The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1913-07-23
ENGAGEMENT Of
LESS THAN HOUR
One OF the Fiercest Of
the Civil War.
GREEN RIVER BRIDGE BATTLE
AT Tebb'S Bend, Taylor COun.
ty, Was Attended BY
Heavy Losses.
GREAT HEROIsM WAS SHOWS

The following sketch of the bat
tic Of Green River Bridge was
written by former Congressman w.
p. Kimball. of Lexington;
July marked the fftieth ami
Bridge. Gen. John II. Morgan was
on his way to invade Indiana and
Ohio, and when he approached the
south end of the bridge across
Green river, at Tebb's Bend, in Tay-
Tor county, he found that a detach-
ment of Federal troops under Col.
Orlando H. Moore, of the Twenty
fourth Michigan Infantry. had forti-
fed their position with intrench-
ments thrown up the night pre-
vious. and by fallen trees. The po-
sition of the Federals was naturally
a strong one and very difficult OF
approach.
Gen. Morgan sent flag OF
truce, borne by his brother. Cap.
Charlton II. Morgan, to the Federal
Commander, demanding his surren-
der. Col. Moore bowed and smiled
and told Capt. Morgan to tell Gen.
Morgan that the Fourth of July
was a bad time for an American
soldier TO surrender" and declined
to do so. Thereupou a part of
three of the Confederate regiments
assaulted the Federal works. and
after repeated attempts were driven
back with great slaughter. Finding
that the Federals could not be dis
lodged. Gen. Morgan withdrew his
forces, and crossing Green river at
a ford some distance above the
bridge. continued on his way to the
Ohio river. which he crossed at
Brandenburg, on July 6.
1.-The engagement lasted less than
an hour, but the Confederates lost
thirty-six killed and forty-siy
wounded. while the Federal loss
was six killed and twenty-three
wounded.
1.-The Confederate loss in officers
was especially severe. Col. Waller
Chenault. of Madison county. was
killed. and Lieut.. Col. James b. Nc
Creary took command of the regi-
ment. Col. Chenault was a man Of
great popularity and was a brother
of DR.. Robert c. Cbenault, formerly
superintendent of the Eastern Ken
lucky Hospital. Among the othe"
officers slain was Maj. Thomas Y.
Brent, Capt. Alex Tribble and
Lieuts. Cowan, Holloway and Fer
guson. 1t is said that altogether
Gen. Morgan had seventeen COM
officers either killed or
wounded.
"Col. Moore took good care of
the Confederate wounded and
proved himself to be humane az
well as brave officer. He was for q
while provost marshal of Louisville
and after the war was q successful
lawyer in Michigan. serving for
some time as prosecuting attorney
for his district.
"The number of Federal troops
engaged has been variously stated.
Collins History gives the number
at 200. Gen. Duke, in his history
of Morgan and his men. fixes the
at 400. Col Moore claim
ed that the correct number was
40. The number of Confederates
actually engaged did not exceed
500. because the peculiar formation
Of the ground was such that a larg-
err force could not be brought into
action. Col. Chenault's regiment,
which was largely recruited in Mad
lson county. sustained the severest
loss of either of the three regiments
engaged
1.-The number of men engaged in
the battle of Green river bridge
was small and the fight itself mere
ly an incident in the most spectac-
ular and disastrous cavalry raid In
the history OF the Civil War, but
the knightly heroism displayed on
both sides by the officers aud mer
engaged was no less marked thar
that displayed at the same hour b.
the charge Of Pickett's division
the wheat field and up the
heights at Gettysburg. and their re-
oulsa hy fha Eadarals al fha noint