|
Lexington Rifles "Our Laws, The Commands of Our Captain"
1857 - 1861
. lexington rifles Fayette
County Volunteer Militia
“Our
Laws, the Commands of Our Captain” Captain Morgan, who had a reputation as a disciplinarian, would freely assess fines for violations of regulations, including once fining himself 25 cents for tardiness. This discipline proved itself in the Company's magnificent display of drill order, which endeared them to spectators and helped make them the darlings of Lexington society. Of this militia company, "The Lexington Observer & Reporter" wrote: "We
are certain that a finer body of men never shouldered a musket — a beautiful
uniform, well drilled, and being composed of young and handsome gentlemen."
John Hunt Morgan Thomas B. Monroe Captain Lieutenant .
.
Lexington
Rifles (Note "Lex. Rifles" on the crate in the lower right of the photo.) .
kentucky state guard March 1860 - September 1861 Following
John Brown’s raid on the Federal Arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia,
Americans across the South began to address the dangers to society that were
presented by the threat of attack. In order to defend against similar
incursions by rebellious groups such as Brown’s, the Commonwealth of Kentucky
organized a State Guard on March 5, 1860 that was to be comprised of local
militia units. To head the new Kentucky State Guard, Governor Beriah
Magoffin appointed Simon Bolivar Buckner as Inspector General, with the rank of
Major General. Gen. Buckner held this position from May 5, 1860 until
July 23, 1861, when he resigned his commission to join the Confederate Army. General Simon B. Buckner Colonel Roger W. Hanson
In counties
across the Commonwealth, the State Guard grew to 132 separate militia companies,
including six from Fayette County. With 60 men ready for duty, the
Lexington Rifles were commissioned by Governor
Magoffin into the Kentucky State Guard on May
9, 1860. On November 6, the Lexington Battalion was combined with the Kentucky River Battalion to create the First Infantry Regiment, commanded by Colonel Roger W. Hanson. Thomas B. Monroe of the Lexington Rifles was chosen to serve as Lieutenant Colonel. (Both men would later rise within the ranks of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Roger Hanson became Brigadier General of the 4th Brigade in Breckinridge's Division of Hardee's Corps, and was mortally wounded at the Battle of Murfreesboro in 1863. Thomas B. Monroe, who became Major of the 4th Kentucky Infantry, was killed at the Battle of Shiloh in 1862.) In this regiment, the Lexington Rifles were granted the honor of becoming Company A, an honored designation which they would repeatedly claim throughout the years of war-time organization to come.
secession crisis April - September 1861 "...That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." .--
excerpt from "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States
of America" While the
flames of secession grew around her in 1860 and 1861, Kentucky remained neutral
with a desire to preserve the peace. When Abraham Lincoln, the newly
elected President of the United States, rejected a conciliation effort by the Confederate government in
April 1861, the first shots for Southern Independence were fired. The
artillery duel that took place at Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina
propelled events quickly on a national scale, with the likelihood of further The illusion of neutrality belied the hundreds of young Kentuckians who were traveling across state borders to volunteer for Confederate service in Virginia and Tennessee. To counter this, Federal authorities established recruiting centers within Kentucky’s borders, thereby violating the state’s neutrality. The split of allegiances in the Commonwealth tore apart the ranks of the Kentucky State Guard, effectively causing the disintegration of the 1st Infantry Regiment. Elements with Union sympathies reorganized from April through June 1861 and reformed primarily as the 1st and 2nd Kentucky Volunteer Infantry Regiments. These regiments were mustered into Federal service on June 4 and 13, respectively, at Camp Clay, Ohio. Elements with Confederate sympathies, minus the Lexington Rifles, reorganized in July as the 1st Kentucky Brigade (later to be known in post-war years as The Orphan Brigade), and mustered into Confederate service at Camp Boone, Tennessee. Captain John Hunt Morgan By September, with the strategic Battles of Manassas, Virginia and Wilson’s Creek, Missouri having been fought, both Confederate and Federal forces moved into Kentucky to outmaneuver each other. U.S. General Ulysses Grant occupied Paducah, while C. S. General Leonidas Polk countered this with a move from Tennessee to Columbus. Meanwhile, General Buckner, the former commander of the Kentucky State Guard, marched a division of Kentuckians to Bowling Green on order of General Albert Sidney Johnston, the overall Confederate commander in the West. With these actions, it was obvious that Kentucky had now become a potential battleground. General Albert S. Johnston Gen. Leonidas "Bishop" Polk .
