"The mountains are calling and I must go."
John Muir
MORGANS CAVE: History, Geology, and Legend
Morgans Cave
The Jeffreys Cliffs Conservation & Recreation Area features a remarkable rock shelter known as Morgans Cave, reputed to be one of the largest of its kind in Kentucky. The cave measures approximately 240 feet in width, 180 feet in height, and 160 feet in depth. Its name is linked to Civil War history, specifically to the southern general, John Hunt Morgan.
Geology of Morgans Cave
Geologically, Morgans Cave and the Jeffreys Cliffs are classified as part of the Caseyville Hills ecoregion. This region consists of Lower Pennsylvanian-Age sedimentary rocks that are predominantly found in the Illinois Basin, which includes western Kentucky, southern Illinois, and southwestern Indiana. The Caseyville Hills region is distinguished by its resistant, thick beds of sandstone and conglomerate, which create prominent cliffs and major escarpments.
The Lower Pennsylvanian rock was formed approximately 323.6 to 299.05 million years ago. The sandstone in this area is notable for being hard, white to light gray, and quartzose, often containing rounded granules and small pebbles of white quartz—characteristics of conglomerate. The rocks of Morgans Cave are composed of thousands of layers of sediment that accumulated on the bottom of an ancient inland sea. Ripple marks, which shaped the rounded knobs of the cliffs, were formed as waves moved swiftly over the rocks during the sea's recession.
General John Hunt Morgan
At the outset of the Civil War in 1861, Kentucky was a southern slave state. However, the state chose not to secede from the Union, resulting in a population divided in its loyalties more than any other state involved in the conflict. John Hunt Morgan, a former soldier who fought in the Mexican War, was a successful businessman from Lexington, Kentucky. He joined the southern cause and recruited troops for the Confederacy, serving as a general officer under Confederate General Braxton Bragg.
The "Great Raid"
General Morgan became legendary for his “Great Raid” in the summer of 1863. During this period, the South faced difficult times, particularly following Union victories at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which lowered southern morale. The South needed a hero, and Morgan was determined to fill that role. With approval from General Bragg, Morgan began a raid from Tennessee into Kentucky, his home state. Participants in the raid included men from Hancock County, Kentucky, and the surrounding area. The raid’s objectives were to distract Union forces from the main Confederate army and to recruit additional soldiers for the South. Although Morgan was ordered not to leave Kentucky or cross the Ohio River, he eventually disregarded these orders. After weeks of raiding in Kentucky, he crossed the Ohio River into Indiana and then Ohio. Ultimately, Morgan and the remnants of his force were captured by Union troops in Ohio before they could retreat south. He and his officers were imprisoned, but they escaped and returned to Confederate territory. Morgan’s popularity grew as a result of his successful incursion into the North, and General Bragg, instead of reprimanding him for disobeying orders, promoted Morgan to command all partisan and irregular forces in Kentucky.
The Legend of Morgans Cave
Local legend suggests that General Morgan and his raiders used the large rock shelter in the cliffs as a rendezvous point and campsite. While this may be partly true, there is no evidence that General John Morgan ever visited Hancock County, Kentucky. Historical records of his raid indicate that he came no closer than Brandenburg, Kentucky, in Meade County, where his raiders crossed the Ohio River in 1863. The name Morgans Cave likely originates from the fact that men associated with Morgan’s raids or those later considered under his command did use the cave and its surroundings as a rendezvous and hideout.
Final Note
General John Hunt Morgan was killed by Union forces in Greenville, Tennessee, on September 4, 1864, while attempting another raid into northern-held territory. That morning, he was surprised by Federal cavalry and shot while trying to get to his horse and escape. He is buried in the Lexington Kentucky Cemetery.
12/1/2025 SLC
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