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CHAPTER XII.

GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE MILITARY EVENTS OF THE YEAR 1862.—THE CONFEDERATE SITU-
ATION IN KENTUCKY.-GEN. A. S. JOHNSTON'S COMMAND AND POSITION.-BATTLE OF
FISHING CREEK.-THE CONFEDERATE RIGHT IN KENTUCKY.-GEN. CRITTENDEN'S COM-
MAND IN EXTREME STRAITS.-DIFFICULTY IN SUBSISTING IT.-THE DECISION TO GIVE BAT-
TLE TO THE ENEMY.-ZOLLICOFFER'S BRIGADE.-THE CONTESTED HILL.—DEATH OF ZOLLI-
COFFER.-DEFEAT OF THE CONFEDERATES.-CRITTENDEN CROSSES THE CUMBERLAND.-
HIS LOSSES.-IMPORTANCE OF THE DISASTER.-DESIGNS OF THE ENEMY IN WESTERN
KENTUCKY.-POPULAR DELUSION AS TO JOHNSTON'S STRENGTH.-HOPELESSNESS OF HIS
DEFENCE.—OFFICIAL APATHY IN RICHMOND.-BEAUREGARD'S CONFERENCE WITH JOHN-
STON.THE TENNESSEE AND CUMBERLAND RIVERS. THE AVENUE TO NASHVILLE.-
GRANT'S ASCENT OF THE TENNESSEE.-CAPTURE OF FORT HENRY.-NOBLE AND GALLANT
CONDUCT OF GEN. TILGHMAN.-BATTLE OF FORT DONELSON.-JOHNSTON'S REASONS FOR
MAKING A BATTLE THERE.-COMMANDS OF BUCKNER, PILLOW, AND FLOYD.-SITE AND
STRENGTH OF THE FORT.-BATTLE OF THE TRENCHES.-ENGAGEMENT OF THE GUNBOATS.
-TWO DAYS' SUCCESS OF THE CONFEDERATES.-SUFFERING OF THE TROOPS FROM COLD.-
EXPOSURE OF THE WOUNDED.-FEDERAL REINFORCEMENTS. THE CONFEDERATE COUNCIL
OF WAR.-PLAN OF ATTACK, TO EXTRICATE THE GARRISON.-A FIERCE AND TERRIBLE
CONFLICT. THE FEDERALS FORCED BACK TOWARDS THE WYNN'S FERRY ROAD.—THE OP-
PORTUNITY OF EXIT LOST.-GEN. BUCKNER'S EXPLANATION.—A COMMENTARY ON MILI-
TARY HESITATION.-HOW THE DAY WAS LOST.-NINE HOURS OF COMBAT.-SCENES ON
THE BATTLE-FIELD.-COUNCIL OF CONFEDERATE GENERALS.—GEN. PILLOW'S PROPOSITION.
—LITERAL REPORT OF THE CONVERSATION OF GENS. FLOYD, PILLOW, AND BUCKNER.—A
SURRENDER DETERMINED.-ESCAPE OF FLOYD AND PILLOW.-BUCKNER'S LETTER TO
GRANT. JOHNSTON'S MOVEMENT TO NASHVILLE.—EXCITEMENT THERE.—RETREAT OF
JOHNSTON'S COMMAND TO MURFREESBORO'.—
-PANIC IN NASHVILLE.-CAPTURE OF ROANOKE
ISLAND BY THE ENEMY.-BURNSIDE'S EXPEDITION.-GEN. WISE'S ESTIMATE OF THE IM-
PORTANCE OF ROANOKE ISLAND.-HIS CORRESPONDENCE AND INTERVIEWS WITH SECRE-
TARY BENJAMIN.-DEFENCES OF THE ISLAND.-NAVAL ENGAGEMENT.-COMMODORE
LYNCH'S SQUADRON.-LANDING OF THE ENEMY ON THE ISLAND.-DEFECTIVE RECON-
NOISSANCE OF THE CONFEDERATES.-THEIR WORKS FLANKED. THE SURRENDER.-PUR-
SUIT OF THE CONFEDERATE GUNBOATS.-EXTENT OF THE DISASTER.-CENSURE OF THE
RICHMOND AUTHORITIES.-SECRETARY BENJAMIN ACCUSED BY THE CONFEDERATE CONGRESS.

THE year 1862 is a remarkable one in the history of the war. It opened with a fearful train of disasters to the Confederacy that brought it

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almost to the brink of despair, and then was suddenly illuminated by successes that placed it on the highest pinnacle of hope, and put it even in instant expectation of its independence.

