The Ottawa free trader. [volume], September 03, 1887, Image 6

About The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916

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BRAGG AND BUELL
TIjo Invasion of Kentucky
Twcnty-fivo Years Ago.
RACING FOR LOUISVILLE.
The Battles at Richmond and
Perryvillo, Ky.
A IUr for ChMUnMfv Holds of Ilia
Caa'eaerate Ooa. Morgan aud KlrOr
Kmlta la Ketoear-Castraatloa at
rtaelaaetlIU DcfenM by Goa. Lew.
TVllM4foath of 0. William Nel
flaHrav Defease of CoL Wilder at
MMnrordrrllle Rm aafl Chaw
"Tbe attempt to destroy the Union of these
states we believe to he a crime, not only
agnint Kentucky but against oil mankind."
flo declared tbo loyal legislature of Kon-tu-ky
in the autumn of IS01. At tbe name
time a bill was jwuned culling out 40,000
Union volunteer.
In tbe southern part of the state, however,
there wo strong eocotwion sentiment, and
early In September, Bishop Lnoiiido
Polk had occupied Colnmbus, Ky., with a
considerable Confederate force.
Finally it was resolvul by the Confederates
to muko a bolI dash for tho fertiln ami
famnns Blue Grass region of Kentucky. Us
lioeves nnd fast bones, its wheat, corn anl
niS'fl- cured linnii wero h suggestion of a land
flowing with milk ami honey to tho appetite
of tho southern army Iwy Confederate
told iuin were never over fid. Perhaps Unit
was ono reason why tlicy wcro Mich good
flf,btTS.
KENTUCKY AMI TKNNKSSKK.
Shortly nftcr he retreated from Corinth in
May. Oeu. Ilcnuivgtird, who was iu fioor
health. gave l'P l'in commnnd of the Confcd
prate department of tho Mississippi. Hi) au
thority was tin ned over to Mai. (Sen. lira
ton Bragg, who look command of tho army
June lCJ. It wn th"ii at Tiilo, Miss.,
s town on tlio Mobile and Ohio railroad, (Illy
miles southwest of Corinth.
On taking command of tho Confederate
force, Bragg at onco started it towards Clmt
pmooga, 'i'enu. Onco there, hf hail nil ulte
rior dream, which tin thought might Ihj real
iwd. lie would strike! hence into Kentucky,
rtriko lKldly find quickly. His southern
nrmy, powerful find enthusiastic, could
drive out nil tho Union troops that were then
ill tho Mate. After that, whntf What but
the cwtnbliihiiiiT of n heccsniouUt Government,
and tbe gaining of Kentucky for tho Confed
eracy. Much was tbn dream of Maj. Gon. Braxton
Bragg, C. H. A., in June, WiL
11. lore the grand expedition started there
bail been various Confederate, incursions ami
raids. Knoxvillo ond East Tennessee were in
possession of the Confederates.
MORGAN'S RAID, 1862.
July 4, CoL John II. Morgan, with 870
"partisan ranger," started from Knox ville.
Term., on a laid into Kentucky. His object
was to get men and horses for the Confederate
army. His approach struck terror to tho
hearts of tho country people within 100 miles
of bim. When rumor mid be was near the
honett farmer led his valuahlo lio!sm and
wttlo into tho thick woods, Into deep ravinos,
and tied thorn there till this terror should bo
passed. It is narrated that someUruos, just
when this bad been done, Morgan and his
men would suddenly appear us if they hud
come out of the ground, and say to tho
affrighted owner: "Here they oro. You've
put tnem just where we wanted them, all
ready for us."
Morgan crossed the Cumlterland mountains
and galloped northward into the heart of
Kentucky. At Iiebanon, on the Ioulsville
and Nathvilk) railroad, July 1, he destroyed
f jO.OIIO worth of United States government
property. There was a dash and a romance
bout bim and his band that caused hun
dreds of young Ken tuck lans to join them.
Still north ward premed Morgan. July 14,
15 and 1(1 bo destroyed railroads, telegraphs
ana bridges, and
July 17 lie cap
tured the town of
Cynthinim, near
the Ohio river. A
battalion of his
men, indeed, un
der Basil Duke,
penetrated quite
k - to tlin rime Ifcm.
Ljgj Ing the wealthy
" nfcftwJ old town of Au
f4uliL K"i fowmilen
below Waysvillo.
In the fight at Au
rui'.ta was killed
0E5. JOHN II. MOROAJf. L1ut (., W)
Court land l'rcntico, one of Basil Duko's offi
cers ond son of tJeorie 11. Trentice, of The
Louisville Journal. Tho Union editor's obit
uary notice in Tho Journal of his secessionist
son was a pathetic illustration of the fctuteof
public sentiment in Kentucky at this time.
At Cynthiana tho Feileral troops wera in
hot puruit of Morgan, lie therefore wheeled
and turned southward, inarching through
Hichmond, Ky., to Clarksvlllo, Teim. Hero
for the time he routed on bis well won laurels.
Morgan was a well to do citizen of Ken
tucky when the war liegan. He was lioru
in HuoUviile, Ala., in 1 "-'". His pictureviue
career ended in IN) I. He whs shot dead
while trying to escape capture in Kmt Ten
nessee. He died with bis boot on.
During bis various raids be destroyed mil
lions of dollars' worth of property.
