Getting to the truth

Rachelle8370

Cadet
Joined
Jun 22, 2013
Hi y'all. I'm brand new here. I joined because I'm looking for the truth about a story I was told about Morgan's Raiders. A restaurant in Aurora Indiana tells a story about Confederates who crossed the Ohio River there and killed an entire wedding party where their restaurant now sits. I've found no information on this claim and am very skeptical. Does anyone have information that might help me get to the truth?
 
A big and warm Texas welcome, Rachelle8370!

You have come to the right place for all things CW. Lots of folks enjoy doing research here, someone will know or be able to point you in the right direction.

Looking forward to your future posts, and an answer to your intriging question!

--BBF
 
Rachelle, welcome to CWT.

I'm a bit skeptical of that claim, as well. I looked up a goodly sampling of newspapers from that event, and while lots of them mention Morgan's raiders approaching/threatening Aurora, none I've seen yet mention this incident. They tell of all sorts of other nasty acts by Morgan's Raiders (true or not, I don't know), but it's hard to imagine the Northern press would miss something as like that.

Back to digging!
 
john-morgan-raiders.jpg


I did find this 1915 history of Dearborn County, that suggests that Morgan's Raid through that area was nearly bloodless, apart from a blue-on-blue incident at Hardintown Schoolhouse (p. 331-32), where six Union soldiers were killed and eighteen wounded when units, rushing into position and fearing Morgan's men coming down on them in the dark, fired into each other.

I did, however, get a chuckle out of this:

Dearborn county, in this one event, deserves all the credit it ever received. Its people were loyal. The invader was met with armed force, none refusing to assist. . . . Occasionally, [though,] in the line of the raider's travel, they would find some person who would endeavor to curry favor by claiming sympathy with the rebel cause, thinking to evade loss or to secure gain. One case afterwards was reported that was humorous. A man of this kind thought it wise, as the rebel forces passed on the highway, to hurrah for Jeff Davis with all of his might. The rebel chieftain and staff happening to ride by at that time, dismounted and assured him that they were just looking for him; that a friend was what they wanted. They were needing a good dinner and, of course, if he was their friend he would be delighted to get them up a good meal. The would-be sympathizer pleaded his wife's sickness, his want of wood for fuel, and other reasons, but the chieftain was immovable. He was ordered to cut wood and upon refusing, a guard was detailed which, with bayonets, stimulated his industry all that hot afternoon. while with a saw and buck he provided the necessary wood and his good wife and family cooked for the raiders. It was safe to say afterward that this man had no sympathy for the cause of the Confederacy.

____________
Image: Morgan's Raiders enter Washington, Ohio. From Harper's Weekly, via SonoftheSouth.net.
 

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