Corydon, Indiana

The fall colors are quite prettier here in Indiana than in Missouri. This evening we stopped in Corydon, Indiana for the night. It is about 23 miles west of Louisville Kentucky. After supper John and took a walk around the town, initially our purpose was just to see the old capitol building. From 1815-1826 Corydon was the state capitol until it was moved to Indianapolis. This town is rich with history. During the Revolutionary War George Rogers Clark captured this territory from the British and gave it to the United States (Indiana was the nineteenth state to join the union). In the early 1800s William Henry Harrison (our ninth president) purchased the land on which Corydon was later built. He had his daughter Jenny name the town. She picked Corydon because that was a character from the Pastoral Elegy, a favorite hymn of her fathers. In 1863 Corydon was the site of the only Civil War battle in Indiana. Brigadier John Morgan, with his troops called the Confederate Raiders, easily defeated the home town guard (his troops numbered 2,400, the home guard numbered 400 men). After plundering the town he "paroled" the captured 345 men, and left with his troops. It was amazing that we were able to glean the history of this town by reading the historical markers with a tiny flashlight! It was tempting to change our plans and stay another day to take pictures of  the historical buildings here in town, as the capitol building, but we must move on.