OF
every cover afforded by the contour Of
the ground and the trees. They en-
gagged in a hand-to-hand combat on
many parts Of the field, in which the
union soldiers had the advantage Of
bayonets on their rifles. Men fired and
struck at each other while shielding
themselves on opposite sides Of the
same fallen tree trunk. Gen. Morgan,
finding that the stubborn infantry In
his front was exacting Of his troops .
bloody toll for every step Of their ad-
vance, fell back upon his reserve, and
soon after sent in a flag requesting
permission to bury his dead where
they lay The request was refused,
but he was informed that they
would be collected carefully and de.
livered to his burial details IN front
Of the stoclsade, which was according
" done. Ills loss was seventy-two
killed and one hundred and ninety.
eight wounded and that of the union
force thirty killed and one hundred
and ten wounded Among the con.
federates killed were Col. D. W. Che
mault, Lieut.. Col. Hanson, Maj. Thomas
Y Brent, Eve captains and nine lieu.
tenants, Col Moore, at the close Of
the war, was appointed captain in
the Eighteenth infantry, u S. A., and,
bis health having become impaired, he
was retired few years since with the
rank OF major My intimate associa-
ton with him after the war. in Sos