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Local fear of Morgan’s Raiders turned out to be excessive
By BRIAN McKEE Trustee, Morgan County Historical Society 09.JUL.08
As the telegraph wires began to confirm that General John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate cavalry raiders were crossing Athens, Hocking, and Perry Counties, the residents of Morgan County began to fear the worst. They feared that their homes would be burned in retaliation for the Union Army’s burning of towns, schools, churches, farms, and houses in the south. They feared massive looting and theft.
Knowing that Morgan’s Raiders would have to cross the Muskingum River somehow, most guessed that they would come through Malta and McConnelsville to use the wooden, covered bridge between the two towns. The residents of Malta and McConnelsville put their silverware and other valuables in buckets and lowered them into their wells. Some buried their valuables and money in their backyards under a rock or other cover. The twin villages were in a general state of panic.
The Honorable Arza Alderman, grandfather of the late Justis Alderman, was a prominent, trusted, and respected businessman of the community. The county treasurer feared that Morgan’s Raiders might break into the Courthouse to rob the county’s funds, which at that time in history were largely in cash in the courthouse safe. The county treasurer gave the county’s entire treasury to Arza Alderman in a burlap sack, trusting it to Mr. Alderman’s safe keeping, to hide it from the Confederate raiders.
Arza Alderman added some potatoes to the burlap sack containing the county’s funds, and placed the sack in the basement of his brick home at 70 W. School Street with other sacks of potatoes. He figured it would be well hidden and safe. As Morgan chose to cross at Eagleport, the citizens of Malta and McConnelsville had nothing to worry about. In fact, they had little to worry about anyway. In the entire Ohio Raid, only one house in western Ohio was burned, and it was an accidental burning. Residents of the house fired their weapons at Morgan’s cavalry. When the Confederates returned fire, a bullet hit a lighted oil lamp, which accidentally set the house on fire.
Other than clean clothing, and food, Morgan’s Raiders did very little looting or theft. One touching story is that in western Ohio, one of Morgan’s men stole a sterling silver communion tray from a Methodist Church in western Ohio. About 10 years ago, that tray showed up in an antique shop in Atlanta, GA, purchased at an estate sale in Kentucky. The name of the church was engraved on the bottom of the communion tray. So the antique store owner contacted the church, found out it was still in operation, and gave the communion tray back to the church as a present.
Another historic Morgan County farmhouse that was visited by Morgan’s Raiders was the home of the Stewarts in East Bloom Township. As Morgan’s Raiders rode down the road beside their house, they saw freshly baked pies cooling on the windowsill of the kitchen. They fired a couple of shots which embedded in the walls of the brick house to frighten away anyone who might be around, and the Raiders helped themselves to some freshly baked pies. The Stewart home is still standing and well cared for by Walter and Myrna Stewart Jones. Myrna is a member of the same family who owned the house during the War Between the States.
One of the last farmhouses that Morgan’s Raiders visited before leaving Morgan County was the Federal-style brick farmhouse, now owned by Danny and Elizabeth Moore, in East Bloom Township. Morgan’s Raiders are said to have helped themselves to some food and supplies there, as well.
The grave of Tommy McGee was marked by bayonet scratches on a rock, with the name “Tommy McGee” and the date, “July 23, 1863.” About 20 years ago, I asked Jim Miller to donate a new grave marker for Tommy’s grave. Jim graciously did so, and the grave is now marked well for time and memorial. The original rock that was engraved as his grave marker is in a display case in the Morgan County Historical Society Museum for all to see. Cecil and Midge Moore, the property owners, graciously donated it to the society. Also on display in the museum is a piece of barn siding from the McElhiney’s barn with the hole from the Union cannonball through it.
Over the years, I have had the great privilege of being allowed to read letters, written by Morgan County residents to friends and relatives, telling the stories of Morgan’s Raid. One letter was written by a young housewife in Rokeby Lock to her cousins in another county. Knowing the scale of the death, destruction, and devastation occurring in our nation at that time, it was humorous when she referred to the small skirmish in Eagleport and Rokeby Lock by saying it would someday be called “the great battle at Rokeby Lock” in the history books. In fact, while Morgan’s Raiders were working their way across southern Indiana and southern Ohio, a truly great, and perhaps the most sobering “great battle” in American history happened at a little crossroads town, named Gettysburg, PA.
There are too many stories that I have been told about Morgan’s Raid over the years to include them all. Perhaps someday, I’ll get them all written down.
