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Updated: May 5, 2025
"He went on to say that Col. Burnett, of St. Louis, was Supreme Commander for Missouri, and Marmalade was Chief Agitator; John Morganson was Supreme Commander in Kentucky; that he was gathering men from there all the time; that he was not only Supreme Commander of Kentucky, but appointed to make excursions and raids into Ohio and Indiana, whenever the organization should be considered strong enough to protect him.
Especially remarkable to Morganson was the extreme pallor of the Swede, who the preceding night had been so ruddy-faced. Now his face was like white marble. What with his fair hair and lashes he looked like a carved statue rather than something that had been a man a few minutes before. Morganson pulled off his mittens and searched the body.
The next morning circumstance eased its grip on him. As he started to come out of the tent he saw a huge bull-moose crossing the swale some four hundred yards away. Morganson felt a surge and bound of the blood in him, and then went unaccountably weak. A nausea overpowered him, and he was compelled to sit down a moment to recover. Then he reached for his rifle and took careful aim.
He did not look for any more foolish expeditions like the one made by Gen. Morganson. That it was not successful is easily understood. The Southern people were in too great haste in trying raids by large bodies of men where there were no lines of escape or retreat." "Yes," said Col. Bush; "they counted their chickens before they were hatched." "I think they were stale eggs," said Capt. Inglesby.
The people were taken entirely by surprise, and the only thing that could be resorted to to meet the emergency that was upon them, was for the loyal citizens along the raider's path before and behind to assemble and make resistance and obstruction to his march. Gen. Anderson, comprehending the situation, at once gathered together a few men and started in pursuit of Morganson.
On the fifth day the trail returned to life. To the south a dark object appeared, and grew larger. Morganson became alert. He worked his rifle, ejecting a loaded cartridge from the chamber, by the same action replacing it with another, and returning the ejected cartridge into the magazine. He lowered the trigger to half-cock, and drew on his mitten to keep the trigger-hand warm.
Anderson and Peter left for their commands, and on their arrival at the Army of the Center they were most enthusiastically received by officers and men. An officer said: "'General, you had to go home to get a chance at the rebs. "'Yes, the General replied, 'Morganson and his men were merely visiting up North during the vacation.
"Go on and take it," Morganson insisted. The barkeeper held the sack mouth downward over the scales and shook it, and a few flakes of gold dust fell out. Morganson took the sack from him, turned it inside out, and dusted it carefully. "I thought there was half-a-dollar in it," he said. "Not quite," answered the other, "but near enough. I'll get it back with the down weight on the next comer."
But Morganson conceived an idea. He changed his crouching spot to a place where cottonwood limbs projected on either side of him. Into these with his axe he chopped two broad notches. Then in one of the notches he rested the barrel of his rifle and glanced along the sights. He covered the trail thoroughly in that direction.
"But where in hell you been keeping yourself all this time?" the barkeeper demanded. "I located across the river," he answered. "I've got a mighty big stack of wood chopped." The barkeeper nodded. His face beamed with understanding. "I heard sounds of chopping several times," he said. "So that was you, eh? Have a drink?" Morganson clutched the bar tightly. A drink!
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