Battle of Mount Sterling
Mount Sterling, Montgomery County, Kentucky
Marker Inscription
Battle of Mt. Sterling. On March 22, 1863, about 300 Confederate cavalrymen under Colonel R. S. Cluke captured this city, taking 438 prisoners, 222 wagon loads of military stores, 500 mules, and 1000 stand of arms. Confederate losses: 8 killed, 13 wounded. Union losses: 4 killed, 10 wounded. Originally dedicated July 4, 1961.
Erected by Kentucky Historical Society
The Story
On March 22, 1863, some 300 Confederate cavalrymen under Colonel R. S. Cluke swept into Mount Sterling and captured the town, taking 438 prisoners along with wagonloads of military stores, hundreds of mules, and a thousand stand of arms. The raid cost each side only a handful of casualties but stripped the Union garrison of its supplies. It was one of the many mounted strikes that made Civil War Kentucky a running contest of cavalry.
Why it matters
Fast raids like this one reveal the guerrilla-and-cavalry character of the war in the border states, where control of towns and supplies shifted almost overnight.
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Related people
- · R. S. Cluke
Related events
- · Battle of Mount Sterling (1863)
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Morgan's Men Here
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The cavalry of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan swept through this part of Clark County during the war's dramatic raids into Kentucky. On his first raid in July 1862, Morgan took Cynthiana but withdrew before superior Union forces, destroying captured arms here before moving on to Richmond. On his last raid in June 1864, his men passed through again after two battles at Mt. Sterling, only to meet defeat at Cynthiana and retreat into Virginia.
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Morgan's Last Kentucky Raid
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