It was in Harrison, Hamilton County, where the Confederate invasion of Ohio began. Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan led more than 2,000 Confederate cavalrymen into Ohio after a five day raid of southern Indiana. Their stop in Harrison would be brief but like many towns and villages over the next 13 days, they looted Harrison of horses, food and anything of value.
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
Morgan had feared that the Glendale railroad crossing could be a disaster area. If he was unsuccessful in his deception of an attack on Cincinnati and Hamilton US forces could be waiting for them. Fortunately for the raiders, the deception had been successful, not one US soldier waited for them.
After less than 24 hours in Ohio, with little food or rest, Morgan and his weary men rode into Sharonville. At 03:00, citizens were roused, their horses, saddles, and bridles confiscated and they were forced to hand over clothes, tobacco, and any cooked provisions. The citizens were forced to provide again a mere seven hours later when US forces in pursuit arrived.
It was now July 14, Morgan and his men had been in Ohio for just under two days and had managed to move more than 30 miles almost entirely unopposed. Though US cavalry forces remained in pursuit, a lack of access to fresh horses and supplies had cause them to lose precious time. Morgan and his men retained an advantage by arriving in towns first to get their pick of the best horses and food.
The small squads of Confederates moved swiftly across the countryside, having been sent on multiple routes from Sharonville. In Blue Ash, a famer and his son watched as Confederate troops stole horses from their barn. The rebels would press almost every useful horse in a three mile radius.
While many tried to hide their valuables or fled their homes during Morgan’s raid, some families did fight back but through wit rather than force of arms. The Schenck family was able to successfully deceive Morgan himself, saving a family of runaway slaves and two prized horses.
With Morgan’s arrival imminent, Lieutenant Colonel George W. Neff commandant of Camp Dennison, prepared to defend the camp. Of his 600 troops about 200 were unarmed and most were either new recruits or convalescents. By daybreak of July 14, 350 convalescent soldiers and militia men manned the newly constructed earthworks. By 06:00, they engaged the rebel forces with the understanding that their strategic position had to be held.
Basil Duke’s brigade crossed the Little Miami River at Porter’s Mill near Miamiville. Raiders cut telegraph lines and sabotaged the railroad causing the derailment of a passenger train. The main body of Duke’s brigade moved into Miamiville, intent on destroying the Little Miami Railroad Bridge. What ensued was a three-hour skirmish that ended in a Confederate retreat.
This Tour is a Thematic Tour or Heritage Trail.
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The Morgan Heritage Trail covers more than 500 miles and consists of 56 informational signs that allow visitors to follow the path of Confederate General Morgan and his 2,000 troops during their 13-day raid into southern Ohio.
