Page:American Boy's Life of William McKinley.djvu/85

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OF WILLIAM McKINLEY
59

In the rounding up of Morgan and his daring men the Twenty-third Ohio took an active part. It was led by Colonel Hayes, who was at the head of two regiments and a battery of artillery. There was a small battle one day and a heavy contest the next. The Confederates, knowing it was their last chance, fought with a desperation wonderful to behold and worthy of a better cause. But they could not withstand the galling fire poured into them and at last surrendered as above mentioned.

When the fighting was over, the route taken by the raiders was carefully gone over, and it was found to be literally filled with things first taken and then cast aside because of the hurried flight,—carriages, wagons, rolls of silks, muslins and calicoes, lace goods, gloves, watches and jewelry, all mingled with guns, pistols, parts of uniforms, ammunition, and boxes of provisions. The woods were full of horses and mules, many shot dead or disabled by those who had thus been forced to leave them behind, and even large packages of United States greenbacks were discovered, torn to shreds. Some of the valuables were returned to