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Show • • • In the following month, on Maroh 20, 1863, t he 123rd saw serious action bt Vaught's Hill near Milt on, Tennes see and where the Gorilla Confederate General John H. Morgan and his ter rible men were driven f rom the f ield . At Vaught's Hill the Union force consisted of the 123rd REgiment of Illinois, the l05th Ohio Regiment, the lOlst Indiana Hegiment, t he lst Tennessee Cavalry and t he 9th I ndiana Bc1t tery. Thi s f orce was pitted against Mor gan' s Conf ederate Cavalry. ~he battle was short but decisive and when the contest was over 55 Union soldiers la;y dead or dying and 363 men were t he Confederate casualties · with the Rebels in full retreat. ~ Then weeks and months went by. The 123rd 11\Jas constantly on "' scouting expedi tions , but plans for a general army movement had not been consurriated and would not be until t he l atter part of spring on Jr.ne 24, 1863 . I n the meanwhile, on May 6, 1863 , t he Regiment was assigned to Wilber 1 s Br igade , Reynold' s Division of the 14th Corps and was mounted snd armed with new s pencer rifles, IJreech l oading seven shooters. Then, f or the following month and more, the Regiment :as on s couting duty . Everywhere his Regiment ,~~ ent, John Mor gan was with it and fully parti:- cipating in its every activity. When J· ·_ne 24 arrived)and at long lr..,et) the Army as a whole was CWr.,<PI/ on the move. ,. J ohn Morgan was happy . He wanted to match arms with the Rebels and have the issue decided . He then was and throughout his whole life a man of action- -fear less and determined and restless when delayed in his progress. Armed now with their new rifles, mounted on their cavalry horses, the boys of t he,now, l 23rd Mounted Infantry rode forth with the color bearer riding ahead and the flag of the Regiment waving in the morning bree ze. |
