vhen he turned it over to him. He soon effected

union with the remainder of the regiment, and
nth Major Thomas Harrison, led until the final
urrender at eleven o clock.

During these four bloody hours, this small
umber, soon reduced below a hundred, did the
fork assigned to a thousand men, and undoubt-
dly to their gallantry, persistent determination,
nd unflinching charges upon these camps, is
lainly attributable the final glorious issue. No
lame can be imputed to the other three fourths
f the regiment, that kept them from participat-
ig in this most honorable and desperate con-
ict, for they were by some strange blunder led
) another part of the field, where their* fighting
-as unavailing. Surely, if gallant bearing and
lorious success, gained by desperate fighting, is
ver rewarded in this great struggle for home,
appiness and liberty, then should "Mujrfrces-
oro" be inscribed in golden letters upon their
attic-flag by order of the commanding General,
.odern times do not furnish an instance where
uch a badge of honor and distinguished valor



290



REBELLION RECORD, 1862.



has been more heroically won, or more dearly
purchased. But let the figures tell the story of
their deeds of daring, and the brilliant success
of that noble band of one hundred and twenty.

During the different charges they killed and
wounded thirteen of the Pennsylvania cavalry,
and in the camp of the Ninth Michigan one hun
dred and three, as their officers acknowledge.
Among these Lieut. Chase was killed, and George
Duffield was severely wounded. He gives Col.
Wharton credit for snooting him, and then pays
Him a well-merited compliment in saying that he
is the bravest man he ever saw upon the field of
battle. Well might he say this when hearing the
clear voice of the gallant Colonel crying out above
the din of musketry, "Charge them, my men,
charge them !" as they rushed, time after time,
with renewed courage upon their lines. But this
result was not accomplished until every fifth man
was killed or wounded. During this continuous
engagement they brought out over one hundred
prisoners and fired the brigade-wagons thus de
stroying a considerable amount of forage at the
same time securing a large number of mules.

Then the surrender of the whole command took
place ; some three or four hundred were surren
dered from this encampment. It was here the
principal fighting took place during the morning,
and this decided the glorious victory of the day.
For, although the Georgians gallantly received
the fire at the Court-House, where the enemy was
protected, yet, whilst pouring a deadly fire into
their ranks, he, in return, suffered but little.
They made a charge upon the battery, but were
repulsed, and it was surrendered with the re
mainder. This was Captain Hewitt s celebrated
Kentucky battery ; whilst the Minnesota Third
had no general attack. But of this hundred and
twenty, who were thrown, unsustained, upon
greatly superior numbers, every man seemed to
feel the responsibility of his position, and nobly
did each one do his duty.

Among the most active and daring, and at the
same time most conspicuous, was Adjutant Roys-
ton, whose chivalric bearing was observed wher
ever duty called and danger was to be met. He
was cool on all occasions, and a stranger to fear.
Upon Col. AVharton was conferred the honor of
bringing the prisoners through to this city, where
they arrived safely to-day. He was accompanied
by company B, of the Texan rangers.

Among the forty-five officers is found Gen. T.
T. Crittenden, of Indiana, with one colonel, two
lieutenant-colonels, one major, eleven captains
and twenty-nine lieutenants. Col. Forrest had
previously paroled about eleven hundred privates.
Over three hundred mules and horses, with some
fifty wagons, were captured. With these a splen
did lot of arms, some ammunition, stores, etc. A
large amount of quartermaster and commissary
stores was destroyed. In brief, every thing was
brought away or destroyed, thus making a clean
sweep. It was a complete surprise to the enemy
and a perfect success for our cavalry. We hope
that man}* such may follow in quick succession,



until Tennessee shall be delivered from the power
of the oppressor, and be once more free.



Doc. 89.
FIGHT AT CYNTHIANA, KY.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL LANDRUM S REPORT.

