The National tribune., 1897-01-21
FIGHTING THEM OVER
What Our Veterans Have to Say About
Their Old Campaigns,
DICK MORGAN GAVE UP.

DICK MORGAN GAVE UP.
One Of the Interesting Incidents OF the Al
fair at Burlington Island.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your
issue of Dec IL is a communication oy
Lieut.. William Fl. Clark, Go. @, 9Th Mich.
Cav, In relation to the raider John Morgan
] have waited patiently to hear IL there
were any survivors of the 9Th Mich. Cav.
who would venture TO speak on one of the
NEST exciting raids that occurred during the
war.
The 9th Mich. Cav, on June %, 1868,
went into camp south of Stanford, Ky. On
Saturday, July 4, 1868, the Sth aud 9Th
Cav, with a section of the 11th Mich. bat
terry, moved out of camp and marched in the
direction of Lebanon. The march continued
till past midnight, when the respective COM
mands went into camp for a few hours
rest and feed, and at an early hour moved
out and resumed the marcia forced one
till we got within the sound Of the enemy Is
guns at Lebanon.
From this time the command proceeded
more cautiously, with slackened speed. On
approaching the town a skirmish-line was
thrown out which halted when we came In
sight Of the town. The whole command
manuvered for short time. Col. James J..
David. 9th Cav, was the ranking officer,
Col. Stockton, 9Th Cav, not being present.
Our Sergeant-Major of the 9th Cav, John.
S. Hovey, was captured by the rebels in the
advance upon the town. He reported that
the Federals had at least 10000 men ready
to pounce upon them at moments warn
ing. This somewhat accelerated their move
ments. We could see them very plainly IN
~
Capt George Miller, in command OF 20.
L of the 9th. asked permission of Col. Da-
vid to charge with his company into the
town. The request was granted. The COM
pany charged and captured a few prisoners.
The rear-guard of Morsan's command left in
Q hurry. This was. Col. David's opportu-
nifty. Had he followed up with his whole
command he could have inflicted iucalcula-
BILE damage to the enemy. The 9th and 9th
Cav were armed with sabers, Colts revolvers.
and Spencer rifles, and were anxious for the
fray.
The Colonel failed in his support of the
charging company. The command fell back
to Danville, and the next day monday,
July 60 the 9Th and 9th Cav, with some
other regiments, were put in one brigade
and Col. w. T. Saunders, 5th KY. Cav. as
sumed command. We left Danville July z
and commenced the chase after Morgan. At
Westport, on the Ohio River, % miles above
Louisville, the 9th Cav. were divided. Com
panies A, B. F and L, and Battery L, LIST
Mich. L. A.. took transports for Cincinnati,
arriving there on the 18th of July.
/ shall not attempt to account for any
thing except what came under my own OBJ
servaticn. / will omit all details of the
march and theexcitement of the times, taking
no note of many incidents. But it is but
Just to say that Lieui.-Col. Hanson, with a
small portion of the Doth KY, had defended
the town of Lebanon bravely for good part
of the day against Morgan's command. In
this defense Morgan's brother was killed.
II fairly presumable that had the Michigan
troops been let loose at the proper time John
Morgan would never have crossed the Ohio
River with his whole force, to infiict terror
on the people of Ohio and Indiana.
On the morning of July is a portion of
the Sth Cav. and section of Battery L left
Cincinnati under orders direct from Gen.
Burnside, then in the city. The march con-
tinued north of the Ohio River till July 10.
We came aron the enemy's column at or
near Burlington Island. 1t was about day.
light in the morning. We had marched all
night and were worn out, sleepy and dusty.
Sall out of ranks and steal a short map when
the sound of cannonadlng in front aroused
him.
Attention, company! Prepare to fight
on foot!n
Cos. L and F dismounted, advanced as
skirmishers, and drove the rebel skirmsh-
line the gunboats in tie Ohio River in
the meantime making things lively for the
Johnnies. The fight soon became rout of
the enemy, with a capture of about 1000
prisoners.
wish to state fact here that has never
been in print. not for the purpose of self
laudation, but from the peculiarly of the
incident. After Cos. L (of which the writer
was a member) and F had been driving the
rebel skirmishers by order of Maj. GALLAGHER
who accompanied us for some little while
We succeeded in capturing six prisoners i
was ordered by the Captain of Co. L, a
brother of mine, TO conduct those six prison.
ers to the rear.
Thinking the worst part of the fighting
done. called on Corp'ls Martin Quinlin and
Charles Ferry, Of my company, 10 go along
with me- They consented. We started,
and uBdertsok to hunt for some of our forces
in the rear, where we could deliver our
prisoners, of whom we were not q little
proud. We soon struck the timber and, as
we supposed, were going in the right direc-
liOu.
We trudged along right merrily, and after
having advanced in the timber some little
distance along by-road heard voice,
Haiti" Looking to my left-rear discoy-
cred a squad of perhaps a dozen Confeder-
ates coming up ON horseback and well armed.
They called to our prisoners and wanted to
know what they were doing there. Upon
being informed that they were prisoners of
war the Johnnies turned TO us. "Are you
Yankee soldiers?" We informed them that
we were We parleyed for few minutes,
and the question in my mind was Who
has the best right 10 the prisoners? If might
makes right, they most assuredly had the
better of us, especially in point of numbers.
But they as well as we seemed bewildered
While meditating i happened to look in the
direction had intended TO 20, when / OBJ
served something that settled the matter
with me. 1t was long column of rebs,
mounted, marching by fours. all armed and
coming directly toward me.
They came up and commenced to hold q
hurried conversation with the aforemen-
TONED squad who had first halted us, and
who were in charge Of rebel Major. This
long column of rebs proved to be Col. Dick
Norgan's Brigade, with the Colonel at the
head of it,
They were much surprised at finding three
Yankee soldiers there with three prisoners.