NATIONAL TROOPS IN KENTUCKY.

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that region who had received Fremont as a liberator, dared not remain, for they expected, what really happened, that General Price would follow up the receding army, and they would be made to suffer for their loyalty. Price did follow, with more than fifteen thousand men, in three columns; and all South-western Missouri below the Osage was soon delivered into the power of the Confederates.

When at the point of being deprived of his command, Fremont sent an order to General Grant at Cairo, directing him to make some co-operating movements. That officer, as we have observed, had taken possession of Paducah, in Kentucky," on hearing of the invasion of that State by General Polk. He had proceeded to strengthen the position by casting up fortifications there; and by order of General Fremont, an immense pontoon bridge was thrown across the Ohio, half a mile below the

a

Sept. 6,

1861.

town.' He also seized and occupied Smithland, not far from the mouth of the Cumberland River, and thus closed two important gateways of supply for the Confederates in the interior of Kentucky and Tennessee, from the Ohio.

¿Nov. 2.

When Fremont's order for co-operation reached Grant, and was followed the next day by a dispatch,' saying, "Jeff. Thompson is at Indian Ford of the St. François River, twenty-five miles below Greenville, with about three thousand men, and Colonel Carlin has started with a force from Pilot Knob; send a force from Cape Girardeau and Bird's Point, to assist Carlin in driving Thompson into Arkansas," he was ready to move quickly and effectively. Grant had already sent Colonel

1 A pontoon bridge is a portable structure made to float on boat-shaped buoys, and used by an army on its march for the purpose of crossing rivers where bridges may have been destroyed, or a fordable river made Impassable by rains. The more modern boats used for the purpose are made of vulcanized india-rubber, and consist of cylinders peaked at each end, so as to offer very little resistance to a current.

The river at Paducah is 3,600 feet across. The bridge was constructed of coal-barges, strongly braced together, and otherwise connected by trestle-work planked over. It was capable of bearing the heaviest ordnance and thousands of men.

continuance in the service of doubtful expediency. With every desire to gratify your wishes, I do not see exactly how I can violate every rule of military propriety. Please reply. GEO. B. MCCLELLAN, Com.-in-Chief.

General Fremont tried to find out what were the offensive sentiments that had been expressed by members of his Guard, which had eaused this harsh official action toward them; but to his application for a reconsideration of their case, in order that the truth might be diecovered, General McClellan made no reply. The Guard was mustered out of service on the 28th of November, 1861. It is said that the offensive sentiments alluded to were those of Fremont's emancipation proclamation. It was well known that some of the Guard were outspoken against the slave system, whose supporters had commenced the war against the Government.

86

EXPEDITION DOWN THE MISSISSIPPI.

Oglesby to Commerce and Sikeston, to pursue Thompson in conjunction with some troops from Ironton, and had been informed that Polk was sending re-enforcements to Price from Columbus. In this situation of affairs, he determined to threaten Columbus by attacking Belmont, a little village and landing-place on the Missouri shore opposite, and break up the connection between Polk and Price. Oglesby's force was deflected toward New Madrid, and Colonel W. H. L. Wallace,

• Nov. 6, 1861.

OHICKMAN

wwwwwOUNION CITY

ESSEE

RIVER

FIELD OF OPERATIONS AGAINST BELMONT.

of Illinois, was sent from Cairo to re-enforce him. The movement on Belmont would keep Polk from interfering with Grant's troops in pursuit of Thompson.