By BRIAN McKEE Trustee, Morgan County Historical Society 09.JUL.08
As the telegraph wires began to confirm that General John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate cavalry raiders were crossing Athens, Hocking, and Perry Counties, the residents of Morgan County began to fear the worst. They feared that their homes would be burned in retaliation for the Union Army’s burning of towns, schools, churches, farms, and houses in the south. They feared massive looting and theft.
Knowing that Morgan’s Raiders would have to cross the Muskingum River somehow, most guessed that they would come through Malta and McConnelsville to use the wooden, covered bridge between the two towns. The residents of Malta and McConnelsville put their silverware and other valuables in buckets and lowered them into their wells. Some buried their valuables and money in their backyards under a rock or other cover. The twin villages were in a general state of panic.
The Honorable Arza Alderman, grandfather of the late Justis Alderman, was a prominent, trusted, and respected businessman of the community. The county treasurer feared that Morgan’s Raiders might break into the Courthouse to rob the county’s funds, which at that time in history were largely in cash in the courthouse safe. The county treasurer gave the county’s entire treasury to Arza Alderman in a burlap sack, trusting it to Mr. Alderman’s safe keeping, to hide it from the Confederate raiders.
Arza Alderman added some potatoes to the burlap sack containing the county’s funds, and placed the sack in the basement of his brick home at 70 W. School Street with other sacks of potatoes. He figured it would be well hidden and safe. As Morgan chose to cross at Eagleport, the citizens of Malta and McConnelsville had nothing to worry about. In fact, they had little to worry about anyway. In the entire Ohio Raid, only one house in western Ohio was burned, and it was an accidental burning. Residents of the house fired their weapons at Morgan’s cavalry. When the Confederates returned fire, a bullet hit a lighted oil lamp, which accidentally set the house on fire.
Other than clean clothing, and food, Morgan’s Raiders did very little looting or theft. One touching story is that in western Ohio, one of Morgan’s men stole a sterling silver communion tray from a Methodist Church in western Ohio. About 10 years ago, that tray showed up in an antique shop in Atlanta, GA, purchased at an estate sale in Kentucky. The name of the church was engraved on the bottom of the communion tray. So the antique store owner contacted the church, found out it was still in operation, and gave the communion tray back to the church as a present.
Another historic Morgan County farmhouse that was visited by Morgan’s Raiders was the home of the Stewarts in East Bloom Township. As Morgan’s Raiders rode down the road beside their house, they saw freshly baked pies cooling on the windowsill of the kitchen. They fired a couple of shots which embedded in the walls of the brick house to frighten away anyone who might be around, and the Raiders helped themselves to some freshly baked pies. The Stewart home is still standing and well cared for by Walter and Myrna Stewart Jones. Myrna is a member of the same family who owned the house during the War Between the States.
One of the last farmhouses that Morgan’s Raiders visited before leaving Morgan County was the Federal-style brick farmhouse, now owned by Danny and Elizabeth Moore, in East Bloom Township. Morgan’s Raiders are said to have helped themselves to some food and supplies there, as well.
The grave of Tommy McGee was marked by bayonet scratches on a rock, with the name “Tommy McGee” and the date, “July 23, 1863.” About 20 years ago, I asked Jim Miller to donate a new grave marker for Tommy’s grave. Jim graciously did so, and the grave is now marked well for time and memorial. The original rock that was engraved as his grave marker is in a display case in the Morgan County Historical Society Museum for all to see. Cecil and Midge Moore, the property owners, graciously donated it to the society. Also on display in the museum is a piece of barn siding from the McElhiney’s barn with the hole from the Union cannonball through it.
Over the years, I have had the great privilege of being allowed to read letters, written by Morgan County residents to friends and relatives, telling the stories of Morgan’s Raid. One letter was written by a young housewife in Rokeby Lock to her cousins in another county. Knowing the scale of the death, destruction, and devastation occurring in our nation at that time, it was humorous when she referred to the small skirmish in Eagleport and Rokeby Lock by saying it would someday be called “the great battle at Rokeby Lock” in the history books. In fact, while Morgan’s Raiders were working their way across southern Indiana and southern Ohio, a truly great, and perhaps the most sobering “great battle” in American history happened at a little crossroads town, named Gettysburg, PA.
There are too many stories that I have been told about Morgan’s Raid over the years to include them all. Perhaps someday, I’ll get them all written down.