Maj. On. Don Carina Buell at thiitimscom
manded the United State armies of tbdenart
ment of the Ohio. After the evucuatioii of
Corinth by the Confederate in May. ISlVi,
be established hi headquarters at lluntsville,
Ala. Halleck at 8t. Louis was hi atiperioi'
oflir.
Both the Union and Confederate generals
derided in Juno that Chattanooga would be a
good point to occupy with their resjwetire
armies. It would gite command of Kast
Tennessee. But while Halleck and Buell
wera debating about tbe best route to Chat
tanooga, Bragg was already on the way there.
The race for the town between North and
Mouth was won by tbe Houtu. This was
only the first of the great racing matches
between Bragg and Buell.
At Chattanooga, Bragg prepared his army
to invade Kentucky. He parted it into three
divisions under Hardee, Leonidiu Polk and
K. Kir by hniitb. respectively. Kirby Smith
was in command in 1 last Tennessee.
A portion of tbe Union forces under Geo.
Nelson was sent to Murfreesboro to oppose
Confederal aider, H. B. Finest, who
' zrr iw
kaLJSW?
bad tnlw. jicse--Ion of ?.IaiTroeboro with
vnlunblo stoivs, July !J, ofler ft khaip fight.
O.i tho iiiiproiicli of 'clson Fornst left tho
town, Si t on pursued but could not over
take lilni, not h i-. i;i cavalry. lVnvstswep.
nrnni.d Nashville I' ;i H tofll'ldo, find then
went to M.-ilimn iile, Tinn., wh.'iicolio nuido
raid i.
Iin !! li.id lKeii bun' nuttinx r.iilroa U in
order, tho N:ihvillo and ChalLinoogn ami
tho Memphis and Charleston, wheieby to
transport liis tiMis. Tho latter part of July
tho kiAt of bis army crossed tho Tennee
rivor oii'l moved east want, tills was uen.
Thomas' division. It wo on this inarch
tlmt the lamented Col. Robt. L McCofk was
killed in northern Alubamn. He was ill
ml unarmed, traveling in an ambulance,
when he was shot dead by guerrillas. Ho is
buried ut the beauUful Boring Orovo cemo-
tery, Cincinnati.
Nelson was ordered to McMinnville, still
rtM- that lndii.Hirious raider. Korrest Early
in August, 1A this was the dUpositlnn of
tho Federal ormn Nelson was at'McMinn-
llle, Tbuh. i Crittemlen and McCook were at
Battln Creek; Rousseau was on the Decatur
and Columbia railroad, ana I uomas was on
the Nashville and Chattonooca railroad.
They were thus scattered over a wide dis
trict.
And at thU timo Bragg began
THE INVASION OF KENTUCKY.
Kirby Hmith had lieeu onlertxl into Ken
fiicliv. IIn loft Knoxville. navteil rapid 1 1
throush a gap In tho Cumberland mountains
and Hiel northward. Ho issued a proclama
tion among the poplo as be wont, telling
thorn that every man who llred ou bis troops
Khotild ho bangoil.
Kirhy Smith was a Floridlan, born in S, aad
a went romt raiu-
ate of lift. Ilo won
In the Moxienn nor.
and v. as oh i it ant
imfi'Hir of unit !
malicH at West Pi .hit
for a tini". He re
mained l:i lliot'nl'i'd
Slates army till 1 'HI.
and then j lined tin
K'Mittiera army. M"
was nt t'l'Hi" lllver,
rind emit itmed in the
si'i viee till tin i'Imsi
of the war. sur
i. t 1 1 1 -- I t.ilitn. (Jan
liv, lit ll.ltnn Itnii2i'
OKN. K. KIIIIIV SMITH.
in I 'fil.
ISrngg, in iirrtingiiig tho plan of campaign,
r.l I irij'l.v Xmillifit mnvii I I11-11I17I1 OflHt-
eni Kentueky' to I'-xingtoii, and then push
on Ktrnllit to I ho Ohio river and tal;o posws
hii.n of Cincinnati, lining himself was to
lead nil nrmy through central Kentucky and
couio out on tho Ohio river at Louisville.
Whllo in the interior the two generals were to
iniiLfi fi liificf inn nl. l-VmL-fort. t he cnnitnl of
tho statn, it piai'ticable, and proclaim a Con-
derai" i;ovei iiiin'in.
f!iui Villiiim Niln liml 1mn nrderfv liV
ltnell in tfiko c harco of tho Union defen.-s
of Kentucky. At this timo tho federal geu-
rul, ii iirgo v. .iiorgnn, was ni i,umi)er
111. 1 Ciui. wnteliiii le-f. thn Confederates
should try to get through into Kontucky
there. Ilo heiit out detachments of cavalry
to watch tho iioihlxning gaps. Kirby
Kiuith xent (ien. Htevenson with bis brigade
. ft, -. ll H.l.;ul.ni....
to i'U';n;" iuurj;mi nniuii ihht. iiu ui-iiiiii-nelf
led liis main tinny with nil f-pced on into
Kontucky. Oen. Morgan was thus cut o!f
from rc-cnroreoinents and supplies: After
Miiiiut iliivu mi Imlf i'.iHmi4 ho wils fori(Hl to
nbandoii ('uiuberlnu'i!ap altogether, letreaV-
llg W illi lil t cnmmami 10 i no wriui river.
