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Every night, for the past three weeks, I've been looking up information on a wild one clue leads to another style chase.
About 8-9 months ago, I was reading an 1862 New York times newspaper, detailing the capture of the nearby town of Grayson Kentucky, by " a thousand Rebel Guerrillas". It said that they camped at Bullseye Spring, ten miles distant from the town. This was big news for me, and after a few feverish attempts to find the spring on a map, I gave up temporarily.
About three weeks ago, I re-read the article, and it mentioned that about 75 men were posted on the road to Boone Furnace. I live within walking distance of the furnace, and I can actually see it's location from my front deck. I thought this was interesting, so I tried, again, to look up where the roads were. I was shocked, when I found one clue, that lead to another clue, that lead to a pretty cool story, and an opportunity. It goes like this:
One day, in early October, the citizens of Grayson Kentucky awoke in complete and utter surprise, as the entire town was captured by over 1,000 Confederate Guerrillas under the command of the famous John Hunt Morgan, leader of the "Morgans Raiders". The Union Kentucky Home Guards, scattered about in order to guard important roads surrounding the town. Morgan took his time, raiding and burning a few houses "as an example", and took off with his band about ten miles away, and camped at Bullseye Spring. The next morning, Morgan took his men across the bridge at Tygarts creek, and at that moment, over 425 Kentucky Home Guards attacked with fury. Surprised, Morgan was repulsed, losing about 20 men. That night, Morgan returned to Olive Hill Kentucky, raiding, an burning over 35 houses, including the state senators. He had him and his wife watch their house burn, then Morgan remarked to the senators wife:
"You find your loyalty to your abolitionist pretty expensive, don't you?" Morgan was known as a Smart Alec, and he enjoyed the tactics and flair of the guerrilla cavalry life. From there, he rode north, burning, pillaging and wreaking havoc on the Union home front. A few days late, while the citizens of Carter County were still picking up the pieces, another band of troops, the 54th Virginia infantry, were marching towards Boone Furnace, with the object of capturing it. These men would become seasoned veterans in some of the biggest battles of the western theater, though now, they were still somewhat new. Along the way, about 50 Union soldiers were running for there lives from the advancing hoard of rebels, by way of Grassy creek. They hid for a short while at the furnace, before running again because of the confederate arrival. The rebels set up camp, on top of the big hill overlooking the furnace, and beneath it. Meanwhile, 15 miles away in Portsmouth Ohio, the newly recruited 117th Ohio infantry regiment got word that Boone Furnace had been captured. Being the only full strength regiment nearby, they made a night time boat landing at Quincy Kentucky. They made a forced night time march through unfamiliar territory and got to the furnace by morning. The rebels had left the moment the rebel pickets spotted them coming down the road. 18 men were captured without incident. The 117th stayed there for a day or so, and began the march back to Ohio afterwards. I am going to try and get permission to metal detect at a few of the sites mentioned. If I get permission, and find a few things, I believe I will write an article for American Digger magazine, and North South Trader magazine, as I already have names and photo's of a few of the men who were there.
About 8-9 months ago, I was reading an 1862 New York times newspaper, detailing the capture of the nearby town of Grayson Kentucky, by " a thousand Rebel Guerrillas". It said that they camped at Bullseye Spring, ten miles distant from the town. This was big news for me, and after a few feverish attempts to find the spring on a map, I gave up temporarily.
About three weeks ago, I re-read the article, and it mentioned that about 75 men were posted on the road to Boone Furnace. I live within walking distance of the furnace, and I can actually see it's location from my front deck. I thought this was interesting, so I tried, again, to look up where the roads were. I was shocked, when I found one clue, that lead to another clue, that lead to a pretty cool story, and an opportunity. It goes like this:
One day, in early October, the citizens of Grayson Kentucky awoke in complete and utter surprise, as the entire town was captured by over 1,000 Confederate Guerrillas under the command of the famous John Hunt Morgan, leader of the "Morgans Raiders". The Union Kentucky Home Guards, scattered about in order to guard important roads surrounding the town. Morgan took his time, raiding and burning a few houses "as an example", and took off with his band about ten miles away, and camped at Bullseye Spring. The next morning, Morgan took his men across the bridge at Tygarts creek, and at that moment, over 425 Kentucky Home Guards attacked with fury. Surprised, Morgan was repulsed, losing about 20 men. That night, Morgan returned to Olive Hill Kentucky, raiding, an burning over 35 houses, including the state senators. He had him and his wife watch their house burn, then Morgan remarked to the senators wife:
"You find your loyalty to your abolitionist pretty expensive, don't you?" Morgan was known as a Smart Alec, and he enjoyed the tactics and flair of the guerrilla cavalry life. From there, he rode north, burning, pillaging and wreaking havoc on the Union home front. A few days late, while the citizens of Carter County were still picking up the pieces, another band of troops, the 54th Virginia infantry, were marching towards Boone Furnace, with the object of capturing it. These men would become seasoned veterans in some of the biggest battles of the western theater, though now, they were still somewhat new. Along the way, about 50 Union soldiers were running for there lives from the advancing hoard of rebels, by way of Grassy creek. They hid for a short while at the furnace, before running again because of the confederate arrival. The rebels set up camp, on top of the big hill overlooking the furnace, and beneath it. Meanwhile, 15 miles away in Portsmouth Ohio, the newly recruited 117th Ohio infantry regiment got word that Boone Furnace had been captured. Being the only full strength regiment nearby, they made a night time boat landing at Quincy Kentucky. They made a forced night time march through unfamiliar territory and got to the furnace by morning. The rebels had left the moment the rebel pickets spotted them coming down the road. 18 men were captured without incident. The 117th stayed there for a day or so, and began the march back to Ohio afterwards. I am going to try and get permission to metal detect at a few of the sites mentioned. If I get permission, and find a few things, I believe I will write an article for American Digger magazine, and North South Trader magazine, as I already have names and photo's of a few of the men who were there.
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