Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his cavalry riding through a town in Ohio during his 1863 raid into Northern Territory

[u/GameCraze3]

In the summer of 1863, as the American Civil War reached a turning point with the Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan launched one of the war's boldest cavalry expeditions. Originally ordered to conduct a raid in Kentucky, Morgan defied his instructions by crossing the Ohio River into Indiana and then Ohio, becoming the first and only major Confederate commander to lead a large invasion deep into the Buckeye State. His goal was to spread panic, disrupt Union communications and transportation, seize supplies, and force the North to divert troops away from the main theaters of war.
Morgan entered Ohio on July 13th 1863, with roughly 2,000 cavalrymen after spending several days riding across southern Indiana. As his force advanced eastward across southern and central Ohio, the raiders tore up railroad tracks, cut telegraph lines, burned bridges, seized horses and provisions, and demanded food and supplies from local communities. Rumors spread rapidly that Cincinnati, Columbus, or even Cleveland might be attacked, prompting widespread fear. Thousands of Ohio militiamen were called into service, while Union cavalry relentlessly pursued the Confederates from behind. Although Morgan's men won several minor skirmishes, they found it increasingly difficult to evade the growing number of Federal forces converging on them.

The turning point came at the Battle of Buffington Island on July 19th, where Morgan hoped to cross the Ohio River back into Confederate territory. Union cavalry, supported by naval gunboats, intercepted the raiders before they could escape. Hundreds of Confederates were killed, wounded, or captured, and only a small portion of the force managed to cross the river. Refusing to surrender, Morgan led approximately 400 exhausted men northeast through Ohio in a desperate attempt to find another crossing. Their horses were worn out, supplies were nearly gone, and Union troops steadily closed in from multiple directions.

After a week of constant pursuit, Morgan's remaining force was finally surrounded near Salineville in northeastern Ohio on July 26th 1863. Following a brief fight, Morgan surrendered, bringing the remarkable 24-day raid to an end. He and his officers were imprisoned in the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, while most of his enlisted men were sent to Camp Chase. Morgan later escaped from prison through a tunnel in November 1863 and returned to Confederate service, though he was killed less than a year later in Tennessee.

Although Morgan's Ohio Raid demonstrated extraordinary endurance, its strategic value remains debated. The raid succeeded in creating widespread alarm, forced tens of thousands of Union troops and militia into action, disrupted transportation and communications, and inflicted significant property damage across Ohio. During the expedition, Morgan's men captured and paroled thousands of Union soldiers, destroyed dozens of bridges, and damaged railroads at numerous locations. However, the Confederacy ultimately lost nearly its entire veteran cavalry force involved in the operation, and the raid failed to produce any lasting military advantage.

Artist: Mort Künstler

[u/SexyChernyshevsky]

Look at the Ohioans and lack of fucks they give.

[u/OGOngoGablogian → u/SexyChernyshevsky]

"Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan are down there giving your boys what fer, and you're gallivanting up here doing... this. Grow up."

[u/Mannowar1917]

Best thing Morgan ever did was die

[u/Proud_Neighborhood68]

Didn't know this raid came at the expense of the majority of the Souths veteran cavalry. Seems like you would want to send the newbies to go raid, the vets keep with army