Morgan's Raid

Ohio Travel-Vinton County, Ohio Calendar of Events

Morgan's Raid

September 6 -10

Reenactors depicting Captain Vance and General Morgan

VINTON COUNTY, OH – General John Hunt Morgan and his raiders will return to Vinton County this September for the third time in about 143 years. This time, however, General Morgan and his men will only be reenacting the infamous raid through Ohio.

A similar event took place in September 2003 when members of the 6^th Ohio Cavalry led reenactors from across the nation

The reenactment will be held September 6 -10 in Vinton and Meigs counties and reenactors will attempt to follow an historically accurate route from Wilkesville to Buffington Island.

The event will feature several public functions, including a school day, dances and skirmishes. The five-day event will kick off in Vinton County with an encampment and events on the Wilkesville Village Square. There will also be a dance in Wilkeville.

To prepare for Morgan’s Raid, Civil War era dance lessons and a costume class will begin soon. The costume class will be held at Meigs High School on Saturday, March 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Reservations should be made by Feb. 14 by calling Jeannie Riedenauer at 740-985-3328. The cost is $7 per person and includes lunch.

The dance lessons will be held the second Tuesday of every month from March through August. Lessons are at 7 p.m. and rotate locations. The schedule is as follows: March, Wilkesville Elementary; April, Meigs Elementary; May, Wilkesville Elementary; June, Meigs Elementary; July, lessons replaced by a dance in Chester during the Chester-Shade Days; August, Rutland. The cost is $3 per person and registration is not necessary.

Look for more information on Morgan’s Raid to be released in the coming months. For now,sign up to learn how to authentically dress and dance during Morgan’s Raid events.

The History Behind Morgan's Raid in Vinton County

In July 1863, with battles raging in Gettysburg and Vicksburg, General Morgan initiated a raid to divert the attention of Union General Ambrose Burnside’s Army of the Ohio away from eastern Tennessee. Morgan had led his cavalry in previous successful raids in Tennessee and Kentucky. Morgan and his men went on a spree through Indiana and Ohio which ended when Morgan attempted a crossing at Buffington Island near Pomeroy, Ohio. The Confederates were defeated by northern forces and gunboats and approximately 750 men were captured.

After the battle, Colonel Adam Johnson and 300 of the raiders escaped, crossing the Ohio just upriver from Buffington Island. The gunboats arrived before all the men could cross and while Morgan could have gone with Johnson, he chose to stay with the remainder of his force still in Ohio. The remnants of Morgan's command fled into northeastern Ohio, where they were captured near West Point in Columbiana County, on July 26.

After a four month incarceration at the Ohio State Penitentiary in Columbus, Morgan and six of his men escaped on November 27. This was the only successful escape from this structure during the 19^th century. General Morgan returned south to take a small command and was killed at Greeneville, Tennessee, in September 1864 while organizing another raid into Kentucky.

Morgan’s raid covered about 1000 miles and was the longest sustained cavalry raid of the Civil War. While given little significance in the history of the war, it was a regarded as a major event along the route he traveled.

Unique lodging, covered bridges and miles of parks and forests make Vinton County an extra special place to visit. Once a huge part of the iron producing industry, the only remaining reflections of this past are a handful of iron furnace remnants, an allegedly haunted train tunnel and a few ghost towns nearly hidden beneath the tall grass. Instead of urban sprawl of the mid-1800's, the region has transformed itself over the last 150 years into a wonderland of outdoor recreation. There are over 70 miles of public trails for hiking, horseback riding and backpacking. There are beaches, gift shops, small towns and covered bridges. It's a place just off the beaten path of both time and highway. It's Vinton County, Ohio.