artillery. The rebels did not pursue. They carried off their wounded, and then beat a hasty retreat. It is known that the rebel force consisted of Terry's regiment of cavalry, two regiments of infantry, and three pieces of cannon. The rebels lost sixty-two killed. *** "Willich's entire forces only numbered 414, including commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates.*

66

This was the enemy's official account of the affair: HEADQUARTERS ADVANCE GUARD, C. A., KY., CAVE CITY, December 19, 1861. "SIR: At eight o'clock A.M., on the 17th inst., I moved toward Woodsonville for the purpose of breaking up the railroad from the vicinity of that place southward. My

force consisted of 1,100 infantry and four pieces of artil

lery. When within two and a half miles of Woodsonville, concealed from the enemy's view, I halted the column and ordered forward Colonel Terry's Rangers, to occupy the heights of my right, left, and front; and Major Phifer's Cavalry to watch the crossings of Green River, still farther to my left. These orders having been executed, and no force of the enemy or pickets seen. I advanced the column till the right reached the railroad. This brought me within three-quarters of a mile of the river and the enemy. but still concealed, except a small body of cavalry upon the extreme left. Here a company of rangers was detached to observe the enemy from Rowlett's Knob, which was to my right, across the railroad. A strip of timber bordered the river parallel to the line held by the cavalry. Fields were between a body of the enemy's infantry, as skirmishers moved through the timber, by their right, on my left. They were fired upon by a small body of my cavalry, and retired. The firing ceased for about half an hour, and I went in person to select a suitable place for camp, leaving Colonel Terry in command, with instructions to decoy the enemy up the hill, where I could use my infantry and artillery with effect, and be out of the range of the enemy's batteries.

"Before returning to the column, the fire from the skirmishers re-commenced. The enemy appeared in force upon my right and centre. Colonel Terry, at the head of 75 rangers, charged about 300, routed and drove them back, but fell mortally wounded. A body of the enemy of about the same size attacked the rangers under Captain Ferrell, upon the right of the turnpike, and were repulsed with heavy loss. The enemy now began crossing by regiments, and moving about on my right and left flanks. Three companies of Colonel Marmaduke's (First Arkansas) battalion were thrown out as skirmishers on my left, engaged the enemy's right, and drove them to the river. I

After General Nelson had congratulated his troops upon restoring Eastern Kentucky to the Federal authority, another feeble attempt at invasion was made by the enemy. Humphrey Marshall, formerly a member of the United States Congress from Kentucky, then a general in the Confederate service, had mustered a force of 2,000 or 3,000 men among the mountains on the borders of Virginia, and penetrated the eastern part of the State as far as Paintville, on the Big Sandy River, where he had intrenched himself. Colonel Garfield advanced with the Forty-second Ohio Regiment, Fourteenth Kentucky Regiment, and 300 of the Second Virginia Cavalry.

"On hearing of my approach," says the Colonel in his report, "the main

now ordered Captain Swift's battery and the Second Arkansas Regiment to support it, holding the Sixth Arkansas Regiment in reserve. The artillery opened fire upon the enemy in the field adjacent to the railroad, and drove them back of the river. Firing now ceased on both sides. The enemy made no further attempt to advance, but knowing that he had already crossed the river in force more than double my own, and had the means of crossing additional forces, I withdrew my command by way of the turnpike, two miles and a half, and took position to meet the enemy, if disposed to advance. There being no indications of such an intention, I returned to my camp here, reaching this place at eight o'clock P.M.

My loss in this affair was as follows: Killed-Colonel Terry and three men of his regiment. Dangerously Wounded -Lieutenant Morris and three men (Texas Rangers). Slightly Wounded-Captain Walker and three men (Texas Rangers), and two men of the First Arkansas Battalion. "I estimated the enemy's loss at 75 killed and left on the ground; wounded, unknown. I have eight prisoners; others taken were too badly wounded to be moved, and were left at citizens' houses. The troops under my command, who were engaged, displayed courage in excess. The others were as steady as veterans.

