the army of the cumberland-第2章

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he　Fourteenth　Kentucky　under　Colonel　L。　P。　Moore　was　ordered　to　move　from　Catlettsburg　and　advance　up　the　valley。　　General　Buell　finding　that　the　rebel　force　had　been　largely　re…enforced　by　the　advance　of　General　Humphrey　Marshall；　one　of　the　ablest　rebel　generals　in　that　part　of　the　country；　ordered　the　Twenty…second　Kentucky　under　Colonel　Lindsay　from　Maysville　to　join　the　Fourteenth；　and　Lindsay　was　placed　in　command　of　the　two　regiments。　　Marshall　was　a　graduate　of　West　Point；　he　had　served　in　the　Black　Hawk　War　and　had　seen　service　in　Mexico　as　a　Colonel　of　Kentucky　cavalry；　winning　distinction　at　Buena　Vista。　　He　had　now　entered　the　State　from　Virginia　through　Pound　Gap；　and　had　reached　a　strong　natural　position　near　Paintville；　where　he　was　rapidly　increasing　his　army；　with　the　intention　of　raising　a　sufficient　forcealready　some　five　thousandto　operate　on　General　Buell's　flank　and　to　retard　his　advance　into　Tennessee。　　The　Forty…second　Ohio；　just　organized；　was　in　a　camp　of　instruction　near　Columbus；　Ohio；　under　its　Colonel；　James　A。　Garfield。　　While　there；　in　December；　he　was　ordered　by　General　Buell　to　move　his　regiment　at　once　to　Catlettsburg；　at　the　mouth　of　the　Big　Sandy　River；　and　to　report　in　person　to　Louisville　for　orders。

Starting　his　regiment　eastward；　from　Cincinnati；　Garfield；　on　the　19th　of　December；　reported　to　General　Buell；　who　informed　him　that　he　had　been　selected　to　command　an　expedition　to　drive　Marshall　and　his　forces　from　Kentucky。　　That　evening　Garfield　received　his　orders；　which　organized　the　Eighteenth　Brigade　of　the　Army　of　the　Ohio；　and　placed　him　in　command。　　General　Buell　with　these　orders　sent　a　letter　of　instruction；　giving　general　directions　as　to　the　campaign；　leaving　all　matters　of　detail　and　the　fate　of　the　expedition；　however；　largely　to　the　discretion　of　the　brigade　commander。　　The　latter　reached　his　command　on　the　24th　of　December；　at　Louisa；　some　twenty…eight　miles　up　the　Big　Sandy。　　He　then　proceeded　to　concentrate　his　troops；　the　main　body　consisting　of　his　own　regimentthe　Forty…second　Ohiothe　Fourteenth　Kentucky；　and　a　battalion　of　Ohio　cavalry　under　Major　McLaughlin；　which　was　with　him；　but　these　gave　only　some　fifteen　hundred　men　for　duty。

The　next　largest　portion　of　his　command　was　stationed　at　Paris；　Kentucky；　under　Colonel　Cranor；　with　his　regiment；　the　Fortieth　Ohio；　800　strong。　　Cranor　was　ordered　to　join　the　main　body　as　expeditiously　as　possible；　and　to　bring　with　him　that　portion　of　Colonel　Wolford's　Kentucky　cavalry　stationed　at　Stanford；　consisting　of　three　small　battalions　under　Lieutenant…Colonel　Letcher；　and　to　report　at　Prestonburg。　　The　twenty…second　Kentucky　was　ordered　from　Maysville；　and　some　three　hundred　men　of　that　command　reported　before　Garfield　reached　Paintville。　　He　was　also　joined　by　a　battalion　of　west　Virginia　cavalry　under　Colonel　Bolles。　　After　a　toilsome　march　in　mid…winter；　Garfield's　command；　on　the　7th　of　January；　drove　Marshall's　forces　from　the　mouth　of　Jenny's　Creek；　and　occupied　Paintville。　　On　the　morning　of　the　9th；　Cranor　reported　with　his　command；　footsore　and　exhausted；　after　a　march　of　over　one　hundred　miles　through　the　mountains　of　Eastern　Kentucky。　　At　noon　of　the　9th　Garfield　advanced　his　command　to　attack　Marshall　with　his　cavalry；　pressing　the　rebels　as　they　fell　back。　　Reaching　Prestonburg　some　fifteen　miles　from　Paintville；　he　learned　that　Marshall　was　encamped　and　fortified　on　Abbott's　Creek。　　Pushing　on　to　the　mouth　of　the　creek；　some　three　miles　below　Prestonburg；　he　there　encamped　for　the　night；　a　sleety　rain　adding　to　the　discomfort　of　the　men。　Intending　to　force　the　enemy　to　battle；　he　ordered　up　his　reserves　under　Colonel　Sheldon　from　Paintville；　with　every　available　man。　As　soon　as　the　morning　light　enabled　the　command　to　move；　Garfield　advanced；　and　soon　engaged　the　rebel　cavalry；　which　was　driven　in　after　a　slight　skirmish；　falling　back　on　the　main　body　some　two　miles　in　the　rear；　strongly　posted　on　high　ground；　between　Abbott's　Creek　and　Middle　Creek；　at　the　mouth　of　the　latter　stream。　　It　was　impossible　to　tell　what　disposition　Marshall　had　made　for　his　defence；　owing　to　the　formation　of　the　ground　at　this　point　concealing　his　troops　until　our　forces　drew　his　fire。　　Throwing　several　detachments　forward；　the　entire　command　was　soon　actively　engaged。　　The　engagement　lasted　for　some　four　hours；　commending　at　about　twelve　o'clock。　　At　4　P。M。；　the　reserves　under　Sheldon　reached　the　field　of　battle；　and　the　enemy　was　driven　from　his　position。　　Night　coming　on　prevented　pursuit。

