The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-03-04
MORGAN AT CYNTHIANA.
Fierce Fighting Told About by q Partici
pant WHO "Got Scooped."

Fierce Fighting Told About by Particle
pant WHO "Got scooped."
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In your
issue of Feb. A is an account of the fight at
Cynthiana, interesting to me, az had some
thing to do with it. will correct few
mistakes. The first engagement was by the
169th Ohio, 90-days men, in the town. The
next was by the 171st Ohio, also 90-days
men. The squad of cavalry mentioned in
the report, 81 in number, was composed OF
men from every regiment in Gen. Bur-
BRIDGES Brigade. I was Sergeant Of the
squad, which was an escort to Gen. Robson.
When the 171st were fred on, we were
ordered by Gen. Hobson to march out west
of the railroad, form skirmish-line, and
hold the enemy back until he could form
the infantry. We went over a hill and
down in q hollow, where there was a rail
fence, we'll protected with underbrush.
There we lay down in the corners, and held
that line until about 10 o'clock, when we
were moved to the right, and about IL o'clock
were ordered back in the main line, but were
not idle, for we had breech-loading carbines
and 80 rounds to the man. When we were
marched past that place after we were taken
prisoners, heard one of the officers Of the
guard say: There's that skirmish-line that
Uelu LUAU lcHCS Ill VIC luOTuluS, 0uu hAAA0u
IL of our men and wounded 49,"
If the 171st had had as much ammunition
as we had, we would never have had to sur
render, as we held our ground until their
ammunition gave out.
After we had been ordered back to the
main line, one of Morgan's sharpshooters
was in the top of a large tree close to our
line. Before we could tell where he was he
shot three of the Hist,
A member of my company e., 10Th Ohio
Cav.), John McCewen, saw the smoke of his
gum. He got down on his hands and knees
and crawled out toward the rebel line until
he could see the man in the tree. He fired,
and the sharpshooter came to the ground.
The boys cheeredo so loud that the rebs
thought we were being reinforced.
Gen. Morgan sent in a flag of truce with
demand for immediate and unconditional
surrender, and Gen. Hobson replied that his
infantry had used their last cartridge, but
he would fight with tie bayonet till hell
froze over before he would surrender uncon-
ditionally. He made his own terms, and
Morgan accepted them
The great execution, that the Cincinnati
report tells about was done by Burbridge's
cavalry the next morning. l heard one of
Morgan's staff say, after he caught up with
us, when we were being marched off on the
double-quick, that he was near Gen. Morgan
when he first saw the cavalry getting ready
| to charge on him. He looked at them with
his field-glass short time, then turned to
his staff and said: "My God there comes
the 18th Mich. and 10Th Ohio Cav; it's
| Camp Chase, h or Canada for US now
get out of here!" He got" but his men
didn't all get away, for they were between
our cavalry and the river, and had to cross a
covered bridge. Burbrjdge ran his artillery
down the pike near the bridge and fired
grapeshot through the bridge so fast that it
was soon blocked with horses and men.
Then the rebs undertook to swim the river,
and were terribly slaughtered.
Morgan entered Kentucky with force OF
over 1000 men and left the State with about
800 Gen. Bnrbridge took one-thrd of his
men at Mt. Sterling, only three days before
the Cynthiana fight. after making the I'M
equalled march of 80 miles in 90 hours.-G.
w. LYMAN, Go. Z, 18th Ohio Cav, Ames
|