Dm in., this limn lvirliv i-iiniih's main nrmv
was Hearing the fat central Kentucky region.
lliolaslor Uigusi tuej- Mi'iueiuy iipix-uron
.K-fnro Richmond. '
k'ii.l.t K.niili'u men lind 1 il l In to cat but
green corn o'i their raid into Kentucky. It
s lioliccan.o in: ouuoui. 1110 nr uni un
loutherii koldiers never carried (pinnlities of
nod along, and wcro never cumbered with
Miuuai'o. "I can whin tiny army that is fol
lowed by a flock of cuttle," was a saying of
Stonewall Juckson's.
BATTLE OF RICHMOND.
(Jen. M. D. Mnnson was near Richmond,
Ky.. with a small force, which hod been con
siderably increased through the ati lotic ex
ertions of Gun. Iasw Wallace, of Indiana.
The appearance of Kirby Bmith before
Richmond carried consternation into tue
heart of Kentucky. 1'i nnkfort, tho capital,
was only fifty miles distant. With the legis:
laturo in ses.dou, that body hastily adjourned
to Iniisvillo. Tho state rccordi wei-e also re
moved thither, with a million dollars of
money from the bonks in this region.
Uen. Malison's trnoie bad been attacked by
Kirby Smith's advance nt Big Hill Aug.
2.1, and retreated to Richmond. Here
Manson was re-enforced by a numlwr of
newly organized regiinents from Ohio, Ken
tucky and Indiana. This was just after
lYosldont Lincoln's call for "XX,0iJ0 more,"
and tho north was filled with the camps
of tho fresh volunteers. Tbe new regiments
under Manson hardly new how to form a
line of bottle, and were ignorant of the first
principles of field evolutions. The officers
were, for tbe main part, ns green as the men.
These raw, unpracticed troops were to meet
on the Held at Richmond tho ConfodoroU
veterans of Khiloh, ond other fields under
such loaders as Kirby Smith and Gen. 1'at
Cleburne.
Aug. W, Kirby Smith came on and offered
battle. Munson advanced to meet him and
drove liliu back to Rogvrsville, two miles
from Richmond. I lore Manson encamped for
tbe night. W hat is called tho battle of Rich
mond took place next day, Aug. UO,
Tho fighting began anew on the morning;
of this day. Mansou and Brig. Oen. Cruft,
who hail distinguished himself ut Donelson,
advanced to moot the Confederate attack.
After heavy fighting one milo south of
Rogersville, tbo Union troops were routed
with heavy loss. In the action the lieuten
ant colonel and major of the Seventy-first
Indiana were killed, leaving that regiment
without a field officer.
Lieut. Col. Melville P. Topping, of the Beventy-
first Indians, was a
very prominent bus
iness man of Terre
Kuute, niul one of tho
most promising sol
diers that Indiana
sent to tho war. Mor
tally wounded in the
midst of a crushing
defeat, his flint words
to a .voiinj? officer
ho attended bim
ftywerc, "Have 1 done
my duty? Have I
done nil that could
lie done!" "Yes, Col
onel, you hove done
Lici'T. cou toppiko. your whole duty."
Then," said the gallant soldier. "I die coutent.
Tell mv wife ond children that my last thoughts
woreof tuem."
Noar the old camps of the Union troops,
two miles north from the scene of the first en
gagement, Manson made another stand. Hero
was some bard fighting, but again tbe Con
federates were victorious. At this time Gen.
Nelson arrived, took command and arranged
for a final stand on a slight devotion near the
cemetery lu front of Richmond. Here the
Federal raw recruits, decimated to about 2,500
men, made their third ond last rally against
an enemy vastly superior in numbers and dis
cipline. The Confederate line was twios re
pulsed immediately to tbe right of tbe ceme
tery, but tbe Union line was finally broken
and flanked and the day was hopelessly lost
Uen. Nelson was twice wounded in this action.
Gen. Manson was captured.
In the battle of Richmond there were 12,000
Confederate troops and thirty-sit pieces of
artillery. Tbe Union forces consisted of
about 7,030 men. The Confederates lost over
000 in killed and wounded. Tbe Union troops
lost 825. Besides that, 9,000 of them were
made pj tfoners.
After the fight at Richmond Kirby Bmith
man-bed Lis men to Lexington, tho chief tow n
in the Bluo Grass region. Thenco ho sent out
Oen. II. 'th with fl.Ou) men to camp within a
few miles of C'ovingt.in, opKitn Cincinnati.
Another (1 tn'duiieiit wus ordeied in tho di
rection of IiuIkvuIc. IiiiiiIU himself re
mained nt Islington, waiting tho word to
join r.r.i;,', uml recruiting Ids nrmy among
tho Blue Grass ympathizers with the Con
federate roil1.
Meantime consternation reigned at Cincin
nati, and in tho populous and well to do
smaller towns along the Ohio below. At
Cincinnati martial law was proclaimed, and
the indefatigable Gen. Lew Wollace began
fortifying with all speed in the region about
Covington, Ky. The remains of tbesa de
fenses are still seen. Wallaco ordered all
business houses closed, and the ferry boats
that plied bet ween Cincinnati on the Ohio side,
and Covington and Newport on the Kentucky
side, ware stopped. All this half an hour
after Wallace reached Cincinnati, Sept L
Tbe scene that followed is beyond descrip
tion. Mothers of young Infanta had left
them on one side of tbe river, and visited tbe
other for business or for pleasure. This iron
military order cut them off from return, and
for one night at least both mothers and
br.bies were alike frantic. Mechanics and
other workingmen, by the thousand, had left
their families that morning, expecting to ro
turn as usual, only to find themselves stopped
as by an adamantine wall at 0 o'clock. As
all sorts of minors of capture and impressing
men into the soldiers' ranks were prevalent,
none know for tho timo what had become of
those nearest them. ImaginaUon supplied
tho lack of knowledge and drew pictures of
the fate of loved ones that did not err on the
irido of tho commnnplaco and tho safe. Ciu
cinnatians talk to this day of Low Wallace's
military rule in Cincinnati.
