Tonight while looking for information on Confederate General Humphrey Marshall I stumbled across an old series of books called _The Rebellion Record_. One of the sections of one of the books contains poetry from the time. This is one of pieces originally published in the Louisville Journal on June 21, 1862.

Also, if anyone is interested, you can find this volume of the The Rebellion Record here.



WAR SONG
Dedicated to the Kentucky State Guard

Cheer, boys, cheer, we'll march away to battle;
Cheer, boys, cheer, for our sweethearts and our wives;
Cheer, boys, cheer, we'll nobly do our duty,
And give to Kentucky our hearts, our arms, our lives.

Bring forth the flag Kentucky's noble standard;
Wave it on high till the winds shake each fold;
Proudly it floats, nobly waving in the vanguard -
Then cheer, boys, cheer, with a lusty, long, bold shout.

Cheer boys cheer &c

But though we march with heads all lowly bending,
Let us implore a blessing from on high,
Our cause is just, the right from wrong defending;
And the God of Battles will listen to our cry.

Cheer boys cheer &c

Though to our homes we never may return-
Ne'er press again our loved ones in our arms,
O'er our lone graves their faithful hearts will mourn;
Then cheer up, boys, cheer, such death hath no alarms.

Cheer boys cheer &c

Louisville Journal June 21

I went back over some of the other information I had on the Stivers/Cundiff incident. Reading through the Henry Lucas entry in the Dickey Diaries I read this paragraph: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~kyclay2/diary/dd/hlucas.html

I was an overseer for the White's, have known them all well. They were great money makers. I worked for James and Daughtery White. My stepfather Pierce Cottingim used to steer salt boats. I never did. My grandfather Richard Lucas was a man of great physical power. He was a drummer in the militia. A man named Butts from Tennessee, rode 400 miles to whip him. He rode up to grandfather's saddler shop and called, "Does drummer Lucas live here?" Yes sir. Well, I live in Tennessee, 400 miles from here, and I have come to whip you. What have I done to you? Oh nothing, I am the bully of Tennessee and I understanf that you are the bully of Kentucky, and if I whip you, I will be the bully of the world. Well, do you wanna fight now, or can it wait til morning? Get down and go in. I keep a motel and it shall cost you nothing. No, I won't whip a man and live off him too. Well, it may not turn out that way, said grandfather. He went to another motel. The next morning they fought after the manner of times and grandfather was victorious. The Tennessean seemed perfectly satisfied and returned to his home. My grandfather afterwards joined a Methodist Church. He was a big hearted hospitable man. My Materal Grandfather was John Cundiff. My father died when I was 6 years old, it was about 1828. Grandfather Cundiff was a loyal friend, he would do anything in his power for his friend, was a great power of elections. My Uncle John Cundiff killed Eli Bowlin.
Bowlin was a bully, a man of great power. He led my uncle to, Old Bill Duncil's house, where ol Molly Henson lived. They had a quarell about the woman. Bowling kicked my uncle, a small man. He went away and came back with a dirt knife. He called Bowlin to the door and plunge it in to him. He died in a few minutes. My Uncle left the country and never returned. Uncle Sam Lucas took his wife to him. Eli Bowlin was a bad man. His son, James Bowling was hunting for Uncle John when he met my grandfather Cundiff. "Jim put that gun down", we have gotton rid of 2 bad men and let the matter stop. The Cundiff's of Breathitt are of the same stock.

My Uncle left the country and never returned. Uncle Sam Lucas took his wife to him. Eli Bowlin was a bad man. His son, James Bowling was hunting for Uncle John when he met my grandfather Cundiff. "Jim put that gun down", we have gotton rid of 2bad men and let the matter stop. The Cundiff's of Breathitt are of the same stock.

David Walker was the bully of Clay County when I was a young man and my uncle James Cundiff was almost equal. James Cundiff was killed by Lewis Stivers, son of Reverend George Stivers. I think Stivers was insane. He wanted to kill General Garrard. He was a soldier in Colonel Lucas' company, when he killed Cundiff. They were camped at Manchester. Cundiff was in the same Company. Stivers was court marshalled and shot. Every ball took affect. General George Morgan was in command. There were 12 soldiers, 6 guns loaded. I came into town a few minutes after he was shot.

During the first week of the retreat from Cumberland Gap there was an incident at Manchester that has been shrouded in some mystery until today.

