as that waged by the loyal Unionists against the Southern insurgents in
the American Republic, and never have the divisions of military forces
stretched over so wide a field of operations. While the Army of the
Potomac was fighting in Virginia, the struggle of loyalty and treason
was going on in Kentucky. The masses of the people there were in favor
of the Union; but their feeling was so cold, and had been operated on so
strongly by Secession-sympathizing slaveholders, that as a body, they
desired to remain simply neutral. The Governor of Kentucky, Beriah
Magoffin, adopted a position of strict neutrality, and in accordance
with this unpatriotic spirit, the slaveholding Senate of the State
passed a decree that the State “will not sever her relations with the
National Government, nor take up arms for either belligerent party.” At
the same time, while refusing to lend the National cause any assistance,
the slaveholding aristocracy of Kentucky entreated the people of the
loyal North to yield to the rebels and win them back by amending the
Constitution, in such a way as to make it a bulwark of negro slavery.
But all this manœuvering was finally terminated, and the men of Kentucky
were driven either to the protection of the national flag, or to the
camps of the rebels. The battles before Richmond, Virginia, having paved
the way for a general rebel advance, the enemy resolved on an effort to
transfer the field of battle to northern soil; and it was in pursuance
of this plan that General Lee had invaded Pennsylvania; but having been
signally repulsed, he had, as we have seen, been obliged to abandon the
attempt.
Early in June guerrilla operations became troublesome in some of the
lower counties of Kentucky. At Madisonville, in Hopkins county, a
descent was made by a small body of them at night. The county clerk’s
office was broken open and the records of the court carried off or
destroyed. In other places horses and other property were taken. Their
own friends, equally with Union citizens, were robbed. In Jessamine,
Mercer, Boyle, and Garrard counties bridges over the streams were
burned. On the 5th of July Lebanon was taken. It is at the termination
of the Lebanon branch of the Louisville and Nashville road. About the
same time Murfreesboro’, in Tennessee, was captured by a strong
guerrilla force under Colonel Forrest. Vigorous opposition was, however,
made by the small body of Federal troops stationed there. The Ninth
Michigan regiment, however, was captured entirely by surprise, with
Brigadier-Generals Duffield and Crittenden, of Indiana.
At about this time the rebel Generals Bragg, Smith, Kirby and Van Dorn,
had combined to invade Kentucky, their object being to capture
Louisville, and then push forward and take possession of Cincinnati. It
was the prosecution of this movement that led to the battles of
Richmond, Tazewell, Mumfordsville, Perryville, Iuka, and Corinth. In
name, as we have seen, the State of Kentucky was still attached to the
Union. She had contributed her full quota to the national army, and her
whole territory was unoccupied by Confederate forces; but the State was
full of guerrilla bands, which, under cover of serving the rebels,
plundered in all directions, on their own account. The chief of these
guerrilla marauders, John Morgan, with his gang, took possession of the
town of Lebanon, on the 12th of July, 1862. His troops continually
increased till at last with a large force he advanced upon Cynthiana,
which he attacked on the 18th. There a home guard of three hundred and
forty men, entirely undisciplined, made a desperate resistance, and were
not overpowered till they had slaughtered many of the rebel invaders.
This little band of patriots was commanded by Colonel J. J. Landrum,
whose coolness and bravery deserves every commendation.
A series of guerrilla attacks now succeeded each other, giving
indications of hostile movements of a more serious character.
About the middle of August, it was reported that Frankfort, the State
capital, was in danger from the approach of Morgan, and that the rebel
General E. Kirby Smith was advancing with a well organized force, into
Kentucky, from Knoxville, Tennessee.
Morgan’s force was subsequently overtaken near Paris, by General Green
C. Smith, and defeated. About the same time Henderson was occupied by
citizens from Kentucky and other States, acting the part of guerrillas,
and the hospital and other stores carried off. Farther to the north,
Newburg, in Indiana, on the Ohio river, was occupied by a band from
Kentucky. They soon, however, left. The activity of the bands under
Colonel Morgan produced a great excitement in the interior of the State.
