Battle of Corydon
Encyclopedia
The Battle of Corydon was a minor engagement that took place July 9, 1863, just south of Corydon
, which had been the original capital of Indiana
until 1825, and was the county seat
of Harrison County
. The attack occurred during Morgan's Raid
in the American Civil War
as a force of 2,500 cavalry invaded the North
in support of the Tullahoma Campaign
. It was the only pitched battle
of the Civil War that occurred in Indiana, and no battle has occurred within Indiana since.
As news of an impending raid spread across the state, Governor
Oliver P. Morton called out the state's militia force, the Indiana Legion, to defend against the threat. Unaware of the size of the invading army, four companies of the 6th and 8th Regiments of the Legion, totaling about one hundred men, attempted to prevent the Confederates
from crossing the Ohio River
into Indiana, but were overcome by superior artillery fire, killing two of the defenders. The units retreated northward where they met with the main body of the 6th Regiment under the command of Col. Lewis Jordan. Along with the townspeople, they constructed breastworks that formed a defensive line south of Corydon. Despite promises of reinforcements from regional Legion commanders in New Albany
, only about 450 men (consisting almost entirely of locals) were defending the town.
As the raiders approached from the south, the advance elements formed a battle line and launched a frontal attack and an unsuccessful flanking movement
against the east side of the Legion's works. Reinforcements and artillery soon arrived with the main body of Confederate troops, giving the attackers a strong numerical superiority. With the support of the artillery, a pincer movement
caused the Legion to abandon their position to avoid being surrounded. A large part of the Legion were captured as they attempted to escape from the town, while Col. Jordon and others regrouped downtown. Confederates then seized the Legion's commissary supplies on the edge of town, and fired two warning shots into the downtown from their artillery, convincing Jordan that continued resistance was futile and leading him to surrender his force and Corydon. Although the short battle cost the cavalry twice as many casualties as the outnumbered militia units, the battle resulted in a Confederate victory, which enabled Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan
to secure supplies and money before continuing his raid through Indiana and into Ohio
. The delay, however, proved critical in helping the pursuing Union army overtake and later capture Morgan and his forces.
into Indiana, the federal government had put a regiment of regular cavalry troops in south central Indiana for defensive purposes. After patrolling the border for several months, no new raids materialized, and they were withdrawn in March 1863, leaving only the local militia for defense.
in the Confederacy
.
Morgan's artillery consisted of two 10-pound Parrott rifle
s, and two 12-pound howitzer
s. (Horwitz, p. 41) His movements began as a ride into Kentucky to disrupt the communications of the Union
Army of the Cumberland
in support of Gen. Braxton Bragg
’s Army of Tennessee
during the Tullahoma Campaign
. Bragg had ordered Morgan to attack any settlements of his choosing in Kentucky, but not to cross the Ohio River
into Union territory. Bragg was worried about Morgan getting too far from the main army and being unable to come to his aid should it be needed. Morgan was already planning to disregard the orders and had sent scouts beyond the river before leaving Tennessee. Crossing the Cumberland River
at Burkesville, Kentucky
, Morgan’s column advanced to the Green River
, where it was deflected by a Union regiment
at Tebbs Bend
on July 4. Morgan surprised and captured the garrison of Lebanon
, and then rode northward via Springfield
, Bardstown
and Garnettsville.
Morgan had his men tap the Union telegraph lines and send conflicting reports about his strength and destination. Most Union officials believed his target was Louisville, Kentucky
. Not taking any chances, Governor of Indiana
Oliver P. Morton
telegraphed orders calling out the all of the state's militia, the Indiana Legion, south of the National Road
.
In the afternoon of July 7 an advance force of Confederates entered Brandenburg, Kentucky
where they rendezvoused with Capt. Thomas Hines
, who assumed command. Hines had led a reconnaissance mission
into Indiana in search of Confederate sympathizers to support Morgan’s coming raid. He did not find the support he was looking for, and had been pursued by elements of the 6th and 8th Regiment of the Indiana Legion who killed three of his men and captured several others before the remainder escaped back into Kentucky. Since then he had been waiting in the Brandenburg area for Morgan to arrive. The Ohio River was swollen from recent rain, making any hope of fording it impossible and requiring that the Confederates secure boats to ferry their men across. Under Hines’ guidance, the Confederates set an ambush to capture the steamship John T. McCombs as it landed in Brandenburg to deliver the mail.The steamship J.T. McCombs is variously reported as T.J. McCombs (Wolfe 1863), John B. McCombs (Walsh 2006, Brandenburg historical marker), J.T. McCombs (Senour 1865), John T. McCombs (Matthews 2005) and J.T. McCoombs (Terrell 1867). The McCombs was operated by Capt. Ballard, friend of Col. Duke, Morgan's second in command. Duke's family had used the McCombs for commercial purposes prior to the war. (Matthews 2005 op. cit.) The one ship would not be enough to allow the Confederate division to quickly cross the river, so to capture another boat the McCombs was used to simulate a distress call to lure in the fast sidewheel steamer Alice Dean
. As the unsuspecting ship moved alongside the McCombs, the Confederates onboard sprung out, lashed the two ships together, and boarded the Alice Dean. Taking the two ships back to shore, they released the crew and passengers just as Morgan arrived with the main body of the army. Some of the passengers escaped the town and sent message to commanders in Louisville of the Confederate occupation of Brandenburg.
