Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Battle of New Bern wikipedia , lookup
Conclusion of the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Military history of African Americans in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Union (American Civil War) wikipedia , lookup
Georgia in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
UNDERSTANDING THE INTENTIONS, DETAILS, AND SIGNIFICANCE OF MORGAN’S RAID AND THE BATTLE OF CORYDON By: Aric Miller 2011 The Battle of Corydon is registered as one of only two battles fought on fully Union soil during the Civil War. Many skirmishes and battles took place during the Civil War; with some more famous than others, written about more, and arguably many, which have greater significance to the final outcome of the Civil War in general. Discrepancies between many columnists, and authors about some of the details of the Battle of Corydon in regards to details of the initial invasion and the conflict itself. Differences of opinion also exist among many authors as to what the significance of the Battle of Corydon is, and where its place should be among others fought during the Civil War. Though, how exactly is the significance of a battle measured? For the Civil War in general, the Battle of Corydon was nothing more than a fortified skirmish, however to the community from which it was fought in, it became more. It may not have impacted the overall outcome of the Civil War, yet it is still significant. The significance lies within the region it took place. The battle of Corydon ignited an animosity for the Confederates and the Southern cause in the southern Indiana region. This essay will clear up some of the existing contextual details of both the initial invasion of Union soil, the Battle of Corydon itself, and help place the significance of both in its proper place within the written historiographies on the topic. Historically, raids happen for many reasons. Raiding parties have existed for as long as there have been battles to fight or war supplies to get, and according to historian Lester Horwitz’s account “a raid according to Army doctrine is a swift penetration of hostile territory to secure information, to confuse the enemy and destroy his installations and support functions. It is a limited-objective attack for a specific purpose other than gaining and holding ground. It ends with a planned withdrawal after the completion of 1 the assigned mission.” 1 Many raids occurred during the Civil War on both sides of the fighting. Raids to secure munitions, destroy railroads, or tear up telegram wires etcetera. One raid in particular stands out among the other raids for a couple of reasons. John Hunt Morgan’s raid is interesting because there exists much controversy as to why and even how it unfolded the way it did. For Morgan’s raid there exists a who did it, a what they did, a where it happened, but there is no why it happened. There seems not to be any clear-cut evidence as to the precise answer for this anomaly either. In 1976, columnist for the Currier Journal Billy Reed wrote of Morgan’s raid “Where was Morgan? What were his intentions? Where would he strike next? Not even Morgan himself seemed to know the answers. He seemed to attack more at whim than by design.” 2 However, John Hunt Morgan was an educated man. He went to college at Transylvania College in nearby Lexington and after leaving the school he joined the Military and left his home in Kentucky to fight for his country in the Mexican War. 3 He had advanced in military rank through his efforts in the Mexican War where he became a lieutenant. 4 He moved up in rank swiftly due to his intelligence during battles and his leadership qualities under pressure. Morgan was also made a name for himself as a raider during the first couple of years of the Civil War. 5 With his education and ability to gain the confidence of his superior army officers it seems unlikely that he would attempt to lead his men into unknown territory with no plan of action. Whatever the plan was, 1 Horwitz, Lester The Longest Raid of the Civil War: Cincinnati Ohio: Farmcourt Publishing, Inc., 2001), . 1 2 Reed Billy, “John Morgan: Gallant soldier or horse thief?” Courier Journal May 31, 1976 Edison, Thomas H.: John Hint Morgan and his Raiders: The university press of Kentucky, Lexington Kentucky, 1975 4 Edison, John Hunt Morgan and His Raiders; 1975 5 Edison: John Hunt Morgan and His Raiders:1975 3 2 Morgan eventually found himself on the bank of the Ohio River in the town of Brandenburg Kentucky in early July 1863. On late Tuesday afternoon around five o’clock, July 7, 1863, General Morgan and some 2,400 raiders came into Brandenburg, Kentucky. 6 Around the time that Morgan and his men arrived in Brandenburg the steamship J. T. McCombs was in port at Brandenburg. Morgan ordered Samuel Taylor and some men to overtake the steamship and used it to capture another ship. Shortly afterwards the J.T. McCombs was overtaken it hoisted a distress signal and was then anchored the middle of the Ohio River to await a passing victim. 7 Later, Captain James H. Pepper 8 of a side-wheeling steamship the Alice Dean answered the call and was immediately overtaken 9 by Samuel Taylor of Morgan’s raiding party. 10 The capturing of these two ships was noticed by word spread through the town of Leavenworth, located in Crawford County. Union men alerted Lt. Col. William J. Irvin of the Indiana Home Guards. He ordered that another steamer passing through the area named The Lady Pike be hailed. Before the Lady Pike made it to the site of the Confederate capture of the two other ships The Pike was intercepted by a “group of men at Mauckport and induced to return to Leavenworth, Indiana, about fifteen miles below Mauckport, for the purpose of getting cannon and some reinforcements.” 11 The Lady Pike returned about midnight with the cannon and a small company of men under the command of [Union] Captain Lyons and Colonel Woodbury.” 12 One of the cannons was 6 Pfrimmer, Samuel, The Battle of Corydon Griffins Scrapbook, Vol. 1, pp. 376-377, 1927 Pfrimmer, Samuel, The Battle of Corydon Griffins Scrapbook, Vol. 1, pp. 376-377, 1927 8 LaHue, Lenore: On the square: The Corydon Republican, July 5, 1962. 