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Tompkinsville was reached at five o’clock on the morning of the 9th of July. The Federals, under the command of Major Thomas J. Jordan, of the Ninth Pennsylvania Cavalry, though surprised, made a stand, and the battle at once opened. But a few shots from Morgan’s mountain howitzers utterly demoralized the Federals, and they fled in confusion.
Just before daylight the Federals charged into the little city with whoop and hurrah. Taken entirely by surprise, Morgan’s men thought only of flight. Two companies under the command of Colonel Robert C. Wood being cut off from their horses, threw themselves into a college building in the outskirts of the city, and for three hours defended themselves with desperation.
Morgan smiled. “Good!” he said. “You are made of the right material. We will make full arrangements to-morrow. Good night, now, for it is getting late.” Thus dismissed Calhoun went away with a light heart. He was to be one of Morgan’s men. It was all he wished.
“Wait,” was the answer. The night was an anxious one. Morning came, but still nothing was heard of any reinforcements. “We will wait another day,” said Morgan. About noon cheering was heard, and Morgan’s men nearly went wild with enthusiasm, as nearly two hundred splendidly mounted men came galloping into camp.
The first effect of this treaty was to spur the buccaneers to the performance of some exploit surpassing any they had yet achieved. So high was Morgan’s reputation among the pirates that they flocked from all quarters to enlist under his flag, and he soon had a fleet of no fewer than thirty-seven vessels manned by two thousand men.
Treachery followed this stupendous act of piracy, Morgan’s later history being an extraordinary one for a man of his infamous record. He was possessed with the demon of cupidity, and a quarrel arose between him and his men concerning the division of the spoil. Morgan ended it by running off with the disputed plunder.
This coming to Morgan’s ears on the eve of its execution, he defeated it by causing the main-mast of the ship to be cut down, and afterwards by setting fire to all the ships in the harbor. The return of the freebooters had its items of interest.
“To which we will leave these carrion,” answered Huffman, pointing to the dead Home Guards. “But we must be going; Morgan is impatient to be on the road.” Great was the rejoicing in Morgan’s command when Captain Huffman returned bringing Calhoun and Nevels safe; and much satisfaction was expressed over the fate of their captors.
If Calhoun could only have seen the welcome given Hobson’s men the day after as they came over the same road, the flags that were waved, the shouts of welcome that greeted them, how women and children stood by the roadside with cooling water and dainty food to give them, and sent their prayers after them—if Calhoun could have seen all these things, his heart would have sunk, and he would have known that there was no welcome for Morgan’s men in Indiana.
Morgan shook his head. “I don’t want to see you hanged,” he replied. But Calhoun argued so zealously, that at last Morgan’s scruples were overcome, and he gave his consent, but added, “If you should be captured and executed, I would never forgive myself.” Calhoun looked upon it as a mere holiday affair; he had passed through too many dangers to be terrified.
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