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Morgans Christmas Raid Elizabethtown KY

December 27, 1862. December was a momentous month for John Hunt Morgan. Fresh from a signal victory over Federal forces at Hartsville, Tennessee, on the 7th, Confederate cavalry leader Morgan was promoted to Brigadier General on December 11th. On December 14, Morgan married Tennessee belle Martha "Mattie" Ready. Morgan's forces encamped near Murfreesboro, Tennessee, was one of the best equipped and best led cavalry forces in the Confederate Army. Composed mostly of Kentuckians, Morgan's division now consisted of two brigades of seven regiments, with seven artillery pieces and a detachment of scouts. The men were armed mostly with English Enfield rifles, and they normally operated as mounted infantry, using their horses for transportation and dismounting to fight on foot (although they did make mounted charges on occasion, such as when they overran the Federals at Hartsville).

Confederate General Braxton Bragg, commanding the Southern forces in the Murfreesboro area, considered that the Federal forces arrayed against him were operating on an extended supply line from Louisville, and he ordered Morgan to take his force into Kentucky and disrupt this supply line. Morgan's main targets were bridge trestles on the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (see 13b Morgan Shuts Down the L. & N), as the tracks crossed various streams south of Louisville. The most promising targets were two huge wooden trestles on the tracks crossing Muldraugh's Hill, just north of Elizabethtown. Morgan's force left their camps near Alexandria on December 22 and were in Kentucky by the 24th. They skirmished at Glasgow, losing some men who were mortally wounded, and captured a huge supply wagon bound for that place, full of Christmas goods, which made a merry holiday for the Southern troopers.

On December 26, Morgan's forces burned the L & N bridges over Bacon Creek and Nolin Creek as they moved up the railroad north of Munfordville, and captured the Federal soldiers in the wooden stockade forts there. They camped that night a few miles south of Elizabethtown. On the morning of December 27, Morgan moved his forces against Elizabethtown. The town was defended by some 650 men of the 91st Illinois Infantry regiment, under the command of Lt. Col. Harry S. Smith.


In an audacious bluff, Lt. Col. Smith sent Morgan a message as he approached, advising him that he had Morgan surrounded and demanding Morgan's surrender. Morgan replied that, in fact, the Union force was surrounded and that he would order an attack unless the Federals surrendered immediately. Lt. Col. Smith declined, stating that it was his business as a United States Officer to fight.

Morgan had several Elizabethtown natives in his forces, including Capt. William Bell, Joe Gray, Henry Brown, Joe Haycraft, James Montgomery, Frank Wintersmith and Sgt. Richard Wintersmith and was thus well-informed on the layout of the town and its approaches. Morgan's forces advanced up both sides of the road with the 1st Brigade on the right and the 2nd Brigade on the left (see 13c Make a Street Fight Out of It). The 10-pounder Parrott rifle of White's Battery was placed in the road itself. Palmer's Battery was positioned on this hill, commanding the entire town. General Morgan made his command post on this hill.

Upon the Federals' refusal to surrender, Morgan immediately opened fire on the town with Palmer's four pieces and the Parrott rifle in the road. The 8th and 9th Kentucky Cavalry regiments dismounted and moved against the wooden stockades and buildings at the edge of the town. Mounted men had been thrown out to either flank to surround the town. One of Corbett's 12-pounder mountain howitzers, affectionately know as "Morgan's Bull Pups" due their diminutive size, was placed where the railroad tracks crossed the road, with a company of the 9th Kentucky Cavalry to support it.

The artillery concentrated their attention on the headquarters building where they could see the Federal flag flying and they severely fire damaged several buildings in the town. Today, you can see a cannon ball from that fight imbedded in a wall (see 13a - The Cannonball). After a battle of about 45 mintues, with no artillery support and greatly outnumbered, the Federal soldiers wavered and sent up a white flag (one account stated that this "flag" was actually a ladies undergarment pressed into service).

One of Morgan's staff officers rode into town waving a white handkerchief and although Lt. Col. Smith was not ready to surrender; his men had given up the fight. (Smith himself, who had taken cover in a cellar, was said to have been incensed when he learned that his men had surrendered without his permission, to which one of his men replied, "Well, I don't guess they knew you were hiding in the cellar, or they would have come and asked you.") Morgan captured 652 prisoners, along with their rifles and supplies. Morgan and his men went "shopping" in town for supplies of clothing and hats, paid for with Confederate money.

The next day, December 28th, Morgan attacked the stockade guarding the two large wooden railroad trestles (see 13b Morgan Shuts Down the L & N), on Muldraugh's Hill, at Sulphur Fork and Broad Run (tributaries of Clear Creek). The defenders surrendered and Morgan's men burned the trestles, each of which was over 500 feet long and 50 feet high. During the next couple of days, Morgan's men also tore up and burned the railroad at several places, destroying the bridge and stockade at Boston (Nelson County), and captured and destroyed several caches of commissary and military stores. Following a brisk skirmish at the Rolling Fork River (northeast of Elizabethtown) and a daring bypass of the Federal forces gathering in Lebanon, Morgan turned back toward Tennessee. In all, Morgan's forces had destroyed six railroad bridges and captures 1,877 prisoners and many military supplies, against a loss to his own command of 2 killed and 24 wounded (none were killed or severely wounded at Elizabethtown).

