Life in prison--Escape of Morgan from the Ohio Penitentiary--Exchange at Charleston. 463
Services of the remnant of Morgan's command while their General was in prison--Reception of General Morgan by the people of the South--He is assigned to command in Southwestern Virginia--Fight with Averill--Action at Dublin Depot--Last raid into Kentucky--Capture of Mt. Sterling--Severe engagement next day--Capture of Lexington--Success at Cynthiana--Defeat at Cynthiana--Retreat from Kentucky. 507
Death of Morgan--Grief of his men--Subsequent active service of his old command--Hard fight at Bull's Gap--A battle by moonlight, and a night-long chase--The Stoneman raid--Disaster at Kingsport--Fighting the enemy and the elements--Battle of Marion--Winter quarters at Abingdon--March to Charlotte after Lee's surrender--Escort to Jefferson Davis after Johnston's surrender--The last Council of War--Surrender at Woodstock. 529
In undertaking to write the history of General Morgan's services, and of the command which he created, it is but fair that I shall acknowledge myself influenced, in a great measure, by the feelings of the friend and the follower; that I desire, if I can do so by relating facts, of most of which I am personally cognizant, to perpetuate his fame, and, at the same time, establish the true character of a body of men, who recruited and inured to war by him, served bravely and faithfully to the close of the great struggle. It may be that credence will be given with hesitation to the statements of one, who thus candidly confesses that personal regard for his chief, and _esprit-de-corps_ mainly induce him to attempt the task I propose to myself. To all works of this nature, nevertheless, the same objection will apply, or the more serious one, that they owe their production to the inspiration of hatred, and those who have witnessed and participated in the events which they describe, must (under this rule), for that very reason, be denied belief.
General Morgan's career during the late war was so remarkable, that it is not surprising that the public, accustomed to the contradictory newspaper versions of his exploits, should be disposed to receive all accounts of it with some incredulity.