The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1904-08-25
THE BOOMING CANNON
RECITALS OF CAMP AND BAT.
TIE INCIDENTS.
Survivors Of the Rebellion Relate
Many Amusing and Startling Incl
dents of Marches, Camp Life, Forag-

a prominent Blue Grass statesman at
the theater the other night, and ]
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.
In the colony are hundreds Of men
who saw service in the Union regi-
ments during the war, and 1 never
met one of them who didn't insist that
the UnNn men of the State had never
received credit for what they accom-
plished under very trying circum-
stances. and was told only the other
day that the so-cailed Kentucky regi-
ments of the Union army were main
~ mongrel regiments, made up Of men
from other States.
Il smiled at this, because 1 happen
70 be familiar with the organization
of at least thirty regiments as dis
tinctvely Kentucllian in personnel and
spirit as any regiment raised In LII
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 aril-
lery.
1T is true that there was great un-
certainty in the beginning An at
the organized militia companies ia
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 H. Morgan and his Lex
ington rifles went to the ConfederateS,
while Captain S. D. Bruce and many
Of his chasseurs Of Lexington and
Captain s. W. Price ard many OF his
''old infantry" OF Lexington, dating
back 10 1912, went into the Union
army.
There was 10 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 fer duty
Several regiments were organized out
side the State, but most of the cavalrs
and infantry regiments were organized
In the State and hurried into the selv-
Ice.
"Wclfords' First Kentucky cavalry
was active from the very first The
Eighth cavalry. under Shackeiford 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
| five hundred men. was in camp en-
Greasy creek in 1868 when the camp
was rushed by Mosgan's FULL con-
mand. jacob didn't want to be licked
by anybody. but most particularly he
didn't want to be licked by Norgan'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 AID fire as
rapidly as possible and he, with field
glass In hand would give directions
That gun fred twenty-five shots in
forty-fve minutes, putting eve-y shot
into the rebel line at a point where it
was trying to form Cor q charge. The
rebels thought there was q battery
there jacob held his ground, retired
In the face. of 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 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
erce 1t wasn't like war in front.
The women OF Indiana and Ohio, it
seemed to me. were always singing
and cooking for us. We fed our
horses at the wheat shocks in the
| 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 exultng shouts as only hard
riding Kentucliars could give. Sew
erai Of the rs who made that great
ride are in Chicago and they are as
proud of it. as Sheridan was Of his
ride down Winchester road"
There was" said the Major. more
adventure, romance and deviltIy asso-
ciated with the organization of the
Kentucky regiments than with any
others In the Union army. One regi-
ment. organized by Colonel ]. f. Buck
ner, near Hopkinsville, and drilled In
the colonels dooryard, never had a
number or name. General S. B.
Buckncr, 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
sea tered and within q few weeks had
enlisted in other regiments.