HEADQUARTERS. CYNTHIANA, KY , i
July 24. f

Capt. John Boyle^ Assistant Adjutant- Genet a*
for the District of Kentucky, Louisville:
ON Thursday, the seventeenth instant, about
three o clock P.M., I was attacked at this place by
the forces under command of Col. John II. Mor
gan, comprising three regiments, composed of
Kentuckians, Tennesseeans, Georgians, Mississip-
pians, Texans, and South -Carolinians, estimated
variously at from fifteen hundred to three thou
sand men ; reported by Capt. Austin, his Adju
tant-General, at twenty-two hundred strong and
two pieces of artillery.

The force under my command was composed
of about fifteen men of the Eighteenth Kentucky
volunteers, and the following Home Guards :
about sixty men under Capt. J. B. McClintock,
and from fifty to sixty men under Captain Lafe
Wilson, from Cynthiana and vicinity; Capt. John
S. Arthur, of Newport, fifty men ; Capt. J. J.
AVright, of Cincinnati, forty men ; Capt. Pepper,
of Bracken County, thirty-five men ; seventy-five
men of the Seventh Kentucky cavalry, (raw re
cruits,) under Major William 0. Smith, and one
brass twelve-pounder and a small artillery squad,
under Capt. W. II. Glass, of Cincinnati ; amount
ing in the aggregate to about three hundred and
forty men, the majority of them poorly armed,
and nearly all totally undisciplined. After my
pickets were driven in, and before I had time to
dispose my little force, the enemy commenced
shelling the town, without notice to me to re
move the women and children. I immediately
ordered Capt. Glass to occupy the public square
with his artillery, from which point he could
command most of the roads entering the town,
and Capt. Arthur s company to support it. I
also at the same time directed a portion of my
force to take position on the Magee Hill road,
south of town, and soon hearing considerable fir
ing in that quarter, presumed they were ap
proaching in that direction in heavy force.

I then posted a portion of my force on the riv
er-bank, on the west side of town, near the Lick
ing bridge, from which direction Morgan s main
force seemed to be approaching, with instructions
to hold the bridge at all hazards. At this time I
ordered Capt. Glass to put his piece in position
so as to command Morgan s batteiy, and if possi
ble, to silence it, which was done at the second
discharge. I then discovered that the town was
circumvented and we were completely surround
ed by a superior force, the enc ay approaching by
every road, street and by-path, "and deployed at
skirmishers through every field, completely en-



DOCUMENTS.



291



circling us. I ordered Captain Glass to put his
gun in position to command the Millersburgh
road, and give the enemy grape and canister,
which was done with good effect Ity this time
my little band was engaged at every point. The
fighting on both sides was terrific. The enemy,
having possession of the streets, were pouring a
galling lire upon us from the shelter of houses,
fences, etc., and the artillery squad, being sub
ject to a cross-fire, were compelled to abandon
their piece.

My men at the bridge were, after a most des
perate conflict, driven back by very superior
numbers, and a cavalry charge made through the
streets by Morgan s forces. At this time I ral
lied a part of my forces at the railroad depot, at
which point our boys gave them a warm recep
tion, emptying several saddles. I then again
went for the purpose of rallying the artillery
squad, so as to place it on the hill near the resi
dence of M. L. Broadwell, from which position
we could have commanded the town, and several
roads leading to it, but was unable to find either
men or gun, the streets in every direction being
in possession of the rebels. My men were ex
hausted and out of ammunition, but I rallied
them, and at the depot distributed it to them.
The firing at the time having nearly ceased, I
rode along the railroad to Rankins s Hotel to as
certain what position the enemy was taking, and
from what direction they were coming in heaviest
force. Here I met an officer of the rebel band,
aid to Col. Morgan, (a son of the late Beverly L.
Clark,) who demanded my surrender. I replied,
" I never surrender," and instantly discharged
three shots at him, two of which took effect in
his breast.

