Tour guide Darryl Smith of Walking with History led the daylong Civil War tour of Augusta, Kentucky.

The group toured the 225-year-old wine cellar at the Baker-Bird Distillery and Winery in Augusta, Kentucky.

Tour bus driver Kevin Murray of Womble Bus Lines just happened to have his bagpipes on the back of the bus, pulling them out to play Amazing Grace at the 1816 Payne Cemetery.

Tour guide Darryl Smith of Walking with History led the daylong Civil War tour of Augusta, Kentucky.

The group toured the 225-year-old wine cellar at the Baker-Bird Distillery and Winery in Augusta, Kentucky.

Tour bus driver Kevin Murray of Womble Bus Lines just happened to have his bagpipes on the back of the bus, pulling them out to play Amazing Grace at the 1816 Payne Cemetery.

Saturday morning in Maysville found us back in the saddle early for the daylong tour in Augusta, Kentucky. Our bus driver was Kevin Murray who sported a Cincinnati Reds baseball cap and a handlebar mustache. He seemed like a cool guy, but he would prove to be a lot cooler as we shall read later in the story.

I always remember when Sam Flora was the commander of Morgan’s Men and he would call out for “boots and saddles” which meant get ready to mount and ride. He quit because only a few of us knew what it meant, and folks would ask him what he was saying.

On the bus I took the second-row window seat, and Sam sat next to me. Sam probably knows more Kentucky and Morgan’s Men history than anyone. I may have the title of Morgan’s Men Association Historian, but Sam knows more than I ever thought about knowing. As we rode along Sam and I didn’t talk about Morgan but of Simon Kenton, who was from the area.

We arrived in Augusta just as the town seemed to be waking up. Augusta is just an incredibly beautiful place. It is one that I want to go back and just hang out. Kentucky’s most famous historian, the late Dr. Thomas Clark, created a list of Kentucky’s Treasures; eleven places of particular historical, cultural, or ecological significance. Augusta is the only city included on this list of “must-see” locations in the Bluegrass State.

Beautifully situated on the banks of the Ohio River, Augusta has been repeatedly recognized for its historical and cultural significance, as well as its 9 miles of unobstructed, outstanding river views. It was awarded “The Most Picturesque Town in Kentucky” by USA Today.

We were here to follow Morgan’s Men who fought a battle here. The Battle of Augusta took place on Sept. 27, 1862, between the Bracken County Home Guard and the Confederate Second Kentucky Cavalry under command of Colonel Basil W. Duke, a brother-in-law of General Morgan.

Darryl Smith of “Walking with History” was our tour guide for the day. When we arrived, there was no bridge across the river, but a ferry stayed busy taking cars and trucks across. It was $7 one-way, and I would ride my car over and back just to say I did.

I had not met Darryl before but knew of him. He recognized Mona from all her work at the Shiloh Battlefield. He is an incredibly talented, knowledgeable historian. River Drive runs along the Ohio River here with a row of the earliest homes along the seven-block stretch. Darryl took us to the end, then we worked our way back with stories of each home, who lived there, and what they were doing at the time of the battle.

He explained that Kentucky was settled mainly by Virginians and that when the war came, their allegiance fell with Virginia, meaning the south. However, they depended on the north for trade and commerce, so that is why Kentucky sought neutrality. Those home guardsman who refused to surrender to Basil Duke were men some loyal to the South, some to the north.

Duke shelled the town from the heights and Union gunboats on the river shelled it, too. When the Confederates started into the town, the gunboats changed from shell to “canister,” grapeshot which turned the big guns into giant shotguns which riddled the town. It’s hard to imagine just how much damage was done to the town by the “friendly” fire.

Along the walk we came to the Rosemary Clooney House, which is now a museum. After a morning of walking the town, we had a catered lunch in the Clooney Community Center which was a church at the time of the Civil War. The Clooney family bought it and restored it to be used as a community center. Across the street is a home used by the Clooney family when they are visiting the town. On the next lot over is a beautiful old African American church the Clooneys bought and plan to restore.

As we finished up the morning tour, and before the group headed back to the community center, Darryl told us about some buildings on the next two streets that we would not have time to visit. As the rest of the group headed back down the street toward lunch and air conditioning, Mona and I trekked off to get photos of those buildings. I told Mona that another block up was a Battle of Augusta historical marker I saw from the bus, so we walked up there and got that, too. We arrived at the center just as the last people had gone through and got their lunches.

Mona and I sat at the table with Darryl, getting to know him a bit better. He was impressed that I was from Greeneville, Tennessee! As he said, “the place.” That’s “the place” where General Morgan was killed. We boarded the bus for more touring with a stop at the Historic Baker-Bird Distillery and Winery. This business was established by a Revolutionary War veteran. The wine cellar is the largest, oldest wine cellar in America, on the National Registry of Historic Places, and the only winery to have survived a Civil War Battle. The cellar is 120 feet long, 40 feet wide and 60 feet tall. We got to tour the cellar, and it was an incredible experience. Many of the town folks sheltered here as the town was being shelled. Today they still store wine in it, but it is also a wedding venue.

Some of our group sampled the bourbon and some sampled the wine. As for me, a teetotaler, well, I felt like I might be getting a sore throat, so I sampled the bourbon. Some of our group paid the $75 for a bottle of bourbon, but not me — I’d never pay that price for a bottle of anything. There may be a $180 bottle of George Washington’s Rye Whiskey in my cabinet, but that’s different.

I asked the nice young Lady what I owed her for the two shots and she said $10. I thought they were free. My good friend Johnathan Jackson and wife Vanessa quickly told me they had me covered! That stuff was good and warmed me all over. My potential sore throat went away, just like magic.

