Near Salineville in Carroll County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
West Grove Cemetery
A Running Fight
John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail
Photographed by Gregory Roos, May 13, 2021
1. West Grove Cemetery Marker
Inscription.
West Grove Cemetery. A Running Fight. On July 26, 1863, Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan's plan to direct his Confederate raiders through Salineville had to be altered quickly when his scouts reported that Union troops occupied the village. Major General Ambrose Burnside, commander of the Department of the Ohio, was using the state's railroad system to put Union forces in front of the rebels., Shielded by Colonel Leroy Cluke's rear guard, Morgan's main column rode southwestward cross-country to avoid the trap set by Union infantry at Salineville and Union cavalry north of Monroeville. Attempting to head off Morgan, Major William B. Way's 9th Michigan Cavalry retraced its steps through Monroeville before turning west on Opal Road. Way's troopers caught up with Cluke at West Grove Cemetery. After a spirited running fight, three Confederates were seriously wounded and were left behind. The rest of the rear guard retreated northwest toward Norristown, following a different route than Morgan's column., Confederate Graves: , Union cavalrymen carried wounded Confederates to the porch of the nearby John Moore farmhouse, where two died from their injuries. They were buried in the rear portion of West Grove Cemetery. Their graves remained unmarked until 1910, when a local historian learned of their story. One soldier's grave was identified as that of Private John Miller. Local citizens remembered the other fatality as only "Unknown -A Mere Boy." Both graves face south instead of the traditional east-facing orientation of the remainder of the cemetery. The third wounded Confederate, Frank Bixby, Co. B, 8th Kentucky Cavalry, survived only to die in captivity at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio, in January 1864., Picture Caption: , Morgan had started his raid with several thousand raiders. By the time they reached Jefferson County, his command had dwindled to several hundred. They were exhausted from riding hundreds of miles with few opportunities for sound sleep or regular provisions since leaving Confederate lines.
On July 26, 1863, Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan's plan to direct his Confederate raiders through Salineville had to be altered quickly when his scouts reported that Union troops occupied the village. Major General Ambrose Burnside, commander of the Department of the Ohio, was using the state's railroad system to put Union forces in front of the rebels.
Shielded by Colonel Leroy Cluke's rear guard, Morgan's main column rode southwestward cross-country to avoid the trap set by Union infantry at Salineville and Union cavalry north of Monroeville. Attempting to head off Morgan, Major William B. Way's 9th Michigan Cavalry
retraced its steps through Monroeville before turning west on Opal Road.
Way's troopers caught up with Cluke at West Grove Cemetery. After a spirited running fight, three Confederates were seriously wounded and were left behind. The rest of the rear guard retreated northwest toward Norristown, following a different route than Morgan's column.
Confederate Graves:
Union cavalrymen carried wounded Confederates
to the porch of the nearby John Moore farmhouse, where two died from their injuries. They were
buried in the rear portion of West Grove
Cemetery. Their graves remained unmarked until
1910, when a local historian learned of their story. One soldier's grave was identified as that
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of Private John Miller. Local citizens remembered the other fatality as only "Unknown -A Mere Boy." Both graves face south instead of the traditional east-facing orientation of the remainder of the cemetery. The third wounded Confederate, Frank Bixby, Co. B, 8th Kentucky Cavalry, survived only to die in captivity at Camp Chase in Columbus, Ohio, in January 1864.
Picture Caption:
Morgan had started his raid with several thousand raiders. By the time they reached Jefferson County, his command had dwindled to several hundred. They were exhausted from riding hundreds of miles with few opportunities for sound sleep or regular provisions since leaving Confederate lines.
Erected by Ohio Civil War Trail Commission, Civil War 150 Ohio, Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 53.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. In addition, it is included in the John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail in Ohio series list. A significant historical date for this entry is July 26, 1863.
Location. 40° 35.918′ N, 80° 51.713′ W. Marker is near Salineville, Ohio, in Carroll County. It is on Opal Road NE (County Route 294), on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Salineville OH 43945, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest, 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 6 miles of this
Credits. This page was last revised on January 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on May 18, 2021, by Gregory Roos of Cincinnati, Ohio. This page has been viewed 2,394 times since then and 87 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 18, 2021, by Gregory Roos of Cincinnati, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
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