I’ve been waiting for a year, but I finally got a start on following the historic Morgan trail, the route taken by BGen. Morgan and his band of Confederate cavalry raiders through Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. Morgan led a force of 2,000-3,000 soldiers in a daring 26 day raid across three states in order to draw the attention of Union troops away from the retreating Confederate army of Tennessee. The raiders led a merry chase across southern Indiana and Ohio and were finally captured in North Eastern Ohio as they searched for a suitable river crossing.
My family and I drove to Portland Ohio two Sunday’s ago to find two specific sites along the Ohio River in and near Portland. The first marker was that of the ‘Fighting McCooks’ a family that was present at the battle. The McCooks were led by by two brothers and their 12, or so, sons. The second marker, and ‘battle park’ was that of the Battle of Buffington Island. This was the largest battle fought in Ohio during the Civil War. The site is sandwhiched between active farm fields and contains several markers and a memorial. The site also contains a large indian burial mound. They are both located along OH124.
My next stop will the reenactment of the Battle of Buffington Island, at the battle park, in Portland the weekend of July 18-19.
Posted on June 25, 2009
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