Our next stop was on the hilltop overlooking Augusta where Duke first shelled the town. There is a Civil War memorial there, and soldiers from the Revolution to modern times rest on the grounds. There are eight to nine soldiers here, some of whom were in the battle of Lexington.

Remember the bus driver Kevin who I said was “cool?” Well, this is where he got cooler! He pulled out a bagpipe and started playing “Amazing Grace” as we all bowed in reverence. What bus driver ever just happened to have his bagpipes in the back of the bus? He was not supposed to be our driver but was a last-minute substitute. It was an incredible off-the-cuff moment. One that left you with goosebumps and lifetime memories. Nothing was more memorable than “Amazing Grace” echoing in the hills from bagpipes played by a piper in the Cincinnati Reds cap! Slàinte mhath!

We followed the old roads used by Duke and Morgan’s Men. Going to another cemetery but finding the bus could not fit in there, we headed back toward the hotel after dropping Darryl off back in town.

Remember in the past I mention that Mona and I always jump in the car and retrace the tour route to stop at things and places the bus just passed up? Mona and I automatically headed for the car. Kevin was like a baked turkey, he was done and headed to the room. In the car, Mona and I looked at each other asking in harmony, “Where we going?”

I mentioned the historic markers I saw coming into town and Mona quickly said, “Great we can go to Washington.” That’s Washington as in Washington, Kentucky, a small town and the place where the early arrivals tour was that we had missed. On the way, I asked Mona to show me Rosemary Clooney’s grave at Saint Patrick’s Cemetery in Maysville. It was just a plain, simple stone marker. I did take time to photograph some of the incredible statuary there.

Mona said she had a house she wanted to show me as she directed me down a side street out into farmland. Sitting on a hill was a large colonial home. She said it belonged to a Revolutionary War soldier. I asked if we could drive up to it, and she said no, you’d have to drive through a cornfield. So, I turned off and drove up through the cornfield. When have we ever let a cornfield stop us? The home was in great shape as were the outbuildings. I noticed a cemetery in the field behind the house and drove out there.

The Revolutionary War soldier buried there was Col. Thomas Marshall. He was an organizer of the Culpepper Minute Men during the Revolutionary War and served at Valley Forge under General George Washington. His eldest son was U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall. Since I know a lot of crazy history stuff, I knew that this was an ancestor of Basil Duke, Morgan’s second in command and brother-in-law. Holy Toledo Batman! What an accidental find! Oh, those history mysteries that sometimes just fall in your lap!

Mona and I invaded Washington from the northeast as Mona pointed out all sites of interest including Simon Kenton’s home and the birthplace of General Albert Sydney Johnston.

We next went out along the road where, coming in, I had seen a log church building with a historical marker. Mona told me she wanted to come here too, since the lady at the Johnston birthplace told her his mother was buried here. I made my way toward the church as Mona started looking at stones. I stopped for a second as Mona said she was going to give up, there were just too many stones and not enough time. I asked her who she was looking for and when she told me, I was standing right in front of her looking at her marker. I said, “Mona, right here she is.”

We now had an hour to get back to the hotel, shower, dress and get downtown to the restaurant for our annual banquet. I told Mona that Kevin and I would meet her in the lobby and ride over with her and Kathi in the “duct tape mobile.” A half hour later we were on our way.

We were dining at Caroni’s on the River, an Italian restaurant on Rosemary Clooney Street, outside the flood wall. Who puts a restaurant outside the floodwall? It is beside the Amtrak railroad station and along CSX tracks, overlooking the Ohio River. Fast freight and passenger trains roared by within feet of an adjoining dining room while we were there. Their website says, “Caproni’s has been a longtime favorite of the Clooney family and has hosted a myriad of movie stars and recording artists.” There are framed plates on the walls signed by George Clooney and other stars that have dined there.

After a fantastic buffet dinner in which many of us went back to assure no food was wasted, we were treated to a talk from Dr. Daniel Rolph. He is a retired college professor and author of several Civil War books including “My Brother’s Keeper.” Much of his talk came from this book, which is a good read. He talked about students having changed from wanting to learn, to wanting to know only what they needed to pass the course. He said in the past, students would go out and research, delving into a subject. He said modern students just don’t care.

He addressed the destruction of monuments, talking about the lack of respect for our ancestors and their history. He said the veterans “embraced one another and respected one another,” they were a “brotherhood.”

One story involved a veteran of the 7th Ohio Cavalry who was staying at a hotel in Maysville. He said when the veteran went to pay his bill, he was told there was no charge. This proud veteran had a lapel pin on showing he was a veteran of the 7th Ohio Cavalry. The owner of the hotel explained to him that he was “one of the Morgan’s Men you chased across Ohio.” He told the veteran, “You are always welcome here and there will be no charge.”

We finished up the evening, and while driving in I had spied a Rosemary Clooney historical marker in front of the theater. We went downtown and got some great night shots of the old theater and the fountain in the middle of town.

The next morning, we hung out in the hotel breakfast area for last-minute visits and to say our fond farewells. Mona was heading down to the area we had been the night before to get mural photos. I told her we were heading on back. Big mistake! Mona found statues of Daniel Boone and Simon Kenton there. Next time in the area I will have to visit Maysville in the daylight hours.

Trailing the past with Morgan’s Men is one of those annual special treats we look forward to all year. Kevin and I stopped at the Henry Clay estate, the Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, reenactment, and the KFC Museum in Corbin as we drove back. It had been a weekend of “trailing the past” at its best.

Greene County historian Tim Massey is an award-winning writer for Civil War News with more than 40 photos featured on various magazine covers. He has served on various boards and held positions in several historic organizations. He can be reached at horses319@comcast.net.

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