He fell from his horse, and I thought him dead,
but he is still living, and will probably recover,
notwithstanding two balls passed through his
body. Captain Rogers also discharged a shot at
him which took effect. I then rallied part of my
force, about forty in number, and determined to
make a charge upon the enemy at the Licking
bridge, and take their battery, which had been
brought to that point and was being used with
fatal effect upon my little band of patriot heroes.
The force, sustaining their artillery, outnumber
ed ours more than ten to one, and were all the
while under cover of houses, etc. Besides this,
a force of the rebels, at least three hundred strong,
were pouring an incessant and deadly fire upon
my little band from the rear, about a hundred
and twenty -five yards distant.

It was here that Jacob Carver, company E,
Eighteenth Kentucky, fell, severely wounded as
brave a man as ever pulled trigger and I receiv
ed a slight wound in the ankle. It was here,
too, that the lamented Thomas Ware, United
States Commissioner for this county, one of the
oldest citizens of Cynthiana, was instantly killed,
nobly and bravely doing his duty as a patriot.
Here, too, was killed Jesse Current, young
Thomas Rankins, Captain Lafe Wilson, young
Hartburn of Cincinnati, and others ; besides
many, including F. L. St. Thomas, John Scott,



I Captain McClintock, John McClintock, Thomas
Barry of Cincinnati, and Thos. J. Vimont, wh
fell severely wounded. In consequence of tho
terrific storm of balls, and as but few of my men
were left, among whom were Wm. W. Trimble and
J. S. Frizell, who was also wounded, of this place,
others not remembered, I ordered a retreat.

In the mean time Major William 0. Smith had
command of the Seventh Kentucky cavalry, and
was posted north of the town to hold the Claysvillo
road, and prevent the enemy from gaining the
streets from that direction, where he made a gal
lant resistance near the Episcopal Church, until
overpowered by superior numbers, and forced to
fall back toward the Reform Church, and thence
to the Court-House, where he and his command
were compelled to surrender. At this time more
than three fourths of my men were killed, wound
ed and prisoners, and I determined to cut my way
through the enemy and escape with the remain
der, if possible. I rallied together from twenty
to twenty-five of my men at the depot, and start
ed in a south-east direction through Redmon s
pasture, where we met a body of the enemy who
had crossed from the Millersburgh road. They
were secreted behind fences, trees and hay-cocks.
We at once engaged them, and soon routed them.
Upon turning round I discovered that the enemy
had pursued us from town, and were on our rear,
not more than forty paces distant. I ordered
my handful of men to cross the hill-side, and
fight them from behind the fences, which they
did, and held them in check until nearly surround
ed by a body of cavalry, at least ten times their
number. I then ordered my men to retreat be
yond a fence in a south-easterly direction, to avoid
a cavalry charge. Here a part of the men be
came exhausted, some falling by the way-side to
await their fate, their ammunition all expended,
when I informed the little Spartan band we could
do no more ; to save themselves, and I would do
likewise, if possible, and bade them good -by.

Each and every man of this noble little squad
fought with desperation and the coolness of vete
rans. Among them were James F. Ware, Jno.
R. Smith, Win. Kimbrough, Lieutenant Wm. L.
Dayton, company I, Eighteenth Kentucky ; Lieu
tenant Sleet, company E, Eighteenth Kentucky ;
Silas Howe, company E, Eighteenth Kentucky ;
Albert Roper, company I, Eighteenth Kentucky ;
Captain J. J. Wright of Cincinnati, and others,
not now remembered, to any one of whom too
much praise cannot be awarded. Captain Lafe
Wilson fell near the depot and continued to dis
charge his revolver as long as life lasted. His
last words were : "Never surrender, boys."

Captain J. B. McClintock fell severely wound
ed while urging his men to the charge. Captain
S. G. Rogers, Company I, Eighteenth Kentucky,
was wounded while gallantly resisting the foe.
I cannot particularize further; it is enough to say
that all my men fought like heroes and veterans
in the face of a greatly superior force, as is evi
denced by the slaughter that ensued, having held
them in check for nearly three hours, from a most
galling fire, which was poured in upon is from



202



REBELLION RECORD, 1862.



every side. I think it beyond doubt one of the
most sanguinary conflicts of the war, considering
the numbers engaged.