Many towns were visited and much plunder obtained. It had been his
conviction that large numbers of the citizens would flock to his
standard. In this he was greatly mistaken, and the indifference and
hostility of the people, together with the preparations to resist him,
checked his movements. Active operations continued in Tennessee, whither
Colonel Morgan retired. Clarksville was captured with large military
stores, and about the 22nd of August a considerable body of Confederate
cavalry attacked the Federal force at Gallatin, and after a severe
contest repulsed the latter.
At the same time, Governor James F. Robinson, who had succeeded
Magoffin, appealed to the people in a stirring proclamation, dated
August 31st, to rally in defence of the State, against the rebel
invaders. His language is that of a whole-souled patriot.
“I appeal to you as Kentuckians, as worthy sons of those who rescued the
dark and bloody ground from savage barbarity, by the memories of the
past of your history, and by the future of your fame, if you are but
true to yourselves, to rise in the majesty of your strength and drive
the insolent invaders of your soil from your midst. Now is the time for
Kentuckians to defend themselves. Each man must constitute himself a
soldier, arm himself as best he can, and meet the foe at every step of
his advance. The day and the hour, the safety of your homes and
firesides, patriotism and duty, alike demand that you rush to the
rescue. I call upon the people, then, to rise up as one man, and strike
a blow for the defence of their native land, their property, and their
homes. Rally to the standard, wherever it may be nearest, place
yourselves under the commanders, obey orders, trust to your own right
arm and the God of battle, and the foe will be driven back, discomfited
and annihilated. To arms! to arms!! and never lay them down till the
stars and stripes float in triumph throughout Kentucky. I but perform my
duty in thus summoning you to the defence of your State, and I am
assured that it will be promptly responded to. I promise that I will
share with you the glory of the triumph which surely awaits you.”
Cumberland Gap, Tenn., was at this time in possession of the national
troops, under command of General G. W. Morgan; and an attack of the
rebels was made to drive General Morgan from his position; but, being
fiercely repulsed by his advance at Tazewell, they turned toward the
west, and proceeded over a difficult mountain road to a point known as
Big Creek Gap. On the 9th of August, Governor Johnson, of Tennessee,
received intelligence of this rebel invasion. Preparations were at once
made, to withstand these combined armies. The United States government
had no troops to spare for the defence of Kentucky, save undisciplined
recruits, raised under the President’s call for three hundred thousand
men, made on the first of July. Pope’s campaign was at this moment in
progress. Altogether, the time was full of danger, and trouble, and
doubt. Happily Governor Tod of Ohio, and Morton, of Indiana, were loyal
and energetic men, and to their efforts at this juncture the State of
Kentucky was mainly indebted for protection against her foes and the
foes of the nation. Troops were immediately despatched into Kentucky
from those States. General Boyle was in command at Louisville. General
Wallace, volunteering to serve in the capacity of a Colonel, was put in
command at Lexington, which point was directly fortified. J. J.
Crittenden, Leslie Coombs, and Garrett Davis, assuming positions on
General Wallace’s staff, rendered valuable aid, through their large
popularity and influence, in bringing in recruits. General Wallace also
organized a regiment of negroes, and employed them on the
fortifications. All the while the rebels were steadily advancing. Before
the armies met, however, General Wallace had been relieved of his
command.
Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and eastern Kentucky were
organized into a military district, entitled the Department of the Ohio,
General U. S. Wright being appointed to its chief command, and
Major-General Nelson transferred to the command of the Army of Kentucky.
The latter officer adopted tactics very different from those of his
predecessor, and, as events presently demonstrated, far less prudent.
Casting aside the spade, he at once advanced beyond his intrenchments,
to meet the enemy and give him battle. The result was a defeat at the
BATTLE OF RICHMOND, KY.
AUGUST 30, 1862.
Richmond, Kentucky, is a small village south of the Kentucky river,
southeast of Frankfort, and about twenty-five miles from Lexington.
Richmond is the capital of Madison county, situated about fifty miles
south-southeast of Frankfort, the capital of the State. The Federal
force there consisted of one Ohio regiment, five Indiana regiments and
part of a sixth, two Kentucky regiments, all raw troops, and a squadron
of Kentucky cavalry, under the command of Brigadier-Generals Mahlon D.
