Deer Park

Deer Park. A Courageous Bluff. , While many Ohioans panicked in the path of Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan's cavalry , hiding their valuables and fleeing their homes , the Schencks and the Thompsons resolved to defend both. During the Civil War this house belonged to farmer John Schenck and his wife, Amelia. They lived here with their six children, a female house servant, and, at the time of Morgan's Raid, also provided refuge for escaped Kentucky slaves John Henry Thompson, his wife and his five children. , Around 5 am July 14, 1863, a group of Morgan's advance guard arrived looking for horses and food. A Schenck woman, disguised in nurse's garb, greeted the soldiers at the door. When the raiders demanded food, she offered to feed them outdoors, warning that a child was sick with the smallpox and was quarantined to the parlor. Seeing the front door covered with a sheet and the shutters closed, the raiders believed the ruse. , Morgan himself later rested at the Schenck farm to wait on his troopers en route from Reading. The general and his staff sat outside while the Schenck women served them breakfast When the Raiders rode off thirty minutes later, they remained ignorant of the Thompsons and two prized horses hidden in the parlor! , A Famous Family , John Thompson and his wife, Clara Jane, remained at the Schenck farm after the war. Despite the challenges African Americans faced during Reconstruction, four Thompson children attained widespread fame Garland Yancy became an award-winning wood carver. Younger siblings , Aaron Bedford, Priscilla Jane, and Clara Ann , became renowned poets in the early 20th century., The John Schenck House is private property Please be respectful and remain on the sidewalk., [Photo captions] , Top left: The Schencks' clever ruse kept Morgan's troopers from entering their home. While the Confederates rested and ate outside, the brave Thompson family and two horses hid in the straw-covered parlor. , Bottom left: John Schenck (1828-1873) , Top right: Poets Clara Ann Thompson (left), Aaron Bedford Thompson (center) and Priscilla Jane Thompson (right), Text: David L. Mowery , Illustrations: Bev Kirk