9 Pfrimmer, Samuel, “The Battle of Corydon” Griffins Scrapbook, Vol. 1, pp. 376-377 1927 10 -The Knights of the Golden Circle and Morgan’s Raid. : Democrat unknown publication date 11 Pfrimmer, Samuel, The Battle of Corydon” Griffins Scrapbook, Vol. 1, pp. 376-377 1927 12 Pfrimmer, Samuel, The Battle of Corydon“ The Battle of Corydon” Griffins Scrapbook, Vol. 1, pp. 376377 1927 7 3 unloaded and floated across Buck creek and was “lashed to the bed of a farm wagon” 13 The gun was mounted and the ship set up at Morvin’s landing, which was a point just opposite of Brandenburg on the Indiana side of the Ohio River. By the time Morgan had captured both ships there was not enough time for Morgan to begin crossing. Perhaps he needed time to consider his next move more carefully for there is no doubt he was aware of the gravity of the situation he was about attempt. He would choose to cross the river to Indiana in the morning. The confederate actions were observed throughout the night, as there were some oil wells, which were drilled along the riverbank. The wells contained no oil but there was as “great flow of gas coming from them which had been set on fire, resulting in a constant blaze reaching thirty to fifty feet high.” 14 Watching with anticipation there was little that could be done to thwart their plans for crossing. Early the next morning, Wednesday the 8th of July, a thick fog covered the area. With the Cannon in place on the ground, Colonel Irvin ordered the Indiana Home Guards to open fire on the two steamships, aiming for the boilers, and try and disable them so they would be unable to cross. A short time later, being outranked, Irvin was counter ordered by Provost Marshall John Timberlake to begin using the six-pound cannon to shell the rebel cavalry on the bank of the river. 15 This seemed to work for a little while until the men were outmatched by two groups of rebel batteries. The men resumed their 13 Horwitz: The Longest Raid of The Civil War: 2001 p. 42 Horwitz: The Longest Raid of The Civil War: 2001 p. 42 15 Funk, Arville, L. The Morgan Raid in Indiana and Ohio 1863, Superior Printing Company, Mentone, Indiana; 1971 pp. 15. Funk describes another version of this story of with the Lady Pike’s firing on the two steamships from Capt. Timberlake, however it is unknown by Funk where, if at all, it could be found. There is no copy I could find in my research. 14 4 position at the cannon but were forced again to retreat. This time they fled their positions and headed up back to the road to Corydon. 16 At this time Morgan and his men began ferrying across the river and were, according to Arville Funk interrupted a federal gunboat, called The Springfield. “The gunboat was armed with six 24 pounders [cannons] and it immediately opened fire on both banks of the river, since by this time, the Confederates had ferried over two regiments, the 2nd Kentucky and the 9th Tennessee. After an hour-long duel, the gunboat retreated back up river to New Albany.” 17 In a telegram sent to Joseph Watson, the Commander of The Springfield had a telegram sent stating the events of the battle as well as more embellished facts. “Sir: I engaged John H. Morgan this morning at Brandenburg. I have been fighting nearly all day. He is crossing over into Indiana. He has 10,000 men and several pieces of heavy artillery. He has his batteries planted at three places commanding the river. We still have boats below town to operate with me. He wants to hold that place until he re-crosses” At about 5 p. m. the Springfield again returned, accompanied by the steamboat Grey Eagle, which had a detachment of the 71st Ind. Reg. and a section of artillery from the 23 Ind. Battery on board. Second Lt. John W. Ross commanded the artillery on the Grey Eagle and when it fired its first volley, it broke through the steamboat’s deck. After a few minutes of action the gunboat and Grey Eagle withdrew to Louisville.” 18 By midnight when all Morgan’s men reached the Indiana side of the river it was ordered by Morgan that the Alice Dean be burned and sank on the bank of the river. The 16 Funk, Arville, L. The Morgan Raid in Indiana and Ohio 1863, Superior Printing Company, Mentone, Indiana; 1971 pp. 15 17 Funk, Arville, L. The Morgan Raid in Indiana and Ohio 1863, Superior Printing Company, Mentone, Indiana; 1971 18 LaHue, Lenore: On the square: The Corydon Republican, July 5, 1962. 5 other steamship, the J.T. McCombs was not burned and allowed to go about its way because of “Basil Duke’s long friendship with her captain.” 19 Morgan’s landing on Union soil was undoubtedly a surprise to the citizens living in Indiana. Morgan’s motivations for the raid are somewhat of a mystery to many. This was a dangerous mission and logic dictates that there must have been a valid reason for it. Authors and newspaper columnist seem to hold different opinions as to the true intentions behind the raid. Some of the different opinions which exist point out that, it was more than a coincidence that the Battle of Corydon and The Battle of Gettysburg occurred around the same time. Some people link the two battles together. One soldier present in the battle of Corydon discusses how there were different beliefs of why Morgan went on his raid. One possible reason he believed was “to draw the attention of the people of the Middle West away from Lee in his invasion of Pennsylvania, it certainly was a sound military movement, provided he had the proper force and equipment.”20 This is an interesting belief because as it turned out Morgan had crossed the Ohio River on July 8, and the Battle of Gettysburg was on July 1, only seven days before. Which would put Morgan on the right path to cause some diversion away from general Lee and his fighting in Pennsylvania. However, the Battle of Gettysburg was not a planned battle. And one would find it difficult to find some, if any mention of Morgan’s raid from the Confederate leadership being a diversion from the battlefield in Gettysburg. So with this evidence it can be argued that Morgan must have had some other intentions or motivations for his raiding party to advance onto Union soil. 19 20 Thomas, Edison, H. John Hunt Morgan and His Raiders: The University press of Kentucky; 1975 Pfrimmer, Samuel, “The Battle of Corydon” Griffins Scrapbook, Vol. 1, pp. 376-377, 1927 6 In, 1976 Columnist Billy Reed offered another idea as to why Morgan decided to take his raid from the border state of Kentucky into the Union state of Indiana. Reed claims that it was done because of his wanting to help the Southern cause through support from pro- southern sympathizing groups. Reed describes that Morgan rose swiftly through the ranks, and he became restless with “timid tactics” and wanted to do more for the Confederate cause than he was being allowed. Morgan decided to ask his superior officer Major General Bragg if he could be permitted to “lead a substantial force of cavalry through Kentucky, threaten Louisville, raid and destroy the L&N Railroad lines carrying military supplies to union forces in the South” 21 then he asked about the possibility of crossing the Ohio and entering the Union territory to which Bragg replied, “I like everything you said, except crossing the Ohio River into the north. Go ahead and raid Kentucky. Capture Louisville if you can. But do not, I repeat, do not cross the river. Stay in Kentucky. 