The old gentleman gave me some encouragement by saying he thought he could get the horse. I told him he should have fifty dollars upon delivering the horse to me, and he at once started in search of him, while I went up on the side of the mountain; spread my blanket and went to sleep.
The old man returned in the evening without the horse. I procured a guide and set by a foot-path over the mountains, traveling all night, reaching London, Ky., twenty-four hours in advance of the command. The column coming up, we continued our march until reaching Lancaster, on the 1st day of July, being twenty days out.
The men suffered greatly for want of sleep and from the swelling of their limbs, caused by constant riding.
In two instances where men fell asleep in the center of the column, everything in the rear of them was halted, and they also fell asleep and remained so an hour or two.
The regiment during this time was actively engaged in picketing and scouting the country along the Cumberland river, and on one or two occasions went into Tennessee to divert General Pegram’s attention from the “raiders.”
About this time, John Morgan invaded the State of Kentucky, on his grand raid through Indiana and Ohio.
The regiment, under its Colonel, joined in the pursuit, following him to the Ohio river at Brandenburg, crossing over into Indiana, and following him in his circuitous route through the States of Indiana and Ohio, and participating in the fight at Buffington’s Island, July 20th, 1863.
In the meantime the detachment of the 7th that was on the Sander’s raid, were at Camp Nelson refitting.
Information being received that two companies of Morgan’s command which had been recruited in the vicinity of Harrodsburg, Ky., (numbering one hundred and ten men) had been cut off from the main command and were scattered about over the country, staying with their friends, and owing to Capt. Rankin’s knowledge of that part of the State, he was ordered to take what men he could arm and equip and proceed there at once.
Taking twenty-six of his own company, they in a period of ten days, captured eighty-four of that number, including two officers.