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Battle Story WrittenBy Survivor»Story and PictureBy C. H. HARRISThe stofy of a survivor of the Rattle of Buffington Island, fought in Meigs County near Portland, ,va, published in a Pomeroy news-raner in 1928. when T. .1. Thorn related incidents of the fight, and deared up many details which long K~o were forgotten. His story was written down by his niece, Mrs. Earnest Morris, of the Great Bend country, «' Saxon post office.T J* Thorn was an orderly sergeant of militia, and saw much of the battle, taking part in both the , actual shooting and later in mop-i ning up the countryside about; Portland of scattered bands of |^federates, Mr. Thorn was the father of the late Mrs. Esther Parr, of Saxon, and long r reRidpnt of the Tanners Hun district of theGreat Bend.The battle, according to Mr. Thorn, was not fought at Portland village as many now believed, but a mile and a half below' the village on the rear end of the farm of 'ames Ritchie, a mile from the Ohio River. It w»as at this point that the Lebanon Township mIMtia was (‘aptured by General .tehn Morgan’s raiders on Ground Hog Creek. Morgan took his posi-Ifere L the rniuUidp marker of the Battle of Buffington Island at Portland, Meigs County, erected to the memory of Major Daniel McCook, who fell mortally wounded in that battle, the only one of any consequence fought north of the Ohio River. It was donated by the Daughters of t’nion Veteran* and i* at thelt;tlon there at midnight after « hur- »ide nf Route lit at the edge ofthe village.ried run through Chester, MeigsCounty, and the shooting began at ... , , , ,,daylight—in a heavy fog. Reports runs. startedjm a #hunt f,»r otherthat’150 persons died in this'bat- straggler*. Thc found a group tie, were denied by Mr. Thorn «slppP «H of ,hpr”. « lieutenantwho said he saw only one Union and five men, surrendered and be-soldier dead on the ' field—which p™p highly enraged when theyhe covered in its entirety-while f™no they had hern taken hy two eight Union mon were wounded. rhev were taken to theThe wmunded were placed in the Th^n home at the mouth of Tan-Ritchie home and mortally-wound-(nprs Run and their horses anded Major McCook was placed in!nrm*. «d a large amount of loot a mom in the same home hy him-;,hp' had stolen, recovered. Men.self Mr Thorn saw one dead! women and children of the neigh Confederate and one wounded borhood gathered to see the rap-rebel. The shooting by the Union Jim. The lieutenant, a Mr. Dun soldier* who were on an elevation loP tfM Sergeant Thorn that theIn the fog was too high—bullets ,s°uth was defeated already and Ifcould he heard whistling high in other southerners were killed, itthe rafters.When the raiders left the battle-wnuld he the fault of Jeff Davis. The southerners told Sergeantfield, the ground wa$ covered with Thorn that General Morgan had all sorts of loot the southerners hpp assured if he raided north ofhad picked up on their trip through Ohio River, thousands ofSouthern Ohio. The visitors from Copperheads (southern sympaththe South then scattered, some i»rs would join him in Indiana crossing the Ohio ypstrpam near nnf1 Ohio.Reedsvilie. Sergeant Thorn lean The Six men captured by Sera searching party of Union soldiers gennt Thorn's “army” were from to the mouth of Tanners Run, via nearly as many states. One ofGround Hog Creek Road and Hen- them. Tommy Hawkins, had been derson School. Near the school the editor of a New Orleans news-they encountered Dirk Morgan paper. One was a hoy of 16 from (brother of General John Morgan), Tennessee. Lieutenant Dunlop of-who surrendered about 300 men fered Sergeant Thorn and Bill and handed over his Remington Lavne (the other member nf hisrevolver which was given to Ser- army) the sum of $1200 in cash if geant Thorn. At Tanners Run, the they would set him across the OhioUnion troops encountered another River. The offer was rejected and proup of raiders, some of whomithe six captives were taken torode into the Ohio River. This Pomeroy (after thanking the wn-entire party of 85 surrendered at men of the Thorn family for food)this point. They were tired and and placed in Jail. This was on hungry and Sergeant Thom's July 22, 1863. Members of themother and sisters gave them food, party under Sergeant Thorn wereSergeant Thom then in company each given a revolver hy the pro-with another militiaman and a boy, vost marshal who also gave themail armed with muskets and shot- horses to make the long trip home
Newspaper Details
Athens Messenger
Athens, Ohio, US
Tue, Jul 24, 1951
Page 10
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 27 Mar 2020
Other Publications Near Athens, Ohio
Athens Messenger
Athens Messenger and Herald
Athens Daily Messenger
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