General Charles F. Smith, a soldier of rare qualities, was now in command at Paducah. Grant requested him to make a demonstration toward Columbus, to attract the attention of Polk, and at the same time he sent a force down the Kentucky shore to Ellicott's Mills, about twelve miles

above Columbus. When these deceptive movements were put in operation, Grant went down the Mississippi from Cairo," with about three thousand troops, mostly Illinois Volunteers,' in four steam transports, convoyed by the wooden gunboats Tyler and Lexington, commanded respectively by Captains Walke and Stemble. They lay at Island No. 1, eleven miles above Columbus, that night. There Grant received information that Polk was sending troops across to Belmont, to cut off Colonel Oglesby. At dawn the next morning, he pressed forward and landed his forces at Hunter's Point, on the Missouri shore, three miles above Belmont, where a battalion was left to guard the transports from an attack by land, whilst the remainder pushed on and formed a line of battle two miles from the village. In the mean time, the gunboats had moved down and opened fire upon the Confederate batteries on the Iron Banks, a short distance above Columbus, on the Kentucky shore, and two hundred feet above the river, where twenty heavy guns were planted. Colonel Fouke took command of the center of the attacking column, Colonel Buford of the right, and Colonel Logan of the left. Polk was surprised. He was looking for an attack only in the rear, for General Smith was threatening him at Mayfield. He at once sent over three regiments, under General Pillow, to re-enforce the regiments of Russell and Tappen (the former acting as brigade commander), then holding Belmont.

1 These consisted of a part of General John A. McClernand's Brigade, composed of the Twenty-seventh, Thirtieth, and Thirty-first Illinois, commanded respectively by Colonels N. B. Buford, Philip B. Fouke, and John A. Logan; and a company of cavalry led by Captain J J. Dollins. To these were added another company of cavalry under Lieutenant J. R. Catlin, and Captain Ezra Taylor's Chicago Light Artillery of six pieces and 114 men, all Illinois Volunteers. Also the Twenty-second Illinois, Colonel II. Dougherty, and the Seventh Iowa, Colonel Lauman.

BATTLE OF BELMONT.

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Grant moved forward, with Dollins' cavalry scouring the woods to the right, and, deploying his whole force as skirmishers, he fought from tree to tree, and drove back the foe to their intrenched camp, which was protected by a strong abatis of slashed trees.' Behind these, opposing Grant's left, lay the Thirteenth Arkansas and Ninth Tennessee; and opposite his left was a battery of seven guns, commanded by Colonel Beltzhoover, and Colonel Wright's Tennessee regiment. Against these the Nationals charged over the fallen timber, captured the battery, and drove the Confederates back across the low level ground to the river, and some of them to their boats. In this movement Pillow's line was broken into a confused mass of men. The powder of the Confederates was nearly exhausted. The victory was complete; but the ground being commanded by the heavy guns on the bluffs at and near Columbus, it was untenable. The victors gave three cheers for the Union, set fire to the Confederate camp (having no wagons, in which to carry away property), and fell back with captured men, horses, and artillery, toward their landing-place in the morning.

BATTLE OF BELMONT.

Polk determined not to allow Grant to escape with his victory and booty. He opened upon him with some of his heaviest guns, and sent General Cheatham with three regiments to cross the river above, and land between Grant and his flotilla. At the same time the chief crossed, at the head of two regiments, to aid Pillow in his chase of the Nationals. The Confederates now were not less than five thousand strong, and pressing hard. There was desperate fighting for a short time. Grant pushed on in good order toward his landing-place, under fire of the Confederate batteries on the Iron Banks, turning once to punish severely some of Cheatham's troops on his flank, and once again to send back in confusion some of Pillow's men, under Colonel Marks, who had endeavored to cut him off from his boats. He finally reached his landing-place, and embarked, after suffering severely. The fight had been gallant on both sides. The gun-boats had performed most efficient service in

2

1 Abatis is a French word for rows of felled trees, having their smaller branches cut off and the larger ones sharpened, and placed with their ends toward the approach of assailants, either in front of a fort or an intrenched camp. Sometimes the smaller branches are left, and so intertwined as to make it extremely difficult to penetrate the mass, excepting by cannon-balls.

