Morgan's Christmas Raid

Morgan's Christmas Raid
Part of the Stones River Campaign of the American Civil War
Morgan's route in red, Reynolds' in dark blue, and Harlan's in light blue
Date December 22, 1862 (1862-12-22) – January 5, 1863 (1863-01-06); 2 weeks Location Tennessee and Kentucky Result Confederate victory
Belligerents
United States	Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
Joseph J. Reynolds John Marshall Harlan	John Hunt Morgan
Strength
3,000	4,000
Casualties and losses
150 killed and wounded, 1,800 taken prisoner	2 killed, 24 wounded, 64 missing

Morgan's Christmas Raid was carried out by Confederate Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan^{[note 1]} between December 22, 1862, and January 5, 1863. Morgan intended to cut the supply lines to the Union Army of the Cumberland in Tennessee. The Union used the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and Morgan had identified two 500-foot (150 m) long trestle bridges at Muldraugh Hill that could be burnt. Morgan's 4,000-strong cavalry force left Alexandria, Tennessee, on December 22 and passed into Kentucky on Christmas Eve, defeating part of the 2nd Michigan Cavalry Regiment near Tompkinsville. They fought and defeated an Indiana cavalry detachment on Christmas Day at Bear Wallow, Barren County. The U.S. Army sent forces under Colonel John Marshall Harlan^{[note 2]} and Major General Joseph J. Reynolds^{[note 3]} to try to catch Morgan. However, Morgan used ruses to distract his pursuers. Morgan captured a Union stockade at Bonnieville on December 26 and on December 27 captured Elizabethtown before burning the bridges at Muldraugh Hill.

Harlan's men found part of Morgan's force under Colonel Basil W. Duke^{[note 4]} near Boston at Lebanon Junction on the Rolling Fork River, on Monday, December 29. This area was home to many men in Harlan's brigade, the regiment. Despite being slightly outnumbered by Morgan's total numbers, the brigade was concentrated and outnumbered Morgan's force at Boston. Harlan effectively used it to surprise Morgan's scattered cavalry and drive them off.^[1][2] Duke made several spoiling attacks on Harlan's brigade to give his men time to escape across the Rolling Fork. Morgan returned to Tennessee via Bardstown, New Haven and Springfield. He bypassed a Union force at Lebanon on December 30 and burnt a stockade at Tebbs' Bend. The raid ended with his arrival at Smithville, Tennessee, on January 5, 1863.

Morgan's men covered 500 miles (800 km) in the raid, killed or wounded 150 Union soldiers, and captured more than 1,800. He had also caused more than $2 million in damage to Union infrastructure, including the railroad. In return, Morgan suffered losses of just 2 men killed, 24 wounded, and 64 missing. The raid has been described as "arguably Morgan's most successful foray of the war".

Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).