One of Morgan's Men. John M. Porter
The Old Burnt Tavern, Bryantsville, Kentucky. John M. Porter stopped at the tavern on his way to Lexington to join Morgan's command. The tavern burned in 1956. (J. Winston Coleman, Jr. Photographic Collection, Transylvania University Library.)
We were received at Mr. David Hays's, four miles from Winchester, on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and were hospitably welcomed, Mr. Hays and his wife being the uncle and aunt to Andy. There were a good many persons at Mr. Hays's when we arrived there, neighbors who had come in to spend the afternoon. I was an entire stranger to the family as well as their visitor, but was introduced to the family as a relative from western Kentucky, and the intimation was given that Andy and I were only on a visit to see kinfolk.5
As soon as the company had gone, we told the Hays our reason for being there and on what business we were bent, as well as what we had been doing the preceding eight or ten months. The family were true friends of the South and naturally very kind and hospitable. There were, however, a good many Union people in that section, and some very close neighbors were of that number. It was highly important that our views and designs should not be known to any except true and trusty friends. We soon came to be looked on in the neighborhood as suspicious persons, and it was even whispered around that we were rebel soldiers in disguise. The surmises were pretty accurate to say the least.
We remained at Mr. Hays's for a few days under the pretense of resting from our fatiguing ride, when, in reality, we were accustomed to riding constantly and great distances without rest. Then, after we had been there a few days, we visited around in the neighborhood with members of the family and attended picnics and gatherings of all kind. We went to church on Sundays and frequently went to Winchester. About twice we entered Lexington, which was filled with Federal troops, and returned in safety to our country retreat. We remained in this quarter till about July 1, 1862, when we were joined by Lieutenant Thomas H. Hines, who had been in the Green River section and had heard where we were and had hunted us up. This was about the time newly commissioned Colonel John Hunt Morgan entered the State on his first great raid. We were already expecting to hear from him when Hines came and gave us definite news in regard to it.6
Hines and I then drove to Lexington, eighteen miles distant, in order to ascertain what we could about the number of troops there and the means of defending the city. We stopped at a hotel, and, while at dinner, heard a conversation between two Yankee officers by which we learned that great preparations were being made to defend the city, and that they expected an attack within twenty-four hours by Colonel Morgan, who really was some distance away but no one knew precisely where. After dinner we drove around the city and out to the cemetery and observed everything which afforded us any idea of the force there. When we came back to the hotel in the afternoon, perhaps four o'clock, we found Home Guards were arriving in large numbers from all the surrounding country, and at the same time we received information that in a very few minutes, or quite a short time, all persons would be prevented from leaving the city, and perhaps would be forced to take up arms to defend the place from the anticipated attack. This information, which was given to us by a friend to whom we had made ourselves known, was rather startling, and immediately we were in our buggy and driving at full speed out the Winchester Road in order to clear the limits of the city before pickets were sent out. This we succeeded in doing, although the pickets were in view behind us coming on their posts. We had made our escape by the narrowest, and made our way back to Mr. Hays's that night for supper. We had learned that Colonel Morgan would, in a short time, be in the vicinity of Lexington, but we did not know whether he would attack the city or not. Indeed, he was expected to attack that very night, and great consternation was visible among the soldiers when we left town.7
Thomas Henry Hines, John M. Porter's kinsman, compatriot during the war, and law partner after the war. The photograph was taken after the war. (Thomas H. Hines Papers, Filson Historical Society Collections, Louisville, Kentucky.)
Hines, Andy Kuykendall and myself, after taking supper at Mr. Hays's and remaining till the family of negroes on the place had gone to bed or become quiet and we were satisfied all was well, bid “goodbye” to the kind friends who had entertained us, and started out for the purpose of getting with Colonel Morgan, believing we would find him somewhere in the vicinity of Lexington, Versailles or Georgetown.8
The night was a pleasant one, and having a pilot with us who knew the country very well, we traveled neighborhood roads and avoided the more public ones. About three o'clock in the morning, our guide, Mr. Colby Hays, who afterwards was a gallant soldier in our command, left us and returned home in order to reach there before daylight. We were then alone in a strange locality with nothing familiar, no roads over which we had ever gone over, no acquaintances in all that section and no definite news of the whereabouts of the command.9
Main Street, Lexington, Kentucky, looking east toward the corner of Main and Limestone streets, circa 1860. The three-story building in the center of the photograph is the Phoenix Hotel, where John M. Porter and Thomas Henry Hines inquired about the whereabouts of Morgan's command on July 14, 1862. (Lafayette Studio Photographic Collection, University of Kentucky Special Collections.)
After we three had consulted, we concluded to approach Lexington and ascertain if any attack would be or had been made. We knew if the attack occurred, it would probably be about daylight, and we at once moved forward and in a short time entered a pike which, from its direction, we judged led into the city. Rapidly riding this pike, which I believe was called the Tate's Creek Pike, about daylight we came within one mile of the city and halted in sight of Yankee pickets on that road. We remained there in a position to observe their movements and where we could easily discover whether any fight had begun or not.10
The sun rose and there were no indications of a fight. We were satisfied that Colonel Morgan was not in the immediate vicinity. Our course was then changed, and we turned our attention to find some way of getting around towards the Kentucky River, and, by way of Nicholasville and some other points, reach Versailles. We did not dare go on a direct route, fearing we would meet some of the numerous scouting parties of the enemy, as we well knew they were all through the country. After riding until about ten o'clock in the forenoon we called at a house and asked to remain for dinner and have our horses fed. This favor was granted by the lady whose husband was absent when we got there. This lady, Mrs. Martin, was a friend to our cause, but whereas she did not know us, neither did we, at the time, know her views. She was inquisitive and we were inquisitive, and in a short time we found her “cut,” and had no hesitancy in telling who and what we were.11
In the meantime, her husband came in, and, just as dinner was announced, it was discovered that three Yankees were dismounting at the gate. Here was a dilemma. We could easily have taken them prisoners because they did not know we were there. The family was very much frightened, and, to quiet their fears, we bid the husband to meet the Yankees in the front yard and conduct them in to dinner, while we would remain in the parlor and be ready for any emergency. The officers, for such they were, were accordingly taken in a different room and then sat down to eat the dinner which had been prepared for us by Mrs. Martin. As soon as they were well at work on the viands, we walked out and went to the stable, mounted our horses, and rode away. We walked by their horses and did not interrupt them, because we knew Mr. Martin and his family would be arrested and persecuted if we were known to have been there. For their sakes alone, these three Yankees were permitted to go unmolested, to eat our dinner, while we fasted.
We rode a few miles and halted in a woods till nightfall. While we were in this woods, we saw one or two parties of Yankees pass along a road at no great distance from us. At night we again set out, and morning found us near a village called Keene, I think, and here or near it, we encountered about one or two hundred Yankee Home Guards. We met them in the road, they on their way to Lexington and we, by chance, going in the direction of Shyrock's Ferry on the Kentucky River. We out-talked the officer in command, passed the entire party unmolested, and, as soon as they had disappeared from our view, we changed our direction and rode rapidly away. We carried beneath our coats side arms which