Thanks for that, Tin Can. Unfortunately Google books does not allow me to access the page you gave for Coddington's work but I was able to see some points that were helpful.
The following is an account of the incident from
The History of Daviess County, Kentucky, page 173 in relation to the raid on August 27th.
Nine colored soldiers, [108th USCT]
said to have been the guard that conducted the Yelvington prisoners to Louisville, were at this boat. They first fired at the guerillas, and then concealed themselves within for a time; but it is said that three jumped off, ran up the bank, and escaped. Two were shot by the murderers and thrown overboard, and the charred remains of one more was found on the boat, the fire being extinguished before the hull was consumed. Three Negros took refuge in the hull and were cut out by Mr. Ayers after the marauders had left. They pleaded piteously for their lives and declared they were anxious to return to their owners. Lieutenant Walters, previously of the Third Kentucky Cavalry [US]
was killed during the affray.
A lot of government stores on the levee were fired before they left but the most of the property was saved afterward by the citizens. The guerrillas were here but one hour, and they left on the Litchfield road.
From the OR, Lieutenant Colonel John C. Moon, 118th USCT Infantry reports:
I have the honor to report the following facts: On the second day of the present month [September]
this town was visited by a band of guerillas, who murdered three US soldiers after they had surrendered, and one citizen who had once been an officer in the Federal army.
The date given as being the 2nd of September notwithstanding, the incident is in fact that of August 27th. The 2nd of September saw a return of Confederate soldiers to Owensboro but they were not guerrillas.
Given this information, with the disparity in numbers and circumstances, I think you can see why I thought your original post was taken from a newspaper.
At the time of this attack on Owensboro, Adam R. Johnson was already blind and a prisoner of the Federal army so he could exercise no further influence on the men of the 10th Kentucky Partisan Rangers. Captain Jake Bennett was indeed one of Johnsons lieutenants, and the attack and any actions taken were
his responsibility, no matter which account is correct.
None of this is meant to gloss over the fact that apparently negro soldiers were murdered at the time.
http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/c...7&q1=Owensborough&view=image&seq=514&size=100
https://archive.org/stream/cu31924028845787#page/n0/mode/2up
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