Benson J. Lossing, Pictorial Field Book of the Civil War. Volume 3.

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Morgan was now assured that Indiana was aroused because of his invasion. There was, indeed, a great uprising of the people, but not in a way the Conspirators had desired and hoped for. The victories at Gettysburg and on the Mississippi had made their friends in that region exceedingly circumspect, and the counter-revolution had been postponed to a more propitious time. It was now the spontaneous uprising of the loyal people. News of this sudden and formidable invasion had reached Indianapolis, the capital of the State, on the 9th.

July, 1868.

Governor Morton¹ instantly issued a call for all the citizens to seize arms and turn out in a body to expel the intruders. The response was wonderful, and thrilled the loyal people of the country with joy, for it revealed the amazing latent power which the Government might, at any time, rely upon for help. Within forty-eight hours after the Governor's call was issued, sixty-five thousand citizens had tendered their services, and were hastening to military rendezvous. Party feeling was laid aside in the immediate presence of danger, and only the disloyal Peace Faction, which never, as we have observed, represented the great body of the Opposition, refused to respond. Within the space of three days, thirty thousand Indianians were organized and armed, and appeared in the field at various points.

Morgan was now alarmed. He moved quickly from the presence of Lowe's troops, under cover of darkness, and pressing on, his men in scattered detachments plundering as before,, he concentrated his forces at Harrison, just within the borders of Ohio, preparatory to making his way back to Kentucky as quickly as possible. He knew that Hobson was in his rear, and Judah on his flank, and that thousands of armed Indianians were blocking every route, however circuitous, for a retrograde movement; so he determined to strike the Ohio at some point where he might cross over into Western Virginia, or Northeastern Kentucky, and make his way back to Tennessee with his plunder.²

When Morgan left Harrison, Hobson, who was pressing on in his track at the rate of forty miles a day (notwithstanding his inability to get fresh horses, because Morgan had seized them), had so gained upon the invader, that there was not more than half a day's march between them. Morgan quickened his pace, exchanged his jaded horses for fresh ones from the pastures of Ohio farmers, and plundered somewhat less for want of time. He swept around a few miles north of Cincinnati (where Burnside, like Wallace the year before,³ had declared martial law,

July 13.

and called upon the citizens to defend their homes⁴), and pushing on through the rich southern tier of counties in Ohio,⁵ struck the river at Buffington Ford,