Bashan

Bashan. Coming and Going. On July 18, 1863, Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate raiders rode through Bashan on their way to Buffington Island. At the Old Bashan Church crossroads, they encountered a funeral party. Morgan stopped his column and, out of respect, ordered everyone to dismount and remove their hats. The hearse’s fresh horses, however, proved too much of a temptation. Morgan’s men carefully removed the casket from the vehicle and then loaded it with his own wounded men. The hearse joined the many vehicles and vast array of goods in Morgan’s already strung-out column. , After the Battle of Buffington Island, Morgan’s main force escaped north along the Ohio River, but the general’s younger brother, Colonel Richard C. Morgan, and a large group of cavalrymen were separated. While trying to regroup and find their own escape route, Colonel Morgan ran into Union pursuers led by Brigadier General James Shackelford near Bashan Church. A spirited engagement, which included a Union saber charge, ensued. After about an hour, Colonel Richard T. Jacob of the Union’s 9th Kentucky Cavalry rode out between the lines and urged the Confederates to surrender before many more were killed. His plea put a stop to the shooting, and Colonel Morgan surrendered. Text: Edd Sharp; Illustration: Bev Kirk