Katie Huntington
(from the George Buckland Collection)
The following letter was written during the Civil War by nine-year-old Katie Huntington to her father John Caldwell Huntington of Cincinnati, Ohio. Visiting relatives near Glendale, Ohio, Katie recounts the events of July 13, 1863 when Confederate General John Hunt Morgan and his cavalry entered Ohio near the Hamilton-Butler County line. Morgan led his men to the outskirts of Cincinnati, where he spent the night of July 13, in sight of the Union Army's Camp Dennsion. From the perspective of a young child, Katie tells of the excitement and fear Morgan's Raid generated among family and friends.
Tuesday Morning July 14th, 1863
My Dear Father
I was very much pleased your letter which I received last evening. I suppose that it is too late for me to answer Aunt Sarah’s letter and send it to Marys-ville but if I am not too tired after I have finished your letter I will write her one and put it in the same envelope.
I go down to the depot every evening and sometimes in the morning. Last evening I went down as usual with Annie and Cora to meet their father at the depot, but the train that was due from the north at six-oclock did not arrive before half past seven in the evening. We have breakfast at quarter to seven. Last night I went to bed earlier than usual and about two oclock in the morning while I was asleep John Morgan (but I don’t think he deserves the name John) and about three thousand of his troops passed through Glendale right by the College and about half a dozen of them went into the barn and took Mr. Drake’s horse (it was a very fine one the nicest one in the barn).
This morning I went down to the depot and Mrs. Fox and Elisa were down there and I said that I wouldn’t go home then for anything because if there was going to be a mob I should like to see it. Just then a man rode up on a white horse and said that some rebels were coming in full gallop and another man that was there said ladies and children take care out of the way because they may fire and Mrs. Fox took 7 or 8 of the children in to her house and told the girl to lock the house all up and we all went up in the garret and looked out of the garret windows and Mrs. Fox made us all be still for fear that we would attract attention to the house.
In a little while they rode up there were four of them well armed on horses. Mr. Bogart had two pistols that would shoot 6 times and, two muskets and he told they men to stop and they did not and so he fired of[f] one of his pistols up in the air so as to make them stop and then they stopped and began to sware dreadfully and said that Gen. Burnside’s sent them and all of a sudden three of them put spur’s to their horses and went off at full gallop. But too of the union soldiers went at the side of the one that staid and began to talk to him and all of a sudden just like that the other three went off very fast but after a little while we found that they were some union men.
I forgot to tell you that in the morning they took five of Morgans men prisoners and they sent them down to Carthage on the hand car. When we were in the midst of dinner (it was the same day) all of a sudden we heard a great noise and every person jumped up from [the] table and there was about 7 thousand of our cavalry passed during the afternoon. And we were to have had pie for desert but we gave it all to the soldiers they were chasing, Morgan and said that they might overtake him.
That night one of the soldier[s] kissed Annie and Cora and me and said that he would always remember the children of the union. They gave them all this square bread and biscuit and ham and cold meat and cake and cold water, some tea, pie. bring my cat out with you and tell Mother that I have decided to stay another week. I have received your letter and want you to come out here so that I can tell you some things that I can not write because my hand is tired.
goodbye
My Dear Father
I was very much pleased your letter which I received last evening. I suppose that it is too late for me to answer Aunt Sarah’s letter and send it to Marys-ville but if I am not too tired after I have finished your letter I will write her one and put it in the same envelope.
I go down to the depot every evening and sometimes in the morning. Last evening I went down as usual with Annie and Cora to meet their father at the depot, but the train that was due from the north at six-oclock did not arrive before half past seven in the evening. We have breakfast at quarter to seven. Last night I went to bed earlier than usual and about two oclock in the morning while I was asleep John Morgan (but I don’t think he deserves the name John) and about three thousand of his troops passed through Glendale right by the College and about half a dozen of them went into the barn and took Mr. Drake’s horse (it was a very fine one the nicest one in the barn).
This morning I went down to the depot and Mrs. Fox and Elisa were down there and I said that I wouldn’t go home then for anything because if there was going to be a mob I should like to see it. Just then a man rode up on a white horse and said that some rebels were coming in full gallop and another man that was there said ladies and children take care out of the way because they may fire and Mrs. Fox took 7 or 8 of the children in to her house and told the girl to lock the house all up and we all went up in the garret and looked out of the garret windows and Mrs. Fox made us all be still for fear that we would attract attention to the house.
In a little while they rode up there were four of them well armed on horses. Mr. Bogart had two pistols that would shoot 6 times and, two muskets and he told they men to stop and they did not and so he fired of[f] one of his pistols up in the air so as to make them stop and then they stopped and began to sware dreadfully and said that Gen. Burnside’s sent them and all of a sudden three of them put spur’s to their horses and went off at full gallop. But too of the union soldiers went at the side of the one that staid and began to talk to him and all of a sudden just like that the other three went off very fast but after a little while we found that they were some union men.
I forgot to tell you that in the morning they took five of Morgans men prisoners and they sent them down to Carthage on the hand car. When we were in the midst of dinner (it was the same day) all of a sudden we heard a great noise and every person jumped up from [the] table and there was about 7 thousand of our cavalry passed during the afternoon. And we were to have had pie for desert but we gave it all to the soldiers they were chasing, Morgan and said that they might overtake him.
That night one of the soldier[s] kissed Annie and Cora and me and said that he would always remember the children of the union. They gave them all this square bread and biscuit and ham and cold meat and cake and cold water, some tea, pie. bring my cat out with you and tell Mother that I have decided to stay another week. I have received your letter and want you to come out here so that I can tell you some things that I can not write because my hand is tired.
goodbye
from Katie