Marshall's　command　fled　down　the　valley；　set　fire　to　their　stores；　and　pressed　forward　in　rapid　retreat　to　Abington；　Va。　　Garfield　with　his　command　returned　to　Paintville；　where　it　could　receive　supplies。　　In　February　he　received　orders　from　Buell；　directing　him　to　advance　to　Piketon；　and　drive　the　rebels　from　that　place；　which　he　did；　and　later　from　Pound　Gap。　　This　freed　Eastern　Kentucky　of　rebel　troops；　and　relieved　the　Union　men　of　that　section　of　the　depredations　that　had　been　committed　on　them　by　the　roving　bands　of　the　enemy。　　The　services　of　Garfield's　command　were　recognized　by　Buell；　and　the　thanks　of　the　Commanding　General　extended　to　Garfield　and　his　troops。　　Shortly　after　this　Garfield　received　his　commission　as　Brigadier…General　of　Volunteers；　to　date　from　the　〃Battle　of　Middle　Creek。〃

In　the　latter　part　of　March　General　Garfield　was　ordered　to　leave　a　small　force　in　the　Big　Sandy　Valley；　and　to　report　with　the　rest　of　his　brigade　to　General　Buell　at　Louisville。





Chapter　II。




Mill　Springs。


On　September　10；　1861；　General　Albert　Sidney　Johnston；　who　had　resigned　the　Colonelcy　of　the　Second　United　States　Cavalry　to　engage　in　the　service　of　the　Confederacy；　was　assigned　to　the　command　of　the　Department　of　the　West；　embracing；　with　a　large　number　of　the　Western　States；　the　States　of　Kentucky　and　Tennessee。　　On　the　18th　Johnston　directed　Buckner　to　occupy　Bowling　Green；　and　ordered　Zollicoffer　to　advance　from　Knoxville　to　Cumberland　Gap。　　The　rebels；　under　General　Polk；　occupied　Columbus；　Ky。；　September　7th；　and　the　line　of　operations　of　the　Confederates；　under　General　Johnston；　as　then　formed；　had　the　Mississippi　river　at　its　extreme　left；　Cumberland　Gap　at　its　extreme　right；　with　Bowling　Green　as　the　centre。　With　the　force　at　his　command；　no　point　in　advance　of　Bowling　Green　could　have　been　safely　taken　by　the　Confederate　general；　owing　to　the　disposition　of　the　Union　troops　in　Kentucky　at　that　time。

As　we　have　seen；　Zollicoffer　with　his　command　was　driven　from　Rock　Castle　Hills　and　Wildcat；　and　taking　a　new　position　nearer　Bowling　Green；　encamped　at　Beech　Grove；　where　he　fortified　his　position。

General　Zollicoffer　was　a　civilian　appointment；　without　military　training　of　any　kind。　　He　had　been　editor　of　a　Nashville　paper；　had　held　a　number　of　minor　State　offices；　and　served　two　terms　in　Congress　prior　to　the　war。　　Johnston；　in　ordering　Zollicoffer　to　the　Cumberland　River　at　Mill　Springs；　intended　that　he　should　occupy　a　position　of　observation　merely　until　he　should　be　re…enforced；　or　his　troops　be　incorporated　in　the　main　command。　　He　could　not　have　been　located　farther　west　without　inviting　the　advance　of　the　Federal　forces　into　East　Tennessee　or　to　Nashville；　flanking　Bowling　Green。　　Zollicoffer　had　no　ability　as　a　soldier　to　handle　troops；　and　General　George　B。　Crittenden；　of　Kentucky；　a　graduate　of　West　Point；　who　had　seen　service　in　the　Mexican　War；　and　who　held　at　the　outbreak　of　the　rebellion；　a　commission　as　Lieutenant…Colonel　in　the　regiment　of　Mounted　Riflemen；　was；　in　November；　assigned　to　the　command　of　the　district　as　Major…General；　with　headquarters　at　Knoxville。　　Great　expectations　were　entertained　in　regard　to　Crittenden's　military　abilities；　and　about　the　first　of　the　year　1862　he　assumed　command　in　person　of　the　rebel　forces　at　Beech　Grove。　　The　fact　that　Zollicoffer　had　established　his　camp　on　the　north　side　of　the　Cumberland；　〃with　the　enemy　in　front　and　the　river　behind；〃　was　known　to　Johnston；　and　information　given　by　him　to　Crittenden。　　General　Johnston　had　written　Zollicoffer　that　the　interest　of　the　service　required　him　simply　to　watch　the　river；　and　that　he　could　do　this　better　from　Mill　Springs　without　crossing　it。

