Bevis - "The Darkest of All Nights"

With two US strongholds nearby and 2,000 cavalrymen hot on his heels, Morgan ordered his men to keep moving with no noise, no light, and no rest. Officers rode from the head of their companies to the rear and back again trying to keep their exhausted men and horses awake and moving

After arriving in Ohio, Morgan divided his forces in an effort to maintain the deception of an attack on Cincinnati. In the move out from Harrison, some 500 riders continued toward Miamitown, where they burned the bridge across the Great Miami River. Before leaving the Harrison area, the detachment encountered a funeral procession. The funeral was allowed to continue after the carriage drivers agreed to return and surrender their horses following the procession. The drivers changed their mind and returned home after the funeral by another route, depriving the raiders of fresh horses.

               Morgan’s main column continued on New Haven Road moving toward New Haven. The location of the 1863 road is now the location of a shopping center after the road was rerouted to make way for Interstate 74. While moving toward New Haven, Morgan’s troops fanned out looking for horses and supplies. CSA forces looted several homes along this route including the home of John G. Oyler who filed a claim for the loss of a watch, pistol, clothing, jewelry, provisions, grain, and $50 in cash.

               In an attempt to convince US forces that Morgan was heading for Hamilton, a small detachment went north from New Haven. They reached Venice in Butler County and despite attempts, failed to burn the Great Miami River Bridge there. Morgan’s main column continued on the roads, unable to take artillery batteries, and wagon cross-country. While in Venice, raiders captured James Poole, a local famer, and later forced him to guide Morgan to Bevis before releasing him.

               After arriving in New Baltimore and crossing the river, the raiders burnt the New Baltimore Bridge, a huge and expensive loss as the bridge had just recently been completed and was valued at more than $8,000. Moving into the town of Bevis, the chosen rendezvous point for Morgan’s scattered and exhausted raiders, did the General finally allow his men some rest. The second interpretive sign on the tour stands looking over the field where Morgan and his men rested, waiting for the rest of their comrades to arrive. In 1863 the field was owned by Martin Bevis. Originally serving as a meeting ground for the Methodist Congregations of Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, this site also served as Camp Colerain from May to August 1861. Camp Colerain was a rendezvous point for US recruits including men from the 28^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, seven companies of the 39^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, the 1^st and 2^nd Kentucky Infantries’, and Major Edward F. Noyes who would later serve as Governor of Ohio from 1872 – 1874.

Caholl, Lora Schmidt. Mowery, David L.. The Civil War Guidebook of the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail. Ohio Historical Society, 2014.

Morgan's Raid, Ohio History Central. Accessed October 20th 2021. http://ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Morgan%27s_Raid.

Morgan's Raid into Ohio, Carnegie Public Library. Accessed October 20th 2021. https://www.carnegie.lib.oh.us/morgan.

Remembering Morgan's Raid, Ohio History Connection. July 13th 2013. Accessed Ocobter 20th 2021. - https://www.ohiohistory.org/learn/collections/history/history-blog/2013/july-2013/remembering-morgan-raid.

Stoessel, Steve . Bevis "The Darkest of All Nights" , The Historical Marker Database. May 10th 2019. Accessed January 6th 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=133650.