Book Description

Lieutenant Josiah B. Gathright was a member of the Eighth Kentucky Cavalry that participated in Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan's July 1863 Indiana-Ohio Raid. Lieutenant Gathright was part of a diversion force sent toward Louisville by General Morgan in an attempt to conceal the fact that he planned to cross the Ohio River at Brandenburg, Kentucky. After a disaster attempting to cross the Ohio River into Indiana at Twelve Mile Island, Lieutenant Gathright led forty two survivors, who were on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, back to Confederate lines. Lieutenant Gathright describes the journey back to Confederate lines, including an attempted mutiny, and then goes on to describe his activities during the rest of the Civil War. After returning to Confederate service Josiah encountered Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan at Franklin, Tennessee, when General Morgan was on his way to Richmond after escaping from the Ohio Penitentiary. Josiah describes his opinion of General Bragg being a failure as a combat commander and General Bragg's attempts to disband General Morgan's cavalry and turn them into infantry. Using skills he leaned while serving in the army, Josiah started a saddle and harness manufacturing company in Louisville, Kentucky in 1866 which became Harbison and Gathright in 1869 when John B. Harbison joined the company. During the Civil War Josiah helped design the "Morgan" saddle which was very popular in Southern States for many years. Harbison and Gathright was a well known company that over the years had contracts with the U.S. Post Office, U.S. Army and British Army. Josiah was quite an inventor and had a number of patents over the years, including the tabulator key for typewriters. Josiah first married Mary V. Henson, who died in 1870. He then married Emma McGrath in 1874. Emma died in 1924. Josiah was born December 24, 1838 in Ballardsville, Kentucky. He died April 20, 1919 in Louisville, Kentucky. Josiah and his two wives are buried side by side in Cave Hill Cemetery, Louisville, Kentucky.