The Cairo bulletin., 1911-06-17
HOW DID GENERAL
MORGAN ESCAPE /?
Pretty War Story appears to.
Have Been a Myth
NO SECRET TUNNEL FOUND,

The Confederate Raider Did Not Gain
! His Liberty by Method Generally
Supposed - His Daring Exploits
! Along the Ohio River.
| Further investigation in the Ohio
state penitentiarp ut Columbus has
! failed to reveal any secret tunnel by
| which General John IA. Morgan and
| his five Confederate followers escaped
| from prison. and the manner OF their
escape probably Will never be known
as General Morgan, who led the es
cape has been dead almost ifty
| years,
| John II. Morgan Of Kentucky was
the leader OF band OF guerrilla raid
ers who Kept the Federal farmers lhnd
townspeope living along the Ohio riy
| err in q constant state of terror IN the
| early years of the tcivR war Morgnn's
| raids started in Kentucky bot The
| Ohio river was no protection TO those
| living on the north side OF it, for the
| Confederate leader lodged from one
side OF 1t TO the othe, with marvellous
| agility. When there was no bridge
| convenient. md often there WAS not
a river steamboat would be captured
to carry the guerrilla troops,
His First Exploit.
General Morgan's first exploit was
i.
ern Tennessee in July, 1861 He had
a force of 200 men, and he hoped to
| stir the young men OF the race horse
state up 10 joining the Confederacy
TO sweep Kentucky INTO the ranks Of
| the seeded states was unsuccessful
| Morgan rode north across Kentucky
! ct the head Of his band OF raiders. liv
! Ing on the country and forcing con
| tributions for the support Of bis arms
| from friend and foe alike The friends
| were glad to turn over to the C0ufed
crate "iberator" whatever they had
| of horses and provisions, and his foes
| were afraid not to. The Cucrrilia lead
er planned to plumber Cincinnati, and
the inhabitants Of that pork packing
town were in state OF great alarm
until the news came that a Fedora
force under Green Clay Smith, Ken
tuckian. had forced Morgan's band to
:urn back and retreat south.
In, the summer Of 1863 Morgan
planned an organized invasion of the
states north OF the Ohio for the pnr
pose OF stirring up counter revolu
ton there In the northwest the
Knights Of the Golden Circle, an or
ganization Of the peace party, which
objected strongly to the payment OF
war taxes. was ready TO aid him
Morgan crossed the Ohio late in June
A strong Federal force was victorious
in a fight July 8, and the Morgan band
retreated south again.
PIundered as They Went,
His ranks were swelled by recruits
from Kentucky. and with an army Of
1000 men he again crossed to the
north side Of the Ohio a few days
later. Through Indiana the rebel army
marched. plundering as it went The
farmers were not the only ones who
were forced to Contribute to the main
tenance of the guerrilla troops. Fac
tory owners were compelled to pay
$1,000 apiece to receive guarantee
that their places OF business were moi
destroyed.
Indiana was aroused and with the
news Of the victories Of Gettysburg
and Vicksburg was more than ever
determined to drive Morgan and his
army south of the Ohio. Governor
Morton issued a general call to the cit
liens of the state, and within forty
eight hours $4,000 Of them turned out
"to repel invaders
His Capture and Escape.
Morgan was surrounded at Buiing
ton Ford when he tried TO escape into
Virginia. and there 800 of his men sur
rendered The rest escaped with their
leader At Belleyille about 300 es.
capped by swimming their horses across
the Ohio Morgan himself fed inland,
fighting militia, plundering and burn
ing bridges in order to delay his pur
suers. New pursuers sprang up in
front OF him. All Indiana was eager
to have share In the capture OF
Morgan the raider" Morgan strug-
gled on until July 20, when he was
forced to surrender With half do2-
en- OF his men he was confined in the
Ohio pesiteutiary at Columbus
There he stayed until Nov. II, when
the officials Of the prison suddenly
discovered that "the raider" and his
officers were gone Various romantic
stories of the escape were told. Ac
cording to almost all OF them, the
Confederate officers had escaped By
tunneling. a favorite tale was that
the spoons which they were given to
eat with were the instruments of their
escape For four months, the story
went. the little band Of men spent all
their waking time. which extended far
into the hight, scraping out way to
| freedom.
Japan's Imports.
Jauan bought 8SOS 600 worth OF