Morgan's Last Raid HDQRS. DIST. OF Kentucky AND 5TH DIV., 23rd ARMY CORPS, Lexington, August 1, 1864. I have the honor to herewith submit the following report of the movements and engagements of the troops in my command during the late Morgan raid: About the middle of May I received an intimation from General Halleck, and also one from General Schofield, that it would be advisable for me to watch well General Schofield's left flank, and if possible to make a diversion in this favor by attacking the enemy in Virginia. Having had General Hobson, commanding Eastern DIVISION, to concentrate all the force he had in Central Kentucky at Mount Sterling, I ordered him to move on Monday, May 23, of the mouth of Beaver, and making that point as soon as practicable, there await my arrival with the remainder of his forces. Tuesday afternoon, May 24, I left Cincinnati for Catlettsburg, arriving there Wednesday evening. Thursday, very early in the morning, I went to Louisa, and there remained all day looking into the condition of the troops and making such additional preparations for the expedition as suggested themselves. Friday morning, May 27, I left Louisa, taking with me the Thirty-ninth Kentucky Mounted Infantry and the Elevent! h Michigan Cavalry, together with two 12- pounder mountain howitzers, all under command of Colonel D. A. Mims, Thirty-ninth Kentucky. About 4 o'clock Saturday afternoon, May 28, we arrived at the mouth of Beaver, where I found General Hobson encamped, his arrival having preceded mine some hours. I determined to rest the whole command here one day in order to supply them with rations and forage. Greatly to my surprise, disappointment, and intense chagrin, instead of finding the ten days' supply of food and forage which I had ordered to be accumulated at that point, there was scarcely a sufficiently for two days. Monday, May 30, I promptly ordered back to Louisa every available horse under command of Colonel Mims, of the Thirty-ninth Kentucky, with orders to use the most strenuous endeavors to get the requisite supplies forward as soon as possible. That energetic and capable officers succeeded in getting back Saturday night, June 4, with abundant supplies for the whole command! . In the mean time I had sent Colonel John Mason Brown, of the Forty-fifth Kentucky, with his regiment, to Pound Gap to watch the movements of the enemy, with instructions to keep me advised as nearly as possible by courier. On Saturday Colonel Brown reported with his regiment, stating the enemy was in such force on the Virginia side of the mountains as made in prudent for him to withdraw after skirmishing with them until they commenced flanking him by way of the Stony Gap road. He had, however, left a small scouting party to watch the further operations of the enemy. Sunday morning, June 5, I started with the command for Pound Gap, but before we had gone many miles a courier from Colonel Brown's scouts reported Morgan as coming through the gap. I immediately called together for consultation General Hobson and his brigade commanders, and it was determined that General Hobson, should return as speedily as possible to prepare for receiving Morgan (whose force was then reported! at 5,000), if he should succeed in eluding me, or so dispose his forces that I could not attack without so scattering them as to render a victory of but little avail. I sent Colonel John Mason Brown, with his regiment and a detachment of the Thirty-ninth Kentucky, with instructions to watch the enemy, and, if possible, impede his progress until I could attack him to advantage in the rear, but with discretionary power as to when and where, if at all, he should discover himself to the enemy, thereby letting him know his movements were observed. With the rest of the command I moved on toward Pound Gap, intending by that movement to throw General Morgan off his guard if he was watching me, and also to give him such time as would enable me to overtake him in a country where he could not follow his favorite course of tactics of breaking up his command into small squads, all well acquainted with the secret paths and fastness of the country, and making it impossible to do him effec! tual harm. We arrived that night (June 5) about twenty miles from Pound Gap, and there learned from one of my scouts that Morgan had encamped June 3 on the Rockhouse fork of Kentucky River. Monday morning, June 6, I sent Grider, FIFTY-second Kentucky, with a part of his regiment and a detachment of the Thirty-seventh Kentucky, toward Pound Gap, with instructions to so obstruct the gaps and roads that if Morgan should attempt to return before I reached him, he (Colonel Grider) could easily his position until I could come up. With the remainder of the command I marched back to mouth of Beaver, where I caused to be selected all the men and horses fit for a rapid forced march. Leaving all others, together with all of my artillery, except the two 12-pounder howitzers, under command of Colonel C. J. True, Fortieth Kentucky, to be conducted to Louisa as soon as possible, with my picked command I retraced my steps that night as far as Prestonburg, and Tuesday, June 8, took the direc! t line of pursuit. When I arrived at Salyersville I received a courier from Colonel John M. Brown informing me he was on the trail of Morgan's main force. I ordered Colonel Brown to continue scouting in advance, and pushed the command forward as rapidly and continuously as human endurance and due regard for the horses would admit, traveling without intermission, except for absolutely necessary halts, night and day. When we were some ten miles from Mount Sterling Colonel John M. Brown reported to me in person that he had followed Morgan until he found he had taken Mount Sterling and its small garrison