The National tribune., 1907-02-28
THE SURRENDER OF JOHN NOR

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Incidents ef ,ths Nsider's Dssh Thru
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Editor National Tribune: I notice
quite an oversight or error in your ac-
count Of Morsan's last fight and cap
ture during his raid in Indiana and
| Ohio. 1t is trus that most of his artil-
lery. ii not ali. was captured at Buff
| fngton's Island, but only few of his
| men. He with the main body escaped,
| and made for the ford at Eight-Mile
Island. at Chashine. eight miles above
the mouth of the Great Kanawha River,
| and probably, 25 miles below Bufilng-
ton. In going to, Buffington's Island he
| had friendly guide in the person of
Jim Miller, a notorious sympathizer
with the South, but in Morgan's retreat
| he prest q man into his service as guide
who was unfriendly to his cause. and
who guided him to the upper end of the
| island, where the water was too deep
for his horses. instead Of the lower
end. where the channel was wider. less
swift and sometimes fordable. Besides,
| the river bank was steep, with only a
narrow trail by which the water could
| be approached The river above is
placid, and the break over the head of
| the island into the narrow channel gave
it the appearance Of being shallow. His
men plunged their horses into the river,
only to find themselves in deep water.
Quite a number reached the West Vir-
ginia shore, but most timely the Condor.
| 4 large side-wheel steamboat, carrying
a little Fourth of July cannon throwing
a three-pound shot, hove in sight just
then, and quickly sent a shot in their
direction.
"A gunboat. A gunboat!" shouted
the terrified rebs. and back into Wat
sons woods they went.
At this juncture the Federal troops
were at hand, the rebs surrendering.
Durias the night Morgan with his
troops violated their promise to sur
render by stealing out. causing their
pursuit into eastern Ohio. 1t is little
wonder they We're put into the Ohio
Penitentiary for this violation.
In going thru Msigs County to Buff
fington and back to Eight-Mile, Nor
gan's route makes an almost perfect
figure g. Some wanton atrocities were
committed by Morgan's men. making
unnecessary enemies. Fearing to 60
thru the loyal towns of Middleport.
Coalport and Pomeroy, they went up
Thomas's Fork of Leading Creek. and
headed for Chester. the old County
seat, where they burned the bridge over
Sildue River anu ihOAO
was a wide ford Of easy approach, with
water not over a foot deep. across
which an army could go by regimsntal
front portion of his force made q
feint on Middleport by going to the top
Of the hill back Of the town. An old
gentleman named Hysell ran out Of his
house hurrahing for Lincoln. and was
shot down at his gate. DR.. Hudson,
who saw this. ran TO his aid. and he,
shof 0ld whffn-
haired men over 10. but this fact did
not spare their lives. The road upl
Thomas's Fork Is narrow, with high
rail fence on one side and timber on the
other. VIM. ]. Ollum. Corporal of Co.
B. 116th Ohio. was at his home in Mid
dleport on furlough. He took his gun,
and organizing q, company Of militia
trees and rocks and emptied quite al
number of Confederate saddles. The
Union troops were pressing Morgan too
closely for him to stop to hunt up skir-
mishers. An old rebel sympathizer met
Morgan, and began hurrahing for JEFF
Davis and the Southern Confederacy.
How is this?" said Basil Duke.
"Oh, I've always been on your side"
he replied, "and there are lots Of others
like me-"
Have you any. horses?"
Eyes. quite a number"
Where are. they? We need them"
"They are up in the Hooking Hills"
Have you any boys?"
yes" a.
Where are. they?, We can furnish
them with guns."r ,-r... -s -s-
'"They are all up in the hills, too,
caring for the horses"
What are they there for?"
ITO keep you fellows from getting
them"
ITO with your friendship"
I was told they burned the old sym
pathizer" out entirely as their express
sion of regard for his friendship.
During the early days of 1863 sew
eral of the boys got letters from their
friends advising them to desert from
the Lincoln hirelings" Some of them
brought their letters to me to read.
The boys were very indignant at such
was at Sharpsburg, Md, a few daysl
after Gettysburg. I was with my COM
pany guarding the ford against FitZi
Hugh Lees Cavalry. which was on the
south side of the Potomac at Shepards-
town. The Baltimore American wasl
eagerly looked for each day. as in big
headlines 1t would announce where
Morgan was. Morgan at Harrison
ville!" was conspicuous one day at this
time. Steve Gilmore yelled to one of
the Sergeants: Morgan will get Pete"
The Sergeant answered: II don't care
If he only cleans out the old man."
Many Of the company were from Harri-
sonville I do not know that the Ser
geant had received a letter advising
desertion. but this sounded like it.
"Pete" was a race horse belonging to
the Sereeant.-Ransom Griffin. First
Lieutenant, 116th Ohio, San Jose, Cal.