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[15] on steamboats. The other brigade, after forced and useless marches in the valley of the Kentucky River, had finally reached the Ohio at Westport, and, also getting on board of transports, it had ascended the river in hopes of being able to land at some point ahead of Morgan, so as to cut him off. But, having found itself distanced at Madison, and afterward at Lawrenceburg, it had continued its course until it stopped abreast of Cincinnati on the evening of the 13th, at the same time with Hobson. Meanwhile, Morgan has before him the Miami River, which flows from Hamilton to Lawrenceburg. In order to deceive Burnside he makes a vigorous demonstration on his left against Hamilton, then clears the river much lower down, and moves straight on Cincinnati. His stratagem has succeeded: the small number of available troops which happened to be in the city have been forwarded to Hamilton to prevent the crossing of the Miami, and in the morning of the 13th, on the approach of the Confederates to Cincinnati, Burnside is constrained to evacuate its suburbs. That is all Morgan wants. He rapidly traverses these suburbs in the night without allowing his horsemen time to halt for an instant, and daybreak finds him with his entire column on the eastern side of Cincinnati. After this bold march it is necessary to give some rest to men and horses broken down with fatigue. The night from the 14th to the 15th, which the Confederates pass at Williamsburg, is the only one when they can enjoy unbroken sleep. The Federals feel that they have been fooled, and swear not to allow Morgan to escape another time. Hobson on the evening of the 13th, having arrived at Harrison, continues the pursuit by land, but he must gain eighteen hours before he can overtake Morgan, owing to loss of time in recovering his trail. Elsewhere, Judah has embarked, in the morning of the 15th, on other steamers, with twelve hundred horse and one battery of artillery; he ascends the Ohio while endeavoring to keep abreast. of the enemy. Several gunboats go before him and watch the right bank. The first rapids which in summer generally impede the navigation of the Ohio are found a few thousands yards above its
Philadelphia, Jos. H. Coates and co., 1888.
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