You know me, I love a field trip. So when I learned that Ohio has a “John Hunt Morgan” heritage trail, and the end point was only a 45 minute drive away, well, you know that #7 and I piled into the care to check it out.

The site is not particularly well marked. If you’re heading east on OH-518, this is the only warning you’re going to get that you’ve arrived. If you’re heading west, you get bupkis.

This is where you’ve actually arrived. The site is just on the side of the road, sandwiched between a private residence and a trucking company. There’s no parking or shoulder, so your best bet is to park at the trucking company and hope no one yells at you. (Thankfully no one yelled at us.)

Fortunately it looks a lot nicer when you’re on the same sign of the road. But this is it. A small fenced-off area with a stone monument marking the spot and little sign with information about Morgan’s campaign and the surrender. It’s worth noting that’s not the original “surrender tree.”

If you can’t read the text on that marker: “This stone marks the spot where the Confederate raider GEN. JOHN H MORGAN surrendered his command to MAJ. GEORGE RUE July 26, 1863 and the farthest point north ever reached by any body of Confederate troops during the Civil War.”

That latter point is debatable… but you’ll hear more about that over the next two episodes.

The whole experience is somewhat underwhelming. I wasn’t expecting a big museum or anything, but this is wildly understated. I imagine there’s more of an impact if you drive the whole length of the trail, but geebs, that’s one hell of a long road trip through some of the most boring parts of Ohio. Who’s going to do that? Not me. I’m nuts, but not that nuts.

(Also, if anyone can explain to me what “heritage” this is celebrating I’d love to hear it.)

Published

September 20, 2024