Ho saved it from invasion. In n few hours'
timo ho had on army of 40,000 men ready.
By bis proclamation ho fnt prominent
wealthy citizens to tho othor side of tbo river
to work on the fortifications. It was a curi
ous spectacle, whito hnud'.-d men with rings
and gold watches digging in tho dirt liko rail
road laborers, and throwing up earthworks.
"Citizens for labor, soldiers for battle,"
were low Wallace's words.
Recruits IiomiIcs poured in from Ohio, In
diana nml elsewhere, till there wero defend
ers enough there to inuko the invasion of
Cincinnati a serious luisinesj for auylnxly
w ho should attempt it.
A poiit'ion bridgo was laid across tho river,
and over it thousands of new soldiers innrched
day ond nijjht to man the mw fortifications
at Covington. After somedavs Ileth dropped
i i. ... i : L-;..l... u.
lite k uii. i irj.'iut.i jiiuj jiiiii.ii.
It is timo now to see what Gen. Buell was
aliout.
Don Carlos ltnell was an Ohio man, horn at
Marietta in 1K. Went through West Point ond
served in tho Mexican wur. Was made major
general of volunteers In I8f2. Took effect ive
part in thobuttloof Hhilnh, aud after that was
OEN. Ill'ELU
made commander of the army of the Ohio, ile
wns imiKtiTed out of the volunteer service in
IKin, ond resigned from the regular army in IHG3.
He is uow a resident In Iouisville.
In August Gon. Buoll had been under tbe
Impression that Bragg meant to move against
Nashville. The Federal commander had ac
cordingly concentrated his main army nt
Murfreesboro. Early in September he be
came aware that Brngg's movements meant
tho invasion of Kentucky and the nortn.
Tli.Miimn Until. 7 liA mat lila ,.,ir In nwi.
tion for Louisville. It has been already
mentioned that this city was Bragg's object
ive point also. The second raoo between
Uragg ana imeii began inoreioi-e.
Mat. (len. Proirir. Iluell's onprinent. was a West
Point graduate of thn closn of 1H37. Ho was a
Nortn Carolinian, and was inree years oioer innn
lluell. I.lko most nronilnent rfflccrs on toth the
Uuioa and Confederate sides, Bragg had served
w, , , CXIf. BRAXTON RIUOO.
in tt Mexican war. lie had also served In the
Bominnlrt war. Ho resigned from the reenlur
arrajr and in o planter in Iuliana In 1 Wl. when
he i w appolntotl a Confederate lrlgadier
general. In Kehruorv. lftti, he wai made
a major urneral. lie, too, was engaged
at thn lint lie of Hhilnh. After his invasion of
Kentucky ho fought Itosecrans nt Mnrfroeshofo
and defeated him at Chictnmaugn. His military
career mostly ended at the battle, of Mission
ltidge, IN03, where lie was driven Iwck by O rant.
IJen. Uragg died at Oalveston, Tex., lu IflTO.
Hueh were the two leaders who were to try
ARalnst each other, not only their racing powers,
but their strategic and fighting ability.
Bragg entered Kentucky Sept. 5 with over
40,000 men. He thus had two days the
start of ltnell.
This Reptcmbcr, while tho famous county
fairs take place ot Richmond, Ixington,
Cynthiana and Pal is, with their display of
fleet horses, shining Jerseys and short horned
cottlo and beautiful women, some gmy
beards doubtless remember that twenty-five
years ago, this month, there were very few
county fairs in the magnificent Blue Grass
region. They were broken up by the tramp
of armies, tho hiss of bursting shells and the
thunderous sound of artillery.
It was Buell's concentration of bis army at
Murfreesboro that gave Bragg free scope to
start where he would unmolested.
Sept 7 Buell started after htm with
nearly 00,000 men. He meant to overtake
Bragg and force bim to a battle. His divi
sion commanders were Gens, Am men, Thoa.
L. Crittenden, Alex McDowell McCook,
Wood, Rousseau and Robt. B. Mitchell. He
crossed the Cumberland at Nashville on
his rood north, and left there three divisions
under Thomas as a garrison.
MUNFOROSVILLE.
Sept. 13, Brngg's cavalry had reached Mun
fordsville under command of Gen. J. R.
Chalmers. At Munfordsville, ou Green river,
was a Federal garrison a little over 2,000
strong, under Col. J. T. Wilder. It was
stationed at the bridge where the I-ouisrilie
and Nashville railway crossed. After the
Confederate artillery and infantry hadar
rtvsd Bragg called on Wilder to surrender.