leaders sent word promising to send a thousand men. Other companies around Harrison County
immediately began to gather and advance to Corydon. Three companies of the 6th Regiment Indiana Legion based in Mauckport
and totaling about one hundred men moved to Morvin’s Landing, the north bank of the river opposite Brandenburg, to contest the crossing. A thirty man company of the 8th Regiment of the Indiana Legion based in Leavenworth
and under the command of Capt. G.W. Lyon, was transported to Morvin's landing by the Lady Pike during the night. They brought with them their town's ceremonial 8-pound cannon which they deployed and camouflaged on a small bluff in front of an abandoned log cabin.The cannon had fortunately been brought out of storage a week earlier for Fourth of July celebrations. (Conway, p. 50)
On the morning of July 8, Lyon opened fire on the Alice Dean, intending to destroy or disable the steamers. The men had only ever fired the cannon at celebratory events and were unsure how to aim it properly. Two shots were fired, with the second one hitting the upper deck of the McCombs, passing through the ship and landing near a group of men on the shore, wounding a Confederate.Although the Ohio River is now 2500 feet (762 m) wide at this point because of dams that have since been constructed, in 1863 it was only about 1000 feet (304.8 m) wide. Morgan's two best cannons could easily hit targets at a distance of 5000 feet (1,524 m). (Howtzer, p. 52) Just as the shelling began Provost Marshall John Timberlake arrived on the scene from Corydon with a small company of reinforcements and assumed command. Timberlake, who was a colonel in the regular army, believed Morgan's force was small, and decided to spare the steamships and instead shell the massed cavalry. Before the cannon could be re-aimed, the superior Confederate artillery was set up and returned fire from their significantly higher position on the opposite side of the river. The dense morning fog in the valley obliged the Confederates to guess at their target. Their first shot landed short of the Legion's position, and the second shot landed behind them and leveled the cabin. The Legion defenders set off a third shot that had already been loaded into their cannon, and fled into a nearby forest. As they moved up the ridge and into the woods, they became visible to the Confederate artillery who began to shell the forest. One shot struck a log where two of the defenders had stopped to rest. They were mortally wounded while the rest fled into the forest as the Confederates continued to shell the landing.
With the resistance seemingly at an end, Morgan began crossing his troops in the captured steamers. The first company to land moved up the ridge on the north shore and engaged the Legion defenders in a skirmish. Union commanders in Louisville had sent out requests for naval support in preventing Morgan's crossing when they first received reports from Brandenburg. The tinclad Springfield
, armed with six 24-pound howitzers, was at New Albany and was dispatched down-river and arrived on the scene just after Morgan had begun to ferry his force across the river. The Springfield opened fire on Morgan’s two steamers who retreated back under the covering fire of the Confederate artillery. The ship began shelling both the north and south shores of the river, firing at least fifty shells into Brandenburg, damaging several buildings and killing three horses. Morgan's forces took cover in nearby forests while the armed steamer and the artillery on the shore dueled for about an hour. Once the Springfield ran out of ammunition she withdrew, allowing Morgan to resume the crossing.
After about half of his army had been ferried into Indiana, the Union gunboat USS Elk
and an armed private ship, the Grey Eagle, arrived on the scene. The Elk fired a shot into the deck of the Alice Dean as it tried to escape to the shoreline. Both of the Union ships were wooden, and as the Confederate artillery opened fire, they quickly retreated upriver towards Louisville to avoid being destroyed. The crossing resumed again. In total, it took seventeen hours for Morgan to ferry his now 2,000 men and supplies across the river. By listening in on the telegraph, he learned that Brig. Gen.
Edward H. Hobson
with a force of 4,000 cavalry was advancing on his position from the south. The lead elements of the Union force arrived in Brandenburg at about 8:00 pm, where the Confederate rearguard was able to delay their advance long enough for Morgan’s artillery to be carried across the river. On the last trip across, most of the rearguard was able to escape, but several were left behind and captured.
Once the Confederates had crossed the river, the Alice Dean was set ablaze and sunk in the river between Morvin's landing and Mauckport to deny the Union pursuers use of the vessel and to block the landing, making their crossing more difficult. Morgan ordered the McCombs to be burnt, but Col. Duke countermanded the order because of his friendship with its captain. He was allowed to return with his ship to Louisville unharmed. Gen. Hobson and the main body of the Union cavalry arrived in Brandenburg at about 10:15 pm, just as the Alice Dean went under the water. He set up his artillery and fired several shots at the Confederates who jeered at him from the opposite side of the river; they quickly withdrew out of range of his guns. The lead elements of the cavalry had already set out northward following the Legion forces who withdrew gradually and fought delaying skirmishes along the Mauckport road to slow the cavalry's advance towards Corydon
.
, and one from New Amsterdam
, making the force about four-hundred strong. They lured a company of unsuspecting Confederates into an ambush where they were surrounded; sixteen were captured and taken to the Corydon jail. The invaders also successfully captured about thirty defenders in several skirmishes. They were rounded up and held in a school house near Laconia
.While in the school, one of the prisoners watched as soldiers torched his nearby gristmill in retribution. The state later reimbursed the man $2,681 for the loss of his mill. (Horwitz, p. 45) After Morgan crossed the river he addressed the prisoners and told them that if they would promise to go home and not return to arms, he would allow them to leave and keep their guns. They all agreed and were released.
That night Morgan’s men camped somewhere just north of Mauckport. They found the area deserted, as all the civilians had fled their homes. In the house where Morgan stayed, the table was set with supper which he and his men ate before resting for the night. Morgan’s men tapped the telegraph lines again and began sending false reports that they were headed for New Albany. The disinformation dissuaded New Albany’s Legion leaders from sending the large number of reinforcements to Corydon that they had been organizing. The next morning the Confederates resumed their march northward. As they passed up a county road, a shot was fired killing a soldier. The scouts opened fired on a nearby house from which they assumed the shot had come, killing a Lutheran minister and wounding his son.The minister's home was on the Mauckport Road about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Corydon. It was the minister's elderly father who had fired on the Confederates. (Horwitz, p. 46).
Corydon was the county seat of Harrison County and the former capital of Indiana
. The town and immediate countryside had about one thousand inhabitants. The townspeople had been working all night building a breastwork of criss-crossed logs on a high ridge just south of the town. A pair of Confederate spies had already infiltrated Corydon and reported their findings back to Morgan. As the works were completed, the Legion fell back to the town to take up position behind them. Many older men in the town joined in the defense, swelling their numbers to about 450. Despite the emergency calls for reinforcements to the regional Legion commanders in New Albany, none of their men arrived before the battle began
The Legion’s barricade was between four and five feet high (1.5 m) and stretched 2500 feet (762 m) from the Amsterdam
Road on the far western wing to the Laconia Road on the far eastern wing and straddled the Mauckport Road in the center.The New Amsterdam Road is now Hiedelburg Road. The Mauckport Road is now Old State Road 135 on its northern half, and State Road 135
on its southern half. The Laconia Road is now State Road 337
The 6th Regiment of the Indiana Legion was commanded by the elderly Col. Lewis Jordan, a veteran of the War of 1812
. Maj. McGrain, a lieutenant in the Regular Army and recently returning from the war front, was given command of the west wing. Capt. George Lahue, a veteran of the Mexican-American War, was in command of the east wing. Although the commanders were battle hardened, most of the men behind the works had never seen battle. The western wing was heavily wooded, but the slope of the ground prevented the defenders or the attackers from seeing each other until they were within close range. The eastern wing of the works was in a mostly open field and afforded little natural cover to the attackers, while the defenders were protected from gunfire behind their works.
