Battle of Lebanon (Kentucky)
| Battle of Lebanon | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of American Civil War | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States (Union) |
 CSA (Confederacy) | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Charles S. Hanson | John Hunt Morgan | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
|
350-400 of the 20th Kentucky Infantry | 2,460 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 41 | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Lebanon occurred July 5, 1863, in
Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan fought for six hours to overcome the small U.S. garrison before moving northward, eventually riding through Kentucky, Indiana, and much of Ohio
before surrendering.
Morgan and his 2,460 Confederate cavalrymen rode west from
Tullahoma Campaign, and Morgan decided to move northward. Morgan crossed the rain-swollen Cumberland River by July 2 at Burkesville, Kentucky. After being defeated by Michigan troops along the Green River at the Battle of Tebbs Bend on July 4, Morgan withdrew and circled to the west, hoping to reach Louisville
, then lightly defended.
Morgan surprised and captured the U.S. Army garrison at
20th Kentucky Infantry behind overturned wagons, hastily erected barricades, fences, and other cover. Arriving at the town, Morgan formally requested that Hanson surrender, an offer that was refused. With a vast numerical advantage, Morgan quickly pushed Hanson's advance pickets back through the town's streets. He trapped many U.S. soldiers in the Louisville and Nashville Railroad
depot, but the well-fortified brick building provided considerable protection. Morgan ordered nearby buildings set on fire, hoping to force Hanson to surrender. In a sharp six-hour fight, U.S. soldiers killed Morgan's 19-year-old brother, Lt. Thomas Morgan, during the final charge. Morgan finally captured and paroled the enemy soldiers. His men burned the offices of the circuit and county clerks and 20 other buildings.
See also
Notes
References
- Duke, Basil Wilson, A History of Morgan's Cavalry. Cincinnati, Ohio: Miami Printing and Pub. Co., 1867. On-line version
- Horwitz, Lester V., The Longest Raid of the Civil War. Cincinnati, Ohio: Farmcourt Publishing, Inc., 1999. ISBN 0-9670267-3-3.
- ISBN 978-1-60949-436-0.
External links
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Involvement (by city or town) |
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Morgan's Raiders | ||
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