Sunday, December 8, 2013

Gen. John Hunt Morgan takes command

 General John Hunt Morgan

dept. of s.w. virginia & e. tennessee
Abingdon, Virginia  
Summer 1864
  On June 22, the War Department expanded General Morgan’s military district to include east Tennessee.  The area of Morgan’s responsibility was relatively quiet during the summer of 1864, with most military activity being centered around Grant’s illegal siege of Petersburg, Virginia and Sherman’s unholy drive through Georgia.
  As survivors from the Kentucky Raid straggled into the Department’s headquarters at Abingdon, Morgan acquired men from the fragmented brigades of Generals John C. Vaughn and William “Grumble” Jones.  Even though he commanded fewer than 3,000 men in total, General Morgan endeavored to build a Division by dividing his force into three sections and listing them as “Brigades” in the organizational structure.  Major Cassell’s 2nd Battalion, the men of the old 2nd Kentucky, remained assigned to Smith’s Brigade.  

No comments:

Post a Comment