Harrison Township

Harrison Township

From Corydon Morgan moved rapidly north and east and on the evening of the nth of July was in front of North Vernon. The Indiana Legion of Dearborn county, which was under the command of Col. Joseph H. Burkam, of Lawrenceburg, was ordered by Governor Morton to secure trans¬ portation, rendezvous his companies and proceed to Seymour at once. This was on the morning of the 8th. The Legion was stopped at North Vernon, however, on account of more definite information being obtained of Mor¬ gan's course. On the evening of the nth, Morgan appeared in front of North Vernon and demanded its surrender, demanding that the women and children be removed and giving notice to the commander that in two hours he would shell the town unless the place was surrendered. The brave com¬ mander, Colonel Williams of Rising Sun, rejected the message with an answer to the effect that if the place was wanted, let him come and take it Morgan, however, was only playing for time, and' long before daylight his legions were hastening eastward on parallel roads, camping on the evening of the 1 2th (Sunday) near Sunmans. Monday morning (the 13th) he left his bivouac at five o'clock in the morning and moved eastwardly, crossing the Big Four Railroad at Weisburg, Harmons and Van Weddings. Morgan hastened on through Hubbells, New Alsace, Dover and Logan, reaching Harrison a little after the noon hour. In the "History of Hamilton County, Ohio," is the following description of the behavior of the cavalrymen as they passed through the town :

"About 1 o'clock in the afternoon of the 13th of July, the advance of the rebel command was seen streaming down the hillsides on the west side of the valley and the alarm was at once given in the streets of Harrison. Citi¬ zens hastened at once to secrete their valuables and run off their horses, but in a very few minutes the enemy was swarming all over the town. The raiders generally behaved pretty well, offering few insults to the people and maltreating no woman or other persons. They secured what horses they could, thronged the stores, taking whatever they fancied. One gentleman who kept a drug store was despoiled of nothing but soap and perfumery. Similar incidents were related of other shops in the village and from one and another a large amount of goods in the aggregate was taken, but there was no robbery from house to house or from the person; and after a few hour's stay, having refreshed themselves and their horses and gained all the information possible, the head of the column began to file out of the village on the Harrison turnpike, in the direction of Cincinnati."

Fired On Own Comrades

An unfortunate loss of life occurred at the Hardintown school house that evening, causing the loss of five men killed, one mortally wounded and eighteen wounded more or less seriously. The account herewith is the re¬ port of W. H. H. Terrell, who at that time was the adjutant-general of Indiana :

"The resistance and pursuit of the rebels was as nearly bloodless as any hostile movement on so large a scale could be, but it was destined to cause more bloodshed after its departure than it did by its presence. On the evening of the 13th, Colonel Gavin, in command at Lawrenceburg, having been in¬ formed that Morgan had taken Harrison and had turned back and was ad¬ vancing upon Lawrenceburg, took prompt measures to meet him. He sent out his own regiment, the One Hundred and Fourth, half a mile beyond Hardintown, on the turnpike, where a strong barricade was constructed, and a line of battle was formed along the towpath of the canal, so as to use the canal bank as a defense. Colonel Shryock's regiment, the One Hundred and

Fifth, was ordered to take position a half mile in the rear. About nine o'clock at night, while marching towards the desired position through a very short curve in the road at Hardintown, the rear of the column, seeing the head indistinctly in the darkness, and unaware of the curve, which threw the men in front on a line parallel with those in the rear, mistook it for a portion of the expected enemy's force, and a shot accidentally fired at the moment made the impression so strong that they fired into the advance. The advance, of course, mistook the fire for that of the enemy and returned it. Cplonel Shryock instantly rode down the line to stop the firing, telling the men that they were killing their comrades, but though promptly obeyed he was too late to prevent a serious catastrophe. Five men were killed, one mortally and eighteen more or less wounded; the following is a list of the casualties caused by this sad mistake:

"Wounded - Captains A. K. Branham and William Nicholson; Lieu¬ tenants William E. Hart (mortally), Samuel Bewsey and Joel Newman; Sergeants Richard M. Baker, John Pyle, and James E. Bates; Privates Sam¬ uel E. Duncan, Edmund Bloomfield, Martin Hoover, William Flint, David S. Gooding, W. G. Johnson, D. W. Parish, R. T. Raines, Jabez Wilson, Allen R. Bates and - Hart.''

