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The Cumberland Gap Campaign
September 17 to October 3, 1862
Newspaper Reports of General Morgan's Retreat from Cumberland Gap
And Safe Arrival at Greenupsburgh, Kentucky (on the Ohio River)
Web Author's Notes:
Below are two newspaper articles published October 4, 1862, in the Cincinnati Commercial, describing the arrival of General George W. Morgan and his 7th Division (Army of the Ohio) in Greenupsburgh, Kentucky, after a harrowing 16 day march from Cumberland Gap:

GEN. MORGAN'S RETREAT.; Arrival of the Cumberland Gap Army at Greenupsburgh, on the Ohio The Hardships of the March, &c.

Published: October 6, 1862 in the New York Times

From the Cincinnati Commercial, Oct. 4.

Reliable information reached this city last night of the arrival of Gen. G.W. MORGAN at Greenupsburgh, Ky., on the Ohio River. Greenupsburgh is about fifteen miles above Portsmouth, and as any map will show, is the point within easiest reach of Gen. MORGAN, provided he can strike the river above Maysville.

Gen. MORGAN left Cumberland Gap on the night of the 17th of September, the force of the rebel Gen. STEVENSON being at that time within three miles of his front -- that is to say, south. He was apparently completely cut off from the Ohio by the forces of BRAGG, KIRBY SMITH, JOHN MORGAN and MARSHALL. Gen. MORGAN left the Gap amid the explosion of mines and magazines, lighted by the blaze of the storehouses of the Commissary and Quartermaster. The rebel commander, STEVENSON, was entirely surprised. At 5 o'clock on the evening of the 17th, (a few hours before the evacuation,) Gen. MORGAN sent official communications to STEVENSON, and the officers of the two armies remained in friendly chat, under the flag of truce, for more than a hour. All the guns at the Gap were brought away except four 30-pound Parrots, which were too heavy for transportation. The trunnions were knocked off.

During the march northward our army was constantly enveloped by the enemy's cavalry -- at first by STEVENSON's men, and then by JOHN H. MORGAN and his gang. Our MORGAN maintained the offensive throughout, and on one occasion marched twenty-four successive hours. Three nights in succession the rebel MORGAN's men were driven from their supper. The rebel MORGAN first assailed the rear of our force, but changed his tactics, passing to the front, and blockading the roads and destroying subsistence. For a period of three days our troops had no water but that found in stagnant pools, and the quantity thus found was very small. HUMPHREY MARSHALL was expected by the way, but declined to risk himself in an effort to check the march of our Cumberland army, which made a march the most arduous and hazardous of the war.


CINCINNATI, Saturday, Oct. 4.

Mr. M.C. GARBER, Quartermaster in Gen. MORGAN's Division, telegraphs the following to the Madison (lnd.) Courier:

The advanced brigade of Gen. G.W. MORGAN's command, from Cumberland Gap, arrived at Greenupsburgh, Ky., on the 3d inst., after an exhausting march of sixteen days, having roads to make in many places.

The men are shoeless, hatless and naked, and for days were without rations. They had to gather subsistence from the corn standing in the fields, which they grated to make bread of, after the fatigues of the day.

The men bore their hardships and privations and the fatigues of the march with the greatest fortitude. They marched twenty hours a day, skirmishing in the woods, on each side of the road, and repelling the attempts of the rebel cavalry in their front and rear to capture them.

The enemy blockaded the way all along the march, and at every suitable place harassed our column as much as possible.

Our force is 10,000 strong, with a magnificent park of artillery, consisting of twenty-eight pieces, six of them being twenty-pounders.

We had 400 wagons, all of which we brought off safely.

The works at Cumberland Gap were left in ruins.

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