At 11:30 a.m. on July 9, the 3rd Regiment Kentucky Cavalry, the advance element of the Confederate forces under the command of Col. "Stovepipe" Johnson, was sighted moving north along the Mauckport Road towards Corydon. Col. Johnson believed that the artillery could have quickly dispersed the four hundred farmers-turned-soldiers, but Morgan was worried about any delay because during the night the Union forces had begun crossing the river in his rear. Morgan’s main body with the artillery was still en route, and he decided that the Legion should be engaged by the advance forces.
By about noon, the Confederates had formed an attack line and were in position to advance on the works. Because of the forest on the west side of the Mauckport Road, a company of men dismounted and attacked the works head on. They were repulsed three times, but the Legion suffered a casualty during the second wave. Simultaneously, the Confederates launched a flanking maneuver on the eastern wing of the defensive works. The initial flanking attempt was prevented because of the superior weapons held by the thirty Legion soldiers on that wing. They were equipped with Henry rifle
s capable of firing fourteen rounds before reloading, and were able to keep the Confederates pinned down in the open field for about twenty minutes.
Shortly after the third repulse of the Confederates on the western wing, the 2nd Kentucky and 9th Tennessee regiments arrived from the Mauckport Road and joined the battle, giving the attackers a numerical superiority. At about 12:40 p.m., Capt. Byrnes arrived with the Confederate artillery and used his two ten-pound Parrott rifle cannons to pin down the defenders in the works. In the meantime, Morgan was leading his main body of troops far around the eastern edge of the defenses and up the Plank Road, threatening the town directly and bypassing the defenses entirely. As they moved onto the Corydon Pike, they shot and robbed a toll gate keeper who refused to throw down his gun.
in an attempt to surround the Legion units. With the artillery bearing down on the works, the 2nd Kentucky and 9th Tennessee began to flank the Union defense on the east and west sides respectively. Col. Lewis ordered a retreat to prevent the army from being captured. With their superior numbers, the Confederates were able to move around both ends of the Legion's works and quickly turned the retreat into a rout. The second part of the engagement was over in about twenty-five minutes; in total the battle lasted about one hour. As the Legion fled into the town, many threw their guns into the Indian Creek to prevent them from being captured by the enemy. About one hundred men attempted to escape by the Corydon Pike, unaware that the main Confederate force was advancing up it, and were captured.
A large part of the Legion force, including Col. Jordon, retreated into the downtown. On the western edge of the town, a company of Confederates seized the Legion’s commissary. Morgan took command of the heights south of the town and fired two warning shells from his artillery into Corydon, one landing very near Cedar Glade
, now a historic site that keeps a marker at the location where the shot landed. Col. Jordan realized that continued resistance was useless and did not “desire to see the unnecessary loss of life”, and promptly surrendered the town by running up a white flag in the town square. The Legion's cavalry and the infantrymen who had mounts were able to escape into the countryside, but almost all of the remaining infantry was captured.
Accounts vary as to the number of casualties, but the most reliable evidence suggests that Jordan lost four killed, ten to twelve wounded, and 355 captured—about 100 escaped. After the battle, Morgan counted eleven dead and forty wounded among the raiders, plus one killed while advancing on the town. Additionally, three civilians were killed.
; Morgan threatened to torch three local mills, and demanded each of them pay $1,000 to prevent their destruction. The owners negotiated the rate down to $500. The county treasurer
paid $690 to spare the courthouse from being burnt, and two leading stores paid $600 each. His men robbed the townspeople freely, stealing items ranging from ice-skates and bonnets to guns and horses. The total amount taken by ransom and plunder was estimated at $26,450 ($ in 2009 chained dollars
). The value of most of the stolen goods and property destruction was later reimbursed, mostly by the state government
.
Morgan ate lunch at the Kintner House Inn where he read a newspaper and learned of the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg
and the fall of Vicksburg. The news caused him to realize his army was in serious danger; his hosts later said that upon his reading the paper that he was “noticeably crestfallen”. Morgan had intended to meet up with the Confederate army in Pennsylvania
, but with their forces in retreat this was impossible and began to plan for a safe return across the Ohio River. He had his telegrapher tap the telegraph lines and send false messages indicating he was heading for Indianapolis
to free Confederate prisoners of war held at Camp Morton
. The Confederate dead were buried in unmarked graves on a farm on the western edge of town. Morgan's wounded were left in the town and were taken into a local Presbyterian church, where they were cared for. The wounded men were paroled after Union troops arrived. Two were taken to the Union army hospital
in Jeffersonville
, and remained in the town until they were well enough to return home and await their exchange.
before camping a few miles from Corydon, near New Salisbury. They left Harrison County early the next morning heading north.
As soon as he learned of the defeat at Corydon , Governor Morton sent a series of telegrams to Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside
, commander of the Army of the Ohio
, first requesting then demanding the return of two Indiana regiments recently sent to the defense of Louisville, Kentucky
. Burnside refused but did order his cavalry to join in the pursuit of Morgan. As Corydon had until recently been capital of Indiana, the defeat was symbolic. The July 10 headline of the Indianapolis Gazetteer screamed “Former Capitol Corydon Ravaged By Morgan’s Raiders; Two Hoosiers Dead.”
More than 150,000 men turned out to join Legion units during the next week and began pursuing on Morgan's cavalrymen. Gen. Hobson and his men arrived in Corydon on July 10, after crossing the Ohio River from Kentucky. Although a Confederate victory, the Battle of Corydon had delayed Morgan by six crucial hours, allowing the pursuing Union army to begin closing the gap. Union cavalry numbering six thousand men were soon only a few miles behind him. Morgan briefly continued north and raided Salem
. He then turned his east to Ohio as his raid turned into flight to escape. He was thwarted at the Battle of Buffington Island
, where he tried to cross the Ohio River to safety. Only about 250 of his men were across the river, when Union gunboats brought his attempt to an end. Morgan was later captured at the Battle of Salineville
, the furthest north regular Confederates ever reached.
