On the afternoon of July 10, 1863, General Morgan’s men looted Canton stores and confiscated fresh horses before continuing east toward New Philadelphia, crossing the middle fork of the Blue River, and proceeding into Scott County. Approximately eight miles south of here, near Pekin, a small detachment of Confederates was defeated on July 11. Earlier in Kentucky, a unit of 135 cavalrymen from Morgan’s primary force had been detached under Captain William J. Davis to create havoc around Louisville and divert attention from the main body of raiders, then rejoin Morgan at Salem. Northeast of Louisville, Captain Davis’s men attempted to cross the Ohio River at Twelve Mile Island but were captured, wounded, or otherwise scattered. Those who made it into Indiana struggled to join Morgan and reached near Pekin, where all became casualties in a brief skirmish in which one was killed, five were wounded, and 20 were captured.