Rev. George Morrison, of this place, rendered
me very important service, before and after the
engagement, in conveying orders to the different
commands under me.

It is quite difficult to ascertain the number in
killed and wounded on their side, as the enemy
had possession of the field, and our men all be
ing prisoners, had no opportunity to make ex
amination, until paroled, at which time the en
emy had buried their dead, and sent off most of
their wounded.

I herewith append a list of Federals killed and
wounded, furnished me by Dr. W. T. McNees,
Assistant-Surgeon of the Seventh Kentucky cav
alry.

KILLED. Thomas Ware, IT. S. Commissioner,
Cynthiana Home Guards ; Thomas Rankin, Har
rison Co. Home Guards ; Capt. Lafe Wilson, do. ;
Jesse Current, do. ; Wm. Robinson, do. ; Nathan
Kennedy, Home Guards ; James Atchison, do. ;
Simpson Eaton, do. ; Wm. Stewart, do. ; Lafa
yette Reading, Co. E, Eighteenth Kentucky vol
unteers ; Wm. Preston, Co. I, do. ; John Craw
ford, Seventh Kentucky cavalry ; Jerry Lawson,
do. ; Samuel Plunkett, do. ; Lewis Wolff, New
port, Ky., Home Guards; Wm. S. Shipman, do. ;
Thomas Hartburn, Cincinnati, Pendleton Guards.

WOUNDED. Capt. S. G. Rogers, Co. I, Eight
eenth Kentucky, slightly ; Thos. S. Duval, Home
Guards, arm amputated ; Hector Reed, Home
Guards, left side ; J. W. Minor, Seventh Ken
tucky cavalry, left lung; Jacob Carver, Co. E,
Eighteenth Kentucky, thigh amputated ; John
Scott, Seventh Kentucky cavalry, thigh ; Chas.
Tait, Thirty-fourth Ohio, both thighs ; Rev. Geo.
Morrison, Home Guards, ankle, very slight ; Wm.
Sanders, Newport Home Guards, right thig h;
James Little, Seventh Kentucky cavalry, right
lung ; Christian Ledrcn, Home Guards, shoulders
find ankle ; Wm. J. Hill, Home Guards, right
thigh ; A. J. Powers, Seventh Kentucky cavalry,
right leg ; Robert Rose, Seventh Kentucky cav
alry, left hip ; Montgomery W. Rankins, Home
Guards, chest, since died ; John W. Adams,
Home Guards, left side ; Wm. Hinman, Co. E,
Eighteenth Kentucky, left thigh ; Milton A. Hall,
Seventh Kentucky cavalry, right side; Captain
Jos. B. McClintock, Home Guards, leg and arms ;
John McClintock, do., right hip ; Alfred McCau-
ley, Seventh Kentucky cavalry, back; Thomas
Barry, Cincinnati artillery, right thigh ; L. A.
Funk, heel ; Capt. W. H. Bradley, Seventh Ken
tucky cavalry, left leg ; L. C. Rankin, Home
Guards, left shoulder, slight ; Rev. Carter Page,
do., leg, very slight; James S. Frizell, do., side,
very slight; J. F. L. St. Thomas, do., chest and
face ; Jas. F. Dickey, do., shoulders and thighs ;
Thos. Jefferson Vimont, Seventh Kentucky cav
alry, right thigh ; B. T. Amos, do., left arm ;
John H. Orr, do., right arm ; Win. Pussly, Co.
I, Eighteenth Kentucky, abdomen ; Wm. Nourse,
Home Guards, side.

I can give no accurate account of the rebel



dead, Morgan having taken off eight burial-cases
from this place, and his men having been seen
hauling off their dead toward Georgetown, the
Magee road, and Millersburgh road after the fight.