Morgan was back in Tennessee by January 3, 1863, having accomplished his mission of destruction along the L&N Railroad, which remained closed for five weeks. However, the disruption did not have the desired effect on the Federal forces at Murfreesboro, whose supply stockades in the area were already sufficient and they repulsed an attack by the Confederate Army in a battle fought from December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863. Nonetheless, the courage of General Morgan and his men was rewarded by a vote of thanks from the Confederate Congress in May 1863 in recognition of the Christmas Raid.

13a - The Cannonball
General John Hunt Morgan's famous Christmas Raid brought him to Elizabethtown on December 27, 1862. The main objective was to burn two huge L & N railroad trestles located on Muldraugh Hill just north of the town. By accomplishing this, General Morgan hoped to relieve Confederate General Bragg's army in Tennessee by stopping the flow of food, forage and the materials for making war to Union General Rosecrans opposing him. Before he moved to Muldraugh Hill, General Morgan wanted to remove any Union force in the area that may threaten his plans. Two days after Christmas, 1862, General Morgan appeared on the brow of the hill where the City Cemetery is now located with seven pieces of artillery. He sent word to the 91st Illinois Volunteer Infantry to surrender all 652 soldiers garrisoned in the town. After surrender was refused, the bombardment began about noon. In twenty minutes, 107 shots were fired with some Federal soldiers taking refuge in the buildings around the courthouse square. Many of the cannonballs found their mark in these buildings killing and wounded several Union soldiers.

One cannonball hit the Depp Building located on the corner and lodged in the wall just under a third story window. After the surrender of the town, Morgan moved on to his main objective on Muldraugh Hill. The town quickly went to work patching the damage inflicted by the missiles and repaired their property as best they could. The cannon ball from the Depp Building was removed and placed in the structure's attic.

(This information was provided by Annie Nourse, 1932) "Many years later, the entire block was destroyed by fire - the cannonball was lost in the midst of burnt timber. I asked the owners of the (Depp) building to give the ball to me; both kindly consented. I then gold the boys that I would give $.25 to the one who found it and brought it to me; a lively scramble immediately ensured, digging in the pile of hot bricks for some time without results. That afternoon, a man brought the ball out to me and demanded $5.00 for it; I refused saying the ball was already my property, after some hesitation he decided to hand it over for $.50. Years after, I restored it to the bank (the building that now stands on this corner). They had the cannonball put in the same spot, as near as possible (in the new building), where it found its mark in 1862."

13b - Morgan Shuts Down the L & N

Destruction of the Sulfur Fork and Broad Run Trestles
The main objective of the Christmas Raid of 1862 was to destroy the Union supply line that ran via the L&N Railroad through Kentucky into Tennessee. On the morning of December 28, 1862 Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan moved his men north five miles following the railroad from Elizabethtown to the trestles on Muldraugh Hill wrecking the tracks as they went. The railroad had constructed two huge structures over Sulphur Fork and Broad Run; they were 500 feet long and 90 feet high and 500 feet long and 80 foot high, respectively. The trestles were about a mile apart and the Federals were in the process of constructing defensive positions consisting of earthworks and artillery platforms. However, at the time that Morgan arrived the positions were not complete and the defenders had no artillery.


The commander of both positions on Muldraugh Hill was Lt. Col. Courtland Matson. When he saw Morgan arriving in force he called all of his 560 men to Sulpher Fork in an effort to turn Morgan back. Matson held out for eight hours due primarily to the patience of Morgan. Morgan repeatedly demanded Matson's surrender. On the second attempt, Morgan offered to take the Federal commander out of his position to view the hopelessness of his situation. To this Matson replied, "It was his and his men's duty to fight and that they would do so until the last." At 3:00 p.m. Morgan began shelling the position and the surrender occurred about an hour later. Morgan then burned the trestles and the unfinished stockades.


Morgan had captured the 71st Indiana for the second time in the war. Realizing that, Morgan instructed "Lightening" Ellsworth to climb a telegraph pole and tap out a note of thanks to the Governor of Indiana for the "oilcloths and raincoats" but Morgan suggested the next time, that the Governor should send them directly - without the men.

Rail traffic resumed February 1, 1863 and eventually this impressive earthwork called Fort Sands was completed and equipped with artillery. The trestles were never threatened again.


13c - Make a Street Fight Out of It

In December 1862 Gen. John Hunt Morgan was sent by the Confederate command to shut down the L&N Railroad, thereby cutting off one of the Union’s major supply lines. Morgan’s target was one of the railroad’s most vulnerable points, the trestle at Muldraugh Hill, five miles northeast Elizabethtown.

On December 27, 1862 Morgan’s cavalry attacked Elizabethtown, which was defended by some 600 men of the 91st Illinois under the command of Lieut. Col. H. S. Smith. Because Morgan outnumbered the Union defenders almost five to one, Smith felt that his best chance lay in occupying the buildings in and around the town square. He hoped to be able to hold out against Morgan until other Federal forces could come to his aid.


