Raiding with MorganDunn, Byron A. (Byron Archibald)
History
Raiding with Morgan
Dunn, Byron A. (Byron Archibald)
Morgan, John Hunt, 1825-1864 -- Fiction; United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Fiction
Although it was in the middle of the night, the glad news spread through
the town, and the citizens were hailing each other with the glad shout,
“Morgan has come again! Morgan has come again!” Soon from every house
lights were flashing, and every woman was engaged in cooking. When morning
came, not only a steaming hot breakfast of the best that the place
afforded was set before the men, but three days’ cooked rations were given
each man.
At Glasgow Morgan gave out that he was again to raid the Louisville and
Nashville Railroad. In order to carry out the deception, when he left
Glasgow he followed the road which would lead him to strike the railroad
in between Woodsonville and Mumfordsville; but when he was within a few
miles of the road, he halted his command, and taking only Calhoun and his
scouts, he struck the road at a lonely place a short distance from Horse
Cove. Here he had his telegraph operator, a sharp young fellow named
Ellsworth, attach his private instrument to the telegraph wire, and for
two hours Ellsworth, in the midst of a driving storm and standing in water
up to his knees, took every message that passed over the wire. It was rare
fun to hear the Federal officers telling all their secrets, and revealing
the terror they were in over Morgan’s raid. After listening to their plans
of how they would try to capture him, Morgan had Ellsworth send the
following dispatch to the provost marshal at Louisville:
Nashville, Tenn., July 10, 1862.
General Forrest, commanding brigade, attacked Murfreesboro, routing our
forces, and is now moving on Nashville. Morgan is reported to be between
Scottsville and Gallatin, and will act in concert with Forrest, it is
believed. Inform general commanding.
STANLEY MATHEWS,
Provost Marshal.
Morgan sent this dispatch to lead the Federal authorities to believe that
he was returning from Kentucky. But the strange part of it is that Forrest
did on that very day attack and capture Murfreesboro, and of this fact
Morgan was entirely ignorant.
Leaving the telegraph and railroad intact, so as to have the Federals
remain in ignorance of what he had done and where he was, Morgan rejoined
his command and set out for Lebanon, a ride of over forty miles. The place
fell, almost without struggle. Dashing in at the head of his scouts,
Calhoun took possession of the telegraph office. This was at three o’clock
in the morning. Unsuspicious of danger the regular telegraph operator was
at home asleep, and Ellsworth was once more installed at the instrument.
It seemed that the day before Colonel Johnson, commanding the place, had
telegraphed for reinforcements, saying he feared an attack. The first
dispatch that Ellsworth received was:
“What news? Any more skirmishing?”
To which Ellsworth answered: “No, we drove what few cavalry there were
away.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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