22 It was believed that Morgan would return after he had his opportunity to raid and destroy the Kentucky area a while. 23 Morgan did not return however and crossed into Indiana before that alleged mission was able to happen. It seems unlikely however that Morgan would want to disobey direct orders from his superior officer in order to perform an aggressive raiding party across the Ohio River. Many conflicting explanations exist as to what Morgan’s intentions truly were. Some believed that he was there on special mission to ensure that Union troops would be occupied by his invading the North and possibly prevent the Union from overtaking the Confederate capital in Richmond. There were troops advancing toward Richmond during this time. In 1923 George Stauth whom was in Corydon during the Battle as a child said 21 Horwitz; The Longest Raid in The Civil War, p.2 Report of the Ohio Commissioners of Morgan’s Raid Claims; December 15, 1864 23 Reed Billy, John Morgan: Gallant soldier or horse thief? Courier Journal 5/31/1976 22 7 that he believed the purpose of Morgan’s raid was to “to transfer the struggle between the Union and Confederate forces from Virginia to the eastern part of the Northern states, while General Morgan was to invade Indiana, march to Indianapolis, capture that city, thence to Chicago and turn southwest, capture Rock Island, Ill., and form a junction with tie Confederate forces in Central Missouri.” 24 With a raiding party of 2,400 men Morgan was quite a force to be reckoned with and one could even question his intentions as his very being in the Union ground was not commonplace, however to assume that he would be so bold as to make an attempt to take Indiana’s capital, then Chicago seems highly unlikely without the support from somewhere. It is possible that Mr. Stauth believed that this kind of assistance was possible because at this time there were groups that were believed to be sympathetic to the southern cause. These were groups like the Copperheads, The Knights of the Golden Circle, The Sons of Liberty. These are just a few of these groups, though there were others. All of these groups had factions in the Indiana and Ohio region during the time this raid occurred. The Knights were in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Missouri specifically. Most of the pro southern groups were small and little is known of their ambition if any to bring the southern ideals like slavery and stronger State’s rights to the north. However, there existed two groups, which can be arguably linked more closely to the pro-southern movement, The Copperheads and The Knights of the Golden Circle. Public orator Robert McDowell believed that groups like theses would have been Confederate soldiers special targets to help Morgan and his raiders and perhaps all types of northern advancement of the confederates in general. Several occasions during the raid some 24 Stauth, George J., Dodge City, Kansas: Sedition in Harrison County During the War of the Rebellion.: The Corydon Republican: April 10, 1924, Corydon Indiana 8 Southern supporters shouted words of encouragement and Morgan’s men shouted back to those unwilling to provide military assistance “‘Give to the cause you love so well,’ they told the Southern sympathizers contemptuously.” 25 The Knights of the Golden Circle were believed by some to have been tied in with the pro-slavery movement as well. Maude Dome claimed that her father was a member and that Morgan was on the Union soil looking for Southern Sympathy.” 26 In an article written about the Knights of the Golden Circle in the Corydon Democrat a story is told of a man named Hezekiah Ott, whom was said to have been a member of the organization and that most of the people that joined the group did so under the auspice that they were all against the union’s attempt to take over the South and they did not want the African Americans to take it over either. One of the major theories posed for the notion that Morgan hoped to ignite Northern support from The Knights of the Golden Circle comes Ulysses Samuel Lesh’s essay entitled A Knight of the Golden Circle. Lesh says that the Knights of the Golden Circle was an organization created in 1856 with the principal notion to create a monopoly on 4 major staple crops, sugar, rice, tobacco and cotton. They “cherished the institution of slavery.” 27Slave labor primarily produced all four of these crops, in the south. Members of this organization were placed into Washington to exert an influence. It is likely that the influence was to block support for the Union through holding up votes, which would allow government aid. Lesh points out that the group changed their names 25 McDowell, Robert E. General John Hunt Morgan’s Great 1863 Raid: Commemoration at Brandenburg, KY. July 13, 1963. 26 Dome, Maud B. Centennial of Battle of Corydon to be Observed at Fairgrounds: Writer Recounts Recollection Of Father During Raid: The Corydon Republican: Section two Volume 95, Corydon, Indiana, Thursday, July 25, 1963. 27 27 Lesh, U. S.: A Knight of the Golden Circle: The Michigan Alumnus: Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County: 1956 9 several times to have greater acceptance in the North Most of the people in the north during this time would have most likely been opposed to the things this group stood for or may not have not wanted the attention of being associated with a group whose platform was so radical. They were called American Knights, then later, Sons of Liberty. “Their local ‘temples’ assumed variant names in different localities.” 28 One group was known as the “Men’s Bible Class.” Possibly because they had a shipment of pistols delivered which had “Sunday-School books” 29 written on the package. This is evidence of their willingness to play to what the public wanted in order to gain acceptance. Ulysses Lesh claims that it was possible that the Knights gave Indiana’s Governor Morton a difficult time during the Civil War by not allowing him to help finance war activities. Blocking votes for things like money for munitions or uniforms is one way this could have been done. “Failing to carry its plans by ballot, the secret order then pushed forward its military plains more vigorously. They contemplated an armed uprising. Initial steps were to capture the arsenals and stores of munitions in IN, OH, IL, MO, free the Confederate prisoners in those states, arm them with the guns and munitions captured, and then march to points where they could join rebel armies. 