Lexington Rifles

"Our Laws, The Commands of Our Captain"

1862

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operations along the green river  

Winter 1861 - 1862

During the winter months of 1862, Morgan's Squadron remained headquartered in Bell's Tavern at Glasgow Junction.  From there, they patrolled the Green River area from Munfordville to Greensburg and conducted raids against the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.   After the surrender of both Forts Henry and Donelson n February, it became clear to the Confederate High Command that maintenance of the entire defensive line along the Green River was untenable.  With Federal forces now controlling both the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, middle Tennessee was now open to the advance of the Federal army and river gunboats.  In response, Morgan's Squadron, along with all other Confederate forces in the area, received orders to re-deploy south into Tennessee for the evacuation of its capital, Nashville.  

"Raid on the L&N" by John Paul Strain
Capt. Morgan and Lt. Duke  --  Winter 1861-62

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evacuation of the city

Nashville, Tennessee
February 17 - 26, 1862

With the approaching advance of Federal forces into middle Tennessee, Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston ordered the evacuation of Nashville.  As most Confederate forces moved southward out of the city, Morgan’s Cavalry was ordered to police the streets of the capital, where they were joined in this mission by Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest’s 3rd Tennessee Cavalry.  For seven days, Morgan's and Forrest's men helped to quell disturbances and restore order in the beleaguered and panicked city.  However, with Federal forces quickly moving in, it became necessary for them to also evacuate on February 23.

During this time, Morgan’s Squadron was placed under the command of Brig. Gen. John C. Breckinridge, a Kentuckian and former U.S. Vice President.  Headquarters for the Squadron was moved to LaVergne, Tennessee, 15 miles south of Nashville.  It was from here, during a night attack a few days later on February 26, that the first man of Company A was killed in action.  Pvt. Peter Atherton was shot from his horse during a return raid into Nashville against the packet steamer "Minnetonka" on the Cumberland River.

Brig. Gen. John C. Breckinridge          Col. Nathan B. Forrest        

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army of the mississippi

Corinth, Mississippi 
March - April 1862

On February 28, Squadron Headquarters was moved once more – this time, from LaVergne to Murfreesboro, Tennessee.  As spring approached, Gen. Johnston’s strategy was to combine all available Confederate forces in the Western Theater into one effective fighting force.  To help accomplish this, on March 29 Johnston consolidated Maj. Gen. Simon B. Buckner's Central Army of Kentucky into Gen. P. G. T. Beauregard's Army of the Mississippi.  This brought the total effective manpower of the Army to 44,700.  He also selected Corinth, Mississippi as rallying point for the Army in preparation for an all-out attack on the Federal forces invading Tennessee.  To protect the flank during this movement of all Confederate forces to Corinth, Morgan’s Squadron was assigned screening duty  between Nashville and Murfreesboro.

On March 19, the Squadron was ordered south to rendezvous with the rest of the Army of the Mississippi, arriving in Burnsville just east of Corinth on April 3.  When Captain Morgan reported the next day to Gen. Breckinridge's Headquarters, he was informed that he had been promoted to the rank of Colonel based upon the personal recommendation from Gen. William Hardee to Gen. Beauregard, commander of the Army of the Mississippi.  Breckinridge also informed Morgan that his Squadron would be assigned to Col. Trabue's 1st Brigade of the Army's IV (Reserve) Corps during the impending attack on the 48,000-man Federal Army of the Tennessee.  This attack two days later at Pittsburg Landing along the Tennessee River would become known as the Battle of Shiloh.  

MAJ.-GEN. William Hardee                GEN. P.G.T. Beauregard  

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battle of shiloh

Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee
April 6 - 7, 1862

On April 6, Col. Morgan led his Squadron on the first day of the Battle of Shiloh, routing the enemy in a mounted charge toward Owl Creek.  They defeated Col. John McDowell’s 6th Iowa Infantry of Gen. Wm. T. Sherman’s 5th Division, but not without losses to Company A.  Included in the Company’s casualty list was 1Lt. Basil W. Duke, who was severely wounded.  2Lt. James West, Pvt. Sam Buckner, Pvt. James Chiselin, and Pvt. Archie Moody, were killed in action. 

Unfortunately, also killed in battle was Maj. Thomas B. Monroe of the 4th Kentucky Infantry.  Until his appointment in 1860 as Lieutenant Colonel of the Kentucky State Guard's 1st Infantry Regiment, Monroe had served as 1st Lieutenant of the Lexington Rifles.

