Winchester in Adams County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Winchester
Capturing the Daily Stagecoach
| | John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail | |
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 9, 2017
1. Winchester Marker
In the afternoon, Morgan sent a detachment to intercept the daily stage. The raiders stopped the stagecoach a short distance south of town, commandeered it, and drove it into Winchester, where they delivered the daily mail to Morgan.
Meanwhile, the rugged roads and lack of fresh horses caused the pursuing Union cavalry under Brigadier General Edward Hobson to fall behind the Confederates' fast pace. At Winchester the following morning, Hobson ordered Colonel August V. Kautz and his brigade to lead the pursuit. Kautz's orders were to engage and stall Morgan's Raiders long enough for the rest of Hobson's men to catch up.
Kautz knew the area well, having lived in nearby Georgetown. Kautz's cavalrymen rode nonstop to Jasper, arriving that night only to find the smoldering ruins of the canal bridge and Morgan even farther ahead.
Hometown
General Joseph Darlinton founded Winchester on the Simon Kenton Trace in 1815. He named the village after his hometown in Virginia.
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Bottom left: Gilbert Paul was the driver of the stagecoach waylaid and captured by Morgan's Raiders near Winchester.
Top right: Dr. Abel C. Lewis, Winchester's first resident physician, erected this home on South Street about 1845. Dr. Lewis was an ardent abolitionist and used his home as a station on the Underground Railroad. It is unclear whether any of Morgan's Raiders were aware of this history when they entered the home to demand food.
Text: Stephen Kelley & David L. Mowery
Illustrations: Bev Kirk
Erected 2013 by the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Ohio History Connection, and the Ohio Civil War Trail Commission. (Marker Number 13.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Abolition & Underground RR • Bridges & Viaducts • War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail in Ohio, and the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is July 15, 1863.
Location. 38° 56.55′ N, 83° 39.033′ W. Marker is in Winchester, Ohio, in Adams County
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 9, 2017
2. Winchester Marker on East Washington Street.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Ohio Hill Country. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Ohio River Valley, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Winchester (here, next to this marker); American Legion Post No 242 WWI & WWII Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Vietnam Conflict Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Winchester, Ohio 1815 / Morgans Raid 1863 (approx. half a mile away); a different marker also named Winchester (approx. half a mile away); Seaman (approx. 4.2 miles away); "My Limited View" (approx. 4.2 miles away); Charles H. Eyre Memorial (approx. 4.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Winchester.
Photographed by Mark Hilton, September 9, 2017
3. Dr. Abel C. Lewis home at 103 South Street.
No markings or indications of its former use is apparent on this home.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 12, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama. This page has been viewed 1,208 times since then and 43 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on September 12, 2017, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