"Respectfully, T. C. HINDMAN, Brigadier-General. "To Lieutenant D. C. WHITE, Acting Assistant AdjutantGeneral, First Division Central Army of Kentucky."

rector.

The various divisions, with their commanders, who ranked as brigadier-generals, but acted as major-generals, were as follows:

First Division-Brigadier-General Alexander McDowell McCook, of Ohio, headquarters at Munfordsville.

Second Division-Brigadier-General T. Nelson, of Kentucky, headquarters near Summerville, Ky.

Third Division (Reserve)--BrigadierGeneral O. H. Mitchell, of Ohio, headquarters at Bacon Creek, Ky.

Fourth Division-Brigadier-General George W. Thomas, of Kentucky, headquarters at Columbia, Ky.

Fifth Division-Brigadier-General T. L. Crittenden, of Kentucky, headquarters at Calhoun, Ky.

Four of these divisions had been adJan. vanced to a line across the State, 14. parallel to that occupied by the enemy. The first division, forming the advance of the centre, under General McCook, whose march to Munfordsville has already been related, remained

to co-operate with the first division, with which it completed the centre. These two, moving on parallel lines, were to combine at the proper time in an attack upon the enemy's intrenched position at Bowling Green. The road taken by General Nelson crosses the Green River about ten miles east from Munfordsville, where McCook had crossed. Glasgow was the enemy's position which first presented itself to the advance of Nelson, and it was proposed that he should attack this place simultaneously with the movement of McCook against Cave City, immediately in his front.

The third division, commanded by the popular astronomer, General Mitchell, being composed generally of fresh recruits, was held as a reserve, to be moved forward to Munfordsville whenever McCook should advance against the enemy.

The main body of the fourth division, under General Thomas, forming the left. wing of General Buell's army, was posted at Columbia, midway between Bowling

east. The enemy, under Zollicoffer, however, having moved from Cumberland Gap to the neighborhood of Somerset, General Thomas had divided his force with the view of thwarting their designs. General Schoepf, with a portion of the division, had been left ten miles west of Somerset, in order to watch the enemy in front, while Thomas himself, with the larger portion of his troops, prepared to make a flank movement from Columbia.

The fifth division, under General Crittenden, forming the right wing of Buell's army, was far to the east, toward the Cumberland Gap, prepared to co-operate with the contemplated movements against the enemy's fortifications on that river, and to interrupt the communication between the left of the Confederates at Columbus and their centre at Bowling Green.

The campaign in Kentucky was opened on the extreme left of Buell's army, by the movement of General Thomas, which resulted in a brilliant success near Somerset.

A plan had been formed to attack the enemy's encampment on the Cumberland River, by a combined movement of General Thomas with the main body of his division—the fourth-and General Schoepf with the rest of the forces. General Thomas was to move on the enemy's flank, from Jamestown, whither he had advanced from Columbia, and General Schoepf to the front, from his position at Somerset, with the view of making the assaults simultaneously from

this design could be accomplished, the enemy became aware of it, and, leaving their intrenchments, advanced to meet General Thomas. The motives for this movement of the enemy are thus stated by one of their own writers:*

"Our position at Beech Grove, on the north side of the Cumberland River, is said to have been, in a military point of view, untenable. We had intrenchments, it is true; but they are said to have been utterly indefensible against an attack by a superior force. We had twelve pieces of artillery, but against the long-range guns of the enemy they were useless. were useless. A deep and rapid river was behind our army, and the means of crossing it were a small steamer and three ferry flats, only sufficient in all to transport at one carrying three hundred men. The country around was utterly devoid of provisions. The most untiring efforts of commissaries had been only availing to drain the country for twenty miles southward of every article for purchase; while on the immediate road to Knoxville, enough provisions could not be bought, from day to day, to subsist a single team. A more indefensible position than Beech Grove, it is said, could hardly be imagined as long as an enemy was in front. Mill Spring could have been better defended; but even there, the entire absence of facilities for supplies from the rear, and the stoppage of communication with Nashville by the river, would have compelled an advance at a very early date, or a

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