that morning with his cavalry, and his infantry had arrived in the evening, and all had gone into camp without a suspicion we were near. To this able officer great praise is due for the judgment and indefatigable energy displayed by him in the arduous march from Pound Gap, in which he had skirmished nearly every mile of the way, and with a discretion which would have done honor ! to an older head; had so cautiously conducted the march of the advance that, even though he had picked up several stragglers from their ranks, the enemy had no suspicion of our proximity. Thursday morning at 4 o'clock [I ordered] the attack to be made, and made the following disposition of my forces: Colonel John Mason Brown, with the Forty-fifth Kentucky and Eleventh Michigan Cavalry, took the advance, and was to charge and attack one camp; Colonel Ratliff, of the Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, with Thirty-seventh and Thirty-ninth Kentucky Mounted Infantry, and one battalion Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, was to take the center and attack the other camp, and Colonel Hanson, of Thirty-seventh Kentucky, with the Fortieth Kentucky, two battalions Twelfth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, and the two 12-pounder howitzers was to constitute the reserve. Owing to some misapprehension of orders one of the howitzers was run up to the front, completely blocking up the road, cutting off a por! tion of the Eleventh Michigan from Colonel Brown's brigade, and preventing them and the entire center brigade from reaching their assigned positions in time to join effectively in the charge. At this point and time, the horses being all killed by their sharpshooters, the howitzers was taken by the enemy. I called for volunteers to retake the gun, and Captain Hicks, Twelfth Ohio Volunteers Cavalry, sprang forward with his company, and, gallantly charging, recaptured the piece. The attack was a through surprise, and but for the unfortunate contretemps alluded to the rout would have been complete. As it was, after a spirited contest of over two hours, the enemy gave way in every direction. In a short time, the enemy discovering, I suppose, the smallness of my force (I had only 1,600 men), attacked me with great vigor, and maintained a resolute assault for about two hours and a half, being finally repulsed, with considerable loss. From prisoners taken during the engagement I lea! rned that General Morgan had gone, previous to my attack, with a considerable part of his cavalry command toward Lexington, and I was apprehensive he would collect and re-enforce his defeated troops and attack me again before my command had gotten any rest. I therefore determined to remain at Mount Sterling until Friday morning, giving the men the rest rendered necessary by the arduous march and subsequent fighting. Early Friday morning I marched for Lexington, taking with me all the prisoners captured at Mount Sterling, except the wounded, arriving at Lexington, thirty-three miles distant, about 2 o'clock the same afternoon. When I started on the expedition I had left my assistant adjutant-general, Captain J. Bates Dickson, in charge, who, upon Morgan's approach to the city, put Colonel Wickliffe Cooper, Fourth Kentucky Cavalry, at home on leave, in command of the place and the troops in the vicinity. Under the direction of these two officers all the Government property, sa! ve a few horses, was moved under the guns of Fort Clay, and Colonel Cooper, after gallantly skirmishing with Morgan's advance, with a few men at his command, withdrew to the fort, from which he presented so spirited and formidable a front that Morgan did not venture to attack him. All the damage done by Morgan at Lexington consisted of the loss of the horses before mentioned, except that he inflicted in robbing the bank and citizens of money, watches, and goods of various description. Early in the afternoon of Friday Colonel Israel Garrard, commanding First Brigade, General Stoneman's cavalry command, reported to me at Lexington, in obedience to an order from Captain J. Bates Dickson, assistant adjutant-general, and the rest of that day was consumed in procuring as many fresh horses as possible and in issuing fresh supplies of rations and ammunition. The enemy left Lexington in the direction of Georgetown, and, having intelligence of his going from that place Paris, it was m! y opinion he intended to attack and destroy the extensive and important railroad bridge at Paris, and accordingly, at 12 o'clock Friday night, I moved with the command on the road to Paris, arriving at that place about 5 o'clock Saturday morning. There I found the enemy had threatened the town with a small force the day before, but a couple of shells from the guns of Fort Robinson had sent them off in a hurry. During the day heavy cannonading was heard in the direction of Frankfort, and the enemy was reported in force in the neighborhood of Georgetown, but the telegraph lines being cut I was obliged to await the return of the scouts and couriers I had sent out in search of information. About night-fall I received a dispatch from General Hobson, forwarded by Captain Dickson, dated Saturday, June 11, saving he was almost surrounded, and could not hold his position much longer. Somewhat later I received definite intelligence from my scouts that Morgan was at Cynthiana, having t! aken the place, and destroyed nearly all the business portion of the town, and that General Hobson and surrendered with his command, after an obstinate fight of several hours' duration. For the particulars of General Hobson's proceedings after leaving me on the Big Sandy River, I respectfully refer you to his report, which I inclose as a part of, and supplementary to, this. * Saturday night about 11 o'clock I moved out with the column, which, including Colonel Garrard's brigade, was about 2,400 strong, in the direction of Cynthiana, having previously sent Colonel John Mason Brown on a reconnaissance toward Cynthiana, Millersburg, and Carlisle. Sunday, June 12, at 2. 