Maj. Tho. B. Monroe  (KIA)                                 2d Lt. James West  (KIA)
4th KY Infantry                                                                   Co. A, Morgan's Squadron
Former 1Lt. of Lexington Rifles                                           2Lt. of Lexington Rifles

When fighting tapered on the first day of the battle, the Squadron learned of the unfortunate death of General A. S. Johnston.  On the second day, April 7, this news was coupled with the information that the Federal Army of the Tennessee had been reinforced overnight by the 17,900 fresh troops of the Army of the Ohio.  Outnumbered and short on ammunition, but not short in spirit, Morgan’s Squadron was joined by Texas Rangers in holding their positions along Owl Creek..

Unit Location Marker
Shiloh National Military Park  --  Hardin County, Tennessee

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rear guard action

Fallen Timbers, Tennessee
April 8, 1862

Receiving new orders from Brig. Gen. Breckinridge, the Squadron was to help protect the return of the battered  Confederate Army to Corinth.  Col. Nathan Bedford Forrest was placed in command of the fragmented cavalry units for this purpose.  Morgan’s Kentuckians joined with Forrest’s Tennesseeans, Col. William Wirt Adams’  Mississippians and Col. John Wharton’s Texans in screening the army's movement south.  On April 8, while blocking the Corinth Road, Forrest ordered the cavalry to charge the pursuing Union infantry at a place called Fallen Timbers.  The resultant Confederate victory at Fallen Timbers was the last engagement of the Battle of Shiloh, after which the Squadron returned to its base at Burnsville, Mississippi.  

Cavalry Leaders at Fallen Timbers

Col. Wirt Adams                    Col. N. B. Forrest                Col. John H. Morgan                 Col. John Wharton
1st  Miss. Cavalry                                 3rd TN Cavalry                              Morgan's Squadron                               8th Texas Cavalry

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"Fight at Fallen Timbers" by Mort Kunstler
Col. Morgan and Col. Forrest fighting side-by-side  --  April 8, 1862

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Following the Battle of Shiloh, the Confederacy suffered repeated military setbacks in the Western Theater resulting in the loss of Tennessee west of the Cumberland Mountains.  However, in order for the Federal armies to sustain themselves in the South, long lines of communication and supply were necessary, and it was Col. Morgan’s plan to raid these supply lines in Tennessee and Kentucky.  General Beauregard approved of these expeditionary plans and authorized Col. Morgan to increase the strength of his Squadron to 5 companies.

With the death of 2nd Lt. James West and the severe wounding of 1st Lt. Basil Duke at Shiloh, command of Company A temporarily fell to 3rd Lt. Van Buren Sellers.  A fourth company, designated as Company D, was added to the Squadron.  Comprised of 25 troopers from Mississippi and Alabama, Company D was commanded by a another Kentuckian – Capt. John Castleman.  With this addition, Morgan had now built a formidable Cavalry Squadron.

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middle tennessee raid

Pulaski – Lebanon – Cave City
April 26 - May 12, 1862  

On April 26, 1862, the Squadron marched east out of Burnsville with 325 mounted troopers, determined to reach Lexington, Kentucky.  Moving northeast into Tennessee, they moved through Lawrenceburg and Pulaski, capturing and paroling 268 of the enemy along the way.  They entered Lebanon on May 4, where the Squadron bivouacked in a small college building on the edge of town.  Morgan, however, established his headquarters in a hotel inside the town.

During the night, a picket, Pvt. Pleasant Whitlow, sounded the alarm upon approach of a 600-man Federal cavalry force.  For doing this, Pvt. Whitlow was shot dead by the advancing enemy.  The lead regiment was the 1st Kentucky (U.S.) Cavalry, under the command of Colonel Frank Wolford, an old friend of Morgan’s from the Mexican War.

Col. Morgan and his force reacted immediately.   Sgt. A. Z. Boyer called out to the platoon leaders of Company A, and had them quickly aligned for battle in the town square.  Although the Federal forces broke through the defensive lines of Companies B and C, they were stopped by a devastating volley of gunfire from Company A.  

As combat raged, the order was given by Col. Morgan to withdraw.  Only a portion of Morgan’s command made it with him to the Cumberland River, where they safely crossed.   Morgan, however,  lost his prized mount – "Black Bess" – during the crossing.  The rest of his men were either scattered, dead, or captured.  Among the captured were two men – Sgt. William R. Jones and Cpl. Tom Logwood – who were of the original five Lexington Rifles who had driven the rifle-laden hay wagons out of Lexington on the night of September 20, 1861. 

By May 9, the Squadron established camp near Sparta, Tennessee, where the indestructible Company A was joined by the remnants of the other companies as they straggled in from Lebanon.  Together, they began to rebuild the shattered expeditionary force.  Once they were re-equipped, they continued on their original mission, with an ever increasing desire to return to their home state.

