Jeffrey,
Thanks for sharing this, and for alerting us to some additional great
resources in Indiana. I don't go in for most blogs, but Judy Russell's is
outstanding and worth the read every day. She does an amazing job of
explaining the legal side of genealogy from old legal terms to copyright law
to finding obscure documents to DNA. I encourage everyone to take a look at
The Legal Genealogist at
http://www.legalgenealogist.com/
-----Original Message-----
From: in-south-central-bounces(a)rootsweb.com
[mailto:in-south-central-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Jeffrey Vaillant
Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2013 6:32 PM
To: Indiana South Central Rootsweb
Subject: [IN-SOUTH-CENTRAL] Morgan's Raid
On the 28th of January, The Legal Genealogist (Judy Russell) discussed a
Civil War veteran who only served for a week. In that discussion she cited
Morgan's Raid. She has given permission to include part of her discussion
at this site:
In the summer of 1863, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan led thousands of
Confederate troops on a 46-day, 1000-mile raid from Tennessee into Kentucky,
Indiana and finally Ohio. The attack on Indiana began on July 8th:
After sending spies into Indiana in June, Morgan began the raid into the
state on July 8, 1863, by seizing two boats and ferrying approximately 2,400
troops across the Ohio River into southern Indiana. Upon hearing news of the
raid, Governor Oliver P. Morton called for the people and militia of Indiana
to defend their state. Thousands responded. For 5 days Indiana militia and
Federal troops attempted to capture the invaders. Morgan's men raided
Corydon, Salem, Dupont, Versailles, and other small towns. The raiders left
behind a trail of destruction before crossing into Ohio on July 13. They
were eventually captured in southern Ohio, and the raid ended on July 26,
1863. Morgan and his men were sent to Northern prisons, but he later escaped
and made his way back to the Confederacy.7 There are all kinds of resources
for Matt to learn about Morgan's Raid in general, and the raid into Indiana
in particular. The Indiana State Library has a bibliography of sources on
the raid and its effects in Indiana online at "Morgan's Raid Resources."
The
University Library of Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has
the telegraph books of Governor Morton online as digital images. The Indiana
Archives has records of the Indiana Legion:
The records of the Indiana Legion-the state militia or "Home Guard" during
the Civil War-include muster rolls and correspondence for units in most
counties. They contain many wonderful details about the effects of the war
on the home front, as well as the significant role played by the Legion.8
But perhaps best of all, there's a single volume of official reports on the
Indiana Legion and Minute Men available online as well. The book, Operations
of the Indiana Legion and Minute Men 1863-4, was published in 1865 and it
contains the reports of the commanders who were there at the time.9 For
example, Governor Morton's message to the troops on 15 July 1863 was
included, and he had told them, in part:
Having received information that a rebel force, estimated at six thousand
strong, with six pieces of artillery, had crossed the Ohio river into
Harrison county, I issued a call on Thursday last, to the patriotic citizens
of the State to leave their various occupations and turn out for its
defense, and, if possible, capture the insolent invaders. The evidence was
abundant that the original purpose of the rebels was to seize, plunder and
burn the capital, but as their course would be uncertain, it was necessary
to make preparations to encounter them in every direction. Within
forty-eight hours from the time the call was issued, not less than
sixty-five thousand men had tendered their services and were on their way to
places of rendezvous, while many thousands more were preparing, but were
notified to remain at home. Within three days, thirty thousand men, fully
armed and organized, had taken the field at various points to meet the
enemy.10 John L. Mansfield, Major General of the Indiana Legion, reported to
the Governor:
It is . proper . that the citizen soldier should be employed for the
suppression of riots, and for the repelling of invasions. Both of these ends
have been accomplished by our State Militia within the preceding two years.
. A considerable part of our Legion have undergone, within the last two
years, severe hardships, and many of them have suffered in a pecuniary point
of view by having been called away suddenly from their daily occupations.
They obeyed the summons with alacrity and cheerfulness, and I take pleasure
in assuring your Excellency that in time of need you may safely rely on the
efficiency of the Indiana Legion.11 And there's even a specific report from
the commanding officer of the 102nd Indiana Infantry, Col. B. M. Gregory,
written 18 July 1863, the day after his troops were mustered out of active
service12 and information on the conditions under which the 102nd operated
(as of 11 July 1863, the 102nd has no ammunition and no rations).13 1.
"Civil War Records: The Indiana Legion," Indiana Commission on Public
Records (
http://www.in.gov/icpr : accessed 27 Jan 2013).
2. Operations of the Indiana Legion and Minute Men 1863-4, Documents
Presented to the General Assembly, with the Governor's Message, January 6,
1865 (Indianapolis : W.R. Holloway, state printer, 1865); digital images,
Google Books (
http://books.google.com : accessed 27 Jan 2013).
3. Ibid., 8.
4. Ibid., 2, 8.
5. Ibid., 69-70.
6. Ibid., 11.
As one can see there are numerous footnotes. For the entire article please
see this URL:
http://www.legalgenealogist.com/blog/
The IN-SOUTH-CENTRAL Rootsweb list is for genealogists and historians who
have an interest in the south central district of Indiana, as defined by the
Indiana Genealogial Society, including the counties of: Bartholomew, Brown,
Clark, Crawford, Floyd, Harris, Jackson, Lawrence, Monroe, Orange, Scott and
Washington.
-------------------------------
To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to
IN-SOUTH-CENTRAL-request(a)rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without
the quotes in the subject and the body of the message