News from April 21, 2005 issue

INFORMATION & REGISTRATION
Friday & Saturday at the Gazebo on the courthouse square in downtown Marion. Register for prize drawings, to include a quilted wall hanging by Ella Bontrager.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:
1-800-755-0361 or 270-965-5015
www.marionkentucky.us

Civil War markers now in place
Military action during the Civil War was minimal in Crittenden County, but three noted incidents have placed the county on the new Ohio River Civil War Heritage Corridor. The newly-marked trail highlights six Kentucky counties along the Ohio River, which was a focal point for military activity because of its strategic importance.

Three sites in Crittenden County ­ the Courthouse, Bell's Mines and the Weston bluff ­ are featured along the driving tour, which generally follows U.S. 60 from Henderson to Wickliffe.

The route is another tool to lure tourists to Marion as they visit the three sites and read about the events that unfolded on newly-installed informational markers.

"I think these Civil War signs are a great asset to our county," said local historian Brenda Underdown. "They will help bring awareness to a part of our area history that not much is known about or has been written about and help preserve it for future generations."

Since the tour follows U.S. 60, everyone who visits sites between Wickliffe and Henderson will pass through Marion, which is another positive for the tourism industry.
"It gets people off the interstate where they will see the small towns along the route and any time they do that, we've captured a percentage of the market that would normally stay on the interstate," said Tourism Director Michele Edwards. "Anything that brings people through the area is a chance that they will stop and do business in Marion and see other things we have to offer including the Mineral Museum, our antique shops and restaurants,"

Statistics show that for every $1 spent in tourism, $7 is generated in the form of sales at restaurants, clothing stores, specialty shops or convenience stations, Edwards said.
Crittenden County didn't have any commanding role in the Civil War, but it suffered by being overrun by both Federal and Confederate forces and particularly by raiding parties from Illinois.

While Kentucky remained within the Union and was a "loyal" state, its population was divided in its loyalties. This posed serious problems for Federal troops who had to interact with a population that could be friendly or hostile and often provided cover for Confederate forces.

An article in 1864, the Louisville Daily Journal reported about continued Confederate activity in Crittenden County. "Crittenden County, Ky., is overrun by guerrilla bands, and the people are suffering much from their depredations. Forage has been taken in large quantities, and the finest horses have been stolen from the farmers."

Weston bluff
There is no evidence that Federal garrisons occupied any point in the county, but guerrilla activity was sustained within the county ­ the largest being an attack on a Federal transport troop at Weston in June 1864.
Confederate forces, positioned on the bluff at Weston, fired upon the steamboat Mercury as it passed northward. The Mercury was carrying the 7th Ohio Infantry, which returned fire from the boat. The captain refused to land the boat, citing orders not to do so in Kentucky, so there was no pursuit of the Confederate forces or a larger engagement. The skirmish is noted on the National Register of Historic Places.
In a second incident at Weston in September 1864, 14 Confederate prisoners being transported under guard on the steamboat Colossus, overpowered their guards and forced the boat to shore where they escaped.

Bell's Mines
Bell's Mines was the site of a skirmish between Company C, 56th Kentucky Mounted Infantry under Lt. Thomas W. Metcalfe and a band of 300 guerrillas on July 13, 1864. The guerrillas captured 22 horses and 11 men, with one Union soldier killed. The Bell Mine Company, which reported 130 employees on the 1860 census, was owned by John Bell from Tennessee. Bell served in the U.S. House of Representatives and was secretary of war in the William Henry Harrison and John Tyler administrations. He ran for president in 1860 under the Constitutional Union Party.

Courthouse burning
According to local accounts, the Crittenden County Courthouse was burned by CSA Brigadier Gen. Hylan B. Lyon in January 1865 near the end of the war. Lyon was leading raids into areas of Kentucky which had been overrun by Union forces. Lyon's troops burned a number of Kentucky courthouses being occupied by federal soldiers. It is believed that his forces or others loyal to the Confederate cause torched the courthouse in Marion.
The Livingston County Courthouse is one of few in western Kentucky not burned during the Civil War. It was used by Union officers as headquarters during the occupation of Smithland from September 1861 through July 1865 and was probably better fortified. Five other sites in Livingston County, including Fort Smith, are noted on the Civil War tour.
Historical markers were funded through a T-21 grant to the Kentucky Heritage Council and are now the property of the county. The research, design and manufacturing of the signs was done by Murray State University students.
A detailed report titled, "Caught In The Middle: The Civil War Years on the Lower Ohio River," can be viewed at the Crittenden County Historical Museum on East Bellville Street.