The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1912-12-06
TALE OF GEN. PEGRAM's RAID
Interesting Story Of How Eighty Pick
ed Men Charged Through Camp
Of Enemy In Kentucky.

Early in the month OF March, 1868
(between the 1st and 10TH, General
Pegram made a raid into Kentucky
with force Of $500 cavalry and three
pieces of artillery, At the time the
lst Kentucky cavalry was guarding
the south bank OF the Cumberland
river In the vicinity Of Somerset on
Pegram's approach We were ordered
by General Gilmore, whose headquar-
ters we're at Lexington. to fall back
TO Danville.
After reaching Danvllle General Car
ter. who was killed at the siege OF
Knoxville. made dispositions to dis
pute Pegram's further advance, but
after a light skirmish at Danville
General Carter was ordered to fall
back and take position some ten miles
northeast from that point, at Camp
Dick Robinson.
Lieut.-Col. Silas Adams, OF the lst
Kentucky cavalry, was captured and
made a prisoner of war in the skir-
mish at Danville but afterwards es-
capped from the enemy at Monticello,
Ky. When General Carter reached
Camp Dick" as 1t was called, he was
again ordered TO fall back to the
north bank OF the Kentucky river.
Before tho retreat from Danville
General Carter ordered me to proceed
to Lancaster, KY. with so picked men
from the 1st Kentucky cavalry to
watch the movements OF the enemy in
that direction and to remain there un'
I'll ordered away writes s. NJ. Boone
Of the Ohio National Military Home In
the National Tribune. No such order
ever came from the general, as the
couriers sent or attempted to be sent
me were all captured.
At this juncture and somewhere
near midnight Col. Ben P. Runkle,
commanding the 44th and 45th Ohio
infantry, came into Lancaster from
Richmond, KY, think, and ordered
me to sadie up and proceed to Camp
Dick Robinson.
told him / could not leave the
post as General Carter had command
ed me to remain until he ordered me
away.
Colonel Runkle replied: Our forces
have been driven back from Danville,
and we must form a junction with
them as quick as may be at Camp
Dick Robinson. I rank you, and you
must obey my orders"
We were soon in the saddle and
given the advance, being well ac
quainted with the country. The night
was dark and a drizzling rain was
falling. Near the old brick church
my little squad of so men ran upon
the pickets, not of our own forces, as
we expected, but of those of the
enemy.
They were all asleep, and they were
made prisoners before they knew It
The question then presented itself,
what shall ] do?" / made up my
mind in a flash and said: Boys, we
will go through or die. They are all
asleep, and we have their pickets."
Gabe Greenleaf was by my side, and
I dispatched Joe Blackeby to inform
Colonel Runkle that instead Of meet
ing our own We we're upon the enemy,
and was going to charge through
their camp.
Whether Colonel Runkle ever re-
ceived the message l may never know;
but this much l do know, he came
laundering down the pike right be-
hind me with the brave and gallant
44th and 45th Ohio.
stood in the forks of the two pixies
Colonel Runkle ordered Lieutenant
Lennon to take the advance, but the
gantlet had then been run, and we
got somewhat mixed up in the dark
ness, and so, capturing the pickets at
Bryantsville, we crossed the Kentucky
river about daylight.
No shot was fired, and the charge
was n success. The boys used to call
1t "Boones dumb charge" and l shall
always believe that had we halted and
not gone through we would have all
been captured the next morning.
In two days after crossing the Ken
lucky river we were ordered to ad
vance upon the enemy, with whom we
skirmished from Grab Orchard to Dut
toms Hill, where Pegram made 8
stand in strong position in order to
move the stock he had captured safe
ly over the Cumberland river.
The battle was a sharp cavalry en-
gagement and Pegram was routed, but
succeeded in crossing the Cumberland
with what men he had left and maxi
ing his escape to Virginia or Tennes
see.
The only troops remember figuring
in this engagement were the 1st Ken
lucky cavalry 44th and 45th Ohio in
fantry-~as brave and gallant men al
ever formed in battle line-one bat
talon of the 7th Ohio cavalry, dash
ing fine fellows, and a battery Of