The demand was refused.1
y w
Probably as singular an Incident as ever
took place in tho nnnals of war happened
hero. On Hept. 11, Bragg ns.sault.od, and
was repulsed. Kept. l.", Bragg ngf.lil de
manded surrender, and was a. second time
refused. Tito ConfcdoruUst withdrew then,
but reappear.-d a third timo hi force. Bragg
snt n Hag of trtico to tho garrison, lnwover,
calling for its surrender in tho name of bu
m.inity. Ho had his whole army around
them, ho declared, and if be. was forcod to
attack again it would be a useless shedding
of blood, for the garrison was doomed at all
hazard. The Uttle Union garrison held a
council of war. It was determined not to
surrender unless the commanding ofllcer of
the cirri son wo permitted to make a par
sonal inspection of Brngg's camp, to prove
the truth of bis statement This was the
answer sent back to the Confederate com
mander. Strangely enough the offer was ac
opted by Bragg, and CoL Wilder want in
person and was escorted through the Confed
erate quarters the evening of Sept 18. He
found an army of 23,000 men, with 45 pieces
of artillery, against bis handful of less than
2(000, He decided that further resistance was
useless, and surrendered ManfordsvUle, with
tbe honors of war, to Bragg, Rept 17. There
bad been bloody fighting during the four
days. The flag of the Fifty-seventh Indiana
was cut down after having 1VJ bullet boles
shot through it, Wllder's resistance had been
a gallant and stubborn one. A raw recruit
of tbe Seventeenth Indiana, a printer, sat at
an embrasure and with his own hnnda fired
over 500 shots. His comrades loaded for
him.
Newspaper lotters of tbe time say that
Bragg remarked to Wilder after thn sur
render: "You have ruined the best brigade
of my army."
After Munfordsville, Bragg marched to
ITcwitts Knob, iiuoll follow ing him with nil
his nrmy. Buell hail sont for Thomas from
NuMbviilo, leaving N'ogloy in command there.
Thomas joined Buell with the First division
Kept 20. Buell prepared to givo battlo at
once, but while bo did so Bragg's army sud
denly gave him tho f lip and marched toward
Louisville. '1 hoy did not go thero, however,
but ngain suddenly changed their course uml
mnrched to Bardstown.
Maj. Gon. Lnvoll H. Kousaeau was ono of the
niOKt accomplished r.flleers of the nrmy of the
Cumberland. II was a Kentuekinn, Iniru iu 1WH,
of xior parents. Thn
encycloix-dlas any
that in his early
youth ho "worked at
road making," which
stnt"iucnt is not as
clear as one could
wish. At any rate,
ho wns self educated
and studied law, and
never went to Wont.
Point. Ilewnnahih
pluce as a criminal
lawyer nt Louisville.
Ho took the Union ;gys?
siuo in iNn, nnu f 3Htr
in Kentucky, hut was
obliged to quarter ofx. norssEAC.
them at Camp Joe Holt, on the Ohio side of the
river, on account of Kentucky's neutrality.
He was a brigadier general of volunteers
In 1401. Ho fought ut .Shi loll, and pallantly
against Iirng nt Pejryvillo, ' Ky., ond there
upon was made major general of volun
teem.' Ho was nt Cbiekamouga, and organized a
famous raid Into Alabama. The next step in bis
varied career was on election to congress, im
mediately on the close of tho war. Then once
more into tbo army in which he was appointed a
regular brigadier general and sent on duty to
Alaska. He was reculled and sent to command
at New Orleans, where ho died in JkO'J. Oen.
Kousaeau was a man of magnificent physical ap
pearance, tho typical "big Kciituckian."
Buell hastened on to Louisvillo. He won
the race, if Bragg had i-eally meant to go
there. But Bragg himself says in his report
that at this time he found himself in a "hostile
country," with only three days' food for his
men. He therefore determined to deflect his
course to the right instead of proceeding still
further into a hostile country, to fix bis head
quarters at Bardstown and draw supplies
from Lexington.
Buell and Bragg each claimed to be at
tempting to draw the other into a battle.
At all events, however, this purposeless
tramping through Kentucky had done little
good for the army of Gen. Buell. Reaching
Louisvillo, it eneamped on tho river shore, be
low the city.
"And when we got there there were only
six boys of my regiment who stacked arms
on the sand," Bays a private who tells the
story of Buell's chase through Kentucky.
The other men of the regiment uad drop
ped out by the way, either fallen through
fatigue or been lost bystraggling. The other
regiments wero in not much hotter condition
than the one mentioned when they encamped
o.i the sand below Louisville. And after
this river was reached thousands more drop
ped out, deserted or "straggled."
Tho day that tho lost of Buell's army
reached Louis
ville, Sept. 20, a
tragic event hap
pened then which
threw the whole
city into excite
ment. This was tbe
fatal shooting of
Gen. William Nel
son by Brig. Oen.
Jeff. C. Davis, of
Indiana, in aquar
reL Gen. Nelson was
born in Maysville,
Kentucky, in 1S25.
Up to ISO! he had oen. wm. nklson.
served in the United States navy. That year he
was appointed a brigadier general of the army
and sent on duty to bis own state. Ho recruited
thousands of Union volunteers. At Shiloh
he commanded n division, remaining with
Buell's army up to Bragg's invasion of Ken
tucky. After the battlo of Richmond ho was
sent to look after tbe defonses of Louisville,
for that, city expected a visit from Bragg
when Kirby Smith was advancing on Louis
ville. With great vigor Nelson set about fortify
ing the Kentucky metropolis, but his way wns
different from that resorted to by Lew Wal
lace. Wallace issued n proclamation calling
on the citizens of Cincinnati to aid in throw
ing up the earthworks, and wealthy and prom
inent citizens responded to tho call and dug
with their own bands. Nelson, on the other
hand, gave out the following order:
"Having been colled on for 1,000 laborers, it
is ordered that tbe citizens of IxuisviUe and
Jefferson county report to Col. Henry Dent
the number of slaves each will furnish, and
they will deliver them into tbe custody of Col.
