The Indianapolis journal., 1896-06-14
THOSE EIGHT DAYS OF WAR.
A Man Who Took Part Offers His
RecoIIecffons.

In the Sunday Journal OF May 81 / read
rather an amusing article from the pen OF
George S. Cottman, entitled Eight Days Of
War" in which he gave some "reminiscences
of the john Morgan raid in Indiana In
this funny narrative three honored citizens
of Indiana, now residing at Irvington, your
beautiful eastern suburb. figure conspicu-
ously. The undersigned was high private
in that memorable campaign, and, while
he would not pluck q single star from the
crown of military glory that adorns the
heads of the big three" who are now rest
ing on their laurels. and in their old age
take so much delight in fighting their bat
ties o'er again as they tell to their chii-
dren's children" the wonderful events OF
that famous ''eight days of war;" yet the
truth of history and the honor due to the
memory Of Indiana's great war Governor"
and to others who helped TO expel the bold
Confederate marau6er" from Hoosier soil
demand that some inaccuracies Of your Ir-
vington correspondent should be noticed
and corrected. Perhaps he is somewhat
youthful, and that what he has written he
has learned from these venerable grand
fathers who may have forgotten some
facts of that remarkable raid.
The writer of these lines at that time was
living at InOrnlOWn, anu was pTluCipdl VI
the old academy at that place. On Thurs
day night July O. 1863. at about o'clock.
the first news of the raid reached Us by
wire. 1t created great excitement in that
loyal town, which had sent to the front many
brave boys. An hour later came the call
from Governor Morton for troops. Your
Irvington correspondent states that before
the Indianapolis troops could be organized
Morgan had crossed the State line into
Ohio" Now for the facts as to loyal old
Boone county The Governors call set the
people wild. Drums were beaten, cannon
fired, runners sent out into the country for
members of the Home Guards" and the
whole night spent in preparations for the
advance to the front When the o'clock
morning train from Lafayette to Indianapo-
lis arrived full company of brave militia
men, eager for the fray, boarded the train
for the capital. AT Lebanon and other
towns in the county they were Joined by
other companies, and went into camp at In
dianapolis in Military Park. During the
afternoon of Friday, the 10th, a Boone
county regiment of eight companies was
organized This was the first regiment
ready. BY Saturday morning a brigade,
under command of General Lew Wallace,
who was at that time home from the front,
left the city for the seat of war. We left
In freight cars on the old Madison railroad.
AT Franklin we waited several hours for
our artillery complement. which had been
ordered to join us there. In the afternoon
we got off again, and arrived at Columbus
about dark. There it was learned that
General Morgan was at Vernon, and had
just demanded the surrender of the town.
This created the greatest excitement in the
brigade of Home Guards. To think that we
were within a few miles of rebel army
which had invaded our native soil made
the blood of patriotism boil. We were or
dered to fill our cartridge boxes, carry
loaded arms, and cut port holes in the
freight cars to shoot out Of A squad of
cavalry was improvised and sent ahead of
the train to the country for the
enemy. Many rumors came 70 us about
Morgan and his men, and many a tender
foot trembled when he thought of the
morrow" and felt that the grim realities of
war were SO soon to be upon him.
We proceeded slowly southwark, stopping
frequently to wait for news from our cav
airy scouts. Sometimes as these galoped
by on the dirt roads near our train we were
| certain they were some of the rebel raid
ers about to surround us. Thus wore on
was dawning we arrived at North Vernon
| and learned that the enemy, hearing that
a brave army from the north was after
him. concluded that discretion was the
| better part of valor," and after making
some demands on the citizens for needed
| supplies left old Vernon, two miles south
| a few hours before We arrived at North
| Vernon. We spent most of Sunday at
Vernon, but late in the afternoon were or
! dered aboard the train and went to Du-
pont Here we pitched our tents and be-
| gan preparations for supper. But just be-
| fore grub was ready we were again ordered
| to board the train and go back to Vernon.
| We never knew the reason OF this to US,
| singular movement, but supposed 1t was
to try our metal and get us ready for the
rough usage of war. On Monday we went
east on the Ohio & Mississippi railway, as
| far as Osgood, where bridge,
burnt the day before by Morgan,
| stopped our progress by rail. Here
| we began a twenty-mile march on
| & Cincinnati railroad. Most of the way
dersgned sends greeting to the three vet
| 60.00O had responded. and he had to tel
we marched in the wake of the raiders,
/ who had preceded only about twenty
four hours. We saw many evidences of
|
the wayside, fields devastated and camp
fires still burning. We were joyfully fed by
the families of farmers, who, the day be-
| fore, had been compelled to feed the ene-
| my. Sunman was the end of our journey.
| There we learned that Morgan had passed
| into Ohio at Harrison, hotly pursued by
| patriotic Hoosiers and warmly received by
| fighting Buckeyes.
Thus it will be seen that the invader did
| not get out of indiana before the troops
| were organized at Indianapolis" But in less
than thirty-six hours after he crossed the
Ohio river regiments were on the march to
| meet him. and did meet him more than
half way, and turned his course eastward
and chased him out of the State The un-
designed sends greeting TO the three vet.
Grams of Irvington; glad TO know that they
| were fellow-soldiers in that memorable
campaign. If they were a little late and
did not get to the front il was not their
fault, as Mr.. Cottman states. but the blame
is on the officers who stimulated" toe
much by -tarrying too long at the wine.
May these honored men live yet many
years, and tell not only to the third. bu,
| fo tho foprth opi Nffb oa,a~ot;o~~ A.