MORGAN, Jonx 11ityr An Amer ican soldier. prominent on the Confederate side in the Civil War. He was born at Huntsville. Ala. About five years later his father removed to a farm near Lexington, Ky. During the Mexican War "Morgan became first lieutenant of l'olonel Marshall's Kentucky regiment of cavalry, but saw little active service. Though he had a prosperous manufacturing business. in 1861 he abandoned it and escaped to the Confederate lines with about two hundred and the guns of the militia company of which lie was captain. At first la, did irregular duty. chiefly scouting, but was later made captain and placed in com mand of three companies of cavalry called Alor gan's Squadron. With these he did duty in Kentucky and Tennessee, and to some extent in Alabama. Ile organized the Second Cavalry at Chattanooga. in April, 1862. becoming cid(criel. During the summer he served with General Bragg in Tennessee. and captured Lexington, Ky. His success in daring and unexpected raids was so great that he was placed in charge of a cavalry brigade, and after promotion to briga dier-general made the 'Cliristuras Raid' into Kentucky. for which lie was thanked by the Confederate Congress. In June. 1563, lie was ordered to attempt to draw off Rosecrans front Tennessee by an expedition into Kentucky. He exceeded his orders, and with ?bout 2500 men crossed the Ohio River into Indiana and swept around Cincinnati. closely pursued by Generals Ilobson and Shackelford. and opposed every where by the militia. A sudden rise in the Ohio River allowed gunboats to reach Buffington Isl and and prevented him recrossing the river.
Here about 700 of his Mel] were taken prisoners, two Coln panies succeeded in crossing the river. and lie with the remainder set out toward the Pennsylvania border to join General Lee. After an exciting chase he was captured, and was after wards confined in the Ohio State Prison at Columbus. On November 27th. with a few com panions, he escaped. and reached the Confed erate lines in safety. In .1anuary. 1864, he was authorized to reorganize his cavally,. and was assigned to the Department of Southwest Vir ginia. When relieved he resumed his inde pendent command. and captured Mount Sterling and Cynthinna in Kentucky in -lone. but was badly defeated by General 1:m-bridge. On Sep tember 4th, in Greenville. Tenn.. he was be trayed by an inmate of the house in which he was sleeping. and was shot while attempting to escape. General Morgan cared little for formal military tactics: but in ability to strike silently and unexpectedly and escape before an alarm could be raised, he has been excelled by few lead ers of cavalry. While he destroyed public prop erty, burned bridges. and usually took the best horses in the country. the outrages committed by him have been much exaggerated. Consult: Doke, History of Morgan's CO 1.41 ry (Cincinnati. 18671, and Johnson and Pmel (girls.). The na oruf Lendn•.c of the ('jell War (New York, 1887 ) .