Manson and Crufts, with nine field-pieces, making in all six thousand
five hundred men. The number of the enemy’s forces, known to be in
front, could not be ascertained. Information was brought to General
Manson, Friday, August 29th, that the enemy were approaching in large
force. General Manson at once sent a dispatch to Colonel Munday,
commanding a small detachment of cavalry in the neighborhood of
Kingston, directing him to hold the enemy in check; and, if possible to
ascertain his strength and position. The first brigade was then ordered
to stand to arms, and hold themselves in readiness to act at a moment’s
notice.
Four additional companies were sent forward, to strengthen the pickets
at the fort of Big Hill, under command of Lieutenant-Colonel Wolfe, of
the Sixteenth Indiana.
At two o’clock, General Manson received intelligence that the infantry
picket, the cavalry of Lieutenant-Colonel Munday, and a similar force
under command of Colonel Metcalf, were retreating with all speed toward
the camps, hard pressed by a rebel force numbering four or five thousand
men. Without loss of time, General Manson ordered out the First brigade,
consisting of the Fifteenth, Fifty-fifth, Sixty-ninth and Seventy-first
Indiana regiments; and the artillery under command of Lieutenant
Lamphere. After an advance of three-quarters of a mile, General Manson
descried a heavy column of rebel cavalry, hardly a mile east of the
road, and ordered a section of the artillery into position, to fire upon
the enemy. The firing was commenced with such excellent effect, as to
scatter the enemy in every direction. General Manson then continued his
advance, bivouacking for the night at Rogersville.
On the morning of the 30th he met the enemy. By this movement he had
placed a distance of four miles between himself and General Cruft’s
brigade. The din of battle at once began, Kirby Smith attacking the
National troops, with the whole rebel force. General Cruft, hearing the
cannonading, moved to General Manson’s support, without waiting for
orders; and found the battle already raging with fierceness and fury.
The new troops were hastily formed in line, under heavy fire, and they
fought bravely, against a foe of almost double their own numbers. But
the slight confusion of forming them into line had already been taken
advantage of by the enemy, who pressed forward in heavy force, and
outflanked the Union troops, by gaining the cover of a large corn-field
and the woods; and making a dash upon the left wing, it gave way, and
fell back in the utmost confusion. General Manson had maintained his
position for upward of three hours; and the artillery had kept up an
almost unceasing fire. The Sixteenth, Fifty-fifth, Sixty-ninth, and
Seventy-first Indiana regiments, under command of, respectively, Colonel
Lucas, Colonel Mahan, Lieutenant-Colonel Korff, and Lieutenant-Colonel
Topping, occupied prominent positions during the engagement, and were
constantly exposed to the enemy’s fire. As the rout of the Union forces
became general, three regiments of General Cruft’s brigade, with the
Eighteenth Kentucky, Colonel Warner, in advance, came up, and made a
determined and desperate effort to check the advancing enemy. For twenty
minutes they contended manfully with an overpowering rebel force, but
were at last obliged to fall back before overwhelming numbers. But the
Union forces were not yet defeated; they retreated about three-quarters
of a mile, and once more formed into line of battle. General Cruft’s
brigade was ordered to the right, to take position on an elevated part
of the ground; two regiments were placed on the extreme right, within
cover of a piece of wood; and two behind a fence, fronting a field of
corn. The First brigade was placed on the left of the road, and formed
in line behind fences. The rebels, secure in numbers, and triumphant
from recent victory, came dashing forward exultantly and with loud
cheers, and threw themselves upon the left flank of General Manson’s
little army. This movement occasioned an immediate change of front; in
the attempt to effect it the Union troops were again thrown into
confusion, and completely routed. General Manson and General Cruft rode
forward, and made a last effort to rally the scattered remnants of their
twice defeated troops; and General Nelson at this moment coming up, a
third time the line was formed, under the combined efforts of these
officers: but the day was against the Union soldiers. After a short,
sharp contest, lasting but a few minutes, the patriot line was repulsed,
defeated, and scattered in confusion. The archives of the State and
about one million of treasure from the banks of Richmond, Lexington, and
Frankfort were transferred during the night to Louisville.
