Dee Brown on the Civil War by Dee Brown

Author:Dee Brown
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504049597
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2017-10-07T04:00:00+00:00

3

The 2nd Kentucky and other regiments of Duke’s brigade were in Bardstown by daylight of the sixth, and enjoyed the benefit of a six-hour rest while Adam Johnson’s 2nd Brigade marched on through town to take the advance. Most of Duke’s boys lounged in the shade of a sycamore grove, but Lightning Ellsworth rode off with a detachment to Bardstown Junction on the L. & N. Railroad.

Ellsworth was amused to find the operator there wearing a uniform—recently issued to Union telegraphers—dark blue blouse, blue trousers with a silver cord on the seam, a natty buff vest, a forage cap with no ornaments or marks of ranks. “Hello, sonny,” said Ellsworth as he showed his cocked revolver. “Move an inch except as I tell you, and you’ll be buried in that fancy rig.”

In a few minutes Ellsworth learned that strong Union cavalry forces were gathering in the rear, no more than twenty-four hours behind Morgan’s main column. From every message he intercepted, it was evident the Yankees were certain that Morgan’s raiders were bound for Louisville, and troops were being concentrated there for an expected attack.

John Morgan, meanwhile, was preparing the way for his river crossing into Indiana, the selected jump-off point being Brandenburg, Kentucky, on the Ohio River. He started Captains Sam Taylor and Clay Merriwether and their companies of the 1oth Kentucky by forced march direct to Brandenburg. They were told they would probably find Captain Tom Hines, who had been scouting the area for several weeks, somewhere around that town. They were to join forces with Hines and capture Brandenburg, as well as any boats which might be lying at the landing.

At the same time Morgan ordered the love-smitten captain, William Davis, to take Company D of the 2nd Kentucky and Company A of the 8th Kentucky on a diversionary expedition east of Louisville. Davis’ mission was to cut telegraph wires, burn railroad bridges, and create the impression that his two companies comprised Morgan’s entire raiding force. They were to aim for Twelve Mile Island above Louisville, cross the Ohio River there, and attempt to rejoin Morgan’s raiders at Salem, Indiana.

Lieutenant George Eastin of D Company was second in command. When he rode off with Captain Davis at the head of his company, Eastin was still proudly wearing his talisman, the sword of the Union colonel, Dennis Halisey.

In a letter to Frances Cunningham, Davis told of how he first learned of Morgan’s plans to invade Indiana. “When within ten miles of Shepherdsville [on the afternoon of July 6] Gen’l Morgan explained to me his intention of crossing the Ohio at Brandenburg, and ordered my detachment to create a diversion by operating between Louisville and Frankfort. Rapidly pushing forward ahead of the column, I crossed Salt river at an almost impracticable ford three miles above Shepherdsville and directed my course towards the railroad some thirty miles above Louisville.”

At the same time, the main column was turning northwestward, away from Louisville, still twenty-four hours ahead of the Union cavalry massing behind.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.