Dent, to be used in the erection of fortifica
tions. Col. Dent is ordered to impress a suffi
cient number of laborers to erect the works of
defense."
Wherever negroes wera found at large in
the streets they were seized and set to work,
and there was wild scurrying to and fro of
dusky forms, and hiding away as soon as tbe
order became known. Thus the fortifications
at Covington were built voluntarily by citi
zens of Cincinnati and vicinity. Those of
Louisville were made by the forced labor of
negro slaves.
Gen. Nelson was a brave and able soldier.
But he had a temper which was a terror to
those who were forced to be about him. His
soldiers knew this well, and sometimes made
it serve their amusement One evening an
innocent looking civilian came into his camp
Inquiring for the quartermaster. Tbe "boys,"
scenting some fun, directed him to the ger.
eral's tent, w here Nelson had already retired
for tho nlf;ht.
"Ho'll say hn'-i not tho quartermn3'.er," ci
plained tho boys, "but don't you believe bim.
Tell bim you know better, und you want
noiio of his lyiii;."
The lumb went into tho lion's jaw. A row
of heads was ducked out of the tents all along
tho lino of tbo regiment. The soldier were
awaiting the denouement. Tbe verdunt nois
ily aroused the alleged quartermaster. There
was a rour from the lion within. The lion
demand". 1 w but was tbo matter.
"I want tbo quartermaster," said the ver
dant. "Aint you the auartermasterr
There was an explosion.
"I'm not the quartermaster ," roared Nel
son. "What do you come here disturbing me
fori"
The civilian showed his courage. "Come
now, none 0' that," said he. "They told me
you'4 deny it, bat I'll bar none o yeur
blasted foolishness."
Tbe general srtrang out of bed and snatched
his sword. "Come here," be exclaimed.
At that moment it was borne in on the
civilian's mind that there was a mistake. U
turned about with a jump, and made for the
outside world as fatt as his heels would carry
bim, Gen. Nelson after. A shout of laughter
from a thousand throats greeted the civilian
as be appeared, hushed in tbe twinkling of an
eye when it was known that the general too
wo there.
Ilea. Is w ere ducked inside the tents with
lightning rapidity, nnd oil was silent ns tho
grave in a moment A solitary captain sat
outside bis tent, demurely enjoying the cool
of the evening.
"Who sent that fellow to mef" demanded
Nelson.
"I don't know," replied tho captain.
Gen. Nelson was killed at tho Gait bouse,
Louisville. His maimer bud enraged Gen.
Davis beyond all self control. Nelson, who
was a very largo and powerful muu, hail
slapped Davis in tho ftuv. Ho is buried ot
Cavo Hill cemetery, Louisville. His pall
bearers were generals from Buell's nrmy and
soldier friends. His body lay in stnto uwhile,
nnd his own division attended the funeral in
procession.
At Louisvillo Buell reorganised his scat
tered army. Thousands of new recruits
cainoii'id they were assigned to the thinned
oldsa'gimcnt.s and these were filled. When
ready to move once nioro against Bragg,
Iiuoll hud an army of lDO.OOO men. It was
divided into threo corps, commanded respec
tively bv Maj. Gens. A. Mel). McCook,
Thomas L. Crittenden and Brig. Gn. Charles
C. ClilisTt. (Sen. Gilbert was a West Point
graduate of PV.
IYuotically Buell's chaso from Murfrees
boro, Teiin.,' to IiOtiisville, Ky., had the np
ix'tiratieo of n retreat. It was contended tlmt
lie should have Ihhvui moie vigorous in action,
thnt lie should have forced Brag;? to battle
and driven him out of Kentucky. Hnllock
nt Washington took this view of it und re
lieved Buell from commnnd and put Thomas
in his pluce the last of September. Thomas,
however, remonstrated earnestly against this
mid the order was revoked. Thomas hud not,
at this time, confidence in his own power to
handle a lurgo liody of trooj)s.
Tho next day, Oct. 1, Buell took commnnd
again, with Thomas second, and once more
began tho hunt lifter Bragg. Ho had 1011,000
men.
MARCHING THROUGH KENTUCKY.
Wo left Bragg nt Burdstown Sept. 21.
Oct. t he left Uen. lconidns Toll; in com
mand Ht tlmt town, and himself started to
Lexington. Tolls had orders to "slowly re
tire" to Brynntsville. Kirby Kmith was at
this time in tho interior of tho state with his
army, waiting orders to join Bragg at Frank
fort.
There really was a Confederate governor
of Kentucky for a few days. Oct. 1 Bragg
und Kirby Smith united their forces at
Frankfort Then Bragg was good as bis
word. Ha and Kirby Smith installed Rich
ard Hawes as provisional Confederate gov
ernor of Kentucky. Bragg had 6et up a
Confederate government in tbe state.