Other raids and small skirmishes took place in Indiana during the war, but the Battle of Corydon was the only pitched battle
fought in the state. It remains the last military conflict to have occurred in Indiana. In 1976 the site was preserved as the Corydon Battle Site
memorial park and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on July 9, 1979. Today it is part of the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail. The battle has been re-enacted each year since 1980.
Corydon, Indiana
Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States, founded in 1808, and is known as Indiana's First State Capital. After Vincennes, Corydon was the second capital of the Indiana Territory from May 1, 1813, until December 11, 1816. After statehood, the town was the...
, which had been the original capital of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
until 1825, and was the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Harrison County
Harrison County, Indiana
Harrison County is a county located in the far southern part of the U.S. state of Indiana along the Ohio River. It is divided into twelve townships, and the county seat is Corydon, the former capital of Indiana. The county is part of the larger Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan...
. The attack occurred during Morgan's Raid
Morgan's Raid
Morgan's Raid was a highly publicized incursion by Confederate cavalry into the Northern states of Indiana and Ohio during the American Civil War. The raid took place from June 11–July 26, 1863, and is named for the commander of the Confederates, Brig. Gen...
in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
as a force of 2,500 cavalry invaded the North
Union (American Civil War)
During the American Civil War, the Union was a name used to refer to the federal government of the United States, which was supported by the twenty free states and five border slave states. It was opposed by 11 southern slave states that had declared a secession to join together to form the...
in support of the Tullahoma Campaign
Tullahoma Campaign
The Tullahoma Campaign or Middle Tennessee Campaign was fought between June 24 and July 3, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Union Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Maj. Gen. William S...
. It was the only pitched battle
Pitched battle
A pitched battle is a battle where both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges....
of the Civil War that occurred in Indiana, and no battle has occurred within Indiana since.
As news of an impending raid spread across the state, Governor
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
Oliver P. Morton called out the state's militia force, the Indiana Legion, to defend against the threat. Unaware of the size of the invading army, four companies of the 6th and 8th Regiments of the Legion, totaling about one hundred men, attempted to prevent the Confederates
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
from crossing the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
into Indiana, but were overcome by superior artillery fire, killing two of the defenders. The units retreated northward where they met with the main body of the 6th Regiment under the command of Col. Lewis Jordan. Along with the townspeople, they constructed breastworks that formed a defensive line south of Corydon. Despite promises of reinforcements from regional Legion commanders in New Albany
New Albany, Indiana
New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Kentucky. In 1900, 20,628 people lived in New Albany; in 1910, 20,629; in 1920, 22,992; and in 1940, 25,414. The population was 36,372 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of...
, only about 450 men (consisting almost entirely of locals) were defending the town.
As the raiders approached from the south, the advance elements formed a battle line and launched a frontal attack and an unsuccessful flanking movement
Flanking maneuver
In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, also called a flank attack, is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its...
against the east side of the Legion's works. Reinforcements and artillery soon arrived with the main body of Confederate troops, giving the attackers a strong numerical superiority. With the support of the artillery, a pincer movement
Pincer movement
The pincer movement or double envelopment is a military maneuver. The flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy's flanks, in order to surround it...
caused the Legion to abandon their position to avoid being surrounded. A large part of the Legion were captured as they attempted to escape from the town, while Col. Jordon and others regrouped downtown. Confederates then seized the Legion's commissary supplies on the edge of town, and fired two warning shots into the downtown from their artillery, convincing Jordan that continued resistance was futile and leading him to surrender his force and Corydon. Although the short battle cost the cavalry twice as many casualties as the outnumbered militia units, the battle resulted in a Confederate victory, which enabled Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan
John Hunt Morgan was a Confederate general and cavalry officer in the American Civil War.Morgan is best known for Morgan's Raid when, in 1863, he and his men rode over 1,000 miles covering a region from Tennessee, up through Kentucky, into Indiana and on to southern Ohio...
to secure supplies and money before continuing his raid through Indiana and into Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. The delay, however, proved critical in helping the pursuing Union army overtake and later capture Morgan and his forces.
Prelude
Following the 1862 Newburgh RaidNewburgh Raid
The Newburgh Raid was an incident that occurred during the American Civil War. In it, Confederate colonel Adam Rankin Johnson captured the town of Newburgh, Indiana on July 18, 1862, using a force of only 35 men, mostly partisans he had recruited from nearby Henderson, Kentucky.Prior to the raid,...
into Indiana, the federal government had put a regiment of regular cavalry troops in south central Indiana for defensive purposes. After patrolling the border for several months, no new raids materialized, and they were withdrawn in March 1863, leaving only the local militia for defense.
Advance through Kentucky
On June 23, 1863, Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan led a cavalry division consisting of two brigades, totaling nearly 2,500 men, and two batteries of artillery, northward from TennesseeTennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
in the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
.
Morgan's artillery consisted of two 10-pound Parrott rifle
Parrott rifle
The Parrott rifle was a type of muzzle loading rifled artillery weapon used extensively in the American Civil War.-Parrott Rifle:The gun was invented by Robert Parker Parrott, a West Point graduate. He resigned from the service in 1836 and became the superintendent of the West Point Foundry in Cold...
s, and two 12-pound howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s. (Horwitz, p. 41) His movements began as a ride into Kentucky to disrupt the communications of the Union
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
Army of the Cumberland
Army of the Cumberland
The Army of the Cumberland was one of the principal Union armies in the Western Theater during the American Civil War. It was originally known as the Army of the Ohio.-History:...
in support of Gen. Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg
Braxton Bragg was a career United States Army officer, and then a general in the Confederate States Army—a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War and later the military adviser to Confederate President Jefferson Davis.Bragg, a native of North Carolina, was...
’s Army of Tennessee
Army of Tennessee
The Army of Tennessee was the principal Confederate army operating between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River during the American Civil War. It was formed in late 1862 and fought until the end of the war in 1865, participating in most of the significant battles in the Western Theater...
during the Tullahoma Campaign
Tullahoma Campaign
The Tullahoma Campaign or Middle Tennessee Campaign was fought between June 24 and July 3, 1863, during the American Civil War. The Union Army of the Cumberland, commanded by Maj. Gen. William S...
