Salisbury Township

Salisbury Township. The Gauntlet. Upon approaching the road to Pomeroy just before noon on July 18, 1863, Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan and his Confederate raiders faced a major challenge. Colonel Adam Johnson's detachment, which had been sent south to investigate a river crossing at Middleport, were briefly engaged in a skirmish with Union forces at Bradbury Hill. Morgan assisted Johnson, consolidated his forces, and turned north. , Morgan's Raiders ran into a five-mile-long natural valley whose walls were manned by local militia and men from the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Future presidents Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley Jr. were members of the 23rd OVI. The valley created a natural gauntlet, and the placement of the Union forces forced Morgan and his men to ride through it., Morgan's men had to shoot while galloping and, at times, dismount and return fire in order to chase the attackers away. Morgan and his men were under almost constant fire the length of the valley, and many were wounded or killed during the ride. , [Photo captions] , Top left: The ride through a valley lined with Union regulars and militia was, according to Confederate Colonel Basil Duke, "one continual fight." , Bottom left: Forty-six-year-old Brigadier General Eliakim P. Scammon was a West Point graduate, a topographical engineer, and a former Cincinnati school teacher. During Morgan's Raid, Scammon skillfully directed the Union militia and regular army troops defending Pomeroy and Gallipolis. , Text: Edd Sharp and David L. Mowery , Illustration: Bev Kirk