We have known that Private Lewis Stivers of Company B was executed at Manchester for shooting another soldier, Private James Cundiff, but we didn't know the details. Yesterday we recieved in the mail from Jim Hoffman at University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign the diary of David Dudley Carlton, 42nd Ohio, DeCourcy's Brigade. Mr. Carlton's account of the execution provides some excellent details of the execution of Lewis Stivers:

Items in the brackets [ ] are notes I've made into the text so you know who we are talking about. Spelling is as it appears in the original.
**********************************************************
Sept 21
To day is Sunday and I have witnessed a sein which I hope never to see again. It was the execution of a man who had been sentenced to be shot for shooting one of his comrades. The particulars as near as I can

pg 90
learn are these. Co B of the [3rd later known as 7th] Ky ware out guarding a steam grist mill. And several of them ware playing cards and being more or less under the influence of liquor got into a dispute when one of them [Lewis Stivers] said he would fix & turned & went to the mill (which was about 20 rods) got his gun, loaded it, then went back and told the other one [James Cundiff] to look out for he was going to shoot him. (I have forgot his name) and instantly fired. The ball passed through his right hip & came out just above the left one causing almost instant death. He then swor he would shoot the rest of the crowd but they run before he got his gun loaded. He the left but was soon captured & confined in jail until he could have his trial which he had yesterday & was sentenced to be publicly shot today at 5OC.

pg91
About 3OC the crowd began to assemble at & around the jail and at 5 minutes before 6OC the jailor was seen to mount the stairs and lead forth the culprit (who was a man about 50 years of age) and placed him in a file of soldiers and marched him off to a field of death. He marched up to his grave accompanied by the band playing the Death's March. His eyes was then blinded and made to kneel on his coffin. The executioners (12 in no) were stationed about 15 yds from the coffin. Then the command READY was given by Lieutenant Ross of the 16th OV then AIM. Look at the man kneeling on his coffin with his eyes blinded & grave behind him in which his form will soon be laying, what must be his feelings as he kneels (more like a stone than human being) and hears the command READY

pg92
AIM. But not a muscle moved. Then comes the last word he ever heard on this earth FIRE. 9 of 12 instantly fired (3 being held in reserve) the victim realed for an instant then fell forward dead. Pieced by 6 balls. I turned from the sean & with the crowd left the place hoping that I never should again witness such a scene.
**********************************************************

Welp, the guys left for Gettysburg this morning. The At High Tide event is the second Western Brigade event of the year and should be a good time for everyone.

Here's hoping they have a safe and healthy trip.

We are seeking out first hand accounts of George Morgan's evacuation and retreat from Cumberland Gap in September of 1862. Diaries, journals, memoirs, or letters from any soldier in the operation would be greatly appreciated. Here was the organization of Morgan's command during the retreat:

24th Brigade - Brig. Gen. Samuel P. Carter
49th Indiana-Lt. Col. James Keigwin
7th Kentucky-Col. T.T.Garrard
1st Tennessee- Col. Robert K. Byrd
2nd Tennessee- Col. James P.T. Carter

25th Brigade - Brig. Gen. James G. Spears
3rd Tennessee- Col. Leonidas C. Houk
4th Tennessee- Col. Robert Johnson
5th Tennessee- Col. James T. Shelly
6th Tennessee- Col. Joseph A. Cooper

26th Brigade - Col. John F. DeCourcy
22nd Kentucky- Col. Daniel W. Lindsey
16th Ohio- Lt. Col. George W. Bailey
42nd Ohio- Col. Lionel A. Sheldon

27th Brigade - Brig. Gen. Absalom Baird
33rd Indiana- Col. John Coburn
14th Kentucky- Col. John Cochran
19th Kentucky- Col. William J. Landrum

Artillery - Capt. Jacob T. Foster
7th Michigan- Capt. Charles H. Lamphere
9th Ohio- Lt. Leonard P. Barrows
1st Wisconsin- Lt. John D. Anderson
Siege Battery- Lt. Daniel Webster

Cavalry
Kentucky Battion-Lt. Col. Reuben Munday

Kentucky Engineers
Capt. William F. Patterson

If you know of or have any first hand accounts from soldiers in any of these outfits please let us know by following the "Contact Us" link on the left or just click here.