. Bragg had ordered Morgan to attack any settlements of his choosing in Kentucky, but not to cross the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
into Union territory. Bragg was worried about Morgan getting too far from the main army and being unable to come to his aid should it be needed. Morgan was already planning to disregard the orders and had sent scouts beyond the river before leaving Tennessee. Crossing the Cumberland River
Cumberland River
The Cumberland River is a waterway in the Southern United States. It is long. It starts in Harlan County in far southeastern Kentucky between Pine and Cumberland mountains, flows through southern Kentucky, crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before...
at Burkesville, Kentucky
Burkesville, Kentucky
Burkesville is a city in Cumberland County, Kentucky, United States. Nestled among the rolling foothills of Appalachia and bordered by the Cumberland River to the south and east, it is the county seat of Cumberland County...
, Morgan’s column advanced to the Green River
Green River (Kentucky)
The Green River is a tributary of the Ohio River that rises in Lincoln County in south-central Kentucky. Tributaries of the Green River include the Barren River, the Nolin River, the Pond River and the Rough River...
, where it was deflected by a Union regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
at Tebbs Bend
Battle of Tebbs Bend
The Battle of Tebbs' Bend was fought on July 4, 1863, near the Green River in Taylor County, Kentucky during Morgan's Raid in the American Civil War. Despite being badly outnumbered, elements of the Union army thwarted repeated attacks by Confederate Brig. Gen...
on July 4. Morgan surprised and captured the garrison of Lebanon
Lebanon, Kentucky
Lebanon is a city in Marion County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 6,331 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marion County. Lebanon is located in central Kentucky, southeast of Louisville. A national cemetery is located nearby....
, and then rode northward via Springfield
Springfield, Kentucky
Springfield is a city in and county seat of Washington County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,634 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1793 and probably named for springs in the area.-Geography:...
, Bardstown
Bardstown, Kentucky
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,700 people, 4,712 households, and 2,949 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 5,113 housing units at an average density of...
and Garnettsville.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Not taking any chances, Governor of Indiana
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
Oliver P. Morton
Oliver Hazard Perry Morton
Oliver Hazard Perry Throck Morton , commonly known as Oliver P. Morton, was a U.S. Republican Party politician from Indiana. He served as the 14th Governor of Indiana during the American Civil War, and was a stalwart ally of President Abraham Lincoln. During the war, Morton suppressed the...
telegraphed orders calling out the all of the state's militia, the Indiana Legion, south of the National Road
National Road
The National Road or Cumberland Road was the first major improved highway in the United States to be built by the federal government. Construction began heading west in 1811 at Cumberland, Maryland, on the Potomac River. It crossed the Allegheny Mountains and southwestern Pennsylvania, reaching...
.
In the afternoon of July 7 an advance force of Confederates entered Brandenburg, Kentucky
Brandenburg, Kentucky
Brandenburg is a city in Meade County, Kentucky, United States, along the Ohio River. The population was 2,049 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Meade County.-History:...
where they rendezvoused with Capt. Thomas Hines
Thomas Hines
Thomas Henry Hines was a Confederate spy during the American Civil War. A native of Butler County, Kentucky, he initially worked as a grammar instructor, mainly at the Masonic University of La Grange, Kentucky. During the first year of the war, he served as a field officer, initiating several...
, who assumed command. Hines had led a reconnaissance mission
Hines' Raid
The Hines' Raid was a Confederate exploratory mission led by Thomas Hines, on orders from John Hunt Morgan, into the state of Indiana in June 1863 during the American Civil War...
into Indiana in search of Confederate sympathizers to support Morgan’s coming raid. He did not find the support he was looking for, and had been pursued by elements of the 6th and 8th Regiment of the Indiana Legion who killed three of his men and captured several others before the remainder escaped back into Kentucky. Since then he had been waiting in the Brandenburg area for Morgan to arrive. The Ohio River was swollen from recent rain, making any hope of fording it impossible and requiring that the Confederates secure boats to ferry their men across. Under Hines’ guidance, the Confederates set an ambush to capture the steamship John T. McCombs as it landed in Brandenburg to deliver the mail.The steamship J.T. McCombs is variously reported as T.J. McCombs (Wolfe 1863), John B. McCombs (Walsh 2006, Brandenburg historical marker), J.T. McCombs (Senour 1865), John T. McCombs (Matthews 2005) and J.T. McCoombs (Terrell 1867). The McCombs was operated by Capt. Ballard, friend of Col. Duke, Morgan's second in command. Duke's family had used the McCombs for commercial purposes prior to the war. (Matthews 2005 op. cit.) The one ship would not be enough to allow the Confederate division to quickly cross the river, so to capture another boat the McCombs was used to simulate a distress call to lure in the fast sidewheel steamer Alice Dean
Alice Dean
PS Alice Dean, which had a capacity of 411 tons, was a side-wheel, wooden-hulled packet steamer. It was launched from Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1863, running a scheduled route between Cincinnati and Memphis, Tennessee. Its captain was James H. Pepper....
. As the unsuspecting ship moved alongside the McCombs, the Confederates onboard sprung out, lashed the two ships together, and boarded the Alice Dean. Taking the two ships back to shore, they released the crew and passengers just as Morgan arrived with the main body of the army. Some of the passengers escaped the town and sent message to commanders in Louisville of the Confederate occupation of Brandenburg.
Battle of Brandenburg Crossing
Indiana militia leaders learned of Morgan's capture of Brandenburg, ten miles south of Corydon, and his intent to cross into Indiana in a dispatch from Regular Army commanders in Louisville. All the roads Morgan would likely take northward intersected at Corydon. Emergency requests for reinforcements were sent out from the town in all directions. New AlbanyNew Albany, Indiana
New Albany is a city in Floyd County, Indiana, United States, situated along the Ohio River opposite Louisville, Kentucky. In 1900, 20,628 people lived in New Albany; in 1910, 20,629; in 1920, 22,992; and in 1940, 25,414. The population was 36,372 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of...
leaders sent word promising to send a thousand men. Other companies around Harrison County
Harrison County, Indiana
Harrison County is a county located in the far southern part of the U.S. state of Indiana along the Ohio River. It is divided into twelve townships, and the county seat is Corydon, the former capital of Indiana. The county is part of the larger Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan...
immediately began to gather and advance to Corydon. Three companies of the 6th Regiment Indiana Legion based in Mauckport
Mauckport, Indiana
Mauckport is a town in Heth Township, Harrison County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 81 at the 2010 census.-History:In the earliest times Daniel Boone and his brothers, most notably Squire Boone, were regularly in the area of Mauckport. Squire Boone settled in the area in 1806...