Urban Warfare
When Smith refused to surrender Morgan’s artillery opened fire and battered the town with both solid shot and canister. Morgan then ordered detachments under Col. Basil Duke and Col. William C. P. Breckinridge into town where they would make, as Morgan phrased it, "a street fight out of it." The Confederates moved into town, fording the freezing waters of the swollen Valley Creek, as artillery shells screamed overhead. The fighting was soon street-to-street and building-to-building. The Federal troops, divided among many buildings, were unable to concentrate their fire or coordinate their defense and were soon overcome. Lt. Col. Smith, who was slightly wounded, attempted to maintain command and control, but had no way of communicating with his scattered troops.

One by one, surrounded and overcome pockets of Federal troops hoisted a white flag of surrender. Troops nearby, seeing the surrender flag in one building, believed a general order of surrender had been issued and they, too, surrendered. After several hours Smith realized he no hope of holding Elizabethtown until help arrived. Smith surrendered to Morgan, freeing the Confederates to advance and destroy the trestles on the L&N the following day. The captured Union soldiers were paroled and sent marching to Louisville.





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November 12, 1864
The destruction of Atlanta begins

Union General William T. Sherman orders the business district of Atlanta destroyed before he embarks on his famous March to the Sea.

When Sherman captured Atlanta in early September 1864, he knew that he could not remain there for long. His tenuous supply line ran from Nashville, Tennessee, through Chattanooga, then one hundred miles through mountainous northern Georgia. The army he had just defeated, the Army of Tennessee, was still in the area and its leader, John Bell Hood, swung around Atlanta to try to damage Sherman's lifeline. Of even greater concern was the Confederate cavalry of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Forrest was a brilliant commander who could strike quickly against the railroads and river transports on which Sherman relied.

During the fall, Sherman conceived of a plan to split his enormous army. He sent part of it, commanded by General George Thomas, back toward Nashville to deal with Hood while he prepared to take the rest of the troops across Georgia. Through October, Sherman built up a massive cache of supplies in Atlanta. He then ordered a systematic destruction of Atlanta to prevent the Confederates from recovering anything once the Yankees had abandoned the city. By one estimate, 37 percent of the city was ruined. This was the same policy Sherman would apply to the rest of Georgia as he marched to Savannah. Before leaving on November 15, Sherman's forces had burned the industrial district of Atlanta and left little but a smoking shell.

November 13, 1861
McClellan snubs Lincoln

President Lincoln pays a late night visit to General George McClellan, who Lincoln had recently named general in chief of the Union army. The general retired to his chambers before speaking with the president.

This was the most famous example of McClellan's cavalier disregard for the president's authority. Lincoln had tapped McClellan to head the Army of the Potomac--the main Union army in the East--in July 1861 after the disastrous Union defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. McClellan immediately began to build an effective army, and he was elevated to general in chief after Winfield Scott resigned on October 31. McClellan drew praise for his military initiatives but quickly developed a reputation for his arrogance and contempt toward the political leaders in Washington. After being named to the top post, McClellan began openly to cavort with Democratic leaders in Congress and show his disregard for the Republican administration. To his wife, he wrote that Lincoln was "nothing more than a well-meaning baboon," and Secretary of State William Seward was an "incompetent little puppy."

Lincoln made frequent evening visits to McClellan's house to discuss strategy. On November 13, Lincoln, Seward, and Presidential Secretary John Hay stopped by to see the general. McClellan was out, so the trio waited patiently for his return. After an hour, McClellan came in and was told by a porter that the guests were waiting. McClellan headed for his room without a word, and only after Lincoln waited another half-hour was the group informed of McClellan's retirement to bed. Hay felt that the president should have been greatly offended, but Lincoln casually replied that it was "better at this time not to be making points of etiquette and personal dignity." Lincoln made no more visits to the general's home.

and for western legend heres a pic :

Kentucky

Kentucky was a border state of key importance in the American Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln recognized the importance of the Commonwealth when he declared "I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky." In a September 1861 letter to Orville Browning, Lincoln wrote "I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game. ... We would as well consent to separation at once, including the surrender of the capital." Kentucky was the site of fierce battles, such as Mill Springs and Perryville. It was host to such military leaders as Ulysses S. Grant on the Union side, who first encountered serious Confederate gunfire coming from Columbus, Kentucky, and Nathan Bedford Forrest on the Confederate side. Forrest proved to be a scourge to the Union Army in such places as the towns of Sacramento and Paducah, where he conducted guerrilla warfare against Union forces. Kentucky, being a border state, was among the chief places where the "Brother against brother" scenario was tragically prevalent. Kentucky was the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln, his wife Mary Todd and his southern counterpart Jefferson Davis.

Kentucky like most of the States of the Union was divided over the issues of slavery. There was eleven battles fought in KY over control of a state that was netural but yet divided. Listed below is a summary of the eleven battles that were fought on Ky soil.

