Sons of Union Veterans Annual Buffington Island Memorial Service

Portland, Ohio will be the site of the Memorial Ceremony honoring the memory of Ohio’s only Civil War Battle. The ceremony will begin at 11am with the introduction of Tim Graham, Commander of the Ohio Department Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. The ceremony will consist of wreath laying by various veterans organizations. The featured speaker will be Bill Reynolds-Historian, Campus Martius Museum in Marietta, Ohio. Mr. Reynolds topic will be The Role of the Ohio Militia at Buffington Island.

The Battle of Buffington Island was the most significant engagement in what we call Morgan’s Raid. General John Hunt Morgan began his famous ride by hand picking nearly 2,500 Confederate cavalrymen and artillerymen and set off from Sparta, TN. On June11, 1863. Gen Morgan’s intent was to divert forces away from the Rebel armies gathered in the West and interrupt Union communications everywhere he went. He and his men conducted a number of raids and small skirmishes on tows and garrisons in a ride that would take them more that 1000 miles in 46 days. On July 2, 1863 while two great armies were battling in the hills surrounding Gettysburg and another two great armies were engaged at Vicksburg, these raiders entered Kentucky as they headed north towards Louisville. On July 8, Morgan crossed the Ohio River in to Indiana at Brandenbrug, KY near Cincinnati. Along the way these men raided towns, stores and private homes, stole much needed horses to replace their worn out ones and cause great anxiety among the citizens around the state. As he continued north and east across the state, he encountered more and more militia and regular townspeople who began to harass his force and make life difficult. Union Gen. Ambrose Burnside organized Union troops and militia units to prevent Morgan from escaping back to the South. Burnside sent forces under Generals Shackleford, Hobson and Judah in hot pursuit. On July 18, after a long day of fighting with various Meigs county Militias and citizens Morgan arrived at Buffington Island with intention of using the ford back to friendlier territory. Worn out from a hard day of riding and fighting Morgan decided to rest and take on the Militia the next morning which allow Gen Judah’s pursuing forces to catch up to Morgan and the battle began at approximately 6am on July 19, 1863. Fighting rages across the fields along the river for most of the day, but as Morgan began to cross the river, the Union gunboats Moose and Alleghany Belle shelled the Confederates and prevented their crossing. As more Union forces arrived, Morgan was finally surrounded and ordered to surrender. At about 3pm, Gen Shackleford granted Morgan one hour to surrender, but they used that time to fortify their position instead. The battle continued until night fall when, Morgan, along with about 400 men, escaped while the rest of his force surrendered. He again tried to cross the river up between Reedsville & Hockingport, around Belleville but was again turned away by the Union gunboats and cavalry. While some of his men did reach the southern shor, others drown and Morgan was forced to turn north. Union forces continued to pursue Morgan until finally on July 26, he and his men were captured just north of East Liverpool in Columbiana County.

From best estimates, approximately 3,000 Union forces and 1,700 Confederate were engaged and this ended the only battle of the Civil War to take place in Ohio.