Stoney Ridge

Stoney Ridge. Axes to the Front. As Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate raiders crossed southern Ohio, Governor David Tod called out ax brigades to fell trees across the raiders' anticipated route. Downed trees were not a major problem for mounted troops, but they were a headache for the baggage wagons and artillery that followed Morgan's column, and the Confederates became increasingly frustrated. , Here, at the top of a hill that provided a clear field of fire, the Pike County Military Committee built a barricade to stop Morgan and his men. About 40 of Jasper's townspeople manned the barricade and waited for the Confederates., About 1 pm on July 16, 1863, Morgan and his troopers arrived to find their path blocked by the barricade. Morgan ordered several companies to dismount and fire a volley at the determined citizens. After several rounds, the defenders surrendered. The captured men were forced to march back to Jasper under continual verbal abuse from Morgan's men., [Photo caption]: The small Pike County Military Committee, under the leadership of Andrew Kilgore, nervously waited behind their barricade for the arrival of Morgan's troops. , Text: Edd Sharp , Illustration: Bev Kirk