Barbourville
Other Names: None

Location: Knox County

Campaign: Kentucky Confederate Offensive (1861)

Date(s): September 19, 1861

Principal Commanders: Capt. Isaac J. Black [US]; Col. Joel A. Battle [CS]

Forces Engaged: Home Guard (approx. 300 men) [US]; detachment of approx. 800 men under command of Col. Joel A. Battle [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 20 total (US 15; CS 5)

Description: Kentucky Union sympathizers had trained recruits at Camp Andrew Johnson, in Barbourville, throughout the summer of 1861. Confederate Brig. Gen. Felix Zollicoffer entered Kentucky in mid-September intending to relieve pressure on Gen. Albert Sidney Johnston and his troops by conducting raids and generally constituting a threat to Union forces and sympathizers in the area. On September 18, 1861, he dispatched a force of about 800 men under command of Col. Joel A. Battle to disrupt the training activities at Camp Andrew Johnson. At daylight on the 19th, the force entered Barbourville and found the recruits gone; they had been sent to Camp Dick Robinson. A small home guard force commanded by Capt. Isaac J. Black met the Rebels, and a sharp skirmish ensued. After dispersing the home guard, the Confederates destroyed the training camp and seized arms found there. This was, for all practical purposes, the first encounter of the war in Kentucky. The Confederates were making their might known in the state, countering the early Union presence.

Result(s): Confederate victory


Camp Wildcat
Other Names: Wildcat Mountain

Location: Laurel County

Campaign: Kentucky Confederate Offensive (1861)

Date(s): October 21, 1861

Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. Albin F. Schoepf [US]; Brig. Gen. Felix Zollicoffer [CS]

Forces Engaged: Camp Wildcat Garrison and Schoepf’s Brigade (approx. 7,000 men) [US]; Zollicoffer’s Brigade [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 78 total (US 25; CS 53)

Description: Brig. Gen. Felix Zollicoffer’s men occupied Cumberland Gap and took position at Cumberland Ford to counter the Unionist activity in the area. Brig. Gen. George H. Thomas sent a detachment under Col. T.T. Garrard to secure the ford on the Rockcastle River, establish a camp at Wildcat Mountain, and obstruct the Wilderness road passing through the area. Col. Garrard informed Thomas that if he did not receive reinforcements, he would have to retreat because he was outnumbered seven to one. Thomas sent Brig. Gen. A. Schoepf with what amounted to a brigade of men to Col. Garrard, bringing the total force to about 7,000. On the morning of October 21, soon after Schoepf arrived, some of his men moved forward and ran into Rebel forces, commencing a fight. The Federals repelled the Confederate attacks, in part due to fortifications, both man-made and natural. The Confederates withdrew during the night and continued their retreat to Cumberland Ford, which they reached on the 26th. A Union victory was welcomed, countering the Confederate victory at Barbourville.

Result(s): Union victory

CWSAC Reference #: KY002

Cynthiana
Other Names: Kellar’s Bridge

Location: Harrison County

Campaign: Morgan’s Raid into Kentucky (1864)

Date(s): June 11-12, 1864

Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. Stephen Gano Burbridge [US]; Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan [CS]

Forces Engaged: 168th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, 171st Ohio National Guard, and the Kentucky Harrison County Home Guards [US]; Morgan’s Division [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 2,092 total (US 1,092; CS 1,000)

Description: Brig. Gen. Morgan approached Cynthiana with 1,200 men, on June 11, 1864, at dawn. Col. Conrad Garis, with the 168th Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry and some home guard troops, about 300 men altogether, constituted the Union forces at Cynthiana. Morgan divided his men into three columns, surrounded the town and launched an attack at the covered bridge, driving the Union forces back towards the depot and north along the railroad. The Rebels set fire to the town, destroying many buildings and some of the Union troops. As the fighting flared in Cynthiana, another Union force, about 750 men of the 171st Ohio National Guard under the command of Brig. Gen. Edward Hobson, arrived by train about a mile north of the Cynthiana at Kellar’s Bridge. Morgan trapped this new Union force in a meander of the Licking River. After some fighting, Morgan forced Hobson to surrender. Altogether, Morgan had about 1,300 Union prisoners of war camping with him overnight in line of battle. Brig. Gen. Stephen Gano Burbridge with 2,400 men, a combined force of Ohio, Kentucky, and Michigan mounted infantry and cavalry, attacked Morgan at dawn on June 12. The Union forces drove the Rebels back, causing them to flee into town where many were captured or killed. Morgan escaped. Cynthiana demonstrated that Union numbers and mobility were starting to take their toll; Confederate cavalry and partisans could no longer raid with impunity.

Result(s): Union victory

CWSAC Reference #: KY011

Ivy Mountain
Other Names: Ivy Creek, Ivy Narrows

Location: Floyd County

Campaign: Kentucky Confederate Offensive (1861)

Date(s): November 8-9, 1861

Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. William Nelson and Col. Joshua W. Sill [US]; Col. John S. Williams [CS]

Forces Engaged: Combination of detachments from twelve Union Ohio and Kentucky units [US]; nine companies of infantry and two of mounted men (1,010 men) [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 293 total (US 30; CS 263)

Description: While recruiting in southeast Kentucky, Rebels under Col. John S. Williams ran short of ammunition at Prestonsburg and fell back to Pikeville to replenish their supply. Brig. Gen. William Nelson sent out a detachment from near Louisa under Col. Joshua Sill while he started out from Prestonsburg with a larger force in an attempt to “turn or cut the Rebels off.” Williams prepared for evacuation, hoping for time to reach Virginia, and sent out a cavalry force to meet Nelson about eight miles from Pikeville. The Rebel cavalry escaped, and Nelson continued on his way. Williams then met Nelson at a point northeast of Pikeville between Ivy Mountain and Ivy Creek. Waiting by a narrow bend in the road, the Rebels surprised the Yankees by firing upon their constricted ranks. A fight ensued, but neither side gained the bulge. As the shooting ebbed, Williams’s men felled trees across the road and burned bridges to slow Nelson’s pursuing force. Night approached and rain began which, along with the obstructions, convinced Nelson’s men to go into camp. In the meantime, Williams retreated into Virginia, stopping in Abingdon on the 9th. Sill’s force arrived too late to be of use, but he did skirmish with the remnants of Williams’s retreating force before he occupied Pikeville on the 9th. This bedraggled Confederate force retreated back into Virginia for succor. The Union forces consolidated their power in eastern Kentucky mountains.

