Sharonville - "The Greatest Excitement That I Ever Seen"

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. 

The ladies of Glendale College who had remained indoors as the Confederates came through, came out and greeted the US forces under Brigadier General James M. Shackelford. They served the men in their saddles from trays and pitchers.

 Morgan’s men moved on, stopping for water at Steven’s Sulfur Spring, which in 1863 was the eastern outskirt of Glendale. Today, Canal Road covers the bed of the old Miami and Erie Canal which was filled in in the 1990s. In 1863, this was the Miami Canal. In an attempt to slow the pursuing US forces, the Confederates burnt the Sharon Road Bridge across the canal. They also attempted to burn the nearby bridge across Mill Creek but before serious damage could be done, local were able to out the flames out.

 Built in 1842, the Twelve-Mile House in Sharonville served as Morgan’s headquarters. The tavern-keeper was a southern sympathizer and provided a good bottle of brandy to the General and his staff. While the officers did pay Mr. Myer $200, they confiscated his horse and four boxes of cigars. It was later said that there was none more critical of Morgan than Christopher Myer. It is outside of the Twelve Mill House, which still stands in Sharonville, that the fourth interpretive sign of the tour can be found.

 Seven hours after the raiders left Sharonville, the US forces in pursuit arrived, equally as weary, hungry, and in need of fresh horses. Unfortunately, as in previous towns, they were left with little in the way of horses or supplies. The local people did feed and supply them with what they could but the most important supply was fresh mounts, and the US soldiers were left with only what the CSA forces couldn’t find or did not want.

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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.

Hilton, Mark. Sharonville "The Greatest Excitement That I Ever Seen", The Historical Marker Database. September 12th 2017. Accessed October 20th 2021. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=108241.