In a general order, Nov. 8th, General Grant said: "It has been my fortune to have been in all the battles fought in Mexico by Generals Scott and Taylor, save Buena Vista, and I never saw one more hotly contested, or where troops behaved with more gallantry." In his report on the 12th, he spoke in highest terms of General McClernand, as being in the midst of danger throughout the engagement, displaying coolness and judgment

88

THE CONFEDERATES UNEASY.

engaging the Confederate batteries, protecting the transports, and covering the re-embarkation. Indeed, to Captains Walke and Stemble, who managed their craft with the greatest skill and efficiency, the country was mostly indebted for the salvation of that little army from destruction or capture.' At five o'clock in the afternoon, the flotilla, with the entire force, was on its way back to Cairo, carrying away two of Beltzhoover's heavy guns, the others having been recaptured. Grant had lost four hundred and eighty-five men,' and Polk six hundred and thirty-two. Cotemporaries and eye-witnesses on both sides related many deeds of special daring by individuals.

The repulse of Grant did not relieve the Confederates of a sense of impending great danger, for intelligence was continually reaching Columbus of the increase of National forces on the Ohio border. General Mansfield Lovell, then in command at New Orleans, was solicited to send up re-enforcements; and Governor Pettus, of Mississippi, and Governor Rector, of Arkansas, were implored for aid. But these men perceived the peril threatened by the land and water campaign commanded by Fremont, which events had sufficiently developed to make it fully suspected by the Confederates, and they dared not spare a man. Lovell answered that he had no more troops than were necessary to defend New Orleans, whilst both Pettus and Rector considered themselves deficient in strength for the expected conflict. Gov

1861.

ernor Harris, of Tennessee, was urged to increase his efforts in Nov. 14, raising volunteers. He had telegraphed to Pillow," saying: "I congratulate you and our gallant volunteers upon their bloody but brilliant and glorious victory;" and a week later he added, “I am organizing, as rapidly as possible, thirty thousand volunteers and militia, armed with country guns." The hope thus held out was fallacious, for nearly all the troops that Harris could then muster, by force or persuasion, were soon needed in the interior of his State, in keeping in check the Loyalists of East

and having had his horse shot three times. Grant's horse was also shot under him. Colonel Dougherty, of the Twenty-second Illinois, was three times wounded, and finally taken prisoner. Major McClurken, of the Thirtieth Illinois, and Colonel Lauman, of the Seventh Iowa, were badly wounded. Among the killed were Colonel Wentz, of the Seventh Iowa, Captains Brolaski and Markle, and Lieutenant Dougherty. The Twenty-second Illinois lost 23 killed and 74 wounded; and the Seventh Iowa had 26 killed and 80 wounded, including nearly all of its field officers. The loss of property was estimated at 25 baggage wagons, 100 horses, 1,000 overcoats, and 1,000 blankets. One man was killed and two wounded on the gunboats.

Among the Confederates killed was Colonel John V. Wright, of the Thirteenth Tennessee, and Major Butler, of the Eleventh Louisiana. Wright was a Democratic Congressman, and an intimate friend of Colonel Philip B. Fouke, of the Illinois Volunteers. When they parted at the close of the session of 1860-61," says Mr. Greeley, (American Conflict, i. 597), Wright said to his friend, Phil, I expect the next time we meet it will be on the battle-field. Their next meeting was in this bloody struggle.”

1 After the transports had departed from before Columbus, and gone some distance up the river, followed by the gunboats, Captain Walke was informed that some of the troops had been left behind. He returned with the Tyler, and met detached parties along the banks. He succeeded in rescuing nearly all of the stragglers from capture.

2 Eighty-five killed, 801 wounded, and 99 missing. General Pillow, whose performances on this occasion were the least creditable, with his usual bombast and exaggerations, spoke in his report of his "small Spartan army" withstanding the constant fire of three times their number for four hours.-Pollard's First Year of the War, 203.