Found Few Sympathizers

It was claimed that Morgan had received assurances from spies that if he would once pass through Indiana, especially the southern part, he would find plenty of people ready and willing to assist him and might even re¬ ceive some recruits to his thinning ranks. Be this true or not, he soon found that he had few, if any, friends. The whole state was an armed camp. He met with resistance at every cross roads. Wherever he turned he met armed resistance. Governor Morton, who had a genius for rapid organization, put thirteen regiments into the field in less than three days, armed and equipped, officered and ready with everything but experience. The Indiana Legion of the river counties was already armed and to some extent drilled, many of them uniformed. It took a very few hours for these to be ready. In Switzerland county the messengers, horseback, went out to the country about one o'clock in the afternoon with notices for the companies to assemble and rendezvous at Vevay. By six o'clock that evening the town was full of men and they departed for Madison, where it was. then thought Morgan was going to try to cross the river. In Dearborn county the Legion was equally as well organized. Colonel Burkam sent out his orders for the companies to assemble and it was only a few hours until the whole command was under way for North Vernon. Besides the regular armed and equipped Legion there were other companies hastily organized, officered and equipped with arms and ammunition. It seemed as though armed men sprang out of the ground, there were so many who had guns and ammunition.

Squads of men from the country neighborhoods assembled on horse¬ back and hastened to join themselves with others, pursuing the Rebel cavalry¬ men on both front flank and rear, picking off the tired, sleepy raiders when¬ ever they wandered from the main command. As Morgan hurried to his doom in eastern Ohio he was continually losing men, who were so heavy with sleep that they were easily captured; while General Hobson's force of cavalrymen, who had kept close on the raiders' heels from Brandenburg to the final capture, was continually augmented by volunteers who, for the adventure, rode with them to the finish.

Counted Without His Host

Morgan, no doubt, after he had crossed into Indiana and had traveled a day or two, desired very much to recross the Ohio and return to Bragg's army. The federal authorities, realizing this, were alert to prevent it. In those days steamboats were plentiful and it was the work of a few hours to collect a fleet of six or eight boats, mount cannon on the lower deck, put aboard as many troops as could be conveniently carried and follow the route of Morgan paralleling him as near as possible. General M. D. Manson, of Crawfordsville, was put in command of this force and so well did he do his work and so vigilant was he in keeping informed as to the whereabouts of Morgan that to him may be given much of the credit for the capture of the Rebel general and his command. When Morgan was in front of North Vernon on Saturday evening, July n, Manson was at Madison, or near there. In the afternoon of Sunday, the 12th, when it was not yet known which direction the rebel forces had taken from North Vernon, he was at Vevay and by daylight on Monday morning, the 13th, while Morgan was yet in camp at Sunman, Manson, with his fleet of improvised gunboats, was at Aurora and Lawrenceburg. This was kept up all the way to Buffington's island, where the exhausted command of the Rebel chieftain attempted to cross the river by fording. After a few hundred had crossed to safety and while others were in midstream, the vigilant Manson came upon them there, halting the crossing and causing their capture soon thereafter.

Citizens Were Panic Stricken

Many amusing stories are yet told in the county of the celebrated Morgan raid; how cautious housewives would conceal their valuables and afterwards forget where the place of concealment was located; how panicky men, frantic with excitement, would say things and do things that afterwards seemed comical. The order was disseminated throughout the country that every impediment should be put in the way of the rebel forces, in order to delay their march and enable the Union forces to catch up with them. Some of the stories of the obstructions placed across the roads are amusing. It was said that by the side of a very level piece of pike there was a wild-cherry tree and an excited patriot was found by a squad of men riding by, chopping it down as rapidly as his excitement would permit. On being asked if he realized how long the fallen tree would stop Morgan's command he hastily, like one waking from a dream, swung his ax to his shoulder and departed. Others have laughable stories to tell of how horses were taken quickly to the thickest forest nearby to conceal them from the lynx-eyed Confederates, when they would ride right into a squad of them. The Confederates took what horses they needed, sparing no one. Hobson's command was in no better condition. Their horses were footsore and weary from the long pursuit and, in order to keep close on the heels of the raiders, the troopers must have fresh mounts. Accordingly whenever they found a horse that the raiders had missed in passing they were not slow in taking it. Some years after the war these horses were all settled for and the loss from this source was negligible. The damage done by the raider was in Manchester, Jackson, Kelso, Logan and Harrison township. He rode through so hastily, however, that he had no time to destroy much property. Bridges on the Big Four railroad over Tanner's creek were burned: horses were taken and eatables used when needed. But the rebel forces were well behaved and no complaints of out¬ rages or wanton destruction could be made.

Worse Than A Failure

The raid, as planned to arouse the disloyal element in the North, was worse than a failure. Morgan found a united enemy. Armed forces were in. evidence everywhere. The raiders that escaped capture and those who were exchanged returned to the rebel forces with stories discouraging to the cause. Throughout Indiana they rode through a land flowing with milk and honey, - a land of plenty. Bountiful wheat harvests had just been cut 'and the thousands of acres of growing corn and the bams bursting with hay and other forage crops gave evidence of this plenty. The thousands of head of live stock, cattle, hogs and poultry; the abundance of horses - everything, to the eyes of the poorly-clad and sometimes hungry raiders, indicated that the North was not even feeling the effects of the war in such a way to know its appalling losses.

