March 7, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
A volume entitled ‘West Point and Political Generals,’ soon to be issued by a Southern publishing house, gives a brief summary of the exploits of MORGAN, the great Kentucky Partisan. They border on the marvellous, yet they are strictly authentic. He began with a small body of horse, which he raised himself, and during his career has brought from within the lines of the enemy, and turned over to the Confederate service, nearly 5000 men. He has generally been at the head of less than 1000 men – in his famous raid on Kentucky he started with 875, and returned with 1200. He has within two years fought more than fifty battles – and killed or wounded more than six thousand of the enemy, and has made upwards of fourteen thousand prisoners. His expeditions have always been of the most daring description; yet he has never, but on two occasions, been forced to fight when he did not wish it. Many of his battles have been of the most desperate character, and he has been uniformly victorious. He has frequently operated hundreds of miles from support, in the midst of overwhelming bodies of the enemy, whose strength was greatly enhanced by the possession of railroads and telegraphs, stretching around him like a web, and almost indefinitely facilitating their power of concentration, while in the same degree, it complicated the dangers of his situation. The sagacity with which he has always been enabled to pluck triumph from the very jaws of these multiplied dangers, indicates the military genius of the highest grade.
The following is a summary of MORGAN’S exploits in the six months beginning 4th July, 1862, and ending 4th January, 1863: Between 12,000 and 15,000 prisoners and 18,000 stand of arms, captured; and $9,500,000 worth of stores, destroyed; 4,695 men raised within the enemy’s lines, and armed and equipped by himself, he having received but 200 saddles from the Government.