Result(s): Union victory (Indecisive, but Confederates withdrew.)

CWSAC Reference #: KY003

Middle Creek
Other Names: None

Location: Floyd County

Campaign: Offensive in Eastern Kentucky (1862)

Date(s): January 10, 1862

Principal Commanders: Col. James Garfield [US]; Brig. Gen. Humphrey Marshall [CS]

Forces Engaged: 18th Brigade [US]; brigade [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 92 total (US 27; CS 65)

Description: More than a month after Confederate Col. John S. Williams left Kentucky, following the fight at Ivy Mountain, Brig. Gen. Humphrey Marshall led another force into southeast Kentucky to continue recruiting activities. From his headquarters in Paintsville, on the Big Sandy River, northwest of Prestonsburg, Marshall recruited volunteers and had a force of more than 2,000 men by early January, but could only partially equip them. Union Brig. Gen. Don Carlos Buell directed Col. James Garfield to force Marshall to retreat back into Virginia. Leaving Louisa, Garfield took command of the 18th Brigade and began his march south on Paintsville. He compelled the Confederates to abandon Paintsville and retreat to the vicinity of Prestonsburg. Garfield slowly headed south, but swampy areas and numerous streams slowed his movements, and he arrived in the vicinity of Marshall on the 9th. Heading out at 4:00 am on January 10, Garfield marched a mile south to the mouth of Middle Creek, fought off some Rebel cavalry and turned west to attack Marshall. Marshall had put his men in line of battle west and south of the creek near its forks. Garfield attacked shortly after noon, and the fighting continued for most of the afternoon until Union reinforcements arrived in time to dissuade the Confederates from assailing the Federal left. Instead, the Rebels retired south and were ordered back to Virginia on the 24th. Garfield’s force moved to Prestonsburg after the fight and then retired to Paintsville. Union forces had halted the Confederate 1861 offensive in Kentucky, and Middle Creek demonstrated that their strength had not diminished. This victory, along with Mill Springs a little more than a week later, cemented Union control of eastern Kentucky until Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg launched his offensive in the summer and fall. Following these two January victories in Kentucky, the Federals carried the war into Tennessee in February.

Result(s): Union victory (indecisive)

CWSAC Reference #: KY005

Mill Springs
Other Names: Logan’s Cross-Roads, Fishing Creek

Location: Pulaski County and Wayne County

Campaign: Offensive in Eastern Kentucky (1862)

Date(s): January 19, 1862

Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. George H. Thomas [US]; Maj. Gen. George B. Crittenden [CS]

Forces Engaged: 1st Division, Army of the Ohio, and Brig. Gen. A. Schoepf’s Brigade (total of four brigades) [US]; division of two brigades [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 671 total (US 232; CS 439)

Description: Although Brig. Gen. Felix K. Zollicoffer’s main responsibility was to guard Cumberland Gap, in November 1861 he advanced west into Kentucky to strengthen control in the area around Somerset. He found a strong defensive position at Mill Springs and decided to make it his winter quarters. He fortified the area, especially both sides of the Cumberland River. Union Brig. Gen. George Thomas received orders to drive the Rebels across the Cumberland River and break up Maj. Gen. George B. Crittenden’s army. He left Lebanon and slowly marched through rain-soaked country, arriving at Logan’s Crossroads on January 17, where he waited for Brig. Gen. A. Schoepf’s troops from Somerset to join him. Maj. Gen. George Crittenden, Zollicoffer’s superior, had arrived at Mill Springs and taken command of the Confederate troops. He knew that Thomas was in the vicinity and decided that his best defense was to attack the Yankees. The Rebels attacked Thomas at Logan’s Crossroads at dawn on January 19. Unbeknownst to the Confederates, some of Schoepf’s troops had arrived and reinforced the Union force. Initially, the Rebel attack forced the first unit it hit to retire, but stiff resistance followed and Zollicoffer was killed. The Rebels made another attack but were repulsed. Union counterattacks on the Confederate right and left were successful, forcing them from the field in a retreat that ended in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Mill Springs, along with Middle Creek, broke whatever Confederate strength there was in eastern Kentucky. Confederate fortunes did not rise again until summer when Gen. Braxton Bragg launched his offensive into Kentucky. Mill Springs was the larger of the two Union Kentucky victories in January 1862. With these victories, the Federals carried the war into Middle Tennessee in February.