Two of their wounded died at Winchester, and
two beyond that place. Since Morgan left, thir
teen of his dead have been taken from the river
near Cynthiana, where they were thrown for con
cealment. Morgan himself admitted, at Paris, a
loss here of twenty-four killed and seven ty-eight
wounded, and that of seventeen engagements,
participated in by him since the beginning of the
war, the affair at Cynthiana was much the fierc
est and most desperate.

I append also a list of rebel wounded left in
Cynthiana :

Geo. W. Clarke, Simpson Co., Ky., chest and
arm, dangerous ; T. N. Pitts, Georgia, arm ; W.
L. Richardson, Tennessee, side and arm; W. C.
Bonn, Logan Co., Ky., shoulder; George T. Ar
nold, Paris, Ky., right thigh and shoulder, dan
gerous ; Vesy Price, lungs, dangerous ; J. H.
Estes, Georgia, thigh ; A. Kinchlow, Glasgow,
Ky., chest, dangerous ; James Moore, Louisiana,
thigh; - - Calhoun, South - Carolina, thigh;

Casey, thigh ; James Smith, chest ; Ladoga

Cornelli, Grant Co., Ky., thigh; Henry Elden,
Lexington, Ky., arm.

Nine of their wounded are also at Paris, be
sides a number left along the road between this
place and Richmond, Ky., to which point we
pursued the enemy by command of Gen. G. Clay
Smith.

We are under great obligations to the compa
nies from Cincinnati, Newport and Bracken coun
ty, Ky., under Capts. Wright, Arthur and Pep
per, for their invaluable aid, who distinguished
themselves on that occasion, and fought like
heroes.

The friends and relatives of the wounded of
both sides are greatly indebted to Surgeon W. T.
McNees, of the Seventh Kentucky cavalry, Doc
tors J. C. Eraser, A. Adams, W. 0. Smith, J. A.

Kirkpatrick, John A. Lair, and McLcocl, for

their unremitting attention to the wounded, and
to the ladies of Cynthiana unbounded praise is
due, for their untiring ministrations upon the
wounded, etc.

I have the honor to be, with much respect,
your obedient servant, J. J. LANDRUM,

Listitenant-Colonel Comipanding,
CAPTAIN WRIGHT S REPORT.

Mayor Hatch and the Committee of Safety :

GENTLEMEN : On Sunday, the thirteenth inst.,
I received an order from you, under which I pro
ceeded to raise a company for a ten days trip to
defend Lexington. On Tuesday, the fifteenth
instant, the Pendleton Guards and Bates s Light
Guards were consolidated and placed under niy
command ; Messrs. Williams and McGrew of the
Bates s Light Guards acting Lieutenants. At
the Fourteenth Ward Armory the company was
armed with cheap muskets, also received a
blouse and cap for each man. No time waft
given to organize or make a roll ; but the com-



DOCUMENTS.



293



pany was marched at once to the Covington and
Lexington depot, and put on a train for Paris.
I was placed by Col. Jones under command of
Capt. Whittlescy, senior Captain, with directions
to obey his orders. By his orders my company
was detailed and left along the railroad to guard
bridges in squads of seven, five, and ten men.
[ was placed at bridge near Kizer s station,
twelve miles be} r ond Cynthiana, with fifteen men,
the last of my company, at four A.M., Wednes
day. Captain Whittlesey went on to Paris, from
whence he said he would send us rations and or
ders by two o clock P.M., none of which reached
us.

At five o clock P.M., a Lieutenant in charge of
Stoner bridge sent an earnest request for assist
ance. His messenger reported the bridge at
tacked by cavalry, and t\vo men killed. The
bridge was three miles beyond us. We went
over the stone-ballasted railroad on the double-
quick, and found the cavalry had made a feint,
but did not attack. Marched back to Kizer s
station at seven o clock P.M., and found a special
train and order from Col. Landrum to the Lieu
tenant-Colonel of the Eighteenth Kentucky, to re
port at once at Cynthiana, as they expected an
attack that evening. This order also recalled all
bridge-guards beyond Cynthiana. I gathered
some twenty-six of my men on the way down,
and arrived at Cynthiana at nine o clock P.M.
We were quartered in the Academy.