exodus to camp charity Bloomfield,
Kentucky With tensions mounting within the state, Governor Magoffin issued orders to disarm those State Guard militia units that were sympathetic to the Confederacy. The Lexington Rifles were among those units to receive orders from the pro-Union state government to return their rifles to the State Guard Armory in Frankfort. However, in a clever act of deception, Captain Morgan sent the shipping crates to the state capitol weighted down with stones, instead. With their rifles safely concealed, the Lexington Rifles then took an oath: "To Stand By Our Arms Till Death!" When
the crates were later opened in Frankfort and Morgan's ruse was discovered, Federal
forces moved into Lexington with orders to arrest members of the Lexington
Rifles. Captain Morgan then informed the
Company that the time had come for them to leave the city and join the
Confederate Army. Late on
September 20, 1861, with their rifles hidden in hay wagons and with some members
remaining behind to fool Federal sentries, the Lexington Rifles
secreted themselves out of the city. They
were led by Captain Morgan on a 150-mile journey with the intention to link up with
General Buckner’s 5000 Confederate soldiers at Bowling Green.
.
Roadside
Historical Marker By September 26, the Lexington Rifles were joined by other new recruits, bringing their numbers to about 200. Together, they left "Camp Charity" and marched south toward the Confederate defensive line along the Green River. With four years training experience at drill and tactics, their knowledge lent professionalism to their march. It was during this march that the Lexington Rifles exchanged their first shots of the war with Unionist Home Guardsmen, who were easily scattered. .
induction into confederate service Woodsonville,
Kentucky
Lt. Basil W. Duke
Maj. Wm. Preston Johnston.
.
Roadside
Historical Marker and the ruins of the Green River Baptist Church .
morgan’s cavalry squadron Bowling
Green, Kentucky In the days that followed the induction of Morgan's Company into Confederate service, other under-strength companies that were present at Woodsonville also petitioned to join Morgan's command. On November 4th, the entire force was ordered by General Simon B. Buckner to proceed to Bowling Green, where the Confederate Army of Kentucky was headquartered. Upon their arrival, the force was consolidated into a Cavalry Squadron, with Morgan's Company (the former Lexington Rifles) being designated as Company A of the new Squadron. The men of the other under-strength Companies were combined to become Companies B and C. Company B was assigned to Captain Thomas Allen, of Shelbyville, who remained in command of the Company until the following year. (When Morgan's Squadron later became the nucleus for formation of the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry at Chattanooga in June 1862, Thomas Allen was appointed as Regimental Surgeon. His brother, John Allen, replaced him at that time as Captain in command of Company B.) Company C was assigned to Captain James Bowles, of Louisville, who had commanded the "Kentucky Rangers" militia unit in the pre-war State Guard. (James Bowles later rose through the ranks to become Lt. Col. in command of the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry. Upon the death of John Hunt Morgan in September 1864, he was promoted to full Colonel.)
. .
Bell's tavern Glasgow
Junction After formation of the Squadron at Bowling Green, Morgan was given orders to embark on patrols throughout the Green River area. To accomplish this, Morgan proceeded to Glasgow Junction (present-day Park City) in Barren County, where he established his Squadron Headquarters at the unfinished construction site of a stagecoach stop known as Bell's Tavern. (The original tavern building, which was at the fork of three roads -- the Glasgow Road, the Bardstown Road, and the Louisville & Nashville Pike -- had been destroyed by fire in 1858. When a spur from the L&N RR was opened to Glasgow in 1859, the hamlet of Three Forks became known as Glasgow Junction. The construction of a larger stone structure, that was meant to replace the original Bell's Tavern, was left unfinished due to the war.) From this location, Morgan conducted mounted patrols, operating from Munfordville to Greensburg and conducting raids against the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.
Bell's Tavern . .
"morgan's raiders" Expedition
to Bacon
Creek Station In early December, Federal forces began to move south along the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. As the Federals consolidated their strength in the area, Morgan’s Squadron moved out from Bell's Tavern on December 4 with 105 men. Their intent was to attack the enemy supply line the next day by destroying the railroad bridge at Bacon Creek Station (present-day Bonnieville), just north of Munfordville. Although the destruction of the bridge on December 5 was a minor affair, news of the attack reached newspaper correspondents in the North. This resulted in the first notoriety for the Squadron in the national press, which thereafter referred to them as "Morgan’s Raiders".
Roadside
Historical Marker and the Bacon Creek Bridge of the L&N R.R. . Choose from the following hyperlinks to view the illustrated unit history. 1857-61 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866-Present .
|