30 Lesh states that Morgan’s raid through Kentucky, into Ohio and Indiana would have been a good idea if they used it as a touch off point for taking control of the Northwestern region of the Union territory. He also points out that it may have looked to Morgan and his men to be a success as the raiders were aware of some of the pro southern sympathizing groups in 28 28 Lesh, U. S.: A Knight of the Golden Circle: The Michigan Alumnus: Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County: 1956 29 29 Lesh, U. S.: A Knight of the Golden Circle: The Michigan Alumnus: Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County: 1956 30 Lesh, U. S.: A Knight of the Golden Circle: The Michigan Alumnus: Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County: 1956d 10 the area. But it did not take so strongly as expected. The action was premature. “The secret order had not completed its military plans.” 31 Whether or not these were the actual goals of the Knights of the Golden Circle or if they were not as conspiring as this account renders them is uncertain. What is clear is that people thought this to be one aspect, which seemed likely. Basil Duke whom was second in command during Morgan’s raid wrote about a Thomas Hine’s raid and stated that he was commissioned about eighty “picked” men and was in fact on the Indiana mission to contact “Sons of Liberty.. The Copperheads, The Knights of the Golden Circle” to see if they could provide any support for Morgan should he decide to cross.32 In other words Hines was there to determine if there would be any help offered form these groups. Thomas Hines arrived in the Indiana territory with a small group of men a few weeks ahead of Morgan’s arrival in Brandenburg. They investigated the landscape for some terrain information. 33 Hines crossed the Ohio on June 17, 1863 and made it all the way to French Lick under the guise of the “Indiana Grays” whom were hunting for deserters of the Union army. 34 This fooled local citizens so well that Hines and his men were even fed a meals and areas to rest unmolested. However upon arriving in Paoli some Union men alerted the Mayor that he had been fooled and Hines men were forced to flee. 35 31 Lesh, U. S.: A Knight of the Golden Circle: The Michigan Alumnus: Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County: 1956 32 Duke, Basil W. History of Morgan’s Men: 1867, p. 423 33 Bowman, Walter; The Hines Raid: 1863 34 Horwitz, The Longest Raid of The Civil War, 2001 p 44 35 Horwitz, The Longest Raid of The Civil War, 2001 p 44 11 Hines was able to lose his pursuers and met with a Dr. Bowels about possibly “raising an army of Copperheads who would take over the state, assassinating the state and local government officials, seizing the state arsenals and turning on the home guards” 36 This meeting as interrupted when an informer told them that Union troops were on there way to arrest Hines and his men. Hines and his men were eventually forced to swim across the Ohio River when they found themselves surrounded by Union troops. Hines and what few men he had left, around a dozen, met up with Morgan in Brandenburg and “informed the General of the conditions he observed in Indiana.” 37 The mission of this scout is also uncertain and some believe it to be evidence that Morgan had had planned his river crossing prior to it execution. Although the Hines raid did occur was perhaps done so because again of Morgan’s military intelligence. It is possible that Morgan merely sent him to scout the land in case the raiders would have been forced to cross in order find escape Union capture. After his return it is doubtful that Morgan believed that the pro southern groups would provide them with much support. A final, plausible, account offered as an explanation of Morgan’s motivation for crossing the Ohio River is a combination of the motives mentioned for Hines raid and that Morgan was simply running away from a Union General named Hobson whom was close on his trail. Captain Abe, Dyer recorded in his account of the battle that one reason given for Morgan’s raid was that he had “Morgan was so closely pursued by Hobson’s forces and that rather than gibe battle when driven to the river, this course was suddenly 36 37 Horwitz, The Longest Raid of The Civil War, 2001 p 44 Horwitz, The Longest Raid of the Civil War 2001 45 12 adopted by him as a necessity.” 38 It may have been that upon his coming to the river he had chosen to cross because continuing further west in Kentucky seemed like a poor choice as there was much countryside and little in the way of provisions he could have raided for. Mostly made up of scattered farmland and small populations, trekking further west would have been very difficult. There would not have been the necessary resources needed to supply his raiding party. His knowing of the existence of the pro-southern sympathizing groups may have been a determining factor for his crossing, yet it is doubtful he was willing to bet everything on this information given the outcome of Hines raid. Morgan’s desire to avoid pursuit seems to be the most plausible given Morgan’s education and military expertise. As previously mentioned Morgan was very talented when it came to conducting military business and especially raids. He would have thought ahead of his position using military tactics. Initially it may have been that Morgan was on his raid to pull pressure off of other Confederate troops, or even to cause some trouble throughout the border states of Tennessee and Kentucky in order to slow down any future advances from Union forces. Morgan took out railroads and bridges in parts of Kentucky and Tennessee was probably quite an effective thorn in the side of the Union. However, the risks associated with crossing the Ohio and bringing the confederate forces into uncertain danger must have been a calculated risk. 39 Whatever the motivations or ideology of the raid, eventually John Hunt Morgan and a band of approximately 2,400 raiders were on Union Soil by July 8, 1863 and 38 Dyer, Abe: The March to Corydon-Burning of Lopp’s Mill-Morgan’s Capture and Death; The Corydon Democrat: August 1, 1923 39 Bowman, Walter; The Hines Raid: Invasion of the State, June 1863: Indiana Historical Bulletin, April 1959 13 headed North toward the old Indiana Capital of Corydon. Similar to the unknown elements surrounding the motivation for the raid there are in existence some inaccuracies, which account for the next phase of the raid, his march further north and the Battle of Corydon itself. Information varies widely from one source to another. There are a few reasons why there are many inaccurate accounts of The Battle of Corydon. One reason for inaccuracies in the primary accounts during this time was due to a combination of misunderstood and misrepresented information. Also many of the stories were not recorded for decades after they happened; some of the eyewitness accounts were written of much later from people whom were in their early childhood. So it was difficult to gather accurate valid information. Some of the members whom wrote letters to loved ones sometimes gave inaccurate accounts of the details, not intentionally but circumstantially. They simply reported the information that they were given. In a letter written to her cousin, Attia Porter goes into some details of the battle, as she understood them. She wrote, “What could 350 untrained Home Guards do against 4,000 well drilled and disciplined soldiers?” 