Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-04-16
CLARK TELLS uf
RUSE WORKED ON
M0RGAN'S men
Speaker Relates How Seven
Kentuckians Procured a
"DraW" with Command.
(By Jonathan Winfield)

Washington, April 15.-History of
the civil war records mighty few de-
# ats for the Confederate cavalry led
by General Morgan, and variously
known as "Morgan's men" "Morgan's
raiders" and other titles. And yet
seven of the Kentucky home guards
once succeeded in at least getting a
MOUNTED force.
A witness to this rather remarkable
incident of the war between the North
and the South was Champ Clark, then
a boy working on farm near Mack
Vile, Kentcky, now speaker OF the
house of representatives.
The farmer for whom the speaker
was then working heard a rumor that
Morgan and his force were moving
rapidly in his direction. Knowing
that the Confederate cavalry moved
with great speed, using UP horses as
they went along and being forcel to
levy on the country for new mounts,
the farmer detailed young Clark to
take some of the finer horses that he
owned and hide them in the woods.
The boy gathered up the small
herd, mounted one Of them, and was
about to carry out his instructions
when coming over the brow of dis
| tant hill he saw the advance guard OF
the famous cavalry. At that time he
| had nIsver seen body of mounted
| troops in war time and the sum- glist-
ening on their sabers and equipment.
| held him spellbound Instead of car
rying out the farmers instructions,
young Clark sat and gazed his fill at
the inspiring sight, forgetting tina:
the horses he had with him were thu
most precious things in the world to
the approaching soldiers. and that he
| had been told to hide them deep in
| the woods.
While he watched. body of seven
"home guards" of Kentucky dashed
out of the woods and straight at the
advance guard of the Southern cav
| airy. In close formation they charged
directly into the opposing cavalry,
Withholding their fire until they wero
within easy pistol shot, then firing
| volley, which was returned Immediate
| ly.
One man of each side was wounded.
In passing, the wounded "home
guard" was picked off his horse by
one of Morgan's men. and the wound
ed Confederate cavalryman was like
wise snatched from his horse by one
of the seven who were charging, while
he was in the very act of falling from
his horse.
The valiant seven then turned and
rushed back into the woods. The
young Clark realized what ne must
do, and took his small herd of horses
to safety in the depths of the woods.
AZ he went he could hear orders being
given by Morgan's commanders, de-
ploying his force in fighting lorna
ton under the impression that they
had encountered merely an advance
guard of a large force of Northern
cavalry.
The Southern cavalry remained in
the vicinity until the next day, when
one of the seven home guardsmen ap-
peared with a flag of truce. and Of
fered to exchange prisoners. Still be-
lieving that he was threatened by Il
large force of enemy cavalry. Gen
eral Morgan consented to this, and the
two wounded men were returned to
their comrades. 1t was some time
after this before the noted Southern
leader realized that the whole force
opposed to him had been the seven
men who engaged in the charge. He
had figured that no one would be fool
hardy enough to engage his large
force with such pitiful numbers. and
the sheer courage of the handful OF
men enabled them to carry off the day
with honors at least evenly divided.