The National tribune., 1896-11-26

Rhen the matter was InorouShhy oiS
cussed. Todd said that Burbick was
no soldier of the United States or Ohio,
and that Morgan had surrendered to his
own prisoner at time when he was sur
rounded and could not escape capture.
never wanted anything that did not
belong to me: but as 10 being the per-
sonal captor of John Morgan, Gen.
Shackelford himself says: "Mal. Rue's
command brought Morgan to halt
and held him until | came up.
David Howe, in his History Of Ohio,
saws: Maj. Rue was the personal
captor of Morgan"
Col. Hart Gibson SAWS that while
Morgan was talking with Capt. Burblek
to retain his side-arms, Maj. Rue, COM
manding battalion Of Wolford's Cav
alry. threw himself across the front OF
our command" Gibson had the name
right, but placed me in the wrong regi-
ment / did not belong to Woltord S
regiment, which was five miles away.
MANY regiments participated in the
great raid. and all are entitled to their
share of the credit The 9th Ky. Cav.
was in the raid from the start to the
close of il.
Gen. Hobson saws that "Maj. Rue
was the personal captor of Gen. Morgan,
as thousands of soldiers who were on the
ground at the time can testify to the
fact" The Sd Ohio was in the raid for
the last six days, and did good work.
They were on the ground in about 20
minutes after | had stopped Morgan,
and before Wolford's regiment arrived.
/ was busy throwing down fences and
getting ready for an emergency, and for
a while | did not pay any attention to
tie flags of truce. The first fiagman l
met called himself Maj. Steele. Soon
after Steele came Col. Hart Gibson and
again surrendered the command. The
first question / asked was: Is Gen.
Morgan there 2" He had a way Of
disappearing sometimes.
Mai. Lewis Bond, of the Sd Ohio,
certainly deserves great credit for the
proud manner in which he came for
ward with his men. Had / been COM
PEELED to fight he would have come for
ward in time to have rendered aid.
/ have written but little about this
great raid. / have left the matter to
history, but it has never been correctly
stated, and as am getting old and will
soon pass off the stage of action, L
thought | would give an honest history
of it, having all the facss at my COM
mand, which | have preserved.
The object of the Morgan raid
differed from even the boldest of other
Confederate raids 1t was vastly more
extended, and in the nerve that was re-
quired, when they considered the great
natural obstacles, and the unshrinking
audacity with which that small force
penetrated into a populous and intensely
hostile territory, exposed itself to such
TREMENDOUS ODDS
and disadvantages Gen. Morgan's raid
through the States demonstrated that
$500 veteran cavalry, thoroughly armed
and superbly equipped, were actually
able, without great loss or hindrance, to
pass through as densely populated States
as Indiana and Ohio without great
danger and appreciable loss.
After the disaster at Burlington Island,
Morgan's force was reduced to $50 avail
able men, almost without arms and am
munition; yet IN a few hours be captured
asreginaent a of militia and had them
drawn up in line at a present arms in
the town where they lived and de-
prived them of horses, arms and ammu-
milton and sent them back home, while
he continued raiding for seven days
longer through densely populated por-
ton of Ohio, with strong Federal force
on his heels, throwing shot and she'll into
his ranks every few hours; also, with
militia in bis front to obstruct the roads
and fire into his advance-guard and
contest every inch of his progress. Nc
one but genius could have done it.
Over 100000 men were in arms to
catch Morgan, and although all the
means TO transport troops and get in.
formation and to dispose of men to in.
tercept him was possessed by bis enc.
mics, yet the willy strategy of the raider
enabled him to follow the very route
which he had laid out for striking the
Ohio River where he had intended
crossing ii when he started from Tennes
see, and would have gotten over had not
the river risen a month later than it had
done for 20 years.
The object Of the Morgan raid wa:
largely accomplished. Gen. Bragg's re
treat was Gnmolested by any fankine
forces of the enemy, and delayed the fall
Of East Tennessee for weeks.
1t is true that it destroyed Morgan's
Division and left but remnant of hi,
cavalry, nearly all Of his men beins
captured or killed, some 200 escaping
across the river into Kentucky, and i
looked to the casual observer that it wa
an unwise and foolish undertaking be
sides, he was compelled to lie in prison
for about six months. 1t is true that h,
had carried the war north of the Obi,
River and become invaders of Nortber,