  Col. Morgan and "Black Bess"  

Believing reports that the Federals were transporting by rail some of Morgan's men who had been captured at Lebanon, they attacked the L&N RR near Cave City, Kentucky on May 12.  Instead of prisoners, they found that the train carried railroad employees.  The employees were released and the train was burned.  A second passenger train was also stopped and burned.  Two officers of Col. Wolford's command, who were aboard, were paroled.  After this, the Squadron marched triumphantly to Chattanooga, where Col. Morgan intended to raise a regiment of cavalry.

"Morgan's Raid" by Clyde Heron
Attacking the L&N RR near Cave City, Kentucky  --  May 12, 1862

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2nd kentucky cavalry

Chattanooga, Tennessee  
May - June 1862

Around the same time the Squadron was occupied with their actions in Lebanon and at Cave City, two cavalry companies from Texas arrived at Corinth, Mississippi.  The companies, respectively commanded by Capt. Richard Montgomery Gano and Capt. John Huffman, requested assignment to Morgan's cavalry force.  Their request was granted and the companies marched to meet Morgan in Chattanooga, where a new regiment was to be recruited and built.  Lt. Basil Duke, who had successfully convalesced from the serious wound he had previously received at the Battle of Shiloh, also gathered thirty men of the Squadron at Corinth and accompanied the Texans in their march. 

At Chattanooga, work commenced in earnest on organizing the new cavalry regiment.  The four companies of the Squadron – Companies A, B, C, and D – became the nucleus of the new regiment. Again, members of the original Lexington Rifles were given the honor of being designated as Company A, with Captain Jacob Cassell being appointed by Col. Morgan to its command.  Captain John Allen replaced his brother, Thomas, in command of Company B, while Capt. Thomas Allen was appointed as Regimental Surgeon.  Company C remained under the command of Captain James Bowles.   

A number of recruits who had arrived from Kentucky were designated as Company D, under the command of Capt. John Castleman.  Men of the 1st Kentucky Infantry, whose enlistments had expired and wished to join Morgan, also arrived in Chattanooga from their prior assignment in Virginia.  The bulk of these men formed Company E under officers of their old regiment.  John Hutchinson, a former Lieutenant with the 1st Kentucky, was made its Captain.  Captain Thomas B. Webber arrived from Pensacola with hard-fighting Mississippians who were admitted into the regiment as Company F.  The command of Company G was awarded to Capt. R. McFarland, of Alabama, while Gano's Texans became Company H.  

Upon his arrival in Chattanooga, Basil Duke was promoted to Lt. Colonel and placed as second-in-command of the regiment.  G. W. “Wash” Morgan was appointed Major, while Lt. Gordon E. Niles was made Adjutant.  D. H, Llewellyn, one of the original Lexington Rifles, and Hiram Reese were appointed as Quartermaster and Commissary, respectively. 

And so it was that within three weeks after the fight at Lebanon, Tennessee, Col. Morgan was able to recruit enough men at Chattanooga to form a new cavalry regiment – the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry – which consisted of men from Kentucky, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama.  During its existence, the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry grew to 12 Companies, lettered A through M, with a Company of Scouts.  The companies were commanded by talented officers, some of whom were later promoted and elevated to commands of their own regiments.  By the end of the war, two of them – Richard Gano and Wm. C. P. Breckinridge – attained the rank of Brigadier General.  

      Capt. John Castleman            Capt. Joseph Desha        Capt. Richard M. Gano           
Company D                                        Company L                                  Company H       

For a larger view, click on the thumbnail image.

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the first kentucky raid

July 4 - 28, 1862

On the 4th of July, a holiday considered appropriate for beginning a raid against Union invaders, the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry, with 876 men, stepped off from Knoxville, Tennessee, to raid Federally occupied Kentucky.  Late on July 11, after an unscheduled detour visit to Thompkinsville, the regiment came under fire near Lebanon, Kentucky from a large enemy detachment that was defending a covered bridge over the Rolling Fork River.  Using a pair of 12-pounder Mountain Howitzers and two companies fighting dismounted, the 2nd Kentucky drove the Federals back into the town.  By nightfall, the regiment liberated the town from its oppressors, capturing 200 prisoners, and destroying over $100,000 worth of enemy stores, weapons, and ammunition.