Richard Ilavvos had been a member of tbe
United States congress. The Confederate
government in Kentucky did not, however,
last long. A week later It retreated swiftly
southward, governor and all.
Bragg learned ac Lexington, Oct. 3, that
Buell had started after him again. Bragg's
own army had been considerably increased
by young Ken
tucky recruits,
and his whole
force in the state
now amounted to
not far from G-V
000 men. Imme
diately on bearing
of B u e 1 1's ap
proach, Bragg
wrote to Polk to
como at once to
Frankfort, by way
of Bloom'field.
Bragg looked for a
battle with Buell.
Polk was to pre- BISH0P P01'"
pare to attack the Federal army in flank and
rear, while Kirby Smith should attack in
front.
Polk decided not to obey the order, but to
follow his original instructions to slowly
retire to Hryontville. Bragg then counter
manded the order to attack that he bad given
to Smith.
During the last of September and first days
of October, Bragg's army hod been success
fully and rapidly accumulating the spoils of
war. Cattle, horses, swine and mules were
seized without stint by Confederate detach
ments in various parts of the interior. At
Frankfort a cloth factory was looted, nnd
1,000,000 yards of the famous Kentucky
butternut jeans wero taken. In some in
stances Confederate scrip was offered in pay
ment for property seized.
Bragg had issued a proclamation to tho
Kentuekians on entering the interior of the
state, in which he had said he must have tbe
supplies of war wherewith to liberate them
from the northern invader. To the ladies he
said with poetic enthusiasm:
'Buckle on tbe armor of your kindred, your
husbands, sons and brothers, and scoff with
shame bim who would prove recreant to you,
his country nnd bis God."
The "suppliiw of wnr" had been nccumn
latingat Ixington. Bragg ordered n sufll
ciunt quantity sent to Polk ot Bryantsville,
nnd Oct. 7 ordered Polk himself to march to
Perryvillo, Kv., with Cheatham's division.
He was further to attack the Union army,
rout it, and then join Kirby Smith at Frnnk
ford. Bishop Leonidas Polk, of Louisiana, on the
outbreak of the civil war, threw away his
priestly cassock and donned the Confederate
lighting gray. He bad, however, been a
soldier before becoming a bishop, having
licen graduated at We-st Point in 1827. He
was born nt Raleigh, N. C, in 1S06. Ho was
one of tbe most able nnd zealous of the minor
Confederate generals. Wherever fighting
was, there Bishop Polk was. He always de
clared, however, that when the war was over
he would go back and be a bishop again. A
British officer who knew bim in the army
wrote of tbe Confederate soldier bishop: "He
is very rich, and, I am told, owns 700 ne
groes." Gen. Polk commanded a division at Shiloh,
and a corps ot Chickamauga. His sense ef
bis own dignity and importance sometimes
led bim to disoley his mperior officers, as he
did Bragg in Kentucky. For such disobe
dience at Chickamauga he was put under ar
rest, but was afterwards restored to com
mand. He was with Johnston's army before
Atlanta, in June, 1864, where a cannon shot
from tbe Federal lines ended his career both
military aud theological. Bishop Polk was a
man of'imposing presence.
Oct. t. ISC', Bragg's ond Buell's armies
knocked beads together at last and fought the
BATTLE OF PERRYVILLE.
This bad been Buell's disposition of his
forces after he marched out ot Louisville,
Oct 1, with 100,000 men: Gen. Sill, with
two divisions, tbe Federal left, marched
gainst Kirby Smith at Frankfort Tho rest
of tho nrmy moved bydilTereut routes against
Bragg himself nt Bardstown.
Thero w.vs n jierpotual series of cavalry nnd
artillery sLiniikhes with tho Coufudoratcs
after leaving Louisvillo, which kept Buell's
army buck und gave Bragg time to withdraw
from Bur l-town. Buell reached that place
eight hours after bis onoiny had loft it Re
ports reached Buell from time to time Indi
cating the direction Bragg had taken. He
changed bis line of march accordingly, now
liere, now there, till at length it seemed clear
that Bragg was either at Perryvillo or Har
rodsburg. Oct 7, Boell came within threo mike of
Porry ville. There be found the Coofederatea
in force. Gilbert's corps was with the Fed
oral commander at this time. McCook!
corps wis at this time on the narrodsburg
road, and Crittenden's corps was on the
Lebanon road, -
Crittenden is a famous name la Kentucky an.
Beaator J. J.
Crittenden beid la
his time the highest
political o aloes bis
state could gtr bim.
He was aa ardent
Union man whea tha
war began. He had
two sons, Thomas L.
and Oeorge B.
Thomas entered the
Union army, George
B. the Confederate,
and both rose to be
generals. Thomas
I... the Union frit.
IOSM. T. L. CBITTEyOWf. tflRlieat Bwaa copp,
comuuiader, was born In 181!). He was United
Statt consul to Liverpool in President Taylor's
time. He entered tho Union army in 18CI, and in
tbo fall of that year tieeame brigadier general of
volunteers. He served at mauy of the harduat
fought battles of tho war, such as Khiloh, Stono
River nnd Chiclcaninutfa. Iu IMI be was sent
east, and commanded a corps there. Ile was a
major general of volunteers, aud, by brevet, of
the regular army also. In tho Buell campaign
asaiu.st Hrugtf ho commanded the right wing of
the Army of the Ohio.