40 In this instance it is apparent that she was given inaccurate information. The actual numbers are 450 against 2,400. This was perhaps due to many of the speculative rumors being passed around the area, as very few people were sure of the actual size of Morgan’s raiders. Morgan’s raiders were not condensed in one solitary group, moving together, but rather they spread themselves out over the land in order to procure as much as they could. There was a main driving force it was known that there were other raiders spread out across further areas in order to gather more food, 40 Conway, Fred W. ; Corydon the Forgotten Battle of the Civil War; FBH Publishers New Albany Indiana, 1991 14 horses, money etcetera for the raid. How many raiders there were scattered about was unknown, probably by most if not all of the citizens close to the fighting. Other examples written in secondary accounts exist which demonstrate how difficult it is to determine who is telling the truth about what happened and who is not. There is much information, which is based around the same event yet there exist two different accounts regarding the details leading up to how the event took place. For example there is a story about how the raiding party advanced north where they ran into Peter Lopp’s Mill. In Corydon the Forgotten Battle of the Civil War. Fred Conway claims that Lopp’s Mill was burned down when he refused to accept confederate money for some flour taken and food eaten. Alternatively in a column written by Arville Funk, he claims that Morgan’s raiders had captured Lopp. Lopp pleaded with his captures not to burn down his Mill. The Raiders spent the night at his Mill then burned it down because a courier appeared and said that Morgan’s been “fired on from it.” 41 Funk wrote, “It was later discovered that a Mr. Overton, outside of the mill had fired on Morgan’s men and then escaped.” 42 On July 9, Morgan began his march along the road from their resting point at Lopp’s Mill toward Corydon. Morgan sent riders out in a ten-mile radius to steal and scatter horses and burn bridges. 43 This had been the main tactic that Morgan used for the rest of his raid. He scattered his men out to capture horses and burn bridges for two reasons. The first was because his men’s horses were constantly being exhausted from continual travel, and new horses were needed to replenish the tired ones. Burning bridges 41 Funk, Arville L: July 9 1863- July 9, 1963: Unknown publication date. Pp. 64 Funk, Arville L: July 9 1863- July 9, 1963: Unknown publication date. 43 Twiss, Gilbert: Col. John Morgan: Civil War Swashbuckler: The Chicago Tribune, July 7, 1963 42 15 and knocking trees onto roads was also done in order to keep anyone in pursuit of the raiders from being able to catch up quickly. Some accounts make it appear as if Morgan was trying to be on his best behavior while on Union Soil. Morgan was reported to have tried to offer money a few occasions, which places this idea in the realm of plausible. Along the raid just across the Ohio River while Morgan and his men approached the scattered houses along Indiana’s countryside when they came to the home of a woman named Pleasant Bean. Arville Funk explains in an article how Morgan offered a woman named Pleasant Bean some confederate money because while his raiders were pillaging through her food storage they spilled some heavy cream on her rug. This apparently ruined the rug and so confederate money was offered. 44 This notion of a raiding party attempting to pay for something may seem odd in that there really was no need to make payment. However, it does seem provide a better look at why Morgan’s raid is written about with so much controversy. Author Billy Reed wrote of Morgan’s controversy and noted that Southern historians praise him as ‘the Gray Fox’ or ‘ The Thunder bolt of the Confederacy’. He quotes a southern author Allen Kellar as writing “It may well have been chivalry’s last appearance on war’s sordid stage.” 45 Morgan was also written about both during the time and more recently as being a gentleman. He treated the women and children with kindness. Time and time again there were reports of General Morgan being polite to the raided areas but to those in arms against them he was not so benevolent. Morgan and his raiders were harsh and brutal to those who stood against him. “A man by the name of Spier Hurst in Hersttown was shot after he did not heed the warning 44 45 Funk, Arville L: July 9 1863- July 9, 1963: Unknown publication date. Pp. 63 Reed Billy, John Morgan: Gallant soldier or horse thief? Courier Journal 5/31/1976 16 to halt while he was trying to escape with his horses. Some reported that Hurst was simply hard of hearing and never heard their shouts. He later died from his wounds. 46 As his men advanced north, the raiders were reported to have shot a Reverends son at his home, when the sons father Rev. Glenn arrived at the house and was fooled by the rebels whom waved a white flag. Rev. Glenn Shot and killed one of Morgan’s rebels after he found his son shot through both of his thighs. The raiders killed him on the spot.47just the raiders came to a man named William Heth, who was the keeper of the Tollgate at the east entrance of Corydon, was shot and killed by some of the rebels who made their way to the Plank Road and rode in from the east. Once past the tollgate Morgan and his men were less than a couple hours from the town of Corydon. As previously mentioned there could have been little known about the actual numbers approaching the town. Messengers had been riding hard to alert the people in the town but they would have not likely been able to report accurately the size of Morgan’s force. During this time Col. Lewis Jordan, Marshall Timberlake, and Maj. J. S. Pfrimmer gathered volunteers to add to the Home defense. As the rebels moved closer to Corydon, many armed guards from the area built fences and other breastworks to slow the rebel forces movement. They were setting up to do battle. In an account written by a Mr. Senour he recalled that when some skirmishing was close by at Henry Steepleton’s place, there was a “number of rebels killed and several persons wounded. In this affair a 46 Dome, Maud B. Centennial of Battle of Corydon to be Observed at Fairgrounds: Writer Recounts Recollection Of Father During Raid: The Corydon Republican: Section two Volume 95, Corydon, Indiana, Thursday, July 25, 1963. 