In the latter part of 1861, while the Confederacy was but little active, the North was sending into camp, from her great population, regiments numbered by hundreds; was drilling her men, heaping up ammunition and provisions, building gunboats for the western rivers, and war-ships for the coast, casting mortars and moulding cannon. She was preparing, with the opening of the next campaign, to strike those heavy blows in Tennessee and Louisiana under which the Confederate States reeled and staggered almost to fainting, and from which they recovered by a series of successes in Virginia, the most important of the war, and the most brilliant in the martial annals of any people.

We enter first upon the story of disaster. Despite the victory of Belmont, the Confederate situation in Kentucky was one of extreme weakness. Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston had assumed command of the Confederate forces in the Western department. He had occupied Bowling Green in Kentucky, an admirably selected position, with Green River along his front, and railway communication to Nashville and the whole South. Had he simply to contend with an enemy advancing from Louisville, he would have had but little to fear; but Grant had command of the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, and while he might thus advance with his gunboats and transports upon Nashville, Buell, the other Federal commander, was prepared to attack in front.

BATTLE OF FISHING CREEK.

Having failed, as we have seen, at Columbus, the next movement of the enemy in Kentucky was to be made against the Confederate right at Mill Springs, on the upper waters of the Cumberland. Brig.-Gen. Zollicoffer had been reinforced and superseded by Maj.-Gen. Crittenden, and a small but gallant ariny had been collected for the defense of the mountains. The position of the Confederates was advanced across the Cumberland to Camp Beech Grove; and the camp was fortified with earth-works.

The Federal army in Eastern Kentucky occupied Somerset and Columbia, towns to the north of, but in the vicinity of the upper part of the Cumberland River. Two strong columns of the enemy were thus advancing upon Gen. Crittenden; and he formed the determination to fall upon the nearest column, that under Thomas advancing from Columbia, before the arrival of the troops under General Schoepf from Somerset.

But there were other reasons which determined Crittenden with his small army of about four thousand men to risk a battle against Thomas'

column, which consisted of two brigades of infantry, and was greatly his superiour in artillery. His troops had been in an almost starving condition for some time. For several weeks bare existence in the camp was very precarious, from want of provisions and forage. Regiments frequently subsisted on one third rations, and this very frequently of bread alone. Wayne County, which was alone productive in this region of Kentucky, had been exhausted, and the neighbouring counties of Tennessee could furnish nothing to the support of the army. The condition of the roads and the poverty of the intervening section rendered it impossible to transport from Knoxville, a distance of one hundred and thirty miles. The enemy from Columbia commanded the Cumberland River, and only one boat was enabled to come up with supplies from Nashville. With the channel of communication closed, the position became untenable without attack. Only corn could be obtained for the horses and mules, and this in such small quantities that often cavalry companies were sent out on unshod horses which had eaten nothing for two days.

On the afternoon of the 18th of January a council of war was called. The position of the enemy was unchanged; Fishing Creek, a tributary of the Cumberland, was swollen by recent rains; the force of the enemy at Somerset was cut off by this stream, and could not be expected to join Thomas' column moving from Columbia, until the freshet had subsided. It was unanimously agreed to attack Thomas, before the Somerset brigade could unite with him.

The march began at midnight. The first column, commanded by Gen. Zollicoffer, consisted of four regiments of infantry and four guns; the second, under Gen. Carroll, in support, of three regiments and two guns, the reserve of one regiment and two battalions of cavalry. The Confederates were poorly supplied with artillery; but happily the undulating and wooded surface of the country presented but little opportunity for the use of that arm.

As the morning of the 19th January broke, the firing of the enemy's pickets made a brisk prelude to the contest, and by eight o'clock the battle opened with great fury. Zollicoffer's brigade pushed ahead, and drove the Federals some distance through the woods, and were endeavouring to force their way to the summit of a hill which fully commanded the whole field. He was ascending the hill when the heaviest firing told where the battle raged. He sent for reinforcements, and the brigade of Gen. Carroll was ordered up. When, in another moment, it was announced that he was killed, a sudden gloom pervaded the field and depressed the army. He had fallen on the crest of the hill-the stronghold of the enemy, which he had almost driven them from, and which once gained, the day was ours. The enemy in front of him in the woods, after a few moments' cessation of firing and some movements, was taken by him to be a regiment

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of his own command, and he rode up to give them a command, when he was shot down, pierced by several balls.*

The fall of this gallant leader, and a movement of the enemy to flank the Confederates, completed their disorder. Gen. Crittenden attempted to rally the troops by the most conspicuous displays of personal daring, in which he seemed to court death, as he reined up his horse again and again abreast of the enemy's fire, and exhorted his men to stand their ground. But the tide of retreat had set in, and all that could be done was to steady the men as they moved back to their entrenchments at Camp Beech Grove. The Confederates left upon the field about three hundred killed and wounded, and lost about a hundred prisoners. But this was not the measure of the disaster.

