Battle of Pogue's Run
| Battle of Pogue's Run | |||||
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| Part of the American Civil War | |||||
 Site of the so-called "battle" in modern-day Indianapolis. |
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Coordinates: 36°46′16.75″N 86°8′25.04″W / 36.7713194°N 86.1402889°W
The Battle of Pogue's Run took place in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 20, 1863. It was believed that many of the delegates to the Democrat state convention had firearms, in the hope of inciting a rebellion. Union soldiers entered the hall that the convention took place, and found personal weapons on many of the delegates. Afterwards, Union soldiers stopped trains that held delegates, causing many of the delegates to throw weapons into Pogue's Run, giving the event its name.
Indiana governor Oliver Morton, a Republican, heard that the Knights of the Golden Circle were planning to overthrow the Indiana government during the Democratic State Convention. He had placed Union troops at the convention specifically to intimidate the delegates to the convention.
About four o'clock in the afternoon, while Thomas A. Hendricks was speaking at the Democrat state convention, of which there were 10,000 participants, some eight or ten soldiers with bayonets fixed and rifles cocked entered the crowd and advanced slowly toward the stand, causing a great uproar. The multitude scattered in every direction. A high fence on the east side of the state-house square was pushed down by the rushing crowd. A squad of cavalry galloped along Tennessee street adding to the tumult. The soldiers who were moving towards the stand were ordered to halt by Colonel Coburn, who had been guarding the quartermaster's stores north of the State-house, but who came out when he heard the disturbance. He asked what they were doing. They said they were "going for Tom Hendricks," that he had said too much, and they intended to kill him. Coburn expostulated with them and they desisted. There was much confusion on the stand. Hendricks closed his remarks prematurely, suggesting that the resolutions be read and the meeting dismissed. The resolutions declared that the Federal government had two wars upon its hands, one against the rebels and one against the constitution. The Republicans in the late legislature, who had broken the quorum, were denounced, and it was declared that the Governor could not clear himself from complicity, except by taking steps to prevent repudiation.
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