47 Welsh, George A. : Corydon Surrenders to Gen. Morgan: From the file of Frederick Pl Griffin, Historian for Harrison County, Indiana June, 5, 1963 17 rebel came out of he woods and took deliberate aim at one the Captains, captain LaHue, but was shot down by one of the captain’s men before he fired his gun.” 48 While Morgan’s raiders were attacking the Home Guards for the start of The Battle of Corydon, Union General Hobson had arrived in Brandenburg and was forced to wait there helplessly for transports, while the Home Guards began fighting in the Battle of Corydon. 49 There can be little doubt that he overheard the shots being fired. Once Morgan’s raiders reached the Home Guard lines he and his raiders made quick work of the smaller defense. There were around 450 home guards present at the start of the battle and this was hardly a match for Morgan’s nearly 2,400 men. The Home Guards “checked” the rebels and so the rebels flanked them easily. Senour wrote that a Mr. S. K. Wolfe who was reported to be in the thick of the fight wrote of the event, ‘the shells made the ugliest kind of music over our heads. The shelling operation, together with the fact that our line was about to be flanked on both wings at the same time, made it necessary for the safety of our men at they should fall back. This they did, not with best of order it is true, but with excellent speed. From this time the fighting was converted into a series of skirmishes. Each man seemed to fight on his own hook, after the manner of bushwhackers’. 50 The entirety of the battle lasted around twenty-five to thirty minuets. Because of the sheer size of Morgan’s force along with Morgan’s military intelligence he had defeated the Home Guards in Corydon and with their surrender from Col. Jordan Lewis hoisting of a white flag, General Morgan 48 Senour F. Mr. Senour’s account of the battle of Corydon. Unknown date. Hawkins, Hubert H.: Invasion of Indiana! Indiana and the Civil War: Indiana Civil War Centennial Commission, Indianapolis, 1961 50 Senour F. Mr. Senour’s account of the battle of Corydon. Unknown date. 49 18 was able to claim victory and for a short time technically claim Corydon Indiana as a part of confederate territory. 51 There was a fear and panic among the members of the Home Guard Unit once they were being overtaken. A local town historian Porter Griffin wrote in a centennial column for the Corydon Democrat, many of the Home Guards made their escape rather than be captured by Morgan’s Raiders. The situation was so hastily executed and stressful for some that a Mr. Isaac Lang “suffered a heart attack and died instantly while attempting his escape”. 52 The remaining Home Guards were gathered up and taken as prisoners of war. Morgan was preparing to enter the town of Corydon, less than a mile a way. Morgan’s men wasted little time collecting the spoils of their victory. Levi Shaffer wrote of the event, “The guns were scarcely out of our hands when two or three villainous looking wretches began exploring our pockets” 53 Before his entering the town of Corydon, Morgan had gathered men among the remaining defeated Home Guards whom were the most prominent citizens of the town. Morgan’s men took captured the most influential men of the town and “were compelled to walk at the head of the Confederate columns as they entered Corydon. The Rebs threatened to shoot these captives if the Confederates were fired on my the local 51 Horwitz, Lester The Longest Raid of the Civil War: Cincinnati Ohio: Farmcourt Publishing, Inc., 2001, 65 52 Griffin, Fredrick Porter: General Morgan And His Min Crossed Ohio River 100 Years Ago Next Week: Centennial Anniversary Next Week Getting Nation- Wide Re- publicizing: The Corydon Democrat, Section two, Corydon Indiana, Wednesday, July 3, 1963, Vol. 108, No. 19. 53 Shaffer, Levi G., The Corydon Republican; July 15, 1909 19 citizens.” 54 It was his use of this tactic that made it possible to enter the town of Corydon unmolested by any other Home Guards or civilians. Upon their march into town they first came across a Presbyterian church and Morgan and his troops used it as a temporary hospital for some of the wounded and dying soldiers. “The wounded were inside where some of the younger girls were given the task of fanning and keeping the flies off them.” 55 During this time General Morgan took control of Jacob W. Kintner’s Eagle Hotel and set it up as his headquarters. It is believed by many authors and historians that it is during his rest at the Eagle Hotel where Morgan first reads about General Lee’s loss in Gettysburg. 56 During the battle there were local citizens who gathered in the square as news of Morgan’s proximity spread before he arrived. In a panic many civilians frantically buried their belongings and valuables so as not to be stolen by the raiding party. 57 Some people threw their coins and other valuables in a cistern until the threat had passed. Many people also fled the town and sought shelter by fleeing “up the creek to an overhanging cliff.” 58 Others gathered together in the town square and awaited the arrival of Morgan and his raiders. The raiders were coming into the homes of the towns’ people and eating the food being prepared by the women of the men in the battle. 59 There had also been a commissary department set up by the local townspeople for the Home guards who fought 54 An essay read at a band concert July 9, 1982, Public square, Corydon Horwiz, The Longest Raid 2001; p. 67 56 Horwitz, The Longest Raid in The Civil War;2001; p. 67 57 Griffin, Fredrick Porter: General Morgan And His Min Crossed Ohio River 100 Years Ago Next Week: Centennial Anniversary Next Week Getting Nation- Wide Re- publicizing: The Corydon Democrat, Section two, Corydon Indiana, Wednesday, July 3, 1963, Vol. 108, No. 19. 58 Griffin, Fredrick Porter: General Morgan And His Min Crossed Ohio River 100 Years Ago Next Week: Centennial Anniversary Next Week Getting Nation- Wide Re- publicizing: The Corydon Democrat, Section two, Corydon Indiana, 59 Griffin, Fredrick Porter: General Morgan And His Min Crossed Ohio River 100 Years Ago Next Week: Centennial Anniversary Next Week Getting Nation- Wide Re- publicizing: The Corydon Democrat, Section two, Corydon Indiana, Wednesday, July 3, 1963, Vol. 108, No. 19. 