Zollicoffer；　however；　had　crossed　the　river　before　he　heard　from　Johnston；　and　replied　that；　while　from　this　letter　he　inferred　that　he　should　not　have　done　so；　it　was　now　too　late；　as　his　means　of　recrossing　were　so　limited　that　he　could　hardly　accomplish　it　in　the　face　of　the　enemy。　　On　his　reaching　the　Cumberland　with　his　command；　he　had　sent　forward　his　cavalry　to　seize　the　ferryboats　at　Mill　Springs。　　In　this　they　failed；　and　the　crossing　was　effected　on　one　ferry…boat；　seized　lower　down；　and　barges　built　by　his　troops。

General　Thomas　was　ordered　in　November　to　concentrate　his　command　in　order　to　be　prepared　for　any　movement　Zollicoffer　might　make；　and；　if　necessary；　to　attack　him　in　his　camp。　　General　Carter　with　his　brigade　was　stationed　at　London；　Colonel　Hoskins　was　near　Somerset；　and　Colonel　Bramlette　at　Columbia；　all　watching　Zollicoffer's　movements；　and　reporting　them　to　General　Thomas；　who　endeavored　to　stop　his　advance　at　the　Cumberland　River。　　Five　hundred　of　Wolford's　Cavalry　were　ordered　from　Columbia　to　reinforce　Colonel　Hoskins；　and　General　Schoepff；　with　the　Seventeenth　Ohio；　the　Thirty…eighth　Ohio；　and　Standart's　battery；　to　take　position　on　the　Cumberland　River　at　Waitsborough；　where　he　could　command　the　crossing。　　Here　he　was　to　fortify　and　guard　the　river　at　this　point　and　above　and　below；　to　prevent　the　enemy　from　crossing；　or　from　obtaining　the　means　for　doing　so。

On　December　2d；　Zollicoffer；　while　building　his　ferries；　sent　some　troops　to　shell　General　Schoepff's　camp。　　A　brisk　cannonading　was　kept　up　for　some　time；　when　the　rebels　withdrew。　　Schoepff　regarding　this　as　a　feint；　and　anticipating　a　movement　of　Zollicoffer's　troops　to　cross　the　river；　ordered　two　companies　of　cavalry　under　Captain　Dillon　to　guard　the　ford　and　to　give　timely　notice　of　any　attempt　to　effect　a　crossing。　　He　also　ordered　the　Seventeenth　Ohio　with　three　pieces　of　artillery　and　another　company　of　cavalry；　all　under　the　command　of　Colonel　Connell；　to　support　the　cavalry　under　Dillon。　　The　latter　proved　wholly　incompetent；　and　failed　to　comply　with　his　orders　in　any　particular。　　He　went　into　camp　two　miles　in　the　rear　from　where　he　was　ordered；　and　neglected　even　to　post　his　men　to　guard　the　ford；　whereby　Zollicoffer　was　enabled　to　occupy　the　north　bank　of　the　Cumberland　without　opposition　and　without　Dillon's　even　knowing　that　the　movement　had　been　made。　　This　was　only　discovered　on　the　4th；　when　the　rebels　drove　back　the　Federal　cavalry　and　attacked　Connell；　who　was　advancing　on　a　reconnoissance。　Connell；　in　ignorance　of　the　movement　of　the　enemy；　had　reached　the　vicinity　of　the　ford　and　found　himself　confronted　by　a　strong　force　of　rebels；　who　had　crossed　the　river；　and　who　being　rapidly　re…enforced　rendered　his　situation　one　of　extreme　peril。　　He　withdrew　under　cover　of　the　night　beyond　Fishing　Creek；　without　being　molested。　　Schoepff；　finding　that　the　advance　of　the　rebels　was　supported　by　reinforcements　and　that　Zollicoffer's　entire　force　was　slowly　crossing；　whi