Morgans Raiders in Jail
For 46 days, between June 11–July 26, 1863, the Confederate Morgan's Raiders distracted tens of thousands of Union forces while Confederate General Bragg's troops retreated unmolested and delayed the fall of east Tennessee. The Raiders destroyed 34 bridges, disrupted the railroad at more than 60 places, seized thousands of dollars worth of supplies, food, and other items from stores, houses and farms. The South called it "The Great Raid of 1863". Some Northern newspapers referred to it as "The Calico Raid" in reference to the procuring of personal goods from stores and houses.
The Battle of Salineville, Ohio ended the Raid with the capture of General Morgan and his men. 118 of the prisoners were sent to the Western Penitentiary, near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by rail after the Battle. They were incarcerated here from August 5, 1863, to March 19, 1864, when they were transferred to another prison at Fort Delaware, New Jersey.
On November 27th, 1863, Morgan and six of his men escaped from the Ohio Penitentiary, by digging a tunnel to the inner yard and then going over the wall. It is not known how Morgan selected the men who joined him in the escape. However, the men in this picture were not among the chosen few.
left to right: Captain William E. Curry, 8th Kentucky Cavalry; Lieutenant Andrew J. Church, 8th Kentucky Cavalry; Lieutenant Leeland Hathaway, 14th Kentucky Cavalry; Lieutenant Henry D. Brown, 10th Kentucky Cavalry; Lieutenant William Hays, 20th Kentucky Cavalry.
