John Hunt Morgan American cavalryman of the Southern Army Date of Birth: 01.06.1825 Country: USA

Biography of John Hunt Morgan

John Hunt Morgan was an American cavalryman in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War. He was born on June 1, 1825, in Huntsville, Alabama, but was raised in Lexington, Kentucky, and considered it his home state. Despite his parents' efforts to provide him with a decent education at Transylvania College, Morgan was unable to complete his studies due to a scandalous duel.

During the Mexican-American War, Morgan volunteered and became a First Lieutenant in the 1st Kentucky Infantry Regiment, earning recognition for his bravery at the Battle of Buena Vista. After the war, he engaged in the production of hemp in Lexington and involved himself in trading. It was during this time that he married his business partner's sister, who unfortunately fell ill and passed away at the start of the Civil War.

Morgan initially advocated for Kentucky's neutrality, but his penchant for flamboyance led him to publicly display a Confederate flag on the roof of a factory. When state authorities supported the Union and issued an arrest warrant for Morgan, he joined the Confederacy in October 1861, forming the "Lexington Rifles" even before the war officially began.

After his successful command of the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment during operations in central Kentucky and the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, Morgan was promoted to the rank of colonel. He gradually became a legendary figure, especially known for his famous raid from Tennessee to Kentucky in July-August 1862. During this raid, Morgan disrupted enemy communications, destroyed federal telegraph lines, and brought volunteers, horses, forage, and provisions to the Confederate army. This operation, coinciding with the successful actions of cavalryman Nathan Bedford Forrest in the west, significantly impeded the advance of Union General Don C. Buell on the Chattanooga front.

Morgan's series of raids in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio earned him special recognition from the Confederate government and instilled panic among northerners, who feared encounters with Morgan's men. His raids caused more than $10 million in damages to the North, rendered railroads in the raid area inoperable for nearly five weeks, and forced 7,300 federal soldiers to pursue Morgan.

In recognition of his achievements, Morgan was promoted to brigadier general and appointed commander of the Department of Western Virginia and Eastern Tennessee. In February 1862, while wintering his troops in Murfreesboro, Morgan met Mattie Ready and her family. After a short courtship, they became engaged in March 1862 and married in December of the same year, with General Leonidas Polk officiating the ceremony.

Immediately after their marriage, Morgan embarked on another raid, successfully destroying several vital bridges and disrupting the Federal Army's supply lines under General Rosecrans. Pursuing Morgan, significant forces of Union regular cavalry and local militias captured him and most of his men on July 26 near New Lisbon, Ohio. He was imprisoned but daringly escaped on November 27, 1863, the same day his wife gave birth to their daughter, who unfortunately passed away soon after.

After his escape, Morgan established his headquarters in Greenville, Tennessee, where he continued to recruit volunteers while maintaining overall command of Confederate forces in East Tennessee and Southwest Virginia. On the night of September 3, 1864, a group of Union soldiers disguised as Confederates infiltrated Greenville. Caught off guard, Morgan attempted to flee but was shot in the back and died. Thus, the life of one of the most daring, fearless, and gallant Confederate cavaliers came to an end.