30 o'clock in the morning, my advance, under Major Tyler, FIFTY-second Kentucky, came up with the enemy's pickets some two miles and a half from the town of Cynthiana, drove them back upon their skirmish line, and held them there until the column closed up. I at once formed my line of battle across the turnpike l! eading to Millersburg (the road upon which we were advancing), and on either side of it; three dismounted regiments forming the center, with a cavalry regiment on each flank, and the cavalry brigade of Colonel Garrard constituting the reserve, Colonel John M. Brown's brigade, owing to the exhaustive march made reconnoitering the enemy's position, having not yet caught up. At the word "forward" the line advanced with a steadiness never excelled, driving the enemy from their first line. The command "charge" was given, and obeyed with a promptness which spoke well for the spirit of the men, as well as for the training they had received. The enemy were steadily driven, except upon the flanks, where, ensconced behind stone walls and high rail fences, they so impeded the cavalry attack as to make it necessary to send additional force to their assistance. I ordered Colonel Garrard to send one cavalry regiment to the right, and one to the left to attack the extreme flanks of the ene! my, still leaving one cavalry regiment in reserve. Finding the enemy was repulsing the advance upon the left, owing to their defenses improvised from stone walls, &., the remaining reserve (Seventh Ohio Volunteer Cavalry) was ordered to the left to assist in the charge, which was most brilliantly made by the entire cavalry force, aided by the dismounted men, and which succeeded in making a most complete rout of the enemy in the quarter from which came the most desperate resistance. Mean time the center and right had carried the town from their respective positions, the enemy having fled in the wildest confusion, many being drowned in their attempt to cross the river, the only other avenue to escape having been blocked by my troops on the right. Having learned from citizens and pris[?] General Morgan, when he learned the tide of battle had turned against him, and ignominiously fled with his choicest troops in the direction of Claysville, I ordered Colonel Garrard, with his brigade, as being the freshest troops, to pursue and give the enemy no rest, which other he obeyed, pressing Morgan so closely he had to release all the prisoners he had taken from General Hobson, after giving them an informal parole, and again, at Flemingsburg, compelling him to abandon the greater part of his transportation, together with his sick and wounded. Colonel Garrard continued to pursue until the enemy entered the mountains, when he turned back, farther pursuit being useless. After several hours' rest at Cynthiana I ordered Colonel Hanson to move with his brigade through Carlisle and Mount Sterling, and then so dispose his forces as to scatter and capture as many of the retreating enemy as possible. About night-fall that evening (Sunday, June 12) I ordered the remainder to mov! e to Lexington by way of Georgetown, it being evident the enemy was completely demoralized, and would make no further decisive stand. I placed the prisoners for safe conduct under charge of Colonel John Mason Brown, who had in the course of the morning rejoined me at Cynthiana. I reached my headquarters at Lexington June 13, having been absent just three weeks; in which time I had chased, overtaken, and whipped the redoubtable Morgan in two battles, one upon ground on his own choosing. It is impossible for me to give an even approximately accurate statement of the loss of the enemy, as the dead and mortally wounded at Mount Sterling and the killed, drowned, and wounded at Cynthiana continued to be gathered up for two or three weeks after those fights, and stragglers and concealed men of Morgan's command are being continually discovered and forwarded even to this day. Of the loss of my immediate command I append the total of the brigade reports of killed, wounded, and missing. For all further particulars of the action of the various brigades allow me to respectfully refer you to the reports of the brigade commanders, which are herewith forwarded. You will also find the report of the proceeding of Captain Julius Fosses, inspector of cavalry on my staff, who, stationed at Louisville, was very energetic in fitting out troops for defensive operations, and scouting parties to observe and harass the enemy. I cannot conclude without acknowledging with sincere thanks my obligations to Generals Carrington and Heintzelman for the prompt assistance rendered to my defenseless district in its hour of need. And I should be ungrateful did I neglect to mention the hearty co- operation of officers and men in all my designs, and their unmurmuring, even cheerful, endurance of privation, fatigue, and toil in one of the most arduous marches of the war. To my staff officers are especially due ardent praise and heartfelt thanks for their unwavering fidelity to important trusts, and unhesitating and self-denying discharge of difficult and oftentimes dangerous duties during the march and upon the field of battle. With this brief and imperfect report of the operations of the First DIVISION of my command, I have the honor to remain, very respectfully, your obedient servant, S. G. BURBRIDGE, Brevet Major-General, Commanding District of Kentucky. Lieutenant Colonel G. M. BASCOM, Assistant Adjutant-General, Department of the Ohio.