The increase of guerrilla operations in Kentucky about the 1st of
September, with the manifestations of the existence of a Confederate
force, indicated some hostile movements. It was soon known that the
Confederate General E. Kirby Smith was approaching from Knoxville in
Tennessee. On the 22d of August he left Jacksborough with a train of one
hundred and fifty wagons, and passed through Big Creek Gap. So difficult
were some parts of the route in Tennessee that for two or three days the
rear of the trains was only able to reach at night the point from which
the advance started in the morning. Rations failed, and the men were
obliged for several days to subsist on green corn. Hungry, thirsty,
footsore, and choking with dust, his men marched steadily on to a land
of plenty. The ordnance stores were brought safely through without the
loss of a wagon.
There was now no obstacle in the way of the rebel advance. On the 2nd of
September, General Kirby Smith led his victorious followers into
Lexington, and on the 6th he took possession of Frankfort. His
successes, of course, occasioned great consternation, but they did not
paralyze the preparations of the Unionists, to resist his advance and
drive him back. General Nelson had withdrawn to Louisville. General
Wallace was once more called into active service and put in command at
Cincinnati. Both these points were liable to attack, and both
accordingly were as strongly fortified as time and circumstances would
permit. The prompt and effective action of General Wallace, at this
time, was mainly instrumental in stemming the tide of invasion. Troops
flocked to his standard, from all directions. Confidence was restored.
The rebels under Kirby Smith reconnoitred Cincinnati, but found it too
strong for attack, and after a brief time, slowly and sullenly withdrew.
BRAGG’S INVASION—BATTLE OF MUNFORDSVILLE, KY.
SEPTEMBER 14–16, 1862.
The advance of the rebels under General Bragg, into the State of
Kentucky, commenced shortly after that of Kirby Smith. General Bragg had
been opposed by General Buell, in Tennessee. But, slipping away from the
Union commander—never a very active officer—General Bragg had, on the
23rd of July, surprised and captured Murfreesboro, and had then passed
around Nashville, and pushed on into Kentucky, intending to cooperate
with Kirby Smith. How the latter fared we have seen. Our attention is
now due the operations of the former. That he was immediately followed
by General Buell, may be premised.
On the 13th of September the rebel advance reached Munfordsville, where
it was met by Colonel J. T. Wilder. Again the Sabbath sun looked down on
one of the fearful contests of this dreadful war; and it may here be
mentioned, how frequent during the war for the Union, battles of great
moment to the country were fought upon the Sabbath day. With the first
light of Sunday morning, the advance of Bragg’s army, under General
Chalmers, made a fierce attack on Munfordsville. The rebels had
conceived an idea that the Federals had fled, and came rushing on to
what they anticipated as certain victory, when the patriots, making no
sign till the enemy was close upon them, opened a sudden and furious
fire from their well-aimed guns. Utterly confounded, the rebels reeled
back before the unlooked-for shower of death, and fled to the woods in
great confusion. A similarly fierce attack had been made on the right,
while the above was made on the left; and under the dreadful fire of the
rebels, the Union flag was pierced with one hundred and forty bullets.
The enemy was completely repulsed, and, at a little before ten, they
ceased firing. No more fighting ensued during that day. In the mean
time, a reinforcement of six companies had been sent to Colonel Wilder;
and dispatches for more had been sent to Louisville and Bowling Green.
But Louisville was in great trouble, and could spare no troops; and for
reasons utterly inexplicable, General Buell did not send any assistance,
though his entire army was stationed at Bowling Green. On Monday the
battle was renewed fiercely, and kept up during the day. Evening came,
and with it General Bragg and the bulk of his army.
On Wednesday morning, the place was surrendered by Colonel C. L. Dunham,
who had arrived with his regiment, and then had command. The troops
surrendered consisted of the Seventeenth, Sixtieth, Sixty-seventh,
Sixty-eighth, Sixty-ninth Indiana, a company of Louisville cavalry, a
part of the Fourth Ohio, and a section of the Thirteenth Indiana
battery; amounting in all to about four thousand five hundred men, and
ten guns. Both officers and men were at once paroled. General Bragg,
unmolested by General Buell, continued his march northward, and before
reaching Louisville, turned his troops toward the centre of Kentucky.
