The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-08-25

dents Of Marches, Camp Life, Forag.
Ing Experiences and Battle Scenes.
"There are good many Kentuckians
In Chicago" said the Doctor. Il saw
prominent Blue Grass statesman at
the theater the other night. and l
wondered If he knew how many KEN
tuckians were in the audience, or how
many Kentuckians there are among
us who have lived longer in Chicago
than they lived in their native State.
For some reason Kentuckians began
to come here soon after the close of
the civil war, and the colony has in
creased every year since the great
fire.
I'm the colony are hundreds. Of men
who saw service in the Union regi-
ments during the war, and l never
met one Of them who didn't insist that
the Union men of the State had never
received credit for what they accom-
plished under very trying circum-
stances, and 1 was told only the other
day that the so-called Kentucky regi.
ments Of the Union army were main.
~ mongrel regiments, made up of men
from other States.
| Il smiled at this, because l happen
to be familiar with the organization
of at least thirty regiments as dis
tinctively Kentuckian in personnel and
spirit as any regiment raised in ILL
nois was distinctively Illinoisan. The
truth is, Kentucky had in the Union
army seventeen regiments of cavalry,
forty regiments Of fully organized in
fantry, fifteen more regiments Of
short-term mounted infantry. 1000
State guards. 162 companies Of home
guards, and five batteries of artil-
lery.
1T is true that there was great un-
certainty in the beginning. An at
tempt was made early in 1861 to hold
the organized militia companies in
the State guard and TO carry the whole
guard over to the Confederates. This
movement failed and the crack COM
panies in the cities went, some one
way and some another. For example.
Captain John II. Morgan and his Lex
ington rifles went to the Confederate ties,
while Captain S. d. Bruce and many
of his chasseurs of Lexington and
Captain s. w. Price and many of his
''o!d infantry" of Lexington, dating
back to 1912, went into the Union
army.
There was no lack of good material
for officers on the Union side. Jack
son, Speed, Hobson, Whitaker, ROus-
seau. Wood. Ward. Crittenden. Ander-
son. Garrard, Lanbran, Woodruff,
Smith, johnson and others had seen
service in the Mexican war. Nelson
had been in the navy, and several
West Pointers were ready for duty.
Several regiments were organized out
side the State, but most of the cavalry
and infantry regiments were organized
In the State and hurried into the serv-
Ice.
"Wolfords' First Kentucky cavalry
was active from the very first. The
Eighth cavalry, under Shackelford and
Bristow, and the Ninth. under Jacob.
were organized in three weeks and
were hurried into battle. A good story
is told Of the latter. Jacob, with about
Eve hundred men, was in camp on
Greasy creek in 1868 when the camp
was rushed by Morgan's full COM
mand. Jacob didn't want to be licked
by anybody. but most particularly he
didn't want to be licked by Morgan's
men.
HE made his men feel the same
way and they stood. Jacob had one
piece Of artillery in action, and he took
command of this himself. He directed
the artillerists- to load and fire as
rapidly as possible and he, with field
glass in hand. would give directions.
That gun fired twenty-five shots in
forty-five minutes. putting every shot
into the rebel line at a point where II
was trying to form for charge. The
rebels thought there was a battery
there. Jacob held his ground. retired
In the face of a demand to surrender,
and shortly thereafter joined In the
pursuit of Morgan in his raid through
Kentucky. Indian and Ohio
with the eighth under Shackelford
and other Kentucky regiments, the
Ninth cavalry made a wild ride of
twenty-nine days from the Cumber-
land to the Ohio, through Indiana and
Ohio, to the capture of Morgan and
his men. That was great expert.
ence 1t wasn't like war in front.
The women of Indiana and Ohio. II
seemed to me. were always singing
and cooking for us. We fed our
horses at the wheat shocks in thS
fields. We ate at the best tables In
the two States, and at last the Ken.
lucky cavalry with other troops swept
down on Morgan's rough riders with
such exulting shouts as only hard.
riding Kentuckians could give. Sew.
eral of the boys who made that great
ride are in Chicago and they are as
proud of it as Sheridan was of his
ride down Winchester road
| WAS, Sh1u tuc -1dyOT. InOTe
adventure. romance and deviltry asso
ciated with the organization of the
Kentucky regiments than with any
others in the Union army. One regi
ment. organized by Colonel J. F. Buck.
ner near Hopkinsville. and drilled in
the colonel's dooryard. never had q
number or a name. General S. B
Buckner. hearing of his relatives
plans. marched against the Unionists
and their colonel, knowing he could
make no resistance. in military
sense. told his men to scatter. They
scattered and within few weeks haG
enlisted in other regiments.
'There was constant friction be
tween the Union home guards and the
rebel freebooters in the mountain re
gions and some hard fights. On Ont
occasion we came upon a scrap Of thi.
kind. the doctor of the neighbOrhoot
leading the UniOnists. He was a six
footer and wore an Old-fashioned higf
silk hat, and when we rescued his com