The National tribune., 1900-06-07

the Federal troops The conference was
very brief, lasting probably not more than
IL minutes. AS usual, Gen. Morgan was
magnanimouS, and granted 10 Gen. E. H.
Hobson, the Federal commander, liberal
terms of capitulation. The officers were
allowed to retain their swords, and officers
and men were not to be deprived of their
cred his entire command, about 1000
men.
Gen. Hobson was q large, fine looking
man, pleasant and courteous, and not
stranger to many OF our troops. Morgan
had surrendered to his troops in Ohio.
Gen. HobSon was n man for whom Morgan
always entertained high respect, knowing
him to be gallant, chiyalrous officer, and
q gentleman.
The enemy stacked their guns, which
were rified muskets, with bayonets fixed
With the exception of many of the men who
carried Enfield rifles, our soldiers aban-
doned their own guns and took those of the
enemy, in order to utilize the Federal am
munition. The soldiers OF the 4th KY,
almost without exception, were armed with
Enfield rifles, the same that they had cap
tured from the Tooth Ohio infantry at Lime
stone, Tenn. They were much attached
TO the gun and were loath TO throw il aWav
Soldier-lkc, they trusted TO luck, hoping
that the yicissitudes Of war would soon
throw some Enfield cartridges into their
hands, "a fatal mistake, as the sequel the
next mornings battle at Cynthiana. proved
Giifner's Brigade returned to Cynthiana,
passed through the town and took position
short distance beyond on the Paris pike,
| scouts having reported that q Federal force
was approaching from that direction.
Taking all the circumstances into con-
| sideration, probably any other chieftain
| than Morgan would have thought dis
cretion the better part of valor and forthwith
have retired from Kentucky to his base,
far away in blessed old Virginia.
The men were broken down by long
marches, loss of sleep and much hard fight
| ing. Not more than 900 weary, partially
unarmed troops could be depended upon to
fight 1000 fresh troops with artillery,
said to be advancing upon us by two
roads; besides. the whole State was
Federals, bountifully supplied with Quar-
termaster and Commissary stores, neces-
sary to the effectiveness of any army
Notwithstanding the gloomy, DEPRESSING
situation, Gen. Morgan intimated his in,
clination 10 stay at Cynthiana and fight the
fresh hosts advancing upon him. How
ever, i have thought that Gen. Morgan
was not altogether to blame for remaining
| in that position until the next morninD
Soon after nightfall, inadvertently heard a
coterie Of officers, high in command, dis
cussing the situation, holding an informal
council of war. 1t was stated that Gen.
| Morgan had reconSidcred his resolution
and suggested TO his officers the adyis.
abiltyof Withdrawing his command from
| its perilouS position; at least, Of removing
it across the Licking River, and beyond The
immediate vicinity of Cynthiana. In the
| light OF subsequent events, the scene and
conversation of that small group of officers
became indeibly impressed upon the
tablets of my memory. 1t was a calm.
weird scene. The troops were nearly ali
lying down, "the weary TO sleep, the wound
ed TO die" |, too, was reclining upon the
bluegrass sward, unobscryed by the Off
GERS who were standing near, their forms
clearly outlined against my canopy, the
sky. They talked in subducd tones, but
| ! could hear distinctly every word said
To my surprise the leading Spokesman
rldiculed the idea of moving the command
that night. If Gen. Morgan had SUI
gested movement, it was then made eyi-
dent to me that he had been opposed ] Inv, NV
leading officers in a council of war. and
acquiesced in their view of the situation
For this have always blamed him.
He was in command; his authority was
supreme, and his suggestion of a move
ment that night was founded upon sonnd
military policy. We should not have
been permitted to sleep all night while an
| overwhelming force of the enemy was mov-
/ ing upon us and the Licking River behind
| us.
| Illtner BrlSade was placed in posi-
ton on the Paris turnpike near the Kim
brough mansion, on an elevation which
commanded a view of the road several
hundred yards in our front: the 4th XIV,
was Immediately on the left of the road
facing toward Paris; Maj Holidays
| (Clay's) battalion was on the opposite
side OF Kimbrough's house, on the right
hand side OF the road. These two bat
talIons slept on their arms, in line of battle.
all night. The battaiions of Chenowith'
johnson, Trimble, and Jessee lay on their
arms by their horses, a short distance i'm
The rear. The Second Brigade, / think,