Official reports of Grant and Polk, and their subordinate officers; private letter of General Grant to his father, Nov. 8th, 1861; Grant's Revised Report, June 26th, 1865; Pollard's First Year of the War. The latter gives the Confederate loss as it is above recorded. MS. Reports of Acting Brigadier-General R. M. Russell, Nov. 9, and of Colonels E. Ricketts, Jr., and T. H. Bell, Nov. 11, 1861.

4 A little later, Governor Pettus changed his views, and, in a special message to the Mississippi Legislature, he suggested to that body the propriety of sending such troops as could be immediately raised and armed, to assist in the defense of the important post of Columbus. I deem the safety of our position and forces at Columbus as of such vital importance to this State," he said, "as to claim the prompt and decisive action of all the State authorities."

KENTUCKY INVADED BY ZOLLICOFFER.

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Tennessee; in aiding Zollicoffer in his invasion of Southeastern Kentucky, already alluded to;' and in supporting Buckner in his treasonable operations in his native State. Zollicoffer had advanced to Barboursville, the capital of Knox County, so early as the 19th of September, where he dispersed an armed band of Kentucky Unionists, and captured their camp. He proclaimed peace and security in person and property for all Kentuckians, excepting those who should be found in arms for the Union; but his soldiers could not be restrained, and the inhabitants of that region were mercilessly plundered by them.

Zollicoffer's invasion aroused the Unionists of Eastern Kentucky, and they flew to arms. A large number of them were mustering and organizing under Colonel Garrard, a plain, earnest, and loyal Kentuckian, at a point among the Rock Castle Hills known as Camp Wild Cat. It was in a most picturesque region of one of the spurs of the Cumberland Mountains, on the direct road from Cumberland Gap toward the rich "blue-grass region" of Kentucky. Upon this camp Zollicoffer advanced on the 18th of October, with seven regiments and a light battery. When intelligence of his approach was received, Colonel Garrard had only about six hundred effective men to oppose him. Others in sufficient numbers to insure a successful resistance were too remote to be available, for the invader moved swiftly, swooping down from the mountains like an eagle on its prey. Yet when he came, on the morning of the 21st," he found at Camp Wild Cat, besides Garrard's three regiments, a part of Colonel Coburn's Thirty-third Indiana, and Colonel Connell's Seventeenth Ohio regiments, and two hundred and fifty Kentucky cavalry, under Colonel Woolford, ready to resist him. With the latter came General Schoepf, an officer of foreign birth and military education, who assumed the chief command.

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1861.

The position of the Unionists was strong. Zollicoffer with his Tennesseans and a body of Mississippi "Tigers" boldly attacked them, and was twice repulsed. The first attack was in the morning, the second in the afternoon. The latter was final. The contests had been very sharp, and the latter was decisive. The camp-fires of Zollicoffer's invaders were seen that evening in a sweet little valley two or three miles away from the battleground. Promptly and efficiently had Garrard's call for help been responded to, for toward the close of the second attack a portion of Colonel Steadman's Fourteenth Ohio also came upon the field to aid the Kentuckians, Indianians, and Ohioians already there; and when the invaders had withdrawn, others were seen dragging cannon wearily up the hill for the defense of Camp Wild Cat.

A little later a trial of strategy and skill occurred in the most eastern

1 Zollicoffer, like Polk, made necessity the pretext for scorning the neutrality of Kentucky. On the 14th of September he telegraphed to Governor Magoffin, informing him of his occupation of three mountain ranges in Kentucky, because it was evident that the Unionists in Eastern Kentucky were about to invade East Tennessee, to destroy the great railway and its bridges. He said, apologetically, that he had delayed that " "precautionary movement," until it was evident that "the despotic Government at Washington" had determined to subjugate first Kentucky and then Tennessee, whom he regarded as twin sisters. With the old plea of the unrighteous, that "the end justifies the means," he declared that he felt a "religious respect for Kentucky's neutrality," and would continue to feel it, so long as the safety of the Confederate cause would permit. He issued an order at the same time, setting forth that he entered Kentucky to defend "the soil of a sister State against an invading foe."