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.

This is really kind of sad. The members of the 7th Kentucky Inc generally come from a Union ancestry with a few Confederate ancestors sprinkled in for flavor. If we have learned anything in our study of the war and the soldiers who fought it it is that the preservation of their memory is critically important no matter what side they served.

Mississippi can't quite seem to get this celebration of Jefferson Davis off the ground. Nobody seems to want to step up and claim him. As a Kentuckian I'm just as proud of Jefferson Davis as I am Abraham Lincoln. I do not believe we can hold Davis as evil or morally deficient. These are men who did what they sincerely believed was the right thing for their people. I happen to disagree with Davis on his tactics.

If we brush Davis off and let him sink into history we are creating a mythical martyr for the extremists and willfully neglecting our duties as historians.

Hat tip Dimitri Rotov

The full article is below.

We are featured in the video for the Shiloh event last year. Check the video below, particularly at 53 second in you will see our National Colors. I think I saw our Captain in there as well..

THANKSGIVING DAY 1863

ABRAHAM LINCOLN
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION
The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they can not fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever-watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom.
No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore if, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the city of Washington, this 3d day of October A.D. 1863, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-eighth.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

I arrived at Camp Nelson Friday afternoon to find most everything already setup. We were quite concerned about the USCT turnout through friday and on into Saturday morning but by the time of the fight we had about 60 military reenactors across all branches. THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is the largest turnout we've ever had.

We had in attendance Harold Oney(Colonel Cundiff), Wayne Fielder(Lieutenant McGuire), Taylor Seehorn(Lieutenant Bowman), Mike Eaton(QM Sgt Cox), Chad Woford, Mike Teeter, Ken Darnell, and Everett Hatton.

Ron Orange came out to support us and we were glad to have him. He served as Lt. Col. Brown from the Adjutant General's Office(more on that later) on Saturday and as a Rifle on Sunday. The Kentucky Calvary Brigade had one calvaryman on the post as well. On such short notice we were THRILLED to have them out. Hope they go home and tell them about our little event...maybe we can infect some more of their people.

The 5th USCT once again made the long trip from the Great Lakes region. I wouldn't know what to do without Clark, Lee, and their lads on the field with us at Camp Nelson. They help us make Camp Nelson what it should be and I look forward to more USCT joining us on the field out there.

The Kentucky Soldier's Aide Society provided meals for all reenactors and, as usual, did an excellent job. We are always thankful and appreciative of their efforts and unwavering support of Camp Nelson.

While there was never any serious actions at Camp Nelson we understand the realities of reenacting. To make any reenactment grow we have to have something that draws spectators and that is the battles. With reenactor turnout low we have to work with what we get and I believe the two skirmishes we had were excellent.

What would Camp Nelson be without some kind of shenanigans however?