Attack from the West

Attack from the West. Battle of Buffington Island. , Closing the Net , Frustrated by multiple failed attempts to overtake Morgan in Kentucky, Major General Ambrose Burnside dispatched Union Brigadier General Edward Hobson and 2,500 Union soldiers on July 6 with specific orders to intercept the Confederate raiders., Hobson's men relentlessly pursued Morgan's men for two weeks through Kentucky, Indiana and southern Ohio. The raiders did not make it easy for them to follow. By taking all fresh horses with them , whether they needed them or not , the Confederates slowed the Union pursuit through Indiana and Ohio. , As Hobson's men neared Portland on July 19, gunshots could be heard from the south and the general was quick to send reinforcements toward the river. Cresting a hill overlooking Colonel Adam Johnson's Confederate forces, Union troops quickly dismounted, firing volley after volley into the disorganized raiders at the bottom of the hill. The Union forces tightened their vise grip on the raiders and pushed them north of the ford. The situation further deteriorated for Morgan's men as gunboats began to fire upon them from the river. , Union Troops Lie in Wait , West Virginia became a state on June 20, 1863, about a month before Morgan's Raid reached Ohio. It was formed from pro-Union counties in Virginia but was still considered friendly territory by Morgan and his troops. Morgan was unaware that Union forces were waiting to attack from the West Virginia border in the event that any Confederates made it across the Buffington Island ford. , Top left photo: Brigadier General Edward Hobson - Hobson led his troops on a grueling journey to chase down the raiders. His forces continued to be outsmarted by Morgan until they reached Portland. , Bottom left map: Hearing Judah's troops clash with the raiders, Hobson's reinforcements rushed to the scene.