55 20 in the battle. Tables were set up with “cakes, pies, meat and other edibles… gathered in great quantities” 60 After the battle while setting everything up Mr. David Jordan heard a voice say “Ill take charge here now and you get some tubs, buckets and pails and go draw some water from that well.” 61 The townspeople were at the mercy of the raiders. Once inside the town Morgan turned the town square into a makeshift prison camp and the captured men were “paroled several hours later after they were relived from their pistols, riffles, watches, and some even lost their boots.”62 After only remaining in Corydon a few hours Morgan and his men pushed on and continued their raid through Indiana and Ohio. Morgan’s raid and the battle of Corydon had a tremendous effect on people both those directly affected as well as those in the surrounding areas. There were reports that upon hearing the news of Morgan’s invasion residents in Illinois and Ohio became nervous. 63 Citizens of Indiana were terrified. 64 “Governor Oliver P. Morton, on receiving information of the invasion of Indiana soil, issued a proclamation ordering all able-bodied citizens in the counties to form companies and arm themselves with such arms as they could procure.”65 Though he had hoped for more support from the regular army throughout Morgan’s invasion of Indiana. When Governor Morton had initially learned of the invasion he had attempted to contact with Union General Boyle via telegraph that the local Indiana regiments were needed back in Indiana and request 60 Horwitz, The Longest Raid ;2001 p 65 Conway, Fred, Corydon the Forgotten Battle of The Civil War: (1991); p. 76 62 Griffin, Fredrick Porter: General Morgan And His Min Crossed Ohio River 100 Years Ago Next Week: Centennial Anniversary Next Week Getting Nation- Wide Re- publicizing: The Corydon Democrat, Section two, Corydon Indiana, Wednesday, July 3, 1963, Vol. 108, No. 19. 63 Reed Billy, John Morgan: Gallant soldier or horse thief? Courier Journal 5/31/1976 64 Sundstrom, Harold W.: Battle of Corydon: Outdoor Indiana Magazine, October, 1963 65 Funk, Arville L. Morgan’s Raid Recounted On Centennial Anniversary: The Corydon Republican, July 4, 1963. 61 21 assistance. Boyle was based in Louisville, and did not reply to the frequent appeals of distress from Governor Morton until later and no relief was offered. 66 Governor Morton also appealed to General Burnside on several occasions seeking assistance from other union troops.67 “General Burnside: I ask that the Seventy-First Indiana and Twenty-third Indiana Battery, recently sent to Kentucky, Be immediately ordered back to this State for its protection - the protection of our towns from burning and pillage. Indiana has repeatedly sent all her troops to protect Kentucky. I now ask the return of some for our own protection. O.P. Morton Governor of Indiana” 68 There were other telegrams from Governor Morton with pleas to send any support from Burnside. General Burnside however did not jump at the chance to help the Indiana governor as it was believe that he too felt that Morgan would try to attack the either New Albany or Louisville. 69 As mentioned earlier there were many different conflicting stories, which gave inaccurate accounts of the actual number of Morgan’s, raiding party. One reason why General Boyle was reluctant to provide assistance is that there were a number of propaganda floating around almost as soon as the Invasion began. This propaganda came from a variety of newspapers, which embellished and misrepresented the facts of Morgan’s invasion dramatically. In some accounts there were reports that Morgan had upwards of 4,500 troops or more.70 The uncertainty of Morgan’s next move made Boyle think that Louisville may be one of his intended targets.71 Boyle was also uncertain of Morgan’s numbers as he wrote a telegram to Major General Burnside reporting that 66 Hawkins, Hubert H.: Invasion of Indiana! Indiana and the Civil War: Indiana Civil War Centennial Commission, Indianapolis, 1961 67 Unknown published article in a Magazine, looks like Indiana Magazine. 68 Telegram to General Burnside from O. P. Morton 69 Unknown published article in a Magazine, looks like Indiana Magazine. 70 The Corydon Weekly Democrat,. Corydon Indiana, July 14, 1863 Vol. 7 71 Unknown published article in a Magazine, looks like Indiana Magazine. 22 Morgan had about 3,000 men. 72 Columnist Billy Reed says of General Morgan’s invasion that it mostly created “widespread fear in the hearts of Northern sympathizers in Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and even Chicago.” Morgan did not head to either of those places and spent the next week taking his raiding party all the way east through Indiana and entered Ohio where he was eventually captured. Morgan would escape from his imprisonment by digging a tunnel under his cell wall. 73 A reward poster was issued to this capture and offered $1,000 dollars for his recapture. 74 In September of 1864, Morgan was finally caught and killed during his surrender. 75 Through all the varied ideas, which currently exist regarding Morgan’s raid and the Battle of Corydon, it can seem difficult to find a place for its significance in the historiography of the Civil War. However, the significance should not be measured in terms of the greatness of the battle, because it was small. It should not be measured in terms of death tolls like those of Manassas or Bleeding Kansas, because the death toll is much less. The significance of the Union Invasion and the battle of Corydon have a great regional significance. The Battle of Corydon has a great significance to those persons directly affected by Morgan and his raiders.. It also holds a strong significance to many of those in the community live there presently. The true significance of the battle seems to have gained 72 J.T. Boyle, Telegram to Louisville Ky, July 9, 1863 Harpers Weekly: A Journal of a Civilization, New York, Saturday, September 24, 1864, Vol. VIII- no. 404 74 -$1,000! Reward poster from the Head Quarters U. S. Forces in Columbus Ohio, November 28, 1863 75 Reed Billy, John Morgan: Gallant soldier or horse thief? Courier Journal 5/31/1976—There is another verion of General Morgans death that was reported by The Harpers Weekly which claimed Morgan died while trying to escape. However I believe Mr. Reed to be more reliable as it has been noted that the newspapers were not as reliable during this time. Propaganda was commonplace among some of these papers. 