On Thursday, the seventeenth instant, some
of our bridge-guards this side of Cynthiana came
in to buy provisions, and at two o clock we mus
tered, including some of Capt. Whittlesey s men
and new recruits, about forty men. We then
made a roll of the company, there were so many
of them together for the first time. There were
still some fifteen men on bridge duty this side of
Cynthiana.

While engaged in writing a report to Colonel
Jones, was ordered to call out my company for
battle, at which call three fourths of my men
were in line for the first time. The Adjutant led
us on the double-quick to the battle-field, about
two miles from our quarters. We took position
on a hill commanding a pike leading into town,
with orders to guard that road. I here gave the
men their first drill, for many of them the first
drill they ever had. While thus engaged, it
might have been about fifteen or twenty minutes
after our arrival, a body of cavalry rode directly
toward us, and approached to within about three
hundred feet. Not knowing but that they might
possibly be Union forces falling back on the
town, we ordered a halt, at which they wheeled
to retreat. I gave the order to fire, which my
boys quickly obeyed. This was the opening
volley of the battle, killing three men and two
horses. The enemy then fell back, and we saw
no more of them.

In a very little while we received an order
from Col. Landrum to come and defend a bridge
leading into town by another road. We double-
quicked back to town, the aid leading us toward
the bridge directly through the depot. This



building was crowded with people, soldiers, citi
zens, Home Guards, etc., who were firing on tho
bridge, distant from it perhaps about eight hun
dred feet. This bridge was already occupied by
Morgan s battery of two guns, which were throw
ing shot and shell on the depot and buildings
adjacent. With difficulty we forced a passage
through the depot ; owing to the crowd and con
fusion our men got separated, and when we
emerged on the other side less than half the
company were with us. Those who remained in
the depot formed in squads, and fought on their
own hook. We advanced toward the bridge,
about a square, in the face of a shower of grape
and canister and musket-balls, and took position
with a fragment of a company which was sta
tioned behind a cooper s shop, which commanded
the bridge at a different angle from the depot.
We fought here about thirty minutes, our boys
loading and firing as fast as they could, when we
received an order to fall back and form behind
the depot. Here we found Colonel Landrum en
deavoring to form the men. There were around
me at this time about twelve of my own com
pany, some Home Guards, and some of Metcalfe s
cavalry on foot, making about thirty men. The
Colonel collected several similar squads, making
in all perhaps one hundred and fifty men. We
took a position on a hill right over the town,
from which we were quickly shelled, and retreat
ed across the country, the cavalry in hot pursuit.
We made a stand at every fence. The Colonel
behaved with the greatest possible coolness and
gallantry. As he was the only one on horse
back, he was the centre of mark for all the ene
my s balls, and he was continually rising in his
stirrups as if to make himself more conspicuous
to their aim, but he seemed to bear a charmed
life, lie several times cried out, " The enemy
are retreating," and did every thing he could to
encourage the men and to keep them together.
In spite of his efforts, we found we had less and
less men at every stand. At last we formed be
hind a haystack for a final effort, mustering at
this time less than forty men, all told. I should
judge we were by this time one and a half or
two miles from the depot. On our flank now
were seen approaching a body of horsemen, first
perceived by the Colonel, from his being on
horseback. He cried out : " There are our men,
boys ; these are Union forces ; we have help at
last." A general shout went up, and the firing
went on with renewed vigor. A terrific volley
of musketry right in the midst of our diminished
ranks, revealed our fatal mistake. Five of our
men dropped at this fire. The rest fell back to
the nearest fence.

Utterly exhausted, I found I could no longer