Result(s): Union victory

CWSAC Reference #: KY006

Mill Springs
Other Names: Logan’s Cross-Roads, Fishing Creek

Location: Pulaski County and Wayne County

Campaign: Offensive in Eastern Kentucky (1862)

Date(s): January 19, 1862

Principal Commanders: Brig. Gen. George H. Thomas [US]; Maj. Gen. George B. Crittenden [CS]

Forces Engaged: 1st Division, Army of the Ohio, and Brig. Gen. A. Schoepf’s Brigade (total of four brigades) [US]; division of two brigades [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 671 total (US 232; CS 439)

Description: Although Brig. Gen. Felix K. Zollicoffer’s main responsibility was to guard Cumberland Gap, in November 1861 he advanced west into Kentucky to strengthen control in the area around Somerset. He found a strong defensive position at Mill Springs and decided to make it his winter quarters. He fortified the area, especially both sides of the Cumberland River. Union Brig. Gen. George Thomas received orders to drive the Rebels across the Cumberland River and break up Maj. Gen. George B. Crittenden’s army. He left Lebanon and slowly marched through rain-soaked country, arriving at Logan’s Crossroads on January 17, where he waited for Brig. Gen. A. Schoepf’s troops from Somerset to join him. Maj. Gen. George Crittenden, Zollicoffer’s superior, had arrived at Mill Springs and taken command of the Confederate troops. He knew that Thomas was in the vicinity and decided that his best defense was to attack the Yankees. The Rebels attacked Thomas at Logan’s Crossroads at dawn on January 19. Unbeknownst to the Confederates, some of Schoepf’s troops had arrived and reinforced the Union force. Initially, the Rebel attack forced the first unit it hit to retire, but stiff resistance followed and Zollicoffer was killed. The Rebels made another attack but were repulsed. Union counterattacks on the Confederate right and left were successful, forcing them from the field in a retreat that ended in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Mill Springs, along with Middle Creek, broke whatever Confederate strength there was in eastern Kentucky. Confederate fortunes did not rise again until summer when Gen. Braxton Bragg launched his offensive into Kentucky. Mill Springs was the larger of the two Union Kentucky victories in January 1862. With these victories, the Federals carried the war into Middle Tennessee in February.

Result(s): Union victory

CWSAC Reference #: KY006

Munfordville
Other Names: Green River Bridge

Location: Hart County

Campaign: Confederate Heartland Offensive (1862)

Date(s): September 14-17, 1862

Principal Commanders: Col. Cyrus L. Dunham and Col. John T. Wilder [US]; Brig. Gen. James R. Chalmers and Gen. Braxton Bragg [CS]

Forces Engaged: Union garrison [US]; Army of the Mississippi [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 4,862 total (US 4,148; CS 714)

Description: In the 1862 Confederate offensive into Kentucky, Gen. Braxton Bragg’s army left Chattanooga, Tennessee, in late August. Followed by Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell’s Union Army, Bragg approached Munfordville, a station on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad and the location of the railroad bridge crossing Green River, in mid-September. Col. John T. Wilder commanded the Union garrison at Munfordville which consisted of three regiments with extensive fortifications. Wilder refused Brig. Gen. James R. Chalmers’s demand to surrender on the 14th. Union forces repulsed Chalmers’s attacks on the 14th, forcing the Rebels to conduct siege operations on the 15th and 16th. Late on the 16th, realizing that Buell’s forces were near and not wanting to kill or injure innocent civilians, the Confederates communicated still another demand for surrender. Wilder entered enemy lines under a flag of truce, and Confederate Maj. Gen. Simon B. Buckner escorted him to view all the Rebel troops and to convince him of the futility of resisting. Impressed, Wilder surrendered. The formal ceremony occurred the next day on the 17th. With the railroad and the bridge, Munfordville was an important transportation center, and the Confederate control affected the movement of Union supplies and men.

Result(s): Confederate victory

CWSAC Reference #: KY008

Paducah
Other Names: None

Location: McCracken County

Campaign: Forrest’s Expedition into West Tennessee and Kentucky (1864)

Date(s): March 25, 1864

Principal Commanders: Col. Stephen G. Hicks and Lt. Cdr. James W. Shirk [US]; Maj. Gen. Nathan B. Forrest [CS]

Forces Engaged: Union Garrison (approx. 650 men) [US]; Forrest’s Cavalry Department [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 140 total (US 90; CS 50)

Description: In March 1864, Forrest set out from Columbus, Mississippi, with a force of less than 3,000 men on a multipurpose expedition (recruit, reoutfit, disperse Yankees, etc.) into West Tennessee and Kentucky. Forrest arrived in Paducah on March 25 and quickly occupied the town. The Union garrison of 650 men under the command of Col. Stephen G. Hicks retired to Fort Anderson, in the town’s west end. Hicks had support from two gunboats on the Ohio River and refused to surrender, while shelling the area with his artillery. Most of Forrest’s command destroyed unwanted supplies, loaded what they wanted, and rounded up horses and mules. A small segment of Forrest’s command assaulted Fort Anderson and was repulsed, suffering heavy casualties. Soon afterwards, Forrest’s men withdrew. In reporting the raid on the town, many newspapers stated that Forrest had not found more than a hundred fine horses hidden during the raid. As a result, one of Forrest’s subordinate officers led a force back into Paducah in mid-April and seized the infamous horses. Although this was a Confederate victory, other than the destruction of supplies and capture of animals, no lasting results occurred. It did, however, warn the Federals that Forrest, or someone like him, could strike anywhere at any time.