and totaling about one hundred men moved to Morvin’s Landing, the north bank of the river opposite Brandenburg, to contest the crossing. A thirty man company of the 8th Regiment of the Indiana Legion based in Leavenworth
Leavenworth, Indiana
Leavenworth is a town in Jennings Township, Crawford County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 238 at the 2010 census.- Foundation and early settlement :...
and under the command of Capt. G.W. Lyon, was transported to Morvin's landing by the Lady Pike during the night. They brought with them their town's ceremonial 8-pound cannon which they deployed and camouflaged on a small bluff in front of an abandoned log cabin.The cannon had fortunately been brought out of storage a week earlier for Fourth of July celebrations. (Conway, p. 50)
With the resistance seemingly at an end, Morgan began crossing his troops in the captured steamers. The first company to land moved up the ridge on the north shore and engaged the Legion defenders in a skirmish. Union commanders in Louisville had sent out requests for naval support in preventing Morgan's crossing when they first received reports from Brandenburg. The tinclad Springfield
USS Springfield (1862)
USS Springfield was a steamship purchased by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a gunboat assigned to patrol Confederate waterways....
, armed with six 24-pound howitzers, was at New Albany and was dispatched down-river and arrived on the scene just after Morgan had begun to ferry his force across the river. The Springfield opened fire on Morgan’s two steamers who retreated back under the covering fire of the Confederate artillery. The ship began shelling both the north and south shores of the river, firing at least fifty shells into Brandenburg, damaging several buildings and killing three horses. Morgan's forces took cover in nearby forests while the armed steamer and the artillery on the shore dueled for about an hour. Once the Springfield ran out of ammunition she withdrew, allowing Morgan to resume the crossing.
After about half of his army had been ferried into Indiana, the Union gunboat USS Elk
USS Elk (1863)
USS Elk was a steamer acquired by the Union Navy during the American Civil War. She was used by the Union Navy as a convoy and patrol vessel on Confederate waterways.- Acquisition and name change to Elk :...
and an armed private ship, the Grey Eagle, arrived on the scene. The Elk fired a shot into the deck of the Alice Dean as it tried to escape to the shoreline. Both of the Union ships were wooden, and as the Confederate artillery opened fire, they quickly retreated upriver towards Louisville to avoid being destroyed. The crossing resumed again. In total, it took seventeen hours for Morgan to ferry his now 2,000 men and supplies across the river. By listening in on the telegraph, he learned that Brig. Gen.
Brigadier general (United States)
A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...
Edward H. Hobson
Edward H. Hobson
Edward Henry Hobson was a merchant, banker, politician, tax collector, railroad executive, and an officer in the United States Army in the Mexican-American War and American Civil War. He is most known for his determined pursuit of the Confederates during Morgan's Raid.-Early life and career:Hobson...
with a force of 4,000 cavalry was advancing on his position from the south. The lead elements of the Union force arrived in Brandenburg at about 8:00 pm, where the Confederate rearguard was able to delay their advance long enough for Morgan’s artillery to be carried across the river. On the last trip across, most of the rearguard was able to escape, but several were left behind and captured.
Once the Confederates had crossed the river, the Alice Dean was set ablaze and sunk in the river between Morvin's landing and Mauckport to deny the Union pursuers use of the vessel and to block the landing, making their crossing more difficult. Morgan ordered the McCombs to be burnt, but Col. Duke countermanded the order because of his friendship with its captain. He was allowed to return with his ship to Louisville unharmed. Gen. Hobson and the main body of the Union cavalry arrived in Brandenburg at about 10:15 pm, just as the Alice Dean went under the water. He set up his artillery and fired several shots at the Confederates who jeered at him from the opposite side of the river; they quickly withdrew out of range of his guns. The lead elements of the cavalry had already set out northward following the Legion forces who withdrew gradually and fought delaying skirmishes along the Mauckport road to slow the cavalry's advance towards Corydon
Corydon, Indiana
Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States, founded in 1808, and is known as Indiana's First State Capital. After Vincennes, Corydon was the second capital of the Indiana Territory from May 1, 1813, until December 11, 1816. After statehood, the town was the...
.
Skirmishes
During the evening, elements of Morgan’s army had advanced to within five miles (8 km) of Corydon. The four Legion companies that had attempted to prevent the crossing had been reinforced by four additional companies from Corydon, one from ElizabethElizabeth, Indiana
Elizabeth is a town in Posey Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States. The population was 162 at the 2010 census. It was founded in 1812 and named for Elizabeth Veach, wife of the landowner who donated the land for the town.-History:...
, and one from New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam, Indiana
New Amsterdam is a town located in Washington Township, Harrison County, Indiana, USA,along the Ohio River. At the 2010 census, New Amsterdam had a population of 1....
, making the force about four-hundred strong. They lured a company of unsuspecting Confederates into an ambush where they were surrounded; sixteen were captured and taken to the Corydon jail. The invaders also successfully captured about thirty defenders in several skirmishes. They were rounded up and held in a school house near Laconia
Laconia, Indiana
Laconia is a town in Boone Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Laconia is located at ....
.While in the school, one of the prisoners watched as soldiers torched his nearby gristmill in retribution. The state later reimbursed the man $2,681 for the loss of his mill. (Horwitz, p. 45) After Morgan crossed the river he addressed the prisoners and told them that if they would promise to go home and not return to arms, he would allow them to leave and keep their guns. They all agreed and were released.
That night Morgan’s men camped somewhere just north of Mauckport. They found the area deserted, as all the civilians had fled their homes. In the house where Morgan stayed, the table was set with supper which he and his men ate before resting for the night. Morgan’s men tapped the telegraph lines again and began sending false reports that they were headed for New Albany. The disinformation dissuaded New Albany’s Legion leaders from sending the large number of reinforcements to Corydon that they had been organizing. The next morning the Confederates resumed their march northward. As they passed up a county road, a shot was fired killing a soldier. The scouts opened fired on a nearby house from which they assumed the shot had come, killing a Lutheran minister and wounding his son.The minister's home was on the Mauckport Road about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Corydon. It was the minister's elderly father who had fired on the Confederates. (Horwitz, p. 46).
