John Hunt Morgan

John Hunt Morgan was a cavalryman in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He conducted numerous raids in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio. His group was known as Morgan's Raiders. They would become famous in 1863 when they rode 1,000 miles through Tennessee all the way into Indiana. It was the farthest North any cavalry regiment penetrated during the Civil War. Our old friend Champ Ferguson was part of the raid as well. John Hunt Morgan was born in Huntsville, Alabama on June 1, 1825. He was the oldest of ten children. The Morgan family relocated to Lexington, Kentucky after John's father was unable to pay the mortgage on the family farm. John's middle name "Hunt" comes from his grandfather whose name was John Wesley Hunt. John attended Transylvania College for two years, but he was suspended for dueling with one of his fraternity brothers. Morgan fought in the Mexican-American War with his brother Calvin and his uncle Alexander. After the war he became a hemp manufacturer. He married Rebecca Gratz Bruce who was the eighteen year old sister of his business partner. After the death of his grandfather Morgan's fortunes grew. He became a very wealthy man. Joy turned to sorrow however, as Rebecca gave birth to a stillborn son, and later she contracted septic thrombophlebitis (milk-leg). The two grew apart emotionally, and the marriage failed. This led John to dedicate his life to military service. Before the Civil War he formed an independent band of fighters known as the "Lexington Rifles." In his free time he trained them for fighting. At first Morgan was not in favor of secession. He later changed his mind however and took his band of men, and joined the Confederate Army. He became colonel of his 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment on April 4, 1862. Morgan led the 2nd Kentucky at the Battle of Shiloh. After the Battle of Shiloh John Hunt Morgan began his raids. Most of Morgan's raids were into Kentucky. He and his men were able get deep into the rear of Major General Don Carlos Buell's army. Along the way he and his men (with the help of Champ Ferguson and his men) were able to capture, and later parole 1,200 Union soldiers. These raids opened up Kentucky for invasion by Confederate Generals Braxton Bragg and Edmund Kirby Smith. As a result of these raids, and his victory at the Battle of Hartsville, Morgan was promoted to the position of brigadier general. In an attempt to divert Union troops Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his men (including Champ Ferguson and his men) set off on a raid that would become known as "Morgan's Raid." Their goal was to break up railroads and supply lines that were vital to the Union army. Somewhere along the way however Morgan and Ferguson had a falling out. The reasons are not known, but based on my research, Ferguson believed that Morgan had become to focused on his fiancee Martha Ready, and was neglecting his duty as a cavalrymen. Morgan was able to continue without Ferguson however. He was victorious in some minor skirmishes, and continued to succeed in breaking up railroads and supply lines. Things turned bad however as Morgan and his men were captured and forced to surrender at Buffington Island, Ohio. Morgan and his men were held in the Ohio  Penitentiary. On November 27, 1863 he and six of his officers were able to escape by digging a tunnel out of their cell into the prison yard. The seven men were able to escape to Kentucky. More tragic news greeted Morgan when he returned home. His wife Martha had just had a baby, but the little girl had died just a few days before John got home. John Hunt Morgan returned to military service, but was given a group unlike the one he had before. The men were undisciplined and hard for him to control. Morgan decided to conduct one more raid into Kentucky. The raid proved to be fatal however as Morgan was shot in the back during a surprise attack on September 4, 1864 at Greenville, Tennessee. A tragic end to a great military career.

Above is a picture of members of "Morgan's Raiders" in the Western Penitentiary in Pennsylvania.

The legacy of Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan lives on to this day in Lexington, Kentucky, with this statue erected in his honor.

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.