73 23 more saliency among locals than it appears to have had a few decades after its occurrence. On the Centennial of the Battle, Columnist wrote about the battle with an arguably inferred sense of pride. To the members of the community, Morgan’s raid and the Battle of Corydon were an important part of their local history. Being able to claim that a Civil War Battle occurred close by adds a sense of connectedness to something often thought of as distant. In the south, Civil War battlegrounds memorabilia can be found frequently. In Indiana there is only one place that can claim a Civil War battle. And as mentioned before, there are only two Civil War battles fought on Union soil, which exist. Current beliefs regarding the significance of the Raid and the Battle of Corydon are wide-ranging and arguably misunderstood. For the Civil War there is little doubt that the battle of Corydon and Morgan’s raid in general were insignificant to the outcome of the War. The main significance lies in the region in which this raid occurred. All across the Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio path are historical markers with information about the raid in that particular location. Some of the stories written about are done with sympathy leaning toward the Southern cause, some leaning for the North. One would be hard pressed to find an unbiased account of the raid. In all of the locations there have been newspaper article detailing the events of his significance for those towns. A newspaper writer from the South for example may write Morgan’s raid in a positive light by claiming him to have been a hero for the south. Writers call him things like “the Gray Fox’ or ‘The Thunder bolt of the Confederacy’.” 76 Historian Allan Kellar wrote of his raid “It may well have been chivalry’s last appearance 76 Reed Billy, John Morgan: Gallant soldier or horse thief? Courier Journal 5/31/1976 24 on war’s sordid stage.” 77 In an article written about Morgan’s Legacy, columnist Frank White wrote of how Morgan was seen as cultured a gentleman, for although he was on a raid killing people according to White treated those innocent with respect. 78 Through other accounts of Morgan’s raid some columnist mention how innocent people were rarely mistreated save stealing fresh pies and other goods. Northern writers provide titles like Gallant soldier or Horsetheif?, or John Morgan: Civil War Swashbuckler 79. Little praise is awarded for his raid in these parts of the North. The way Morgan’s invasion of Indiana and the battle of Corydon have been written about in the past leaves out the notion of this significance. To the members of these communities this was the Civil War. Most of the people in these areas had only heard stories about the “Southern Rebellion”. Most of these people had only heard of places and battles like Manassas, Antietam, Bull Run and etcetera while not really considering the actual toll that came with it. When strangers came into the homes of these people it genuinely scared them. It not only caused them to panic and be afraid but it also made the Civil War a real event for them. The significance of the Union Invasion and the battle of Corydon have a great regional significance. There have been many periodicals, newspaper articles, books, and letters describing the events of the northern invasion by John Hunt Morgan and the Battle of Corydon. Throughout the many different accounts about Morgan’s raid and The Battle of Corydon there are many discrepancies between scholars as to the details of the battle. For the Civil War in general, the Battle of Corydon was nothing more than a fortified 77 Reed Billy, John Morgan: Gallant soldier or horse thief? Courier Journal 5/31/1976 White, Frank A.; Gen. John H. Morgan’s, As Others Saw Him a Cultured Gentleman The Indianapolis Sunday Star June 2, 1927 79 Reed; Gallant soldier or horsethief? 1976, Twiss, John Morgan Civil War Swashbuckler 1963 78 25 skirmish, however to the community from which it was fought in, it was more. It became a piece of local history and the salient feelings the people felt, and feel, create a closer community for its citizens. The battle of Corydon must therefore add a greater significance to the current historiogaphical understandings on the invasion of Indiana and the Battle of Corydon. 26 Bibliography $1,000! Reward poster from the Head Quarters U. S. Forces in Columbus Ohio, November 28, 1863 An essay read at a band concert July 9, 1982, Public square, Corydon no title Bowman, Walter; The Hines Raid: Invasion of the State, June 1863: Indiana Historical Bulletin, April 1959 Dome, Maud B. Centennial of Battle of Corydon to be Observed at Fairgrounds: Writer Duke, Basil W. History of Morgan’s Men: 1867, p. 423 Recounts Recollection Of Father During Raid: The Corydon Republican: Section two Volume 95, Corydon, Indiana, Thursday, July 25, 1963. Dyer, Abe: The March to Corydon-Burning of Lopp’s Mill-Morgan’s Capture and Death; The Corydon Democrat: August 1, 1923 Funk, Arville L: July 9 1863- July 9, 1963: Unknown publication date. Pp. 63 Funk, Arville L. Morgan’s Raid Recounted On Centennial Anniversary: The Corydon Republican, July 4, 1963. Funk, Arville, L. The Morgan Raid in Indiana and Ohio 1863, Superior Printing Company, Mentone, Indiana; 1971 pp. 15 Griffin, Fredrick Porter: General Morgan And His Min Crossed Ohio River 100 Years Ago Next Week: Centennial Anniversary Next Week Getting Nation- Wide Republicizing: The Corydon Democrat, Section two, Corydon Indiana, Wednesday, July 3, 1963, Vol. 108, No. 19. Harpers Weekly: A Journal of a Civilization, New York, Saturday, September 24, 1864, Vol. VIII- no. 404 Hawkins, Hubert H.: Invasion of Indiana! Indiana and the Civil War: Indiana Civil War Centennial Commission, Indianapolis, 1961 Horwitz, Lester The Longest Raid of the Civil War: Farmcourt Publishing, Inc., 2001 pp. 1 J.T. Boyle, Telegram to Louisville Ky, July 9, 1863 LaHue, Lenore: On the square: The Corydon Republican, July 5, 1962. Lesh, U. S.: A Knight of the Golden Circle: The Michigan Alumnus: Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County: 1956 McDowell, Robert E. General John Hunt Morgan’s Great 1863 Raid: Commemoration at Brandenburg, KY. July 13, 1963. Pfrimmer, Samuel, “The Battle of Corydon” Griffins Scrapbook, Vol. 1, pp. 376-377, 1927 Reed Billy, John Morgan: Gallant soldier or horse thief? Courier Journal 5/31/1976 Senour F. Mr. Senour’s account of the battle of Corydon. Unknown date. Stauth, George J., Dodge City, Kansas: Sedition in Harrison County During the War of the Rebellion.: The Corydon Republican: April 10, 1924, Corydon Indiana Sundstrom, Harold W.: Battle of Corydon: Outdoor Indiana Magazine, October, 1963 The Corydon Weekly Democrat,. Corydon Indiana, July 14, 1863 Vol. 7 Thomas, Edison, H. John Hunt Morgan and His Raiders: The University press of Kentucky; 1975 27 Twiss, Gilbert: Col. John Morgan: Civil War Swashbuckler: The Chicago Tribune, July 7, 1963 Conway, Fred W. ; Corydon the Forgotten Battle of the Civil War; FBH Publishers New Albany Indiana, 1991 Unknown published article in a Magazine, looks like Indiana Magazine. Welsh, George A. : Corydon Surrenders to Gen. Morgan: From the file of Frederick Pl Griffin, Historian for Harrison County, Indiana June, 5, 1963 White, Frank A.; Gen. John H. Morgan’s, As Others Saw Him a Cultured Gentleman The Indianapolis Sunday Star June 2, 1927 28