Another Squirrel Hunter Comes to the Front
Gives Clay Township Much Credit for Work
The following was copied from a Gallipolis Daily Tribune article from February 19, 1908
Transcribed by Henny Evans
Mr. Jacob Larrimer, Landlord of the Ecker House, was one of the Squirrel Hunters during the war and gives us the following account of them which is interesting. He says:
Hurrah for the Squirrel Hunters. I was in Cincinnati on the Government transport, the Mary Cook, and the rebel Shirley Smith, was threatening Cincinnati and the Squirrel Hunters came in two hundred thousand strong, with their shot guns and rifles and marched over the river on a pontoon bridge, made of coal barges. They had about one hundred ambulances with them to haul the wounded back, but the rebel General got a hint of the Squirrel Hunters coming because he turned his course and went another direction.
The boat then got a hurry call to get up the river as Morgan was at Maysville, Ky., and they had surrendered the city to him and Gen. Shackleford was opposite Maysville with a few Squirrel Hunters and they had gathered about one thousand more Squirrel Hunters along below and hurried up to reinforce him. Morgan must have got scared at the force of Squirrel Hunters because he sent a flag of truce to Shackleford saying, if he didn't open fire on him, he would not burn the city, and would leave after he got all the good horses that were in Maysville. So Shackleford did not molest him and he left in a short time and the transport proceeded up the river.
We came up to Portsmouth, Charles Aleshire was there with his battery. It was in the night; he hailed us by shooting at the boat with a lot of grape shot. There were over a hundred shot hit the boat. She landed and he came aboard and rode up to the wharfboat and got off, and proceeded up the river to Gallipolis as fast as possible. Here came the Squirrel Hunters again as Jenkins had threatened them here. Then we proceeded to Ravenswood to ferry Lightburn and his men over the river, and brought the artillery and horses down in two or three coal barges and landed them opposite Point Pleasant. so that ends the Squirrel Hunters, as I thin."
About the latter part of July or the first of August, 1863, comes Morgan. Then the militia was called out and Clay township took an active hand in rounding up Morgan and his men. We were placed out on the Portsmouth road to cut timber and block the road and protect the battery; it was up where the reservoir is now. About midnight we were hurried over to the Chillicothe road up on the point near the brewery, then we were called over to the Public Square as it was called then, and Morgan's men slipped back of town and there were about 40 of them. Some of Clay township's soldiers mounted their horses and captured a part of them below Crown City. We staid [sic] at Gallipolis about a week to protect the city from harm and I for one took an active part in the affair and after we went home uncle Tom Wetherholt captured 6 or 7 of Morgan's men that strayed from the squad, that went to Crown City. I also captured one of them down on the river bank opposite where Jacob Riggs lives. So I am a soldier yet as I have never been discharged. So this brings the Morgan raid to a close with me.
Jacob Larimer [sic]
Top of Page |
|