Corydon was the county seat of Harrison County and the former capital of Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. The town and immediate countryside had about one thousand inhabitants. The townspeople had been working all night building a breastwork of criss-crossed logs on a high ridge just south of the town. A pair of Confederate spies had already infiltrated Corydon and reported their findings back to Morgan. As the works were completed, the Legion fell back to the town to take up position behind them. Many older men in the town joined in the defense, swelling their numbers to about 450. Despite the emergency calls for reinforcements to the regional Legion commanders in New Albany, none of their men arrived before the battle began
The attack
New Amsterdam, Indiana
New Amsterdam is a town located in Washington Township, Harrison County, Indiana, USA,along the Ohio River. At the 2010 census, New Amsterdam had a population of 1....
Road on the far western wing to the Laconia Road on the far eastern wing and straddled the Mauckport Road in the center.The New Amsterdam Road is now Hiedelburg Road. The Mauckport Road is now Old State Road 135 on its northern half, and State Road 135
Indiana State Road 135
State Road 135 in the U.S. State of Indiana is a road that connects Indianapolis with the Ohio River; for the most part it is a two-lane road.-Route description:The southern terminus is the Matthew E. Welsh Bridge on the east side of Mauckport...
on its southern half. The Laconia Road is now State Road 337
Indiana State Road 337
State Road 337 in the U.S. State of Indiana is divided into a northern section and a southern section.-Southern section:The southern section is about long. Starting at State Road 64 in Depauw it runs along rolling hills toward Corydon. The Harrison County Hospital is located on the stretch next to...
The 6th Regiment of the Indiana Legion was commanded by the elderly Col. Lewis Jordan, a veteran of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Maj. McGrain, a lieutenant in the Regular Army and recently returning from the war front, was given command of the west wing. Capt. George Lahue, a veteran of the Mexican-American War, was in command of the east wing. Although the commanders were battle hardened, most of the men behind the works had never seen battle. The western wing was heavily wooded, but the slope of the ground prevented the defenders or the attackers from seeing each other until they were within close range. The eastern wing of the works was in a mostly open field and afforded little natural cover to the attackers, while the defenders were protected from gunfire behind their works.
At 11:30 a.m. on July 9, the 3rd Regiment Kentucky Cavalry, the advance element of the Confederate forces under the command of Col. "Stovepipe" Johnson, was sighted moving north along the Mauckport Road towards Corydon. Col. Johnson believed that the artillery could have quickly dispersed the four hundred farmers-turned-soldiers, but Morgan was worried about any delay because during the night the Union forces had begun crossing the river in his rear. Morgan’s main body with the artillery was still en route, and he decided that the Legion should be engaged by the advance forces.
Henry rifle
The Henry repeating rifle was a lever-action, breech-loading, tubular magazine rifle.-History:The original Henry rifle was a .44 caliber rimfire, lever-action, breech-loading rifle designed by Benjamin Tyler Henry in the late 1850s. The Henry rifle was an improved version of the earlier Volcanic...
s capable of firing fourteen rounds before reloading, and were able to keep the Confederates pinned down in the open field for about twenty minutes.
Shortly after the third repulse of the Confederates on the western wing, the 2nd Kentucky and 9th Tennessee regiments arrived from the Mauckport Road and joined the battle, giving the attackers a numerical superiority. At about 12:40 p.m., Capt. Byrnes arrived with the Confederate artillery and used his two ten-pound Parrott rifle cannons to pin down the defenders in the works. In the meantime, Morgan was leading his main body of troops far around the eastern edge of the defenses and up the Plank Road, threatening the town directly and bypassing the defenses entirely. As they moved onto the Corydon Pike, they shot and robbed a toll gate keeper who refused to throw down his gun.
Legion rout
Using the cannons and one infantry battalion to prevent the defenders from maneuvering, Col. Richard Morgan, the general's brother, launched a pincer movementPincer movement
The pincer movement or double envelopment is a military maneuver. The flanks of the opponent are attacked simultaneously in a pinching motion after the opponent has advanced towards the center of an army which is responding by moving its outside forces to the enemy's flanks, in order to surround it...
in an attempt to surround the Legion units. With the artillery bearing down on the works, the 2nd Kentucky and 9th Tennessee began to flank the Union defense on the east and west sides respectively. Col. Lewis ordered a retreat to prevent the army from being captured. With their superior numbers, the Confederates were able to move around both ends of the Legion's works and quickly turned the retreat into a rout. The second part of the engagement was over in about twenty-five minutes; in total the battle lasted about one hour. As the Legion fled into the town, many threw their guns into the Indian Creek to prevent them from being captured by the enemy. About one hundred men attempted to escape by the Corydon Pike, unaware that the main Confederate force was advancing up it, and were captured.
Kintner-McGrain House
The Kintner-McGrain House, also known as Cedar Glade, is on the National Register of Historic Places, located north of downtown Corydon, Indiana. It attained the "Cedar Glade" name due to the giant red cedars Jacob Kinter, the builder, planted in front of the house. It has been owned by three...
, now a historic site that keeps a marker at the location where the shot landed. Col. Jordan realized that continued resistance was useless and did not “desire to see the unnecessary loss of life”, and promptly surrendered the town by running up a white flag in the town square. The Legion's cavalry and the infantrymen who had mounts were able to escape into the countryside, but almost all of the remaining infantry was captured.
Accounts vary as to the number of casualties, but the most reliable evidence suggests that Jordan lost four killed, ten to twelve wounded, and 355 captured—about 100 escaped. After the battle, Morgan counted eleven dead and forty wounded among the raiders, plus one killed while advancing on the town. Additionally, three civilians were killed.
Plundering of Corydon
Morgan led his division into Corydon. As the county commissioner exited the courthouse carrying a rifle he was shot dead, becoming the final casualty of the day. Morgan paroled the Legion as if they had been regular soldiers; their weapons and ammunition were seized or destroyed, and they were required to promise not return to arms for a period of time.The length of the period of time is unknown. Traditionally, it could have been as short as a day, or until the end of the war. The prisoners in the county jail were freed, including the Confederates who had been captured the previous day. The cavalrymen spent the afternoon plundering stores and collecting ransom moneyRansom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
; Morgan threatened to torch three local mills, and demanded each of them pay $1,000 to prevent their destruction. The owners negotiated the rate down to $500. The county treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
paid $690 to spare the courthouse from being burnt, and two leading stores paid $600 each. His men robbed the townspeople freely, stealing items ranging from ice-skates and bonnets to guns and horses. The total amount taken by ransom and plunder was estimated at $26,450 ($ in 2009 chained dollars
Chained dollars
Chained dollars is a method of adjusting real dollar amounts for inflation over time, so as to allow comparison of figures from different years. The U.S. Department of Commerce introduced the chained-dollar measure in 1996...
