Wilkesville

Wilkesville. An All-Too-Brief Rest. Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his men arrived in Wilkesville just before dark on July 17, 1863. The local home guard offered very little resistance to the invaders. The raiders plundered the village office and local stores., Morgan always sought out the best hotel or house in a community to use as his headquarters. This time he requisitioned the home of local physician Dr. William Cline, who was an ardent abolitionist known to assist runaway slaves on the Underground Railroad. The doctor's wife, Ruth Virginia Althar, was reported to be Morgan's first cousin. , Morgan readied his command to move out in a few hours and then retired for a brief rest. It has been rumored that Morgan's African American valet escaped with the general's wallet while he slept. When Morgan awoke, there was little time to search as his Union pursuers drew closer by the minute. , The Confederates started to move out around 3 am on July 18 and headed for the ford at Buffington Island to cross back into friendly territory. As they left town, Morgan further divided his force, sending one company north toward Harrisonville and another south to Danville. The main group headed east, aiming to eventually reach Middleport on the Ohio River. , Skirmish at Cheshire , After the Battle of Buffington Island, General Morgan and about 800 raiders fled to Cheshire, approximately 15 miles southeast of here. They planned to cross the Ohio River at Eight Mile Island Ford. Brigadier General James Shackelford and about 1,000 Union cavalrymen chased Morgan to Cheshire. In the late afternoon of July 20, 1863, Colonel Frank Wolford's brigade skirmished with the Confederate rear guard under Lieutenant Colonel Cicero Coleman for an hour on Kyger Creek and Coal Hill. Outnumbered and surrounded, Coleman surrendered his 80 raiders to Shackelford, while Morgan escaped with the rest toward Addison. , [Photo caption]: General Morgan reportedly found a familiar face at the Cline House near Wilkesville. , Text: Edd Sharp and David L. Mowery , Illustration: Bev Kirk