The enemy did not attempt an energetic pursuit. He followed the retreating Confederates as far as their entrenchments, in front of which he halted for the night. The Confederates, unprovided with rations and the necessary supplies to enable them to hold their entrenched position, and fearing lest they should be cut off, retreated across the Cumberland River during the night. The crossing was effected by the aid of a small steamer, which had made its way with supplies for the army from Nashville some days previous. Time permitted, however, only the transportation of the men; and Gen. Crittenden effected his retreat after having lost all his baggage, camp equipage, wagons, horses, and artillery.

The battle of Fishing Creek was not remarkable for lists of killed and wounded; but it was undoubtedly the most serious disaster that had yet befallen the Confederate arms. It practically surrendered to the enemy the whole of Eastern Kentucky. The right of the defensive line of the Confederates was now broken, and the value of their position greatly impaired. On the other part of their line-that through Western Kentucky, where the rivers and railroads passed which afforded an entrance into Tennessee, and so to the heart of the Southern States-an inadequate force under Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston was extended from Bowling Green on the right to Columbus on the left, presenting to the enemy advantages of attack which he could not fail to perceive.

* The dead body of Zollicoffer was brutally insulted by the enemy. The Cincinnati Commercial contained the following sentiment expressed on behalf of what was styled in the usual Yankee magniloquence and virtuous phrase “a conquering army, battling for the right :"

"The corpse lay by the side of the road along which we all passed, and all had a fair view of what was once Zollicoffer. I saw the lifeless body as it lay in a fence-corner by the side of the road, but Zollicoffer himself is now in hell. Hell is a fitting abode for all such arch-traitors. May all the other chief conspirators in this rebellion soon share Zollicoffer's fate-shot dead through the instrumentality of an avenging God-their spirits sent straightway to hell, and their lifeless bodies lie in a fence-corner, their faces spattered with mud, and their garments divided up, and even the hair of their head cut off and pulled out by an unsympathizing soldiery of a conquering army, battling for the right.”

Never was there such a popular delusion in the Confederacy as that with respect to the strength of Johnston's army. The Richmond newspapers could not "see why Johnston did not muster his forces, advance farther into Kentucky, capture Louisville, push across the Ohio, sack Cincinnati, and carry the war into Africa." But at the time these pleasing anticipations of an advance movement were indulged, Johnston actually did not have more than twenty-five thousand men. The utter inadequacy of his force, and the exposure of his flanks and rear, were well known to the proper Confederate authorities. But the Richmond Government appeared to hope for results without the legitimate means for acquiring them; to look for relief from vague and undefined sources; and to await, with dull expectation, what was next to happen. There is nothing more remarkable in the history of the war than the false impressions of the people of the South as to the extent of our forces at the principal strategic point in Kentucky, and the long and apathetic toleration by the Government in Richmond of a prospect that promised nothing but eventual disaster.

Shorly after the disaster at Fishing Creek, Gen. Beauregard had been sent from the Potomac to Gen. Johnston's lines in Kentucky. At a conference between the two generals, Beauregard expressed his surprise at the smallness of Gen. Johnston's forces, and was impressed with the danger of his position. Buell was in front; the right flank was threatened by a large Federal force under Thomas; while the Cumberland River offered an opportunity to an attack in the rear, and held the key to Nashville.

A large force of Federals had been collected at Paducah, at the mouth of the Tennessee River, with a view to offensive operations on the water. This river penetrated Tennessee and Alabama, and was navigable for steamers for two or three hundred miles. There was nothing to resist the enemy's advance up the stream but a weak and imperfectly constructed fort. The Cumberland was a still more important river, and the avenue to Nashville; but nothing stood in the way of the enemy save Fort Donelson, and from that point the Federal gunboats could reach Nashville in six or eight hours, and strike a vital blow at the whole system of Confederate defences north of the capital of Tennessee.

Gen. U. S. Grant commenced his ascent of the Tennessee River early in February, 1862, with a mixed force of gunboats and infantry columns, the latter making parallel movements along the banks. On the 4th of February the expedition arrived at Fort Henry, on the east bank of the river, and near the lines of Kentucky and Tennessee. The fort was obviously untenable, being so absurdly located, that it was enfiladed from three or four points on the opposite shore, while other points on the eastern bank of the river commanded it at easy cannon range. But there were more than twenty-five hundred Confederate troops in the vicinity, under the

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