A day later, the 2nd Kentucky entered Harrodsburg, 28 miles from Lexington, which was the home to many friends and well-wishers.  The regiment was greeted warmly by townspeople dressed in their Sunday best, who showered the visitors with kisses, hand shakes, and cheers.  They they were also treated to a picnic, where the fat of the land was furnished in abundance.  Milk and honey literally flowed, and everyone ate, drank, and made merry for a day and a night.

But, aware that his regiment was in danger from pursuing Federals, Colonel Morgan left Harrodsburg and marched his men swiftly, using deceptive turns and passes to avoid the enemy.  During the time Morgan’s men were riding through the bluegrass country, Federal forces were in such a state of panic that it caused Abraham Lincoln to wire a message to U.S. General Halleck at Corinth, Mississippi, saying:  

"They are having a stampede in Kentucky. Please see to it."

After leaving Harrodsburg, Morgan's men moved through Lawrenceburg and Versailles, making a feint toward Frankfort.  With Lexington occupied by Federal troops, the 2nd Kentucky swung north to Georgetown.  The regiment arrived there late on July 16 and encamped for a long, and much needed rest stop.  In the meantime, efforts were made in earnest for one of the prime purposes of this raid --- recruiting.  It was during this time that a group of men arrived from Lexington and was admitted into the regiment as Company I.  Command of Company I was given to Capt. William "Willie" Campbell Preston Breckinridge, the cousin of General John C. Breckinridge. 

Choosing not to challenge combat in his hometown of Lexington, Col. Morgan proposed to by-pass the city by traveling 25 miles to the north to destroy Federal supplies at Cynthiana.  He would then swing south through Paris and Winchester.   To accomplish this, he sent Company D on a diversionary march to the outskirts of Lexington for the purpose of cutting telegraph wires and destroying railroad bridges.  Meanwhile, Col. Morgan moved the remainder of the regiment to Cynthiana.  

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first battle of cynthiana

Cynthiana, Kentucky  
July 18, 1862

The First Battle of Cynthiana was a fight largely between Kentuckians.  The Federal forces occupying the town consisted of Kentucky Infantry, Cavalry, and an artillery piece from Cincinnati, all under the command of Lt. Col. John Landrum.  As the Confederates attacked and pushed the Federal pickets back to the Licking River at the edge of town, Col. Morgan attempted a pincer movement.  Fighting dismounted, Companies A & B moved to the left of the covered bridge spanning the river, while Companies E & F moved to its right.  Company C prepared to charge up the middle of the bridge on horseback, with Company I remaining in reserve.

Union forces defended the bridge across the Licking River with heavy cannon and rifle fire, and it soon became apparent that it couldn’t be taken by frontal assault.  While two companies moved up the riverbank, Company A dropped down into the stream, holding their rifles and ammunition above their heads.  Some of the men began to swim across, with bullets spattering around them like rain.  Some were hit, and others were drowned, but most of them gained the east bank and dug in.  For a short time it looked as if Company A could not hold their position, but Company B quickly shifted upstream and opened with flanking fire on Company A’s most dangerous assailants.

Meanwhile, Company C charged the bridge on horseback.  This mounted assault shocked the Federals off balance, allowing the dismounted companies to move forward.  Company A, which had borne the brunt of the assault, charged up the riverbank, even though their ammunition was virtually exhausted.

With the regiment attacking all across the area, the Federal forces abandoned their artillery and many managed to escape.  Lt. Col. Landrum managed his escape on a fast horse, while the last of his command fruitlessly defended the railroad depot.  

Following the battle, Lt. Col. Duke wrote in his report:  "Company A covered itself with glory."

These former Lexington Rifles, veterans of Green River, Shiloh, and Lebanon, also suffered the most casualties.  Pvt. William Craig, first to swim the Licking River, was the first to die as he mounted the bank.  Sgt. Henry Elder, one of the five Lexington Rifles who drove the rifle-laden hay wagons out of Lexington in 1861, was too badly wounded to be moved.  All of the officers of Company A, except Lt. Samuel Morgan, were wounded.

Colonel Morgan reported only eight killed and 29 wounded.  He estimated enemy casualties at 194.  He also listed the capture of 300 cavalry horses, a large number of small arms, and the destruction of commissary and medical stores, tents, weapons, and ammunition.

Five days later, the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry re-entered Tennessee on July 28, thereby ending the raid.  During its First Kentucky Raid, the Regiment eluded all its pursuers, destroyed federal supplies and arms in 17 towns, recruited 300 troopers and several hundred horses, and captured 1200 of the enemy, while at a cost of only 90 men.  However, the greatest accomplishment of this raid was the strategic necessity for the Federals to divert men and materiel from front-line duty in order to protect their lines of supply and communication.  

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