The National tribune., 1903-11-26
MORGAN VERSUS MORGAN.

army TO the enemy. NOT so With tne III
domitable Gen. Geo. w. Morgan. Fully
realizing that, TO save his army from star
walton or capture, retreat was his only re-
course, he destroyed his stores and plunged
into the mountain wilderness of Eastern
Kentucky. a desolate and barren land, to
march to the Ohio River, POO miles dis
tant. Even if he were unmolested by the
Confederates march through that noun
famous region, deprived of food for man
or beast, would require heroic courage and
enduring fortitude. 1t was like marching
through 1.-The valley of the shadow OF
death to the Better Land beyond. l
once heard a comrade Confederate III those
same mountains exclaim: Il can't stretch
my arms in these valleys without sklnnlng
them against the 'rock-ribbed hills. Be
fore he could reach The Beautiful River,
the gallant and resourceful Federal General
would have to pass through ''Hazard,'
find Lost Greek" march along Trouble
some encounter '.Hell-fr Sartin'." and
encamp on Devil 's-Haif-Acre.' Possibly
he might catch n glimpse of blessed sun
shine at Kingdom Come" There were
no roads in those mountains, nothing out
'trails." Literally. Gen. Morgan had to
cut his way through with AK and sword.
"Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
Stand dressed in living green;
So to the Jews old Canaan stood,
While Jordan rolled between"
/ can not believe that Jordan is a
harder road to travel than was Gen. Geo.
w. Morgan's line of march along the sor-
rowful waters of Lost Creek on the Trou-
blesome."
/ have never thought Gen. Morgan's ad-
mirably conducted retreat received due
credit. Bonaparte said, There shall be
no Alps" Morgan said, in effect, There
shall be no Kentucky Mountains"
Having made long, running, starving
fight, ''the lost Federal army came out
sf the mountain wilderness looking like
an army of specters, their clothing tat
tered and torn and their bodies wasted for
want of food.
While the Federal General was making
his heroic march he had difficulties to en-
counter other than the interpositiOn of
natures distractions in the rugged noun
tains. Gen. John III. Morgan, the Cen
tederate chief, energetically harassed his
front and flank. i can not do better than
to let one of Gen. John III. Morgan's sol
diers, an intelligent writer, tell the story
of the mountain campaign:
with about 600 cavalrymen We reach
ed Richmond, Sept. 20, where We learned
that the Federals were moving from Man
chester, via Bonneville, to Mt. Sterling, SO
as to strike the Ohio River at Maysville.
1t became necessary to make detOur,
and, by rapid marching, head them near
Haze Green. Gen. Stephenson and Col.
Ashby were to press them in the rear.
Gen. Humphrey Marshall was TO move to
Mt. Sterling, and either stop their march
or strike them in flank. Our part was
merely to delay them until Stephenson or
Marshall could strike. The enemy beat
us to Hazel Green, which made it neces-
sary for us to make another \detOur and
night march. We then gained their front
near West Liberty.
"On the afternoon of the 26th, Morgan
sent two companies, under Capt. Will
Jones to strike the flank of the marching
Federal column which he knew must be
stretched out at great length. He thought
q vigorous attack in flank, toward the rear,
would cause the leading command to halt
until the column could close up, and by
thus delaying the advance he would be
more able to successfully operate in their
front.
Jones attacked on foot, striking the
rear-guard of the second advance brigade
and utterly surprising them. He killed
several. captured some dozen prisoners,
wounding number and scattered drove
of cattle through the woods. Morgan and
his staff and Maj. Breckinridge had rid
de-. along TO see Jones's fight, but Morgan
gave no commands, preferring to let Jones
conduct the affair in his own way.
After this little foray was over, Nor
gan IDut Win sUUie 10 Tie mH1Il
rOnd, seeking information. DIR. Toin AL
leI had the wounded, all Federal removed
to church. near by, TO give them neces-
sary attention. Morgan, Breckinridge
Aston and others rode few hundred
yards forward TO where a creek crossed
the road, just beyond which was q short,
steep, WOODED hill. Very carelessly the
whole party stopped to water the horses,
and some of them dismounied, and kneel-
ing upon rocks were drinking. when sud
6enly Federal regiment in line of bat
tie made lis appearance upon the crest
OF the hill, not more than 100 yards dis
tant, and fired a yolley, which, however,
injured none of the party. Behind the sur
prised Confederates was a long lane with
high fences and cleared fields ON each side
Death or capture seemed inevitable: but
with his characteristic readiness and cool
ness, Morgan shouted: Tell Col Breckin-
ridge TO advance. Maj. Jones, open your
guns The enemy fell back over the hill,
and we, in greater hurry, evacuated the
premises.
'On the 9th We had another skirmish
end captured few prisoners, the enemy
evidently waiting for the column to close
mp. On the 2sth a treacher0lIs guide led
US into an ambush, from which. however.
We extricated ourselves with small loss.
On the 18th Maj. Breckinridge took two
companies and ambushed the Federals
IIoln tDe Siue Oh q Seml-clrcular bluff.
around which the road runs The column
came to within 20 yards Of the line of am
bush, and its head was nearly beyond the
extreme flank of the Confederates, in the
advance being "a cavalrymen riding care
lessiy, their legs thrown over the pOmmei
OF their saddles, some of them eating paw
paws. Suddenly Breckinridge's rifilemen
fred at least Gre hundred shots, and when
they had fired a second volley, and the
smoke had cleared away, no enemy was to
be seen, the head of the column having
been thrown back like wave broken upon
rock. Before line could be formed,
Or gun unlimbered, we were gone, and
laughed us we marched to the music of
their guns shelling the innocent woods over
the mountain from us.
After this the Federals changed thei7
tactics, and marched with strong line
of skirmishers in front and upon both
fanks. We fought vigorously with az and
torch, Telling trees to earricade the road