EAST LIVERPOOL-East Liverpool attorney Timothy R. Brookes has been fascinated with the Civil War and Morgan’s Raid since he was 6 years old. He can recall as a child seeing massive battle reenactments near Gavers at General John Hunt Morgan’s surrender site during the 100th anniversary of the raid in the 1960s.

Today, as a seasoned Civil War historian, he recalls how wildly inaccurate the reenactments were, considering history shows no shots were fired during Morgan’s surrender. However, the experience no doubt further stoked the fires of curiosity inside the young Brookes and today he is president of the East Liverpool Historical Society, as well as lead coordinator in Columbiana County’s celebration of the 150th anniversary of the raid.

“Morgan’s Raid was the biggest excitement that Ohio had during the Civil War and certainly the biggest excitement for Columbiana County,” said Brookes.

For about the last eight years, the Ohio Historical Society has been working together across the state to rekindle that excitement by establishing Morgan’s route through Ohio as an official Civil War trail, according to Brookes. Similar historic trails have already been established along Morgan’s path through Kentucky and Indiana; however, Ohio has only recently established one of its own.

“Ohio was the last and biggest piece of the puzzle,” said Brookes.

Having become an official Civil War trail, Morgan’s route through Ohio will be marked with 56 informational plaques, displaying facts about the events of the raid which transpired at each particular location. Three such tablets stand in Columbiana County, according to Brookes. One is located at the sight of Morgan’s surrender between Gavers and Westpoint, one in West Grove Cemetery where three Confederate Soldiers are buried, and one near where the Battle of Salineville took place outside of the village.

“It was a huge project and it took a long time and like any other huge project there are lots of delays,” said Brookes. “We’ll be commemorating the 150 Anniversary of the raid, but at the same time celebrating the completion of this project.”

Brookes says many of the activities planned for the 150th anniversary of the raid will focus on Lisbon, which played a major role in the final days and hours of Morgan’s infamous ride. Through cooperation with the Lisbon Historical Society, reenactments in the town square will attempt to recreate the hysteria felt by Lisbon residents in July of 1863.

Brookes hinted at one such scene of panic that may be reenacted. It happened as word of Morgan’s approach reached Lisbon in July of 1863. The county treasurer, sure that the town would be plundered, frantically collected everything of value from the courthouse and hastily fled the town. Brookes says that although the last day of Morgan’s Raid took place on July 26, the reenactments and other festivities will take place on July 28 so as not to disrupt businesses in the square.

Then called New Lisbon, the town was certain, as were many small towns along Morgan’s route, that the raiders had ridden all the way from Tennessee with the express purpose of burning their town to the ground, said Brookes.

“They called out the home guard and militia and had all these amateurs who were armed and dangerous,” said Brookes. “They basically deputized all the men in town to go out and face him.”

This motley band of amateur militiamen rode south toward Gavers to intercept Morgan, but ultimately became unnerved at the prospect of facing a seasoned band of Confederate cavalrymen and disbanded. One of the group’s scouts ended up getting captured and was forced to act as a guide for Morgan. The captured scout, New Lisbon resident John Burbick, ended up riding along with Morgan. This dramatic series of events also will be reenacted, according to Brookes.

Later, when Union cavalry caught up with and cornered Morgan’s force, Morgan surrendered to Burbick in hopes of being paroled as a non-combatant and returned to the south. Morgan’s surrender to Burbick was ignored by the Union force and Morgan and his men were taken capture.

The Historical Society has hired an actor with an uncanny resemblance to John Hunt Morgan who will be on hand at the current monument site to reenact Morgan’s surrender.

“We’re going to try to recreate some of the excitement as it appeared then and have a dedication ceremony at the monument,” said Brookes

Although Lisbon will be a focal point in the Columbiana County Historical Society’s 150th Anniversary celebration, the raid belongs to the whole county and as such events will be hosted at various other locations of historical importance. Indeed many towns, villages, even roads can lay claim to some part of the historic raid.

After Morgan’s surrender, Salineville hosted more than 300 captured Confederate soldiers and several thousand Union regulars before the prisoners were transported to Wellsville the next day. In Wellsville, Morgan was put up in the best, and perhaps only, hotel in town at the time, The Whitaker House. In his increasingly desperate flight from Union troops, Morgan and his men were looking for a ford where they might cross the Ohio River and get out of Ohio. According to Brookes, the most logical spot for him to cross would have been at a ford located next to Babb’s Island near East Liverpool. Of course he never made it, but Brookes wishes he had.

“I always regret that he didn’t make it, it would have made such a great story,” he said.