). The value of most of the stolen goods and property destruction was later reimbursed, mostly by the state government
Government of Indiana
The government of Indiana is established and regulated by the Constitution of Indiana. The state-level government consists of three branches, the judicial branch, the legislative branch, and the executive branch. The three branches balance share power and jointly govern the state of Indiana...
.
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
and the fall of Vicksburg. The news caused him to realize his army was in serious danger; his hosts later said that upon his reading the paper that he was “noticeably crestfallen”. Morgan had intended to meet up with the Confederate army in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, but with their forces in retreat this was impossible and began to plan for a safe return across the Ohio River. He had his telegrapher tap the telegraph lines and send false messages indicating he was heading for Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
to free Confederate prisoners of war held at Camp Morton
Camp Morton
Camp Morton was a Union prisoner-of-war camp located in Indianapolis, Indiana during the American Civil War. It was named for Indiana governor Oliver Morton, who was the governor of Indiana during the War. It lasted from 1861-1865...
. The Confederate dead were buried in unmarked graves on a farm on the western edge of town. Morgan's wounded were left in the town and were taken into a local Presbyterian church, where they were cared for. The wounded men were paroled after Union troops arrived. Two were taken to the Union army hospital
Jefferson General Hospital
Jefferson General Hospital was the third-largest hospital during the American Civil War, located at Port Fulton, Indiana and was active between February 21, 1864 and December 1866. The land was owned by U.S Senator from Indiana Jesse D. Bright. Bright was sympathetic to the Confederates, and was...
in Jeffersonville
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census...
, and remained in the town until they were well enough to return home and await their exchange.
Continued raid
Shortly after looting the town, detachments of raiders left Corydon and continued their raid, scouring the countryside for fresh horses and food. An African American from Corydon was forced to serve as their guide; he led them for two days before escaping and returning home. By about 6:00 pm Morgan and the main body had resumed their march northward, foraging in northern Harrison CountyHarrison County, Indiana
Harrison County is a county located in the far southern part of the U.S. state of Indiana along the Ohio River. It is divided into twelve townships, and the county seat is Corydon, the former capital of Indiana. The county is part of the larger Louisville/Jefferson County, KY–IN Metropolitan...
before camping a few miles from Corydon, near New Salisbury. They left Harrison County early the next morning heading north.
As soon as he learned of the defeat at Corydon , Governor Morton sent a series of telegrams to Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Burnside
Ambrose Everett Burnside was an American soldier, railroad executive, inventor, industrialist, and politician from Rhode Island, serving as governor and a U.S. Senator...
, commander of the Army of the Ohio
Army of the Ohio
The Army of the Ohio was the name of two Union armies in the American Civil War. The first army became the Army of the Cumberland and the second army was created in 1863.-History:...
, first requesting then demanding the return of two Indiana regiments recently sent to the defense of Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. Burnside refused but did order his cavalry to join in the pursuit of Morgan. As Corydon had until recently been capital of Indiana, the defeat was symbolic. The July 10 headline of the Indianapolis Gazetteer screamed “Former Capitol Corydon Ravaged By Morgan’s Raiders; Two Hoosiers Dead.”
More than 150,000 men turned out to join Legion units during the next week and began pursuing on Morgan's cavalrymen. Gen. Hobson and his men arrived in Corydon on July 10, after crossing the Ohio River from Kentucky. Although a Confederate victory, the Battle of Corydon had delayed Morgan by six crucial hours, allowing the pursuing Union army to begin closing the gap. Union cavalry numbering six thousand men were soon only a few miles behind him. Morgan briefly continued north and raided Salem
Salem, Indiana
Salem is a city in Washington Township, Washington County, Indiana, United States. Salem serves as the county seat, and its downtown area is on the National Register of Historic Places...
. He then turned his east to Ohio as his raid turned into flight to escape. He was thwarted at the Battle of Buffington Island
Battle of Buffington Island
The Battle of Buffington Island, also known as the St. Georges Creek Skirmish, was an American Civil War engagement in Meigs County, Ohio, and Jackson County, West Virginia, on July 19, 1863, during Morgan's Raid. The largest battle in Ohio during the war, Buffington Island contributed to the...
, where he tried to cross the Ohio River to safety. Only about 250 of his men were across the river, when Union gunboats brought his attempt to an end. Morgan was later captured at the Battle of Salineville
Battle of Salineville
The Battle of Salineville occurred July 26, 1863, near Salineville, Ohio during Morgan's Raid in the American Civil War. It was one of the northernmost military actions involving the Confederate States Army. The decisive Union victory shattered John Hunt Morgan's remaining Confederate cavalry and...
, the furthest north regular Confederates ever reached.
Other raids and small skirmishes took place in Indiana during the war, but the Battle of Corydon was the only pitched battle
Pitched battle
A pitched battle is a battle where both sides choose to fight at a chosen location and time and where either side has the option to disengage either before the battle starts, or shortly after the first armed exchanges....
fought in the state. It remains the last military conflict to have occurred in Indiana. In 1976 the site was preserved as the Corydon Battle Site
Corydon Battle Site
The Corydon Battle Site is a protected park area that preserves the battlefield where a portion of the Battle of Corydon occurred on July 9, 1863. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 9, 1979. It is part of the Harrison County Parks Department and is officially...
memorial park and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on July 9, 1979. Today it is part of the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail. The battle has been re-enacted each year since 1980.
See also
- Corydon Battle SiteCorydon Battle SiteThe Corydon Battle Site is a protected park area that preserves the battlefield where a portion of the Battle of Corydon occurred on July 9, 1863. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 9, 1979. It is part of the Harrison County Parks Department and is officially...
- Indiana in the American Civil WarIndiana in the American Civil WarIndiana, a state in the Midwestern United States, played an important role during the American Civil War. Despite significant anti-war activity in the state and southern Indiana's ancestral ties to the Southern United States, it did not secede from the Union...
- List of battles fought in Indiana
- List of American Civil War battles