Podcast – The John Hunt Morgan Trail

The John Hunt Morgan Trail
This episode of the podcast relates just one of the auto tours outlined in my newest book release, Fun Indiana Road Trips. This tour is the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail.
From the Book
Fun Indiana Road Trips

The John Hunt Morgan Trail
This episode of the podcast relates just one of the auto tours outlined in my newest book release, Fun Indiana Road Trips. This tour is the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail.

Transcript:

Before getting started, I would encourage you to subscribe to the Mossy Feet Books You Tube channel for more great content. If you like my videos, please hit the “Like,” button. The more likes I get the more You Tube will show it to other people, allowing me to grow the channel. I also entreat you to visit my website, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. There you will find sample chapters, podcasts, a slew of content and links to where you can buy my books. While visiting the web site you can subscribe to it and receive email notifications of when I publish a new book or other content, like this video and podcast. This episode is based on my book, Fun Indiana Road Trips.

On July 8, 1863, Confederate General John Hunt Morgan crossed the Ohio River at Brandenburg, Kentucky and invaded Indiana. His army consisted of two thousand cavalrymen and a couple of cannons. His purpose was to divert Union General Ambrose Burnside’s Army of the Ohio in eastern Tennessee and make them come north.

Morgan and his men fought the only Civil War Battle fought in Indiana, the Battle of Corydon just south of the town. Corydon was defended by the Indiana Legion, which was composed mainly of men too old to join the army or others that had not been able to enlist. These were not battle seasoned troops, like those of Morgan. The Legion deployed about 400 men to defend the town and performed quite admirably in the face of Morgan’s better train veterans. They killed or wounded 8 of Morgan’s men while suffering only 3 casualties themselves.

Morgan’s Raiders, as the small army came to be known, spent the next six days pillaging, looting and burning across seven southern Indiana counties. They terrorized the populace, stole livestock, tore up railroad lines and created quite a stink. In Jennings and Ripley Counties they threatened to shell the court houses with their cannon if the residents didn’t turn over the county treasury.

In Indiana Morgan’s Raid crossed Harrison, Washington, Scott, Jennings, Jefferson, Ripley and Dearborn counties.

Eventually, they crossed Dearborn County, riding east to cross the state line and invade Ohio. Morgan tried to cross the Ohio River at Buffington Island. He was intercepted by Union gunboats and forces. Some of his force managed to escape into West Virginia, about 750 were captured. Morgan and about 300 men fled into northeastern Ohio. They were captured near West Point Ohio on July 26.

The Indiana portion of the raid has been mapped into an Auto Tour. The John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail traces the route of Morgans Raiders through Indiana as it fled through the countryside into Ohio. In Indiana Morgan’s Raid crossed Harrison, Washington, Scott, Jennings, Jefferson, Ripley and Dearborn counties.

An internet search will reveal a link to the Hoosier Hills Website, however that website has been hacked and is now a porn site.
The author does have a map of the trail and if one is desired, email the author for a PDF map at mossyfeetbooks@gmail.com.

The episode is based upon my book, Fun Indiana Road Trips, available on the web site, http://www.mossyfeetbooks.com. The book is part of my Explore Indiana Series. The book lists dozens of auto tours in Indiana that allow the traveler to explore the state by car. Tours include history tours, winery tours, antique tours, covered bridge tours and tours of many other topics. I include complete information on each of these tours as well as visitor center information about the counties they go through for dining information as well as other attractions in the area. I encourage you to visit my web site where you will find links to the book, or you can purchase it direct from me, the author. Please subscribe to the web site for email notifications of updates.
You can find my books locally at the Walnut Street Variety Shop in Batesville, Indiana.
I hope you enjoyed this podcast and thank you for listening.