Result(s): Confederate victory

CWSAC Reference #: KY010

Perryville
Other Names: None

Location: Boyle County

Campaign: Confederate Heartland Offensive (1862)

Date(s): October 8, 1862

Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell [US]; Gen. Braxton Bragg [CS]

Forces Engaged: Army of the Ohio [US]; Army of the Mississippi [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 7,407 total (US 4,211; CS 3,196)

Description: Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s autumn 1862 invasion of Kentucky had reached the outskirts of Louisville and Cincinnati, but he was forced to retreat and regroup. On October 7, the Federal army of Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell, numbering nearly 55,000, converged on the small crossroads town of Perryville, Kentucky, in three columns. Union forces first skirmished with Rebel cavalry on the Springfield Pike before the fighting became more general, on Peters Hill, as the grayclad infantry arrived. The next day, at dawn, fighting began again around Peters Hill as a Union division advanced up the pike, halting just before the Confederate line. The fighting then stopped for a time. After noon, a Confederate division struck the Union left flank and forced it to fall back. When more Confederate divisions joined the fray, the Union line made a stubborn stand, counterattacked, but finally fell back with some troops routed. Buell did not know of the happenings on the field, or he would have sent forward some reserves. Even so, the Union troops on the left flank, reinforced by two brigades, stabilized their line, and the Rebel attack sputtered to a halt. Later, a Rebel brigade assaulted the Union division on the Springfield Pike but was repulsed and fell back into Perryville. The Yankees pursued, and skirmishing occurred in the streets in the evening before dark. Union reinforcements were threatening the Rebel left flank by now. Bragg, short of men and supplies, withdrew during the night, and, after pausing at Harrodsburg, continued the Confederate retrograde by way of Cumberland Gap into East Tennessee. The Confederate offensive was over, and the Union controlled Kentucky.

Result(s): Union strategic victory

CWSAC Reference #: KY009

Richmond
Other Names: None

Location: Madison County

Campaign: Confederate Heartland Offensive (1862)

Date(s): August 29-30, 1862

Principal Commanders: Maj. Gen. William Nelson [US]; Maj. Gen. E. Kirby Smith [CS]

Forces Engaged: 1st and 2nd Brigades, Army of Kentucky [US]; Army of Kentucky [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 5,650 total (US 4,900; CS 750)

Description: In Maj. Gen. Kirby Smith’s 1862 Confederate offensive into Kentucky, Brig. Gen. Patrick R. Cleburne led the advance with Col. John S. Scott’s cavalry out in front. The Rebel cavalry, while moving north from Big Hill on the road to Richmond, Kentucky, on August 29, encountered Union troopers and began skirmishing. After noon, Union artillery and infantry joined the fray, forcing the Confederate cavalry to retreat to Big Hill. At that time, Brig. Gen. Mahlon D. Manson, who commanded Union forces in the area, ordered a brigade to march to Rogersville, toward the Rebels. Fighting for the day stopped after pursuing Union forces briefly skirmished with Cleburne’s men in late afternoon. That night, Manson informed his superior, Maj. Gen. William Nelson, of his situation, and he ordered another brigade to be ready to march in support, when required. Kirby Smith ordered Cleburne to attack in the morning and promised to hurry reinforcements (Churchill’s division). Cleburne started early, marching north, passed through Kinston, dispersed Union skirmishers, and approached Manson’s battle line near Zion Church. As the day progressed, additional troops joined both sides. Following an artillery duel, the battle began, and after a concerted Rebel attack on the Union right, the Yankees gave way. Retreating into Rogersville, the Yankees made another futile stand at their old bivouac. By now, Smith and Nelson had arrived and taken command of their respective armies. Nelson rallied some troops in the cemetery outside Richmond, but they were routed. Nelson and some men escaped but the Rebels captured approximately 4,000 Yankees. The way north was open.

Result(s): Confederate victory

CWSAC Reference #: KY007

Rowlett’s Station
Other Names: Woodsonville, Green River

Location: Hart County

Campaign: Kentucky Confederate Offensive (1861)

Date(s): December 17, 1861

Principal Commanders: Col. August Willich [US]; Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman [CS]

Forces Engaged: 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment [US]; Terry’s Texas Rangers, 7th Texas Cavalry and 1st Arkansas Battalion (approx. 1,350 men) [CS]

Estimated Casualties: 131 total (US 40; CS 91)

Description: After Brig. Gen. Don Carlos Buell took command of the Department of the Ohio in early November, he attempted to consolidate control by organizing and sending troops into the field. He ordered Brig. Gen. Alexander McD. McCook, commanding the 2nd Division, to Nolin, Kentucky. In the meantime, the Confederates had established a defensive line along the Green River near Munfordville. McCook launched a movement towards the enemy lines on December 10, which the Rebels countered by partially destroying the Louisville & Nashville Railroad bridge over the Green River. As a result, the Union sent two companies of the 32nd Indiana Volunteer Infantry Regiment across the river to prevent a surprise and began constructing a pontoon bridge for the passage of trains and artillery. When the bridge was completed on December 17, four more of the 32nd Indiana companies crossed the river. The combined force advanced to a hill south of Woodsonville where, in the afternoon, they spotted enemy troops in the woods fronting them. Two companies advanced toward the enemy in the woods, which fell back until Confederate cavalry attacked. A general engagement ensued as eight Yankee companies fought a much larger Confederate force. Fearing that the enemy might roll up his right flank, Col. August Willich, commanding the regiment, ordered a withdrawal to a stronger position in the rear. Knowing of McCook’s approach, the Rebels also withdrew from the field. Although the results of the battle were indecisive, Union troops did occupy the area and insured the movement of their men and supplies on the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.

