Berlin Crossroads

Berlin Crossroads (HM21NQ)

Location: Wellston, OH 45692 Jackson County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 4.849', W 82° 32.292'

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Trouble at the Crossroads

—John Hunt Morgan Heritage Trail —

As Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan's Confederate raiders left Jackson on Friday, July 17, 1863, they were in good spirits and singing songs. Although they had burned a mill near Berlin Crossroads, a small town located on the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad, they soon received reports of a large Union force on the heights above this small town.

The force consisted of 1,500 raw and untrained Ross County militiamen, commanded by Union Colonel Ben P. Runkle. They had hurried down from Chillicothe to intercept Morgan, killing a few of the raiders as they approached the crossroads. Morgan brought up his artillery and fired several shots at the militia. After multiple charges by the raiders, the Union force broke and retreated over the hill seeking cover.

Runkle and his men held up Morgan's main column for more than three hours, a delaying action that provided precious time to the pursuing Union cavalry. Around 2 pm, Morgan headed his forces east.

[Photo captions]
Top left: The "undrilled" militia force from Ross County found it difficult to hold their position and, in the words of their commander, "impossible to take the offensive" against their experienced Confederate opponents at Berlin Crossroads.
Bottom left: Battle of Berlin Heights
(1) Union recruits totaling 1,500
under Colonel Benjamin Runkle arrive from Chillicothe during the early morning hours of July 17, 1863, and are in position by 5 am; (2) At 11 am, Confederate Kentucky First Brigade under Colonel Basil Duke arrive with General Morgan accompanying (3) Two Confederate scouts sent into Berlin are shot; (4) Confederate Parrot gun battery shells Union position for nearly an hour; (5) Union troops retreat; (6) Confederate attack at noon; (7) Union withdrawal by 2 pm.

Text: Edd Sharp
Illustration: Bev Kirk

Details

HM Number	HM21NQ
Series	This marker is part of the series
Tags	US Civil War, Railroads and Streetcars
Year Placed	2013
Placed By	He Ohio Department of Transportation, the Ohio History Connection, and the Ohio Civil War Trail Commission
Marker Condition	No reports yet
Date Added	Wednesday, September 13th, 2017 at 7:01pm PDT -07:00

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Locationbig map

UTM (WGS84 Datum)	17S E 366952 N 4326870
Decimal Degrees	39.08081667, -82.53820000
Degrees and Decimal Minutes	N 39° 4.849', W 82° 32.292'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds	39° 4' 50.94" N, 82° 32' 17.52" W
Driving Directions	Google Maps
Area Code(s)	740
Which side of the road?	Marker is on the right when traveling South
Closest Postal Address	At or near 6701-6761 OH-327, Wellston OH 45692, US
Alternative Maps	Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap