92 Southern Historical Society Papers.
So we must accept the fact that Morgan's men did not, in the aggregate, inflict a greater damage than $428,168 in their raid through some twenty-five counties of the State. A great deal of this was through such absolute military necessity as is acknowledged as allowable to all armies ; and was similarly done by the Union troops who followed them. Morgan had no supply trains and, in the very nature of the case, had to live off of the country through which he passed; yet every man who gave one of his troops a meal, or provisions, or forage for his horse, presented a claim for it as "Rebel damages."
The men picked fruit from the orchards, "pressed" guns, svv'ords, ammunition, drugs and medicines, and axes and other tools for the use of their pioneer corps — and the same things were done by the Union troops who pursued them. Morgan's men took stamps and cash from post-offices, which were clearly contrabrand of war, being the public property of the United States government.
The largest items of damage done were the destruction of engines, cars, bridges, trestles, boats, etc., and the burning of two railway depots. The Union troops in pursuit of Morgan also destroyed a number of bridges, boats, etc., — all of which is a legitimate part of the game of war, especially in an enemy's country, and can not properly be called looting. Many people put in claims for the expense of 'keeping horses that Morgan's men left behind them when they took fresh ones ; and many others who followed up the flying column and recovered theit norses when they were abandoned for still other fresh ones, put in claims for the expenses incurred in the recovery.
Now, all the items enumerated above aggregated a great sum of money and reduces that $428,168 very considerably, leaving only a moderate amount of it to be charged to looting pure and simple.
The report of the commission shows that (aside from horses) the only live-stock Morgan appropriated in Ohio was 43 sheep in Clermont county, valued at $215, and 3 sheep in Meigs county, valued at $9. When Sherman made his great march