Result(s): Indecisive

CWSAC Reference #: KY004

Basset

November 14, 1862
Lincoln approves Burnside's plan

President Lincoln approves of General Ambrose Burnside's plan to capture the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia. This was an ill-fated move, as it led to the disastrous Battle of Fredericksburg on December 13, in which the Army of the Potomac was dealt one of its worst defeats at the hands of General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.

Lincoln approved Burnside's plan just five days after Burnside assumed command of the army. The general had replaced George McClellan, who led the force for more than a year. McClellan's tenure was marked by sharp disagreements with the administration and sluggishness in the field. Although McClellan was successful against Lee at the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, Lincoln removed him from command because of McClellan's reluctance to attack the Confederate army in Virginia.

After McClellan was removed, Burnside stepped up to take his shot at Lee. His plan called for the Army of the Potomac to move 40 miles to Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock River. From there, his troops would advance south to the Confederate capital of Richmond. Lincoln appreciated the fact that Burnside's plan protected Washington, D.C. In spring 1862, McClellan had sailed the army down the Chesapeake Bay and landed it on the James Peninsula for an attempt on Richmond, a move that left the Union capital dangerously exposed. However, Lincoln and general in chief Henry Halleck were concerned that Burnside was focused solely on capturing Richmond; they believed that the goal should be to destroy Lee's army. However, Burnside's plan was an improvement over McClellan's operations.

Lincoln approved the plan but warned Burnside that action needed to be taken quickly. By early December, Burnside had the army in motion. When the Yankees reached Fredericksburg, however, they experienced delays in crossing the Rappahannock, which allowed Lee to move his forces into place above the city. On December 13, Burnside made a series of doomed attacks and the Army of the Potomac suffered one of the most costly and demoralizing defeats of the war.

John Bruno, my Great Grandfather served twice in the Civil War....
July 22, 1864 enlisted as a Private in Company "E" 42nd Regiment, Mass Volunteers Infantry..... for 100 days...

Jan 17, 1865 as a Pvt in Company "I" 61st Regiment Mass. Infantry mustering out July 16, 1865......

November 15, 1864
The March to the Sea begins

Union General William T. Sherman begins his expedition across Georgia by torching the industrial section of Atlanta and pulling away from his supply lines. For the next six weeks, Sherman's army destroyed most of Georgia before capturing the Confederate seaport of Savannah, Georgia.

Sherman captured Atlanta in early September after a long summer campaign. He recognized that he was vulnerable in the city, however, as his supply lines stretched all the way from Nashville, Tennessee. Confederate raiders such as Nathan Bedford Forrest threatened to cut his lines, and Sherman had to commit thousands of troops to protect the railroads and rivers that carried provisions for his massive army. Sherman split his army, keeping 60,000 men and sending the rest back to Nashville with General George Thomas to deal with the remnants of General John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee, the force Sherman had defeated to take Atlanta.

After hearing that President Lincoln had won reelection on November 8, Sherman ordered 2,500 light wagons loaded with supplies. Doctors checked each soldier for illness or injuries, and those who were deemed unfit were sent to Nashville. Sherman wrote to his general in chief, Ulysses S. Grant, that if he could march through Georgia it would be "proof positive that the North can prevail." He told Grant that he would not send couriers back, but to "trust the Richmond papers to keep you well advised." Sherman loaded the surplus supplies on trains and shipped them back to Nashville. On November 15, the army began to move, burning the industrial section of Atlanta before they left. One witness reported "immense and raging fires lighting up whole heavens ... huge waves of fire roll up into the sky; presently the skeleton of great warehouses stand out in relief against sheets of roaring, blazing, furious flames." Sherman's famous destruction of Georgia had begun.

Im new to metal detecting, and looking for anyone with some experience for some help. Right now though i am having trouble with being able to get to the good juicey choice areas to search. I have spent alot of time already researching each place, buildings, farmhouses, dates, and their role in the war. I live in Hagerstown md and cant seem to find any place to freely search as i please. There is soo much civil war history that it is rediculous. between antietam, south mountain, Gettysburg just across the state line and the potomac river this place is filled with civil war relics. I just cant seem to be able to go searching in them without tresspassing on somebody's property. It seems that the people are unfriendly and the places that i come across either slam the door in my face when I knock to get permission. They probably think that Im some sort of bible salesman or con-artist. Anyway, if anybody knows a good place to search or could use some company on a day trip, please comment back.

Thanks I would appreciate it

Had relatives who fought for the CS out of SC. Both were captured. 1 @ the Mule Shoe & 1 at Bean's Station (Outside of Knoxville). Heritage Not Hate!!

My wife & I were CW Re-Enactors before kids. Here is a painting I was in. www.sarba.com/pages/c_s_s1.html I'm on the gang plank pointing. I'm Lt. Dixion.

I enjoy learning more and more about the War of Nothern Aggression.

Ihave a set of books by time life they are called the civil war. Ibought them at a garage sale and you should see some of the pics .alful