During tbo night of Oct. 7, Buell ordered
McCook and Crittenden at onco to advance
and form in lino of battlo on tho wings. Gil
bert's corps was the center. During tho night
also Buell Imd a sharp littlo fight for a creek
wh'.'iiee to get wuter for his army. Ilo ob
tained possession of the xvds. T -is fighting
was done ou tho Federal side by Col. Daniel
McCook.
The battlo of Perryvillo was begun on the
morning of Oct 8 by an attempt to drive
McC.x'k awny from tho precious water pools.
It was repulsed, and in this preliminary fight
a young Union division com.oamler named
Pliliip .Sheridan distinguished himself hand
somely. There was no more fighting till the arrival
of McCook between 10 nnd 11 o'clock. He
immediately found his divisions, Jackson's
und Rousseau's, iu lino on Gilliert's left
Tho battle of Perryvillo began in a fight
for water. MeCook's position was near Doc
tor's Fork of Chaplin creek. Rousseuu's di
vision advanced towards this creek to get
water, when they wero fired on by tho Con
federate artillery. MeCook's line formed on
Chaplin's Hills.
Of MeCook's forces, Rousseau hold the
right, and Oca Terrell's brigade of Jacksou's
division tho extreme left. Starkweather's
brigade was behind Terrell's as a reserve.
About 'i o'clock tho Confederate Gen. Har
dee catnu on to tbo nltack with 10,000 men,
tho divisions of Cheatham, Buckner and S.
R. Anderson. The Maxvillo road crossed
Doctor's Fork immediately in front of the
Federal lino, and this was tbe point the Con
federates aimed at
The Confederates attacked first tho extreme
left under Terrell. There was a strong fire
and Terrell's raw recruits wavered. Their
division commander, Gen. James S. Jackson,
rode gallantly to the front to rally them. In
a moment a fragment of shell struck him in
the breast and bo fell from his horse dead in
a moment A little
later and Gen. Ter
rell was also killed.
The day would
have been lost ou
tbe left only for
Starkweather's
brigade. These be
longed to Rous
seau's division, and
with stubborn bra
very they held the
t , j . . & t i .
COIIieuei Bun uac ig v
after Terrell's men -
bad been beaten. J- s- Jackson.
Gen. Anderson made a fierce attack on Rous
seau on tbe right The Federal brigades
were commanded by Gen. W. H. Lytle and
Col. Len A. Harris, both Cincinnati men.
Lytle was the author of the poem "I am dy
ing, Egypt, dying." The Army of the Cum
berland society is erecting a monument to him
at Cincinnati. Anderson's men far outnum
bered thoso of Harris and Lytle, yet thoy held
their ground till their ammunition was ex
hausted, when tboy fell back. Here tbe Fed
eral Col. Webster was killed and Lytle was
severely wounded. It, wos a very hot fight.
McCook had called earnestly for re-enforcements.
Gooding's brigade was sent bim from
Gilbert's corps. It entered into the battle
where Ly tie's brigade left off, and fought
hotly for two hours. A historic point of the
battle of Perry ville is Russell's house. About
it tbe battle ebbed Mid flowed, and swayed
back and forth. It was on the Federal fine
in the morning, at the ground occupied by
Lytic s brigade. When that was driven
back, Russell's house was lost. Gooding's
brigade recovered the lost ground, and onca
more Russell's house wos within the Federal
line. But the brave brigade of Gooding lost
one-third of its number and its commander
himself was mode prisoner.
Over on the left ot Gilbert's corps, Gen.
Sheridan had engaged in the fight early in
the day, forced back tbe Confederate line and
advanced bis own. This line was astailed
when the attack was made on Rousseau.
Sheridan withdrew to a better position and
poured musket baNs and cannister shot into
their ranks. But being bard pressed, Car
lin's brigade from Gilbert's corps was sent to
him in the nick of time.
This settled tbe fight Carlin's brigade
charged on tho advancing Confederates, their
line broke and they fell back. Through Per
ry ville, Cnrlin pursued them, capturing
prisoners nnd military supplies in tbe town.
Sheridan also pursued some distance, and
theu trained liis artillery fire upon the Con
federates, who were still coming up against
the Federal left, and checked them. Dark
ness ended the fight.
Buell wos not njvare till night what heavy
fighting bad been done by MeCook's division
and Sheridan. He nlid not know what a
large battle be bad bad upon his hands, with
by Tar the larger portion of bis troops not en
gaged at all Crittenden's corps did not
come up in time, and except one brigade did
not take part in the light.
The Confederate part of the battle was di
rected by Bishop Polk. Bragg himself was
at Frankfort with Kirby Smith.
At 1'erryville Buell had 66,000 men, lesa
than half of them being in the tight. He tost
in killed and wounded 4,348. The Confeder
ates lost 2,500; but Buell captured nearly
5,000 prisoners at Perryvillo during the days
just previous.
Bragg's army at Perry ville numbered be
tween 35,000 and 40,000,
Tbe Federal forces prepared to renew tbe
fight next morning, Oct 9. But that night
Bragg and Kirby Smith united, marched
their armies southeast through Harrodsburg
aud out of Kentucky altogether. Tbey re
tired iu good order, and took with them an
Immense quantity of supplies.
Tbe last of October Buell was relieved of
his command and Gen. Rosecrans put in his
place. About the same time his command,
the Army of tbe Ohio, was absorbed in tbe
Army of the Cumberland, and thereafter
formed part of it