General Buell marched straight to Louisville, where, having encamped, he
left Bragg in the heart of the State, to despoil it, and pick up
everything in the way of supplies that could in the future be of value
to him.
BATTLE OF PERRYVILLE, KY.
OCTOBER 8, 1862.
After a long period of extraordinary inaction, and after General Bragg
had commenced his retreat from Kentucky, General Buell suddenly roused
to the necessity of doing something, and moved from Louisville. His army
was divided into three corps: the first, under command of Major-General
A. McDowell McCook; the second under Major-General Crittenden; the third
under Major-General Gilbert. Major-General Thomas being second in
command, moved with the second corps; and General Buell himself with the
third.
The army advanced in pursuit of the enemy, and it was thought that the
rebels would concentrate at Danville—but instead of doing so, finding
themselves hard pressed, they made a stand at Perryville; where on the
evening of the 7th they stubbornly resisted General Buell’s advance.
This point became the field of a bloody battle, which took its name from
the spot on which it was fought. General McCook did not receive orders
to march to Perryville, till three hours after midnight; and though his
troops began to advance before dawn they did not reach the battle-field
till ten o’clock on the 8th. General McCook formed a junction with
General Gilbert’s corps; and in person reported to General Buell for
orders. General Buell, appearing to anticipate no serious fighting, gave
no orders for immediate attack; and the rebels, taking instant advantage
of his indisposition for opening the engagement, resolved to take the
initiative before the remaining corps under General Crittenden could
arrive. General Bragg drew together his entire force and impetuously
hurled them on General McCook’s corps, who met the unexpected assault
with the greatest bravery, and stood like adamant before the furious
enemy. From two o’clock till nightfall the battle continued to rage with
unexampled violence; and both generals—Union and rebel—have recorded it
as one of the bloodiest of the war. At General Buell’s headquarters the
cannonading was distinctly heard; and he proved himself a most
inefficient officer, in not sending the other two divisions to the
immediate assistance of General McCook; whose solitary corps of fifteen
thousand men was withstanding a force of at least three times their own
number. There can be no doubt that the cooperation of the three corps
would have insured certain victory; instead of which the brave division,
fearfully cut up, after a superhuman contest of many hours was compelled
to retire before the superior numbers of the enemy. Having completely
overcome the troops under General McCook the rebels followed up their
advantage by falling with all their strength on the corps of General
Gilbert, which was still waiting orders from the commander-in-chief to
hasten to the assistance of General McCook. The battle was instantly
renewed with trebly increased fury; the large numbers of the enemy, like
a great ocean sweeping on to what they considered an easy victory. But
the flood was met and momentarily checked by a brigade under Colonel
Gooding; and the Union forces rallying, the rebels retreated across the
valley, never pausing till they had reached the protection of their
batteries. Then began the carnage to the patriot band, who charged
bravely upon the rebel batteries: but being unsupported, and flanked on
either side, they were obliged to fall back and take up a position near
the town—when night ended the conflict. On both sides the loss of
officers was heavy; the loss of men on the Union side far outnumbered
that of the rebels.
In the morning it was found that the rebel force, with their leader,
fearing a renewal of the battle, had taken flight during the night; and
pursuit was ordered; but was abandoned after a chase of about ten miles.
And thus the invasion of Kentucky by General Bragg was ended, with
results by no means wholly satisfactory to the rebels.
General Buell’s extraordinary tactics during the battles of
Munfordsville and Perryville had entirely lost him the confidence of his
army; and as the murmurs against his generalship grew louder, and
deeper, he was on the 30th October again relieved of command; and
Major-General V. S. Rosecrans was appointed to the position of
commander-in-chief of the Army of the Ohio, subsequently known as the
Army of the Cumberland.
BATTLE OF IUKA, MISS.
SEPTEMBER 19, 1862.