Dearborn county, in this one event, deserves all the credit it ever received. Its people were loyal. The invader was met with armed force, none refusing to assist. The women were using every energy, preparing food and other nec¬ essary supplies. All business for the time was suspended. For a week at least Dearborn county was turned into an armed camp. Night and day the tramp of armed men could be heard. Munitions of war were to be seen on every hand. The hay field was left with the new-cut timothy on the ground, the farmer being too busy resisting the invader to pay attention to his work. The business man shut the doors of his business house and joined the nearest company organizing to repel the raiders. The young man on the farm hastily mounted his horse and rode away in the direction he had heard the rebels were to be found. Squads of these horsemen were to be found riding on every road and byroad. Nothing can describe to this generation the excite¬ ment and the feeling, or the determined resistance, felt in every breast. Occa¬ sionally, in the line of the raider's travel, they would find some person who would endeavor to curry favor by claiming sympathy with the rebel cause, thinking to evade loss or to secure gain. One case afterwards was reported that was humorous. A man of this kind thought it wise, as the rebel forces passed on the highway, to hurrah for Jeff Davis with all of his might. The rebel chieftain and staff happening to ride by at that time, dismounted and assured him that they were just looking for him ; that a friend was what they wanted. They were needing a good dinner and, of course, if he was their friend he would be delighted to get them up a good meal. The would-be sympathizer pleaded his wife's sickness, his want of wood for fuel, and other reasons, but the chieftain was immovable. He was ordered to cut wood and upon refusing, a guard was detailed which, with bayonets, stimulated his in¬ dustry all that hot afternoon, while with a saw and buck he provided the neces¬ sary wood and his good wife and family cooked for the raiders. It was safe to say afterward that this man had no sympathy for the cause of the Confederacy.

Apropos of Governor Morton's great genius for organization, in connec¬ tion with the Morgan raid, the report of W. H. H. Terrell, adjutant-general of Indiana, concerning the organization of the minute-men for repelling the invaders in herewith given:

"Late on the evening of July 8, 1863, the intelligence was received at Indianapolis that a rebel force, estimated to be six thousand cavalry, with four pieces of artillery under command of Gen. John H. Morgan, had crossed the Ohio river, near Mauckport, and was moving on Corydon, Indiana. Governor Morton at once issued a patriotic call upon the citizens of the state, to leave their various' occupations and organize for defence.

"Under this call, within the space of forty-eight hours, sixty-five thou¬ sand men had tendered their services. Of this force, thirteen regiments and one battalion were organized specially for this emergency, and the regiments designated numerically, from the One Hundred and Second to One Hundred and Fourteen, inclusive, the battalion being assigned to the One Hundred and Seventh Regiment."

War With Spain

When the war with Spain came on, in 1898, Indiana was not lacking in its patriotism. Her quota was so small and her patriotism so abundant, that it was feared by many who were anxious to bear a part that no opportunity would be given for service. Dearborn county lacked none of its former read¬ iness to respond to the call, but at first the opportunity seemed lacking. The first call was filled by the militia organizations of the state volunteering to enlist and maintain their status, as in the militia. But a second call gave the counties that were alert the chance to be recognized and Dearborn county, as usual, secured recognition by the acceptance of one company. This company had been recruited by George A. West, who was made its captain; George W. Fitch, who was appointed its first lieutenant, and Hanson G. Freeman, who was appointed its second lieutenant.

Governor Mount assigned the company to the One Hundred and Sixtyfirst Regiment, Indiana Volunteer Infantry, as Company M. The non-com¬ missioned officers and the enlisted men were as follow : First sergeant, Jacob J. Rief; quartermaster sergeant, Henry A. Spencer; sergeants, George W. Laird, John Seekatz, Charles D. Sparks and Cyrus M. Spencer: corporals, Henry C. Flush. John Siemental, Jesse L. Laswell, Edward Marshall. Paul

The regiment, after a short time in camp at Indianapolis, was sent to Jacksonville, Florida, where it remained for several months, after which it was ordered to Savannah, where it stayed until about January i, 1899, when it was ordered to Havana, Cuba, where it remained until ordered home for muster out. It was mustered out at Savannah on April 30, 1899, and returned home at once. While the men never were ordered to take part in any en¬ gagements with the enemy, yet they were as ready and willing, if it had been their lot, as any of the men who had, in the years gone by, stood in front of an enemy.

During their term of service they lost two men by sickness, but none was discharged on account of disability. The scenes on the streets of Lawrenceburg when the men were leaving for the rendezvous at Indianapolis were a reminder of the stirring days of the Civil War. Grave news had been re¬ ceived from Santiago, Cuba, that the army then there was having severe en- (22) gagements and the future seemed to promise that the Dearborn county com¬ pany would soon be called on to meet the enemy. The problem of sanitation in a tropical climate had not then been worked out and relatives and friends of these who had enlisted realized the seriousness of a campaign in Cuba. The streets were full of people, met to give the soldiers a cheery good-bye, and the old veterans of the Civil War led the procession escorting them to their train.